Public Service Bulletin for Newbies

[Astartes]

I have watched newbies and vets alike make a critical error time and time again over the years, and though I’m sure the advice has been given ad nauseam in threads I wanted to make one that offers people the opportunity to sound off.

Gentlemen and Ladies…

STOP changing your PEDs every week to 4 weeks!! You are shorting yourself and creating mental and physical confusion.

Why do I say this? The steroid plotter and other tools like it are poorly understood as are PEDd by the vast majority of users.

Today’s PED users have such a vast array of substances that they trade them like Tinder users trade connections. Our society is stuck in the rut of instant gratification.

With ZERO exceptions… PEDs don’t work this way. Not even Halo. Nothing is instantaneous and everything requires months to stabilize and evaluate.

Steroid plotter and tools like it that evaluate blood levels do not tell you when the bio mechanical benefits will max or when you should expect or determine you have stabilized and are seeing the tangible gym related gains.

Why?

Because so many things happen _after_ blood levels peak or level off. Freed levels of hormone (cleaved from their Esther chains) aren’t done or simply objects that plug in the androgen receptor and turn on growth and mechanical strength like a lightbulb.

I see time and time again folks who are so damn impatient and neurotic switching their cycles out of boredom or an (candidly juvenile) irrational fear of lack of results.

I’m not going to go in to all the scientific details. I’ll let much more educated folks sound off and join in in agreement or not.

However, suffice it to say. PED use (much like body building or power lifting) for muscle building and retention is a patient man’s endeavor. It is something the level headed critical thinkers are at a significant advantage in.

Breathe. Relax. Analyze.

Take a month. Reassess. Find your plan and stick to it. Stop the micro and macro changes unless they are pre-planned.

I promise you will thank me.

PS. Same goes for Ancillaries. Stop changing them up like a fraternity homecoming date.

EDIT: Transitionary levels/fluctuation (and changing up doses before they have stabilized) is also one of the largest contributors to symptoms of erectile dysfunction, hair shedding, acne, psychological symptoms, energy loss, etc.

Putting yourself in a constant state of transition/flux is a quick way to create/exacerbate a wealth of side issues unnecessarily.

 

[readalot]

May the Lord (or similar) Bless you. Thank you for this.

Pharmacokinetics vs. Pharmacodynamics.

Example

Onset of effects of testosterone treatment and time span until maximum effects are achieved - PMC

Testosterone has a spectrum of effects on the male organism. This review attempts to determine, from published studies, the time-course of the effects induced by testosterone replacement therapy from their first manifestation until maximum effects ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Getting said drugs to stabilized transient levels in your bloodstream is but the first step.

Chapter 1 Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics - Nursing Pharmacology - NCBI Bookshelf

 

[Fattyone]

There’s a giant neon sign that says new members read this and they never do. Doubt they’ll read this but good on you for taking the time.

Main reason I hate people. They ruin everything.

 

[Astartes]

There’s a giant neon sign that says new members read this and they never do. Doubt they’ll read this but good on you for taking the time.

Main reason I hate people. They ruin everything.

One can only try brother. If I reach just two guys. It was worth the 10 minutes while doing shrugs.

 

[XoReMuS]

Great writeup about having common sense and patience with PED's @Astartes
It's usually a great idea to start off low and leverage everything else first, especially food, before increasing dosages. Maybe a test only cycle until you see no more growth while eating correctly. Then up the Test and do it again until no growth. Maybe add Mast or Primo and go again until there is absolutely no gains. Small increments to ensure a long and more healthy career in bodybuilding.

 

[Juicedhead]

Yeah the younger guys (im 30 so im not old but not young) have access to way to much shit.

 

[AlexDavis43]

Pharmacokinetics vs. Pharmacodynamics.

I read a fun albeit oversimplified explanation of this: pharmacokinetics is what happens to the drug in your body; pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to your body.

 

[mknodc13]

Yeah I’ll be honest with ya, I needed to read this.

 

[lukiss96]

So young guys switch steroids every 1-4 weeks is that a trend now? I'm sorry, I must be old then.

While I agree that stuff takes to work, it's not true for every drug. Most injectables (that any have ester) do take some time to work and here I can agree that it takes few weeks to a month for most to show effects.

On the other hand when it comes to orals, they're short term thing and they need to be treated like that. Now I used orals many, many times and more than I needed. Thing is I believe 4-6 weeks is excessive for almost all orals. I see them nothing more as a road block smasher type of stuff later on in the planned cycle when you inevitably hit strength/weight gain plateau. This usually means 2-3 weeks at most.

 

[buzzingonaas]

So young guys switch steroids every 1-4 weeks is that a trend now? I'm sorry, I must be old then.

I think it’s moreso “I’m going to run 400 test for 14 weeks and anavar the last 6.” 3 weeks later.. “I’m going to add 300mg of primo now”… 3 weeks later “did the primo hit yet? I’m feeling bloated. better take an arimidex”.. 3 weeks later “i feel like death. is my e2 high or low? is the primo the problem or the arimidex? maybe i should switch to masteron”

 

[Astartes]

So young guys switch steroids every 1-4 weeks is that a trend now? I'm sorry, I must be old then.

While I agree that stuff takes to work, it's not true for every drug. Most injectables (that any have ester) do take some time to work and here I can agree that it takes few weeks to a month for most to show effects.

On the other hand when it comes to orals, they're short term thing and they need to be treated like that. Now I used orals many, many times and more than I needed. Thing is I believe 4-6 weeks is excessive for almost all orals. I see them nothing more as a road block smasher type of stuff later on in the planned cycle when you inevitably hit strength/weight gain plateau. This usually means 2-3 weeks at most.

Per your last few posts @lukiss96 … you are officially in the old man’s club. Ha! You complain about teenagers and young 20 year olds and per the universal “grandfather” law you are now an honorary pissed off old codger.

 

[Astartes]

I think it’s moreso “I’m going to run 400 test for 14 weeks and anavar the last 6.” 3 weeks later.. “I’m going to add 300mg of primo now”… 3 weeks later “did the primo hit yet? I’m feeling bloated. better take an arimidex”.. 3 weeks later “i feel like death. is my e2 high or low? is the primo the problem or the arimidex? maybe i should switch to masteron”

^^^

 

[lukiss96]

I think it’s moreso “I’m going to run 400 test for 14 weeks and anavar the last 6.” 3 weeks later.. “I’m going to add 300mg of primo now”… 3 weeks later “did the primo hit yet? I’m feeling bloated. better take an arimidex”.. 3 weeks later “i feel like death. is my e2 high or low? is the primo the problem or the arimidex? maybe i should switch to masteron”

That's classic.

Per your last few posts @lukiss96 … you are officially in the old man’s club. Ha! You complain about teenagers and young 20 year olds and per the universal “grandfather” law you are now an honorary pissed off old codger.

Count me in then.

 

[ChevChelios]

One can only try brother. If I reach just two guys. It was worth the 10 minutes while doing shrugs.

Brotha it’s very much appreciated, I’m not one of em people who do this but I am a new guy n I do tend to overthink some stuff n often want to try new stuff out, but both my common sense and your post make it clear it’s usually better to keep shit to the OG plan. I hope more people read this as it’s far too common to see that be it here or anywhere else

 

[BoloYang2023]

but @readalot @Mongo966 @Deskoze38192 these guys told me to change every pin lmfao hahah naw jk but you right @Astartes

 

[Deskoze38192]

but @readalot @Mongo966 @Deskoze38192 these guys told me to change every pin lmfao hahah naw jk but you right @Astartes

Bruh, pin everyday…not change everyday lol

 

[Mongo966]

but @readalot @Mongo966 @Deskoze38192 these guys told me to change every pin lmfao hahah naw jk but you right @Astartes

I did nothing of the sort. I've told you to suck my balls on several occasions though. That might be where the confusion lays.

However, suffice it to say. PED use (much like body building or power lifting) for muscle building and retention is a patient man’s endeavor. It is something the level headed critical thinkers are at a significant advantage in.

Great post. I'd like to emphasize this part: Get a level-headed thinker in your corner. In my opinion it's the main reason why it's absolutely necessary to have a coach no matter what level you're at. If you're serious enough to take these drugs to make progress you're serious enough to give a few bucks to a coach; Someone who isn't you and whose opinion you know you'll respect when they say stuff to you that you don't want to hear like "bro you're on track, keep doing what you're doing whether you like it or not" or "we're making these adjustments whether you think it's a great idea or not."
Experience is pure gold in life. No matter what circles you travel in you'll never really have to pay someone what they're actually owed for the experience they've gathered over years and years of doing something. As you get older you'll appreciate that fact more and more.
When I frame it this way, you might suddenly find that the idea of allocating a small percentage of your PED bill towards coaching seems too logical to ignore. You're incredibly welcome.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

STOP changing your PEDs every week to 4 weeks!! You are shorting yourself and creating mental and physical confusion

Gotta confuse the muscle, that's how you generate growth. It's like doing 4rm one day and doing 300 reps the next.

#Amidoingitright?

 

[Astartes]

I'd like to emphasize this part: Get a level-headed thinker in your corner.

Coach, spouse, best friend. I agree. We all need a good sounding board. My wife in my case has saved me from myself more times than I can count.

 

[Mongo966]

My wife in my case has saved me from myself more times than I can count.

My wife has always told me I look great no matter how objectively terrible I've looked. She's great. A heart of gold. One hell of an enabler when it comes to me getting in the way of my own fitness goals though. Italians.