Juice Disadvantage!!!!

[Zeus79]

Hey guys, I know that a lot of lifters out there use gear, and I have nothing against that. However, I want to compete and I'm wondering how competitive can I be against these people. I am using only creatine.

 

[cheesePuss]

I also train naturally...I have a meet coming up in march. There are federations that are drug free and test. USAPL WNPF to name the ones I know. But I don't think it's such a big deal. I say who cares what your competition does. I plan to compete in other federations.

I do think it's wrong to compete in a drugfree federation if your not drug free.

Compete, do your best as long as you hit new PR's I don't think it really matters!

 

[brianmincher]

Most powerlifting organizations are drug tested.

you could lift in the USAPL and be pretty sure that the people you are competing against are drug free. But honestly you can't ever really tell who is on or who is not.

Competing is good, I do it, and recommend it, but you really need to compete against your own personal records. If you get caught up with trying to beat any one but yourself, then I think you will be disappointed. For example, I benched 110 lbs more on December 29th, 2001 than I did on July 7th, 2001 at about the same bodyweight. That makes me very satisfied. I blew away personal records every single week during this time period. That was great. However, if I am just worried about what other people are doing then I have to realize that even though I put on 110 lbs on my bench, that George Halbert can still outbench me by over 200 lbs, and Powerlifterjay can outbench me by well over 100 lbs. If I compare myself to these guys, I don't look like much, but compared to myself 6 months ago, I am a freaking animal.

As for the gear, it does help, but in my humble opinion, it does not help nearly as much as non drug users think. Gear will help you put on size and will speed up recovery ability pretty good, but if you are on westside's program, I can tell you from personal experience that you are going to make gains on gear or off.

Best of luck and hope this helps.

B.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Brian my friend your bench is awesome! And every pound you put on it will increase your confindence and bring you that much closer to the elite. Were new at this some newer then others, but everyone has to climb up the ladder. Period. George may have you by 200 bu tnext yr it may be 150 or even 100. George had me by 200 before! And after my next meet in jan i would bet its closer to 100 now. As far as drugs... well they do help. Cant get much around that fact. But they dont do the work for you. Hell i know guys who take lots of shit and are not that strong. But i got this kid i say kid cause he is only 19 at my gym. He is afreak! We will be training to gether soon he is drug free, 210 lbs and can squat 730 plus, were workin on his bench bu ti would say 450 at the moment and can pull low 600's. But he is drug free and a teen. He did 1720 at the southern states. My point is he is clean and strong. But if its th eother guy your lifting against that fuels your competitve desire then pick a drugg free organization to lift in were you will feel things will be more equal. USAPL, WNPF, NASA, USPF, WABDL, AAPF, some APA. There are a ton of drugg free orgs out there. By the way it is wrong , very wrong to inter clean meet sif your not or havent been clean.

 

[brianmincher]

Thanks a lot jay, I really do appreciate that.

I wasn't poor mouthing about my bench, and I totally get what you are saying. I was just trying to make the point that if you keep beating your own pr's then eventually you will get where you are looking to be.

I hope to run into you at a WPO event in a couple of years. I don't intend to be a spectator their either.

B.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Keep hittin them PRS regurlarly it might be sooner then you think!

 

[clockwork]

if you have used in the past, how long before you can compete natural?

 

[brianmincher]

Thanks again jay

So far I have been very successful hitting pr's every M.E. workout. Hope to see you onstage soon.

Clockwork, are you asking how long will it be before you can pass a drug test? If so it depends upon what you used and half lifes and a lot of fairly complicated chemical stuff that I don't really understand. Maybe someone on the anabolic board can answer that one.

But as to how long you are supposed to be clean before competing, I think that depends upon the organization. I have heard that one organization, I think the USAPL requires you to have been clean for 3 years. I have no idea how they check this, and I doubt I will ever know much about the USAPL, because I will never lift in it. But some others just require you to pass a drug test if you set a national or world record for that organization, so you should probably just get a copy of the rules for the organization you are wanting to lift in.

Beast of luck. (not a typo)

 

[BigArnie]

I've been on both sides of the fence so I'm in a good position to comment on this; many years ago, I juiced for a long time and got so strong that I broke all 4 South African junior SHW records at my first competion. That was way back in '92.

After a six year layoff, I came back but this time went totally clean and I'll tell you this: after you reach a certain level, making meaningful gains while being clean become f...ing difficult. Some people talk about "muscle memory" and that, after a layoff, your body "remembers" how strong you were and quickly recover to your previous level. Maybe this works after a few months but after a long time, forget it. I was basically back to square one and had to work very hard to get back at a respectable level.

Even though I've been training Westside religiously for about a year now (at least as far as I can, within my non-steroid recovery ability), gains have started slowing down for me. I'm currently just over the 700lb level on my 2 heavy lifts and at about 450lb on the bench. I'm currently progressing at roughly 15-30 pounds a year per lift which works out at about one or two pounds a month of busting my ass.

I guess my point is that training without juice really is much harder and you definitely are at a disadvantage. Therefore, like some other people said, focus on your own PRs and don't complain as long as there is progress, however small. I still do have equal respect for people who decide to juice, as long as they don't cheat by competing in drug-tested organisations.

 

[powerlifterjay]

It is totally different when you stop juicing but continue to lift then it is to stop lifting and juicing. To say your at a dis advantage if your clean ...yes you are. If your trying to set records or that is your goal. you must use em. I mean there are drug free records and drug free orgs. But hell its hard to tell with those guys too. If you juice for 7 to 8 months then go clean the last few and enter clean meets you are gonna rule! Is it fair? No. But some do it that way and call them selves clean. BUt at the upper level meaning pro and open level most are on. Not all but most. You dont hear too much about world record holders in th eclean divisions. Hell i dont even keep up with bodybuilding but i can tell you who won the Mr Olympia. But i have not a clue to who won the natural Mr Universe or The muscle mania overall. It just depends on your goals you have.