Steroids vs. natural. Does a natty really stand a chance? To find out, I’m running a 100day natural vs steroids experiment. Brandon will undergo natural training using my sciencebacked 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.

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:
https://quiz.builtwithscience.com/

Click below to subscribe for more videos:
https://www.youtube.com/jeremyethier/...

AI Animation Credit:
   / @neuralplay  

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 sciencebased 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 12lb boost in muscle throughout the 100 days. Creatine. I know 12 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 onethird 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.