Epistane Cycle Log (First Cycle)
- Thread starter zigzagzig
- Start date
zigzagzig
New member
Week 3, day 15: back and biceps day
Weight: + 4lbs
After being intrigued by and increase of 0.6p.p. in bf according to my scale, I've come to the conclusion that a substantial part of if must be water retention. When I pinch myself in the belly and other places, the pulled skin is thinner and more elastic than it used to be. Well, these were Thanksgiving days, so TG food... But, I'm not eating anything deep fried. To see what happens to my bf, I'll increase my protein macros, decrease carbs and fats, and increase cardio, just for a few days and see what happens. I'll be happy to get a lean increase of 12lbs in the end, rather than a dirty 20lbs. Also, I'd much prefer less, but more permanent gains.
I'm amazed by the pumps, the combination of Halo + 4AD + pre-workout supplements makes me huge at the gym. Sometimes, I get surprised by what I see in the mirror. Of course, most of that is water, and it vanishes sometime later on, but it helps on strength, and hopefully, on gainz. I'm not young anymore, I'm 34, so I'm a bit suspicious of what may happen after the cycle. Anyway, so far I'm having a great experience.
Weight: + 4lbs
After being intrigued by and increase of 0.6p.p. in bf according to my scale, I've come to the conclusion that a substantial part of if must be water retention. When I pinch myself in the belly and other places, the pulled skin is thinner and more elastic than it used to be. Well, these were Thanksgiving days, so TG food... But, I'm not eating anything deep fried. To see what happens to my bf, I'll increase my protein macros, decrease carbs and fats, and increase cardio, just for a few days and see what happens. I'll be happy to get a lean increase of 12lbs in the end, rather than a dirty 20lbs. Also, I'd much prefer less, but more permanent gains.
I'm amazed by the pumps, the combination of Halo + 4AD + pre-workout supplements makes me huge at the gym. Sometimes, I get surprised by what I see in the mirror. Of course, most of that is water, and it vanishes sometime later on, but it helps on strength, and hopefully, on gainz. I'm not young anymore, I'm 34, so I'm a bit suspicious of what may happen after the cycle. Anyway, so far I'm having a great experience.
zigzagzig
New member
Week 4, day 23: shoulder day
Weight: +7.1lbs
Got another PR on standing overhead press. I did 20x45lbs, 12x75lbs, 8x105, and then 2x5x135lbs. OK, I couldn't keep myself from using some momentum on the last set, but, nevertheless it was great. Next shoulder day, I'll focus on the form.
Weight: +7.1lbs
Got another PR on standing overhead press. I did 20x45lbs, 12x75lbs, 8x105, and then 2x5x135lbs. OK, I couldn't keep myself from using some momentum on the last set, but, nevertheless it was great. Next shoulder day, I'll focus on the form.
zigzagzig
New member
Lol, I will try to do a before and after pic comparison when I complete the cycle
zigzagzig
New member
Week 4, day 27.
Weight: +7.4 lbs
Weight progression has clearly slowed. I just got one pound in my 4th week. On the other hand, strength and mass continue to improve. Arms are up by half an inch, chest one inch, shoulders one inch, and waist is down by half an inch. Even though, my bf according to my scale continue to go up. I'm now at 16.3%
Weight: +7.4 lbs
Weight progression has clearly slowed. I just got one pound in my 4th week. On the other hand, strength and mass continue to improve. Arms are up by half an inch, chest one inch, shoulders one inch, and waist is down by half an inch. Even though, my bf according to my scale continue to go up. I'm now at 16.3%
Dthcore
Active member
Week 4, day 27.
Weight: +7.4 lbs
Weight progression has clearly slowed. I just got one pound in my 4th week. On the other hand, strength and mass continue to improve. Arms are up by half an inch, chest one inch, shoulders one inch, and waist is down by half an inch. Even though, my bf according to my scale continue to go up. I'm now at 16.3%
Water retention?
Whisky
Well-known member
Week 4, day 27.
Weight: +7.4 lbs
Weight progression has clearly slowed. I just got one pound in my 4th week. On the other hand, strength and mass continue to improve. Arms are up by half an inch, chest one inch, shoulders one inch, and waist is down by half an inch. Even though, my bf according to my scale continue to go up. I'm now at 16.3%
Honestly bro the Home bio impedance scales are notoriously unreliable (even the bigger gym ones are). Hydrostatic weighing or dexa is the only way to get a precise number. I’ve ranged from 7.1% to 22% on Home scales and visably there was little change lol.
Post a picture on here and a range of estimates will probably be closer than then scales. The mirror is a better tool......
zigzagzig
New member
Week 5, day 33:
Weight: +8.7lbs (173.7 lbs)
Since my weight progression slowed from last two weeks, I increased my macros to 90g F, 275g C and 350g P (around 3300 cal/day). I've started this new macros Monday and now got back to my targeted progression of +2lbs per week. Carbs/fat bloat swings getting more pronounced. In the morning my bf is the same, but by evening, gym time, there's a whole new layer of fat on my belly. I guess it is all being burnt during workout and sleep, bc the next day morning all is back on track.
I decided to extend the cycle to 8 weeks from 6 as previously planned. I don't expect to gain much more mass in these last two weeks, rather than that the goal is to make my body get used to the expected final gain of 12lbs on a longer time, so that I can increase the likelihood of keeping the gains after on.
Weight: +8.7lbs (173.7 lbs)
Since my weight progression slowed from last two weeks, I increased my macros to 90g F, 275g C and 350g P (around 3300 cal/day). I've started this new macros Monday and now got back to my targeted progression of +2lbs per week. Carbs/fat bloat swings getting more pronounced. In the morning my bf is the same, but by evening, gym time, there's a whole new layer of fat on my belly. I guess it is all being burnt during workout and sleep, bc the next day morning all is back on track.
I decided to extend the cycle to 8 weeks from 6 as previously planned. I don't expect to gain much more mass in these last two weeks, rather than that the goal is to make my body get used to the expected final gain of 12lbs on a longer time, so that I can increase the likelihood of keeping the gains after on.
zigzagzig
New member
Week 6, day 38:
Weight: +10.1 (175.1lbs)
Since I increased my macros, my weight progression came back to track. Probably, I won't be at +12lbs by the end of this week (6th) as it was the initial goal, but I'll be close to this value. It has been a struggle sometimes to meet the macros with healthy food as for some meals, I need to force myself to eat. However, as it has been working, I'm not too worried about this. I am more concerned with the fact that by gym time in the evening there's still much food on my belly, and as a result I get some discomfort while working out, hindering my performance. I am a bit lost on how to solve that. I would really appreciate any tips or recommendations from you guys.
Weight: +10.1 (175.1lbs)
Since I increased my macros, my weight progression came back to track. Probably, I won't be at +12lbs by the end of this week (6th) as it was the initial goal, but I'll be close to this value. It has been a struggle sometimes to meet the macros with healthy food as for some meals, I need to force myself to eat. However, as it has been working, I'm not too worried about this. I am more concerned with the fact that by gym time in the evening there's still much food on my belly, and as a result I get some discomfort while working out, hindering my performance. I am a bit lost on how to solve that. I would really appreciate any tips or recommendations from you guys.
Whisky
Well-known member
With you on that bro, hate training with food on my stomach. TBH I train much earlier in the day and my first meal never sits.
Only suggestion I have is to make the last meal pre training either lighter or liquid......
Interested if anyone has any tips though
zigzagzig
New member
Thanks for the reply. I target the pre workout meal for 2 to 1.5 hours before hitting the gym. I do a shake with two scoops of protein powder, one cup of skim milk and 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites (~74g P). Plus a sandwich with two whole bread slices, a slice of cheese, 3oz of turkey breast, and one TBSP of peanut butter. On top of that, later on, 15 min before, I take a pre workout drink (BCAA+others on water). On some days, I just do fine. On other days ....
zigzagzig
New member
I am in the middle of week 6, and as said before, I'm extending the cycle to 8 weeks.
Squats have increased from 215lbs to 250lbs (6 reps), Bench press from 180 to 225 (6reps), and overhead press from 90 to 125 (6 reps). From now on, I will stop targeting strength gains, instead I'll focus on increasing volume and on improving a good form.
Unfortunately, I had a minor muscle strain on the long head of my left triceps. I can't do pull-ups, some triceps exercises, or some other ones that were on my back routine. I still can do dips, and other triceps exercises that focus on the lateral head. My PC doctor said it should be back on track in a few weeks and recommended me to see a sports specialist. He also mentioned that, proportionally, my triceps seemed much bigger than my biceps. I had the suspicion my biceps were not developing as much as other muscle groups. Now, I even got an outside opinion that confirms it.
Currently, I am doing 3 different exercises that focus on biceps. On one I use dumbbells on the preacher bench, and I focus on the inner side. I do 12x30lbs on each arm, then 10x35lbs, 8x40, and 6x45. On the second exercise I do reverse standing EZ-curls on 12x40, 10x50, 8x60, 6x70. Finally for the third one, I do curls on an inclined bench using barbells, at 12x25, 10x30, 8x35 and 6x40. Clearly, this plan is not working well. Any thoughts on what may I doing it wrong and how to revamp it?
Squats have increased from 215lbs to 250lbs (6 reps), Bench press from 180 to 225 (6reps), and overhead press from 90 to 125 (6 reps). From now on, I will stop targeting strength gains, instead I'll focus on increasing volume and on improving a good form.
Unfortunately, I had a minor muscle strain on the long head of my left triceps. I can't do pull-ups, some triceps exercises, or some other ones that were on my back routine. I still can do dips, and other triceps exercises that focus on the lateral head. My PC doctor said it should be back on track in a few weeks and recommended me to see a sports specialist. He also mentioned that, proportionally, my triceps seemed much bigger than my biceps. I had the suspicion my biceps were not developing as much as other muscle groups. Now, I even got an outside opinion that confirms it.
Currently, I am doing 3 different exercises that focus on biceps. On one I use dumbbells on the preacher bench, and I focus on the inner side. I do 12x30lbs on each arm, then 10x35lbs, 8x40, and 6x45. On the second exercise I do reverse standing EZ-curls on 12x40, 10x50, 8x60, 6x70. Finally for the third one, I do curls on an inclined bench using barbells, at 12x25, 10x30, 8x35 and 6x40. Clearly, this plan is not working well. Any thoughts on what may I doing it wrong and how to revamp it?
Whisky
Well-known member
Nice strength gains bro, great stuff.
Regarding biceps, as with any muscle, time under tension is key. How is your tempo on the curls? Something like 1,0,4,1 I think works great. Also what rest periods are you taking? Lower weight with less rest inbtween sets would probably help you - I notice your weight changes every set which means you might be unintentionally resting longer just through moving weights around?
Your volume is good imo. I’m assuming (but if not this would need to change) that your hitting failure on the last set? I like to run down the rack a couple of times to finish off my bi’s at the end of my session. No rest, just drop the weight and curl, when I get to the 10 lb ers I switch to hammers for as many as I can.
The other one I like is 21’s (7 full reps, 7 top half, 7 bottom half) - find this gives a load of TUT.......
zigzagzig
New member
Thanks man, indeed on squats I got once a PR of 260lbs on 5 reps, 225 on bench at 6 reps is my PR, and my PR on overhead press is 6x135. I wasn't at my best strength on the beginning of the cycle, so it is difficult to measure the actual impact. Nevertheless, I'm content with the results so far.
I was not using tempo. I actually just added it to my routine tonight and my biceps were burning at a much lower weight and with less sets. I've done a 3,0,2,0 tempo.
Good call on rest time, I was waiting up to 1.5 minutes between sets. I have reduced it to 45sec. And I will diminish it even further from now on.
Whisky
Well-known member
Awesome bro - make them bad boys grow
zigzagzig
New member
Week 7, day 43:
Weight: +12.3 lbs
In the end I got the 12lbs on the first 6 weeks as initially planned. I must confess the last few days I've been eating more fatties/junk food due to all end-of-year social events, and that makes weight gains easier, including a bit of fat.
I'be been deloading a bit, working on 80-90% of PR on sets of 8, but increasing the number of sets. No more maxing PR until the end of it.
Some side effects are starting to get more noticeable. Blood pressure that has increased on resting time, but it is still in a comfortable zone. Now, joints are becoming a bit painful during some workouts, even during a simple 10 min jog I feel it. I've increased the intake of fish oil, but it is not being sufficient. On the other hand, I haven't experienced hair loss, and aggressiveness and anxiety are up mostly only during gym time. Maybe it is the mixing with my pre work out drink. That thing is mind boggling.
Thanks to many inputs I received, my biceps training is back on track. They are definitely being hit hard under a higher time under tension. Yesterday, my arms almost fell off after the workout
Weight: +12.3 lbs
In the end I got the 12lbs on the first 6 weeks as initially planned. I must confess the last few days I've been eating more fatties/junk food due to all end-of-year social events, and that makes weight gains easier, including a bit of fat.
I'be been deloading a bit, working on 80-90% of PR on sets of 8, but increasing the number of sets. No more maxing PR until the end of it.
Some side effects are starting to get more noticeable. Blood pressure that has increased on resting time, but it is still in a comfortable zone. Now, joints are becoming a bit painful during some workouts, even during a simple 10 min jog I feel it. I've increased the intake of fish oil, but it is not being sufficient. On the other hand, I haven't experienced hair loss, and aggressiveness and anxiety are up mostly only during gym time. Maybe it is the mixing with my pre work out drink. That thing is mind boggling.
Thanks to many inputs I received, my biceps training is back on track. They are definitely being hit hard under a higher time under tension. Yesterday, my arms almost fell off after the workout
210LBS
Well-known member
The longer the cycle the more prevalent the side effects will become. It seems like you're making some really great progress though. How are you looking in front of the mirror? It's probably tough to eat clean during the holidays. Halo is popularly known for dry gains and leaning out the abdomen area. I knew people who took it just because they wanted that six pack - and it worked too.
zigzagzig
New member
I'm definitely bigger, but I'm not more defined. Although the progression of my total weight was mostly stable, the gains on the volume on each muscle group came out of a sudden on different occasions. I didn't get a six pack, however even when I didn't eat clean my abdomen has been kept very lean during the whole cycle. I've been changing my abs workouts to be longer and more gruesome. I need to focus more on this area. Also, I have a hard time putting mass on my chest and biceps. On the other hand, if I lift a feather, my legs, back, and triceps grow like a weed.
I'm at 177.6 (+12.6lbs) at 5'11", however I've seen guys with these measurements that are three times my size. I guess it may be related to bf and to muscle density. I'll keep the hard work and I'm already planning my next cycle. I guess I'll target some serious lean mass gain (maybe 190-195lbs) at my current bf before focusing on shredding my excessive fat to a reasonable 12 to 13%. Any thoughts?
Regarding side effects, my worst problem right now are my joints, they are sometimes hindering my performance on some exercises. Blood pressure on resting time is elevated too, but under control. I can feel a strong lethargy in the morning, but nothing like a good coffee to wake up. Other than that, I think that the nice gains I've obtained on the beginning and the middle of this cycle made me construct some unreal expectations for the last weeks of it. My weight has progressed on the last week, but muscle volume hasn't changed apparently. Better to work on my mind to foster patience and long term hard work.
210LBS
Well-known member
A lot of people say halo kicks in fairly quick, so cycles for 6 weeks should suffice, but there are definitely people running it 8 weeks. However, there are some PHs where the results start to stall after 6 weeks. I'm not sure where halo falls into that equation though. I plan on doing 6 weeks at 75mgs though.
zigzagzig
New member
The reason I extended the cycle was to make my body used to my new weight for a longer time so that I'd lose less later on. As the sides were under control and junk food time was coming in, I thought it would be worthy. Only after on I will be able to assess if it was a good idea. So far I can't complain. The issue is that, as I am still under it, I find myself expecting more gains sometimes.
zigzagzig
New member
Hey guys,
Long time I don't post here. I had to travel for work (8 days) right when my PCT was supposed to start. As I would not have easy access to a gym I decided to keep the cycle going on up to when I came back (today). In the end, it lasted 8.5 weeks and I got 13.2 lbs. Weeks 7 to 8.5 I just gained 0.7 lbs. I'll do a complete cycle wrap up tomorrow. Please, let me know your thoughts on my PCT:
Here's my PCT protocol:
Clomid: 50mg daily (first 3 days); 25mg daily (PCT week 1 to 2); 12.5 daily (PCT week 3 to 5)
M-Test: 6 caps daily (PCT week 1 to 4); 3 caps daily (PCT week 5)
Reduce XT: 2 caps daily (PCT week 2 to 6)
Inhibit-E: 2 caps daily (PCT week 6 to 8)
Xgels: 5 caps WO days
Long time I don't post here. I had to travel for work (8 days) right when my PCT was supposed to start. As I would not have easy access to a gym I decided to keep the cycle going on up to when I came back (today). In the end, it lasted 8.5 weeks and I got 13.2 lbs. Weeks 7 to 8.5 I just gained 0.7 lbs. I'll do a complete cycle wrap up tomorrow. Please, let me know your thoughts on my PCT:
Here's my PCT protocol:
Clomid: 50mg daily (first 3 days); 25mg daily (PCT week 1 to 2); 12.5 daily (PCT week 3 to 5)
M-Test: 6 caps daily (PCT week 1 to 4); 3 caps daily (PCT week 5)
Reduce XT: 2 caps daily (PCT week 2 to 6)
Inhibit-E: 2 caps daily (PCT week 6 to 8)
Xgels: 5 caps WO days
zigzagzig
New member
My cycle is finally coming to an end as my PCT is over as of today. Now, I just need to do the blood work in a couple weeks and hope everything is back on track
Just to wrap up. I started a Halo + 4AD cycle last November, initially I've planned it to last 6-weeks, but I've extended it to 8 weeks. I went from 165lbs at the start, reached 178lbs at the end, and now, after PCT, I'm holding at 174lbs. Strength also improved a lot. Bench press, from 185x10 to 245x10 at peak, down to 225x10 now. Squat, from 225x10 to 275x10 at peak, down to 250lbsx10 now. Overhead press, from 95lbsx10, to 135x10 at peak, down to 125x10 now. Despite these gains, I've experienced some drawbacks on-cycle, such as elevated heartbeat and fatigue, and during PCT, I had some depression (2nd and 3rd weeks). Also, nowadays I'm having much more frequent joint pains.
I started to take X-gels this week, and I will continue so for the next couple months. My goal for this period is to improve strength towards the on-cycle maxima, while retaining the same weight. If the results from blood test show a perfect rebound, I'll go for a second cycle, but now, probably a bit stronger than the first.
Just to wrap up. I started a Halo + 4AD cycle last November, initially I've planned it to last 6-weeks, but I've extended it to 8 weeks. I went from 165lbs at the start, reached 178lbs at the end, and now, after PCT, I'm holding at 174lbs. Strength also improved a lot. Bench press, from 185x10 to 245x10 at peak, down to 225x10 now. Squat, from 225x10 to 275x10 at peak, down to 250lbsx10 now. Overhead press, from 95lbsx10, to 135x10 at peak, down to 125x10 now. Despite these gains, I've experienced some drawbacks on-cycle, such as elevated heartbeat and fatigue, and during PCT, I had some depression (2nd and 3rd weeks). Also, nowadays I'm having much more frequent joint pains.
I started to take X-gels this week, and I will continue so for the next couple months. My goal for this period is to improve strength towards the on-cycle maxima, while retaining the same weight. If the results from blood test show a perfect rebound, I'll go for a second cycle, but now, probably a bit stronger than the first.