Can I get big muscles without steroids? Training the natural way.
The question 'can I get big muscles without steroids?' is a common one amongst people that have just started on their bodybuilding journey.
Steroid use is rife within the bodybuilding community and you may be wondering how big you can grow your muscles without using steroids.
It is possible to build big muscles without steroids by following these steps...
- Regular resistance training to activate the muscles.
- Replacing steady-state cardio with interval training.
- Taking each lifting set to failure.
- Progressive overload.
- Eating a clean diet rich in protein, healthy fats and clean carbohydrates.
- Eating small meals regularly.
- Supplement your diet with protein powder if required.
- Utilising Creatine and BCAA's
- Staying consistent, disciplined and focused.
If you follow the above steps with a good hypertrophy training split, you will quickly see big changes in your muscle mass and strength.
Why do some bodybuilders take steroids?
Anabolic steroids are performance-enhancing drugs. They allow you to train harder, for longer and recover quicker. Because of this, bodybuilders are able to quickly gain a lot of muscle mass and burn body fat.
Steroids do come with some side effects and health risks, especially when not used under medical supervision. Some bodybuilders believe that the gains achievable from cycling steroids outweigh the health risks involved.
It is not possible to achieve the muscle mass that elite bodybuilders have without using steroids.
None of the major bodybuilding competitions are drug tested and it is physically impossible to attain the size that some of the competitors are without utilising anabolic steroids.
They will not usually admit this publicly until they retire due to sponsorship agreements from supplement companies but steroid use is is widely accepted in the professional bodybuilding community.
There are some natural bodybuilding competitions (like the one pictured above) that only allow natural bodybuilders to compete and these are strictly monitored for steroid use.
The prize money is often a lot lower than offered by the non-tested competitions and the sponsorship deals are harder to come by.
If you want to make a living as a professional bodybuilder on stage and compete with the elite, it is virtually impossible to do so without using steroids.
What are the risks involved with taking steroids?
Using steroids for hypertrophy gains is a personal choice. There are certain advantages when it comes to adding substantial muscle mass very quickly but there are also a lot of risks involved.
If cycling anabolic steroids is something that you are considering, you should be aware of the side effects and health risks involved first.
- Increased risk of heart failure. This is the main reason that a lot of lifters decide to steer clear of anabolic steroids. The left ventricle becomes enlarged when you use steroids which can lead to heart disease or heart failure.
- Liver damage. Anabolic steroids that are taken orally have been found to cause damage to the liver and increase the risk of liver dysfunction.
- Infertility. Using anabolic steroids can reduce your sperm count and cause permanent infertility.
On top of these health risks, there are a few side effects that are common amongst users of anabolic steroids.
Younger males that have high testosterone levels often become aggressive and impulsive when using anabolic steroids whilst older lifters may experience a reduction in testosterone production.
There are a few other cosmetic side effects such as acne, excessive tissue around the breasts and baldness that can also be caused by the use of anabolic steroids.
How can I build muscle mass without using steroids?
Training.
The first thing that you are going to need to do is train regularly in the gym. This is going to involve following a hypertrophy program that is aimed at a natural bodybuilder.
There is no point in following the bro-splits that are plastered all over the bodybuilding websites and magazines as they are not optimal for muscle growth unless you are cycling steroids.
Training each muscle group at least twice a week with recovery time between sessions is going to give you the best results.
We have a free program that is aimed at the natural lifter and it will give you the best results from your hypertrophy training. Click here to view our HyperGrowth training split, read the science behind it and commit to it for a minimum of 12 weeks.
Nutrition.
There is no point going to the gym and destroying your muscles if you are not going to get the nutrition required to repair and adapt them.
This means eating a clean diet made up of protein, healthy fats and clean carbohydrates.
Download a food tracking app, find your calorie maintenance levels, and find your recommended protein intake for muscle growth as well as your other macros.
MyFitnessPal is free to download, has the largest database of foods and will help you to meet your nutritional markers.
Supplementation.
On top of a good diet, you are probably going to need to supplement with a good protein supplement, a high-quality multivitamin and omega oil capsules (unless you have a diet rich in fish and healthy fats).
A good whey protein powder or whey isolate drink will make sure that you are keeping your body fed with the building blocks it requires to grow.
It is also fairly essential as a post-workout drink as it will kickstart your recovery and help the muscles to adapt.
If you are a vegan, vegan protein powder is going to make it much easier to hit your daily protein markers.
Dedication and focus.
This seems a bit obvious but too many bodybuilders will spend a couple of weeks in the gym and lose motivation.
Set your goals at the beginning, break down how you want to achieve those goals with markers on your calendar and check your progress regularly.
When you commit to a training split, stick to it for the duration. If you work out sporadically and keep changing your split, you are going to find progressive overload much harder.
Conclusion.
Using steroids for bodybuilding should be a personal choice. If you are new to the sport, start off naturally and see what you can achieve without steroids.
If you decide that you would like to compete further down the line and want to start cycling steroids, do thorough research first.
Speak to other users, seek medical supervision and be fully aware of all of the risks involved.
