this question has been asked a hundreed tmes and i dont think its ever really been answered. i think if you use and pass a certain limit, youre gonna lose some when you come off the cycle. but for someone who isnt completely massive already, youd probly be ale to keep everything after pct if you maintain the fitness lifestyle
just one of those questions thats unprovable by studies because of the legality/taboo behind steroids
The theory is that everyone has a "genetic limit" regarding the amount of lean mass they can naturally hold on to.
Realistically, most people who use AAS haven't reached that limit through natural means, partly because it's not an easy thing to do.
So let's say you take AAS, make gains, but still haven't surpassed a level you could have attained naturally. In theory, you could hold on to a large percentage of those gains after coming off, as long as you continued to train hard and eat enough.
Someone like a pro bodybuilder will never come off for the duration of their career, because they've far surpassed their natural genetic limit, and must use drugs to maintain.
The main problem I see, is that when someone uses AAS to break through a plateau, they're going to slowly lose those gains unless they make major changes to their diet and training after coming off. If they just keep doing what they've been doing before the cycle, it's only a matter of time before those gains are slowly lost.
Stuff like this drives me crazy sometimes. It's part of the reason I've been considering just cruising on a low dose, but that's a major commitment, and it means being on drugs essentially for life.