Steroids: The Truth

Part One: Introduction to Anabolic Steroids*

Before I start this article, let me remind you of a few personal facts:

*I’ve been a student and practitioner of weight training for over 20 years.
*I’m not a doctor or professional bodybuilder.
*So far I’ve trained completely naturally—I’ve never used anabolic steroids. I’ll explain why in another article.


Why I am I writing this article? I simply want to help you make a sane, informed decision about steroids. I do not wish to promote steroid use—in fact, I hope you will avoid (or at least delay) steroid use after reading this series. But I also don’t believe the media hysteria about the dangers of anabolic steroids. I can’t expect you to believe me if I do nothing more than regurgitate exaggerated warnings.

So what are steroids? Here’s a very simple answer—anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones related to testosterone. If used properly, they can cause an athlete or trainee to get bigger, faster, and stronger than his/her natural genetic potential.

Let’s start with some brief historical information. German Scientist discovered testosterone in the 1930’s, when Hitler was trying to find ways to develop “super soldiers.” They also figured out a way to synthesize it and put in a syringe.

Anabolic steroids were studied further in the 1940’s. The Soviet Union and East Germany used them to enhance the performance of Olympic athletes. America caught on and began developing its own formulas. This led to the development of the second steroid, dianabol. Anabolic steroids were banned in the Olympics in 1976.

Human performance has since been permanently altered. We’ll never know just how many medals, trophies, and championships were won with the help of “pharmaceutical assistance.”

Let’s fast-forward to the 1980’s, my teenage years. I grew up watching Lou Ferrigno, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone—all of whom used steroids. Bodybuilding magazines (which I read frequently) glorified steroid users while warning readers about the dangers of using these compounds. I believed the hype—I believed using drugs to get bigger and stronger was very dangerous and the cheater’s way out.

One of the first paradigm shifts for me came with a magazine called MuscleMedia 2000. This early 90’s publication actually interviewed bodybuilders about the “S word.” Someone was finally acknowledging the proverbial 500 lb gorilla in the living room.

The internet boom hit a few years later. Information about steroids could be freely discussed on websites and forums. I began to learn the truth about these controversial drugs. Just as the first steroid changed human performance, the internet has changed human knowledge. It’s time to be honest—after all, the truth is just a few clicks away.

My next article will be entitled “steroid myths.”

*Note: For the purposes of this article, I've used the term "steroids" synonymously with anabolic steroids.  But there's an important distinction which should be made.  Anabolic steroids are those compounds which specifically mimic testosterone and thus ad strength/muscle.  There are other types of steroids with completely different medical uses.