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So when can I begin? And why? I would recommend around 21. As a teenager, a high level of testosterone is naturally present, which cause sporadic growth spurts in males. During this time period the body as a whole has not completely matured including bones, muscle tissue and internal body organs.

The administration of steroids and other hormones at an early age can cause havoc in a body that is still at a development stage. Primarily the major problem would be the premature sealing of the epiphyseal bone closure process, which consequently does not allow your body to grow to the extent that your genetics would allow it to. Tests are available which show whether your growth plates have sealed or not, but it is normally safe to say that at 21, natural growth has stopped.

During the development stage the antigonadotropic effects of steroids are alot more noticeable. And although we do know that hpta (hormone axis) recovers in Adults, it is unclear in Teenagers. It could lead to permanent low levels of testosterone as a result of taking exogenous sources at 15 when your hpta is yet to become fully operational. It is quite apparent that natural testosterone levels are higher at 21 than they would be at 15.

When I began to train at 15, I was aware that some friends were on steroids, but I opted for the natural route. Like most newcomers I was ignorant when it came to taking steroids and had only the normal horror stories like you do on TV. So I continued with every type of natural supplement I came across, but as I reached 18, I began to talk to some of the serious bodybuilders at the gym.

So they told me about the basics which encouraged me to find out more. If I was going to take steroids then there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to do it safely. And as you do, I bought a few muscle mags with articles on steroids and I also talked about it with my father who is a Clinical Biochemist, in order to get an unbiased opinion.

Anyway I decided on the difficult path and that was to wait until I was 21. It was the healthy option allowing full bone growth potential and avoiding any possible irreversible damage. It just happens that I was nearly 6 ft at the time and I had to endure the seemingly painless effort of younger kids who were becoming huge by juicing.

So there I was, training at least 10 times harder than the rest but with a resolute determination to get big muscles in the long term rather than with the help of alternative supplements. I knew my time would come, so I just kept my head down and spent the next three years training hard and carry out as much research as possible. I got some excellent advice from Mick's Layman's Guides, The Anabolic Reference Guide and the couple of books out by the late Dan Duchaine. Coming soon Part 3