Steroids and Hard Work: Give Credit Where It’s Due

I keep hearing the same comments in person and online: “It’s easy to look like that on steroids,” or “If I took what they take, I’d look like that too.”

That’s a confident claim from someone who hasn’t lived another person’s training routine.

Yes, steroids provide a significant advantage. Pretending otherwise would be dishonest. Research has shown that testosterone can increase muscle size even without resistance training, with greater gains when combined with training. So saying steroids are “useless without hard work” isn’t accurate either. The evidence is worth reading.

But pointing to drug use doesn’t explain every detail of someone’s physique. Their training, nutrition, consistency, recovery, genetics and time still matter. Taking the same substances wouldn’t guarantee you the same result.

What frustrates me is how casually people dismiss years of effort after seeing one photo. They see the finished physique and assume they know everything that produced it. They haven’t seen the early mornings, missed sessions made up, meals planned or years spent learning how to train.

Acknowledge the advantage. Give the effort its credit too. Both can be true.

And recognising someone’s dedication doesn’t mean endorsing steroid use or overlooking its health risks. It means having an honest conversation about what contributes to the result.

Most people here understand that. I just needed to say it: “I could look like that too” is easy to type. Following through on the work is another matter.