Fat guy Halodrol cycle log

[getbacktoit]

Hey y'all. Figured i'd post my log to make my cycle more interesting and keep me accountable. Running a 50/50/50/75/75/75 cycle for the first time. Getting back into the gym after a 12 week injury (natural lifter for about 15 years). Also taking enclomiphene at 12.5mg every other day, and then 12.5mg everyday closer to and during PCT.

Starting stats 34yo / 5'10 / 220 / estimated 28-30% bf.

Recently bulked to about 20-21%bf and took 3 months off due to an injury. I'll probably drop to 205 within 2-3 weeks due to water and my weight will remain stable from there. Interested to see what 6 weeks will get me. Expecting to end up about 200lbs at about 20% bf. Realistic?


Weight log through cycle (starting weight 220lbs):

Day 1 - 221

Day 4 - 225

Day 5 - 224

Day 6 - 224

Day 7- 228

Day 8 - 230

Day 10- 231

Day 11 - 231

Day 12 - 231

Day 13 - 231

Day 15 - 231

Day 20 - 233

Day 28 - 229

 

[Smont]

Results are going to be heavily determined by your diet

 

[getbacktoit]

Day 1:

221lbs.

Hit the gym for baseline PRs. Numbers are off because of a long gym break and should skyrocket in a few weeks. Prior to injury my PRs were 335Bench/365squat/455DL. If I can get back to 90% of these numbers I'll be satisfied. Didn't want to push it, here's some comfortable 1 reps.

Bench 245
Squat 225
DL 315

Ill reassess in about 2 weeks of training.

 

[getbacktoit]

Day 4:

225lbs

Gaining about a pound a day on exactly 2100-2200 calories per day. Not sure if it's water or what. Don't look any more bloated than usual, veins popping a bit more during workouts. Strength and reps majorly going up.

Side note, been waking up feeling super well rested on even 6 hours of sleep. Is this normal on cycle? I generally aim for 8-9 hours otherwise I feel like ****.

 

[Dustin07]

Interested to see what 6 weeks will get me. Expecting to end up about 200lbs at about 20% bf. Realistic?

Numbers are off because of a long gym break and should skyrocket in a few weeks. Prior to injury my PRs were 335Bench/365squat/455DL. If I can get back to 90% of these numbers I'll be satisfied. Didn't want to push it, here's some comfortable 1 reps.

Bench 245
Squat 225
DL 315

225lbs

Gaining about a pound a day on exactly 2100-2200 calories per day. Not sure if it's water or what. Don't look any more bloated than usual, veins popping a bit more during workouts. Strength and reps majorly going up.

Side note, been waking up feeling super well rested on even 6 hours of sleep. Is this normal on cycle? I generally aim for 8-9 hours otherwise I feel like ****.

this all looks about right to me. how old are you? Initial thoughts:

a. 3 months off is a lot, I'd expect some redevelopment of lean mass adding weight
b. 2200 calories might be high, although my guess is it's not accurate
c. 15-20lbs of weight loss in 6 weeks, even if a lot is water weight, isn't likely to happen at 220 and 5'10". maybe if you were 320lbs. for reference, when using ADF, the most drastic cut I saw was about 10lbs in a month, but that was a hard month of fasting 30+ hours every other day, and lifting hard on my non fasted days.

I think you're on the right track but you gotta accept that it's a lifestyle change and correction. you'll undoubtedly see those newbie gains again both in fat loss and muscle gains after 3 months off, but a more reasonable 1-2lbs per week of weight loss is going to be more attainable.

 

[getbacktoit]

this all looks about right to me. how old are you? Initial thoughts:

a. 3 months off is a lot, I'd expect some redevelopment of lean mass adding weight
b. 2200 calories might be high, although my guess is it's not accurate
c. 15-20lbs of weight loss in 6 weeks, even if a lot is water weight, isn't likely to happen at 220 and 5'10". maybe if you were 320lbs. for reference, when using ADF, the most drastic cut I saw was about 10lbs in a month, but that was a hard month of fasting 30+ hours every other day, and lifting hard on my non fasted days.

I think you're on the right track but you gotta accept that it's a lifestyle change and correction. you'll undoubtedly see those newbie gains again both in fat loss and muscle gains after 3 months off, but a more reasonable 1-2lbs per week of weight loss is going to be more attainable.

I usually cut around 1800-1900 for 2lbs of weight loss per week and it always works great. Should I stick to that on cycle? I didn't want to throw away any potential gains by cutting too aggressively

 

[Halfnattyman44]

I've never used Halodrol, but I don't see how you will get to those numbers in 6 weeks. I'd guess you can either maintain muscle and do a drastic cut to drop maybe 10-15 lbs of fat. Or you can run a slight cut and drop maybe 5-8 lbs of fat while adding 5-8 lbs of muscle (mostly muscle memory).

 

[Dustin07]

personally looking at your theoretical BF%, time off from the weights, history and thoughts on what normally works I'd probably stay where you are for 2 weeks personally and see what happens. Maybe throw in a little LISS cardio before and/or after your lifting sessions. but my thoughts come back to the idea of looking at a 1-2lb per week loss as per norms, rather than trying to ape into a huge 15-20lb loss in 6 weeks. If I were seriously looking to cut 20lbs in 6 weeks I'd be fasting and doing a shitload of cardio. and I mean legit fasts of 36-66hrs per session, not 16:8 or 20:4 stuff but again, thats if losing the weight was more important than anything. if the goal is muscle retention and gains, I'd just stick with the slow boat approach and adopt the lifestyle.

 

[getbacktoit]

I've never used Halodrol, but I don't see how you will get to those numbers in 6 weeks. I'd guess you can either maintain muscle and do a drastic cut to drop maybe 10-15 lbs of fat. Or you can run a slight cut and drop maybe 5-8 lbs of fat while adding 5-8 lbs of muscle (mostly muscle memory).

These numbers are primarily because of my typical walking around weight while lifting (205), and the fact that I've been on my ass for about 3 months and put on some fat and water. I expect to get back to baseline in about 6-8 weeks and then take it slow from there with about 1-2lbs a week of loss. For the initial month of getting back into the gym, Im expecting some drastic changes due to muscle memory and the sauce, and then I expect it to drastically taper down once my body adapts again.

 

[getbacktoit]

personally looking at your theoretical BF%, time off from the weights, history and thoughts on what normally works I'd probably stay where you are for 2 weeks personally and see what happens. Maybe throw in a little LISS cardio before and/or after your lifting sessions. but my thoughts come back to the idea of looking at a 1-2lb per week loss as per norms, rather than trying to ape into a huge 15-20lb loss in 6 weeks. If I were seriously looking to cut 20lbs in 6 weeks I'd be fasting and doing a shitload of cardio. and I mean legit fasts of 36-66hrs per session, not 16:8 or 20:4 stuff but again, thats if losing the weight was more important than anything. if the goal is muscle retention and gains, I'd just stick with the slow boat approach and adopt the lifestyle.

I'll stick to a moderate cut for about 2-3 weeks and see what happens. I've read that halodrol takes about 3 weeks to kick in, so I figure the first 3 weeks of changes will be due to my absence from the gym rather than the cycle itself. Would you recommend cutting on cycle or after PCT? With the recent weight gain I don't want to keep maintaining/bulking, but I'm not competing so I'm in no rush and would just like to get the most out of my cycle. Just tired of being a fat **** for the last couple months haha

 

[getbacktoit]

Day 5:

224lbs

Resting today. Had a sick workout yesterday.

Some reps from my workout -

Strict dumbbell curls 35x40 (20 each arm)

Dumbbell Lateral raises 15x17

Incline dumbbell press 90x12

Lying row 135x11

Wide lat pulldown 135x12



These are just some workouts I'll reference later to see my gains, feeling great so far

 

[Dustin07]

I'll stick to a moderate cut for about 2-3 weeks and see what happens. I've read that halodrol takes about 3 weeks to kick in, so I figure the first 3 weeks of changes will be due to my absence from the gym rather than the cycle itself. Would you recommend cutting on cycle or after PCT? With the recent weight gain I don't want to keep maintaining/bulking, but I'm not competing so I'm in no rush and would just like to get the most out of my cycle. Just tired of being a fat **** for the last couple months haha

I don't have any experience with Halo, I think that would be a question for @Hyde , @MrKleen73 , @Smont .

@MrKleen73 could probably rx a fantastic cutting cycle. Me personally though, my dabbling in PED's is so light I literally just now got out of the car with my buddy and told him if I was going to go on a full cycle I'd cut down to around 10% BF FIRST, personally, in an attempt to maximize lean gains and minimize fat. But that's just me after 3 years of strength and cut cycles, I'm tired of cutting 20lbs+ after every strength PR and I'm happier at 180-185lbs than 205lbs (5'9"). I'm sure some day I'll get a.d.d. bored and need to switch gears back to a strength cycle but right now being lean and light on my feet is more appealing to me after years of teeter totter bulk/cut cycles.

I really can't give you good advice on the gear tho, the other guys have way more experience than me. I just know FOR ME, if I were to go all out, I'd cut first, personally.

 

[Joshlm69]

Shouldn’t run it below 100mg & shouldn’t run it higher. You’re shutting yourself down for no/minimal gains with doses that low

 

[Hyde]

I’d take at least 75mg/day, and 100 is the sweetspot as mentioned. You will notice 50mg if it’s your first steroid cycle ever, but you are definitely undercutting and I’d still go to 75/day right now to get optimal results.

Your previous PRs & years training are good enough accomplishments to warrant this leap at your age, but like Smont said it’s all going to be in the diet. I wouldn’t even think about it as a cut so much as getting back on a clean, healthy eating routine that previously served you well at 205. If this is a first cycle you’ll add water immediately and honestly add lbs of actual lean mass too. So don’t worry about the bodyweight so much as reestablishing quality tight eating. That should help tease out some weightloss while getting decided fatloss and muscle gain. Recomping is basically only possible through powerful drug use, and a first cycle is that scenario.

I am going to leave you with one last thought for your reflection: why would you take 12 weeks out of the gym, but think it makes sense to take steroids? Short of a truly traumatic injury that’s keeping you bedridden, there’s almost always something you could have trained. Don’t you think you should have just got back on the horse for a few weeks consistently to milk that initial progress?

 

[getbacktoit]

I’d take at least 75mg/day, and 100 is the sweetspot as mentioned. You will notice 50mg if it’s your first steroid cycle ever, but you are definitely undercutting and I’d still go to 75/day right now to get optimal results.

Your previous PRs & years training are good enough accomplishments to warrant this leap at your age, but like Smont said it’s all going to be in the diet. I wouldn’t even think about it as a cut so much as getting back on a clean, healthy eating routine that previously served you well at 205. If this is a first cycle you’ll add water immediately and honestly add lbs of actual lean mass too. So don’t worry about the bodyweight so much as reestablishing quality tight eating. That should help tease out some weightloss while getting decided fatloss and muscle gain. Recomping is basically only possible through powerful drug use, and a first cycle is that scenario.

I am going to leave you with one last thought for your reflection: why would you take 12 weeks out of the gym, but think it makes sense to take steroids? Short of a truly traumatic injury that’s keeping you bedridden, there’s almost always something you could have trained. Don’t you think you should have just got back on the horse for a few weeks consistently to milk that initial progress?

It wasn't 12 full weeks out. Honestly about 6 weeks completely out, and then another 6 weeks of 30 minute workouts once or twice a week getting back into the groove and being scared to push it. I've always been moderately active and go to the gym at least once a week even when I'm "not going to the gym". But I have been back to it 5-6 a days a week for about 10 days now

Edit: I only have enough to take 75mg a day for about 5 weeks. Would that be better than taking it for almost 7 weeks on a 50/50/50/75/75/75? I only started with 50mg because I keep reading that it takes 3 weeks to "kick in", and I figured I should use the minimum recommended dose until then. I didn't want to waste 3 weeks of 75mg doses waiting for it to "kick in" and want to hop on 75mg as soon as it does.

 

[Hyde]

It wasn't 12 full weeks out. Honestly about 6 weeks completely out, and then another 6 weeks of 30 minute workouts once or twice a week getting back into the groove and being scared to push it. I've always been moderately active and go to the gym at least once a week even when I'm "not going to the gym". But I have been back to it 5-6 a days a week for about 10 days now

Edit: I only have enough to take 75mg a day for about 5 weeks. Would that be better than taking it for almost 7 weeks on a 50/50/50/75/75/75? I only started with 50mg because I keep reading that it takes 3 weeks to "kick in", and I figured I should use the minimum recommended dose until then. I didn't want to waste 3 weeks of 75mg doses waiting for it to "kick in" and want to hop on 75mg as soon as it does.

5 weeks of 75mg is enough, and IMO will provide a more effective cycle that’s also easier to recover from (because it’s less time suppressed).

The androgens are acting immediately, as soon as they’re in the bloodstream they are imparting genomic effects at the cellular level. Especially orals, you’re getting instantaneous effects on all kinds of processes.

The reason you hear things like how long it takes to “kick in” is because that’s the timeframe users are typically seeing undeniable visual changes in their physiques and/or performance metrics. But make no mistake - it’s “working” within an hour of a single dose, and taking a dose that long preWO is a solid strategy to help acutely drive training performance even further.

 

[getbacktoit]

5 weeks of 75mg is enough, and IMO will provide a more effective cycle that’s also easier to recover from (because it’s less time suppressed).

The androgens are acting immediately, as soon as they’re in the bloodstream they are imparting genomic effects at the cellular level. Especially orals, you’re getting instantaneous effects on all kinds of processes.

The reason you hear things like how long it takes to “kick in” is because that’s the timeframe users are typically seeing undeniable visual changes in their physiques and/or performance metrics. But make no mistake - it’s “working” within an hour of a single dose, and taking a dose that long preWO is a solid strategy to help acutely drive training performance even further.

I'll take your advice and hop on a shorter cycle at 75 then. My weight has gone up 8 lbs in 5 days on a cut (night time weight so probably really 5-6lbs), so it's definitely doing something.

Should I dose 25mg 7am, 25mg an hour pre workout at 11am or so, and another 25mg at 9pm?

 

[Hyde]

I'll take your advice and hop on a shorter cycle at 75 then. My weight has gone up 8 lbs in 5 days on a cut (night time weight so probably really 5-6lbs), so it's definitely doing something.

Should I dose 25mg 7am, 25mg an hour pre workout at 11am or so, and another 25mg at 9pm?

I’d try 50mg at 11 preWO and 25 right before bed - if this bothers your sleep, I’d move that PM dose way up, like 5pm.

The whole “stable blood levels” thing is actually BS for growth - you grow better from greater acute drug exposure actually, larger boluses at once. The point of spreading the doses out maximally is actually for side effect reduction; having the most stable blood levels with minimal fluctuation tends to cause less sides like blood pressure spikes, aromatization of wet compounds (irrelevant here), impact on mood.

2 doses per day is plenty for an oral, and they don’t need to be 12 hours apart.

 

[Smont]

Hdrol is my favorite old PH/designer steroid. I like 100-125mg, 75 is straight to start, 50 is ok as part of a stack but I'd still go higher.

 

[MrKleen73]

I was on the 75-125 train myself, starting 75-100-125 was definitely a fun ride. Good compound, it lends itself to whatever goal you eat and train for pretty well.

 

[getbacktoit]

Hdrol is my favorite old PH/designer steroid. I like 100-125mg, 75 is straight to start, 50 is ok as part of a stack but I'd still go higher.

If I can only do 75 for 5 weeks or 100 for 30 days, which would you recommend? I figure throughout the cycle I will be eating at a slight deficit, sticking to around 2100 calories a day. I have no issues going all out on a cut, but I don't want to waste the cycle.

Edit: @MrKleen73 , sick physique btw

 

[getbacktoit]

Day 7:

228lbs

Weight is skyrocketing on 2100 calories per day (yes, I'm accurately tracking with a scale, very familiar with tracking). I'm up 8lbs in under a week. I thought haladrol didn't make people hold water?

Either way, the workouts still feeling great and I'm not looking bloated. Slightly more vascular, due to increased blood volume maybe?

Went into this with the mindset of cutting hard. Hopefully the weight stabilizes in a week or two and then starts dropping. Just have to trust the process and not worry about the scale right now.

 

[Hyde]

Day 7:

228lbs

Weight is skyrocketing on 2100 calories per day (yes, I'm accurately tracking with a scale, very familiar with tracking). I'm up 8lbs in under a week. I thought haladrol didn't make people hold water?

Either way, the workouts still feeling great and I'm not looking bloated. Slightly more vascular, due to increased blood volume maybe?

Went into this with the mindset of cutting hard. Hopefully the weight stabilizes in a week or two and then starts dropping. Just have to trust the process and not worry about the scale right now.

If it’s your actual first hormone exposure you really can add a lot of muscle, depending on personal response. I put on 7lbs while getting leaner my first cycle (30mg of Epistane).

But also, depending on the product you have, it could be faked with something else. That’s not really a problem though as long as you feel decent; if you’re making gains, not getting fat, and the calories are tight & consistent then just enjoy the process.

 

[Sparta12]

I love halodrol done a few cycles with it, 75mg is the safest dose for me with no sides and consistent gains, 100mg obviously better gains but felt my shutdown closer to the end. Recovery was fine for both though. I am thinking of doing another cycle soon maybe after a cut with retatrutide, that or try Tbol

 

[SkRaw85]

I've never used Halodrol, but I don't see how you will get to those numbers in 6 weeks. I'd guess you can either maintain muscle and do a drastic cut to drop maybe 10-15 lbs of fat. Or you can run a slight cut and drop maybe 5-8 lbs of fat while adding 5-8 lbs of muscle (mostly muscle memory).

Halodrol can have very drastic cosmetic/strength effects. But they also vanish as quick as they came in once the cycle is done.

 

[getbacktoit]

Halodrol can have very drastic cosmetic/strength effects. But they also vanish as quick as they came in once the cycle is done.

Comments like these have me thinking there is no point of doing a cycle?

 

[MrKleen73]

Comments like these have me thinking there is no point of doing a cycle?

Depends on your expectations. A large amount of the gains will be increased water and glycogen storage from being on the gear. Then this compound is very androgenic and does not convert to estrogen so your skin tightens up and has less water under it making you look dryer and leaner. So when you finish you will be at peak cycle mode, as full and tight as you are going to get. Say you see a scale weight gain of 8lbs at the peak, then hop off the cycle and lose the additional water and glycogen in the muscles, and the skin isn't as tight and dry making you look less cut, but in the end you might have 2lbs of muscle you didn't have 6 weeks ago. THAT is the reason to cycle. If that isn't enough then cycling is probably not for you. At least with orals. With orals they come on quick, do their thing and are often very transient gains because you can't stay on the orals long enough to truly solidify the gains. However make no mistake 2lbs of muscle in 6-8 weeks is HUGE gains compared to normal. So yeah you might lose a lot from the cycle peak, but made a much larger step forward than you could have without the cycle. You just have to have realistic expectations. Especially for orals. Injection based stuff you can run longer and tend to keep a bit more, but the reality is you will not keep the bulk of weight gained from a cycle, because the cycle itself makes you store more fuel than you can without it. That fuel is in the form of glycogen and water pulled into the muscle, and when the androgens are lower so will the extra fuel stores being held. That isn't muscle lost, so much as taking a little water out of a water balloon. The balloon is still the same mass, it just has less water in it.

 

[getbacktoit]

Depends on your expectations. A large amount of the gains will be increased water and glycogen storage from being on the gear. Then this compound is very androgenic and does not convert to estrogen so your skin tightens up and has less water under it making you look dryer and leaner. So when you finish you will be at peak cycle mode, as full and tight as you are going to get. Say you see a scale weight gain of 8lbs at the peak, then hop off the cycle and lose the additional water and glycogen in the muscles, and the skin isn't as tight and dry making you look less cut, but in the end you might have 2lbs of muscle you didn't have 6 weeks ago. THAT is the reason to cycle. If that isn't enough then cycling is probably not for you. At least with orals. With orals they come on quick, do their thing and are often very transient gains because you can't stay on the orals long enough to truly solidify the gains. However make no mistake 2lbs of muscle in 6-8 weeks is HUGE gains compared to normal. So yeah you might lose a lot from the cycle peak, but made a much larger step forward than you could have without the cycle. You just have to have realistic expectations. Especially for orals. Injection based stuff you can run longer and tend to keep a bit more, but the reality is you will not keep the bulk of weight gained from a cycle, because the cycle itself makes you store more fuel than you can without it. That fuel is in the form of glycogen and water pulled into the muscle, and when the androgens are lower so will the extra fuel stores being held. That isn't muscle lost, so much as taking a little water out of a water balloon. The balloon is still the same mass, it just has less water in it.

If I gain any muscle at all, even 1lb but lose 2lbs of fat per week during the cycle id call it a success.

 

[Hyde]

Comments like these have me thinking there is no point of doing a cycle?

You can’t focus on peak strength or look during the cycle, but rather the progression of those between cycles. As mentioned, you can never maintain a drug-based peak. That’s just a flash in the pan - enjoy it for the one-night-stand that it is, but don’t get attached.

 

[MrKleen73]

If I gain any muscle at all, even 1lb but lose 2lbs of fat per week during the cycle id call it a success.

If you drop 2lbs a week without losing muscle that is phenomenal! Even on gear, that would be amazing results. At such an aggressive deficit even on gear you have to expect a little muscle loss unfortunately. Now if you have a lot of muscle memory that might skew things a bit in your favor.

 

[Dustin07]

Comments like these have me thinking there is no point of doing a cycle?

Depends on your expectations. A large amount of the gains will be increased water and glycogen storage from being on the gear. Then this compound is very androgenic and does not convert to estrogen so your skin tightens up and has less water under it making you look dryer and leaner. So when you finish you will be at peak cycle mode, as full and tight as you are going to get. Say you see a scale weight gain of 8lbs at the peak, then hop off the cycle and lose the additional water and glycogen in the muscles, and the skin isn't as tight and dry making you look less cut, but in the end you might have 2lbs of muscle you didn't have 6 weeks ago. THAT is the reason to cycle. If that isn't enough then cycling is probably not for you. At least with orals. With orals they come on quick, do their thing and are often very transient gains because you can't stay on the orals long enough to truly solidify the gains. However make no mistake 2lbs of muscle in 6-8 weeks is HUGE gains compared to normal. So yeah you might lose a lot from the cycle peak, but made a much larger step forward than you could have without the cycle. You just have to have realistic expectations. Especially for orals. Injection based stuff you can run longer and tend to keep a bit more, but the reality is you will not keep the bulk of weight gained from a cycle, because the cycle itself makes you store more fuel than you can without it. That fuel is in the form of glycogen and water pulled into the muscle, and when the androgens are lower so will the extra fuel stores being held. That isn't muscle lost, so much as taking a little water out of a water balloon. The balloon is still the same mass, it just has less water in it.

this was the response I was waiting to see from one of you more knowledgeable dudes. especially since I know nothing about halo. but with the past 3 years of toying with the epiandro, var, etc I'm definitely holding 8-10lbs more lean mass at similar bodyfats than historical averages and haven't had a cycle in like 8+ months now. If I ever get serious about another one, I want to wait until I'm at my ideal bodyfat level then see what happens since all of my prior cycles have either been on a cut or while already at 15% ish+ with bulking intentions.

 

[getbacktoit]

Day 11

Gaining crazy weight still but no noticable visual changes. Strength and reps still going up. Nothing to note so far. I'll be testing my PRs in 3 days to see where I'm at after 2 weeks

 

[Hyde]

Day 11

Gaining crazy weight still but no noticable visual changes. Strength and reps still going up. Nothing to note so far. I'll be testing my PRs in 3 days to see where I'm at after 2 weeks

Define crazy weight.

 

[getbacktoit]

Define crazy weight.

Weights are logged in the original post for an easy timeline, gained 1lb a day on average for 11 days. Down to 1900-2000 calories a day. One thing I noticed is I usually piss 10+ times a day lol. IM drinking the same amount now and pissing maybe 3 times. Don't see any bloat or fuller muscles but the water is sticking around somewhere.

 

[Dustin07]

11lbs is sorta alarming in that short span, but it's also enough that your waist would be showing it I'd think if it was bad weight. no change in how your pants/belt fits?

 

[getbacktoit]

11lbs is sorta alarming in that short span, but it's also enough that your waist would be showing it I'd think if it was bad weight. no change in how your pants/belt fits?

Clothes are tighter for sure, but more at thighs, chest, arms. My waist hasn't increased. Visually I'm not noticing any changes that id normally associate with bloat or a cheat day/weekend. If I gain 5lbs on a cheat, my face shows it and vascularity at the gym explodes. I am getting all the way up to 235 by mid day, but my waking up weight has been going up about a pound a day consistently.

Usually when I put on a large amount of water or inflammation I can feel it in my joints and mobility. This seems like weight I can't pinpoint. Never gained weight this fast before. My only concern is that halodrol is known as a "dry" gainer and putting on all of this water is crazy.

Weight has been stable for about 4-5 days now, after gaining 10 my first week. I'm hoping this is where my deficit starts showing some results

 

[Hyde]

Clothes are tighter for sure, but more at thighs, chest, arms. My waist hasn't increased. Visually I'm not noticing any changes that id normally associate with bloat or a cheat day/weekend. If I gain 5lbs on a cheat, my face shows it and vascularity at the gym explodes. I am getting all the way up to 235 by mid day, but my waking up weight has been going up about a pound a day consistently.

Usually when I put on a large amount of water or inflammation I can feel it in my joints and mobility. This seems like weight I can't pinpoint. Never gained weight this fast before. My only concern is that halodrol is known as a "dry" gainer and putting on all of this water is crazy.

Weight has been stable for about 4-5 days now, after gaining 10 my first week. I'm hoping this is where my deficit starts showing some results

So you gained 10lbs and you claim you see no bloat but also no extra muscle fullness…yet you’re noticing your clothes fitting tighter around the areas defined by muscle.

You’re very obviously holding water in the muscle, and probably also legally blind

This is the same weight we’re warning you will probably fall off largely when you stop. But in the interim, you are recovering actual lean mass faster and also preserving it while in a deficit, as well as keeping performance up despite the deficit. So just keep sticking to your diet & training efforts!

 

[getbacktoit]

Clothes are tighter for sure, but more at thighs, chest, arms. My waist hasn't increased. Visually I'm not noticing any changes that id normally associate with bloat or a cheat day/weekend. If I gain 5lbs on a cheat, my face shows it and vascularity at the gym explodes. I am getting all the way up to 235 by mid day, but my waking up weight has been going up about a pound a day consistently.

Usually when I put on a large amount of water or inflammation I can feel it in my joints and mobility. This seems like weight I can't pinpoint. Never gained weight this fast before. My only concern is that halodrol is known as a "dry" gainer and putting on all of this water is crazy.

So you gained 10lbs and you claim you see no bloat but also no extra muscle fullness…yet you’re noticing your clothes fitting tighter around the areas defined by muscle.

You’re very obviously holding water in the muscle, and probably also legally blind

This is the same weight we’re warning you will probably fall off largely when you stop. But in the interim, you are recovering actual lean mass faster and also preserving it while in a deficit, as well as keeping performance up despite the deficit. So just keep sticking to your diet & training efforts!

That could be true that I'm just blind to the muscle gains I always notice a couple pounds of water bloat immediately (puffy face, marks on skin from water retention etc.) but I'm hardly noticing that I'm looking bigger. I think I'm more used to the "bigger" look that muscle definition provides when you're smaller but leaner. Not used to gaining muscle without that defined look

 

[Smont]

Comments like these have me thinking there is no point of doing a cycle?

That's how all orals work. The cycles are short and there's very limited muscle tissue you can build in 4-6 weeks. So what happens is you get on a cycle you get these cosmetic effects and your strength goes up but it's really just from enhanced nutrient uptake glycogen storage central nervous system activation and lots of factors. But those things go away quickly. Tangible gains in muscle tissue takes months. On a 4 month cycle, Test and EQ is my go to. Il gain like 4-5lbs of muscle if the cycle goes amazing. Some guys hear that and it doesn't sound impressive but it is amazingly impressive if you run two cycles a year and gave 5 lb on each cycle that's 10 lb a year in 5 years you've put on 50 lb of muscle mass which would make you look like an absolute mutant monster.

The problem on the Internet is people equate weight gain to muscle mass so guys will say they took XYZ and gained 30 lb of muscle and in reality they gained like a pound or 2 of muscle and like 25-28lb of water and glycogen.

Sorry for the lack of punctuation marks

 

[Hyde]

Holy bot Batman

 

[Dustin07]

Holy bot Batman

It reads almost exactly like a conversation with Grok

 

[Smont]

That’s a solid jump already, especially on 2100–2200 calories. At that intake, a pound a day is almost certainly water and glycogen shifts rather than actual fat gain, so nothing to stress about. The fact that you’re not looking more bloated but seeing better pumps and vascularity lines up with that too. Strength climbing this quickly is exactly what you’d hope for coming back after some downtime.


As for the sleep, that’s pretty common on cycle. A lot of guys notice deeper, more restful sleep and quicker recovery, even with fewer hours than usual. That said, I’d still aim for 8+ whenever you can—just because you feel rested on 6 doesn’t mean your body wouldn’t benefit from the extra recovery. But overall, sounds like things are moving in the right direction. Curious to see where your weight settles once that initial water gain levels out.

Is it possible to loose 10lbs in 10 days with low calories, lots of cardio and crack cocaine?

 

[Smont]

I'm only on 1500 calories and training 7 days a week, I'm pushing the limits so I'm hoping some crack cocaine will push my energy to the next level. That or meth

 

[Smont]

Can you assist?

 

[Dustin07]

Grok says yes, but he goes on to explain that the PCT for cocaine is pretty intense.

 

[ironviking]

Depends on your expectations. A large amount of the gains will be increased water and glycogen storage from being on the gear. Then this compound is very androgenic and does not convert to estrogen so your skin tightens up and has less water under it making you look dryer and leaner. So when you finish you will be at peak cycle mode, as full and tight as you are going to get. Say you see a scale weight gain of 8lbs at the peak, then hop off the cycle and lose the additional water and glycogen in the muscles, and the skin isn't as tight and dry making you look less cut, but in the end you might have 2lbs of muscle you didn't have 6 weeks ago. THAT is the reason to cycle. If that isn't enough then cycling is probably not for you. At least with orals. With orals they come on quick, do their thing and are often very transient gains because you can't stay on the orals long enough to truly solidify the gains. However make no mistake 2lbs of muscle in 6-8 weeks is HUGE gains compared to normal. So yeah you might lose a lot from the cycle peak, but made a much larger step forward than you could have without the cycle. You just have to have realistic expectations. Especially for orals. Injection based stuff you can run longer and tend to keep a bit more, but the reality is you will not keep the bulk of weight gained from a cycle, because the cycle itself makes you store more fuel than you can without it. That fuel is in the form of glycogen and water pulled into the muscle, and when the androgens are lower so will the extra fuel stores being held. That isn't muscle lost, so much as taking a little water out of a water balloon. The balloon is still the same mass, it just has less water in it.

This should be pinned in the anabolics forum. Too many dudes thinking they're going to do a cycle, look like a Greek god, and stay that way. Those "gains" don't last and if you don't have the drive to push hard and eat correctly off cycle then those 2 or 3 lbs will diminish as well. I found out the hard way... and was not prepared.

 

[getbacktoit]

That’s a solid jump already, especially on 2100–2200 calories. At that intake, a pound a day is almost certainly water and glycogen shifts rather than actual fat gain, so nothing to stress about. The fact that you’re not looking more bloated but seeing better pumps and vascularity lines up with that too. Strength climbing this quickly is exactly what you’d hope for coming back after some downtime.


As for the sleep, that’s pretty common on cycle. A lot of guys notice deeper, more restful sleep and quicker recovery, even with fewer hours than usual. That said, I’d still aim for 8+ whenever you can—just because you feel rested on 6 doesn’t mean your body wouldn’t benefit from the extra recovery. But overall, sounds like things are moving in the right direction. Curious to see where your weight settles once that initial water gain levels out.

This should be pinned in the anabolics forum. Too many dudes thinking they're going to do a cycle, look like a Greek god, and stay that way. Those "gains" don't last and if you don't have the drive to push hard and eat correctly off cycle then those 2 or 3 lbs will diminish as well. I found out the hard way... and was not prepared.

The weight has stabilized at about 231/232 for almost 2 weeks now. The strength is coming back about as quick as expected, and I'm feeling like I could have made better progress without the cycle. Granted I haven't seen the full extent of my results yet as I assume I'm holding tons of water, but usually when I stick to a diet I see a steady decline on the scale.

I'm trying not to let the scale dictate my results as i'm on a cycle and this is new territory for me. I'm 3 weeks in and feeling great. I don't feel heavy/lethargic at all despite the massive weight gain and I'm feeling as athletic as ever despite being heavy as ****. Hoping I see the true results of my cycle after the PCT because this is not going as planned at all lol but it's still an overall positive experience

 

[Rad83]

It reads almost exactly like a conversation with Grok

I fuckin’ love grok and Gemini

 

[MrKleen73]

The weight has stabilized at about 231/232 for almost 2 weeks now. The strength is coming back about as quick as expected, and I'm feeling like I could have made better progress without the cycle. Granted I haven't seen the full extent of my results yet as I assume I'm holding tons of water, but usually when I stick to a diet I see a steady decline on the scale.

I'm trying not to let the scale dictate my results as i'm on a cycle and this is new territory for me. I'm 3 weeks in and feeling great. I don't feel heavy/lethargic at all despite the massive weight gain and I'm feeling as athletic as ever despite being heavy as ****. Hoping I see the true results of my cycle after the PCT because this is not going as planned at all lol but it's still an overall positive experience

If you have been bigger before, you could easily regain tissue very quickly not allowing the scale weight to change. You said you looked better so things are working. However as mentioned if you have been bigger before between that and the gear you could gain weight even on a deficit, it isn't common but seeing people lean up while adding tissue is quite common. Did you take any before pictures? If so take some more now, and have an honest look at yourself in the pics side by side.

 

[getbacktoit]

Day 1:

221lbs.

Hit the gym for baseline PRs. Numbers are off because of a long gym break and should skyrocket in a few weeks. Prior to injury my PRs were 335Bench/365squat/455DL. If I can get back to 90% of these numbers I'll be satisfied. Didn't want to push it, here's some comfortable 1 reps.

Bench 245
Squat 225
DL 315

Ill reassess in about 2 weeks of training.

Tested my PRs again about 4 weeks in. Here's where we're at. For anyone thinking they'll put on the same weight in the same amount of time, remember I was detrained and getting back to baseline.

Bench 295
Squat 275x7 (didnt feel like maxing this lift)
DL 385

I still have about 13 days to go, hoping to add 10-15 more lbs on each before the cycles over.