Training like a competitive bodybuilder without the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) might not be the most effective strategy for natural lifters. Steroids not only enhance the body’s response to training but also induce physiological changes that make training approaches for enhanced lifters less suitable for those not using PEDs. While higher training volumes lead to more growth for steroid users, natural lifters often benefit more from training systems emphasizing lower volume, higher effort, or progressively heavier loads.
For natural lifters, volume-based training can still yield results, but it requires a different Secrets Exposed: Steroids and High-Volume Training Unveiledapproach, emphasizing lower volume than what enhanced bodybuilders typically employ. Steroids have a unique impact on slow-twitch fibers, making them grow significantly more, and this growth contributes to overall muscle strength. However, for natural lifters, focusing on fast-twitch fibers through effort-based and load-based training might be more effective.
High-volume training is more suited for slow-twitch and intermediate fibers, making it an ideal fit for steroid users. Steroids enhance gains from various resistance training styles, but they particularly maximize benefits with high-volume training. Additionally, the increased protein synthesis and nitrogen retention induced by steroids make high-volume training more advantageous for muscle repair and growth. Steroids also enhance muscle insulin sensitivity and glycogen storage, supporting the demands of high-volume training.
Moreover, steroids can reduce the risk of training burnout by increasing sensitivity to adrenaline, counteracting the desensitization of beta-adrenergic receptors associated with excessive training volume. While proponents of effort-based or lower-volume training argue for its effectiveness, understanding that high-volume training, when programmed correctly, can still be pursued by natural lifters provides a balanced perspective. The key lies in adapting training approaches to align with the unique responses and limitations of natural lifters.
