Considering giving it a try...

[medic2012]

Hi, i'm 22 years old 5'11, 170 lbs.

I've never had the body I desired, even if my best shape I wasn't happy. It seems I am either too fat, or skinny as a rail. When I work out for months on end, I end up losing the weight quick, but I turn into a rail. Even when I was in Afghanistan working out all the time I never had any distinguishable abs. A flat hard stomach, but no abs. I was benching over 200 when I weighed 160. Although my arms were a lot more toned, they were still twigs. I've been using a Bowflex twice a week for about 8 months now to keep myself at an ok level.

So I am considering my first cycle. I have a lot of time and reading before I am ready but I have a few questions so I know if I try it when the best time to start would be. Also, I would have been all over this a lot sooner had I known I could get ahold of them on the internet, rather than looking for some shady guy in the gym...

1) Obviously, I have to hit the gym for it to work, will the Bowflex be good enough, or should I get back into a real gym? Is this something I can try out with mild to moderate lifting, or do I need to go all out full force 8 hours at the gym?

2)What happens if I start, and then something comes up that leaves me no gym time. Can I just stop taking them and try again later? DO I need to continue to take them, or would there be any benefit if I couldn't work out?

3) If I only work out certain parts, such as chest and arms, will other things such as my legs stay the same, or will they increase in size as well? What happens if I don't work out a muscle group at all, zero effects?

4) Are there any good cycles that are oral only? Can I avoid having to use a needle completely?

5) If I am just trying to get a bigger and toned (not gigantic with every individual muscle visible) Is there a certain cycle/steroid to help with that? I don't want to all of a sudden turn into an extremely noticible steroid users whos muscles looks like they're about to pop.

6) Will this give me extreme energy to work out, or does it just help build muscle with the energy I already use to lift?

7) Can I just do one cycle to get to a point, stop taking them, continue working out and keep that muscle, or any gain at all? Or will I be right back to where I started?

I'm going to go start reading the tons of information on this site, in the meantime answers are appreciated.

[MuscleInk]

Hi, i'm 22 years old 5'11, 170 lbs.

I've never had the body I desired, even if my best shape I wasn't happy. It seems I am either too fat, or skinny as a rail. When I work out for months on end, I end up losing the weight quick, but I turn into a rail. Even when I was in Afghanistan working out all the time I never had any distinguishable abs. A flat hard stomach, but no abs. I was benching over 200 when I weighed 160. Although my arms were a lot more toned, they were still twigs. I've been using a Bowflex twice a week for about 8 months now to keep myself at an ok level.

So I am considering my first cycle. I have a lot of time and reading before I am ready but I have a few questions so I know if I try it when the best time to start would be. Also, I would have been all over this a lot sooner had I known I could get ahold of them on the internet, rather than looking for some shady guy in the gym...

1) Obviously, I have to hit the gym for it to work, will the Bowflex be good enough, or should I get back into a real gym? Is this something I can try out with mild to moderate lifting, or do I need to go all out full force 8 hours at the gym?

2)What happens if I start, and then something comes up that leaves me no gym time. Can I just stop taking them and try again later? DO I need to continue to take them, or would there be any benefit if I couldn't work out?

3) If I only work out certain parts, such as chest and arms, will other things such as my legs stay the same, or will they increase in size as well? What happens if I don't work out a muscle group at all, zero effects?

4) Are there any good cycles that are oral only? Can I avoid having to use a needle completely?

5) If I am just trying to get a bigger and toned (not gigantic with every individual muscle visible) Is there a certain cycle/steroid to help with that? I don't want to all of a sudden turn into an extremely noticible steroid users whos muscles looks like they're about to pop.

6) Will this give me extreme energy to work out, or does it just help build muscle with the energy I already use to lift?

7) Can I just do one cycle to get to a point, stop taking them, continue working out and keep that muscle, or any gain at all? Or will I be right back to where I started?

I'm going to go start reading the tons of information on this site, in the meantime answers are appreciated.

Sorry....the short answer is, you're not ready. It's sounds like you haven't trained long enough and you certainly aren't training correctly. Moreover, the yoyo effect in your weight and body shape is more about nutrition and training - not steroids.

Steroids help muscle growth only when you have the appropriate nutrition to support and maintain lean muscle growth and you are COMMITTED to an appropriate training program. Steroids aren't magic. They don't compensate for a lack of commitment to eating and training regularly and properly.

[medic2012]

Ok, thank you. Off to read about nutrition and training it is....

Any reccomendations on something to use to help increase energy? Creatine or something OTC?

[MuscleInk]

Ok, thank you. Off to read about nutrition and training it is....

Excellent idea!

[medic2012]

Is there anything I should be using at this stage such as a good whey/ creatine supplement? Especially something to help with energy. I have days where I am pumped and finish a routine fine, and some days where I seriously can't lift half of what I did the last visit.

[MuscleInk]

Is there anything I should be using at this stage such as a good whey/ creatine supplement? Especially something to help with energy. I have days where I am pumped and finish a routine fine, and some days where I seriously can't lift half of what I did the last visit.

If your nutrition is properly developed, you will have more stable energy levels. Creatine and whey will help but nothing replaces proper nutrition. I recommend you start a thread in the nutrition section and let guys like Stem, GBrice, 405, and others help you with your nutrition.

Avoid over training. It'll burn you out and hinder your gains. How often do you lift and how long each time?

[kronik420]

Is there anything I should be using at this stage such as a good whey/ creatine supplement? Especially something to help with energy. I have days where I am pumped and finish a routine fine, and some days where I seriously can't lift half of what I did the last visit.

eat at least an hour or 2 before your workout, and include carbs like oats and/or veggies

whey and creatine are good supps, but if your on a tight budget, your better off spending that money on food..

[medic2012]

Ok, I will head over there. I use the Bowflex twice a week for about an hour and a half each time, with declined situps in between sets.


When I eat within like 3 hours prior to lifting I have extreme difficuluty keeping it down. Good to know food is more important to buy than all the supplements. Right now I have some cheap soy whey I was using. Kind of backed off though I heard soy whey was not good....

[medic2012]

Also, I wish I could get in a steady routine. When I get on it i'm pretty commited. But sometimes things come up like working a certain shift for a month that provides me with very little sleep, and definitely no time to work out...

[kronik420]

Also, I wish I could get in a steady routine. When I get on it i'm pretty commited. But sometimes things come up like working a certain shift for a month that provides me with very little sleep, and definitely no time to work out...

that sucks, but at least the $$$ are good

there's not much you could do about that, except find a new job... up to you i guess, depends how badly you want to improve your body....

[kronik420]

although with the right diet, you should be able to retain your LBM (lean body mass) in that month that you are not working out...

how often does this happen??

[medic2012]

although with the right diet, you should be able to retain your LBM (lean body mass) in that month that you are not working out...

how often does this happen??

That diet is what i'm looking for. Although 12 -24 hour shifts on an ambulance may make it very hard to keep that diet...I do remember a medic in good shape talking about his strict diet eating every 2 hours.

Over a year now. Chaotic Paramedic license/training. Wait wait wait then boom, work at this hospital/ambulance on this schedule next week. Within the next two months I should be on the final step, 2-4 months on the ambulance logging hours for my license. After that I should although it may not be a good one, I should at least have a stable/free schedule.

After some poking around MONW sounds about right. Although I don't get why in Afghanistan I still was that way, we had to be burning 10X the normal daily calorie intake..

[kronik420]

That diet is what i'm looking for. Although 12 -24 hour shifts on an ambulance may make it very hard to keep that diet...I do remember a medic in good shape talking about his strict diet eating every 2 hours.

Over a year now. Chaotic Paramedic license/training. Wait wait wait then boom, work at this hospital/ambulance on this schedule next week. Within the next two months I should be on the final step, 2-4 months on the ambulance logging hours for my license. After that I should although it may not be a good one, I should at least have a stable/free schedule.

After some poking around MONW sounds about right. Although I don't get why in Afghanistan I still was that way, we had to be burning 10X the normal daily calorie intake..

it is definitely possible to do this, you just need a will, then you will find a way...

although it must be hard to eat after looking at blood and guts...eww..

MONW???

[MuscleInk]

Ok, I will head over there. I use the Bowflex twice a week for about an hour and a half each time, with declined situps in between sets.

When I eat within like 3 hours prior to lifting I have extreme difficuluty keeping it down. Good to know food is more important to buy than all the supplements. Right now I have some cheap soy whey I was using. Kind of backed off though I heard soy whey was not good....

I've had several different home gyms. Most were the universal machines with plated systems. I've seen the Bowflex but wasn't a big fan of it. It doesn't look like it would be useful for power or strength training and would be better for hypertrophy or endurance training styles. How effective that Bowflex is really depends in your goals, but even still, I don't know if you can get a full range of motion or full muscle contraction using a Bowflex an that will slow your growth.

[MuscleInk]

That diet is what i'm looking for. Although 12 -24 hour shifts on an ambulance may make it very hard to keep that diet...I do remember a medic in good shape talking about his strict diet eating every 2 hours.

Over a year now. Chaotic Paramedic license/training. Wait wait wait then boom, work at this hospital/ambulance on this schedule next week. Within the next two months I should be on the final step, 2-4 months on the ambulance logging hours for my license. After that I should although it may not be a good one, I should at least have a stable/free schedule.

After some poking around MONW sounds about right. Although I don't get why in Afghanistan I still was that way, we had to be burning 10X the normal daily calorie intake..

It's not easy and like yourself, there are some members who work as "first responders" in our forum and these guys find find time to eat on shift. When you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to be successful. Most guys prepare meals the night before so they have all the nutrition they need for the work day and won't need to compromise their nutrition requirements for body shaping by being ill prepared.

[medic2012]

it is definitely possible to do this, you just need a will, then you will find a way...

although it must be hard to eat after looking at blood and guts...eww..

MONW???

Makes me hungry..
metabolically obese normal weight, a skinny fat person, hahaha.... Even when I was in good shape over there in the desert why would I have a rock hard flat stomach, covered by just enough fat to hide any abs...

[medic2012]

It's not easy and like yourself, there are some members who work as "first responders" in our forum and these guys find find time to eat on shift. When you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to be successful. Most guys prepare meals the night before so they have all the nutrition they need for the work day and won't need to compromise their nutrition requirements for body shaping by being ill prepared.

Very true about being ill prepared. I've found most of my slip ups with diet are just that. Being ill prepared. I didn't make something like normal, now i'm starving and only have a few minutes to find something before it's back to work, so garbage it is.

[kronik420]

Makes me hungry..
metabolically obese normal weight, a skinny fat person, hahaha.... Even when I was in good shape over there in the desert why would I have a rock hard flat stomach, covered by just enough fat to hide any abs...

yea that last layer of fat is a b!tch, requires a very strict diet, and lots of cardio to get rid of it

[kronik420]

Very true about being ill prepared. I've found most of my slip ups with diet are just that. Being ill prepared. I didn't make something like normal, now i'm starving and only have a few minutes to find something before it's back to work, so garbage it is.

lol yea that happens to me too often... i work in a bakery, so to keep myself from eating all of the cakes and pies, i have to wake up early and get a few meals prepared...

[MuscleInk]

Very true about being ill prepared. I've found most of my slip ups with diet are just that. Being ill prepared. I didn't make something like normal, now i'm starving and only have a few minutes to find something before it's back to work, so garbage it is.

That's what most people do. They grab what is convenient......but most of the time convenient isn't healthy (as you know).

Once you get into the habit of preparing meals the night before or a few days ahead, you'll wonder why you waited so long to do it!

It makes a huge difference!

[medic2012]

Thanks guys, Bed time for me. I like this site so far, guess i'll go to the introduction and nutrition thread tomorrow.

[kronik420]

Thanks guys, Bed time for me. I like this site so far, guess i'll go to the introduction and nutrition thread tomorrow.

good night and good luck.

p.s. welcome

[MuscleInk]

Thanks guys, Bed time for me. I like this site so far, guess i'll go to the introduction and nutrition thread tomorrow.

No problem. We're here to help.

Night & good luck.