if i stop AAS use will my gains go away?

[bigtravis]

i believe that pct has just a small amount to do with keeping your gains. keeping this simple. a good pct will slow down any sudden crash in size and hormone levels in the blood. i feel that if a person wants to keep most of their gains afterwards then they should carefully choose the compounds in which to use.

 

[gimp]

yes, you can hold onto almost all your gains. the key is to eat ALOT of good food consitently. I know guys who are over their limit, and hold onto everything jsut by eating and reducing their training a little. they put on a little fat, but, that's it.

 

[Ulter]

Let me in on the PCT issue. This is something that comes up and is misunderstood by almost everyone doing PCT these days.

Years ago there was no PCT. The acronym PCT was an invention of this board about 5 years ago. I like to think I used it first, but it was probably E2. Now it's on every board on the internet. Thanks to Al Gore for funding the internet.

Because no one did PCT years ago they would "taper" their steroids at the end of a cycle with the idea that this would allow them to avoid a crash and come off slowly. This of course was not based in science but if you hit it just right you could lighten your inevitable crash. When usually happened though was that post cycle your HPTA would not be turn on and you would crash for 4-6 weeks until it came back on line. During this time you feel like complete dog poo. You could not really train and you felt like you had mono, being very weak. THIS IS WHEN YOU WOULD LOSE GAINS. PCT only removes this waiting time before your natural test kicks in and prevents you from going through the crash cycle after your steroid cycle. So in essence PCT doesn't help you keep your gains as much as it keeps you from losing them due to not having an test in your blood. So it's not like it prevents the loss of LBM for months on end after your cycle.

 

[Steve The Bluesman]

I think people sometimes confuse that "genetic limit". Once AS pushes you beyond your genetic limit you will not stay there without it. But for most guys they are no where near their genetic limit when they cycle. They cycle as a short cut to getting to that limit and sometimes passing it (see: needsize, quadsweep, etc). Then when the person keeps a fair amount of their gains they incorrectly believe they have kept LBM beyond their genetic limit. When if fact they probably would have achieved close to the same size over time.

That is what I was thinking - people have no idea what their gen limit is - they may just think they are up against it becuase they hit a plateau...plateau can be from anything though...issues with training, diet, injuries, whatever - but it may not necessarily be genetics...

Great definition of PCT, but the way...that is essential reading.


Bluesman

 

[Extra_Strong]

yea and there is really know way to know what your genetic limit is.
how would you ever know? people say they hit there genetic limit all the time before they cycle the 1st time. i think it is just when your patience runs out

 

[Dial_tone]

I'm of the belief that if all your gains come from juice you will lose nearly all of it when you. If you have a good natural base before starting AAS you can hang on to most of it.

 

[nomad05]

Ulter, Great posts. You & some other vets R the reason I stay around this board, great info/insight & no arrogance even if some of the questions/posts you have to answer you may have gone over many times before

Thanks!
Nmd

 

[trinidad]

I am worried that if I do a few cycles and then decide to stop that I will lose my gains even if i do continue lifting heavy and eating heavy, or will I be able to keep my gains and move up from there naturally, probably an often asked question but I gotta know..


thanks alot!

Yes, you will lose them

 

[arnoldjr]

thanks everyone for the input! much appreciated, Id be lost if it wasnt for this board haha