Cycles and stacks
The period of time that a person takes steroids is called a cycle. For safety reasons, users should carefully plan their cycles well in advance before starting them. Proper planning includes learning about and obtaining the steroids you will be using in the cycle. When more than one type of steroid is used in a cycle it is called a stack. Stacking different steroids is an effective way to maximize the muscle-building effect of steroids.
Besides learning about and obtaining the steroids you will use in a cycle, you should also learn about and acquire any supplements used to counteract their side effects, both during the cycle and during the post-cycle recovery period. The more steroids you stack into your cycle, the more side effects you will need to counteract. Along with planning what types of steroids you will use during a cycle, you must also plan what type of cycle to use. There are many ways to cycle steroids, and you may want to test them all and make adjustments until you find the ones that work best for you.
Beginner Cycles
For the steroid novice there are additional factors to consider before starting your first cycle. First, you should not take steroids unless your body has stopped growing. For most men, their bodies stop growing at about age 20. Next, you should already be in shape. You should be two to three years into a steady workout routine and you should also be able to dedicate at least another year and a half to your workout. Finally, you should be comfortable with your ability to obtain real steroids and the supplements you may need for their side effects.
Although there are many types of steroids available today, first-time users should always start with a pure testosterone. Since this is the active agent in most steroids, it is important to know how your body will react to it. A dose of 400 mgs per week should be sufficient to notice some real gains throughout a first cycle. Your first cycle should only be 12 weeks long and you should also spend just as much time to recover before starting another cycle.
After your first, you can begin slowly stacking more steroids into your cycles. You should keep the first several cycles at 12 weeks, however, and follow with a post-cycle recovery plan.
Once your body has become familiar with steroid intake and you’ve learned which compounds work well for you, you may want to experiment with some different types of cycles and stacks to see if you can maximize your results. Some of the most popular cycles are the three-week blitz, the double-mini cycle, the inverted-pyramid cycle and the diamond cycle.
Three-Week Blitz
In the three-week blitz, each steroid is taken for three weeks. Most blitzes will start with a dose of one steroid before moving on to a stronger dose of another. The first dose is taken for two weeks by itself and on the third week the second compound is started so that the two compounds overlap for one week. The next compound is started during the third week of the second compound and so on and so on until the cycle is complete. The cycle is followed by a two-week recovery with HCG 5000 I.U.
week of
cycle
|
DIANABOL
a day (5mg)
|
SUSTANON
250mg amp
|
ANAVAR 10mg
2 mg tab
|
PRIMOBOLAN
100mg amp
|
DECA-DURABOLIN
200mg vial
|
HCG 5000
I.U.
|
1
| 4 tabs/day | |||||
2
| 5 tabs/day | |||||
3
| 6 tabs/day | 1 amp/week | ||||
4
| 1 amps/week | |||||
5
| 2 amps/week | 1 tabs/a day | ||||
6
| 1 tabs/a day | |||||
7
| 1 tabs/a day | 1 amp/ week | ||||
8
| 2 amps/week | |||||
9
| 2 amps/week | 1 vial/week | ||||
10
| 2 vials/week | |||||
11
| 2 vials/week | |||||
12
| 1 vial/week | |||||
13
| 1 amp/week | |||||
14
| 1 amp/week |
week of cycle
|
DECAD-URABOLIN
200mg vial
|
ANADROL
tabs 50mg tab
|
HCG
5000 I.U.
|
PRIMOBOLAN
100mg amp
|
WINSTROL
tabs 2mg tab
|
1
| 1 vial/week | 1 tab/day | |||
2
| 1 vial/week | 2 tabs/day | |||
3
| 2 vials/week | 2 tabs/day | |||
4
| 2 vials/week | 3 tabs/day | |||
5
| 2 vials/week | 2 tabs/day | |||
6
| 1 vial/week | 1 tab/day | |||
7
| 1 amp/ week | ||||
8
| 1 amp/ week | ||||
9
| 2 amps/week | 4 tabs/day | |||
10
| 2 amps/week | 4 tabs/day | |||
11
| 3 amps/week | 5 tabs/day | |||
12
| 3 amps/week | 6 tabs/day | |||
13
| 3 amps/week | 5 tabs/day | |||
14
| 2 amps/week | 4 tabs/day |
week of
cycle
|
DECA-DURABOLIN
200 mg vial
|
TESTOVIRON DEPOT
250 mg amps
|
WINSTROL
2 mg tab
|
1
| 2 vials/week | 2 amps/week | 8 tabs/day |
2
| 1,5 vials/week | 1,5 amps/week | 7 tabs/day |
3
| 1,5 vials/week | 1,5 amps/week | 6 tabs/day |
4
| 1 vial/week | 1 amp/week | 5 tabs/day |
5
| 1 vial/week | 1 amp/week | 4 tabs/day |
6
| 1 vial/week | 1 amp/week | 3 tabs/day |
7
| 0,5 vial/week | 0,5 amp/week | 2 tabs/day |
8
| 0,5 vial/week | 0,5 amp/week | 1 tabs/day |
week of
cycle
|
DIANABOL
(5mg tabs)
|
SUSTANON
250mg / amp
|
HCG 5000
I.U./ 1 cc amp
|
1
| 3 tabs/day | 1 amp/week | |
2
| 3 tabs/day | 1 amp/week | |
3
| 4 tabs/day | 2 amp/week | |
4
| 5 tabs/day | 2 amp/week | |
5
| 5 tabs/day | 2 amp/week | |
6
| 6 tabs/day | 3 amp/week | |
7
| 6 tabs/day | 3 amp/week | |
8
| 7 tabs/day | 3 amp/week | |
9
| 5 tabs/day | 2 amp/week | |
10
| 4 tabs/day | 2 amp/week | |
11
| 3 tabs/day | 1 amp/week | |
12
| 3 tabs/day | 1 amp/week | |
13
| 1 amp/week | ||
14
| 1 amp/week |
Workouts
Although the natural bodybuilding world would like you to believe that you can obtain the same amount of muscle mass as pharmaceutically enhanced bodybuilders without using steroids, this is completely false. The gains made by using steroids are far greater than what can be made naturally. However, steroids do not magically grow muscles you must dedicate yourself to a disciplined workout routine to obtain the desired buildup of muscle mass. In fact, working out is absolutely necessary because the steroids can cause excessive bloating and other more pronounced side effects unless you workout enough to burn the body fat and water retention associated with steroid use.
When planning your workouts, there are several factors to consider. First, to kick the body into muscle-building gear and out of its state of homeostasis, you need to plan a high intensity workout. This means you should plan for a workout with few sets that work the muscle until it fails. Large muscle groups will need more sets than small ones, but no more than eight sets are necessary to get the desired results. Your sets should also be consist of a small number of reps. Ten reps should be sufficient for any workout as long as you are using heavy weights. You should increase the weights you lift as you get stronger to keep the workouts stressful on the muscles. If you can easily get through a set and you are not lifting until muscle failure, increase the weight.
While stressful workouts stimulate the muscles, they do not grow until they are at rest. You should only workout one muscle group at a time about once a week and you should always workout every other day to allow the body enough rest time to grow the muscles. Also, after a period of intense training, you should take a few days off to rest and then start a plateau training program that is intended to keep you in shape but not necessarily to gain more mass.
Because it is very likely that you will make gains of 20 pounds or more in a relatively short time, it is important to keep up a regular cardiovascular exercise workout as well to keep the heart in shape to handle the new body mass. Three to four half-hour cardio workouts a week should be sufficient to keep your heart healthy for your new body.
Diet
While it is true that Using anabolic steroids will allow the body to grow larger muscles than what your natural genetics will allow, you are still bound by the basic rules of physiology you can not grow more mass unless you intake more mass in your diet. One of the most common reasons why bodybuilders show stagnate gains in their muscle mass is poor nutrition.
Most people have bad habits when it comes to eating, which is why obesity is such a problem today. For bodybuilders, especially those using steroids, a disciplined diet can mean all the difference in the world when it comes to gains in muscle mass. Changing eating habits is hard to do but if you follow these simple guidelines, you can maximize the results of your diet.
Eat more meals per day
Most of us have become indoctrinated to the thee-meal-a-day lifestyle a large breakfast, hearty lunch and a dinner feast. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal eating schedule for the body and can lead to more unhealthy habits, like skipping lunch because of a large breakfast, for example. By consuming five to six meals throughout the day, the body will begin to release insulin continuously. Insulin carries amino acids, an essential building block of muscles.
Eat regularlyOne of the most important aspects of a proper diet is not what you eat but when. The body reacts best when it is kept of a strict schedule. By eating at the same times every day, you will optimize the nutrition of your diet. Because most of us live fairly hectic lives, eating on schedule will require a lot of pre-planning. Be sure to pack brunches, lunches and afternoon snacks ahead of time on busy days and always eat your breakfasts and dinners at the same time.
Increase your caloric intake
The average diet consists of 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day. This is actually quite healthy for most people, and with a little exercise, this diet will keep a person in decent shape. But for those who are using anabolic steroids and are adhering to a strenuous workout regime, the recommended diet is around 5,000 calories per day.
Protein, protein, protein
The most essential part of any bodybuilder diet is protein. Because protein breaks down in the and turns into amino acids (the most essential building block for muscles), it is important to maintain a high intake of protein in order to continue growth. The best sources for protein come from meat, fish, eggs and milk. An effective diet for bodybuilders is a protein intake of one to one and a half grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. This amount should be adequate enough to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in the muscle cell meaning the cell takes in more protein than it gives out.
Carbs galore