losing faith in oral steriods

[5t3v3]

I have been reading this and other forums for a few years now trying to learn about effectively using steroids to assist in getting to at least 250 lbs ripped. I’m losing what little faith I had in oral hormones. In the past 3 years, I have done 5 cycles and am only up 8 pounds. My strength is ridiculously high but I cannot maintain more mass. Maybe this is all my body will hold or maybe oral hormones do not show the same effect on a senior trainee who keeps their diet and training dialed year round?

I am wondering if some of the touted gains are resultant of users stepping up their diets and training for a couple weeks before cycle, 4-6 during cycle and 4 weeks PCT? For me, it is always the same story; gain about 8 pounds, then slowly loose all but 1 or 2 over the next couple of months. I continue eating enough that my fat levels stay the same but the pounds still come off.

Should I just throw the towel in on my goal of getting to 250 ripped or do you think a Test cycle will provide the growth I want. I am not against pinning after enough time off from this past cycle (in PCT now) but want to make sure I am going to come out of it with more than 2 lbs.

I am happy to post anything you want about my diet and training regimen but it is very clean. I have done standard body part split routines, PRRS and recently have been on DC training for a few months. I stay on lifting routines for at least 6 months before switching. My diet is about 3800 calories off cycle and peaks just over 5000 calories on cycle. This has increased with my weight over the past few years. Any more than that and I just get fat, which I don’t really mind on cycle as I will lose it after PCT.

Past cycles:
- Havoc 30/30/30/40, nolva PCT
- Bold 800/1000/1000/1000/1000/1000/1000/1000, OTC PTC
- Superdrol 20/20/30, nolva PCT
- HDrol 50/75/75/100/100, Furazadrol 250/250/300/300/300, nolva PCT
- PMag 75/75/75/75/75/75, 1-T 0/0/4/4/4/4 (pumps), nolva PCT

Stats at start of first cycle:
30 years old
6'3''
224 lbs
estimated 11% bodyfat
Bench 305, Squat 325, Deadlift 325

Stats after last cycle: (currently in PCT week 1) (my avatar picture is current)
33 years old
232 lbs
estimated 12% bodyfat
Bench 405, Squat 490, Deadlift 585

 

[lennoxchi]

i am currently in the saame boat as you are, well, mostly. i have done similar past cycles, much like your's and the same thing happens to me too. slowly i get back to the same weight, or maybe a couple of lbs above but not much ore than that. i will be starting my 1st AAS cycle in a few more months here. Test E 500mgs a week and D-Bol 30mgs ED for the 1st 4 weeks to kick start the cycle. i'm hoping to keep at least 10lbs, but we'll see. i like to stay as lean as i can year round also.....so i know that will have something to do with how much i keep.

 

[tattoopierced1]

Checkout Liquidrone, great compound that has been doing great for our loggers on here.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[mixedup]

I have been reading this and other forums for a few years now trying to learn about effectively using steroids to assist in getting to at least 250 lbs ripped. I’m losing what little faith I had in oral hormones. In the past 3 years, I have done 5 cycles and am only up 8 pounds. My strength is ridiculously high but I cannot maintain more mass. Maybe this is all my body will hold or maybe oral hormones do not show the same effect on a senior trainee who keeps their diet and training dialed year round?

I am wondering if some of the touted gains are resultant of users stepping up their diets and training for a couple weeks before cycle, 4-6 during cycle and 4 weeks PCT? For me, it is always the same story; gain about 8 pounds, then slowly loose all but 1 or 2 over the next couple of months. I continue eating enough that my fat levels stay the same but the pounds still come off.

Should I just throw the towel in on my goal of getting to 250 ripped or do you think a Test cycle will provide the growth I want. I am not against pinning after enough time off from this past cycle (in PCT now) but want to make sure I am going to come out of it with more than 2 lbs.

I am happy to post anything you want about my diet and training regimen but it is very clean. I have done standard body part split routines, PRRS and recently have been on DC training for a few months. I stay on lifting routines for at least 6 months before switching. My diet is about 3800 calories off cycle and peaks just over 5000 calories on cycle. This has increased with my weight over the past few years. Any more than that and I just get fat, which I don’t really mind on cycle as I will lose it after PCT.

Past cycles:
- Havoc 30/30/30/40, nolva PCT
- Bold 800/1000/1000/1000/1000/1000/1000/1000, OTC PTC
- Superdrol 20/20/30, nolva PCT
- HDrol 50/75/75/100/100, Furazadrol 250/250/300/300/300, nolva PCT
- PMag 75/75/75/75/75/75, 1-T 0/0/4/4/4/4 (pumps), nolva PCT

Stats at start of first cycle:
30 years old
6'3''
224 lbs
estimated 11% bodyfat
Bench 305, Squat 325, Deadlift 325

Stats after last cycle: (currently in PCT week 1) (my avatar picture is current)
33 years old
232 lbs
estimated 12% bodyfat
Bench 405, Squat 490, Deadlift 585

You could be close to your genetic potential and will need a much longer injectable cycle to see gains. Just something to think about When David Henry and Eryk Bui both IFBB Pros got close to where they were at genetically it took them 12months to put on an extra 15lbs and they were probablly on a blast and cruise the entire time. I know another competitior on here needs to stay i believe a few hundred mililgrams of test of week just to maintain his size. Also have you had your natural test levels tested? Because you are getting towards your mid 30's now and if you have naturally lower test you have to remember even a good PCT will bring you back to your lower test levels that you normally have.

 

[5t3v3]

Also have you had your natural test levels tested? Because you are getting towards your mid 30's now and if you have naturally lower test you have to remember even a good PCT will bring you back to your lower test levels that you normally have.

Yes, I have had my levels checked a few times and they are always on the low end of the range. My doctor was going to put me on the gel before I did my first cycle. I declined and decided to go this route. I may have to consider TRT in the near future. If so, I will go to one of the recommended endocrinologist for a proper TRT setup.

 

[mixedup]

Yes, I have had my levels checked a few times and they are always on the low end of the range. My doctor was going to put me on the gel before I did my first cycle. I declined and decided to go this route. I may have to consider TRT in the near future. If so, I will go to one of the recommended endocrinologist for a proper TRT setup.

Yes that is quite possibbly the issue if you are on the low end because the juice will only elevate you for the time your on. The PCT will get you back to you natural state but your natural state is Low so you can't hold any of the new found muscle. In most cases many of the people on here are younger and have normal to high levels of test naturally so the amount they gain is something that could of been achieved naturally in time the orals just gave them a jumpstart or quicker way to get there.

 

[5t3v3]

I guess it is tougher for us older guys to hang onto our size. Called my doc and she is willing to do another full blood workup to reinitiate the TRT discussion. My PCT goes another 4 weeks to end of May then I'm slowly cutting just a bit of fat until my wedding at the end of June.

My levels should be fully normalized my July, right?

 

[mixedup]

I would think so that's about 6 weeks after PCT is Done

 

[Dragon13]

You're very lean and I'm assuming you try to maintain this leaness year-round? If so, therein might be the problem. If you add a real 8 lbs of LBM on-cycle, that's a ton for an older, experienced lifter (I know b/c I am one too). 8 more lbs of LBM needs a bunch more calories to sustain it. I'm guessing your diet is pretty consistent year-round. If that is the case, you need to get used to eating more on- and post-cycle, and beyond. Look at it this way: there is a reason the pros bulk, then cut. You need to eat to add the mass.

 

[Smiley]

Why not just schedule it for 2-3 weeks after so your results are more convincing. You already know your test levels are low, but the doc might not think they are low enough.

 

[mixedup]

Why not just schedule it for 2-3 weeks after so your results are more convincing. You already know your test levels are low, but the doc might not think they are low enough.

if they were low enough last time for her to suggest it then it's better to wait. If you go in with Very Low level coupled with the fact that he is in great shape she might suspect they are low from A.A.S use. I've thought about that same scenario. My wife is a licensed nurse and has friends in the endo dept at work where the prescribe trt and some doctors even inform your insurance if they suspect

 

[5t3v3]

I do up my calories in an attempt to sustain the new size. Over time though, my weight will stay the same and I start putting on more fat. I will slowly cut the calories until the fat gains level off. I eventually come out at 0-2 lbs up after each cycle. Its very frustrating. I think the low test levels are are culprit and this is as big as I can be without TRT or long injectable cycles. I guess 232 is big but at 6'3'' with a 6'6'' wingspan, I don't exactly look thick.

I'll get the tests done again after my wedding and see about getting on TRT. I will have lots of research to do on how to run a cycle while on TRT.

 

[Dragon13]

I do up my calories in an attempt to sustain the new size. Over time though, my weight will stay the same and I start putting on more fat. I will slowly cut the calories until the fat gains level off. I eventually come out at 0-2 lbs up after each cycle. Its very frustrating. I think the low test levels are are culprit and this is as big as I can be without TRT or long injectable cycles. I guess 232 is big but at 6'3'' with a 6'6'' wingspan, I don't exactly look thick.

I'll get the tests done again after my wedding and see about getting on TRT. I will have lots of research to do on how to run a cycle while on TRT.

Yeah, kind of sounds like it. Good luck.