Can you be natural after using steroids in competitions?

[TK]

At natural competitions, are past steroid or prohormone or ephedra users considered natural?

How long does it take before you are considered natural by the 'natural bodybuilding community'?

[cauthon]

Depends on the federation. Each federation has its own policy's regarding that stuff.

[HowDog]

Ethical speaking no!  Unless there is a  long period of time since last usage of roids like 5 years.

[Prime]

in some feds it's lifetime natural, in some its 5-10 years clean.

[Acerimmer1]

Ethical speaking no!  Unless there is a  long period of time since last usage of roids like 5 years.

Thats good enough for me. 5 years is a long time all the pro's usually look natural or worse five years after they come off the sauce. Any steroid user on this site wants to come off gear and meet me onstage in 5 years I'm happy with that.

[myseone]

Thats good enough for me. 5 years is a long time all the pro's usually look natural or worse five years after they come off the sauce. Any steroid user on this site wants to come off gear and meet me onstage in 5 years I'm happy with that.

Any gains or progress realized with drugs will go away as the body seeks to find its natural state, and even then it might not if the drug use was excessive for the bodybuilder.

[jonno gb]

IMO even after one course steroids you can never be considered a natural only drug free for x amount of years.It's like losing your virginity-you can never go back.In the UK we have 2 drug tested organisations-the NPA,for lifetime naturals only,and the BNBF,which has a 7 year drug free requirement although,I suspect,most of the athletes are lifetime natural. 

[myseone]

IMO even after one course steroids you can never be considered a natural only drug free for x amount of years.It's like losing your virginity-you can never go back.In the UK we have 2 drug tested organisations-the NPA,for lifetime naturals only,and the BNBF,which has a 7 year drug free requirement although,I suspect,most of the athletes are lifetime natural. 

Then I'm not natural because I did use years ago.
The effect of anabolic drugs do wear off after use, I don't believe (have no prove) that there is any retention of gains once a person has been off for a number of years.

 

[GET_BIGGER]

Then I'm not natural because I did use years ago.
The effect of anabolic drugs do wear off after use, I don't believe (have no prove) that there is any retention of gains once a person has been off for a number of years.

 

I think they wear off over time also.....

[jonno gb]

Interesting concept-what is natural? I would tend to call someone who was lifetime natural a 'natural' bodybuilder and a previous user 'drug free'.It's all a matter of interpretation though and what's in a word?I think the problem comes when natural bodybuilders try to take the moral high ground against assisted athletes.We all make individual choices and there is no right or wrong choice IMO.I don't think there is anything morally wrong with people using performance enhancing substances(ie steroids) to better themselves unless they enter a natural/drug free contest.At the end of the day we are all bodybuilders and there are enough people ready to have a go at us without us fighting amongst ourselves

[The BEAST]

Interesting concept-what is natural? I would tend to call someone who was lifetime natural a 'natural' bodybuilder and a previous user 'drug free'.It's all a matter of interpretation though and what's in a word?I think the problem comes when natural bodybuilders try to take the moral high ground against assisted athletes.We all make individual choices and there is no right or wrong choice IMO.I don't think there is anything morally wrong with people using performance enhancing substances(ie steroids) to better themselves unless they enter a natural/drug free contest.At the end of the day we are all bodybuilders and there are enough people ready to have a go at us without us fighting amongst ourselves

beautifully put, exactly how I feel.

As far as Ephedra, iIf you take something when it is legal but it gets taken off the market and is banned you would still be considered "natural" since you can't foresee the future as long as you discontinued use when it was taken off the market.  With the natural show I did they didn't even ask about ephedra because they weren't sure how to deal with the issue. 

[ARMZ]

I can tell you right now, anybody that ever used juice then goes off is worse off than somebody lifetime drug free.  When you go off roids, your body is in a constant catabolistic state. You'll lose muscle if you train hard.  The lifetime all natural bodybuilder as an advantage..

[GET_BIGGER]

I can tell you right now, anybody that ever used juice then goes off is worse off than somebody lifetime drug free.  When you go off roids, your body is in a constant catabolistic state. You'll lose muscle if you train hard.  The lifetime all natural bodybuilder as an advantage..

Thats not necessarily what I experienced.  Once I got off my one and only cycle a year ago I did lose strength and was weaker than when I first started my cycle but as of now I am as strong as when I was on my cycle simply from training hard with some protein and creatine.  Granted it's been year, but I would equate that with good progress.  I think once your bodys test levels get back in check your fine.   

[Natty_by_Nature]

I've always thought that as long as you still train hard and eat right, you'd maintain a fair amount of the gains seen while on steroids.  I also thought when you discontinue use, your muscle cells hold less water causing you to lose size.
Aside from causing your muscle cells to hold water, I also thought steroids caused your body to manufacture additional muscle cells.  That being said, wouldn't it make sense that if you train hard and eating lots of protein after going off AS that most if not all new muscle cells would remain intact?
I too have competed against "former users" and it seems like they've maintained a lot of muscle.  I too agree with the statement that if you've used in the past you really shouldn't compete in a natural show.  The problem is I believe the best drug test to date will only go back 1 year.  So I think more and more competitors are juice'n for a couple of years, making incredible gains then going off and competing naturally.

[alexxx]

When you stop using steroids you are natural.

[Natty_by_Nature]

When you stop using steroids you are natural.

Okay Bro, if you say so.  IMO, a former user can NEVER be considered natural.  I will always contend that once you've used anabolic steroids and have made gains in 6 months that would take a natural bodybuilder years to achieve, you can never be called or considered natural.  I've witnessed what steroids can do and believe me, that isn't natural!

If you're a former user and have come to your senses or you're now broke from the high cost of using, congratulations!  I think you've made the right decision.  But now don't run out and do a natural show and say you're natural 

[alexxx]

I am huge!