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Steroid Side Effects – Why You Should Avoid Them
Steroids have become so mainstream, it's ridiculous, the bodybuilding industry has become so parasitical.
It seems anyone who has taken a steroid cycle or won an amateur bodybuilding competition think they know how to train and what kinds of steroids to take.
Mistake number one, why are you taking steroids or considering them in the first place? In this article, we will discuss why you should avoid anabolic steroids.
We all know that steroids can damage your health.
Men and women who take them will often shrug off the side effects of using them.
We can only assume that those men and women who take them for only a short time may not experience many side effects.
If we look objectively at what steroids can do, they are like recreational drugs.
Once you begin to take them they can become habit forming.
In other words, once you begin to experience physical transformations and you become stronger and begin to feel superhuman it would only be natural not to want to stop using them.
This is when side effects begin to happen.
Long term steroid use can cause all kinds of side effects.
Some of the most common side effects of using steroids include:
Mild side effects include:
- Acne
- Gynecomastia (breast growth in men)
- Infertility
- High blood pressure
- Irritability
- Hair loss
- Insomnia
- Hair loss
- Aggression
- Depression
- Elevated cholesterol levels
Severe side effects:
- Liver cancer
- Liver scarring
- Heart and kidney issues
- Enlarged heart
- High blood pressure
In today's modern bodybuilding society most men do not want to hear anyone say stay away from steroids.
If you are considering taking steroids, there are a few reality checks you should consider, you might save yourself some money and save your health.
Steroids are not going to make you superman overnight
I have seen so many young guys taking steroids 6 -8 weeks after they start training, the bodybuilding industry has hyped steroid use up so much that young men think that the only way they can gain muscle is by taking anabolic steroids.
If you think taking steroids will get you big overnight, think again!
Before you take any kind of sports enhancement drugs you need to learn how to eat and how to train.
How you Train is more important than taking steroids
Training is one of the most important things you can do to build muscle. In order to build solid and dense muscle, you need to train hard and lift heavy. You cannot expect to be an overnight success. Building muscle takes time, persistence, and dedication.
I personally believe one of the biggest failures most men face today is wanting things too fast without working for it.
Steroids are not going to take you far if you do not have a solid foundation. Besides hardcore training, try sticking to the basics, train with core compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press, barbell rows, rack pulls etc. Training properly is the best way to build quality muscle.
You should have a good diet before you consider taking steroids
Besides training, diet is one of the things any bodybuilder should be focusing on. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
If you are serious about transforming your body you should be paying close attention to how your body reacts to food.
To make things closer to science you should write down your meals and how you felt after you ate certain things.
Check your progress week after week, see how you feel taking a close look at muscle gains, fat, bloating, and water retention.
Are you genetically gifted?
One thing a lot of guys do not take into consideration is that maybe they are not genetically gifted. there are very few 5′ 1″ basketball players, just like there are very few 6′ 7′ ice skaters.
Like it or not, genetics play a HUGE role in bodybuilding, this does not mean that if you are short and skinny you cannot be a bodybuilder, thing is, genetically some people have a hard time gaining muscle.
It has to do with muscle fibers and how well your body responds to resistance training.
If your body does not respond well, even if you take steroids, it is not going to help much.
Taking steroids can be a psychological merry-go-round
For a lot of guys taking steroids literally messes them up, both physically and mentally, a lot depends on how long you take them. Taking steroids for a long time will eventually tell your body to not produce testosterone.
There is no doubt that steroids will help make you bigger and stronger.
Problem is after you stop taking them you are going to shrink back to your original size.
For many guys being a strong behemoth means everything to them, some men can't stand the fact that they lose muscle and shrink back to their normal size.
For a lot of guys, this kills their ego and confidence.
If taking steroids is a way for you to ease your insecurities this is totally the wrong reason to take them.
Taking Steroids can cause severe health issues
When people talk about taking steroids, they only take into consideration the side effects of one particular steroid. When people juice they generally are taking a combination of several substances, this combination can be deadly.
Long-term side effects can include an enlarged heart, risk of stroke, diminished sex drive, and possible tumors down the road. Everyone is different so every individual will react differently to steroids.
There are alternatives to taking steroids
There is no substitute for training hard and eating right, this is probably one of the best ways to gain muscle. No one should consider taking steroids until they have been training for a few years.
If you want something to help you gradually boost strength and gain weight there are things like Creatine, Whey Protein, and legal steroids that can help you naturally make gains. Unless you are competing professionally, why would you want to harm your body? For many, a natural alternative can work just as well.
Conclusion
Steroid use should not be taken lightly, it is a serious decision and they are substances that most men do not need and should not be taken, having said that, if you can spend a few minutes and watch the Scott Herman video above where he discusses the issues that you may experience from taking anabolic steroids.
