There is a growing trend amongst young men from around the world. This trend is often inspired by social media, where A-list movie stars, Grammy award winning musicians and other celebrities show off their physique to millions of fans on all continents.
The trend in question is bodybuilding and while this used to be exclusive to bodybuilders, more men and women with no previous experience are now getting involved as they aim to look like their pop idols.
But what these bodybuilding celebs won’t tell their fans, most of whom are young men and women, is that their bodybuilding exploits are inspired by anabolic steroid use. And why would they? as such an announcement could seriously damage their squeaky clean image and cost them millions of dollars in lucrative endorsement contracts.
However, as many young men follow their dreams of looking like the Chris Hemsworth’s and Henry Cavill’s of this world, they soon realise that without already having the genetic makeup, achieving a lean, muscular, ripped and vascular physique can be a really difficult feat without help from steroid hormones.
This article looks at why young men are willing to risk their overall health for bodybuilding gains. We will look at why young men take to steroids bodybuilding in the first place. We will also look at the health risks that these young men expose themselves to when they use unprescribed anabolic steroid drugs and why they still bulk up with steroid hormones regardless of the dangers to their health.
I. Why Take up Steroids Bodybuilding?
Inspired by the new look of their celebrity idols, many young men after spending some time in the gym, soon realise that they actually can’t get the bodybuilding gains that they wish to through natural means.
Don’t get me wrong! It takes years, decades even for you to see significant bodybuilding gains without using anabolic steroids. But the thing is,many of the celebs claim that they achieved their unbelievable bodybuilding gains within a very short period of time which is what unsuspecting fans think would happen in their own case.
However, after spending a week or two (tops) in the gym, these young men and women are soon disillusioned. Many tend to quit and go back to their normal lives never to recall the moment when they attempted bodybuilding, but many more usually driven by peer pressure, narcissism and an enormous amount of naturally testosterone, would seek “other means”.
“Other means” usually means the use of one or more anabolic steroid medication. Young men are usually driven to steroids bodybuilding by their large egos. They may feel the need to impress family and friends with their new found physique. Others are more concerned about what the opposite sex think of them.
There are a million and one reasons why young people would dedicate their time and money to acquiring genuine steroids for sale online for personal use. But whatever reason is behind a young man deciding to use steroids to enhance their body, it almost always begins with an inspiration.
II. How do Anabolic steroids Work and the Health Risks Involved?
An anabolic steroid is a chemically formulated drug that contains compounds that are derived from natural sex hormones like testosterone. Anabolic steroids tend to imitate the properties and effects of hormones that occur naturally in the body. The difference is that while these natural hormones are secreted in minute amounts, steroids that are either ingested or injected will provide users with high amounts of synthetic steroid hormones.
Oral steroids like Anavar and Dianabol help users to bulk up muscles. They increase the production of amino acids in the body and promote increased protein synthesis in their muscle which boosts muscle growth.
Bulking is also achieved by injectable steroids like testosterone enanthate or “test”. Although steroid injection side effects like site rashes, itching, swelling, abscess and infections are all too common. The risk of contracting hepatitis and even HIV/AIDS from shared hypodermic needles is a strong possibility amongst young, naive steroid users.
Apart from these risks, anabolic steroid use offers a number of side effects. You have physical side effects, such as; liver toxicity, gynecomastia, blood clots due to sludging, high bad cholesterol (LDL), high blood pressure, and cardiovascular problems.
You also have mental health side effects like roid rage, depression, anxiety, psychosis, and suicidality. Anabolic steroids can be detrimental to the health of users especially when they are misused, which is a high possibility when it comes to young men.
Young people tend to see themselves as immortals, they think that nothing can affect them and that they are immune to everything. Even when you tell them about the dangers of steroid use, they would still shrug it off thinking that other people may be affected by these dangers, but not them.
So why do young men still bulk up with anabolic steroids despite all the steroids pills and steroids injection side effects as well as all the ominous health risks involved with sharing needles?
III. Why do Young Men Bulk Up with Steroids?
According to a 2014 research, it is estimated that about 6.4% of the world’s male population are misusing and even abusing anabolic steroid drugs. Just to put this percentage into proper perspective, as at 2019, the world’s population was approximately 7.6 billion.
What this means is that about 486 million of the world’s male population is on one form of anabolic steroid or another. This is a staggering number considering that unprescribed steroids are more used by teenagers as young as 16 years of age.
So why is there such a great number of young men using steroids today?
Well, the reasons are not farfetched and some of them include the following;
#1: Peer Pressure:
As mentioned earlier, many young men are shy, withdrawn, and lack self-confidence. Bodybuilding is one way for them to gain some level of self-esteem and self-confidence especially when they are in their respective social circles.
Driven by this need to be accepted by their peers, it wouldn’t take much to persuade young men to take to steroids bodybuilding. While using steroids in bodybuilding in itself is not bad, the problem lies with the reason behind it. Young men forced into bodybuilding because of peer pressure may also be gullible to buying impure and fake steroids for sale which can potentially be life threatening.
#2: Celeb Idolization:
Maybe if celebs that use steroids to bodybuilders would just come out and be open about it, maybe this would help in ensuring the safe use of steroids amongst their admiring fans who idolise them.
Wanting to look like a celeb is nothing unusual, every generation has had its stars and fans who simply adored them. The 1960s had Elvis (Presley), the 1980s had Michael (Jackson), and so on. Fans have always wanted to identify with their idols in the way they dress and look.
But then there are those fans that take their love for a celeb too far with extreme body modifications, but in this case indiscriminately using anabolic steroid drugs to look like their idols.
#3: Obsessive Compulsion:
Some young men are suffering from a psychological condition characterised by an obsessive compulsion. They are obsessed with bodybuilding and would stop at nothing to be bigger, leaner, and stronger than the next person. These people do not know or accept their limits, they always push the envelope with each training session.
But this obsessive compulsion doesn’t just stop with a need to constantly work out, it extends to a need for anabolic steroids. Young men with an obsessive compulsion may spend every dollar they have getting various anabolic steroid medications without bothering about their purity, safety, and possible health risks.
IV. Conclusion
While it may seem implausible to many that young men would risk so much just to achieve something they may perceive as vain and selfish. When you take a closer look at it, it is no different from what youths of the past did. There was a time when smoking pot was a trend because almost every rock n’ roll band smoked pot.
So it is really no surprise that young men are into bodybuilding with the use of anabolic steroid performance-enhancing drugs. The usual suspects for this trend, such as: peer pressure and celebrity Idolization are obvious reasons, but an obsessive compulsion to both bodybuilding and steroid use is another.
While there is nothing wrong in using steroids in bodybuilding, the problem arises when steroids are misused or abused. When steroid cycles and post cycle therapies are blatantly ignored, and when young men fail to spot the physical signs by way of side effects that should suggest to them that maybe it’s time to slow down. We highly recommend to always consult your physician before any steroid cycle, to not take any product before 21 years old minimum, to respect dosing and cycles lenghts and off-cycles lenghts too, and to always take the right protections adapted to your cycle (liver protection, PCT, etc.). Stay safe!
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