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TRT TreyCurious…
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger on steroids?
Then you’ve come to the right place. Inside, you’ll find the official Testosterone.org breakdown of whether or not Arnold Schwarzenegger has ever used gear before…
Arnold Schwarzenegger is an American actor, businessman and former bodybuilding champion. Arnold is most famous for winning the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest an unbelievable 8 times, for starring in Hollywood movies like Terminator and Predator, and of course, for being the governor of California.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some people claim that Arnold used anabolic steroids, and that he would never be famous if he didn’t use performance enhancing drugs.
Was Arnold Schwarzenegger really a natural athlete? Or did he use anabolic steroids to go beyond his genetic limits and become the greatest bodybuilder of all time? Let’s find out!
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Stats
| Age: | 74 Years Old |
| Height: | 6'2" |
| Weight: | 245 lbs |
| Estimated Body Fat %: | About 5 Percent |
| Nickname: | "The Austrian Oak" |
What Are Steroids?
Steroids are man-made versions of chemicals that naturally occur in the human body. The steroids that help build muscle mass are called anabolic steroids or AAS for short.
Anabolic steroids are technically illegal in the United States and many other countries but they are still used by a percentage of the global population. A recent meta-analysis found that as many as 6.4% of all men in the world have used anabolic steroids at least once in their lifetime [1].
Steroids work because they increase the signaling effect of testosterone and other muscle-building hormones in the body. These hormones bind to your muscles and other tissues and trigger an increase in different muscle-building pathways [2].
Bodybuilders and other athletes are sometimes attracted to steroids because of their muscle-building and performance-enhancing benefits. A 2018 meta analysis performed by Andrews et al found that anabolic steroids improve total muscle mass, muscle strength, power and cardiovascular endurance [3].
Steroids may be extremely effective at building muscle mass and boosting athletic performance. However, they also have serious side effects, and can be extremely dangerous.
A 2021 meta-analysis found that steroids can cause adverse effects to your brain, cardiovascular system, muscular system, liver, urinary system and reproductive system [4].
This should be enough to make the average gym rat think twice about using these performance enhancing drugs.
The bottom line is steroids are man-made compounds that act like hormones in the human body. They can be used to help build muscle mass and improve athletic performance. However, they also have severe side effects and are banned in most professional sports. Anabolic steroids are also illegal in many countries.
Signs Of Steroid Use
Is it really possible to tell if someone is on gear? It’s hard to say for sure, but most steroid users have some obvious signs that you can look out for.
Here are some of the most obvious signs of steroid use:
- Insanely Muscular
- Bloated Stomach
- Pronounced Jawline
- Flushed, Red Skin
- “Square” Shaped Physique
Let’s take a closer look at each of these signs.
One of the most obvious signs of steroid use is an insanely muscular physique. The best natural bodybuilders compete at less than 200 pounds, while the best “juiced up” bodybuilders compete at over 300 pounds!
Steroids are incredibly effective at building muscle mass, so if you see someone with an insanely muscular physique, they might be on gear.
Another common sign of steroid use is a bloated stomach, aka a “growth hormone gut.” This is caused by long-term growth hormone use, which causes the stomach to puff out in front of the body, even when the person is lean.
There are many other signs of long-term steroid use.
Some of them are mild like increased skin acne while others can be life-threatening. However, these are five of the biggest signs that can be used to determine whether or not someone is using steroids.
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger On Steroids?
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger really natural? Or did he use anabolic steroids to become one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time? Let’s look at the facts before jumping to any conclusions.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has the following signs of long-term steroid use:
- Insanely Muscular Physique
- Rapid Body Transformation
- Very Pronounced Jawline
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Arnold Schwarzenegger had an insanely muscular physique. At his peak Arnold was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed an unbelievable 245 pounds! Keep in mind Arnold was absolutely ripped at this weight, with deep cuts in his arms and legs. Arnold is known as one of the first true “mass monsters” in the sport of bodybuilding. Before him, no one thought it was even possible to get this big!
Another big sign that Arnold used anabolic steroids was his rapid body transformations. In 1975 Arnold Schwarzenegger had to lose weight an acting role, and then quickly gain weight for the Mr. Olympia competition. In three months Arnold went from an athletic 210 pounds to his usual competition weight at 245 pounds. Adding 35 pounds of muscle in just 3 months is extremely difficult to do, even if you are using anabolic steroids. For a natural bodybuilder, this is virtually impossible.
Arnold has some other signs that he uses steroids, such as his very pronounced jawline. However, we don’t have to guess, as Arnold Schwarzenegger has actually admitted to using steroids himself.
Arnold Schwarzenegger admits that he started using steroids in the 1960’s when he was 15 years old. Arnold’s doctor prescribed him two steroids for building muscle: dianabol and primobolan.
Arnold was instructed to take 15-20 milligrams of dianabol once per day and 100mg of primobolan once per week. Steroids were a new thing in Austria in the 1960s, and doctors knew little about the long-term side effects of these drugs at the time.
Here is Arnold in his own words:
“I have no regrets about it because at that time, it was something new that came on the market, and we went to the doctor and did it under doctors’ supervision. We were experimenting with it. It was a new thing. So you can’t roll the clock back and say, ‘Now I would change my mind on this.’”
The verdict is clear: Arnold Schwarzenegger used anabolic steroids on his journey to becoming the greatest bodybuilder of all time. It’s hard to say how much the steroids really helped him, but regardless of what he took, Arnold is definitely not “natural.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger Before And After Steroids
Arnold Schwarzenegger started training for bodybuilding when he was just 14 years old, and he started taking anabolic steroids when he was 15 years old. Arnold was using very low doses of steroids – especially compared to what many competitive bodybuilders use today.
Arnold’s transformation was unbelievable: by the time Arnold was 23 years old he weighed a ripped 245 pounds and won his first Mr. Olympia competition. Arnold maintained his incredible physique and won the Mr. Olympia title 6 times in a row from 1970 – 1975 and again in 1980.
Arnold continued to maintain his bodybuilding physique during his careers in acting and politics. Just take a look at Arnold in this picture from Terminator 3 taken in 2002!
Arnold used anabolic steroids like dianabol and primobolan to prepare for his bodybuilding competitions and to maintain his physique after his bodybuilding career. However, there are products other than steroids that you can use to build muscle mass and strength. Two very popular options are legal steroid alternatives and testosterone replacement therapy.
Legal Steroid Alternatives?
Arnold Schwarzenegger used steroids in the 1960s and 70s to build his incredible physique. However, that doesn’t mean they are a good idea for you.
Steroids are illegal in the United States and many other countries. They are also extremely dangerous, and can even result in death when used improperly.
Fortunately, there are many legal steroid alternatives that you can use to transform your physique in record time.
One of the most effective legal steroid alternatives on the market today is called ecdysterone.
Ecdysterone belongs to a family of insect-based hormones called “ecdysteroids.”
Insects produce this natural substance because it helps them grow and develop at record speed. Interestingly enough, recent studies show that ecdystererone works just as well in humans as it does in plants.
One recent study shows that ecdysterone can actually increase muscle protein synthesis by as much as 20% [6]! Another one shows that ecdysterone works as well as many anabolic steroids, such as dianabol, for boosting lean muscle mass [7].
Don’t worry – ecdysterone is 100% safe. Unlike anabolic steroids, it does not increase your hormone levels, so you don’t have to worry about side effects like “roid rage” or a “Joe Rogan” gut.
There are many great companies selling ecdysterone online, but we really like the company Huge Supplements. They have fast shipping to anywhere in the continental United States, and their customer service is second-to-none.
Testosterone Therapy vs. Steroids
Testosterone replacement therapy is completely different from something like anabolic steroids. The basic idea is to supplement your body’s natural testosterone production with a prescription medication, so you can raise your total testosterone to the high end of the normal, healthy range.
Most TRT patients report they feel best when their total testosterone is between 800 – 1200 ng / dl, but this will vary from patient to patient. Fortunately, testosterone therapy is one of the safest and most effective treatment options for men with low T.
Some of the benefits include improved athletic performance, faster recovery between workouts, improved energy levels, and increased sexual drive [8, 9, 10].
If you are looking for an easy way to get started with testosterone replacement therapy, then we strongly recommend the company Fountain TRT. They use a simple 3-step process with all of their patients to get you started on TRT as quickly as possible.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steroids | Verdict
What’s the verdict – does Arnold Schwarzenegger use steroids?
The answer is yes – Arnold Schwarzenegger used anabolic steroids to build his incredible physique and become one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.
Arnold has many of the most common signs of long-term steroid use, such as an insanely muscular physique, and overdeveloped body parts. Arnold weighed a ripped 245 pounds at the peak of his bodybuilding career.
Obviously this would be impossible for a natural bodybuilder. Arnold is actually very open about his steroid use. He says that his doctor prescribed him dianabol and primobolan when he was just 15 years old.
He may have used other steroids as he got older, but it’s clear that anabolic steroids were part of his bodybuilding gameplan from a very young age.