Every time the subject of bodybuilding, weight training, football, baseball and even softball comes up, why is it that steroids becomes the topic of discussion? Being a Physical Educator for 34 years, sports is a big part of many of my conversations and the fact that I was a competitive bodybuilder for many years puts me in a position to have the answers to all these questions about steroids right? Wrong!
People want to know what they should take, how long to take it and how soon will they see results. I had a guy tell me he was given some steroids that had a picture of a bull on the bottle and wanted to know if it was OK to use them. Didn't matter that I told him that the drugs were used for cattle not humans, he said he was going to give them a try. Guess what sport he was involved in? Softball! I can't tell you the number of people that have come to me over the years for advice on training and within 2-3 minutes of our conversation, they want my opinion on steroids and the majority of these individuals have not had more than a years training. What happened to hard work and dedication? Seems to me that no one wants to bust their butts for what they want but instead they want to take a shot or pill for instant results. Consider the TV ads for weight reduction that promise things like , "take this pill and keep eating the things you like and you will lose weight" or "use this machine , it's so easy you won't even break a sweat". Nothing in this world comes easy; if it's worth something, it takes hard work especially in sports and physical training.
What really blows me away about these people is they don't even consider the physical side effects or legal issues associated with these drugs! Elementary school age kids know what steroids are, can you believe that? I sometimes ask my 4th and 5th graders, "What are steroids?" "They make you strong and build muscle" is their answer. Steroids are in the news and talked about on the streets and the kids listen, especially if their older brothers are athletes.
When they talk about "juice" they know it's not orange. My opinion on why athletes use them is one - there is so much money in sports today that every advantage is used no matter what the cost, and two - the thrill to experiment with the "illegal" stuff, the “if its illegal, it has to be good” mentality.
For those considering ‘experimenting’, I have some questions and warnings for you:
If and when you get caught, can you handle the legal problems you will encounter? And, in the middle of the night when you wake up with pain in your side or you find a hard lump in one of your testicles, can you deal with the thought that taking steroids just might have caused the problem. The legal and health issues are bad enough, but are you aware of the psychological addiction that steroids can cause? Once a person uses them for a while and experiences the results, then gets off and sees their performance falling off, they immediately want to get back on again. What you have here is a "time bomb"!
Oh, and years later when you are much older and you look at life differently, will you say to yourself, "Man, if I had to do it all over again I would have....”
We can all reach peak performance in our chosen sport with a good diet, hard and consistent training and dedication. I have always felt that if you want something, go after it with a vengeance. Learn all you can about your sport or athletic endeavor. Read books and magazines, watch videos and DVDs, use the power of the internet, where information is practically unlimited! Find someone you truly trust and ask questions. And last but not least, experiment with different training methods and diets. Stay with the ones that work for you and when you reach a plateau, experiment with a new program to get you over a sticking point. Let's face it, if you have a burning desire, I'm talking burning here, you will amaze yourself at what you can achieve without the use of illegal drugs!
