GenezaMeds.com

GenezaMeds.com

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Trenbolone an extremely effectic anabolic steroid

Trenbolone is one of the most popular drugs used by bodybuilders today and, when you look at the stats, it is not hard to see why. A very potent androgen with strong anabolic activity, Trenbolone is an extremely effective hardening and cutting agent. In fact, it is considered indispensable when it comes to pre contest preparation. However, it is also extremely valuable in the off-season as it creates a rapid build up of strength and muscle mass. In fact, the anabolic effect is often compared to testosterone or Dianabol with one very important difference - it does not convert to estrogen. This is what truly sets it apart, as most mass building drugs readily aromatize, leading to many estrogen related problems (e.g. water retention gynecomastia).

Due to the lack of water retention, the gains when using this drug are more easily maintained on discontinuing its use. In addition to this, a very hard and defined appearance can be achieved. Also, since gynecomastia is not an issue, there should not be any need to add an anti-estrogen as long as Trenbolone is the only steroid being used.

Due to the highly androgenic nature of this drug an increase in the burning of body fat is observed and a much tighter physique can be achieved without having to resort to extreme dieting.

TRENBOLONE- POINTS OF INTEREST
  • Trenbolone is more potent than testosterone with an effect being gauged as three times as strong on a milligram for milligram basis. It is also four times as anabolic as Deca Durabolin and ten times as androgenic. This makes the majority of the weight gained on this drug lean, quality muscle.
  • Trenbolone also creates an increase in the levels of the hormone IGF-1 (Insulin like Growth Factor-1) which is highly anabolic within muscle tissue.
  • Trenbolone has a stronger binding affinity to the androgen receptor than testosterone. This feature is a major contributing factor to the process of anabolism and fat loss.
  • By promoting nitrogen retention and protein synthesis within the muscle Trenbolone allows the food you eat and the nutritional supplements you take to be used more effectively. It also reduces levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol.
  • Trenbolone is also involved in the production of red blood cells and increases the rate of glycogen replenishment (both of which contribute not only to stamina but also to recovery from workouts)

SIDE EFFECTS
A reduction in aerobic capacity is the most common complaint with Trenbolone. This is thought to be caused by bronchial dilation resulting from an increase in prostaglandin production. The condition known as "Tren Cough" is often a complaint registered with users of the Acetate version (Trenbolone is available in Acetate and Enanthate forms). Androgenic side effects may also be experienced which include oily skin, aggressive behavior, acne and hair loss. For this reason women would be advised to stay away from this drug.

DOSAGES

If using Trenbolone Enanthate, doses are normally in the 200-600mg/day, since the ester length of this drug is reasonably long. This is usually split up into twice weekly injections.

Trenbolone Acetate is usually administered in a daily dosage of 37.5 -75mg and, although a potent solitary steroid, it is often combined with other drugs for greater effect. This would be Winstrol or Primobolan for cutting purposes and Dianabol or Testosterone for mass building cycles. The addition of Dianabol or Testosterone would also increase the level of water retention experienced.

Due to the strong impact Trenbolone has on endogenous (within the body) testosterone levels the use of a drug such as HCG and/or Clomid is recommended on concluding a cycle (preferably a combination of the two). Without this strategy it may take some time for the hormonal balance to return to normal.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Superdrol Facts You MUST know for Giant Muscle Gains - Without Destroying your Liver

Superdrol is an anabolic steroid that's renowned for delivering inhumanly fast muscle and strength gains. And what's amazing is that you could once find Superdrol for sale at regular supplement stores.

Methasterone, which many bodybuilders know as Superdrol, is an oral anabolic steroid that was once marketed as a prohromone. What's amazing is that Superdrol was sold over the counter in the United States, despite being a designer steroid that delivers impossibly fast muscle gains. So can you still find Superdrol for sale? And how can you use it to add 10 pounds (or more) of lean muscle mass in one month - without destroying your liver or crushing your libido? Find out as we discuss 27 highly important facts about this steroid.

1. Methasterone has actually been around since the 1950s
methasterone

Methasterone (a.k.a. methyldrostanolone) was first synthesized by the Syntex Corporation in 1956 in hopes that it could be used as an anti-tumor drug. But as Wikipedia explains, it was never sold commercially, and Syntex instead sold its non-17α-alkylated counterpart, drostanolone, under the name Masteron - another drug used by many bodybuilders today. So methasterone was essentially shelved for decades after being developed. However, a 1959 research journal did note that this compound is highly anabolic while "exhibiting only weak androgenic activity."

2. Superdrol was finally made Available in 2005 - And Legally!

In 2005, methasterone was introduced to the commercial market under the brand name Superdrol (a.k.a. Super Anadrol). And you might be surprised to know that you could walk into many GNC stores and find Superdrol for sale. Marketed as the Superdrol prohormone, this product enjoyed tremendous commercial success due the fact that it allowed people to legally juice. And this opportunity to buy Superdrol at regular stores enabled bodybuilders to skate by the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990 and its 2004 revision.

3. Highly Anabolic, with Fewer Androgenic Qualities

If the bodybuilding world has taught us anything, the legal status of a drug serves as little deterrent for those wanting major muscle gains. And seeing as how you can get some incredible Superdrol results, this remains one of the more sought-after oral steroids. One aspect that bodybuilders love about Superdrol is that it's very anabolic without delivering much in the way of androgenic side effects (hair loss, acne, body hair). Now, this isn't to say that methasterone doesn't have notable androgenic properties. But research from 1969 notes that methasterone has a "Q-ratio" of 20, meaning it's "400% as anabolic and 20% as androgenic."

4. Some Superdrol Reviews boast of gaining up to 10lbs of Lean Muscle in a Month

A typical Superdrol cycle is rather short at 3-5 weeks, given its toxicity to the liver (discussed later). Nevertheless, the average Superdrol results are really impressive, with some users reporting lean muscle gains of 8-10 pounds in a month-long cycle! What's more is that methasterone doesn't make bodybuilders retain much water, meaning the majority of these gains are kept. Add in the insane strength increase during workouts, and it's easy to see why this drug remains one of the more-popular oral steroids.

5. Methasterone acts Really Fast and can be used as a Kickstarter

This compound can begin delivering significant results in just the second week of use. Due to these fast-acting Superdrol results, it's commonly used as a kickstarter when stacked with long-ester injectables like testosterone enanthate/cypionate, trenbolone enanthate and Boldenone undecylenate. A common experience here is that users will add up to 10 pounds in lean muscle mass during their first 4-6 weeks, followed by more gains when the long-ester drug(s) really kick in.

6. Superdrol compares well (or better) to Dianabol

Methasterone and Dianabol are two of the most-widely used oral steroids in the bodybuilding world. So naturally, an ongoing Superdrol vs Dbol debate has occurred at many forums over which is the superior drug. The answer largely depends upon the individual and what's most important to them.

7. Daily Superdrol dosage is kept pretty low

This certainly isn't like testosterone, where a beginner can get away with dosing 500mg per week. Anybody who is new to Superdrol is strongly advised to start daily dosage at 10mg. Then, by the second and third weeks, you can increase your daily Superdrol dosage to 20mg (half in morning/half in evening). Check out the following Superdrol cycle, where the beginner is strongly advised to avoid upping their dosage to 30mg in the fourth week.

8. The Half Life is Relatively Short

Methasteron's half life is 6-8 hours, which is relatively short in comparison to most anabolic steroids. Because of this short half life, more-advanced bodybuilders take this compound 3-4 times daily (10mg doses) to make sure that Superdrol continually runs strong in their system. However, new users should start with a single 10mg dosage to see how the drug affects them first.

9. No Needles are involved

It's been mentioned several times up to this point that Superdrol is an oral anabolic steroid. And this is certainly great for those who strongly dislike pricking themselves with needles, as is the case with long-ester steroids. Because methasterone is an oral drug, it's easier for bodybuilders to divide up their daily dosages.

10. Cycle Length should be kept Short

As explained before, cycles don't run very long so users can avoid the harsh Superdrol side effects like liver toxicity. Some people only run a 3-week cycle because they don't see many Superdrol gains after this point anyways. Others will take this steroid for anywhere between 4 and 6 weeks.

11. Superdrol Side Effects should never be taken Lightly

This isn't some compound that you take to buff up before a class reunion where you're looking to impress the girl you had a crush on 10 years ago. Superdrol side effects can be severe on the liver - especially when you're not using on-cycle support (discussed later). As a 2008 study concluded, methasteron can begin causing severe hepatotoxicity in as little as two weeks.

12. Superdrol does not aromatize

Obviously the above stories paint a scary picture for taking mesthasterone, however, there's a positive side to this as well. Superdrol does not aromatize (convert to estrogen), meaning water retention isn't a problem and gynecomastia has a smaller chance of occurring. The only reason why some bodybuilders get mild gyno symptoms from Superdrol is because estrogen is suppressed during the cycle, but the inhibitory effect on estrogen receptors is eliminated following a cycle. Going further, the body (namely your breast tissue) is in a delicate state afterward, meaning you need to run a good post-cycle therapy to avoid gyno symptoms.

13. Androgenic Superdrol Side Effects have a Low Chance of occurring

As discussed in Fact #5, methasterone has a high anabolic quality compared to its androgenic activity. However, this isn't to say that Superdrol results don't include any androgenic side effects such as hair loss, acne and more body hair growth. So those who are predisposed to these conditions already based on their genetics should be careful when using Superdrol. It's worth noting, though, that the androgenic Superdrol side effects won't be as bad as what you'll experience with Winstrol, another popular oral steroid.

14. Your HPTA Function can get shut down Hard

Using methasterone can affect your hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA), which gauges how much natural testosterone your body needs to produce. Thanks to an infusion of hormones, Superdrol can shut down your HPTA function, making it difficult for your libido to recover following a cycle. Here's one case where a guy's sex drive was completely shut down coming off a Superdrol cycle (including letrozole), and he was advised to get blood work as well as take HCG and Clomid.

15. Superdrol can cause some Really Painful Pumps

Oral steroids have a tendency to cause painful muscle pumps and methasterone is certainly no exception. The pumps created from this drug are so painful that some bodybuilders have major difficulty even finishing a workout. That said, any time you're on a cycle involving Super drol, you need to stay hydrated (1-1.5 gallons of water daily) and take taurine, fish oil and potassium.

So Methasterone can do some bad stuff to you...how do you counteract these nasty side effects!?

16. You Definitely need On-cycle Support for your Liver

So far we've covered what is Superdrol, its muscle-building effects and how it can have some pretty serious health consequences. Speaking of the latter, nothing is more dangerous on a methasterone cycle than the potential liver problems. Milk thistle is crucial when taking the Superdrol steroid because it can detoxify your liver and help new liver cells regenerate. 1g of milk thistle every day is a good amount to help protect your liver. Some bodybuilders will also use N-Acetyl Carnitine (NAC) for extra supplementation on a Superdrol cycle.

17. A Good Superdrol PCT is Important

A big key to avoiding, or at least minimizing, the side effects that we've discussed is to run a good post-cycle therapy after using Superdrol. This is especially true with regard to restoring your HPTA function and sex drive following a cycle. Opinions vary on what's crucial for Superdrol PCT, but Clomid and/or Nolvadex, HCGenerate and Aromasin are pretty popular. 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Health Problems Caused By Trenbolone Use And How To Avoid It

Trenbolone is one of the most powerful steroids, with amazing bulking characteristics. It’s about 3 times more potent than many other AAS. But how everything comes with a price, the side effects associated with tren use are the harshest.

Back in time in 90’s the average norm of Parabolan, a form of tren, was around 50 gr weekly.  This dosage is equal with 50 gr of tren. Another form of tren, Finaject, was used in the same dosage but 2-3 times a week. In those time, 50 gr per week was considered a pretty high, especially in US.

In Europe such a dosage was taken daily and considered normal. Nowadays, most of trainee use tren in even larger dosage, around 75 gr-100gr/day.

As we said, tren is a powerful steroid. 50 gr of tren is equal with 150gr of any other steroid, which is huge for a daily use. Going with larger dosage comes hand in hand with a range of side effects that in worst cases are irreversible.

Night sweats and reduced cardio capacity are two of the most common complains with tren use. We talked about them in one of our previous post. Click on the text link to read it entirely. We’ve found an explanation for reduced cardio capacity and way you can improve it, while night sweats have no obvious reasons. The only recommendation we mentioned than that can help avoid the night sweats as much as possible is to get the room as cool as it is possible. Also, the user who faces this issue, may also use beach towels in order to sop up the sweat.

Behavior issues, also known as roid rage, are very frequent with tren. Tren aggravates the aggression level, but it does not contain substances that modify the behaviour as many illicit drugs do.

A solution is to be aware of this aggression and try to control it. Many individual use in the gym, working out more aggressively and getting much better result. There is no need for tren aggression to be addressed with medication. Having a strong sense of control over it helps in much higher degree than any drug can do.

Sleep problems, aside of sweating, are also a concern. Sleep-aiding supplements are a solution, or limiting the intake of coffee is also of great help.

Libido issue including erectile dysfunction is also possible with tren. The main cause for this is the increased level of Prolactin. Adding testosterone to your tren cycle is a good way to stay away of prolactin side effects.

Increased blood pressure, hair loss or acne are also possible when tren taken, but they are quite rare. In most cases they occur when there are already health issues and they just worsen the condition. The chances for a healthy men to get acne, hair loss or increased blood pressure because of tren are reduced. But individuals prone to some of these conditions should not take tren at all.

Trenbolone dosage
Some bodybuilder do great with 50 gr of tren per day, while others encounter problems and have to go with lower dosage. Even at 30-35 gr per day some people develop serious side effects, and in these cases the best is to resort to other steroids with same properties.

The lucky ones are those who can take up to 100 gr daily of tren with no real problems at all.

Trenbolone Stacks
Basic tren cycle will always include testosterone, because of suppression action of tren on natural testosterone. The recommended dosage is about 50 gr daily for each of them for no longer than 8 weeks. If you do well with such a dosage, you can go with higher dose and longer time next time you are cycling. This is bulking cycle, while for cutting tren is good to be mixed with Winstrol or Anavar.

Advanced Trenbolone cycle
Such a cycle has a duration of 10-12 weeks and also include testosterone. Deca-Durabolin is a great addition for immense muscle gains.

When it comes to cutting and dieting with tren, you are free to choose for a wide range of option. Equipoise or Winstrol are two of many cutting drugs you can mix tren with.

Conclusion
Trenbolone is a powerful anabolic steroid which can cause a range of serious side effects if abused or taken wrongly. Go with lower dosage and increase the attention on diet and workout for fewer side effects and great results. Observe the way you body react to tren use, since even on 30 gr daily some people may experience serious health problems. Cease it and opt for other similar steroids less powerful but still very efficient whether it’s about bulking or cutting.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Winstrol Cycle - The Guide for Body Builders

If you are new to the world of body building and if you wish to achieve the body that you’ve always dreamed off, don’t you wish there was a handbook for that? The ultimate guide to achieve your desired biceps or triceps.

Well the not so secret formula is not just slaving yourself in the gym for hours and hours. The cuts will not just come from lifting at least not all.

New to this?
If your new to this and wants a steady and solid tissue and muscle gain minus water retention, then Winstrol may just be the one for you.

Be On the Loop
Before starting out any fitness or in this case fitness aid regimen, make sure to equip yourself with enough information. Do not just listen to hearsay or testimonials. Do your research and make educated choices.

Like in any drugs, there will be side effects. It is better to use compounds that has a short active life. This is to make sure that the steroids are off your system fast should you decide to stop the cycle.

Ester Who?
Ester is used to delay the release of testosterone into the system. Some steroids with ester are Enanthate, Cypionate and Propionate. These have slow release effect and has an active life of ~two weeks.

Testosterone is very effective in quick strength and muscle gains. So if you’re a neophyte, going slow may just be the way to go.

Win with Winny
Winstrol or commonly called Winny is an oral steroid which brings steady gains in muscle mass compared to other steroids. It is very popular in the market and said to be produce in various underground laboratories in 10mg and 50mg tablets. While it is also available in injections, many newbies prefer the tablet forms. It does not matter as to what time you take it as long as you take it before a mean to avoid any tummy upset. Most body builders use Winny to preserve muscle tissue and reduce body fats hence the ‘cut’.

Cocktails Anyone?
To achieve the ‘cut’, most body builders use Winstrol to help them retain lean muscles and reduce fat, if you wish to heighten the anabolic effect of the cycle, they may stack it with testosterone. Stacking it with a drug called Trenbolone will help the user to get very hard and defined appearance at the same time reducing body fat with the aid of good old cardio and a proper diet.

ABCs of PCT
When taking in something artificial such as hormones, it may take a while for the body to again produce these hormones naturally. It’s like the body taking a break or a vacation when the hormones is in full force action. The body needs to know that it needs to produce the hormones again. Hence, the PCT.

Sidetrack the side effects

Like in anything, make sure to take this with a grain of salt. There are side effects. The liver might take a beating with Winstrol so make sure not to use this drugs excessively. Do not drink alcoholic beverages during the time that you are on Winstrol, this is not a very brilliant idea. Of course, taking Winstrol with a medical condition is also not a very brilliant idea.

Winstrol for Newbie
Here is an ideal guide in taking in Winstrol if you are new to this.

Winstrol
Week 1 50mg daily
Week 2 50mg daily
Week 3 50mg daily
Week 4 50mg daily
Week 5 50mg daily
Week 6 PCT
Week 7 PCT
Week 8 PCT

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Beginners Guide to Geneza Pharmaceuticals GP Sust 270 Cycle

There are a lot of questions about GP Sust 270 dosing. Due to sustanon's GP Sust 27 of esters, it is a little difficult to wrap your head around sometimes. Hopefully this will help clear up some of the confusion.

Sustanon is a Testosterone Blend. Each Lab has its own mix, but generally speaking it will contain 3 to 5 types of Test.
Below are several of the Test Esters that might be found in a sust blend and the half life of each:
Testosterone Acetate (1-3 Days)
Testosterone Propionate (3 Days)
Testosterone Phenylpropionate (3-5 Days)
Testosterone Isocaproate (7-10 Days)
Testosterone Decanoate (15-30 Days)

Geneza Pharmaceuticals GP Sust 270 has these amounts per mL:
20 mg/ml Testosterone Acetate
30 mg/ml Testosterone Propionate
60 mg/ml Testosterone Phenylpropionate
60mg/ml Testosterone Isocaproate
100mg/ml Testosterone Decanoate


Looking back quickly at the half life of the esters of test, you see that half of those used are fast releasing (around 3 days) and half are slow releasing (at least 10 days). Now before anything else is explained, let compare GP Sust 270 cycle to a Test Enanthate cycle with a Test Prop kickstart. Typically with a Test E cycle, you start to feel the test enanthate kick in sometime around the 5th week, so I will use week 5 as the Test E fully kicked in for my example.

Ok, so this Test E cycle will look like this:
Weeks 1-10 Test E @ 500mg/week
Weeks 1-5 Test P @ 150mg EOD (this totals 525mg/week)

It is clearly shown here that for weeks 1 to 5 we are taking a total of over 1gram of test. This is split into 500mg Test E which slowly pools for weeks, and 500mg of Test P which is used up within days. This should be fairly straight forward so far.

Onto the more complicated stuff now... What we are looking for in a cycle is a gradual build-up of test (for about the first week), followed by several weeks where we want to keep blood levels as steady as possible (usually 500mg/week of test), followed by a gradual coming-off of test (again, about a week of the test slowly leaving the body).
GP Sust 270 is an excellent drug to keep these blood levels steady if you inject it properly, and you only need to use 1 compound instead of 2 like in our Test E/P example. The tricky part is figuring out how much test is actually in the body with all these various esters in there.

For the first 5 weeks of GP Sust 270 cycle, the long esters are not present in numbers high enough to consider useful because they are still pooling. The only ones we need to worry about during this time are the fast esters. I will use GP Sust 270 for this cycle layout,
this consists of 110mg fast esters and 160mg slow esters.
So if we are looking for 500mg/week for these first 5 weeks (using EOD injections) we can easily do this by taking 1ml per injection.
4 x 110mg = 440mg/week. (**Note** the 4 is how many injections/week you get with EOD shots)

Weeks 1 - 5 GP Sust 270 - 1mL EOD

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As the longer esters begin to kick in, you can drop the dose. If at week 6 you drop to 500mg TOTAL test/week (since both fast and slow esters are both active at this point) we drop to a little under 2ml/week, which works out to 1/2mL EOD.
270mg * 1/2ml = 135mg * 4inj/week = ~540mg/week

Weeks 6-10 GP Sust 270 - .5mL EOD

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This is good enough, but if you want even better blood levels, you will need to taper down the test over the span of a few weeks when the slow esters begin to kick in.... lets say weeks 4-7. During this time we want between 1ml EOD and .5ml of test EOD....obviously this is .75ml EOD.
270mg * .75 = 202.5mg * 4 inj/week = ~810mg/week

Weeks 4-7 GP Sust 270 - .75mL EOD

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What does this all give us now?
Weeks 1 - 3 GP Sust 270 1mL EOD ( ~1080mg/week)
Weeks 4 - 7 GP Sust 270 .75mL EOD (~810mg/week)
Weeks 8-10+ GP Sust 270 .5mL EOD (~540mg/week)

Hopefully this is easy enough to understand. The 1grm/week of GP Sust 270 may look intimidating at first, but by now you should realize it is no different from what the Test E/Test P doses are.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Ten Bulking Mistakes Bodybuilders Make

The off-season means it’s time to start packing on serious mass, bulking up, and eating like crazy. Unfortunately, many bodybuilders make lots of mistakes in the bulk up stage that will end up costing them big-time when the summer comes back around. These bulking up mistakes could even make you lose lots of progress! Obviously you want to avoid being in this situation so make sure to avoid these top 10 bulking up mistakes.

As a bodybuilder, there’s nothing I love more than increasing my cardio sessions, following a strict diet, and eating nothing but clean foods. Okay, that was all a huge lie and I think that cutting weight for competitions can be excruciating. And to be honest, every time I’m cutting, I just can’t wait to get back to the bulking season where I can increase my calories and put on mass.

Of course, increasing calories and putting on mass doesn’t mean pigging out and losing focus… As I’ve learned the hard way! In fact, staying focused during the bulking season is just as important to a bodybuilder as cutting for competitions. With that in mind, let’s look at 10 mistakes you need to avoid in order to continue your growth when adding mass.

Bulking Up Mistake #1. Not eating clean food
The top mistake people make when adding mass is reaching for any food that’s within an arm’s length. They use bulking as an excuse to indulge in all of the desserts and fast food they avoided while competing and getting in-shape for the beach. After all, you’re trying to add weight, so why not eat a little calorie-rich fast food in the off-season? It is true that you need to get plenty of extra calories during the bulking phase to add weight. However, you still need to be watching what you eat, and this means consuming lean meat and healthy fat sources rather than super-sized number 2 meals.

Bulking Up Mistake #2. Not eating enough… period
If you want to grow, you have to eat. It’s that simple. This being said, there are still bodybuilders who don’t get enough food when they’re trying to add mass – this is especially true of women who want to keep their contest form all year long. After dieting and getting a great physique, many people just don’t want to put weight on because it also means adding fat. But you can’t worry about fat during the off-season since this is the time when you need to be making major improvements. As long as you’re eating enough clean healthy foods, you won’t have to be so self-conscious about putting on a little fat.

Bulking Up Mistake #3. Skipping out on cardio
Cutting out cardio would make sense while adding mass since you don’t want to burn too many calories. But the problem with not doing cardio during the bulking phase is that your appetite will go down as a result. That’s why you should include at least three, 20 minute cardio sessions in your routine each week. Cardio sessions keep your appetite up and have you craving more of those clean, healthy foods. Besides having a positive effect on your appetite, cardio will also help you pound out those last few reps. Having a good cardiovascular system enables you to lift more without getting fatigued too quickly.

Bulking Up Mistake #4. Overdoing Cardio
On the same scale as not doing enough cardio when adding mass is overdoing cardio. This typically happens when bodybuilders continue their heavy cardio schedule into the off-season. The major problem with this is that it will be nearly impossible for you to add a significant amount of weight during the bulking phase. That being said, you should still stick to the aforementioned plan of doing at least three, 20 minute sessions of cardio a week (if not a little more). They key here is to strike a balance so you keep your appetite up without burning too many calories.

Bulking Up Mistake #5. Cutting out carbohydrates
Most bodybuilders are smart enough to see past the fad diets, and know better than to cut carbs out. However, many people still don’t get enough carbohydrates when trying to add mass. And this is a major mistake since carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy that can fuel your entire day. Going even further, carbohydrates can drive more glycogen into your muscles and aid in protein synthesis after a workout. With everything that carbs can do for you during the bulking phase, it’s very important to not skip out on them. Make sure to include plenty of carbohydrates in your breakfast to really add some fuel!

Bulking Up Mistake #6. Not setting up clearly defined goals
Every bodybuilder has their weak points and muscles they need to development more. Unfortunately, many athletes either avoid putting more work into these muscles or just aren’t aware of the problem. If you’re not aware of your weaker areas, then you should talk to judges at competitions and/or ask fellow bodybuilding friends for help. On the other hand, if you’re just avoiding these body parts because they’re not your favorites, you should make it a primary goal to add more development to them.

Bulking Up Mistake #7. Mis-managing your meal times
The best way to setup an eating schedule is to spread out your meals every 2-3 hours so your muscles are getting enough protein throughout the day. This being said, there are still people who will skip meals and either try to make up for them by eating double the next time, or just not make up for it at all. In either case, your body will start going after the amino acids in the muscles when not fueled every 2-3 hours; overeating every 5-6 hours is not going to prevent this either. Since you can’t expect to replace lost meals, you’ll want to make sure to try and at least eat something every 3 hours to prevent muscle wasting. Even if you’re not hungry, at least eat a snack to keep your body from feasting on the muscles.

Bulking Up Mistake #8. Overusing Machines
Machines are an excellent way to add some extra definition to your muscles at the end of a workout. However, machines should not be used as the primary means to add bulk since free weights are much better at accomplishing this. Free weights allow your muscles the maximum range of motion and recruit the most muscle fibers. The free weight movements you’ll want to do include presses, deadlifts, squats, rows, and curls. Machine-based exercises are fine to do at the end of a workout, but make sure that you’re not throwing them in right before the tough, compound movements.

Bulking Up Mistake #9. Letting the scale dictate your diet
When your main goal is to add weight, putting on extra pounds can become addicting. It can become so addicting in fact that some people will weigh themselves every hour. When this becomes the case, you may snack and overeat throughout the day just to see the scale go up. And the major problem with this is that you will also put on a great deal of body fat too when you’re eating just to add weight. After all, your body can only add so much muscle mass before the rest starts turning into fat. So instead of focusing solely on weight gain, you should be focusing on what your image looks like in the mirror. But make sure not to get carried away with checking yourself out!

Bulking Up Mistake #10. Working out too frequently
Since bodybuilders love adding mass, they tend to overdo the training and don’t give their muscles enough of a break in between workouts. When this happens, no amount of dieting, sleep, etc. will help your muscles recover. Muscles need time to fully heal in between sessions since they get broken down during workouts. Assuming you’re workout out hard enough, a muscle group will need about 3 days to recover; possibly longer if the muscles are still sore. So always make sure to give your body adequate rest before hitting the gym again.

Monday, December 22, 2014

What is the Earliest Age to Begin Using Anabolic Steroids?

Usually, recommendations are to not use anabolic steroids until after many years of natural training, and not until at least age 21. But for everything there are exceptions. When might a person reasonably start steroid use earlier?

When a lifter gains many years of natural experience before starting anabolic steroid use, then he very likely has really learned how to train. This is no small thing. As with many athletic activities, a person can read any number of books or magazine articles or watch any number of videos, but the knowledge gained is entirely different from having put in hundreds of hours of training. You have to have that time in the trenches and have learned from experience what works for you and what does not, and have learned how to adapt your training to meet varying obstacles you encounter.

The novice trainer who uses anabolic steroids from early on never learns this, because everything works.

This isn’t to say that a person cannot learn to train properly if starting anabolic steroid use early, only that the situation tends strongly to work against it.

Additionally, the person who’s put in the hard work and consistently made gains for many years without anabolic steroids knows that he can do so. He has no psychological dependency, and is completely accustomed to working hard in the gym without pharmaceutical assistance. After beginning anabolic steroid use, in almost all cases such a lifter will train hard and well in his “off” weeks.

The novice who started steroid use too soon often will feel that training without anabolic steroids is largely a waste of time. Typically the backsliding will be quite bad, if he has “off” weeks at all. Often, he will not have the discipline to have “off” weeks.

Again, this doesn’t have to be so. If a person has the right psychology, that can be overcome.

There have been instances of my seeing great results with lifters starting as young as 18. These young men were very dedicated, intelligent, followed instruction extremely well, had great training guidance, and often had great athletic potential.

In a recent example, such a young man who had all the other gifts but nowhere near the needed muscle did a single 8-week cycle at 18, following instructions exactly. The next year he started every game of the season and was a key player on a top-three nationally ranked college team. He’d also earned a full ride at this academically-excellent school.

None of the negatives applied to his case. He had good reason to start when he did instead of waiting a few more years. There will be many cases like his, but far more cases that are not and where there would be a tremendous amount to be said for putting in several years of natural training first.

So each case is different. But most of the time, I agree with the general recommendations on when it could be time to start considering anabolic steroid use. Usually, not till years of hard work have already yielded most of one’s natural potential.