Serious amateur bodybuilders have been flocking to the newest legal steroids such as Androstenedione ( andro), 1-AD,1-test and 4-Androstenedione and more recently to such great supplements as Superdrol, Halodrol and Phera-Plex.  When used correctly these legal alternatives to steroids can be both safe and effective in boosting muscle recovery, strength and size.

The very first legal steroids were actually prohormones and they were popularized by the East Germans.  Androstenedione is considered the first of these prohormones and it works by being converted by the liver to actual testosterone.  It was in this way that illegal steroids were avoided and athletes were able to boost their testosterone levels through the means of legal steroids.

After Andro came many other prohormones over the past decade.  On January 20th, 2005 the US Federal Gorvenment’s ban on prohormones, including Androstenedione, took effect.   There are new legal steroid alternatives being introduces literally every month now as the governments try to shut down each new compound.  So far they have not been successful.

There is much debate over the safety and efficacy of these new legal steroid products as most of them come to the market untested and with no way to determine possible short term and long term side effects.  In fact, the athlete’s themselves are now the guinea pigs for testing these substances and many do so gladly in the hopes of adding an additional 5 or 10 pounds of muscle.

While this is definitely not the best way, it will continue I’m sure as we athletes can be quite fanatical.  The best you can do is to find as much information as possible before beginning with any of the new legal steroids.  Have blood tests done before, during and after your cycle to make sure you aren’t doing any harm to your body.  Take auxiliary supplements to help protect your liver and to avoid possible estrogen bounce back.

I know very well that as long as supplements are being promoted to help increase strength and muscle there will be people that take them even though there is scant information available about them.  All I ask is that you do as much research as possible when trying out the latest legal steroids.  And please avoid them completely if you’re under the age of 21.

One of the very first prohormone products was the famed 1-Androstendiol or 1-AD from Ergopharm. The active ingredient 1-Androstenediol converted to 1-Testosterone in the body which proved to be 700% more anabolic than regular testosterone. I remember 1-AD very well. It did not aromatize so no gyno or hair loss, was not methylated and harsh on the liver and best of all it really delivered.

Increased lean muscle mass and improved body composition was de facto for 1-AD. For you and me that means bigger muscles and less fat! I recall dropping from 15% to 8% bodyfat with no weight loss and no water retention. That translates to about 15 lbs of lean muscle in just 10 weeks! Yes, I loved 1-AD.

Now there is a new 1-AD on the market. The name is 1-Androsterone and it is manufactured by Advanced Muscle Science. Not only does 1-Androsterone convert at a very high rate to 1-Testosterone and is orally active like its predecessors, but it also is naturally occurring in the body making it a completely non-toxic compound. Add this to the fact that there is virtually zero estrogenic activity and very minimal water retention and you have an ideal supplement for building lean muscle mass and burning body fat.

The new 1-AD is

1. Non-Toxic (unlike virtually every “methyl” prohormone on the market)
2. Orally Active Compound
3. Extremely Potent
4. Completely Non-Aromatizable to Estrogen
5. Naturally Occurring

1-Androsterone combines the newest oral delivery method with a prohormone product designed to give you increases in strength and aggressiveness along with less body fat and a leaner harder physique. If you never had the chance to try 1-AD before now’s your chance. But with the current government stance on prohormones and legal steroids I’d get mine today because there’s no telling how long until this is pulled off the market just like its predesessor.