# Am I ready to cycle?



## PillarofBalance

UGBodybuilding.com has been experiencing exponential growth as of late and I hope it’s a trend that continues. We however are in much need of a strategy to direct the members that are new to the world of anabolics.  There is a lot of info and “do your research” is not an effective answer and it certainly doesn’t represent the atmosphere at UGBodybuilding.  In that spirit we will all be working on putting together some posts to help educate the new members.  This thread will offer direction for the member to search the board for more detailed information on a topic of need. So do not expect anything but generalities below.  I simply want to address some of the basic questions that are asked or should be asked.

*Should I incorporate anabolics to reach my goals?*

The question of whether you should resort to anabolics to achieve your goals depends on the goal as well as a whole host of other variables.  We all have different goals for both the short term or the long term, but they generally fall into one of three categories.

a.	I want to gain mass
b.	I want to cut fat
c.	I want to get stronger

In none of those above goals are anabolics required. Why? Because anabolics are never required.  Any of those goals may be achieved naturally through diet, rest and programming.  Anabolics are a supplement much like whey, creatine, caffeine or any of the other millions of product ingredients lining the shelves of a nutrition shop.  They are however significantly stronger, proven to work over decades and can have long lasting negative effects.  Do not take the decision to use these drugs to achieve your goals as lightly as which whey protein you’d like to use. 

There are thousands upon thousands of natural bodybuilders and powerlifters that achieve their goals without the use of drugs.  You should carefully evaluate the specifics of your goals before considering anabolics as a way to reach them. Are they realistic? 

If you’re 5’5” and want to be a mass monster at 280lbs shredded, you’re deluding yourself.  That will simply never happen for you no matter how much gear you use.  I am 5’11” and can live comfortably at 260lbs, however at 280lbs I can’t even tie my shoes without feeling like my head is going to pop off. I had a goal of weighing 300lbs but called it off once I hit 280lbs. It was not a realistic goal for me.  If you are over 6’2” weighing 300lbs might be more reasonable, but with or without anabolics your life will be consumed by consuming.  Eating is a full time job.  You also need to consider how hard you are training. I thought I knew what it meant to bust ass in the gym until I ran Sheiko. It changed my whole outlook on training.  And it also dramatically changed my physique in just a month. I got comments from people all day long from “are you on steroids” to my chiro who told me I looked “intimidating.” 

If your goal is simply to be stronger, let’s say add 100lbs to your total in 6 months you need to seriously consider all of the variables or you will wind up injured. It is almost certainty. First you should have your technique evaluated by someone who is credentialed.  If you are getting tips from “the powerlifters at your gym” that doesn’t mean much. I’m not necessarily saying they need NSCA papers, but do they at least have a respectable total.  Consider that in the 220 class the difference between the best in the world and the guy you never heard of is somewhere in the 400lb range it can be tough to tell if they are legit.  This is where the internet can be a resource and filming your training is important. Compare your form to the guys in the westside videos. Watch all the videos that EliteFTS has put out such as “so you think you can bench.”  Your high school football coach probably gave you lousy advice. Time to step up your game, because chances are your technique has serious faults.  Those faults combined with anabolics take you on the highway to snap city. Muscling your way through a poor set up on bench will lead to shoulder destruction.   You also need to consider your programming. If you have been running with 5/3/1 for a year and have seen only a small increase in your total, you probably need more volume. Consider a westside template or a block program like Sheiko. 

When trying to cut, under any circumstance if you are looking to anabolics to help you drop fat, that is a total lack of understanding of how to achieve this goal. You need to eat less. It’s that simple. Even the most advanced guys that have been using gear for decades know and prepare themselves for the reality of their diet when it is time to cut. Even with anabolics a caloric deficit is still required.

For any of the above goals, you need rest. Training 6 days per week may be too much for you.  Try a 4 day split and be efficient.  Get naps in when you can. Come to grips with the fact that you can’t stay up and watch the bachelor if you need to be up at 6am for work.

_Research keywords: Diet, Nutrition, Bulking, Cutting, Training, Westside, Sheiko, Powerlifting
_

*Am I ready for a cycle?*

No, because you are asking.  Nobody can truly say if you are ready but here are some things to consider.

a.	 Are you over 25 years old? No – your body is not done maturing. Don’t mess with it just yet.
b.	Have you been training without long periods of interruption for 3 to 5 years? No – you haven’t begun to tap into your full potential and probably haven’t figured out how to train and eat to suit your particular genetic make-up.
c.	Do you weight 200lbs naturally? No – unless you’re a midget you should be able to weigh 200lbs without drugs.  This will piss some people off no doubt, but I don’t care. I’ve taken my fair share of short cuts in this game and have used plenty of anabolics. Hell I started way before I should have and wish someone had written something like this and I read it.  But I at least was 225lbs naturally before I started.
d.	Do you have emotional problems? – Yes – then leave them alone.  No matter what anyone says, the reality is being on steroids will affect your mood.  Whether its mood swings, a sharp tongue or anxiety they will affect your mood. Plus if you’re a prick who likes to get into fights, we don’t need more fodder for the media to scream about roid rage.
e.	Have you had blood work done? No – Get a panel done. Total test, free test, estradiol, LH, FSH, TSH, ALT/AST at least.  Ask your doc. If you don’t have insurance then for fifty dollars you can get it done at private MD labs under the name “female hormone panel.” 

*I meet all the above - I am ready for a cycle!*

No. No you’re not.  You have no idea what to take, when to take it, what it is, what it does, what to take for sides, what the sides are, what an ester is, how to plan post cycle therapy and you don’t have enough porn links to help alleviate your disgusting sex drive.

*What do I take?* 

You take testosterone at 500mg per week for 12 weeks. Use a moderate ester like enanthate or cypionate.  Do not use prop because it hurts and we don’t want to hear you whining about it. You will not blow up like a giant balloon with water contrary to what you have heard. Whoever told you that needs a throat punch. You will be anxious enough about the injections at twice per week, so don’t subject yourself to it daily or every other day.  Also, don’t ask when you will feel it. You don’t feel it, you sense it. It’s not a drug. It’s a hormone that you already have so it doesn’t feel foreign. Just watch the scale weight, libido, energy, strength. 

You will not add other injectables at this point. You need to know how you react to testosterone because every cycle you run will have this in it.  Therefore you can distinguish sides and know how to titrate your doses accordingly.  Say 3 years from now you run a deca cycle. Your blood pressure is through the roof.  You will know it’s not the test so you can leave that dose where it is and adjust the deca thereby salvaging your cycle and your health. 

Do not try and tell us you’re going to run tren on cycle one and that you are some sort of genetic gift.  You are being a moron.  

At week 6 don’t tell us that you aren’t experiencing any benefit and bump to one gram.  You simply need to exercise patience. You may also need to re-evaluate your diet. 
What kind of sides to expect?

Many are concerned about hair loss.  Truth is, if it’s in your genes, it will happen anyway. With certain compounds it will simply accelerate it.  So if you don’t have baldness on your mother’s side of the family don’t worry about it. If you do, don’t worry about it. Just accept it or don’t and get cycling out of your mind.

Gynocomastia is a real thing and can happen. Some compounds are worse than others such as dianabol.  With proper planning, you can avoid this.  

Acne shows up in some. Most times it appears on the back.  There are many different remedies that people find work. Everything from head and shoulders, tea tree soaps to prescription sulfur based cleansers.  Acne is not life threatening but it can be pretty gross for sure. So try some different methods and find what works for your skin types.  I will say, do not go crazy washing your skin six times per day.  You will find that your skin is dry but still greasy. That is a clinical condition you have created by killing off the good bacteria from your skin. So knock it off.


_Research keywords: gyno, aromasin, exemestane, arimidex, anastrazole, letrozole, Acne_

*Do I need Post Cycle Therapy?*

If you’re asking this, you need to start over with researching your cycle. Look through our cycles discussion forum and you’ll see how they run and how a PCT is assembled. Taking Nolvadex is not sufficient.

If you want the best recovery possible, you also need to understand HCG and its effects and when it should be taken. 

_Research keywords: Clomid, Post Cycle Therapy, PCT, HCG, Human Chorionic Gonadatropin _

*What is the difference between the different types of testosterone?*

Test is test as they say.  Some require more frequent injections than others. The difference between the esters can mean injections twice daily (actually this one has no ester) to once every other week.

_Research keywords: ester, propionate, phenyl propionate, cypionate, enanthate, half-life_

*Can I expect all kiiiiiinds of gains from my cycle?*

If you get the above right, then yes. You can expect anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds. You should expect to lose some of those gains when you come off but you have to fight to keep them on in PCT.

*Can anyone tell me where to get “legit” gear?*

You should really stop asking that. For starters it’s against the board’s rules. And that rule is there for your protection.  Asking that question to a bunch of strangers on the internet will lead to one of three things.  Most likely you will be scammed. Someone will PM you and tell you that he thinks you’re a good “bro” and give you an email address.  You’ll place an order, send funds and poof you get nothing. No further communication.  Or you’ll get something for your money but its underdosed bunk gear that will do nothing for you. They may as well have sent nothing.  Or it’s a cop you emailed your info to.  Your family will miss you while you’re away.  Steroids are illegal and the penalties for even possessing them are severe. There are members on the boards and some here that have done time for this. It’s not pretty. So quit asking on our board. It’s disrespectful to all of us. And don’t give us that crap about how there was a day when none of us had a source and someone helped us out.  Maybe that is how we came across our guy.  But we didn’t get it from a stranger. We contributed and formed bonds. We gained confidence in one another. We proved ourselves worthy of that help.  So don’t expect it here and stop acting like you're entitled to it. This isn't your mommy you're talking to and having a temper tantrum won't get you a cookie. It'll get you a ban hammer.  We are here for information. Not sources. In fact if you are solicited by private message here, you need to let me or a member of the staff now immediately so we can remove this person.

Safety comes first in all things here.


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## Metalhead1

Great post. You mind want to run this by doc d. You know how much of a hard on he gets teaching the newbs


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## Mind2muscle

Very informative post POB!  Every new user should read this after signing up.


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## Bro Bundy

good post tillerofbalance


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## AlphaD

One of the most informative posts yet....boss. very nice.


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## PillarofBalance

Metalhead1 said:


> Great post. You mind want to run this by doc d. You know how much of a hard on he gets teaching the newbs



Already did. We will be expanding on the topics in here. He will be putting together a post on esters.  We will slowly add to this.


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## Big Worm

Good stuff POB. After reading this I feel like I'm ready first first cycle. Can't wait.


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## PillarofBalance

Big Worm said:


> Good stuff POB. After reading this I feel like I'm ready first first cycle. Can't wait.



I didn't want to name names Worm but we are sick of your stupid questions about running a halo only cycle


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## j2048b

Yup very very informative, would it also be possible to put up a thread explaining what compounds to take durring a cut vs a bulk and possible offer workout reps etc that some newbees should try to follow for both a cut and a bulk? I know everyone is different, but somewhere for them to get a generalization of the cut and bulking compounds would be great to as people asked me in the past and i led them here yet they were looking for more of a specific compound recomendations and workout to accompany them 

Just a question, hope its not over stepping my bounds


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## stonetag

Well written, to the point, skip the bullshit, post.


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## Seeker

Well done POB, well done. I'm glad you posted this. I've lost count of the number of times I've told people they're just not ready. Hopefully this post will help them understand. Looking forward to the upcoming threads.


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## PillarofBalance

Seeker said:


> Well done POB, well done. I'm glad you posted this. I've lost count of the number of times I've told people they're just not ready. Hopefully this post will help them understand. Looking forward to the upcoming threads.



Get started writing one. Just work at your own pace in a word doc and then copy and paste into a thread. Something on more extreme bodybuilding techniques for busting plateaus. Drop sets, forced reps etc...


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## Seeker

PillarofBalance said:


> Get started writing one. Just work at your own pace in a word doc and then copy and paste into a thread. Something on more extreme bodybuilding techniques for busting plateaus. Drop sets, forced reps etc...



I'll put something together and have it up sometime this coming week.


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## DocDePanda187123

Seeker said:


> I'll put something together and have it up sometime this coming week.



Get yer ass to work brother, homework is due on Monday . 

Nice write up POB. Short to the point and accurate.


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## BigGameHunter

Great post.  Especially the points on training naturally and eating properly.  Too often the value of diet and desire are eclipsed by the quest for a quick fix instead of earning gains the old fashioned way.


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## coltmc4545

I didn't read a word of your post. I only read the title and saw it was by POB. My answer is NO.


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## PillarofBalance

coltmc4545 said:


> I didn't read a word of your post. I only read the title and saw it was by POB. My answer is NO.



hahahahahaha!!!!!! oh man I just laughed myself into a coughing fit


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## Malevolence

Very good! Can you define midget lol? There has been a tidal wave of folks arriving as of late. Most come in already starting something and knowing little about it so I think we should be informing more in the introduction threads. I am guilty of the "Do some Research", comment at times but will try to put a little more effort in guidance, rather than pointing to the stickys or what have you. Again, thanks for the great post. Yours truly, 200lb midget


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## Tren4Life

Excellent post POB. 
Knowing a little bit about steroids is like knowing a little bit about electricity. It will get you hurt. 
I like the part about the food. I'm 235 now and I don't know if I can afford the grocery bill for me to be 250.


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## jyoung8j

Great post!!!


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## M_T Pockets

Nice sticky. Great info.


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## TizMyIllusion

The last couple of weeks I've been thinking I want to cycle so bad. I want it more then anything, seeing some local guys in my area that I know that are all jacked makes me want to be monster too. The truth is I don't know jack shit about it to be safe. Let the research continue. Thanks for the info.


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## _antonio1

I'm a noob and this read was great... thank you a lot of home work needs to be done. Jumping into it just isn't worth it


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## spotja

Had arranged one of the big guys at the local gym to get me some dianabol, now I know I'm not ready. A total noob here. Thanx for this valuable advice


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## shenky

spotja said:


> Had arranged one of the big guys at the local gym to get me some dianabol, now I know I'm not ready. A total noob here. Thanx for this valuable advice



Dianabol is _great_, but not without test, a proper PCT and a basic understanding of what you're getting into. Also blood pressure can be nuts on dballs


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## Bro Bundy

bump...knowledge is power


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## JJyaya

Good stuff, appreciatecha trying to help us cherries out


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## bsw5

I was just fixing to post a question about how to know when you are ready to cycle.. Glad I found this post. Lots of great info here.


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## automatondan

POB, this is probably the most helpful thread I have ever read... I've never seen that much useful information packed into one post... and then after you explained each point, you then gave key-words to help the reader further do their homework through researching. AWESOME. Thank you. Seriously. 

"Eating is a full time job. You also need to consider how hard you are training. I thought I knew what it meant to bust ass in the gym until I ran Sheiko. It changed my whole outlook on training. And it also dramatically changed my physique in just a month."

I've never heard of Sheiko... But now I have something to look forward to trying out and experiencing... Ive always wanted to get above 200lbs. (192 has been my peak and my lowest has been 155 when I wasn't lifting and doing tons of martial arts training...)

Anyways, thanks for a great post with TONS of helpful info... I feel like this should be a sticky under ALL of the forum categories... newbies don't want to spend the time researching and then they go do stupid stuff.... unfortunately...


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## vitalpharmacy

great post theres a lot of good information here


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## baseball dad

Great post! Thanks!


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## Mole

Great read thanks


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## gordy2506

Just signed up and read this post great info!


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## NicoKiraly

hey just wanted to say thank you for the post, I'm very new to the forums and learned a lot so thanks again.


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## NicoKiraly

learned a lot man thank you


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## Cloudy

Good post


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## Steak Helmet

Also one needs to think....am I MENTALLY ready.

I don't care what  people say...this is physically addicting...can you hand the hormone swing and know what is or could happen mentally??

Just some thought


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## Amanda Whelan

Great ! That's very considerate of u !:32 (19):


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## steve

Excellent post especially for the newbies like myself very informative


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## Seeker

Bump: 

If you're asking simple basic questions about starting and using AAS for the 1st time then you are not ready! If you ask a question like I have a vial of this and a vial of that, what should I do with it? You're not even remotely close to to being ready. 

If you ask how long should I run test for? You're not ready.
If you ask should I use an a/I? You're not ready.
If you ask how much and how long should I pct? You're not ready.
If you ask what kind of sides should I expect to get? You're not ready.

Sure asking theses types of questions will help you get there eventually but until you have a full grasp and understanding in full detail of what you are looking to embark on, and the full understanding of the drugs themselves and their effects good and bad? 
 ********************************** YOU ARE NOT READY!*************

It's not just simply buying test and running it for 12weeks. It's much, much, more than that. 

Seek.


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## Ada

Excelente!!


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## newguy

good info this really is very informative


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## dk8594

Great stickie.  I come back to it time and time again and always gain new insights. Wish we could make it required reading.


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## Elivo

dk8594 said:


> Great stickie.  I come back to it time and time again and always gain new insights. Wish we could make it required reading.



Ive probably read this 4 or 5 times in the 2 months ive been here, ill read it a few more times too im sure!


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## Chillinlow

Good read wish this was atop every thread.


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## big_pete

Great read. I wish had read this before or when I first started using PEDs. If you don’t mind me asking, How long have you been in this game?


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## PillarofBalance

big_pete said:


> Great read. I wish had read this before or when I first started using PEDs. If you don’t mind me asking, How long have you been in this game?



2010 I think I started?


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## big_pete

PillarofBalance said:


> 2010 I think I started?



I imagine you have acquired loads of knowledge of PEDs over the years. Would be ok for me to pm you if I have questions? If not it’s cool. I’m fairly new and am very eager to learn


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## ComeBacKid85

Awesome info POB thanks a lot


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## bprice

WoW Ok Thanks REad the Stickys before i ask anymore stupid questions.


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## wilkinkc

What a great read. Thank you for taking the time to post this.


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## SommerV

Put my thoughts in the right place. Great thread thank you.


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## Crom

Good read. I'm 200 pounds. I want to be bigger but I don't want my head popping off when I tie my shoes. I'll keep reading, learning and getting to know everyone. My health and physique goals are that important to me.


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## Hampster

Thanks for the info.  I've been lurking for a couple weeks but haven't been posting much since I know the answers to my questions are likely here if not somewhere off of Google.  This is a vast world, I still have a lot of research to do before planning a first cycle.


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## Superman

Solid read POB


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## mabdelrasoul

What ever happen to POB?


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## Cornholio

This answered some of my questions. Thanks for the info!


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