THE MYTH
Everyone thinks they know how steroids work. “Bro, if I just injected that stuff, I’d be huge too!” Yeah? Let me tell you something – you wouldn’t.
I’ve heard this shit for years. Young guys in the gym, 18-23 years old, they start on SARMs or random steroids with zero clue what they’re doing. Their libido crashes. They actually get WEAKER because they’re suppressing their natural testosterone production without replacing it. They have no idea what the fuck they’re doing, and it shows.
Here’s what people think happens: inject steroids → instant muscles → look like a Greek god.
Here’s reality: inject steroids → blood fountain from your leg → can’t breathe from tren cough → nipples start itching → 95% quit before finishing first cycle 🙁
The fantasy is bullshit. The drugs don’t do the work. They amplify what’s already there – and if “what’s already there” is a lazy average dude with shit genetics and no training discipline, steroids just make you a slightly more muscular lazy average dude.
THE REALITY: WHAT NOBODY TELLS YOU
Let me paint you a picture of what actually happens when you start steroids.
First: You need KNOWLEDGE or you’re fucked.
You MUST understand gynecomastia exists. That’s when your nipples start itching and lumps develop in your chest because your estrogen is out of control. You need Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) in your house at all times. Most guys don’t know this until they’re already growing tits.
You MUST understand that ANY SARMs or steroids need to be backed with testosterone. Otherwise your natural production gets suppressed and everything goes to shit fast. This is non-negotiable.
When I started at 45, I had a doctor friend who’d been using steroids for 25 years and owned a gym. He injected me at first. He taught me everything. We had HOURS and DAYS of conversations about protocols, estrogen management, AI compounds like Anastrozole and Arimidex, PCT drugs like Clomid. This wasn’t “watch a YouTube video and start injecting.” This was a complete education that took months to fully understand.
Most people? They just buy it and start using it. Recipe for disaster.
Second: The physical reality is brutal.
I once injected my quadriceps. When I pulled the needle out, blood shot out like a fountain – one meter high. Just spraying everywhere. I had to jam my finger on it to stop it. If you’ve never experienced that, it’s fucking terrifying!
Ever heard of tren cough? Trenbolone can go straight to your lungs. You literally cannot breathe for a minute. You’re coughing like a maniac thinking you’re about to die. I’ve had it happen about 15 times. Most people experience that once and never inject again.
And scar tissue… after years of injecting the same spots (glutes, shoulders, quads), you build up scar tissue. Keep injecting there and it goes straight into damaged veins, straight to your lungs, causing that same coughing effect. I had it happen maybe 50 times before I realized the scar tissue was causing it. I thought I’d developed an allergy!
Third: 95% of people who start steroids don’t even finish their first cycle.
They experience the pain, the blood, the tren cough, the gyno symptoms, the crashed libido from doing it wrong – and they quit. They never see any results because they can’t handle what’s required just to STAY ON the drugs, let alone train properly.
THE PROOF: SAME DRUGS, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT RESULTS
I know a guy who’s been on steroids for 5 years now. His protocol? 100mg testosterone + 100mg trenbolone per week. That’s actually a STRONGER, harsher compound than what I use (I’m on 130mg test + 100mg deca).
His results after 5 years:
- Looks “a lot better” than before
- Bit of muscle, bit less belly
- Still looks like a “little fat person” honestly
- Walks around in tank tops because he’s proud of the gains
- Very happy his sex drive went up
My results on a MILDER protocol:
- Stage-ready bodybuilder physique at 55 years old
- 7-8% body fat year-round
- People think I’m 35-40
- Elite level aesthetics
Same drugs. Completely different results. Why?
I’m not gonna lie – it’s not the steroids making the difference…
THE WORK: WHAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES
Here’s what separates me from the guy who looks “a bit better but still kind of fat” on the same (or stronger) drugs:
Training intensity most people can’t match:
- Sprint training at 5am in the darkness
- Calisthenics sessions that destroy me
- Gym training with weights 2-3x heavier than most people use
- Training so hard my face is red and I’m screaming
- Attacking my nervous system with the intensity
Daily cardio they’re not doing:
- I walk everywhere – no car, no bike, no motorcycle
- Average 10+ kilometers walking per day
- That’s free cardio most people never get
Diet discipline (even though I don’t “diet”):
- My baseline activity is so extreme I walk around 7-8% bodyfat naturally
- If I actually dieted, I’d drop below 6% (unhealthy for long-term)
- Most people would need STRICT dieting to look like this
- They’re not willing to do it
Decades of foundation:
- I’ve been training at elite intensity my entire adult life
- Started steroids at 45 AFTER building the base naturally for 25+ years
- The drugs maintain what was already exceptional
- They don’t create it from nothing
And here’s the kicker – GENETICS:
I’m not trying to sound like a narcissist, but I need to be real with you. I was born with extremely good genetics. At 7 years old, I ran so fast in a school competition that the teacher looked at his stopwatch and thought it was broken. Made me run again to verify – same impossible time. At 16 years old, I held 4 out of 8 school athletic records (discus, javelin, running, etc.) competing against guys 19-20 years old.
That’s genetic freak status. You can’t replicate that with drugs. The steroids amplify what was already there – but if “what’s already there” is average genetics, average work ethic, and average discipline? You’ll look average with slightly more muscle.
THE CODE OF SILENCE
Here’s something nobody talks about: everyone serious about bodybuilding uses something. Just like in professional chess where cognitive enhancers are an open secret, in bodybuilding and fitness, gear use is universal at high levels.
But nobody admits it publicly because:
- Fitness influencers lose sponsorships
- Natural federations ban you
- Social stigma is huge
- People would rather maintain the illusion
So everyone pretends they’re natty, sells programs and supplements, and lets average guys think “if I just work harder, I’ll look like that!” Nah man… they’re on grams of gear and not telling you.
I have no problem admitting it. I use 130mg test + 100mg deca per week. That’s my maintenance protocol at 55. And I look better than 99% of guys who use way more because I actually do the work.
AGE IS BULLSHIT (IF YOU DO IT RIGHT)
When I started chess seriously at 30, I thought: “When I’m older and can’t do bodybuilding and martial arts anymore, I’ll need chess to stay sharp.”
Guess what? I’m 55 now and I’m still outperforming young guys in the gym and in fighting. I can go on stage tomorrow at 7-8% body fat. I’m planning to keep doing this until at least 65, probably longer.
The “you decline after 30” narrative is cope for people who don’t maintain discipline. Yeah, natural testosterone drops – that’s why TRT exists. But the strength, the conditioning, the physique? That’s maintainable if you actually do the work.
Age is an excuse. Discipline is the difference.
BOTTOM LINE
If you think you’d look like a half-god just by taking steroids, you’re delusional. Here’s what you’d actually need:
Knowledge:
- Understanding of gyno prevention
- Estrogen management with AIs
- Testosterone base for everything
- Injection protocols and rotating sites
- Managing side effects
Physical tolerance:
- Handling blood fountains
- Surviving tren cough
- Dealing with scar tissue
- Not being a pussy about needles
Training intensity:
- Working out at a level that destroys you
- Daily cardio (walking, running, whatever)
- Lifting weights that scare other people
- Decades of consistency
Genetics:
- Born athletic ability (can’t be created)
- Response to training
- Muscle building potential
- Fat loss capability
Without all this? Steroids make you look “a bit better.” Maybe your sex drive goes up. Maybe you’re happy walking around in tank tops showing off your minor gains.
But looking like an actual bodybuilder? Stage-ready at 55? Not even close 🙂
The drugs don’t do it. The work does it. The genetics do it. The discipline does it. The steroids just allow you to maintain it beyond what age naturally allows.
So next time you see someone with an elite physique and think “must be nice to have steroids,” remember: there’s a guy on STRONGER compounds than them who still looks like a “little fat person with bit of muscle” after 5 years.
The drugs aren’t the difference. Everything else is.