Hi, my name Chris and I am 16 years old and want to start working out. I am 5`8 and 160 lbs. You all know my cousin, paul, who you all helped so he laid the plans down for me. My question is though, I am only 16, so what types of supplements can I take? Should I just stay with protien shakes and simple stuff like that? Or can I do more like creatin and stuff? I am 16, so I dont want to screw my health up or stun my growth or anything. Thanks alot. Chris

By Pahrumpguru on Thursday, December 09, 1999 - 03:54 am: Edit

Chris as far as supplements go you can use pretty much anything you want without having negative side effects. Personally I'd start off using a good protein supplement. You can use creatine during your heavy training phases. Other stuff to take for health reasons is a multiple vitamen. You won't stunt your growth with any supplement that I know of. Only anabolic steroids do that and even Anavar is an exception. Best of luck on reaching your goals.

By Anonymous on Thursday, December 09, 1999 - 05:52 am: Edit

Guru,

are you saying anavar will not stunt your growth?!? what are some facts about anavar (good things about it, and the bad)

By Anonymous on Thursday, December 09, 1999 - 06:52 am: Edit

Thanks guru! Which products are good ones? There are so many out there and every one tells me something differnt. Is pur protien a good brand? Thats what I have. Thanks. Chris

By Anonymous on Monday, December 13, 1999 - 06:34 pm: Edit

You want really good answers go to READ THIS PLEASE READ THIS PLEASE READ THIS and ask them

By Anonymous on Wednesday, January 05, 2000 - 03:01 am: Edit

Getting started- Hi, im a 16 yr. old male and want to get started on bodybuilding. How long will it take to look like some of the guys in the pics? Also do they take steroids to look that way or supplements or just high protein diets?

thanks

By Bryan Healey on Wednesday, January 05, 2000 - 05:56 pm: Edit

I am a 16 year old bodybuilder who has been training religiously for nearly 2 years now. I have had remarkable success in my physique in these last 2 years, and I would like to give you young bodybuilders some advice.

First of all, DO NOT USE STEROIDS! They are the worst possible thing you can take to help your training. It is true that they make you look big when in effect, but after they wear off, they make you look smaller than when you first took them (in other words, the muscles are not permanent, as are those you develop from years of training), and the side effects of steroids are not worth the easy, temporary muscles (you can even die from their use!). None of the really good bodybuilders (Arnold, Franco, Bertil...) do not use them, and neither should you. If you want to get big, you need the good, old fashioned work ethic (in other words, trains your muscles until you can't move!).

Second, don't worry about looking like the bodybuilders you see in pictures and in competitions. They have been training for many, many years to attain that physique. Simply worry about your own progress. Compare you to you as you go along, and see how far you've come. But also know, it takes usually around three months to see any noticeable changes in your physique (although you will see immediate increases in strength).

And last, supplements are great for some people, but I don't recommend some of them, such as creatine. I find it more exciting and thrilling to know that you completed a workout all on your own, and the results belong to only you and your effort, and not the aid of some power supplement. Instead, use the simple things, like PowerBars or caffeine, that don't make you work harder, but rather give you the ability to work harder.

I hope this helps you as you train. If you have any further questions, feel free to e-mail me at SkiHealey@aol.com.

Good luck! Hope to see you in the Mr. Olympia someday!

Bryan Healey

By juicepig on Saturday, January 15, 2000 - 02:52 am: Edit

you are an idiot if you believe that you can make it to the pro ranks without being chemically enhanced.

By BOBO on Saturday, January 15, 2000 - 04:21 am: Edit

AMEN!....

By Anonymous on Saturday, January 15, 2000 - 05:57 am: Edit

the pros need roids or they cannot compete, in the near future you will see many of them drop out of sight because of illness and/or death from all the roids they take. it's sad...because people want to see mass freaks like that on stage they need roids to cut it. there are designer roids that cannot be detected by the standard drug test that a police dept for example would not be able to detect....

By Anonymous on Saturday, January 15, 2000 - 10:41 am: Edit

pros take roids. simple as that.

By juicepig on Sunday, January 16, 2000 - 01:01 am: Edit

you obviously Know NOTHING about bodybuilding or the science of it, if you say that all pro's dont use roids.
The human body can gain a maximum of 10 pounds of lean muscle mass/year (the average being 5 or 6 pounds) for about 5 yrs maximum before you hit your full genetic capability.
the average 5 foot 10 man weights 170 pounds, the average 5 foot 10 pro BB weights 250 pounds at a body fat of under 3% at contest time.
do the math. Saying that all pros dont do juice tells the educated ones amoung us that you know nothing about bodybuilding.
roids are not for every one, I can realize that but wake up and smell the coffee.

By juicepig on Sunday, January 16, 2000 - 03:38 am: Edit

we are all so blessed to have the above statement on our message board. Thank you for your omnipotent wisdom.

By DUDE on Sunday, January 16, 2000 - 04:26 am: Edit

ALL BODY BUILDERS TAKE ROIDS DAMN IT!!!!

By Anonymous on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 05:09 am: Edit

Listen, it is irresponsible and plain retarded to assume that all bodybuilders do steroids. And it is even dumber to assume you need steroids to compete. I have been competing for one year (and haven't lost a competition yet), and I never have and never will do steroids. You can compete without roids. You simply have to get off you lazy butt and workout as hard and often as possible. Simple as that.

And, in regard to the above statement, it is possible to gain more that 10 pounds of muscle in a year. I don't know where you get your facts, but I have gained well over 10 pounds of muscle a year (around 15-20)! And, I average atleast 3/4 inch on my arms a month (sometimes as much as an inch)! You just have to have the right program. I train 14-20 times per week! I dedicate all free time to training. And each workout is as intense as my body allows.

So, people, get the facts. You don't need roids to compete or get big. Arnold Schwarzenegger never did, and neither did a lot of bodybuilders. Stop trying to bring others into your hell-hole of drug use just because you can't get your lazy body to get bigger on your own. Got it!

By juicepig on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 10:26 am: Edit

you do not have to take steroids to get big, bigger than the average man that is. To become big as in "pro" big, it is impossible to do so without being chemically enhanced. You can build a well shaped and muscular body without roids, that is the truth. But not to the level of the bohemoths that walk the pro stage. And 1 other point, get your facts straight, Arnold himself admits to the use of anibolics during his competitive years.
If you want to live in a fantasy world and believe that you can get as huge as the pros without the juice, keep training. You will be the first man in history to do so.
I'm not bashing you for not doing roids, I applaud the fact that you want to train natural. Do more research on the science of the sport, and you will realize what I'm saying is factual.

By juicepig on Monday, January 17, 2000 - 10:35 am: Edit

Hey PAHRUMPGURU, your the resident expert here on the BB.COM site, what do you think of my statement above?

By Anonymous on Friday, February 11, 2000 - 05:34 pm: Edit

Of course Arnold did steroids back in the day. It wasnt illegal then and no one knew it was harmful to them. Shit, my teachers at high school admit to doing steroids back in the day because they didnt know it harmed you. Now their fat shits, but hey they took em.

By Anonymous on Friday, February 11, 2000 - 11:27 pm: Edit

Never trust teachers. A lot of them don't even know the material they're teaching, and ALL of them are full of shit to an extent. And those motherfuckers wonder why athletes get paid more.

By KockDiesel on Saturday, February 12, 2000 - 12:02 pm: Edit

I dont really feal like aguring this right now, but after reading the posts in this thread, especailly the one from the 16 year old, I just gotta through in some of my thoughts.

First of all, not to flame, that 16 year old has NO idea what so ever about bodybuilding. I dont have to break it down totaly, just read it and you will know what Im saying. I just want to mention that post in particular just because I dont want a newbie reading that and actully think that it is a good post. Arnold and Franco probally shot each other up back in the day, and loved every second of it! Lets see, maybe Bertil Fox killed his g/friend and mom because he had an abrupt RAGE?!?! Im not saying that I know he had a roid rage, but it could of been possible. Anyways, Im just trying to say that he did juice even though that 16 year old claims he did not. Also his theroy on supplements is just plain stupid, so I wont even get into that. Most importantly, do not listen to what he says about roids at all. He obviously thinks that the day you get off you get small and weak. I'll put it this way, you COULD loose some gains, on some roids you will loose more than others, it all varies. Most importantly, it depends on what YOU do to help keep the gains, like clomid or HCG, something to bring back your natural test levels. Just dont want newbies seeing that and taking it to heart.

To the Anon on Jan 17, you must be a pro bb. If you gain 3/4 or sometimes a inch a month on your arms, and you said that you have been working out for a year, that means you minimumly gained about 9 inches on your arms in the last year like you claimed. Ok....... You can compete in "natural shows" and be succsessful, sure. I also ask, if you used roids during you past year, and still worked as hard as you claim (20 times a week) would you call yourself lazy? SO why do you think people who juice and do work hard, and probally harder than you are lazy? When most SMART people juice, they just dont shoot then sit and watch tv, they work hard and intense. I hope you dont stick to 20 times a week during the off season while you are packing on mass, that would just be stupid and not work. OH, but I must of forgot Im talking to you, someone who never lost and thinks (even though it has been published) that Arnold was all natural. HE ADMITS TO IT YOU FOOL! Again, Im not out to flame people who stay natural, because thats cool, in matter of fact I respect that, but like i said before, just because you choose to juice, dosent mean I loose respect for those people either. We all can learn from our (and posts that are rediculous like those two) own mistakes. People, just dont take thier info and pound it into your head... PLEASE!

-KD

PS- juice pig, i basicly posted what you were talking about, I just wanted to go into more detail. Your right about IFBB pros and juice. Thier are pro "naturals" like the NGA i believe. Put it this way,how many naturals will make it to the Olympia?

By James Newberry on Monday, February 14, 2000 - 09:46 pm: Edit

Don't worry about supplements, just take a protein shake at night for recovery.