Old guys: remember anabolic reference guide?

[Theworm]

I’m talking pre internet, pre everything

Back in 1996 when i was about 16, I bought a copy of the Anabolic Reference Guide by bill Phillips and I remember it being the most exciting thing I ever bought, better than a porn mag!

I remember getting it out of the wrapper, running upstairs in my house, running into bathroom and locking the door and I think I read every single page.

I must have read that book 100 times. I remember how excited i was about steroids. Those were fun times.

Also was the period of muscle media 2000 and flex magazine workout was on ESPN
The golden age of steroid info

 

[EazyE]

I’m talking pre internet, pre everything

Back in 1996 when i was about 16, I bought a copy of the Anabolic Reference Guide by bill Phillips and I remember it being the most exciting thing I ever bought, better than a porn mag!

I remember getting it out of the wrapper, running upstairs in my house, running into bathroom and locking the door and I think I read every single page.

I must have read that book 100 times. I remember how excited i was about steroids. Those were fun times.

Also was the period of muscle media 2000 and flex magazine workout was on ESPN
The golden age of steroid info

I remember that era like it was only yesterday.

 

[Millard]

Also was the period of muscle media 2000

I remember that era like it was only yesterday.

I think Anabolic Reference Guide was first published in 1991.

The first issue of MuscleMedia 2000 was published in Spring 1992:

 

[bob357sig]

That was the beginnings of my AAS use, 1994, i was 24. I used to love picking up my monthly copy of muscle media 2000,back when there were actual magazine stands lol. Good times, everything was so new to me. I remember learning how to self inject by using vet grade vitamin B complex, the shit in the 50 ml vials. Most compounds I experimented with were vet grade, winstrol depo, EQ in the 50 ml jug at 50 mg/ml. First UGL stuff I ever tryed was tren A, did a solo cycle of that, just didn’t understand the whole test base back then. But I always recovered from my cycles, usually with just nolva. Have learned so much sence then, mostly from this forum.

 

[Demondosage]

I can remember driving my car 45 minutes to a warehouse that sold supplements and buying Dan Duchaines underground steroid handbook for maybe like 10$ back then?

 

[Demondosage]

As I walked in and asked for the book the guy behind the counter asked me ,"do you use steroids?" I said ,"yes, just testosterone so far though" and then another big guy in the store and him began chatting abt the good old days when they paid like 10$ a vial, hahaha. It was like they opened right up abt it and looked at me like one of their own, hahhaa

 

[Notadouche]

I still have every single issue of MM2k and Pump magazine ever made along with most Flex and Muscular Development mags as well in a few Rubbermaid containers in my parents basement. I bought everyone of them at the grocery store lol. I remember when I thought HMB and Vanadyl Sulfate were going to change my life for ever lol.

I recently found my copies of the Anabolic Reference Guide and Dan's Underground Steroid Handbook complete with my notes for my planned first ever steroid cycle at 18 in the fringes...Holy fuck am I glad I chickened out coming back across the boarder from Jaurez and dumped everything I purchased because I had NO FUCKING IDEA what I was doing despite all my "research". Glad I waited til I was ~40 and MUCH more experianced in training and nutrition before I ever touched aas. Can't imagine how my life may have been different!

 

[EazyE]

I can remember driving my car 45 minutes to a warehouse that sold supplements and buying Dan Duchaines underground steroid handbook for maybe like 10$ back then?

Or getting my hands on a copy of William Llewelyn’s Anabolics about year 2000. I must have read that book cover to cover 20 times at least. Back then it was also still about harm reduction and trying to mitigate risk associated with potential fakes. The biggest problem back then was trying to identify fake pharma products on the market With the startup of UGL in North America the game changed. With access to raws from China available on a wide scale, the risk of outright fakes was significantly reduced. The market continues to evolve.

 

[EazyE]

I still have every single issue of MM2k and Pump magazine ever made along with most Flex and Muscular Development mags as well in a few Rubbermaid containers in my parents basement. I bought everyone of them at the grocery store lol. I remember when I thought HMB and Vanadyl Sulfate were going to change my life for ever lol.

I recently found my copies of the Anabolic Reference Guide and Dan's Underground Steroid Handbook complete with my notes for my planned first ever steroid cycle at 18 in the fringes...Holy fuck am I glad I chickened out coming back across the boarder from Jaurez and dumped everything I purchased because I had NO FUCKING IDEA what I was doing despite all my "research". Glad I waited til I was ~40 and MUCH more experianced in training and nutrition before I ever touched aas. Can't imagine how my life may have been different!

HMB — the big marketing and supplement scam of Bill Phillips and Muscle Media in the early 90s.

 

[Theworm]

I wanted to buy the book again for old time sake and it’s on amazon for like 241 dollars!

 

[EazyE]

I wanted to buy the book again for old time sake and it’s on amazon for like 241 dollars!

Ouch! Nice nostalgia piece to have but not at that price!

 

[EazyE]

I think Anabolic Reference Guide was first published in 1991.

The first issue of MuscleMedia 2000 was published in Spring 1992:

View attachment 128411 View attachment 128412

Hey Millard,
I remember this...if you look at the picture in the top right it lists the bodybuilder as Mike Matarazzo, but the picture actually shows 1989 NPC champion Franco Santoriello. I remember that typo in the mag.

Thanks for the memories Millard. Helps to keep things real these days and hope of better days ahead and maybe a return to simpler times of years ago...

 

[Theworm]

That got me so motivated

Remember my first purchase, was an UG lab called Tokkyo
Had test and deca, I remember my first shot, I almost passed out

 

[Prussian Eagle]

My last copy of William Llewelyn’s Anabolics 10th Edition - always a great read.

 

[ergomaniac]

HMB — the big marketing and supplement scam of Bill Phillips and Muscle Media in the early 90s.

"It feels like deca"

 

[DrinkFlintWater]

Only thing I recall is anabolex dot com and whole lotta gym science knowledge back then. I recall packs coming in hollowed out VHS tapes for Mexican cruise promos or even the empty cameras. So many years ago...

 

[ergomaniac]

I got Dan Duchaine's underground steroid handbook by mail order, along with Undergroud Body Opus, and one of three editions of William Llewellyn's anabolic guide here from Meso

 

[Notadouche]

HMB — the big marketing and supplement scam of Bill Phillips and Muscle Media in the early 90s.

I still follow TC Lauma over on TNation and he's not much better salesmanship-wise but much like back in the MM2k days if you ignore the hype there's a tremendous amount of good training and nutritional articles available

 

[Theworm]

Anyone have the book and post their sample cycles? Just curious. Amazon price just went up to 251

 

[Millard]

I can remember driving my car 45 minutes to a warehouse that sold supplements and buying Dan Duchaines underground steroid handbook for maybe like 10$ back then?

My introduction to Dan Duchaine was a photocopy of a photocopy of USH that was making the rounds of the football team in college.