MESO-Rx

Anabolic Steroids

A guide line for all new members?

@pumpingiron22 and others who helped with this thread. THANK YOU. I have done cycles before and never did pct before. When I was young and dumb. I want to do it right from now on. This thread has taught me a lot about pct and bloods
 
T3 FAQ: Everything you need to know about T3 by BigAndy69

Posted by BigAndy69 on elite;
Disclaimer

T3 is not a drug that should be taken lightly. It's a very potent thyroid hormone. Messing with your natural hormone levels is very dangerous and unpredictable. The potential for complications is very high, and abuse can lead to thyroid disease and low thyroid output not only immediately upon discontinuation, but also later in life.

There is no such thing as safe use of T3 outside of a medical setting. There is only "safer" use. Use at your own risk.

Introduction: What is T3 and what are the side effects?

This article is pushing 2000 words, so here's a link for anyone who's interested: http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbo...roid/index.html

What about T4?

Bodybuilders should not use T4. It's a much weaker drug designed for long term use in patients with chronic thyroid disease. 100mcg of T4 corresponds to 25mcg of T3 and offers equivalent thyroid support; however, this does not translate to equal weight loss benefits. It has made itself on sources' lists simply because it is widely available and extremely cheap.

Is T3 catabolic?

It may shock many people to know that T3 is NOT catabolic per se. Corticosteroids are catabolic drugs that attack muscle tissue directly; T3 does not. It is a very potent calorie burner and it does not discriminate between carbohydrates, protein and fat. Unlike DNP, it has no protein sparing properties. T3 is also more likely to burn muscle than fat in lean users (10-12% BF), but this can be said for any extreme drop in caloric intake and uptake such as starvation diets (Caloric intake <10 X BW).

Muscle loss can be avoided with the use of anabolic agents. T3's alleged catabolic properties have become legendary. Excessive amounts of T3 (more than 75mcg), will have a very strong calorie burning effect, and since some bodybuilder use 150 mcg, it's easy to see why such misinformation has been so prevalent. The average bodybuilder will not need several grams of steroids to counter a reasonable dose of T3. There is no need to use more than 75mcg-100mcg. Going beyond this dose will cause more harm than good, as massive doses of steroids need to be used to counter the muscle loss, further stressing the body for minimal, if any additional benefits.

I think I've lost 20 lbs of muscle!

T3 can also give your muscles an extremely flat look and very soft feel. This side effect of extreme glycogen depletion can have a very profound psychological impact in bodybuilders. It often feels and looks like muscle loss when it's simply a lack of muscle "pump" because of restricted blood flow to that area and depletion of glycogen stores in muscles. Generally, carbohydrate loading does not solve this problem. "Pumping up" (or training for that matter) brings more blood into the muscles and is a temporary albeit effective solution. Clenbuterol and certain steroids can offset the lack of muscle pump because these drugs tend to "harden up" users by bringing more blood into to the muscles.


Are steroids absolutely necessary on T3?

This is very dependent on the user. Diet must be flawless, only reasonable doses should be considered (50mcg) and the user must know his body to a tee. Those who don't know what that last statement entails should not even consider T3. This is a veteran drug and should not be used by bodybuilders who are new to the game or do not have a deep understanding of how there bodies react to certain foods and training philosophies.

T3 can be used alone or better yet with Clenbuterol without fear of muscle loss in overly fat people (20-25% BF). This is not recommended, however, since these people will generally return to overeating upon discontinuation of their cycle and may likely end up with more weight than they started with.


How should I eat on T3?

Protein should be kept at 1.5-2g per lb of bodyweight. The majority of protein should come from lean meats. Shakes can be used, but should not be heavily relied on as they are more likely to be turned into glucose and used immediately for energy. Caloric reduction should come from carbs and fat only.


What is T3 used for?

Fat-loss: The main use for T3.

Increase Nutrient Uptake: Not very well known, but this is a great use for T3. Doses between 6.25-12.5mcg do not shutdown endogenous thyroid output. T3 at this dose can be used to add LBM and help in keeping the fat off. When doses are kept at 6.25-12.5mcg, muscles are full and rock hard, and energy is through the roof. At these light doses, it's common for people to go to the bathroom 5-6 times a day because there bodies are making more efficient use of the food they eat.

Can I permanently shutdown my Thyroid?


Simply put, NO, it can't happen. Natural thyroid production will be completely shutdown for a good period of time after using T3, but it will eventually recover. Bruce Kneller posted this study on the Testosterone website:

N Engl J Med 1975 Oct 2;293(14):681-4
Recovery of pituitary thyrotropic function after withdrawal of prolonged thyroid-suppression therapy.
Vagenakis AG, Braverman LE, Azizi F, Portinay GI, Ingbar SH.

The pattern of thyrotropin secretion was analyzed in seven euthyroid women, before and after withdrawal of long-term thyroid hormone, by serial measurements of thyroid 131l uptake, serum thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine, and thyrotropin concentrations, and the response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone. During exogenous hormone administration, 131l uptake was suppressed, and serum thyrotropin concentrations before and after administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone were undetectable.
After withdrawal of exogenous hormone, thyrotropin secretory function was transiently impaired, as indicated by undetectable basal thyrotropin concentrations together with absence of response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and subsequently by normal values of basal thyrotropin concentration and normal responses to releasing hormone while serum thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine concentrations were subnormal.
Decreased thyrotropin reserve persisted for two to five weeks. Detectable values of serum thyrotropin (less than 1.2 muU per milliliter) and a normal 131l uptake usually occurred concurrently in two to three weeks. Serum thyroxine concentration returned to normal at least four weeks after hormone withdrawal.

Basically, it is extremely important to eat cleanly and keep up with cardio for at least 4 weeks and up to 6 weeks following a T3 cycle. It's also very important to ramp down properly and not use any drug that have an effect on metabolism and thyroid function, i.e. Clen, Ephedrine, Steroids, DNP, T2…

Calories should be kept in check, even lowered in some cases, and High Intensity Cardio is a must; at least 20mins, 3times a week. L-Tyrosine can be used at 1-3g a day to help thyroid function, but its effectiveness is debatable.

Switching to a higher carb, lower fat and lower protein diet is crucial in helping your thyroid bounce back after a cycle. A three-day carb up would be a good idea following a T3 cycle. This study demonstrates how important carbohydrates are for normal thyroid function. (Note: Some people seem to think of carbs as Lucky Charms and toast when there are far better carb choices that won't make you look like the Michelin Man.)

Dietary-induced alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism during overnutrition.
Danforth E Jr, Horton ES, O'Connell M, Sims EA, Burger AG, Ingbar SH, Braverman L, Vagenakis AG.

Diet-induced alterations in thyroid hormone concentrations have been found in studies of long-term (7 mo) overfeeding in man (the Vermont Study). In these studies of weight gain in normal weight volunteers, increased calories were required to maintain weight after gain over and above that predicted from their increased size. This was associated with increased concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3). No change in the caloric requirement to maintain weight or concentrations of T3 was found after long-term (3 mo) fat overfeeding. In studies of short-term overfeeding (3 wk) the serum concentrations of T3 and its ********* clearance were increased, resulting in a marked increase in the production rate of T3 irrespective of the composition of the diet overfed (carbohydrate 29.6 +/- 2.1 to 54.0 +/- 3.3, fat 28.2 +/- 3.7 to 49.1 +/- 3.4, and protein 31.2 +/- 2.1 to 53.2 +/- 3.7 microgram/d per 70 kg). Thyroxine production was unaltered by overfeeding (93.7 +/- 6.5 vs. 89.2 +/- 4.9 microgram/d per 70 kg). It is still speculative whether these dietary-induced alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism are responsible for the simultaneously increased expenditure of energy in these subjects and therefore might represent an important physiological adaptation in times of caloric affluence. During the weight-maintenance phases of the long-term overfeeding studies, concentrations of T3 were increased when carbohydrate was isocalorically substituted for fat in the diet. In short-term studies the peripheral concentrations of T3 and reverse T3 found during fasting were mimicked in direction, if not in degree, with equal or hypocaloric diets restricted in carbohydrate were fed. It is apparent from these studies that the caloric content as well as the composition of the diet, specifically, the carbohydrate content, can be important factors in regulating the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones.

A post cycle crash is inevitable; this is the time when your diet really matters.

So how do I cycle this stuff?

T3/Clen/Anavar Cycle

Anavar is the single best steroid to stack with T3. Its anti catabolic properties are unmatched and it will not shut you down. There's nothing like simultaneous sex hormone and thyroid hormone shutdown; I bet it feels great. Primobolan at 200mg a week would be a good substitute since it doesn't shut you down. Dbol at 10-15mg taken in the morning can also be used but Arimidex must be included with the Dbol. T3 increases the amount of beta-3-adregenic receptors (by 500%!) in white adipose tissue, i.e. the fat that covers muscle. Since clen exerts most of its effect on the same receptors; the combination with T3 would yield quite a strong synergistic effect. T3/Clen may be too much for the heart in some people.

T3:

12.5mcg for 5-7 days (optional but recommended)

37.5mcg for 5 days
75mcg for 15 days
50mcg for 5 days
37.5mcg for 5 days
25mcg for 5 days
12.5 mcg for 5 days
6.25mcg for 5-7 days

Clen:

30 days: 60-120mcg ED. Use clen from the first 37.5mcg dose to the last 25mcg dose. Ketotifen will make you more sensitive to clenbuterol so doses should be adjust accordingly.

Ketotifen:

Stacked with Clenbuterol, 2mg ED. This drug may not be an option for some people since it can make them extremely hungry. If this is the case, Clen should be used 2 weeks on 2 weeks off.

Anavar:

Oxandrin;

15mg ED with 37.5mcg of T3,
25mg ED with 75mcg of T3,
20mg ED with 50mcg of T3.


Here's a more sensitive approach that can be used between cycles since it doesn't include AS:

BigAndy69's T3 Cycle:

The cycle can actually be used to add muscle mass or drop body fat depending on caloric intake. For gaining muscle mass, the Yohimbine and Anastrozole are not necessary.

W1-W4:

T3: 12.5mg ED
Clen: 60-100mcg ED
Ketotifen: 2mg ED
Anastrozole: 0.5mg ED
Yohimbine: 10-15mg ED (maybe too much to handle in some)

Carb/Pro/Fat:

20-30/50-60/20

ALA: 1500mg ED
Taurine: 3g ED

W5:

T3: 6.25mg ED

L-Tyrosine: 1-2g ED
ALA: 2500mg ED
Taurine: 3g ED

Carb/Pro/Fat:

50-60/20-30/20

(High Intensity Cardio)

W6:

ALA: 1500mg ED

Carb/Pro/Fat:

40/40/20

(High Intensity Cardio)


BigAndy69's T3 Post Cycle Therapy (4-6 weeks):

Initial 3 day carb up:

Carbs: 1.75g X BW
Protein: 0.75g X BW
Fat: 0.25g X BW

Supplements:

L-Tyrosine: 1-3g ED
ALA: 1500mg ED
Flaxseed oil + Fish oil: 20g total ED

Diet: >50% Carbs/ 30% Protein/ <20% Fat, calories at maintenance (+ or - 12 X BW)

High intensity cardio: 75-80% of Max Heart Rate; 15-20 min 3-4 times a week.

No Steroids, Ephedrine, Clen, T2, DNP, or anything that has an effect on metabolism. Moderate doses of caffeine can be used before cardio.


Anything Else I should know?

T3 should be taken on an empty stomach, in the morning. If more than 50mcg is being taken, then it should be split through the day.

BigAndy69


References:


N Engl J Med 1975 Oct 2;293(14):681-4
Recovery of pituitary thyrotropic function after withdrawal of prolonged thyroid-suppression therapy.
Vagenakis AG, Braverman LE, Azizi F, Portinay GI, Ingbar SH.

Dietary-induced alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism during overnutrition.
Danforth E Jr, Horton ES, O'Connell M, Sims EA, Burger AG, Ingbar SH, Braverman L, Vagenakis AG.

A paradigm of experimentally induced mild hyperthyroidism: effects on nitrogen balance, body composition, and energy expenditure in healthy young men.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997 Mar;82(3):765-70 (ISSN: 0021-972X)
Lovejoy JC; Smith SR; Bray GA; De Lany JP; Rood JC; Gouvier D; Windhauser M; Ryan DH; Macchiavelli R; Tulley R
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70808, USA. lovejoj@mhs.pbrc.edu.

Metabolism 1981 Aug;30(8):783-91
Whole body leucine and lysine metabolism studied with [1-13C]leucine and [alpha-15N]lysine: response in healthy young men given excess energy intake.
Motil KJ, Bier DM, Matthews DE, Burke JF, Young VR.

Rubio A, et al. "Thyroid hormone and norepinephrine signaling in brown adipose tissue. II: Differential effects of thyroid hormone on beta 3-adrenergic receptors in brown and white adipose tissue." Endocrinology 1995 Aug;136(8):3277-84
 
Thank you Pumping Iron and all others who have contributed to these guides they have been an invaluable source in filling some knowledge gaps I had pertaining to proper post cycles and injection methods/complications. I have been researching on and off for a couple years the ins and outs of a variety of injectable cycles but have always avoided needle usage and these guides help alleviate some concerns I have had. Good looking out and thanks again for all the hard work putting these guides together.
 
We also need to have clear rules for people under 18...they should NOT even bother signing up.
 
THE VERY BASIC GUIDE TO GHRP/GHRH PEPTIDES
By http://www.teampscarb.co.uk/index.php/author/admin/http://www.teampscarb.co.uk/index.php/the-very-basic-guide-to-ghrpghrh-peptides/http://www.teampscarb.co.uk/index.php/the-very-basic-guide-to-ghrpghrh-peptides/#commentshttp://www.teampscarb.co.uk/index.php/category/articles/
The newish supplement to be used by Bodybuilders are Peptides that naturally pulse GH from the body, the problem is that many make it all to confusing much more than it needs to be so i thought it would be a good article to write to try and clear some of the confusion on the subject.

if you prefer the science and long boring words to describe things this article is not for you
simple-smile.png
so here is a very basic guide, it does not contain any real detail to the science behind the need etc……

you need to look at 2 types of peptides:
GHRP – this group’s main types are GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, Hexarelin (there are others but these are the most common and effective)
GHRH – this groups main type is Mod GRF 1-29 (sometimes called CJC1295 without DAC)

What do they do:
They release and amplify a natural pulse of GH from your body
GHRP release a pulse of GH
GHRH release and amplify this pulse
Combining both peptides gives more than double the effect of either alone due to the synergy they have it would be foolish in my opinion to use either alone.

GHRP in detail:

GHRP-6:
Growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) is in the category of drugs known as GH Secretagogues. This category of drugs includes GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, and Hexarelin. Their primary function is to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more Growth Hormone. GHRPs have a 2-fold mechanism of action, in that they cause an increase in GH through amplifying the natural growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) signal transduction pathway, as well as by suppressing the actions of somatostatin.
GHRP-6 is a 1st generation GHRP and is primarily used in the BB’ing community for two reasons, which are 1) GH release and 2) Appetite stimulation. If one is considering using this peptide for GH release, the individual should consider whether or not the accompanying appetite stimulation is a beneficial or negative characteristic in their current circumstances. In individuals who struggle with appetite issues and have trouble eating enough food to meet their daily caloric requirements, this peptide can prove to be a great addition to their program. For those on contest diets or who are trying to lean out, they may want to forego this peptide in exchange for a GHRP absent of this effect.

Common benefits of GH (GHRP-6) include:

* Reductions in body fat
* Increased lean mass.
* Increased collagen production
* Improved sleep
* Increased cellular repair
* An increase in IGF-1
* Increases in bone density

Common side effects of GH (GHRP-6) include:

* Water retention
* Tightness and/or carpel tunnel-like symptoms in the wrist/hand.
* Numbness and tingling in the extremities
* A decrease in insulin sensitivity
* Tiredness

Recommendations for use:

* GHRP-6 should be administered on an empty stomach. No food should be consumed for 15-20 minutes post-inject, if maximum GH release is desired.
* When using GHRP-6 for GH release, the average dosing range is between 100-150 mcg per inject. Dosing frequency is between 1-4X per day.
* In order to elicit maximal elevations in GH, GHRP-6 should be combined with a GHRH, such as ModGRF1-29 (also known as CJC1295 w/o dac).
* If used for appetite stimulation, the common dosing range for GHRP-6 is between 100-300 per inject, as needed.

GHRP-2:

Growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) is in the category of drugs known as GH secretagogues. This category of drugs includes GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, and Hexarelin. Their primary function is to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone. GHRPs have a 2-fold mechanism of action, in that they cause an increase in GH through amplifying the natural growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) signal transduction pathway, as well as by suppressing the actions of somatostatin.

GHRP-2 is a 2nd generation GHRP and finds its primary use in the area of GH release. It is superior to GHRP-6 in this regard and is currently the preferred peptide for attaining maximum elevations in GH over the long-term. Recent research also reveals that GHRP-2 can be dosed much higher than initially thought, while avoiding the desensitization that is inherent in some of our other GHRP’s. This provides the user with the opportunity to experience greater elevations in total GH, depending on the dosage administered. Lastly, while GHRP-2 can potentially lead to some degree appetite stimulation, not all users experience this effect and when they do, it is typically much less profound in comparison to GHRP-6.

Common benefits of GH (GHRP-2) include:

* Decreases in body fat
* An increase in lean mass
* Increased collagen production
* Improved sleep
* Increased cellular repair
* An increase in IGF-1
* Increases in bone density

Common side effects of GH (GHRP-2) include:

* Water retention
* Tightness and/or carpel tunnel-like symptoms
* Numbness and tingling in the extremities
* A decrease insulin sensitivity
* Tiredness

Recommendations for use:
* GHRP-2 should be administered on an empty stomach. No food should be consumed for 15-20 minutes post-inject, if maximum GH release is desired.

* The average dosing range is between 100-2,000 mcg per inject. Dosing frequency is as little as 3X per week when mega-dosing…and up to 6X per day when using lower dosages. Multiple daily doses will yield the best results.

* In order to elicit maximal elevations in GH, GHRP-2 should be combined with a GHRH, such as ModGRF1-29 (also known as CJC1295 w/o dac).

Ipamorelin:
Ipamorelin is in the category of drugs known as GH secretagogues. This category of drugs includes GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, and Hexarelin. Its primary function is to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone. Like the other GHRPs, it has a 2-fold mechanism of action, in that it causes an increase in GH through amplifying the natural growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) signal transduction pathway, as well as by suppressing the actions of Somatostatin.

Ipamorelin is a 3rd generation GHRP which displays great selectivity in its actions. Ipamorelin will not lead to any degree of appetite stimulation, will not affect prolactin or cortisol, and is used solely for GH release. On a mcg to mcg basis, its strength is comparable to GHRP-6, but unlike GHRP-6, it can be dosed much higher, resulting in potentially greater elevations in GH. Similar to GHRP-2, IPA has no ceiling dose. Therefore, as the dosage of IPA is titrated upward, GH release will continue to rise accordingly. Ipamorelin has developed a reputation as the “cleanest” of the GHRP’s and rightfully so.

Common benefits of GH (Ipamorelin) include:

* Decreases in body fat
* An increase in lean mass
* Increased collagen production
* Improved sleep
* Increased cellular repair
* An increase in IGF-1
* Increases in bone density

Common side effects of GH (Ipamorelin) include:

* Water retention
* Tightness and/or carpel tunnel-like symptoms
* Numbness and tingling in the extremities
* A decrease in insulin sensitivity
* Tiredness

Recommendations for use:

* Ipamorelin should be administered on an empty stomach. No food should be consumed at least 15-20 minutes post-inject, if maximum GH release is desired.

* The average dosing range is between 100-2,000 mcg per inject. Dosing frequency is as little as 3X per week when mega-dosing…and up to 4X per day when using lower dosages.

* In order to elicit maximal elevations in GH, IPA should be combined with a GHRH, such as ModGRF1-29 (also known as CJC1295 w/o dac).

Hexarelin:
Hexarelin is in the category of drugs known as GH secretagogues. This category of drugs includes GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, and Hexarelin. Its primary function is to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone. Like the other GHRPs, it has a 2-fold mechanism of action, in that it causes an increase in GH through amplifying the natural growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) signal transduction pathway, as well as by suppressing the actions of Somatostatin.

Hexarelin, on a mcg per mcg basis, is the most potent of the GHRP’s for GH release. However, Hexarelin administration will quickly lead to desensitization when used at effective dosages, which makes it less than ideal for long-term use. This limitation has led to a decrease in popularity among users of GH peptides, with GHRP-2 and Ipamorelin leading the pack in the area of long-term effectiveness. However, these limitations do not mean Hexarelin is worthless. On the contrary, Hexarelin can be added to other GHRP’s (such as GHRP-2 & Ipamorelin) in lower dosages, in order to elicit further elevations in GH without incurring the desensitization that commonly presents itself when using Hex alone at peak effective dosages.

Common benefits of GH (Ipamorelin) include:

* Decreases in body fat
* An increase in lean mass
* Increased collagen production
* Improved sleep
* Increased cellular repair
* An increase in IGF-1
* Increases in bone density

Common side effects of GH (Ipamorelin) include:

* Water retention
* Tightness and/or carpel tunnel-like symptoms
* Numbness and tingling in the extremities
* A decrease in insulin sensitivity
* Tiredness

Recommendations for use:

* Hexarelin should be administered on an empty stomach. No food should be consumed at least 15-20 minutes post-inject, if maximum GH release is desired.
* The average dosing range is between 100-150 mcg per inject. Dosing frequency is between 1-4X per day.
* In order to elicit maximal elevations in GH, Hexarelin should be combined with a GHRH, such as ModGRF1-29 (also known as CJC1295 w/o dac).

* In order to avoid the rapid desensitization that typically accompanies Hexarelin use, it can be added to GHRP-2 and/or Ipamorelin at a dosage of 100 mcg 2-3 X per day. If this practice is limited to every other day usage, Hex can be used long-term, while increasing GH levels beyond what is normally experienced when using average doses of GHRP-2 or Ipamorelin.

GHRP-6 is sloppy in that it activates a wider array of effects beyond GH release. It causes intense hunger and gastic motility. It can have a mild effect on cortisol and prolactin. It is a first generation GHRP.

GHRP-2 is less sloppy with a more intense GH release, no gastric motility and less hunger effect. It can have an effect within the normal range on prolcatin and cortisol. It is a second generation peptide.

Hexarelin is not sloppy like GHRP-2 it gives a higher GH pulse but has some Gastric motility although no issues with hunger, you have to cycle the use of this peptide to avoid desensitisation though.

Ipamorelin is not sloppy at all. It does not release as much GH as GHRP-2 but it causes virtually no hunger or gastric motility and for the most part does not effect cortisol or prolactin. It is a third generation peptide

You would choose GHRP-2 unless you wanted GHRP-6 for the hunger effect or for the lower release profiles.

You would choose GHRP-2 or Hexarelin normally as the most bang for the buck, although Hexarelin will disturb REM sleep so long term GHRP-2 is the better choice out of all 4 GHRP peptides.

If you are very sensitive to perturbations in cortisol or prolactin you would choose the more expensive Ipamorelin.

What GHRH to use?

all CJC started off as Mod GRF the differences between these is half life this makes some useless for us to use.

CJC1293 is the shortest at 5minutes this is destroyed by the body before it can do anything

CJC1295 DAC is approx several days this gives a bleed type effect (continuous GH release) this can only be used for short blasts of 4-6 weeks to avoid damaging the pituitary gland, there is new data available on using this peptide (see bottom of article)

CJC1295 w/o DAC is approx 30min this is a old name for what you should be using which is MOD GRF.

MOD GRF is the GHRH you need to stack with any of the GHRP peptides, as it acts in synergy with the GHRP which creates a pulse, the longer acting with DAC creates a constant bleed of GH so acts differently to the peptide(GHRP) you are using alongside it.

Mixing:
GHRP (apart from Ipamorelin which comes in 2mg vial reffer to GHRH mixing) normally comes in 5mg vials.
5000mcg(5mg) per vial
Add 2ml bac water in vial
4iu (2 small ticks) on a standard 100iu(1ml) insulin pin gives 100mcg

GHRH (Mod GRF, CJC)
GHRH should come in 2mg vials (due to lowered half life of peptide)
2000mcg(2mg) per vial
Add 2ml of BAC water to vial
Each 10iu on a standard 100iu(1ml) insulin pin will give 100mcg

Storage:
Store the powder in the freezer if unmixed but once mixed with Bac water store in a fridge for best results(life of product) although can be stored in a cool place away from sunlight.

Dosing:
saturation dose is 1mcg per kg so normal dose is 100mcg for each 3 -5 times a day (you can use higher but double the dose will not give double the results)

Common injection times:
Before meal 1
PWO
B4 Bed
Make sure to leave 2-3hrs between jabs, results depend on frequency not dose so jabbing 100mcg 3 x daily will give better results than 300mcg once per day

Decision Matrix for you:
Are you primarily trying to lose fat or gain muscle?

lose fat
If lose fat reserve more of the Mod GRF(1-29)/GHRP for the fatloss time period (i.e. fasted cardio; part of the day when calories are lower then the energy demand for the activity during that period; pre-weight workout IF that workout is designed to be a fatloss workout; or simply earlier in the day when there is more time to make use of liberated fatty acids)
Possible dosing scheme – Morning/Midday/PWO

gain muscle
If gain muscle reserve more of the Mod GRF(1-29)/GHRP for around the weight workout and in the period that follows.
Possible dosing schemes – Morning/Pre-WO/Bed; Morning/PWO/Bed; Pre-WO/Bed/Middle of night; Morning/PWO/Middle of night; PWO/Morning/Midday

Injection:
Can be injected IM or SubQ

Food:
don’t eat Carbs or fats approx 1hr before the jab or 15-20 min after the Jab as this blunts the GH pulse, Protein is fine.

Additions (these are not required for good results and should be used by the advanced BB):

Adding 1-4iu of GH 10-15 minutes after peptides will give a bigger overall pulse of GH (natural + synthetic) any more than 4iu and this will result in more of a bleed type situation rather than a pulse of GH.
Adding Insulin to peptides will give you the same type of results as adding it to GH

To Summarise:
What do I do?
Step one: You NEVER know when somatostatin is going to act, Again since you don’t know if somatostatin is around you are rolling the dice by injecting GHRH. There will be zero GH release if somatostatin is around and only some if somatostatin is just starting up or just diminishing. Only if you are lucky to inject when somatostatin is gone will there be decent GH release. To overcome this, very large amounts say 2mg (2000mcg) are sometimes used.

Step two: Choose a GHRP because it can always cause GH release on its own and make the environment safe for GHRH.

Step three: Choose a GHRH to add to the GHRP because it will synergistic amplify the GH pulse.

Step four: Choose a dosing schedule. If once a day do it pre-bed. If twice a day then do it pre-bed and post workout (PWO). If three times a day do it pre-bed, PWO and in the morning.
How many times can I dose before I lose pulsation? Six (6) a day every 3 hours, How few times can I do it for some better sleep, small anti-aging effect? Just pre-bed.

Step five: Assess tolerance by dosing just once w/ a GHRP pre-bed at half of saturation dose. Then if that goes well go to full saturation dose. If that goes well add a 2nd dosing, If that is fine add a third dosing.

Step six: Decide on a dose. Saturation dose is defined as either 100mcg or 1mcg/kg of bodyweight in the studies. For the most part it is treated as 100mcg. That is the same for women and men. You will get added but diminishing benefit by dosing 200mcg, 300mcg perhaps 400mcg.

BOOM Dosing:

Another popular method to using these Peptides is to use a BOOM dose of Ipamorelin (2mg +) before bed time, this creates the original pulse of GH along with several smaller ones through the night. This really can only be carried out with Ipamorelin as there is no issues with Prolactin or Cortisol increase.

the protocol would be to use a larger amount of the GHRP peptide Ipamorelin lets say at 2mg – 5mg along with the standard dose of 100mcg of Mod GRF before you retire to bed (the same rules apply about food and timings) any less and you are not BOOM dosing

P-11 IPAMORELIN – A NOVEL VERY POTENT GROWTH HORMONE SECRETAGOGUE
MH Rasmussen, B Soogaar, L YnddaI, L Groes, L Helmgaard, L Nordholm. Novo Nordisk A/S, Clinical Development, Bagsvaerd, Denmark.

this study above shows that at high dose Ipamorelin continues to remain active for 5 to 6 hours, this means dose of 4mgs will result in Ipamorelin in plasma exerting an effect for more than 5 hours…

I have trailed this method using 2mg – 4mg of IPAM along with 100mcg of Mod GRF and it has enhanced my sleep dramatically, plus the improvement in my condition was better than i expected.

certainly something worth considering to add to the standard 3-5 x day saturation dosing schedule many follow.

Using CJC1295 DAC for a raising your basel GH & IGF-1 levels

there is new data to show the potential usefulness of the peptide CJC1295 DAC, recent studies have shown a 7.5 fold increase in basel GH levels and a 1-3fold increase in IGF-1 levels when using doses of 30-60mcg per kg, so for a 100kg person this would be 3-6mg per week……

Here we have two studies from the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism which show some documented dosage and specific details on how CJC-1295 induces GH elevations. These are only abstracts and are pretty simple in what they say. Regardless, this is a good starting point for understanding how our new friend CJ does his job, and a point from which more in-depth discussion can begin.

As you can see, CJC-1295 creates a prolonged stimulation of GH without eliminating the pulsatile release of GH. It does however increase the basal levels (trough) of GH in the body by 7.5 fold, as seen in the second study.

Dosages used ranged from 30-60 mcg/kg in the first study and 60-90 mcg/kg in the second study. These dosages did not have any apparent, serious side effects, and could be considered relatively safe for short term usage. For affordability’s sake, we will have to see whether or not dosages like these are realistic for the average user. Granted, this analog of GHRH would be dosed much less frequently than the peptides we are used to using, and for that matter, the price difference could be minimal, or even in our favor! Not to mention, less injections is probably favored by most – if not all
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Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults.
CONTEXT:
Therapeutic use of GHRH to enhance GH secretion is limited by its short duration of action.

OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this study was to examine the pharmacokinetic profile, pharmacodynamic effects, and safety of CJC-1295, a long-acting GHRH analog.

DESIGN:
The study design was two randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, ascending dose trials with durations of 28 and 49 d.

SETTING:
The study was performed at two investigational sites.

PARTICIPANTS:
Healthy subjects, ages 21-61 yr, were studied.

INTERVENTIONS:
CJC-1295 or placebo was administered sc in one of four ascending single doses in the first study and in two or three weekly or biweekly doses in the second study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
The main outcome measures were peak concentrations and area under the curve of GH and IGF-I; standard pharmacokinetic parameters were used for CJC-1295.

RESULTS:
After a single injection of CJC-1295, there were dose-dependentincreases in mean plasma GH concentrations by 2- to 10-fold for 6 d or more and in mean plasma IGF-I concentrations by 1.5- to 3-fold for 9-11 d. The estimated half-life of CJC-1295 was 5.8-8.1 d. After multiple CJC-1295 doses, mean IGF-I levels remained above baseline for up to 28 d. No serious adverse reactions were reported.

CONCLUSIONS:
Subcutaneous administration of CJC-1295 resulted in sustained, dose-dependent increases in GH and IGF-I levels in healthy adults and was safe and relatively well tolerated, particularly at doses of 30 or 60 microg/kg. There was evidence of a cumulative effect after multiple doses. These data support the potential utility of CJC-1295 as a therapeutic agent.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Mar;91(3):799-805. Epub 2005 Dec 13.


Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog.
CONTEXT:
Pulsatile GH secretion is considered important for many of the hormone’s physiological effects. Short-term GHRH infusions enhance GH pulsatility and increase IGF-I, but the short GHRH half-life limits its therapeutic use. A synthetic GHRH analog (CJC-1295) that binds permanently to endogenous albumin after injection (half-life = 8 d) stimulates GH and IGF-I secretion in several animal species and in normal human subjects and enhances growth in rats.

OBJECTIVE:
Our objective was to assess GH pulsatility after a single injection of CJC-1295 and determine which GH secretion parameters correlated to the increase in IGF-I production.

METHODS:
GH pulsatility was assessed by 20-min blood sampling during an overnight 12-h period in healthy 20- to 40-yr-old men before and 1 wk after injection of either 60 or 90 microg/kg CJC-1295.

RESULTS:
GH secretion was increased after CJC-1295 administration with preserved pulsatility. The frequency and magnitude of GH secretory pulses were unaltered. However, basal (trough) GH levels were markedly increased (7.5-fold; P < 0.0001) and contributed to an overall increase in GH secretion (mean GH levels, 46%; P < 0.01) and IGF-I levels (45%; P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the responses to the two drug doses. The IGF-I increases did not correlate with any parameters of GH secretion.

CONCLUSIONS:
CJC-1295 increased trough and mean GH secretion and IGF-I production with preserved GH pulsatility. The marked enhancement of trough GH levels by continuous GHRH stimulation implicates the importance of this effect on increasing IGF-I. Long-acting GHRH preparations may have clinical utility in patients with intact pituitary GH secretory capability.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Dec;91(12):4792-7. Epub 2006 Oct 3.

So in basic terms the use of higher dose CJC1295 (GHRH) will raise basel and IGF-1 levels

CJC-1295 Decay Rate Chart

A single dose of CJC-1295 “decays” by about 10% a day. So that single dose will follow the “effectiveness” percentages indicated below over the week:
_______Dose (2mg)
Day 0 – 100% (2mg)
Day 1 – 90% (1.8mg remaining)
Day 2 – 81% (1.6mg remaing)
Day 3 – 73% (1.4mg remaining
Day 4 – 65% (1.3mg remaining)
Day 5 – 59% (1.1mg remaining)
Day 6 – 53% (1mg remaining)
Day 7 – 47% (.9mg remaining)
Day 8 – 43% (.8mg remaining)

So a once a week dosing protocol would result in less consistent GH blood levels then the twice a week dosing indicated below (especially so after the initial buildup):

______Dose #1_(1mg)__________Dose #2_(1mg)__________Dose #3_(1mg)
Day 0 – 100% (1mg)
Day 1 – 90% (.9mg remaining)
Day 2 – 81% (.8mg remaing)
Day 3 – 73% (.7mg remaining)
Day 4 – 65% (.6mg remaining) + 100% (1mg) = 1.6mg
Day 5 – 59% (.5mg remaining) + 90% (.9mg remaining) = 1.4mg
Day 6 – 53% (.5mg remaining) + 81% (.8mg remaing) = 1.3mg
Day 7 – 47% (.4mg remaining) + 73% (.7mg remaining) = 1.1mg
Day 8 – 43% (.3mg remaining) + 65% (.6mg remaining) + 100% (1mg) = 1.9mg
http://www.teampscarb.co.uk/index.php/the-very-basic-guide-to-ghrpghrh-peptides/
 
pumpingiron22 said:
https://anabolicminds.com/forum/steroids/54614-total-newbie-guide.html
Total newbie guide to steroids


I decided to make this post to share and compact some of the info I’ve learned here over the years and maybe add to the general knowledge of this board. Most of this can be found on here using the search function which I recommend everyone to use. I've been a member since 2003 and just recently made my firsts posts because the search function has answered all my questions to this point. Anywho I’ve talked to some friends who are relatively new to lifting and they have absolutely NO knowledge of how to use steroids, so I though there must be many out there like this and in my attempt to explain the proper use of steroids I found some of the newbie guides on here insufficient so I thought I would write my own. I hope you guys learn something, please let me know if i made any mistakes, this is a working draft. This is part 1, part two will cover the actual steroid use, i will poast that in a few days.

When should I use steroids?
roviron is basically a steroid but its main effect is of lowering aromatization and also freeing up more test so your levels of free test are higher than normal. I have no experience with this but many people love this during cycle as it increases levels of free test, but it also suppresses the HPTA. I don't know too much about this once and if you’re a newbie stick with the arimidex.

Aromisin works a little differently than the above mentioned AIs. It works not by stopping estrogen production but instead it deactivated the binding enzyme that allows estrogen to bind, therefore the level of estrogen remains mostly unaffected in your body, but it pretty much becomes ineffective, except for some functions such as keeping your lipid levels stable, unlike the other AI's that screw up your cholesterol. There is also no rebound effect. This is one powerful AI and its use by a newbie I wouldn't suggest. Stick to the tried and true I prefer arimidex.

Other AI that can be used to control estrogen are ATD and 6-oxo as mentioned earlier. These are steroidal inhibitors (ATD, 6-oxo, aromisin) which means they do not completely destroy your estrogen levels like letro or arimidex. They permanently bind to the aromisin enzyme and deactivate it permanently, the only way for the body to keep estrogen production up is to produce more aromitase. Whereas nonsteroidal AI such as letro and dex bind for a period of time then release the aromitase enzyme so the levels of aromitase are not lower and may actually increase which open the possibility of a estrogen rebound. I find 6-oxo outdated and too weak so I prefer ATD. A small dose of perhaps 25-50mg ED or even EOD due to its longer half-life may be enough to keep bloat and estrogen under control. I plan on trying this out on a test e cycle to see how it affects me, once again as I’ve pointed out several times is that YMMV. I hope it is becoming clear to you newbies out there that everyone reacts differently to these substances which is part of the reason you have to spend years researching and lifting to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to run a successful cycle with minimal sides. If gyno starts to develop I would switch from the ATD to something like dex or letro as this is more effective and reversing gyno and I wouldn't want to take any chances when it comes to gyno.

Other ancillaries that can be used on a cycle depend on the side effects that develop. The AI's will control estrogen which in turn prevents bloat and gyno. Some people find that steroids cause hair loss. This is due to the androgenic (this is the property of testosterone that causes the "male" characteristics such as deep voice, body hair, etc.. it also causes strength, aggression and horniness effects of the roid and some roids are more androgenic than others. How androgenic a steroid is measured by the androgenic: anabolic ratio. Anabolic is the muscle building property. Testosterone has a 1:1 ratio. The androgenic property is what causes hair loss, this is most prevalent in people susceptible to male pattern baldness. Testosterone is broken down into DHT (by the 5AR enzyme) which is A LOT more androgenic than testosterone and is mainly responsible for the hair loss, though the steroid itself can bind to receptors in your scalp and cause hair loss. So drugs that control DHT conversion are what’s called for here. Another thing to keep in mind if your worried about hair loss is that certain steroids are actually based on DHT therefore they can cause more hair loss, an example of a DHT structure based roid is winny.

Finasteride (propecia) is one drug that lowers the conversion of steroids into DHT. This is used at a dose of 1-2mg a day to combat hair loss.

Dutasteride is another drug that prevents the conversion into dht, it is a lot more powerful than finasteride, but it also has a very long half life of over 5 weeks so if you experience side effects from it they will be around for a long side. I do not recommend the use of this drug. Its dosage would be around .25-.5mg ED.

A safer option than those oral drugs are drugs that you apply to the scalp itself. Spironolactone works a little different by being essentially an anti-androgen. It is applied to the scalp and therefore prevents androgens (dht, test, steroids) from binding to the receptor in the scalp. If taken orally it has the same effect but its systematic (whole body) not just localized as in a topical application to the scalp. There are other hair-loss prevention drugs, but there are threads on here that go into greater detailed if your are interested. A little hair loss is to be expected during any cycle, though generally it’s not noticeable unless you are prone to MPB. I don't recommend you use any hair loss product during a cycle unless your are shedding a s**tload and it really bothers you. Keep in mind that DHT is a important androgen and is responsible for a good amount of the strength gains that we get from a test cycle, taking a dht blocker will reduce your gains in size and especially strength. Not worth it in my opinion.

If running any orals then liver protection is pretty important. Milk thistle at 1000mg ED and NAC at 1000mg ED I find to be sufficient to have at least some protective effect on the liver. The most important thing to keep in mind is to NOT DRINK. If you are willing to put drugs into your body to grow than you should not drink especially when using an oral substance. If you can't keep yourself from drinking while on a cycle then you are neither mature enough nor smart enough to be running a cycle. You will end up hurting yourself. Few things piss me off as bad as someone running an oral and getting drunk. If your on a injectable cycle only than, well, 1-2 drinks once or twice during a cycle is acceptable I guess, just keep in mind that alcohol will stop protein anabolism for up to 24 hrs. So judge for yourself if it's worth it.

Cardiovascular health can be maintained by using red rice yeast (especially if using an oral, the methylation of an oral steroid causes the liver to be very inefficient in processing lipids and your levels get very messed up), garlic, and policosanol. I think that red rice yeast is the most effective, perhaps as effective as prescription statins (RYR is also a statin). Also the most important thing you can do for your heart is cardio and a clean diet. I think a little cardio during cycle is good and won't inhibit your gains, more on that later. Blood pressure should be controlled using hawthorn berry and celery seed, hawthorn berry takes a few weeks to kick in. Different steroids have different effects on BP. The injectables are generally the safest whereas orals are the harshest on your body. I hope this is starting illustrate to you newbies that these "legal prohormones" are some dangerous s*** if used recklessly by inexperienced folk. I'm not one to really recommend any products, but Cycle support by Annabolic Innovations covers just about any side that isn't controlled by pharmaceuticals mention in this post. Buy two boxes and run it at half dose (once a day instead of twice a day) to keep yourself healthy, much cheaper than buying all the supps separately and once a day seems to have enough active ingredients to work, unless you are on an oral then I would run it twice a day.

Libido can be reduced during a cycle, this depends on the steroid used and the level of estrogen in your body. Using something like deca or trenbolone by itself will cause you some serious limp d*** because they suppress natural testosterone production greatly and the levels of estrogen in your body drops because these roids are not really aromatized. If they are run with test then this side effect is a lot rarer. By in any case some tadalafil (cialis) at 12-25mg will get your member up to the duty at hand (or mouth he he he). Tribulus has some reports of helping here as well. Cialis seems to be safer than Viagra due to it being a much more potent PDE5 enzyme inhibitor (the enzyme that will prevent an erection). AIs will also cause a drop in libido. Another thing that can cause a drop in libido is prolactin, but this will be discussed in the next section.


Gyno!!!
One of the biggest fears of steroid use is the development of gyno. This is also one thing along with roid rage and shrunken balls and even shrunken penis that most people especially newbies know about when it comes to steroids. If fact these three things are probably the first thing that pops in mind when a newbie/uneducated person thinks of roids. Gyno is caused by estrogen levels that are elevated beyond normal amounts. It can also be caused by elevated progesterone and prolactin levels, but these are usually only responsible when estrogen levels are also high. The individual sensitivity varies greatly, so whether you are prone to gyno or not you won't know till you run your first cycle, even then it might take a few cycles to see how susceptible you are. There are two ways of tackling this problem. One is in estrogen control, the other is estrogen receptor antagonism with a serm.

It appears to me that running a SERM throughout the cycle at a low dose is a good effective way of preventing gyno. Nolva, clomid, toremifene, or raloxifene are SERMs that can be run during cycle to prevent gyno. These are also better choices than running an ai because it will keep estrogen in your system which will keep exerting some beneficial effects such as glycogen synthesis, bone density, and blood lipids. Which should you run? Well I would rule out clomid because it has too many side effects especially the emotional ones, also it can desensitize the testes to LH which is bad. Toremifene is a great SERM, but I believe its purpose is best served in post cycle therapy, and it's pretty expensive to run during a cycle. So we are left with tamoxifen and raloxifene.

Tamoxifen is the preferred SERM to run during a cycle to prevent gyno. It can be run at doses starting at 10mg ED and increasing if any signs of gyno begin to appear. If gyno begins to appear increasing the dose to 60mg ed till the gyno recedes then tapering the dose back down to maybe 20mg Ed should be OK. Once again you can run the nolva the whole cycle which I recommend, this is a newbie guide so this will be your first cycle better to stay safe than sorry and run the nolva 10mg ED form day one. If on a test cycle maybe you can wait till weeks 3-4 when the test starts to kick in or when you start seeing signs of bloat which would indicated that your test and estrogen levels are rising and then begin the SERM.

Raloxifene is a relatively newcomer to the steroid scene. A medical study comparing tamoxifen and raloxifene at reducing pubertal gyno (gyno caused during puberty due to hormonal imbalances) showed that ralox was a good deal more effective at not only in the percentage of subjects it reduced the gyno in, but also in the level of gyno reduction. Ralox seems to be the better choice for a gyno prevention/treatment SERM during cycle. Ralox can also be used for PCT but the feedback is limited and I would suggest this best serves its purpose in preventing/reducing gyno. The dosage used is still up in the air. I have done some research and have a hard time finding any consistent numbers when it comes to dosage. I would recommend maybe 30mg ED and working your way up if that seems to be ineffective. If gyno symptoms begin to appear it is imperative that you increase the dosage immediately to treat the gyno. The faster you take action to treat the gyno the more likely it is to go away. Wait t long and it may become permanent.

Gyno can also be treated/prevented by using an AI such as arimidex or letro. Letro is the more powerful of the two, but it can take up to two weeks to take full effect so arimidex might be the better choice. If I was to show signs of gyno I would take a dose of perhaps 60-90mg ralox ED along with .5-1mg arimidex ed. The arimidex shouldn't affect the levels of ralox in the blood as letro would do to nolva. Once the gyno resides the arimidex would be decreased to .25mg ed (basically to the lowest dose that is still effective for you) and the ralox back but to a dose higher than was originally used for prevention, so over 30mg ed. The ai's are best used to treat gyno with SERM. If you're looking for just prevention with a AI use the lowest dose possible as to not hinder gains and prevent possible side effects.

Gyno can also be caused by increased levels of progesterone and prolactin. Prolactin will actually cause lactation. These two hormones usually will not cause gyno unless estrogen is also present so in order to treat gyno caused by progesterone and prolactin we must first treat the excess estrogen. That would be done by using the protocol found above, in addition to that we would add some progesterone/prolactin inhibitors. It is difficult to tell whether it is estrogen or progesterone/prolactin that causes the gyno. If your first cycle is test/tren or test/deca you will not know whether the estrogen form the test is causing gyno or the progesterone form the tren/deca is causing the gyno. Therefore it is best to run test alone for a first cycle, but more on that in part 2.

Cabergoline is the drug you would use to treat prolactin/progesterone caused gyno. If running a roid such as tren/deca then the ideal thing to prevent prolactin/progesterone gyno would be to keep the estrogen is check, but if gyno begins to develop you need to throw in some prolactin control in the form of Cabergoline. Start with a dose of .25mg twice a week and increase your dose from there. There are side effects from this drug. It is supposedly a good sex enhancer because it will allow to keep an erection longer and get it back up faster, but it has negative effects because it also affects dopamine. Taking too much for too long can give you hallucinations.

Few! That’s a lot of typing. The purpose of this part was to introduce you to all the things associated with steroid use. Most of you newbies believe that steroid use is as simple as taking a shot once a week and that’s it, well I hope this part has opened your eyes a bit. The pure size of this guide in itself should show you how much there is when it comes to running a cycle of "juice". As you can see this is only part one f my guide, I haven't even touched on the actually use of the steroid. Like I said in the beginning it is my experience that the biggest hole of knowledge a newbie has when it comes to steroid use is all the extras that come along with steroid use such as PCT, estrogen control, etc... The thing is that this guide only covers the surface of what one must know to run a successful side effect free cycle and maintain most of the gains. The point I’m trying to get across is that there is so much to learn and research about steroid use that one must do before running a first cycle. Well this is it for part one of my newbie guide, part two will dive into the meat and bones of steroid use, the actual steroids themselves. This part 1 of my guide is actually not complete. I've been typing for hours and have to go to work so it's a "working draft" if you will. I appreciate any input or comments or possible edits you guys can suggest to this guide. I will update it when I have a chance implementing any comments I get from you all. Please please please let me know if I’ve made any mistakes or stated something wrong in here, I’m human and not all knowing so I’m sure there are mistakes and would like to fix them so people won't be reading bad information. I'll have part 2 up in the next few days I hope.

Well you should have several years of lifting experience before you make the jump to juice. If you are still growing naturally then steroids will be counterproductive to you. You will not realize your full potential until you have grown naturally, more importantly it takes years of experience to learn how your body responds to lifting and to get your technique and nutrition in order. I suggest AT LEAST 3 years lifting before you even decide to think about steroids. It is ok to start researching steroids when you first start lifting because I’ve been researching for three years and still have a lot to learn. Secondly you have to be over 21yrs and preferable at least 25 before you begin a cycle. This is so your body has finished growing to the point it is ready to accept steroids. If you use before your 21 your bone growth plates will fuse prematurely and you will not grow to your full skeletal body structure, also using before your 21 has the risk of damaging your HPTA and your hormonal balance which might be very difficult to bring back.

What about "prohormones" and "legal steroid"?

Supplements such as ergomax, pheraplex, superdrol, halodrol, etc... are in fact designer steroids. They come will all the risks and side effects as the illegal roids, but due to their legal status are usually viewed as safe by people. They are not safe and I will argue they are more dangerous than illegal steroids. The illegal steroids have decades of medical research behind them so we have a good idea of what they do to the human body, but these new designer steroids in most cases have no medical research behind them. Therefore we have little idea of what damage they may cause to the body and all we really know about them is from user feedback which really doesn't reveal much about their pharmacological properties. Also people try to infer their properties by comparing them to the illegal steroids that they are based off, but this is only good to a certain extent. Even the addition of one atom to a steroid can completely change its effects so this isn't reliable to learning about its effects on the body. The exact chemical in compounds such as Methoxy-TST are not even know and are kept secret so we have no idea what it even is. For all we know this can be an illegal steroid, or a modified steroid that is pretty dangerous, we just don't know. Personally I don't suggest being a guinea pig for these new compounds. Also these legal roids are all oral and therefore carry the risk of a damaged lipid profile and liver toxicity. The liver and heart is not something you want to mess with.
I believe it's ok to use a "prohormone" as a first cycle. I would suggest a mild one like halodrol to get your feet wet before moving on to the illegal roids, but in the end it's better to just stick with the real deal if you will.

Biggest newbie mistake
The biggest mistake people make when starting roids is not knowing anything about the HPTA and the use of anti-estrogens. There are many people I’ve met that used prohormones or even real juice without any post cycle therapy and then are stunned as to why they lose all their gains or even worse suffer gyno or HPTA shutdown for extended periods of time. If there is one thing a beginner must know is the proper use of post cycle therapy. I think your education in this area is even more important than your education on the use of the roid. I have a friend who insists on using testosterone without any PCT, he has even run some prohormones without PCT, that’s a real stupid and dangerous way to treat your body. In fact I consider the misunderstand and little knowledge of PCT in newbies such a problem I will spend most of this post talking about the facets of a cycle other than the actual steroid use.

PCT
After a cycle one must run a SERM to restart the HPTA. The HPTA is the hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis. A simple explanation of what this is your body's system of producing testosterone (and estrogen). The hypothalamus releases hormones which trigger the pituitary to release hormones such as LH which signal the testicles to produce testosterone (and sperm). When you use a steroid the higher levels of testosterone/estrogen in your body cause a feedback to the HPTA. The main hormone responsible for suppressing the HPTA is estrogen, but testosterone also has an effect. The HPTA tries to balance the hormone levels in your body because the body likes to maintain a homeostasis and stops production of FSH and LH which cause the testicles to slow and even stop producing testosterone. ALL steroids cause a slowdown of your testosterone production and ALL steroids will cause a complete shutdown if used for a long enough period of time. Some are more likely to shut you down than other. M1T is reported to cause almost complete shutdown in a matter of days. Tren and deca are also pretty notorious at shutting you down hard. So when you finish your cycle you must use a SERM to restart your natural production as fast as possible and to keep as much of your gains as possible, because that is what we all want isn't it? To keep our gains.
SERMs are drugs that attach to the estrogen receptors in our body in places as our breasts and more importantly our HPTA. By blocking the estrogen from binding to the HPTA our body is fooled into thinking that our hormone levels are real low so it begins to ramp up it's production of testosterone. The HPTA takes high levels of estrogen as a sign that there is too much testosterone in the body and lowers the production of testosterone; therefore by blocking the binding of estrogen to the hypothalamus the HPTA takes this as a signal that testosterone levels are too low. This happens because most of the estrogen in the man's body is produced from the aromatization of testosterone. For most cycles I recommend a four week PCT. Even for substances such as halodrol or short cycles such as 3 weeks of superdrol should have a 4 week PCT. Longer PCT can be used for long cycles lasting 12 weeks or more.
There are 4 SERMs which are currently used in PCT. They are: Tamoxifen (nolva), Clomid, and toremifene. They are all related to each other and basically do the same thing but to different degrees. The classic PCT consists of Clomid for four weeks run at
300mg day 1 as a frontload
150mg days 2-7
100mg days 8-21
50mg days 22-28

These are just suggested doses and you might have to adjust. Clomid does have side effects such as moodiness so people started using tamoxifen as the serm of choice due to less side effects, the debate to which is better still continues and some of the old school users still prefer clomid just because that's what they have used and been taught to use in their life. Nolva is run as followed:
60mg days 1-7
40mg days 8-14
30mg days 15-21
20mg days 22-18

Once again just a personal suggestion, your mileage may vary. Remember that nolva is also a little liver toxic. Nolva dose have a benefit as acting as an estrogen in the liver so it will help bring your cholesterol back to normal during PCT.

Some individuals like to run clomid and nolva together. I don't see much need to run more than 1 SERM at a time unless there is severe shutdown. In either case the clomid should be used together with the nolva for the first week due to clomids ability to increase LH quite rapidly then for weeks 2-4 just run the nolva. That's my personal opinion.

Finally there is the newest comer to the PCT regiment and that is toremifene. This is my personal favorite and in comparing it to nolva which I also have experience with I will only use toremifene from now on. There is a study showing that toremifene actually lowers LH production, but my experience and the experience o pretty much everyone that has used toremifene as a PCT and posted on here will agree that toremifene is amazing for PCT. It tends to bring your HPTA up almost overnight. It'll get your balls swinging in no time and there are many reports of a greatly reduced "crash" when used as the PCT SERM. It should be dosed like this
120mg days 1-3/4
90mg days 4-14
60mg days 15-21
30mg days 22-28

I prefer to run it at 120mg for days 1-7, but for lighter cycles and things such as halodrol days 1-4 is fine.

AI such as ATD, 6-oxo, or ones such as arimidex, letro, should not be used for PCT. ATD is sometimes run inversely to the serm during PCT to prevent any estrogen rebound from the serm. Remember SERMs do not halt estrogen production; they just keep the estrogen from activating the receptors so when you come of the SERM there is an elevated estrogen level in your body so a weaker AI such as ATD can be used to keep estrogen at a normal level. AI run as the sole agent in a PCT is foolish, there was a little while when ATD came out that people were running it as the only PCT agent and reported that it worked well, but since then this is no longer really the case, a serm must always be used as the main PCT drug. Also the steroid you use determines is you should use an AI during PCT. Steroids that aromatize (aromatize means that enzymes in the body convert a percentage of testosterone into estrogen) such as test will see a benefit from using an AI during PCT. Steroids with little aromatization such as superdrol will not benefit from an AI. I believe that the delayed onset gyno caused by superdrol in some users may be linked to using an AI such as ATD for the PCT. Since there will be little estrogen during the start of post cycle therapy the AI will drive the levels to almost 0 and when your PCT ends there is a rebound effect. Of course this is only my opinion, there are no studies showing this. I mention ATD here a lot because this is the best AI to be run during PCT if one is to be run. It doesn’t fully block the production of estrogen which is good because some estrogen is needed, secondly AI such as arimidex and letro are too powerful and cause a rebound effect after their use is halted whereas it is believed that ATD has no rebound effect. My personal use of ATD is as follows during PCT

120mg toremifene days 1-7 0mg ATD
90mg T days 8-14 0mg ATD
60mg T days 15-21 25mg ATD
30mg T days 22-28 50mg ATD
weeks 5-6 50mg ATD

I like to run it like that to prevent estrogen rebound from lowering the SERM and to continue boosting testosterone after the SERM is ended, yet I don’t start the ATD till day 15 to allow my body to have some level of estrogen and I run it two weeks past PCT for the test boosting effects of the ATD.

HCG
I think no cycle lasting 8+ weeks is complete without the use of HCG. HCG is a hormone produced by pregnant women, but it has the effect of mimicking LH in the male's body and this signals the testes to produce testosterone. During PCT the natural production of LH resumes quite quickly, but if the testes have atrophied which happens on cycles lasting as long as 8+ weeks then even if proper amounts of LH is being produced the testes are simple to small and unable to produced a good amount of testosterone. HCG used to be used in the last weeks of a cycle at doses upwards of 1000-5000IU every few days. This is now no longer seen as the proper way to run HCG. Such use will desensitize the testes to LH and be counter productive. Also it will cause a large spike in estrogen which can further suppress the HPTA and possible cause gyno. The new line of thought is to run HCG throughout the cycle at a dose of 250-500IU twice a week leading up to one week before beginning the SERM PCT. This prevents the testes form atrophying and once the PCT is begun they are at almost fully size and ready to produce the testosterone needed by your body. This is a cheap addition to any cycle lasting 8+ weeks and user feedback has been pretty great with claims that there is very little crash during PCT and that the PCT is the least difficult ever. I think the use of HCG during cycle is gaining popularity and will become as standard as the use of a SERM for PCT in the future. A new compound also beginning to see some use is HMG or human menopausal gonadtropin (SP?), this acts like HCG with the added benefit of mimicking FSH which increases the production of sperm In the testes. So far though there hasn't been much feedback on this though what I’ve seen claims it is quite effective, I would stick to just HCG for now.

Ancillaries during cycle
There are side effects that will be encountered during a cycle, and to minimize these side effects there are certain drugs that can be used to make the cycle more user friendly and safer. The main worry usually associated with a cycle is gyno. Gyno is the growth of breast tissue in men due to a high level of estrogen. Certain steroids such as testosterone are aromatized(converted to estrogen) in the body at a pretty high rate, dianabol also causes a great increase in estrogen. We don't want to completely reduce estrogen because it is necessary to keep our cholesterol in check as well as being somewhat anabolic by up-regulation androgen receptors (making more receptors for the steroid to bind to in the muscle to make it more effective) as well as glycogen storage(the carb fuel stored in muscle). The Ai used for this purpose are arimidex, letro, aromasin, and proviron.

Letro in my opinion is too strong of an AI and will kill your libido, though if you start to get signs of gyno you might want to deal with the lowered libido and use letro is lower your estrogen. There is one benefit of letro and that is that it doesn’t lower IGF (insulin growth factor, basically the hormone that signals your body to repair damaged muscle and cause it to grow) levels like arimidex dose. Letro can be used at low doses EOD to keep estrogen under control which will lower the chance of developing gyno and preventing bloat to a degree. The doses are very dependent on the user, steroid used, level of estrogen, bloat, proneness to gyno, etc... so I will leave dosages out cause you will have to research and experiment yourself to see what works. Personally I would save this for only instances where gyno starts to develop. Letro also causes a marked rebound of estrogen after its use is stopped. The use of letro with a SERM particularly tamoxifen causes a lowering of the levels of the tamoxifen by up to 40%, so using them both together is counterproductive.

Arimidex is my AI of choice, though I haven't tried aromisin or proviron so there will be disagreement here. Used at doses of .25 ED throughout the cycle(for me, YMMV) it controls bloat and prevents gyno. I would run it starting in week 3-4 of a test e cycle if I start to see some excessive water bloat, once again this is what I DO, so what you do might be completely different. Most users suggest to not run an AI until it's necessary as it will hinder your gains somewhat. The price of arimidex is also to my liking and doesn't lower estrogen as much as letro. Arimidex causes little estrogen rebound, especially when compared to letro.
Click to expand...
Best post I've read so far! Straight goldmine of info. Thx for your contribution.
 
Wow, thank you. this is a load of great info right here. This is a big help. Just to think of all the time and money spent on aquiring all this knowledge and this good man shares it with us right here. Thinking of making a 3ring binder with all the info I can find and study that shit!
 
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