Gear Or No Gear?

[AznBulkMan]

Hi guys, I've read through a lot of the threads regarding bodybuilders, instagrammers, health nuts, etc. and how some members here are able to tell if a guy is on steroids or not.

I really struggle with body issues because I'd ideally like to have their same build, the nice V-line lower abs/groin look, dorito back, muscular butt, etc. and am working out, changing my eating habits/lifestyle in order to shed weight and gain muscle mass.

I completely understand that you have to take into consideration the training they go through, the diet they're on, genetics, etc. but for those that are really good at telling if someone is on anabolic steroids or not, can this be a dedicated thread that confirms whether or not the guy is on steroids just so that we as members can also learn what a steroid user looks like?

So I guess for the rules, if you're unsure if a guy is on steroids, post a pic of him, and members that can tell these things, please tell us what you see and what are classic signs.

Thanks in advance!

 

[AznBulkMan]

Also, I don't want this thread to be judgmental at all. What a guy chooses to do w/ his body is his choice, but for those of us that want to attain that physique, it'd be nice to at least know if something would be realistically attainable without the use of steroids.

 

[DSF140]

The only real way to tell is with a drug test. Like you pointed out, some guys simply have the genetics to be big if they really work at it. Some guys are naturally small and even with gear, they don't get much bigger; they will still be smaller that a big natty.
My advice is to not worry about what other guys are doing; worry about what you are doing. As you pointed out, getting rid of fat and working out will get you in the right shape. Watch some YouTube videos to figure out a good workout routine. Remember, you're not competing against anyone. You are working at getting your body to look its best.

 

[878103]

Here's how you tell if someone is on juice

 

[Snarky_succubus]

Also, I don't want this thread to be judgmental at all. What a guy chooses to do w/ his body is his choice, but for those of us that want to attain that physique, it'd be nice to at least know if something would be realistically attainable without the use of steroids.

You can’t know that. There’s too many variables. You’re utterly wasting your time trying to figure it out. The only way to know is to try for yourself. Period. No matter what anybody tells you. No matter who’s on gear and who’s not... or who says they are or aren’t. Genetics, what you eat, when you eat it, sleep, metabolism, stress levels, stress response, training style/frequency/intensity, hormones, muscle shape, bone structure... blah blah blah blah blah. There’s just WAY too many factors to bother trying to figure out whether or not what’s attainable for someone else is attainable for you. Accept this one thing and you’ll be a lot better off.... There is no end game. There’s just not. There will always be something else to improve or tweak. Go DO what you are willing to do to be the best version of you.

 

[rogue_sword]

Just assume everyone in the fitness industry is and you'll be right 99% of the time. It's not who has used some form of steroid, it's who hasn't.

This has definitely skewed a lot of peoples ideas of what is achievable, as well as some of the exaggerated physiques on Instagram that look a lot closer to normal in photos than they do in real life. This is made worse by sponsorship because this obviously limits how honest professionals can be about these substances.

There is also a very big difference between your serial long term steroid abuser hanging on to the remains of his liver and someone who did the research, followed the advice, got what they wanted and stopped.

You will spot the former a mile off, but what many don't appreciate is that the latter is extremely common and is basically anyone with bigger muscles that you'd reasonably expect a human being to have, especially if they've achieved them in a short time frame or are very young. So, if you want a thread with pictures of just people on steroids, there are loads of these on this site already!

So my advice is to ignore this, and focus on what YOU want to achieve.

As ever and as per my previous advice elsewhere, any transformation is 80% diet and anyone thinking about unconventional supplements should already have their diet and training discipline consistently down and as a matter of routine, preferably for a year or more.

 

[socalfreak]

This thread smells like you're looking for excuses to not reach your goal.
"I work hard. Those guys are in better shape than me because they use drugs."...
Very very difficult to look at somebody & say with a high level of accuracy that they are using.

As an example...
Looking at these two athletes, which one would you say uses drugs?
The man on the left is over 40, btw.
If you said the one on the left, you're wrong.
Yoel Romero has never tested dirty & is one of the most tested athletes on the roster.
The man on the right is Josh Barnett. He's failed multiple tests, more than once, in multiple organizations.
So, stop with the "I'll never look like that, because they're on drugs." kick.
If you don't have your training & diet in line, all the drugs in the world aren't gonna help you.
Most people don't train hard enough or intensely enough.
And, most people don't pay enough attention to their nutrition.
And damn near nobody is consistent enough.
You'd be amazed what the human body can do, if you just give it what it needs.
Instead of making slanderous comments that you can't prove about people you don't know, focus on yourself.

 

[DSF140]

This thread smells like you're looking for excuses to not reach your goal.
"I work hard. Those guys are in better shape than me because they use drugs."...
Very very difficult to look at somebody & say with a high level of accuracy that they are using.
View attachment 3054661
As an example...
Looking at these two athletes, which one would you say uses drugs?
The man on the left is over 40, btw.
If you said the one on the left, you're wrong.
Yoel Romero has never tested dirty & is one of the most tested athletes on the roster.
The man on the right is Josh Barnett. He's failed multiple tests, more than once, in multiple organizations.
So, stop with the "I'll never look like that, because they're on drugs." kick.
If you don't have your training & diet in line, all the drugs in the world aren't gonna help you.
Most people don't train hard enough or intensely enough.
And, most people don't pay enough attention to their nutrition.
And damn near nobody is consistent enough.
You'd be amazed what the human body can do, if you just give it what it needs.
Instead of making slanderous comments that you can't prove about people you don't know, focus on yourself.

A related pet peeve that I have is why do so many people think that the people in shape don't work out. The way it filters to me is that people will tell me that I can "afford" to eat shitty food because I'm not fat. Or if they see someone who is fit, they will say that that person is "lucky", that they have a fast metabolism, etc. No, they're not lucky; they work out and eat right.

 

[twoton]

it'd be nice to at least know if something would be realistically attainable without the use of steroids.

Even without steroids, most of the bodies you see are not realistically obtainable. By that I mean that the amount of work, effort, and punishment one has to put himself (herself?) through to achieve the look is not realistically obtainable for 99% of people. That's why they are fitness models and you and I aren't. Although I am a blue ribbon-winning Charolais bull.

People salivated over Zac Efron in "Baywatch," but he himself has said repeatedly that what he put himself through is not realistic for the long term.

 

[DSF140]

"Even without steroids, most of the bodies you see are not realistically obtainable" is illogical. Being without steroids means that it is realistically obtainable. What one has to do is to train, yes TRAIN, like an athlete. If you don't like to train like an athlete, or if you don't fucking love training like an athlete, then you don't deserve to have the body of an athlete. Zach Efron is not an athlete. He's an actor. That's why he says maintaining the regimen is unrealistic (for him).

 

[Sloan_]

Some of the “classic signs” depends on each individual. Like Trojan pointed out, gyno is a telltale sign. It’s basically fat deposits underneath the nip, which is common in people who have run Tren a few times. It’s really had to get rid of and some of the more popular IG fitness models have gone as far as to remove the gland that’s enlarged underneath the nipple. Which doesn’t really solve anything bc then their nipples look concave. Other signs include an increase in body acne too. A good bit of the side effects are more personal issues such an a big increase in sweating, irritability, nightmares & dark thoughts.

 

[Pecsfan]

Here's how you tell if someone is on juice

View attachment 2980501

sexy AF

 

[DerrickRigg]

Here's how you tell if someone is on juice

View attachment 2980501

Yeah, the breast tissue growth causing bitch tits. That's pretty easy to avoid while on a cycle.

 

[Ray Black]

Here's how you tell if someone is on juice

View attachment 2980501

Oh yeah, the presence of gyno is always a good give away

 

[DSF140]

It isn't necessarily a sign that someone IS cycling incorrectly. I could be that in the past he DID cycle incorrectly. The only way to get rid of the gyno is through surgery.