Steroids. My opinion has changed.

[Ghoul]

One of the things I used to use as an analogy to people who asked me about steroids and their use/abuse was:
If you could take 10 strokes off your golf game by taking a single pill a day, would you? The answer was ALWAYS a resounding "YES!".

"If you could improve your guitar playing substantially overnight...?"

More closely to my interests are when I was racing motorcycles. "Would you take a pill if it helped you drop two second, HELL, ONE second off your lap times?" The answer was some form of "FUCK YES I WOULD!" I always followed up with "What if the cost was xxxx?" related to health or even cutting years off of lifespan. Most, if not all were cool with paying some cost.

My discussion and analogies helped change many opinions of steroids for the average persons, of which they already had a pretty negative and incorrect view on, based on the stupidity of the masses being fed hyperbole or in the least, misinformation by the media and the U.S. government.
If I heard them say that "steroids are cheating", then I would ask if that meant ALL of them? Because a pitcher needing a corticoid injection to pull off a double header doesn't exactly make him "natty". Don't get me started on birth control hormones and their mass proliferation.

But as I have gotten older, or perhaps because of the incredible rise in abuse due to social media hype, my position has changed. No longer is it the serious athlete trying to improve their already incredible game/skill/accomplishments. It is now the person who joins a gym and has been led to believe that one simply does not gym without gear. They aren't trying to improve from their already establish accomplishments, taking it to the next level. They are starting out at zero level and expecting to be something they are leagues away from to begin with. Some of these guys are also using incredibly high dosages right out of the gate. It simply blows my mind!

I think my opinion has changed significantly. I know that people who improve in whatever they are working at, at a pace that is appropriate and sustainable, they seem to have a better sense of self-esteem doing so. They know the work and the cost of making those improvements, respect it them in themselves and others, and understand fully what it took to get there.

We live in a microwave society. We want everything NOW! America is really, really bad with this. Look at the popularity of fast food. But I digress...

Social media has convinced everyone now that everything is attainable to everyone. I am all for hopes and dreams and working hard toward those. I applaud anyone who works toward their goals feverishly, even if they might be slightly delusional. But not everyone is meant to do everything. I was never very good at golf, but I had a good time playing it. I am a shit guitar player, but it gives me a warm feeling every time I pick it up, plug it in and hit some sweet tones.
I was pretty good bodybuilder in my 20s, but nowhere near genetically gifted enough to be a great bodybuilder. I still dug it though. All of it! I was not great in my 50s, but I was still a national level guy. Something I would have never been in my 20s. Now I am 60, and I think I have a very competitive physique in this age group.

Just as we have seen a wave of what I consider gross steroid abuse in the last few years, I hope we see a wave of realistic expectations and conservative use in the future.

Generally I find people who say "America is really bad with..." have a passport filled with blank pages.

I'm no naive, flag waving patriot, but I'm also not blind to the legions of ignorant Americans who bask in the self loathing they've been indoctrinated into believing represents some kind of enlightenment.

Chemicals and the science that led to their development are another technology, like the car you use to travel ("Cheaters!" scream horse and buggy users) or the electronic device you use to communicate on this board ("Lazy bastards always taking shortcuts!" shout the telegraph operators).

Take your judgement about steroids, GLPs, peptides, dishwashers, air conditioning, microwaves, electricity, and shove it up your ass.

It's your boring, meaningless, low accomplishment life that's led you to seek some platform upon which to feel superior to others that's the problem.

 

[CaptainTren]

Are you ok with people doing botox? Plastic surgery? Recreational drug usage? Consuming plenty of alcohol?

We live in a society of hypocrites. Steroids are cheating, but plastic surgery is ok for the actors/actress. Drug usage is ok for the musician, it helps with their art. Alcohol is ok. But noooooo steroids are cheating. It's abusing.

It's far more likely a teenager will die from drugs/alcohol than steroids. I fucking hate hypocrisy. A is bad, but B is ok. No they are both bad, you are just a fucking hypocrite (not you op, society)

As long a person is of age he should be free to do whatever he deems ok for his risk to reward ratio.

Don't get me wrong, at 18 it's retarded to abuse steroids, but so is doing coke, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and eating fast food. Do I have a say on it? No, unless they ask my opinion and it's still an opinion.

Live and let live people. It's liberating.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Well said.

Always funny too when people say steroids are cheating yet a black guy can eat whatever he wants and be bigger than someone with inferior genetics with perfect diet. Yet people think not using steroids ensures only talent and hardwork wins? It's a stupid argument . But then again we are living in a clown world. Just a few days ago we seen Germany agree to give up a Russian killer for a USA journalist that was given plenty of warnings to leave Russia but went anyways .


Clown world.jpeg

 

[Avies48]

There are a good amount of people out there who hate masculinity. Not sure if they're afraid of it or what, but they demonize it every chance they get. They're the same kind of people who say obesity is a genetic problem that the person can't do anything about, celebrate obese models, give junkies free housing, food, and help them shoot up, etc. I don't fully get what's up with these people but they seem to like supporting people being sick and incapacitated. Maybe that's why seeing a strong capable man pisses them off.

This is because 90% of these “masculine “ guys and straight up a$$holes and think they are the way a man needs to be… which is only carried truth by perhaps a measly 5% with little tiny weiners and hughhhggg muscles… ill be an a$$hole to go along with this steroided bodie..

Thats what gives “masculinity “ a bad name…

 

[Ghoul]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Well said.

Always funny too when people say steroids are cheating yet a black guy can eat whatever he wants and be bigger than someone with inferior genetics with perfect diet. Yet people think not using steroids ensures only talent and hardwork wins? It's a stupid argument . But then again we are living in a clown world. Just a few days ago we seen Germany agree to give up a Russian killer for a USA journalist that was given plenty of warnings to leave Russia but went anyways .


Clown world.jpeg

A Russian killer of a Chechen terrorist who murdered dozens of civilians. Notice the news leaves out info on the "innocent" victim of the Russian "killer". Russia presented the required evidence to Interpol for an arrest warrant, Germany refused to enforce it, and though they told the Chechen to get out, knowing he was a murderer, they didn't do anything to enforce that order, allowing him to hide in Germany.

Not any different than the terrorists the US has taken out in third party countries in recent years, or Israel in recent days.