Arnold Schwarzenegger steroid cycle: 4 Dianabol + 1 Shot?

[CensoredBoardsSuck]

What years are you referring to? As far as I remember, Nolvadex wasn't even available in the U.S. until the late 1970s. And it wasn't used in bodybuilding until 1981. (Arnold retired from bodybuilding in 1980.)

This is a subject that interests me - moreso than what they are using today. From what I've been able to gather from other sources, I believe the doses mentioned in your link are probably accurate. The doses recommended in the original USH are very low. But, doses have continued to go higher since 1981. This leads me to believe the doses were higher in 1981 than 1971 when Arnold was competing and AAS use was unknown territory.

Regarding Nolva, I do not believe anyone was using serms at that time. Franco was sporting such a nasty case of gyno at the 81 Olympia, he looked like he was going to start lactating at any time. If serms were available, I think it's a pretty sure bet they would have used them.

You make a good point about dosages being limited by side effects. The resulting bloat and gyno would definitely be a factor in how high one could go and still achieve the shredded look for competition.

CBS

 

[fit2beking]

This is a subject that interests me - moreso than what they are using today. From what I've been able to gather from other sources, I believe the doses mentioned in your link are probably accurate. The doses recommended in the original USH are very low. But, doses have continued to go higher since 1981. This leads me to believe the doses were higher in 1981 than 1971 when Arnold was competing and AAS use was unknown territory.

Regarding Nolva, I do not believe anyone was using serms at that time. Franco was sporting such a nasty case of gyno at the 81 Olympia, he looked like he was going to start lactating at any time. If serms were available, I think it's a pretty sure bet they would have used them.

You make a good point about dosages being limited by side effects. The resulting bloat and gyno would definitely be a factor in how high one could go and still achieve the shredded look for competition.

CBS

Yeah that gyno was really bad.

 

[MR10X]

I have often given credit to Dan Duchaine for coming up with the idea of using Nolvadex for gyno when he published the Underground Steroid Handbook around 1980. But this book only helped popularized Nolvadex's use among the bodybuilding community at large. Was its use relatively common when and where you trained back then?

Patrick Arnold told me that Jeff Feliciano was actually the person who first proposed the use of Nolvadex for bodybuilders back in the late 70s. I contact Jeff and he confirmed he was likely the first person who suggested that bodybuilders use Nolvadex as an alternative to Clomid.

This obviously made me wonder when bodybuilders first started using Clomid. I asked Jeff and he said it was already the "go to" drug for gyno in the mid-70s at the Pacific Street Gold's Gym when he arrived on the scene.

So when did Clomid first appear in gyms as a gyno-buster for bodybuilders?

Thing is back then there was no internet so it was hard to get info. We got our info from an pharmacist that lived in georgia that was into body building and used AAS. we knew what was available from him but didnt get stuff from him. We had a source that was pharmaceutical grade,best i can remember was the highest strength test E or cyp was 200mg/ml,deca was 100mg/ml and durabolin was 50mg/ml,anavar was 5mg,winstrol was 2mg because it was vetanary drug,EQ was 50mg/ml again vet drug, i can remember my friend that actually got tren pellets implanted in him, didnt know about converting them back then.The most popular steroids were deca, dianabol,winstrol and anavar.I stopped using deca when i started using vet grade EQ,i liked it much better and never used deca again.

 

[shamrockbear1]

Its hard to believe these guys were growing to hat size on 500mg of test.... I did read once that Sergio Olivia was on tons of gear he would just throw a hand full of pills in a protein shake sounds more than 4 tabs he said there were so many pills the colors would swirl around...

 

[Millard]

This is a subject that interests me - moreso than what they are using today. From what I've been able to gather from other sources, I believe the doses mentioned in your link are probably accurate. The doses recommended in the original USH are very low. But, doses have continued to go higher since 1981. This leads me to believe the doses were higher in 1981 than 1971 when Arnold was competing and AAS use was unknown territory.

Regarding Nolva, I do not believe anyone was using serms at that time. Franco was sporting such a nasty case of gyno at the 81 Olympia, he looked like he was going to start lactating at any time. If serms were available, I think it's a pretty sure bet they would have used them.

You make a good point about dosages being limited by side effects. The resulting bloat and gyno would definitely be a factor in how high one could go and still achieve the shredded look for competition.

CBS

I wish there was more published information about patterns of AAS & bb drug use in the 60s and 70s. Like @MR10X said, the Internet has made a huge difference in the flow of information.

Bodybuilders decades from now will look back and comment and critique all of the practices that are currently going on. I wonder how they will feel about them? Will they laugh at our antiquated methods? Will they castigate us for our irresponsible use that further turned public against AAS? Or will they see our use as "conservative"?

 

[Millard]

Its hard to believe these guys were growing to hat size on 500mg of test.... I did read once that Sergio Olivia was on tons of gear he would just throw a hand full of pills in a protein shake sounds more than 4 tabs he said there were so many pills the colors would swirl around...

I don't know about Sergio. But not everyone back then used conservative dosages of steroids. Jerry Brainum said he personally witnessed Freddy Ortiz consume an entire bottle of Dianabol at one time.

Of course, 40 years later, Ortiz doesn't seem to recall it that way. He suggested he was "all natural" in a 2008 interview with David Robson:

[ Q ] Would you say that bodybuilding is a more dangerous sport today than it was in your day?

Today bodybuilders are damaging themselves because when I was bodybuilding nobody really knew about drugs. The only thing we did back then was go out on the weekends and a have a good time. Today people are dying from taking steroids and all that kind of stuff. And they abuse it. Back then we didn't have all that kind of stuff.

[ Q ] But you did have Dianabol back in the '60s.

That was the only thing around. Today they have hormones and needles and they are injecting everything. What they are putting into their bodies could damage their bodies.

[ Q ] Were you a natural competitor?

That is the way it is supposed to be, but today they use everything and damage their bodies.

[ Q ] So you were all natural?

I do believe that is the only way to do it.

Source: Bodybuilding.com - A Rare Interview With Legendary Bodybuilder Freddy Ortiz!

 

[CensoredBoardsSuck]

I wish there was more published information about patterns of AAS & bb drug use in the 60s and 70s. Like @MR10X said, the Internet has made a huge difference in the flow of information.

Bodybuilders decades from now will look back and comment and critique all of the practices that are currently going on. I wonder how they will feel about them? Will they laugh at our antiquated methods? Will they castigate us for our irresponsible use that further turned public against AAS? Or will they see our use as "conservative"?

This is an interesting article on the history of steroids in bodybuilding. He raises some of the same points I raised in an old thread while trying to make the case that Steve Reeves and Reg Park were natural.

The WeighTrainer Blog: The History of Steroids in Bodybuilding

 

[CensoredBoardsSuck]

Here's an ESPN article on the introduction of Dianabol to the 1963 San Diego Chargers. It states each player was given Dianabol - 5mg tid.

Football's first steroids team: the 1963 San Diego Chargers - ESPN

 

[Millard]

This is an interesting article on the history of steroids in bodybuilding. He raises some of the same points I raised in an old thread while trying to make the case that Steve Reeves and Reg Park were natural.

The WeighTrainer Blog: The History of Steroids in Bodybuilding

Here's an ESPN article on the introduction of Dianabol to the 1963 San Diego Chargers. It states each player was given Dianabol - 5mg tid.

Football's first steroids team: the 1963 San Diego Chargers - ESPN

@CBS If you are interested in learning more about these topics - history of steroids in bodybuilding + history of steroids in football - I would highly recommend Randy Roach's books and Matt Chaney's Spiral of Denial.

 

[Jimmyinkedup]

Excellent Thread. Thanks for posting this stuff guys.

 

[CensoredBoardsSuck]

@CBS If you are interested in learning more about these topics - history of steroids in bodybuilding + history of steroids in football - I would highly recommend Randy Roach's books and Matt Chaney's Spiral of Denial.

The history of drugs in general is an interest of mine. Quite a few drugs, even whole classes of drugs have some pretty fascinating stories - accidental discoveries, etc. I'll check those suggestions out. Thanks Millard.

 

[DieYoungStrong]

Football teams put dbol out for guys to eat with there food at team breakfasts back in the 60s.

Steroids have been a part of football for so long that it is part of the reason why there has never been the public outcry that there was over baseball.

You can't understand the violence of the nfl unless you have actually stood on the sideline and watched a game. TV and the stands do it no justice. I had the opportunity to stand on the field for a game.

I played a lot of football, but what goes on in that field when you see it up close is just carnage. You can't believe that a human can get up. They need all the recovery help they can get. It was not an issue, just an undiscussed part of the game, until Barry bonds came along and ruined everything for all the pro sports

 

[Millard]

I played a lot of football, but what goes on in that field when you see it up close is just carnage. You can't believe that a human can get up. They need all the recovery help they can get. It was not an issue, just an undiscussed part of the game, until Barry bonds came along and ruined everything for all the pro sports

A clear case of when the sport itself is far more dangerous than steroids.

 

[cvictorg]

http://goldenmuscles.com/steroids-cycles/steroid-cycle-from-arnold-schwarzenegger/

Arnold Schwarzenegger steroid cycle is a 26-week cycle combination of Primobolan injectable, Dianabol oral and Deca Durabolin injectable. Primobolan is injected for the first 20 weeks. Deca Durabolin is injected only on the 21st to 26th week. Dianabol is taken orally at a tapering dose from week 1 to week 26.

http://www.isteroids.com/steroids/arnold-schwarzenegger-cycle.html (Arnold Schwarzenegger cycle - iSteroids.com)

 

[Ravtech]

http://goldenmuscles.com/steroids-cycles/steroid-cycle-from-arnold-schwarzenegger/

Arnold Schwarzenegger steroid cycle is a 26-week cycle combination of Primobolan injectable, Dianabol oral and Deca Durabolin injectable. Primobolan is injected for the first 20 weeks. Deca Durabolin is injected only on the 21st to 26th week. Dianabol is taken orally at a tapering dose from week 1 to week 26.

http://www.isteroids.com/steroids/arnold-schwarzenegger-cycle.html (Arnold Schwarzenegger cycle - iSteroids.com)

26 straight weeks of dbol... My liver hurts just thinking about it.

 

[Millard]

Steroid Cycle from Arnold Schwarzenegger | STEROIDS CYCLES

Arnold Schwarzenegger steroid cycle is a 26-week cycle combination of Primobolan injectable, Dianabol oral and Deca Durabolin injectable. Primobolan is injected for the first 20 weeks. Deca Durabolin is injected only on the 21st to 26th week. Dianabol is taken orally at a tapering dose from week 1 to week 26.

Arnold Schwarzenegger cycle - iSteroids.com

References? Cites? It sounds like something the (anonymous) author made up.

 

[DieYoungStrong]

References? Cites? It sounds like something the (anonymous) author made up.

Weeks and weeks of 80-100mg of Dbol seems highly unlikely. Forget about the liver, how bout gyno. I just don't see how anyone could run that much Dbol for that long without E issues (they had no AI's back then).

Plus, if you read the guys "modern day Arnold cycle", it's pretty damn terrible.

Aside from maybe Franco and Dr. Kerr, I don't think anyone knows exactly what Arnold ran, other than Arnold. Yes, we can say he liked Primo and he once said Dbol was the breakfast of champions, but exact cycles and dosages are most likely just rumors.

 

[Millard]

And then you have Arnold's recollection of his steroid use:

“I learned to use the drugs in the final six or eight weeks leading up to a major competition,” wrote Schwarzenegger. “They could help you win, but the advantage they gave was about the same as having a good suntan.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Steroids Give Same Advantage as a Suntan in Bodybuilding

 

[shamrockbear1]

Wow I just tanned im ready for mr. Olympia

 

[DieYoungStrong]

Does anyone really expect Arnold to come out and go all Bostin Lloyd about his steroid use? He has admitted to using steroids several times. Isn't that enough? He's a major public figure. I at least give him props for being honest about his past.

I'd like to know his cycles as much as anyone else, but it's just unrealistic to expect him to lay out his program. Also, he's much more honest about most of the current IFBB pros who lie about their use, but again, I understand why they do it...MONEY!

With regards to his suntan comment, yes it is understatement, but I'm pretty set in my belief that Arnold had some of the best genetics, and the biggest motivation of any bodybuilder ever. Hell he went UA from the Austrian Army to do a bodybuilding show! With the lack of ancillaries, AI's, etc. in his time, I think people would be really surprised at his actual doses. I'd be willing to bet they are somewhere between what he claims, and what guys who claim he was running mega doses claim.

Also remember that every kid who reads about Arnold would be doing what he said he did, and he knows that. 95% of the kids in America have no clue who Bostin Lloyd is. EVERYBODY knows Arnold. His comments on steroid use are much more far reaching.

I just don't think mega dosing was possible back then without extreme side effects.