First cycle - anavar only

[mindarchitect]

Hi guys. This'll be my first cycle. Just looking for some vet advice to help me maximize the results of my cycle. I after lifting naturally for 12 years and discovering aas are legal where I live, have decided to take the plunge.

Stats: 5'11, 28yrs, 180lbs, bf no idea but with 3 more weeks of dieting I should start to see some abs, I'd guess I have 5-10 more lbs to go before I start the cycle.

2010 blood results are good, but I plan to test before cycle to have a baseline testosterone and Liver enzyme, and then another after PCT for comparison.

Cycle: 40mg/day anavar@8weeks
PCT: want to go natural with ZMA blend, 2.4g/12 hours@4weeks, but conflicted on whether I should combine with 20mg/day nolva@3weeks. Any advice here folks?


I might be going overboard with supplements here, but I'd rather overdo it and have maximized, than underdo and miss out.

Supplements:
Silymarin extract from milk thistle, 300mg/12 hours
Jarrow Formulas, Glucosamine + Chondroitin + MSM Combination
Digestive enzymes/3 billion acidophilus (will try both to see if I have a preference)
20g/day creatine
4 tbsp/day fish oil (the good stuff from a bottle)
4 tbsp/day coconut oil
4 tbsp/day ground flaxseed (buying a juicer to grind them)
green tea extract
1 tbsp l-carnitine liquid
6 scoops/day xtend (BCAA's, glutamine, b6)
Tribulus during PCT (yes I know it doesn't increase testosterone, this is if I need it to keep the lady happy, as studies do demonstrate it increases Libido)
jack3d before workout (i've heard anavar induces crazy pumps, so I may drop this)

Diet:

I want this to be a clean bulking cycle, 500calories/day above maintenance, which I estimate to be around 3000, split 6-7 meals/day. I want to keep things as clean as possible as I have not enjoyed dropping 20lbs and a bit of strength due to christmas binging. I will be monitoring my weight and taking photos to see if I'm putting on fat and adjusting the daily rates accordingly.
Carbs: low glycemic, brown or wild rice, whole oats, whole wheat bread, leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, and so on
Fats: flaxseed, fish oil, coconut oil, occasional steak, whole eggs
Protein: whey blend (myofusion), whole eggs, chicken, salmon, occasional steak

4L/day water to go with the high creatine dosage


Workout:
I looked at a few on-aas workout plans and I was surprised at how low the volume was, because I had heard for years how much aas increase recovery time and workload, and owning Arnold's encyclopedia, was familiar with his 2-hour, 36-set workouts. In the past 2 years I've taken a more adaptive style and switch up exercises more often, and I've lowered the volume a bit, which has helped. I'll start with what I'm most familiar with as it relates to my body, 3setx3exercises per large muscle (back,chest,legs), 3setsx2exercises per small muscle (bicep,tricep,shoulder,abs). Rep range is 5-8 reps to failure, increasing the weight if I can do 9. Only heavy compound exercises when possible and 3 minutes rest between sets. Main exercises: flat barbell bench, dumbbell incline, dips, full squat, deadlift, stiff leg deadlift, weighted pullups, barbell curls, skull crushers. 30 minutes jogging / 3 times/week

Goals:
I've seen results on anavar-only cycles vary between no gains, to 15lbs lean mass and 50lb 1RM increase on big lifts. I'll pick the slightly aggressive goal and shoot for 8lb lean mass increase and 30lb 1RM increase on big lifts. I'd like to add back the inch I lost on my bicep during dieting, the 2 inches on my quads, and 1 inch on my chest. Given my recent drop in body fat and strength, and the coming change in daily caloric intake, I believe this is possible.

Vets please offer your insight so I can get the most out of this cycle. Thanks!

[MR-FQ320]

A few of us would advise you to add some test in there, I did and didn't regret it.

[lovbyts]

Actually I think anavar is the only one you dont need test.

[mindarchitect]

I appreciate the offer of advice to add test, and I've seen this advice given on several anavar only threads. I understand this would add additional gains in strength and size to the cycle. The reason I've decided not to add this to the cycle: 1) Not interested in androgenic effects. 2) Not interested in injecting myself. 3) Pins are illegal to obtain.

[nilrac]

Var only is great. No need to add test unless you want to!

I'd dose it at 60mg per day for 6wks myself, then run a PCT of Nolva at 20mg per day for atleast 3 weeks. If your diet and training is on point you can make good solid gains with this compound.

ZMA will not be of any use to you. It's debatable if it even does what is claimed as the only studies conducted which had positive results were carried out by the company who own the patent for the formula. I am not saying it isn't a useful supplement, because it is, however whether or not it is increasing growth hormone release and testosterone release during sleep is doubtful. It is certainly not a PCT product for AAS use.

GL.

[mindarchitect]

Thanks for the advice nilrac, this is what I was looking for. I'll check more into the ZMA studies and see what I can dig up.

Allow me to be inquisitive. Why 6weeks@60mg instead of 8weeks@40mg? Here's why I ask. What I commonly observe in most anavar-only cycles is that strength steadily starts to increase after the 3 week mark, which means your ultimate gains in the cycle are what you produce in the remaining weeks of the cycle. So on an 8 week cycle you'd have 5 weeks to solidify as much muscle and strength as the cycle would allow, whereas a 6 week cycle would leave 3 weeks, which for me translates to only 3 chemically-enhanced-strength sessions per muscle group for the entire duration of the cycle.

[nilrac]

I look at it in a basic way... the longer I am on a compound the more it is affecting my system, whether that be HPTA suppression or shutdown or stress on any internal organs i.e. liver etc. So for me, personally, I will run shorter cycles with much more rest period between. I done 10 wks of test e as my first cycle. I took cycle duration plus PCT duration off (as recommended) and for the second cycle I ran the same amount of test + var. I got great strength gains and overall it was a good cycle. However I took much longer off after my second cycle and before I started my third cycle of test + primo I decided to run some var on it's own (as I had a decent amount left over from previous cycle). I couldn't believe the gains and how good I felt on this single oral compound. Albeit I'm now into my third cycle, however my PBs are all going up and I feel great. I will be taking an even bigger break after this next cycle and I think giving your body as much time to recover as possible is very important (unless you are a competitive bodybuilder or strongman etc). I also believe in shorter cycles now, due to my previous personal experience (I ran my second cycle for 8wks and recovery was excellent).

I am actually toying with the idea of running a tbol only cycle at somepoint in the future as I've heard alot of good feedback on it. And it gives me a break from an injectable course. I don't mind pinning and I have gotten good at it, however, it is still a hassle (for me) and comes with it's risks no matter how many precautions you take!

GL.

[mindarchitect]

You have a point on the shorter cycles, and I've read stickies recommending them for general usage. Does anyone have thoughts or evidence on shorter more intense cycles vs longer more moderately dosed cycles?
Given the lower dosage I'm using and addition of silymarin, I'm not as worried about about going 8 weeks if it means I can gain more. Additionally, 60mg may cause an even higher load on the liver. Not the best the analogy, but drinking 1 shot of vodka each night is easier on the liver than 7 shots in 1 hour. As for differences hormone suppression, I'm not really sure, but I'm contemplating 20mg/day novla for 3 weeks + hcgenerate.
Again, this is a first cycle to gain some experience and make some solid gains. Not looking to cycle again until 2012 at the earliest.

[Windex]

I'm not going to de-rail this thread and argue with Nilrac & Lovbyts saying you should add testosterone. However, I strongly disagree with your ideology that you would rather "overdo" than "underdo" supplementation. Technically, there is no such thing as under doing supplements. Humans survived very efficiently before any powders, capsules, or pills came to the market. Furthermore, most supplements burn your wallet moreso than anything else. Like Nilrac said, even the "standard" go-to things like BCAA and ZMA have not been proven to be effective. Realistically, it is impossible to prove if they do because any sort of test on a group of individuals would have an infinite number of extraneous variables and ulterior factors. For example, lets make the statement that ZMA increases testosterone levels (ignore the other "benefits" it gives), and you want to prove that. So you put X number of people on a Y dose of ZMA for Z length of time. Before you even star the study, all X people are genetically variable. Even if you could get an infinite number of similar people, things like Testosterone fluctuate to begin with. Not too mention there's stress, sleeping cycles (REM vs. Non-REM sleep), etc, etc. At best, your getting a placebo effect. Don't forget all the filler they put in junk like NO Xplode, Jack3d, etc. When the last time you saw Tribulus being grown on a farm ?

Basically, the only thing I would supplement if I were you is a good multivitamin to cover your bases, protein powder for PWO, creatine, and if you were honestly so inclined add BCCA's + ZMA. Anything more your paying hundreds of dollars for a placebo effect.

[nilrac]

I'd agree with windex in that you can burn a hole in your pocket with supps. I think protein and carbs should be your immediate focus. If you lack enough from actual foods in your diet -for whatever reason- then ofcourse turn to supplementation to fill the gaps. I also personally like pre-trainers as I feel I get a great workout when I use them however I don't use any products which have "proprietary blends" -such as NO Xplode- as I want to know mg for mg what I am putting into my body. I use ZMA or Trib once in a while, but it's not a permanent part of my monthly supp stack. Ofcourse Creatine Monohydrate has had hundreds of studies conducted and is a good supp that I also use from time to time. However as a PCT compound for HPTA recovery ZMA is absolutely a waste of time IMO.

[gixxerboy1]

I'd agree with windex in that you can burn a hole in your pocket with supps. I think protein and carbs should be your immediate focus. If you lack enough from actual foods in your diet -for whatever reason- then ofcourse turn to supplementation to fill the gaps. I also personally like pre-trainers as I feel I get a great workout when I use them however I don't use any products which have "proprietary blends" -such as NO Xplode- as I want to know mg for mg what I am putting into my body. I use ZMA or Trib once in a while, but it's not a permanent part of my monthly supp stack. Ofcourse Creatine Monohydrate has had hundreds of studies conducted and is a good supp that I also use from time to time. However as a PCT compound for HPTA recovery ZMA is absolutely a waste of time IMO.

i agree with both. And i would not trust my pct to supplements zma and hcgenerate

[24tyrone]

test