flyer12

hey guys,
was wondering what your views are with supplements compared to steroids?
do you think with taking the right stack of supplements, right nutritional programme and hard training regime you can gain the same amount of lean muscle mass as compared to taking a course of steroids? Is it possible? there is that many different types of supplements on the market these days and ive tried alot of them but never found really anything that can compare to gaining as much as you gain with taking a course!

so is it down to not stacking right or is it supplements will just never beat steroids??

lets see what people think!!

flyer

Pscarb

your question is flawed flyer as you are assuming or that is the way it sounds that guys who use AAS don't have the right nutritional programme and hard training regime.....if all is equal in diet and training then in my opinion no supplement stack will ever match the gains that can be achieved with a decent Anabolic steroid cycle no matter what the supplement company claim.

now you will get guys who have achieved a top class physique with out AAS that is better than some guys who have used AAS but this is Genetics rather than the perfect supplement stack one guy who comes to mind is Fivos from this board he repeatedly qualifies for the Finals by beating guys who are using AAS, but this is not common.

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BIG-UNC

agree with paul on this the guys on steroids are more than likely taking the best supps anyway

therefore they will always have the upper hand assuming traing and diet is also top notch!

John

steroids are a pharmaceutical drug / product designed for the purpose of building muscle rapidly after medical operations / illness.

supplements are just that, supplements, there is no comparison here.

if there was a comparison people with hiv, serious illness, coming off operations would be put on supplements and not prescribed courses of steroids.

BSF James

Or perhaps better training/nutrition of course. I've known people use AAS and get barely any results because they trained badly and didnt eat a decent diet.

This is a difficult subject to talk about on here as I would estimate 90% of the board as pro-steroids so I expect to get flamed - but my view is:

Of course steroids give better results than supplements (and by supplements in this instance I'll presume you are referring to legal testosterone boosters, fat burners etc.. as you cant really compare protein powder to steroids).

Steroids are patented pharmaceutical grade drugs, whereas supplements (as described) are herbal alternatives designed to approximate as closely as possible but without the side effects, with the limitation imposed of not being able to use pharmacuetically patented ingredients.

However, you pay a price for this increased potency in that steroids have the associated risk of side effects - and although I agree that the media exaggerate those risks, they are still there and no matter what people try and tell you, they are serious.

Supplements on the other hand, arent quite as effective, but do not carry the same risk factor.

In my opinion it comes down to personal choice - what is more important to you a) maximising gains or b) minimising risk to your health. For me its b - I train to stay healthy and I have a young family to think about, so I would never touch steroids. Perhaps if I was single and didnt have such a cushty life then I may feel differently, but for me its all about longevity and staying healthy.

Of course most AAS users do use supplements as well. Protein supplements for instance, should be a mainstay for any bodybuilder as its the most convenient way to meet your protein requirements. Many other supplement types are also just as frequently used by non-natural bodybuilders as by natural ones.

Anyhow, in direct answer to the initial question:

do you think with taking the right stack of supplements, right nutritional programme and hard training regime you can gain the same amount of lean muscle mass as compared to taking a course of steroids?

I do believe and have witnessed that a natural bodybuilder with the right supplements, diet and training can and will make greater gains than a bodybuilder using steroids with poor supplements, training and nutrition. However, of course the combination of the right supps/training/nutrition and also steroids as well would yield the greatest gains of all (but with the added risk).

Supplements do great things, but many people expect too much from them. If supplements could work equally or better than steroids could do, they too would be patented and sold as drugs or just made illegal to sell without prescription - they wouldnt be food supplements any more.

Tinytom

Good post Silent Bob

too often gear is used as a plaster for poor nutrition and training ethos.

Bodybuilding is a balance

balance of supps, nutrition, rest, training, gear. If one is not right then this affects the others.

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Delhi

I think if a person who has just started training (First month or so), trained properly, ate properly, rested properly and used supplementation properly they might gain 10lbs of muscle in 3-4 months.

And if a person who has been training for 3 or more years, who did not eat, train, or rest properly took steroids they "might" gain around 10 lbs (after PCT).

So IMO if you are just starting out you should probs do supplements as the gains will be good for the first year anyway (Provided all above criteria are OK). THEN after a few years training juice can be considered.

But as a direct comparison, there is no comparison.

Littleluke

The way the question was asked is like "you either use steroids or you use supplements".. You can't use gear without supplementing your protein etc intake.. Even the pros who spend thousands on food still use powders and pills.