i heard that if you take steroids and take your pcts and hcg and whatnot you will keep your gains for awhile, but if you stop taking drugs and even if you continue to lift, and even if you have a great diet, you will lose all your gains in the long run, is this true?
example:
guy takes steroids, ends cycle, takes pct, keeps 80% of his gains, but decides that steroids arent for him, so he continues to lift, and diet, but quits using drugs, now a year down the road the gains he made from that 1 cycle, will he still have that mass or will it disappear?
please help, im not planning on using any time soon, but i would still really like to know the answer to this question.
I have seen this go both ways. A friend of mine cycled from a young age for about 3 years using heavy chemicals, his log was actually fairly famous here. He stopped using 6 months ago, he also stopped eating and training, he went from about 230 @ 8% BF to 170 @ 9-10% BF. Literally exactly where he had been 3 and a half years ago. Except he virtually wasted thousands of hours in the gym and tens of thousands of dollars on gear, food, supplements, gym memberships etc.
On the other hand, I have friends who ran light cycles one time and gained 20-25 pounds of good muscle. Cut up post cycle, and then continued to lift heavy, eat hearty, and they’ve retained 80% of their weight gains. As far as strength goes, it definitely drops a bit after a cycle. You just simply cant lift like you can when you’re on cycle. That being said though, I have seen guys who 6 months after a cycle are benching more than they were when they were on cycle.
Eat right, train right, and you’ll keep enough gains to be satisfied a couple years down the road even if you never cycle again.
[quote]Arem wrote:
I have seen this go both ways. A friend of mine cycled from a young age for about 3 years using heavy chemicals, his log was actually fairly famous here. He stopped using 6 months ago, he also stopped eating and training, he went from about 230 @ 8% BF to 170 @ 9-10% BF. Literally exactly where he had been 3 and a half years ago. Except he virtually wasted thousands of hours in the gym and tens of thousands of dollars on gear, food, supplements, gym memberships etc.
[quote]Arem wrote:
I have seen this go both ways. A friend of mine cycled from a young age for about 3 years using heavy chemicals, his log was actually fairly famous here. He stopped using 6 months ago, he also stopped eating and training, he went from about 230 @ 8% BF to 170 @ 9-10% BF. Literally exactly where he had been 3 and a half years ago. Except he virtually wasted thousands of hours in the gym and tens of thousands of dollars on gear, food, supplements, gym memberships etc.
lmfao what a sucker[/quote]
He did sure as hell enjoy it when he was on though, plenty of girls and worked with me as a bouncer too. All distant memories now though.
I did my first cylce last spring. kept about 10 lbs of it. I’ve built upon those gains. I’m still getting bigger and stronger, haven’t lost anything. like bonez said it depends on alot of variables.
[quote]Arem wrote:
I have seen this go both ways. A friend of mine cycled from a young age for about 3 years using heavy chemicals, his log was actually fairly famous here. He stopped using 6 months ago, he also stopped eating and training, he went from about 230 @ 8% BF to 170 @ 9-10% BF. Literally exactly where he had been 3 and a half years ago. Except he virtually wasted thousands of hours in the gym and tens of thousands of dollars on gear, food, supplements, gym memberships etc.
On the other hand, I have friends who ran light cycles one time and gained 20-25 pounds of good muscle. Cut up post cycle, and then continued to lift heavy, eat hearty, and they’ve retained 80% of their weight gains. As far as strength goes, it definitely drops a bit after a cycle. You just simply cant lift like you can when you’re on cycle. That being said though, I have seen guys who 6 months after a cycle are benching more than they were when they were on cycle.
Eat right, train right, and you’ll keep enough gains to be satisfied a couple years down the road even if you never cycle again. [/quote]
you simply wont keep everything if you stop for long enough
it depends also where you started, if still have a lot of natural room to grow you could probably keep those gains easier and possibly improve upon them. If already near peak and cycling to go into superhuman levels then it would be nearly impossible to retain those gains without staying on.
there is a reason that pros never come off the stuff
[quote]shizen wrote:
you simply wont keep everything if you stop for long enough
it depends also where you started, if still have a lot of natural room to grow you could probably keep those gains easier and possibly improve upon them. If already near peak and cycling to go into superhuman levels then it would be nearly impossible to retain those gains without staying on.
there is a reason that pros never come off the stuff[/quote]
This is true, simply put, your genetic maximum is your genetic maximum. The closer you get to it, or the more you surpass it, the harder it is to keep gains.
That being said, I’d be willing to bet that over 95% of people that lose substantial amounts of their gains do so due to poor diet and training discipline rather than their body simply being unable to retain large percentages of their gains.
In 2007 I competed as a natural teenage bodybuilder weighing 70kgs onstage and started using gear from the start 2008 into 2009 non-stop where I reached 105kg lean and very close to comp condition. I moved to Thailand for a 6 month training holiday but it ended up being a complete party instead so I came off all gear, ate probably 2 times a day, drank almost every day and within 6 months I had lost 30kgs and looked as if I had never trained a day in my life. I crashed hard and lost a lot but my lifestyle was what allowed such a loss. Provided your gains are lean and not mostly water retention and your natural levels have bounced back to normal you really do have the power to keep what you want but you have to keep consistent and not become a sluggish lazy because you’re off like most people do.
When you’re off cycle, especially post-cycle I found my energy and enthusiasm was the major thing that contributed to such a dramatic loss. I think you can keep your gains long-term. Like someone else said above, I also know guys who have come off and continued to gain. You get out what you put in, but it’s one thing to know it and another to actually do it. That’s why you have to admire and respect a successful natural bodybuilder. There’s a lot of discipline and precision needed to be successful as a natural competitor. Sorry for the rant - that’s just my two cents and experience.
[quote]Aphrodisiactive wrote:
In 2007 I competed as a natural teenage bodybuilder weighing 70kgs onstage and started using gear from the start 2008 into 2009 non-stop where I reached 105kg lean and very close to comp condition. I moved to Thailand for a 6 month training holiday but it ended up being a complete party instead so I came off all gear, ate probably 2 times a day, drank almost every day and within 6 months I had lost 30kgs and looked as if I had never trained a day in my life. I crashed hard and lost a lot but my lifestyle was what allowed such a loss. Provided your gains are lean and not mostly water retention and your natural levels have bounced back to normal you really do have the power to keep what you want but you have to keep consistent and not become a sluggish lazy because you’re off like most people do.
When you’re off cycle, especially post-cycle I found my energy and enthusiasm was the major thing that contributed to such a dramatic loss. I think you can keep your gains long-term. Like someone else said above, I also know guys who have come off and continued to gain. You get out what you put in, but it’s one thing to know it and another to actually do it. That’s why you have to admire and respect a successful natural bodybuilder. There’s a lot of discipline and precision needed to be successful as a natural competitor. Sorry for the rant - that’s just my two cents and experience.[/quote]
This.
BTW, that you in your profile pic man? fucking shredded.
Take a successful discipline natural competitor with 5+ years training experience weighing between 90-100kg in condition, then have him go down the dark side. I think that’s the way most guys should go. When you’re a natural theres so much more discipline and precision needed to make gains so you develop the qualities that will see you through the gaps between cycles however long they may be. Go into your PCT and the coming months with absolute balls and determination and you will most likely see nil loss besides the water retention loss. Thats where Im at now, getting my natural gains at a very decent level, including strength and lifestyle habits, then cycle again with more effort between cycles. It has to be a lifestyle, not just a cycle for some festival every year. If you love training, are disciplined without gear to begin with, know how to train and have your head screwed on right - then the gains you make are yours to keep the way i see it.
[quote]Arem wrote:
I have seen this go both ways. A friend of mine cycled from a young age for about 3 years using heavy chemicals, his log was actually fairly famous here. He stopped using 6 months ago, he also stopped eating and training, he went from about 230 @ 8% BF to 170 @ 9-10% BF. Literally exactly where he had been 3 and a half years ago. Except he virtually wasted thousands of hours in the gym and tens of thousands of dollars on gear, food, supplements, gym memberships etc.
On the other hand, I have friends who ran light cycles one time and gained 20-25 pounds of good muscle. Cut up post cycle, and then continued to lift heavy, eat hearty, and they’ve retained 80% of their weight gains. As far as strength goes, it definitely drops a bit after a cycle. You just simply cant lift like you can when you’re on cycle. That being said though, I have seen guys who 6 months after a cycle are benching more than they were when they were on cycle.
Eat right, train right, and you’ll keep enough gains to be satisfied a couple years down the road even if you never cycle again. [/quote]
Sorry Arem, I pretty much said exactly the same thing you said. My apolgies. My experience was exactly the same. I guess when you have committed so much for so long and you start to feel the effects of crashing its hard to stay alive in your pursuit. You said all that well - just how I feel. Regards
[quote]Arem wrote:
I have seen this go both ways. A friend of mine cycled from a young age for about 3 years using heavy chemicals, his log was actually fairly famous here. He stopped using 6 months ago, he also stopped eating and training, he went from about 230 @ 8% BF to 170 @ 9-10% BF. Literally exactly where he had been 3 and a half years ago. Except he virtually wasted thousands of hours in the gym and tens of thousands of dollars on gear, food, supplements, gym memberships etc.
On the other hand, I have friends who ran light cycles one time and gained 20-25 pounds of good muscle. Cut up post cycle, and then continued to lift heavy, eat hearty, and they’ve retained 80% of their weight gains. As far as strength goes, it definitely drops a bit after a cycle. You just simply cant lift like you can when you’re on cycle. That being said though, I have seen guys who 6 months after a cycle are benching more than they were when they were on cycle.
Eat right, train right, and you’ll keep enough gains to be satisfied a couple years down the road even if you never cycle again. [/quote]
Sorry Arem, I pretty much said exactly the same thing you said. My apolgies. My experience was exactly the same. I guess when you have committed so much for so long and you start to feel the effects of crashing its hard to stay alive in your pursuit. You said all that well - just how I feel. Regards[/quote]
No way man, your advice and experience are incredibly helpful for those who want to listen. Plus its always good to have people reinforce things so people dont just think its one guy talking out of their ass. Especially when you have input from someone such as yourself who has actually competed.
well guys im in the same boat. Had awsome gains…looked like a machine…then was in PCT phase…all seemed fine until 3 weeks ago when i was off everything completely combined with stress and a messed up diet and lack of motivation to train due to loosing gains…resulted in me being almost back to my original state.
as you guys mentioned…there are many variables…in my case…diet and stress.
im revamping my diet, got a whole lot of supplements to boost my natural test and will start hitting it hard again from monday. I think im just a little bit self conscious as most of the guys at the gym were looking up to me in terms of how ive transformed myself but now ive lost like 8kg of muscle mass… really sux.
still have high estrogen so thats probably whats screwing up my muscle mass. …im on Nolva again to reduce my estrogen…and lets see what happens.
I want to get up to 100kg …rip down to 95kg and maintain it…hopefully without roids… im sure it is possible…most of the pros with the least favorable genetics seem to have managed to. Will keep you guys posted.
[quote]cybercom8 wrote:
well guys im in the same boat. Had awsome gains…looked like a machine…then was in PCT phase…all seemed fine until 3 weeks ago when i was off everything completely combined with stress and a messed up diet and lack of motivation to train due to loosing gains…resulted in me being almost back to my original state.
as you guys mentioned…there are many variables…in my case…diet and stress.
im revamping my diet, got a whole lot of supplements to boost my natural test and will start hitting it hard again from monday. I think im just a little bit self conscious as most of the guys at the gym were looking up to me in terms of how ive transformed myself but now ive lost like 8kg of muscle mass… really sux.
still have high estrogen so thats probably whats screwing up my muscle mass. …im on Nolva again to reduce my estrogen…and lets see what happens.
I want to get up to 100kg …rip down to 95kg and maintain it…hopefully without roids… im sure it is possible…most of the pros with the least favorable genetics seem to have managed to. Will keep you guys posted.[/quote]
Read “BTPB” by Author L Rea. A lot of information regarding HPTA suppression and it’s free to download off the internet. Perfect for anyone in the same boat asking these types of questions.