Veganesthie
New Member
So I fully intended to do a whole log when I began this cycle but time got away from me and I'm in school, so now I'm on the last day. However, I still thought my cycle could be beneficial for some women and also could use some advice for the next time I decide to do a cycle. Thus, I am doing an overview.
About me: cyclist first and foremost, half marathoner, triathlete, lift 2-3x a week(legs once, upper body twice, always deadlifts).
Weight: ~120
Height: 5'3"
Goals: build up the thighs to get faster on the bike and build the upper body strength which was lacking.
I did five week cycle(short, but it was my first) of BionichePharma Oxandrolone 10mg. I started with 5mg for the first two weeks, then up to 10mg a day split morning and night for two weeks, then back down to 5mg for a week.
In the first week I definitely noticed endurance with lifting and could do more without fatigue. In less than I week I noticed my lats growing. Glycogen bulge I suppose. No side effects in the first week.
Second week was about the same except pumps on the bike got intense. I would plan my dose around when I would be doing some serious riding because if I took var before riding my legs would burn so bad. I bike commute but since those were only a few miles I could take var in the morning before heading to class, but I would still get pumps in my legs on the hills.
Third week was when I increased to 10mg. The first side effects I noticed that were substantial happened in this week. Insomnia! I've never had a problem sleeping but during my two 10mg weeks I could NOT sleep. Even if I went out and biked 40 miles that day I just couldn't fall asleep. Oddly enough, it actually helped me sleep better if I took my last dose right before bed rather than a few hours before bed.
Second side effect was acne, I broke out like crazy and still have been throughout the cycle. I did get some acne before, but this is much worse than I've had. I tried masks and peels and such but it's been a struggle. It is also why I decided to end the cycle a week short because I have a wedding to go to in two weeks and I don't want a face full of acne.
Positives: I noticed substantial strength increase in my lifting. I'm not interested in lifting HUGE amounts, but I do like to see that I am strong enough to leg press 200lbs at 3x10. One of my goals was also to be able to do a pull-up as a cyclist who never trained arms much. I can't yet do an unassisted pull-up, but I've gotten a lot closer to that goal. I noticed some, not much, but some fat loss on my stomach.
Fourth week: This is where I really started feeling muscle growth. The jigglyness in my thighs have become firm and muscular. My friend noticed that my quads had gotten larger and more defined, the last time I saw her was probably a week before the cycle. She also noticed that my arms had gotten bigger and more defined. Cycling pumps were pretty intense this week. I went on a short group ride and recall climbing one ridiculous hill and my quads feeling like they were about to explode. Booty is poppin though! It was visibly lifted, firmer and bigger this week. I weighed myself once(the only time the whole cycle) with clothes on and after lunch I was 130lbs. Without lunch and clothes I was probably closer to 126.
Fifth and last week: I got some good lifting in this week to make the most of my final week. I also ran to and from the gym(4 total miles) yesterday, which felt AMAZING. I had held off on running for the cycle because I wanted to focus more on lifting and its not race season. I mostly just ran a mile as a warm up before lifting. Running yesterday felt awesome though. I felt like I was keeping pace without even trying and my legs felt strong. I have a history of IT band syndrome and sciatica and I didn't feel a twinge of pain. I believe a lot of the strength I've built in my thighs with a huge focus on heavy stretching has helped a lot with my pain issues.
Overall: I really liked the results I got in endurance, strength and toning. I retained a lot of water during the cycle and have had some bloating, rings not fitting, etc. I hope that comes off pretty quickly afterwards(anyone have experience with this??).
Food: I think everyone eats so differently but in case anyone is curious about what I eat, I'm vegan. I eat a lot of vegetables, beans, grains, smoothies(with PlantFusion protein powder), flax, chia, hempseeds, nuts, tofu, bananas, avocado on toast, hummus, bagels, gardein mock meats, beast burgers, and such. I tried to get to at least 90g of protein per day. I tried to eat more than I burned which varied significantly on any given day since I might be at a desk all day or I might bike 40 miles.
Hope this was informative for some! Questions? Advice?
About me: cyclist first and foremost, half marathoner, triathlete, lift 2-3x a week(legs once, upper body twice, always deadlifts).
Weight: ~120
Height: 5'3"
Goals: build up the thighs to get faster on the bike and build the upper body strength which was lacking.
I did five week cycle(short, but it was my first) of BionichePharma Oxandrolone 10mg. I started with 5mg for the first two weeks, then up to 10mg a day split morning and night for two weeks, then back down to 5mg for a week.
In the first week I definitely noticed endurance with lifting and could do more without fatigue. In less than I week I noticed my lats growing. Glycogen bulge I suppose. No side effects in the first week.
Second week was about the same except pumps on the bike got intense. I would plan my dose around when I would be doing some serious riding because if I took var before riding my legs would burn so bad. I bike commute but since those were only a few miles I could take var in the morning before heading to class, but I would still get pumps in my legs on the hills.
Third week was when I increased to 10mg. The first side effects I noticed that were substantial happened in this week. Insomnia! I've never had a problem sleeping but during my two 10mg weeks I could NOT sleep. Even if I went out and biked 40 miles that day I just couldn't fall asleep. Oddly enough, it actually helped me sleep better if I took my last dose right before bed rather than a few hours before bed.
Second side effect was acne, I broke out like crazy and still have been throughout the cycle. I did get some acne before, but this is much worse than I've had. I tried masks and peels and such but it's been a struggle. It is also why I decided to end the cycle a week short because I have a wedding to go to in two weeks and I don't want a face full of acne.
Positives: I noticed substantial strength increase in my lifting. I'm not interested in lifting HUGE amounts, but I do like to see that I am strong enough to leg press 200lbs at 3x10. One of my goals was also to be able to do a pull-up as a cyclist who never trained arms much. I can't yet do an unassisted pull-up, but I've gotten a lot closer to that goal. I noticed some, not much, but some fat loss on my stomach.
Fourth week: This is where I really started feeling muscle growth. The jigglyness in my thighs have become firm and muscular. My friend noticed that my quads had gotten larger and more defined, the last time I saw her was probably a week before the cycle. She also noticed that my arms had gotten bigger and more defined. Cycling pumps were pretty intense this week. I went on a short group ride and recall climbing one ridiculous hill and my quads feeling like they were about to explode. Booty is poppin though! It was visibly lifted, firmer and bigger this week. I weighed myself once(the only time the whole cycle) with clothes on and after lunch I was 130lbs. Without lunch and clothes I was probably closer to 126.
Fifth and last week: I got some good lifting in this week to make the most of my final week. I also ran to and from the gym(4 total miles) yesterday, which felt AMAZING. I had held off on running for the cycle because I wanted to focus more on lifting and its not race season. I mostly just ran a mile as a warm up before lifting. Running yesterday felt awesome though. I felt like I was keeping pace without even trying and my legs felt strong. I have a history of IT band syndrome and sciatica and I didn't feel a twinge of pain. I believe a lot of the strength I've built in my thighs with a huge focus on heavy stretching has helped a lot with my pain issues.
Overall: I really liked the results I got in endurance, strength and toning. I retained a lot of water during the cycle and have had some bloating, rings not fitting, etc. I hope that comes off pretty quickly afterwards(anyone have experience with this??).
Food: I think everyone eats so differently but in case anyone is curious about what I eat, I'm vegan. I eat a lot of vegetables, beans, grains, smoothies(with PlantFusion protein powder), flax, chia, hempseeds, nuts, tofu, bananas, avocado on toast, hummus, bagels, gardein mock meats, beast burgers, and such. I tried to get to at least 90g of protein per day. I tried to eat more than I burned which varied significantly on any given day since I might be at a desk all day or I might bike 40 miles.
Hope this was informative for some! Questions? Advice?
