Opinions Greatly Appreciated

Pharma / TRT
1

Well as a lot of you already know i’m part way through a cycle of around a gram per week of test E. Things are going very well as of now with noticeable improvements weekly. I haven’t gained a whole ton of weight(around 15lbs), however that was not my objective with this cycle. Calories have been kept pretty clean and not too excessive but with an adequate amount of various proteins and good fats per day.

Current weight is in the mid 240s at what im guessing to be 10-12% bf.

So my dilemma is this. I just found out I have a job related physical in approx 8 weeks from now. This physical consists of a V02 max test as well as various moderately strenous (to me) physical tasks. The physical tasks I could do in my current condition without an issue.

I obviously want to excel well in this. So what would you do in my shoes. Im currently close to starting week 8 of this cycle. I am going to be training with some fairly intense cardio up to the point of this physical.

Should I just start pct two weeks after my last shot?
Start a taper now to be darn near off by the date?
Cruise on only a couple hundred mg per week from now till its done?
Lower current dose and add in another compound?
Any opinions and ideas are greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance.

Lillguy.

3

Thanks Bushy,
Would you run say 500mg for a couple weeks first, then drop to 200 for the duration? Add in any other products?
I can likely get whatever i want within a week or twos time.

4

I have a similar situation to yours coming up in several months. I will be doing a physical test to qualify me for a certain position. It consists of strength and endurance tests (benching, vertical jump, 100 yard sprint, decline sit-ups, and 2 mile run). My situation is different from yours in the fact that I merely need to pass the tests where as you wish to exceed and pass with high marks.

For yourself, I of course agree with Bushy and would stay at a slightly higher level of test until testing is over. As for myself I will go ahead as planned with the test taper and train just hard enough in the endurance aspect to pass my test without losing too much body weight in the end. The other tests are of no worry to me. I will also be using GHRP-6 throughout my test taper. I read in a log somewhere, maybe here, that an individual experienced an increased aerobic capacity duration GHRP-6 use. I hope for the same side effect;)

5

Something that may help to boost the aerobic capacity I sure wouldnt mind either. But I also sure dont want something that may hinder it. I wasnt sure if there was any AAS out there that may help me accomplish this.

Just about ready to make another Biotest order and im likely going to include some Beta-7 with my order as it sure wont hurt. A bottle of that will give me enough for the 2 tabs for 3 per day for 30 days prior to the test. Id think about going for two bottles, however its pricy.

Thanks for the input so far guys, greatly appreciated.

6

bump for some more input please…

7

[quote]LillGuy001 wrote:
Something that may help to boost the aerobic capacity I sure wouldnt mind either.[/quote]

1st option: EPO
2nd option: boldenone (EQ)

Both will boost VO2max. I don’t think your total dose will matter much, though you may feel better on 200mg/wk, but more importantly is weight. The biggest factor you can change in 2 months to improve physical performance, even strength tests, is weight. Even losing some muscle, but losing weight in general, would benefit your strength performances as far as strength to weight ratio, at least given your current weight.

I’d suggest you cut cals, cut your AAS dose if it keeps the weight on, and work on base-building endurance training, with two sessions of higher-intensity, task-specific training during the week. Take the week before the tests mostly off to recover (deloading week), and you’ll do alright.

The EPO or EQ would help a lot too.

8

Ive yet to do more reseach on EPO and have minimal knowledge on the topic.
From the little I know of I know on the topic, I thought it was something a bit too advanced to acomplish by someone like myself. Using products and protocols that are meant for doctors and high end athletes. Please do point me in the direction if I have been misinformed in the past.

The VO2 max test is directly weight specific. So you are definately correct. I have cut my test dose already and have somewhat dropped my calories already. I want to take a bit of weight off leaning out in the process. However I tried this last time too close to the test and my body didnt like the carb cut that close to the test.

I also did plan to change the work outs as of this week with some higher rep, lower rest periods alternating upper and lower body.

Im cutting the test as with past cycles Ive had issues running due to pumps in both the front and back of my lower legs. Nothing with the recent cardio, however I dont want to risk it. If I happen to lose a few lbs then so be it. Muscle memory is fantastic in your 30s. Btw, what kind of eq dose do you suggest?

Thanks for the input Swartz.

10

Lilguy,

If you want to excel on this “anaerobic” test you will have to alter your diet, routine and plan to perform the “tests” for a couple of weeks before to familiarize yourself with the tricks. From experience with the Marine O-Course, most of the time there are tricks you must master in order to shed seconds form your time. That is what will take to excel, if that is the type of tests they will have you on.

Now I am not an expert on compounds (Bushy and other vets are), but try to limit the total amount as you want to increase your aerobic capacity.

Maybe a good idea (if you want) would be to post your planned routine, the type of tests you will be required to perform and a plan of action. We can then chime in with a complete diet, training and gear plan.

SAWA

12

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
Whilst EQ is recognised (by people like us) as being a promoter of erythropoiesis, nearly all AAS will increase RBS count to some extent.

Bushy[/quote]

Perhaps I have learned something today. I know most androgens increase hematocrit levels, though I’ve always thought boldenone was one of the more potent ones in this regard. I will have to look into it. If you’ve got any source data on this I’d be glad to take a look. Surprisingly I haven’t been able to find anything specific, but I’ll keep looking.

LillGuy: EPO simply increases RBC production, and has no direct anabolic effect, which is why it’s not mentioned often. Even though you’re not an elite athlete, increased RBCs would mean an increase in VO2max, which would mean an increase in work capacity regardless of task. I’ve known some guys to use it, and it is nothing short of a miracle drug from what I’ve seen. There’s a reason Tour de France guys have been biking for a week straight and don’t look as though on the verge of death. I mean, good conditioning helps, but not that much! It is a bit hard to come by, but it’s not too expensive if you have a good source for it.

13

Never heard that EQ was better than anything else as far as hematocrit increases. EQ also has the common side effect of panic attacks. Anadrol is another well-known AAS that is very effective at increasing RBC counts, but it generally has too many sides, better options out there. I’ll assume your RBC count is very high now, I’d be afraid of the possibility of a dangerously high count if EPO, Procrit, etc were used. There have been a few professional athletes in the last decade who have died from heart attacks and strokes due to vascular occlusion from too many RBC’s, they literally jammed together in the smaller vascular constrictions. Be careful.

14

I think you should be able to do very well in your physicals/tests without changing your testosterone dosage too much or taking any new AAS. You said that you’d be able to pass the tests in your current condition without any issues, so 8 weeks should be lots of time to improve upon your conditioning.

I’m not sure what specific events you have to train for, but I’ve found strongman-circuit-type training REALLY helpful for myself with regards to improving my conditioning for grappling/MMA. An example of one of my workouts would be, 1 min. tire-flipping, 1 min. sledgehammer, 1 min. sprawl and keg toss, 1 min. sled dragging, 1 min. bear crawl, rest for a minute, then repeat for 2 more 5 minute “rounds”.

I’m able to do this workout twice a week without any problems (other than barfing once in a while, lol) and I’m a month into my second cycle of test-E 250mg E3D and tren-A 50mg ED (and my bodyweight has gone up from 225 to just under 240 lbs).

I hope some of this helps.

JR

15 
        Seems like the answer here might just be staring you straight in the face. Maybe just dropping the AAS slightly to moderately, and making more of a change in your training first and foremost, then diet in a way where you get a calorie deficit and start losing lbs. This could be done whatever way works best for you, like if too many carbs out doesn't work, just cut it down somewhere else, like fats. I would increase your workout reps, and toss in some supersets and don't worry about any mass loss, you might like the way you look after all is said and done anyway. That and some mild cardio, should do it, or some HIIT on the bike or whatnot.

        Obviously you have some very well thought out suggestions here, but sometimes it's good not to "overthink" things buddy. 

                  Good luck!

                   ToneBone
16

Thanks for all the info guys.

One of the main reason I want to cut back my AAS level is just due to the fact that i dont want to be on a high dose for something like 17 weeks.

I found recovery harder with a prolonged cycle last winter. I also didnt think it was a good idea to be completely off or coming off at the time of the test as well.

I’m sure id benefit from some type of strongman training, however I just dont have the facility for it. Ive bumped the cardio to up to two times per day if they are more moderate sessions. Weight training is going to change to more drop and supersets/higher rep training. And obviously more minimal breaks between sets.

18

After looking over the testing materials you sent me I’ve got a question, similar to what Bushy is saying. Is this physical test for a specific job (the job is testing candidates), or is it a physical test through a company that standardizes test scores so when you apply for a specific job somewhere you can just submit your standardized test scores?

First situation: it’s probably pass/fail, though they may look at specific scores if it comes down to a couple close candidates.

Second situation: you better bust your ass because it’ll be scored on a graded scale, and your interviewer will only see you as a score before even setting up your interview.

Either way, training: You know the specific physical tests to be done, so your best bet would be to work strongman-type, task-specific training into your training. The AAS dose is up to you, but if it causes excessive pumps that interfere with performance, cut the dose. Dropping weight (my original recommendation) isn’t necessary as you don’t have any prolonged endurance. The VO2max test is endurance, but more muscular endurance. Most every test is muscular endurance, so you should mold your training around that.

You’ll also want to train at least part of the time in clothing similar to that worn during the test. I won’t give specific examples, but I’m sure it’s not hard to mimic those conditions. The point is that if you don’t simulate the clothing, but still train, you’ll perform poorly come the day of the test.

I’d also get your pre- and during-workout nutrition down pat, and get used to using it at least the couple weeks before testing. They give you breaks and allow you to eat, so sipping a carbohydrate drink (gatorade, etc.) with BCAA added would be a wise choice. Caffeine is good too, but be moderate about it. It can decrease heat tolerance and raise heart rate if dosed to high, but moderate dosing of it will help.

It seems simple enough, you’ve just got to do it. The training won’t be fun, but it’s temporary and can determine your future.

19

Thanks for the vote of confidence Bushy.

The aptitude test in the past I excelled rather well in with an 89% the first time and 94% the second. At the interview stage last time I was there, it was all scenerio based questions and was a pass/fail which i passed as well. All of the components were score based then so the guys with the highest scores in all aspects got the jobs.

This is a much smaller amount of positions available, however the qualifications necessary are higher as well. All which I current meet or exceed.

Just got back from the gym as well. Chest/Shoulders and Tris.

  1. Dumbell press, Sider lateral raises and dumbell skull crushers
  2. Dumbell flyes, another shoulder raise and 2 arm cable extensions
  3. Cable crossovers, dumbell shurgs and reverse cable extensions

All of those were done at close to 15 reps each superseted together with minimal water breaks inbetween. For 4 sets each.

Finished off with cable upright rows for 4 sets.

Completed in less than 30 mins. Just about puked.

20

Swartz,
Regarding the test itself. All places use it as a pass/fail aspect whereas if you dont pass you sure have no chance at getting the job or passing to the next level.

However with some it is more than a pass/fail and is combined with the resume evaluation, the and the brain testing you receive a final score. Im unsure of the weighing of each aspect and the full specifics have not been revealed.

I do know that the people making the final decision in the end will have full access to the test results regardless of the weighting.

Edit: And to add, I have no problem mimicking the VO2 max test down to each piece of equipment involved.