Change vs. Stay The Same...

[brob82]

I just finished up my first cycle last sunday (last test e shot). I have been reading up and down the boards and it seems like there's somewhat of a rift between those who say to continue working out the same way you were while you were on cycle and those who say you should cut back.

I obviously want to keep as much of my gains as possible that's why I'm looking for a good answer to this...

So, I'd like to see what anyones thoughts are on staying with the same training or changing it up. Maybe even explain why you feel that one is better than the other would help to instead of just do this or do that.

Thanks for the advice in advance...

[JScondition]

I recently finished a PH cycle with PCT. I did change how I worked out from when I was on cycle quite a bit.

1) On cycle I did very high volume workouts... while on PCT I switched to more power and strength movements and added a small bit of hypertrophy at the end of the workout
2) On cycle I worked out for about an hour... while on PCT I cut my workouts down to 30-40 min
3) On cycle I did cardio... while on PCT I cut cardio down significantly ( only about 20 min per week)
4) On cycle I did legs once a week... while on PCT I am doing legs twice a week.
5) On cycle I ate a lot... while on PCT I ate A TON!

I switched from high volume to power and strength workouts because it helped me keep my strength gains that I attained while on cycle. I shortened my workout because I wanted to fight the catabolic state my body would be in when working out for too long. I cut cardio because you should not worry about cutting for at least a month after you finish PCT... if you do you will lose your gains very easily and will have gotten nothing out of your cycle (its all about keeping your gains, not how strong you can get when you are on cycle). I decided to do legs twice a week because I tend to have higher test levels when my legs are more involved... makes sense because they are your largest muscle group. I ate a lot more during PCT because I wanted to keep my body in a anabolic state... eating less or the same after a cycle can result in loss of weight.

Before I started PCT I had gained 11 lbs from my cycle... During PCT I managed to put on an additional 4 lbs of muscle by following the steps above. PCT was so much harder than the cycle because you are a little sad your cycle is over, you're thinking about the strength and size you could be losing, and you won't get the same "high" when in the gym. But if you push hard you will keep those gains and be better off in the long run.

Hope this helps

[soulstealer]

I just finished up my first cycle last sunday (last test e shot). I have been reading up and down the boards and it seems like there's somewhat of a rift between those who say to continue working out the same way you were while you were on cycle and those who say you should cut back.

I obviously want to keep as much of my gains as possible that's why I'm looking for a good answer to this...

So, I'd like to see what anyones thoughts are on staying with the same training or changing it up. Maybe even explain why you feel that one is better than the other would help to instead of just do this or do that.

Thanks for the advice in advance...

What I have found keeps the most muscle on me and gives me the best gains is a variation of HIT but I take my last week on cycle off from the gym and go back to hitting it hard... I retain almost everything.... however the longer I stay off cycle the more I lose regardless of diet...

[brob82]

What I have found keeps the most muscle on me and gives me the best gains is a variation of HIT but I take my last week on cycle off from the gym and go back to hitting it hard... I retain almost everything.... however the longer I stay off cycle the more I lose regardless of diet...

So what exactly is your variation of HIT that you do if you don't mind? Curious...

Also, you say the longer you stay off the more you lose. In your opinion if I gained roughly 40 lbs from my first cycle and I stay off cycle until...let's say the end of summer (August/September) would you think it is possible to still have a decent amount of my gains left? I know everyone's different so you probably can't give me the perfect answer, but just from what you've experienced or from things you've learned is it unreasonable for me to keep a decent amount until then?