Maintaining strength post cycle

[mf4551]

Hey guys, I was training with a mate that did a cycle once a while ago when he was younger, and was wondering if there was a potential long term impact from this.

If someone were to do a cycle once in the past for building strength in their lifts rather than putting muscle on, would they retain an advantage from such a cycle? Like keeping the bump in strength that they created in the cycle?

Or would they lose it when they came off?

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

Your “friend” will lose strength and gains after coming off cycle.

But if he works hard at it, he will ‘reclaim’ the gains and some of the correlating strength once his hormones come back to normal.

*Unless he totally fucked his PCT and his hormones never come back to normal.

[pettersson]

I’ve read somewhere that AS actually creates more muscle cells than you originally have. Training increase the size of the muscle cells on offer. More cells - potential for more mass. This would theoretically mean that you have an advantage when you return to lifting weights. But as @Andrewgen_Receptors indicated, you may have wrecked your hormonal conditions due to previous excessive abuse of AS, which can make it harder to stimulate growth.

Most of previous AS users I know of, have quit training, and became fat and improductive.

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

@pettersson

I’ve read somewhere that AS actually creates more muscle cells than you originally have.

You might be talking about this article

One Steroid Cycle – The Muscle Memory Effect

[One-Steroid-Cycle-The-Muscle-Memory-Effect] by TC Luoma We finally understand the amazing truth about muscle memory, and it's good news for steroid users and even natties. Use It or Lose It… Until You Use It Again “Use it or lose it” is something gym teachers, physical therapists, and nursing home directors say a lot to inspire or browbeat students, patients, or old people. The thinking is, of course, that if you don’t get active – or in the case of old people, do your jigsaw puzzle – you’ll …

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

Man, your friend certainly does have a lot of questions

Incoming bro science.
If an increase in strength indicates an increase in size…
an increase in size correlates to an increase in strength.

If a decrease in strength indicates a decrease in size…
a decrease in size correlates to a decrease in strength.

By that logic, you your friend will end up getting stronger once his hormones recover from the cycle.

That being said, steroids really do their best work for physique changes… not so much for strength (they absolutely help here, but unless you’re competing - who the hell cares how strong you are and why is it worth risking long-term health for?)

For strength, Halo, Var, Anadrol will be good options, though the I think most of the strength gains there are temporary as none of those do a great job of increasing size.