Q&A with Shadow Pro

Shadow_Pro · June 12, 2014, 10:38pm

[quote]alvertos wrote:
hey shadow i am 33,5-9,170 pounds,below 10% bodyfat and i have been training for 15 years,my first and only cycle was 7 years ago,2 winstrol tabs for 4 weeks and i also use eca or clen almost every summer for a month.my diet,training,rest and supps are ok and now i think
i want to try anavar,i fuckin hate needles and i have noticed some hair loss so i think its my only choise.

how should i use it?any pct?also whats best in your opinion eca or clen?i think clen gives me better loss but i am afraid about heart problems from its use.

thanks for your time,highly appreciate it.[/quote]

You can try anavar(it’s very mild) you will definitely see some improvement. Try 60mg for 6-8 weeks.

If you are doing anavar only then you don’t need any PCT after it. Unless you are extremely sensitive or if you had any issues after using winstrol.
Just taper the anavar down for 3 weeks like this:
1 week @ 40mg
1 week @ 30mg
1 week @ 20mg

Make sure you are researching the product, there are a lot of fakes and it should be relatively expensive… Any cheap anavar is usually a bad sign.

Stimulants: cycle back and forth from ECA(6weeks), Clen (6 weeks), off (6 weeks)
I wouldn’t worry too much about heart disease from Clen, just make sure not to take too much or stay on it too long.

Shadow_Pro · June 12, 2014, 10:42pm

[quote]Yogi wrote:
that last post raises an interesting point.

Shadow, what do you think about tapering down into PCT? I’m a fan personally but it seems people like me are in the minority.

For example, I usually run my test a week or two longer than my other injectables, then I’ll taper down the dose by 200mg or so a week until I get to a TRT dose, which I run for two weeks, adding SERMs the second week then running the SERMs for another month or so when I’m off the test (5 weeks usually including a week where I taper SERMs down). I blast some hCG while I’m tapering down to wake the boys back up, and continue AI use right up until SERM therapy.

Thoughts?[/quote]

I like this idea a lot!!! I actually use a similar approach with some of my clients. The body doesn’t like drastic changes so anything done gradually is usually a good idea.

anvilTX · June 13, 2014, 12:58am

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]anvilTX wrote:
Thanks for all of the great insight/advice. For someone who is not competing but still wanting the most out of their cycles, would you recommend the standard 12-16 week long ester cycles, 6-8 week short ester, or a form of b&c for a certain period of time. My stats, H- 6’2 W-265 15% BF 515 S/325 B/ 550 D[/quote]

And thank you for following… What is your cycle history? Goals(strength, gaining size, getting lean?) Current diet/training? Give me some info and I’ll be happy to help.
[/quote]

Currently leaning out to the 10-12 bf% to set myself up to gain lean mass as long as possible. I’ve been training for 8 years. Currently following a mountain dog diet(high protein/high fat/moderate carbs) and train on a high volume 6 day split. I work a labor intensive job so recovery is huge, which my intra workout supp has helped a lot. I’ve currently ran 3 cycles.

500mg test 12 wks/dbol 30mg 4 wks.
500mg test 12 wks/ dbol 50mg 6 wks
750mg test 12 wks/ dbol 50mg 6 wks
Each cycle I ran adex on and pct with nolva clomid.

Thanks!

Yogi1 · June 12, 2014, 10:58pm

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
that last post raises an interesting point.

Shadow, what do you think about tapering down into PCT? I’m a fan personally but it seems people like me are in the minority.

For example, I usually run my test a week or two longer than my other injectables, then I’ll taper down the dose by 200mg or so a week until I get to a TRT dose, which I run for two weeks, adding SERMs the second week then running the SERMs for another month or so when I’m off the test (5 weeks usually including a week where I taper SERMs down). I blast some hCG while I’m tapering down to wake the boys back up, and continue AI use right up until SERM therapy.

Thoughts?[/quote]

I like this idea a lot!!! I actually use a similar approach with some of my clients. The body doesn’t like drastic changes so anything done gradually is usually a good idea.
[/quote]

Finally some validation of my taper! People have been telling me for years how pointless it is!

Great minds think alike. Thanks big guy.

ztanzanite · June 12, 2014, 11:14pm

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:
Shadow… Thanks too for helping my questions…!
[/quote]

You’re welcome, the reason I didn’t recommend caber is because im afraid after being shut down for so long that if you go on it might help a little bit while you’re on it but then shut you down even worse. That’s why I advise to try the more conservative route for this case.
[/quote]
You think another strong PCT is best at this point?
Also, What about my current TT levels… they look good. Is there more to recover with PCT than just TT levels and the other sex howmones ( LH, Fsh…ect)…?

[/quote]

Here’s what I think. Every strong PCT that you are doing will improve your libido. It’s not that I want to increase your current testosterone level, but it will do that as well. I want to give your libido another push and it should stay there or very close to good levels. It’s still my best option. The Cialis will also help a lot with this combo and I know this because I have had guys improve in similar situations (although not as extreme)

I’m not against caber, but if something goes wrong again after you go off then it might crash you even more.

Did you check your prolactin levels? And what other testing have you had recently?

Also, remember your not 20 years old anymore… These problems can sprout up at any point after our peak years. Guys always expect to come off juice and expect to be horny as a dog like they were when they were 18 but sadly it never happens.
[/quote]

Shadow… Thanks man…! You are so very helpful…
Yes, prolactin is in range… I did manipulate it down and up with zero improvement…
I have had all realavent tests performed and once past the 7 mo th mark each one was not just in range, but optimal… I’ve had Scally, Crisler and a few “experts” look at them values…
Scally says give it more time… Crisler says at 18 mo THS things should clear up… A few experts say 2 years is possible and they’ve seen it with deca…
I was 40 when the cycle was tab and all was good… Libido was as strong as it was at 20… No joke…!
The cycle destroyed the libido 100%…
When I use cialis, your right, it does feel like an increase…
If you have any further suggestions, please let me know…
I’m here in Cali… Same time zone…!

rager · June 12, 2014, 11:25pm

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]rager wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]rager wrote:
Hey Shadow

What is the highest dose of T3 you ever used? And how much cardio were you doing at that time?
Do you think using Humalog the day before a show is useful if I only loaded for one day? Example would be using 10IU’s in the morning and 10Ius in the evening. I dont think you’d spill if you limit the carb load to one day while your drying out. I’d like to get your thoughts on this if you will?

I ask the first question bc I feel like using a high dose of T3 like 100mcg with allot of gear (total 5grams) is more beneficial to fat loss to muscle loss then say 2 hours of cardio where we know cardio is catabolic just as well as T3. I feel like guys who have a high metabolism do not require allot of cardio so why not match their metabolism via T3 instead of something more catabolic like cardio? My legs get decimated by doing that much cardio so I was thinking of doing a high amount of T3 for my next prep and keeping the cardio low (30min/day) and staying lean in the offseason which I am right now bc I just finished a show.
[/quote]

Highest dose I ever used 125mcg of T3 for 2 weeks, most of the prep was between 50-75mcg. I bumped it up at the end because I was a bit behind and I wouldn’t recommend doing that because it can eat your muscle. Most of the time i never go over 75mcg.

I used to do a lot of cardio when I was younger. I’ve got a lot smarter since those days and now I never do anything more than 20-35min 4-5days/week and I usually come more shredded than when I did tons of cardio.

As for the last day before a show, it’s very tricky! The insulin could definitely help if you are 100% ready and can help you fill out and dry up at the same time… If your water consumption isn’t right and you aren’t 100% ready then it can make you look like you never dieted for the show. Insulin use during the last week and day before the show is very complicated, many variables including… How sensitive you are to water retention, how many carbs you’ve been eating in the diet, insulin use during diet, leanness and so on… Very hard to give advice on insulin use in the last week without knowing your body. This is exactly why people hire coaches in order to monitor these things.

As for your last comments… There’s a few things you are definitely right about!
-Staying lean in the off season is a great idea
-people with fast metabolism won’t need more than 30 min/day but it’s individual and can differ on a case to case basis

I’m not sure that a high dose of t3 is your answer, probably would be more beneficial to adjust your diet and do something 50-75mcg of t3 throughout the diet. You will risk being catabolic if you run 100 or more.
-stating that doing cardio is more catabolic than t3 is a very general statement, it’s most often not the case… Depends on the kind of cardio your doing and what your diet is like.

I’ll tell you that doing 20 min of incline walk won’t burn any muscle off of you, only get you leaner.[/quote]

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions as well as others. I have had 2 top prep coaches and just parted ways with my last one last week, both are top prep coaches in this industry but obviously we aren’t going to name drop. The problem I’m having with prep coaches is I feel like they hold back some information or some protocols which I feel are very beneficial but they do this bc of health reasons and legality reasons. I feel like doing my own protocol has taken the gloves off so to speak.

I can get very dry and shredded and I am using insulin on and off for 2 years with great results. I do have water issues as I do hold water but I also have the drying out process down to a “T” but the filling out process has been very tough for me. I usually start Dyazide on Thursday with 1/2 a pill then on Friday with 2 pills spread out throughout the day, with my usual water manipulation and sodium depletion, etc, then step on stage on Saturday morning. I know that the diuretic prevents allot of guys from filling out bc of the blockage of aldosterone but maybe Insulin can bypass this as I get super full off of insulin in just one day. I was thinking using Humalog just on Friday and depleting Monday - Thursday. I would dry out and fill out all on Friday which seems logical but what are your thoughts on this protocol? Most guys start loading on Thursday but I feel like there is no need if one is to use Insulin to hyper drive the carbs into the muscle. Spillage is possible but how if I am drying out?

On the T3 issue, I did also go up to 125mcg for last 2 weeks and boy, was that a mistake. I also was doing about 1.5 hours of LISS cardio with that so maybe I can go 75-100mcg with only 30 min of cardio and attain the same condition without losing size in my legs. Thoughts on this as well?

ps. I might hire another Prep coach but I am apprehensive on this after working with 2 of them that are highly regarded[/quote]

My problem with the top prep coaches in the industry is that they are working with the top athletes and they take on so many clients they can’t give enough individual attention to their “less significant” clients so to speak. I don’t think that they are necessarily hiding information but when all of their attention is being put on Phil Heath or Kai Greene for example, an amateur athlete is lost in their priority and I’ve often heard of copy/paste diets/drug protocols being given from coaches who charge upwards of $5000.

As for you, my biggest problem with your last week is that you seem to think you have a formula that you’ve nailed. I’ve done over 50 shows and I don’t think I’ve ever had one show where I did the EXACT same thing. Sometimes you could go with no diuretics and others you could use quite a bit… Some shows I lower sodium a bit and others not at all (NEVER CUT SODIUM COMPLETELY) some shows I’ve used insulin and looked great other times I looked like crap. I have done a lot of shows without insulin and looked just as good.

There’s no magic formula like I said before. Just take it day by day at the end and make adjustments accordingly. 1 day insulin load can work and it can also fuck you up completely. The risk is up to you. (If you naturally retain a lot of water then you’re taking a bigger risk)

I wouldn’t do more than 75mcg of T3 & 30 min of cardio a day should be enough. If you are going to hire another prep coach I would suggest steering away from the big names and find someone knowledgeable who will give you the time of day.
[/quote]

Your completely right and I felt the same. The attention from prep coaches cannot be there when they have 100-200 clients its impossible to juggle all that correclty. Its refreshing to hear that by the way. And your right about the last week, it all depends on how you look. My last 2 preps were different and this one will be different as well so I need to re -think allot of what I’m going to do.

BTW…I never cut out sodium completely, I actually increase it the last 4 weeks and cut it in half on Friday, and reintroduce it on Saturday. Same with water, I dont actually decrease it until Friday and the effects are nothing short of being bone dry. I’ll take your advice on the T3 and I’m actually allot leaner then I have been the last 2 offseasons post show. Thank you for all your advice and time to read our questions carefully. You’ve been a huge help…

ztanzanite · June 12, 2014, 11:34pm

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ztanzanite wrote:
Shadow… Thanks too for helping my questions…!
[/quote]

You’re welcome, the reason I didn’t recommend caber is because im afraid after being shut down for so long that if you go on it might help a little bit while you’re on it but then shut you down even worse. That’s why I advise to try the more conservative route for this case.
[/quote]
You think another strong PCT is best at this point?
Also, What about my current TT levels… they look good. Is there more to recover with PCT than just TT levels and the other sex howmones ( LH, Fsh…ect)…?

[/quote]

Here’s what I think. Every strong PCT that you are doing will improve your libido. It’s not that I want to increase your current testosterone level, but it will do that as well. I want to give your libido another push and it should stay there or very close to good levels. It’s still my best option. The Cialis will also help a lot with this combo and I know this because I have had guys improve in similar situations (although not as extreme)

I’m not against caber, but if something goes wrong again after you go off then it might crash you even more.

Did you check your prolactin levels? And what other testing have you had recently?

Also, remember your not 20 years old anymore… These problems can sprout up at any point after our peak years. Guys always expect to come off juice and expect to be horny as a dog like they were when they were 18 but sadly it never happens.
[/quote]

Shadow… Thanks man…! You are so very helpful…
Yes, prolactin is in range… I did manipulate it down and up with zero improvement…
I have had all realavent tests performed and once past the 7 mo th mark each one was not just in range, but optimal… I’ve had Scally, Crisler and a few “experts” look at them values…
Scally says give it more time… Crisler says at 18 mo THS things should clear up… A few experts say 2 years is possible and they’ve seen it with deca…
I was 40 when the cycle was tab and all was good… Libido was as strong as it was at 20… No joke…!
The cycle destroyed the libido 100%…
When I use cialis, your right, it does feel like an increase…
If you have any further suggestions, please let me know…
I’m here in Cali… Same time zone…!
[/quote]

Shadow,
Let me add some details about the cycle since I neglected to do so already…
When I started the cycle I was unknowledgable and taking advise from the wrong crowd…
The cycle was
week 1-20 test E 550
week 1-20 deca 450
week 1-20 dbol 40 mg ed

Yes, I ran the d-bol for 20 weeks…! ( liver was still in range…!)
Everything was stopped at the same time…2 weeks out was Tamox 20 e/d
4 weeks out was clomid 50 e/d along with the tamox for 3 more weeks…
Finally at 7 months out all sex hormones were in range an optimized…
Libido was not recovered so on the advise of a Dr. I went back on test E 500 e/w for 4 weeks…Zero improvement in libido during that time.( bloods were taken to prove product was good) Was also on HCG 250 Iu every 3rd day during that cycle. With no improvement I ended the cycle and ran A proper Pct with HCG @ 500iu every 3 days for 3 weeks with clomid and nolvadex for 4 weeks following…
The mood and energy was all repaired, but libido and weak erections remained…
If I run another PCT as you suggested, I am worried about E2 while blasting the HGC… can I run adex during that pct as the tamox and I dont do well…Or just lower my tamox dosing?
Thanks Boss…

nocoolnick · June 13, 2014, 12:47am

Hey Shadow, not sure if you can help me out but a lot of my friends are military and they’re all looking for a stack that would improve their ‘Military athleticism’. So far most like a stack of test e (500-750mg/week) and mast e (250-500mg/week) as it keeps them strong, quick and recover fairly fast without gaining too much unwanted mass. Do you have any other ideas?

Most of the typical cycles I see are mostly for bodybuilders and powerlifters.

Sekula · June 13, 2014, 1:03am

Thank you for making this thread, and thank you for taking your time to answer all these questions. I have a couple of different questions (to break the monotony ) :

What do you think about protein absorption for natural bodybuilders, is 2g per kg too much?
Fat burners like Animal Cuts make digestive tract dry so clen should be a better option in terms of health (if used, not abused of course)?
This question has been asked for countless times but i would like to hear your opinion, Anabolic window for natural bodybuilders? Does whey protein+dex post workout make any advantage other than repairing the damage (Supercompensation?)

Thank you for your answer, and even if you dont answer, thank you for doing this. All the best.

thor159 · June 13, 2014, 1:36am

1 - In your opinion, what is more effective for far burning, T3 or Clen?

2 - How do you recommend using T3?

3 - Clen 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off or 2 days on and 2 days off for a longer period?

4 - What is the “secret” to being able to digest so much food ingested (gastrointestinal health and absorption wise).

Thanks in advance.

Shadow1723 · June 13, 2014, 1:59am

SP,

You mentioned in an earlier post that you perform an IV detox when you are tapering down. Can you explain in more detail what this is, why you have it performed and how one can receive an IV detox anywhere?

Thanks in advance!

MassEffect · June 13, 2014, 3:44am

Shadow Pro,

First of all - mad respect. I’ve been reading this thread since 1st post and I’m really enjoying learning from you. Thanks for doing this.

Background on me - 23y/o - Male- 220lbs - 6"1’ - under 15% bf - larger legs, moderate chest/uppers,. (leg day is forever the favorite)
I’ve been lifting for 6 years (on and off, more on than off). I’ve done a natural bodybuilding show (2) and I’ve even taken home a 1st place trophy (woo!).

Recently I’ve been all over the map with motivation after getting married and getting a hardcore deskjockey job. My wife got into fitness and has rekindled the fire I had for the sport when I was a teen. I’ve been toying around with the idea of trying for the physique class, most of those guys weight is around or under mine and I’m very symmetrical albeit leg heavy.

I have a bunch of questions, forgive me if I missed you answering some of these - I really did try to read everything you posted.

I’m stacking a ton of natty sups right now to boost test levels, Animal: Stak, M-Stak, Cellucor: P6 Red and P6 Black. I’m insanely strong on the right dose and its very noticable when I miss a dose. Along with damn near every animal supp in the line. I’ve gotten great results with them, but I feel like I’m hitting a wall and want to make more noticeable progress faster. Do you think these are a waste of money? In your experience has anyone ever benefited tremendously from using natty sups while on gear?

In addition to the test booster natty sups I’m taking Animal Cuts and Cellucors Super HD + CLK to help me drop weight.

I want to start rx to lean down aggressively and prep for a show without losing any size or strength. This will be my first cycle. I train 3x weekly (back/front/legs) +2 hours and cardio 3x weekly for roughly 500~1000kcal burned each time.
What kind of stack would you think could be a good way to help me achieve my goals (physique show) sometime late this year?

Thanks for taking time out of your day to contribute the knowledge you’ve gained over the years.
Mass

DoctorJekyll · June 13, 2014, 3:44am

Hey Shadow, do you do prepping for athletes?

mat_gmichaud · June 13, 2014, 3:48am

Thanks a lot for your time!

I will stay clean and bust my ass!

Lets talk about suplementation,

What do you think about poliquin product? (Like should we take Zinc, multi-vit, omega and stuf like that)

It is a good investement ?!

I have use Plazma and holyshit I feel like superman in the gym, but right now I’m taking some weeks off with that supplement because i feel less and less effect. Its like my body dont react like at the begining. I think its normal i mean our body adapt and the suplementation get less efective.

Question: how you rotate or take brake of your suplementation to try to always get the most benefit?!

Sorry for my bad english I’m a frenchman!

CW298 · June 13, 2014, 4:20am

I apologize if you have answered this already… what is the best way to pass a urine drug test with a 14 hour notice taking steroids or more specifically, oral winnie? Thanks!

LMPCF · June 13, 2014, 6:24am

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]LMPCF wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]LMPCF wrote:
Also a newbie poster here, been reading and applying T-Nation knowledge since I started training however. First forum that has intrigued me to react.

To make a long story short:
I have done bodybuilding for about 3 years, gaining about 40 pounds of muscle (from 145 pounds to 185 pounds at 6’1")
At the end of my bodybuilding career is suffered a severe neck injury and kept on training for a year (sounds really stupid, but the story is more complex then that). I was in need of functional recovery and started doing crossfit, got bitten by the bug and stuck with it now. (No disrespect whatsoever to bodybuilding, see a lot of hate between the two sides but that is not me).

I finally found a magically good physical therapist so i’ll be returning to real intensity soon. My goal is to start competing at a high level as soon as possible. Competing at high level has always been a goal for me but I have been stopped my injuries multiple times. The past year I have put so goddamn much effort in becoming a perfectly functioning human being that nothing is gonna stop me now lol.

I am, and I believe the entire T-Nation community is aswell, convinced that nearly all pro crossfit athletes are on gear because of the great benefits they give towards crossfit style training. My question to you is what would you advice for a beginner cycle for crossfit?

I wont be doing it anytime soon, I’ll go clean for probably another year (i reckon it’ll take me this long before I start reaching plateus again) and then start it.

Thank you for the effort you take answering everybody’s (and hopefullly my) guestions!

[/quote]

Taking into consideration that in crossfit you need to keep your condition and endurance, I would suggest something like this.

12 WEEKS

Testosterone- if you don’t mind pinning every day I would recommend test-prop @ 75mg eod
If you don’t want to pin so often I’d say test-e @250mg/week
Masterone - mast-p @ 75mg eod OR mast-e @ 300mg/week

for athletes not interested in weight gain I always recommend short esters because they cause less water retention and they are in and out of your system very fast.
Since it’s your first cycle, we don’t know how you react to drugs and what kind of side effects you’ll get. With short esters you can stop if needed and they work immediately so you’ll see results right away. Long esters take a few weeks until they are stable in your blood therefore the results would slower. Both will work great but it really depends on how often you want to inject.

Also add:
Anavar @60mg/day (much more gentle than many of the other orals out there)
OR
Winstrol @50mg/day (it will give you more strength but more aggressive than anavar)

Nolvadex 10-20mg/day (start with 10 and up it to 20 if you have any issues)
250iu HCG 2x/week
[/quote]

Sounds great, lots of thanks for your help.

Few small questions. I hear a lot of good things about growth hormone and epo. Is there any benefit to adding them (without any horrible side effects ofcourse)?

Also about the cycle. Ill do the testosterone and masterone eod (on the same day right?), take the anavar/winstrol every day and HCG twice a week. Should I do the nolvadex right from the start for the whole 12 weeks or is that something for after (thought nolvadex was something for after, but then again I only heard stuff about cycle from the most retared people on the planet so I dont believe anything they tell me).

Sorry for the noob questions, everybody has got to start learning sometime right?

P.S. Diet/sleep/recovery is all on point![/quote]

GH is great for recovery, nagging injuries and fat burning. Since you are doing crossfit and don’t want a lot of water retention I would only do low dose of 2-3iu/day. If you are under 25, save your money until you are older… You’ll get more benefits then.

Never used epo, it’s mostly used by endurance athletes (marathon runners, cyclists) I don’t know enough about it to give you information and don’t want to mislead you. Since crossfit is not just an endurance sport I wouldn’t bother, especially on a first cycle.

Yes, you are doing mast/test on the same day, HCG 2x/week and I put the nolvadex there as a preventative measure to keep you safe from gyno… Better safe than sorry!

You have made quality posts and I don’t mind any questions from beginners, I actually prefer people to get off on the right foot. So let me know if you need anything else.
[/quote]

Thanks Shadowpro! I will definitely keep this cycle in mind for next year. Any thoughts on how long a GH cycle with 2-3iu a day should last?

Good that you are honest about this, i wasnt really planning on doing EPO but was just curious.

What is the protocol when I get bad gyno for example (eg stop cycle and increase nolvadex)? And when I dont react very well to the stuff. I am not aware of the consequences when stopping in the middle of the cycle. Would like to know what I should do in such a case should it ever happen.

I have always wanted to know more about steroid use from a source that would really know what he/she is talking about. Really good to have you here bro!

Shadow_Pro · June 13, 2014, 6:49am

[quote]anvilTX wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]anvilTX wrote:
Thanks for all of the great insight/advice. For someone who is not competing but still wanting the most out of their cycles, would you recommend the standard 12-16 week long ester cycles, 6-8 week short ester, or a form of b&c for a certain period of time. My stats, H- 6’2 W-265 15% BF 515 S/325 B/ 550 D[/quote]

And thank you for following… What is your cycle history? Goals(strength, gaining size, getting lean?) Current diet/training? Give me some info and I’ll be happy to help.
[/quote]

Currently leaning out to the 10-12 bf% to set myself up to gain lean mass as long as possible. I’ve been training for 8 years. Currently following a mountain dog diet(high protein/high fat/moderate carbs) and train on a high volume 6 day split. I work a labor intensive job so recovery is huge, which my intra workout supp has helped a lot. I’ve currently ran 3 cycles.

500mg test 12 wks/dbol 30mg 4 wks.
500mg test 12 wks/ dbol 50mg 6 wks
750mg test 12 wks/ dbol 50mg 6 wks
Each cycle I ran adex on and pct with nolva clomid.

Thanks!
[/quote]

I’m going to give you 2 options for each cycle styles you mentioned 1 will be considered light/medium and 2 will be more advanced for experienced user.

With 8 years of training, a decent diet and a few cycles under your belt… It would be your choice which option to choose you can go either way.

Long esters cycle

750mg test-e or test-c
600mg of eq
12-16 weeks
Turinabol 50mg ED (first 6 weeks)
HCG 250iu every 3rd day
Nolvadex 20mg/day or arimidex 1mg every 3rd day
2.1g test-e or test-c
600mg tren-e
800mg eq
Turinabol or dbol 70-100mg ED (week 1-4 60mg, week 5-6 80mg, week 7-8 100mg)
500iu of HCG every 3rd day
Nolva @ 20mg/day or arimidex @ 1mg every 2-3 days.

Short ester cycles:

Test-p 100mg EOD
Mast-p 100mg EOD
Anavar 60 mg/ day
Nolva 10-20mg/day or Adex 1mg every 3rd day
HCG 250iu every 3rd day
Test-p 150mg EOD
Tren-A 100mg EOD
Mast-p 100mg EOD
Winstrol (oral) 50mg everyday
Nolva/arimidex same as option 1
HCG 500iu every 3rd day

B+C
Depends on your original dose, usually about 1/2 of the dose is good to cruise on. Continue to run nolva and HCG during this time.

If you’re completely mentally stable and you’re not an edgy person then the tren would be a great addition. It will give you great gains, hardness and strength… There’s nothing like it but people can be sensitive to the side effects so always start low.

Shadow_Pro · June 13, 2014, 6:53am

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
that last post raises an interesting point.

Shadow, what do you think about tapering down into PCT? I’m a fan personally but it seems people like me are in the minority.

For example, I usually run my test a week or two longer than my other injectables, then I’ll taper down the dose by 200mg or so a week until I get to a TRT dose, which I run for two weeks, adding SERMs the second week then running the SERMs for another month or so when I’m off the test (5 weeks usually including a week where I taper SERMs down). I blast some hCG while I’m tapering down to wake the boys back up, and continue AI use right up until SERM therapy.

Thoughts?[/quote]

I like this idea a lot!!! I actually use a similar approach with some of my clients. The body doesn’t like drastic changes so anything done gradually is usually a good idea.
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Finally some validation of my taper! People have been telling me for years how pointless it is!

Great minds think alike. Thanks big guy.
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95% of the people have no idea what they’re talking about… You know this!!
I am not saying I know everything but I’m just giving my advice based on my own personal experience, which is A LOT. I’m glad you shared this! I’ve seen it work time after time with so many clients.

Shadow_Pro · June 13, 2014, 6:56am

[quote]rager wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]rager wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]rager wrote:
Hey Shadow

What is the highest dose of T3 you ever used? And how much cardio were you doing at that time?
Do you think using Humalog the day before a show is useful if I only loaded for one day? Example would be using 10IU’s in the morning and 10Ius in the evening. I dont think you’d spill if you limit the carb load to one day while your drying out. I’d like to get your thoughts on this if you will?

I ask the first question bc I feel like using a high dose of T3 like 100mcg with allot of gear (total 5grams) is more beneficial to fat loss to muscle loss then say 2 hours of cardio where we know cardio is catabolic just as well as T3. I feel like guys who have a high metabolism do not require allot of cardio so why not match their metabolism via T3 instead of something more catabolic like cardio? My legs get decimated by doing that much cardio so I was thinking of doing a high amount of T3 for my next prep and keeping the cardio low (30min/day) and staying lean in the offseason which I am right now bc I just finished a show.
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Highest dose I ever used 125mcg of T3 for 2 weeks, most of the prep was between 50-75mcg. I bumped it up at the end because I was a bit behind and I wouldn’t recommend doing that because it can eat your muscle. Most of the time i never go over 75mcg.

I used to do a lot of cardio when I was younger. I’ve got a lot smarter since those days and now I never do anything more than 20-35min 4-5days/week and I usually come more shredded than when I did tons of cardio.

As for the last day before a show, it’s very tricky! The insulin could definitely help if you are 100% ready and can help you fill out and dry up at the same time… If your water consumption isn’t right and you aren’t 100% ready then it can make you look like you never dieted for the show. Insulin use during the last week and day before the show is very complicated, many variables including… How sensitive you are to water retention, how many carbs you’ve been eating in the diet, insulin use during diet, leanness and so on… Very hard to give advice on insulin use in the last week without knowing your body. This is exactly why people hire coaches in order to monitor these things.

As for your last comments… There’s a few things you are definitely right about!
-Staying lean in the off season is a great idea
-people with fast metabolism won’t need more than 30 min/day but it’s individual and can differ on a case to case basis

I’m not sure that a high dose of t3 is your answer, probably would be more beneficial to adjust your diet and do something 50-75mcg of t3 throughout the diet. You will risk being catabolic if you run 100 or more.
-stating that doing cardio is more catabolic than t3 is a very general statement, it’s most often not the case… Depends on the kind of cardio your doing and what your diet is like.