Steroid Abuse - Anabolic Abomination

Ever wondered on how the newbie at the gym put so much muscle in a short span of time ? Ever got stunned by their insane transformations which they achieved in a couple of months and which you are struggling to achieve after years of working your asses out in the gym? Yes? You just witnessed an anabolic chicken. They keep cropping up in numbers in an alarming rate over the last couple of years. Do you think they look cool or do you want to give a shot at it yourself or do you believe they are a complete disgrace to the sport ? Let us explore the world of Steroid Worshipers.

What are steroids ?

Steroids, commonly referred to as roids or juice are artificial hormones similar to the male hormone testosterone. They are sometimes legit. Doctors prescribe them to people with certain anemia or testosterone deficiency. The harmful ones are anabolic steroids. Even anabolic steroids are legitimate at some times such as to induce puberty or encourage the development of muscle mass for people having serious wasting diseases. However, they do come at a price. They take toll on your health and have a lot of side effects.

101 ways to use Steroids

Few common steroids consumed are anadrol, oxandrin, dianabol, winstrol etc. Some people consume steroids as pills, some use hypodermic syringes and inject them directly into their muscles and some mix them up with their protein shakes. Some steroid users use two or more types of steroids. Its called as stacking. It is believed that it gets you the results faster. Some abusers pyramid their doses in cycles increasing their dosage gradually for weeks and decreasing them gradually in the next cycle.

Steroid Repercussions 

Steroids have a multitude of ramifications. Some are less fatal and some may be devastating. The most common effect of roid abuse are the development of pimples. Steroid abuse may even lead to hair fall in men and facial hair development in women. Steroids even causes the formation of breast tissue in men and also lead to shrinkage of the testicles. It also leads to infertility in men.

Steroid abuse may even lead some people into rampages referred to as "roid rage". Some frightening effects of steroids are formation of tumors in the liver and clogging up of the heart. Steroid abuse shortens the life span of abusers in the long run. 

5 Prominent Bodybuilders admitted to using steroids

Ever heard of the famous bodybuilder  Rich Piana? Well , he is no more and guess what was the reason behind his demise? Roid abuse! Most of the legendary bodybuilders have admitted to the usage of steroids.

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Back in the days of Arnold , steroid use was not as popular as it is now. Steroids were legal back then and if you wanted to get that extra edge before climbing the stage , steroids were the lifesavers. Arnold has admitted to the usage of steroids on cycles especially the steroid dianabol.

Flex Wheeler

He was known as the king of symmetry. Huge guns , small waist and dashing wheels ! He had it all but it was achieved by regular steroid abuse. Flex had a bad childhood and his ambition to be the best led him to wrong side of bodybuilding.

Ronnie Coleman

Ronnie Coleman was an eight time Mr.Olympia winner. He was a beast of a bodybuilder. He had it all , size , strength and definition. People just couldn't believe it all came from protein shakes and chicken breasts. Ronnie Coleman was a steroid addict and he even asked for advice from flex wheeler on steroid consumption. 

Dorian Yates

He is a six time Mr.Olympia winner and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. His muscle thickness and density are on a different league. He is a very candid bodybuilder and is very open about steroid usage. Dorian Yates admitted openly that roids gave him that extra edge needed to win the Mr.Olympia title.

Jay Cutler

He is a  4 time Mr.Olympia winner. He was the only person who gave Ronnie Coleman a run for his money. Although Jay hasn't admitted openly to steroid usage ,  he did give hints of him using roids on cycles in one of his documentaries.

Steroid Abuse Treatment

Steroid abuse treatment involves removing all the stacks from their possession and guiding them through the withdrawal process. Normally withdrawal process often involves reducing the steroid usage in a gradual pace so that the body can slowly adjust over time. Withdrawal usually causes anxiety , concentration problems , difficulty in sleeping , pain and lowered libido.

There may be several reasons as to why people resorted to steroids in the first place. It might come with the desire to attain a fabulous physique ashamed of one's body , desire to be on the top and much more. Psychotherapy may be needed to counter these false ideologies. Support from your loved ones and having a good peer group could do so much good and would help one to get out of this madness.

For more information on Steroid Abuse , Check this Article by NIDA(National Institute of Drug Abuse) on Anabolic Steroids.

The Golden Era of Bodybuilding

Gone are the days of symmetry , small waists and the spectacular art of posing. The perspective of Bodybuilding has changed into something less appealing and more toxic to health , sacrificing their health just for the size and more vascularity.
Welcome to the age of Mass monsters and bubble gut bonanzas.

Old school Bodybuilding

The bodybuilders of the 60's , 70's and 80's were much ahead of their time. Despite lacking the improved levels of nutrition and scientific advancements in work out equipment, they still were able to build an astonishing physique with just the primitive equipment and nutrition available back then.

Researchers are still spending a considerable amount of time figuring out the workout routines , nutrition of the old school bodybuilders and only now are we able to understand the science behind it.

Given below are the key takeaways and lessons from each old school bodybuilder which would benefit you in your fitness journey . 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you look at the samples of Arnold’s routines that we’re able to get our hands on these days, it’s clear that high volume work was the lifeblood of his training.

Straight from Arnold’s Modern Encyclopedia Of Bodybuilding, here are two examples of the split he followed.

Training Split 1 

Day 1 – Chest and Back

Day 2 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 3 – Legs and Lower Back

Day 4 – Chest and Back

Day 5 – Shoulders and arms

Day 6 -- Legs and Lower back

Day 7 -- Rest

Training Split 2

Day 1 – Chest, Back and Legs

Day 2 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 3 – Chest, Back and Legs

Day 4 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 5 – Chest, Back and Legs

Day 6 – Shoulders and Arms

Day 7 -- Rest

Takeaway: High training volume, and the frequency in which you hit each muscle is a major key to driving muscle growth. If you’re not growing and you feel your recovery, nutrition, and stress is in check, start by assessing your training volume and frequency. 

Robby Robinson

From the day Robby started training (around age 12) up until he finally made the move to Venice Beach, California, he trained his entire body, everyday, 6 days per week. He stuck to the traditional compound movements of squats, bench press, military press, deadlifts, rows, and so forth. Often for 6-7 sets of 10, pushing the envelope on weight as much as he could.

No matter how you look at it, that’s a lot of years hammering away at the basic movements, and getting really fucking strong.

The Black Prince’s takeaway: If you’re new to the lifting scene, begin by training your entire body, every day, at least 4 times per week. Spend time getting really fucking good at the big compound movements, and watch the mass pile on.

Franco Columbu

Possessing arguably the greatest nickname of the Golden Era aside, before Franco stepped on a bodybuilding stage, he was a Strongest Man competitor, and it clearly shows in his physique.

As such, Franco was a huge proponent of building a sound base of strength before focusing on adding crazy amounts of muscle. This is a line of thinking that’s influenced much of programming over the years.

 Takeaway: Get strong like bull before shifting your focus to muscle growth. Strength feeds muscle, before muscle can feed strength.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Living Legend of Bodybuilding

As a kid i was fascinated by cartoons. To be precise , the one's where the protagonist's had a spectacular physique. Man , who doesn't love to look macho ! He-Man , Goku from DragonballZ , they were my favorites. Damn those ripped muscles ,huge chests,boulder shoulders and breathtaking abs. They were indeed a sight to see , but like i said they were cartoons ultimately. So me and my friends after school were having this highly intellectual conversation on how Goku could beat anybody and lift the planet with just his finger alone and all of a sudden we stumbled upon a picture on our way home. It was a picture of a guy outside a local gym ! He looked unreal , the first person i saw with an incredible physique and more importantly , He was for real and not a cartoon . 

Arnold Schwarzenegger was the man ! That was the day we found ourselves a real world Idol .

Early Days of Bodybuilding 

Arnold had started lifting at the age of 14 . He won his first competition at the age of 18 and guess what , he was in the Austrian army at that period and had to spend a week in prison as he compromised his army training for his competition. Two years later , he went on to become the youngest Mr.universe at the age of 20 and won it three more times later on. He then realized his dream of moving into the US at the age of 21 and went on to train in Gold's Gym in Venice under the supervision of Joe Weider. At the age of 23 , he won his first Mr.Olympia title and won it seven more times later on which etched his name in the Hall of Fame.

    

Bodybuilding Career 

He had won his first bodybuilding title at the age of 18 and won Mr.Europe at 19. He went on to compete in several competitions later on and won most of them. He was 5 Mr.universe titles and 7 Mr.Olympia titles in his arsenal. He also won two weightlifting Contests in 1964 and 1965 as well as two powerlifting contests in 1966 and 1968. 

Personal records 

1. Clean and Press - 120kg
2. Snatch - 110kg
3. Clean and jerk - 135kg
4. Squat- 245kg
5. Bench Press - 240kg
6. Deadlift - 320kg

Arnold Classic

Arnold Classic is a International Bodybuilding event held every year to Honor Arnold. 

It is a prestigious event and at par to the Mr.Olympia. It also has a separate event for the Strongman division called Arnold Strongman Classic. The winner of the Arnold Classic is awarded a Pro Card and a direct Entry to the Mr.olympia event.

Acting Career

Arnold always wanted to move into acting from bodybuilding. He got to debut as the Greek god Hercules in a movie in 1969. Later on , he went on to act in a couple of movies but the roles he got were insignificant. He was also denied certain roles in movies due to his abnormal physique and funny accent. He finally got his breakthrough in the movie Conan -The Barbarian . He later on got fame and recognition from his roles in movies like The Terminator , Predator , Commando and a couple more.

Political Career

Arnold's first appointment was as chairman of the presidents council on Physical fitness and sports and was also a renowned Red Cross ambassador. Later , he went on to become the Governor of California . Because of his Personal wealth from his acting career , he did not accept the salary of $175,000 per year as the governor . Arnold couldn't compete for the Presidential elections as he wasn't a native Ameriacan but yet he still managed to reach great heights in Politics.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has inspired millons across the globe. He is an Epitome of Success and has motivated many in taking bodybuilding as a profession . He has served a Great ambassador for Fitness and Health. He built his way from scratch , and climbed the ladder of success . His success story would forever be remembered and his legacy would live on for years to come.