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The following interview is with one of the top bodybuilders in Egypt, a guy who also happens to be a personal friend of mine. It's always interesting for me to see how differently bodybuilders approach the sport outside the US. In Egypt, steroids are cheap and legal, sustanon can be purchased in quantity for as little as $.30 each. That's not a typo folks, that's 30 cents. I know, I lived in Egypt for several years. Because steroids are so readily available but supplements are not, products like creatine take on an almost mythical status. It's kind of funny to hear a bodybuilder who's got access to any steroid he needs at prices that would make most American BB's weep with joy talk about how much he likes creatine, but that's how it is in Egypt. I guess that's natural, here we've got all the supplements we can ever possibly need for cheap prices, but lament the lack of availability of gear. Over there, the situation is simply reversed. For the purposes of this interview, my friend will be referred to as EB (Egyptian bodybuilder). And yes, I know his English skills are a little rough, he is Egyptian!
AE: So give me your basic information, height, weight, you know, all that stuff.
EB: Well, I am about 5’10 and off-season I weigh maybe 250lbs [Editors note: we converted these from his answer which was given in metric units]. That’s with abs showing, but you know, still fat on my glutes and lower back. I do not like to get too fat in the off-season because it's hard for me to lose weight. When I compete, I like to come in at around 215 or 225. My exact weight depends on my cycle and if I can afford enough GH.
AE: How did you get into bodybuilding? How old were you?
EB: Well, I have only been lifting for maybe 7 years, and I am about 30. Honestly I started lifting because I liked the look, I wanted to be big and muscular. This is how a man should look. I was always heavy, so it was easily getting big.
AE: When did you start using anabolics?
EB: Almost right away! Everyone here does that, they take their drugs like chocolates; they take it all the time. I started use 1 shot of Sustanon every week with some deca-durabolin. I was on for maybe 2 months. I put on about 30 pounds, it was very easy. I got strong quickly too. It wasn’t hard to maintain my level when I stopped the anabolics.
AE: Well let's get into that a bit more. What are your favorite drugs?
EB: I love testosterone propionate, but it's hard to find here. I can only get an imported kind, which is more expensive. If I have the money, I use testosterone propionate at 100 mg per day. Otherwise I like to use Sustanon, maybe 3 shots per week. I like primobolan, but it's now harder to get. They used to make it here, but not anymore. Deca is good, but it makes you hold a lot of water. My favorite drug is GH, it's excellent. It helps you maintain your level between cycles.
AE: Let's talk some more about growth hormone. How do you use it? A lot of people don’t see many results from it.
EB: If you are trying to get big, GH must be used with liothyronine (T3) and insulin. It’s the only way. It will make you so big, but you must also use anabolics too. If you are dieting, GH is excellent. It will make you so defined.
AE: Be more specific! What sort of dosages do you recommend, what do you use personally?
EB: Well, GH is very expensive. I use as much as I can afford, but I won't use it unless I can use 8 IU's per day for at least one month. It is a waste to use less then this. I don’t use GH for getting bigger because it's too expensive. For a contest preparation I will use GH for as long as I can afford.
AE: Ha! You should see how expensive GH is in the United States. What about insulin?
EB: Yes, I hear that GH is very expensive, but all the American pros can afford it. It would be nice to make that much money. Here, we make only maybe [20 dollars] if we win. So you cannot just be a bodybuilder, you must work at a gym or make programs for people.
Insulin is very powerful. You were the one who showed me how to use it properly. It has made a big improvement in my level. I also take it after a workout along with creatine and my aminos. I do not eat any fat, and I drink some sugar and water. I cannot get the right kinds of sugars here, so I must be more careful. No one here is using insulin, its not known very well. It is my secret! Haha!
AE: Do you use IGF-1 or anything like that?
EB: No. This is not available here. I have not heard that it works very well. I don’t know, perhaps if I go to the States or to France I will look for some.
AE: Good luck finding it in the United States! Do you use any other drugs besides AAS?
EB: Yes. I use Epogen to make my pump better and to make me more defined. It makes my endurance much greater. I use clenbuterol and liothyronine to make my diet. I also use lasix before a show. Lasix is very cheap, I like it a lot.
AE: Wait a minute. Epogen is a pretty expensive drug right? What sort of dosing schedule are you using?
EB: Well, here Epogen is less expensive then GH. I use 5000 IU per day for 3 days a week. This is to keep me looking full because I am eating no carbs when I am getting ready for a competition. You were the one who told me about Epogen! We went to the pharmacy together! Aida (what the fuck)!
AE: Easy man, lay off the anadrol!
EB: That is the strongest drug I have ever used. I was putting on [1 lb] per day when I was taking that, but I was holding a lot of water. It made me very strong. This was when I was my strongest. But all the weight left when I stopped. I think this is good for getting big and strong, but must be used with other drugs like testosterone.
AE: What about clomid and nolvadex?
EB: Of course I take it. I also like HCG. This is very important to keeping your level after a cycle. I use 5000 IU's of HCG every three days for the last week of my cycle and then for a week after too. I use clomid after the cycle for 2 weeks. During the cycle if I am using a lot of strong drugs I take 20 mg of nolvadex and one pill of proviron. This is effective for me.
AE: Have you ever had trouble with gyno?
EB: No. I have always used the right drugs with my steroids, so this has not been my problem. Here there is a lot of talking about steroids, so everyone knows what to use. The pharmacists, they are doctors and they will tell you information if you ask them.
AE: So lets talk about the competitions you do. What is that like?
EB: Well no one is tested for anabolics, which is different from many contests in America. We do not have to be as defined; there is less pressure here. We are also not in the competition for much money, if I win first place that’s maybe my protein for one day. The thing is that the top winners get to compete international as part of the [national team]
AE: How many people are competing?
EB: Many people are competing, but most are not at that high of a level. This sport is very popular in here, but it's so expensive. You have to be rich to compete. Many local people cannot even afford to eat the protein. And gyms are not like in the States. There is Gold’s Gym, but that is only for rich people {note. Gold’s Gym costs 1000 dollars per year]. I think this is like it was in America in the 1960s or 1970s.
AE: Ok, what do you think about the top professionals in bodybuilding like Ronnie Coleman?
EB: My hero is Nasser, he does not look like a man. I feel bad for his cook. I think that many professionals have terrible shape. They look ugly, I don’t like their lines. I think they should look more like Arnold. I respect them a lot, but I don’t think they look good.
AE: Well, ok. Lets drop that topic for a while and go back to steroids. What are you taking right now?
EB: Right now I am taking a lot because I am making preparations for a contest. I am using 50 mg of winstrol every other day and 100 mg of testosterone propionate everyday. I am taking 8 IUs of GH. I am using 140 mcg of clenbuterol and 100 mcg of liothryronine. I am supposed to be getting some Parabolan from France or some Masteron, but I don’t know. I am also taking Epogen.
I also take many vitamins and amino pills. I take some pro-hormones and some Hydroxycut. I like this product very much. Of course I use creatine and glutamine.
AE: Well, that parabolan is going to be fake man. But never mind, do you have a problem with fake steroids?
EB: No, this is not a problem in [the country] because anabolics are legal. There is no reason to make and sell fakes of most of the good drugs. We can get them here for very little. Sometimes pharmacies import drugs from other countries and these can be fake because someone is lying to the pharmacist. But this is not much of a problem, like it is in the United States.
AE: We both know how cheap drugs are. What are your biggest expenses as a bodybuilder?
EB: It is the protein and the supplements. These are so expensive here. That is why everyone uses anabolics. You can buy 250 mg of Sustanon for [very little] but 1 kilo of creatine is almost 400 dollars. This is crazy. I get my products from France, but they are still expensive. I think that must be great for American bodybuilders, they are paying so little for their products.
AE: Yeah, you know I think it’s a waste of money to get all those supplements when you can be using real drugs, but that’s you. Let's move on. How much longer are you going to be training?
EB: I think I will train for maybe 5 or 10 more years. It's very hard on the body. I use anabolics for maybe 8 months out of the year and I must take some time off to let my body rest. If I don’t, I have problems. I use GH when I am off all the gear to keep up my level. But still, this is so expensive. I think I would like to stop and just live a normal life. But you know, this is like a crazy thing, you have to do it.
AE: Yeah, I know once you start you cannot stop. Lets talk about training. What sort of routine do you use for getting bigger and for cutting?
EB: For getting bigger the answer is to lift very heavy and to rest a lot. I sleep a lot, eat a lot, and train very heavy. I train each muscle twice a week and I take one day off. This is like the way Arnold trained. I think this works very well, but only if you are taking anabolics. If you are not, you cannot work out this way.
When I am making preparations for a show, I train each body-part three times per week. This is very tiring. I also do 2 hours of cardio. One hour in the morning and one hour after I work out. I am eating no carbs, so this is very hard. You were with me during this time last year and it was terrible. [yeah it was, in fact, hellish]
When I am doing a contest I train very high repetitions, like 15 or 20. This is because you want to get more capillaries in the muscle. This means more blood and chemicals can get to the muscle. This will make you lose fat more quickly.
AE: Well, thanks for your time. You know, you are one lucky bastard living in a country where sustanon can be had for $.30. I'll talk to you later.
EB: I was happy to do it. And $.30 may seem cheap to you but that's a lot of money here.
AE: So give me your basic information, height, weight, you know, all that stuff.
EB: Well, I am about 5’10 and off-season I weigh maybe 250lbs [Editors note: we converted these from his answer which was given in metric units]. That’s with abs showing, but you know, still fat on my glutes and lower back. I do not like to get too fat in the off-season because it's hard for me to lose weight. When I compete, I like to come in at around 215 or 225. My exact weight depends on my cycle and if I can afford enough GH.
AE: How did you get into bodybuilding? How old were you?
EB: Well, I have only been lifting for maybe 7 years, and I am about 30. Honestly I started lifting because I liked the look, I wanted to be big and muscular. This is how a man should look. I was always heavy, so it was easily getting big.
AE: When did you start using anabolics?
EB: Almost right away! Everyone here does that, they take their drugs like chocolates; they take it all the time. I started use 1 shot of Sustanon every week with some deca-durabolin. I was on for maybe 2 months. I put on about 30 pounds, it was very easy. I got strong quickly too. It wasn’t hard to maintain my level when I stopped the anabolics.
AE: Well let's get into that a bit more. What are your favorite drugs?
EB: I love testosterone propionate, but it's hard to find here. I can only get an imported kind, which is more expensive. If I have the money, I use testosterone propionate at 100 mg per day. Otherwise I like to use Sustanon, maybe 3 shots per week. I like primobolan, but it's now harder to get. They used to make it here, but not anymore. Deca is good, but it makes you hold a lot of water. My favorite drug is GH, it's excellent. It helps you maintain your level between cycles.
AE: Let's talk some more about growth hormone. How do you use it? A lot of people don’t see many results from it.
EB: If you are trying to get big, GH must be used with liothyronine (T3) and insulin. It’s the only way. It will make you so big, but you must also use anabolics too. If you are dieting, GH is excellent. It will make you so defined.
AE: Be more specific! What sort of dosages do you recommend, what do you use personally?
EB: Well, GH is very expensive. I use as much as I can afford, but I won't use it unless I can use 8 IU's per day for at least one month. It is a waste to use less then this. I don’t use GH for getting bigger because it's too expensive. For a contest preparation I will use GH for as long as I can afford.
AE: Ha! You should see how expensive GH is in the United States. What about insulin?
EB: Yes, I hear that GH is very expensive, but all the American pros can afford it. It would be nice to make that much money. Here, we make only maybe [20 dollars] if we win. So you cannot just be a bodybuilder, you must work at a gym or make programs for people.
Insulin is very powerful. You were the one who showed me how to use it properly. It has made a big improvement in my level. I also take it after a workout along with creatine and my aminos. I do not eat any fat, and I drink some sugar and water. I cannot get the right kinds of sugars here, so I must be more careful. No one here is using insulin, its not known very well. It is my secret! Haha!
AE: Do you use IGF-1 or anything like that?
EB: No. This is not available here. I have not heard that it works very well. I don’t know, perhaps if I go to the States or to France I will look for some.
AE: Good luck finding it in the United States! Do you use any other drugs besides AAS?
EB: Yes. I use Epogen to make my pump better and to make me more defined. It makes my endurance much greater. I use clenbuterol and liothyronine to make my diet. I also use lasix before a show. Lasix is very cheap, I like it a lot.
AE: Wait a minute. Epogen is a pretty expensive drug right? What sort of dosing schedule are you using?
EB: Well, here Epogen is less expensive then GH. I use 5000 IU per day for 3 days a week. This is to keep me looking full because I am eating no carbs when I am getting ready for a competition. You were the one who told me about Epogen! We went to the pharmacy together! Aida (what the fuck)!
AE: Easy man, lay off the anadrol!
EB: That is the strongest drug I have ever used. I was putting on [1 lb] per day when I was taking that, but I was holding a lot of water. It made me very strong. This was when I was my strongest. But all the weight left when I stopped. I think this is good for getting big and strong, but must be used with other drugs like testosterone.
AE: What about clomid and nolvadex?
EB: Of course I take it. I also like HCG. This is very important to keeping your level after a cycle. I use 5000 IU's of HCG every three days for the last week of my cycle and then for a week after too. I use clomid after the cycle for 2 weeks. During the cycle if I am using a lot of strong drugs I take 20 mg of nolvadex and one pill of proviron. This is effective for me.
AE: Have you ever had trouble with gyno?
EB: No. I have always used the right drugs with my steroids, so this has not been my problem. Here there is a lot of talking about steroids, so everyone knows what to use. The pharmacists, they are doctors and they will tell you information if you ask them.
AE: So lets talk about the competitions you do. What is that like?
EB: Well no one is tested for anabolics, which is different from many contests in America. We do not have to be as defined; there is less pressure here. We are also not in the competition for much money, if I win first place that’s maybe my protein for one day. The thing is that the top winners get to compete international as part of the [national team]
AE: How many people are competing?
EB: Many people are competing, but most are not at that high of a level. This sport is very popular in here, but it's so expensive. You have to be rich to compete. Many local people cannot even afford to eat the protein. And gyms are not like in the States. There is Gold’s Gym, but that is only for rich people {note. Gold’s Gym costs 1000 dollars per year]. I think this is like it was in America in the 1960s or 1970s.
AE: Ok, what do you think about the top professionals in bodybuilding like Ronnie Coleman?
EB: My hero is Nasser, he does not look like a man. I feel bad for his cook. I think that many professionals have terrible shape. They look ugly, I don’t like their lines. I think they should look more like Arnold. I respect them a lot, but I don’t think they look good.
AE: Well, ok. Lets drop that topic for a while and go back to steroids. What are you taking right now?
EB: Right now I am taking a lot because I am making preparations for a contest. I am using 50 mg of winstrol every other day and 100 mg of testosterone propionate everyday. I am taking 8 IUs of GH. I am using 140 mcg of clenbuterol and 100 mcg of liothryronine. I am supposed to be getting some Parabolan from France or some Masteron, but I don’t know. I am also taking Epogen.
I also take many vitamins and amino pills. I take some pro-hormones and some Hydroxycut. I like this product very much. Of course I use creatine and glutamine.
AE: Well, that parabolan is going to be fake man. But never mind, do you have a problem with fake steroids?
EB: No, this is not a problem in [the country] because anabolics are legal. There is no reason to make and sell fakes of most of the good drugs. We can get them here for very little. Sometimes pharmacies import drugs from other countries and these can be fake because someone is lying to the pharmacist. But this is not much of a problem, like it is in the United States.
AE: We both know how cheap drugs are. What are your biggest expenses as a bodybuilder?
EB: It is the protein and the supplements. These are so expensive here. That is why everyone uses anabolics. You can buy 250 mg of Sustanon for [very little] but 1 kilo of creatine is almost 400 dollars. This is crazy. I get my products from France, but they are still expensive. I think that must be great for American bodybuilders, they are paying so little for their products.
AE: Yeah, you know I think it’s a waste of money to get all those supplements when you can be using real drugs, but that’s you. Let's move on. How much longer are you going to be training?
EB: I think I will train for maybe 5 or 10 more years. It's very hard on the body. I use anabolics for maybe 8 months out of the year and I must take some time off to let my body rest. If I don’t, I have problems. I use GH when I am off all the gear to keep up my level. But still, this is so expensive. I think I would like to stop and just live a normal life. But you know, this is like a crazy thing, you have to do it.
AE: Yeah, I know once you start you cannot stop. Lets talk about training. What sort of routine do you use for getting bigger and for cutting?
EB: For getting bigger the answer is to lift very heavy and to rest a lot. I sleep a lot, eat a lot, and train very heavy. I train each muscle twice a week and I take one day off. This is like the way Arnold trained. I think this works very well, but only if you are taking anabolics. If you are not, you cannot work out this way.
When I am making preparations for a show, I train each body-part three times per week. This is very tiring. I also do 2 hours of cardio. One hour in the morning and one hour after I work out. I am eating no carbs, so this is very hard. You were with me during this time last year and it was terrible. [yeah it was, in fact, hellish]
When I am doing a contest I train very high repetitions, like 15 or 20. This is because you want to get more capillaries in the muscle. This means more blood and chemicals can get to the muscle. This will make you lose fat more quickly.
AE: Well, thanks for your time. You know, you are one lucky bastard living in a country where sustanon can be had for $.30. I'll talk to you later.
EB: I was happy to do it. And $.30 may seem cheap to you but that's a lot of money here.
(I'm really crying inside!!!)
