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Steroids vs Natural bodybuilding
Here at Canadian Brawn we often discuss the use of anabolic steroids in bodybuilding. As most of us would assume, taking steroids aids in muscle growth. However, a ten-week study demonstrated the vast difference between training naturally and on steroids.
The study took forty three men and assigned them to one of four groups:
Group 1: Placebo with no exercise.
Group 2: 600mg of testosterone Enanthate with no exercise.
Group 3: Placebo and exercise.
Group 4: 600mg of testosterone Enanthate and exercise.
The results were as follows:
Group 1: No real changes in muscle mass.
Group 2: Gained about 7 pounds of muscle due to the testosterone Enanthate.
Group 3: Gained 4 pounds of muscle.
Group 4: Gained 13 pounds of muscle.
What can we learn from this?
The muscle building effects of steroids are very significant, with the steroid and exercise group gaining over three times as much muscle as the non steroid and exercise group. When taking steroids your physiology changes completely meaning that training approaches you used while natural may no longer work. Here are three key pieces of advice for the enhanced trainer:
- Connective tissue work
The athletes trained by Louie Simmons at Westside Barbell have known this for years and develop their connective tissue using high rep resistance band work. For example doing sets of fifty or one hundred reps on band tricep pushdowns and high rep band curls will help keep the elbows safer by developing the tricep and bicep tendons.
- Diet while on anabolic steroids
- Supplementation
Steroids vs natural: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199607043350101
Testosterone causing blood thickening: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fda-warns-blood-clot-risk-testosterone-products-201406247240
omega 3 reducing bp: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4548432/
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