The Truth About Steroids…..
Steroids can be a bit of a grey area and are generally frowned upon by society. This is not helped by the USA.s war on steroids and bad publicity from the media.
Steroids are illegal to possess in the USA and Australia, however in the UK it is legal to possess them for personal use but illegal to sell or distribute them.
The reality is that unless you are one of those freak of nature people with Greek mythology god like genetics which is one in every 10 million people, you will never ever get that physique you always wish you had without the use of anabolic steroids.
Never ever begin taking anabolic steroids without educating yourself first, so read, read & read on…….
This jargon busting guide to steroids is designed to teach you the basic.s in using anabolic steroids safely and effectively.
What You Need to Learn
Section 1 – Understanding How Steroids Work
Section 2 – Categorizing Steroids
Section 3 – Stopping Side Effects
Section 5 – Post Cycle Therapy
Section 4 – Beat the Fear of Injecting
Section 1 – Understanding How Steroids Work
. Start Small Think Big – This mind set will save you money, keep you healthy and ensure you get the most out of anabolic steroids in later years to come. More is never better especially if you are new to steroids or in your first year of using them.
There is a massive difference in using them and abusing them. The human body is a finely tuned instrument and fights off anything and everything.
A drug is a drug such as caffeine, alcohol or steroids, the more you take the more you think you need, when really your body is building up a resistance and fighting off the excess amounts of the drug in your system.
Everyone reacts differently to steroids so listen up… first timers should not start on several products, they should start with one only and protective products. This way you can see what is working, if you take numerous products from day one you cannot know which ones work for you and which ones don.t.
So think about it, if you gradually increase with each course or add a new product each time you do a course you will learn what does what and get better results each time.
. Receptor Sites – Understanding receptor sites can go on forever and ever and bore you to death, reading them in detail would leave the average person mind boggled.
So let.s keep it simple, imagine little landing pads that float round in your blood stream, these are what steroid molecules attach themselves to; however there are only so many spaces to land on.
By taking too much gear too fast you will overload your system, little cleaners called enzymes come along and clear out the gear every week ready for the next load.
If you take too much for your body to handle the enzymes cannot clean up in time and you are overloaded full of gear which was a waste of money. You may also get increased side effects and some people can feel a bit under the weather whilst the body fights off the overload.
So the lesson here is that more gear is never better, as we said earlier start small think big, experience, trial and error will teach you what you can and cannot handle.
Once you have done a few beginner courses and your body has become accustomed to steroids you have done the ground work, you are then ready to experiment with various products and see what works best for you.
At this stage (approx your 5th or 6th course) I would suggest starting a course with bulking / high androgen, long acting steroids to really kick start up regulation of the receptor sites and then around week four add the weaker cutting steroids.
We take weaker cutting steroids at this point because we have more receptor sites available which will increase the effect of the weaker steroids. Taking cutting steroids at this point will tighten and shape the bulk you created in the first four weeks of the course.
. Duration – The standard length of a cycle is 8 – 10 weeks (8 weeks max when on orals alone). In general a 12 week cycle is the longest you should stay on.
For a complete beginner I would suggest a four week course of Dianabol only, taking approximately 4 x 10mg tablets spread out throughout the day say morning, midday, late afternoon and the last one an hour or two before training to ensure your blood levels are up.
Then you could try a six week course for example Dianabol and Deca-Durabolin, sticking with the same principle as above with the Dianabol but adding 200mg of Deca- Durabolin every week. This way you are adding to a tried and tested course so you will learn the effects of the new steroid added.
The next example would be another six week course sticking with the same two principles above, 4 x 10mg tablets of Dianabol daily and 200mg of Deca weekly but adding 250mg of Sustanon250 every other/per week. Again you are adding to a tried and tested course but you will learn the effects of the new steroid added.
Hopefully your pretty intelligent and understand what I am getting at in the above paragraphs…. if not read it again until it sinks in, this is your health and your future physique we are dealing with.
As I mentioned earlier and to the best of my knowledge and from various well established bodybuilders I have met over the years the more favourable way to do an 8-12 week course would be to hit the bulking, long acting, high androgen steroids for the first 4-6 weeks then hit the cutting, short acting steroids in later 4-6 weeks of the course.
Time off is the last thing on your mind when taking steroids but it is one of the most important periods of a steroid course. Having time off also clears the receptor sites and gives your body that all important break from an influx of drugs, I would suggest a month off after each course and often when you hit the gear again your body grows like never before.
Section 2 – Categorizing Steroids
There are many different steroids out there and for me to list each one in detail would take forever and you.d probably wake up with your face hitting the keyboard as you nod off.
Some of these steroids in the same category work completely different to others and some are very similar to each other but work in a slightly different way. Below is a list of some popular steroids in their respective categories.
. Bulking steroids
Dianabol (tablets)
Anadrol 50 (Nap 50 Tablets)
Testosterone Cypionate
Sustanon 250 (a blend of four testosterone esters)
Testosterone Enanthate
Testosterone Propionate
Deca-Durabolin
Cutting Steroids
Equipoise
Masteron
Primobolan Depot
Trenbolone
Anavar (tablets)
Winstrol (tablets)
Section 3 – Stopping Side Effects
There are many side effects when taking steroids which can easily be controlled. In the next few paragraphs will be details on the most unwanted side effects and a generalisation of others. Despite what the media says only a small percentage of steroid users go into so called „roid rage. or suffer health problems.
. Gynaecomastia – More commonly known as Gyno or “bitch tits”, this is caused by the conversion (aromatization) of steroids in the body to oestrogen. It is a build up of fatty tissue under the nipple which untreated can look freaky and end up costing you about £3k to get it cut out.
This isn.t something the NHS treat for free so right from the start of your course start with oestrogen blockers to ensure you are not a bodybuilder with female breasts.
Your three solutions are Nolvadex which is an anti- oestrogen which works on the fat in the nipple however this is more of a fight the problem drug. You can stop oestrogen dead in its tracks with Arimidex but small amounts of oestrogen are good for muscle gains.
Many athletes anti-oestrogen drug of choice is Proviron, this stops the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen therefore preventing gyno and water retention, it keeps your testosterone in a free state when some cases up to 98% can be inactive. It is also useful for the loss of sex drive which some steroids cause and it hardens your physique preventing soft bloated muscle. Proviron has many benefits but just keep an eye on your blood pressure, oh and guys, in too high a dose it can give you a continuous erection. Eat Your Heart Out Viagra!!! Seriously too much can damage your manhood. 2 x 25mg tablets per day will do the job in divided doses without the side effects.
. Liver Protection – Over the last decade an increasing number of steroid users have been admitted to hospital with liver damage. Only a small percentage are the usual steroid abusers that you.d expect, shockingly the majority are male, in their 20.s and have used gear several times over the last 12 – 24 months.
The problem is that anabolic steroids, especially orals, are chemically structured as C-17 alpha alkylation which prevents the liver from doing its job as a detoxifying organ, and enables the drug to pass through the liver without rapidly degrading. The down side is the chemical process causes damage increasing the liver enzyme values. At this stage persistent use of the steroid without any protection products can lead to inflammation of the liver. Serious cases can lead to jaundice and or liver failure.
Liver protection is serious stuff, anyone considering using steroids for the first time is probably thinking is it really worth it…? Surprisingly the answer is YES… Unfortunately the current trend / generation fail to educate themselves even though they are using anabolic steroids which is complete Bonkers!! Many take advice from the geezer in the gym that sold them the gear. Those with previous experience can get lazy or ignorant to side effects and don.t bother with protective products and soldier through as they feel invincible whilst pumped up on the stuff.
If you are using C-17 alpha alkylated gear such as Dianabol or Anadrol 50 and want to have a fully functional liver then do yourself a favour and supplement a good milk thistle and Liv52. Two very effective products which help neutralise toxins in the liver and help the regeneration process. For less than £20 you can purchase these two great products which keep the liver damage under control provided you are using sensible doses. Best advice is to use milk thistle and Liv52 all year round increasing the dosage during a steroid cycle.
. Water Retention – This is never a dangerous side effect from steroids it is more an unwanted one. High androgen steroids are usually the culprit as they cause the muscle fibres to store water and sodium. Keep your salt intake low and if things get bad use a herbal (never chemical) diuretic such as dandelion.
. Kidneys – Higher levels of sodium and strong androgen steroids can give the kidneys more work to deal with, simply drink at least 3 litres of water a day to clean them out.
. Blood Pressure – Warning Signs are nosebleeds, headaches or some people get a tight feeling in their face or their eyes feel bulging. If this happens stop taking the drug concerned, but just a reminder diet is the key, eat good fats not bad fats, ie almonds are good fats – donner kebabs are bad fats.
. Cholesterol & Heart Problems – The media has blown stories way out of proportion in the past about dangers of heart enlargement from taking steroids. This is utter nonsense, if you became three times bigger than you were before, all your internal organs have to grow whether you are on steroids or not. Fact. In regards to cholesterol all it takes is some regular aerobic exercise and again eat healthy fats not bad fats.
. Various Other Side Effects – There are other side effects such as hair loss or hair growth which some people are not affected by. Others are already sensitive to it naturally and certain steroids will increase the rate in which the hair is lost or how fast it grows. Acne and skin problems work in the same way, if you don.t suffer from it naturally you may only get the odd spot from certain steroids but if you are sensitive to it normally than steroids may make it worse. Again trial and error will teach you what steroids work best for you.
Section 4 – Post Cycle Therapy
At this point you will have been using some form of testosterone and are just putting the last shot of your gear in at the end of your course. Your testosterone has been booming for a number of weeks so between 7-12 days (depending on the drug last administered) after your last shot I would suggest coming off your oestrogen blocker such as Arimidex or Proviron then most people would switch to Nolvadex and Clomid to get their natural testosterone back up again.
Another brilliant choice would be to use Nolvadex and DHEA..? Anybody remember this stuff..? It was massive many years ago as it was the next best thing to steroids. DHEA helps put your testosterone back in place as this is a naturally produced hormone by the adrenal glands which in turn helps keep your muscle gains. Many steroid users will overlook DHEA but it is a much better choice than HCG as it does not have oestrogen aromatising problems.
Popular post cycle therapy products that can be used 7-12 days after your last shot.
Cyclofenil – Used to kick start natural testosterone 400mg per day for 2 weeks or more.
Clomiphene Citrate – Used to combat oestrogen, boost testosterone levels and used as a fertility drug 50 – 150mg daily for 20 days.
DHEA – Used to kick start testosterone 200mg per day for 10 – 14 days.
HCG – Used to increase testosterone 500iu – 1000iu daily for 3 weeks. Drop down the dose on the last two shots, stack with Nolvadex and continue the Nolvadex for a week after your last shot of HCG.
Nolvadex – The most common anti-oestrogen on the market which works on keeping gyno at bay, it also slightly raises your test and can burn some fat. 10 – 80mg can be taken per day for 10 – 14 days.
Part 5 – Beat The Fear of Injecting
Your first injection of steroids can be pretty nerve wrecking so don.t just jab it in and hope for the best. Proper injection procedure could save you an embarrassing trip the hospital. Follow this procedure step by step and do what nurses do…. practise on an orange….
. Purchasing your injection kit – When ordering your injection kit or picking the stuff you need from a needle exchange centre make sure you get the following; Needles they are approximately 23 gauge, it will say 23G on the back of the packet. If you are getting say ten shots worth you will 20 needles in total. They are colour coded so you will need 10 green needles & 10 blue needles 23G x 1 ¼” these are best for the injection. You will also need 10 x 2ml syringe and a box of alcohol swabs.
. Get Heated – Heating you gear up kills any potential bacteria lurking around and makes it easier to draw the oil from the vial. Simply drop it in some warm (not boiling) water for approx 10 minutes then let it cool down again before injecting.
. Opening the Amp/Vial – If using a vial fill your syringe with 1ml of air, break off the metal covering the rubber top and wipe it with an alcohol swab. Now stick the green needle through the rubber and push in the 1ml of air as this will help the liquid draw out better. If using a glass ampoule saw around the neck with a nail file or something similar a few times then get a cloth or tissue before snapping the glass top off to avoid any glass bits in your fingers.
. Preparation – Once you have drawn the oil from the amp or vial swap the needle head for the blue 23G x 1 ¼”. At this point leave the syringe stood up on a flat surface with the needle pointing to the ceiling for about 2 minutes, the oil should be bubble free, if not hold it whilst flicking it with your finger till the bubbles are gone. Now push the oil right to the top and let a little come out the needle and run down it, this makes an easier glide when pushing the needle in.
. Best place to inject – This has got to be the top right of your right buttock or the top left of your left buttock. Tense the muscle first and feel where the thick muscle sits, now relax again and wipe the area with an alcohol swab then double check no air is in the syringe. You are probably flapping at this point but keep calm and remember you have acquired the knowledge to do this safely, now inject slowly deep into the muscle.
. Pull back – Once the needle is in pull back the plunger to see if the syringe fills with blood, if so take it out slowly and re-site the injection. This will probably never happen but it is a small possibility and it means you are in a blood vessel which can be pretty traumatic if you inject into it.
. Push the gear in – Keep your buttock relaxed at all times and always inject at a right angle, inject all the juice in nice and slowly as this will be less painful.
. Pull out – Once injected pull the needle out nice and slowly and as soon as it pops out wipe it with the alcohol swab or a cotton swab to clear any droplets of blood that may be present.
. Tidy up – Never leave needles lying around there is no excuse so tidy them up and keep others safe. You should have a sharps bin from the needle exchange or bin them very carefully by wrapping them up so they do not come loose on the garbage collector.
Conclusion
Before even considering steroids always ensure your diet, rest, training and exercise are up to scratch. If you have to stop and question anything you are doing then read this again or read a legit source online please arm yourself as knowledge is power in this game my friend.
Always keep in mind if you are big enough to take steroids you are big enough to take care of yourself and others around you.