How Much Muscle Can You Build With & Without Steroids?

Summary

This video explores the limits of natural muscle growth and the impact of steroids on muscle development. The speaker, a natural bodybuilder, shares his 15-year journey gaining 27 pounds of muscle and compares it with scientific studies showing that steroids can triple muscle gains. The video also discusses the potential health risks of steroids and emphasizes the importance of understanding one's body before considering enhancement. It concludes by highlighting the value of genetic potential and the need to assess training advice based on its merit rather than the size of the trainer.

Takeaways

• 💪 Natural muscle growth typically peaks after gaining 20-40 pounds for men and 12-24 pounds for women, with a gradual plateau as genetics limit further gains.
• 🏆 The speaker, a natural bodybuilder, gained 27 pounds of muscle in 15 years without steroids, illustrating a common growth pattern for natural lifters.
• 📈 Optimal natural training involves high-intensity workouts, consistent technique, variety in exercises, and progressive overload with 5-15 sets per muscle group weekly.
• 🥩 A proper diet for muscle growth includes a moderate caloric surplus and sufficient protein intake, about 0.7 grams per pound of body weight.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Examples of natural bodybuilders like Alex Leonidas and Jeffrey Scofield demonstrate that significant muscle gains are achievable without steroids.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Historical bodybuilders from the pre-steroid era show that impressive physiques were achievable naturally, though modern training and nutrition have advanced since then.
• 🧪 A study by Boston et al. (1996) showed that steroid use can lead to over three times the muscle gain compared to natural training alone in a controlled 10-week period.
• 🚀 Even without training, a group taking steroids in the study gained significant muscle mass, highlighting the potent effect of anabolic steroids on muscle growth.
• 🤔 The dosage of steroids can greatly influence muscle gains, with higher doses leading to more pronounced results, but also potentially more side effects.
• 💉 High-level competitive bodybuilders may take doses significantly higher than those used in studies, which can lead to extreme muscle gains but also increased health risks.
• 🌟 Genetics play a crucial role in how individuals respond to both natural training and anabolic steroids, with a wide range of outcomes observed among users.
• ⚠️ Steroid use comes with health risks, including heart issues, visual side effects, and the potential for other long-term damage, despite possible mitigation strategies.

Q & A

What is the general muscle gain potential for a natural bodybuilder?

The script suggests that most natural lifters can expect to gain between 20 to 40 pounds of muscle mass, with faster growth at the beginning and slower growth as they approach their natural genetic limit.

How much muscle did the speaker gain in their first five years of training?

The speaker gained around 20 pounds of muscle in their first five years of lifting.

What is the average muscle gain for someone training naturally over a decade?

The speaker has built a total of 27 pounds or 12 kilos of muscle in 15 years of natural training, with a significant portion gained in the first five years.

What are some key training principles for maximizing natural muscle growth?

To maximize natural muscle growth, one should train hard regularly, approach failure, maintain consistent technique, perform enough training volume (5 to 15 sets per muscle per week), and vary exercises while progressively adding weight or reps over time.

What dietary habits are recommended for someone looking to maximize natural muscle growth?

A diet with enough calories in a moderate surplus for at least half of the lifting time and sufficient protein intake (at least 0.7 grams per pound of body weight or 1.6 grams per kilo) is recommended.

What are some examples of natural bodybuilders who have maximized their potential?

Examples given are Alex Leonidas, who put on roughly 40 pounds of muscle in 13 years, and Jeffrey Verity Scofield, who gained about 43 pounds of muscle across 10 years of lifting.

What was the average muscle gain for the group that trained and took steroids in the 1996 study by Boston and colleagues?

The group that trained and took steroids gained an average of 13.4 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks.

What was the muscle gain for the group that took steroids but did not train in the same study?

The group that took steroids but did not train still gained an average of 7 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks.

How does the muscle gain from steroids compare to natural training in terms of efficiency?

The script indicates that the muscle gain from steroids can be more than three times the amount gained by natural training alone, as seen in the 1996 study.

What is the range of steroid dosages taken by high-level competitive bodybuilders according to the anonymous expert?

The dosages can range from 1,000 milligrams a week up to four to five thousand milligrams a week, depending on the competitive level.

What are some of the potential side effects of using steroids as listed by the National Institute of Health?

Potential side effects include higher risk of high blood pressure, blood clots, heart attacks, stroke, artery damage, as well as visual side effects like gynecomastia, balding, acne, abscesses, and oily skin.

What is the speaker's stance on the use of steroids for bodybuilding?

The speaker is not anti-steroid but emphasizes the importance of understanding the benefits and risks associated with their use, suggesting that individuals should maximize their natural potential first before considering the use of steroids.

Why is it suggested to evaluate training advice based on its merits rather than the size of the person giving it?

The size of a person can be influenced by factors such as steroids and genetics, which do not necessarily reflect the quality of their training advice. Sound reasoning, scientific evidence, and experience should be the basis for evaluating training advice.

What is the significance of the speaker's own experience in the context of the video?

The speaker's personal experience as a natural bodybuilder winning a gold medal at the Canadian Natural Bodybuilding Nationals serves as a relatable example and lends credibility to the discussion on natural muscle gain potential.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Natural Muscle Building Potential & Genetics

The speaker, a natural bodybuilder and Canadian Nationals gold medalist, discusses the potential for muscle gain without the use of steroids. Drawing on his 15 years of experience and a genetic predisposition to bodybuilding, he details his own muscle gain progression, highlighting a significant increase in the first five years and a tapering off as he approached his natural limit. He cites studies indicating that men typically reach their natural limit after gaining 20 to 40 pounds of muscle mass, and women after 12 to 24 pounds. The importance of consistent, high-quality training and diet is emphasized, with specific recommendations given for training volume and protein intake. The speaker also provides examples of natural bodybuilders who have maximized their genetic potential, including Alex Leonidas and Jeffrey Verity Scofield, and discusses the historical context of bodybuilding before the advent of steroids.

05:02

💊 The Impact of Steroids on Muscle Growth

This section delves into the scientific research on the effects of anabolic steroids on muscle growth. A 1996 study by Boston et al. is highlighted, which compared muscle gains in groups with varying combinations of training and steroid use. The study found that while natural trainees gained 4.4 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks, those using steroids gained an average of 13.4 pounds, even without training. The speaker questions the dosage used in the study, consulting with an expert to understand that 600 milligrams of testosterone per week is a high dose for therapeutic use but moderate to low for competitive bodybuilders. A follow-up study in 2001 is mentioned, which showed a direct correlation between dosage and muscle gain, with the highest dose resulting in an average gain of one pound of muscle per week without training. The section concludes with real-world examples of bodybuilders like Sean Clarita and Chris Bumstead, who have achieved remarkable physiques with and without the use of steroids, emphasizing the role of genetics in responding to anabolic substances.

10:04

🧬 Genetics, Steroid Response, and Health Considerations

The final paragraph explores the genetic variability in muscle gain response to both natural training and anabolic steroids. It points out that some individuals, like Chris Bumstead, have shown exceptional natural muscle gains, suggesting a genetic predisposition that could also influence steroid response. The speaker discusses the wide range of outcomes in a 2001 study, where the least responsive individual gained 9 pounds of muscle over 20 weeks, while the most responsive gained 31 pounds. The paragraph also addresses the potential downsides of steroid use, listing several health risks including heart issues, as noted by the National Institute of Health. The speaker advocates for understanding the full implications of using steroids and suggests maximizing natural potential before considering enhancement. The video concludes by cautioning against judging the value of training advice based solely on the physique of the trainer, emphasizing the need for evidence-based evaluation of training methods.

Keywords

💡Muscle Building

Muscle building refers to the process of increasing muscle mass through regular strength training and proper nutrition. In the video's context, it discusses the potential for muscle gain both naturally and with the use of steroids. The script provides a personal example of the speaker's muscle gain over 15 years of natural training, illustrating the gradual increase in muscle mass that is typically achievable without the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

💡Steroids

Steroids, in this context, refers to anabolic steroids, which are synthetic substances that mimic the effects of testosterone and are used to enhance muscle growth and physical performance. The video explores the impact of steroids on muscle building, citing scientific studies that demonstrate significant increases in muscle mass with their use, compared to natural training methods.

💡Natural Bodybuilding

Natural bodybuilding is a form of bodybuilding that does not involve the use of anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. The script uses the speaker's own experience and achievements in natural bodybuilding competitions to highlight what is achievable through consistent training and diet without resorting to steroid use.

💡Genetic Potential

Genetic potential refers to the innate limits of an individual's physical capabilities, which in the context of the video, relate to the maximum muscle mass one can achieve naturally. The script mentions that studies show most people reach their natural genetic limit after gaining a certain amount of muscle mass, suggesting a ceiling to natural muscle growth.

💡Training Volume

Training volume in bodybuilding is the total amount of work done during a training session or program, often measured in sets and repetitions. The video emphasizes the importance of sufficient training volume, suggesting 5 to 15 sets per muscle per week as a good target for maximizing natural muscle growth.

💡Caloric Surplus

A caloric surplus is a state where an individual consumes more calories than they burn, which is essential for muscle growth as it provides the necessary energy and nutrients. The script advises maintaining a moderate caloric surplus for at least half of one's lifting time to support muscle building naturally.

💡Protein Intake

Protein intake is crucial for muscle repair and growth. The video suggests a specific intake level of at least 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight or 1.6 grams per kilo to support natural muscle development effectively.

💡Anabolic Effects

Anabolic effects are the processes by which the body builds muscle and other tissues. The video discusses how steroids have a significant anabolic effect, leading to much greater muscle gains than natural training alone, as illustrated by the scientific studies and real-world examples presented.

💡Side Effects

Side effects are the unintended consequences of using a substance or treatment. The script outlines various side effects associated with steroid use, including heart issues, gynecomastia, balding, acne, and oily skin, highlighting the potential health risks of using anabolic steroids.

💡Genetics

Genetics play a role in determining an individual's response to training and anabolic substances. The video points out that there are genetic differences in how people respond to both natural training and steroids, with some individuals showing greater muscle gains than others, as demonstrated by the varying results in the studies mentioned.

💡Informed Decision

An informed decision is one made with complete and accurate information. The video encourages individuals considering the use of steroids to first maximize their natural potential, which would provide a better understanding of their body's response to training and nutrition, allowing for a more informed choice about whether to use anabolic substances.

Highlights

The video discusses the natural muscle growth potential and the impact of steroids on muscle building.

The presenter, a natural bodybuilder, shares his personal experience and growth over 15 years of training without steroids.

An average natural lifter can expect to gain 20 to 40 pounds of muscle mass, with faster growth initially and slower as they approach their genetic limit.

The importance of consistent training and diet to maximize natural muscle growth is emphasized.

Examples of natural bodybuilders, such as Alex Leonidas and Jeffrey Verity Scofield, are provided to illustrate peak natural development.

Historical context is given by examining bodybuilders from the pre-steroid era to highlight the possibility of natural muscularity.

A study by Boston et al. (1996) is referenced to demonstrate the significant muscle gains from steroid use compared to natural training alone.

The dosage of steroids can greatly influence muscle gains, with higher doses leading to more substantial increases.

The video interviews an anabolics expert to understand the range of steroid dosages used in bodybuilding.

A follow-up study from 2001 is mentioned, showing the direct correlation between steroid dosage and muscle mass increase.

Real-world examples of bodybuilders like Sean Clarita and Chris Bumstead illustrate the transformation from natural to enhanced physiques.

The video discusses the genetic differences in muscle gains from both natural training and steroid use.

Steroid side effects from the National Institute of Health are listed, highlighting the health risks associated with their use.

The presenter suggests maximizing natural potential before considering steroid use to make an informed decision.

The video argues against judging the value of training advice based on the size of the trainer, as it may be influenced by steroids and genetics.

The importance of understanding the full impact of steroids, both positive and negative, is stressed for those considering their use.

The video concludes by sharing the presenter's personal surprise at the extent of muscle gains from steroids and encourages further discussion.

Transcripts

in this video I'm going to tell you

exactly how much muscle it's possible to

build naturally and how much muscle it's

possible to build using steroids by

looking at real world examples and

scientific studies let's start with

what's possible naturally now I'm

definitely not the best natural

bodybuilder in the world but I did win a

gold medal at Canadian natural

bodybuilding Nationals so I'll use

myself as an example of a natural

bodybuilder I've been training without

steroids for about 15 years I weigh 160

pounds when I'm lean and 180 pounds when

I'm balked at five foot five inches tall

like most people I put on most of my

muscle in my first five years of lifting

both of my parents were bodybuilders so

I trained pretty hard from the start in

my first five years I gained around 20

pounds of muscle over the next five

years I put on a little more muscle but

not as much only another five pounds or

so then in the next five years after

that it was even less maybe one or two

pounds add it all up and that's 27

pounds or 12 kilos of muscle that I've

built in total and while some people

will build more some people will build

less every natural lifter doing most

things right will experience a similar

growth curve with faster growth at the

beginning and slower growth as they

approach their so-called natural genetic

sealing and research backs this up

studies show that men tend to max out

their natural potential after gaining 20

to 40 pounds or 9 to 18 kilos of muscle

mass and women tend to max out their

natural potential after gaining 12 to 24

pounds of muscle and while I think it is

possible to gradually nudge that ceiling

up with Advanced Training and diet

strategies that nudging will be marginal

now of course in order to max out your

natural potential you need to do things

consistently well with your training and

diet this means that you train hard

regularly approaching failure you

maintain consistent technique you do

enough training Volume 5 to 15 sets per

muscle per week is a good ballpark you

do a variety of exercises and you aim to

add some weight or some reps to those

exercises over time on the diet side of

things you need to eat enough calories

ideally being in a moderate caloric

Surplus for at least half your lifting

time and you need to eat enough protein

ideally eating at least 0.7 grams of

protein per pound of body weight or 1.6

grams per kilo if you do all of this for

five to ten years you'll almost

certainly gain 20 to 40 pounds of muscle

and come pretty close to maximizing your

natural potential and here are a couple

examples of natural bodybuilders that I

think have either reached or very close

to reaching their Peak natural

development this is Alex Leonidas a

fellow YouTuber who put on roughly 40

pounds of muscle in 13 years of lifting

at five foot six inches tall he's 120

pounds in the before photo and 160

pounds in the after photo at a similar

body fat percentage he's also done

several extended bulks where he's got as

high as 200 pounds at around 20 body fat

so it wasn't like those 40 pounds went

on completely lean without ever gaining

any body fat and I've heard Alex argue

that you need to spend some time in a

surplus and at a slightly higher body

fat to maximize your natural muscular

potential as a taller example this is

Jeffrey Verity Scofield another fellow

YouTuber who put on roughly 43 pounds of

muscle across 10 years of lifting at six

feet tall he's 150 pounds in the before

photo and 193 pounds in the after photo

at a similar body fat percentage once

again it's worth mentioning that Jeff

did a series of bulks and cuts getting

up to 224 pounds at his Peak bulk weight

before cutting down to 193. now just in

case there are a few people who think

these examples aren't actually natural

and we're secretly taking steroids to

advance our Fitness careers let's

consider a few two examples of

bodybuilders from the pre-steroid era

anabolic steroids weren't isolated and

synthesized until the early 1930s and

weren't made injectable until 1935 so

any bodybuilder prior to that date

couldn't have been using them and here

are some examples of impressive

bodybuilders from that era who had to be

natural as a matter of historical fact

there were impressive strong men and

strong women from the 1920s and earlier

displaying incredible muscularity and

leanness there were even some

bodybuilders from the 1800s rocking

amazing all-natural physiques but of

course both training and nutrition

methods have improved a lot in the last

hundred years and there are more people

into bodybuilding these days so it's

extremely unlikely that these

pre-steroid era bodybuilders represent

the Pinnacle of what's possible

naturally the best modern natural

bodybuilders achieve even better

development but given the availability

of steroids today there'll always be

some skepticism around their true Natty

status

okay so what do steroids add well let's

start with the science this is one of

the most famous studies on anabolic

steroids by Boston and colleagues from

1996. you may have seen it before they

split 43 subjects into one of four

groups group one didn't train or take

steroids they didn't do anything group

two trained naturally without taking

steroids group 3 trained enhanced they

did take steroids and group four did not

train but still took steroids so there

was a natural group that didn't train a

natural group that did train an enhanced

group that did train and an enhanced

group that didn't train after 10 weeks

these were the findings the group that

didn't train or take steroids

unsurprisingly gained only a negligible

amount of muscle mass nothing

significant the group that trained

naturally gained 4.4 pounds of muscle in

10 weeks not bad at all but here's what

happened to the group that trained and

took steroids they added

13.4 pounds of muscle on average that's

more than three times the amount of

muscle gained by simply injecting 600mg

of testosterone per week everything else

was the same but that's not the craziest

part the group that took steroids and

did not even train they gained ready

seven pounds of muscle in 10 weeks

that's more than one and a half times

the muscle gained by the natural

training group without even training

let's consider the dosing though they

injected 600 milligrams of testosterone

per week which got me wondering if

that'd be considered a high dose or a

low dose by today's bodybuilding

standards to help me answer this

question I spoke with an anonymous

anabolics expert about how much steroids

people actually take in the most famous

studies on this they give people 600

milligrams of testosterone per week

would you consider that a high dose

moderate dose or low dose it depends on

the context of the individual I would

say for an entry level enhanced user it

would be high at 100 milligrams you're

typically looking at what is

representative of therapeutic hormone

replacement as you get to 150 to 200

milligrams per week you're looking at

what is more representative of like some

people call it Sports trt it's kind of

like the fitness industry trt kind of

levels where you are pushing a

borderline super physiologic free test

level perpetually even though your total

T looks normal on paper as you get to

300 plus you're kind of in enhanced

territory now even though you were

already enhanced right before that and

then at 500 to 600 that's entry level

bodybuilder cycle territory I would say

and then to represent what could be seen

at a professional level in the very

competitive ranks you see upwards of at

minimum oftentimes 1 000 milligrams a

week but as high as four to five

thousand milligrams a week per week

you've heard of people doing that I've

seen it that's very helpful thank you so

the 600 milligrams used in that study

would be considered a high dose by trt

standards but is more on the moderate to

low end compared to what many high-level

competitive bodybuilders take and it

turns out that dosing matters a lot in

2001 the same research group did a

follow-up study to see how much muscle

mass changes with different doses of

steroids this time 61 subjects were

given five different doses of

testosterone they injected either 25 50

125 300 or 600 milligrams per week for

20 weeks and this is how much muscle

they gained the lowest dose added just

under one pound of muscle and the amount

of muscle gained increased right

alongside the steroid dosage with the

group taking the biggest dose adding

just about 20 pounds of muscle in 20

weeks that's one pound of muscle per

week on average this isn't the highest

responder this is the average think

about that I might put on one pound of

muscle in the next year if I'm lucky as

a late stage natural these guys put on

one pound of muscle per week by taking

600 milligrams of test oh I guess I

should also mention they didn't lift

weights in this study zero lifting they

just took steroids that's how much of a

difference they can make but again many

ifbb bodybuilders wouldn't even consider

600 milligrams a high dose my anonymous

source told me that he knows competitive

bodybuilders that take five to ten times

that amount so let's take a break from

the studies and have a look at what

steroids actually do in the wild for

this I want to look at two examples Sean

Clarita and Chris Bumstead John Clarita

is the reigning 212 Mr Olympia Champion

but not many people know that before he

began his ifbb pro career he was a

world-class natural bodybuilder in fact

he reached the Pinnacle of what's

possible naturally before ever enhancing

something I strongly respect as a

natural competitor at the wmbf natural

bodybuilding world the most stringently

drug tested event in the world Sean

weighed 130 pounds or 59 kilos on stage

we can assume he was maxing out his

training and nutrition at this time

because come on Harry is repping 900

pounds on the leg press and here he is

training his arms from the same year

this guy has always trained super hard

so based on some rough math and what I

could find on line it looks like he

added something around 20 pounds

naturally going from 110 pounds to 130

pounds at five foot two inches tall then

after reaching the Pinnacle of this

board naturally he started enhancing and

added wait for it another 60 pounds to

his physique that's three times the

amount of muscle that he built naturally

Chris Bumstead is the reigning Mr

Olympia classic physique champion and is

without a doubt one of the greatest

classic bodybuilders of all time Chris

started lifting at the age of 14 when he

weighed 170 pounds or 77 kilos at six

foot one inches tall over the next five

years of Maddie training he grew to be

225 pounds or 102 kilos by the time he

was 19. that's a 55 pound increase in

body weight now of course some people

will argue that Chris wasn't actually

Natty in this after image but I believe

he was here's what he looked like at 17.

he's already bigger than most natural

lifters that I know and we also have

screenshots at the exact day when his

coach said that he started his first

cycle and this image was taken before

that day so it seems most likely to me

that he was natural here now he may have

the best genetics on a planet but

somebody has to be the best by

definition alright so Chris added 55

pounds of muscle naturally after

enhancing he now weighs 264 pounds in

the off season at what looks like a

similar body fat to these previous

images so an extra 40 pounds added in

this case it does look like Chris built

most of his muscle naturally which is

damn impressive that leads me to think

that sebum probably isn't taking a huge

amount of gear and could almost

certainly grow a whole lot more if he

wanted to by simply upping the dose not

that I'm suggesting you do that but I

wanted to include this example because I

think it speaks to the power of genetics

when we look at different people's

results from natural lifting there's a

broad range of responses some people

gain very little muscle others gain a

massive amount of muscle with most

people Landing somewhere in the middle

sebum would be way over here by the way

and just like there are genetic

differences in how you respond to

Natural training there are also genetic

differences in how you respond to

anabolics for example in that 2001 study

the worst responding subject added nine

pounds of muscle in 20 weeks while the

best responding subject added 31 pounds

of muscle in 20 weeks without lifting

this guy gained more muscle in five

months of juicing than I did in 15 years

of Natty training

I'm gonna be sick so based on all this

evidence steroids can easily double or

even triple your gains depending on your

genetics and how much you take again for

natural lifters you're looking at 20 to

40 pounds of muscle gain at a more

moderate dose of steroids most people

are probably looking at another 20 to 40

pounds and then if you're willing to

really crank the dose people with good

genetics could certainly add another 20

to 40 pounds or more on top of that but

while steroids do likely have the

biggest potential impact on how much

muscle you gain they also have the

biggest potential for downsides here's a

list of steroid side effects from the

National Institute of Health the heart

effects alone should give us pause

there's a well-established higher risk

of high blood pressure blood clots heart

attacks stroke and Artery damage and

regular steroid users and there are

often unwanted visual side effects like

gyno balding acne abscesses and oily

looking skin and while it certainly is

possible to mitigate some of these Side

Effects by using moderate and controlled

dosages with regular hormonal monitoring

by a medical doctor you're still taking

a gamble on your health when you decide

to enhance

now this isn't an anti-steroid video I

think people should be allowed to do

whatever they want with their own bodies

as long as they're not hurting others

but I also think it's important that

people actually understand what steroids

really do both good and bad if you're

thinking about enhancing I think it'd be

smart to at least max out your natural

potential first this will force you to

understand your body and force you to

learn how to pull the training and

nutrition levers most effectively for

your physique that knowledge will then

Empower you so you don't feel like you

need anabolics and it'll give you enough

time to really make an informed decision

Natty maxing is usually not possible

until at least 10 years of hard smart

and dedicated training so it'd be smart

to get a decade of lifting under your

belt before you even consider juicing in

my opinion and of course if your goal is

to maximize your health it'd be smart to

stay natural unless a medical

professional recommends hormonal

treatment it's also worth mentioning

that given what we know those steroids

and genetics it just doesn't make sense

to judge the value of someone's training

advice based on how big they are for

example it's fairly common for people to

point to enhanced bodybuilders note how

much bigger they are than other lifters

and use that to imply that their

training methods must be better but of

course they're going to be bigger if

they're on steroids especially if they

also have good genetics that doesn't

mean that their training methods are

better it doesn't mean that their

training methods are worse either it's

just not a valid comparison

should determine whether or not someone

has good training advice based on sound

reasoning that reasoning can come from

scientific evidence or anecdotal

evidence or just years of experience but

we need to evaluate that evidence based

on its own merits not based on the size

of the person giving it anyway I thought

this was a fascinating subject to dig

into and I'm curious if you guys are

surprised by how much of a difference

steroids actually make or if that lines

up with what you already thought I

personally knew that they made a big

difference but some of these numbers

surprise me if I'm being honest all

right that's it for this one guys don't

forget to leave me a thumbs up if you

enjoyed the video subscribe if you

haven't already and I'll see you guys

all here in the next one