Signs that a bodybuilder is not a "nattie" (ie. uses PEDs)

Most bodybuilders are very open about the fact that they use PEDs (ie. "performance enhancing drugs", like steroids, human growth hormone, and a multitude of others.)

However, there are likewise many that are not so open about it, particularly the ones who are social media "influencers" and, especially, if they are trying to sell you something. But even if they aren't trying to sell you products, many of them claim to be "natties" just for the clout and fame, just to get the admiration of people, showing what you can achieve if you work enough for it.

Sometimes it can actually be quite difficult to just outwardly see if someone is a "natural" or is taking PEDs. For those bodybuilders who are extreme mass monsters, with biceps larger than a normal person's head, it's quite clear, as nobody can naturally get muscles that large.

For less large bodybuilders, however, it can be harder to discern. However, there are some signs to look for.

Note that none of these are 100% certain proof, but they add to the evidence. The more of these that can be spotted the less likely the guy is a "natural" and is using PEDs.

1) The rather obvious one: Acne, particularly on the upper back, sometimes even the upper chest, shoulders and face. While some people have naturally acne in those areas even though they take nothing, it's a very telling sign.

2) Another quite obvious one: Extreme "mass monsters" (Schwarzenegger-sized and bigger) are almost certainly not natural. For someone to reach those sizes completely naturally it requires extraordinary genetics (essentially, the body itself naturally produces the steroids that one would usually take externally.) While not impossible, it's extremely unlikely.

Those are the most commonly known ones. However, there are also lesser known things to look for:

3) Neck and shoulders, especially the neck. Steroids have a particularly strong effect on those two (there are physiological and biological reasons for this), and they don't grow nor thicken even nearly as much without them. Most steroid users will have really tick necks, even unnaturally so. Shoulders are also notoriously difficult to grow naturally. People not taking steroids will usually have more normal necks and shoulders. (However, this doesn't rule out other PEDs.)

4) Unnaturally thick veins. One side-effect of PEDs is that they enlarge veins, particularly those close to the skin. If you see a ripped bodybuilder with really thick veins visible, it's an almost certain sign of PEDs. Normally people don't have veins that thick. They tend to be quite narrow.

5) Being very muscular and very ripped. Being "ripped" is that look when your body fat is extremely low, so everything else under the skin, particularly muscles, can be seen in great detail. Bodybuilders do this to really show off muscle definition, particularly prior to competitions. But the thing is: It's extremely hard to gain and particularly maintain that much muscle naturally while having such a low body fat percentage. The only way to reach body fat percentage that low is to be in a calorie deficit, which inevitably eats away at the muscles no matter how much you train, unless you are on PEDs. This is a particularly clear sign if the guy is always extremely ripped, not just temporarily for a competition.

6) Gynecomastia: In other words, grown and "drooping" of the nipple area, which is usually a direct consequence of steroids. If the nipples are bulging or are pointing almost directly down, it's an almost certain sign.