How much do you lose when you come off?

[triplesixmaf]

Hey ive been off now for 7 or 8 months, i still weight the same and my strength is comprable to when i was on. I was very strong before ever taking anything. My question is do you guys ussually keep gains( do steroids change your body for good in some ways) or am i just lucky to not have dramatic changes when i come off? Ive heard people say that steroids will change your satelite cells for good. does that sound right?





secrest out

 

[krishna]

This is one of the big debates on this board. I believe that it has a lot to do with your genetics. Some people can't keep gains worth shit, and I've seen others who keep practically all their strength and gains with no PCT. Other factors such as stress, diet, and sleep affect this as well. I personally believe that it is possible for permanent change with AAS, although I'm sure others will disagree.

 

[riverrock]

I lose a very significant amount of strength, no question. My testosterone is no where near as high as when loading myself with Test E, but as Krishna said, genetics and good PCT allows me to keep a decent amount of my size and I'm off 12 months (reckon I kept about 30 - 40%). Add into that the fact that you were a good matty size before you started on AAS and also that you train and eat well while natty again and I think I'm in a good position to say that I am in great shape right now. The first few months are hard as you see yourself shrink in the mirror, but a great thing to do is have a "before" photo to remind yourself that you are still better off than when you started.

 

[WannaBeBig72]

I think alot has to do with wether you're at your "natural" genetic limit or not. If you use AAS to blow out you genetic limit then you're more likely to slowly lose and head back to it. If you haven't yet reached it and are using AAS to try to get there you're more likely to maintain.

My first cycle, I lost very little and gained whatever little I lost back with training within a month. And actually was stronger about 3 months after then when I came off (I think this is because the cycle really helped me nail down my diet).

 

[toxicsambo]

Hey ive been off now for 7 or 8 months, i still weight the same and my strength is comprable to when i was on. I was very strong before ever taking anything. My question is do you guys ussually keep gains( do steroids change your body for good in some ways) or am i just lucky to not have dramatic changes when i come off? Ive heard people say that steroids will change your satelite cells for good. does that sound right?





secrest out

I'm with you bro. I've done 3 cycles and I never saw any loss of gains even when I got lazy and stopped working out. Fat accumulated, but then I went into a serious cutting diet and did tons of cardio. That's where I saw muscle loss. Not alot, but I noticed it. I usually bounce right back with diet and training.

 

[maldorf]

I think alot has to do with wether you're at your "natural" genetic limit or not. If you use AAS to blow out you genetic limit then you're more likely to slowly lose and head back to it. If you haven't yet reached it and are using AAS to try to get there you're more likely to maintain.

My first cycle, I lost very little and gained whatever little I lost back with training within a month. And actually was stronger about 3 months after then when I came off (I think this is because the cycle really helped me nail down my diet).

this is exactly what I think. When I first started using I would keep almost all that I gained while on, maybe lose 5 pounds of bodyweight. Now I can count on loosing about 10 pounds or more each time, and gain maybe just 5 pounds or so of muscle at most after all is said and done. Earlier I was under my genetic limit some, but now I am very much over it.

 

[Steve The Bluesman]

I didn't lose much weight, but I did lose some strength..the biggest impact was recovery.

I can't recover for shit when I am off.


Bluesman

 

[riverrock]

I didn't lose much weight, but I did lose some strength..the biggest impact was recovery.

I can't recover for shit when I am off.


Bluesman

I get that alot too. I also need more time out between workouts in that I'm shattered after heavy squats or DL

 

[tatman3177]

im into my pct right now. and so far ive keept a good deal of the weight i gained, as well as strength. although ive noticed that i need more recovery time now then i did while on. i did legs on wed and today is holy shit ouch mode.

 

[Dieselgoku23]

I think it depends of the compounds your taking. Usually Var, Primo, EQ what you put on you pretty much keep. Now drol might be diff story. Another thing PCT is very important and also your supplements when your off and diet

 

[novice ck]

iv'e been off for 8 weeks and ive lost 2 lbs and some strength on flat bench....my arms have grown half an inch or so while off......crazy shiiiit

 

[triplesixmaf]

you know whats even weirder is that iwas stronger before i ever took steroids. but i think it was because i ate way more and was fatter, but nothing compares to taking a cycle as far as the way muscles feel. im having a hrd time getting a cycle so i have to work it without so thank god im not losing a shit load. thanks guys

 

[triplesixmaf]

tatman that chick in your avatar is fucking fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine

 

[sprinter86]

I didn't lose much weight, but I did lose some strength..the biggest impact was recovery. Bluesman

I have been off for 2weeks and no mass loss so far. But man am I sore now from going to the gym. Also my strength is down.

 

[Joe Stenson]

I have been off for 2weeks and no mass loss so far. But man am I sore now from going to the gym. Also my strength is down.

2 weeks is not nearly enough time to guage whether or not you're going to lose mass or strength. In fact, if you ARE losing either at this point, I think you'd be in trouble.

I agree that everyone is different, but I think there are a few keys to keeping gains:

1) If you want to keep mass gains, you have to keep the cals high. When you start worrying about gaining a little fat during PCT is when you're bound to lose size.

2) If you want to keep strength gains, you probably shouldn't have gone crazy on your cycle. What I mean is this: Perhaps with whatever you were on you "could" have gained something insane like 100 lbs on your bench in 8 weeks. If you do, however, you're most likely not going to keep it. You're much more likely to keep strength gains if you aim for them to be more moderate. You probably have a lot of cycles ahead of you. No need to double your bench or squat on just one. This approach also makes it easier on your joints and tendons.

3) This one is a HUGE reason why lots of people lose gains after a cycle. DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT go straight from a bulking cycle into a cut. If you gained more fat during your cycle than you would have liked then perhaps you should have thought about that BEFORE stuffing your face with Mcdonald's 3 times/day. You must let your body adjust to the new mass before trying to shed a few pounds or you're really in for a rough ride.

 

[gymratforlife]

I usually start to see body composition going back to normal looking at around 5 months of being off I dont gauge anything by weight because you could be adding fat and weight could stay the same.I just notice that I dont have that juiced up look anymore and start to look more normal,kinda flat and big loss in vascularity.

 

[satchboogie]

on pct nolva/hcg, if i keep cals higher than usual, and take creatine, i manage to keep gainin.

 

[Dieselgoku23]

I totally agree with you man!!!. When you get off I see too many people worry about how much fat they gained after a bulker and go straight to cut down!!!. Thats NO NO NO you need your body to get test levels back to normal also supplements are important personally I like to take Creatine (CEE), Glutamine G plenish(natural flavor taste like ass), ZMA and Tribulus and ofcourse your HCG, CLOMID just my .02 cents

2 weeks is not nearly enough time to guage whether or not you're going to lose mass or strength. In fact, if you ARE losing either at this point, I think you'd be in trouble.

I agree that everyone is different, but I think there are a few keys to keeping gains:

1) If you want to keep mass gains, you have to keep the cals high. When you start worrying about gaining a little fat during PCT is when you're bound to lose size.

2) If you want to keep strength gains, you probably shouldn't have gone crazy on your cycle. What I mean is this: Perhaps with whatever you were on you "could" have gained something insane like 100 lbs on your bench in 8 weeks. If you do, however, you're most likely not going to keep it. You're much more likely to keep strength gains if you aim for them to be more moderate. You probably have a lot of cycles ahead of you. No need to double your bench or squat on just one. This approach also makes it easier on your joints and tendons.

3) This one is a HUGE reason why lots of people lose gains after a cycle. DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT go straight from a bulking cycle into a cut. If you gained more fat during your cycle than you would have liked then perhaps you should have thought about that BEFORE stuffing your face with Mcdonald's 3 times/day. You must let your body adjust to the new mass before trying to shed a few pounds or you're really in for a rough ride.

 

[riverrock]

on pct nolva/hcg, if i keep cals higher than usual, and take creatine, i manage to keep gainin.

Do you find that coming off a gram of test causes a good deal of strength loss, but....

 

[Wulfgar]

done right, i keep 50-90% of my gains after a cycle(depending on what i took)
i always start my PCT(anti-E's, clomid, formestane, cytadren, creatine, low dose T-3, etc.) the last 7-14 days of my cycle so i exit the cycle in a high anabolic state and then continue it for about 2-4 weeks after.
my protien intake stays high(2-2.5 g per pound of BW, but i lower the carbs about 20-30%)
also the training changes, i lessen the volume about 10-15%, rest longer in between sets but still try to be as psychologically tough as possible and keep my weights up. Suprisingly i rarely find a loss in strength that i would normally expect


i suppose it just comes down to not being lazy just cause your not on the juice. my .02

 

[satchboogie]

Do you find that coming off a gram of test causes a good deal of strength loss, but....

i'm lucky that creatine really packs on heavy mass on me.
i'm talkin 15 pounds of mass within 2 weeks.. its almost nuts!

so for me, on proper pct, high cals, and creatine, i do just fine.
in fact, i make better gains on pct!!

 

[bixnij6]

i'm lucky that creatine really packs on heavy mass on me.
i'm talkin 15 pounds of mass within 2 weeks.. its almost nuts!

so for me, on proper pct, high cals, and creatine, i do just fine.
in fact, i make better gains on pct!!

What kind of creatine do you use boogie? How much ed?

 

[Singleton]

I like using AAS with rep range of 10 and then focus on strength when I come off and use a lot of creatine and other supps. I get stronger during PCT.

I usually lose a couple lbs, but if I do well, I can get back even more. I actually like the challenge of coming off.