It's incredibly prevalent in the industry, but no one wants to talk about it. It can boost your conditioning and muscularity in record time. But it's not without its fair share of risks.
I'm talking about steroids. And a growing number of Figure competitors are turning to them.
I can't tell you how many girls I've heard cry out, "I never want to take anything; that's just gross." Then they see a photo of their favorite Figure competitor and immediately exclaim, "Wow! She looks awesome. I want to look like her!"
Several months later, with not even a year of weight training experience under their belts, they're on their first cycle.
I talked to a spin instructor earlier this year that missed a month in the gym due to breast implants. She was 5'4" and120 pounds and claimed that being in shape was nothing new to her.
"I just want something that'll speed things along," she said.
I was about to recommend that she take some green tea extract and caffeine, but before I could get the words out, she says, "I tried the T3/clen stack my boyfriend gave me, but I read that I can't be on birth control during it. Is there anything out there that isn't an over-the-counter snake oil with minimal sides?"
Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I explained to her that something like that wouldn't be necessary to simply "speed things along" and that sound nutrition and regular exercise would be sufficient.
This leads me to my next point: Never ever listen to your boyfriend when it comes to steroids. Too many girls now have permanent side effects because they followed the advice from their meathead lovers. You should talk to other experienced females who've traveled down that path, and do as much research as you can on your own.
The Lingo
Before we get into the actual steroids themselves, let's define some common terms that you need to know when discussing them.
Cycle: Refers to the segment of time steroids are used.
Virilization: The development of male sex characteristics in a female. Some examples of virilization include deepening of the voice, increases in body hair, male pattern baldness, swelling of the clitoris, and facial hair.
Androgenic: Pertaining to the development of male characteristics, including body hair, genital organs, and muscle mass.
Anabolic: Promotes muscle growth.
So, what would possess a girl to risk manly side effects just to win a twelve dollar plastic trophy?
During times of strict dieting, as experienced in a contest prep routine, it's common to experience severely low energy levels and a loss of strength. Not to mention that muscles can take on a depleted appearance even when body fat levels are at an all time low.
Steroids can provide a much needed anabolic boost to a competitor's strength, muscle hardness, and vascularity, providing a huge advantage when she steps on stage.
The Drugs
Let's take a look at some of the things girls are taking these days.
Anavar
Generic name: Oxandrolone
Anavar is a mildly anabolic oral steroid that's commonly prescribed to burn victims and AIDS patients to restore healing and muscle mass. In females, small dosages can result in favorable fat loss and lean mass gains. Side affects are minimal compared to those of other compounds, which makes it the steroid most commonly used by females.
Winstrol
Generic name: Stanozolol
Winstrol is typically used during a cutting cycle. It's ideal because it promotes solid strength gains and can really accentuate a hard and vascular appearance in an already lean physique. Sides include acne and male pattern baldness, so female use wouldn't be recommended.
Primobolan
Generic name: Methenolone acetate
Primobolan is mildly anabolic and mildly androgenic. One would expect to experience slow and steady quality muscle gains with no water retention or bloat with this substance. Virilization symptoms are very low.
The following aren't classified as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), but still require a prescription.
Clenbuterol
Generic name: Clenbuterol hydrochloride
Clenbuterol is an asthma medication that's catabolic to fat but anabolic to muscle. It works as a fat burner by slightly increasing body temperature.
Nolvadex
Generic name: Tamoxifen citrate
Nolvadex is an anti-estrogen that blocks the affects of the estrogen hormone at the estrogen receptors. It doesn't reduce estrogen levels.
High estrogen levels can lead to fat storage and stubborn pockets of body fat. Many female competitors will take nolvadex pre-contest to aid in the reduction of stubborn body fat.
Human Growth Hormone
Generic Name: Somatotrophin
Human growth hormone (HGH) is useful for reducing body fat, improving endurance in athletes, and anti-ageing benefits in baby boomers and geriatrics.
Aldactone
Generic name: Spironolactone
Aldactone is a diuretic used to pull out subcutaneous water, resulting in better muscle definition. This is typically used right before a contest when the competitor's body fat is at its absolute lowest, and dropping a few pounds of water can put the finishing touches on their physique.
Before You Open the Medicine Cabinet
I think the biggest misconception newbies have is that they can simply take steroids and experience striking results without making any changes to their nutrition and training protocols.
These girls are a poster child for the extreme importance of having a solid foundation and experience level before ever going near the medicine cabinet.
The biggest shock to seasoned drug-free competitors is the profound impact they experience when they introduce even the smallest dosage of steroids.
In 2006, I knew a girl who was prepping for her forth show in the last three years. She'd been training with weights for the last six years and had achieved very good conditioning in her previous shows.
On a daily bases, she administered a very small dose of a single oral steroid. The very next day, she woke up to all of her abs showing through. She also commented on how she'd eat a candy bar (aka Detour bar) several times a week in addition to her once-a-week pizza.
Gone were her severe hunger and food cravings that come with the territory of being a drug-free Figure competitor. She had higher energy levels now, was just as lean, and was flexing an additional six pounds of muscle.
The take home point is to maximize your natural potential, or at least dedicate a good five years to building a solid foundation.
The better your results are while retaining your drug-free status, the better your results will be if you do decide to take the plunge.
Where Good Meets Bad and Ugly
One particular point that I've always heard from people who claim to be "in the know" is that steroids don't burn fat.
True, you can't pop a couple of tabs of clenbuterol and anavar and expect to burn off ten pounds of fat. But the synergistic process of your entire training protocol will result in better fat loss and muscle building results in a shorter amount of time.
I can't prove why, but I've witnessed greater myogenic tonus — which creates a leaner, harder looking display of musculature — on girls who use steroids.
In a similar vein, I've noticed a reduction in subcutaneous water. This refers to the water or fluid that's between the skin and the muscle. When this fluid is reduced and body fat levels are low, it can cast the appearance of a leaner, better conditioned muscle.
While that's all well and good, I've witnessed all sorts of side effects from the menagerie of drugs above. Two different girls I know had thicker and increased facial hair, along with increased sex drives. Both side effects returned to normal when they stopped the drug use.
I met a girl back in early 2004 at the Arnold Expo, who I later saw again eight months later. She was 40 pounds heavier and her voice was deep and raspy. What made it so sad is that she still had her untarnished voice on her voice mail greeting.
The typical increase in mild acne has been noticeable, but I saw much worse in my 9th grade algebra class.
The most disturbing thing of all is the increase in size of the pores on the face. I've read and witnessed firsthand the facial pores open up on girls who use steroids. Make-up really doesn't help, and they don't seem to go away when the cycle ends.
Combine the side effects of steroids with the age-inducing side effects of chronic dieting and competing and its no surprise that many enhanced, seasoned competitors have a face that looks like it's been beaten with a bag of nickels.
Your Body, Your (Educated) Decision
At the end of the day, I'm not going to tell you that females and steroids are the magic potion or an evil curse.
Just make sure you heed this advice regardless of the path you take.
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