Do Calisthenics Athletes Take Steroids
It’s no secret that individuals take performance-enhancing drugs, like steroids, to improve their game. But, it’s different in calisthenics. Nearly nobody takes them. Here’s why…
It’s extremely rare for calisthenics athletes to take steroids. In fact, there’s been nothing published about steroid usage in a competitive environment. Even when you take a look at professionals, their physiques and strength levels are achievable completely naturally, without any drugs.
Unlike other sports and activities, steroid usage isn’t in a calisthenics athlete’s favor. While we get into specifics below, put simply, they hinder ability, rather than enhance it. This alone puts the majority of calisthenics athletes off the idea of touching steroids.
Other activities, like bodybuilding and weight training, are very open about their steroid use. For example, nearly all the bodybuilders on Mr Olympia are on a form of anabolic steroids. Yet, this just isn’t the case with calisthenics.
The Exception
As always, there’s one exception to this. And, that’s hybrid athletes. More specifically, those who mix weight training and calisthenics.
The reason for this is it’s far more in their interest to put on muscle mass and become as toned as possible. And while this works against pure calisthenics athletes, it’s beneficial for hybrid ones – so it’s a lot more common.
But, for the purpose of this article, we will focus on pure calisthenics athletes. We just thought it’s worth a mention!
Do Steroids Help In Calisthenics
We talk about steroids hindering calisthenics ability, let’s take a look into this in more detail.
No, steroids aren’t advisable in calisthenics. Steroids build muscle tissue and increase body mass, which makes you heavy and chunky. This works against you in calisthenics, as you want to be as light and as powerful as possible.
The more muscle you have, the more weight you must carry. And since calisthenics is all about bodyweight exercises, it means you must lift with added resistance, for example, it’s like performing a pull-up with a weighted vest. Only you can never take the weighted vest off.
Not only will this make your (in this example) pull-ups less explosive, but you become tired significantly quicker too. Or worse, you become so heavy that you lose the ability to do just one pull-up. All-in-all, it’s better to stay light.
This is why the majority of calisthenics athletes have small, sleeper builds. While they may not look strong, get them a set of pull-up bars and they will show up anyone bigger than them! This leads us nicely onto our next point, a misconception.
A Common Misconception
Some people believe that because steroids build muscle tissue, you become stronger, and therefore better at calisthenics. While the logic seems sound, unfortunately, this isn’t true. Here’s why:
The muscle you put on from steroids, won’t match the strength you gain. For example, if you double in size, you won’t necessarily double in strength. So, even though lots of steroid users can lift heavy, most are pretty weak compared to their body weight.
From a calisthenics perspective, the whole activity revolves around relative strength. The aim is to maximize strength but minimize weight. So, the fact that steroids does the complete opposite, makes it’s usage detrimental.
Do Calisthenics Competitions Allow Steroid Useage
Out of pharmaceutical handling, steroids are illegal in most countries. But despite this, not much is done to prevent or punish its users. The same is true in calisthenics.
After completing thorough research, there was no mention of steroid usage in some of the most established calisthenics organizations, such as the WSWCF (World Street Workout and Calisthenics Federation).
Because of this, it’s fair to assume they don’t test for steroid use. And while this may seem insane, it’s the same in major competitions outside of calisthenics, such as Mr Olympia. Steroids is just something that is swept under the carpet.
Now this isn’t to say everyone who professionally trains calisthenics is on steroids. Firstly, as we mentioned above, it acts as a disadvantage to performance. And secondly, the majority of athletes take pride in being natural as it shows how capable their bodies are.
Instead, it acts as a reality check. Lots of people are surprised to find major sports competitions don’t do their due diligence. And while it’s seemed “okay” now, is it right for it to be hushed? We have our opinions, but what about you?
They Wouldn’t Work Anyway
As if there weren’t any more reasons to show how invaluable steroids are in calisthenics, we have one more. And, this is the biggest of them all: they won’t work!
Even when combined with steroids, calisthenics doesn’t isolate or overload muscle groups enough to put on significant muscle tissue. So, even if you did use steroids, the changes it has on your body will be negligible.
Many believe steroids cause you to instantly grow muscle, even if you are a couch potato. This isn’t true. You still need to do the appropriate amount and type of training to see its benefits, and calisthenics doesn’t fit within this category.
Involved in calisthenics are compound movements, that use your body weight. The resistance you lift is low along with the potential to reach muscle hypertrophy. These are the complete opposite conditions needed for steroids to work, so there’s no point in taking them.
You may be asking yourself, what are the conditions needed for steroids to function? Here are a few:
- Exercises must isolate individual muscle groups.
- Complete a low number of reps, with high weight.
- There must be progressive overload – getting heavier and heavier over time.
While calisthenics meets none of these criteria, other training methods like bodybuilding do. Hence, it’s a lot more common to see bodybuilders take steroids.
What Are Steroid Alternatives For Calisthenics Athletes
Now you know not to take steroids to enhance calisthenics ability, you may be wondering if there are other substances for you to take… Here are a few for you to try:
Protein Shake
What’s more iconic than a good old-fashioned protein shake? Not only do they speed recovery, but they also help to maintain lean mass and enhance performance. This makes it one of the best like-for-like alternatives to steroids.
Vitamins and Supplements
Another substance that helps recovery, and improve overall health are vitamins and supplements. There are millions of different ones, but fish oil, magnesium, vitamin D, and zinc are crucial. When these are optimal, they also enhance your energy; so, you can push that little bit further.
Sniffing Salts
Sniffing salts have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and for good reason. They’re predominately used to increase alertness and focus. While they have no impact on strength levels or recovery, it’s still an effective tool to make the most out of your workout.
Creatine
Creatine is naturally produced in our muscle cells and is used to supply energy throughout the body. A consequence of this is a more thorough workout, which increases muscle mass, boosts strength, and enhances performance. Unlike steroids, they are seen as safe to use.
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