Really could use another pair of eyes! (critique needed)

[chasen]

I have a lot to get through... so please bear with me. I am looking to start a Var cycle in about 2 months time. As this is my first time trying a cycle of anything, I obviously have a lot of learning to do! I have been hanging around here (and other boards) for the last 1.5 months trying to find out everything I can about Var. The Anavar FAQ by XBiker was great and I have a number of Var related threads from this forum bookmarked. So first... a thanks to everyone!

Now it comes down to applying what I think I have learned. Before I actually try this I would really appreciate if some of the more experienced members could critique my plan and see if there are any short comings (I am actually quite nervous about this! :P). I am open to any and all comments. But if there is something I am planning that is wrong, please do qualify or post a reference so that I can learn more about why it is wrong. Thanks! Lets get started:

Background

Age: 29
Height: 175cm
Weight: 80kg
BF%: Not sure... but have relatively defined abs
Lifting for: ~5yrs
Diet: Dialed in to the calorie! Currently making slow, very clean gains
Cardio: 1hrs brisk walking everyday (to office and back), biking sometimes
Routine: 5 days on + 2 days off (religiously!)

Goals

Being a fatty when I was young I have never been able to get as lean as we all want to be. I am quite happy with my size now actually, I would just like to burn another few percentage points off my BF%, harden up, get the veins out even more etc... To be honest this is vanity driven, I have always been trying to achieve a certain look and I am almost there, and I really think Var can help out.

Basically looking to get lean and hard without "packing" on more weight than where I am now.... though if some extra size does come my way during the process, then so be it! :P

Plan + expectations

As I have said, I've spent a lot of time looking into different types of AAS and researching Var (not claiming to be an expert by any means!). I know from reading posts from people who have tried Var, it tends to lower BF, harden up the muscles, increase vascularity and may even add some size in the process.

So my plan is to try an 8 week, Var only cycle at 50mg every day. With this I will continue with creatine and whey (as always).

Questions

There are a few questions that I really couldn't find answers to or weren't really clear:

1) If I want 50mg to be my max dose, should I taper up and down the dosage at the start and finish of the cycle. If so, what would be a sufficient dosage to start and end at? I have read that 25mg is too low for any benefit and I dont want to waste a week or two of the cycle.

2) I know PCT is a must, but I have read a lot of conflictions on which is best.. any insight? Also, how is it properly implemented... before the Var cycle ends, or overlapping? Any references would be appreciated.

3) How can I maintain my gains after the Var cycle ends? If I gain weight, I know I will have to re-calculate my calories, but is there anything else I can do?

I am going to have a through body check in two weeks with full blood work. I hope to start this cycle come April / May if everything is clean. Then probably do it again a month in to the cycle.

Thanks in advance for everyone’s time and comments...!

[hankdiesel]

Why do you want to do a var only cycle?

[big an rich]

From what I gather it looks like he wants to harden up some but isn't too bothered about gaining 10+ lbs in the process.

On a first cycle you will gain some but not much on 50mg qd.

1: Even on a first cycle if you decide just var is for you I'd bump it up to a nice even 60-80mg qd and forget about tapering up or down, you'll just spend less time with a decent amount in your blood and waste the compound

2: As it is a weak cycle of one of the least impactive AAS on HPTA you'll still need PCT but not so aggressive. Clomid and Nolva should do it (100mg of clomid for 2-3 days tapering down to 50 for the next few weeks, 40-60mg of nolva the same taper). Maybe some HCG if you want but not necessary IMHO

3: The perpetual question... You gotta keep progressing on the weights, keep sessions below 45 mins and eat like the weight you are. Keep protein very high and fats (not mixed with carbs tho) high too (mono's and saturated for test levels). I think tribulus, ZMA etc etc are a waste of money from my experience they do nothing. That's just me, some scientist says they work so maybe they do but I get more from training hard and eating/sleeping well than taking supps.

[chasen]

From what I gather it looks like he wants to harden up some but isn't too bothered about gaining 10+ lbs in the process.

On a first cycle you will gain some but not much on 50mg qd.

1: Even on a first cycle if you decide just var is for you I'd bump it up to a nice even 60-80mg qd and forget about tapering up or down, you'll just spend less time with a decent amount in your blood and waste the compound

2: As it is a weak cycle of one of the least impactive AAS on HPTA you'll still need PCT but not so aggressive. Clomid and Nolva should do it (100mg of clomid for 2-3 days tapering down to 50 for the next few weeks, 40-60mg of nolva the same taper). Maybe some HCG if you want but not necessary IMHO

3: The perpetual question... You gotta keep progressing on the weights, keep sessions below 45 mins and eat like the weight you are. Keep protein very high and fats (not mixed with carbs tho) high too (mono's and saturated for test levels). I think tribulus, ZMA etc etc are a waste of money from my experience they do nothing. That's just me, some scientist says they work so maybe they do but I get more from training hard and eating/sleeping well than taking supps.

Heya! Thanks a lot for the reply!

Just one further question: Should Clomid be started as in say the last week of the Var cycle so there is a transition period, or only after the last Var tab as been poped?

[chasen]

Why do you want to do a var only cycle?

This is my first time... would like to try something more "basic". Plus Var on it's own might meet my goals... give it a shot.

[jamminJohn]

First off, let me compliment you on a very well thought out and organized post. It's great to see people that actually take the time to research what they are doing before they get started. It sounds like you have a pretty good plan as to what you want to achieve and how to go about doing it. I'm not sure that you really need steroids to get where you want to be, but at 29 years old, you're old enough to make that decision on your own. To answer your questions, I wouldn't bother to taper up and down with your dosage, just jump right in with the full dose. But, to tell you the truth, I wouldn't bother with a var only cycle. I doubt you'll get the results you really want. I would, at the very least, take the var with some kind of test, maybe propionate. I think this will amplify your gains significantly. As far as PCT, I've always done fine with Nolvadex. With var, you can probably start taking it a few days after your last dose, as var has a very short lifespan. I just take 50mg's/day for 4 weeks and have no problem with recovery and keep most of my gains. I don't think you should have much problem keeping your gains after a var cycle, as you won't really have any water weight to lose, and your system should kick back in pretty quickly. Most of the gains lost from steroids are due to a loss of water retention achieved while on steroids and from the muscle atrophy caused by the excess cortisone in your system. Good luck with your cycle. Keep reading and learning.

[chasen]

First off, let me compliment you on a very well thought out and organized post. It's great to see people that actually take the time to research what they are doing before they get started. It sounds like you have a pretty good plan as to what you want to achieve and how to go about doing it. I'm not sure that you really need steroids to get where you want to be, but at 29 years old, you're old enough to make that decision on your own. To answer your questions, I wouldn't bother to taper up and down with your dosage, just jump right in with the full dose. But, to tell you the truth, I wouldn't bother with a var only cycle. I doubt you'll get the results you really want. I would, at the very least, take the var with some kind of test, maybe propionate. I think this will amplify your gains significantly. As far as PCT, I've always done fine with Nolvadex. With var, you can probably start taking it a few days after your last dose, as var has a very short lifespan. I just take 50mg's/day for 4 weeks and have no problem with recovery and keep most of my gains. I don't think you should have much problem keeping your gains after a var cycle, as you won't really have any water weight to lose, and your system should kick back in pretty quickly. Most of the gains lost from steroids are due to a loss of water retention achieved while on steroids and from the muscle atrophy caused by the excess cortisone in your system. Good luck with your cycle. Keep reading and learning.

Hey Thanks! And thanks for for the PCT info!

I did see a lot of posts where people were combining Var with other stuff... but to be honest I am a little nervous as; a) this is my first time and b) I really dont know enough about what goes good with what etc... However, I am going to look into propionate.

Thanks again!

[jamminJohn]

Hey no problem man. I'm always willing to help somebody who's not afraid to ask for it. I understand you being nervous, as this is your first time, but if you're going to do it, do it right. I'm guessing that you're afraid of the needles, which is why oral var seems so appealing? Trust me, after a few shots, shooting up is no big deal at all. I've personally stuck myself hundreds of times and it's nothing to worry about. As far as not knowing enough about what you should take, keep reading. I'm pretty sure everything you read will tell you that any cycle you ever do should center around test. Mine always do. Test should be your base and the rest should be dependent on your specific goals of that cycle. For cutting, test, winny, var and tren are always good choices. Do some research to help figure out what combinations you might want to try. Personally, I am just starting a cutting cycle of omnadren (test mix), EQ, Tren E, and winny.

[c-Z]

Hey Thanks! And thanks for for the PCT info!

I did see a lot of posts where people were combining Var with other stuff... but to be honest I am a little nervous as; a) this is my first time and b) I really dont know enough about what goes good with what etc... However, I am going to look into propionate.

Thanks again!

Looking into prop..... If your nervous about injecting prop isn't the way to go. test e or c would be best for you.

[jamminJohn]

Looking into prop..... If your nervous about injecting prop isn't the way to go. test e or c would be best for you.

Good point, as prop needs to be injected quite frequently. I only suggested it because it seems to be better suited for cutting cycles than some other forms of test (less water retention). Test E or C would certainly be better if you want to limit your injection frequency. But, like I said before, once you shoot a few times and get over the fear, it doesn't really matter.