Things You Should Know Before Taking Steroids

So you have heard all the hype about steroids and you have considered possibly taking them but before you do there are a few things you may want to consider. I have seen many guys in the gym who brag about taking one form of steroid or another and actually when I overhear the conversation it's almost embarrassing "especially when looking at their physique".

Some guys just don't understand that it takes more than steroids to build the perfect body. Someone who is 5 ' 5" is not likely to be a famous basketball player so why should someone who is narrow with a small frame expect to be a professional bodybuilder, I am not saying it is impossible, but genetics plays a big role.

Do you have genetic potential

Not everyone has genetic potential to be a pro bodybuilder, but even if you do don't be lazy, it is extremely important that you exhaust all your natural resources before considering taking steroids, especially if you are young, young men are in their prime and have all the hormones they need to build strong muscle mass, just make sure you are eating adequately and training hard and heavy before considering steroids.

Building muscle takes time

Rome was not built in a day neither is muscle, most pro bodybuilders have worked many years before achieving the body they have, all that muscle was built with more than steroids, it's the end result of hard intense training, pushing a lot of heavy weight day in and day out.

Consult your doctor

You most likely would not consider taking steroids unless your ultimate goal is to become a pro bodybuilder, before you do there are doctors that can help guide you with what you should be taking, most popular gyms will know someone you can you talk to and provide you with information you should be well aware of before taking any kind of sports enhancement drugs, sound professional medical advice would be the first thing to ask for if you are serious about competing.

Steroids are not cheap

One thing that always concerned me about steroids is that there are so many black market products sold who can trust them, decent steroids from a reputable source will break the bank, most pros will spend anywhere between $8000.00 and $10000.00 per cycle, some even more, personally that just does not seem worth it,  you can buy a lot of good food and quality protein supplements that can help you pack on lean muscle, sure it will take more  time, but it is a safer alternative.

While people say that steroids are not harmful, they can be, if you do consider them you should also consider proper health and nutrition to help prevent liver and kidney damage this means drinking plenty fo liquids to keep your body free from toxins, this will also mean abstaining from any kind of recreational drugs or alcohol.

"Ronnie Coleman 8 x Mr Olympia - 2009 - 7" by www.localfitness.com.au - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

There are legal steroid alternatives

If you are not going into pro bodybuilding why risk it at all, there are many legal steroid alternatives that can offer similar benefits without the side effects, most pros spend years building the muscle mass they carry around, steroids only add the finishing touches,  taking a legal steroid is a great alternative because there are no side effects, if you train hard it can offer similar benefits and results. Before you go to extremes there are plenty of other things you can do that will help you pack on lean muscle, if you are genetically gifted things like creatine and whey protein may be all you need to get you started, once you get close to Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cuttler status someone will notice and when they do you can take things to the next level with proper guidance.