Progressing in the gym and in video games are incredibly similar. How I see it: > Genetics = base stats > Training style and goals = your class/build > Years of training = the grind > Knowing what works for your body = player skill > PEDs = paid upgrades (in-game purchases, PC, keyboard, mouse, monitor, wifi, anything that cuts latency) Many games nowadays are “pay to win,” meaning you can bypass weeks of grinding and unlock characters, weapons, etc. early for an immediate in-game advantage. I see PEDs in a very similar way. I understand the allure, especially with how PEDs are marketed. It’s no different than how battle passes and gaming accessories get sold. Every new controller, headset, and monitor gets pitched as the thing that’ll make you better... and yes, it can give you an advantage. Gaming accessories get sold off pros using them. PEDs and top-level bodybuilders have this same correlation. But buying the pro’s mouse doesn’t come with the pro’s aim. Running someone’s cycle doesn’t necessarily mean you will reach the same outcome. More times than not, you won’t. Either way, to make the best use of any of these upgrades you have to put in the hard work and focus on the raw inputs that actually make you better (grinding, strategy, aim training, etc.) Setup upgrades cost you money. PEDs are no different, but the “cost” is financial AND physical. There are health impacts you need to be cognizant of. But with one sharp distinction... In a game you can respawn. Irl, you don't, you only get one body. People who are new to the gym can immediately hop on gear, and yes, they will progress much quicker than they would have otherwise. BUT their player skill in the gym is oftentimes way behind their actual muscular development. Gear can’t buy that skill. It’s built over time and takes a ton of trial and error to figure out what works for you. Like a video game, there are many different styles, classes, target outcomes, etc. Put a good player on a bad setup and they’re still good. Same with gear. Come off and you lose some of what it gave you, but what you learned about training, eating, and recovering stays with you. This is not a lecture to anyone who decides to hop on after putting in years of work and grinding naturally. For them it’s closer to a battle pass than pay to win, i.e. getting you to your goal quicker. And in reality, PEDs do work. At the top level, bodybuilding specifically, you need PEDs to compete. Gaming is no different. Hardcore gamers require every advantage they can get. But you still have to play the matches to progress to the top level, and these enhancements can only take you so far. Especially if you are looking to compete. For the hobbyist bodybuilder, no different than a casual gamer, this may be less important. But there are levels to this. Casuals → streamers/influencers → pros The parallels between the gaming industry and fitness/bodybuilding are damn near 1:1 in this aspect. Then there are the younger guys overemphasizing the pharmacology over the basics. Day 1 kitchen sink approach. To an extent, I get it, I like to experiment as much as the next person. But spending all your time optimizing a “perfect” setup, rather than grinding in game, is going to lead to suboptimal outcomes. Chasing every new compound that drops is basically the same as chasing every new meta after a patch. There is a genetic factor too, your base stats. Some people have it, and some don’t. Some people can look at a dumbbell and gain 10 lbs while others struggle. Genetic outliers exist in gaming too. Some people don’t buy anything, have a shit PC and a suboptimal setup, and they’re just gifted with fast reaction times and raw mental computing power. But eventually you get to a point where you realize the fundamentals (diet, lifestyle, training, recovery) are more important than the drugs. You can’t expect to buy the battle pass and be the best in the lobby, especially when the rest of the lobby bought it too. TL;DR 1. Base stats (genetics) set your starting point 2. Skill and the grind (training, diet, recovery, lifestyle) decide how far you get 3. Upgrades (PEDs) can speed things up and raise your ceiling, but they come at a cost and only pay off as much as 1 and 2 allow