Q&A with Shadow Pro

[Yogi1]

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Yogi wrote:
Shadwell,

What do you think about short term GH use? Do you see any value in adding it to a 12 week cycle? My cycles tend to be fairly modest (1g of test-ish, a little dbol here, a little anavar there) but I’ve always been intrigued as to whether adding a couple of iu of GH daily would make much of an impact.

The typical bro-mantra tells us that anything less than 6 months is pointless, but I just can’t justify the expenditure. I could maybe stretch to a 12 weeker + PCT if there was going to be a significant benefit.

I have never used GH before, in case you were wondering.[/quote]

Thank you for asking this… And just when I thought you’d disappeared from the thread you come back with a quality question.

I DEFINITELY think it would give great benefits, even in a 12 week window. When using GH, usually the longer you can stay on the better it is but using it for 10-12 weeks will give you some nice benefits. What you could expect to see is fuller and “rounder” look (like a ninja turtle) it’s hard to pinpoint it but it’s the only drug that will give you this unique look. If you are using a quality GH(pharm… No Chinese BS) you will see these changes almost immediately… Most people report finding tighter skin with a better tone, fat loss and the ability to increase calories without gaining fat. You will notice an huge difference in recovery from training and better sleep quality. One of the biggest things I’ve found for people who are serious in the gym is that it helps a lot with existing injuries… I have always had shitty knees and I never have any issues when I’m on GH.

As for dosage, I would start with 6iu/day (to see these specific benefits that I listed) for people who are just looking for fat loss or skin improvements when 3-4iu will be sufficient.

So it does work in short term for sure, it’s optimal to stay on it longer if possible but I think taking it for a short period is better than skipping it all together.
[/quote]

Don’t worry big fella, I’ll be popping in and out to keep it interesting!

So 6iu for 12 weeks it is then. Looks like I’m going to have to start doing some overtime. 12 weeks of that’s going to cost me like Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?£800![/quote]

Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?£800 for 12 weeks, pharmaceutical? 1.52/iu… Are you sleeping with the pharmacist? If you are thinking about generics I don’t think I’d go with it, that sounds extremely cheap to me. 99% of the generics are not real so save your money and wait until you can buy the real thing. It seems ridiculously expensive to switch to pharm GH but it’s also insane to pay money for viles of sucralose and whatever kind of other shit they stuff in there.

Years ago when I decided to make the switch and spend more on GH was the year I made a huge jump in my career… And a huge hole in my bank account.

The difference isn’t something subtle, you notice it right away clear cut differences… Your reaction will be “WOW!” And you won’t be stuck wondering if it is/isn’t working. You can continue to waste money on generics or try and find a source for pharm, you’ll be happy you did. There is a smalllllll chance you can land some decent underground kits but have them tested in a lab before wasting more money.
[/quote]

hmm well that’s interesting! It was Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?£200 for enough Growth to run 5iu for 20 days (that’s 100iu for those of you whose maths ain’t so good) and I was assured it was pharm grade! The guy that uses it swears by it and he’s a nationally ranked BBer, although I know that’s never an indication that people actually know what they’re talking about. He’s the dude I get my oils off as he gets them at a pretty decent knock down price and the quality is good. I just assumed the GH would be kosher as well.

I know we’re not supposed to discuss prices but what would the ballpark figure be for real growth then (sorry mods if that’s not cool to ask).[/quote]

Let me give you an example… If you walk into a pharmacy today with a prescription and no medical plan that helps with costs of prescription drugs you would be looking to pay $1800-2200USD for 128iu of pharmaceutical product. A good price could be $700 for 120iu… If u are finding cheaper than this I would be questioning the quality, unless you are sleeping with the girls at the facory… Hmmm, that’s a good idea! I know guys who got it this way btw.

It’s out there, just keep looking!!! Like I said to Reed, these low quality/no quality kits are the reason people don’t understand the true benefits of GH.
[/quote]

well fuuuuuuuck me, how do you afford to use it at all? What does your wife/girlfriend say about you spending that much money? I’d be sleeping on the sofa for years!

That’s interesting though, and certainly suggests that everyone I know who uses GH is getting shite. Maybe it’s just cheaper here in the UK than the US but I think that’s just wishful thinking on my part.

Thanks for the responses as always. Enjoyed that article you wrote the other day too. Nice to see this site coming back around to articles about steroids and professional bodybuilding.[/quote]

My girl is 100% supportive of my career and I have a great job, support system and sponsors. I see it over and over again when people come to me and say they are using 15iu/day and seeing no results using generics and then once they switch to something as low as 4iu from pharm grade they get immediate results… Wondering why they wasted their money on the other stuff before that. I have seen hundreds of generic brands and nothing is comparable… And believe me, I wish they were too!

Sorry to tell you this but I know pros from the UK who are getting their stuff from here in the US, I’ve heard it’s even worse there. You can try it if you want but I honestly think you’re wasting your hard earned money.

I think that this is the only site that has positive vibes without all of the trolls… I was happy to see they wanted to publish the article. I have a lot more writing to share and hopefully a book about juice coming in the near future.(hoping they will let me sell the book here so it will be easily accessible for my followers here)
[/quote]

Sorry, meant to reply to this ages ago…

Marry that chick if you haven’t already! Girls like that are hard to find. You know it’s love when she’ll pin your rear delts for you, haha.

Sucks about the GH, and to be honest if that’s the case then I think that rules out GH for me for the foreseeable future. As much as I’d love it, I just can’t justify the expenditure. I could get the real stuff (I’d order it from sponsors on other boards) but considering a whole cycle for me just now costs like £300, I’d end up paying ten times as much for a 12 weeker!

If I had plans to get on a stage in future I’d be all over it, but this is just a hobby for me. No sense getting a second mortgage for it!

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]Quadrociraptor wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Quadrociraptor wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Quadrociraptor wrote:
Thank you very much for the reply on my last couple of questions my last cycle was after my competition with systanon 300, 200mg E3D and Dbol 50mg every day i did a PCT Clomifen 50mg a day and proviron 50mg for 14 days HCG 5000 3 injections EOD this is the only one in bulgaria we got so now i em off for 4 Months what do you think about the cycle i can give you my diet and training and more detailed backround.

and another question about Intraworkout supplement
i em from Bulgaria and we don’t have any Biotest supps so is there any other with a simillar effect and igridient i know that you say there is no other but somthing that i can use like Glycofuse or Intra-Fuel vitargo?
[/quote]

I will say it over and over again that nothing will give you a similar effect. I’m sure that you can have the Plazma shipped to Bulgaria, they ship worldwide from the T-Nation store. If you are able to find steroids there, I don’t think Plazma will be the issue

How long was your cycle? Did you mean Sustanon? If this is what you meant, then you did way too much HCG for such a low dosage. Something more like 1000iu every 3rd day for 6 weeks post cycle. If the HCG is coming in 5000iu viles you can just preload all of the syringes and use them separately rather than 5000 all in one shot. I’m guessing you might have done this because you had the schering snap tops
[/quote]

The plazma comes to expensive for me to buy it from here so thats i search something like this well i ment sustanon yes the cycle was from january till the begining of this mounth i started my prep january
did sustanon 250, 100mg a week with EQ 100mg and Dbol 20mg,second week i did incresed the doses little to 200mg EQ and sus. dbol to 30mg then from the forth week i decresed them to the 1 doses got HCG 5000 in two shots only one was used with 10 days rest then did another 5 weeks of Test P 200mg a week and 200mg EQ with 40mg Dbol for another 4 weeks took nolvadex 10mg a day two started ephedryne Ephedrine then changed then we changed the cycle with Mast 100mg E4D Tri-tren 100mg E4D and stanozolol 40mg a day with T3 25mcg(Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?µg)(I don’t know if Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?µg is mcg sry) 1 Tab before cardio got it up to 50mcg for 3weeks then changed 2 weeks before the show i belive to Wini and test S 100mg EOD with anapolon i don’t remember the dosage here then did the cycle i gave you and the PCT
[/quote]

If you can afford juice, surely you can afford quality supplements(it’s money you’d have to spend on food regardless) Supplements and nutrition are coming first before everything and by the looks of your cycle it’s all over the place and you can do without some of these things. I’m not sure what exactly you are asking but I would do things differently. I’m not sure why you did Anadrol at the end and why you’re using t3.
[/quote]

that was before my competition and my coach worked this ot for me didn’t quite got the last things i was so dump on my diet the t3 was before my cardio with the ephedrine i em novice in the steroid section so i was wanting to understand fully what my coach did and got some quality feedback from you mr.Shadow [/quote]

I would have done things differently but that’s my personal opinion. If you want to understand the reasons this was done then you’ll have to ask your coach. He should always be able to explain to you why he’s making certain choices and not say “just do it because I told you to”

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]Pinkylifting wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Pinkylifting wrote:
And another. Sorry im not v good at this photo selfie thing[/quote]

I just saw these next two pictures… You are very lean… And I’m going to say not to use the Clen at all. This is a perfect example of how a natural athlete can look. Very impressive physique. I think you need some more mass and out of the 2 choices I gave you, I think the winstrol might be the better choice in this case.

**** for all of you kids that are expecting miracles from your outrageous cycles, take note… This is how you should look BEFORE you begin a cycle. Diet and training is key… He had 6 years of training and only now is considering a very basic cycle.
[/quote]

Thank you for the honest response, (the kind words went down pretty well too)

While i havnt decided to make ‘the leap’ so to speak, on either case, it was massively helpful to hear your opinion. Ill stay away from the clen+t3 and give the winny some serious consideration. With the clomid on hand.

With regards to the addition of the proviron, would this have any long term benefits to the cycle in terms of lean net gains? Or would it just provide additional aesthetic benefits during the 8 weeks? I only as as id like to keep the substances to the minimum.

Thanks again[/quote]

After you finish the Proviron you should maintain an overall harder look post cycle and it can be used as a precaution for side effects. Also, if you use it you most likely won’t have to take the clomid after. Either way will work, you don’t have to use it I was just giving you another option. And props to you for wanting to keep the substances to a minimum, it’s rare these days!

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]ktaylor966 wrote:
Shadow,
What’s with these bodybuilders dying at young ages from heart complications, guys like
The late, great. Frank Hillebrand? Boyer Coe had heart surgery and he couldn’t have possibly used the doses of roids the Pros of today use. Mike Matterazzo was one of my favorite pros and he retired due to heart problems at an early age. Your thoughts, opinions?

Are the readers and posters on this forum destined to deal with heart problems?
Thanks for being here for us,
KT[/quote]

I can’t say for sure because I am not their doctor. Heart complications are common in the whole population so I don’t think you can pinpoint it to steroid use. Many bodybuilders back in the day(and today) had no opposition to using recreational drugs, smoking and drinking along with their steroid use which doesn’t help the situation. I have never had any kind of heart issues, it doesn’t run in my family either so I can’t say it it’s something that’s destined to happen to me or not, I guess I’ll find out.
A lot of my friends who have complications have these problems running in their family, the steroid use could potentially increase these problems but nothing is certain. It could trigger any preexisting condition but if you are very healthy and don’t have any genetic inheritance to the problems you can use it without complications.

I don’t think it’s a healthy choice to make, but if you ask me what’s safer… To drink and do drugs every weekend or to take steroids? I would say steroids is a safer bet. If you are doing thing correctly and have knowledge on the subject you should be perfectly fine.

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]Wayacrucis wrote:
Wow, thanks so much for the quick and detailed answers. We’re almost being spoiled on here, so I better take advantage lol.

1. I’ll give Plasma a try during my coming off-season with Humalog. Do you prefer the standard pre-work out protocol with Slin? Protein/Carbs shake 10-15 mins before training with Humalog shot, Protein/Carbs Shake intra-work out and either a Protein/Carbs shake or whole food post work out? I noticed that I don’t go Hypo very easily. I am not sure if that’s a good or bad thing? With 15IU, I was consuming 75g Carbs pre-work out, 75g Carbs intra, and 50g Carbs post work out. I am just wondering what you exactly use pre,intra and post with Humalog to get the best out of it.

2. Question about HCG. Do you think whether or not a person uses HCG as a part of their PCT, when Nolvadex and Clomid are being used will make a big difference in terms of recovery? Also, do you prefer to take HCG during PCT itself? (As in at the same time as Nolvadex and Clomid?) I know many people blast HCG at 1000IU EOD, a day after their last shot up until 3 days before they start Nolvadex and Clomid, and at that point they cease the use of HCG. I know HCG is suppressing itself, which is why I am asking which way is preferred to use it.

Also, is it common for guys to take HCG throughout their entire cycles, if they are on for 20-24 weeks? Or better to just save it for PCT/Pre-PCT.

3. As for Blood pressure and Cholesterol, is it common for Pros to actually take prescription meds to keep these two things in check? High BP is a problem for most during the off-season, just because we consume so much food, so it’s hard to limit sodium. Do you personally get high BP from Tren? I know in most cases high BP is due to water retention, though some people I know experience very high BP on tren despite not holding water. In General, in recommendations for maintaining healthy lipids and BP during the off-season?

4. HGH - We’re all obviously aware that GH will make literally everything in the body grow. For guys that still want the benefits of muscle building from GH, but do not want significant growth in places like the hands and arms what dose would you recommend? I am assuming 6-8IU per day would be the max? As for when to take GH, when splitting the dose into two shots when are the best times? For both off-season mass gains and also for pre contest fat burning.

Thanks again[/quote]

1. I’ll give you a few protocols that you might like. The leaner you are, the more insulin you should be able to use and the more benefit it will give you.
   6hour timeframe around training:
   2.5hours pre-workout 30g from hydrolyzed casein (MAG-10) makes you body hypersensitive to nutrition
   2hrs preworkout solid meal (something like 8oz fish, 50g carbs from rice)
   30min preworkout 5iu Humalog and PRELOAD with 1.5 servings of Plazma
   After you warm up take 10iu of Humalog and sip 3 servings of Plazma intraworkout. Your workout will need to be long and intense in order for you to finish your drink and absorb it efficiently.
   30min post workout 30g from MAG-10
   Optional: if you are very lean in a gaining phase you can do 5iu of Humalog with MAG-10 and then have a solid meal 30 min later from a regular protein source and 50-75g of carbs (1/2 from starchy carbs, 1/2 from simple carbs)ex. Yams & honey
   *My version of Milos Sarcev’s protocol

If you have a lot of experience with insulin use, you can also add a dose in the morning about 35min after your GH
Wake up and do 3-4iu GH & 35min later do 5-10iu of Humalog and have a meal (same guidelines as post workout meal) for example: 1/2 from oats and 1/2 from honey.

I wouldn’t advise anyone to do all 3 shots in one day but if you are very lean and experienced with a high insulin sensitivity then this will work magic in terms of gaining mass. As long as you aren’t gaining fat you can bump up insulin and carbs… Water retention is fine, fat is not! Also, make sure you aren’t eating any kind of fat (or very very small amounts) 4 hours after administering the Humalog.

If you’re dieting, first thing I would cut is the post workout insulin and then cut the morning insulin. Depending how diet is going the preworkout insulin can be cut out or sometimes kept up until the show. Very individual and you’ll need lots of experience in order to do this successfully because the dosages, amount of carbs and insulin timing is changing depending on your progress.

2.i like to use HCG during cycle and it depends on how much test I’m using. I also use nolvadex in a low dose throughout the cycle (10-20mg/day) if you aren’t taking HCG during your cycle then it would be a smart choice to take it heavily post cycle. Yes, in the first 4-6 weeks of clomid use, I will use both of them together and then at the end of the pct (last2-3weeks) I stay on nolva, clomid and AlphaMale (the strongest natural test booster). It’s common to take HCG throughout the entire cycle, I think it’s necessary for long cycles or your balls will never be the same again Some guys prefer just to do a post cycle pct, usually if it’s a shorter cycle

3. I’ve never had any blood pressure issues or cholesterol issues. I don’t take any medication for this and never have. I know some guys who have these problems but I think it’s hereditary and/or lifestyle choices. I’m eating clean year round, maybe 1-2 cheat meals even in my off season. I think with proper nutrition and quality supplementation it can make a big impact on overall health. I don’t get blood pressure issues from tren but if someone who is sensitive to side effects from tren this could be the case… I don’t think tren is for everyone as I’ve mentioned before. I don’t get a lot of side effects and my body handles the drugs fairly well so I don’t think tren causes more issues than other drugs but it really depends on individuality. My general recommendation for maintaining a healthy lipid profile are supplements such as multiminerals, Flameout(omega-3s), superfood, iv detox (or pill form) 2-3x/year, sauna, brief walks weekly(20-30min 3x/week to increase blood flow and improve heart function)

4. 6-8iu is a great amount for muscle growth and will keep you safe from unwanted growth. As for off season timing, post workout 30min before insulin and before bed. For fat burning purposes pre workout 60-90min before and first thing in the morning on empty stomach.

[system]

Hey shadow have read entire thread and greatly appreciate you doing this for us.

A quick question regarding HGH timing and maximizing it.

I awake, hit a Brain Candy, then make my Plazma, then hit the gym.

When wld be more beneficial to take the hgh? (Only taking 4 iu’s to aid fatloss and help joints)

Right when I Awake? Or right before bed? Im open to your suggestions and thank you!

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]Huskers22 wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Huskers22 wrote:
For someone that wants to run a cycle, what is the best resource to learn the appropriate information to maintain safety and health? Many sites on the internet can offer conflicting information and becomes confusing. I want to ensure I’m doing the best thing for my body if I run a cycle, peptides, GH, etc.

Also - is there a way to find a reputable coach that is educated to keep my health and safety at top of priority? Speaking on providing advice based on cycle proposed based on my own research.

Love this thread. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.[/quote]

You’re definitely in the right place for learning. In the near future I’m going to be releasing a book containing all the information you asked about and more… It will be an excellent tool for people to learn everything they want to know and more about steroids.

I would be very careful with choosing a coach,there are a lot of shitty coaches out there but also a lot of good ones so you really need to research. Keep reading on T-Nation and you’ll find that a lot of knowledgeable people in the industry are right here.
[/quote]

I’d be very interested in your book. When you say near future, how soon are you talking and where will I find it when available? Offering any sort of pre-sale? I’d be interested in buying one.

Thanks for your reply.
[/quote]

I’ll keep you posted. Just working out all the details at the moment. I’m hoping to have it available in the next few months. I’m not certain about a pre-sale it’s something I can look into and I’m trying to have it available here on this site exclusively.

I’m very excited about it and it’ll be a real eye opener for a lot of people. (I’m assuming it’s going to piss off some pros and gurus that I’ll be sharing some industry “secrets”). I’ve got some interesting material to share and it will be available exclusively in the book.

[system]

Also, what do u think the reason is for all the distended guts in modern day pros?

Growth? Insulin? intestinal bulk from the constant eating and food volume? Visceral fat?

Wld love to hear your thoughts!

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]thor159 wrote:
Is there any problem in taking T3 while raking as well yohimbine or ECA? I know that with clen it’s normal.

Is there any minimum time someone should be on t3 before stopping it to avoid messing with its natural production? For example, would it be a problem to take it for 2 weeks, have a 2 weeks break and then go back on it.

And… what to do/take after stopping takingnit to help restore natural production?[/quote]

No problem to take yohimbe or ECA with t3. These are more stimulant based and t3 is working on your thyroid gland, they have a synergetic effect in the fat burning process so it can be a good idea if you know what you’re doing.

I wouldn’t say there’s a minimum time to stay on t3 but it’s VERY IMPORTANT to taper up and taper down. I wouldn’t increase more than 25mcg every week (12.5 would be more advisable). When you decide to taper down from your peak dose, take 3-4 weeks to slowly taper it back down depending on how high your dose was.

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]SauceMonkey wrote:
shadow one last Q from me,

how important are intra workout carbs in your opinion?? Do all the pros use them? I think I’m going to give Plazma another try. Since I can’t stomach too much food pre, was thinking of doing a couple of servings and having 1/3 of the concoction with aminos pre wo, and the rest intra…

have you noticed if its slowed down fat loss when cutting?

or accumulated fat faster when bulking?[/quote]

Intraworkout nutrition is the most important meal of the day pre contest and off season. Most pros I know are using intraworkout nutrition in one form or another. It doesn’t slow down fat loss while cutting, if anything it will make it faster and when you are bulking it will contribute to faster mass gains. Farah, Aceto, Rambod and Sarcev are big fans of this concept as well so you can bet their athletes are doing something similar.

While consuming the Plazma intraworkout, you literally have no chance of gaining fat. Your body is taking full advantage of the nutrients for recovery and muscle gains.

I think this system is extremely important and I wouldn’t train without a good intraworkout. I like to do 1/3 preworkout, 1/3 intra and 1/3 post workout. In general, most of my daily carbs are around this time especially while cutting.

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]MattyXL wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Shadow,

You have mentioned often how anybody within the 15-20% bf range should not go on gear. Is this directed at those who plan to be bbers? What about strength competitors (like myself) whose main concern is not leanness. Or is it having too much adipose fat tissue.[/quote]

Excellent question!

For a bodybuilder it’s not good to be over 10% bf as your body can’t build muscle and use the drugs as effectively when you are at a higher bodyfat. For powerlifters or strength athletes the answer is a little more complex… A perk of a powerlifter staying at a low bodyfat(12% is a good spot) is that your body will be able to utilize the carbohydrates you’re eating for energy, at a higher bodyfat your body isn’t using carbs as efficiently for energy and the best energy source for strength training is carbs. Your body will react better to the drugs on the low bodyfat, the drugs are an extra stress on the systems of the body and being at a high bodyfat also puts stress on the system. The less stress you have on the body in general then the more willing and capable the body will be to utilize the drugs.

Also, a leaner body mass will put you in a lower weight class so your results should be more quality. A 200lb lifter at 10% bf is most likely going to be stronger than a 200lb lifter at 30% bf.

It’s easier to build muscle at a lower bodyfat… And muscle mass isn’t the first goal of a strength athlete but it contribute to his strength gains.(I’m aware that cns activation is the most important part in improving strength but the muscular system is also playing a big part so you want to maximize both muscular and nervous systems)

Although it’s not mandatory to be at a low bodyfat in a strength sport but it will definitely give a lot of benefits to them as well not to go over 12%. Dan Green and mariusz pudzianowski are great examples. Most strength athletes don’t understand how much good nutrition can positively effect their strength gains. Can a cycle work for them with a higher bodyfat for strength? Yes it can but if a lower bodyfat can be maintained through proper nutrition then the cycle will work much better.[/quote]

Thanks very much for the well thought out and knowledgeable response
[/quote]

You’re very welcome!

[Quadrociraptor]

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Quadrociraptor wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Quadrociraptor wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Quadrociraptor wrote:
Thank you very much for the reply on my last couple of questions my last cycle was after my competition with systanon 300, 200mg E3D and Dbol 50mg every day i did a PCT Clomifen 50mg a day and proviron 50mg for 14 days HCG 5000 3 injections EOD this is the only one in bulgaria we got so now i em off for 4 Months what do you think about the cycle i can give you my diet and training and more detailed backround.

and another question about Intraworkout supplement
i em from Bulgaria and we don’t have any Biotest supps so is there any other with a simillar effect and igridient i know that you say there is no other but somthing that i can use like Glycofuse or Intra-Fuel vitargo?
[/quote]

I will say it over and over again that nothing will give you a similar effect. I’m sure that you can have the Plazma shipped to Bulgaria, they ship worldwide from the T-Nation store. If you are able to find steroids there, I don’t think Plazma will be the issue

How long was your cycle? Did you mean Sustanon? If this is what you meant, then you did way too much HCG for such a low dosage. Something more like 1000iu every 3rd day for 6 weeks post cycle. If the HCG is coming in 5000iu viles you can just preload all of the syringes and use them separately rather than 5000 all in one shot. I’m guessing you might have done this because you had the schering snap tops
[/quote]

The plazma comes to expensive for me to buy it from here so thats i search something like this well i ment sustanon yes the cycle was from january till the begining of this mounth i started my prep january
did sustanon 250, 100mg a week with EQ 100mg and Dbol 20mg,second week i did incresed the doses little to 200mg EQ and sus. dbol to 30mg then from the forth week i decresed them to the 1 doses got HCG 5000 in two shots only one was used with 10 days rest then did another 5 weeks of Test P 200mg a week and 200mg EQ with 40mg Dbol for another 4 weeks took nolvadex 10mg a day two started ephedryne Ephedrine then changed then we changed the cycle with Mast 100mg E4D Tri-tren 100mg E4D and stanozolol 40mg a day with T3 25mcg(Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?µg)(I don’t know if Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã???Ã??Ã?µg is mcg sry) 1 Tab before cardio got it up to 50mcg for 3weeks then changed 2 weeks before the show i belive to Wini and test S 100mg EOD with anapolon i don’t remember the dosage here then did the cycle i gave you and the PCT
[/quote]

If you can afford juice, surely you can afford quality supplements(it’s money you’d have to spend on food regardless) Supplements and nutrition are coming first before everything and by the looks of your cycle it’s all over the place and you can do without some of these things. I’m not sure what exactly you are asking but I would do things differently. I’m not sure why you did Anadrol at the end and why you’re using t3.
[/quote]

that was before my competition and my coach worked this ot for me didn’t quite got the last things i was so dump on my diet the t3 was before my cardio with the ephedrine i em novice in the steroid section so i was wanting to understand fully what my coach did and got some quality feedback from you mr.Shadow [/quote]

I would have done things differently but that’s my personal opinion. If you want to understand the reasons this was done then you’ll have to ask your coach. He should always be able to explain to you why he’s making certain choices and not say “just do it because I told you to”
[/quote]
Thank you for your time and kindess can you help me with a primary cycle for off season
tell me what kinda info you need and i will respond asap

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]wagonized wrote:
thanks in advance for volunteering your time here.

me-lifting on and off for 16 years. suffered near fatal car accident yen years ago which changed my body makeup a lot. I’ve had many complications act injuries from this but have been healthy and lightly training for a year straight so I’m confident that I can start pouring it on.
currently almost 30 years old 6’4 345lbs. always been very big dude. graduated at 270lbs with a full ride scholarships as a pitcher/third baseman so I can move well at up to 290ish. strength is currently low but comes back super quick so I’m not worried about that.

goal- to drop bodyweight down to 250 to see how I look there. (I have cut from 400 to 262 in ten months running 350prop and 175tren ace per week x 12 weeks with clen thru out)

cycle history-5 total ranging from 6 to 32 weeks

chemicals used- test e, test p, sustanon, tren a, winny (straight from the vetrinarian), M1t, anadrol (might not have been real), clen, t3 (probably not real)

sides… none really. I handle tren very well with only night sweats and nightmares on occasion. ran as high as 750mg per week. (from underground lab)

note-majority of my muscle loss and fat gain has been from having very very low test levels due to the pain killers I’m on from my car accident injuries. I will be receiving trt from my doctor which from what I hear will be 200-250mg/wk of test e or cyp.

plan-my plan is to take a solid year and dedicate it to reinventing myself. NO JOB, NO GF, NO DISTRACTIONS ETC. I want to get below 250 on the scale while getting back as much size as possible. I want to look like a bodybuilder for once. I’ll be relying on diet, varying t3 doses, and varying clen doses. farthermore I’ll be on trt level test at the very least.
I don’t have a time limit to do this by… but I’d like to atleast see major results within 1 year.

now finally on to my questions…

1. with my goals in mind would you suggest I keep my test low at trt dose or bump that up to 500mg/week?

2. if money allowed me to add an oral compound what would you suggest? I was thinking about tbol or M1t. I’d love to try dbol if I could get my goals accomplished using it.

3. would it be worth the price to only do a kit of growth (100iu)? or is that money better used elsewhere given my goals?

4. once again with money being tight… would it be worthwhile to add tren at 50% of my test dose?

thanks again
[/quote]

1. Taking into consideration that you have a solid cycle history and that you want to look like a bodybuilder, I would definitely bump up the test to 500mg/week and possible even 750.

2. Stay away from prohormones, they aren’t worth the money and can cause more side effects than juice itself. Tbol would be a great choice. Dbol is great for strength but could cause water retention. I would probably go with tbol considering your goals.

3. If it’s real pharm GH then by all means get it. 3iu first thing in the morning will make a huge difference in all aspects of your goals. If it’s Chinese blue tops don’t bother.

4. Since you mentioned that you react well with tren, by all means add it at half of your test dose. It’s the best compound for both strength and muscle gains.

Good for you! After all you have been though you are going back at it. If you want to post a picture I might be able to give you more advice.

[SauceMonkey]

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]SauceMonkey wrote:
shadow one last Q from me,

how important are intra workout carbs in your opinion?? Do all the pros use them? I think I’m going to give Plazma another try. Since I can’t stomach too much food pre, was thinking of doing a couple of servings and having 1/3 of the concoction with aminos pre wo, and the rest intra…

have you noticed if its slowed down fat loss when cutting?

or accumulated fat faster when bulking?[/quote]

Intraworkout nutrition is the most important meal of the day pre contest and off season. Most pros I know are using intraworkout nutrition in one form or another. It doesn’t slow down fat loss while cutting, if anything it will make it faster and when you are bulking it will contribute to faster mass gains. Farah, Aceto, Rambod and Sarcev are big fans of this concept as well so you can bet their athletes are doing something similar.

While consuming the Plazma intraworkout, you literally have no chance of gaining fat. Your body is taking full advantage of the nutrients for recovery and muscle gains.

I think this system is extremely important and I wouldn’t train without a good intraworkout. I like to do 1/3 preworkout, 1/3 intra and 1/3 post workout. In general, most of my daily carbs are around this time especially while cutting.
[/quote]

Thank you sir much appreciated. Just ordered the goodies, let’s see how it goes!!

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]ILOVEGH wrote:
As you can see by this being my first post on here ,the word is out on the other forums. Background on myself ,competed various times and a few years ago won my overall state title in the Light-heavy class.It has been a while sense i have been on a blast.Currently on 200mg a week Test-Cyp. I am planning on staying on low dose (TRT) After the following 12 week mass cycle.

I am 42 YRS of age. 5ft 7 in. tall, weighing 220-225 fat 11%.-12%? abs are visible.

Past cycles i have never went over 1 gram of test and no more than 1.5 total milligrams a week.I have though been on many times before.

Since i have been off (other than trt) for 2-2 1/2 years) would it be wise for me to up the milligrams a bit ? I have never had to take nolva or
Arimadex during a cycle,but at times though, i should have?..
Though this cycle was going i am going to use Arimadex @ 1mg every 3rd day.

WK.1-4 DBOL 40mg E/D
WK.1-12 TEST-C 1500 MGS A WEEK
WK.1-12 DECA 750 MGS A WEEK
WK.1-12 Arimadex 1MG .5 EOD or 1mg Every 3rd day.

WK.12-24 TRT dose of Test @ 200mg a week
WK.25 ANOTHER CYCLE ,Coming soon.

Currently eating poorly and not much but as always kick it up with at least 300-350 grams of protein and get 4500-5000 calories a day.

Since this is a mass cycle my training routine is basic with 12 sets for the larger body-parts and 9-10 for the smaller.Reps are between 8-12. Split will be a generic, Mon-Tues on Wed Off Thurs-Fri on Sat-Sun Off.

Currently i have trained for 24 years and have been using for 17 but always at lower dosages.Never more than 1gram of test and maybe 600mg of Deca or 600mg od Eq for the off-season.
Never tried to many orals being kinda scared of problems down the road.For
now going to stay off the GH because of all the bad vibes from China.

So if you got lost in my babbling and i didn’t ask what i wanted to(lol)

Here are the questions, brother.

1)Should, i always use a Arimedex when on a cycle?2) Would it be ok providing my health is good, to up my total milligrams at 42 yrs of age?

3)Is my Test to Deca Ratio ok?

4)Should i take something for the Deca usage?

5)As i said above never had much experience in orals but do you think 40mg E/D of Dbol for 4 weeks,be ok,or be enough?

I have had the constant itch to see how i would do in the Master’s Division
Reason i am asking, many people think i should forget thinking about getting bigger or compete.I for one want to give it 2 more years before i hang it
up!
Sorry so much background and so long just want you to have enough info so you can answer.

Thanks for doing this for the community brother!
[/quote]

I can definitely see from your post that you know your shit, I respect that a lot. Thank you for joining us here, it’s always nice to have some more experienced people on board. Nice name btw, why didn’t I think of that?

1. No problem in increases your test to 1.5g. I know a lot of serious guys at your age running 1.2-1.5 and it’s working well.

2. I personally prefer nolvadex throughout the whole cycle at 10-20mg/day but if you want to try arimidex in the way you suggested then it can work great as well. If you are using high test dosages over 750 then I would definitely use it in all cycles. It will not hurt your gains, don’t worry. I’m telling you this from years of experience, if anything it will keep the water retention down and prevent any chance of gyno.

3. It’s actually perfect.

4. I would have caber in hand just incase, you don’t need to take it while you are on but if you have any progesterone related sides you can take it. It’s not a bad idea to get blood tests to check prolactin levels 6 weeks into the cycle.

5. 40mg of dbol is great. Maybe a better approach would be to taper it up and down from weeks 1-6, I find this more efficient. Week 1: 30mg week 2: 40mg week3: 50mg week4: 60mg week5: 40mg week6: 30mg
   (Your body will react better to a tapered approach) but either way will work.

Post a picture and I’ll give you my honest opinion. I have a few guys who compete in the masters division so I can tell you where I think you stand.

Great first post, hopefully you’ll stick around here.

[ILOVEGH]

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]ILOVEGH wrote:
As you can see by this being my first post on here ,the word is out on the other forums. Background on myself ,competed various times and a few years ago won my overall state title in the Light-heavy class.It has been a while sense i have been on a blast.Currently on 200mg a week Test-Cyp. I am planning on staying on low dose (TRT) After the following 12 week mass cycle.

I am 42 YRS of age. 5ft 7 in. tall, weighing 220-225 fat 11%.-12%? abs are visible.

Past cycles i have never went over 1 gram of test and no more than 1.5 total milligrams a week.I have though been on many times before.

Since i have been off (other than trt) for 2-2 1/2 years) would it be wise for me to up the milligrams a bit ? I have never had to take nolva or
Arimadex during a cycle,but at times though, i should have?..
Though this cycle was going i am going to use Arimadex @ 1mg every 3rd day.

WK.1-4 DBOL 40mg E/D
WK.1-12 TEST-C 1500 MGS A WEEK
WK.1-12 DECA 750 MGS A WEEK
WK.1-12 Arimadex 1MG .5 EOD or 1mg Every 3rd day.

WK.12-24 TRT dose of Test @ 200mg a week
WK.25 ANOTHER CYCLE ,Coming soon.

Currently eating poorly and not much but as always kick it up with at least 300-350 grams of protein and get 4500-5000 calories a day.

Since this is a mass cycle my training routine is basic with 12 sets for the larger body-parts and 9-10 for the smaller.Reps are between 8-12. Split will be a generic, Mon-Tues on Wed Off Thurs-Fri on Sat-Sun Off.

Currently i have trained for 24 years and have been using for 17 but always at lower dosages.Never more than 1gram of test and maybe 600mg of Deca or 600mg od Eq for the off-season.
Never tried to many orals being kinda scared of problems down the road.For
now going to stay off the GH because of all the bad vibes from China.

So if you got lost in my babbling and i didn’t ask what i wanted to(lol)

Here are the questions, brother.

1)Should, i always use a Arimedex when on a cycle?2) Would it be ok providing my health is good, to up my total milligrams at 42 yrs of age?

3)Is my Test to Deca Ratio ok?

4)Should i take something for the Deca usage?

5)As i said above never had much experience in orals but do you think 40mg E/D of Dbol for 4 weeks,be ok,or be enough?

I have had the constant itch to see how i would do in the Master’s Division
Reason i am asking, many people think i should forget thinking about getting bigger or compete.I for one want to give it 2 more years before i hang it
up!
Sorry so much background and so long just want you to have enough info so you can answer.

Thanks for doing this for the community brother!
[/quote]

I can definitely see from your post that you know your shit, I respect that a lot. Thank you for joining us here, it’s always nice to have some more experienced people on board. Nice name btw, why didn’t I think of that?

1. No problem in increases your test to 1.5g. I know a lot of serious guys at your age running 1.2-1.5 and it’s working well.

2. I personally prefer nolvadex throughout the whole cycle at 10-20mg/day but if you want to try arimidex in the way you suggested then it can work great as well. If you are using high test dosages over 750 then I would definitely use it in all cycles. It will not hurt your gains, don’t worry. I’m telling you this from years of experience, if anything it will keep the water retention down and prevent any chance of gyno.

3. It’s actually perfect.

4. I would have caber in hand just incase, you don’t need to take it while you are on but if you have any progesterone related sides you can take it. It’s not a bad idea to get blood tests to check prolactin levels 6 weeks into the cycle.

5. 40mg of dbol is great. Maybe a better approach would be to taper it up and down from weeks 1-6, I find this more efficient. Week 1: 30mg week 2: 40mg week3: 50mg week4: 60mg week5: 40mg week6: 30mg
   (Your body will react better to a tapered approach) but either way will work.

Post a picture and I’ll give you my honest opinion. I have a few guys who compete in the masters division so I can tell you where I think you stand.

Great first post, hopefully you’ll stick around here.
[/quote]

Thank’s for the quick reply!
I will see if i can get a current pic up also.
I have plenty of nolva on hand and 12-14 caber already as well as the rest of the cycle. I will go ahead and go with the Nolva as you suggested because the a-dex the i can get isn’t a pill it is from a chemical company and was really skeptical.
Thanks brother you save me a few hundred with just using Nolva.I thought since i have never had gyno in the past i could get away by just using the nolva i already purchased…

BTW i do blood-work before middle and after so i can guage my Caber dosages.

Doses on the norm .5 twice a week in case of prolactin issue arises.

Anyway thanks for reassuring me!

ILOVEGH

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]Tadeu Personal wrote:
SP greetings from Brazil!

As you can see this is my first post… I´ve been following T NATION since 2002 and I have read lots of topics in the FORUMS area…
This one is by far the most interesting ever! After reading all 28 pages I decided to participate and ask your opinion about what I´ve been doing.
Thank you for your attention in advance!

STATS:
6,13 inches (1,87 centimeters)
211 pounds (96 kilos)
38 years old
10% bf (right now I look like my avatar)
15 years of solid training

When I was 26 I ran my first cycle… I went to a doctor and did everything exactly as he asked… After a year I ran another cycle and from there I started to run 2 cycles every year… always following this doctor’s advice… After seven years I reached my max weight which was 111 kilos (245 pounds)… after that I tried to increase my doses and drugs trying to break this plateau… I only got side effects from that… so I figured I must have reached my limit or something… It is true that back then I didn’t have half of my knowledge about nutrition and training that I have now… Interesting to note that when I finish a cycle I always had my weight dropping near 101 kilos (222 pounds)… even doing the proper PCT and using quality supplements.

When I turned 33 and after having all my blood work fine I decided to run some durateston (test blend just like sustanon) for weeks (250mg/week)… I kept myself with this for a year and a half!! Sometimes I gave a 3-4 weeks break and throw some CLOMID and NOLVA to ?send? some sign to my body produce some test itself… sometimes I ran some HCG… I was feeling pretty good … weight around 101 (222) bf around 8%… not major side effects…

Then I decided to get married and have a kid… first thing was to make a sperm count exam… the result was bad… very bad… I had zero live sperm… my boys were all dead…
I went to some fertility doctors but none of them could help me… I tried to keep my weight so I started to drink Weight Gainers and eat like a motherfucker… that was a total disaster! I indeed kept my weight… but my belly was HUGE! My bf should be around 20% by that time…
My sperm returned to normal values AFTER 18 MONTHS ! So in my case fertility was an issue! I read you saying about bodybuilders having kids ON GEAR and that only show me how individual side effects and predisposition can be.

After 3 years clean I now started a ?new protocol? I developed and the main reason for this post is to ask your opinion about that.

HERE IT GOES:
I ran 140 mg of TEST-C/week for 10 weeks… one shot every fifth day (around 70 mg each) and took 25mg of CLOMID everyday to prevent any shutdown of my HPTA
I did blood work before, during and last week when I stopped the TEST. My testosterone went from 400 to 850… FSH, LH kept near the same numbers during all 10 weeks… and most important, my sperm count remains the same!
In terms of results I got say that I have the same condition now (if not better) if compare when I was taking 250mg test/week… just a little lighter (right now I am 96 kilos/211 pounds).
I plan on start this next Monday to keep my gains to the max:

5gr of DAA
Alpha Male (a friend brought me from his trip to USA)
10mg of NOLVA (my intention with it is to help with my test levels)
I would do this for 4 weeks and then be back to the TEST+CLOMID protocol
What do you think about that?
I read that CLOMID can cause some vision related side effects if used for prolonged time… that´s why I thought about giving it out for some time. Have you heard about some sides from CLOMID?
I am also considering using some HUMALOG pre wkt (like you mentioned) with my intraworkout drink … since I have never use it and bf is low, I thought it will give me some nice results… what do you think?

I appreciate the help
[/quote]

Sorry to hear about your fertility issues, as I mentioned it can vary drastically from one person to another. Some people are completely fine while others can have disastrous issues and unfortunately this happened to you.

The cycle and pct you did looks great to me. I don’t see any issues with the clomid but it’s not a bad idea to cycle on and off of it 4 weeks at a time especially if you’re using AlphaMale and nolva while you’re not on it. If your bodyfat is nice and low you can definitely give the Humalog a chance for preworkout, and if you can combine it with Plazma that will be your best option. Start low at 5iu preworkout and as long and you don’t gain any fat (water retention is fine) you can bump it up 5iu every week and bump up carbs accordingly.

[Shadow_Pro]

[quote]MrRed wrote:
Hey Shadow; awesome thread you’ve got going here. As someone who is currently natural and plans on staying that way for several more years (only 20 years old at the moment) I have to say it was refreshing to read a pro’s opinion on many aspects of steroid administration and individualized usage.

I’ve done some moderate research on exogenous hormone supplementation since I started lifting ~18 months ago or so. In the back of my mind there’s always been the temptation to hop on a cycle but at this point in my life I know without doubt that I wont be doing any supplementation of that sort until at least another 5 years have gone by.

Anyhow I do have a few general questions regarding steroid usage/hormone manipulation; you definitely have a wide expanse of knowledge on the subject so any opinion you could lend I’m sure would be very helpful.

1. What is your opinion on DAA (D-Aspartic-Acid); from what I’ve read it has been shown to increase testosterone levels around 40% or so after several weeks of use. Is a 40% increase in testosterone significant in terms of strength/muscle gains over the short/long term; in your opinion? I’ve seen it tossed around that “you need a 200% increase in testosterone” to receive any noticeable muscle gains/strength; but have not seen any real backing for this statement

2. When coming off steroids, do you believe it is truly possible for an individual to recover 100% of their natural testosterone production? From my somewhat limited knowledge on the endocrine system/hormone manipulation the big problem with any exogenous hormone supplementation would be the shutdown of the HPTA; namely the hypothalamic aspect of this regulatory system due to negative feedback mechanisms related to sex-hormone production.
   Without releasing-hormones from the hypothalamus to the pituitary it seems you would have no signal to release LH/FSH and all testosterone production and sperm formation in the testes would halt. Have you or your clients had any adverse reactions such as this? Have you had any experience in which you were able to assist an individual whose natural testosterone production had fallen dramatically post-use and recover their levels to somewhat normal for an extended period of time?

–Branching off the last question; from what I’ve gathered from this thread so far it seems that HCG is the king of maintaining natural testosterone production while on cycle and bringing it back after. Again, from some very limited research it seems that HCG mimics releasing-hormones from the hypothalamus and stimulates LH/FSH release. Is it just that? What I mean to say is; in your experience, does natural testosterone production in post-cycle individuals drop off again upon cessation of HCG? Or am I wrong when I assume that the hypothalamic aspect of the HPTA is what remains shutdown after cycle?
It really seems to me that the whole issue with post-cycle lack of natural hormone production is that there is one group of endocrine cells that can remain shutdown; permanently nonfunctional, upon cessation of supplementation. So HCG is the way to “revive” these cells, in a sense?

3. How does PCT help? (Again, very limited knowledge with all of this haha) It seems to me that the average users PCT consists of a natural testosterone booster (sometimes) and an aromatase-inhibitor or estrogen-blocker; or both. I don’t quite understand how just lowering estrogen levels brings natural hormone production back online.

4. Why do people say oral only cycles are worthless. As someone who has never used steroids before, it seems interesting to me that individuals bash oral-only cycles when really you’re taking an excess of hormones anyways, the only difference is the route of administration. I don’t see why an individual couldn’t take a Dianabol only cycle and have success with it and also retain their results in the same way that many individuals use testosterone only cycles and experience great results. Do you think the reason many online bash oral cycles is that maybe the average would-be user of an oral cycle is just not as dedicated/lacks the knowledge/research that a would-be user of an injectable cycle does?

5. What do you think are the KEY things someone must do to maintain what they’ve gained on cycle after coming off. Is it as simple as continuing to train/eat one-hundred percent? Is it inevitable to lose strength/mass when coming off cycle?

6. Do you believe that for naturals training for size and strength are not mutually exclusive?

7. If you go past your “genetic potential” using steroids, will you certainly lose any “excess” mass/strength? Or do you believe it possible to actually surpass and maintain even after coming off?

8. How long have you been training and more importantly; how do you train? (I’d just like a general ballpark timeframe and a general setup; I.E: training for 8 years, PPL 6x a week) Do you still actually make new gains in size/strength even after what I imagine to be many many years of training and supplementation?

9. Do you think the side-effects of steroid usage are exaggerated by the media? From what I’ve heard it is most definitely harmful to your cardiovascular system long-term; as well as somewhat harmful to your renal, urinary, hepato, and GI systems as well. Do you have experience with any of these issues (if this is too personal I apologize feel free not to answer of course!).

10. Do you believe it to be possible to be 99% safe with steroids (not 100% as of course everything has risks haha)? For example: start at an extremely low dosage, determine if side effects are present, gradually increase the dosage, etc. Or do you believe that no matter what there is a definite risk is taking steroids; as in they cannot be taken without some harm to your health?

I do apologize for the length of my questions, and of course you’re not obligated to answer any; it’s just that I am very interested in the endocrine system and would LOVE someone’s opinion on all these matters who has actually been around the world of hormone supplementation and lived it.

Thanks in advance if you are able to make the time to answer some of my questions, and best of luck to you. Whoever you are, I’ll be routing for you in the next Mr. Olympia if you’re there!!

[/quote]

1. It’s not bad for natural people to use. Not sure about the numbers being correct but everything helps. Noticeable muscle gains is a relative term, some people will react well to natural test boosters while others won’t notice as much. It’s worth trying, you’ve not nothing to lose.

2. This is very individual and depends on the dosage. Some people will recover 100% if they do a proper pct and there are some people who will do an aggressive pct and won’t fully recover. A lot of people start cycling in their early or mid-20’s and the time they decide to stop they are in their mid to late thirties and expect their libido to be on the same level as when they were 20 but boys that just doesn’t happen! I have been able to help some people get their natural production back to it’s normal state but similar protocols won’t work for others. Some people are just naturally more sensitive to steroid side effects than others and this natural tendency will also effect their ability to recover after.

You are correct about your assumption on HCG. So yes, it is a way to revive these cells. (It’s much more complex than that but your general way of thinking is on the right track)

3. This is a very long and complex answer, I have touched on the topic throughout the posts but if we start to get into this it’s going to turn into a very scientific conversation and I will speak about it more in depth in my articles and book.

4. Oral cycles are definitely effective especially for first time users. People who say they aren’t don’t have a clue what they are talking about.

5. A few important points to keeping gains after cycle.
   -diet and training 100%. Training should be a bit lower in volume and frequency because you won’t be able to handle as much. Diet should be adjusted according to goal, if you just finished a gaining phase you want to keep calories relatively high but not as high as they were on the cycle. If you were just finishing a cutting cycle you should slowly increase the calories in order to keep gains.
   You can keep give or take 80% of what you gained during the cycle (just an average) some people could potentially keep everything or lose more. It’s very individual. I think that the more gains you made naturally before starting a cycle will determine how much you actually gain and how much you can retain after. The more gradually you cycles are increased and the more gradual you make progress, the more of it will stay with you. There is no specific answer here because it has so many variables.

I get the feeling you are trying to get more precise answer. This is more of an art than a science and almost everything can be answered with “it depends”

6. I think natural athletes should first of all work on gaining strength on all of the basic compound movement (this is the base for everything) the mass will come along with the strength gains. Emphasis should be put on strength, only after the strength base is established you can concentrate on building mass by changing training methods accordingly.

7. If you’re asking about pro level, you won’t look like mr.olympia if you go off. Obviously it takes a lot to maintain this size and you can’t maintain this forever. The higher the level (in any sport) you are, then the harder it is to maintain. It’s not a natural state to walk around with 300lbs of muscle or to run 100m in 9.5s. It’s called PED for a reason, it enhances your natural ability but once you are not enhanced you will lose some of it. You won’t go back to being “normal” but you won’t be at your peak anymore.

8.ive been training over 25 years, mostly 6 days a week and sometimes twice a day. I’m still making size and strength gains, obviously not as significant as when I was younger but they are still there. The closer you are to the peak, the harder it is to make gains, everyday I’m going to the gym to progress and I’m still making this progression. 2-4lbs of real stage muscle/year is a great accomplishment. And it’s also great if I can add 10-20lbs to each lift in the year, as I said the increases are small but still existent.

9. I feel like the media definitely over exaggerates. The people who work in the media and the general public who are following this have no knowledge on the subject so it’s a disaster. It’s a lot of ignorance and stupidity. As for the side effects you mentioned, I have never had any of these issues and none of my clients have. If you are doing things safely 99% of time you can do things without any bad consequences and minimal side effects. I know a lot people who have been using juice for over 20 years and have families and are in better health than other people who have never used steroids in their life.

I’ll tell you that drinking,smoking, eating fast food and doing other drugs will cause you more harm, worse side effects and in the long term will kill you much sooner than steroids.

10. I think that the use can be completely safe as long as you start very low and increase the dosages slowly. Also, doing proper pct and taking breaks along with proper diet and supplementation. You should also be very knowledgable on the subject and do a lot of research before taking anything at all.

Like anything else, if you abuse the drugs it can cause a lot of harm… Just the same as overeating or alcoholism. I honestly believe that the best source of knowledge on this subject is real life experience, there hasn’t been a lot(if any at all) of studies done on bodybuilders specifically so reading text and studies are very limited.

Glad you like it! I’ll be at the Olympia, I’ll keep my ears open for people cheering for “shadow pro”

[Wayacrucis]

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Wayacrucis wrote:

4. 6-8iu is a great amount for muscle growth and will keep you safe from unwanted growth. As for off season timing, post workout 30min before insulin and before bed. For fat burning purposes pre workout 60-90min before and first thing in the morning on empty stomach.[/quote]

I am a little confused when you say take GH post work out 30 min before insulin for mass gaining? I thought the best time to take Humalog was pre-work out. So for mass gaining, I should take insulin pre-work out and GH post work out? or both pre-work out? Also if I were to only take one shot per day, for mass gaining and fat burning when would you say would be the best time?

One question in regard to Nolvadex. Why do you run it ED on cycle at 10-20mg? I am assuming you’re using 1g+ Test, so wouldn’t Arimidex or another AI be more suitable for controlling estrogen and gyno? Or do you use an AI and Nolva?

As for HCG - what weekly dose/protocol to you recommend on cycle? So when you say to take it throughout a cycle, if I were to cycle for 16-18 weeks, I would take it everyweek from week 1?

[mcs2012]

Again, appreciate the advice!

1.Do you believe that for some people, it is possible that they are largely inhibited by genetics in that they cannot either build muscle or lose bodyfat due to something called anabolic resistance so that neither diet nor training will make much of a difference and serious chemical gear is the only avenue if even that? Here is a link to an anecdotal report from someone who seems to fit that mold: Box

The reason I bring this up is that I fear I might fall into this category. At 5-7, my fat-free mass is only 125-130lbs which means I am carrying in pure fat about the equivalent of one 45lb plate! Do I qualify as skinny fat then? I look fine in clothes. No one in a million years would guess even 20% bf, let alone 25%. I just do not have much in the way of muscle no matter what I have tried to do diet-wise or training all these years. If I consume more calories, I will gain a 2-3 times more fat than lean muscle mass.

Is that normal? Or do you think that is primarily b.s. and although genetics definitely play a role, they are NOT the end of the world in achieving goals as long as they are realistic, as not everyone can be a IFBB pro no matter how hard they train, diet, and implement the best state-of-the-art in gear and supps. I am concerned I will forever be stuck at 20+% bf and hardly any lean mass no matter what I try to do. Thoughts?

2. When doing a serious dieting down/cutting/calorie restriction, I am assuming protein is still the most crucial macro to keep at adequate levels to maintain a PNB and therefore LBM. Do you agree the basic rule in my particular case where I am not on AAS and dieting down, the daily protein intake should be no more than 1g/lb of LBM and NOT bodyweight? So that means about 130g/day.

3. I agree about starting GH as opposed to T right now for more than one reason, although I know with some guys water retention is a problem with it as well, but I would question their diet. Mine is low carb. Also, a trusted buddy of mine has access to pharm-grade Serostim. Price: $650/126iu kit. That comes to $5.15/iu. Not bad for pharm-grade, right? He also can get Hygetropin which is a lot cheaper, but I question the potency, etc. Thoughts between the two?

I keep hearing that pharm-grade Serostim is hands-down the best. Do you think it will help with tendonitis and joint issues as well as leaning out and adding some size? Also, one question I do have on T is whether test e would be a better choice than cyp for less bloat. Some think so, others say no difference since ester is the same. Your thoughts? Or just forget T for now and use OTC boosters like AlphaMale?

4. When you suggested not to do any fasting days, are you meaning no calorie restriction as in no more than 25% of my maintenance days? That is the only way I had been losing weight/fat up to now. Once I took a break and started just eating less kcals/day, I leveled off and am stuck. I think with me, I cannot expect to lose any further weight unless I do a severe calorie restriction eod. That really worked for me more than increasing cardio. The trick is to keep the protein intake high enough. Hard to do on yhe days I restrict to 500-600 kcals.

5. I would assume I cannot expect to recomp until I am @ 15% bf or less, correct?

6. Will try out Indigo-3G. What about Micro-PA as well?

7. I agree with what you say regarding my supp regimen. Since the supps I use so have definite targeted needs, I need to develop a way in which to cycle certain ones that I do not need day in day out.

8. I know you say the increase in the cardio will not cause loss of muscle, but with that much exercise, less kcals, and only one day/week for rest, I would be concerned over risk of overtraining and more injuries, especially when on the same days as training. And sometimes, I just do not have the energy to do both on the same day. After all, I am no longer in my 20s, I am in my 50s. Thoughts?