Teenage Bodybuilding & The Lure of Anabolic Steroids

Most teenagers are all too familiar with both the temptation and availability of recreational drugs such as alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. For those of us who weight train, however, there's an entirely different set of tempting drugs - steroids. When you're 16,17 or 18, you don't want to wait years for anything. You want that new car now, that girl- or boyfriend now and those muscles immediately Unfortunately, there are legions of steroid dealers in gyms across the country just waiting to profit from that urgent desire.

Think About It

If the only people buying steroids were professional bodybuilders, it would only take a few dealers nationwide to handle the demand.

In fact, most of the customers are young men who are trying to get big in a hurry to impress their friends and attract girls. If you're contemplating entering a bodybuilding contest, there's a stronger temptation. Your 'mentors' in the gym may be steroid users, and they may urge you to use some drugs so you can win a show while "you're still a teenager." As if that meant something! The Teen Nationals is the top teen contest in the country. Can you name the past five winners? I can't, and I bet you can't either.

Teen titles are nice, but they rarely presage success at the Men Open level. That's because there isn't much good competition at the Teen level. I can't tell you how many shows I've seen in which the Teen winner was clearly the only one using steroids. The audience knows it too. The gyno, red face and zitty back are unmistakable, "Big deal," you say. "I'll still be Mr. Teenage West Kalamazoo."

Realize This Guys in their late teens and early 20's have the highest testosterone don't need to shoot it, you're loaded with it naturally The gains you cart make now are similar to those an older man would get with steroids. If you're even thinking about using steroids, I urge you to wait until you're in your mid-20s. You might just discover that you've built a great physique without them.