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Is Rob McElhenney Natty? (Does He Take Steroids?)

There’s no doubt that Rob McElhenney has achieved some great success from showing his impressive physique on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. And that kind of success always draws attention from people who immediately say it’s all down to steroids.

While anabolic steroid use is widespread in the acting industry, I find that making such claims without any substantial research is unfair to the guy.

That’s why I’ve spent the last few days researching his background and social media accounts to see if there’s any truth to the claims that his physique isn’t natural.

Here’s what I found.

rob mcelhenney physique

Is Rob McElhenney Natty?

There’s no conclusive evidence to suggest that Rob McElhenney has taken steroids.

He’s never admitted to taking steroids and having analyzed his physique, I’ve identified a few features which suggest that he is indeed natural.

Let’s take a look at these in more detail.

Reasons Why Rob McElhenney Looks Natty

Lack of HGH Gut

Human growth hormone (HGH) is often used as part of a steroid cycle. One of the side effects of this is that organs can swell up, and that pushes out the so-called HGH gut.

Looking at many different photos of Rob over the years, there’s no evidence that he suffers from HGH gut, which suggests that he doesn’t take HGH.

Proportional Shoulders

One of the most common signs of steroid use are oversized shoulders. This is because the deltoids and traps in the upper back have a large number of androgen receptors.

As a result, you often see steroid users with shoulders which are out-of-proportion, and Rob’s shoulders appear to be proportional to the rest of his body.

Minimal Vascularity

Most bodybuilders desire popping veins. They’re a solid indicator of how much muscle and how little fat you have.

But certain types of steroids will produce those vascular veins even if you’re not working out.

Looking at Rob McElhenney’s Instagram profile, you can see that he only really has veins popping out his biceps and forearms, which suggests that he’s natural.

Reasonable Body Fat Levels

One of the easiest ways to catch out a fake natty is to see how their body fat levels change when they bulk.

No matter how gifted your genetics are and how much you train, bulking up whilst maintaining a sub 10% body fat is nearly impossible.

The fact that Rob seems to be in the 12-15% body fat range after a bulk suggests that he doesn’t take steroids.

He would be much leaner if he did.

Natural Shaped Pectorals

Ironically, anabolic steroids which increase testosterone and growth hormone have also been linked to men developing enlarged breast tissue.

It’s important to clarify that enlarged breast tissue and ripped pecs aren’t the same thing – here, we’re talking about soft breast tissue in the form of fat.

Looking at photos of Rob from over the years, there’s no evidence that he’s suffered from gyno or enlarged breast tissue.

No Sign Of Hair Loss

One of the most common problems with PEDs is that they may increase facial hair while decreasing head hair. Many steroid users hide this with a tightly cut hairstyle.

Looking through Rob’s Instagram, it’s clear to see that his head hair is still well intact and there are no signs of baldness/hair loss.

This is another reason that suggests he’s natty.

Is It Possible To Bulk Up Like Rob McElhenney Naturally?

In my opinion, it’s possible to achieve a physique like Rob McElhenney naturally.

While it can take a lot of time, patience, and persistence, it’s certainly achievable.

It’s clear that Rob eats a clean diet and trains consistently, so with the help of natural supplements and some good genetics, there’s no reason why he couldn’t have achieved his physique without steroid use.

Conclusion

In summary:

  • Rob McElhenney has never admitted to taking steroids.
  • Looking at the totality of evidence, his physique appears natural so I believe his claims.
  • Despite his natural appearing physique, Rob has never actually posted any drug test results to verify his natural status.

That’s all for Rob McElhenney, but is Tia Clair Toomey natty? Or is Natasha Aughey natty?

Thanks for reading!

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10664066/