What can I expect from a halodrol run

[ericos_bob]

I've spent the last month or so leaning out in preparation. I have been lucky enough to hold onto most of my strength despite losing 10lbs+ during this time and granted lost a little muscle.

The cut brings me to the following stats
Age: 32
Height- 5'11
Weight- 187lb
Waist- 31.5 (-2")
Chest-44 (-1")
Arms-15" (-.5")
Quads- 25" (-.5-1")
Calves- 16" (no measureable change)

As I have heard from another anabolic user that it's of benefit to get as lean as possible before jumping on a cycle though never explained why. Anyone?

What can I expect as a first time cycle on halodrol for 5 weeks? I'd love to get my waist down to 31" and add and inch to the chest + size on my arms to match my calves as they're my weakest points. Pretty happy with my legs overall (always been my strongest point) Anyone think this is reasonable to achieve on hdrol?

I'd like advice on how to dial in my caloric intake while on cycle to achieve lean gains without short changing myself. What rule do you follow in terms of a lean bulk as a natty vs on a steroid like halodrol? 500 cals over maintenance? more? I'll be increasing training volume substantially to take advantage of improved recovery. Just want to make the most of this opportunity.

 

[Whisky]

In to see replies (not experienced enough to answer myself) - looking at hdrol for a bulk early next year.....

 

[ericos_bob]

That's cool dude! I plan to log it. Follow along if you like.

 

[Godstrength]

The higher your body fat the higher the risk for side effects, estrogen problems high blood pressure etc. Plus the drugs just work better when your already lean. You will see a better outcome. There's no reason someone can't get down to 15% natty and then add the compound. You will see the best results that's why people recommend doing it that way.

 

[Jebrook]

There are many practical reasons for being in good shape before beginning an anabolic cycle:
1. Higher bodyfat levels inherently means higher Estrogen levels which can lead to unwanted side effects when coupled with androgens. (Think :boobies
2. Healthy bodyfat ranges generally equal healthier lipid levels and blood pressure which tend to be highly affected to the negative.
3. Better overall health is important as ph/ds can take a toll on many of your major organs.
4. PH/DS are not magic pills. They can't turn a couch potato into a gym beast in 4-8 weeks and counter years of accumulated poor eating habits.
5. If you're already accustomed to following a diet and fitness regimen you will be much more successful in reaching your goals.

 

[Whisky]

1. Higher bodyfat levels inherently means higher Estrogen levels which can lead to unwanted side effects when coupled with androgens. (Think :boobies

Hi Jeebrook, mind if I tap your knowledge on this quickly......do you know if the type of bodyfat held makes a difference (visceral vs subcutaneous)? I ask purely as I was very overweight 5 years back and although 15% bf now it’s mainly subcutaneous (I know health wise this is good but good damn it’s a sucker aesthetically lol).....just wondered if either was more linked to high estrogen than the other?

 

[Jebrook]

Hi Jeebrook, mind if I tap your knowledge on this quickly......do you know if the type of bodyfat held makes a difference (visceral vs subcutaneous)? I ask purely as I was very overweight 5 years back and although 15% bf now it’s mainly subcutaneous (I know health wise this is good but good damn it’s a sucker aesthetically lol).....just wondered if either was more linked to high estrogen than the other?

That's a complex question. In a nutshell, excess visceral fat, in terms of overall health and healthy hormonal balance, is bad. Subcutaneous fat is not nearly as big of a factor.

 

[Whisky]

That's a complex question. In a nutshell, excess visceral fat, in terms of overall health and healthy hormonal balance, is bad. Subcutaneous fat is not nearly as big of a factor.

Ok cool, thanks. Was thinking it was less likely to impact but my thinking was really simplistic.

 

[edsd]

I am about to start a halo run so interested in seeing some of the responses here!

@OP though, i would strongly recommend/concur with getting as lean as possible before starting any cycle. I did my first PH cycle close to 20% BF with little to no success but second cycle much later on when i was closer to 12% i felt it made a world of difference.

 

[ericos_bob]

Thanks for the responses it makes perfect sense now. Currently preloading with cel cycle assist fro 2 weeks and playing with LDN to see how i respond. Don't want to be mixing up halo sides with on cycle drugs

 

[ericos_bob]

There are many practical reasons for being in good shape before beginning an anabolic cycle:
1. Higher bodyfat levels inherently means higher Estrogen levels which can lead to unwanted side effects when coupled with androgens. (Think :boobies
2. Healthy bodyfat ranges generally equal healthier lipid levels and blood pressure which tend to be highly affected to the negative.
3. Better overall health is important as ph/ds can take a toll on many of your major organs.
4. PH/DS are not magic pills. They can't turn a couch potato into a gym beast in 4-8 weeks and counter years of accumulated poor eating habits.
5. If you're already accustomed to following a diet and fitness regimen you will be much more successful in reaching your goals.

Perfect, informative response Jebrook, :beerchug:

 

[mikeymike85]

Where are you guys getting Halo from? The actual Halo, like LGI or CEL are long gone- but i have run both those at least 8x. Halo is great- doesnt kick in until 3rd week in, and is good for 7-8 lbs lean mass, or you might hit 10 on a bulk.

 

[MrKleen73]

When it comes to Halo it is really very dose dependent. You want a lot of size out of it you are going to end up dosing 100mg + a day. Good thing is that it is so mild that that is not an issue. To gain an inch on your chest and some on your arms while getting a smaller waist is probably not a realistic goal for one cycle of this unless you are a hyper-responder as far as growth goes. Then again coming off of a cut your could fill back up to pre-cutting measurements during the first week just from reintroducing a lot more carbs.

I think you would be better off focusing on lean bulking and keeping your weight up for a couple months before you start dieting down for the spring... If you can maintain your current condition and add 10lbs and hold on to it for a couple months you will end up keeping more of it when you cut back down. Plus you add 10lbs of muscle to your frame without gaining fat and your body fat% will go down but that does not mean that the waist measurement will.

Only sides I ever really noticed was BP spiked a bit when I went up to 150mg on the last week of an 8 week cycle, and also the back and calf pumps were there after 100mg but taurine and magnesium saved the day there. I only went to 150 to see how it felt the last week of the run since I had a couple extra lying around. I would say that 125mg is the level when most people start noticing or complaining of sides after a couple weeks. When I ran it for 8 weeks the plan was to run it @ 125 for the last 3 weeks but I felt good on the last week and had some caps that would have been left over so I went with 150 for the last week of the run. The 125 was manageable for sure but 150 tipped over into a lot more sides and no obvious additional benefits. I got a solid 10 lbs from this run and ended it leaner than I started because I was not just finishing a cut when I started. With me being leaner at the end I think I added more than 10lbs lbm but since body fat was not tracked I won't claim it.

 

[ericos_bob]

Thanks MrKleen that all makes sense. I'll go for a lean bulk then and focus on bringing the waist down later. Bloody excited to give this a crack finally! I'd be blown away with a 10lb gain in lean mass. Will be logging this (plan is to start on the 15th)