| Bodybuilding enthusiasts and athletes looking to gain an | | | | race approach? Just remember, the natural |
| inside competitive advantage constantly battle with the | | | | bodybuilder will probably show better results compared |
| temptation to take steroids or not. Deciding to body | | | | to the steroid user who has not used steroids in years. |
| build naturally is much better than taking the steroid | | | | Are all the health risks worth it? |
| route. There are a number of good reasons to support | | | | Anabolic steroids are illegal if not administered by a |
| this statement. | | | | physician. I known people who have died, and even |
| First off, have you ever seen what happens to a | | | | been thrown in jail for using, and selling anabolic |
| bodybuilder when they go off muscle enhancing | | | | steroids. It just doesn't seem worth it to me. |
| anabolic steroids? Two words that muscle building | | | | There can also be a sense of addiction for the |
| enthusiasts never want to hear, atrophy (get small), | | | | non-naturalbodybuilders. The performance enhancing, |
| and strength lose. The fact is a steroid induced | | | | drug user gets a very good feeling when their bodies |
| bodybuilder should not stay on steroids day in and day | | | | are pumped up and buff. However, the opposite |
| out for years on end. It is suggested to cycle your | | | | happens when they stop the steroids, and the muscle |
| administration, say, 6-10 weeks at a time, and then go | | | | shrinking process begins. Imagine the feeling these |
| off for an extended period of time before starting | | | | athletes get. Their body image quickly erodes, and |
| again. Weeks following going off tend to equal muscle | | | | thoughts of the next muscle producing cycle are rolling |
| atrophy, decreased strength, and even depression. | | | | around in their heads. |
| Natural bodybuilding may not elicit that huge, rapid spike | | | | Aside from the health, and legal risks, it also costs quite |
| in muscle growth in a super short time, but illustrate a | | | | a bit of money to take muscle enhancing drugs. |
| long term, stable growth curve. It may take longer to | | | | Hopefully, I convinced you to not take the performance |
| develop muscle strength and size, but when you have | | | | enhancing pathway, but to use your resources, and |
| it, you have it as long as you keep training at an | | | | energy into training smarter. If you are a natural |
| intense level. However, as witnessed many times by | | | | bodybuilder, and want an advantage, you must train in |
| former steroid users, a rapid shrink in size and strength | | | | an intelligent manner. That means providing the proper |
| occur to levels sometimes below the natural | | | | intensity of muscle producing stimulus, followed by |
| bodybuilders production. How much fun is that? | | | | adequate rest. The natural bodybuilder must pay extra |
| Take, for instance, a professional baseball player who | | | | close attention to sound training practices, in order to |
| administers generous amounts of steroids one year | | | | continue that gradual, continuous climb up the muscle |
| and hits 58 home runs, but is only able to hit 16 during | | | | development ladder. |
| his next, steroid free season. | | | | Just remember to be patient and think long term |
| Since we all want instant results, steroids may be | | | | results, not quick, short term, hi-risk muscular |
| attractive, but the medical side effects don't quite | | | | development. If you make a chart listing all the positives |
| seem worth it. | | | | versus the negatives when it comes to natural |
| Is adding ten pounds of muscle more important than | | | | bodybuilding versus steroid induced training, the natural |
| increasing heart disease risk, cancer risk, or | | | | bodybuilding positives far outweigh the drug induced |
| manipulating your natural hormonal balance? This | | | | positives. Therefore, in my eyes, natural bodybuilding is |
| question is only for you to answer, not me. In my | | | | a much better training system than anabolic induced |
| opinion, the risks far outweigh the benefits which are | | | | bodybuilding. |
| only visible when you are taking steroids. Size and | | | | ***** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners ***** |
| strength quickly decrease after ceasing steroid use. | | | | Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your |
| Steroid users seem to have a greater risk of injury | | | | eZine, Blog, Autoresponder, or on your website as long |
| from the muscle tissue growing faster than the, trying | | | | as the links, text, and resource box are not altered in |
| to adapt, connective tissue. The workloads are more | | | | any way. |
| aggressive, more frequent, and with faster muscle | | | | Jim O'Connor- Exercise Physiologist |
| building recovery times. Once again, do you want the | | | | Copyright (c) - Wellness WORD, LLC |
| injury prone "quick fix," or the slow, but steady wins the | | | | 9461 Charleville Blvd. |