[quote]Uncreative123 wrote:
[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
[quote]Uncreative123 wrote:
Shadow, I’ve read through the whole thread and you’ve touched a little bit on the subject I’m very curious about.
When leading up to a show I am not 100% sure when to cut out all Anabolics. Leading up to my last show about a week or two ago I was just running Tren A/Test P/Mast P and albuterol. I did the last injection about 4-5 days before the show thinking that would be OK in regards to water retention (plus I was running water pills/dieuretics) but that didn’t work out very well. I compared pics to a previous show where everything was cut 7 weeks ahead of time and I was definitely dryer, though I don’t think leaner, and definitely smaller.
My mid-section looked very bloated and distended. I couldn’t tell if it was due to excess water (obviously didn’t look that dry), distended gut from AS use, too much heavy ab work, not enough cardio (almost none), serious stress and depression (devastating break up about two weeks before the show)or a combination of all of that. I was 100% absolutely not ready to step on stage, mentally or physically.
I see you recommending use of T3 and clen up to the time of the show, but my concern is all the muscle wasting from T3 and clen.
I’m trying to prep for another show just under 4 weeks from now, Still on Tren A/Test P/MastP and was going to add in some winny (I know not a lot of time on it) and then maybe run T3/Clen for 2 weeks before the show since that’s about all I’ll have time for.
Questions:
Should I push the date back and go for a show a little later out? The only reason I’m weary of that is because this has been a very long cycle for me.
When should I cut out AS use to be as dry as possible?
When should I add/cut out T3/Clen?
I know I have some serious areas to work on, but I feel like this is a start. I included a pic since you said that helps you have a better idea of what’s going on.
I also plan to cut greek yogurt based on your recommendation.
Thanks in advance. You’ve been very helpful.[/quote]
Thank you for posting your picture and sharing your info here for me to see.
I’m not here to criticize but the first thing that comes to mind is that you are taking WAY too many drugs for your goal. How long have you been on the cycle of tren/mast/prop and how much of each?
You gave a whole lot of reasons why you didn’t look your best and stress is definitely a huge part of it. It’s very hard to prep for a show if your body has high cortisol levels, it will make you hold water and look soft no matter what you do.
You mentioned that you are on diuretics 4-5 days before the show(this is apparent to me when I see your picture)… This will make you look very flat and put your body in danger. You don’t need to take diuretics until 1-2 days before a show. And with men’s physique you probably wouldn’t need many diuretics and most likely could compete without using any.
As for Clen, it won’t make you lose muscle as it has anticatabolic properties and with the t3, as long as your dosage is correlating accordingly with your diet then you shouldn’t run into any problems. When and if to add it depends completely on the individual and their current state(ex. Bodyfat level, diet, cardio etc.)
I usually recommend (as a general rule) to stop all injectables about 1 week out… Again this is individual and will depend on your sensitivity to the substance and your sensitivity to water retention as well and many other factors.
Cutting Greek yogurt at about 10-12 weeks out is a good idea. And if I were you I would plan for a later show, it seems to me that your mind and body are not in a state to fully engaged and prepared to step on stage right now. The whole process needs to be organized and well thought out. You have plenty of research to do in the meantime.
I am waiting to hear your feedback on the drugs you are taking With regard to the amount of time and dosages. I think you need to consider coming off and clean your body to prepare the best you can for the next show. There is always another show, so don’t be discouraged and don’t rush things.
[/quote]
Seriously, thank you for the response. Right now all I’m running is about 450mg Test Prop, 337.5mg Tren A, and 150mg Mast prop a week.
The cycle started in December with a Test mix at about 900mg/wk along with EQ at 600mg/wk and anavar (just 6 weeks of var) I ran that for about 14 weeks, along with HCG weeks 3-13. That was kind of a waste, I will admit.
Then I switched over to a Tri-Tren blend at 600mg/wk, and then the Rip blend (tren A, test P, mast P) at about 400mg/wk. That was weeks 14 through now, I guess around week 26. I had about two weeks off from HCG and ran it for another 8 weeks. It has become much longer than I wanted…but I didn’t want to do all that just for ONE show where I came in looking like shit. Because I’ve been on for so long I would probably have to take like 3-4 months off and then hop back on…and by then, contest season is pretty much over- that’s why I just wanted to try to get one more show in and do better.
I’m a little confused by how people are doing shows, like 4-5 back to back to back if you’re suppose to cut out all AS, yet still run T3/Clen? Seems like you would start to lose a bit of mass after all that and the constant dialing in.
I’m pretty sure I’m fairly sensitive to water. When I tried to cut water one time before I ended up looking really puffy. So the last couple times I just ran with water pills and kept water normal and it seemed to work better. You’re saying just run dieuretics 1-2 days before and then completely cut water?
Also regarding diet, I think I’m getting that squared away. I had been shooting around 60g/fat 120g/carbs and 310g/protein a day. Little deviations here and there. I’m doing more carb and fat cycling this time around and it seems to be working a little better…but I am definitely nervous about eating too many carbs. And now fat. I just wish I knew what would work best- but then again, doesn’t everyone?
I was also going to ask if you only count “net carbs” or just count ALL carbs. I know some people don’t count any carbs at all from green veggies.
Any other advice or tips you can give me will be greatly appreciated. I’m very grateful you’re taking time out of YOUR day to do this for everyone.[/quote]
For a physique competitor your doses are plain and simply way too high! These are amounts that high level bodybuilders are taking. Why are you taking so much, if I may ask?
Also, this cycle is way too long. My best advice at this point is to come off and get clean with a good PCT and stay clean for a good 3-4 months. Once your body has repaired and blood tests come back norm then you can come back on a sane cycle that suits a men’s physique competitor. I think your body is just worn out and this is why no matter what you are trying, you are not getting your desired look. Cut your loses and think about next season… Whatever you do now is just going to set you back further so think long term.
When you have a great off season and a carefully planned program you can consider back to back shows. It’s never easy on your body to do shows this way and if everything isn’t optimal in your program it can be disastrous. It’s easier for a men’s physique to do back to back shows because their stage condition and drug protocol is much easier on the system and they are able to maintain this look for longer periods of time. There’s no reason why a men’s physique competitor should ever take 1g of test, 600mg of eq and 600mg of tren…there’s no logic here. It will make you hold a shit load of water and put unnecessary pressure on your system making it much harder to get to your desired look. More is not better!
T3 and Clen are not mandatory, they are used in certain amounts and dosages depending on the specific case. I know a lot of men’s physique competitors who don’t use it at all… A good diet and training program can get you to this point. You aren’t trying to get to 3% bodyfat so there’s no need for extreme measures.
I’m not saying to run diuretics 1-2 days before or to run them at all for that matter. It’s completely individual. Some people cut water completely and some don’t cut it at all… Some people use diuretics and some people don’t use them at all… You keep mentioning water pills, are you talking about an over the counter diuretic? Some of these can cause different side effects and taking them for days on end may not be a good idea. The last week leading up to a show is individual and there is NO formula that exists… This is why people hire coaches because the last week is crucial and needs to be well thought out and planned on an individual case.
Regarding your diet… I can’t give you any specific advise because you aren’t my client therefore I don’t know how your body works but I can tell you that I’m a big believer in high carbs and carb cycling in general so it might be something to look into. I count all of my carbs, even veggies.
I think the biggest issue here is the drug protocol… Too much for too long with wrong decisions.everything else is an easy fix but if you don’t clean your body to have a fresh start, I really doubt you will look any better in the next show. Sounds to me like your body is in a big mess right now. If you want to do it long term, i would think about cleaning up now and looking towards a show next year instead.
but my feelings aren’t hurt haha, I’m glad you have continued to read!