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Steroids vs Natural: 100 Day Transformation

Steroids vs. natural. Does a natty really stand a chance? To find out, I’m running a 100-day natural vs steroids experiment. Brandon will undergo natural training using my science-backed strategies, while Todd will undergo enhanced training by hopping on steroids. We’ll track their progress to see who comes out on top. With steroid use on the rise, I want to prove you don’t need them for great results. Or … do you? Let’s find out.

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To get the best starting point data possible in this steroids vs natural experiment, we’re using DEXA scans and ultrasounds across all major muscle groups. On Day 1 Todd is coming in at 183lbs and 19% body Fat. While Brandon weighs only 148 lbs but scores a lean 13.6% body fat.

Compared to Todd, we have 2 major advantages in this natural vs steroids competition. First off, Brandon is lean, which means we can focus on gaining weight to maximize growth. Whereas Todd, an aspiring bodybuilder, will soon begin dieting down for his competition. Second, while Brandon isn’t a complete beginner, he’s not as serious of a lifter as Todd. In normal circumstances, this means Todd would build muscle about 3 times slower than Brandon.

But we’re talking about steroids. These aren’t normal circumstances, and I’ll need to use every science-based tool I know to help Brandon supercharge his training. First, we’re choosing exercises that maximize this stretch across all his major muscle groups. Next, we’re getting him to actually train to failure. But while I was pushing Brandon with his workouts, Todd’s chemically enhanced body was already performing at a completely different level. So once steroids make their way into your muscle cells, they bind to a powerful androgen receptor. Once bound, they alter your muscle’s genetics to dramatically increase the rates of protein synthesis and recovery.

So, although I’ve pushed Brandon’s natural training workout volume and intensity to his l limit, not only does every workout Todd do now lead to more muscle growth, he can also train longer and harder than Brandon yet still be able to recover from it. To make matters worse, Brandon also plays competitive tennis, which adds several hours of cardio on top of his workouts. Based on the research, as long as we get his nutrition down this shouldn’t impact his gains very much, but it was definitely starting to affect his motivation.

So how much of a difference will this all make after 100 days? Based on prior research, beginner natural lifters can expect to put on about 3.7 lbs of muscle after 100 days of hard training. Those who undergo enhanced training, however, gain muscle about 3x faster, resulting in over 13 lbs of muscle gain within a similar time period.

While Todd definitely had us beat the first month, he’s now spending the rest of his time dieting for his show. Which may slow down his muscle growth just enough for Brandon and I to close the gap. But only if we dial in Brandon’s nutrition. But this wasn’t easy. Brandon is extremely active, playing several hours of competitive tennis per week. So, even after eating 3,000 calories a day, Brandon was still struggling to put on weight. But after bumping up his nutrition even higher, we finally started to see progress on the scale. After bumping up his nutrition even higher, we were finally seeing progress on the scale. As for supplements, we’ve got a natural supplement we’ll be taking full advantage of - one that could give us as much as a 1-2lb boost in muscle throughout the 100 days. Creatine. I know 1-2 lb doesn’t sound like much, but considering natural lifters typically gain an average of 3.7 lbs of muscle in 100 days, even a 1 lb boost would be huge.

So, what were the results of our steroids vs natural experiment? I’ve gotta admit, Todd’s transformation is an incredible feat, even with the help of steroids. And although Brandon built just one-third as much muscle as Todd, he still gained significantly more muscle than the average natural lifter (3.7 lbs) without spending every waking moment in the gym. As for the ultrasound results, while Todd did have us beat in most muscle groups, Brandon actually saw more growth in his delts, biceps, as well as one leg muscle (rectus femoris), likely due to the special exercises we incorporated.

So while I respect Todd’s choice to hop on steroids, in my opinion unless you're as dedicated to competing as Todd, or need testosterone for health reasons, the risks simply aren’t worth it. Brandon is proof that with the right approach, we natty can still make incredible progress without putting our health at risk.

The ONLY 2 Exercises That Actually Grew My Chest

Does your chest refuse to grow no matter how many exercises you try? I’ve been there. But over the last year, that changed. My chest has grown faster than ever. I’ve even got new stretch marks from the growth. And all it took was focusing on 2 key chest exercises (hitting the upper chest, mid chest, and lower chest) that actually fit my genetic structure. Do these best chest exercises, and I guarantee you’ll start experiencing the same chest growth I did in no time. So, what was my chest workout? Well, it didn’t include the bench press, and here’s why…

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Click below for a step by step plan training plan that reveals all the best exercises you should do for each and every muscle group:
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Part of this has to do with the fact that the barbell locks your arms into a fixed position. So no matter what I tried with my form, I could never really get my chest to properly activate based on how my bones are structured. What did I do instead? First, I switched from a barbell to dumbbells. This gave me the freedom to adjust my pressing angles, which allowed me to better activate my chest. Second, I changed the bench angle to an incline for significantly more upper chest development without sacrificing mid chest growth.

But “incline” doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. If you have a steep sternum angle, a flat bench acts more like a decline press because your chest fibers are angled downwards. In this case, you’d have to use a relatively high incline of about 30 to 45 degrees. But if you’ve got a flat sternum angle, like me, it only takes a slight incline to unlock the upper chest. So for my body type, setting the incline just one or two notches up was the sweet spot to maximizing my chest activation.

But there was one more key factor I was neglecting. The bottom stretch. So as much as it hurt my ego, I decided to let go of the big 95s and grab the smaller 65s instead, and they did way more for my chest than ego-lifting those 95s ever did. But, to continue forcing chest growth, once I nailed down my form and could really feel my chest working, I slowly started progressing the weight again.

Now, since the first of the best chest exercises focused primarily on my upper chest, I now needed a second exercise to really target the mid and lower chest, especially the outer portion. For years, I relied on the pec deck machine. But while it’s great for isolating the chest, it’s hardest at the end of the movement, during the squeeze. But the latest research suggests that exercises challenging your muscles in the stretched position tend to deliver more growth, especially in the distal parts of the muscle, which in this case would be the outer chest.

So, instead of the pec deck, I created my own seated cable fly. If you execute it properly, it not only challenges your chest in that deep stretch but it also maintains tension throughout the full range of motion, even at the end during the squeeze. But remember, just swapping the exercise isn’t enough. There’s three key tweaks I made to get the most growth out of it.

First, I placed a half foam roller behind my back. This helps open up the chest to unlock that deeper stretch we’ve been talking about. Second, I adjusted the cable setup. I set the cables at shoulder height and scoot my butt forward on the bench. This aligned the tension directly with my mid and lower chest. Lastly, I had to stop my shoulders from taking over. I imagined a string attached to my sternum, pulling my chest up during the entire movement as I simply focused on squeezing my biceps into the sides of my chest. Then once the reps got tough, as soon as I felt my shoulders creeping forward, I knew my chest hit failure and I was just cheating my way to more reps, so I’d end it there.

What if your gym’s packed and the pec deck is the only chest fly available? No problem. Here’s how to make it more effective: first, do as many full reps as you can to focus on the squeeze. But after you hit failure, shift your attention to the stretch by cranking out as many half-reps as possible in that stretched position.

Some of you might be wondering—can you really build your entire chest with just these 2 chest exercises? Well, I’ve recently decided to push my chest training to the next level by experimenting with a much higher volume approach based on some new research. My goal is to turn my chest into a strong point by next year, and I’m tracking every step to find what works best. I’ll be sharing these updates on my channel, so if you want to stay ahead with the latest strategies, keep an eye out. But the short answer is yes. If you’re executing these 2 exercises with the right form but also doing enough volume and properly progressing them, you can see incredible chest growth.

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My name is Denys, and I am Boeing 737 Captain. Before I used to fly ATR 42/72.
I am making the videos on this Pilot Blog channel to encourage people all around the world to join our aviation community.
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