If you’re referring to legitimate and effective steroids that you can just buy over the counter, no, they’re not legal. The steroids, prohormones, and steroid analogies you see and probably use are all controlled substances under United States federal law and can only be legal if and only if you have a prescription from a qualified doctor. Several countries also follow this law.
On the other hand, though, steroids will only be technically illegal if you get caught. A lot of bodybuilders get away with it, so I don’t see any issues about its legality. The only problem I see is that many steroid sites and online pharmacies claim that they’re selling “legal” steroids when we know otherwise and a lot of lifters and bodybuilding enthusiasts fall for it.
It seems that some bodybuilders, especially beginners, believe there are legal steroids that they can just buy online or over the counter. Well, here’s the thing: unless you have a prescription given by a doctor with whom you have a real doctor/patient relationship, the steroids you’re going to buy are all illegal. There’s no escaping that.
So stop typing “legal steroids” in Google because those who claim they’re selling legitimate legal steroids are not to be trusted. It’s either they’re fooling you with fancy ads OR what they’re selling aren’t steroids at all.
Even pro-hormones and steroid analogs have been covered by the modified Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 and Federal Analog Act, so your choices of legal steroids are very limited. A lot of bodybuilders still think that pro-hormones and steroid analogs are legal but then again, the law is trying to cover everything that’s even remotely related to anabolic steroids.
Prohormones are precursors to steroids and are considered as “one step removed from the substances regulated in the law.” The World Anti-Doping Agency referred to them as the “functional equivalent of steroids.” Before the revised Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 was signed, pro-horomones enjoyed their brief legal status and were popular among athletes and bodybuilders who turned away from anabolic steroids and the legal risks they carry. Now, these compounds are banned by WADA, the US military, and major sports associations.
As for steroid analogs, the Federal Analog Act states that any compound that is “substantially similar” to a controlled substance is a controlled compound. So if an analog is substantially similar to an anabolic steroid, then it’s not legal. On the other hand, if an analog is not substantially similar to an anabolic steroid, then it won’t work as a muscle enhancement and you’re just being ripped off.
The only steroid alternative that is proven effective and is legal in every sense is creatine and other protein powders. They are considered nutritional and dietary supplements and they don’t require a prescription. But if you really want to reach your maximum muscle growth and performance ability, these protein powders will come as a disappointment.
The bottomline here, guys, is there’s no legal way to being totally ripped to the max. You really have to take the risk if you want to bulk up.
