you can gain muscle, you can gain water or you can gain fat...
if you put 30-50lbs in 3-4 months cycle, how do you think how much actual muscle you have put on?
Gaining muscle is long and slow process you can gain water in days, you can gain fat in weeks to build muscle takes years.
I understand your point here, but let me put things in context. The article that is being referenced (about adding 30-50 lbs over a short period of time) only applies to beginning AAS users.
In 1st time AAS users, especially when enlisting the help of GH, insulin, and IGF-1 right off the bat (don't crucify me for that comment, as the article was more about exploring posibilities rather than making recommendations), it is quite posible to add between 30-50 lbs of bodyweight over 4-5 months while maintaining one's condition.
Hell, I personally added 30+ lbs of LEAN muscle in my frst 12 weeks of serious drug-free trainimng, going from 167 lbs to 208 lbs using nothing but food & creatine (this was a long time ago). Total weight gain was 41 lbs...and I estimate lean mass gain at 30+, as my abs were only very slightly blurred by the end of that 12 weeks. My strength went way up. Bench increased from245 X 6 (or so) to I think 315 for 5 reps. Deads went up over 150 lbs, etc, etc, etc.
The point is that muscle gains take place relatively easy in 1st time AAS users, just as they can in beginning drug-free trainers. I am well aware that many drug-free guys just beginning training and take years just to add 20-30 lbs, but this is more a consequence of these individuals possessing a sub-par level of knowledge in terms of diet & training, than it is of human potential. Few beginning trainers start out doing everything right. It usually takes years just to acquire a moderate degree of training & diet knowledge and equally as long to be able to effectively apply that knowledge.
Fortunately, I learned a tremendous amount about both of these subjects for nearly 8 years before I began serious training, so by the time I began (age 22), I knew more than most guys will ever know in their lives, simply because I invested more time learning over that 8 years than most guy ever will in their lives--likely by a considerable margin. I spent a minimum average of 4 hous daily over that 8 years exploring every aspect of BB'ing I could get my hands on, which adds up to quite a few hours--certainly enough time to acquire a fair degree of know-how. This is the #1 reason I was able to add 41 mostly fat-free pounds in just 12 weeks after beginning serious training. My body just exploded.
For the guys who have not yet used any PED's, their growth potential rivals that of beginning trainers. Again, most guys who are just starting to use AAS do not possess the knowledge necessary to take maximum advantage of the drugs they are using. I state this clearly in the article. Therefore, most guys will never be able to acheive a 30-50 lb gain in their first 4-5 months of using AAS simply because they lack the requisite know-how and/or the dedication to implement that know-how optimally. At the same time, there are plenty of examples out there of BB'rs who have accomplished this.
Now, it goes without saying that when using a combo of AAS, GH, insulin, and IGF-1, a large amount of water is going to be added, but as long as the water is intramuscular and not sub-q, it is irrelevant, as I.M water looks just like muscle anyway...and every single steroid user currently on drugs, especially when using certain drugs, is carrying quite a bit more I.M. water than they naturally would. Every single Mr. Olympia competitor, even when in contest condition, is holding a significant amount of I.M. water. This effect is primarily due to the inhibition of 11-beta hydroxylase; an enzyme, which when inhibited, causes the muscle to soak up water, the amount of which can vary considerably depending on the drug(s) employed.
In fact, this increased I.M water is a benefit, as it serves to make the BB'r look bigger and fuller. We see this every time we go on a drug like Anandrol or SD. Plenty of guys can avoid sub-q water retention when using Drol or SD, yet even if they maintain their "dry" appearance, you can be damn that the majority of the weight they add when using that drug, especially over the first few weeks, is I.M. water, as well as other factors, such as increased blood volume, etc.
Even so, we don't differentiate I.M water from muscle, simply because it is in the muscle and indistinguishable from muscle. We view it as one in the same. When a pro BB'r gets onstage weighing 250 ripped, we don't say he is really only 235 lbs ripped because of his exaggerated I.M. water levels. No...we say he is carrying 250 lbs of lean mass. But, is he really? Sure if you count the combined weight of muscle fiber, glycoegn, I.M water, blood, etc. PED's can make all those factors increase...and none of them are technically muscle fiber, yet we consider them as such, so long as we do not add any sub-q bodyfat or sub-q water.
So, of course, anytime someone uses a combo of AAS, GH, insulin, and IGF-1 he is going to add a significant amount of non-muscle fiber bodyweight, but he may still appear to be in equally good condition. In this mans eyes, and the eyes of everyone else, he will look like he gained 50 lbs of muscle...and really, that's all that matters, regardless of whether you are a gym rat trying to look good at the beach or an onstage Mr olympia competitor.
With this said, it is very possible for a 1st time PED user to add between 30-50 lbs of what "appears" to be lean muscle in just 4-5 months. The problem is that most of the guys taking the shot-gun approach will never be able to take maximum advantage of the drugs they are using due to lack of know-how. This is the ONLY reason we don't see a LOT more guys blowing up 50-70 lbs in their first year of drug use. Quite framkly, they are making too many mistakes. Even advanced BB'rs make mistakes--often several, which I why we occasionally see a top pro transform his physique in a relatvely short period of time when beginning to work with a top coach.
Few guys are doing everything right...and what is right can and will change with time. If advanced BB'rs struggle with this, how much more do beginning drug users? We can't expect a beginner in this situation to be able to reap maximum benefits from the sprinting method, no matter how enthusiastic he might be. Knowledge and commitment rarely line up with human potential, especially in beginners, but instead of seeing this for what it really is, some of the more advanced BB'rs are decieved by their own failures, simply because they weren't able to gain more than 10-15 lbs in their first 4 months of drug use. Personally, I think the human body is capable of much more than what most people give it credit for. People also tend to form their version of reality based on their own experiences and the experiences of those around them, rather than acknowledging the fact that maybe their reality is not the only reality.