I don’t recommend steroids to anyone, unless they plan on competing in bodybuilding. There is one exception where I would suggest older men get on a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatment for overall health reasons that don’t necessarily include muscle-building. The reason I don’t like seeing people take PEDs is because of the irreversible side effects. Men can get away with minimal sides, but depending on which steroids women dabble in, the results aren’t worth some of these life-changing ramifications. I was naive going into this realm of bodybuilding. All I cared about was getting bigger and better. Don’t forget, I already put in many years of hard work to build a solid, muscular foundation. In the numerous bicoastal competitions, I achieved my best look naturally on stage. There was no other possible way to break through the plateaus of building muscle as a female athlete. It was my decision to try more androgenic steroids which caused permanent side effects
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Ahhh…the dreaded cardio sessions that nobody cares for. Well, if you plan on competing in any division of bodybuilding, prepare to spend hours of time doing what seems like endless cardio. I’ve seen many lazy athletes go through the motions of cardio activities who never look conditioned! It’s because their main focus is the amount of time spent doing cardio and not the actual performance of cardio itself. For example, during my prep for the USA I completed 1 hour of fasted cardio on the stairs every morning and 1 hour of stairs after my weight-training sessions. That’s 2 hours of stair climbing daily for weeks during my zero-carb diet! I was drenched with sweat after each workout.
Who do you think will get into better shape: the person walking on a treadmill or the one running on it? Your machine of choice does not matter it’s how you use it! I’m not going to entertain the plethora of arguments about all different kinds of cardio because I know what works. According to a DEXA scan, which is the most accurate form of a body-fat analysis, I competed at 5% body fat last year. That is unheard of for women! Male bodybuilders can’t even get their body fat down that low. My point is, find a cardio exercise that is challenging and fall in love with it. Of course it’s going to be uncomfortable at first but once the body gets in better shape, it’s going to be easier and that’s when the intensity must increase. I never skipped a cardio session just like I never cheated on my diet. If you don’t have this kind of self-discipline, find another sport
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It’s not the job of a coach to hold you accountable. You must take responsibility for your actions and stop making excuses! If you want to compete then stay dedicated to every aspect of bodybuilding, not just the ones that you’re good at like training. Anyone can lift weights in the gym but that’s only 1-2 hours a day. I am a contest-prep coach and also train people. I’ve turned down clients who admittedly refuse to meal-prep because I’m not going to waste my skills on someone who won’t make an effort to help themselves get desired results. I’m here to provide guidance and direction but you have to put in the work every day regardless of the circumstances. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to create the best version of yourself? Competing is not for everyone and that’s okay.
