Steroid Encyclopaedia Blog

Whenever I see a bodybuilder with big arms, big shoulders and a flat chest instead of pectorals that are as thick and full as the rest of his upper body, I find it very disappointing. Rude bastard that I am, I’ll occasionally ask the guy about it, and usually I hear one of two things. The most common explanation is that he has “tried everything” and “worked the shit out of it,” but it refuses to respond. The other excuse is that he just has bad genetics for building a big chest.

Not that I usually say anything when I hear those excuses, but they’re both a bunch of crap. A lot of bodybuilders confuse hard work with smart work and think that as long as they’re training hard, they must be training effectively. Not so. As for genetics, only in very rare cases is it a legitimate limiting factor in chest development. It’s true that some men are predisposed to building big, beefy pecs without doing anything special to make it happen, but just about anyone should be able to slap enough meat on either side of his sternum to fill out a T-shirt. I might buy the genetics line when someone is talking about high-inserted calves, but not when it comes to the chest.

Here are my 10 basic rules for developing your chest to its fullest potential. The more of them you violate, the lower your chances of building the best chest possible become.

Rule 1:
Swallow Your Pride and Ditch the Megaheavy Weights.

It’s time to grow up, you knuckleheads. Ninth grade is over, and unless you’re a competitive powerlifter, nobody gives a rat’s ass how much weight you can bench-press. While it’s a good idea to do sets in the pure strength range of one to five reps occasionally (see rule 8), you should perform most of your work sets with a weight that limits you to six to 12 reps. That means reps you can do on your own. If your so-called spotter is getting a wicked lat pump from doing bent-over rows to help you get the weight up, you’re fooling yourself into thinking that you’re actually bench-pressing. It’s a sign that you need to use less resistance. I’m always far more impressed when I watch a guy bench-press 225 pounds in good form and see his chest do the work than when some nitwit is cheating his ass off and relying on spotters to get a few pathetic reps with 315 or more. Antics like that will ensure that your chest will forever suck.

Rule 2:
Make Your Chest Do the Work—Not as Easy as It Sounds.

I used to train with a big guy named Edwin who had these enormous round shoulders and arms. He also could bench-press 405 for eight reps any old time. Oddly, he had very little thickness in his chest. Eventually, we figured out that his front delts and triceps were doing almost all the work, which explained how they had grown to such immense proportions and left his pecs in the dust.

What separates genuine bodybuilders from run-of-the-mill weightlifters is their ability to feel the target muscle working during a set, that mind/muscle connection that eludes so many. John Parrillo and Greg Zulak have written extensively over the years about setting up the torso and arms properly to facilitate chest recruitment: Pinch the shoulder blades together, rotate your shoulders back and downward and arch your back slightly. I’ll add that you should do the reps fairly slowly, close to the old Nautilus guidelines of two seconds up/four seconds down. Using a slower rep speed enables you to focus better on the feeling inside your pecs as you force them to stretch and contract. You may need to start from scratch with lighter weights to master this feeling, but the weights will come back up soon enough. When they do, your chest will be on the road to magnificence.

Rule 3:
Do Free-Weight Presses First.

I believe that a mix of free weights and machines delivers the best overall results when it comes to the chest—and most muscle groups, for that matter. Because you need significantly more balance and coordination to handle heavy free weights than you need for their machine counterparts, you’re always better off performing your free-weight presses first in your routine. Otherwise, your balance will be off, and you won’t be able to use as much weight on the free-weight movement, regardless of how much strength you actually have left. Your motor control diminishes as the workout goes on, often at a faster rate than the one at which your strength fades. So if you blast out four heavy sets of Hammer Strength machine presses and then proceed to dumbbell incline presses, you’ll find yourself wobbling with the ’bells, a frustrating experience. Don’t compromise your results by having to use a lot less weight than you should. Just do the free-weight presses first, and then move on to machines.

Rule 4:
Avoid Redundancy.

While we’re on the subject of presses, it’s time for a word about redundancy. You should work your chest from a variety of angles, but you should never hit an angle more than once in a single workout. I’ve seen some guys slog through marathon chest workouts of flat-bench barbell presses, followed by flat-bench dumbbell presses, followed by inclines done with dumbbells and then in a Smith machine, followed by decline presses, and then they finish off with cable crossovers and dips. That violates rule 10, as you’ll shortly see, but more important, it represents wasted effort. Pick one type of flat press, one type of incline press and one flye movement. That should cover all the bases. If you’re specializing on chest or are just having one of those days when you’re fired up and want to do more, throw in a couple sets of decline presses or dips—but that’s it! Work hard on just a few exercises and save the extra energy for growth and recovery. You’ll thank me later.

Rule 5:
Always Include a Flye Movement.

Presses are certainly the most important exercises for building chest size, and the majority of your effort on chest day should be devoted to them, but you also need to include a flye. If you don’t, you’ll neglect another function of the pectoralis major muscle, horizontal adduction of the arms, a.k.a. the hugging motion. For years I’ve endured all the nonsense about flyes, machine flyes and cable crossovers being “shaping” or “defining” exercises and watched so many misguided souls perform them with light weights and high reps. Man, are they missing out.

Do your flyes heavy, with weights that limit you to eight to 12 reps. You can wait until after all your presses are done, or do as I often do and sandwich them between pressing exercises to give your triceps and front delts a few more minutes to recover. I find it goes a long way toward ensuring that the weak links don’t crap out on you before your chest is
thoroughly thrashed.

Rule 6:
Emphasize the Contraction.

This will probably come across as arrogant (not that I care), but my chest is pretty damned good. I could stand next to just about anyone, even most pro bodybuilders, and not feel insecure about my pectoral development. I attribute most of my chest growth to the fact that I purposely emphasized the contraction on every rep of every set I’ve done for my chest over the past 20 years. Here’s how I do it:

At the conclusion of every rep I forcefully flex my chest as hard as I can. That means the weight stops moving for a moment. Perhaps I can’t use as much weight as I could if I just pumped the reps out fast and never paused, but I’m sure that my way has resulted in far more overall pec mass. I’m convinced that if you haven’t been doing that, your chest isn’t as thick and full as it could possibly be. It’s also a surefire way to get a hellacious pump going (see rule 9).

Rule 7:
Prioritize Upper Chest.

Far too many guys have what almost look like boobs instead of pecs. That’s because they’ve been slaves to the flat-bench press for years. Ironically, most of them know they should be starting off with inclines at least half the time, but they’re mortified at the thought of doing the flat-benches after inclines—they might not be able to bench as much weight as usual, and their training partners, Rocco and Big Tony, might ridicule them!

There are few things uglier than a chest that has muscle hanging in the middle and lower regions and virtually nothing up top near the clavicles. The bodybuilders who had the best chests ever—guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Reeves and Lee Haney—all had plenty of meat from top to bottom. Those old photos of Arnold hitting a side chest shot, where it looks as if you could set a couple of big beer steins on his pecs, turn up in the magazines all the time because even today, 30 years later, you rarely see such complete development.

If your pecs aren’t bottom-heavy yet, start with doing inclines at every other chest workout to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. And if you’re already sporting saggy pecs that look as if you’ll soon need a bra, you should switch immediately to doing inclines only. Don’t even try to argue with the logic behind that—you know I’m right.

Rule 8:
Mix Up the Reps.

The longer you have been training, the more difficult it is to coax any further growth out of your muscles, the chest included. You can mix up the exercises you do and the order in which you do them, but you should also vary the reps. Don’t get caught in the rut of always doing eight to 12 reps for chest. Try other ranges: three to five, four to six or even go on the high side with 12 to 20 once in a while.

You can do different rep schemes within the same workout or plan cycles where you use certain ranges for given lengths of time (but be sure to pay extra attention to warming up when using very low reps). For example, many advanced bodybuilders devote the winter months to power cycles in which they use only basic exercises performed for three to six reps. That’s a very effective way to add mass, especially since they usually see even more growth when they increase the reps to six to 10 for the spring cycle and then 10 to 15 for the summer. Those are just suggestions. You’re free to come up with your own plan for mixing up your repetition ranges.

Rule 9:
Always Finish with a Pump.

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence that achieving a pump in the target muscles during training is part of the process of muscular hypertrophy. Many bodybuilders make a habit of making sure that their final set of an exercise delivers a nice tight pump in the target muscle. You can use higher reps, preexhaust, supersets or giant sets to accomplish it. Beyond any actually physiological effects the pump may have on muscle growth, it’s satisfying and so keeps your confidence and enthusiasm for training high. If you don’t have those two mental attributes, all the best training knowledge in the world won’t do you much good.

Rule 10:
Limit Overall Volume.

Overtraining is a very real phenomenon, despite what you often hear about its being a myth. “There’s no such thing as overtraining, only undereating and undersleeping.” That statement’s been published a thousand times, but I happen to believe that it’s directed at steroid users, who have added recovery ability when they’re on a cycle. Generally, there is no reason a drug-free lifter should do more than 12, or at the very most 15, work sets for chest in any given workout. And that’s assuming that you train your chest once every seven days.

If you’re drug-free and following a split that has you training chest more frequently than that, you should adjust the volume downward. Three or four exercises for three or four work sets each is more than sufficient to stimulate growth if you apply the proper intensity to all sets. Anything beyond that won’t stimulate further growth, but it will start eating into your chest’s ability to recover and grow. I’ll also add that no matter how heavy a steroid dose you’re on, there’s no reason to ever do much more than 20 sets total for chest.

Veterans’ Consensus Statement on Post-Cycle Recovery©

Anabolic/androgenic steroids are used widely in human and veterinary medicine, and are increasingly useful to the training methods of elite athletes. Benefits of the intelligent use of anabolic/androgenic steroids include enhanced quality of life and the promise of greater longevity, as well as marked improvements in body composition, strength, and stamina. However, anabolic/androgenic steroids produce their benefits by interfering with the endocrine system, a complex system of glands and brain structures that are normally kept in an homeostatic state of balance by the action of countless subtle, sensitive feedback mechanisms. The perturbation in normal endocrine function that is introduced by the use of anabolic/androgenic steroids can, through these feedback mechanisms, elicit compensatory endocrine responses, such as up- or down-regulation of essential enzyme stores or of receptor molecules, in order to maintain homeostasis. When these compensatory mechanisms persist into the post-cycle era after steroids have been withdrawn, unwanted effects can occur, such as fatigue, depression, loss of sex drive, loss of size and strength, and others. Fortunately, both prophylactic and restorative measures that the athlete can take in this situation are now fairly well known.

Many athletes have agreed that androgenic/anabolic steroids render appreciable gains for a limited time only. As said gain period differs between individuals, this CS will refrain from any recommendations to the optimum time of such therapy but discuss methods of restoring optimum normal endocrine function.

It should be noted that the longer a cycle lasts past the eight-week mark, the harder testosterone recovery becomes. The best way of gauging ones hormonal milieu and planning compensatory measures is to have blood tests done prior to and following cessation of AAS therapy. For the purpose of this Consensus Statement and the awareness of a lack of testing athletes, the following universally accepted post cycle hormone status is assumed:

a) Luteinizing Hormone (LH): low to none, Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH): low to none
b) Testosterone (T): low
c) Estrogen (E): high in relation to T
d) Cortisol (C): high
e) Red Blood Cell (RBC) count: falling

While all of these hormone measurements are assumed on the low end of the scale, biochemical individuality will ultimately determine where a person’s levels fall. So assumption of low to substandard levels will not always be true in everyone.

1. What are the goals of testosterone recovery?

The return of hormonal balance is but one goal of this program. To create a transitional period of minimized muscle loss and sustained and/or increased motivation is another.

2. Detailed Recommendations
If the athlete is ready to come off and is still taking long acting esters he shall switch to short acting drugs in order to have complete control of exogenous hormone levels. A “waiting period” for esters to clear is unacceptable and provides for a slow slide into the post cycle catabolic state. This period of short acting supplements shall last for a minimum of 2 weeks.

a) Luteinizing Hormone and shrunken testicles

H C G
If the testis have atrophied, the introduction of H C G at 1000iu x 14 days is necessary. To prevent this atrophy from happening, the use of H C G at 500-1000iu x 4-7 days every 2-3 weeks of the AAS cycle is recommended. This will provide exogenous LH and must only be used to restore/keep proper testicle size.
Week 1-2: H C G, 500-1000iu ed

C l o m i d
The practice of using Clomid at 50mg throughout the AAS cycle or 100mg a day for 3-5 days every 4th week has been used successfully to maintain proper testicle size.

b) Low testosterone and lack of motivation

The introduction of exogenous hormones to compensate for the low endogenous testosterone levels may help to keep loss of drive, strength and muscle at bay but may also slow the recovery process. The below drug and application was chosen for its limited impact on the HPTA

D i a n a b o l
Studies and empirical evidence have shown Dianabol to be beneficial to keep Cortisol in check and provide some intermediate relief from the symptoms of low testosterone via an increase of dopamine, IGF-1, and Central Nervous System stimulation. The heightened dopamine will combat Prolactin and help raise the levels of endogenous Human Growth Hormone. Other studies point to a lack of LH suppression when taken first thing in the morning. It shall be noted that only a low dose upon rising is recommended in order to avoid further disruption of the HPTA
Week 1-6: 10mg dbol am, ed

c) High Estrogen and suppressed Hypothalamus- Pituitary- Testicular- Axis (HPTA)

Estrogen acts as the primary messenger of testosterone production. Testosterone is aromatized into estrogen, which signals the Hypothalamus to stop producing the proper testosterone release hormones. Estrogen must be kept low.

A r i m i d e x
A powerful aromatize inhibitor shall be part of every cycle. For testosterone recovery it is used to keep the testosterone/ estrogen balance in favor of testosterone. It is also of help to keep any additionally occurring estrogen from dbol and Androgel low to none. Studies have shown a 54% increase of testosterone in eugonadal patients
Week 1-10: ½-1mg ed
C l o m i d
Universally accepted as THE testosterone recovery tool. It blocks estrogen from the HPTA and stimulates the production of LHRH. LHRH then initiates the production of LH, which in turn signals the testis (if not atrophied) to produce testosterone.
Week 3-5: 100mg ed
Week 6-8: 50mg ed
N o l v a d e x
A volume of research and empirical evidence suggest the usefulness of this estrogen blocker for recovery. Its action is very similar to Clomid but may be better suited for individuals who experience side effects from Clomid.
Week 1-8: 20mg ed

d) High Cortisol, suppressed HPTA and catabolism

Cortisol is catabolic. It is the enemy of all anabolism and must be kept in check. While it is blocked when under the influence of AAS, it is free to attach to the Anabolic Receptors (AR) once the steroids leave. Due to this blockage Cortisol tends to accumulate and increase when on. A low level is desirable however since it is important for other vital functions such as control of inflammation. Balance is the key.

V i t a m i n C
At 3-5g before heavy workouts, it keeps the exercise induced rise of Cortisol in check
Always: 3-5g before workouts

D H E A
A useless pro-hormone as far as anabolism is concerned, this substance is great to keep Cortisol within normal levels. There is a correlation between high Cortisol and low DHEA levels.
Week 1-6: 150mg am and pm

H u m a l o g
It is well known that insulin possesses powerful anti Cortisol/anabolic properties, specially when used at times when Cortisol is high, such as early morning and post workout.
It is of utmost importance to be educated about insulin and its proper use. However, this CS defers to other available research material for more detailed recommendations and cautionary measures.
A minimum of 10g of dextrose/Maltodextrin per iu with a high carb/mixed glycemic index meal 45 min after insulin injection is suggested as a rough guide line for Humalog use only.
Perfect with dextrose/malto and Creatine.
Week 1-5: 10iu am and 10iu post workout
Caution: DO NOT EXCEED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS

D e x t r o s e a n d M a l to d e x t r i n
It is neither a supplement nor a drug, but these carbohydrates have a very high glycemic index and keep Cortisol levels low by increasing endogenous insulin or keep blood sugar normal when used with exogenous insulin. They also provide excellent energy for heavy workouts. In order to not gain unwanted fat, dextrose and/or maltodextrin shall be ingested during your workout and with your post workout shake only.
Always: 100g with workout water and 100g with post workout shake

e) Red Blood Cell Count and Stamina

E P O
Causes the bone marrow to increase red blood cell production and may have anabolic, fat burning and rejuvenating benefits.
It is of utmost importance to be educate about EPO and its proper use. However, this CS defers to other available research material for more detailed recommendations and cautionary measures.
Week 8: 500-1,000iu ed for 7-10 days
Caution: DO NOT EXCEED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS

C r e a t i n e
The use of Creatine has shown to increase ATP metabolism and cellular water storage among many other things. This is very beneficial because it provides for heightened nutrient storage and a slight increase in anabolism as well as workout stamina. Perfect with dextrose/maltodextrin/.
Always: 5g with workout water and 10g with post workout shake

V i t a m i n B - 1 2 & I r o n
Prolongs the life of your RBC and may be beneficial for increased oxygen transport
Week1-8: 1,000mcg ed

Miscellaneous beneficial drugs, supplements and recommendations

H G H
Administration of exogenous HGH has been shown to help maintain an anabolic environment until natural testosterone levels have reached a satisfactory level.
Week 1-8: 2iu at mid morning and 2iu at mid afternoon

Z i n c
Assists with testosterone production and is always low in weight lifting subjects. Do not consume with calcium for ease of absorption
Week1-8: 50mg ed

M a g n e s i u m
Has too many benefits for weight lifters to list
Week 1-8: 800mg every evening

V i t a m i n B - 6
Assists with testosterone production, keeps Prolactin in check and is very relaxing
Week 1-8: 200mg every evening

M e l a t o n i n
May improve sleep pattern and help increase HGH. With this supplement, the less you take the more it works.
Always: 1.5mg at nite

D e p r e n y l
Known as one of the most favorite life extension drug this dopamine enhancer provides anti-depressant properties as well as possible IGF-1 increase. Do not take with Bromocriptine.
Week 7 & 8: 5mg eod in the morning

E p h e d r a
Ephedrine HCL and related products such as Clenbuteral or Nor-ephedrine (NYC) may offer limited anti catabolic and workout stimulating benefits.
Use as preferred, but do not combine with insulin due to similarities of hypoglycemic and Eph induced over stimulation episodes

N o o t r o p i c s
A course of these "smart drugs" may be beneficial to improve blood flow to the brain and HP. No specific drug, combination of drugs and/or drug course recommendations shall be made due to varying individual preferrences

W o r k o u t a n d c a l o r i c r e s t r i c t i o n
Workouts shall be brief and focus on retaining your newly gained strength after a week long layoff. A power lift routine may be advantages at this stage. Calorie intake shall match expenditure; a calorie-restricted diet shall commence only upon complete recovery of natural testosterone production.

3. Final word

This program is based on empirical evidence, research and experimentation and represents the maximum effort to recover one’s testosterone production. Some of the above supplements and drugs may not be required or may not agree with every individual and advances in medicine may provide newer and more useful drugs for the testosterone recovery following steroid therapy.
Furthermore, it must be noted that a period of 8 weeks of abstinence from all drugs (vitamins and supplements excluded) is the minimum time recommended and that a blood test to assess actual testosterone recovery act as the only gauge for the timing of the next hormone therapy.

Anabolic/androgenic steroids wisely used have many benefits, but they produce their benefits by perturbing the natural course of endocrine function, something that can have consequences for the athlete in terms of enduring dysregulation of said endocrine function upon the cessation of anabolic use. Fortunately, both prophylactic and restorative measures that the athlete can take to restore endocrine function and prepare the way for the next cycle of anabolics are fairly well known. Problems and their solutions include (a) low levels of Luteinizing Hormone and shrunken testicles, treated by H C G & Clomid, (b) low testosterone and lack of motivation, treated by Dianabol morning applications, (c) high estrogen and suppressed Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testicular Axis (HPTA) function, treated by Arimidex and Clomid, (d) high Cortisol, suppressed HPTA and catabolism, treated by Vitamin C, DHEA, insulin, dextrose and Maltodextrin, and (e) suppressed red blood cell count and reduced stamina, treated by EPO, Creatine, Vitamin B-12 and iron. In addition, a variety of miscellaneous beneficial drugs and supplements, such as HGH, zinc, magnesium, Vitamin B-6, Melatonin, Deprenyl and misc. Nootropics can speed post-cycle recovery.

By OuchThatHurts

Sustanon. Every BBer in the world knows the name. Every ?noob? has to try it. But is it a good choice for BBers? Not really. Unless you know what you?re doing and even then you would likely have better and more stable results with less expensive and easier to maintain compounds. Let?s take a look at Sustanon.

Sustanon was originally designed and formulated by Organon as a timed-release compound used for androgen replacement for hypogonadic males, HRT, and all the other uses where androgens are indicated. The difference being that Sustanon (sustained release) was designed to be administered once per month. By combining multiple esters in such a way, starting with shorter chain molecules (propionate) and progressing to longer ones (decanoate), you can design a formula that takes effect almost immediately and releases it?s payload (testosterone) over a length of time.

So let?s look at the esters in Sustanon. Would anyone consider stacking two forms of esterified test in a single cycle? For example, would you combine propionate and enanthate? If so, how would you do it? Would you take 30mg or propionate every other day or twice a week along with 100mg of enanthate at the same time? Of course not! Well not only are you doing that with sust, but with FOUR esters, not just two. Testosterone is testosterone whether your body cleaves it from a short molecule or a long molecule. Many people still think that these different esters of the same organic compound are somehow different or ?synergistic?. That?s almost like saying the caffeine in coffee is different than the caffeine in Pepsi. And if you stack coffee and Pepsi you?ll have a more pronounced effect or synergistic effect. There IS a difference but in only one regard and that is that you will get MORE raw test mg/mg with shorter esters than longer ones. The reason for this is simple. The larger the molecule, the more carbons are added which increases the total weight of the molecule. In short, more of the molecule?s weight is taken up by carbon and not testosterone. The additional carbon and occasionally oxygen atoms also increase the compound?s solubility and half-life but that is beyond this article. So what esters are we dealing with in Sustanon?

propionate 30mg (2 days)
phenylpropionate 30mg (4 days)
isocaproate 60mg (9 days)
decanoate 100mg (15 days)

In parenthesis, you see their approximate half lives. It is no coincidence that each ester is roughly twice the quantity of the one before it nor is it coincidental that each half life is approx. double the length of the one before it. Still beyond this article. Moving on?

I decided to experiment with Sustanon after receiving a fairly large quantity. Even though I had plenty, I was still thinking greedily and wanted to get the most out of my testosterone dollar. I started with the twice-a-week approach. A month later, I had no gains, a bad flu, and had used almost 20 amps (1ml) at 250mg/ml. I wanted to know what had gone wrong. It didn?t take long to figure out. During the first week, all that had taken effect was the prop and phenylprop. And 120mg total (out of 500mg) is all that my system saw. That?s about enough to suppress the axis but that?s it. Throw two amps in the trash. The second week, probably not much different and had used 4 amps (1000mg). By the third week I had the flu. Not exactly a surprise with all the HPTA suppression and unstable test levels. Most people have heard of the ?sust flu?? Well, there you go. I was beginning to plan a PCT regimen when it dawned on me? I?m not getting enough STABLE, high levels of testosterone! So not long after that I moved everything to the all to common every-other-day (EOD) approach. Don?t get me wrong, I started noticing results but then again, who wouldn?t? This is a shotgun approach! If you had propionate and enanthate would you just keep dosing until something worked? No. You wouldn?t. The idea there is to just keep shooting the stuff and ?one of them esters? will eventually work. Personally, I don?t like this approach. I think we can do much better. After all, don?t we owe it to Organon to abuse their product properly? SO? how well did it work? I?d have 3 good days, followed by 3 bad days. I was emotional. I wanted to sleep all the time. I had a runny nose. Two different blood tests during this time proved that I had almost twice the free test in my system as the blood test a week later. By this point, my great buy was turning into a great waste. I took 2 months off, did a fairly aggressive PCT and started planning my next cycle.

Here is where it seemed to all come together. I decided to try taking Sustanon as Organon intended, but in BBer amounts. This meant using it less frequently but using larger doses. Using it as a SUSTained-release product. Again, being greedy like I am, I didn?t want to waste the propionate in the Sust so I scheduled the entire cycle dosage amounts based on what I would take if I was doing a propionate-only cycle. This meant 4 amps or 1000mgs. That gave me a starting dose of 120mg propionate (30mg x 4) and instead of taking the next dose of propionate, I knew I could just relax knowing that as the propionate fell off, the phenylpropionate would begin and as the phenylpropionate fell off, the isocaproate would begin, etc, etc. This worked phenomenal and I began the cycle figuring on every two weeks (one decanoate half life). In reality, I played with this until I found a sweet spot of 8 days (approx. half of a half life). This gave me testosterone levels that remained stable throughout the cycle and at levels that were good for the results I wanted. You may need to adjust this time period to suit your physiology.

Conclusion: If I were to ever use Sustanon in a cycle again, which I doubt since there are less expensive, more stable compounds available, I would use it as intended in BBer amounts. I would do 1000-1500mg once every 8 days. This would allow for it to take immediate effect and with a few additional amps of propionate, you could use it with predictable stability right up until a few days before starting PCT. This dosing regimen, in my opinion, combined with equipoise or nandrolone would be a very productive cycle. Given the choice, I would still stick with enanthate. The injections are usually painless, the stability is high, the half life is fairly long. If you don?t mind EOD injects then prop or phenylprop would also be better choices than Sustanon in my opinion. Especially phenylprop. You would likely have to compound this yourself though as I haven?t seen this ester alone very often except in the case of nandrolone phenylprop (fast-acting deca).

Diet :

I can’t stress enough that your diet must be on target with your goals you set before you start an anabolic cycle. Regardless of whether you intend to bulk up or cut down, diet is what is going to determine your final results. The dosage amounts don’t determine final net gains,,, diet does. ( re-read that last sentence so you don’t forget it ) So before you get all hyped up about a steroid cycle, take time for figure up a solid diet that will give you the desire outcome you are looking for.

First bit of advise, if you’re over 12% body fat, hold off on an anabolic cycle until you cut down your body fat. ( This goes for cutting and bulking. ) If you try to bulk up with a higher body fat percentage, you’ll only gain more body fat thru your cycle. Steroids will make you a larger version of what you already are.
Cutting down works the same way. Cutting steroids work most effective when your body fat percentage is low, not when you’re overweight. So being at 20% body fat and thinking you’ll use cutting steroids to reduce your body fat is the wrong way to approach your weight loss program. Get lean first ( 12 % or lower ) and then rip up using steroids.

Here’s the way you go about figuring up a diet regiment :

First determine your calorie intake for your goals ( cutting or bulking )

* If you intend to bulk up, then consume 20 to 22 calories per 1 pound of bodyweight. EX. A 200 pound person would consume 4,000 to 4,400 calories per day to bulk up.

* If you intend to maintain your current bodyweight, then consume 15 to 18 calories per 1 pound of bodyweight. EX. A 200 pound person would consume 3,000 to 3,600 calories per day to maintain his or her current bodyweight.

* If you intend to cut up, then consume 10 to 12 calories per 1 pound of bodyweight. EX. A 200 pound person would consume 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day to cut up.

Second, consider the correct nutrient ratio for the desire cycle. Now I understand that there are different opinions of ratios of nutrients but for the purpose of getting those on the right track to understanding diets,,,, let’s not turn this thread into an argument about diet ratios. I’m offering what I use on a daily basis. Read and learn about different ratios and experiment which one works the best for you. My way doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong,,, it just works best for me. You’ll learn over time through trial and error what works best for you.

*** Formulas you’ll need to know :
There are 4 calories per 1 gram of carbohydrate.
There are 4 calories per 1 gram of protein.
There are 9 calories per 1 gram of fat.

For bulking, a 45/40/15 ratio of carbs, proteins, and fats would be the average norm. This means that a 200 pound individual looking to consume 4,000 calories per day would consume 45% of those 4,000 cals in carbs, 45% of those 4,000 cals in proteins, and 15% of those 4,000 cals in fats.
45% of carbs = 1,800 cals or 450 grams of carbs ( 1,800 cals divided by 4 cals )
40% of proteins = 1,600 cals or 400 grams of proteins ( 1,600 cals divided by 4 cals )
15% of fats = 600 cals or 67 grams of fats ( 600 cals divided by 9 cals rounded off to the whole number )

For some solid information on how to pack on some serious mass, please read here : http://www.steroid-encyclopaedia.com…530#post295530

I use the same ratios for maintaining and cutting bodyweight, which is a 30/50/20 ratio of nutrients. ( carbs/proteins/fats )

For maintaining bodyweight : A 200 pound individual looking to consume 3,000 calories per day would consume 30% of those 3,000 calories in carbs, 50% of those 3,000 calories in proteins, and 20% of those 3,000 calories in fats.
30% of carbs = 900 cals or 225 grams of carbs ( 900 cals divided by 4 cals )
50% of proteins = 1,500 or 375 grams of proteins ( 1,500 divided by 4 cals )
20% of fats = 600 cals or 67 grams of fats ( 600 divided by 9 cals rounded off to the whole number )

For cutting bodyweight : A 200 pound individual looking to consume 2,000 calories per day would consume 30% of those 2,000 calories in carbs, 50% of those 2,000 calories in proteins, and 20% of those 2,000 calories in fats.
30% of carbs = 600 or 150 grams of carbs ( 600 cals divided by 4 cals )
50% of proteins = 1,000 cals or 250 grams of proteins ( 1,000 cals divided by 4 cals )
20% of fats = 400 cals or 44 grams of fats ( 400 cals divided by 9 cals rounded off to the whole number )

How long do we need to be off steroids between cycles?

If you already know something about steroids, you will know that steroids should be used in “cycles”. A steroid cycle is a limited time period in which steroids are used while a goal is being achieved (e.g. gain strength, gain mass, or lose fat). During this period an individual’s natural hormone production will be suppressed; their cholesterol profile will almost certainly be adversely affected, and their blood pressure will probably rise. As such, when this limited periods of use ends it is important to take time off.

At the beginning of the off period drugs and supplements will be administered (usually nolvadex/timoxifen and tribulus) in order to stimulate natural hormone production – this is what we call ‘post cycle therapy’ or PCT. During the PCT period, and in the weeks and months following, cholesterol and blood pressure will gradually return to normal (with the help of sound dietary habits and cardio-vascular exercise).

But here’s the big question: how long should steroid cycles last, and how long should the gap between cycles last?

Well, for those interested in minimizing risk and the possibility of side effects the answer is “the more time off the better”. Studies have shown that for 50% of men it takes 6-12months for natural testosterone production to fully resume after a steroid cycle. That said, taking a full year off after each cycle would be ideal. Some will, on the other hand, advise “time on = time off”, or “two-thirds on, one third off”, while others never come off and become reliant on steroids (or testosterone replacement therapy) for life. My suggestion is that even those anxious to achieve results, who want to minimize their time off between cycles, should obey the following rule:

So, what if someone did a 10 week cycle using testosterone enanthate? Well, pct (post-cycle therapy) would not begin until 13, because large amounts of a relatively long acting steroid like enanthate would still be in the body in weeks 11 and 12: there is no sense in starting pct (with the objective of stimulating natural testosterone production), while large amounts of a steroid are still in the body, keeping natural production firmly shut down. If pct lasted 4 weeks it would not be over until the end of week 16. So time on + pct would equal 16 weeks, meaning that the individual should take at least 16 weeks off before cycling with steroids again.

Here are a couple further examples (warming these are more advanced cycles probably NOT suitable unless you are an experienced bodybuilder and steroid user):

1. A Short 6-Week Cycle:
• 350mgs Testosterone Propionate, Weeks 1-6 (inject 100mgs eod)
• 350mgs Nandrolone Phenylpropionate, Weeks 1-6 (inject 100mgs eod)
• 0.25mgs Letrozole 2x/wk (increase to eod or ed if required), Weeks 1-6
• 40mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 8 (+ Tribulus)
• 30mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 9 (+ Tribulus)
• 20mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 10 (+ Tribulus)

***Time on + pct = 10 weeks in this case, so at least 10 weeks off before another cycle***

2. A Long 12-Week Cycle:
• 400mgs Testosterone Enanthate, Weeks 1-12
• 300mgs Nandrolone Decanoate, Weeks 1-12
• 0.25mgs Letrozole 2x/wk (increase to eod or ed if required), Weeks 1-12
• 40mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 15 (+ Tribulus)
• 30mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 16 (+ Tribulus)
• 30mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 17 (+ Tribulus)
• 20mgs Nolvadex ed, Week 18 (+ Tribulus)

***Time on + pct = 18 weeks in this case, so at least 18 weeks off before another cycle***

Additional points to consider when constructing a good cycle:
• Hcg is optional at 1000iu per week on cycle, and/or during the first two weeks of Post-Cycle Therapy (PCT)
• If you try letrozole (mentioned above), this will inhibit the conversion of testosterone to estrogens, thus protecting you from side effects such as gynaecomastia. Letrozole is good because unlike arimidex (a similar drug) it does not hurt your cholesterol profile. Nevertheless, you have to remember that letrozole should always be used in TINY dosages. Use too much and it will kill your libido, and your gains, because it will reduce your estrogens too far.
• Anabolic Steroids often raise red blood cell counts, and blood pressure. If you take one asperine per day it will do you no harm, and it will help keep your blood pressure down. Also, DRINK LOTS OF WATER on cycle as this will keep your blood pressure down.
• To protect your prostate you should add lots of fresh ginger to your cooking. Ginger inhibits the “5-LO” enzyme, and enzyme which converts energy into something called “5-HETE” which feeds prostate cancer. You can also use 1mg of Finasteride per day while on cycle, which helps prevent the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
• As you know, to keep you “bad”/LDL cholesterol levels low and your “good”/HDL cholesterol levels high you need to eat a lot of foods that contain “good” fats. Remember, “Good” fats help you a lot off cycle, because they enhance your natural hormone production.
1. Fatty fish containing omega-3 Fats (Sardines, Salmon, Mackeral) and/or fish oil tablets
2. Ground flax seeds or flax seed oil (the oil must have been kept in the fridge in the shop, and must be kept in the fridge at home)
3. Nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, etc) and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds.
4. Olive Oil
5. Unrefined vegetables oils (flax seed oil; hemp seed oil; pumpkin seed oil; sunflower oil; sesame seed oil – all of which must normally be kept in the fridge when they are unrefined)
(Note: never consume refined vegetable oils or hydrogenated vegetable fats, because they will raise you LDL cholesterol a lot)
• You need lots of vitamins and antioxidants from vegetables, salads, and fruit. The antioxidants will remove waste products from the cells in the body (the sort of waste that can, in some people, make cancer more likely). Also, as an insurance it is a good idea to use a strong multivitamin and mineral every day.

Always remember that spending plenty of time off steroids is the best ways to ensure that your hold onto your gains: time off protects your natural hormone production, and in turn your natural hormone production protects your gains. That way you build muscle, and keep your muscle. If the amounts of steroids you use are too large, and if you stay on too long, you mess up your natural hormone and your health, and the result is that you lose your gains.

SAMSON

Hi, I am Samson, one of the moderators on the Steroid Encylopaedia staff. Since you are now visiting our blog you probably want to learn more about Steroid Encylopaedia (www.steroidencyclopaedia.com/).

Well, an encyclopaedia is a comprehensive source of well founded information. If you want clear, concise, evidence based information on anabolic steroids, then SE is the place. You can check out our drug profiles section, for example, or the high quality “sticky” threads on the forums pages. But it goes much further than that: our discussion forums enable members to interact with each other and the expert staff, so they can obtain first hand information from high level bodybuilders. We have multiple separate forums covering every aspect of the bodybuilding and strength training lifestyle.

Steroid Encyclopaedia is a home for all bodybuilders, and athletes, and people seeking to improve themselves and their lives. If you are in this category and want to educate yourself about performance enhancers – the possible benefits and risks – then SE is the ultimate resource. But we will not, ever, encourage you to use steroids. Our place is to help you achieve your goals with or without steroids, and when we think the use of steroids is ill advised we say so.

We welcome everyone, males, females, old, and young. (So even English people like myself, and my friends Blade and Siggs, are welcome!). Nevertheless, age is a sensitive issue for us. Young people need to know the facts, that is important, but we sincerely hope that young people will understand that steroids are never right for them. Our job is to help young people recognise that their natural hormones are at a peak, giving them a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain strength and muscular size consistently, year round. We explain that people who administer steroids – synthetic hormones – will replace their natural hormones. This disruption of natural hormone makes consistent gaining impossible, and in a young person it can also interrupt normal maturation. You see, SE is a responsible website and web forum, and we care about the well-being of our members.

In spite of the name of the site, our main emphasis will always be on diet, lifestyle, and training methods. Why? Well, because these factors all matter far more than steroids, and steroid use is ineffective unless all these others factors are taken care of first. In any case, if anyone has told you that making great gains without steroids isn’t possible, then it is a lie. Unless an individual has been able to gain a lot of muscle and/or lose fat naturally, having developed an excellent diet and training program, he or she will not be able to benefit from steroids (should he or she decide to use them). So, on offer here is a encyclopaedia of nutrition, and every aspect of training.

For those that are going to use steroids, we are not going to say to them that the risk can ever be eliminated. Like most drugs, and many other potentially hazardous things, steroids must be handled with great respect. But we can help responsible adults to take control, and minimize the risks. First, any user needs to know where they have the best chance of obtaining the best pharmaceutical grade steroids; not just that, but where to obtain reliable ancillary drugs used to offset the side effects of steroids. Then any user needs to know how they can attempt to counteract the harmful effects common with steroids, by eating certain foods (e.g. essential fats), by undertaking appropriate cardio-vascular exercise, and by taking ‘post cycle therapy’ very seriously indeed.

Finally, SE’s greatest strength undoubtedly lies in the good character of the staff, and the members. We are all friends at SE, and we take time to motivate and support one another.

SAMSON.