posted Wed, 04/18/2018 - 06:52
2570
+ 2 What would you do after some time off?
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Hi Guys. I have two cycles under my belt first one was a standard test-e 500 per week for 12 weeks, second was the same but with a prop kick start and taper. First cycle got me from around 175lbs upto around 190lbs, second cycle got me up to around 200lbs. PCT went fine on both, bloodwork all checks out fine too.
Unfortunately with a lot of work commitments, having two jobs and renovating a house, I've been out the gym for around 6/7 months. I've started back at the gym about two weeks ago but was wondering what you would do in my situation. Let the gains come back naturally until they start to plateau and then start another cycle or just start a new cycle now and get back to where I was last year as soon as possible?
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Those are some very good strength gains, but i wouldn't want to drop my weight that low. You might want consider a mini cycle leading into a blast! Based on how the mini goes you can determine what the main cycle should be.
Var is always good for a starter at 50mg/day. See how that goes than add from there.
Hey bro i was in your same situation 9 months off the gym, when i came back this guy I know told me to jump on a cycle straight away.
Instead i made a post like this, and everyone gave me the same advice you are getting now. So instead of doing a cycle, i learnt to use myfitnesspal and started counting cals and macros properly.
I’m making such awesome progress with this, that the guy that recommended me to jump on a cycle actually thinks i took his advice and i am “on” while the only thing ive been stacking is food lmao
Good for you fella ++
Tracking cals/macros is really the only way to get really far in this game. "Winging" it will keep you looking pretty much like everyone else who doesn't track there macros.
Absolutely. This is totally a game changer bro
Good man. +2
X2
Thanks for the advice. Just a bit of an update. I can confirm that in my situation, recomping is probably a real thing. I have dropped around 13lbs but all of my lifts have been going up whilst easting 2300 calories a day. I have plateau'd the last two weeks so will have a refeed week, adding in carbs to bring me up to 3000 calories a day and then drop back down to 2300 to see if I can keep lifting heavier and losing weight. I am aiming to get back to my strength levels from before I took some time off.
Just to give you an idea on my progress:
Bench press on 05/10/17- 90kg x 15, 100kg x 11, 100kg x 8
Bench press 12 weeks ago - 60kg x 12, 80kg x 8, 90kg x 5
Bench press last week - 100kg x 9, 100kg x 7, 90kg x 9
Bent over row on 06/10/17 - 100kg x 14, 100kg x 12, 100kg x 10
Bent over row 12 weeks ago - 60kg x 12, 70kg x 9, 70kg x 9
Bent over row last week - 100kg x 12, 110kg x 9, 110kg x 8
Squats on 27/07/17 - 140kg x 10, 140kg x 10, 140kg x 9
Squats 12 weeks ago - 100kg x 10, 100kg x 9, 110kg x 6
Squats last week - 130kg x 11, 130kg x 9, 130kg x 7
I have dropped from 178lbs to 165lbs which is lighter than before my first cycle except I am lifting nearly the same weight as after two cycles. It's probably due to the fact that i'm now a lot leaner with visible obliques, quad separation, starting to get a bit vascular and I have shoulder, chest and quad striations in the morning before food.
Starting a cycle straight off would have been extremely pointless. I `am making progress at the minute as if I am on a cycle. Also, it looks like I might be able to get back to my post two cycle strength levels naturally which is something I didn't think would happen. Hopefully the next 3 months goes as well as the last three
edit
routine has been P/P/L rest P/P/L rest
9 sets per workout for back, chest, quads
6 sets per workout for bi's, tri's, shoulders, hamstrings
Abs and calves on rest days
15 mins cardio post workout and occasionally 40 min cardio on rest days
Hey man - Those are some good strength gains for someone not on cycle, often I see fools 'on' cycle that can't match those numbers! It sounds like you are more strength orientated like myself so now you are back into the swing of things and are conditioned again you need to drop the number of reps you are doing esp on bench otherwise things will really stagnate. You'd be best shooting for 6 to 8 if you are still liooking for muscle size also...I'm sure you know all this though
Great numbers for his weight. Nice to see someone rowing as much as they bench too. It's sad how many people are unbalanced in that regard.
Honestly it's all pretty much been said below but if I was in your shoes I wouldn't touch any weights at all.
I would concentrate on using my own body weight to gain a bit of strength fitness back then step it up when your ready.
No point in going from 0-100 if you don't need to bro. As said below muscle memory will kick in and this could trick yourself into thinking your ready for steroids when you notice the changes early on.
Just my thoughts buddy good luck stay safe
Thanks for the tips everyone. I think you've all gave me the motivation to keep it natural for a while. I'll give it all i've got for the next 6 months or so and then see where i'm at
Like other members, I too had a time away from the gym... almost two years to be exact. My first step was to clean up my diet for a few weeks and get bloodwork. I then started training and then eating more appropriately for my goals and got bloodwork again. Its always beneficial to see where you stand for future bloodwork reference.
Also, its a tough sell to begin using gear again if your making good strides while off. If it isn't broke, don't try and fix it. Just my 2 pennies. -S
basskiller89Hit it hard for a couple months at least before you hop back on the test pony brother
Get back into a steady routine until you plateau. Then adjust diet and bust through that plateau and the next one.
Don’t disregard muscle memory. Push past your prior peaks. Eat and train like you’re on cycle, and when you’re ready to hit another one you’ll really see some benefits.
It takes forever to gain, and no time to lose it. Considering you were off 6-7 months, push with everything you got for a year and a half. By then it will be ritual again, and with proper diet, you can have everything you ever had and more. When you get to that point, assess everything and ask yourself if you can keep gaining.
Hey brother like all these guys stated hold off for now. Get your body used to dieting again and you're training regime. I had a serious injury was out for close to a year I contemplated the same situation as you are now.
I was ready to return and was frustrated cause due to not having the use of my left arm everything fell off diet,mentality etc. Came on here ask the guys what they would do eventually decided against it.
Within two months of solid lifting and dieting my body got back into shape as if I was running a cycle. Long story short you will get back there and when you do then you can focus and maximize on a well put together cycle everything else would be dialed in by then.
Good luck man update if you can comeback stories always can keep guys motivated.
Hello Sir,
Do not look for shortcuts as the sport we are doing in marathon not a sprint. Get back into a routine of training and your eating habits, give your mind and body a chance to adjust to all the stress you apply. If you gained some unnecessary fat, this is the time to get rid of it. Your goal for now should be to get back to your natural potential.
Hope this helps
Regards
I was in a similiar situation to yourself, I hadn't trained for around a year due to various reasons so I was totally unconditioned. I trained naturally for 6 months before doing any gear again but in all honesty I should have waited another 6 months to establish more natural muscle and get the ligaments/tendons properly strong again. Unfortunately I was so eager to get my strength back to where it was quickly together with the ease of ordering gear online and having it at the door the next day I gave in.....But yes give it at least 6 months and don't go watching youtube videos of people lifting insane weights or that will do your head in even more!
So Im almost in the same boat, kinda, maybe 7 weeks ago I pulled a muscle in my right forearm so bad the whole dam thing was purple for 2 weeks. Needless to say i was not lifting. I still did cardio and played baseball but stayed away from weights. This morning was my 1st day back. Did light back and biceps. I felt ok but definitely needed to go slow. I had originally planned a cycle to start at the end of May. Depending on how I feel it may go on hold. I know how my strength changes when on and the last thing I want to do is permanently damage myself just to cycle. Take it slow and easy. You can do a run when you have been back at it awhile. We only get 1 body. Not worth fucking it up.
Good luck
Get back in to a routine first - sort your diet right, get your strength back to where it used to be, get your mindset right. Then set yourself a goal as this will determine whether AAS needed at all. If weightlifting and competition is not all your life maybe AAS are not even needed
Unless your in a potion where you can put 110% into your diet and training without any restrictions or distractions to take your time and concentration away from your goals then I would push you in the direction of putting any thought of using gear on the back burner for now. Set yoursel some reasonable and attainable natural goals and strive to not only reach but surpass them. Once you have met them goals and your at a point where you can then give 200% of your time into your diet and training then that is the time you can begin to then research a good cycle for yourself. Seems that you have a good knowledge of cycles, bloods and PCT so you should understand the importance of waiting before you just jump back into gear. Play in smart brother.
I recently came back after being out for six months due to illness, then four weeks later was out for another six weeks due to injury. Speaking from experience I can tell you to just let it come back naturally. You need to get the secondary support muscles and connective tissue that you don't use as often or push as hard in day to day life.
You also need to start light and re-establish the mind to muscle connection and ensure that your form is where it should be. You will gain a lot of strength back quickly as muscle memory begins to kick in and those support muscles and connective tissues begin getting used to lifting again.
How has your diet been off cycle? Even though I wasn't able to lift while I was out I was still able to do cardio and maintained a pretty good diet. Regardless, I lost a good bit of mass and when I started lifting again I needed to recalculate my TDEE and adjust my macros to ensure proper nutrition to support weight lifting one again. I would be willing to bet that your body composition has changed a good bit during this time off and you need to get an update, accurate bodyfat %, recalculate your TDEE and then make a diet plan accordingly.
If you jump straight into a cycle a lot of it will be wasted as your body readjust to lifting and you work to dial your diet back in. You are also likely to miss a few days early on due to the "newb" muscle soreness.
Also, jumping straight into a cycle will put you at an increased risk of injury as your strength will be increasing faster than your connective tissue will be adjusting to lifting again.
In short, take about two months to ride the muscle memory wave, get your diet dialed back in and your form nailed down. In that time you should be at least approaching where you were when you stopped assuming you haven't been sitting around mainlining beer and big macs for the last 7 months. At that point you will be ready to begin safely contemplating another cycle and in a much better position to make some solid gains.
Like I said, I am not too far out from a somewhat similar situation so shoot me a friend request if you want to chat about it in more detail.
Solid advice.
I'd wait a while to start another cycle , you need time to get back to your routine of going to the gym and diet . If you do a cycle to get back to the way you were it'll be wasted in my opinion , get back in the same shape you were and if you want to cycle then go ahead .
Rebuild, don't cycle until you've maxed out your natural potential.
https://www.eroids.com/forum/general/general-talk/steroids-are-not-for-g...
This is not how steroids work... Stay natural until you get a few months back into the routine.
Thanks, thats probably the most sensible option. Do you think I should be looking to gain muscle or lose fat? Would a recomp be a realistic option due to newbie gains/muscle memory, or is that just a load of crap?
Dominick77Let some time pass until you jump back on, get your body and mind acclimated with the weights and gym lifestyle. I wouldn't start with the gear for another 6 months personally, just get your diet and training dialed in 100%. Also, I would get as lean as I possibly can BEFORE jumping back on AAS. Good luck to you man.
Trying to ride 2 horses with 1 ass. Very tough to do.
Dominick77Yep. Damn near impossible.
That depends. Where’s your body fat at right now? I’ve never done a recomp. I know they’re possible but not exactly an efficient way of making progress. I’d focus less on that right now and more on getting back into the routine, the dieting, the grind and give that muscle memory some time to get you back up and running.
I am in the midst of what I would consider a "long term recomp" (I just made that term up). Like I said in my earlier comment, I have missed 7 of the last nine months due to injury and illness, so my goal from the end of March until the beginning of September is to get my strength and endurance back to where it was last Spring while bringing my body fat% down to the 11-12% range just using my TRT dose. Then run a solid bulking cycle from September-December. Basically looking to strip the house down to the foundation and rebuild a solid structure on top of that.
Uncharted territory for me but it is going well so far. I have never tried an AAS enhanced recomp. I would rather be able to focus on one target while blasting.
But you’re going into it with the right mindset, which is opposite from what everyone thinks a recomp is - gaining 20lbs of muscle and losing 8% bf. you’re looking at it as a reset, a time to get your body primed for a good solid run.
I’m glad it’s working out for you, and it gives me hope as I’ve been out of it for quite some time and am slowly starting to get everything back in order, and am making a similar approach to you. Focus on losing the slob bod I’ve built up in my time off, eating right and trying to eat in a completely new and different way, training with a better mindset, and working towards getting to as you say, the stripped down foundation. Whenever I feel I’m ready to get back on the gravy train I will, but I’m not committed to a date at all. Could be a few months, could be a year or two. Right now I’m focused on reprogramming my habits from the ground up!
Good to hear it’s working for someone else, gives me inspiration! Good luck And hang in there, it’ll pay off in the end!
Thanks man! I definitely think that "reset" is a much better term for how it should be approached than "recomp". The vast majority have unrealistic expectations from a 12-15 week recomp cycle.
You are absolutely taking the right approach and very wise to be able to recognize where you are mentally and not jump into something that you are not ready for.
A huge advantage that we now have that we didn't have when we really first started is the knowledge of "how" to do it best based on what works for us. The knowledge of what to do, how to do it and the confidence that it will work because it has in the past is huge.
Good luck moving forward brother. I am sure that you will kill it when your ready. Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement.
Absolutely, i, and I believe I’m not alone in this, am so much more knowledgeable than when I first started thanks to this site that it really is night and day the way I’m going about things now than I was before. And even with all that I’ve learned, there’s still so much left!
I look forward to seeing your progress going forward man, keep at it!
So true. Knowing exactly where you need your calories, macros, weight/rep ranges etc to achieve your desired goals makes all the difference in the world. I used to be awful about trying something new and then abandoning it for something else without giving it time to show results before I found this site.
I'd say around 16%, abs are slightly visible if i tense them. I've lost about 25-30kg from each of my big lifts. Yeah I was possibly thinking the same, get diet back on track, lift some heavy weights, do some cardio and assess where I'm at in 8-12 weeks or so?
RustyhookerEat for the desired goal, lift hard, proper sleep....6months from now reasses. You could be stronger and bigger if you push hard.
At 5-8, 200 solid natural shouldnt be hard to do
Your right 5-8 200lbs is a solid size. With a little spit and elbow grease he could have a really nice foundation from which he could grow exponentially without even the first thought of any peds.