The steroid users’ coach and the price of competing
The steroid users’ coach is neither a hero nor a role model in this story. This is an honest look at the dark side of competitive bodybuilding: why backstage conversations are increasingly about drugs and less about training.
Translator’s note: this text is not intended to promote steroids, cycles or other risky practices. Instead, it offers a sobering look at a world that may seem glamorous and exciting from the outside, but can cost you your health, years of your life and, ultimately, your life itself.
Why is a coach to steroid users a talking point at all?
Bodybuilding and fitness competitions have long since outgrown the small circle of enthusiasts stepping on stage after a long diet. Standards have risen. A class can have fifteen competitors in great shape, each polished down to the last detail and ready to compete for a placing.
The change is particularly clear in the women’s categories. In the past, many competitors could get by on stage with a slim physique and a little muscle tone. Now, the expectations include sculpted shoulders, a lean, defined back, strong legs and an overall muscular appearance. The bar is higher at every level.
This is where the problem begins. As winning becomes increasingly important, there is a temptation to look for a shortcut. Not better food, smarter training or a less rushed preparation, but stronger drugs. Frankly, this is where sport can very quickly turn into a process of destroying your own body.
TNation.com spoke to a contest prep coach who wished to remain anonymous. His work was unlike that of a typical gym trainer. He dealt with diet, training, supplements, psychology and the drugs that people tend to keep quiet about in public.
The steroid users’ coach: what does he see backstage?
The coach said his work began as a hobby. He helped people get into contest shape, the results were good and word spread. Before long, clients were coming to him from other coaches. He said he saw too much bad advice and overpriced “expertise.” That was when he decided to make it his full-time job. By then, he was in his fifth year of doing it.
Asked how men’s contest preparation had changed over time, he gave a blunt answer. People used to ask how to do better in the gym and the kitchen. Now they want to know how much each person can tolerate in the way of drugs.
That is a harsh assessment, but hardly a surprising one. Many competitors hope that higher doses will make up for shortcomings in their diet and cardio. As an example, the coach mentioned increasing T3 doses when the real priority should be nutrition and the work put in day after day.
So what actually happens? When the focus shifts from training and food to drugs, physiques often end up looking worse. The coach described today’s professional physiques as swollen and bloated, lacking muscle density. In his view, this is the result of excessively high doses.
He also highlighted a common misconception. Professionals do not always use vastly more than amateurs. Many professionals have a considerable genetic advantage. He said that even if steroids did not exist, they would still be bigger and better than everyone else because they respond better to training, nutrition and drugs.
How do drugs enter the picture, according to the coach?
As an example, the coach described a top amateur who earned professional status. During the first six weeks of preparation for his professional debut, he used 1200 mg of testosterone cypionate per week, along with some Equipoise and Dianabol. After the sixth week, cypionate was replaced with testosterone propionate: 900 mg per week for six weeks.
Translator’s note: even if the coach calls this modest, 1200 mg combined with the other stuff sounds pretty extreme. The total could be 1500 1600 mg per week, which I think is outrageous.
Asked about a typical preparation for a professional debut, the coach outlined a 16-week cycle. He described a form of testosterone as the cornerstone of the cycle: one gram (1000 mg) per week. If the athlete had previously used 2 g per week, he would cut the dose. If the dose had been 500 mg per week, he would raise it to 1000 mg.
Alongside testosterone, he discussed using 750 mg of Equipoise per week, plus Winstrol or trenbolone, or both. His usual approach involved two injectable steroids: one androgenic and the other anabolic. Oral drugs were added to these, such as Winstrol at 50 100 mg per day and Anavar or Turnibol at 40 60 mg per day.
The simple truth: this is neither health advice nor a set of instructions. These figures are included to show how far the world of contest preparation can go. Even if the speaker considers his approach moderate, the risk is clearly high.
Translator’s note: if you add up testosterone at 1000 mg per week + Equipoise at 750 mg per week + Winstrol at 700 mg per week (up to 100 mg per day) + Anavar or Turnibol at 350 400 mg per week, the weekly total comes to nearly 2800 mg, or essentially 3 grams. And fat burners have not even entered the discussion yet. If someone considers 3 grams moderate, what does going overboard look like? Five grams, 7 grams per week? This is not a world to aspire to. A couple of years ago, fitness.ee published a translated story about an anonymous professional whose weekly dose was 1800 mg, nearly 2 grams, and even that seemed staggering.
What practical lessons can you take from this?
The first lesson is simple: being in stage condition does not mean being healthy. Sharply defined muscles, dry-looking skin and a low body fat percentage may look impressive in a photo, but they tell you nothing about heart health, hormonal balance, mental state or recovery.
The second lesson concerns the coach’s role. A good coach does not measure their worth by how extreme a plan they can put together. They also know how to say “no”. They keep the focus on training, food, recovery and the competitor’s ability to make sound decisions.
The third lesson is especially important for younger people taking up training. If you are just starting out, you do not need to think about secret steroid cycles. You need to learn how to eat, sleep, perform exercises and train consistently. These things sound boring, but they are where most of your progress comes from.
The coach himself made a more sober observation about the period between competitions: eating is the most anabolic “substance”. By his account, a high-calorie diet was enough in many cases, and a typical 8–12-week cycle was not the main priority. When he did put together a cycle, he mentioned testosterone, a little Deca, especially for joint problems, and perhaps a little Dianabol.
The value of this story is not that it gives anyone a regimen to copy. Quite the opposite. Its value lies in the warning it offers: when the goal becomes more important than your body, your decisions can quickly take a very dangerous turn.
The steroid users’ coach: FAQ
Does this article teach you how to use steroids?
No. The numbers and names have been retained to preserve the context of the original story, not as instructions. This is a cautionary article about the darker side of competitive bodybuilding.
Why publish anything on this subject at all?
Because staying silent does not make the problem any smaller. When risky choices lie behind stage condition, it is worth taking an honest look at them, especially if you are just starting to consider competing.
What is a safer way to get into better shape?
Consistent training, enough food, sleep and sensible preparation. These may not sound dramatic, but they work better than a quick fix whose price may be too high.
To be continued…
Translated by Janar Rückenberg
Source:Turg.Fitness.ee
Come and train! ArtGym
