IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, Victor Martinez goes into detail about the true cost of steroids during a year of bodybuilding prep on the GI Podcast
While anyone can work out by doing cardio outside or bodyweight exercises – the truth is that bodybuilding training is not free. There is a wide variety of costs that go into transforming your physique for the stage. Your nutrition plan, your supplements, and your training equipment/gym all come with a cost. Yes, this also means steroids for those who are willing to take the risk for highest performance. But how much is the cost of steroids really? With the entire market being underground for bodybuilding use – it can be hard to get accurate info. In the latest episode of the Generation Iron Podcast, Victor Martinez cuts through the fat and breaks down the financial cost of steroids in bodybuilding.
Today, it’s common to find videos and articles explaining how to be a bodybuilder on a budget. You can research a grocery budget for nutrition. Figure out a gym membership that works for your bodybuilding needs. You can also run costs on your supplement budget based on the ideal stack for your prep. But one part of a bodybuilding budget that is rarely discussed openly is steroids.
For those familiar with the bodybuilding world, it’s an open secret that most competitive bodybuilders use steroids to achieve the otherworldly physiques that we often see on stage. Since these are banned substances in the United States – there is less open discussion about PEDs. This includes the cost and how it will overall affect your budget.
Victor Martinez competed as a pro bodybuilder during the 2000s and into the 2010s. So he has a relatively intimate understanding with the financial costs of steroids during bodybuilding prep.
That’s why in this week’s Generation Iron Podcast, Martinez is breaking down his personal experiences and sharing the true cost of steroids during a year of bodybuilding prep. He also breaks down the most expensive and cheapest substances on the market. Let’s jump into it.
Disclaimer: Generation Iron team are not medical professionals and are not advising for or against the use of any performance enhancing drugs, rather stating the facts surrounding these substances.
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What is the average cost of steroids for a bodybuilder?
During the podcast conversation, Victor Martinez is asked what is the average cost for steroids during a year of bodybuilding prep. Martinez admits that this can range depending on what substances a bodybuilder wants to acquire and how you get them. Since steroids are a banned substance, they are acquired via some form of underground market. Who you buy from can largely determine the price.
That being said, Victor Martinez pulls from his past experience to give an estimate on how much steroids cost him in a year. On the cheapest end, Martinez says that a bodybuilder can probably spend minimum $5,000 dollars on steroids during prep. But often times the cost can go as high as $15,000 total.
That’s certainly something to consider when looking at your yearly income and the rest of your bodybuilding budget. Victor Martinez is even asked if steroids or food have a higher total budget for a bodybuilder. Martinez says food certainly costs more. Combine that with gym membership costs, supplements, and possibly a coach or trainer – the total cost of bodybuilding can add up quick.
What is the most expensive steroid product on the market? What is the cheapest?
Speaking further on the cost of steroids, Victor Martinez answers the question – what is the most expensive steroid that a bodybuilder can currently buy on the black market? Martinez states that Primo, a steroid that helps with hardening for tightening up a physique can run extremely expensive. He believes just one cc of the substance can cost as much as $20.
Compare this to something like Tren, which Victor Martinez says you can probably buy a bottle for $20. This leads us into the other question – what are the cheapest steroids on the market? Victor Martinez says that testosterone substances are often the cheapest. This includes Tren as mentioned above.
RELATED: Most Dangerous PEDs In Bodybuilding – “Tren Is The Crack Of Steroids”
Tom Platz’s statement on steroid cycle and cost – is he lying?
The discussion of steroid and the cost of buying them brings Victor Martinez and the GI crew to discuss Tom Platz’s statements on his steroid cycle and how much he would spend. A video recently went viral showcasing an older Tom Platz detailing his steroid cycle regimen.
Platz stated that he would spend no more than $300 on steroids. In that budget, he claims to have only taken 100mg of Deca and and 20mg of Winstrol. This is certainly much less than what the average pro bodybuilder may take today. Does this mean he is lying to reduce the perception of how many steroids Tom Platz took?
Victor Martinez doesn’t necessarily think that Tom Platz is lying. Martinez points out that steroids are made and obtained very differently today than in Platz’s era of the sport. More often than not, Golden Age bodybuilders could (illegally) obtain steroids that were made directly from a lab.
Today, most steroids are created completely underground. No longer in corporate labs. Therefore no longer fully pure. Often times you don’t know 100% what is in the steroid substances purchased on the black market today. Fillers and other substances can be included. Some studies have shown that you may even get a completely different drug.
Victor Martinez believes that for this reason, the lower amounts and cheaper cost make sense for Tom Platz. The purity was better. Less of the substance can go a longer way.
In addition to this, the cost that Tom Platz mentions does not take consideration into account. $300 dollars in 1980 would be the equivalent to $1,104.48 today. While this may still be overall cheaper than what most bodybuilders pay overall – it puts into perspective just how much $300 was worth during Platz’ prime career.
Wrap Up
Victor Martinez shares some true insider insight regarding the cost of steroids and how that cost has evolved over time. You can watch his full comments in the latest episode of the Generation Iron Podcast above. Don’t forget to check out new episodes every Tuesday only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
