Food is so anabolic to the body because of the changes it creates in hormone levels, most notably insulin and cortisol levels. Most guys can create huge amounts of muscle simply through the proper use of food. No need for steroids at all, just eat the right foods at the right times consistently and you will grow.

The next level of anabolic supplements is the various natural testosterone boosters such as tongkat ali and stinging nettle root extract that are out there. You might be surprised to learn that some of these natural supplements will work very well for certain users. They certainly aren’t as effective as steroids, but they are much safer as well.

The next class of anabolic supplements are the so called legal steroids. These are compounds that are chemically similar to steroids or steroid precursors. Supplement companies have been releasing these in droves over the past few years and while they do seem to work, they are also quite dangerous in their side effects in some users. Liver problems, high cholesterol levels and gyno are just a few of the side effects that have been reported with many of these legal steroid anabolics.

Obviously the decision is up to you regarding what supplements you want to put into your body. I can only recommend that you stick with food as your main anabolic compound, especially if you have less than 2-3 years lifting and you’re under the age of 21. If you fall into this category you should still be able to make very good gains without using any anabolics.

Those of you that have both your diets and lifting in line and are stuck at an advanced level may want to investigate the anabolic supplements to see if you’re willing to accept the possible side effects in exchange for the gains you can get using them. There’s no doubt that some of these supplements are quite powerful and could add 5-10 pounds of mass to your frame in a short period of time.

Anabolics are a very hot subject and it seems like everyone has their opinions on whether they should be allowed or not. I believe that those who are informed and willing to risk the possible side effects for the very real gains to be had from anabolics should be permitted to use them. In any case they are only supplements, not magic potions. Without a proper diet and lifting plan all the anabolics in the world won’t help you add quality muscle.

On the other hand, there are a huge number of over the counter anabolic supplements that are often referred to as legal steroids because they mimic the effects of real steroids. Are these anabolics truly legal steroids as some claim?

Many of the recent anabolic supplements such as Superdrol, Phera Plex and others were created to be similar to controlled anabolic steroids such as Masteron. While it is illegal under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 to sell substances that are chemically similar to banned steroids, many of the supplements coming to market in the past several years are still analogs of anabolic steroids, in effect legal steroids.

One major problem with the creation of this new class of legal steroids is that they are often methylated compounds, meaning they use a methyl bond in the chemical structure to increase the absorption of the compound. While this may be great for your results and mass gains it is horrible for your health, especially that of your liver. The methyls in these compounds cause your liver to work way to hard to cleanse the body and can result in permanent liver damage if you believe some sources.

I have my doubts that the short cycles most guys use with these legal steroids can cause permanent liver damage. It is always pointed out that liver enzyme levels rise when taking methylated anabolics, but I would expect that your liver enzymes would be elevated while the liver is working so hard to clear the compounds out of your system. This does not mean that damage is being done in my opinion.

Another problem with the new class of legal steroids is their easy availability. While I believe you can safely take both these compounds and actual anabolic steroids safely, I also believe that to do so properly requires a certain amount of knowledge of physiology in general and your own bodies reactions in particular. I would be willing to guess that many of the guys taking these anabolics have no idea what they do to the body, how to counteract the negative effects and how to re-balance their hormones when coming off the legal steroids.

If you feel that it is necessary for you to take legal steroids to reach your bodybuilding goals then by all means do, but please do so safely. Take the time to learn about the compounds you’re planning on taking and how they affect your body. Learn what warning signs to look out for and what to do if you run into problems. And be sure to learn how to use post cycle therapy properly when discontinuing the use of legal steroids. This will help you to bring your hormones back into balance and will also help you keep the gains you made while taking the legal steroid.

If you’ve spent any time at all in the gym you know how difficult it can be to add additional muscle or overcome that plateau on your bench or squat. By using anabolics intelligently many guys have been able to blast through previous personal records and add pounds of muscle to their frames. Anabolic supplements are by no means a magic potion, but they can certainly be a help when your goal is to get huge.

Recent times have seen the rapid explosion of legal steroids as supplement companies are able to tap into the latest scientific research in their quest to make new anabolic supplements. It seems that each month sees the addition of a new anabolic compound promising massive gains in the gym. In truth, many of these are simply copies of already existing substances which have been proven to work well.

When you decide to start using anabolics you should be sure to research them well and know what effects and more importantly side effects come with these anabolic supplements. If you’re under the age of 18 by no means should you be taking these products as your body has not finished its natural growth. Food, rest and heavy weights are all you need at this age.

Once you’re informed and prepared for the experience you can feel safe using the newest anabolic supplements. Don’t expect to add 30 pounds of muscle in a month, but it is quite usual for lifters to be able to add 10 pounds in a month and increase their core lifts by anywhere from 10-15%.

Adding legal steroids or anabolics to your arsenal of muscle building processes is a very good move. Today’s anabolics when used with knowledge are quite safe for most men and the results they give are superior to simple creatine supplementation. If you haven’t already made the leap you should learn more about anabolic supplements and see if they are right for you.

I know some people shy away from the harder legal anabolics and others may simply be looking for a non hormonal alternative to pro hormones and pro steroids. Still others are looking for ways to jack up the testosterone without resorting to steroidal anabolics because it has been just a short time after their last cycle.

For all of you there is an alternative and that is the non hormonal anabolic stack or NHA stack.

These are combinations of sports supplements meant to raise testosterone and decrease estrogen levels naturally through the use of herbal extractions, amino acids and other natural supplements. NHA stacks can be a great way to help boost hormone levels in the body without introducing chemical steroids and precursors.

Over the next few posts I want to discuss several possible NHA stacks and weigh the pros and cons of each. Stay tuned for more and let me know what your favorite NHA stack is so I can be sure to discuss it here.

In case you haven’t heard of the 5×5 routine before it is actually quite simple to put into practice. It is called 5×5 because you do 5 sets of 5 repetitions. You use the same weight for all five sets and when you can do all 25 repetitions you add more weight. What could be simpler to follow and track? And it yields very good strength gains, but I’ve also found that it can be useful even during a cutting cycle. I know many people think that you need to do high repetition sets when cutting, but that simply isn’t the case.

The fact is that when you’re cutting you want to keep going with heavy weights to maintain your strength and muscle mass. You also want to keep your weight training sessions short to minimize the release of cortisol, which will eat up your muscle faster than you can imagine. If you’re cutting get your fat loss from your diet and the treadmill, keep your weight training sessions heavy. You’ll be amazed with the results.

The original 5×5 method came from Bill Starr and was designed as a way to progressively increase strength, although if you’re eating enough you’ll also see weight gain as an added effect. Adding legal anabolics into the mix makes the method that much more powerful as your strength and recovery is enhanced.

Especially with beginners the program can be followed for a very long time, basically until you stop making gains. I like to begin my 5×5 program several weeks before starting my cycle to build up a base and to allow the additional of the anabolics to push me through what would normally be plateau’s.

Note: My version of the 5×5 has you doing 1-2 warmup sets and then using the SAME WEIGHT for all five sets. The original version of the 5×5 uses a pyramid up to your 5 rep max and you can see a very good write up of the program here. If you’re not taking any anabolics then I recommend you follow the pyramid program, but with the increased recovery you get from anabolic supplements you can hit the muscles harder. I do recommend that you focus on the basic movements (squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows) when using the 5×5 program.

Now go out there and get huge and strong!