Dealing with the modern fitness industry

@mamabdog A lot of younger kids are on SARMS, which is unregulated PEDs and is currently the only legal steroid. A bunch of kids are using it and posing as fake naturals.

Also there is a rampant use of photoshop and Lifestyle fakebess among Fitness influencers. For example dan bilzeran was just recently found out to be knee deep in debt and paid for his entire lifestyle. People try their best to make it look like they have the perfect life.
 
@mamabdog I'll share my reasoning as probably one of the few lone enhanced users that still posts in this sub some times after adding in the super supplements a couple of years back. I had maxed all I could with my natural genetics and wanted to take things to the next level. I did with a eyes wide open it is a lifetime commitment at that point to keep the gains and potential side effects. I did it after knowing my body extremely well training and dieting as a natural. I went all the way to nationals in NPC Men's Physique and did decently well, but really wanted to pursue the pro card and the only way I am going to be competitive is going to the enhanced route.
 
@mamabdog First few years were pretty uneventful typical bro stuff with minimal results. After that 6 years of proper training to get there. Last 2 years of that gains trickled to pretty minimal over the course of each year.
 
@lordheretic Definitely a lot of experience then. Good on you for having the patience to wait until you knew how your body responds to diet and training before adding anabolics.
 
@mamabdog For a sub that has such a hard-on for science and studies, I don't see much of it here.

The bodybuilding industry promotes unrealistic physical standards.

The bodybuilding industry promotes disordered eating.

The bodybuilding industry has, since the late 1950s, relied on models who use drugs to build their physique to market various supplements and training routines that generally offer little to no noticeable improvement.

In any other industry this is known as "fraud" and yet we simply accept this is "just how it is" or are told to "ignore it" because "they gotta make money somehow".

What this young man is describing is something endemic to this subculture, it's a cause of great suffering for many, and as a whole it serves to continue to kill the sport.
 
@nattyz Plenty of young guys around me feel the same way unfortunately, all the time I see 16-18 year olds coming to the gym checking the pump every 5 minutes wondering when they are going to look like Jeff Seid..
 
@mamabdog Everything I was gonna say has been commented by others already..

Main thing is you can’t compare yourself to others when you have no idea what their story is and how they got there.
 
@mamabdog You are going to be fit and muscular for life. Always improving. Always healthy.

Those guys are going to have a shorter life and lose their gains once they can’t run gear anymore due to health issues.
 
@mamabdog I find fitness is very personal, there are things we can all share to reach our potentials, but my potential is not yours and vise versa, especially when you’ve decided not to use gain enhancers. I had a friend when I first started training who seemed like he could hit the gym for 2 weeks and he would come out looking massive, he had no problem jumping up to enormous weights in what seemed to me superhuman time frames. I could work twice as hard and look only half as good. It bugged me for a while, but you come to accept that we are all just dealt different hands, how you play it is what matters.
 
@mamabdog Just remember, gains on gear aren’t sustainable unless you run A healthy dose of TRT and dont blast. Imagine running a cycle feeling amazing for 3 months then losing it all post-cycle.

As others said, what makes training natural fun is the continuous goal of sculpting your body to your ideal physique in a sustainable and healthy way.

Also, you dont need gear to have an aesthetic physique for girls lmao, you just need to be 8-12% with some muscle mass. Girls think justin bieber is jacked.., and the average person looks like shit
 
@mamabdog If you want to compare... Compare to real people - your neighbours, your gym mates and take a look to the real people on a beach. You will be surprised and encouraged.
In terms of Insta I'm weak, not ripped 37 y.o. gym rat, but once I won the bench press contest in my gym and that was great.
 
@mamabdog I've known a lot of guys who, due to massive insecurity, have juiced themselves up to the gills for no other reason than to be the biggest guy in the room.

The reality is that nobody but them ever gave two shits about how big they were, least of all the women in their lives, and they have pretty much all shrunk back down to pre-gear levels because all they ever knew was how cycle test. They don't know how to eat right, or train right.

Why do something illegal with significant health risks just so you can say "I have more muscle tissue than that dude I've never met" ?

If you are on the cusp of a world record or a major title, and do it responsibly then sure flip that joker card. You only get to do it once so make it count.

Personally - while my focus isn't bodybuilding any more - I've never had any problems gaining muscle, getting lean, or getting strong. It's obviously taken me longer to do naturally than it probably would have assisted.

I'm mid thirties now and started as a teen. I have a wife and kids. No way am I risking my health and my family's security just to feel like a badass walking around in a tight t-shirt.

Focus on the journey not the destination. Even if you took every chemical under the sun there would still be people better than you, anyway. Whether that's because they're more disciplined, have better genetics, work harder, take more stuff, whatever.

Keep improving and celebrate others' successes as well as your own.
 
@mamabdog Instagram is kinda how Flex magazine and muscle and fitness were for those of us who were exposed to this lifestyle in the 90s, only we were probably younger.

I rememember looking at magazines and thinking it would be amazing to look like Lee Priest or Mike Matarazzo... Now 20 years down the line I'm content that it will never happen and it's for the best. Frank Zane is probably a stretch goal. Lol

Consistency is key, especially when you are natural, enjoy the great days, enjoy the links... .. And do your best on the days that are funky. Think of where you started and where you are now. Think of what sets you apart from those who don't do what you do. Keep that fire burning and just do your best for that day... Not for your whole life. Just do your best for that day and keep going.
 
Hello everyone, I want to thank you for all of your comments. Comparing yourself to others is indeed the thief of joy, it's just a challenge not to do that based on the generation I live in. A lot of people are obsessed with social media. I'll try to live my own life and be proud of my own progress.

I'm thankful that there is such a supportive community around where you can talk about some of your doubts and insecurities. Again, thank you all.
 
@mamabdog My 2 cents:
  1. Side effects - Litterally, every time I am slightly tempted about doing it I just go into the steroids forum here and read about all the side effects. If that isn't enough I discuss it with a doctor friend of mine (not everyone has one, obv). He sees countless of young adults, clearly unable to get proper erections and with super low selfesteem. And we're talking people in their early twenties, clearly juiced up. Your heart will also grow, and not in a good way.
  2. Size - Once you do get bigger and juiced up. Then what? You think you'll be satisifed there? You think you'll not just think you need to do more, go harder? When is it enough. It's a mindset to be satisfied. Besides you're 21! Christ, you got a good 10-20 years of solid lifting infront of you.
  3. Girls - A lot of people on juice have really LOW selfesteem. So they compensate and turn into douchebags. Start training, taking juice and think all the girls will trip over them. News flash, they dont. There is ONE type of chick who cares about your muscles and its the type you would hate to date. Being ripped helps, but in the end its money, looks and personality, in that order, that gets you far.
  4. Gateway to more drugs- Once you start doing HRT (most common steroid), your balls will shrink. Then you take a drug to prevent them from shrinking. You also need to take a 3rd drug to prevent the extra testosterone from being converted to estrogen, so you block that. You might need to take a 4th drug to increase fat burn and stuff. There isn't ONE drug that does all. Ever fucking thing has side effects and you snowball. It's EXPENSIVE. You take steroids? You take at least 5-6 different compounds.
  5. You're in it for life - You don't cycle off steroids. You'll lose your mass and your body won't recover naturally. It will take new drugs to keep it functioning.
Listen, steroids can do wonderful things. But when you're young, the side effects completely shatter the aesthetic purpose of it. The use case for steroids is in my opinion when you grow older and you have to compliment (not replace) your natural production. I'll be doing it once I hit 40 in a smaller dose.
 
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