What Do Steroids Do? Here Are 5 Facts You Should Know!

If you’ve been lifting weights for several years and you’ve maxed out your genetic potential, then taking steroids has probably crossed your mind at least a few times.

…Or maybe you haven’t reached your potential. In which case you’re impatient and just want to look like Ronnie Coleman. Now.

Here are some other reasons why turning to the dark side is tempting:

• Guys you could never even imagine setting foot in a gym are getting ripped to shreds…in a matter of months (example: Zac Efron for Baywatch).
• The kid at school who got bullied because he was a scrawny little weakling, now has overtaken you because dodgy Bob’s sold him his ‘magic mix’…and now he’s got 18-inch arms.
• You’re girlfriend’s salivating over a bodybuilder on her Facebook newsfeed, who is blatantly on steroids because his jaw is squarer than Spongebob Squarepants.

It can be pretty frustrating when you bust your ass in the gym for years, only to make gains at a snail’s pace.

Getting jacked, becoming a dominant alpha male and feeling as strong as a silverback are just some of the well-known benefits of taking steroids.

However, there’re a few things guys need to know before they start riding bicycles…

Related article: The 8 Biggest Muscle Building Myths 

1. Your Testicles May Shrink

Certain anabolic steroids (mainly bulking compounds) will shut down your natural testosterone production. This is because steroids such as testosterone, dianabol, and trenbolone will cause your testosterone levels to rise to abnormally high levels.

And the human body always wants to keep a homeostasis, so to counteract this testosterone rise and regulate it back to normal your body thinks…

“Alert! We have too much testosterone. Stop the testes producing testosterone so levels can drop down quickly.”

While on cycle, your testosterone will be incredibly high, enabling you to make insane gains in muscle hypertrophy and strength.

And then…BOOM!

Your natural testosterone production is shot to smithereens. You haven’t got any steroids artificially enhancing your T levels anymore and your body has stopped producing your own beloved male hormone.

The result? You will have extremely low testosterone, meaning you feel weak and your energy is low.

You basically just feel less alpha.

…Oh, yea and your testicles will shrink.

How shut down you’ll be will depend on which steroids you run, as different compounds shut you down more than others.

No, your penis won’t shrink (that’s just a myth).

Deca durabolin (nandrolone) for example shuts down users HARD during a cycle and because it’s a very slow-acting ester, it takes longer to leave your system.

Thus it can take several months for your natural testosterone production to return back to normal levels. However, it can recover considerably faster if you take an effective PCT (post cycle therapy) regime.

A natural testosterone booster supplement is typically used during this phase to restore T levels. Don’t know which test booster to use? I personally have awesome gains when I take a tribulus terrestris-based test booster.

2. You’ll become more successful at LIFE.

Testosterone makes you more motivated, energetic and competitive. All three of these characteristics are critical to achieving success.

A Harvard study confirmed a correlation between testosterone and success when it measured business owner’s serum testosterone levels and their company’s profits. They found that the men with the most testosterone made the most money, whilst the ones with the least testosterone and the most cortisol made the least money (1).

And when taking bulking steroids such as Testosterone, D-Bol, and Trenbolone – you’ll experience a huge rise in T.

The greatest example of somebody who took steroids and achieved unrivaled success is Arnold Schwarzenegger; the alpha male of Gold’s gym and arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time.

As a boy, Arnold belonged to a poor Austrian family who couldn’t afford hot water or electricity.

He moved to America with dreams so ambitious, others would describe them as delusional.

…And the rest is history.

After arriving at the land of opportunity as a teenage immigrant, he made several shrewd real estate property investments. He would buy buildings/houses, do them up and sell them for a handsome profit.

Arnold’s fierce determination resulted in him becoming a multi-millionaire at the tender age of 22 (from his investments in real estate). By 28, he’d become 6x Mr. Olympia champion, going down in history as one of the best bodybuilders the sport has ever seen. And 40 years later his physique in Pumping Iron is still regarded as the ‘perfect body’ by modern-day bodybuilders.

After starring in movies such as Terminator and Predator, he became one of the most iconic action heroes in movie history, forging a net value of $300 million.

Not to mention he later became Governor of California in 2003.

It’s hard to find a person that’s experienced the same level of success as Arnold in several different niches.

They say it’s better to concentrate on being great at one thing, rather than being good at several.

But Arnold conquered at many different things.

Would Arnold have won Mr. Olympia if he hadn’t taken steroids? No.

Consequently, he would’ve found it a lot more difficult to become an actor, with his huge muscles no longer being his trademark.

So, would he have landed big acting roles and starred in the best action films of all time? No way.

So ultimately, steroids made Arnold the star he is today. But steroids are only half of the puzzle…

Steroids/high testosterone + a winning mindset = SUCCESS.

Steroids simply make you MORE successful…so if you’re afraid of success (some people actually are subconsciously), anabolics aren’t for you.

Related article: Top 5 Mr. Olympia Winners Of All Time

3. Get a Good Supplier

Anabolic steroids are illegal unless you’re lucky enough to live in Thailand or Mexico, or have a prescription from your doctor.

Legal steroids can be bought online but these are NOT anabolic steroids. These are supplements made up of natural ingredients aimed to replicate the effects of steroids. The catch: they aren’t anywhere near as powerful.

Instead, a better name for them could be ‘natural steroid alternatives’.

As a result of their legal status, people wanting to obtain anabolic steroids have to go to the black market. This comes with potential implications.

1. You don’t know exactly what you’re getting. I.e. You might have just paid $100 for ‘D-Bol’, but instead got a bottle full of amino acids.
2. And even worse than placebos, there could be harmful/dangerous substances in your supplement.

The black market is the easiest place to rip somebody off because nothing is regulated. And what choice have you got, other than to just trust what the dealer says it is?

The key here is to ask about and get feedback from customers of a supplier. This way you’ll find out whether he’s trustworthy or not. Failing to do your homework like this could potentially put your life at risk.

4. Prepare to Get Mind Fu*ked

During a cycle you’ll feel like Superman…after a cycle you’ll feel like Ian Bill.

This is due to your testosterone levels doing a complete 180.

There’s no disputing that you’ll be tested on steroids; these tests are both physiological and psychological.

On cycle: You feel more pumped than Arnold, got more swagger than Jax Teller and get more girls than Barney Stinson.

Post-cycle: You have the same energy levels as Hugh Hefner after he’s climaxed, your muscles feel smaller, you’re weaker and you’re becoming anxious/depressed about petty little things that usually don’t bother you.

Not everyone will have negative experiences post-cycle, but these side effects are common.

Cutting steroids like Anavar and Clenbuterol won’t shut you down like bulking steroids; so you can take these without having to worry about any dramatic post-cycle come down.

5. Accept that you may live a shorter life.

There’re no two ways about it, prolonged steroid use is likely to take years off your life. One study administered steroids to 3 groups of mice (2):

1. Received a high dose of steroids
2. Received a small dose of steroids
3. Received no steroids

They received 4 anabolic steroids for 6 months. 12 months after the experiment ended, 52% of the mice receiving a high dose had died. 35% of the group with a low dose had died. And just 12% of the natty mice died.

This isn’t to say you can’t live to an old age if you juice, but it is unlikely.

You can develop the following when taking steroids:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Liver failure
• Tendinitis
• Depression
• HIV (if you’re injecting).

However, this is all dependent on how you use (or abuse) steroids.

Guys that abuse steroids are the ones who cycle them continuously all year round on high doses and unsurprisingly end up with serious health problems.

If you’re going to take steroids, be smart about it because your life is on the line.

It’s also important to get regular health check-ups with your doctor when taking steroids. This way if for example your LDL cholesterol levels (the bad kind) are too high, your doctor can prescribe you something to keep your blood pressure from skyrocketing.

Despite these side effects, it’s important to note that many people do take steroids safely under expert supervision, without any major health problems.

Related article: 15 Best Foods For Boosting Testosterone Naturally 

I hope you’re more clued up on how steroids can affect your life for good and bad. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below regarding steroid use and if you think they’re worth taking!