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So we finally put up another Q&A! Hopefully we'll be able to update this portion of the site more frequently in future. I have to thank Grendel for his fantastic contributions to AE readers; most of the answers in this section are his work. Be sure and check out the end of the Q&A, we've got a short introduction to our new online publication, Progesterone.net!.
Remember, these are actual questions from our readers; we don't make up questions like many other publications. As such, the quality of the Q&A section is heavily dependant on you. You can contact Jason Meuller at jason@anabolicextreme.com, Grendel at childe_roland@hotmail.com, and Sanjac at sanjac@operamail.com. Challenge us!
I am going on a modest cycle that includes, at most, 500 mg of test per week (starting with sustanon then going into proponiate). I was wondering if I need clomid or other anti-estrogens. I have been surfing the boards and people say nolvadex will cut into my gains.
Always have clomid and nolvadex on hand, along the more expensive estrogen conversion inhibitors if you can afford them. Clomid and nolvadex are estrogen anti-agonists. They occupy the same receptor "parking spot" as estrogen, but they do not cause the lovely side effects we associate with estrogen. In addition, clomid helps restore testicular function and speeds up recovery. So, clomid is a must on any cycle, at least afterwards. As for during, you could wait and see if you develop gyno or other estrogen symptoms and begin taking the drugs then. Other drugs inhibit the conversion process of testosterone into estrogen (this process occurs with the enzyme aromatase). The data people are talking about is evidence that nolvadex decreases the levels of IGF (insulin like growth factor) in the liver. There is also evidence that the anti-estrogens affect the levels of other growth factors, which they are designed to do in their capacity as anti-cancer drugs. But remember you are also introducing highly anabolic substances into your body at the same time. The net effect is still going to be growth. This a case of cost benefit analysis. Nolvadex and clomid are easy to find, not too expensive, and not scheduled. It's best to be careful.
I am a 22 year-old man, I want to do a mass cycle. This would be my first cycle, and I have been training hard for three years already. I eat relatively cleanly, keeping protein ultra high. What course would you recommend to put on the most size. I currently weigh 200 pounds with abs showing, so my body fat is not that high.
A typical question from a person with a decent profile to use AS. Of course, the person should, if serious, already have an idea about what drugs to use to gain mass. However, I will assume that this is the case, the person knows the options as well as I do and just wants my opinion. Well, here it is. First remember the law of diminishing returns, each cycle is going to be less effective because you are going to be getting bigger and bigger until you can no longer get any larger. So you want to make your first (and all your cycles) count. First things first.
1. Line out your food and
protein powder for the next 8 weeks, figure out exactly how much protein you
are going to eat per day and how many calories per day. In your case, I would
shoot for 400+ grams of protein and 5000 calories per day. Refer to Jason's
Eating for Extreme Mass for more pointers on diet, but get this squared away.
2. Clear your schedule. You don't want to go on a business trip during the middle
of the cycle and be away from the gym and food for a week. Make sure that you
can devote the next 8 weeks to training, eating, and sleeping.
3. Inform a friend. I know this sounds weird, but if you have someone you can
trust, I would bring them into the fold, especially if they are either your
lifting partner or your significant other. They will need to know that you have
to be committed to a certain lifestyle for the next few weeks and they better
be prepared to help you out. I think most of what Jason's girl said in her article
My Boyfriend wants to do Steroids applies here.
4. Get all your gear together, along with needles. You do not want to have to
abbreviate a cycle because SteroidDealer123@aol.com
got arrested and can't send you that last batch. This includes your anti-estrogens!
Now on to the actual cycle. Bottom line, my opinion is that you need at least 500-750 mg of test per week to grow. I know that some people are going to scream about this, but whatever. I have never had someone not grow on this dose, and the side effects have been minimal. If you have outstanding genetics you can use less and get away with it (if one more person tells me how little so and so did in the 1980s I will club them to death). I always recommend deca durabolin on any cycle, it's just a great drug for any stack. I also do not believe in tapers. Refer to my article, Practically Anabolic, in the archives. Without further ado:
Week 1 - Week 3
750 mg of sustanon (taken Mon, Wed, Friday in divided dosages of 250 mg.)
400 mg of deca durabolin
25 mcg of T3
*if you start experiencing any signs of gyno, begin nolvadex and clomid right away
Week 4- Week 6
100 mg of testosterone propionate per day
400 mg of deca durabolin
20 mcg nolvadex and 50 mg clomid per day
25 mcg of T3
Week 7-8
100 mg clomid
20 mg nolvadex
So there you have it. Simple, huh? Well it will work and it does not use any exotic drugs. You should be able to easily secure all the above compounds. This is a beginner cycle, although the dosages are moderately high.
I am currently happy with my degree of muscularity, but I would like to get lean for the summer. I have used AAS steroids before on several mass courses, and I am not opposed to using them again. I am 29 years old and live over-seas so I can get just about whatever I want. What would you recommend?
Man, talk about a vague question. Christ, I am not even going to touch diet and cardio. Do both! If you do not know the basics of dieting and cardio, do some more research. I am not Richard Simmons. So I am only going to address the use of pharmaceuticals. I will divide the drugs you are going to use into categories.
1. Anti-Catabolics: Essentially this means moderately heavy androgen therapy. I recommend, as I always do, about 700 mg of testosterone per week. Do not worry about water retention, you do not sound like you are getting ready for a show. Other good steroids for dieting include anavar, and trenbolone acetate. You are not trying to gain any more mass here, just trying to preserve. I would use just straight testosterone and have some anti-estrogens on hand.
2. Metabolic Enhancers: I would use T3 at a dosage of 100 mcg per day. I would also use either clenbuterol or ephedrine. Preferably I would combine the two so that I did two weeks of clenbuterol (80-160 mcg per day, last dose taken around 1:00 pm) and then two weeks of ephedrine/caffeine and yohimbine (if you can tolerate the yohimbine - some people cannot).
3. Hunger suppressants. The metabolic enhancers will kill your hunger somewhat, but I would also recommend the use of tenuate, dospan or some anorectic (dexatrim will work too) to keep hunger down.
I would not stay on this cycle for more then 6 weeks at a time, it's too hard on the body. If your calories are low enough you should see significant improvement in this time period.
I'm getting really sick and tired of the war of words between Anabolic Extreme and Testosterone.net. I really enjoy both publications and don't think either of you should be devoting space to bashing each other. Why don't you just leave them alone and deal with real bodybuilding issues, like how I can get gain another 20 lbs of lean mass!
As a bodybuilder, I'm more then happy to ignore the antics of Testosterone.net. As a bodybuilding journalist, I cannot. My primary job as publisher of this magazine is to provide informative articles to readers on a monthly basis. When I see another publication lying to this same group of people, it becomes an issue I have a responsibility to address.
Testosterone.net used to be a great publication. It mixed a great blend of free information and humor on a weekly basis. I was a regular reader and looked forward to each new issue. Now T-mag is a different publication. Half of each issue is devoted solely to the purpose of marketing Biotest supplements. Furthermore, many of the claims made about their supplement line are outright lies. I'm certainly not stating that T-mag is now devoid of any valuable content. Some will choose to wade through the ads disguised as articles and bullshit lies in order to find that nugget of truth, and other will not. It's really a matter of personal preference.
TC Luoma stated in the last issue of T-mag, "It's true that we give out more than a fair share of shots, because of safety concerns to the public or shameless ad campaigns that make us embarrassed to be part of the business." TC, how can you trash others for their ad campaigns when yours are by far the most disgusting and deceptive in bodybuilding? This is the worst case of hypocrisy I've seen in an industry absolutely filled with hypocrites. You then have the audacity to label any attack on your marketing tactics as mere jealously, rather than admitting that you are indeed lying to your readers.
I must say, I found Brock Strasser's (Bruce Kneller) remarks quite entertaining. I've never seen anyone actually make up quotes in order to back their position. Brock states, "Meuller criticized Androsol and basically claimed that 'all the lab tests Biotest did were bunk,' and that later, "Meuller back peddled and said, 'Well, it's not the lab test that mattered anyhow; it's whether or not people see gains in the gym.'" I admit that even I was stunned at the depths of depravity Bruce Kneller could sink.
I think we can best judge the character of Mr. Kneller by reviewing some of his past work. While searching through the archives of T-mag, I found an article he had penned almost two years ago titled, "An Invitation to the Devil? Why the FDA Should Regulate Supplements." In his article, Bruce states, "In my opinion, every other magazine in this industry is little more than a catalog for the publisher's supplement companies. I wish that everyone would really wise up to this." Me too Bruce, me too. Two years ago, it seems, Bruce and I would have been on the same side of the fence on this issue. I wonder how much money it took to get him to change his mind? I urge all of you to read his fascinating article; you can reach it at http://www.testosterone.net/html/21devil.html.
Ultimately, the only thing that will cause supplement companies to change their sleazy marketing tactics is to hit them where it hurts. If you know you're being lied to, don't buy their products. Bruce Kneller, the co-creator of Androsol, summed up the situation nicely in his aforementioned article when he stated, "If claims for a supplement are anywhere near 'drug-like,' it's probably bogus. Don't be one of PT Barnum's 'suckers.'" I couldn’t agree more.
Do you advocate the use of MRPs?
Yes and I recommend Grendel's Ultra-Profit Max Shake. At only 100 dollars per shake this MRP is the best you can get. No seriously, I think that MRPs are very valuable tools. If cost is not a concern, they permit you to very accurately assess your nutritional intake and they are very time effective. I use about 3 per day on average. One for breakfast, one after the workout, and one before bed, sometimes I use more when I can't find the time or energy to cook. I would always have an MRP handy at work just in case you can't get lunch in time. As far as which MRP is best, I think IsoPure is fantastic, but it's expensive. Myoplex tastes good too. My biggest problem with MRPs is that the protein content is not high enough for my liking, so I always add about 20 more grams of protein. This means that each of my shakes has about 70 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbs, etc. I do not eat a lot of carbs, so this works for me.
What is the best creatine delivery system?
A 26-gauge syringe containing 10-15 IUs of rapid acting insulin. Combine creatine with a high glycemic carb (about 10 grams per IU of insulin used) and 10-20 grams of creatine. Take immediately after a workout. I want to take a moment to dispel the grape juice myth! Grape juice is filled with fructose, which is a shitty carb from a glycemic standpoint. The initial reason for using grape juice was the thought that grapes contain chemicals that increase the efficiency of the creatine. Lovely, but so what. 100 grams of glucose polymers from Powerade will work much better.
I just read your article on Anabolic Extreme & though it was excellent. I have a couple of questions that are somewhat unclear & was wondering if you could please help me out with them.
1) You mentioned that Clen increases T3 levels & should be used during a mass cycle. I have talked to Milos Sarcev & Dave Palumbo regarding this & they have both warned me against using clen. They said that it actually lowers T3 & more importantly, it lowers IGF-1 levels & is counterproductive when used with GH. As I always use GH with my cycles, & also because GH is so damn expensive, I really don't want the IGF-1 producing effects of GH to be lowered. What are your thoughts on this?
Ok, I think you must have misread what I wrote or else there were some problems when the copy when to the publisher. Clen DECREASES T3 levels, which is one of the reasons it stops working. Clen should not be used during a mass cycle, it should be used after a mass cycle to drop some extra fat and to help get your receptors back online. As to its lowering of IGF, well, it may in fact do that. So does nolvadex, at least in vitro, but it's a matter of cost benefit analysis. Use clen after the mass cycle for about two weeks along with clomid and nolvadex, This will help you keep your lean mass. On a cutting cycle...well that's what my next article is about.
2) I have usually steered clear of cytomel, since I've heard the horror stories of hypothyroidism, but since I also use insulin in my mass cycle & the fact that insulin tends to "fatten me up", I've realized that I want to use cytomel to counter this problem & to also promote the "clearing" of receptors & general anabolism. What dosage & for how long would you recommend the use of cytomel so it would not result in any problems? Should it be tapered afterwards?
Cytomel makes insulin less effective, so the two are actually counterproductive for the most part. On a mass cycle with insulin use 25 mcg of T3 everyday to promote protein synthesis.
To cut up with cytomel I would use 100 mcg per day for 6 weeks. I would start with 50 mcg per day and then every two days go up 25 until I reached that 100 mcg per day level, just to see how well you tolerate the T3. BUT YOU MUST GO OFF T3 for at least 8 WEEKS. Hypothyroidism is caused by prolonged and frequent use. I have used cytomel at the above dosages and my thyroid function was normal afterwards.
3) Just for your info, this is my mass cycle. Any feedback you may have would be much appreciated. Thanks!
1500mgs testex / week
300mgs Equipoise / week
30 mgs dbol / day
4.5 iu GH / day
16 iu Humalin R / day
1/2 tab proscar / day - I want to keep my hair
Man, that's a strong cycle. I'm assuming you have plenty of experience using steroids already and this is not a first cycle for you. If not, this is way too much gear. I am concerned about the lack of anti-estrogens, especially since proscar (finesterade) can aggravate gyno. You must add in some clomid, nolvadex, proviron or arimidex. The GH and insulin will be good in synergy. You should add in 25 mcg of cytomel, in my opinion. BTW, Humalog is a better insulin then Humalin, it's out of the system faster. With Humalin you really shouldn't eat fat for about 6 hours after the injection.
I hope this helps you grow! Remember what I have said about the clomid, nolvadex, etc. For two weeks after your cycle use clenbuterol and clomid with nolvadex!
I've just read over anabolic extreme for part of the day after hearing about it at Testosterone.net. I can't believe that I didn't find this site sooner. It's so much better than T-mag. Ok, on to my question. I've read the two articles on innervation training, and while I've started to understand the theory, is it possible that there will be a future article which goes into the the real world training of someone using the system? I believe that it's possible for the readers to get more from the training theory if they could read about some in the gym work being performed with it. It's just a thought. Thanks.
We managed to convince Scott Abel to talk to us about his views on anabolic pharmacology. We have an interview scheduled with him shortly, and will relay your question to him at that time. We've had quite a few enquiries about Scott's unique training system and would love to cover it more thoroughly in a future issue.
Hi ya! I just got through reading your article at AE, and have to say it kicks ass! It's about time someone not only wrote a concise article outlining the mythology of our sport, but also gave us alternatives to follow. I have to admit I have been subscribing to the myth of pyramid stacking (I know, I know) and caught your article just before I was going to start a new cycle. I WAS going to do a 12-week cycle consisting of d-bol, sust, and deca. I have now re-thought this, thanks to you. I figure I'll now split the dosages over 2-6 week cycles. My question is this...I take it that there is no need to taper upwards, correct? I'm just so damned confused. I sat down with pen & paper to re-vamp it and I can't make heads or tails of it- it's pretty simple but does it look right?
Weeks 1 through 6 - 50 mg daily d-bol, 1 gram sust weekly, 1 gram deca weekly. Clomid and clen to end.
I think I can hear you laughing already :) Will starting at those dosages and keeping them static over the 6 weeks not cause my receptors to down-regulate faster? Will I have to up anything to keep the gains continuing or is the cycle's time frame to short to allow this to happen?
I don’t know if any personal info is need to evaluate my cycle but I'll provide it in case. I’m 6'2 about 245 now. I have been working out for 5 years. I have been on a low carb diet for past 8 weeks (less than 100gm. carb daily) I am 28 and this is to be my third cycle. My first cycle was 200 tabs d-bol. The second and third were 300 tabs d-bol, 8 amps sust. I have been clean for over a year now and am ready to take on a little more of an ambitious cycle. This is my first cycle with deca. I wouldn't mind putting on a little quality muscle and EATING again.
Glad you liked my article. Do you now understand why tapering is not a good idea? 500 mg of sustanon is going to stop natural production as much as 250mg or 1000 mg will; all you do is short-change your growth, your body will not recover until the test is out of the system. I always recommend shorter cycles, 6 weeks is ideal for a mass course. As my article says, I would pick a level of gear and stay on it with no taper upwards or downwards.
I must say that is a ton of gear you plan on using. I would be worried about not having any anti-estrogens on hand. You must have nolvadex and/or proviron. Use 20 mcg of nolvadex and 1 proviron pill per day, or 100-mcg clomid and 1 proviron. This may cut into your gains, but it's better to come in a few pounds smaller then to have tits.
One gram of deca a week is a lot, I think it may be too much. It is certainly overkill, you do not have that sort of receptor capacity, and no one does. I would think 1000 mg of sustanon per week with even half that much deca would do as much. Steroids have a nonlinear dosage curve, 400 mg is not twice as good as 200 mg. 50 mg of dianabol is a lot of stress on the liver, you better be taking milk thistle. If you can find anadrol I would use one or two pills per day instead of the d-bol, it's safer on the liver. High dosages of deca can convert into progesterone, which would not be pleasant. Why don't you consider using less deca, switching to anadrol-50 instead of dball and get some anti-estrogens into that cycle, ASAP. You could wait and see if you have trouble, then use the anti-estrogen but either way you best have that stuff handy.
A note on sustanon, you need to know that you will have active test in your bloodstream for at least 2 weeks after your last shot, which is why I encourage a two week clomid burst at the end and a minimum 6 weeks off after those two weeks of just clomid. If you have a faster acting test, switch to that during week 4. Use 150 mg of test propionate per day in week 5-6, if you can find it.
I would continue using clomid and nolvadex (100 mg/20 mg) daily with clenbuterol for two weeks after your cycle. Then take another 4-6 weeks off entirely. If you want to use insulin, use it in this in between period. If you want more information on how to use insulin, email me. Insulin can also be used during the cycle to make crazy gains, especially if combined with GH. If you can obtain cytomel, I would throw in 25 mcg per day to increase protein synthesis.
This is what your program would look like if I were designing it:
Week 1 - 6
1000 mg sustanon (250 mg mon,wed,fri,sun)
600 mg deca (200 mg mon, wed, fri or all at once if you can)
25 mcg cytomel every day
50 mg dianabol per day (or 1-2 anadrol-50)
take also daily - milk thistle, cranberry pills
If you feel gyno start taking nolvadex immediately, if you want to play it safe... do this starting in WEEK 2 use 20 mg nolvadex, 100 mg clomid or 20 mg nolvadex and 1 proviron.
Week 7 - 8
100 mg clomid
20 mg nolvadex
100 mcg clenbuterol/go up to 140 mcg in the second week.
KEEP YOUR CALORIES HIGH IN THIS TIME PERIOD OR YOUR GAINS WILL START TO SLIP AWAY
Week 9 - 14
Off everything. You can use insulin here if you like. If you want to add that, let me know.
Week 15 - Start as above with week one
After the second 6-week cycle you need much more time off, I would wait at least 8 weeks.
WARNING! THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS CONTENT THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED JUVENILE IN NATURE. GOD FORBID SOMEONE READ THIS AND ACTUALLY FIND IT AMUSING. IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED OR TIRED OF US POKING FUN AT SOME OF OUR COMPATRIOTS IN THIS INDUSTRY, PLEASE STOP READING NOW!
And now my friends, a special treat. You may have read on some of the various message boards about our desire to switch gears here at AE and start following the path of some of the other bodybuilding magazines. We'll soon be changing our name to Progesterone.net and adding the moniker, "Ridiculously Hardcore" to all of our features. You may also notice the inclusion of some new ads for a fantastic line of supplements under the ProgesteroneTech label. Although these ads will take up about half the space in the magazine, we don't own the company, nor do we have any vested interest in their success. We've also added the services of two new writers, Zeg Grulak and Stock Brasser. We hope you enjoy their unbiased submissions as much as we did.
Dear Zeg,
I've read your columns and respect your carnal knowledge and cunnilinguistics. Women must be literally throwing themselves at you. Yet, when I've seen you around at various shows, you never seem to be with a large bevy of beauties. What's going on here player?
Sincerely,
Mark Harmon
Dear Mark,
The truth of the matter is that the last time I had any ass was when my finger accidentally broke through the toilet paper. At that time I become so excited that I very nearly achieved an erection without using my penis pump or Caverject. I immediately put on my smoking jacket and grabbed my pipe, treating myself to a snifter of brandy. Ahh yes, I was quite a stallion that night I tell you.
Hey now, what the hell was that? Uhh, that was the evil Zeg, like that weird episode of Star Trek when evil Kirk and Spock showed up to piss on everyone's parade. The truth is that I get so much ass, the bitches get jealous if I spend too much time with any one freak. Uhh, yeah. If you see me at a show, you should follow me up to my room sometime and listen at the door. That's not Pay-per-View baby, oh no! That's Zeg, doing his Zeg thang, getting his Zeg on. Gotta run, there's a good movie on the Spice channel.
Dear Stock,
I've heard through the grapevine about a fabulous new supplement you've been developing. Can you tell us a little more about it, how you came up with the idea, and what kind of results we can expect from using it?
Hans from Sweden
Dear Hans,
Apparently you've managed to find out about Assabol, the biggest breakthrough in effective prohormone usage to date. You see I had been trying to solve the dilemma of an effective delivery system for prohormones for quite some time. One day, while flipping through my latest copies of Inches and Blue Boy magazines, the solution hit me like a bolt of lightening. Rectal delivery was the answer to my problems!
After realizing that this backdoor method of delivery was just what the doctor ordered, I retired to my lab and began developing the appropriate delivery vehicle. I must admit, I probably could have just quickly developed a very small suppository that would have done the trick, but where's the fun in that? After many weeks and countless tubes of KY, I finally developed the perfect vehicle, a semi-rigid gelatinous capsule approximately 4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Yum-yum!
I've yet to find anyone who'll test Assabol other than myself. However, I'll bet what's left of my reputation that you'll find it works well as 1000 mg of testosterone and 600 mg of deca weekly, stacked with 150 mg of anadrol and 75 mg of trenbolone acetate daily. Oh yeah, I forgot to add the 40 iu's of insulin and 16 iu's of GH daily. It's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it.
Obviously I need a few more volunteers. If you meet ALL of the following requirements, email me. If you don't meet each and every one of them, don't bother. I'm very picky)
1) You must be a single male, between the ages of 15-25
2) You agree to use Assabol EXACTLY as I tell you to for as long as I tell you. Since each Assabol "application" may be different in nature from the last, I'll have to guide all volunteers personally through each application over the phone
3) All volunteers must mail a color 8 X 10 of themselves in lingerie of their choice to Stock Brasser c/o Progesterone.net
4) You are named Brock, Bruce, or something similarly effeminate in nature. I particularly like Brad, Chip, or Pierre.
5) You film each application session and mail the tapes to me c/o Progesterone.net. These will be seen only by me and are necessary for, uh, scientific purposes that are beyond your comprehension.
Anyone meeting these requirements can expect to have a crate of Assabol immediately shipped to them. Lube not included.
Hugs, Stock
Dear Stock,
I read in another publication that TC Luoma now weighs 230 lbs and has a penis that is the size of a 12-year-old boy. I find this extremely hard to believe after seeing pictures of him in past issues of Muscle Media. Can you confirm this?
Sincerely, Bruno
Dear Bruno,
I have seen TC weigh in at 230 lbs. Of course, at the time he was wearing a full suit of armor and was on his way to the local Renaissance Festival. As to the other matter, I'm afraid some text must have gotten jumbled around on the way to the webmaster. What TC meant to say was, "Now, it is true that I have a penis that's about the size of a 12-year old boys. Yep, a 12 year-old boy who's about 5'3" and weighs 110 lbs." I hope this clears up any confusion.
You Sound Sexy, Stock
