cutting cycles are idiotic unless you are competing

[DECLAN]

Diet.

Very few take this part seriously, even among experienced users, but a newbie with an excellent diet it is extremely rare.

If your diet is nailed, you will stand out from the others. It will show in your results.

Because it’s the most boring and non enjoyable part of this game. Unless you’re eating junk, eating is a chore.

Meal preparation is also where most, myself included, have the most trouble. Having familial responsibilities and hectic life schedules, it becomes a challenge to be on point 100% of the time. We do what we can to avoid eating out but we have to balance our personal lives too so we don’t end up messing it up in exchange.

 

[malfeasance]

Having familial responsibilities and hectic life schedules, it becomes a challenge to be on point 100% of the time. We do what we can to avoid eating out but we have to balance our personal lives too so we don’t end up messing it up in exchange.

Me, too . . .

 

[Type-IIx]

Because it’s the most boring and non enjoyable part of this game. Unless you’re eating junk, eating is a chore.

Meal preparation is also where most, myself included, have the most trouble. Having familial responsibilities and hectic life schedules, it becomes a challenge to be on point 100% of the time. We do what we can to avoid eating out but we have to balance our personal lives too so we don’t end up messing it up in exchange.

Competitive guys usually have to repair broken relationships after their shows. That's part of what makes bodybuilding so difficult a sport to commit to long-term. Athletes are inherently selfish – they have to be. It can take a real toll.

 

[TurtleTank]

For me, I’ve been doing the diet so long that I don’t really even think about it. I was obese as a kid and have always had to be strict to maintain weight.

My wife and kid never knew any different from me, so there wasn’t ever an issue. My in laws hate me though, and everyone at work makes fun of me. “Still eating that chicken and rice” “Yep…”

 

[Mongo966]

everyone at work makes fun of me. “Still eating that chicken and rice” “Yep…”

You know there's a lot of respect there, though.
They make fun of it but they respect it because they could never handle it.
Even if they think it's weird or lame, they still respect it deep down.
I know because I'm usually that guy doing the teasing

 

[size28s]

Cool

Title basically sums it up; however, I will explain my reasoning behind this opinion. AAS excel in facilitating muscle accrual but do not possess the intrinsic capacity to facilitate fat loss. Subjecting yourself to elevated androgen levels solely for the purpose of fat reduction lacks logical coherence, especially when an efficacious alternative, such as a maintenance dosage (cruise), can yield similar results. Moreover, it is imperative to consider that individuals have a finite number of opportunities to engage in intense steroid regimens aka blasts. Wasting these finite opportunities on cutting cycles is an inefficient utilization of AAS potential benefits.

 

[TurtleTank]

Oh yeah, there’s definitely no ill will. I kinda like it, except when it’s the only thing they know about me and so they bring it up every time they see me. So awkward.

 

[malfeasance]

In 2022, when my wife and I both said we were not going to compete, our little kids (5 and 8 at the time) declared how happy they were.

Kids don't care about competitions (they called them "Mommy and Daddy's Strong Contests"). They care about time with Mom and Dad.

We thought we were doing well with the children, so their reaction took us by surprise. Kids notice the time involved.

 

[TurtleTank]

In 2022, when my wife and I both said we were not going to compete, our little kids (5 and 8 at the time) declared how happy they were.

Kids don't care about competitions (they called them "Mommy and Daddy's Strong Contests"). They care about time with Mom and Dad.

We thought we were doing well with the children, so their reaction took us by surprise. Kids notice the time involved.

Dang, that's a sobering thought. I compete in powerlifting, and my son thinks it's fun to watch me, but I've been leaning more and more towards bodybuilding, and that definitely does make me think.

I understand and agree that it's a totally different level of commitment and sacrifice.

 

[Greenbay68]

Title basically sums it up; however, I will explain my reasoning behind this opinion. AAS excel in facilitating muscle accrual but do not possess the intrinsic capacity to facilitate fat loss. Subjecting yourself to elevated androgen levels solely for the purpose of fat reduction lacks logical coherence, especially when an efficacious alternative, such as a maintenance dosage (cruise), can yield similar results. Moreover, it is imperative to consider that individuals have a finite number of opportunities to engage in intense steroid regimens aka blasts. Wasting these finite opportunities on cutting cycles is an inefficient utilization of AAS potential benefits.

I disagree. I find raising test in the 250-350 range with 100-150 deca is awesome for cutting. I can do hard cardio and recover, while my joints feel great and I hang onto muscle.

If I run 30-40 miles per week in addition to my lifting on 150-200mg test, I do lose size.

 

[ManK]

It is scientifically proven AAS do not have fat loss properties. That is the main premises on why I suggest not wasting cycles on cuts. Have you read anything I typed or are you just replying blindly?

scientifically someone demonstrated trenbolone is not fat burning??????
ahahahahahah

 

[TurtleTank]

I thought it was basic knowledge that AAS in general tells the body to store less fat? I mean, that's one of the basic hormonal changes between testosterone and estrogen, right?

 

[malfeasance]

Rats.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039128X14003109

"In 6 weeks, fat mass increased by 34 ± 7% in CTRLs (p < 0.01). Fat mass decreased by 37 ± 6% and lean mass increased by 11 ± 4% with TREN (p < 0.05)."


Some side effects, though.

 

[malfeasance]

More details available in the full pdf of the article. Improvements in body composition, cardiometabolic risk factors and insulin sensitivity with trenbolone in normogonadic rats - CORE Reader

 

[malfeasance]

Men.

Obese men, specifically.

Injecting testosterone results in more fat lost on hypo caloric diet compared to controls.

Effects of testosterone treatment on body fat and lean mass in obese men on a hypocaloric diet: a randomised controlled trial

Whether testosterone treatment has benefits on body composition over and above caloric restriction in men is unknown. We hypothesised that testosterone treatment augments diet-induced loss of fat mass and prevents loss of muscle mass.We conducted a randomised ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Men received either 1000 mg testosterone undecanoate (the standard ampoule strength in Australia) or visually identical placebo in oily base by deep intramuscular buttock injection at weeks 0 and 6 (manufacturer-recommended loading dose), and 10-weekly thereafter at weeks 16, 26, 36 and 46. The 10-weekly interval, in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations (10–14 weeks), was chosen to ensure therapeutic trough levels of 10–15 nmol/L [9] in obese men. Trough levels represent the therapeutic target immediately prior to the next dose and are lower than steady state targets (e.g. 13.9–24.3 nmol/L) recommended for topical treatment [10].

 

[malfeasance]

Note that in the last study, the diet is horrible for bodybuilding purposes, and the men were not resistance training.

Obviously, higher protein intake and weight training would have benefited the controls and the men with testosterone injections.

Note that the men on testosterone gained lean mass once the maintenance diet was instituted, whereas the controls did not. This should not come as a surprise, though, as we have all seen the study of testosterone and lean mass being dose dependent even with no weight training, that is, men put on muscle if they inject testosterone, even if they do not lift weights. We don't like to admit that here, but it has been studied, and it is true. There is a reason men have bigger muscles than women. Testosterone.

But raise testosterone, add protein, and add weight training, and look out!

 

[Megachocotone]

Title basically sums it up; however, I will explain my reasoning behind this opinion. AAS excel in facilitating muscle accrual but do not possess the intrinsic capacity to facilitate fat loss. Subjecting yourself to elevated androgen levels solely for the purpose of fat reduction lacks logical coherence, especially when an efficacious alternative, such as a maintenance dosage (cruise), can yield similar results. Moreover, it is imperative to consider that individuals have a finite number of opportunities to engage in intense steroid regimens aka blasts. Wasting these finite opportunities on cutting cycles is an inefficient utilization of AAS potential benefits.

Username checks out…

 

[TurtleTank]

Note that in the last study, the diet is horrible for bodybuilding purposes, and the men were not resistance training.

Obviously, higher protein intake and weight training would have benefited the controls and the men with testosterone injections.

Note that the men on testosterone gained lean mass once the maintenance diet was instituted, whereas the controls did not. This should not come as a surprise, though, as we have all seen the study of testosterone and lean mass being dose dependent even with no weight training, that is, men put on muscle if they inject testosterone, even if they do not lift weights. We don't like to admit that here, but it has been studied, and it is true. There is a reason men have bigger muscles than women. Testosterone.

But raise testosterone, add protein, and add weight training, and look out!

This is super helpful for me right now. Glad this topic came up, even if there was some erroneous info at the start. I’ve spent 30 years scared to eat even a modest calorie surplus since I gain fat so easily.

Ive been geared up for a while now and I’ve seen that I need more calories and less gets stored as fat, but it’s still a psychological barrier I wrestle with. I’m on my heaviest cycle yet right now and have some bloat going on, and I’m having to make myself stick to the facts and not let a little less definition deter me.