Q: Is It Possible To Build Good Muscle Size Without Steroids? By Hugo Rivera
A: So to answer your question, can you achieve good muscle size without steroids? Absolutely!
To this day I still have to meet someone that has put 110% effort in the gym, in their diet and supplement regimen and not achieved a respectable physique. Now, having said that, not all of us can look like the heroes we admire due to different genetics and muscle shape, but we can certainly get big and shredded.
While I am not a threat to become a Mr. Olympia contender anytime soon, my physique was accomplished without the use of steroids.
Granted, I started bodybuilding back when I was 15 years old, so I used all of my naturally produced steroid hormones that the body makes during puberty to build most of that mass in conjunction with very dedicated training and dieting efforts.
Since you are 50 years old, I would suggest that you visit your doctor, get a physical and also check your hormonal levels. If your testosterone levels are low, then maybe you can discuss with him your options to bring them back up to normal high levels in order for you to be able to make good progress. In this case, typically your doctor prescribes you low dosages of testosterone along with an anti-estrogen in order to bring your hormonal levels back up. In this case, steroids are being used as hormonal replacement therapy so don't feel like you are cheating. If your testosterone levels are normal then nothing can stop you from making good gains so training, diet, supplementation and rest are the only variables that you need to concern yourself with.
As far as Arnold, Larry, Draper, and Casey, the size of those physiques was built from tons of hardcore training and massive amounts of food. As you rightfully said, typically a gallon of milk (at least) was involved along with tons of eggs and pounds of meat. While I cannot speak for these champions, from my understanding, back in the 60's and 70's many competitors would start a low dose cycle of steroids (they were legal and easily accessible back then) 8-12 weeks prior to a bodybuilding contest in order to be able to train harder and longer under the strict caloric restriction required to gain muscle definition. The steroids were basically used to protect as much muscle as possible from the extreme training and dieting circumstances. These guys would train for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hour at night when preparing for a bodybuilding show, if you can believe that! Today with supplements like Branched Chain Amino Acids, L-Glutamine, Essential Oils, and Creatine, in conjunction with better designed training protocols, we can protect muscle mass quite well during a dieting phase without having to resort to steroids. We even have over the counter anti-estrogen supplements like 6-OXO that help men boost their testosterone levels during a dieting phase.
Believe me, steroids are not the magic bullet that many would like you to believe they are. You will not turn into an Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Draper or any other bodybuilding celebrity just by using them. I've never seen a great physique being achieved by the simple action of just plugging a syringe or just taking a bunch of pills. The right bodybuilding mindset, the training, the diet and the consistency of following these factors day in and day out for many years is what will get you the respectable physique that you are looking for.
Hugo Rivera CFT, SPN, BSCE. is a lifetime natural bodybuilder, multi certified personal trainer, industry consultant and fitness expert who not only knows training and nutrition theory, but also applies it on a daily basis as evidenced by the fact that he's always in shape and by his awards and high placings at numerous national level bodybuilding competitions. He is also an internationally known best selling fitness author with a very successful franchise of books called "The Body Sculpting Bibles" which collectively have sold over a million copies. Hugo is also author of the very popular “Body Re-Engineering” e-book, which teaches you how to gain lean muscle mass and get lean without drugs, or fancy expensive supplements, using the secrets he devised after many years of weight problems as a child. For more information on Hugo’s Muscle Building / Fat Loss Program please click on the link: www.losefatandgainmuscle.com
As far as Arnold, Larry, Draper, and Casey, the size of those physiques was built from tons of hardcore training and massive amounts of food. As you rightfully said, typically a gallon of milk (at least) was involved along with tons of eggs and pounds of meat. While I cannot speak for these champions, from my understanding, back in the 60's and 70's many competitors would start a low dose cycle of steroids (they were legal and easily accessible back then) 8-12 weeks prior to a bodybuilding contest in order to be able to train harder and longer under the strict caloric restriction required to gain muscle definition. The steroids were basically used to protect as much muscle as possible from the extreme training and dieting circumstances. These guys would train for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hour at night when preparing for a bodybuilding show, if you can believe that! Today with supplements like Branched Chain Amino Acids, L-Glutamine, Essential Oils, and Creatine, in conjunction with better designed training protocols, we can protect muscle mass quite well during a dieting phase without having to resort to steroids. We even have over the counter anti-estrogen supplements like 6-OXO that help men boost their testosterone levels during a dieting phase.
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