Prohormones

There is no easy way out of training hard.  I see time and time again young over zealot, impatient, young guys coming into my gym trying to build huge muscles without working for them.  They try all different types of methods in hopes that they will magically grow into a behemoth man.  When they come and ask me for my advice I tell them to be patient, train hard and honestly, eat wholesome foods, sleep, and train within their own genetic limitations.  But my advice passes through them like a sieve.  They ultimately resort to taking prohormones  or steroids to achieve their goal of gaining muscle.  Young minds tend to lack the wisdom to know the importance of health and vitality.  They are willing to destroy themselves for a temporary moment of praise.  It is a shame that people have to have everything right now, and are not willing to work for it.  

During my years of training and competition I have been tempted by others to take steroids and prohormones.  Before I owned my own company I worked for other gyms.  I would come in contact with many guys who would not know how to train but they knew how to do drugs.  They would ask me "Daryl why do you train so hard and aren't huge? If you took some of the stuff we are taking you would be huge."  My response would always be "I am true to myself and I live within in my own genetic limitations, I don't have an inferiority complex that I am fighting against."  I will admit there was one time in my life when I thought about taking steroids.   I was in a natural bodybuilding contest and I looked good but not as big as the other competitors.  The other competitors seemed to have an anabolic look that could only be from taking steroids.  Even though I was ripped and had great symmetry I placed poorly.  After the show I asked some of the guys what they were doing with their training and diet and  they told me "you should take prohormones they are the new cutting edge supplement" 

I investigated prohormones and found that they are precursors to anabolic steroids.  Mark Macgwire used Androstenedione during his homerun record years.  Androstenodione was classified as a supplement in the 1990's.  However, Androstenodione is just one hydrogen atom away from being the anabolic steroid testosterone.  Though Androstenodione is not an anabolic steroid when tested outside of the body.  Once it enters the body it interacts with enzymatic reactions that provide the missing hydrogen atom to realign the molecular chain to transform it into actual testosterone.  This type of reaction is anabolic and causes the same result as if ingesting synthetic anabolic steroids.  Androstenedione was one of the first prohormones to hit the masses.  Now it is considered one of the weaker ones available. There are now over a hundred different concoctions known as prohormones.   Biochemists figured away to change the molecular structure of anabolic hormones outside the body so that they could be sold as a supplement.  Once the prohormone enters the body it blends with the persons own hormone factors to produce an anabolic effect.  Many guys think that this is fair and safe.  We all remember BALCO-- enough said. 

The side effects of taking prohormones are classified the same as taking synthetic anabolic steroids.  Loss of hair, shrinking of testicles, cancers, brain tumors, acne, oily skin, mood changes, psychological disorders are all associated with prohormone and steroid use.  

Guys who take prohormones feel that they are staying natural and are not doing any harm by taking them.  They feel that they are just taking supplements.  Regardless of their ignorance they still don't know how to build muscle the honest way and end up training incorrectly anyway.  Anyone who needs to take something to become something beyond their own genetic potential has a problem.   Needless to say, I never took prohormones and remain completely natural. 

In summary, prohormones are not supplements they are substances engineered to remove one or two hydrogens or other derivatives. Once they interact with body they find the missing components to form into a full blown anabolic steroid.   

You can cheat and take short cuts to get where you are going but you will always pay the price for your stupidity.