Working hard or hardly working.

These days superhero movies are all the rage. Movie goers have been mobbing the theaters hoping to take in a Marvel movie or two, seeing their childhood heroes come to life on the big screen. Comic book movies are perhaps on average the most popular genre in today’s current landscape. This past weekend saw the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron and the comic book film dominated the box office. The movie featured the heroes Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk. These characters, namely the Hulk, have been a major influence on many bodybuilders and fitness icons.

Who wouldn’t want to model themselves after the muscle bound and incredibly powerful super beings? For most people the obvious route would be to eat right and exercise, push and pull some heavy weight until they build muscles that could rival the heroes they so feverishly idolized. It takes hard work and dedication to get to the top. Shortcuts will ultimately lead to nowhere. But not everyone has the work ethic to push themselves past their limits. Some people, due to either laziness or perhaps flawed genetics, believe that the only way to reach their fitness goals is by taking the artificial route.

Brazilian native Romario Dos Santos Alves is one such individual that decided to model himself after his favorite hero, The Incredible Hulk. The problem is that he chose to rely on pumping his body with synthol and alcohol rather than hit the gym and build muscle naturally. In the beginning Alves believed he was reaping the benefits of using the substance.

“I saw some really big guys in the gym with huge arms and I started to make friends with them,” said Alves as quoted by the Mirror. “They introduced me to synthol and I got excited about the results – I lost control.”

Photo courtesy of USA.

Even after the side effects has shown a clear negative effect, Alves continued to use. “My muscles started to solidify and I couldn’t even inject my arms – they were full of rocks.” But eventually the use of synthol deteriorated his health. After synthol usage nearly caused him kidney failure, brought on depression, and nearly caused him to take his own life, Alves has decided to kick the habit. “I want other people to see the dangers, I could have died all because I wanted bigger muscles. It’s just not worth it.”

It begs the question: is synthol usage more of an addiction than just a means to an end? To some extent it can’t be denied that Alves had a clear addiction to the substance. While it’s common to look at these photos and scoff at the synthol freak show (We’ve done it here ourselves) – behind the ridiculous look is a very serious disorder. Something similar to anorexia or bulimia. These are people who, for one reason or another, cannot see what they are actually doing to themselves.

That being said, the decision to use synthol in the first place shows a lack of mental fortitude. Choosing the quick and easy route almost always leads to a dead end. Being addicted to seeing improvement is something that should be earned, not something that can be purchased. Hard work pays off in more ways than one. Not only will you see the results you seek, you’ll be healthier for it as well. The bottom line is to avoid what’s easy and seek out the harder path. It’ll not only build both your muscles, but your character to boot. After all, that’s what Generation Iron, bodybuilding, and fitness is all about. It’s about the hard earned muscles. The built up physique. It’s about the joy of building that yourself – not cheating, not skipping a step. It’s about the journey more than the destination.

Like we always say, bodybuilding is a lifestyle not a hobby.

What’s your opinion on synthol addiction? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.