Shadow Pro Q&A 2.0

Shadow_Pro · July 8, 2014, 5:33am

[quote]fallingmidget wrote:
Hey shadow. This is my first post on here but I do read alot. Endocrinology has always been a hobby of mine so I like to think I know about self-regulation of hormone levels.

Here’s my question. I’m 24yrs old and I do powerlifting. I’m 6ft 228lbs 16% bf. I squat 665 with belt and wraps, bench 470 with just a singlet (no wrist wraps), and deadlift 805 with just a belt and chalk. Right now I’m going for the 242 all time deadlift record of 893. After that I’d like to break the all time 1015. I want to get 900 by next September and 1020 in 2 years. I want to do it in the 242s but I’d be willing to go to the 275s if I have to. I’m polish and German so I seem to have the genetics for heavy pulling. I’ve ran prohormones for years. Mostly epistane at 90mg ED. I would run year round but there have been issues. I was homeless for several months living in my car and having to steal food to eat. I lifted at The dog house in Columbus OH it now I’m back in NJ. I work at a GNC and things are getting better with money. I can now actually afford real steroids and want to start. I’ve been doing 60mg epistane ED 60mg “trenavar” ED and 40mg halotestin ED. The halotestin is my first real steroid and not a PH/DS.

Question is what would work best for me based on my history and my goals? I’d like to not gain much weight. My diet is generally chicken mcnuggets, whoppers, lots of chocolate milk, recesses peanut butter cups, literally everything bad for you but I don’t gain weight, just get stronger.

I’ve been thinking tren with anadrol and halo. I personally don’t care about my HPTA, acne(I don’t get any), hair loss, loss of libido, or any side effects. I’m fixed on my goal and will do anything to get there. If you have any advice other than what I asked I’d be more than happy to hear it. Thanks in advance shadow.

Here’s a video of my 770 lift at my last competition in May.

WOW! Amazing deadlift! Good job with keeping up with your training when everything in your life isn’t optimal, very admirable.

I’ll make a few suggestions, the closer you can follow them the more it will help you get to your goal so do what you can.

First of all, here is my suggestion for a cycle. I understand that strength is your only goal but you want to consider taking compounds that will balance your body in terms of strength and mental aspects together.
12 week strength cycle
Test-e @ 500-750mg/week
Tren-a @100mg eod you can bump it up to 75mg everyday after 4 weeks
Week 1-6
Anadrol 50mg everyday
Dbol 50mg everyday
Week 7-12
Halo @40-60mg everyday

Nolvadex 20mg everyday for the whole cycle( I’m sure you don’t want bitch tits)

if you ever want to have kids or ever plan on coming off I would add HCG every 3rd day @250iu

Since you’ll be hitting orals heavily I would make sure to take NAC @ 600mg everyday to help your liver as well as milk thistle. This is not a healthy cycle but it’ll get you strong as hell and this will get you to where you want to be.

If you don’t want to gain weight you’ll have to change your diet. Eating crap will not get you stronger, it will actually hurt your performance. It will also increase risks in general. You don’t need to do something fancy but just get your calories from clean sources and you’ll be able to lift more and weigh less.

For protein sources choose from : chicken, white fish, salmon, beef (extra lean ground beef, lean cuts of steak), tuna, egg whites, protein powder
For carb sources: yams, potatoes, rice, oatmeal, rice cakes
Fats: mct oil, coconut oil, avocados, fish oil, nut butters.

Just try to have one of these items in each meal you eat. If you want more help with a diet let me know and I can help you with this subject. You can also add intraworkout nutrition(Plazma) , it will help you a lot in regards to recovery and overall strength.

Hope this helped, good luck and great numbers!

Shadow_Pro · July 8, 2014, 5:40am

[quote]lifteatsleep240 wrote:
Thank you for the Q&A session. I am 24 years old, 6ft, 200lbs. I have been training for 5+ years now, although recently my goals have changed (left the military so now I can focus on weight training). I had a friend talk me into an oral-only Anavar cycle at 75mg/day for 7 weeks as my first cycle. Like a dumbass, I trusted him and started it. Now, roughly 10 days into my cycle, I have been reading contradictory reports on what the Anavar only cycle will do to me. The only agreement I seem to be able to find is that it’s a waste of time/money.

I want to be able to find all these answers for myself, but browsing forums online, most of what I find is “bro-science” and little is backed by actual studies or real science. So my questions would be:

Where are the most reliable places to educate myself on safe, proper use of PEDs?
With my current cycle, what type of PCT should I run to keep from fucking myself up (natural test levels, etc) long term? All I have planned for was 3 weeks of Nolvadex.
Should I add in some type of HCG during this cycle or wait to do with with PCT?
I know the haters are going to come out of the woodwork for this oral-only Anavar cycle, which is fine. I am just looking for answers to educate myself to survive this cycle and do my next one properly. Thank you.[/quote]

HERE! Ask anything you want and I can help. Go back and read the first shadow pro thread. There’s 45 pages of valuable info, you’ll learn a lot.
If you can add 250mg/week of test-e and 250iu of HCG 2x/week then you’ll be just fine. 10days on anavar won’t kill you. Lower your anavar to 60mg and only run it for 6 weeks. Adding the test and HCG now will make sure that your natural test levels aren’t damaged long term. You can also take 10mg of nolvadex everyday throughout the cycle.
Only add the HCG if you’re going to add the test-e. If not, then just take the anavar and see how you are after 6 weeks… If you have any issues then you can run the HCG and nolvadex.

By the way, it’s not completely wrong to run an anavar only cycle. Lots of females are doing it with great success and no side effects. It’s not as bad as people make it out to be. It’s just not the optimal choice for a first cycle but if you’re looking for something mild it’ll do but make sure you have the HCG and nolvadex on hand.

Shadow_Pro · July 8, 2014, 5:43am

[quote]BSC819 wrote:
Hi Shadow,
Thanks for your help in advance but I have a question.

How often and how long do you take time off from the gym?

I dont take much time off and my joints have been giving me some issues as of late. I am starting some deca to help with the joint pain but need a good protocol for taking time off.

[/quote]

Honestly, I’m very bad at this myself… It’s hard to pull me out of the gym. I would recommend people to take 1 week off every 10-12 weeks depending on intensity and training level.

Deca will just mask joint issues and not fix them, HGH is probably a better choice.

TokenB · July 8, 2014, 6:59am

Everyone knows that in order to build muscle you need to eat a calorie surplus, but my question is this:

If you’re using enough steroids, plus insulin (& supps) and timing what you eat around training correctly, is it possible to eat less than is thought of as necessary and still put on size due to correct nutrient timing?

I’m primarily thinking about taking the majority of calories for the day (especially carbs) around workouts, then eating only protein and fats the rest of the day, but eating under the “recommended” daily amount.

Would this be a way of building muscle whilst staying lean, or even getting leaner?

Viking_Athletic · July 8, 2014, 7:00am

Hi Shadow

Really great threads, I’ve looked over the forums for some time but never joined until now as there is really some credible and insightful content so thanks to yourself and T-Nation.

I’m basically writing for a bit of advice on my current contest prep strategy I’m 5 weeks in and just under 11 weeks out and would really appreciate some guidance or approval of my diet/cycle methodologies.

I’m 20 years old, 6’0" at 90kg at roughly 11-12% BF conservatively, I’ve been training 4 years but the last 18 months training/nutrition has soured massively due to great training partners/mentors in body building.

This is my current diet/cycle 11 weeks out any comments or questions would be greatly appreciated;

Viking_Athletic · July 8, 2014, 7:01am

And here’s my Cycle outline.

Jake

Wayacrucis · July 8, 2014, 2:30pm

[quote]Shadow Pro wrote:

[quote]Wayacrucis wrote:
In your opinion what is the best appetite suppressor that can be used for atleast 4-6 weeks without many negative sides. (E.g I know many people like Anadrol and Halo. Ephedrine also works well, but I feel like it’s not very effective after 2 weeks or so unless you increase the dose).

I know discipline comes first, but I personally prefer taking DNP at a low dose (200-250mg ED) over Clen/T3. Why? It has no impact on the heart, doesn’t raise my resting heart rate and it actually keeps my BP in the normal range even when I am on Test/Tren. I find it to be just as effective as Clen + ~75mg T3 per day, without all the negatives that Clen and T3 cause such heart strain and high BP. Only issue with DNP is that it gives me insane carb cravings, so I end up cheating more than I’d like to do. Ephedrine at a low dose did help (16mg 2-3 times per day), but I am trying to see if there are any alternatives. [/quote]

I wouldn’t say Anadrol or halo are appetite suppressors, it may have that effect on some people but I wouldn’t use it for that purpose.

For me, taking dnp is a bad idea… It kills your training, you can’t train normally when you’re constantly depleted. This is the reason you’re getting insane carb cravings and there’s nothing you can take to fix this as long as you’re on the DNP. Also, 75mcg of t3 would be on the high end and it’s very surprising that t3 would raise your BP, that’s not a common side effect.

You can stick to your ephedrine as an appetite suppressor. Some guys use amphetamines but I would strongly suggest not going that route, there’s no need for this in bodybuilding.

Man up and keep your diet, it’s not the end of the world… It’s the choice we make in order to look how we do
[/quote]

I understand where you’re coming from. T3 Does not raise my BP, but Clen does. What I mean to say is that for a lot of people taking Clen,Tren,Test, Etc during a cutting cycle often leads to high BP.When I take DNP at lower doses, it doesn’t impact my training all that bad, and it basically neutralizes the high BP that Tren,Test and Clen cause, because DNP actually reduces BP.

So essentially, what I am trying to say is I get the same benefit with DNP in terms of fat burning as if I were to take T3/Clen, but I don’t suffer from high BP and additionally no heart strain that is caused by the combination of clen and T3 as well in high doses.

I’ve been competing for about 5 years. I do bloodwork about 3 times per year and also keep a close eye on my heart. Bloodwork alone is never enough. About 6 months ago I went to a heart specialist and he conducted all sorts of tests on my heart. Long story short, my heart’s function is very good and it’s also strong according to him since my Resting heart rate was about 60-65 at 240lbs. However, he did mention that my left ventricle wall had grown to 13mm. (11m is average). He said that 13mm is not a big problem, but anything over 15mm will and could cause issues. Left ventricle hypertrophy is very common in bodybuilders.I am sure you know this. Fortunately, it is reversible just like muscle hypertrophy. I actually had the scan redone after being clean for 4 months and mine had shrunk down to 12mm. I am guessing that’s why taking a good amount of time off gear is important. Either way, he believes that steroids and weight training do contribute to left ventricle hypertrophy, but not significantly. He said that prolonged high BP is often the main cause and the source that induces the most growth of the left ventricle wall.

Unfortunately it’s hard to keep BP in check for most bodybuilders. Especially in the off-season when we tend to hold a lot of water, despite consuming low sodium. I’ll personally be taking some sort of BP med during the off-season to keep mine in check. I think it’s really important to keep BP in check for all of us, it’s called the “silent killer” for a reason.

theneed · July 8, 2014, 5:21pm

Shadow Pro - what a couple of great threads (the 1st full one and this one) you have here - Awesome info. I’m 46 and been into the super supps for 3 years now - before that I trained 100% clean for 30 years - no gaps in training except for a few knee and shoulder reconstructions. I competed in a few natty shows in my late teens and early 20’s.

10 days ago I started experimenting with insulin (humalog) using it pre-workout exactly the way you have described a # of times in this thread - I got this method from my research on other sites as my wife actually found your thread on T-Nation here and hooked me up yesterday.

Anyway, I started with 5iu and worked my way up to 10 iu daily before my daily 5am workouts along with the required carb consumption. I’m 235 lbs, 6’1 and 6 - 6.5% bodyfat as estimated by my coach so I’m pretty lean. I’m taking care to eat no fat up to 4 hours after pinning the log.

What I’m noticing is by the end of the day I’m really watery on days I use insulin. Over night I piss about 4x and by the next morning almost all the water is gone and the detail in my abs and serratus comes back for the most part. If I take 2 days without slin and continue training I get real sharp and detailed. I’m a high protein/ low carb guy and only eat carbs around the time I train in order to account for the slin and recovery. I use an intra-workout drink that has Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin just like the T-Nation product you mention here in your threads. I drink 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of water/coffee/no cal Vitamin Water daily and I never add salt to food unless it’s one of my 2 weekend dinners which may include some fries or other junk food like white bread or a few pieces of fried fish.

My question is - is there a way to avoid this subq water accumulation that is happening on days I days I use insulin? Is this a a normal response to insulin - like does it happen to most everyone who uses it?

Thx for your time and the infor you are putting out on this tread. This is priceless info…

Thx, TN

Shadow_Pro · July 8, 2014, 5:38pm

[quote]TokenB wrote:
Everyone knows that in order to build muscle you need to eat a calorie surplus, but my question is this:

If you’re using enough steroids, plus insulin (& supps) and timing what you eat around training correctly, is it possible to eat less than is thought of as necessary and still put on size due to correct nutrient timing?

I’m primarily thinking about taking the majority of calories for the day (especially carbs) around workouts, then eating only protein and fats the rest of the day, but eating under the “recommended” daily amount.

Would this be a way of building muscle whilst staying lean, or even getting leaner?[/quote]

It’s possible if your nutrition timing and intraworkout nutrition is perfect. You might be able to get away with eating a bit less but you’d still need to be in a calorie surplus. You will stay lean like this but it really depends on the bodyfat composition that you’re starting with. For example: someone at 8% bodyfat would need to be very meticulous in order to keep making progress but someone at 20% can make progress just from changing something very simple.

Shadow_Pro · July 8, 2014, 5:43pm

[quote]Viking Athletic wrote:
And here’s my Cycle outline.

Jake [/quote]

Hi, thank you for posting… I would like to see a picture of you in order to give you the correct feedback and see if you’re on track or not.

From my first glance, I think the diet looks balanced but I don’t see any intraworkout nutrition which is the first thing you’ll want to change.

As for the cycle, I think you started the tren-a too late and I’m not sure about your t3 dosing, how much are you taking right now? 100mcg would be overdoing it and you’ll likely be burning muscle with this amount.

Once I see pictures I’ll be able to give you more accurate advice.

Shadow_Pro · July 8, 2014, 5:52pm

[quote]Wayacrucis wrote: