Steroids & the “Sick Cunt” Lifestyle
Are the new wave of Instagram fitness celebrities transforming the steroid taboo?
The sound of trance music blared in the background. Vials and syringes were laid out on the table. While preparing the injection, Gabriel briefly admired his own reflection. The song vocals peaked. He pinned a long needle into his shoulder, filling his blood with anabolic steroids. I cringed at the sight. He laughed at me, took a photo of himself, and posted it on Instagram. Now, all we had to do is wait and watch as the likes and comments flooded into his feed.
This is just a typical daily ritual for Instagram fitness influencers and steroid users Gabriel Lopez and his twin brother Jesus, also commonly known as @gabrielgainz and @jezuzthegreat.
A new wave of open steroid usage is on the rise not to bulk-up and step on stage, but instead to openly exhibit the aesthetic potential of the human body. “What I love about steroids pretty much, I believe, it’s kinda like human evolution,” Gabriel said. “We are injecting hormones into our body to achieve what your body couldn’t normally do, and I think that’s pretty fucking amazing that I could decide how much testosterone is in my body.”
With Insta-famous Bodybuilders like @gabrielgainz and his brother having thousands of followers which only grow infinitely by the day, we can see that the stigma around steroids is changing. Members of the Aesthetic movement, such as Gabriel and Jesus, use steroids to look their very best, just like a breast job or botox injection. Not only does it help with self-confidence but it provides a leg-up in this image-obsessed world.
However, don’t think that the public use of steroids has gone unnoticed. According to Donald Hooton a the leader of a steroid abuse organization called the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a recent poll stated that 44% of males between the ages of 18–25 said that steroids are critical to enhancing one’s athletic performance and are the only way to make it in professional sports (including bodybuilding). So people are clearly feeling compelled by the lifestyle being presented by these fitness influencers and other professional athletes.
Commonly referred to as “roids” or “juice” steroids have been around for a long time. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, Steroids were historically invented in Germany in the 1930’s as a synthetic form of testosterone which was meant to treat males with chronically low testosterone levels.
Testosterone was first seen abused for its masculine and athletic enhancement during the 1953 Olympics by Soviet Wrestlers. Up until 1975 Steroids we’re legal and used by a variety of athletes, but afterwards, they became an illegal schedule III drug in the United States, fueling an entire online black-market for the substance.
Hearing the term steroids, few of us think about Olympians and even fewer of us think about medicine, but all of us think about one group of people: bodybuilders.
By the 1970’s bodybuilding in the United states blew-up. Famous icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and Frank Zane came to rise during this Golden Age of bodybuilding, competing for titles such as Mr.Olympia and Mr.America. They set the bar for both aesthetics and bodybuilding, all of which would not have been possible without the use of anabolic steroids.
While Anabolic Steroids are still a huge part of competitive bodybuilding, a new subculture of bodybuilding was founded by Aziz Shavershian, aka Zyzz. A young fitness enthusiast in his early 20’s, Zyzz turned to steroids, not for bodybuilding or competition purposes but instead as a tool to achieve a level of bodily aesthetics that would not be possible to acquire naturally.
Starting out as a skinny kid, Zyzz was inspired by the Golden Era fitness legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger. His goal was not to use steroids to get crazy mass, but instead, a way to glorify his figure, motivate others, and party on. Zyzz called this cocktail of aesthetics, steroids, and enjoying life the “sick cunt” lifestyle.
The message behind the “sick cunt” lifestyle is a simple one: through an individuals pursuit of aesthetics, not only will they have more confidence going through life, but they can use the aesthetic platform of their body to make their day-to-day a lot easier and more enjoyable. Through the pursuit of aesthetics, “We’re all going to make it.” Zyzz would often say.
In 2011, Zyzz was found dead while vacationing in Thailand. He died at 22 from a heart attack he experienced in the sauna. Although he passed away, now in 2018 his legacy lives on stronger than ever.
Fitness personas have emerged throughout the years that reflect Zyzz’s philosophies and subscribe to the “sick cunt” lifestyle. We now have extremely popular fitness influencers and proponents of the aesthetic movement like @jonskywalker with 700k followers and @jerdani_kraja with 574k followers. Following in their foot-steps are Twenty-year-old @Gabrielgainz and @jezuzthegreat who are barely starting their pro fitness careers and have already managed to acquire over 12,000 genuine followers within six months.
This new-wave of fitness youth is revolutionizing the industry by openly discussing their own steroid usage and publicizing the “sick cunt” lifestyle (ie. their day-to-day “gym bro” shenanigans) on their social media pages. With these Insta-famous steroid users having over a million collective followers we can see that the public is highly accepting of them. They are changing the reputation of steroids as we know them.
To see just how influential the legacy of Zyzz and the “sick cunt” lifestyle is, all we have to do is look no further than the stories of @gabrielgainz and @jezuzthegreat. Upon looking at their hulking, Greek-statuesque physiques, it is hard to think these two brothers used to be fat.
“I was trying to find an image to portray for myself to like pursue until I get my self-confidence up because I was at a point where my self-confidence was really low.” Gabriel said, “I was first motivated about the whole aesthetic movement when I was fat and I was trying to transform my body.” The twin brothers were inspired by aesthetic bodybuilders like @jonskwalker and @jeffseid and decided to start working out, fantasizing about one day being aesthetic themselves.
After three years of working out naturally, the brothers came to the realization that they wouldn’t look like their idols through the gym alone. “Even though I had already transformed my body, I realized that to get to a certain level.” Gabriel said, “you know, like top quality physique, then you have to be enhanced, you have to be using these compounds to get to a level that is not naturally achievable.” This is when the two first began looking into steroids as the next logical steps for their physiques.
After deep online research and a mentorship from an experienced steroid user, Gabriel and Jesus decided to jump on steroids and commit themselves to the lifestyle.
From that point on everything changed.
After a year of doing steroids, the two have been elevated to Insta-fame. They went from being two fat boys to being the aesthetic twins of the fitness industry at only 20-years-old. With their followers calling them names like “sensei”, “master”, “legend” and “sick cunt”. Gabriel and Jesus’ followers not only show their love on social media, but they have a deep respect towards the brothers for being open and communicative about their steroid use.
This is what distinguishes them from others in the fitness industry. Their appeal is far greater than just aesthetics, their appeal lies in their realness. “The fitness industry is one of the phoniest industries around,” said Jesus. The brothers explained that often on social media enhanced athletes will either claim “natty” (ie. natural or not enhanced) or sponsor natty supplements. This sets up a false expectation for the followers who will spend hundreds of dollars on natural supplement expecting to get results that are only attainable through steroid use.
For Gabriel and Jesus, this lifestyle has become a commitment to both themselves and to their followers. They use their own body transformations and personal stories to influence and motivate their followers. No meal plans, no workout out plans, no gimmicks. Just a couple of dudes just being themselves, being sick cunts, sharing their experience with the world, and hoping to get a little something out of it.
“I would really love to make a living off of fitness,” Jesus said.
Through their pursuit of fitness, the two brothers have seen the promises brought on by pro -athlete career. Even just as professional fitness models, a successful Instagram page and modeling career can easily bring in a six-figure salary.
That is why the choice for the two to lead a pro-anabolic life becomes that much easier. What else could a couple of young, fit, and aspiring 20-year-old twins want from life than to make a living off of their passion? Nothing. Making the choice to be on steroids is an investment. Jesus and Gabriel chose to endure the risks brought on by steroids only to hope that the benefits outweigh the costs in the end.
However, it is exactly those risks that give rise to concerns.
When asked if steroids were addicting, Dr. Todd Schroder, a Ph.D. Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy and specialist in Testosterone and Androgenic receptors said that steroids are, “ Not biologically addicting where your body craves it, it’s a psychological effect.” This does not go to say that steroids do not have a detrimental effect on the body.
On top of the liver, kidney, and heart damage, steroids also pose a risk to a male’s reproductive health.
After continuous usage, Dr.Schroder said, “ The body doesn’t produce its own testosterone — pituitary doesn’t recover clinically and the testes go hyper gonadal,(which means)they don’t produce testosterone .” So steroid users could face possible infertility due to long-term usage. Dr.Schroder mentioned that they could do PCT (Post Cycle Therapy), also know as Testosterone replacement therapy, but there would be no guarantee it would work.
Besides the possible health risks brought on by their lifestyle, the two brothers must also take their roles as public figures into consideration. According to a study done by the Digital Citizens Alliance. Thirty-six percent of males ages 18–25 said they or someone they know has taken steroids and 1 in 5 of males in the same age group believe that APEDs (or Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs)are the only way to make it in professional sports. This would be the fitness influencers the main audience considering over half of Instagrams users are between the ages of 18–32. Because these up and coming fitness stars are openly using steroids, we must realize the depth of their influence.
“There are a lot of bodybuilders that know what to take and how to take it,” Said Dr.Schroder when asked if steroids should be legal. “but the worry is for novices and children who figure since steroids are legal they’re not that bad and end up putting the well being of their body a risk.”
As Participants in the “sick cunt” lifestyle, Gabriel and Jesus are aware of both the health risks brought on by steroids and the ethical responsibility they have to their followers. To address these issues, the brothers make sure to weave in educational information between posts, and actively engage in the questions their followers have about their enhanced lifestyle.
“Steroids are for people who have a base and knowledge about the gym,” said Jesus. “You have to have a solid foundation if you’re going to jump on steroids, if not I would say you’re pretty much crazy to do it. You’re wasting all of your natural potential.”
Gabriel and Jesus make sure to let their followers know that steroids are not a game, but a serious life commitment that can radically change their lives. For better or worse. The twins would never advise someone to take steroids just because. They would never want to be responsible for misuse.
Part of the “sick cunt” lifestyle is proper and safe steroid usage. There is no point in doing steroids if you’re not going to live long enough to reap the benefits which they bring you.
Regardless, a whopping 57% of Steroid users said they would use steroids even if it could shorten their lives. With that said, It important to remember what aesthetic movement is all about, looking ones very best and feeling even better.
Proponents of the Aesthetic movement are not about transforming people into steroid users but about achieving their own personal aesthetics and having the best possible physique while enjoying all the benefits that it brings you. To these young men, bodybuilding is more than a hobby, and steroids are a full-blown lifestyle.
Steroids are already decriminalized or partly legal in places like Britain, Portugal, Canada, and Poland. With the “sick cunt” lifestyle rapidly gaining influence and social media followers growing in their support of steroids, maybe the USA is next grounds for its legalization. But with SARMs or Selective Androgenic Receptor Modulators ( something like steroids but less intense) just being classified by the DEA as a schedule III drug it appears that we are still a long way.
When looking at the stories of Gabriel and Jesus, the “sick cunt” lifestyle is not just about doing steroids and getting buff, even though that is one of the main perks. The “sick cunt” philosophy to the, symbolized hope, it symbolized a better, more opportunistic future, just as Zyzz had imagined for all his bros.
How long do you plan on using steroids?
“ As long as I can naturally, as long as my body could take, and its really just as much as I can do without harming or permanently damaging my body and I honestly hope I can be doing steroids for a very long time” — Jesus Lopez
