Say no to JUICE…
If being obsessed with trying to get as big as you possibly can is your goal, then so be it. I’ve been in that boat. And let me tell you it is not a good boat to be in. I remember when I first started working out from the start I just wanted to get huge. At the time I didn’t know anything about nutrition so I would eat a bunch of junk calories (pizza and grilled burgers everyday). My weight jumped up to 255 lbs. and it wasn’t a lean 255 one bit at all. I didn’t care at the time about detail, shape, symmetry, or being athletic. The food I was putting into my body daily also took a toll on my health as well. I just didn’t feel healthy. So next up for me was I always wanted to compete but knew if I wanted to do bodybuilding I would have to do some serious drugs because for one I’m 6’3” so it takes a lot more muscle to fill my frame and two the sport is just infested with drugs. I made the decision to do the modeling show Universe Weekend. I had always dreamed about being on a cover so I figured this might be my ticket. The first time dieting down to do a show was a rude awaking. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I was eating WAY too many calories to try to lean down. Anyways I ended up weighing a smooth 218 lbs. I placed 25th out of 75 guys. I didn’t really care about my placing considering I looked pathetic in my opinion but still accomplished meeting Adam Silver of Silver Model Management. Shortly after the show he booked me on my first modeling job which was the cover of the Under Armour Catalog. They cropped half of my face off but eh…I still got paid. After that I went to NYC for a week to do my first NYC test shoots (a test shoot is basically to see if you’re photogenic and use the images for your portfolio) I hated NYC on my first visit coming from the small town of Roanoke, Virginia. It was very overwhelming thinking this is where I would have to live. I figured I still wanted to give it a shot though so I moved there for a couple months and managed to book a couple things but still wasn’t happy. Feeling like a failure, I went back to Roanoke with my tail between my legs to personal train again. After being back in Roanoke for a short time, I realized that I just needed to focus more. So I tried to give the fitness modeling a shot again and competed at the 2008 Universe Weekend show. This time around I knew a little more about nutrition and ended up placing 9th out of roughly 100 competitors. Shortly after brings me to what this article is truly about. Throughout my whole bodybuilding experience I was surrounded by steroids and was always contemplating using. I felt the need to take my body to a new level chemically. I was consumed with trying to gain muscle mass at whatever cost it would take on my own personal health and body. I had bigorexia. I would look at myself in the mirror and not think I was muscular and big enough. I decided to join the dark side of bodybuilding and in August 2008 I did my FIRST and ONLY steroid cycle. I wanted to put this story out there because I’ve always been accused of taking steroids and now I want to let everyone know that yes I did one cycle. Do I regret it? Not necessarily, but I’m so thankful and fortunate that I did not go down thatroad any further because that is putting an expiration date on your organs and overall health. I did one 8 week cycle and the first 4 weeks consisted of Primobolan and Winstrol and the last 4 weeks was Primobolan and Anavar. When I did decide to do this cycle I made sure to take all safety precautions and research as much as I could before I decided on taking this. I now know that you do NOT need steroids to achieve a physique that I now have at 204 lbs. I think they are dangerous and I totally preach against them. My past is the past and I cannot change that but what I can do and what everyone can do is look forward and make change today!
The first picture was taken directly at the end of my steroid cycle that I did. My goal was to get a cover from this shoot but that did not end up happening but I did get a full workout spread and interview in that issue. The second picture was my first modeling job. Under Armour Catelog shot in September 2007.
November 25th, 2010 - 15:29
Ty this is an amazing article, I wished more young people and older could read this, ever thought of sending it in to a few mags for publication….it is a great story.
Thanks again for your honestly….truly one of the main reasons I listen to you.
November 25th, 2010 - 15:35
shad first off thanks! yes i’ve got a another article that i’m putting out next week with the 2 together i’m sending my story to all the fitness mags i want to work with.
November 26th, 2010 - 11:58
Good for you to put it out there. As they say, experience is the best teacher. And when we know better, we do better. I’ve only been a BB.com “friend” for awhile – but yours is the only blog I follow most every day. The food and training logs are great, and your positive attitude comes through. Keep it up – great success is in store for you, I have absolutely NO doubt!
December 7th, 2010 - 23:21
Thanks for some quality points there. I am kind of new to online , so I printed this off to put in my file, any better way to go about keeping track of it then printing?
January 16th, 2011 - 11:23
Reminds me of the saying: “Good judgement comes from experience; experience comes from poor judgement!”
January 17th, 2011 - 08:36
that is a great saying!
January 19th, 2011 - 12:58
Tyler, first of all I’d like to say I’m an avid follower of your website, and think that what you’re doing here is amazing, keep up the good work, its unbelievably useful!
with respect to your steroid use, do you feel that your physique now is based on that of the steroid cycle you undertook in 2008, or is your renewed understanding of nutrition and training the main contributor to that?
many thanks. keep up the good work, your an inspiration!
January 19th, 2011 - 20:18
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m glad that I can help and be an inspiration! If you take a look at my story of when I battle with an eating disorder I posted a picture of when I was dealing with that and I looked very sick. This all happend shortly after my steroid cycle. I just know that muscle has memory and I’m sure the one cycle I did gave my muscle more maturity. I feel that my current physique has everything to do with HARD WORK AND NUTRITION. Keep up the hard work!
Tyler
February 1st, 2011 - 06:00
I can’t agree more to Alex and all the other people who commented on that article!
I am also against the use of juice, but unfortunately in my gym, around 70% of the people who are really training to get their body in shape, are using that stuff and I can’t stand the fact, that the people are accusing me to use the chemical weapon to achieve the goals regarding Muscl, Definition and of course to be lean.
the article above is quite amazing and thumbs up, that you have the guts to stand out there and to be truly about your use!
I am so happy that your website and your videos about nutrition and training exist –> they are motivating the hel out of me
best regards from Europe
chris
February 1st, 2011 - 09:46
Chris! thank you so much for your complitments to my website! It makes me feel so good that I can be an inspiration and help! keep up the hard work!
March 11th, 2011 - 14:29
I’d be inclined to okay with you one this subject. Which is not something I typically do! I really like reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to speak my mind!