How long does the bulk stay on?

[borlef]

After a cycle, how long can you expect the muscle to stay on?

I wouldn't want to risk the health effects of a cycle just to know that the muscle is going to start wasting away just as fast as it grew.

I'm a very skinny guy to begin with. 5'11 160. Ripped, muscular type, just very slim, and there's not a lot of point in going up to 180 and be pretty jacked in 3 months, then in another 3 months, be back to where I was.

[Oki-Des]

You have to learn to eat more. As a general rule, when people cycle for bulk they eat a ton of food. As a basic estimate in gains 1/3 will be muscle, 1/3 will be water weight and 1/3 will be fat. You do not want to keep the fat and the water weight will go away. But, the water does not collect in your gut, it is spread out and actually makes your muscles look bigger too. So as that goes away you will shrink. The goal is to keep as much of the muscle as possible.
You cannot do just one cycle, get huge and stay that way. We like to say it is a marathon, not a sprint. Meaning, you will not reach your goals, depending on what they are, with one cycle and be good for life. It is a journey that for some takes many years and sometimes decades.
Take me for example, I have put on about 70 pounds of muscle since graduating from college; which was in 1992. More dedicated people can do it quicker than I did, but that is how long it took me.

[TheTaxMan]

^this

- When i do a cycle, say i gain 25lbs, and only keep half of it, its banking some gains each cycle that counts, and you need to eat and train hard while on and off to achieve this. You will always lose like oke-des said water retention etc and that makes you feel like you lost all your size. It also creates panic and temptation to hop straight back on, so be wary of that as well.

How long have you been training and what is your truthful daily diet?

[clarky.]

If you train and eat you will keep your muscle this is a lifestyle you have to love bb if your just one of these ppl that run a cycle then stop and think you going to keep what you gained then you up a gum tree.

[borlef]

^this

- When i do a cycle, say i gain 25lbs, and only keep half of it, its banking some gains each cycle that counts, and you need to eat and train hard while on and off to achieve this. You will always lose like oke-des said water retention etc and that makes you feel like you lost all your size. It also creates panic and temptation to hop straight back on, so be wary of that as well.

How long have you been training and what is your truthful daily diet?

I have been training for 10 years, and I eat roughly 2800 calories a day. Sometimes it varies. When I'm trying to add bulk I can be closer to 3600, and during the summer and fall and I'm just chilling, I just eat normally again.

[TheTaxMan]

If you know how to eat to grow and eat to maintain you will keep some gains for sure

[ScotchGuard02]

AAS is temporary. That's why they call it a cycle. Eating is consistent. The AAS is just jump starts your size. You have to eat to maintain it. If you don't have a good eating regiment you're going to gain a lot of weight fast and then lose it fast. My first cycle I ran Dbod/Test. Gained 25lbs in 4 weeks. I looked "round" like a dough-boy. After the 12 week Test E cycle I gained 35lbs. Within 4 weeks after PCT I lost 25lbs. I manage to hang on to about 8lbs 6 months after PCT. I didn't know how to eat.

[KBall32]

If you don't eat enough during PCT, you will loose every ounce that you gained during your cycle eventually. Learn how to add mass now while not on cycle and then you will be better prepared to maintain what you add on cycle.

[musclestack]

This is off topic, but at 5'11" and 160 lbs., you shouldn't be worrying about AAS. Visit the diet section. We'll all help you reach a solid foundation with diet and training first.