2nd try

[JoePaul39]

Sure, try it, Arnold is cool so why not. Every program will work as long as you put 100% effort in it. Just remember that even if it’s high rep training it should be as heavy as possible, like you can’t do another rep even if you life depends on it. I think that you have been using too light weights so far, the reason I think so is because you doing a lot of PR’s as soon as you start a cycle, sometimes every week, to me that indicates that you using too light of a weight or are not pushing yourself hard enough OFF cycle. For me it takes months to break a PR and sometimes I’m not even breaking it ON cycle.

Well I should clamorous when I set a PR I’m not actually lifting 1RM and I always go to failure. The app I I use
Called Strodes calculates. new 1RM weight no matter what amount of reps you do if you for example do one more rep at the same maximum weight you have done before or up the weight and do a sufficient number of reps them also a 1RM is calculated by the app automatically.

The program I am on has you go to complete muscle failure in a 4 to 6 rep range for nearly all the compound lifts and once you can reach 7 reps for a particular lift you know it is time to up the weights. For about half the isolation exercises it also uses a 4 to 6 rep range for lifts such as tricep extensions and bicep curls, but for some other isolation lifts it calls for an 8 to 10 rep range and you up the weight when you can do 11 reps. It was written by Mike Matthews called Bigger, Leaner, Stonger and he actually knows his stuff and the it is a best selling book by that name. Many have used the program quite successfully as it has a lot of testimonials as well as good reviews on Amazon. I used it to successfully cut down from 20 percent body fat to 14 percent while setting PRs. I rarely, but sometimes see PRs when training off cycles, but I use a boat load of strong roids such as Superdrol combined with a high dosage of Tres which I guess is the main reason I set them on cycle and also 90 percent of the time I keep the strength gains after the cycle is over.

I haven’t written this cycle off as a failure as perhaps you and NAC have and am very interested at what my body weight and body fat percentage comes in at after weight stops dropping after cycle has ended. That will tell the true story and give the most clear pic after all glycogen is stripped away. I have a log that goes several years back in Excel with a history of my weight by date with body fat percentage and some of the cycles. That is primarily how I am going to judge if this cycle is a success. If my weight ends up at a lower body fat percentage than i have EVER had at the same body weight as earlier in my historical log that’s definitely progress. Also, I consider setting PRs a good thing and another sign of progress pointing toward increased strength.

The main flaw I don’t like about my current program and primary criticism of it is it hasn’t increased the size of my weak points much which I consider my arms and shoulders though it has helped with chest and legs. I think the reason for the problem is that is he has lifters using almost entirely a 4 to 6’rep range for shoulders and biceps, but those body parts most scientific studies I have read has 8 to 12 to be most optimal for maximum hypertrpophy.

I am going to give the Arnold program a shot and I appreciate workout routine website link and app you sent me in the PM. I also appreciate your guys advice because I do known my shoulders and arms have not progressed well.

 

[JoePaul39]

Sure, try it, Arnold is cool so why not. Every program will work as long as you put 100% effort in it. Just remember that even if it’s high rep training it should be as heavy as possible, like you can’t do another rep even if you life depends on it. I think that you have been using too light weights so far, the reason I think so is because you doing a lot of PR’s as soon as you start a cycle, sometimes every week, to me that indicates that you using too light of a weight or are not pushing yourself hard enough OFF cycle. For me it takes months to break a PR and sometimes I’m not even breaking it ON cycle.

Perhaps one reason your PRs are set less frequently than mine is you have already experienced much more growth and strength than I have so your progress slows the more you have gained. I have a long way to go in that department so there may be room for more rapid growth (not like a newbie, but still relatively new to roids). I have only been using roids for 3 years or less and for the couple of years before that just used andros and Sarms for a bit.

 

[Rad83]

Did you ever incorporate more calorie dense meals? Ground beef, steak, lean meats, etc?

I remember reading you do a lot of shakes and sandwiches or something?

The gear greatly up-regulates muscle protein synthesis…I’d be eating big af on a cycle like yours

 

[JoePaul39]

Did you ever incorporate more calorie dense meals? Ground beef, steak, lean meats, etc?

I remember reading you do a lot of shakes and sandwiches or something?

The gear greatly up-regulates muscle protein synthesis…I’d be eating big af on a cycle like yours

Yes, chicken breast.

 

[Nac]

Dude, even if you had made absolutely no progress at all the cycle wouldn't be a failure. Failing is when you repeat the same thing over and over expecting different results.

You've made gainz this cycle. You're also prepared to try a different approach with your training. Which may or may not pan out for you; either way you're learning about what works for you and you can only do that by experimenting with the variables.

No fail here, man.

 

[BBiceps]

Well I should clamorous when I set a PR I’m not actually lifting 1RM and I always go to failure. The app I I use
Called Strodes calculates. new 1RM weight no matter what amount of reps you do if you for example do one more rep at the same maximum weight you have done before or up the weight and do a sufficient number of reps them also a 1RM is calculated by the app automatically.

The program I am on has you go to complete muscle failure in a 4 to 6 rep range for nearly all the compound lifts and once you can reach 7 reps for a particular lift you know it is time to up the weights. For about half the isolation exercises it also uses a 4 to 6 rep range for lifts such as tricep extensions and bicep curls, but for some other isolation lifts it calls for an 8 to 10 rep range and you up the weight when you can do 11 reps. It was written by Mike Matthews called Bigger, Leaner, Stonger and he actually knows his stuff and the it is a best selling book by that name. Many have used the program quite successfully as it has a lot of testimonials as well as good reviews on Amazon. I used it to successfully cut down from 20 percent body fat to 14 percent while setting PRs. I rarely, but sometimes see PRs when training off cycles, but I use a boat load of strong roids such as Superdrol combined with a high dosage of Tres which I guess is the main reason I set them on cycle and also 90 percent of the time I keep the strength gains after the cycle is over.

I haven’t written this cycle off as a failure as perhaps you and NAC have and am very interested at what my body weight and body fat percentage comes in at after weight stops dropping after cycle has ended. That will tell the true story and give the most clear pic after all glycogen is stripped away. I have a log that goes several years back in Excel with a history of my weight by date with body fat percentage and some of the cycles. That is primarily how I am going to judge if this cycle is a success. If my weight ends up at a lower body fat percentage than i have EVER had at the same body weight as earlier in my historical log that’s definitely progress. Also, I consider setting PRs a good thing and another sign of progress pointing toward increased strength.

The main flaw I don’t like about my current program and primary criticism of it is it hasn’t increased the size of my weak points much which I consider my arms and shoulders though it has helped with chest and legs. I think the reason for the problem is that is he has lifters using almost entirely a 4 to 6’rep range for shoulders and biceps, but those body parts most scientific studies I have read has 8 to 12 to be most optimal for maximum hypertrpophy.

I am going to give the Arnold program a shot and I appreciate workout routine website link and app you sent me in the PM. I also appreciate your guys advice because I do known my shoulders and arms have not progressed well.

No, I don’t think your cycle is a failure, I just think it can be a little more optimal, you still working hard, which in the end is all that matters.

 

[BBiceps]

Perhaps one reason your PRs are set less frequently than mine is you have already experienced much more growth and strength than I have so your progress slows the more you have gained. I have a long way to go in that department so there may be room for more rapid growth (not like a newbie, but still relatively new to roids). I have only been using roids for 3 years or less and for the couple of years before that just used andros and Sarms for a bit.

Well, I only count PR’s in weight on the big 3 lifts and now when you explained how your program is I understand how you break “PR’s” more often.

Also, I only used roids for the last few years and last year was the first year with any injectable besides TRT dose of Test. Before that I was a tested world ranked athlete so although I’m about 10-15b heavier than I was when I competed, most of my shape is from training&competing on a high level for 20yrs.

 

[JoePaul39]

Well, I only count PR’s in weight on the big 3 lifts and now when you explained how your program is I understand how you break “PR’s” more often.

Also, I only used roids for the last few years and last year was the first year with any injectable besides TRT dose of Test. Before that I was a tested world ranked athlete so although I’m about 25lb heavier than I was when I competed, most of my shape is from training&competing on a high level for 20yrs.

i have only trained and dieted seriously for about 4 to 5 years. When I started I was very out of shape at nearly 30 percent body fat.

 

[JoePaul39]

I did train and diet seriously in college than graduation, marriage, middle age, and a professional business career, happened and I stopped for many years got comfortable in life and let myself go and got fat. Never again!! So much happier now in shape.

 

[JoePaul39]

Week 10. Started the Arnold program. Probably the most intense program I have done so far. Train six days a week each muscle twice a week to failure with squatting, bench press and many isolation exercises done twice a week with supersets with varying rep ranges higher than my previous program. Also has more exercises than my last program and due to the number of lifts, sets, and volume of repsthe duration it takes some of the days I have to split the training into two times a day (morning and evening) to prevent from being at the gym for two to two and a half hours a session and this is with many lifts being supersets and only 1 minute breaks between nonsuperset lifts. The exception is leg day that only takes 45 minutes. Really enjoying it and glad I made the switch! Thinking it was much needed. Later on the program incorporates more advanced
bodybuilding lifting techniques such as the 1 through 10 method, stripping method/shocking principle, etc.


Burning a lot of calories with new program plus cardio too as I al eating about 3700 calories a day and weight has remained the same this past week. Set a few PRs but not nearly as many as before as this is a new program and has some lifts I haven’t even ever done since I started using my Stacked app to track weight records.

This Wednesday will be the last day of my cycle making it a 11 week cycle which is the longest I have ever done. Have trt bloods coming up so have to get off anyhow. Will post a first day and last day cycle pic and keep log up to date till I cease dropping in weight and then will post pics again.

Right now up 22 pounds. Body fat is up 3
percent to 17.8 percent. I suspect both of these will drop significantly in the weeks after the cycle so really more interested in the final numbers after the weight loss to gage progress and successfulness of cycle. As previously mentioned as long as I come in at a higher weight with a lower body fat than the previous time I was at the higher weight I will be happy. My body fat/body weight Excel file log has an extensive history. I started it on 11/22/15 at which time I weighted 215 pounds at 28 percent body fat (I am 5 foot 10). I now weigh 200 pounds at 17,8 percent body fat which means I have more pounds of lean mass than I did many years ago when I started even though I weighed 15 pounds heavier than now. My goal is to do some cutting after eating at maintenance for a couple months to try to get down to the 11 to 12 body fat range like @Nac suggested. The lowest I have ever been is 13.8 percent back in June. People do just look more muscular and better overall with less body fat, rather than being at a higher weight and body fat percentage even though you have more pounds of muscle that way as it comes at an obvious cost (fat)). Also, lean bulks are more successful adding muscle the lower your body fat is due to better insulin management. At nearly 18 percent right now I’m about as fat as I can tolerate and it would be unwise to try to add more.

 

[Nac]

Sounds like you have a solid plan man. Sux having to change so many core variables during a blast but I think in the grand scheme of things you're making the right moves.

 

[JoePaul39]

Sounds like you have a solid plan man. Sux having to change so many core variables during a blast but I think in the grand scheme of things you're making the right moves.

I agree. Also, I enjoy this program more as I love going to the gym and now I have more time there and more variety of lifts.

 

[JoePaul39]

Today is last day of Superdrol and will be 11 weeks on cycle. Gonna extend the cycle till my Trest runs out in a couple days. Stil running the LGD , Rad, Epiandro/androsterone. Trest will probably run out in two or 3 days. See no point after that trying to stretch it to the full 12 weeks since all I would be on is some Sarms and andros.

 

[JoePaul39]

So finished cycle about a week ago because ran out of Trest. Been busy with family in town this week so won’t be able to post a summary post with pics, bloodwork, and starting and ending weight, etc till they leave on Friday.

Trainimg hard this week with the new program. Was thinking of taking a week off sometime as it has been months since I took a
week off from the gym. Was contemplating doing this next week. Would this be something I should postpone because I am worried if I don’t stimulate the new muscle tissue for a week this close after the cycle has ended I might be more prone to lose more of the gains?

 

[BBiceps]

So finished cycle about a week ago because ran out of Trest. Been busy with family in town this week so won’t be able to post a summary post with pics, bloodwork, and starting and ending weight, etc till they leave on Friday.

Trainimg hard this week with the new program. Was thinking of taking a week off sometime as it has been months since I took a
week off from the gym. Was contemplating doing this next week. Would this be something I should postpone because I am worried if I don’t stimulate the new muscle tissue for a week this close after the cycle has ended I might be more prone to lose more of the gains?

Take a whole week off is something I would never do, a deload week can be beneficial and a good way to recharge. So take a week were you do your regular lifts but with 50% of your regular weights and not as many sets.

 

[JoePaul39]

So I’m going to post a cycle summary post though I do intend to also later post a final stat and pic post after all my post cycle weight has ceased dropping.

Began cycle 06/13/21 and weighed in at 177.4 pounds at 14.5 percent body fat. Ran a near 11 week cycle and the final day of my cycle was 08/26/21 with ending weight of 202.4 with a body fat percentage of 18.3 percent. So if you do the math I gained approximately 25 pounds in 11 weeks with a mixture of both fat and muscle and of course glycogen. It is important to note for a full on bulk it is almost impossible to not gain fat even with anabolics unless perhaps you are a newbie to anabolics and it is your first cycle. So I fully expected to gain some fat and I’m glad I ended the cycle when I did because 18 percent is about the maximum I would ever want to tolerate for a
brief season. For me losing fat is relatively easy with proper diet and Ephedrine and like my other bulks in the past my body fat typically drops down very rapidly the first
few weeks coinciding with rapid glycogen loss.

This has already happened to some extent. I weighed in yesterday (one week out from the cycle end date) and my weight has dropped 7 pounds in a week to 195.2 along with the good news of a corresponding drop in my body fat in only one week from 18.3 down to 16.5 (a little under a 2 percent drop). The last time I was around this body fat percentage was about a month after my previous cycle on 04/16/21 and I weighed only 180.4 at 16.1 percent body fat, thus now I am at nearly that same body fat as I was about four and a half months ago, but I weigh 15 pounds heavier at 195.2! This is mathematical proof that my cycle was a success in my book, further I could be wrong , but I suspect by the time all of the glycogen has dropped in the coming weeks my ending body fat percentage will be similar to what it was at the start of the cycle at 14.5 percent, but at a significantly higher ending weight, but only time will tell.

I have also kept nearly all my strength gains so far with the exception being I lost some strength already in the shoulder press.

Here is a pic of my recent weight activity from my historical weight/body fat log I keep in Excel to monitor progression and have been maintaining for several years. I highlighted in yellow the numbers illustrating the progress over the months.

 

[JoePaul39]

These 2 pics are of the first day of my cycle

 

[JoePaul39]

These 2 pics are from yesterday, one week after the end of the cycle, after dropping 7 pounds of glycogen.

 

[JoePaul39]

The only lab work I ran was my liver because I am not going to pay to know what I already know that my lipids are way out of whack from all the gear I ran for 11 weeks. I ran Superdrol for 8 weeks at 20 mg a day. Liver supports were 3000 mg NAC and 1000 mg TUDCA a day. My bilirubin was in range, my AST slightly out of range (but nothing to the extent justifying worrying about in my opinion). However, my ALT was about triple normal. Is this range high enough to worry about jaundice to potentially settle in? I don’t believe I got to that point because my pee never turned dark and I had no yellowing of the facial skin, just wondering how “bad” is it if ALT is triple normal range? Have you seen worst from cycles? Not overly concerned though as the liver repairs itself and I am not a drinker.

 

[JoePaul39]

Finally, the day before last bad lifting practice finally caught up to me. I was doing dumbbell shoulder presses and dropped the dumbbells, rather than placing them on the floor and the 45 pound dumbbell landed on the edge of my middle finger and broke the tip bone and I had to get six stitches. My hand is in a splint. See a hand surgeon on Wednesday to get the stitches taken out and get an idea of how long I will need a splint due to the tip of the bone being broken. I can’t grasp dumbbells obviously due to the splint, but can use some machines as long as they don’t require grasping and I can also utilize a straight bar on the cable machine too.

Would using dumbbells for the isolation shoulder exercises on my one good arm and neglecting the other be better than no isolation work even though it will leave an imbalance in the muscle on the two sides? Thankfully I can still do Machine shoulder raises and shoulder hammer press lifts for compound shoulder lifts.

Here is a pic of the finger before stiches. Be forewarned, it is graphic.

 

[JoePaul39]

Been meaning to finalize this log since almost a month ago. Been really busy. This past month a broken middle finger injury and some left shoulder tendinitis plus went on vacation.

Weight drop post cycle ended around 09/26/21 (about one month after cycle ended).
The spreadsheet below has the beginning and final numbers. Started cycle on 06/13/21 at about 177.5 pounds at 14.5 percent body fat and weigh loss after cycle stopped around 09/26/21 with an ending weight of of about 187 pounds and roughly 15 percent body fat. (The previous time I was around this endinf weight was on 04/08/21 when I weighed 188.8 at 17.5 percent body fat.

So result of cycle was about 7 pounds of muscle while body fat went up a half percent for an 11 week cycle. See my body weight log spreadsheet below.

 

[JoePaul39]

These are my starting pics from beginning of cycle in mid June. ( Next post will have pics from end of September after all post cycle weight loss).

 

[JoePaul39]

These are my pics one month after cycle she post cycle weight drop ceased around the end of September.

 

[Ironpirate]

Looks good bro, most people with be very happy with the improvement you're making. I can definitely see the fat loss in your chest. Trest is best! I'm just finishing the last of my 7alpha td.

 

[JoePaul39]

Looks good bro, most people with be very happy with the improvement you're making. I can definitely see the fat loss in your chest. Trest is best! I'm just finishing the last of my 7alpha td.

Thanks. How do you like it? I love it though it is as expensive af!

 

[Ironpirate]

Thanks. How do you like it? I love it though it is as expensive af!

I love trest ace td, im only doing 30mg ed with 16mg msten. I'm thinking about trying trest deca next but I'm sure that will put me on trt so I need to think that over.