Who has kept gains after being off for > 1 YEAR

**flopsy1234** · 01-09-2004, 09:05 AM

I did 2 cycles about a year ago, and watched my gains and strength slowly disappear over time. Obviously a lot of this is the body returning to it's more "natural" state, so my q is who has managed to keep gains for a LONG period of time when off, is it even possible? Yes ok, it's related to bodytype, etc.. blah blah, so how about a show of hands for how many have had success and how many have not, I want to know if it's just hopeless for us non-genetically superior beings.

Yes my diet is good, my workout routine is good, I had no recovery problems. I'm not talking a loss within a couple months, but slowly over the course of a year or so.

Does this mean I am going to have to do a cycle every year until I die?

Actually that doesn't sound all bad.

**Blackac** · 01-09-2004, 09:08 AM

I did a cycle about 6 months ago i gained almost 30 lbs, from that i lost only about 10 lbs.....but everyday i gain a little...its all about eating bro...eating gains weight........w/e weightu loose its mostly water anyways, u dont want that....

**scottninpo** · 01-09-2004, 09:11 AM

i haven't cycled in over a year and a half, and i am very nearly as strong as i was when on cycle, and have kept most of my gains, of course, i used proper pct

**monster.** · 01-09-2004, 09:12 AM

I think it has more to do with how lazy you get post cycle, there is no question in my mind if you should be able to keep your gains... Thats the whole point isn't it?

**Blackac** · 01-09-2004, 09:29 AM

Its all about PCT, and menatlly feeling good after ur cycle...U can keep the gains, justy dont get lazy...

**toolman** · 01-09-2004, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by monster.

I think it has more to do with how lazy you get post cycle, there is no question in my mind if you should be able to keep your gains... Thats the whole point isn't it?

I agree with this. When I am off cycle and I really dont feel like lifting, I will blow it off for a day. However, on cycle and immediately post cycle, I never blow off a day. I keep thinking this is the best time to grow so I never miss it. The same with my diet. Ill never miss a shake or meal on cycle, but off cycle I will miss a few. Same reasoning.

**slamd097** · 01-09-2004, 10:08 AM

Monster and Scott are hitting the nail on the head. If you continue to workout and with good PCT, i would say your going to keep most of it if not all of it.

**Bruce willis** · 01-09-2004, 04:35 PM

can u loose ur gains over the course of time even if you keep proper diet and training?

**James Bond** · 01-09-2004, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce willis

can u loose ur gains over the course of time even if you keep proper diet and training?

Definitely yes IMO, you will lose not a small part or your gains anyway, even with proper pct and good diet and training.
While on you're more focused, strong, your body is processing nutrients in a much better way, everything is boosted.
When you come off the magic status ends and something is gonna go away, sad to say but true.

**Bruce willis** · 01-09-2004, 05:19 PM

i mean youll still retain the look and size of the muscle mass after the water loss, but u wont be as strong.

**legend** · 01-09-2004, 05:30 PM

you will loose some of the mass. it is mostly water, but mentally thats where you have to be strong. you can not be a slave to the scale. i do not even use my scale anymore. sometimes i look in the mirror and i say **** i look ****ing great, then i jump on the scale and find out i lost 1 pound...suddenly i look like **** in the mirror. it's all in the mind throw the scale out, it means nothing. and 10 lbs of water means even less.

**Bruce willis** · 01-09-2004, 07:50 PM

i can care less about the water, as long as i dont look in the mirror and noticing myself loosing alot of muscle size

**James Bond** · 01-10-2004, 04:23 AM

When you run a tren based cycle (example) you do not get water at all, and all you're gonna loose after getting off is muscle mass.
I still have to meet someone who kept all his gains after coming off.

**flopsy1234** · 01-10-2004, 10:56 AM

yeah, i'm not talking about water loss at all - that goes away after weeks or months.

And yes, I'm assuming PCT is all done as required, and your natural hormone levels are 100% recovered.

i'm talking a year later, or two years later. Assuming I'm not lazy with diet+training (which I'll admit creeps in over time), will I slowly return to my original weight and strength if I choose not to do a cycle for a couple years.

I guess a couple of people say no prob to retaining over a long period of time, that's what I'm curious about - how many have had success with this and how many not.

**Bruce willis** · 01-10-2004, 11:00 AM

yea thats a good question

**scottninpo** · 01-10-2004, 11:01 AM

one thing you have to consider is the individual, i kept most of my gains because i busted my ass in the gym and kept up my diet, also genetics are going to play a role in this as well

**Bruce willis** · 01-10-2004, 11:10 AM

if you cycled and got urself uup 10 200 lbs from 180, and stayed at 200 for 7 months, i dont think u would go back down to 189 2 years later if u keep training and eating unless u stopped lifting

**James Bond** · 01-10-2004, 11:33 AM

Come on guys, look at Flex Wheeler. He had his problems, stayed off aas, trained hardly anyway but he's probably 20 or 30 lbs less than when he was on.
At the moment I'm off, I weight the same as 4 months ago when I was on and ripped, but now I'm probably 5%BF more.

**scottninpo** · 01-10-2004, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by James Bond

Come on guys, look at Flex Wheeler. He had his problems, stayed off aas, trained hardly anyway but he's probably 20 or 30 lbs less than when he was on.
At the moment I'm off, I weight the same as 4 months ago when I was on and ripped, but now I'm probably 5%BF more.

bro, you're comparing a pro bodybuilder to the average steroid user is apples and oranges, you're talking about guys that use around 5 grams of steroids every week on top of hgh, slin, igf, and they never come off

**nevaenuf** · 01-10-2004, 11:45 AM

I havent been off for a year but I have been off for about six monthes and I have no doubt the the gains I have are mine and it is up to me to keep them.

**James Bond** · 01-10-2004, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by scottninpo

bro, you're comparing a pro bodybuilder to the average steroid user is apples and oranges, you're talking about guys that use around 5 grams of steroids every week on top of hgh, slin, igf, and they never come off

No, Flex was an exmple that everybody can see, but I'm talking about my own experience (not short, believe me: I'm 40 and lifting for 20). When I'm on I have a muscle quality that's different from when I'm off, I'm not talking of weight.

**scottninpo** · 01-10-2004, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by James Bond

No, Flex was an exmple that everybody can see, but I'm talking about my own experience (not short, believe me: I'm 40 and lifting for 20). When I'm on I have a muscle quality that's different from when I'm off, I'm not talking of weight.

haha, i can't tell what side of the debate you're on, JB, but of course there's a difference when your on and when you're not, but i think he's saying that if you cycle and gain 25lbs, in two years, you will lose it all if you don't use aas, in my opinion, the lean mass you put on is keepable w/out aas if you continue to train hard and diet correctly

**James Bond** · 01-10-2004, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by scottninpo

in my opinion, the lean mass you put on is keepable w/out aas if you continue to train hard and diet correctly

You're a lucky man, I can't.
Genetics...

**RageControl** · 01-10-2004, 02:04 PM

I dunno after the cycles out of my system and my body retunrs to a nomral state i ALWAYS start gaining muscle mass naturaly. I alway push my self to the max and eat like an animal not relying on AS to be the only way to gain. I think supplements have a big part of it . But i believe anyone can gain naturaly .