Retain while on my TRN/Zol cycle?

[ThisGuy02]

The general consensus is most assuredly to use Retain as part of a PCT but can you use it DURING a ph cycle? I ask because during the last 2 weeks of a 6 week cycle I ran of Zol I noticed that although I was cutting/doing recomp and my diet was in check, I got a little fat around the lower belly, and attributed this to cortisol, so...

So now I'm in week 2 of my cycle, which was going to be 4 weeks (TRN 4mg - 1st 3 weeks, Zol 150mg - all 4 weeks), but I'm getting no sides, good strength, and already looking more defined, so I wanted to extend, run the TRN 4 weeks and the Zol for 6, but am concerned about getting cortisol fat those last 2 weeks.

Could I start using Retain those 2 weeks and into first 2 of PCT?

 

[motiv8er]

The general consensus is most assuredly to use Retain as part of a post cycle therapy but can you use it DURING a ph cycle? I ask because during the last 2 weeks of a 6 week cycle I ran of Zol I noticed that although I was cutting/doing recomp and my diet was in check, I got a little fat around the lower belly, and attributed this to cortisol, so...

So now I'm in week 2 of my cycle, which was going to be 4 weeks (TRN 4mg - 1st 3 weeks, Zol 150mg - all 4 weeks), but I'm getting no sides, good strength, and already looking more defined, so I wanted to extend, run the TRN 4 weeks and the Zol for 6, but am concerned about getting cortisol fat those last 2 weeks.

Could I start using Retain those 2 weeks and into first 2 of PCT?

Whats your training and diet look like?

 

[Force of Green]

The cortisol could be from too much of a caloric deficit and too high of intensity workouts for an extended duration or you could just be storing some excess subcutaneous water weight from the TRN. Zol may be unmethylated winstrol, but it's effects are not the same. Trust me. When I used TRN and Zol and kept my diet consistently clean, I still experienced some water retention.

You can run Retain while on cycle for anti-catabolic effects, but I think Blaze or Lean Extreme would be better for losing fat around the belly. In an old Retain writeup I remember reading that the main ingredient Methyl baET reduces localized cortisol which would probably mean that it blocks the muscle cell cortisone receptors. The other ingredients may increase T3 levels, sure, but it won't really block circulating cortisol. Lean Extreme will help eliminate blood cortisol levels and Blaze raises malic liver enzymes which will enhance the Krebs cycle and normalize cortisol levels.

 

[ThisGuy02]

Whats your training and diet look like?

Let me try to answer that briefly:

Diet's pretty solid for a recomp in my opinion. I weigh 195 at 5'11'' (~16%bf), and I'm taking in, on average, 210-225g protein, <100g of carbs, and <35g of fat. Lots of carrots, celery and double scoop protein shakes in between the 3 major meals, to keep me getting small amounts of cals to burn at least every 3 hours for a total of about 1800-2000 cals a day, depending on how much salad with vinegar my meals consist of vs. steamed veg. along my piece of either baked fish or chicken, can of tuna, etc. Carbs are coming primarily from wheat bread, wheat pasta and oats, and I'm not eating carbs late in the day. Weekends are just slightly more relaxed (Sunday's I cheat a bit).

As for training, weight training 3 days a week, using varrying combinations of high intensity techniques (supersets, tri-sets, rest-pause sets, and combinations of these), with combined body parts per day - chest and bis on Day 1, shoulders, back, tris on day 2, depending on how my muscles feel, I use day 3 to attack whichever parts I feel need a little more work that week, plus squats and calve raises (keeping legs fresh for all the cardio). Cardio is 5 days a week, 40 minutes low intensity on the two nights I don't lift, and 20 minute HIIT sessions, followed by 10 minute low intensity first thing in the morning on my 3 lift days.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

 

[ThisGuy02]

The cortisol could be from too much of a caloric deficit and too high of intensity workouts for an extended duration or you could just be storing some excess subcutaneous water weight from the TRN. Zol may be unmethylated winstrol, but it's effects are not the same. Trust me. When I used TRN and Zol and kept my diet consistently clean, I still experienced some water retention.

You can run Retain while on cycle for anti-catabolic effects, but I think Blaze or Lean Extreme would be better for losing fat around the belly. In an old Retain writeup I remember reading that the main ingredient Methyl baET reduces localized cortisol which would probably mean that it blocks the muscle cell cortisone receptors. The other ingredients may increase T3 levels, sure, but it won't really block circulating cortisol. Lean Extreme will help eliminate blood cortisol levels and Blaze raises malic liver enzymes which will enhance the Krebs cycle and normalize cortisol levels.

I'm not sure I understand this, would you mind elaborating a bit?

I had planned Blaze anyway, to stabilize T3 after dropping Dicana beginning week 5 (did I leave that out? I'm alternating Venom 3.0 and AMP weekly too; that'll continue through week 6), and reading around it occured to me I could adress the question of T3 rebound, and avoid cortisol during the last 2 weeks on, and 1st 2 pct.

Also, the weight I was taking about happened at the end of a 6 week zol cycle months ago. This time I brough int the TRN, but I'm only on week 2 and actually starting to look pretty lean.

 

[TeamSavage]

In an old Retain writeup I remember reading that the main ingredient Methyl baET reduces localized cortisol which would probably mean that it blocks the muscle cell cortisone receptors. The other ingredients may increase T3 levels, sure, but it won't really block circulating cortisol.

Here's info from the AX website. Not really sure how accurate this is, but if it's correct then it suggests that Retain should, in fact, lower circulating cortisol:

"MbAET: b-AET (beta-androstenetriol). It has been shown in studies to be between 100 and 100,000 times more active than its DHEA precursor metabolites. MaET’s mission is to seek out and control cortisol enzymes. There are two enzymes that are able to make each of these convert into the other. One of them is not your friend and that is where MbAET has your back.

"11b-HSD-1: Converts inactive cortisone into cannibalistic cortisol. Studies have implicated this event in fat tissue as a pathway for increased fat storage. Part of the reason GH has a positive affect upon body composition is through its ability to inhibit 11b-HDS-1

"11b-HSD-2: Converts nasty cortisol into cortisone. 11betaHSD2 debulks intracellular cortisol by 90%. (Let the 11b-HSD-2 rule the house)

"MbAET inhibits the 11b-HSD-1 enzyme both locally and systemically. This means that there is less conversion of cortisone to cortisol. Based upon the studies it appears that in mediating this pathway, it increases immune function and recovery of cells as well. Less cortisol and fat, more lean muscle and positive support to health. Not bad!"

From Anabolic Xtreme.