Shadow Pro Q&A 2.0

Didn’t see a clear answer to this question, if it has been answered already I apologize. One of the reoccurring topics I see you bring up is that the body does not like drastic change. With that in mind, do you prefer to taper test from the cycle to PCT? For instance a 16wk cycle of 750mg Test E and 600mg EQ, after the last pin, would you switch to prop and slowly taper down the test levels into the PCT or just run Nolva/HCG while the test and EQ clear then into PCT?

Example of Taper:
Wk 16 Last Test E and EQ pin
Wk 17 Test Prop 100mg EOD
Wk 18 Test Prop 75mg EOD
Wk 19 Test Prop 50mg EOD
Wk 20 Start PCT

And of course you’d continue HCG and Nolva through the taper and during PCT as well.

[quote]Patrick 118 wrote:
Here is another pic. If you more let me know[/quote]

Please give me more info. I need to see your current diet and current training program. Please post another picture from the front without a shirt on, a picture of your arm doesn’t help me.

[quote]michell wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]michell wrote:
Shadow

I’m a commercial user (it liked me when I read it). It’s my second year using AAS after 18 years of training. Anyway I really love our lifestyle and I’m passionate. I’ve never tried be a competitor and in my age I’m reallistic with my goals. I don’t meet any BB and everything I learn is for myself (even there isn’t any BB in my gym). In my country I have troubles to find people with proper knowledge and experience to trust.

I was experimenting with some AAS to know how my body reacts. It seems I prefer short esters I have mixed feeling with test, and AAS like primo doesn�??�?�´t work well. Tren Ace and win are usually my best choices. Tren enan produced me a little gyno and femara seems the best AI to reduce it when I have some reflect.

36 yo
174 cm
204 lb

My cycle looks like:

1-10, tren a 75mg EOD
1-6, dbol 10 mg pre workout
7-12, anavar 60 mg pre workout
10-12, master - 100 mg EOD
1-12, gGH 6 UI EOD (3 wake up and 3, 20 min preworkout) and during PCT
10-12, 10 ED nolva*

  • Sometimes use femara

Diet
Week 3

Meal 1
1.5 mag10
1 avocado

6 indigo/6 micropa 30’ before meal 2

Meal 2 preworkout
1 scoop whey CFM
1 tbsp organic butter
1/2 cup rice cream

Intraworkout
3 plazma

Meal 3 post workout
6oz lean beef
2 cups basmati rice cooked
1 tbsp coconut sugar or manuka honey

Meal 4
6oz white fish
1 cup basmati rice

Meal 5
6 oz white meat
1 tbsp EVOO or organic butter

Meal 6
6 oz white meat
1 tbsp EVOO or organic butter

Training

2 years under John Meadows. Thanks to him I was on Plazma before be released, and he is my best strength coach. In fact I never hire anyone. Only John who I’m so ever grateful for accept me to work.

Goals

Get shredded and learn how reach almost contest physique, without annihilate me cause I don’t have to compete (yet…), but I want to work in my weak points as far as fat distribution and be ready to cruise and mature my body to put mass under real 10%. (I hope understand me cause English is not my language and it’s difficult express myself)

I donÃ???Ã??Ã?´t plant use fat burners cause I don’t want to destroy my adrenals and rebound after my prep.

This pic you can see my last prep. My legs are lagged from my torso. It’s really hard get them lean and vascular.[/quote]

Thanks for posting pics and info.

Looks like your on the right track. The legs will get leaner when you drop more fat, it’s just the place where you hold the most fat.

For your cycle I would change a few things…
I don’t see any test in your cycle, is there a reason for this?
I would run masteron for longer than 2 weeks, a minimum of 6 is recommended. Also, I would run GH every day rather than every other day.

Take your micro-pa 1 hr before the workout and the indigo 30min before. Just follow the labels exactly, especially the micro-pa because you want the strength benefits from it.

Are you doing cardio? For me, the Stairmaster helps with bringing in more leg definition so you might want to try this instead of other forms of cardio.

If you have any specific questions for me, feel free to ask. [/quote]

Thanks Shadow, I really appreciate your comments

  1. I didn’t put any test in my cycle because I honestly didn’t know how to use it. So let me know if I’m right:

1-12 Tren-A 75 mg EOD or 50 mg ED
1-12 Test-P 75 mg EOD
1-6 Dbol 10 mg preworkout
1-12 HCG 250 UI X2 week
1-12 Nolva 10-20 mg ED
1-12 GH 6UI ED

I’m gonna start my 3 week. I’m on time to add Test-P?

  1. Master and anavar would be added:
    6-12 Master 75 mg EOD
    6-12 Anavar 60 mg pre workout

  2. As my pre workout meal is 60’ before training I took indigo 30’ before the meal to affect over such meal plus training, but I’m gonna follow your recommendation.

  3. I just started to walk first thing in the morning on the beach. So sand makes me a bit difficult walk. 30 minutes and I’m gonna increase it gradually watching how I’m improving. I don’t have access a stairmaster but I’m gonna look for something similar. If not I was planning add prowler or sled work.

  4. Does it matter when to pin Tren-A? or should be close to the workout.

  5. Do Orals like win, anavar or dbol best used preworkout besides the quantity? or it’s better split.

  6. In my case, how can I cruise or keep evolving in the right way? I know it’s a broad question and it would be better talk after my cycle watching results and goals. But I donÃ?´t know how long you will be giving us your knowledge and it’s to have an idea.

  7. I was planning use your insulin protocol with plazma once I finished, when I will really lean and without necessity to rebound. But I think would be a great tool to keep adding real size and progress adding new tools.

[/quote]

  1. Add the test right away, this looks good. Make sure your tren and test are at a 1:1 ratio
    You can run the masteron for the whole 12 weeks, it will compliment the other 2 and give you a leaner, harder look through the cycle and act as a mild anti-e

3.The indigo should be 30min before your biggest carb meal (which should be your intraworkout meal) this is why I said 30min preworkout.

  1. Yes, the sled or prowler work will be a great alternative.

  2. Doesn’t really matter, I usually do it a few hours before the workout. It won’t make a big difference. I wouldn’t do it right before bed because it might keep you up. Also, avoid doing it too close to the workout incase you get a tren cough, that will make a shitty workout!

  3. I like to do them preworkout and before bed

  4. You’ve done great progress already, so you’re definitely on the right track… Be very proud of your achievement, you’ve been putting in the work! It’s hard for me to say without seeing your results after this cycle. I plan to stick around here as long as T-Nation allows me to be here!

I wouldn’t necessarily cruise after this cycle, I would probably do a good pct and let your bodies hormones return to a normal state then do another cycle.

  1. This is a great tool to add more muscle mass. Let’s discuss this after you finish this cycle, it works even better when you are super lean.

Congrats again on your progress!

[quote]rhod wrote:

[quote]2kdime wrote:
Here’s another one for ya brother.

Any tips on acne during TRT?

Or I suppose acne in general during cycle or post? [/quote]

This was already answered, Shadow said he has no issues with acne. He said tanning can help but other than that had no specific advice.

My suggestion would be to look up research on ultra low-dose accutane. Some very promising studies on this that show none of the negative sides that usually make accutane a harsh drug.[/quote]

Thank you rhod! Good suggestion… Definitely stick with a very low dose if you want to use accutane.

[quote]anvilTX wrote:
Didn’t see a clear answer to this question, if it has been answered already I apologize. One of the reoccurring topics I see you bring up is that the body does not like drastic change. With that in mind, do you prefer to taper test from the cycle to PCT? For instance a 16wk cycle of 750mg Test E and 600mg EQ, after the last pin, would you switch to prop and slowly taper down the test levels into the PCT or just run Nolva/HCG while the test and EQ clear then into PCT?

Example of Taper:
Wk 16 Last Test E and EQ pin
Wk 17 Test Prop 100mg EOD
Wk 18 Test Prop 75mg EOD
Wk 19 Test Prop 50mg EOD
Wk 20 Start PCT

And of course you’d continue HCG and Nolva through the taper and during PCT as well. [/quote]

PERFECT! This is exactly how you should taper down.

Shadow for rest days, do you employ and “active recovery” approach like LISS cardio or passive recovery and just staying home all day?

Do you ever take just a full day off from the gym?

Only reason I ask is I wanna train cause I love it, but I do think I’m experiencing some effects of adrenal fatigue from this cut. So I’m forcing myself to take a complete off day for the first time in probably a month. In the future I’m thinking of doing 1 every 8 days, but was curious if you or any other bodybuilders employ active recovery or just passive recovery and stay home and rest completely and how often.

Thanks!

Hello, I just saw my answer, sorry for the mistakes I have trouble with English, so I wanted to know I’m dry cycle, 182cm 84kg to 14% fat I want to get to 10% but I can not use stimulant products for the heart because small problems, I think the use turinabol, what the lightest that you just take to reduce side effects but gain some lean mass dose be? Be little add some masteron also
thank you very much

Thanks for your words and advices. I’m so grateful for your help and time.

It encourage me to keep working. I will keep following you and sharing issues as long as Tnation let us.

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]anvilTX wrote:
Didn’t see a clear answer to this question, if it has been answered already I apologize. One of the reoccurring topics I see you bring up is that the body does not like drastic change. With that in mind, do you prefer to taper test from the cycle to PCT? For instance a 16wk cycle of 750mg Test E and 600mg EQ, after the last pin, would you switch to prop and slowly taper down the test levels into the PCT or just run Nolva/HCG while the test and EQ clear then into PCT?

Example of Taper:
Wk 16 Last Test E and EQ pin
Wk 17 Test Prop 100mg EOD
Wk 18 Test Prop 75mg EOD
Wk 19 Test Prop 50mg EOD
Wk 20 Start PCT

And of course you’d continue HCG and Nolva through the taper and during PCT as well. [/quote]

PERFECT! This is exactly how you should taper down.
[/quote]

Awesome, makes a lot of sense. Everyone argues test taper vs SERM PCT, but they never discuss utilizing both.

[quote]anvilTX wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]anvilTX wrote:
Didn’t see a clear answer to this question, if it has been answered already I apologize. One of the reoccurring topics I see you bring up is that the body does not like drastic change. With that in mind, do you prefer to taper test from the cycle to PCT? For instance a 16wk cycle of 750mg Test E and 600mg EQ, after the last pin, would you switch to prop and slowly taper down the test levels into the PCT or just run Nolva/HCG while the test and EQ clear then into PCT?

Example of Taper:
Wk 16 Last Test E and EQ pin
Wk 17 Test Prop 100mg EOD
Wk 18 Test Prop 75mg EOD
Wk 19 Test Prop 50mg EOD
Wk 20 Start PCT

And of course you’d continue HCG and Nolva through the taper and during PCT as well. [/quote]

PERFECT! This is exactly how you should taper down.
[/quote]

Awesome, makes a lot of sense. Everyone argues test taper vs SERM PCT, but they never discuss utilizing both.
[/quote]

Shadow and I actually discussed this in the last Q&A thread. I am a BIG believer in tapering down into SERMs. I reckon it’ll keep me cycling for years without having to go on TRT.

Hey Shadow thank you for all the information in these threads, they have been great reads. I am 37 years old and planning my third cycle now for the early fall. I have done two previous test only cycles both 10 wks and had good results. I am 5’10 195-200 pounds bf% right around 12% currently. I am one of those people who’s body responds very well to any medications but it also seems to adjust to them as well.

I train primarily for strength on a 4 day split with active recovery days in between. For my cycle I was going to do another test cycle at 12 weeks and add Winstrol the last four weeks. The more I read about Mast the more I want to use it for the hardening effects. What would be the best way to run these three together or should I just stick with either Test and Winny or test and Mast?

I would like to go longer than 12 weeks but it is not an option this time as I travel a lot for work and have a window between trips. Also this one may seem stupid but would using t3 on cycle help with any caloric spillover if one were to try and be a little more aggressive with diet, or are there better options for that?

[quote]SauceMonkey wrote:
Shadow for rest days, do you employ and “active recovery” approach like LISS cardio or passive recovery and just staying home all day?

Do you ever take just a full day off from the gym?

Only reason I ask is I wanna train cause I love it, but I do think I’m experiencing some effects of adrenal fatigue from this cut. So I’m forcing myself to take a complete off day for the first time in probably a month. In the future I’m thinking of doing 1 every 8 days, but was curious if you or any other bodybuilders employ active recovery or just passive recovery and stay home and rest completely and how often.

Thanks! [/quote]

I train 5-6days a week. My off days are therapy days, I do deep tissue massage, physical therapy, soft tissue work, whirlpool and infrared sauna. The deep tissue massages are worse than any workout, painful as hell.

[quote]patrick34 wrote:
Hello, I just saw my answer, sorry for the mistakes I have trouble with English, so I wanted to know I’m dry cycle, 182cm 84kg to 14% fat I want to get to 10% but I can not use stimulant products for the heart because small problems, I think the use turinabol, what the lightest that you just take to reduce side effects but gain some lean mass dose be? Be little add some masteron also
thank you very much[/quote]

Post a picture and your diet. I wouldn’t use turinabol for a cutting cycle. Masteron is a great option.

[quote]em2510 wrote:
Hey Shadow thank you for all the information in these threads, they have been great reads. I am 37 years old and planning my third cycle now for the early fall. I have done two previous test only cycles both 10 wks and had good results. I am 5’10 195-200 pounds bf% right around 12% currently. I am one of those people who’s body responds very well to any medications but it also seems to adjust to them as well.

I train primarily for strength on a 4 day split with active recovery days in between. For my cycle I was going to do another test cycle at 12 weeks and add Winstrol the last four weeks. The more I read about Mast the more I want to use it for the hardening effects. What would be the best way to run these three together or should I just stick with either Test and Winny or test and Mast?

I would like to go longer than 12 weeks but it is not an option this time as I travel a lot for work and have a window between trips. Also this one may seem stupid but would using t3 on cycle help with any caloric spillover if one were to try and be a little more aggressive with diet, or are there better options for that?[/quote]

Here’s 3 options… All of them will work. If you can post a picture and your previous cycle history I can give you better advice on which one to choose.

  1. Test-P and Masteron-P (inject ED or EOD) masteron will make you harder but won’t contribute a lot in terms of strength

  2. test-p and Winstrol - winstrol will give you significant strength gains and it will make you harder but may cause joint issues

  3. Test-P, Masteron and Winstrol - this is the most aggressive option but will yield the best result in terms of hardness and strength. It’s still considered a fairly moderate cycle so it’s not a bad option.

Dosages will be depending on what you did in your previous cycles. A good starting point for masteron is 75-100mg EOD, winstrol 50mg ED and Test-P @ 100mg ED or EOD.

The T3 in combination with a perfect diet will definitely help with burning fat if that’s your goal. Start with 12.5-25mcg everyday and adjust according to your progress. Never just stop taking it, always taper down… So plan accordingly around your travel for work.

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Shadow,

I’ve been experiencing these weird cramps and spasms on the inside of my elbows (symptomatic of golfer’s elbow?). I’ve eliminated GH, which I thought could cause it because of swelling, and it was gone. Now I’ve injected tren a. and mast p. last night and it’s coming back.

Could it be the mast?

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]SauceMonkey wrote:
Shadow for rest days, do you employ and “active recovery” approach like LISS cardio or passive recovery and just staying home all day?

Do you ever take just a full day off from the gym?

Only reason I ask is I wanna train cause I love it, but I do think I’m experiencing some effects of adrenal fatigue from this cut. So I’m forcing myself to take a complete off day for the first time in probably a month. In the future I’m thinking of doing 1 every 8 days, but was curious if you or any other bodybuilders employ active recovery or just passive recovery and stay home and rest completely and how often.

Thanks! [/quote]

I train 5-6days a week. My off days are therapy days, I do deep tissue massage, physical therapy, soft tissue work, whirlpool and infrared sauna. The deep tissue massages are worse than any workout, painful as hell.
[/quote]

Thank you sir. How about deload weeks? Do you do anything different when cutting and in need of a deload? Not trying to lose muscle or strength

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]em2510 wrote:
Hey Shadow thank you for all the information in these threads, they have been great reads. I am 37 years old and planning my third cycle now for the early fall. I have done two previous test only cycles both 10 wks and had good results. I am 5’10 195-200 pounds bf% right around 12% currently. I am one of those people who’s body responds very well to any medications but it also seems to adjust to them as well.

I train primarily for strength on a 4 day split with active recovery days in between. For my cycle I was going to do another test cycle at 12 weeks and add Winstrol the last four weeks. The more I read about Mast the more I want to use it for the hardening effects. What would be the best way to run these three together or should I just stick with either Test and Winny or test and Mast?

I would like to go longer than 12 weeks but it is not an option this time as I travel a lot for work and have a window between trips. Also this one may seem stupid but would using t3 on cycle help with any caloric spillover if one were to try and be a little more aggressive with diet, or are there better options for that?[/quote]

Here’s 3 options… All of them will work. If you can post a picture and your previous cycle history I can give you better advice on which one to choose.

  1. Test-P and Masteron-P (inject ED or EOD) masteron will make you harder but won’t contribute a lot in terms of strength

  2. test-p and Winstrol - winstrol will give you significant strength gains and it will make you harder but may cause joint issues

  3. Test-P, Masteron and Winstrol - this is the most aggressive option but will yield the best result in terms of hardness and strength. It’s still considered a fairly moderate cycle so it’s not a bad option.

Dosages will be depending on what you did in your previous cycles. A good starting point for masteron is 75-100mg EOD, winstrol 50mg ED and Test-P @ 100mg ED or EOD.

The T3 in combination with a perfect diet will definitely help with burning fat if that’s your goal. Start with 12.5-25mcg everyday and adjust according to your progress. Never just stop taking it, always taper down… So plan accordingly around your travel for work.

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Thanks. I do not have any pics available at the moment but as far as previous cycles they were both Test C one a 400mg/wk the other 500mg/wk for ten weeks. I see you recommend Test P but would it make a huge difference to use Test C other than it taking longer to build up? The reason I ask is that I can get the Test C directly from a connection with a compounding pharmacy so I know it’s pharm grade. I’m leaning to just doing the Test Winstrol cycle and saving the Mast for a later date. Just for info sake though if I were to run all three would it be best to run the Test and Mast weeks 1-12 and Winstrol 8-12. I would use HCG throughout at 250x2 wk and Standard Clomid/Nolva Pct. Thank You for everything.

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]patrick34 wrote:
Hello, I just saw my answer, sorry for the mistakes I have trouble with English, so I wanted to know I’m dry cycle, 182cm 84kg to 14% fat I want to get to 10% but I can not use stimulant products for the heart because small problems, I think the use turinabol, what the lightest that you just take to reduce side effects but gain some lean mass dose be? Be little add some masteron also
thank you very much[/quote]

Post a picture and your diet. I wouldn’t use turinabol for a cutting cycle. Masteron is a great option.
[/quote]

Thank you very much,
my diet
Meal 1: 6 egg white and yellow
30 gr flake oats with 10 grams of whey
Omega 3 and CLA

Before training: coffee and taurine training with 10g BCAA and 30g of Vitargo
Post training 40g of whey isolate, 5 grams of leucine, 5g glutamine

Meals 14 hours: 200g chicken or turkey meat horse
300 to 500 grams of green vegetables, 50 100GR cooked lentils or quinoa or rice, 10 grams of rapeseed oil
A natural soy yogurt, an omega 3, CLA 1

18 hours 40gr simple whey

Meals 20 hours: same meal in 14 hours but without carbohydrates

23 hours 40g casein and 5 almonds
J am afraid of falling too carbohydrates for muscle wasting

[quote]rhod wrote:
Shadow,

I’ve been experiencing these weird cramps and spasms on the inside of my elbows (symptomatic of golfer’s elbow?). I’ve eliminated GH, which I thought could cause it because of swelling, and it was gone. Now I’ve injected tren a. and mast p. last night and it’s coming back.

Could it be the mast?[/quote]

It could be this… Are you taking any antiestrogens right now? This could also be a cause.

I don’t think it has anything to do with the juice, it sounds more like an injury from training or any physical stress on the joint. You can try anti inflammatories like naproxen and try hot and cold methods. Warm the joint before the workout and ice it post workout.

[quote]SauceMonkey wrote:

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]SauceMonkey wrote:
Shadow for rest days, do you employ and “active recovery” approach like LISS cardio or passive recovery and just staying home all day?

Do you ever take just a full day off from the gym?

Only reason I ask is I wanna train cause I love it, but I do think I’m experiencing some effects of adrenal fatigue from this cut. So I’m forcing myself to take a complete off day for the first time in probably a month. In the future I’m thinking of doing 1 every 8 days, but was curious if you or any other bodybuilders employ active recovery or just passive recovery and stay home and rest completely and how often.

Thanks! [/quote]

I train 5-6days a week. My off days are therapy days, I do deep tissue massage, physical therapy, soft tissue work, whirlpool and infrared sauna. The deep tissue massages are worse than any workout, painful as hell.
[/quote]

Thank you sir. How about deload weeks? Do you do anything different when cutting and in need of a deload? Not trying to lose muscle or strength [/quote]

I am not using any scheduled deload weeks. If I feel beat up I’ll instinctively lower the volume in a specific week or workout.