Looking back. Was it really worth it? The health, money, time you spent in this game.

[11111]

I only wish is that I could go back to even just 35 or 40 and take what I've learned and do it over. . In my time I got to see some of the greats up close and even train.. great memories. Just wish I could take everything I've learned and apply it at a earlier age.

Looking forward to that thread whenever you start it Lats.

It was a while back, but I really enjoyed that BSG podcast you were on! I was laughing my ass off at your Bertil Fox story in the gym!

 

[johnjuanb1]

Fuck yes it was worth it! It created who I am today and I love who I am!

Heck yeah, Big man!!!
Keep pumping!

 

[NGL34]

I got sucked in while reading a muscle media article on ephedra. Written by Dan Duchaine.
I was playing college ball at the time, and remember my first practice taking some gurana and ephedra pills. I remember that day. I could jump much higher. Run faster and my reaction time was that much quicker. Total focus and well being. Nothing like that first taste. Then came the increased libido. Virgin receptors didn't know what do with all that stimulation.
That was my first step into the PED world.

Same here. I was 16-17 y o. at the time and now 41. My older brother had this cool looking amber glass bottle with a pink redish label with the words ripped feul by twin labs. One dose of that and I was hooked. Got into natural supplements and would visit gnc and any local health stores a few times a month and waste so much time looking at products like it was Christmas. It was a my gateway to gear.

 

[maldorf]

Same here. I was 16-17 y o. at the time and now 41. My older brother had this cool looking amber glass bottle with a pink redish label with the words ripped feul by twin labs. One dose of that and I was hooked. Got into natural supplements and would visit gnc and any local health stores a few times a month and waste so much time looking at products like it was Christmas. It was a my gateway to gear.

That was a decent supplement that I used.

 

[goback2013]

Definitely not the way I went about it. Major mistakes made and plenty of time that I can never get back. Should have chose a different path. That being said there was 10 year span where I was I was an absolute maniacal beast, those were some good times. But overall was it worth it? Nope

all the mistakes in life led me to this point.
if i had to go through all the paternity court bullshit, child support payments.. the raping of my retirement or chose another path that doesnt result in me having my kids.. naw.. i'm
taking the same path and going through all the bullshit just to ensure i meet the same women and ensure those women have my kids.

 

[buck]

For me to say that my choices in life weren't worth it. Would show that i didn't put enough thought into it before i started.

 

[TheAnabolicFreak]

Have the recent industry deaths affected your mindset at all?

 

[cage99]

It’s 100% worth it to me!!!!! Love the lifestyle and the look!!!

Cage

 

[Tomgrass]

Now me in my early 40’s seeing how all people of my age declined in health look and i am just every year better i have no doubt it was the best investment ever done. The journey is amazing.

 

[Bio]

Have the recent industry deaths affected your mindset at all?

Let's also remember that some of the recent deaths were not bodybuilding related. I don't remember all the names off the top of my head but two were suicide, including Mighty Mouse, one was Covid pneumonia and there's one more I'm forgetting. Let's try not to jump right into "it was AAS" when we don't know anything about these people in their personal lives including drinking, rec drugs, etc. and things they've done throughout their lives. Unknown genetic issues play a roll. Looking healthy and being healthy are two different things. I'm not downplaying things but you don't hear of powerlifters dropping dead. I think the basic AAS like Test and Deca have had fairly benign effects on generations of bodybuilders. The abuse of Tren and other "exotics" that have become incredibly popular are hard on the kidneys and lipids. Anavar was a drug that was thought to be safe due to it's low toxicity level but it reeks havoc on the lipids. Long term abuse of these drugs, diuretics, and basic neglect of things like BP are causing too many of the issues we're seeing today.

 

[LATS]

Yes.. ive said til I'm blue in the face.. we need to hear it when someone dies from something gear related.. but many of the recent deaths are not gear related.. we need facts.. not emotions to get to the truth..
The issue we are seeing are a cocktail of crap guys do these days.. the constant need for stimulants .. no one trains without a pre-workout anymore.. so let's raise our heart rate and blood pressure before we even touch a weight ?? Come on guys.. use some common sense.. now add in the idiotic need to be " instagram ready " lean by using clen year round.. and hey, while we are at it throw in t3 and t4.. yeah they haven't been known to cause cardiovascular issues ..
Now throw in gear use.. but let's not even use a baby aspirin to thin blood out..

So gear is just one component anymore.. it used to be some test.. a anabolic.. maybe some gh..
Now it's gear.. gh.. clen.. t3.. stimulants every day..
We choose what we put in our body.. we choose the way we treat our body.. we choose not to address high blood pressure.. we choose to buy gear over health supplements because we can't afford the health supplements..
We also wreck our bodies with incessant heavy weights when science shows us repeatedly that going to failure at 15 reps is equal in most regards to going to failure at 6.. but our egos need stroked.. so heavy weight it is!!
We are our worst enemy .. our egos.. not gear.. not bodybuilding.. as I've always said " bodybuilding is what you make it"..

you can be big.. impressive.. eat 5 meals a day.. stay lean.. have a successful job.. and have a great family.. if you cant do these things its on you.. not a recreational activity..
Oh and since I'm on a rant.. please stop referring to a training session as a " battle" or "going to war".. its not.. its a activity you choose.. you sound silly comparing it to a life or death situation .. you can walk away and go to Arby's at any time.. I m not bragging but at 53 I'll out intense about anyone in the gym.. I train because I enjoy the intensity. But its not a battle.. I can easily say " not today.. im not feeling it".. I couldn't do that in war.. see the difference?? Rant over

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Yes, I would rather be in the gym listening to my music doing my thing than wasting time sitting on the couch or spending money out at bars wasting my life away on things that do not matter. Playing sports in HS being competitive, to me now the gym is my competition and my opponent is myself.

 

[buck]

If a death is gear related it would have to be similar to food i would expect for most. It isn't that one meal or one shot that destroyed a persons heath. It was the cumulative effect. I made my choices as i never thought that lifting as big of weights as i could would keep me from getting sick or help me live longer. I don't blame the dumb bitches i dated as being at fault as i choose to go out with them. Blaming something else for the choices i have made would make me a weak person.

 

[VaginaBoob89]

I'm 32 and yes I'd say unequivocally worth it. Olympic lifting training taught me so much about myself and what I could do if I put my mind to it. Bodybuilding training was far less trying but changing my physique completely changed the way people treat me for the better mostly (especially girls, but even in my professional life despite my fat bosses thread). It's been a hell of an enjoyable ride and I'm still loving (almost) every day of it.

But I have also not committed any money to stuff like pharm grade hgh and home brew my stuff, so that makes the financial cost much lower than the average bodybuilder where I can get by spending $250/yr. Even my gym membership costs more than my gear.

 

[johnjuanb1]

Let's also remember that some of the recent deaths were not bodybuilding related. I don't remember all the names off the top of my head but two were suicide, including Mighty Mouse, one was Covid pneumonia and there's one more I'm forgetting. Let's try not to jump right into "it was AAS" when we don't know anything about these people in their personal lives including drinking, rec drugs, etc. and things they've done throughout their lives. Unknown genetic issues play a roll. Looking healthy and being healthy are two different things. I'm not downplaying things but you don't hear of powerlifters dropping dead. I think the basic AAS like Test and Deca have had fairly benign effects on generations of bodybuilders. The abuse of Tren and other "exotics" that have become incredibly popular are hard on the kidneys and lipids. Anavar was a drug that was thought to be safe due to it's low toxicity level but it reeks havoc on the lipids. Long term abuse of these drugs, diuretics, and basic neglect of things like BP are causing too many of the issues we're seeing today.

Mighty Mouse went to my gym. It breaks my heart that she killed her self. So young!

 

[nidnoy]

I have known a couple bodybuilding buddies who died young but this was decades ago and the amount of rec drugs and alcohol used was a lot more than the aas, obviously rec drug and alcohol abuse help nothing but add in anabolics and I think they have the 1+1=3 type of negative effect both physically and mentally.

 

[Ak47]

I’m in my early 40s with 20 inch arms sub 30 inch waist and get ass thrown at me on the regular. Hell yeah it’s been worth it! I have locs so I’m nowhere near balding. I couldn’t imagine life outside this lifestyle. I have well adjusted kids in college and haven’t had legal or emotional problems from gear usage. I’ll be damned if I’m ever ok looking with a dad bod or feeling anything less than a fucking king. I see dudes my age and I couldn’t imagine looking or feeling like them at all.

 

[Ak47]

I have no regrets

 

[Pericles]

The right question would be, if you knew bodybuilding and the lifestyle some of you have chosen was going to take 10 or 20 years off your life would you still do it? There is no way to accurately know how much damage has been done but if you could know?

 

[Musclebound94]

I think its all in what you enjoy...if you enjoy the lifestyle then go for it and don't look back!