[quote]Andre-Jacques wrote:
This is the best thread ever, thanks a lot Shadow!!![/quote]
My pleasure!
[quote]yamar1 wrote:
[quote]eatliftsleep wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
wtf is this run on 1st time posters?[/quote]
I know right, most of these questions are common knowledge and can be answered with a little research. Quit clogging this thread up
[/quote]
What is common knowledge? Prior to today many of us believed or at least something to the tune of Bostin Loyd’s nonsense. Not that I intended to ever implement such extremes but I was certain that pro’s were running at least 10 grams of gear per week. Until today you would have never got me to believe that they EVER come off. [/quote]
Don’t get me started on this fool. I can’t stand to see so much garbage spread around the industry, I’m sure there are a lot of young guys who are getting hurt from being so far mislead.
Some pros don’t ever come off, it’s a system that I developed for myself and that works for me and lots of others I know. There are some guys who just cruise at a lower dose for an amount of time and others who stay on sick amount. But NO ONE is doing 10g/week, not that I have proof of anyways and if they are it’s just pure stupidity.
[quote]lifter85 wrote:
[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
[quote]lifter85 wrote:
This is a serious question I have so I hope it goes through. I have never taken anything more than a natural test booster like TRIBEX. I do not have any desire to take more than that, but I am honestly curious about this. For someone with rather shitty genetics when it comes to growth capabilities, do you think it is possible for someone who does not take anything other than say caffeine, fish oil, multi, and some creatine to attaina physique that looks like the person seriously lifts?
Personally I have been lifting consistently without taking more than prescribed days off and eaten big and well for 9 yrs now and one still wouldnt peg me as a lifter. At 5’9" 170 lbs I have a powerlifting total of 435/280/510 which I think is fairly strong, but every single time I go past 170 lbs it is entirely fat accumulation. I have worked up to 200 lbs before but just got very fat (38 inch waist). So I am honestly wondering if you believe it is possible for someone to look very big muscularly as an entirely natural person.[/quote]
First of all,congratulations on 9 years of training hard and eating clean. I think you can definitely look better if this is you in the avatar picture then I think you pretty good but still have potential to get bigger and look better without drugs.
When you say you want to look like someone who seriously lifts, you’d need to describe the look you are wanting to achieve. A lot of power lifters train extremely hard and intense but they would look like a regular guy on the street. If you want to look like a professional bodybuilder however then you wouldn’t be able to achieve that look without the steroids(just being honest) but if you take a look at the pro men’s physique this is definitely an attainable look…
At 5’9, you could easily be about 200-220lbs shredded. If you are only 170 I can assume that something in your training, diet and supplementation isn’t right. There are also a lot of great supplements on the market besides the TRIBEX (which is also good) that will help you progress, just off the top of my head Micro-PA has been getting great reviews for natural athletes.
[/quote]
Thank you, I appreciate the honest words and not just dismissing it because I asked about natural potential. I don’t want to be monster sized, I’d just like to be up to 190-200 lbs around 10% bodyfat. I am not sure I am willing to drop the type of money Micro-PA warrants, but I can’t imagine only not taking Micro-PA as being the factor holding me back from attaining that size. I suppose the only thing I can figure is i’ve been purely strength training for a long time, without doing any hypertrophy training.
[/quote]
I agree, before everything you need to get your training to be suited specific to your goals. Micro-PA is probably not the factor holding you back, but once everything is on track it’s something to think about for the future then but get a nice program together. I mentioned a few good training programs above… Maybe take one of the bodybuilding ones into consideration.
If you are a strength athlete at heart you can always continue to train like this and just add in some bodybuilding style training around it.
Just a quick question hope you could help. I took super dmz 2.0 last August (prohormome) with an over the counter pct and developed gyno. I tried taking things like PES Erase but it didn’t work at all. I still have the gyno and really regret taking that pro now. I want to go to the doctor but I’m embarrassed right now I guess that would be a last resort. What is your best advice? Thanks a lot for doing this!
[quote]c.m.l. wrote:
Heres another one.
You mentioned the active life of humalin-R vs humalog as I believe 8 hrs vs 3.
I feel as though I’ve read that those durations were nearly double of what actually occurs, presumably listed lengthier due to liability concerns and that its closer to 3 hours and 1.5 hours with a peak of 1 hour and 30 mins respectively. I feel as this may be more accurate at least towards humalin(novolin)-R that I’ve experienced.
I would prefer the shorter acting but the novolin is available without a perscription in my state, but if it is active for 8 hours I’m uncertain that it will fit my purposes. I tend to use pre-wo only, particularly during diets to keep from being flat. I havent nailed its usage while bulking, I don’t like the fat accumulation.[/quote]
Like I’ve mentioned… I prefer the use of Humalog because of its predictability there’s a lot less chance to gain fat with it and the health issues are less risky. The times that are mentioned in the insulin profile are general estimates, and they could change slightly from person to person depending on many factors. I have never used any other types and I don’t plan to switch it up.
As long as it’s active in your body then it’s still working, it can hit you at unpredictable times.
Here’s a nice little chart about the different types of insulin (Lilly) you can see how long it’s active in the body and when it peaks.
[quote]pwrlifterchick wrote:
[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
[quote]Raskens wrote:
Do you know how cycles differs for a powerlifter? How much does it affect your strength? Is the sideeffects overhyped? [/quote]
I think their cycles are a little safer, they don’t need to use insulin (very little if at all) and they don’t use diuretics or get to near death bodyfat percentages. They make use of the most basic compounds(orals and injectables) the most popular ones for strength gains would be: orals: halo, cheque drops, oral tren, dbol, Anadrol,tbol injectables: tren, test(some use test susp. Pre workout) GH in lower doses(4-6iu) All of these will significantly increase strength.
Bodybuilders use all of these (most likely with higher dosages) plus EVERYTHING ELSE! (Noted on page1)
The side effects are completely individual. People like myself can handle high dosage with minimal sides while other people can get horrible sides even from a low dose like 500mg/week. You’ll never know until you try and this is why I always recommend to start at a very low dosage. Side effects can be due to genetics, diet and cleanliness of products as well.
[/quote]
What would you recommend for female powerlifters? I’ve heard Var or Winny but wanted to know your opinion. Thanks.[/quote]
I would recommend Anavar for sure. Primo can also work in a low dose. Honestly, I am going to recommend you stay away from Winstrol, it’s a lot stronger than people claim… Yes it will help you with strength (it makes me strong as a bull) but you will get male characteristics as side effects. Some females don’t care so much, and if that’s the case then anything goes but with a low dosage.
Anavar. Start with 5mg a day and slowly build it up… 30mg would be the highest I’d push it to. (Increase every 2-3weeks)
[quote]CW298 wrote:
Just a quick question hope you could help. I took super dmz 2.0 last August (prohormome) with an over the counter pct and developed gyno. I tried taking things like PES Erase but it didn’t work at all. I still have the gyno and really regret taking that pro now. I want to go to the doctor but I’m embarrassed right now I guess that would be a last resort. What is your best advice? Thanks a lot for doing this![/quote]
This is exactly why I hate pro-hormones… I think if you want to do a cycle you might as well just do the real thing because you never know what substances they are adding to these(despite what they put on the label) at least when you are taking juice you know exactly what you’re getting.
Try nolvadex at 20-40mg/day…if that doesn’t work you can try a bit of letrozole. It depends how bad it is.
Let me know if the nolvadex doesn’t work and you can try the letrozole, it’s much stronger and harder on your joints so try the nolva first and we’ll go from there.
[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
[quote]CW298 wrote:
Just a quick question hope you could help. I took super dmz 2.0 last August (prohormome) with an over the counter pct and developed gyno. I tried taking things like PES Erase but it didn’t work at all. I still have the gyno and really regret taking that pro now. I want to go to the doctor but I’m embarrassed right now I guess that would be a last resort. What is your best advice? Thanks a lot for doing this![/quote]
This is exactly why I hate pro-hormones… I think if you want to do a cycle you might as well just do the real thing because you never know what substances they are adding to these(despite what they put on the label) at least when you are taking juice you know exactly what you’re getting.
Try nolvadex at 20-40mg/day…if that doesn’t work you can try a bit of letrozole. It depends how bad it is.
Let me know if the nolvadex doesn’t work and you can try the letrozole, it’s much stronger and harder on your joints so try the nolva first and we’ll go from there.
[/quote]
Thanks I’ll check it out. I’m at the point where it hurts to touch and I feel like tissue has developed.
[quote]CW298 wrote:
[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
[quote]CW298 wrote:
Just a quick question hope you could help. I took super dmz 2.0 last August (prohormome) with an over the counter pct and developed gyno. I tried taking things like PES Erase but it didn’t work at all. I still have the gyno and really regret taking that pro now. I want to go to the doctor but I’m embarrassed right now I guess that would be a last resort. What is your best advice? Thanks a lot for doing this![/quote]
This is exactly why I hate pro-hormones… I think if you want to do a cycle you might as well just do the real thing because you never know what substances they are adding to these(despite what they put on the label) at least when you are taking juice you know exactly what you’re getting.
Try nolvadex at 20-40mg/day…if that doesn’t work you can try a bit of letrozole. It depends how bad it is.
Let me know if the nolvadex doesn’t work and you can try the letrozole, it’s much stronger and harder on your joints so try the nolva first and we’ll go from there.
[/quote]
Thanks I’ll check it out. I’m at the point where it hurts to touch and I feel like tissue has developed.
[/quote]
Sounds like it’s pretty serious, how about start with 2.5mg of letrozole and 10mg of nolvadex everyday. It should help significantly. Be prepared because your joints will feel like shit and it affects sex drive. Keep me posted on how it works.
Here in Aus, ancillaries etc are incredibly hard to come by at a price that doesnt require me to sell organs. That being said i’ll be switching to tren A at a low does at 11 weeks out. Should a high dose of B6 do the trick to prevent any sides? I’d only be looking at 300mgs or so p/w.
Edit: 300mgs (of tren not b6)
First time poster so If I sound like a botard I apologize. Are Prohormones overall worthless?
I recent got my test levels checked, and I do not have 5+ years experience in the gym more like fish
But I do have low test levels so thinking about getting on a cycle of test, would this be advised against as my bf level is around 15% and from what i hear thats a bit high.
Thanks
[quote]
How many times did you do this var only cycle? How long were the cycles and what was the dosage?
It can work to an extent, especially if you are starting at a very low bodyfat… It’s a very gentle compound, this is often a cycle that a female would run. Not to say it won’t work for males as well, but I need more info about you in order to give u a good answer.
If you only did anavar you do not need HCG and clomid for pct.
Give me age, weight, bodyfat%, years of training, frequency and the other info that I asked for and I’ll get back to you.
(As for injectables, maybe add masteron to the anavar for leaning purposes only)[/quote]
I am 24 started training seriously at 17 I am 233 lbs 12%bf, I train 4 days a week lifting and then I do a day of sprinting (usually saturday) and run a mile or so a day on lifting days. I have done these cycles, twice before. One of the times I was 18 and stupid; took Winnie (50mg) with Var (60mg) and suppressed myself a bit then a year later - The second time I did it I did Var only 60mg a day 4 weeks, Hcgenerate while on cycle, and Post Cycle/Unleashed with 1 week of Clomid for PCT- and I kept my gains, but regardless of that is it a good cycle? Should I pin next time or stick with this? and Do I need the clomid?
[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:
[quote]vstas wrote:
You mentioned doing regular blood tests. Where do you go for the blood tests and what kind of blood tests do you run? Is there a specialized panel for steroid users? [/quote]
I go every 3 months… (Usually the beginning and end of every cycle or when switching compounds) I know this can get a bit pricey here in the US but it’s my job and I have good sponsors and support so I can afford to keep my body as healthy as possible.
For my clients I recommend every 4-6 months because most people aren’t doing (or shouldn’t be doing) a cycle as aggressive as mine.
Kidney and liver function
Igf levels
Prolactin levels
Lipid profile (cholesterol etc.)
Free testosterone levels
CBC blood panel
Thyroid function
- my advice is to find a family doctor who has some clue about sports medicine and always be honest about what you take.
[/quote]
Thank you very much for your reply! Much appreciated.
[quote]Derekcerva wrote:
First time poster so If I sound like a botard I apologize. Are Prohormones overall worthless?
I recent got my test levels checked, and I do not have 5+ years experience in the gym more like fish
But I do have low test levels so thinking about getting on a cycle of test, would this be advised against as my bf level is around 15% and from what i hear thats a bit high.
Thanks[/quote]
If you genuinely have low test levels you may be able to get TRT perscribed test from your doctor if you are just looking to correct that. However if your looking to use AAS for strength/muscle gains you should have a good number of years and excellent training/diet down before you go down that route.
Really interesting thread, thanks for doing this Shadow.
Here is perhaps a unique question. I apologize in advance for the length, but if you have time I would greatly appreciate it.
First some background. I am a 30 year old natty BBing competitor (pics in my profile if you are inclined to check them out, I know you mentioned in the first post you would like to see them from us). After nearly 10 years training and feeling as though I basically had made slim-to-no gains in the last 2-3 years both in muscle and in strength, I had some blood work done about 18 months ago and had low test levels (273), and at the time wasn’t in a great position to take care of that the official way so I just let it go at that.
Im going to recheck them soon, and should it turn out they are low I plan to do something about it now that things are more stable in my life. However I dont think I want to go through the hassle of going through a Doctor JUST to have this issue addressed (I have no other medical issues), and I would like to go slightly above TRT doses if Im going to go through the trouble of buying and injecting myself (I’m an RN so safety and admin is not an issue). Might as well make some extra gains if I’m already taking the plunge I figure
So given that background here is my question… Is it possible to run a low dosage of a single drug (TRT is around 100mg a week I believe, I would like to take that to 200-250 if I were to do this, basically 1ml a week instead of every 2 weeks that is standard in TRT) for a long period of time (indefinitely in theory)? My main concerns are that I dont want to be taking 5 compounds (2 different tests, an AI, etc…) (also a supply issue since I will likely do this through unofficial channels) and I dont want to be wasting my money/time if this is a stupid idea. I train my ass off and love it, but its beyond frustrating making no gains for seemingly years at a time and I believe my low T is part of the problem.
Again, I know you are busy and doing this for free so I hope this isnt too long, but its been on my mind a lot and you seem to be a very credible source and just happen to be available.
Also a newbie poster here, been reading and applying T-Nation knowledge since I started training however. First forum that has intrigued me to react.
To make a long story short:
I have done bodybuilding for about 3 years, gaining about 40 pounds of muscle (from 145 pounds to 185 pounds at 6’1")
At the end of my bodybuilding career is suffered a severe neck injury and kept on training for a year (sounds really stupid, but the story is more complex then that). I was in need of functional recovery and started doing crossfit, got bitten by the bug and stuck with it now. (No disrespect whatsoever to bodybuilding, see a lot of hate between the two sides but that is not me).
I finally found a magically good physical therapist so i’ll be returning to real intensity soon. My goal is to start competing at a high level as soon as possible. Competing at high level has always been a goal for me but I have been stopped my injuries multiple times. The past year I have put so goddamn much effort in becoming a perfectly functioning human being that nothing is gonna stop me now lol.
I am, and I believe the entire T-Nation community is aswell, convinced that nearly all pro crossfit athletes are on gear because of the great benefits they give towards crossfit style training. My question to you is what would you advice for a beginner cycle for crossfit?
I wont be doing it anytime soon, I’ll go clean for probably another year (i reckon it’ll take me this long before I start reaching plateus again) and then start it.
Thank you for the effort you take answering everybody’s (and hopefullly my) guestions!
Well since PM’s aren’t working, I guess I’ll have to post my question on here for all to see!
Hi Shadow,
I recently got busted for steroid “abuse” and possession. Apparently my county is pretty strict so they hit me with a felony for having like two half-full vials. On a positive note, I was able to get in to a program where nothing will go on my record if I complete the program successfully.
I absolutely hate being off, especially considering the fairly hefty doses I was on before. I’m currently being randomly tested, and soon I’ll be tested like every two weeks or so. It’s a ten panel urinalysis test, which I know doesn’t detect steroids, but the lab has the option of randomly testing further for steroids if they decide to do so. So I was wondering if you knew of any successful way to beat the test without having anything show up that would raise suspicion of me trying to beat the test.
Also I seem to be getting a lot of mixed information on the detection times of steroids like anadrol, dbol, and test suspension. Could you clear the air for me on those detection times? Also do you know if humalog would show up in a test, and if so, how long would the metabolites be detectable? I know the active life of all these drugs is very short, but I also know that some drugs can be detected long after their effects have worn off. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated, and I thank you for your time and wisdom.
Shadow Pro - In my situation I have been on TRT for about 3 years and am currently self injecting at 200mg weekly pinning EOD. I am not a physique athlete. I am a powerlifter recovering from injury. My questions are as follows:
-
I have been considering taking Test in a performance enhancing doasage for some time now. I do not want to get complicated I want to run a simple Test cycle 500mg weekly for 12 weeks. Being that I am pretty much shut down with regards to creating my own test, would a simple B&C be beneficial (i.e. dropping back to 200mg weekly after the 12 weeks)?
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I am recovering from Herniated Discs in my Cervical Spine. Is there any steroid that would be beneficial in the repair of same?
Hi Shadow, very much appreciate all info thus far.
I was wondering how you administer your HGH. I realise the vast majority do so Sub-Q, but there is a protocol put forward by a well known/respected member on this board which calls for IV (preferably) or IM GH injection. Have you any experience or heard of any other pros using similar methods?