Are steroids worth it?

[depfife]

With a well thought out cycle, and proper pct, what % of steroid gained muscle will a body builder keep for the long haul? and how hard does one have to work to keep what % ? Arnold Schwarzenegger still looks big and strong. Is a lot of that residual "roid muscle"?
Please, what do you think your "keeper" % is, people?

[hankdiesel]

It depends on your diet and training after the cycle is over. Generally I can keep a good portion. If you stay off long enough you will eventually go back to your natural peak......assuming you have already reached it.

[sizerp]

This is a hypothetical question. It's hard to answer, as each individual differs. Roid muscle is no different from non-roid muscle. Not sure what you meant by that. The ability to maintain weight past ones genetic potential is obviously more difficult than a newbie running their first time bulker for example. If you don't use it you lose it. However, muscles don't breakdown overnight, keep that in mind too.

[MuscleScience]

They are completely not worth it if your not 100% committed to training, cardio and proper diet. Not for a month or three months or a year. If your going that route, you have to be 100% committed to the lifestyle.

[TITANIUM]

Agreed.

It is a life style.

Best

T

[c-Z]

They are completely not worth it if your not 100% committed to training, cardio and proper diet. Not for a month or three months or a year. If your going that route, you have to be 100% committed to the lifestyle.

100% agree with the 100%

[depfife]

Thanks for the reply MuskelWissenschaft... That's not entirely what i was asking... but all comments are welcome..

[ted666]

coulnt of said it better "ITS A LIFESTYLE" period...

[TITANIUM]

Thanks for the reply MuskelWissenschaft... That's not entirely what i was asking... but all comments are welcome..

It was answered.

T

[sizerp]

This is a great post by Marcus.

AAS- Tips on keeping gains for the moderate user*

[depfife]

Thanks sizerp... it IS good... and I know a lot about lifestyle... I'm be a marathoner for 31 yrs. but now... want to bring that same intensity to the weightroom...Thanks to all !!!

[depfife]

Guess I phased it wrong..Should have said.. after your cycle, and you "live the lifestyle" how much do you keep.I know all about "living lifestyles". I've been a distance runner for 31 yrs.

[D7M]

Guess I phased it wrong..Should have said.. after your cycle, and you "live the lifestyle" how much do you keep.I know all about "living lifestyles". I've been a distance runner for 31 yrs.

in my experience, if you train and diet properly in pct you can retain most of what you got in your cycle.

sure, you'll loose water weight.

the problem is alot of inexperienced guys who say they gain 30lbs on a cycle are confusing new tissue with fat and water. You don't need to get fat to put on muscle.

but if you gain 30+ lbs of fat and water on a cycle, you can probably bank on loosing a good portion of that in pct.

[ninesecz]

this is my first cycle in a couple years and to be honest.. with how good my diet is and going back to my trt dose immediatley afterwards, If i do not keep 85-90% I will be unhappy! Just me though cause i know my body good and have been doing this for years! But I will qlso not see the same gains as a smaller 1st time user either

[crazy_rocks]

i knew a guy who got huge and of course he lost a certain amount but still impressive. anyways a year and a half to 2 years later when we were both in korea he still added 12 pounds without steroids . he was happy.

[marcus300]

With a well thought out cycle, and proper pct, what % of steroid gained muscle will a body builder keep for the long haul? and how hard does one have to work to keep what % ? Arnold Schwarzenegger still looks big and strong. Is a lot of that residual "roid muscle"?
Please, what do you think your "keeper" % is, people?

AAS have transformed my whole body and I doubt i will ever go back to my natural self.

[ranging1]

it all depends
for soemone who is far beyond their genetic potential e.g arnold, it difficult to maintain that size becuase hes SO much bigger then what he could naturally acheieve, and muscle mass does require nutrition, training and hormones to maintain it, so the further past ur genetic potential u go, the harder it becomes to maintain and keep ur muscle mass

as for after each cycle, and keeping ur gains after it, it all depnds on ur diet after the cycle and AGAIN how BIG and beyond ur genetics u are

most people aim for 80%, thats a goood number of what is maintainable after a cycle (provided u arent a monster, who prob loose more then this)

also u said ur a marathon runner? being that its VERY likely that u would loose almost all ur muscle mass, since marathon running burns muscle mass, its the reaosn why u dont see bulky marathon runners

[jasperhup]

imo if you get very strong and use that to your advantage (so that when you mass vs strength type training you are strong enough to lift big enough to stimulate more growth, even when clean) you can get jacked and stay that way for a long time. if you are a pumper toner and sort of swell up while on it will invariably shrink when off. some combo of these (and probably other types) types of growth will most likely result in the best end product, so i think in the long term if you train hard most of the time, take sensible breaks, and avoid injury, steroids can help you get permanently bigger and stronger.

[depfife]

"also u said ur a marathon runner? being that its VERY likely that u would loose almost all ur muscle mass, since marathon running burns muscle mass, its the reaosn why u dont see bulky marathon runners" -ranging1
To comment on ranging1 post... I have done a lot of research on this topic. Some of what he says is kind of true, but mostly not. Distance running burns glycogen stores 1st... then fat... then, and rarely so... muscle.
It does take an extrodinary amount of calories to fuel the body for very long distances, so the right high calorie diet in essential, for muscle development and high aerobic exercise.
This being said, it is still rather difficult to be "MR. World" and run marathons, for your body will try to compensate with leaner longer muscles, rather than the "popping out" bulk variety. That is why I've scaled down to more of the 5K races.
I thank people like ranging1 and everyone for their comments and experiences, for it is good fuel for thought..
-Depfife

[aldemoro]

i did my first cycle and pct i lost 80% of it the guys who dont loose it are the ones who do long cycles and at the end hit trt