Questions from a prohormone noob.

[kyle486]

Ok. I have some questions. I want to do my first prohormone cycle, and I have a few questions.

-some basic info

I am 27, have been training since I was 17, I'm 5'9, and have been stuck at 190lbs for about two years now even though i've tried different training routines and diets. I've ordered some nolvadex online, i've got quite a few prohormones i've been saving, and I also will be running liver support (liver fix by myogenix).

Question 1:
I see people recommending that you start off on some *lighter* prohormones during your first cycles. Assuming we have already reached our natural max, why is this?

-the cycle

So basically, when you take a prohormone your body makes more estrogen to compensate for all the testosterone-like hormones.

Question 2:
Some recommend to take an AI during the cycle, but i've heard it can hurt gains. I've also heard that you should take it when estrogen-related symptoms come up. I would obviously start my nolva and my AI at this point to immediately block the effects, but i'm not really sure which path to take? Anyone have an opinion on this?

-the PCT

When you finish your cycle, you have all that estrogen still in your body, but little to no testosterone, so you have to get rid of the estrogen in your body, restart the HPTA, boost your testosterone, and reach homeostatis (balance of hormones).

Question 3:
You basically take a serm to block the side effects of having all that estrogen like gyno, but it doesn't get rid of the estrogen in your body, or does it? By the way, I will be taking real nolvadex, not the ai.

Question 4:
Does your body remove the estrogen, restart the HPTA, and get your test back up naturally? Can it reach homeostasis on its own, or does it need the support of drugs to do it (or are they just used to speed up the process)? I will obviously run PCT to keep more of the gains anyway though.

Question 5:
You should also take an AI, but appartently you need to take a steroidal AI in PCT because the nolva will remove it from your blood if its non-steroidal. Wouldn't an AI only stop the aromitization of the testosterone to estrogen? Does it do anything to get rid of the estrogen that is already in your body? If not, then what is the best way to get rid of it?

Question 6:
Any tips on restarting your HPTA if it gets shut down? Will it restart eventually no matter what? Anything you can recommend to help me restart it, if I get shut down.


Also if anyone can share any information they think will help me I appreciate it. I just want to make sure I understand EVERYTHING before I start a cycle. If you are able to answer even one of these questions or provide additional info, I would be extremely grateful.

 

[liveagain]

getting some views, but no replies --just like my thread. I would be interested in seeing the response to yours too.

 

[chocolatemilk]

1. You don't have to start lighter. It's just a safety measure to gauge your tolerance to sides.

2. Most people don't need the AI. Nolva as a pct is all you need to restart HPTA and it doesn't "destroy" estrogen, just makes it incapable of binding and making it diffuse while it's all still there for a little while. AI on hand is safety measure.

3. Blocks estro, estro levels come back down after a little bit by themselves as you reach homeostasis.

4. It can and does do it on it's own. It's a slower process and a process more prone to gyno with all that estro in the body. SERM also serves the role of "keeping gains" by getting your natural test levels up faster than they naturally would.

5. ...............

6. It should restart on it's own. With nolva it will restart incredibly faster. Tips.. I'm running a superdrol epi bridge cycle for 6 weeks and going to run formadrol in the 3rd week through the cycle, stop in pct, and restart in the 2nd week of pct. This will help libido support and lessen the shut down. Natty test boosters are good in maybe the 3rd week of pct, cuz it's overkill with nolva. A SERM is all you really need. The rest is luxury.

 

[EasyEJL]

Question 1:
I see people recommending that you start off on some *lighter* prohormones during your first cycles. Assuming we have already reached our natural max, why is this?

Its mostly because its easier to gain 10lbs from 185 to 195 today than it will be 3 years from now to go from 215 to 225. So use the lightest you can to reach goals as it just continues to get harder. Concentrate on diet + workout, as that will help with any compounds added.

-the cycle

So basically, when you take a prohormone your body makes more estrogen to compensate for all the testosterone-like hormones.

no, not at all

Question 2:
Some recommend to take an AI during the cycle, but i've heard it can hurt gains. I've also heard that you should take it when estrogen-related symptoms come up. I would obviously start my nolva and my AI at this point to immediately block the effects, but i'm not really sure which path to take? Anyone have an opinion on this?

an AI on cycle only makes sense with aromatizing compounds like testosterone, dianabol, etc, not most prohormones. It can hurt gains even then, yes.

-the PCT

When you finish your cycle, you have all that estrogen still in your body, but little to no testosterone, so you have to get rid of the estrogen in your body, restart the HPTA, boost your testosterone, and reach homeostatis (balance of hormones).

theres no reason for estrogen to be high

Question 3:
You basically take a serm to block the side effects of having all that estrogen like gyno, but it doesn't get rid of the estrogen in your body, or does it? By the way, I will be taking real nolvadex, not the ai.

the serm binds to your breast tissue at the estrogen receptors so that estrogen itself can't bind there.

Question 4:
Does your body remove the estrogen, restart the HPTA, and get your test back up naturally? Can it reach homeostasis on its own, or does it need the support of drugs to do it (or are they just used to speed up the process)? I will obviously run PCT to keep more of the gains anyway though.

From medical studies more than 75% of men would after LONG steroid cycles (1 year or longer) regain up to 80% of their pre-steroid testosterone levels by 6 months from date of stopping steroids, with no other treatment.

Question 6:
Any tips on restarting your HPTA if it gets shut down? Will it restart eventually no matter what? Anything you can recommend to help me restart it, if I get shut down.

its so individual, its hard to be certain. there isn't a single "here are what your blood test results will be like if you are shut down", so optimally restarting HPTA varies

 

[chocolatemilk]

From medical studies more than 75% of men would after LONG steroid cycles (1 year or longer) regain up to 80% of their pre-steroid testosterone levels by 6 months from date of stopping steroids, with no other treatment.

Very interesting. Studies like this lessen my fear of steroids being so "bad" lol. I'd never run 1 year long cycle and if 75% of men who did regained normal test levels compared to my little 6-8 weeker cycles... I can sleep easier at night.

 

[EasyEJL]

Very interesting. Studies like this lessen my fear of steroids being so "bad" lol. I'd never run 1 year long cycle and if 75% of men who did regained normal test levels compared to my little 6-8 weeker cycles... I can sleep easier at night.

Well, it still means a quarter of the guys don't get that close to their original levels either, so it still pays to be cautious