The short cycle approach is still the most misunderstood concept in bodybuilding. (Technically, it's 4 weeks, but let's get to the point).
Right off the bat, there's still this myth that a drug takes weeks to "kick in." That is patently false. A drug does not sit around and do nothing until a certain amount of time passes. It is active immediately. Short acting esters do not act quicker, they simply don't last as long. And oral gives full dosage immediate effect for a very short time and they are recomened in a short cycle.
Just because you may not "feel" a difference or gain much weight, doesn;t mean your body hasn't experienced an anabolic effect. Besides, an experienced trainer will feel the effects of steroids within a few days. If you don't... you simply don't know how to train.That's the cold hard truth. It's a common problem. People learn more about drugs than they do about training.
Short cycles are not meant to put on 20 pounds, reason being, you can;t hold 20 pounds naturally. This is why guys go back on after a few weeks or just do low dosaes and call it a "bridge." They should call it "bullshit" because that's what it is. They're kidding themselves.
The FEWER pounds you gain, the more of them you can keep in a natural state. Short cycles are like adjunct to natural training -- to give a little boost a few times a year. Also, sInce recovery is easy, there's little loss of gains.
People complain and deride short cycles because they don't provide the satisfaction of big ass cycles. But in the long run, they're more effective.
People MUST stop thinking in terms of what the pros use. The pros aren't looking to build muscle over the long run. They're looking to peak for one day. And they're genetic freaks. And most of them off season look like tubs of shit.
These days with better PCT products, I think a cycle can be stretched with no ill effects to 6, maybe even 8 weeks -- which is what a typical cycle was back in the 70's and 80's. And personally, a lot of those guys looked pretty damn awesome.