Q&A with Shadow Pro

Pharma
765

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]thor159 wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[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.
[/quote]

So basically I want to know if it would be a problem for someone to use only 12.5mcg per day (going up to 25mcg if everything is going well).Ã??Ã? And to do it for only 2 weeks at the end of the cutting phase. Hence why my question regarding minimum dose and minimum time to be on it.Ã??Ã?Â

Would it be ok to be on 12.5 for the first week, 25mcg for the second week and then come off from 25mcg or would it be better to go back down to 12.5 for a few days at least before the end?�?� Would it be ok after this I mentioned, to take a 1 week or 2 break and go back on it for a while more if necessary according to how things are progressing?

*sorry, wanted to have quoted it before but ended up sending the same as a random question.

[/quote]

Thanks for quoting it.

2 weeks won’t be enough time to get your desired results… I would do a minimum of 4 weeks and preferably 6. Do 12.5mcg for the first week, bump it up to 25 and then taper back down to 12.5mcg before coming off… Do not just stop at 25

If you are taking it for 4-6 weeks, take the same amount of time off before starting again… Don’t go on and off in 2 week periods.
[/quote]

I meant for the last 2 weeks of the whole process. Don’t know if you got what I meant. Still 2 weeks only wouldn’t be enough to see any result from it?

I read that the body naturally produces between 25/30mcg of T3. Would it make any sense then for someone to stay on doses around 12.5/25mcg of it, since the body already naturally produces so or actually the shutdown dose would be more than that?

I heard people talking about T3 while on a diet to gain mass (off season) instead of using it only for cutting. What is your take on that?

Thanks for the patience and sorry to be asking so many details about the same subject.

766

Are Mast P and Winstrol interchangeable? And would running both simultaneously ever be advised?

767

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]rhod wrote:
Shadow,

As said before, (shortened to save space)[/quote]

You can do something like this.

Bump up the test to about 300mg/week

Tren-a 75mg eod

Mast-p 75mg eod

250iu HCG 2x/week

Adex .5 eod or e3d depending on sensitivity

GH- I don’t recall what your goal was. If it’s for muscle gains do post workout and before bed (3-4iu each shot would be perfect) or if your goal is fat loss then 60-90 min pre workout and first thing in the morning (3-4iu each shot)

Honestly, this is a great basic cycle… You could always add an oral if you want, something like anavar if you are trying to get leaner or tbol if you are trying to get bigger. But I wouldn’t say it’s an absolute MUST.
You could bump up the tren and mast to 100 eod but don’t do this until you hit a plateau and see if you have any sides. Obviously there’s people who take a lot more than this but you are right that starting slow is the best and I wouldn’t go over this if it’s the first time you’re trying tren.
[/quote]

Thank you so much, you’re an amazing resource. I do actually have anavar too but thought it’d be too weak. I’ll add it in @ 20mg?

768

ShadowPro first just wanted to say thank you ,for reassuring me about my cycle .I only have one question,and no flame to any of the other’s.

Why do people always try to make their cycles,routines etc so difficult?

I have a good friend of mine who wanted to start using . He asked for my advice,i thought sure i am not a Guru(like you)anyways he showed me this cycle.holy crap it was so over-thought! Plus my advice for a first time male in decent shape was (1-4 30mgs Dbol
1-12 Test-Cyp

plus a simple Pct

I tried to explain he was over thinking it but of course you can explain,explain,explain again until you are blue in the face,they end up doing the exact opposite???

I would think a Novice would want the best most understandable,least costly way?
But what do i know(LMAO)

Thanks again and gotta say being on the boards for 15 years,you actually are giving out some great advice!
At a great price,FREE!!!

769

Or perhaps masteron, as i like to train conditioning and Tren would hurt that as i understand.

770

[quote]Ricardo Brentani wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply shadow, looking back i found your sugestions for a first cycle, but nothing about switching up compounds that fast (weekly)… Do you think it makes sense? Or its just not enough time for them to kick in?[/quote]

If it’s just your first cycle, I wouldn’t worry about switching compounds. Pick one or two compounds at a low dose and stick with them. If you are switching every week how will you know what works for you and which substance gives you what side effects.

771

[quote]futurephysique wrote:
Thank you for the advice! My shows are the 2nd and 9th.

What diet would you recommend then? I have been in transition into this coach who wants me to do keto now from a previous coach that was trying to blame bad genetics on why I couldn’t lose weight efficiently ( in the 10 weeks she coached me I only lost 4 lbs when I was maintaining at 3000k cal without cardio, so her way didn’t work well with me at all ) so I found the new coach wanting me to do keto after he had me do 10 days of 2 low carb day and 1 high carb day which either from that diet or the fact I started lifting heavy again ( old fired coach wanted me lifting light weight so I had been for about 1 month ) worked wonders and 4 abs showed up within days.

The var is defiantly working its magic in my lifts as I jump weight each week drastically.

Also I plan on taking MHP Xpel for helping me with drying out with a show I have the 28th of this month ( next weekend ) but I don’t know if I should start it wednesday morning or thursday morning[/quote]

Sorry to hear about your first coach, it sounds like a horror story… It’s always good to do a lot of research when choosing a coach and blaming your genetics is just her making excuses, this is bullshit.

It’s hard to recommend a diet for you without knowing your body, this is why it’s best to work with a coach for a complete off season before competing so they know what they’re working with… For me, I think your coach is just switching you to keto to be “safe” and get you lean very fast which can cause a load of problems after the show.

Here’s some general recommendations to try and keep your health in mind.
-keep carbs in at least pre and intraworkout, it will allow you to keep performing well in the gym and prevent catabolism from training as well as helping recovery. Even 1 scoop of Plazma intraworkout can make a difference.
-since u are 2 weeks out from from your show and I see you still have a lot of bodyfat to drop… You are already doing 45 min of cardio a day (which is a lot) the most u can do is bump it up to an hour but nothing more. If your heart is set on doing these specific shows u need to bump it up right now. 30 min in the morning and 30min post workout.
-I don’t think it’s just a water issue right now. you still have more fat to lose and I don’t think xpel will help you much at this point, if you take it you can start Thursday morning.

I don’t want to discourage you, because you have good potential you just need to be lead in the right direction and I was hoping you had later shows in mind. I’m assuming you mean July 2nd and 9th?

772

[quote]Cadebrigade wrote:
Apologies on missing the threads on EQ. I’ll go back and take a look for sure and see what i can gather from them. I have two 50 cc bottles of it that I got cuz i was told they would harden me up and make me vascular. i’ll have to save them for a time when i wanna put some beef back on.

So just to clarify: Anavar OR Winstrol (oral), but not taken simultaneously? at what dosage would you recommend using these compounds? I’ve only really taken up to 30 mg of anavar in the past and iv never touched Winny.

Would you recommend me bumping up the HGH? iv kept it low due to fear of sides (acromegaly being the most extreme, too much water bloat being the primary reason) but I havent really gotten the freaky shredded results I see guys who use it get. I want my ninja turtle shoulders!! haha I bumped it up from 2ius to 3ius (one shot a day) at one point a few months ago and i noticed my left hand kept going numb. So i took it down and then it was fine. But perhaps i should slowly work my way back up to get some of the results im paying an arm and a leg for? Im using serostim brand.

If I bump it up, when should i take my shots. Upon rising and bedtime?

Thank you for the test prop idea. Iv never used any test but it perhaps i should. Could you tell me why test prop as opposed to Test E or any other form of test?

Lastly, Could trenbolone ever be a good addition for my goals? Iv heard such wonderful things about it that the athlete in me wants to grab at it, but perhaps thats not a good idea.

Again, Thank you so much good sir. loving all of this.

[/quote]

Unless you are preparing for a show I don’t see any point in taking them simultaneously. You can take anavar up to 60mg/day and winstrol up to 50mg/day. I wouldn’t take more than that in your specific case.

With the Serostim you should be seeing a definite drop in bodyfat at 2-3iu/day. For further gains I would slowly bump it up to 5-6iu/day. Take it 60-90min pre workout, and while you are training make sure to drink your Plazma, the small insulin spike from the Plazma and the GH in your system will release igf1 while you are training. This is a very positive hormone for growth.
In order to avoid the numbing you described, try to split the gh into 3 dosages. 1/3 first thing in the morning, 1/3 60-90min pre workout and 1/3 before bed.

Test-p as opposed to test-e is a short ester meaning that it stays in your system for a lot less time. Usually most short ester steroids cause less water retention and this is why it’s easier to maintain a harder look rather than a “puffy” look.

Tren is probably one of the best steroids out there for gaining size and strength but if you are worried about your conditioning then the masteron-p would be a better choice for you. You will be very hard and lean from it but you won’t have the strength and size benefits.

773

[quote]juggies wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
In your case this is what I’d do if you have a budget for 5iu/day. 2.5iu first thing in the morning, 30 min later do 1/2 of your daily insulin dose followed by your appropriate meal. 2nd dose of GH is 2.5iu 60-90min pre-workout and 2nd 1/2 of insulin immediately before workout and then start sipping Plazma.

Insulin(Humalog)should be shot IM

I wouldn’t take insulin without the GH, it will help with muscle gains but can also put you at risk to gain a lot of fat.
[/quote]

Thank you for your response sir!

As you mention, I’m having difficulty having 0g fat in my whole food meals (post plazma sipping or after am slin).
One rice cake has 0.3g of fat and 9g of carbs, so if I have 3 rice cakes I already have 1g of fat. One cup of oats has at least 3g of fat!

What do you think of these solid meal ideas for no carbs?
Meal A:
-0% fat yogurt (50% of protein)
-Whey isolate (50% of protein)
-Rice or rice cakes (30% of carbs)
-Bananas, apples, fruit (70% of carbs)

Meal B:
-Egg white (50% of protein)
-Whey isolate (50% of protein)
-Fruit (50% carbs)
-Potato (50% carbs)

You mentioned a few times the magic formula of 10IU humalog + 100g carbs/3 servings plazma.
Is there any benefit in having fewer grams of carbs than 1IU to 10g? Is there any downsides to having too much carbs vs slin dose? How would one find the “ideal ratio” of slin to carbs? How would I find the ideal ratio for myself? Bring a glucometer and measure BG every 10-15 mins?

For example when I started out, I wanted to familiarize myself with the feel of slin.

Day 1: 5IU humalog, (1:10g) => 50g carbs from plazma (felt great)
Day 2: 6IU humalog, (1:9g) => 54g carbs from plazma (still felt great)
Day 3: …

Are there any supplements we should take to improve insulin sensitivity? R-ALA? Vanadium? Herbs?

[/quote]

These fat amounts you are mentioning are negligible, you can have up to 10g and it won’t hurt you.

I’m assuming you meant meals without fat. I’m not a big fan of fruit, better to go with something like honey. You could have fruit but not as much, maybe half from fruit and half from honey. Not all simple carbs coming from the same source (ex.fructose) also, I wouldn’t eat dairy post workout. Change the yogurt to another lean protein source.

The formula I suggested could work well for most people, there is no ideal ratio it’s very individual, this is just a safe ratio to start with. Both suggestions you make are a great idea, with the glucometer and slowly lowering the ratio. This is a great way to figure out what works best for you. When you’re dieting you want the ratio as low as possible without getting hypo and when you’re off season you don’t want to eat more carbs than what the insulin covers or you’ll risk gaining fat.

As for supplements, you can add chromium picolinate and R-ALA and it will help improve insulin sensitivity.

774

[quote]thor159 wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]thor159 wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[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.
[/quote]

So basically I want to know if it would be a problem for someone to use only 12.5mcg per day (going up to 25mcg if everything is going well).Ã???Ã??Ã? And to do it for only 2 weeks at the end of the cutting phase. Hence why my question regarding minimum dose and minimum time to be on it.Ã???Ã??Ã?Â

Would it be ok to be on 12.5 for the first week, 25mcg for the second week and then come off from 25mcg or would it be better to go back down to 12.5 for a few days at least before the end?�??�?� Would it be ok after this I mentioned, to take a 1 week or 2 break and go back on it for a while more if necessary according to how things are progressing?

*sorry, wanted to have quoted it before but ended up sending the same as a random question.

[/quote]

Thanks for quoting it.

2 weeks won’t be enough time to get your desired results… I would do a minimum of 4 weeks and preferably 6. Do 12.5mcg for the first week, bump it up to 25 and then taper back down to 12.5mcg before coming off… Do not just stop at 25

If you are taking it for 4-6 weeks, take the same amount of time off before starting again… Don’t go on and off in 2 week periods.
[/quote]

I meant for the last 2 weeks of the whole process. Don’t know if you got what I meant. Still 2 weeks only wouldn’t be enough to see any result from it?

I read that the body naturally produces between 25/30mcg of T3. Would it make any sense then for someone to stay on doses around 12.5/25mcg of it, since the body already naturally produces so or actually the shutdown dose would be more than that?

I heard people talking about T3 while on a diet to gain mass (off season) instead of using it only for cutting. What is your take on that?

Thanks for the patience and sorry to be asking so many details about the same subject.[/quote]

Maybe I’m not understanding. I’m assuming you want to take it for the last 2 weeks before a show and then stop? The latest I would start t3 before a show is 6 weeks (4 is pushing it) if you want to see results. I would start at 12.5 and only increase if you have a need to or else you can just stay at 12.5. If you need to increase it, you can go up 12.5 every week until 1 week out (only increase if you need to) and slowly taper down in the last week if you are doing any sort of carb load and keep tapering down after the show.

As for using it off season, I don’t think there’s any need for it.

775

[quote]Cadztra wrote:
Are Mast P and Winstrol interchangeable? And would running both simultaneously ever be advised?[/quote]

You can use them separately or in the same cycle. They have different advantages and benefits so they can work well by themselves or as a combo.

776

[quote]rhod wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]rhod wrote:
Shadow,

As said before, (shortened to save space)[/quote]

You can do something like this.

Bump up the test to about 300mg/week

Tren-a 75mg eod

Mast-p 75mg eod

250iu HCG 2x/week

Adex .5 eod or e3d depending on sensitivity

GH- I don’t recall what your goal was. If it’s for muscle gains do post workout and before bed (3-4iu each shot would be perfect) or if your goal is fat loss then 60-90 min pre workout and first thing in the morning (3-4iu each shot)

Honestly, this is a great basic cycle… You could always add an oral if you want, something like anavar if you are trying to get leaner or tbol if you are trying to get bigger. But I wouldn’t say it’s an absolute MUST.
You could bump up the tren and mast to 100 eod but don’t do this until you hit a plateau and see if you have any sides. Obviously there’s people who take a lot more than this but you are right that starting slow is the best and I wouldn’t go over this if it’s the first time you’re trying tren.
[/quote]

Thank you so much, you’re an amazing resource. I do actually have anavar too but thought it’d be too weak. I’ll add it in @ 20mg?[/quote]

My pleasure, happy to help. 20mg for a male won’t do much… I think 40-60mg is a better choice for dosage.

777

[quote]ILOVEGH wrote:
ShadowPro first just wanted to say thank you ,for reassuring me about my cycle .I only have one question,and no flame to any of the other’s.

Why do people always try to make their cycles,routines etc so difficult?

I have a good friend of mine who wanted to start using . He asked for my advice,i thought sure i am not a Guru(like you)anyways he showed me this cycle.holy crap it was so over-thought! Plus my advice for a first time male in decent shape was (1-4 30mgs Dbol
1-12 Test-Cyp

plus a simple Pct

I tried to explain he was over thinking it but of course you can explain,explain,explain again until you are blue in the face,they end up doing the exact opposite???

I would think a Novice would want the best most understandable,least costly way?
But what do i know(LMAO)

Thanks again and gotta say being on the boards for 15 years,you actually are giving out some great advice!
At a great price,FREE!!![/quote]

I’ll tell you this my friend, everyone these days thinks more is always better and they think if it looks fancy and complex they will get a quicker and better result. No one wants to train hard or diet, they continue to look for magic formulas that don’t exist. Let your friend do his fancy cycle and get burned, some people only learn the hard way. The advise you gave him is exactly what I would give him. The basics always were and always will be the most important foundation in training, diet and drugs.

778

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

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

As you can see this is my first post… IÃ?´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… thatÃ?´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.
[/quote]
Thanks for your input Shadow!
Quick questions regarding the advice you gave me and some other not related with my goals…

  1. You told me that if my bodyfat is nice and low I could definitely give the Humalog a chance for preworkout… starting at 5IU and as long I don’t gain any fat (water retention is fine) I could bump it up 5iu every week (bump up carbs accordingly)

But for another Forum Member (juggies) you said â??I wouldn’t take insulin without the GH, it will help with muscle gains but can also put you at risk to gain a lot of fatâ??.
I understand that the response is very individual, but since I don´t have cash now to buy some GH, how could I control this fat gain? Is it still worth it even only with the HUMALOG?

  1. In this same post you said that Insulin(HUMALOG)should be shot IM… I am sorry if this is NEW only for me, but I thought I should take it Subq just like GH… what kind of needle I would have to use? Same as I use for pin my TEST?

  2. Do you have any flatulence disorders? I mean, I do and it really bothers my wife… I wonder if others suffer from the same problem… I tried some simethicone but it didn´t help at all… any thoughts?

  3. Do you like other sports besides bodybuilding? I mean, practicing or just watching… I am asking you that because we are having the World Cup here in Brazil and there are a lot of americans supporting your National Soccer Team arround!

  4. Who is your favorite bodybuilder from all time? How about your favorite Mr.Olympia from all time?

779

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]mcs2012 wrote:
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?

  1. 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.

  2. 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?

  1. 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.

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

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

  4. 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.

  5. 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?[/quote]

  6. I think this study you showed me is BS. I’m getting the impression that you are trying to make excuses not to work hard and find an easy way out. Yes, genetics play a role and not everybody can be IFBB pros but you are just trying to look like a normal dude at a decent bodyfat level. To make a statement that you’ll always be stuck at 20% bf is absurd, trust me this is not the case. Start putting in the work and don’t be lazy.

  7. Yes, for you 170-200g/day of protein would be a good start. (130 is too low) in your case this will be the main source of your calories

  8. Yes, that’s a great price… Expect your mailbox to start filling up with inquiries NOW! Haha
    GH will help burn the bodyfat and help with your tendonitis. Forget about any kind of testosterone right now and just use AlphaMale. Not much difference between test-e and test-c. I would only use pharma GH, nothing else… And you have a perfectly good source so I wouldn’t touch anything else. You keep worrying about muscle mass, your primary goal is to lose fat so this is the last thing you need to worry about. Concentrate on this only, you can gain the muscle you want later.

  9. In your diet you need to be in a calorie deficit in all 7 days of the week. Your diet is all over the place and needs more structure, as a general guideline keep your protein high, fat low and carbohydrates moderate to low depending on the training days. My feeling is that you just aren’t training hard enough as long as your macros are right and you are in a calorie deficit you will burn fat… The equation is simple, you need to be burning a lot more calories than you consume and this will take you to a lower bodyfat (your diet must be on point) to restrict your calories to 500-600calories a day is stupid, my 2 year old niece eats more than that. Do your damn cardio and train harder in the gym, don’t starve yourself.

  10. 15, preferably 12.

  11. Micro-pa can help you as well in retaining your current muscle (I see this is an issue to you) so take the micro-pa and start up the cardio that I mentioned. This will help your overall body composition.

  12. Ok

  13. I don’t like to help lazy people, I know plenty of people in their 50’s who have a full 6 pack and are stronger than most 20 year olds I know. You asked me for my advice and I gave it to you… If you have concerns and don’t want to go with my suggestions then you can continue doing what you’re doing but apparently it’s not working so well for you. You don’t need to worry about overtraining, you need to worry about under training. If you don’t have energy to do cardio and train in the same day your option is to stay fat. I have a 45 year old female competitor (natural) with hip replacements, 3 kids, a full time job and she still trains and does cardio everyday while maintaining a 10% bodyfat and she hasn’t been blessed with any sort of genetics either. It’s purely your decision, your goal can easily be met and it’s up to you to accomplish it. If you don’t know how to train correctly to prevent injuries you need to hire a coach, not everything in life is easy or free.

[/quote]

Clarifying protein intake: shouldn’t intake be based off LBM (which in my case is 130lbs, maybe less now since I’ve dropped weight) and not body weight which includes unwanted fat? Studies show that too much protein (depending on the individual and activity level) will contribute to unwanted glucose and fat storage via gluconeogenesis. My diet has always been moderately high in protein as reflected in high BUN in my blood.

Also, why wouldn’t I want to keep my fat intake higher than my carb intake?

Thanks again for your time.

780

“No one wants to train hard or diet, they continue to look for magic formulas that don’t exist.”

What I find ironic when reading this thread is that there are probably quite a few (if not the majority here?) here asking about cycles, etc. that are already looking for the short cut in taking gear. They think taking gear IS the magic formula. What do you think?

781

hi do you bielieve that tren has a lasting negative effect on cardio or just while its in your system?

782

Sup SP
I am from South-Africa, recently found TNation? Whole lotta shit I have been missing! HAHA
I want to get right to it, I have been asking for help/advice here in SA from a few BBers and Fitness Athletes, the problem I am experiencing is that they are so fucking full of themselves and if they give you any tips/info they want to charge you an arm and a leg. What happened to giving back after you have reached the top?

Anyway, ok so after my professional rugby career was ended by a rotator cuff injury, I gained a lot of weight, I weighed 128 KG and I?m just under 6 feet tall. I managed to lose 38 kg?s. Started working out and n went on a basic test E/C cycle with dbol first 6 weeks and winnies last 6 weeks? gains were amazing, only problem I had was the lack of knowledge? not doing any pct… Just when I have finished my cycle I became very sick and had to use cortisone and that kept me out of the gym for nearly 5 months. But I am fine now, in that time I was off I started to research gear/nutrition/training etc. So I am now at that point where I want to start again and fuck the naysayers!

I have a few questions,
1 I am now ± at 25-30% bf but what?s weird is when I flex I got veins running down my shoulders/chest/biceps etc. I also think I?m prone to gyno, sometimes I get a tingly feeling in my nipples and the one is a little bigger that the other.

2I also was thinking of using HGH Pharma grade and Clen for weight loss.

3I was wondering should I use a strong PCT like nolvadex, HCG, clomid maybe Dostinex/Cabasser and Aramadix before I start a new cycle.

4My Macros are Prot 45% Carb 35% Fat 20%. I worked out my calories to maintain LBM is around 2500 cals. My carb consumptions is at BF, PRE and Post workout (carbs from mass build shake and vitargo) and my fat intake is between BF and pre workout and then last meal of the day.
BF- PROT+CARBS
PROT+FAT
PROT+FAT
PROT+CARBS
TRAINING
PROT+CARBS
PROT+FAT
So please SP any advice will be HIGHLY appreciated

783

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]pennstate29 wrote:
Hey Shadow,

Quick queston for you, I am 26, currently 235 with 20ish BF. I am strength oriented but currently I am trying to lean out bit to get healthier and make it easier to bulk while maintaining what I have. What would you suggest running with strength goals in mind and being in a caloric deficit, if anything? Thanks for everything your doing here![/quote]

Hey, I need some more info in order to help you better.

How many previous cycles and what were they? What is your diet and training like? Supplement use? At 20% bf I would first of all suggest fixing up your diet and bringing that down before doing anything. Probably adding some fat burners (ECA or HOT-ROX), and if you want something Rx you could go with t3 or clenbuterol. GH in low dosages is also great for fat burning.

If you can post a picture that would be great. Otherwise the info I give you has to be very general.
[/quote]

Thanks for the reply sorry, I am just now getting back to you. My diet is for the most part consistent and steady even on the weekends, I have my carbs only around Peri workout (150gr) and at least my BW in PRO and 70-100 in fat depending on the day. Slowing adding in cardio or taking out KCals whenever I stall, I might have started too high with KCal but have heard too many stories of people starting too low.

I have made great gains in my lifts (powerlifting oriented) and would like to keep those gains as I lean out. As far as supplements, creatine, fishoil, whey isolate and vitamin D3 and I have never ran a legitcycle before (dabbled in prohormones a couple times) what would you suggest?

784

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Ricardo Brentani wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply shadow, looking back i found your sugestions for a first cycle, but nothing about switching up compounds that fast (weekly)… Do you think it makes sense? Or its just not enough time for them to kick in?[/quote]

If it’s just your first cycle, I wouldn’t worry about switching compounds. Pick one or two compounds at a low dose and stick with them. If you are switching every week how will you know what works for you and which substance gives you what side effects.

[/quote]You are right! I had not tought about that! Switching compounds only makes sense if im shure all of them work for me… Thanks a lot for your help!