Q&A with Shadow Pro

Pharma
181

[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Shadow Pro - In my situation I have been on TRT for about 3 years and am currently self injecting at 200mg weekly pinning EOD. I am not a physique athlete. I am a powerlifter recovering from injury. My questions are as follows:

  • I have been considering taking Test in a performance enhancing doasage for some time now. I do not want to get complicated I want to run a simple Test cycle 500mg weekly for 12 weeks. Being that I am pretty much shut down with regards to creating my own test, would a simple B&C be beneficial (i.e. dropping back to 200mg weekly after the 12 weeks)?

  • I am recovering from Herniated Discs in my Cervical Spine. Is there any steroid that would be beneficial in the repair of same?[/quote]

It will give you a noticeable difference… Nothing major but you will see benefits from this if you are keeping your diet and training on par during these weeks. It’s still more than double your regular dose so you will feel a difference.

I have a lot of nagging injuries, including herniated discs and I’ve found that using GH helps in terms of pain management and better performance in the gym even with the Injuries. It’s not fixing the problem per say, but it does help. Something like 4iu/day (30mjn before workout)

182

[quote]DC_Rolls wrote:
Hi Shadow, very much appreciate all info thus far.

I was wondering how you administer your HGH. I realise the vast majority do so Sub-Q, but there is a protocol put forward by a well known/respected member on this board which calls for IV (preferably) or IM GH injection. Have you any experience or heard of any other pros using similar methods?[/quote]

It depends on the goal that I’m using it for. If I want it to burn fat as a priority then I’ll do it sub-q on an empty stomach and before cardio. If my goal is to gain muscle I’ll do it post workout intramuscular. I’ve never tried or heard of someone doing it IV, but I can see the logic. IV would be a little risky with underground GH, you would have no idea what you’re injecting into your blood stream… Could be disastrous.

183

[quote]rooster0210 wrote:
General question… I’m low T, so Dr has me on test cup 200. Of course my insurance only covers 1 lab a yr, so I don’t get to do alot testing.since I’ve on test my sac has shriveled up. It used to only b for a lil while, then would “drop”. Well it hasn’t dropped in long time. What do I need to do?

[/quote]

I’m not sure why this would happen with only 200mg. If it’s something the doc is giving you I’d let him know what’s going on and demand blood tests. Ask him for HCG if this is the case.

184

[quote]Mr Bojangles wrote:
Incredible thread, please keep it coming Shadow!![/quote]

Glad you like it… Trying my best to keep up with everyone.

185

Hello Shadow

Sorry if this ? has been asked, I didnt see it…
I ran a cycle consisting of Test E /deca/ d-bol… All went well, except at the finish I didnt know better and stopped everything at the same time… Needless to say 4-5 weeks later I had problems…

All my hormones recovered 7 months later… Today my levels are great natural levels!.. However, I am still experiencing sides from the deca/ cycle…Dead libido / poor mood/ weak erections…I have read many guys with the same issues and some took 2 years to fully recover…! Today I am at nearly 17 months…Feeling better but really uneasy about the missing libido…

Can you talk about “Long Term” sexual suppression from deca use.
There seems to be a ton of confusion about the dreaded deca D!ck.

Many users have suffered even after they have recovered their endogenous testosterone levels and the axis has balanced…
Have you seen or heard of this being permanent ? any info on men who have weathered through it?

Thanks a bunch in advance…!
All the best…!

186

[quote]tazzx wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]tazzx wrote:
I know every body has routines that work for them but in your personal belief, for someone natty who has been training a bit over a year do you believe the bro split is still idea routine you think or do you think the push pull split concept is better as hitting muscles twice a week is supposedly proven by science to be the most effective?

Also do you think squats are a must for a good lower body or do you think one could get away with doing leg press?

My end game goals are IFBB[/quote]

For a natural athlete, I don’t think that a regular bodybuilding split of training 1 body part each week is enough. Only after years and years of training will bring an athlete a point to be able to have enough intensity in their workout(weights and intensity) for this to be enough.

You mentioned that you only have 1 year of training under your belt, so you need a lot more frequency in your training. Stimulating the muscle at least twice a week would be a great idea. Push/pull/leg split would be a great place to start. Or train each body part twice a week… 1 time heavy and 1 time accessory work.(6days a week)

SQUATS YES!100%! Best leg builder, best for lower body strength, best for overall leg development… There is no replacement… You can do leg press in addition. Unless you have an injury that prevents you from this ability, then I suggest you squat.
[/quote]

Thank you for the response.

Also if you’d be kind enough, could you explain to me why on a cycle even as simple as just test training one body part once a week is considered okay but natural it isn’t?

I would have imagined since your body recovers a lot quicker you’d want to be training more consistently, or am I wrong?[/quote]

The fact if you are natural or not is not the point… The more experience you have in the gym usually means you are able to reach a much higher level of intensity than an inexperienced person. This is why in some cases one day per muscle group will be enough. Obviously being on gear will give u the ability to train with more intensity so a lot of bodybuilders lean towards this program. Most people should train muscle groups at least twice a week, it is a rare case that someone is actually advanced enough to train efficiently like this(once a week)

187

Hi, Shadow Pro. First off, thank you for your time, very interesting reading here. Oh and I apologize for my poor english, I’m french.

My question is not very drugs related but about dieting. I thought you could maybe have an answer.

841×624 117 KB

My background : I passed my whole childhood and almost my whole years as a teen eating junk all day. I started training in december 2011, at 160lbs and 17.8% bodyfat (left pic). I gradually learned some nutrition principles and on end of february 2013, I decided to go on a diet that consisted of approximatively 2000 calories, 90g of fats, 53g of carbs and 244g of proteins.

I was having a whole cheating day on friday. The second picture was taken on april 24th and I was 165lbs. After that I tried to keep the diet in summer but with friends, sunny days and everything I failed sometimes. After this I wasn’t on a pretty strict diet but I tried to keep it clean at least 5 days per week with almost the same macros (but a little more carbs and a little more calories). Third picture was taken in april this year (the 29), at 187lbs.

I have to aceept it : I have very poor genetics, insulin sensitivity or whatever. To reach a simple average 9% bodyfat, I have to go on a very strict diet, while my friends have the same bodyfat by eating pizza, McDonald’s and drinking beers all the week. But my dilemma is here : like most of the people who train, I want to grow my muscles. Nutrition science tells me that to grow I need to eat more calories than I burn, and some formulas tells me that my maintenance caloric intake is around 2600-2800. What tips would you give for the optimal lean bulking strategy that I could adopt ? Oh and I’m 5"8.

Thanks a lot.

188

[quote]pwrlifterchick wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]pwrlifterchick wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Raskens wrote:
Do you know how cycles differs for a powerlifter? How much does it affect your strength? Is the sideeffects overhyped? [/quote]

I think their cycles are a little safer, they don’t need to use insulin (very little if at all) and they don’t use diuretics or get to near death bodyfat percentages. They make use of the most basic compounds(orals and injectables) the most popular ones for strength gains would be: orals: halo, cheque drops, oral tren, dbol, Anadrol,tbol injectables: tren, test(some use test susp. Pre workout) GH in lower doses(4-6iu) All of these will significantly increase strength.

Bodybuilders use all of these (most likely with higher dosages) plus EVERYTHING ELSE! (Noted on page1)

The side effects are completely individual. People like myself can handle high dosage with minimal sides while other people can get horrible sides even from a low dose like 500mg/week. You’ll never know until you try and this is why I always recommend to start at a very low dosage. Side effects can be due to genetics, diet and cleanliness of products as well.
[/quote]

What would you recommend for female powerlifters? I’ve heard Var or Winny but wanted to know your opinion. Thanks.[/quote]

I would recommend Anavar for sure. Primo can also work in a low dose. Honestly, I am going to recommend you stay away from Winstrol, it’s a lot stronger than people claim… Yes it will help you with strength (it makes me strong as a bull) but you will get male characteristics as side effects. Some females don’t care so much, and if that’s the case then anything goes but with a low dosage.

Anavar. Start with 5mg a day and slowly build it up… 30mg would be the highest I’d push it to. (Increase every 2-3weeks)[/quote]

I probably should have started my last post by telling you some history… My apologies. I have been working out (BB style workouts) for about 10 years (never competed). It really was to lose weight/fat because I was very overweight at a young age. I recently started doing powerlifting competitions the last year. Just within the last year I have taken a few cycles. (2 of Winstrol, 1 of Anavar) Obviously with time off in between.

I felt better honestly on the Winny than the Var. It makes me nervous using Var or Primo just for the fact that I know a lot of it is fake, at least around this area. Winstrol I know is legit and I felt a lot of strength out of it. I only took 10mg per day (5mg twice split up) for 6 weeks. And I really didn’t notice any major sides. Just a little more acne and no menstruation while on cycle. By the 6th week my joints would be a tiny bit sore but nothing crazy like I hear with some people… maybe because of my supplementation and diet.

If I react good to Winstrol do you suggest sticking with it for future cycles? Or would you suggest trying to find something else? I honestly don’t want to develop male characteristics and I know it’s a risk with anything but since I’ve taken it a few times, I feel more safe with it than risking fake stuff with Var or Primo that I may get.

Also, do you have any recommendations for Women for PCT? Thank you for your advice.[/quote]

If it’s working for you then by all means stick with it. I understand where you’re coming from when you talk about the fake anavar or primo, if you are able to get your hands on the real thing then this will still be my first choice. With the winstrol just be very careful with the dosage because the side effects can be under control and then suddenly you’ll notice something new…

This is very individual so you’ll just have to keep monitoring it. With the doses that we are speaking about you don’t need to worry about pct, just taper it down… It’s hard to taper down such a low dose but even going down to once every 2nd day and then once every 3rd day is better than just stopping immediately.

189

Just for fun… Is that your outline in your avatar?

190

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
If it’s not too much trouble, could you describe how you’d set up insulin use for someone who doesn’t drink shakes and gets all their macros from solid food?

Goals are gain muscle, fat gain be damned![/quote]

Option1: Before breakfast… 5-10iu and then eat 50-100g of carbs (1/2 from simple carbs and 1/2 from complex) this could be oats and honey for one example.

Option2: post workout… 5-10iu (70% simple carbs, 30% complex) these could come from banana, honey, jam, dextrose, pineapple juice and the rest from rice cakes or white rice. (A ratio of 10g to 1iu is a good place to start)

*do not eat fat within the 4 hour window

The most efficient way will always be before the workout, but this will not be an option unless you are willing to try an intraworkout shake and forget about one solid meal.

Just curious, what is your logic behind just solid meals?
[/quote]

I’m not anti-shake, I just can’t digest whey worth a damn so I can’t use it. I drink a rice protein + leucine shake for breakfast which is also pre-workout.

I’d have no problem using EAAs or something like that as an intra-workout wth the slin. Were I to do so, how would you recommend I went about it? The typical protocol I see recommended (Mike Arnold) is quite clear that you need to use whey, but if there’s an alternative I’m all ears?
[/quote]

I have clients who have problems with whey as well, and they are running the Plazma intraworkout without any issues. On the label it says: contains milk ingredients But I haven’t heard of any problems yet. Have you tried this yet?

Try something simple like 5iu and 1.5serving of Plazma. It’s just over 50g of carbs and 22g of protein (hydrolyzed casein). If all goes to hell, you can try branched cyclic dextrin mixed with a high serving of bcaa’s intraworkout (30-50g) it’s not the same but it’s not a bad combo to try.

191

[quote]dutchie1 wrote:
So humbling a pro whose been there at the olympia …

Do you have any opinions on the interview with mike morris at some point claiming he saw a guy growing into his show in an hour? basically there was this group of guys injecting this competitor (don’t recall his name) everywhere with insulin and feeding him carbs basically and well …

he went from 190lbs looking like he doesn’t even workout to stage ready in an hour[/quote]

I have heard these stories about people injecting esiclene before stage (it’s an inflammatory drug) it was pretty common in his days. I don’t think insulin can make that much of a difference in an hour… Unless I see it with my own two eyes I can’t believe this but stranger things have happened so who am I to say. Before I turned pro I didn’t think any of the top guys used synthol and I was wrong.

Mike Morris has nothing to lose so I see no reason for him to lie in interviews considering he’s not even competing anymore.

192

I notice you keep suggesting 10-20mgs of nolva everyday while on cycle. I’ve always used anastrazole or aromasin to keep estrogen levels at bay. From my understanding nolva blocks the estrogen receptors as opposed to the adex and aromasin preventing aromatization. Is using nolva during cycle instead of an aromatase inhibitor common practice with most pros?

193

[quote]Shadow1723 wrote:
Shadow Pro,

What kind of schedule do you follow with deep tissue massage therapy for recovery and recuperation? What’s your take on the effect it has in these areas?

Thanks![/quote]

I’m a huge fan of both deep tissue massage,soft tissue work and chiropractor. I go at least 1-2 times a week. I think it’s very important for my recovery and I don’t think my training would be the same without it. I also do sauna and hot tub twice a week on top of this and some stretching in the pool.

Jay cutler once mentioned he spends $1500/week on all sorts tissue work, so if you can afford it then by all means…

194

[quote]j62usa wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]thor159 wrote:
Hello, first of all, thanks for your time, patience and initiative on doing this.

You mentioned supplementation can be crucial and be a big plus to a diet. So what would you recommend using and/or staying away from in terms of fat burning supplements?

Yohimbine, caffeine, L-Carnitine/Acetyl L-Carnitine, Ephedrine, etc? Could you list as well the best time/way and dosages for whatever of these you recommend?[/quote]

Best fat burning supplements and how to take them:

ECA(ephedrine/caffeine/aspirin) great to use but only for a limited time(4-6weeks tops) body develops tolerance very fast. Dosage depends how sensitive you are to stimulants. Experiment starting with a very low dose.

Indigo-3G - selective nutrient uptake, aids the body to absorb carbs more efficiently (6 caps everyday 30 min prior to workout)

L-carnitine- it’s ok but not as strong or effective as some of your other choices. 1000mg twice a day would be a good dose. I believe this supplement is very overhyped.

HOT-ROX(contains yohimbe) best thermogenic due to the ingredients, take 2 twice/day(in AM and before cardio)

Clenbuterol(starting at .2mcg)and T3(12.5mcg)are your best choices for Rx drugs…It all depends on goals, current bodyfat and training etc
[/quote]

Hi Shadow - for someone using over the counter fat burners, How long would you cycle off ECA? i assume you would cycle to something like a HOT-ROX and then could cycle back to ECA?

[/quote]

I wouldn’t do more than 12 weeks in a row of fat burners of any kind, you need to go off for at least 6 weeks after this long. So you could do something like ECA 6 weeks, HOT-ROX 6 weeks and then off for 6 weeks. And repeat a cycle like this, but don’t neglect the off time.

195

[quote]matt_t2004 wrote:
What do you see as the normal diet with the pros? Do some go low carb, low fat, or mixed? Does the diet for a natural lifter need to differ from someone on gear?[/quote]

There’s no such thing as a normal diet, I can give you 20 pros with 20 different diets. Every diet is very specific and individual. My competition diet is changing every 1-2 weeks based on progress and even daily at the end.

Again, this is very individual… Some go high carb/low fat, low carb/high fat or a mix and some are doing keto. It all depends on what works for them. I rarely see two people with the exact same diet… Unless you hire some of the so called “gurus” and get a copy-paste diet.

For a natural lifter, the diet will be COMPLETELY different than someone on gear… Mostly in the amounts of food. When you are on gear your body synthesizes protein more efficiently and can handle a lot more of it. Guys who use insulin usually can handle a lot more carbs during the diet, while natural guys need to be much more careful with the total amount of food they consume. There are some natural guys with extremely fast metabolism eat more than guys that use gear but this is the exception.

196

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:
Hello Shadow

Sorry if this ? has been asked, I didnt see it…
I ran a cycle consisting of Test E /deca/ d-bol… All went well, except at the finish I didnt know better and stopped everything at the same time… Needless to say 4-5 weeks later I had problems…

All my hormones recovered 7 months later… Today my levels are great natural levels!.. However, I am still experiencing sides from the deca/ cycle…Dead libido / poor mood/ weak erections…I have read many guys with the same issues and some took 2 years to fully recover…! Today I am at nearly 17 months…Feeling better but really uneasy about the missing libido…

Can you talk about “Long Term” sexual suppression from deca use.
There seems to be a ton of confusion about the dreaded deca D!ck.

Many users have suffered even after they have recovered their endogenous testosterone levels and the axis has balanced…
Have you seen or heard of this being permanent ? any info on men who have weathered through it?

Thanks a bunch in advance…!
All the best…! [/quote]

Did you do any kind of PCT in the months after the cycle? HCG, clomid?

197

[quote]tortellini3 wrote:
Hi, Shadow Pro. First off, thank you for your time, very interesting reading here. Oh and I apologize for my poor english, I’m french.

My question is not very drugs related but about dieting. I thought you could maybe have an answer.

841×624 117 KB

My background : I passed my whole childhood and almost my whole years as a teen eating junk all day. I started training in december 2011, at 160lbs and 17.8% bodyfat (left pic). I gradually learned some nutrition principles and on end of february 2013, I decided to go on a diet that consisted of approximatively 2000 calories, 90g of fats, 53g of carbs and 244g of proteins.

I was having a whole cheating day on friday. The second picture was taken on april 24th and I was 165lbs. After that I tried to keep the diet in summer but with friends, sunny days and everything I failed sometimes. After this I wasn’t on a pretty strict diet but I tried to keep it clean at least 5 days per week with almost the same macros (but a little more carbs and a little more calories). Third picture was taken in april this year (the 29), at 187lbs.

I have to aceept it : I have very poor genetics, insulin sensitivity or whatever. To reach a simple average 9% bodyfat, I have to go on a very strict diet, while my friends have the same bodyfat by eating pizza, McDonald’s and drinking beers all the week. But my dilemma is here : like most of the people who train, I want to grow my muscles. Nutrition science tells me that to grow I need to eat more calories than I burn, and some formulas tells me that my maintenance caloric intake is around 2600-2800. What tips would you give for the optimal lean bulking strategy that I could adopt ? Oh and I’m 5"8.

Thanks a lot.[/quote]

Can you tell me how many times a week you train? What style of training? Cardio? Have you ever tried high protein, medium carbs and medium fat? Are you natural? (If not tell me what you are taking). Any supplements?
I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff you can do with your diet and supplementation that will allow you to eat more than 50g of carbs a day. In my opinion this is very low.

198

[quote]multipurpose1 wrote:
I notice you keep suggesting 10-20mgs of nolva everyday while on cycle. I’ve always used anastrazole or aromasin to keep estrogen levels at bay. From my understanding nolva blocks the estrogen receptors as opposed to the adex and aromasin preventing aromatization. Is using nolva during cycle instead of an aromatase inhibitor common practice with most pros?[/quote]

Your understanding of the theory is correct. I’ve found just from trial and error that nolvadex in low does works better for most people and keeps you safe from gyno symptoms without hurting gains. The majority of the people I know prefer this over arimidex but both will work if done correctly. Adex can cause joint pain for some people and it’s much less likely with nolva.

199

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:
Hello Shadow

Sorry if this ? has been asked, I didnt see it…
I ran a cycle consisting of Test E /deca/ d-bol… All went well, except at the finish I didnt know better and stopped everything at the same time… Needless to say 4-5 weeks later I had problems…

All my hormones recovered 7 months later… Today my levels are great natural levels!.. However, I am still experiencing sides from the deca/
cycle…Dead libido / poor mood/ weak erections…I have read many guys with the same issues and some took 2 years to fully recover…! Today I am at nearly 17 months…Feeling better but really uneasy about the missing libido…

Can you talk about “Long Term” sexual suppression from deca use.
There seems to be a ton of confusion about the dreaded deca D!ck.

Many users have suffered even after they have recovered their endogenous testosterone levels and the axis has balanced…
Have you seen or heard of this being permanent ? any info on men who have weathered through it?

Thanks a bunch in advance…!
All the best…! [/quote]

Did you do any kind of PCT in the months after the cycle? HCG, clomid?
[/quote]

Yes, Ran tamox & clomid to no help …ran 2nd included hcg along with tamox & clomid… Have good levels now naturally ( 688) Age 42…

And still have sides…Libido is gone…! Making the erections weak…
Ive had good test levels for 10 months and have not gotten rid of the sides…I read others having the same problems. My concern is to wait it out clean or run cycles to help…?

200

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:
Hello Shadow

Sorry if this ? has been asked, I didnt see it…
I ran a cycle consisting of Test E /deca/ d-bol… All went well, except at the finish I didnt know better and stopped everything at the same time… Needless to say 4-5 weeks later I had problems…

All my hormones recovered 7 months later… Today my levels are great natural levels!.. However, I am still experiencing sides from the deca/
cycle…Dead libido / poor mood/ weak erections…I have read many guys with the same issues and some took 2 years to fully recover…! Today I am at nearly 17 months…Feeling better but really uneasy about the missing libido…

Can you talk about “Long Term” sexual suppression from deca use.
There seems to be a ton of confusion about the dreaded deca D!ck.

Many users have suffered even after they have recovered their endogenous testosterone levels and the axis has balanced…
Have you seen or heard of this being permanent ? any info on men who have weathered through it?

Thanks a bunch in advance…!
All the best…! [/quote]

Did you do any kind of PCT in the months after the cycle? HCG, clomid?
[/quote]
Yes, Ran tamox & clomid to no help …ran 2nd included hcg along with tamox & clomid… Have good levels now naturally ( 688) Age 42…
And still have sides…Libido is gone…! Making the erections weak…
Ive had good test levels for 10 months and have not gotten rid of the sides…I read others having the same problems. My concern is to wait it out clean or run cycles to help…?

[/quote]

When I stopped everything at once, the test cleared leaving the deca to run solo at high levels from the cycle build up. Some guys have stated ( anecdotaly) that they have recovered in 2 or so years and some saying they’ve had the same issues for many years after deca use… Do you have any experience or heard of these type of lengthy recoveries from deca…?