Tips for maintaining LBM

[Boxtrot]

Did a 8 week test prop cycle, gained 15lbs at a height of 5 7"

Felt like hell the first week but then been feeling fine since through PCT

I've lost 4lbs since i started PCT and im starting to feel small. If i had of gained 20lbs an lost 4 i wouldn't care so much but i feel like there should be some better ways to maintain the muscle i've put on. I know i should just eat more but its so hard to eat a lot when its this hot in Aus!

Some things i did wrong were:

Cycled when summer started (work is thrashing me)

Its been hot as fuk

injected my bicep an couldnt use my arm for 3 days

Didn't do any cardio on the weekends just sat around gaining fat which i did gain some thinking i should preserve me energy

Got to a certain point where my weight stalled and was eating so much food i was going nuts trying to fit in more food so i could make the most of the cycle.



Just thinking for my next cycle would i be better off running something a little stronger like sustanon?

I wanna lean down again for my next cycle but i have a hard time keeping muscle when i cut so was thinking of just staying the same and bulk cycling again before i do a cute cycle later. BF% is 14

[base4291ball]

Did a 8 week test prop cycle, gained 15lbs at a height of 5 7" Felt like hell the first week but then been feeling fine since through PCT I've lost 4lbs since i started PCT and im starting to feel small. If i had of gained 20lbs an lost 4 i wouldn't care so much but i feel like there should be some better ways to maintain the muscle i've put on. I know i should just eat more but its so hard to eat a lot when its this hot in Aus! Some things i did wrong were: Cycled when summer started (work is thrashing me) Its been hot as fuk injected my bicep an couldnt use my arm for 3 days Didn't do any cardio on the weekends just sat around gaining fat which i did gain some thinking i should preserve me energy Got to a certain point where my weight stalled and was eating so much food i was going nuts trying to fit in more food so i could make the most of the cycle. Just thinking for my next cycle would i be better off running something a little stronger like sustanon? I wanna lean down again for my next cycle but i have a hard time keeping muscle when i cut so was thinking of just staying the same and bulk cycling again before i do a cute cycle later. BF% is 14

You want tips for maintaining lbm but at the same time you state all the places you slacked off at.

After cycle, through pct and and after to maintain you have to keep eating, a lot! If you don't continue eating the same amount or more of food while you were on you're going to lose. I don't think it has as much to do with how hard you train as it does with how much you eat!

~Base

[MuscleInk]

You want tips for maintaining lbm but at the same time you state all the places you slacked off at.

After cycle, through pct and and after to maintain you have to keep eating, a lot! If you don't continue eating the same amount or more of food while you were on you're going to lose. I don't think it has as much to do with how hard you train as it does with how much you eat!

~Base

^^^Agreed. Put more time into nutrition and stay committed to it. You can't expect to gain LBM and maintain it if you aren't going to stay committed to the fundamentals (i.e. training and nutrition).

You can have excuses or you can have results. If you want the results, you need to be committed otherwise there is no point in running more cycles and putting your body through unsafe hormonal swings if you aren't going to stay on point with the basics.

[base4291ball]

^^^Agreed. Put more time into nutrition and stay committed to it. You can't expect to gain LBM and maintain it if you aren't going to stay committed to the fundamentals (i.e. training and nutrition). You can have excuses or you can have results. If you want the results, you need to be committed otherwise there is no point in running more cycles and putting your body through unsafe hormonal swings if you aren't going to stay on point with the basics.

Fact!

~Base

[king6 II]

As mentioned above keep calories up during PCT, otherwise it all comes down to how bad you want it.

[Boxtrot]

^^^Agreed. Put more time into nutrition and stay committed to it. You can't expect to gain LBM and maintain it if you aren't going to stay committed to the fundamentals (i.e. training and nutrition).

You can have excuses or you can have results. If you want the results, you need to be committed otherwise there is no point in running more cycles and putting your body through unsafe hormonal swings if you aren't going to stay on point with the basics.

Fair enough. i just dont know if i can illustrate how hard it is to eat when its 43 degrees celcius 5 days in a row and my hip is fused together so i am absolutely buggered at the end of each day. I just wish i knew how hard it was before i cycled then i wouldn't of cycled at the start of summer.

I seem to be maintaining 11lbs that im up and at the same bodyfat when i started as i've been losing some bodyfat through pct. I mean, i haven't lost that much weight, just feel small thats all. And if i cycled again at this weight i would get to 190lbs easy at 5 7" so thats not bad, its just messing with me mentally feeling small.

[ken9]

Well sooner or later you will lose it ur body doesn't have the same test you were on cycle ur back natural so ur body cannot carry that extra weight no matter what you do its just that extra size was gained while on cycle with extra test aas now when you go back natural ur body will go back too producing same test as natty with that amount u cannot maintain well you might for couple month but as i said sooner or later it will go back to normal its just natural bodybuilders unless you go year round its another story

[MuscleInk]

Fair enough. i just dont know if i can illustrate how hard it is to eat when its 43 degrees celcius 5 days in a row and my hip is fused together so i am absolutely buggered at the end of each day. I just wish i knew how hard it was before i cycled then i wouldn't of cycled at the start of summer.

I seem to be maintaining 11lbs that im up and at the same bodyfat when i started as i've been losing some bodyfat through pct. I mean, i haven't lost that much weight, just feel small thats all. And if i cycled again at this weight i would get to 190lbs easy at 5 7" so thats not bad, its just messing with me mentally feeling small.

Well, if you're like the majority of people, you likely wouldn't have listened. Don't take that the wrong way. It's just most people wrongly believe (1) the gains will all come from the steroids and (2) nutrition isn't that critical.

If this was easy, more people would have a lean chiseled physique. It's not easy, but its worth it. I know the heat can be taxing, but work around it. Schedule your work outs early in the morning or later at night when the temperatures are a little cooler. I'm sure you're not the only person that has to work out in that kind of heat. It's a question of how bad do you want it. "Train insane or remain the same", right?

You have to want fitness success bad enough that you'll do it no matter what. Your training and nutrition should be so important that you won't let anything interrupt it. Sure, life happens and you may have set backs or may need to make adjustments but if reaching and keeping your fitness goals is truly important, you won't let excuses get in the way.

Many times at night I'll throw my food in a blender because my appetite is low. I don't want to keep eating but I know how important it is so if I can't bring myself to eat it, I mash the crap out of it in a blender and drink it!

Hormones returning to baseline levels will slow growth but you won't lose all your gains if you continue to eat and train at levels that sustain the new muscle. Training "balls to the wall" every day isn't necessary to maintain growth - consistency is the key.

Too many people put steroids ahead of the fundamentals (nutrition and training) because they want immediate results. This sport, whether you do it professionally or recreational has to become a part of your lifestyle and you need to remember its a process that takes time. Your training and fitness goals should be a daily commitment (no, you don't need to lift every day, but it should be a habit that you just can't go without).

[Boxtrot]

Well, if you're like the majority of people, you likely wouldn't have listened. Don't take that the wrong way. It's just most people wrongly believe (1) the gains will all come from the steroids and (2) nutrition isn't that critical.

If this was easy, more people would have a lean chiseled physique. It's not easy, but its worth it. I know the heat can be taxing, but work around it. Schedule your work outs early in the morning or later at night when the temperatures are a little cooler. I'm sure you're not the only person that has to work out in that kind of heat. It's a question of how bad do you want it. "Train insane or remain the same", right?

You have to want fitness success bad enough that you'll do it no matter what. Your training and nutrition should be so important that you won't let anything interrupt it. Sure, life happens and you may have set backs or may need to make adjustments but if reaching and keeping your fitness goals is truly important, you won't let excuses get in the way.

Many times at night I'll throw my food in a blender because my appetite is low. I don't want to keep eating but I know how important it is so if I can't bring myself to eat it, I mash the crap out of it in a blender and drink it!

Hormones returning to baseline levels will slow growth but you won't lose all your gains if you continue to eat and train at levels that sustain the new muscle. Training "balls to the wall" every day isn't necessary to maintain growth - consistency is the key.

Too many people put steroids ahead of the fundamentals (nutrition and training) because they want immediate results. This sport, whether you do it professionally or recreational has to become a part of your lifestyle and you need to remember its a process that takes time. Your training and fitness goals should be a daily commitment (no, you don't need to lift every day, but it should be a habit that you just can't go without).

Thanks for writing all that, helps re-affirm what im learning an makes me feel better about it.

I did listen. I just failed on the execution part. Because its been so hot since i started pct which is just unfortunate i think.

I didn't say the lifting part was hard, just the eating, been having a great time in the gym with my new strength i seem to have kept 90% of it feels so good to be this strength throwing weights around like they're nothing.

I do want it bad but as i've found i can't live a normal life and have fitness success, not because i dont want it, but because i can barely walk when i get home from work. Which is burning energy i shouldn't be because of the increase difficulty just to walk/bend over all day. I've even started doing less hours at work just to lower my TDEE but now im making less money.

Also when you get home from work an you can only limp around the house you really dont feel like standing up in the kitchen making food, and doing dishes leaning over the sink makes it worse.

I'be been contemplating what i can put in the blender for a quick calorie packed meal, what do you have?

[WheelieFreakz]

If you're 14% and you're worried about losing muscle, i'd be tempted to run a tren recomp cycle

[Boxtrot]

If you're 14% and you're worried about losing muscle, i'd be tempted to run a tren recomp cycle

Hmmm. Would love to but too scared of tren. What are your thoughts on it?

[WheelieFreakz]

Hmmm. Would love to but too scared of tren. What are your thoughts on it?

very little sides if you run a cycle like:
200 test per week
400 tren per week

it will elevate your blood pressure a bit.
it will mess with your lipids a bit
it will recomp you better than any other steroid
it will affect your cardio even at 400

[itsjayman02]

Hmmm. Would love to but too scared of tren. What are your thoughts on it?

Your question as been more than answered with great advice

IT is not different AAs you need......but protein and training around the temperatures you face!!

You will lose your gains from tren or any other gear without the dedication to eating consistently.

[base4291ball]

Your question as been more than answered with great advice IT is not different AAs you need......but protein and training around the temperatures you face!! You will lose your gains from tren or any other gear without the dedication to eating consistently.

Amen. Diet comes first.

~Base

[Boxtrot]

very little sides if you run a cycle like:
200 test per week
400 tren per week

it will elevate your blood pressure a bit.
it will mess with your lipids a bit
it will recomp you better than any other steroid
it will affect your cardio even at 400

Hmm, i dunno if im at the point of needing something like tren just yet, i mean, i could put on lean muscle a lot safer with test and simply cut weight later avoiding the whole tren buisness an reaching the same result.

[Boxtrot]

Your question as been more than answered with great advice

IT is not different AAs you need......but protein and training around the temperatures you face!!

You will lose your gains from tren or any other gear without the dedication to eating consistently.

Well i made a point earlier if i had of know how hard/hot it was gonna be to eat i wouldn't of cycled at the start of summer!

If someone has a good shake to make would be much appreciated for the recipe.

[MuscleInk]

Hmm, i dunno if im at the point of needing something like tren just yet, i mean, i could put on lean muscle a lot safer with test and simply cut weight later avoiding the whole tren buisness an reaching the same result.

Smart decision. Don't listen to that kid - he's giving a lot of reckless advice IMO.

You don't need to jump on tren right now.

As for your question about blenders, I have a Blendtech and it pulverizes just about anything and everything. A simple cooked chicken breast with seasoning (throw in some cooked brown rice if you need extra carbs in your macro count) and some hot water in the blender will turn that chicken into soup or a thicker gravy (depending on how much water you use). I do that with chicken or beef many times at night through the week if I need the additional calories.

Regarding shake recipes, often times Googling protein shake recipes will give some good ideas.

[Boxtrot]

Smart decision. Don't listen to that kid - he's giving a lot of reckless advice IMO.

You don't need to jump on tren right now.

As for your question about blenders, I have a Blendtech and it pulverizes just about anything and everything. A simple cooked chicken breast with seasoning (throw in some cooked brown rice if you need extra carbs in your macro count) and some hot water in the blender will turn that chicken into soup or a thicker gravy (depending on how much water you use). I do that with chicken or beef many times at night through the week if I need the additional calories.

Regarding shake recipes, often times Googling protein shake recipes will give some good ideas.

Will give that a try!

An yeh google is pretty amazing lol was just asking you specifically cause you mentioned you like to have a shake so thought you might have a tast recipe.