This is my friend who achieved these results by using supplements.

This is a commonly used prohormone that has recently been made illegal.

This shows our nation's obsession with body image. Seen here, the president of the United States is on the front cover of a men's health magazine.

Women vs. Men

What kind of image are women expected to maintain? How is this comparable to men? Many women go to lengths that seem just as extreme as men to get and keep the body they want and nothing harsh is said.

Abercrombie Ad

This is an ad seen right as your walking directly into the popular clothing store Abercrombie. Are men these days expected to look like this? Are ads like this the reason why men are willing to go to extreme lengths to get the body they want?

Holy Shit!

This video shows results only possibly with the use of supplements including prohormones. If these supplements are used correctly, the possible side effects become very minimal. Is this worth it?

Here's a very relevant source

Collins, Rick, and John M. Williams. "Banning Prohormones: The Threat and Legal Issues." Think Muscle N.p., 2004. Web. 28 Oct. 2009 http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/collins/prohormones.htm.

This is a scholarly article written by two lawyers examining the legal issues behind the banning of prohormones. They give a quick history of prohormones and talk about how they work. They also include all of the obstacles the government and private parties had to overcome to make them illegal, which has recently been done. This article seems to be on the side of those wishing to see prohormones stay legal, but it gives very good information for both sides of the argument. All of the topics discussed are very relevant to the issues I am going to discuss. The information provided will be very useful for me when examining exactly why prohormones were made illegal and what supplement companies are doing to combat this.

My stance

My stance on this topic is that prohormones used to increase testosterone for bodybuilding purposes should be looked at in the same regards as alcohol and tobacco. It is a substance that could potentially harm your body, but for some the benefits outweigh the costs. It should be your choice whether or not you take these products, as long as you are aware of the risks. When used properly, prohormones can be greatly effective, but they can cause several adverse effects when used improperly, which can all be prevented or reversed with proper use and post-cycle treatment, and none of the side effects are permanent. Because some people are ignorant enough to misuse these products, they have been made illegal for everyone, including those who use prohormones correctly. This is comparable to banning alcohol because a few people would drink as much as they possibly can on a daily basis.

Instead of focusing their efforts on banning prohormones like they have been for the last 13 years, the FDA should work with supplement manufacturers and the people who use them to make people more aware of the risks of prohormones and their proper use. If everyone were to use them properly, their use would be just as safe as tobacco or alcohol; slightly damaging to your body, but not severe or permanent unless it’s misused for a long period of time.

What is a prohormone?

With this blog and essay I intend to examine why prohormones and other bodybuilding supplements should or should not be legal. Almost everyone I talk to about this subject starts with the same question, what is a prohormone??? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohormone explains them in detail as well as all of their medical uses. To sum it up, though, a prohormone is a substance that is a precursor to a steroid, and the specific ones used for bodybuilding are intended to increase the body’s supply of testosterone. Because of the way these substances produce the testosterone, they are not considered steroids and were sold legally over the counter at almost any supplement store. Very recently, the FDA took action against the selling of these products and made all of them illegal. Their reasoning behind this was that they are harmful to the liver and can disrupt the body’s natural hormone levels.

Though the FDA’s claims are based on fact, when prohormones are used properly they have a very minimal adverse affect on the body or even none at all. After completing a whole 6 week cycle of a very popular prohormone, I got an examination to check for any complications it might have caused. My liver was found to be 100% flawless, and my testosterone level was actually significantly above average. My experience was very similar to everyone I know who has taken one of these testosterone stimulants, so I haven’t seen much harm in their use.