Are steroids a long term thing? Thoughts

[musclebrah]

What I mean is can I do one cycle, gain a few pounds than never cycle again and maintain the new muscle with proper nutrition/training?


Or do I have to keep doing cycles forever until I quit working out?

[BlackGT99]

You can definitely cycle on and off whenever you please. It's just that it's hard to give up that "god like" feeling you get once you're On (depending on which product(s) you chose) its hard to do just 1

[mbq]

Yeah, long breaks are not a disaster. Rest is necessary for muscle mass you gained after a cycle. 2 weeks of rest will not do any harm to your new muscle. Always be in good form by exercising on a regular basis.

[machorox123]

Its just as addicting as any other drugs. It sucks because you can develop a mental dependance on the stuff and thats when people start abusing it. After your first cycle youll never want to come off

[hvactech]

ive notice a few guys who run orals year round to maintain. doesnt seem realistic to me

[OnionKnight]

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

[madds87]

Naw my thing is that i tend to think i wont grow without em.... which i have to snap out of regularly

[R1187]

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.

[mich29]

awesome thread here.bumping this for more replies

[Pypp]

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.

I've been all natty since I started lifting, and recently got ahold of test prop. I know it's hard to say but would I be able to keep most gains then as long as training and diet remained constant after cycle.

[musclebrah]

I get it now

If you want to stay above the genetic limit you have to keep cycling for life it's like a lifestyle

If you use it once and you don't pass your genetic limit you'll keep most of the gains

. But once you pass your limit and never cycle again you'll slowly go back to your genetic limit.

[R1187]

I've been all natty since I started lifting, and recently got ahold of test prop. I know it's hard to say but would I be able to keep most gains then as long as training and diet remained constant after cycle.

I don't see why not.

Granted, I haven't even done my first test cycle yet; I've only run designer orals.

Even with those, I found it wasn't too difficult to at least maintain the increased bodyweight. Sometimes the hardest part is pushing past the "weak" feeling of being off cycle, and still training hard.

I think the best way to look at it is don't feel you have to keep the gains forever; just keep until the start of the next cycle.

[SPS]

I don't see why not.

Granted, I haven't even done my first test cycle yet; I've only run designer orals.

Even with those, I found it wasn't too difficult to at least maintain the increased bodyweight. Sometimes the hardest part is pushing past the "weak" feeling of being off cycle, and still training hard.

I think the best way to look at it is don't feel you have to keep the gains forever; just keep until the start of the next cycle.

This is it, I read in a thread somewhere, two steps forward and one step back, that is a good way to think of it, once you are off you can keep most of your gains, but not all, plus the veins aren't popping thru your skin and mentally its just not the same lifting when you are off. The other thing is life happens, you miss a few days here and there, cheat on your diet here and there, etc. You got where you were before anabolics because of your diet and training, you have to constantly try to improve or you will slowly go back to where you were.

[madds87]

I've been all natty since I started lifting, and recently got ahold of test prop. I know it's hard to say but would I be able to keep most gains then as long as training and diet remained constant after cycle.

Actually no... Unfortunately... I just recently realized this actually... After a off cycle, you need to start right back on, since you will just go back to your original makeup. That's assuming you have followed the correct protocol. What is the best way to hold onto muscle while off?.... Well what pros would normally do is take a form of igf pct to help mature the "new muscle"... Something has to keep you in that intense muscle building state.

[madds87]

I don't see why not.

Granted, I haven't even done my first test cycle yet; I've only run designer orals.

Even with those, I found it wasn't too difficult to at least maintain the increased bodyweight. Sometimes the hardest part is pushing past the "weak" feeling of being off cycle, and still training hard.

I think the best way to look at it is don't feel you have to keep the gains forever; just keep until the start of the next cycle.

Different strokes for different folks! That key is def training on off cycle.... Prob one of the hardest things to do...

[Russianog]

ive notice a few guys who run orals year round to maintain. doesnt seem realistic to me

my buddy, who i honestly think has some sort of mental condition but that's another story.

he runs, SD, Ment, trenadrol, m1t etc... year round. only rests like 2-3 weeks between cycles and DOES NOT use a serm (uses reversitol, test booster). I have huge arguments with him constantly about him ****ing his body up. His excuse "i feel fine". Idk if it's the god complex in him, but he's been the same size for roughly 1 year now. 7-8 cycles done total, 5,11ish 180lbs. I think if he did 7 successful full cycles of the **** he stacks, he should be a lot bigger lol

just pointing it out, some people just refuse to be educated on being safe. and his gains aren't even remarkable lol, he eats dirty all day and i dont even think he eats "BULK".

[SPS]

my buddy, who i honestly think has some sort of mental condition but that's another story.

he runs, SD, Ment, trenadrol, m1t etc... year round. only rests like 2-3 weeks between cycles and DOES NOT use a serm (uses reversitol, test booster). I have huge arguments with him constantly about him ****ing his body up. His excuse "i feel fine". Idk if it's the god complex in him, but he's been the same size for roughly 1 year now. 7-8 cycles done total, 5,11ish 180lbs. I think if he did 7 successful full cycles of the **** he stacks, he should be a lot bigger lol

just pointing it out, some people just refuse to be educated on being safe. and his gains aren't even remarkable lol, he eats dirty all day and i dont even think he eats "BULK".

that is so crazy his libido has to be nonexistant, mine would be at least. That is the funny thing, people think they need more drugs when they really need more protein and a cleaner diet. I think people become hooked because it could take you 6 months to put 30 pounds on your bench, but with anabolics you can do it in 3 weeks.

As for me I first started 7-8 years ago, first thing I ran was the original jungale warfare. I think I only got about 2 more cycles in me, by then I think I will be happy and do sarm cycle or two a year to maintain, that's the plan atleast

[Russianog]

that is so crazy his libido has to be nonexistant, mine would be at least. That is the funny thing, people think they need more drugs when they really need more protein and a cleaner diet. I think people become hooked because it could take you 6 months to put 30 pounds on your bench, but with anabolics you can do it in 3 weeks.

As for me I first started 7-8 years ago, first thing I ran was the original jungale warfare. I think I only got about 2 more cycles in me, by then I think I will be happy and do sarm cycle or two a year to maintain, that's the plan atleast

he says he gets shut down but after his libido is "fine", of course he doesn't do ANY blood work, etc... He's going to enjoy TRT at a very young age.

He just finished a Ment/Tren and something else stack about 2 weeks ago, and is already waiting for another package with SD/Trenadrol/M1T, Epi.

FYI, on his last cycle, he didn't even plan ahead, he gets one bottle and then doses up and ends up with a 3 week cycle... doesn't even realize that he's just WASTING money by not running a FULL cycle. He doesn't plan ahead or think really...

[murk01]

Actually no... Unfortunately... I just recently realized this actually... After a off cycle, you need to start right back on, since you will just go back to your original makeup. That's assuming you have followed the correct protocol. What is the best way to hold onto muscle while off?.... Well what pros would normally do is take a form of igf pct to help mature the "new muscle"... Something has to keep you in that intense muscle building state.

best answer.

[R1187]

Actually no... Unfortunately... I just recently realized this actually... After a off cycle, you need to start right back on, since you will just go back to your original makeup. That's assuming you have followed the correct protocol. What is the best way to hold onto muscle while off?.... Well what pros would normally do is take a form of igf pct to help mature the "new muscle"... Something has to keep you in that intense muscle building state.

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure the pros don't PCT. And if they do it consists of Dbol