True Confession: I Used an Anabolic Steroid

I have a confession to make. In the spring of 2006 I used an anabolic steroid. Don't get it twisted, I am admitting to the act not the crime. The drug I used (Superdrol) was legal at the time, and drugs in-and-of-themselves are not bad; they are like fire. They can be properly used or abused.

So why would an average guy, who is not a professional athlete decide to use a substance that is the anathema of after school specials? I was engaged at the time, and I had hit a plateau in my work outs. I wanted to make gains before I got married because I knew that after I got married I would slack off in the training department (which I did).

In addition to a hormone, I was using other supplements including a pro-hormone (commonly called "andro"). I had used pro-hormones before, but never an evil "steroid". FYI, a pro-hormone helps the body convert or use the hormones that the body naturally produces; an androgenic hormone is simply an addition of any given (male) hormone. In case you were wondering, all these supplements were not cheap, plus I spent much more on food. I wanted to gain weight, preferably muscle (which I did), so I made some calculated decisions.

So what was it like taking "roids"? First, I did gain muscle, fat, and water weight which is what one is to expect on a steroid. When one takes steroids, one gains fat and water in addition to muscle which is why bodybuilders cycle off before a competition. Also, it must be pointed out that steroids do "work" contra the claims of some uninformed individuals. What does not work are "blanks" which are substances sold on the black market that are passed off as androgens but are not. Hormones will make mammals gain weight it is just a question of how much.

Second, I did not "roid rage" or have any of the other ill side affects often associated with steroids. I was more "amorist" than normal, however I was a healthy, 28-year-old male which means I was fairly amorist to begin with.

Third, I was surprised how fast the gains came. I had been lifting weights for over a decade. I never saw gains so fast. Granted, I was taking a myriad of supplements (not just androgens) so one steroid should not get all the credit. Also, all I did for about 40 days was eat sleep and lift. I was lifting heavily before I cycled but for slightly over month I really turned it on.

So, I got beefed up before I got married. In the short term, it was definitely worth it. In the long term it was a mixed bag. Keeping off weight (fat) has been harder since; although, it should be pointed out that muscle never turns to fat. I kept much of the gains I made and I liken the change to a second puberty. It is hard to tell how much of the changes were the result of the supplements (weight gain, more strength, more facial hair) as these would probably have occurred to one degree or another merely with the passing of time.

This leads me to another point. As mentioned in paragraph two, I did not suffer any of the ill affects associated with steroids. That is not to say I could not in the future. The truth is, despite the propaganda, there is a whole lot the scientific community does not know about steroids and the human body. Granted there is much that is known, however, much of the information we do have has been gleaned from observing those who most definitely abused steroids. If an shoots up over 100 times the amount of testosterone his/her body produces, then common sense tells anyone that problems are bound to arise. Most of the side affects of steroids have been observed when used in such doses. That is like studying the affects of alcohol and observing only alcoholics. Sane steroid use (like adding 2-3 times what the body naturally produces) has not been extensively studied.

I am by no means recommending using androgens. Drugs, including steroids, have side affects. However, like many other substances they are not the evil they are portrayed to be. Substances are not alive; they are neither good nor bad. If the truth be known, I am sure many other men (probably in the millions) have used a steroid at one time or another. I advocate more research on lower doses of steroids, as well as a shift in attitude towards steroids and substances in general.