How should i train during pct?

[x_SANDMAN_x]

Im almost done with my first cycle. So i will be starting pct soon. I was wondering how should i train during pct, should i continue training like i am now. Which is 4_5 days a week. Really intensive.

[c-Z]

I don't change my intensity or training schedule at all... its hard because obviously coming off a cycle your going to tend to loose a little bit of weight and strength. So you can't train at the same mark you were while on cycle.. but i still keep it just as hard.

[Jsik98]

Increase your calorie intake and work out as hard as you have been to keep as much of your gains as possible. Besides being on a good pct regimen, if you add in effervescent creatine (none of that fancy sh*t, GNC brand is good), it will help you keep your stength up alot. Best time to take it is on an empty stomach in the morning and don't eat anything for 30 mins to let it absorb. Good Luck.

[mg1228]

from what ive read---u need to eat 200-300 cals more than u have been and cut ur workouts in half---yes in half---and do not go to failure, ever--

thats all i have ever read

[mg1228]

Keeping gains-

These tips are for the moderate user and not for the high dose or long term AAS user, these basic methods will help maintain a degree of muscularity while in the off period. If all procedures are carried out during cycle you would of maximise gains and will be carrying new muscle tissue, then you need to focus on the off period and put yourself in an optimal position to keeping your new found gains once the cycle is stopped.

Recovery- One of the areas of focus is the HPTA (Hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis), Recovering the HPTA is vital to maintaining gains, typically on a 10-12 week standard AAS cycle will almost certainly cause full suppression/shutdown despite any strategies we might undertake. The natural androgen production needs to be quickly recovered so anabolic hormones are up and running to help maintain the new found muscle. This is why post cycle therapy is vital and the correct protocol's are adhered to. Shorter cycles are becoming increasingly more popular because with these type of cycles there is a significant chance you will have testicular function straight after or very shortly after the cycle as stopped and recovery looks to be alot faster, not in all cases that would depend on compounds used but overall, the shorter the cycle the quicker the recovery.

Once the cycle as stopped we must preserve our gains and if steps haven't been taken during cycle we must now take some steps to reduce estrogen binding in the hypothalamus.You have to look at post cycle estrogen this can be a huge problem for some and this will have a negative impact on recovery of your HPTA just like androgens can and do in this period. The only way to fully recover your HPTA is to completely come off cycle, with this day and age of PCT compounds to recover with, the job will be alot easier. Problems occur if you stayed on cycle for to long or keep taking low suppression drugs to bridge cycles together, all this will have an effect on your HPTA and long term health. Recovery and maintenance of the new found gains are the objects at this stage and stay as healthy as possible, remember suppression and shutdown are linked they both effect your HPTA, so get a decent PCT protocol and recover as fast as possible. The common ancillary drugs what will support the post cycle and the recovery period are clomid,nolvadex ,a-dex and HCG to name a few. Please check out the PCT section and the stickies for protocols and further advice.

Nutrition - is another area which we must focus on to help maintain the new found gains, after a cycle androgen levels are going to be lower than normal even with the above strategies. We have to maximise the anabolic hormones as much as possible while our system is recovering. First we need to calculate the change in the new calories needed for the new tissue gained during the cycle and support the new tissue, a person who under eats to their requirements will be stripped of the muscle mass very quickly.

Overeating has been shown in numerous studies to maximise these factors. Over maintenance calories are needed to promote the anabolic edge, dietary fat has an influence on androgen secretion, monounsaturated and saturated fat raises testosterone levels but polyunsaturated fat does not so a healthy diet containing O'3 and O'6 will help in this period. Eat clean and feed the new tissue with abundance of calories but always have in mind of muscle building foods and not the sugar rich alternatives we can easily lean to in this period. As testosterone returns to normal and recovery is nearly there, eating over the calories can be lowered to maintenance of the new found muscle what's been gained during the cycle. Never start dieting in the recovery stage it will strip you of your hard earned tissue.

Training - If you have been training intensely during the on period you can help to maintain the new found gains with a slight alteration in the way your training. In some cases further gains have been seen in the recovery part of cycling, this is normally with short cycles and very intense training. If you implement more rest days and make sure your C.N.S gets fully recovered, further gains can be seen. Keep the training sessions down to around 30 mins and incorporate longer rest days in-between. Long workouts lower testosterone to cortisol ratio, so don't go for long workouts no matter how strong or fit you may feel, short and fast will help with recovery without further stress on your system.

Still concentrate on the basic heavy movements this and still focus on HIT type of training, also take more attention on the eccentric part of the lift because this causes most of the muscle fibre damage, after warm up do about 2 sets per bodypart and dropset them, which should consist of eccentric reps start with maximum followed by 90% Max, then 80%max, making sure you take a good 5-6 seconds for the eccentric portion of the reps on all dropsets. There are many other ways of training to help recovery but this method does have great benefits by making the workout shorter and the muscle being hit in a different way. Further gains can be achieved if careful planning is done of your training sessions.


Supplements- Its hard to advice what supplements will help and work for you in the recovery and maintenance period. Clearly a quality protein powder,creatine, test booster's,BCAA's, glutamine and vital vits and supps in the off period does help drastically and all aid recovery, past experience will help to pick which other supps may help and agree with your body.

The more advance you become the more advanced procedure need to be carried out, this is just a basic methods and tips on maintaining post cycle for the moderate user.

[Kibble]

(Be sure to give credit where it is due)

[mg1228]

hey its only stickied at the top of the page for a reason---u no newbs dont read that shit

credit to marcus 300---im too lazy to type 1/4 of that shiit

i would of posted the link--but i dont know how---but i do know how to cut and paste

[Kibble]

lol they probally would have closed the link when they saw all of that reading anyway. I was just bustin your balls bro

[mg1228]

thats cool---

[elfin1mf]

I think it is dumb to believe you are losing muscle in the week after you stop a cycle. It is not possible to lose muscle taht fast. Everyone will lose weight for the first week after they come off, this is not muscle mass, that would not make sense. Do not overeat it is retarded. Yes, decrease the intensity of workouts for the first week after you come off, but then when you feel ok again go right back to training just as hard if not harder!

[AlphaGenetics]

it makes sense to give your body a little brake during pct to recover, ill take marcus's advice over anyone in this forum.

[mg1228]

I think it is dumb to believe you are losing muscle in the week after you stop a cycle. It is not possible to lose muscle taht fast. Everyone will lose weight for the first week after they come off, this is not muscle mass, that would not make sense. Do not overeat it is retarded. Yes, decrease the intensity of workouts for the first week after you come off, but then when you feel ok again go right back to training just as hard if not harder!

not in the week u come off---but in the time ur body is not producing its own test---therefore u eat 200-300 cals over tdee to ensure the gains u made have the nutrients they need or u will def lose them---give it a try ur way

[Bossman]

c-Z said"I don't change my intensity or training schedule at all... its hard because obviously coming off a cycle your going to tend to loose a little bit of weight and strength. So you can't train at the same mark you were while on cycle.. but i still keep it just as hard."

Your body is pretty damned smart. If you stop lifting with intensity after a cycle you'll lose muscle. Not to be confused with losing strength, you will lose some strength. But keep the intensity up. I always trained very hard when coming off and did not lose much.


mg1228 said "therefore u eat 200-300 cals over tdee to ensure the gains u made have the nutrients they need or u will def lose them"

I agree, more food. In fact, a lot of guys run clen during PCT to help from gaining fat.

[elfin1mf]

not in the week u come off---but in the time ur body is not producing its own test---therefore u eat 200-300 cals over tdee to ensure the gains u made have the nutrients they need or u will def lose them---give it a try ur way

My way works for me, your way might work for you too, either way, I do not lose muscle, I do not know what the weight loss is, does not appear to be water (probably is though), but it is DEF not muscle. Overeating with that much estrogen in the system and no anabolic /androgenic hormones is a recipe for fat gain.

[mg1228]

My way works for me, your way might work for you too, either way, I do not lose muscle, I do not know what the weight loss is, does not appear to be water (probably is though), but it is DEF not muscle. Overeating with that much estrogen in the system and no anabolic/androgenic hormones is a recipe for fat gain.

im surely no expert on how to keep gains---but i wouldnt call 200-300 cals over tdee overeating really---u would have to keep it super clean though

where do you eat at during pct? and how many times have u kept your gains?

[amcon]

hard and intense... like always...

[Mr.Rose]

Quote from our board owner:

"Reduce your workout schedule. Avoid maintaining the same workout program as during steroid regime since this would only magnify the catabolic effect. The athlete should not come up with the crazy idea of compensating a possible loss of performance by increasing the extent and intensity of his workout since such an action would have a negative effect. Limit yourself to your basic exercises, train every muscle once a week, and try to maintain your strength as much as possible. Do not train more than four times a week and limit the workout sessions to 60 minutes. Several so called "experts" are of the opinion that the athlete after a steroid regime should avoid the heavy basic movements for some time and suggest that exercises are carried out more frequently with lower weights. Dear Reader, try it. Those who used to make 8 repetitions of squats with 400 pounds and now switch to leg extensions or leg presses with 12-15 repetitions will wonder how fast an upper thigh can lose size."

EDIT: Link: http://www.steroid.com/offster.php

[elfin1mf]

I am no expert, I am just using common sense man. Half the activity + more calories = more body fat (unless you were not eating enough in the first place). Add into the mix a stupidly high amount of estrogen and absolutely no anobolic androgenic hormones and you are just asking for trouble. Just think about it. I totally agree with the above post, I do not agree with eating more, if anything when you reduce amount of workout you would require less calories. Every little bit of fat counts. When you take time to "cut" you are wasting time that could have been used to gain loads of muscle mass. Dont obsess over weight on the scale, it tells us very little about our body composition.