Visit any bodybuilding message board, and you’ll likely encounter a few dozen “regulars” who are very good at criticizing the physiques of professional bodybuilders. It’s a sport of perception, and this kind of evaluation is normal and acceptable. After all, Ronnie Coleman’s biceps wouldn’t be considered legendary if there weren’t a lot of less-than-legendary biceps to compare them to.

However, there is a small tangent of bodybuilding fans that tend to credit the physiques of bodybuilders to a phrase heard all-too-often on the forums: “All Drugs”. They use this phrase quite often to illustrate the dependence of bodybuilders upon anabolic steroids. Whenever a pro slims down in the off-season or after a surgery, the cry is heard as well. Is it true? Are the professional bodybuilders we see in magazines really just a product of massive drug use?

Anabolic steroids do play a part in their success. You don’t make it to the professional bodybuilding stage with a natural physique. It’s just not possible at this level. So in the sport of bodybuilding, the field really is a level one. Everyone has the ‘help’ that steroids deliver. Everyone uses them. However, if drugs were the ONLY factor in their success, we’d have a few Ronnie Colemans running around every gym in America. There are a lot more steroid users than there are pro-level physiques. What separates the mediocre bodybuilders from the world’s elite, when they’re all using drugs? Let’s check out a few of the factors

Experience

Most professional bodybuilders have been eating 300+ daily grams of protein and training 4 to 5 days a week, for at least a decade. This creates a huge foundation of muscle that steroids do not deliver. The thickness and hardness that comes from year-in, year-out consistent eating and training creates a muscular foundation that the “All Drugs” guys simply do not have.

Genetics

Professional bodybuilders have muscle belly tie-in and insertions that are just more pleasing to the eye. Additionally, their genetic response to AAS is far superior to that of normal people. They have the constitution, or physical ability to withstand, many of the negative side effects of AAS while growing.

Food & Training

Most professional bodybuilders would lose 10 to 15% of their body weight in just a few weeks, if they stopped consuming large amounts of food and training 5+ hours per week. Wile steroids play a part in the levels of muscle mass they hold, the steroids don’t work nearly as well without the training stimulus and nutritional feedings. Many kids on the message boards overlook this factor, just assuming they eat and train about as hard as the pro bodybuilder. This isn’t the case.

The next time you see someone posting “All Drugs”, ask them about the influence of experience, genetics, training, and nutrition. It’s likely their peers will realize there is a lot more that goes into a champion physique than just a needle, and they’ll help drive home the message! You can change the world – one post at a time!

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