Diet-and-Nutrition-for-bodybuilding: January 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Ma Huang (Ephedrine)

Ma Huang (Ephedrine) Ma Huang, also known as ephedrine is an herbal form of the powerful stimulant Ephedrine and can be found on the dry rocky slopes of Asia. Ephedra has become a popular stimulant that has proven its abilities to stimulate fat burning by increasing the rate of caloric expenditure and also for its appetite suppressing qualities. Another side effect of this herb is its ability to increase a persons short term energy levels by activating the central nervous system. Many of the people who have used Ma Huang have reported extreme fat loss as well as increased energy. The user will usually have a higher body temperature, faster metabolism, increased heart rate, and a curbed appetite. All of which will help burn calories. When Ma Huang hit the market as a thermogenic, its popularity shot through the roof. It was a product that had proven to work time and time again with minimal visible side effects. When Ma Huang is used for energy as well as for fat loss, studies showed that 150 to 300mg 2-3 times a day of Ephedra or Ma Huang could be used. They should be taken prior to meals (not dinner) and /or 30minutes before exercise. Ma Huang affects everyone differently and should be taken at a lower dose when first trying to determine a dose that will work for you. Taking Ma Huang close to bedtime is not a good idea as it may cause you not to sleep. Ma Huang is used in combination with caffeine (guarana) and aspirin (willow bark) to create a power thermogenic stack. When taking these products together it is not wise to use them for more than 8 weeks on, followed by 2-4 weeks off and is not recommended that you take them for long-time use. Because of the potent side affects of Ma Huang, which include; increased heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, jitters, irritability, insomnia, and heart palpitations, it is wise to speak with a doctor before using Ma Huang. The following States, organizations, or committees have banned the use of Ma Huang: States Florida and Texas (please check to make sure your state has not been added)International Olympic Committee NFL????????? WARNING: Not for use by individuals under the age of 18. Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Consult a physician or licensed, qualified health-care professional before using this product if you have, or have a family history of, heart disease, angina, thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, recurrent headaches, bleeding disorder, depression or other psychiatric condition, glaucoma, difficulty urinating, prostate enlargement, or seizure disorder; if you are using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug, or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain decongestants and allergy, asthma, cough/cold, and weight-control products). The maximum recommended serving of ephedrine for a healthy adult is 100 mg in a 24-hour period for not more than 12 weeks. Cycle this product, using it for no more than 12 weeks; then discontinue use for at least 2 weeks. Exceeding the recommended amount or use restrictions may cause serious adverse health effects, including heart attack and stroke. Side effects may include insomnia, nervousness, or hand-tremors. Discontinue use and call a physician or licensed, qualified health-care professional immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headache, shortness of breath, or other Steroid. com brings to you as much free anabolic steroid information as we can. Anabolic steroids are a very popular anabolic (muscle building) drug that is not legal in all countries. Anabolic steroids can be dangerous to your health and may result in many different types of side effects. We have a very detailed section about the side affects of anabolic steroids and it should be read at least once. Anabolic steroids should only be used with a doctors supervision. We have many profiles on anabolic steroids in the "steroid profile" section of our site. If you can not find the answers that you are looking for about a particular steroid, please see our discussion board. There are hundreds of people on-line to answer your questions. Please do not ask us anabolic steroid related questions directly. We can not and will not answer these for you. Steroid laws are different throughout the world, but here in the United States, anabolic steroids are illegal without a prescription. Please DO NOT ask us to sell or send you anabolic steroids and DO NOT send us anabolic steroids. If you see errors on our website, please contact us to let us know. If you need medical assistance due to the use of anabolic steroids, please see your doctor immediately.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Clenbuterol

Clenbuterol Let me just start by saying that this is the single most mis-understood compound in use for athletics and bodybuilding today. Most of the information out there is ½ truths and conjecture. Ok…having said that, I’m going to make an effort to dispel some myths and give everyone a better understanding of Clen. First, lets plow quickly through some of the basics: Clenbuterol (Clen) is a beta-2 agonist/antagonist bronchodilator. What this means, is that it stimulates your beta-2 receptors. And this in turn stimulates you (clen has stimulant effects which will make you feel….well…stimulated). All of this serves to increase your body temperature a bit, increase your basal metabolic rate, and decrease your appetite (Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994 Jun;18(6):429-33.). Clen also can decrease insulin sensitivity (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Jul;283(1):E146-53.). Clen is a very effective repartitioning agent, and this is what it’s most often used for. What this means is that it will increase your ratio of Fat Free Mass (FFM) to Fat Mass, by decreasing your Fat and possibly increasing your FFM (J Appl Physiol. 2001 Nov;91(5):2064-70). Want me to quantify that a bit? In one study, horses given a reasonable dose of clen (slightly over 1mcg/lb) and excercised for 20mins, 3x a week ( I suppose they were Mentzer disciples) had significant decreases in %fat (-17.6%) and fat mass (-19.5%) at week 2, which was similar to Clen given to horses who didn’t excercise; however, the excercised group had a different FFM response, which significantly increased (+4.4%) at week 6. Week 6! Clen and clen+excercise produce roughly the same results for the first 2 weeks! Remember the old 2 weeks-on/2weeks-off schedule? It’s officially dead and buried. If you want the quasi-anabolic effect from the clen, it’ll take more than 2weeks on (6 weeks apparently). And in fact, since clen alone is similar to clen+excercise for those first 2 weeks...why would you ever use a 2on/2off protocol? Keep in mind that animal responses to beta-agonist/antagonists differ a bit from ours…but you get the picture. 2on/2off? Ha ha... Clen has a biphastic elimination, which means that it is technically reduced in your body in 2 different stages. This isn’t particularly important, as a recent study has shown that for most intents and purposes, clen concentrations in the body decline with a ½ life (approximately) equivalent to 7-9.2hours and again up to as much as 35 hours later(J Anal Toxicol. 2001 May-Jun;25(4):280-7. and J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2004 Apr;27(2):71-7. and J Pharmacobiodyn. 1985 May;8(5):385-91. ). If you’re really interested, though, clen technically declines biphastically at 10 and then 36 hours. But really, in our little world, where we use ½ life to tell us when to take our next dose, who the hell is going to take clen, then a dose 10 hours later, then a dose 36 hours later. We’ll stick with the earlier 7-9 hour ½ life for dosing purposes, and take our clen every 3.5-4.5 hours that we’re awake, stopping early enough to still be able to get to bed. Clen can, in some people, cause insomnia (and as with all stimulants, can cause anxiety in some). Clenbuterol can also cause a downregulation in testicular androgen receptors and in pulmonary, cardiac and central nervous system beta-adrenergic receptors(J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2004 Apr;88(3-4):94-100.)…possibly making steroids less effective while you are on clen, but definitely making clen less effective as time goes on and you keep taking it. To counteract this, you can take some ketotifen or periactim every 3rd or 4th week that you remain on clen. Both of these are prescription anti-histimines, so they’ll make you drowsy (take before bedtime). Basically, the way both of these work is to reduce beta-2 receptor activity. A lot of people claim that clen is quite anti-catabolic and/or anabolic. This hasn’t been confirmed in human studies (Ann Pharmacother. 1995 Jan;29(1):75-7.). And the doses given to the animals in these studies where clen is shown to be very anticatabolic or highly anabolic are so absurdly high that no human could ever take them (1mg/kg of bodyweight and higher). The best you can hope for is the very mild anabolic effects I cited earlier. Oh yeah…I guess I should get around to the proper dosing of clen. My recommendations are the same for both men and women. You’ll need to take 20mcgs upon rising, and then repeat that same dose again later in the day, and then once again in that day (if you find you can tolerate the effects). So you’ll start with 20mcgs, and then repeat that dose 2 more times that same day if you can tolerate it (side effects will determine this…hand shaking, sweating, etc…classic stimulant sides). Then you can start increasing the dose gradually. Personally, I wouldn’t work my way up to more than 200mcg/day. 60-120mcg/day is an average dose. Also, bear in mind that clen isn’t great for your heart, and can cause some issues there (enlargement of ventricles, etc…) but most studies showing clen to cause heart problems are with animals, and even though the dosing is similar to what humans take (in some studies) it’s important to remember that animals have more beta-2 receptors and they cause certain event chains that humans’ beta-2 receptors may not. Clen causes cardiac hypertrophy to some degree, in some cases. Again though, many studies showing more significant heart problems are with mg dosing. We humans take clen in mcg doses. If we want to duplicate the “theraputic” levels of clen in the more conservative studies, we’d be taking just over 1mcg/lb of bodyweight. I’d suggest a bit less, though. Performance issues with clen also vary. Some studies show reduced exercise (cardiovascular) performance with clen (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Dec;34(12):1976-85.), while some show that clen can alleviate exercise induced asthma (Respiration. 1987;51(3):205-13.)! Sometimes you feel like a nut…sometimes you don’t, I guess. What this means, to me, is that you’ll need to figure out how clen affects your performance individually. Which brings me to the issue of cramps while on clen. I don’t get them. My friends don’t get them. Most of us are athletes who use clen during the season as well as the off season, and one of my friends even claims that it gives him more “wind” (cardiovascular stamina). Take on enough water every day and you should be fine. If you’re really concerned, you can take some extra minerals and taurine, since clen depletes taurine (Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996;403:233-45) as do most if not all beta-agonists. I don’t take anything more than my usual vitamins and minerals. Well…there it is…pretty much all I know about clen. I hope this answers some questions and clears up some misconceptions.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Anavar (oxandrolone)

Anavar (oxandrolone)

Anavar ® (oxandrolone)

Quick overview:
Active Life: 8-12 hoursDrug Class: Anabolic/Androgenic Steroid (Oral)Average Dose: Men 20-50 mg/day......Women 5-15 mg/dayAcne: Only in higher dosesWater Retention: RareHigh Blood Pressure: RareLiver Toxic: Yes, c17-alfa-alkylated steroid. Due to low doses, toxicity is low to mediumAromatization: NoneDHT Conversion: LowDecrease HPTA function: Dose depandant
Anavar was the old U.S. brand name for the oral steroid oxandrolone, first produced in 1964 by the drug manufacturer Searle. It was designed as an extremely mild anabolic, one that could even be safely used as a growth stimulant in children. One immediately thinks of the standard worry, "steroids will stunt growth". But it is actually the excess estrogen produced by most steroids that is the culprit, just as it is the reason why women stop growing sooner and have a shorter average stature than men. Oxandrolone will not aromatize, and therefore the anabolic effect of the compound can actually promote linear growth. Women usually tolerate this drug well at low doses, and at one time it was prescribed for the treatment of osteoporosis. As the opinions surrounding steroids began to change in the 1980's, prescriptions for oxandrolone began to drop. Lagging sales probably led Searle to discontinue manufacture in 1989, and it had vanished from U.S. pharmacies until recently. Oxandrolone tablets are again available inside the U.S. by BTG, bearing the new brand name Oxandrin. BTG purchased rights to the drug from Searle and it is now manufactured for the new purpose of treating HIV/AIDS related wasting syndrome.
Anavar is a mild anabolic with low androgenic activity. Its reduced androgenic activity is due to the fact that it is a derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Although one might think that this would make it a more androgenic steroid, it in fact creates a steroid that is less androgenic because it is already "5-alpha reduced". In other words, it lacks the capacity to interact with the 5-alpha reductase enzyme and convert to a more potent "dihydro° form. It is a simple matter of where a steroid is capable of being potentiated in the body, and with oxandrolone we do not have the same potential as testosterone, which is several times more active in androgen responsive tissues compared to muscle tissue due to its conversion to DHT. It essence oxandrolone has a balanced level of potency in both muscle and androgenic target tissues such as the scalp, skin and prostate. This is a similar situation as is noted with Primobolan and Winstrol, which are also derived from dihydrotestosterone yet not known to be very androgenic substances.
This steroid works well for the promotion of strength and duality muscle mass gains, although it's mild nature makes it less than ideal for bulking purposes. Among bodybuilders it is most commonly used during cutting phases of training when water retention is a concern. The standard dosage for men is in the range of 20-50mg per day, a level that should produce noticeable results. It can be further combined with anabolics like Primobolan and Winstrol to elicit a harder, more defined look without added water retention. Such combinations are very popular and can dramatically enhance the show physique. One can also add strong non-aromatizing androgens like Halotestin, Proviron or trenbolone. In this case the androgen really helps to harden up the muscles, while at the same time making conditions more favorable for fat reduction. Some athletes do choose to incorporate oxandrolone into bulking stacks, but usually with standard bulking drugs like testosterone or Dianabol. The usual goal in this instance is an additional gain of strength, as well as more quality look to the androgen bulk. Women who fear the masculinizing effects of many steroids would be quite comfortable using this drug, as this is very rarely seen with low doses. Here a daily dosage of 5mg should illicit considerable growth without the noticeable androgenic side effects of other drugs. Eager females may wish to addition mild anabolics like Winstrol, Primobolan or Durabolin. When combined with such anabolics, the user should notice faster, more pronounced muscle-building effects, but may also increase the likelihood of androgenic buildup.
Studies using low dosages of this compound note minimal interferences with natural testosterone production. Likewise when it is used alone in small amounts there is typically no need for ancillary drugs like Clomid/Nolvadex or HCG. This has a lot to do with the fact that it does not convert to estrogen, which we know has an extremely profound effect on endogenous hormone production. Without estrogen to trigger negative feedback, we seem to note a higher threshold before inhibition is noted. But at higher dosages of course, a suppression of natural testosterone levels will still occur with this drug as with any anabolic/androgenic steroid and therefore require post cycle therapy to restore the HPTA.
Anavar is also a 17alpha alkylated oral steroid, carrying an alteration that will put stress on the liver. It is important to point out however that dispite this alteration oxandrolone is generally very well tolerated. While liver enzyme tests will occasionally show elevated values, actual damage due to this steroid is not usually a problem. Bio-Technology General states that oxandrolone is not as extensively metabolized by the liver as other l7aa orals are; evidenced by the fact that nearly a third of the compound is still intact when excreted in the urine. This may have to do with the understood milder nature of this agent (compared to other l7aa orals) in terms of hepatotoxicity. One study comparing the effects of oxandrolone to other agents including as methyltestosterone, norethandrolone, fluoxymesterone and methAndriol clearly supports this notion. Here it was demonstrated that oxandrolone causes the lowest sulfobromophthalein (BSP; a marker of liver stress) retention among all the alkylated orals tested. 20mg of oxandrolone in fact produced 72% less BSP retention than an equal dosage of fluoxyrnesterone, which is a considerable difference being that they possess the same liver-toxic alteration. With such findings, combined with the fact that athletes rarely report trouble with this drug, most feel comfortable believing it to be much safer to use during longer cycles than most of other orals with this distinction. Although this may very well be true, the chance of liver damage still cannot be excluded, especially with hogher dosages.
At one time oxandrolone was also looked at as a possible drug for those suffering from disorders of high cholesterol or triglycerides. Early studies showed it to be capable of lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride values in certain types of hyperlipidemic patients, which initially this was thought to signify potential for this drug as a hypo-lipid (lipid lowering) agent. With further investigation we find however that while use of this drug can be linked to a lowering of total cholesterol values, it is such that a redistribution in the ratio of good (HDL) to bad (LDL) cholesterol occurs, usually moving values in an unfavorable direction. This would of course negate any positive effect that the drug might have on triglycerides or total cholesterol, and in fact make it a danger in terms of cardiac risk when taken for prolonged periods of time. Today we understand that as a group anabolic/androgenic steroids produce very unfavorable changes in lipid profiles, and are really not useful in disorders of lipid metabolism. As an oral c17 alpha alkylated steroid, oxandrolone is probably even more risky to use than an injectable esterified injectable such as a testosterone or nandrolone in this regard.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Anabolic Workout Guide

You should take the following factors to heart since they are absolutely necessary for a successful training. What role does the use of anabolic/androgenic steroids play- Very simple: athletes who take steroids will make clearly faster, better, and greater progress than their natural colleagues. They will also obtain a much higher development stage than would have ever been possible without taking pharmaceutical compounds. Such stupid statements that one will achieve the same mass as a bodybuilder without taking steroids -it only takes longer- is nothing but a completely absurd publicity by the authorities who in their own interest conceal the truth. Read the following lines with an open-minded attitude and try to adapt this information for your own needs. 1. High-intensity training: The human organism vehemently refuses any unnecessary change since it feels best in a constant condition, a homeostasis. In order to lure it out of its passivity, several efforts and exertions must be made. The signal that the body needs in order to build up strength and muscle mass is triggered by heavy, hard, and intense training routines. These should consist of relatively few sets. Five to eight sets for large muscle groups and three to four sets for small muscle groups are completely sufficient when every set is carried out until muscle failure. 2. Training with relatively low repetitions: The body has two different types of muscle fibers: Since the muscle hypertrophy almost completely occurs in the fast-twitch white muscle fibers of type 2, a sensible bodybuilding workout must be developed in a way that these are sufficiently stimulated. For this purpose relatively few, heavy reps in the range of 6-10 are suitable. 3. Training with progressively heavier weights: In order to build up massive muscles they must be challenged and exposed to regular progressively-higher resistances. This can be achieved when the athlete continuously increases the weight during exercises. The stronger the muscles the larger their appearance. There is no mass without power. The basic exercises such as squats, bench presses, presses behind the neck, rows, barbell curls, dips, etc. are the most suitable. 4. Sufficient rest periods: The muscles are stimulated through training but only grow during their rest phase. The higher the intensity, the higher the damage of the muscle cell and the longer the resting phase. When you train with adequate intensity you simply cannot train each and every day nor should you attack a muscle twice a week. Learn to accept rest and recovery as important factors of your training success. Every day you train in the GYM should be followed by a complete off day. Bodybuilders who are interested in an optimal strength and muscle gain should train every muscle once very intensely every 7-8 days. 5. Plateau and phase training: The body can be put under maximum stress only for a limited time. If this time is exceeded, development comes to a stop and if continued the performance will regress. For this reason the intensity and extent of the training program should be changed every 12-14 weeks. The athlete should enjoy several days off training and then change to a several-week long maintenance training (plateau training). The following training program considers all essential factors which are necessary for a quick buildup of strength and muscle mass. In combination with the nutrition tips included in this book its effectiveness can be considerably increased. Based on the high intensity it is not suitable for natural bodybuilders over a long time. This training schedule is obviously only intended as a suggestion and can be changed by every athlete to meet his individual needs, as long as the discussed principles are met. Eight-Day Training Cycle: One day training, one day rest(One day on, one day off)Day 1: Chest, biceps Bench presses 3 sets 6- 8 reps Incline bench presses 2 sets 6- 8 reps Dips with added weights 2 sets 8-10 reps Barbell curls 3 sets 6-10 reps Dumbbell curls 2 sets 6-10 reps Day 3: Thighs Squats 3 sets 6-10 reps Leg presses 2 sets 8-10 reps Leg curls 2 sets 8-10 reps Day 5: Shoulder, triceps Presses behind neck 3 sets 6- 8 reps Upright row 2 sets 8-10 reps Side laterals 2 sets 8-10 reps Lying triceps presses 3 sets 6-10 reps Triceps pulley pushdown 2 sets 8-10 reps Day 7: Back. calves Chins with added weight 3 sets 8-10 reps Lat pull to neck 2 sets 8-10 reps Barbell bent-over row 2 sets 6-10 reps Seated cable row 2 sets 6-10 reps Standing calf raise 3 sets 8-12 reps Seated calf raise 2 sets 8-12 reps Note: Training is only on uneven days, i.e. every 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th day is a complete rest day. The intervals between the various sets should be 3-4 minutes. The athlete should pay attention that the exercises -as much as possible- are carried out with free weights and not on machines. Every muscle is directly trained only once every eight days. It is important that every set is carried out until muscle failure meaning that the athlete is unable to do another rep-etition on its own. Only in this case are the relatively few sets and especially long rest periods justified. The muscle cell must be brought in a strongly catabolic condition since only then the distinct anticatabolic effect of anabolic/androgenic steroids develops fully. The required intensity of training, however, can only be achieved when you start (after a short warmup) with the heaviest weight possible and then decrease the weight in every following set because of the losing body strength so that the desired repetitions can still be obtained. In order to avoid any misunderstandings we would like to quickly explain this principle on an example. Our athlete is able to carry out a maximum of six repetitions with 300 pounds on bench presses. 1st warmup set: 10 reps with 140 pounds 2nd warmup set: 2 reps with 200 pounds 3rd warmup set: 2 reps with 240 pounds 1st working set: 6 reps with 300 pounds 2nd working set: 7 reps with 280 pounds 3rd working set: 7 reps with 260 pounds The first warmup set serves to bring blood to the muscles and joints. The second and third warmup set are an approach to the weight of the first working set. The interplay between the muscle and nerve is stimulated, meaning the athlete gets a feeling for the heavy weights without wasting strength and energy at the same time. During the following chest exercises the warmup sets are completely omitted which means that they are only necessary for the first exercise of the muscle to be trained. Do not forget, however, that during every exercise or set you should try to squeeze out an additional one or two repetitions than during the previous training in order to in-crease training weights in the following week. This continuous tire-some struggle to increase repetitions and weight is the only way to a massive body. Always remember: HEAVY WEIGHTS BUILD BIG MUSCLES. http://www.isteroids.com/

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Hardgainer? Can't gain weight? READ THIS!!!

Diet is 75% of bulking up IMO. You can lift like Ronnie Coleman, but bottom line you will not grow any muscle without the calories behind it for bulking. Simple biology and one equation----> Calorie balance=Calories in - Calorie expenditure If you aren't gaining weight, you are not in a positive calorie balance so you need to either cut out all cardio, eat more, or both. Try adding up your calories using the links at the bottom of the page, many people who think they "eat all the time" actually eat under 3000 calories per day, which is very low for a bulking diet. Get used to eating frequently also, like every 3 hours tops. The only time I was hungry on my last bulker was right when I woke up in the morning. Remember: an appetite is not necessary to eat. You need to get used to eating what/when you MUST, not what/when you want. There are two ways to bulk: A clean bulk (slower, but leaner gains) and a dirty bulk (faster gains, more fat storage if metabolism isn’t fast) The main difference is that on a clean bulk, you NEVER eat carbs and fats together. Milk is bad for this reason. Eating carbs and fats together causes almost all of the fat to get stored instead of used for energy. Don’t eat carbs in your last 2 meals of the day because they get stored as fat while you sleep. Eat at least 40g protein with every meal, and make meals either protein/fat or protein/carb. PWO=Post Workout, the most anabolic (muscle building) time in anyone’s day is the half hour following a workout. It is best to use a fast-acting protein like Whey. Your muscles soak up protein like a sponge. It is also useful to eat twice as many carbs as protein to help shuttle the proteins to the muscles. The PWO shakes I use are---50g Optimum Nutrition Whey---50g Dextrose (Corn sugar, causes an insulin spike to increase absorption of protein)---50g Maltodextrin (Powdered complex carb supplement)Some people prefer to drop the maltodextrin and just do 100g of dextrose. Try both and see what works for you.Eating approximately every 2.5 to 3 hours is good for 3 reasons…1. You can eat more calories in a day if your meals are smaller. Its easier to eat 600 calorie meals 6 times a day then it is to eat 1200 calorie meals 3 times a day.2. Your body can only digest so many calories at a meal, and the rest gets stored as fat. Lowering the amount of food eaten at one time reduces the “extra” over what you need.3. Muscles start to catabolize (break down) if they are without protein for 3-4 hours unless you are sleeping. Hell, when I'm bulking I drink a milk/casein shake when I get up to piss at night.For all you 130-150 pounders thinking about taking steroids... re-evaluate your diets. If you can't gain weight naturally, steroids aren't going to do anything for you except shrink your balls. Think about it... raw materials to form muscles have to come from somewhere right? Try eating 300g protein, 400g carbs, and 150g fats. You will grow. A couple useful links 1) http://www.fitday.com/ <----Huge database of foods, can look up pro/fat/carbs and calories on them.2) http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1.html <------Basically the same3) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi41.htm <----- An equation that you plug in your weight and bodyfat percentage and it will tell you how many calories you need to eat every day to grow.If your diet is "all that and a bag of chips", and you STILL weigh 140 pounds dripping wet, either you have a SERIOUS thyroid problem or your training sucks. Remember "The Big 5" - Squat, Deadlift, Row, Bench, Military.GET BIG!

Friday, January 26, 2007

Clenbuterol

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Aromasin

Anabolic Steroids Profile Aromasin Exemestane Aromasin (Exemestane) is a steroidal suicide aromatase inhibitor, which means that it lowers estrogen production in the body by blocking the aromatase enzyme, the enzyme responsible for estrogen synthesization. (1)(2)(3) This stuff was developed to fight breast cancer in post-menopausal women, who need a particularly aggressive therapy, and for whom first line defenses such as SERMS (Tamoxifen) have not worked. This should be our first clue in inferring that this stuff is pretty strong, or at least stronger than some of the other compounds which are used to fight breast cancer. Aromasin and Side Effects Aromasin averages an 85% rate of estrogen suppression (4), so it´s clearly a very effective agent for bodybuilders and other athletes wanting to avoid estrogen related side effects such as gyno, acne, or water-retention brought on by aromatizing steroids. Specifically, Exemestane dose this by selectively inhibiting aromatase activity in a time-dependent and irreversible manner (hence the "suicidal" portion of it´s name, I guess).(7) As with most of the compounds in this class, it also causes a reasonable rise in testosterone levels (6), and as you may have guessed, this rise in testosterone means that Exemestane can also cause androgenic sides(8)(9)(10). As you can see from the chart below, exemestane is very effective at both lowering estrogen (estradiol) and raising testosterone: FIG. 1. Estrogen and androgen plasma levels after 10 d of daily exemestane (25 or 50 mg) in healthy young males (mean ± SD; n = 9-11). To convert to Systeme International units: estradiol, picomoles per liter (x3.671); estrone, picomoles per liter (x3.699); androstenedione, nanomoles per liter (*0.003492); and testosterone, nanomoles per liter (x0.03467). (13) So we can see that 25mgs is a very effective dose from that chart, right? As an added benefit, exemestane not only increases testosterone and lowers estrogen, but it also increases IGF levels (11).Additionally Worth noting is that Aromasin may possibly be less harsh on blood lipids (14)than some of the other (similar) compounds we use in the world of bodybuilding or athletics (other AI´s). It also has, at best no effect on IGF, and at worst could lower (13) it. AI´s are very tricky with regards to inconsistencies in IGF levels. Unfortunately, you need to take Exemestane for a week to reach steady blood plasma levels of it, and exemestane has a ½ life of 27 hours (12.). The ability of exemestane to lower estrogen levels by the aforementioned 85% makes it a very nice choice for use in any cycle where aromatizing steroids are used. In addition, since it´s not too harsh at all on blood lipid profiles, it´s a very good choice for longer cycles. It´s ability to raise both testosterone levels also seem to suggest that it would be a very nice addition to a Post-Cycle-Therapy (PCT).

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Clomid: Frequently Asked Questions

Clomid: Frequently Asked Questions Something I put together that may help some of the new comers out there as well as some of the more experienced. Question: What is Clomid? Answer: Clomid is a synthetic estrogen and is generally prescribed by doctors to trigger ovulation in females. Question: Why Should Bodybuilders use Clomid? Answer: Almost all anabolic androgenic steroids will cause an inhibition of the bodies own testosterone production. When he comes off the steroids he has no natural test production and no more steroids. The body is left in a state of catabolism (catabolic hormones are high and anabolic hormones are low) and as a result much of the muscle tissue that was gained on the cycle is now going to be lost. Clomid stimulates the hypophysis to release more gonadotropin so that a faster and higher release of follicle stimulating hormone aud luteinizing hormone occurs. This results in an increase of the body's own testosterone production. Question: Does Clomid also work as an anti estrogen? Answer: Clomid is a synthetic estrogen, however it does also work as an anti-estrogen. How does it work? Because it is a weak synthetic estrogen, it will bind to the estrogen receptor (ER) and not cause any problems. At the same time the increase in estrogen from steroids are blocked from attaching to the ER. Question: How effective is Clomid as an anti-estrogen? Answer: It is very weak and should not be relied upon if you are going to be using steroids that aromatise at any rapid rate, or if you are pre disposed to gyno. arimidex, Proviron and Nolvadex will all make better choices for this purpose. Question: Some say Clomid during a cycle is a waste, is this true? Answer: Lets first examine what happens when someone is using anabaolic androgenic steroids. When the level of androgens in the body get too high, the androgen receptor becomes more highly activated, and the hypothalamus stops sending a signal to the pituitary. In short the signal tells our body to stop producing testosterone. During a cycle the body has higher levels than normal of androgens and as long as this level is high enough Clomid will not help to keep natural test production up. It will be almost all but completely shut off. The only purpose of Clomid during a cycle is as an anti-estrogen. Question: When do I start Clomid? Some say 2 weeks others 3. Answer: When you start using your Clomid all depends on what steroids you were using during your cycle. Different steroids have different half lifes and you should adjust your Clomid intake accordingly. As we have seen above, if we take Clomid when the androgen levels in our body is still high it will be a waste. We need to wait for androgen levels to fall before implementing our Clomid therapy. However if we take it too late we could possibly lose gains. Look at the list below to determine when you should start Clomid therapy. By selecting from the list all the steroids you used in your cycle and which ever one has the latest starting point then go with that. For example if I cycled dbol, sustanon and winstrol I would use sustanon as it remains active in the body for the longest period of time. Anadrol/Anapolan: 8 - 12 hours after last administration Deca: 3 weeks after last injection and Clomid for 4 weeks Dianabol: 4 – 8 hours after last administration Equipoise: 3 weeks after last injection Fina: 3 days after last injection Primobolan depot: 10 – 14 days after last injection Sustanon: 3 weeks after last injection Testosterone Cypionate: 2 weeks after last injection Testosterone Enanthate: 2 weeks after last injection Testosterone Propionate: 3 days after last injection Testosterone Suspension: 4 – 8 hours after last administration Winstrol: 8 – 12 hours after last administration Question: What is the most effective way for Clomid therapy. Answer: Clomid has a long half life and as such there is no need to split up doses throughout the day. I read some where that it was 5 days (any feedback on this). Now if we used sustanon and we start using Clomid 3 weeks after our last injection we anticipate that androgen levels are low enough to start sending the correct signals. If androgen levels are still a little high then the normal 50mgs/day of Clomid for 1 week is not going to be effective. We need to start at a high enough amount that will work or help even if androgen levels are still a little high. 300mgs on day 1. I know I said don’t split it up due to its long half life but try and split this up 2 tabs 3 times a day. After we have finished this first day we seek to use 100mgs for 10 days and then followed by 50mgs for 10 days. Question: Do I need to use Clomid for 3 weeks? Answer: Why don’t you want too? It is very cheap, very effective and can mean the difference between maintaining gains and losing them. Question: How cheap is Clomid? Answer: Clomid normally comes in 50mg tablets but also comes in capsule form of 25mgs. A 50mg tablet can be anywhere between 25 cents and $2.50. (15 pence and 75 pence in England). Question: Do all steroids cause shut down of the hpta. Answer: Not all steroids do. Everyone is different and you must also take into account how long you have been using a certain steroid and at what dose in order to determine if you need Clomid or not. However as the price is so cheap, why risk not using it.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Steroid Side Effects and How to Stop them

Steroid Side Effects and How to Stop them - Part 1 This chapter, along with the chapter on the proper use of ancillary medications, are two of the most important chapters in this book. Why? Because AAS have side effects, and long-term use of AAS can have a profound effect on longevity and overall quality of life in later years if preventative measures are not taken. Having used steroids myself for over 10 years now, I have suffered through virtually ever side effect listed in this chapter, and have consequently educated myself on how to avoid them. Regardless of your age, it’s important to always bear in mind that the use of AAS for the purposes of gaining an edge in sport can be an inherently unhealthy endeavor. There is a distinct difference between the doses of hormones or drugs that are used in slowing the aging process through hormone replacement therapy (hereafter referred to as HRT, please see the chapter on HRT by Dr. Ramon Scruggs for further clarification) and those that are used to enhance performance. If one is to properly use performance enhancing drugs, it is vital that they know the potential side effects of drugs they are using, know how to combat these side effects, and most importantly, actually implement the knowledge they have. Time and time again I’ve seen a bodybuilder develop gynecomastia (commonly referred to as “bitch tits” in the bodybuilding vernacular) despite the fact that the individual in question knew this was a possibility and also knew the preventative measures to take. One should not engage in the use of AAS or any other performance enhancing drug if the maintenance of proper health is not of primary concern. Compounding the problem of treating the side effects of AAS is the hysteria surrounding their use in the first place. Many bodybuilders that use steroids find themselves to be social pariahs, muscular misfits if you will, and end up finding comfort in the company of others that engage in steroid use as well. Because a bodybuilder wears his sport, he’s branded a steroid user by many regardless of whether that’s the case or not. Often times, the shame one feels regarding their steroid use will cause them to suffer through the side effects associated with their use, rather than seeking competent medical help. Truth be told, it’s very difficult to find competent medical help to treat the side effects of steroids, as most doctors simply have no idea how to properly do so. More often than not, the physicians I worked with for most of my years on steroids were completely clueless as to how one might ameliorate the negative side effects of these drugs, and would simply tell me to “get off the steroids”. I say this not to dissuade those of you reading this from seeking out the advice of a doctor regarding the side effects of steroid use, just to prepare you for a probable response. Most of the side effects related to steroids are cosmetic and will disappear when one discontinues their use. But those that aren’t are the most important to understand and treat as necessary. Most of these cannot be seen or felt, and all are related to issues of cardiovascular health. Steroids can adversely affect cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and hypertension, which over time can and will lead to an increase in heart disease. Always monitor your resting hear rate and blood pressure on a weekly basis when taking steroids and have your cholesterol and triglycerides checked every six months if you are using steroid consistently. These are not problems you can live with, ignore them and you may very well die much earlier than you would have otherwise. Ask yourself this question: “How much is every year of my life worth to me?” If you ignore the potential for an increased risk of heart disease when using anabolic steroids, you are essentially answering the question with, “Very little indeed.” Before we begin a look at the actual side effects themselves and how to treat them, it’s important to note that not all AAS are created equal!! At times, for the sake of brevity, I will lump all AAS together, but the fact remains that some steroids will cause more negative side effects than others. One of the points of this book is to allow you to make that distinction, and walk away with the knowledge of how to use them as safely as possible. Below is a list of steroids most commonly associated with the side effects listed in this chapter: Anadrol-50 (Oxymetholone) Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone) Testosterone and its various esters Unfortunately for us, these also happen to be most of THE most effective AAS (with the exception of Halotestin) for building LBM. Generally, the maxim that the more effective a steroid is the more side effects it has holds true. Finally, before we begin, readers will notice that I do not advocate the use of estrogen blockers such as Nolvadex, Clomid (I do post cycle, but not for the purposes of estrogen suppression), or Proviron. With anti-aromatases like arimidex (anastrazole), femara (letrozole), and to a lesser extent Cytadren (aminoglutethiamide) becoming cheaper and more readily available, use of estrogen blockers should be relegated to the bodybuilding archives. For a complete explanation as to why, read the chapter Proper Use of Ancillary Medications Both On and Off Cycle. AAS Side Effects Acne: One of the primary indicators of steroid use is acne, and I’m sure many of you reading this have either experienced acne caused by steroids or have seen someone who has. Like all steroid side effects, the degree to which someone will suffer from acne varies from individual to individual. The more androgenic a compound is, the more profound effect it will have on increasing oil production in the skin via stimulation of the sebaceous glands. Having said that, I’ve seen individuals use incredibly androgenic stacks and never have a hint or a pimple or blemish, and I’ve seen athletes (especially women) use very mild anabolics and suffer from horrible acne. Treating acne is very important, both for physical and psychological reasons. Untreated acne can cause permanent scarring of the skin if it becomes severe enough, resulting in a pockmarked area that can only be smoothed through expensive plastic surgery. And acne can have a very powerful negative psychological effect on someone suffering from it, branding someone a steroid user and further isolating them from “normal” society. Severe acne can and will detract from the most aesthetic of physiques, and take away from ones overall presentation. Depending on the severity, there are several options for the treatment of acne. Since acne is generally caused by the more androgenic steroids, there is always the option of switching to steroids that have few androgenic properties, such as nandrolone, oxandrolone, or primobolan. Light cases can commonly be controlled through frequent washings of the effected area (to remove excess dirt and oil before pores become clogged and infected) and the use of over the counter topical treatments. Moderate cases will generally respond to the use of Retin-A coupled with use of an antibiotic (such as tetracycline) which kills the bacteria which feeds off the oil created by the sebaceous gland. Severe cases of acne should be treated with Accutane, a prescription drug manufactured by Roche that is very effective at permanently eliminating acne. Accutane has a host of unpleasant side effects itself, and treatments are both lengthy and costly (health insurance is a must), but its use is much better than the possibility of permanent scarring from cystic acne. Fortunately, while acne is one of the most commonly seen side effects, it’s also the easiest to treat, as competent Dermatologists can easily be found. It should also be noted that acne commonly become an issue for bodybuilders that do not cycle off steroids correctly, which will often cause a severe imbalance between levels of androgens and estrogens. Preparation for your off cycle period is equally important as the time spent on steroids, so use of an anti-aromatase both on and immediately following a cycle containing AAS that can convert to estrogen is a must. Aggression: Men, due to their higher natural production of testosterone, are generally more aggressive than women. AAS, especially those that are extremely androgenic, will further increase aggression in both males and females. This can be beneficial as long as the individual in question can focus the aggression appropriately, such as the lifting of heavier weights during training. There often seems to be a direct correlation between ones ability to control aggression and ones intelligence. There is nothing worse than an out of control steroid user who is unable or unwilling to control their aggression. Before beginning a cycle of AAS, especially one containing strong androgens, you must prepare yourself mentally for the fact that you are in all likelihood going to be more aggressive than normal, and consequently take the time to assess the nature of your reactions while using them.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Anabolic Steroids Profile - Testoviron

Anabolic Steroids Profile
Testoviron
Testoviron is a blend of two different products, namely testosterone with the propionate (short) ester attached, and testosterone with the Enanthate (long) ester attached. Confusingly, Schering, who produces this product, also has a pure testosterone Enanthate product of the same name. Testosterone is usually attached to an ester (i.e. when you buy testosterone propionate, or Enanthate the components of this particular drug, you are buying testosterone with a propionate ester attached and testosterone with an Enanthate ester attached, both in the same milliliter of drug). These esters determines how long it takes your body to dispose of the testosterone, and propionate is the shortest ester commonly available with a testosterone base (of course, testosterone suspension has no ester), whereas Enanthate is the longest generally available with a testosterone base. Within your body, there are enzymes, called esterases, which have the function of removing the ester from steroids, and leaving you with just the steroid molecule with the ester cleaved off. Depending on how heavy the ester chain is, that determines how long it takes the esterase to remove it. With this product, you have testosterone with a heavy chain (which will take your esterases awhile to remove) as well as with a short chain (which your esterases will quickly remove). What happens when those esters are removed? Well, then the Testosterone you have injected induces changes in the shape as well as the size of your muscle fibers and also can change the appearance and the number of those(7). Testosterone is also noted for its ability to protect your hard earned muscle from catabolic (muscle wasting) glucocorticoid hormones (8), thus inhibiting their ability to send a message to muscle cells to release their stored protein. Concomittantly, Testosterone sends a message to muscle cells to actually store more contractile protein (called actin and myosin); glucocorticoid hormones send the opposite message. In addition, Testosterone has the ability to increase erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) in your kidneys(9), and as we all know, a higher Red Blood Cell (RBC) count would most likely improve endurance via bringing more highly oxygenated blood to your muscles. Having more RBCs can also improve recovery from strenuous physical activity. It needs to also be noted that aggression levels often rise dramatically with the use of exogenous testosterone (15). All of these great benefits are to be had with the use of either testosterone Enanthate or propionate alone, but realistically, Testoviron will be part of a cycle containing one or more other drugs. People who are bulking will probably choose to use another drug like Deca or Eq (possibly with Dbol as well) and those who are cutting will probably steer towards Eq and perhaps Trenbolone. Very often users will shoot this drug three or four times a week, but blood levels of testosterone from the testosterone Enanthate component would still above baseline with this drug at around day eight (16), even thought we know the other component would peak and fall much more rapidly. The advantage to longer esters is that they need to be injected less frequently (test prop needs to be injected every other day while you can shoot test cyp once a week). The disadvantage to long estered steroids is that they contain less actual steroid. Anecdotally, however, most people from Steroid.com and other discussion boards who have tried differing esters on their various cycles agree: Testosterone Propionate causes the least side effects and the least bloating, while Enanthate causes the most. Also, any injected testosterone will inhibit your natural test levels and HPTA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Testicular Axis). A Hundred mgs of test/week takes about 5-6 weeks to shut the HPTA, and 250-500mgs shuts you down by week 2 (4). Testoviron StackWhat stacks well with Testoviron? Well, since it´s a testosterone with both a short and long acting component, I suppose the answer is everything and nothing. Since it´s got a short ester in it, you would have to inject it every other day, so you may as well run another short acting drug with it (Trenbolone Acetate, or whatever). However, since it´s got a long acting component to it, you may consider using a longer acting drug with it (Deca or Eq, perhaps); the downfall here is that you don´t get the full benefit of shooting test prop alone (less water retention, etc...) but you still have to shoot as frequently as if you were only using prop. The testosterone Enanthate is long acting, but you´re still going to be shooting this compound every other day to make use of the propionate component. Thus, the advantage of testosterone Enanthate (reduced shooting frequency) is negated. Many people´s favorite´s are Eq (boldenone undeclyenate) or Deca (nandrolone decanoate), but really, anything will stack well with testoviron. Tren (Trenbolone Acetate), Masteron, and/or Winstrol are also favorites for many on a cutting cycle, and it´s important to note that a product to fight water-retention and other estrogenic sides would be warranted if Testoviron were used for a cutting cycle. Finally, it´s worth noting that sometimes a strategy known as "frontloading" is employed with products like this one, since it contains both testosterone propionate, and Enanthate. This is where double or triple the intended dose for the cycle is injected for the first two weeks, and the propionate ester gives a very quick rise in blood plasma levels of testosterone, and then the Enanthate ester is relied on for a more even blood level in the ensuing weeks. The reasoning behind this is presumably to get the blood levels of the drug up quickly in the hopes of seeing results more quickly, and then have the blood levels even out and stay constant. Of all testosterones available on the market today, blended ester products like this one are the most unjustifiably expensive. This is both because they are in high demand, as well as more rare than single estered products. You can only find Testoviron in the Dominican Republic and Italy (135mg versions available in both countries). Expect to pay up to $5-7 for an amp of this stuff, and if your source is asking for more, expect to walk away. When the price of testosterone is so low, I can´t justify purchasing a blended product for any more than you would purchase a single estered test. Testoviron Profile(Testosterone Propionate + Testosterone Enanthate) 17b-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one Testosterone base + Enanthate ester+ Propionate Ester Molecular Weight: 412.6112 Molecular Weight (base): 288.429 Molecular Weight (Enanthate ester): 130.1864 Molecular Weight (Propionate ester): 74.0792 Formula (base): C19 H28 O2 Formula(Enanthate ester):C7 H12 O Formula (Propionate Ester): C3H6O2 Melting Point (base): 155 Manufacturer: Schering Effective Dose (Men): 300-2000mg+ week Effective Dose (Women): Not recommended Active life: 8 days Detection Time: 3 months Anabolic/Androgenic ratio:100/100 References: Pope, H.G, Kouri, E.M., & Hudson, J.I. (2000). Effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on mood and aggression in normal men: A randomized controlled trial. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57, 133-140 Chance, S.E., Brown, R.T., Dabbs, J.M., & Casey, R. (2000). Testosterone, intelligence and behavior disorders among young boys. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 437-445 Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2003 Jan 7; [epub ahead of print] Related Articles, Links "Development of Models to Predict Anabolic Response to Testosterone Administration in Healthy Young Men." J Investig Med. 1997 Oct;45(8):441-7 J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1986 Dec;63(6):1361-4. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Feb;82(2):407-13. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Mar;282(3):E601-7. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 May;7(3):271-7. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2004 Oct;5(5):459-70. Metabolism. 1991 Apr;40(4):368-77. J Lab Clin Med. 1995 Mar;125(3):326-33. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2003;9(4):248-51. Effect of androgen on erythropoientin in patients with hypogonadism] [Article in Chinese] 1.Am J Physiol. 1998 Nov;275(5 Pt 1):E864-712 Biochim Biophys Acta. 1995 May 11;1244(1):117-20. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Dec;281(6):E1172-81. Health Psychol. 1990;9(6):774-91. Fertility and Sterility 33.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol)

DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol), an industrial chemical with various applications, has gained steady popularity as a fat loss tool. Boasting an astounding 50% increase in metabolic rate, it is able to contribute to reported fat losses of 10-12 pounds in 8 days of use. Classified as an "uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation" medically, it is quite dangerous as there is no negative feedback system that may deal with overdoses. Specifically, there is no upper limit to the increase in body temperature that may be obtained with its use. Introduction/History Competitive bodybuilders and many others are continually on a quest for leanness. Used by the hardcore since Dan Duchaine's reporting of it a couple years ago, DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol) has managed to steadily gain popularity as a powerful tool for weight loss. Interestingly, DNP was first used to ignite TNT in the early 1900’s. In 1931 a study released by Stanford University declared that DNP was able to cause amazing weight loss; subsequently it found its way into many diet potions and medications; regulation was much less strict during this time than the present, and many of these products were available over the counter. Two years later DNP was banned by the FDA as a dieting agent due to its inclusion in many OTC dietary supplements. The FDA was a new organization at this time and acted in a rather brazen manner, with the absence of any set procedures for taking substances off the market. Granted, there was only a 1% incidence of cataracts over a large population (around 100,000); nonetheless it happened (although interestingly, exclusively women). However, there are now ways to counter this which will be covered thoroughly. The comparisons to the current drugs used for dieting are astounding, at least in terms of thermogenesis. While the ECA stack has been shown to provide approximately a 3% increase in metabolic rate, DNP can deliver a relatively controlled 50% elevation in resting metabolic rate. The thermogenic aspect of clenbuterol, while sometimes overestimated due to the high CNS stimulation that yields a "wired" feeling, can vary according to prior exposure to various amphetamine-like compounds and certainly is not much greater than that of ECA. DNP does not have the anorectic effects of ephedrine or other thermogenic agents; rather, it tends to increase hunger, particularly appetite for carbohydrates. This problem is easily solved with appetite suppressants, and one may even use ECA itself for this purpose while on DNP. Molecular Basis for Efficacy DNP accomplishes the astounding boost in metabolic rate via inhibition of the F0F1 ATP synthase molecule, located in the inner wall of each mitochondrion. While the electron transport chain still functions to pump hydrogen ions into the intermembrane space, the coupling of the proton gradient to ATP production is rendered impossible by DNP. As a result, ATP production is dramatically reduced, and the energy is instead thrown off as heat. This results in an astounding production of heat; when using dinitrophenol, the athlete will radiate so much heat that it is uncomfortable to be within any proximity of them. Luckily, this heat does not fully contribute to body temperature increases, and is instead thrown off from the entire body surface, particularly the head. As a result, adequate doses of DNP will usually only elevate body temperature by about 1-1.5ºC. This is a good thing for your central nervous system and other delicate tissues; if the heat produced by ATP contributed in a more direct matter to body temperature, effective doses for fat loss would cause supraphysiological body temperature increases on a level unwitnessed at this time. Nonetheless, overheating is a very real danger; this and other side effects shall now be addressed. Risks/Side Effects Hearing all of these wonderful things probably has you wondering what the side effects and risks are. They are quite formidable and contribute to making DNP one of the most intolerable (though effective) drugs used in bodybuilding. Starting with the most significant, and descending in importance, are the following risks and side effects of DNP use. Risks: Overheating - There is no upper limit to DNP's body temperature increase, meaning that one may literally "cook from the inside" if they take too much. Dosage considerations will be given later, but even an overdose of 4-6 times the recommended dosage may be lethal. Much smaller overdoses may result in damage to the brain and/or other body systems. Carcinogenesis - Phenols in general are reputed to be carcinogenic. Although 2,4-dinitrophenol has never been implicated in a cancer diagnosis, some are nonetheless concerned, and understandably so. In addition to the inherent carcinogenic potential caused by its status as a phenol, production of free radicals and the release of various compounds stored in adipose tissue stores during DNP's rapid oxidation of fat may also potentially be harmful. Death - This is self-explanatory and has occurred with several bodybuilders who chose to use this compound. Side Effects: Discomfort and sweating - This is the single most noticeable effect of DNP use, both by the user and those around him/her. Even in the winter, while indoors at ambient temperatures, one may expect his or her shirt to be completely soaked through with sweat. Those with jobs requiring formal or semi-formal apparel are advised to consider other means of fat loss (or a new job, if preferred). Other obvious considerations lie in the areas of social life, personal appearance, etc. and the user must prioritize. Insomnia - Second in frequency of reports to sweating and discomfort is insomnia; this may be at least partially attributed to discomfort. Possible means of countering this include such supplements as Valerian root or melatonin. Alternatively, one may deal with this via prescription or OTC sleep medications or GHB-A precursors. However, these may be addictive if used on a regular basis and if their use may be avoided, by all means abstain from using them. Yellow bodily fluids - Some don't notice this, but others find that all of their bodily fluids take on a yellowish appearance. Urine is a darker yellow, and even semen and vaginal secretions may be affected. According to current knowledge, this is not known to be harmful in and of itself. Muscle Soreness - This is yet another thing that may be minimized via cerebral function. Dan Duchaine has recommended using a weight such as to allow no fewer than 15 reps per set of any weight training workout; judging from anecdotal reports and personal experience, this seems to be good advice. Low levels of ATP are a cause of muscle soreness in and of itself; the additional factor of encumbered recovery mechanisms make extreme soreness (and if not careful, catabolism) quite possible. Allergic Reactions – These are highly individualized but may be summarily discussed. Various reactions are common with DNP use, and approximately 10% of users will be extremely allergic to it. Allergic reactions can include hives, blisters, and/or inexplicable rashes. If you suffer any of these side effects, and they are extremely bothersome, it is the recommendation of the author to cease usage immediately. If so desired, another trial may be made at a later date with a lower dosage, but do not attempt to continue the drug cycle at that point. Carbohydrate Cravings - To counter this, some methods will be touched on later. As with most diets, willpower is sometimes the single most important factor. Obtaining DNP and Making Capsules If, given these considerations, you still are ready to take the plunge and use DNP, you will need to learn how to obtain and/or make your own capsules. DNP is shipped industrially in large metal tins holding a glass jar containing the wet DNP, which is wetted with enough water to total 15-35% of total mass to prevent explosion while in transit. Ample cushioning material around the glass jar is included to further prevent ignition of DNP (it is highly flammable) and the obvious possibility of breaking the jar. Chemical sellers will not sell this chemical to individuals or any other entity without an account. However, if you are resourceful enough to get some, the following are instructions on how to properly prepare capsules. Extreme caution is necessary when making the caps. DNP is bright yellow and will even go through gloves. This stain will not go away for up to 2 weeks. If it does get on your hands or other parts of yoru house, you can usually get it off with 2(3H) Furanone dinitro (butyrolactone). It usually will come out of clothes with laundering. Care is of the utmost importance when measuring out the amount one would need. Dan recommends 5 to 8 mg/kg bodyweight in Dirty Dieting #0, assuming that the person is under 15% BF. He subsequently told me that he was really suffering on 6-8 mg/kg, and that is excessive in his opinion. Note that the calculation is bodyweight, not lean body mass. With the exception of obese persons, this method is sufficiently accurate. Obtain a reliable scale, a Cap M. Quik device, and some size "O" caps ($60-$200 minimum, approximately $10, and $2 respectively). Corn starch, available at the grocery, is also needed. Since DNP ships at about either 15% or 35% water by weight, it is necessary to dry out the material overnight before attempting to deal with it. No matter how dry it looks, this step is absolutely necessary for accurate dosing. The next day, mix 15 grams DNP with 10 grams corn starch, and pound it into a fine powder. Spread resulting mixture into the Cap M. Quik, finish the capping process, and you have 50 caps of 300mg potency. Repeat as above with 10 g DNP and 15 g corn starch in order to make 50 caps of 200mg each, or with 12.5g DNP and 12.5g corn starch to make the same number of 250mg caps. Bear in mind that the preparation process, in the absence of a laboratory equipped with a chemical hood, will destroy the immediate area. It gets in the air, and fine particles will stain everything. Wear clothes that are dispensable, at least 2 pairs of gloves, and a fume mask. Preferably, do this outside on an extremely calm day, or alternatively, place protective covering everything in sight if it is necessary to perform the encapsulation indoors. Timetable of Effects and Symptoms The following table describes the condition most users will find themselves in during a typical DNP cycle; it is by no means complete and mainly intended to drive home that users typically look at their best 3-5 days following cessation of DNP use. Day(s) Effects 1 None; possibly elevated carbohydrate cravings and/or temperature elevation. 2 T4-T3 conversion has begun to decrease; lethargy possible. Temperature should be elevated, and radiation of heat is noticeable. 3-5 Body temperature is elevated, with all the effects that one expects from DNP use. In addition, water retention usually becomes manifest here. 6-8 Definite water retention, along with other symptoms of use; user most likely feels fatter due to having "flatter" muscles (mainly the result of glycogen depletion) and holding water. Final DNP dose taken in the evening of Day 8. 9-10 DNP is clearing the system slowly. All symptoms are still present. 11-12 Water should be gone by now, or getting there. Mild diuretics will expedite this. The user will probably notice perceived greater cardiovascular and muscular endurance. 13-14 This is when someone tends to look their best. Their glycogen stores are usually compensated at this point and the retained water should be gone. Dosing Schedule As touched on previously, getting the right dosage of DNP is rather easy to do although the importance of proper dosage cannot be overstated. It is far better for one to err on the side of too little rather than too much, certainly in the case of the novice who does not know if they are allergic to the substance. As stated before, the commonly used dosage by bodybuilders and other reasonably lean persons is 3-5mg/kg of bodyweight. This would mean that a 100-kilogram bodybuilder would use anywhere from 300-500mg per day. Experienced users commonly are found using up to 800mg/day relatively safely, and beginners sometimes find that they enjoy 3-5 pounds of fat loss per week with as little as 200mg/day. Dosing is highly individualized and most generalizations tend to collapse quite quickly; as a result, none will be attempted. Start on the low end of the scale and see how you react. It is not recommended to take more than 300mg at any one time; a larger man taking 600mg per day should divide the dose into a 5:00PM portion and another portion taken approximately 30 minutes before bedtime. Someone taking 300mg/day could easily take one dose in the evening. The typical cycling program is to do 7 or 8 days on, followed by 7 or 8 off; this should not decrease thyroid output dramatically and makes use of T3 (triiodothyronine, brand name Cytomel) unnecessary in most cases. T4-T3 conversion does decrease dramatically in the liver due to excessive heat; this begins within 24 hours of the first dose. However, there is usually adequate active thyroid hormone to make it through 8 days of using it while maintaining elevated body temperature. After approximately 3-5 days, the user may find themselves with a waking temperature that is no longer elevated, even though they are still using DNP. This is due to the decrease in T3 and may signal the necessity of either the use of exogenous T3 in subsequent cycles or shorter cycles of the drug. In addition, the schedule given works nicely because the user is able to enjoy the anabolic rebound effect on a relatively regular basis. Also, longer cycles might leave the muscle fibers in a state of relative dehydration and "starved" of ATP for too long; both of these readily contribute to catabolism. Supplementation While using DNP, supplements can greatly aid both in the effectiveness of the therapy and the comfort of the user. Of particular importance are antioxidants and the following quantities are recommended: Magnesium (1500mg)* Vitamin C (3000mg in divided doses)* Vitamin E (1200 IU in divided doses)* Glutathione (200mg in divided doses)***) NAC (various amounts)** T3 (dose according to personal preference)** Calcium (2000mg not taken with the Magnesium) 5-HTP (if not on antidepressant medication) (various amounts)**** Meridia, Redux, or Fenfluramine (various amounts)**** Hydroxycitric Acid (particularly in the evenings to curb cravings)**** Pyruvate (2-6g/day in divided doses) Glycerol (3 tbsp/day in divided doses) Alpha-Lipoic Acid (500-1000mg daily in divided doses) Key: * = Integral component of DNP program** = Of questionable (although possible) importance)*** = Of particular importance to women for prevention of cataracts**** = For the purpose of appetite suppression (may not be needed) Practical Considerations Given all of this information, there are nonetheless more things to know before you undertake your first DNP cycle. The following tips and tricks gathered from personal experience and consultations with users are presented for your aid: Aim a fan at your head at night. Your head is the most precious thing on your body and is a prime site for heat loss. Any air flowing over it will aid in cooling via convection. Wash your bedding daily. It is a good idea to have some spare pillowcases on hand, if nothing else. Most likely, you will be sweating profusely while you sleep, and this will make your bed smell as enticing as a locker room. Cleanliness is also essential in the prevention of disease, not to mention the fact that you are breathing out DNP "fumes" all night and they collect on your bedding. Prevention of disease goes beyond washing your clothes, and includes all of the normal precautions that you would make to avoid infection, although in a more exaggerated way. DNP depletes your body of energy needed to battle pathogens and weakens your immune system, leaving you ripe for infection and incapable of fighting off most diseases once they have taken hold. This is rather intuitive, but be certain to wear loose, light clothing, preferably of a light color. Similarly intuitive is the desire to remain in a cool area … be CERTAIN not to overheat. Proper hydration is necessary – I have personally consumed up to 8 liters of water per day. Glycerol specifically aids in muscle hydration, so its use may be very important, particularly when considering that muscle cells in even a semi-dehydrated state are prime sites for catabolism. Cardiovascular work while on DNP – This is a strange issue that I have been asked about regularly, but am undecided in the direction to take and generally recommend that the user decide for themselves. My personal preference is to do cardio with a fan focused on me for 30-35 minutes at a relatively high intensity. This is an area for personal preference; barring other considerations, just see if you can handle it or not and go from there. Always be ready to stop if you feel yourself getting extremely overheated or weak. Diet - One may wonder why this issue receives such limited attention; after all, most methods of fat loss require a restrictive diet of some nature. However, there is no set diet that one must use to achieve good results with dinitrophenol, only certain factors that allow the user to decide intelligently how to eat: Insulin - DNP blunts the effects of insulin; this is a huge boon for dieters because insulin blocks lipolysis and causes the storage of adipose tissue. This means that carbohydrate intake does not need to be strictly limited, although it should stay reasonable for optimal results. Body Temperature and Comfort - A general guideline is that the more carbohydrates eaten, the hotter the user will get while on DNP. Similarly, overfeeding also produces extreme heat; any excess calories are thrown off as heat quite readily. For this reason, along with certain hormonal factors, Duchaine espouses an Isometric diet while on DNP, and I have followed this personally with good results. CKD's - These are extremely impractical while on a cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD), and are especially dangerous. This brings up blood glucose considerations; it is important to try to maintain relatively stable, or at least not severely depressed, blood glucose levels. If this guideline is not followed, the user may experience blurred vision and/or extreme fatigue possibly augmented by fainting or lightheadedness. Anabolic rebound effect – I still remember the first time I spoke to Dan Duchaine regarding DNP, and he told me about what, at the time, seemed impossible. But I have experienced this phenomenon, and it indeed happens. Possible causes include, but are not limited to, either an anabolic effect from glycogen supercompensation-induced cellular expansion, or due to increased mitochondrial density. Increased mitochondrial density is an adaptive mechanism of the body and takes place surprisingly quickly in the presence of an uncoupler such as DNP (or anything else that inhibits oxidative phosphorylation). Whatever the mechanism of the anabolic rebound effect may be, the user can expect to gain about 5-7 pounds of intramuscular water or muscle and lose about the same amount of subcutaneous and intraperitoneal water within a week after their last DNP dose. This is probably the most pleasant aspect of using DNP; the user not only experiences unrivaled fat loss, but also enjoys a fair amount of hypertrophy without any other supplements or drugs. Muscle retention, and possibly gain, is improved with careful attention to several previously discussed considerations such as proper hydration and intelligent cycling. Conclusion Currently, DNP is the most powerful weapon against fat loss in the bodybuilder's arsenal; however, this does not necessarily mean that it is right for everyone or is by any means safe. The possibility also exists that PGF2 may be better for some people, particularly when taking the fact that it may kill fat cells into consideration. However, the guidelines given here will allow the user unrivaled fat loss, and will do so quite safely provided that precautionary measures are taken. While certainly quite dangerous, it is nonetheless the most effective tool available today for the loss of bodyfat.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Steroid Side Effects and How to Stop them

Friday, January 19, 2007

Low Carb Diets

Low Carb Diets, By: Hugo Rivera

Often I am asked what do I think about Low Carbohydrate diets. Before, I go into what my thoughts are, I will first define what a Low Carbohydrate diet is.
Low Carb (less than 50 or even 30 grams a day), high protein, high fat diets work. The reason they do is the following: After the initial adaptation period, around 2 weeks, in the absence of carbohydrates, the body has no choice but to go into a state of ketosis (carbohydrate depravation) and start burning fats for fuel (this is assuming that more than 50% of your calories are coming from good essential fatty acids (Good fats like Olive Oil, Fish Oils and Flaxseed Oil). Basically, what happens is that your body shifts its carbohydrate metabolism into an exclusively fat burning metabolism. Now, like any diet, the same basic principles apply. Even though you will be burning fats exclusively this does not mean that you will be able to eat everything and anything without getting fat. Remember that if you take in more calories than what you burn, then you will get fat.
I have tried such diets for as much as a whole year at a time. In my opinion based on the experiences I have had, the following are the drawbacks:
1) As you can imagine, if you are only allowed for 30-50 grams of carbohydrates a day, then your life will not be very tasty. You will only be limited to a small selection of foods. (Not that this matters to us hardcore bodybuilders as we eat for functionality not for pleasure).
2) Even though at the beginning you lose incredible amounts of weight, it is mostly water weight. I also did not found a big difference between losing fat in a low carb diet and losing fat on a MODERATE carbohydrate diet (there is a huge difference however between trying to lose weight in a low carb diet and a high carb). Both diets provide similar benefits.
3) While on a low carbohydrate diet, the muscles feel flat (shrink in size) due to the fact that the glycogen (the carbohydrates that are stored inside the muscle cell and make the muscles look firm) gets depleted. This was probably the biggest drawback for me. On a moderate carbohydrate diet, your muscles always feel firm and tight.
4) I experienced joint pains after the 9th month on the diet (this only happened on the third time that I tried it in my ten years of bodybuilding). I was drinking 2 gallons of water a day so lack of fluids was not the problem. I wonder if it the lack of carbs caused the fluid in the joints to diminish but this is mere speculation. Once I switched back to a moderate carb diet, the joint pains disappeared. I am still dumbfounded about this as this effect never happened to me before the first two times that I tried this diet.
5) You have to pay close attention to your cholesterol levels and to nutritional deficiencies caused by the lack of variety in the diet.
6) In order to get all the good fats in the diet, I had to take them in liquid form; not very tasty when you are drinking it with protein and water.
Now that I have talked about what I found to be the drawback, I will talk about the good points (I gave you the bad news first. Now I give you the good ones). However, before I go into that, I would like to elaborate on the type of diet that I was following.
There are many ways to implement a Low Carbohydrate diet but the way that I have always used is the Anabolic Diet from Dr. Mauro DiPasquale that calls for 5 days of Low Carb dieting and a weekend of High Carbs. I believe that if you are a bodybuilder, this is the best way to go as you get that anabolic insulin spike during the weekends that enables you to plug in all those carbs right into the muscle cells.
I tried this diet on my fifth year of bodybuilding. It is important to know that I had not made any good gains for that past year. It was the middle of November and I was due to get married on December 17. I wanted to be in the best shape of my life on my wedding date. Since I had made no gains during that year, I knew that I had to break the rules and "think out of the box" so to speak. I already had read articles about Dr. Mauro's High Fat Diet (as it was called back then) and had always been intrigued by the idea. So...I decided to give it a try even though it almost gave my family a heart attack. In addition to the dietary change, I decided to do something radical with my training as well.
Being influenced by old MuscleMag articles of the Blonde Bomber (anybody knows that guy? :-) I decided to bomb myself out Golden Era style with a slight modification. Since I still was in College I could not afford 3 hour workouts all at a time. What I did instead is that I divided the sessions in 3 (no typo here folks) sessions of 45 minutes each (Hit each bodypart 3 times a week with 15 sets each). 1 in my home gym in the morning, 1 at noon in school and the evening one at home. Next week I will cover the specifics of the workout just in case there are some Bombers out there that want to try something similar. I will also recommend ways to modify it for Once a day and twice a day training sessions.
Anyway, the reason I decided to go with such protocol was the following: 1) If the diet produced the extra testosterone that Dr. Dipasquale claimed, then I would be able to recover and grow. This was a great training protocol to put the diet to the test. 2) Such a workout (they were fast paced and included plenty of supersets-details next week) would keep my heart healthy. 3) My body was in some dire need of a shock.
Below are the results that I got in 30 days (this is no joke and remember that Dr. DiPasquale is not paying for my testimonial)
Before Weight:165lbs Chest: 45 inches (been there for 1.5 years) Arms: 15 inches Legs: 24 inches Calves: 14.5 inches Waist: 34 inches
After Weight: 175 lbs (182 over the weekends when carbs were high) Chest: 48.5 inches Arms: 16 inches Legs: 26 inches Calves: 15.5 inches Waist: 32 inches
If it would be someone else writing about this I would say that this could not be true but I have witnesses (ask anyone in my family) or ask the people that had to fix the measurements of my Tuxedo at the last minute.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to replicate such results again the other two times that I have gotten in the diet (even though I do put muscle quicker every time I go in it). It is probably due to the fact that the shock when I change to such diet is not as great anymore as it was when I did it the first time (the body remembers). My body is also pretty used to doing 10 or even 15 sets of the same exercise (that is also one of the reasons I know that my program was successful-this was the first time that I had done that).
In any case, I dropped the diet after 6 months as everyone in my family kept nagging me about me dying of a heart attack, etc, etc, so just to get them off my back I decided to get off and follow a moderate carbohydrate diet.
In my opinion, this diet did indeed provided me with higher testosterone levels and faster recuperation capabilities. The results speak for themselves. I also got increased strength gains, increased energy and focus, and increased fat loss as I was putting enormous amounts of muscle in a very short period of time. I also noticed that I was able to eat more without getting fat. Therefore, I strongly believe that if you have never tried something like this, you are experiencing a plateau and are ready to try something new, to go ahead and go for it. However, remember to check your cholesterol, keep the good fats handy, take your daily multiples, and drink plenty of water. Also, I would not recommend such schedule for diabetics, or people suffering from heart disease.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

clenbuterol FAQ

clenbuterol FAQ Clenbuterol FAQ: Everything you need to know about Clen I wrote this because of all the confusion that surrounds this drug. Enjoy. What is Clenbuterol? Clenbuterol is a beta-2 agonist and is used in many countries as a broncodilator for the treatment of asthma. Because of it's long half life, Clenbuterol is not FDA approved for medical use. It is a central nervous system stimulant and acts like adrenaline. It shares many of the same side effects as other CNS stimulants like ephedrine. Contrary to popular belief, Clenbuterol has a half life of 35 hours and not 48 hours. Dosing and Cycling Clenbuterol comes in 20mcg tablets, although it is also available in syrup, pump and injectable form. Doses are very dependent on how well the user responds to the side effects, but somewhere in the range of 5-8 tablets per day for men and 1-4 tablets a day for women is most common. Clenbuterol loses its thermogenic effects after 6-8 weeks when body temperature drops back to normal. It's anabolic/anti-catabolic properties fade away at around the 18 day mark. Taking the long half life into consideration, the most effective way of cycling Clen is 2 weeks on/ 2 weeks off for no more than 12 weeks. Ephedrine can be used in the off weeks. Clenbuterolvs Ephedrine vs DNP Ephedrine will raise metabolic levels by about 2-3 percent and 200mg of DNP raises metabolic levels by about 30 percent. Clenbuterol raises metabolic levels about 10 percent and it can raise body temperature several degrees. DNP is by far the most effective fat burner but many people will never use it because of the risks associated with it. It also offers no anti-catabolic benefit. Although it does have anti-catabolic effect, ephedrine short half life prevents it from being all that effective. As far as side effects, Clenbuterol's are certainly milder than DNP's, and some would even say milder than an ECA stack. There is no ECA-style crash on Clenbuterol and many users find it easier on the prostate and sex drive. This may in part be due to the fact that Clen is generally used for only 2 weeks at a time. Side effects NAUSEANERVOUSNESSDIZZINESSDROWSINESSDRY MOUTHFACIAL FLUSHINGHEADACHEHEARTBURNINCREASED BLOOD PRESSUREINCREASED SWEATINGINSOMNIALIGHTHEADEDNESSMUSCLE CRAMPSTREMORSVOMITINGCHEST PAIN The most significant side effects are muscle cramps, nervousness, headaches, and increased blood pressure. Muscle cramps can be avoided by drinking 1.5-2 gallons of water and consuming bananas and oranges or supplementing with GNC potassium tablets at 200-400mg a day taken before bed on an empty stomach. Headaches can easily be avoided with Tylenol Extra Strength taken at the first signs of a headache. You may need to take double the recommended dose. Common Uses Post-Cycle Therapy: Clen is used post cycle to aid in recovery. It allows the user to continue eating large amounts of food, without worrying about adding body fat. It also helps the user maintain more of his strength as well as his intensity in the gym. Diet: Roughly the same as on cycle. Fat loss: The most popular use for Clen, it also increases muscle hardness, vascularity, strength and size on a caloric deficit. For the most significant fat loss, Clen can be stacked with t3. Diet: A high protein(1.5g per lb of bodyweight), moderate carb(0.5g to 1g per lb of bodyweight), low fat diet(0.25g per lb of bodyweight) seems to work best with Clen. Alternative to Steroids: Clenbuterol has mild steroid-like properties and can be used by non AS using bodybuilder to increase LBM as well as strength and muscle hardness. Diet: A moderate carb, high protein, moderate fat diet work well. Stimulant/Performance Enhancement: It can be used as a stimulant, but an ECA stack may be a better choice because of it's much shorter half-life. Diet: To take full advantage of the stimulatory effects of Clen, Carbs must be included in the diet. Keto diet do not work well in this case. Precautions: Is Clen for you? The same precautions that apply to Ephedrine must be applied to Clen, although some people find ECA stacks harsher than Clen. It should not be stacked with other CNS stimulants such as Ephedrine and Yohimbine. These combinations are unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Caffeine can be used in moderation before a workout for an extra kick, although its diuretic effects may shift electrolyte balance. Drink more water if you use Caffeine. What else do I need to know? Most users that report bad side effects and discontinue use are those who use high doses right at the start of the cycle. The worst side effects occur within the first 3-4 days of use. A first time user should not exceed 40mcg the first day. Example of a first cycle: Day1: 20mcgDay2: 40mcgDay3: 60mcgDay4: 80mcgDay5: 80mcg(Note: Increase the dose only when the side effects are tolerable)Day6-Day12: 100mcgDay13: 80mcg (Tapering is not necessary, but it helps some users get back to normal gradually)Day14: 60mcgDay15: offDay16: offDay 17: ECA/ NYC stack Example of a second cycle: Day1: 60mcgDay2: 80mcgDay3: 80mcgDay4: 100mcgDay5: 100mcgDay6-Day12: 120mcgDay13: 100mcgDay14: 80mcgDay15: offDay16: offDay 17: ECA/ NYC stack Do not take Clen Past 4pm and drink plenty of water: 1.5-2 gallons a day. All brands are not equal when it comes to Clen, different brands will yield different results. That about covers everything.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Guide to rHGH use

Guide to rHGH use Disclaimer (warning): This information is for entertainment value only. I am not a medical doctor , therefore, I am not qualified to offer any medical advice nor advise you on how to take any substances. What follow is my experience and knowledge of HGH. According to studies in the New England Journal of Medicine GH use will: - Shed Bodyfat- Increase Muscle Tone- Boost your Energy, Strength, and Endurance- Reduce Wrinkles - Create Tighter, Smoother Skin- Help you Sleep Better- Improve Sex Drive and Performance- Improve Immune and Heart Function, Bone Density, Healing Time and Cholesterol, Improve Brain Function, Memory and Mental Focus Wow! Sure sounds like a wonder drug to me! Yeah right, anyway here is some real world information for bodybuilders. Somatropin (rHGH) is produced by the pituitary gland and is responsible in adolescence for growth of tissues, protein deposition, and the breakdown of sub-q fat stores. As we age, growth hormone levels decrease but still remain active in the body, releasing in cycles during the day. Synthetic growth hormone used exogenously by bodybuilders is a 191 chain sequence of amino acids that replicates the bodies natural production of growth hormone. Growth hormone has been in use by bodybuilders since the early 1980’s, though at this time, HGH was being extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers and had enormous side effects, most prominently Creutzfeldt Jacob disease. This is a rare and fatal brain disease, it need not be discussed here since it is not possible in synthetic forms of HGH, but if you want more info just run a search in google. rHGH stimulates growth in most body tissues which is due to an increase in cell number rather than cell size. This includes muscle tissue as well as internal organs, hence the dreaded GH gut. Use of growth hormone by bodybuilders will cause increased muscle size, localized and overall bodyfat loss, increased protein synthesis, increased glucose output by the liver, increased insulin resistance and lowered thyroid output. Stored fats will be used as a primary fuel source, thus the body fat loss. So is rHGH the wonder drug everyone lusts after? It certainly is beneficial but not for everyone. You must be willing to take risks to achieve maximum benefits from its use, as well as substantial financial investment. Do it right the first time or don’t do it at all! You will achieve faster and greater growth from cycles of steroids than with GH, though once you reach a plateau, not many products work better. Ok, so now you have decided that this is the drug for you and you are ready to try it, so what next? Well here are some general guidelines to follow for maximal results from GH use: Daily injections are a must to maintain stable blood levels as GH has a very short life span in the body. It will peak almost immediately after injection and will clear the body with a half-life of only 20-30 minutes. It is best injected first thing in the morning upon rising to raise levels that are very low from sleeping, and immediately after training. I do not recommend injecting before bed as many bodybuilders do, since that is the time of day that your body will release naturally high levels of growth hormone, and exogenous use will only block that release. If you take it in the morning when levels are low, after training when levels are depleted and then let your body release while sleeping, you are getting one extra release for free! GH is best taken long term, short cycles do not maximize the benefits of muscle cell increase, only fat loss. Here is how I take my GH for maximum benefits: 6iu ed injected sub-q, preferably in the stomach (IM for certain brands)3iu injected upon rising, 3iu injected immediately post-workout10iu insulin taken 30 minutes after HGH injection25mcg cytomel eduse of androgens such as testosterone The timing of GH and insulin injections is critical. If insulin is injected before the GH, your pancreas will stop release of insulin monitoring due to the exogenous source. GH when injected will mobilize stored glycogen release which will turn into glucose for energy. This will cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels that will not shut down or stop rising due to the feedback loop being momentarily cut off. You will go hyperglycemic and end up in the hospital. You must first inject your GH, then the insulin; this will cause a rise in glucose release by the GH and will be controlled and shuttled into muscle tissue for repair by the later injection of insulin.Use of cytomel or some type of T3 hormone is critical since GH use will severely lower thyroid levels. Small exogenous sources are necessary to maintain normal levels and 25 mcg ed is sufficient. This will also aid in body fat loss by maintaining proper thyroid functioning.Use of androgens is also necessary due to the promotion of anabolism by increasing muscle size that benefits the new cell number increase by the GH. Remember GH will not directly cause muscle cell size increase, just the number of cells, therefore, androgens are necessary to increase size. Testosterone or trenbolone are both highly androgenic and perfect for out stack. One myth that needs to be cleared up: high doses of GH use and the 5 on 2 off program. First, if you find that you are not achieving results off of 4-6iu ed, than something else is the problem, not your dose. The use of high doses if primarily cause by heat damage to the protein chain causing denatured proteins. This will decrease the effect and you must use higher doses to achieve the same effect. Other reasons for high dose use are; fake gh, not using insulin, cytomel or test, poor diet, improper timing schedule and the 5 on 2 off. This program was recommended by dealers as a way to move product by offering a lower cost cycle. No doctor in the world would recommend this protocol, Peak blood concentrations are reached in 2-6 hours after injection, and therefore, multiple daily injections are necessary to achieve stable release schedule and results. If you take your last injection Friday afternoon, and then not again till Monday morning, then you have negated all effects offered by the 6 hour concentration. Yes, you will achieve results using a 5 on 2 off program, but not as well as if you inject ed. It’s your money; I can only tell you how to optimize use. Side effects of GH use include; carpal tunnel syndrome, tingling in the extremities, numbness in the hands and feet, increased organ growth, decreased insulin reception, acromegaly but only in extreme dose use, and decreased thyroid output causing fat accumulation. If you find that you are experiencing any of the above side effects, lower your dose immediately. This is especially important with carpal tunnel. If you feel like your wrists are hurting then lower the dose until pain subsides. You do not want to have that surgery, trust me. GH is a fantastic product, beneficial for many reasons. Most people will experience thinning of the skin, increased vascularity, fat loss, permanent increases in muscle size due to the cell number increase, and overall feelings of wellness. You will probably need less sleep and feel supercharged all day long. I highly recommend HGH use, but only when you have the money to do it right. 4-6 month cycles are optimal, year round if you are over age 35.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Clomid: Frequently Asked Questions

The "Secret" to Getting Huge Revealed

The "Secret" to Getting Huge Revealed Dave, what is the secret to getting huge? Does it mean taking huge amounts of steroids? I am addressing this topic because this is the most prevalently asked question. My answer to you is in the form of the question, "how many people do you know who take large amounts of steroids yet look no better than they did before they started?" And the answer to that question is "TOO MANY!" The problem is that people think that if you take 1000mg of testosterone a week, you will get huge. What they forget is the most important part of the equation : THE FOOD! NO protein, NO carbs, and NO fat means NO muscle. If you are taking adequate amounts of "STUFF" and you still aren't growing, don’t assume that you need to take more stuff. EAT MORE FOOD (especially protein) and EAT MORE FREQUENTLY! I cant stress this enough. The difference between the massive bodybuilder and the mediocre bodybuilder is that the MASSIVE one views eating as a JOB (not as a luxury). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Growth Hormone Vaccines What's the deal with this new growth hormone vaccine that is being put out by Genentech? How does it last for up to a month? According to my sources, Genentech’s new GH Vaccine is not actually growth hormone. Basically, upon injection, it blocks the hormone somatostatin. Somatostatin is the hormone responsible for inhibiting the production of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) from the hypothalamus which in turn inhibits the release of GH from the pituitary gland. By blocking the Somatostatin hormone, you essentially enable the pituitary to produce unlimited amounts of GH (i.e. there is no shut off mechanism). The problem with this approach is that the amount of GH released is a very person-specific event. In other words, one individual may produce a lot of GH and another may produce very little (it becomes a genetic thing). I liken this product to attempting to increase testosterone levels using hCG. Why worry about how much GH the individual can produce naturally, when you can just administer the GH (in a known amount) using the current GH formulas that are out there? I don’t foresee that the bodybuilders will replace the use of GH with this new product. They will probably just add it into their stacks or they will use it when in an off cycle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Micronized Water-Based Steroids What have you heard of the new "micronized" water-based steroids (Winstrol and testosterone suspension)? Is this a better formula? AND why doesn’t it settle out? The term micronization refers to the crushing or pulverizing of the Winstrol or Test suspension powder into a very fine dust that once suspended in sterile water forms a milky looking colloidal mixture (i.e. the steroid tends to remain in suspension much longer without settling out). Micronized creatine, on the market, is a similar theme to the micronized Winstrol and suspension we a talking about. It mixes in water more thoroughly, and thus is absorbed better through the GI tract thus causing less diarrhea and bloating. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Ultimate Precontest Stack for a Competitive Bodybuilder Dave, what is the ultimate "STACK" for a precontest, dieting, bodybuilder? Please include dosages. Given the current available anabolics (and starting from a point at around 8-10 weeks out), I would have to say that the following would be an ideal anabolic combination: 1000mg Sustanon per week (necessary to maintain base of muscle mass) 200mg Primobolan per week (great on low calorie diets) 50mg Winstrol every other day (hardening agent) 400mg Deca per week (keeps the joints feeling good) 50mg Anadrol per day (keeps the strength elevated, meanwhile, the hunger-blunting effect is welcome) 2-4 IU GH per day (fat burner and muscle preserver) 2-4 clenbuterol per day (fat burner and strength increaser) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Kick My Nubain Addiction I have a question, I use Nubain 4-6 times a day it is an addiction for me. I want to stop using it. I am also currently taking 4.5iu of Serostim a day and I use it yr round. I would be able to use 9iu of Serostim a day yr round if I could get off of Nubain. My question is will I be able to quit Nubain cold turkey? And will I see more of a significant result using 9iu of Serostim a day instead of 4.5? I don't want to waste my money if its not going to have more of a dramatic effect. What do you think? Stick to the 4.5IU GH (Serostim) per day. That's plenty to grow with (with little side effects). IF you want to get off the Nubain as well, get down to small amounts (.15 cc) spaced every 3-5 hours. When you get to that point, switch to Ultram (they are pills). They will kill the withdrawal symptoms then and take Ativan or Valium for the anxiety. It should take about 1 week of doing this to be totally off (3 days for the physical withdrawal to go away and another 4 days for the mental desire to wane). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How Do I Use Synthol? What are the best bodyparts to inject Synthol into? How often and how many CCs per injection? Synthol is used to enhance or augment a weak or lagging bodypart. The muscles that respond best are the small, rounder, muscle groups such as the biceps, triceps, and calves. Usually, 3cc amounts of Synthol are placed DEEP into the muscles 2-4 times per week for the first 3-4 weeks. Thereafter, 3cc amounts are injected on a once per week basis for the next 20-24 weeks until the size increase has become permanent.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Clenbuterol

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Guide to rHGH use

stealth injectable labs

care of EF Human Grade pharmaceuticals, produced by major pharmaceutical companies are often the first choice for most users cycles. If you are fortunate enough to be able to have a reliable source for this kind of product, then you can always be assured of getting the highest possible quality and sterility when you make your purchases. However, in recent years, Underground Steroid Labs have been making their presence felt on the the black market. This turn of events is good because it makes products more readily available to the average consumer, but it's not without drawbacks. Last month I told you about "Stealth Labs" and their revolutionary line of Stealth Injectables. This month I'm going to tell you why Stealth Labs is not just another underground lab. First, lets take a look at how *most* underground labs operate. Underground labs are all typically operated in a very similar way. Unlike what we allow at EliteFitness.com, the owner of an underground lab is a member of several discussion forums, possibly even owning or moderating one or more. Most often, the owner of a lab will use his influence on these message boards to promote his own lab over others(which is often run under a different name than the one he posts under). Often, moderators of those message boards are given free "samples" in return for their endorsement of the underground lab in question. The lesson here is that sharing your personal information, name, email, IP address, with a site that exists only to generate leads for a drug operation is not smart. Stick to sites like Elite that are legitimate businesses and make money from supplements, articles, memberships and advertising. If a community site is a front for a drug operation and they get popped, you'll be next in line. Have you ever been to a message board where "Underground Lab X" or "Underground Lab Y" is promoted by the staff heavily? It's a good bet that the owner of that lab is a member of the staff (or at least a former member of staff) on that message board. Typically, this kind of outfit, on the small Mom & Pop boards - is run the same way every time. The owner of an underground lab finds a source of powders (usually from China), buys some sterile vials and oil and a hand crimper, some capsule fillers, and they're off and running. Then they supply some people with a few free bottles of this or that, and wham! Instant underground lab, and instant "credibility". Except for being illegal, there's nothing particularly wrong with this if it's all done openly, but more often than not, these sites mislead their members and exist through a great deal of subterfuge. Although there are some underground labs which stand head and shoulders above the rest, for the most part, all underground labs offer the same products at the same prices. However, although the end product will hopefully be sterile, their drugs certainly aren't produced in a sterile lab. And, again, for the most part, quality control and lab testing on the products is never done. This is problematic, because the consumer often isn't assured of actually getting what he paid for. However, since many underground labs are owned and operated by staff members of different message boards, they have an instant (unearned) level of credibility, bought and paid for with free drugs given to staff members and moderators. This is, of course, a less than honest way to go about business and if we find one of our moderators has been corrupted, he is quickly given the boot! But this is how most underground labs operate. I spoke with my friend Anthony Roberts about this and we remarked that we have never even seen lab tests on 99% of the underground labs that are in operation today. That's why back in June, I was interested in hearing what Anthony had to say about Stealth Labs. According to Anthony, Stealth Labs is very different from most underground labs, in this respect. They not only produce high quality injectables, but they earned their reputation by providing great customer service and quality products - which is not how most underground labs operate. Last month, in the article Ketchup Packets filled with Injectable Anabolic Steroids - The Bright Future Of Injectable Steroids, I told you about how they are innovators in the field, with their high quality line of Stealth Injectables - designed to be virtually undetectable in the mail. This month I'll share with you what Anthony explained to me about why they are different than most underground labs. For starters, their raw powders are tested for purity before they begin producing a batch of injectables. They have each batch of powder tested for purity BEFORE they begin production of their injectables. This means they actually know what they're starting with, in terms of potency. Then, they take the raw powder and begin the production process in their sterile lab, under 100% sterile conditions. Everything from the conversion of raw powder into an injectable to the sealing of the product in individual sachets is done under totally sterile conditions. Finally, after they produce the sachets, a random sachet of each separate injectable is sent out to an independent lab, for testing. Only after each batch is independently tested, is the product released for sale to the general public. Here's a link where you can view those lab tests. This is one reason why Stealth Labs and Stealth Injectables have jumped to a premier position among all underground labs currently in operation today. They are committed to producing a high quality and sterile product - without all of the smoke and mirrors we usually see when a new underground lab enters the market. So how did they do it? Anthony Roberts explained it to me best, Stealth Labs entered the underground market with a product that had never been seen before and quality control methods which have rarely been seen with an underground lab.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Steroids Like D-Bol Helped Me Build Muscle Fast

Steroids Like D-Bol Helped Me Build Muscle Fast
"I am in my early 20's and have been into bodybuilding for quite awhile. I had been natural for about 3-4 years before I decided to give steroids a shot due to natural plateaus in my lifts and size. I was weary about steroid use when I was younger due to all the bogus claims about how dangerous they are, then I found out that when used properly with care they are usually perfectly safe unless high doses of orals are taken or there is a lack of preperation for a cycle of steroids.
Of course, I was always reading articles about training and bodybuilding tips in muscle magazines such as Flex, MuscleMag, and Muscle and Fitness, which were my favorite 3 magazines at the time and still are. I tried all the supplements, few if any really worked except Growth Factor-1 and the Ephedrine/caffieine/aspirin stack which is illegal now but clenbuterol cleared that little problem up for me, hehe.
Anyway I found a great site on the web that lists several popular, well-known and legit steroid dealers on the net for a decent price and set out to get buff and ripped in record time. For my first cycle I combined 2mL's (500mgs) of sustanon every 10 days with 30 mgs/day of 5mg thai D-bol while combining clomid to maintain natural testosterone levels while preventing gynecomastia and water retention due to estrogen conversion. The sustanon didn't really kick in until the 3rd week but the D-bol went to work immediately and I made really impressive gains right off the bat.
My benchpress went up about 12.5lbs a week (for the 1st 3 weeks) of pure muscle gain along with the gains that come with water retention. I also made equally impressive gains in other areas of my body. I put on approximately 1 inch on my arms in those first 3 weeks. At week 4 I stopped the D-bol and continued with the sustanon for a full 7 weeks or so.
During the rest of the cycle my benchpress went up about 7.5lbs a week with proportionate gains on other areas of my body. So, in all, my benchpress went up about 65 solid pounds (from 215lbs. to 280lbs) and my arms grew about 1 1/2 inches (I was curling 65lb. in each arm for reps) with proportionate gains throughout my physique.
For my 2nd cycle I decided to kick it up a notch so I decided to go with 750 mg of sustanon a week along with 35 mg of D-bol/day for the first 3 weeks along with clomid and nolvadex to block estrogen, gynecomastia and water retention. This time I made incredible gains... for the 1st few weeks my benchpress went up about 17.5 lbs per/week along with equal gains throughout my body, especially in my arms which grew like weeds.
Once the sustanon kicked in my bench went up about 10lbs per week and the rest of my body grew equally while burning about 5lbs of fat. The entire time I was consuming about 400grams of protein/day along with varied amounts of carbs and fat. I tapered off this cycle on clenbuterol which is a strong fat burner and anti-catabolic (preserves muscle from breaking down due to cortisol build up from a cycle) and t3 a strong thyroid horomone which burns fat along with trenbolone acetate (like parabolan) and masteron/winstrol for about 7 weeks.
By the end of my cycle I was completely shredded and strong as an ox. I even gained alittle more strength from the trenbolone which is rated a 10 in size and strength gains with no water retention or gyno, but is hard on the kidneys. I could easily have competed in any middle weight competition and got plenty of compliments from my friends and acquaintances along with others. I was ripped at 175lbs. 5'9 in height at 5% bodyfat.
I have managed to hold on to that size due to a steady dose of 250 mg of testosterone every 7-10 days and continue to bodybuild mostly for athletic reasons but the improvement of my physique is equally pleasing. This is my experience with anabolic/androgenic steroids, I hope it was informative. Take care everyone. "

Ma Huang (Ephedrine)

Ma Huang (Ephedrine)
Ma Huang, also known as ephedrine is an herbal form of the powerful stimulant Ephedrine and can be found on the dry rocky slopes of Asia. Ephedra has become a popular stimulant that has proven its abilities to stimulate fat burning by increasing the rate of caloric expenditure and also for its appetite suppressing qualities. Another side effect of this herb is its ability to increase a persons short term energy levels by activating the central nervous system.
Many of the people who have used Ma Huang have reported extreme fat loss as well as increased energy. The user will usually have a higher body temperature, faster metabolism, increased heart rate, and a curbed appetite. All of which will help burn calories. When Ma Huang hit the market as a thermogenic, its popularity shot through the roof. It was a product that had proven to work time and time again with minimal visible side effects. When Ma Huang is used for energy as well as for fat loss, studies showed that 150 to 300mg 2-3 times a day of Ephedra or Ma Huang could be used. They should be taken prior to meals (not dinner) and /or 30minutes before exercise. Ma Huang affects everyone differently and should be taken at a lower dose when first trying to determine a dose that will work for you. Taking Ma Huang close to bedtime is not a good idea as it may cause you not to sleep.
Ma Huang is used in combination with caffeine (guarana) and aspirin (willow bark) to create a power thermogenic stack. When taking these products together it is not wise to use them for more than 8 weeks on, followed by 2-4 weeks off and is not recommended that you take them for long-time use. Because of the potent side affects of Ma Huang, which include; increased heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, jitters, irritability, insomnia, and heart palpitations, it is wise to speak with a doctor before using Ma Huang.
The following States, organizations, or committees have banned the use of Ma Huang:
States Florida and Texas (please check to make sure your state has not been added)International Olympic Committee NFL?????????
WARNING: Not for use by individuals under the age of 18. Keep out of reach of children. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Consult a physician or licensed, qualified health-care professional before using this product if you have, or have a family history of, heart disease, angina, thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, recurrent headaches, bleeding disorder, depression or other psychiatric condition, glaucoma, difficulty urinating, prostate enlargement, or seizure disorder; if you are using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug, or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain decongestants and allergy, asthma, cough/cold, and weight-control products).
The maximum recommended serving of ephedrine for a healthy adult is 100 mg in a 24-hour period for not more than 12 weeks. Cycle this product, using it for no more than 12 weeks; then discontinue use for at least 2 weeks. Exceeding the recommended amount or use restrictions may cause serious adverse health effects, including heart attack and stroke.
Side effects may include insomnia, nervousness, or hand-tremors. Discontinue use and call a physician or licensed, qualified health-care professional immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headache, shortness of breath, or other
Steroid. com brings to you as much free anabolic steroid information as we can. Anabolic steroids are a very popular anabolic (muscle building) drug that is not legal in all countries. Anabolic steroids can be dangerous to your health and may result in many different types of side effects. We have a very detailed section about the side affects of anabolic steroids and it should be read at least once. Anabolic steroids should only be used with a doctors supervision. We have many profiles on anabolic steroids in the "steroid profile" section of our site. If you can not find the answers that you are looking for about a particular steroid, please see our discussion board. There are hundreds of people on-line to answer your questions. Please do not ask us anabolic steroid related questions directly. We can not and will not answer these for you. Steroid laws are different throughout the world, but here in the United States, anabolic steroids are illegal without a prescription. Please DO NOT ask us to sell or send you anabolic steroids and DO NOT send us anabolic steroids. If you see errors on our website, please contact us to let us know. If you need medical assistance due to the use of anabolic steroids, please see your doctor immediately.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Aromasin

Anabolic Steroids Profile
Aromasin
Exemestane Aromasin (Exemestane) is a steroidal suicide aromatase inhibitor, which means that it lowers estrogen production in the body by blocking the aromatase enzyme, the enzyme responsible for estrogen synthesization. (1)(2)(3)
This stuff was developed to fight breast cancer in post-menopausal women, who need a particularly aggressive therapy, and for whom first line defenses such as SERMS (Tamoxifen) have not worked. This should be our first clue in inferring that this stuff is pretty strong, or at least stronger than some of the other compounds which are used to fight breast cancer.

Aromasin and Side Effects
Aromasin averages an 85% rate of estrogen suppression (4), so it´s clearly a very effective agent for bodybuilders and other athletes wanting to avoid estrogen related side effects such as gyno, acne, or water-retention brought on by aromatizing steroids. Specifically, Exemestane dose this by selectively inhibiting aromatase activity in a time-dependent and irreversible manner (hence the "suicidal" portion of it´s name, I guess).(7)
As with most of the compounds in this class, it also causes a reasonable rise in testosterone levels (6), and as you may have guessed, this rise in testosterone means that Exemestane can also cause androgenic sides(8)(9)(10). As you can see from the chart below, exemestane is very effective at both lowering estrogen (estradiol) and raising testosterone:

FIG. 1. Estrogen and androgen plasma levels after 10 d of daily exemestane (25 or 50 mg) in healthy young males (mean ± SD; n = 9-11). To convert to Systeme International units: estradiol, picomoles per liter (x3.671); estrone, picomoles per liter (x3.699); androstenedione, nanomoles per liter (*0.003492); and testosterone, nanomoles per liter (x0.03467). (13)
So we can see that 25mgs is a very effective dose from that chart, right? As an added benefit, exemestane not only increases testosterone and lowers estrogen, but it also increases IGF levels (11).Additionally Worth noting is that Aromasin may possibly be less harsh on blood lipids (14)than some of the other (similar) compounds we use in the world of bodybuilding or athletics (other AI´s). It also has, at best no effect on IGF, and at worst could lower (13) it. AI´s are very tricky with regards to inconsistencies in IGF levels.

Unfortunately, you need to take Exemestane for a week to reach steady blood plasma levels of it, and exemestane has a ½ life of 27 hours (12.).
The ability of exemestane to lower estrogen levels by the aforementioned 85% makes it a very nice choice for use in any cycle where aromatizing steroids are used. In addition, since it´s not too harsh at all on blood lipid profiles, it´s a very good choice for longer cycles. It´s ability to raise both testosterone levels also seem to suggest that it would be a very nice addition to a Post-Cycle-Therapy (PCT).

clenbuterol FAQ

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Clenbuterol

Clenbuterol is not actually a steroid, but is thought of as one because of it's abused use in the athletic scene. For medical use it is prescribed to sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders like asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier. It is most commonly available in salt form as clenbuterol hydrochloride.
Effects and Dosage
Clenbuterol is a β2 adrenergic agonist with some similarities to ephedrine, but its effects are more potent and longer-lasting as a stimulant and thermogenic drug. It causes an increase in aerobic capacity, CNS stimulation, and an increase in blood pressure and oxygen transportation. It increases the rate at which fat and protein is used up in the body at the same time as slowing down the storage of glycogen. It is commonly used for smooth muscle relaxant properties. These mean that it is a bronchodilator, and tocolytic.
Veterinary use
Clenbuterol is used worldwide for the treatment of allergic respiratory disease in horses as it is a bronchodilator. A common trade name is Ventipulmin. It can be used both orally and intravenously. It is also a non-steroidal anabolic and metabolism accelerator, through a mechanism not well understood. Its ability to induce weight gain and a greater proportion of muscle to fat makes its illegal use in livestock popular. Clenbuterol residues may affect lung and heart function in humans who have eaten liver or meat of animals that are given the drug.[1]
Food contaminationIn September 2006 over 330 people in Shanghai were reported to have been poisoned by eating pork contaminated by clenbuterol that had been fed to the animals to keep their meat lean.
Legal statusAs of fall, 2006, clenbuterol is not an ingredient of any therapeutic drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Clenbuterol is now banned for IOC-tested athletes. Jason Grimsley, former Major League baseball pitcher, admitted to using this drug. The tennis player Mariano Puerta was once penalized for use of clenbuterol.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Clenbuterol

Clenbuterol Let me just start by saying that this is the single most mis-understood compound in use for athletics and bodybuilding today. Most of the information out there is ½ truths and conjecture. Ok…having said that, I’m going to make an effort to dispel some myths and give everyone a better understanding of Clen.
First, lets plow quickly through some of the basics: Clenbuterol (Clen) is a beta-2 agonist/antagonist bronchodilator. What this means, is that it stimulates your beta-2 receptors. And this in turn stimulates you (clen has stimulant effects which will make you feel….well…stimulated). All of this serves to increase your body temperature a bit, increase your basal metabolic rate, and decrease your appetite (Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994 Jun;18(6):429-33.). Clen also can decrease insulin sensitivity (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Jul;283(1):E146-53.). Clen is a very effective repartitioning agent, and this is what it’s most often used for. What this means is that it will increase your ratio of Fat Free Mass (FFM) to Fat Mass, by decreasing your Fat and possibly increasing your FFM (J Appl Physiol. 2001 Nov;91(5):2064-70). Want me to quantify that a bit? In one study, horses given a reasonable dose of clen (slightly over 1mcg/lb) and excercised for 20mins, 3x a week ( I suppose they were Mentzer disciples) had significant decreases in %fat (-17.6%) and fat mass (-19.5%) at week 2, which was similar to Clen given to horses who didn’t excercise; however, the excercised group had a different FFM response, which significantly increased (+4.4%) at week 6. Week 6! Clen and clen+excercise produce roughly the same results for the first 2 weeks! Remember the old 2 weeks-on/2weeks-off schedule? It’s officially dead and buried. If you want the quasi-anabolic effect from the clen, it’ll take more than 2weeks on (6 weeks apparently). And in fact, since clen alone is similar to clen+excercise for those first 2 weeks...why would you ever use a 2on/2off protocol? Keep in mind that animal responses to beta-agonist/antagonists differ a bit from ours…but you get the picture. 2on/2off? Ha ha... Clen has a biphastic elimination, which means that it is technically reduced in your body in 2 different stages. This isn’t particularly important, as a recent study has shown that for most intents and purposes, clen concentrations in the body decline with a ½ life (approximately) equivalent to 7-9.2hours and again up to as much as 35 hours later(J Anal Toxicol. 2001 May-Jun;25(4):280-7. and J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2004 Apr;27(2):71-7. and J Pharmacobiodyn. 1985 May;8(5):385-91. ). If you’re really interested, though, clen technically declines biphastically at 10 and then 36 hours. But really, in our little world, where we use ½ life to tell us when to take our next dose, who the hell is going to take clen, then a dose 10 hours later, then a dose 36 hours later. We’ll stick with the earlier 7-9 hour ½ life for dosing purposes, and take our clen every 3.5-4.5 hours that we’re awake, stopping early enough to still be able to get to bed. Clen can, in some people, cause insomnia (and as with all stimulants, can cause anxiety in some). Clenbuterol can also cause a downregulation in testicular androgen receptors and in pulmonary, cardiac and central nervous system beta-adrenergic receptors(J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2004 Apr;88(3-4):94-100.)…possibly making steroids less effective while you are on clen, but definitely making clen less effective as time goes on and you keep taking it. To counteract this, you can take some ketotifen or periactim every 3rd or 4th week that you remain on clen. Both of these are prescription anti-histimines, so they’ll make you drowsy (take before bedtime). Basically, the way both of these work is to reduce beta-2 receptor activity. A lot of people claim that clen is quite anti-catabolic and/or anabolic. This hasn’t been confirmed in human studies (Ann Pharmacother. 1995 Jan;29(1):75-7.). And the doses given to the animals in these studies where clen is shown to be very anticatabolic or highly anabolic are so absurdly high that no human could ever take them (1mg/kg of bodyweight and higher). The best you can hope for is the very mild anabolic effects I cited earlier. Oh yeah…I guess I should get around to the proper dosing of clen. My recommendations are the same for both men and women. You’ll need to take 20mcgs upon rising, and then repeat that same dose again later in the day, and then once again in that day (if you find you can tolerate the effects). So you’ll start with 20mcgs, and then repeat that dose 2 more times that same day if you can tolerate it (side effects will determine this…hand shaking, sweating, etc…classic stimulant sides). Then you can start increasing the dose gradually. Personally, I wouldn’t work my way up to more than 200mcg/day. 60-120mcg/day is an average dose. Also, bear in mind that clen isn’t great for your heart, and can cause some issues there (enlargement of ventricles, etc…) but most studies showing clen to cause heart problems are with animals, and even though the dosing is similar to what humans take (in some studies) it’s important to remember that animals have more beta-2 receptors and they cause certain event chains that humans’ beta-2 receptors may not. Clen causes cardiac hypertrophy to some degree, in some cases. Again though, many studies showing more significant heart problems are with mg dosing. We humans take clen in mcg doses. If we want to duplicate the “theraputic” levels of clen in the more conservative studies, we’d be taking just over 1mcg/lb of bodyweight. I’d suggest a bit less, though. Performance issues with clen also vary. Some studies show reduced exercise (cardiovascular) performance with clen (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002 Dec;34(12):1976-85.), while some show that clen can alleviate exercise induced asthma (Respiration. 1987;51(3):205-13.)! Sometimes you feel like a nut…sometimes you don’t, I guess. What this means, to me, is that you’ll need to figure out how clen affects your performance individually. Which brings me to the issue of cramps while on clen. I don’t get them. My friends don’t get them. Most of us are athletes who use clen during the season as well as the off season, and one of my friends even claims that it gives him more “wind” (cardiovascular stamina). Take on enough water every day and you should be fine. If you’re really concerned, you can take some extra minerals and taurine, since clen depletes taurine (Adv Exp Med Biol. 1996;403:233-45) as do most if not all beta-agonists. I don’t take anything more than my usual vitamins and minerals. Well…there it is…pretty much all I know about clen. I hope this answers some questions and clears up some misconceptions.

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Anabolic Workout Guide

DNP (2,4-Dinitrophenol)

Hardgainer? Can't gain weight? READ THIS!!!

Diet is 75% of bulking up IMO. You can lift like Ronnie Coleman, but bottom line you will not grow any muscle without the calories behind it for bulking. Simple biology and one equation----> Calorie balance=Calories in - Calorie expenditure If you aren't gaining weight, you are not in a positive calorie balance so you need to either cut out all cardio, eat more, or both. Try adding up your calories using the links at the bottom of the page, many people who think they "eat all the time" actually eat under 3000 calories per day, which is very low for a bulking diet. Get used to eating frequently also, like every 3 hours tops. The only time I was hungry on my last bulker was right when I woke up in the morning. Remember: an appetite is not necessary to eat. You need to get used to eating what/when you MUST, not what/when you want. There are two ways to bulk: A clean bulk (slower, but leaner gains) and a dirty bulk (faster gains, more fat storage if metabolism isn’t fast) The main difference is that on a clean bulk, you NEVER eat carbs and fats together. Milk is bad for this reason. Eating carbs and fats together causes almost all of the fat to get stored instead of used for energy. Don’t eat carbs in your last 2 meals of the day because they get stored as fat while you sleep. Eat at least 40g protein with every meal, and make meals either protein/fat or protein/carb. PWO=Post Workout, the most anabolic (muscle building) time in anyone’s day is the half hour following a workout. It is best to use a fast-acting protein like Whey. Your muscles soak up protein like a sponge. It is also useful to eat twice as many carbs as protein to help shuttle the proteins to the muscles. The PWO shakes I use are---50g Optimum Nutrition Whey---50g Dextrose (Corn sugar, causes an insulin spike to increase absorption of protein)---50g Maltodextrin (Powdered complex carb supplement)Some people prefer to drop the maltodextrin and just do 100g of dextrose. Try both and see what works for you.Eating approximately every 2.5 to 3 hours is good for 3 reasons…1. You can eat more calories in a day if your meals are smaller. Its easier to eat 600 calorie meals 6 times a day then it is to eat 1200 calorie meals 3 times a day.2. Your body can only digest so many calories at a meal, and the rest gets stored as fat. Lowering the amount of food eaten at one time reduces the “extra” over what you need.3. Muscles start to catabolize (break down) if they are without protein for 3-4 hours unless you are sleeping. Hell, when I'm bulking I drink a milk/casein shake when I get up to piss at night.For all you 130-150 pounders thinking about taking steroids... re-evaluate your diets. If you can't gain weight naturally, steroids aren't going to do anything for you except shrink your balls. Think about it... raw materials to form muscles have to come from somewhere right? Try eating 300g protein, 400g carbs, and 150g fats. You will grow. A couple useful links 1) www.fitday.com <----Huge database of foods, can look up pro/fat/carbs and calories on them.2) http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1.html <------Basically the same3) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi41.htm <----- An equation that you plug in your weight and bodyfat percentage and it will tell you how many calories you need to eat every day to grow.If your diet is "all that and a bag of chips", and you STILL weigh 140 pounds dripping wet, either you have a SERIOUS thyroid problem or your training sucks. Remember "The Big 5" - Squat, Deadlift, Row, Bench, Military.GET BIG!

Monday, January 8, 2007

stealth injectable labs

care of EF

Human Grade pharmaceuticals, produced by major pharmaceutical companies are often the first choice for most users cycles. If you are fortunate enough to be able to have a reliable source for this kind of product, then you can always be assured of getting the highest possible quality and sterility when you make your purchases.
However, in recent years, Underground Steroid Labs have been making their presence felt on the the black market. This turn of events is good because it makes products more readily available to the average consumer, but it's not without drawbacks. Last month I told you about "Stealth Labs" and their revolutionary line of Stealth Injectables. This month I'm going to tell you why Stealth Labs is not just another underground lab. First, lets take a look at how *most* underground labs operate.
Underground labs are all typically operated in a very similar way. Unlike what we allow at EliteFitness.com, the owner of an underground lab is a member of several discussion forums, possibly even owning or moderating one or more. Most often, the owner of a lab will use his influence on these message boards to promote his own lab over others(which is often run under a different name than the one he posts under). Often, moderators of those message boards are given free "samples" in return for their endorsement of the underground lab in question. The lesson here is that sharing your personal information, name, email, IP address, with a site that exists only to generate leads for a drug operation is not smart. Stick to sites like Elite that are legitimate businesses and make money from supplements, articles, memberships and advertising. If a community site is a front for a drug operation and they get popped, you'll be next in line.
Have you ever been to a message board where "Underground Lab X" or "Underground Lab Y" is promoted by the staff heavily? It's a good bet that the owner of that lab is a member of the staff (or at least a former member of staff) on that message board. Typically, this kind of outfit, on the small Mom & Pop boards - is run the same way every time.
The owner of an underground lab finds a source of powders (usually from China), buys some sterile vials and oil and a hand crimper, some capsule fillers, and they're off and running. Then they supply some people with a few free bottles of this or that, and wham! Instant underground lab, and instant "credibility". Except for being illegal, there's nothing particularly wrong with this if it's all done openly, but more often than not, these sites mislead their members and exist through a great deal of subterfuge.
Although there are some underground labs which stand head and shoulders above the rest, for the most part, all underground labs offer the same products at the same prices. However, although the end product will hopefully be sterile, their drugs certainly aren't produced in a sterile lab. And, again, for the most part, quality control and lab testing on the products is never done. This is problematic, because the consumer often isn't assured of actually getting what he paid for. However, since many underground labs are owned and operated by staff members of different message boards, they have an instant (unearned) level of credibility, bought and paid for with free drugs given to staff members and moderators. This is, of course, a less than honest way to go about business and if we find one of our moderators has been corrupted, he is quickly given the boot! But this is how most underground labs operate. I spoke with my friend Anthony Roberts about this and we remarked that we have never even seen lab tests on 99% of the underground labs that are in operation today.
That's why back in June, I was interested in hearing what Anthony had to say about Stealth Labs.
According to Anthony, Stealth Labs is very different from most underground labs, in this respect. They not only produce high quality injectables, but they earned their reputation by providing great customer service and quality products - which is not how most underground labs operate.
Last month, in the article Ketchup Packets filled with Injectable Anabolic Steroids - The Bright Future Of Injectable Steroids, I told you about how they are innovators in the field, with their high quality line of Stealth Injectables - designed to be virtually undetectable in the mail. This month I'll share with you what Anthony explained to me about why they are different than most underground labs.
For starters, their raw powders are tested for purity before they begin producing a batch of injectables. They have each batch of powder tested for purity BEFORE they begin production of their injectables. This means they actually know what they're starting with, in terms of potency. Then, they take the raw powder and begin the production process in their sterile lab, under 100% sterile conditions. Everything from the conversion of raw powder into an injectable to the sealing of the product in individual sachets is done under totally sterile conditions. Finally, after they produce the sachets, a random sachet of each separate injectable is sent out to an independent lab, for testing. Only after each batch is independently tested, is the product released for sale to the general public. Here's a link where you can view those lab tests.
This is one reason why Stealth Labs and Stealth Injectables have jumped to a premier position among all underground labs currently in operation today. They are committed to producing a high quality and sterile product - without all of the smoke and mirrors we usually see when a new underground lab enters the market.
So how did they do it?
Anthony Roberts explained it to me best, Stealth Labs entered the underground market with a product that had never been seen before and quality control methods which have rarely been seen with an underground lab.

Anabolic Steroids Profile - Testoviron

Anabolic Steroids Profile

Testoviron

Testoviron is a blend of two different products, namely testosterone with the propionate (short) ester attached, and testosterone with the Enanthate (long) ester attached. Confusingly, Schering, who produces this product, also has a pure testosterone Enanthate product of the same name. Testosterone is usually attached to an ester (i.e. when you buy testosterone propionate, or Enanthate the components of this particular drug, you are buying testosterone with a propionate ester attached and testosterone with an Enanthate ester attached, both in the same milliliter of drug). These esters determines how long it takes your body to dispose of the testosterone, and propionate is the shortest ester commonly available with a testosterone base (of course, testosterone suspension has no ester), whereas Enanthate is the longest generally available with a testosterone base. Within your body, there are enzymes, called esterases, which have the function of removing the ester from steroids, and leaving you with just the steroid molecule with the ester cleaved off. Depending on how heavy the ester chain is, that determines how long it takes the esterase to remove it. With this product, you have testosterone with a heavy chain (which will take your esterases awhile to remove) as well as with a short chain (which your esterases will quickly remove).
What happens when those esters are removed?
Well, then the Testosterone you have injected induces changes in the shape as well as the size of your muscle fibers and also can change the appearance and the number of those(7). Testosterone is also noted for its ability to protect your hard earned muscle from catabolic (muscle wasting) glucocorticoid hormones (8), thus inhibiting their ability to send a message to muscle cells to release their stored protein. Concomittantly, Testosterone sends a message to muscle cells to actually store more contractile protein (called actin and myosin); glucocorticoid hormones send the opposite message. In addition, Testosterone has the ability to increase erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) in your kidneys(9), and as we all know, a higher Red Blood Cell (RBC) count would most likely improve endurance via bringing more highly oxygenated blood to your muscles. Having more RBCs can also improve recovery from strenuous physical activity. It needs to also be noted that aggression levels often rise dramatically with the use of exogenous testosterone (15).
All of these great benefits are to be had with the use of either testosterone Enanthate or propionate alone, but realistically, Testoviron will be part of a cycle containing one or more other drugs. People who are bulking will probably choose to use another drug like Deca or Eq (possibly with Dbol as well) and those who are cutting will probably steer towards Eq and perhaps Trenbolone. Very often users will shoot this drug three or four times a week, but blood levels of testosterone from the testosterone Enanthate component would still above baseline with this drug at around day eight (16), even thought we know the other component would peak and fall much more rapidly.
The advantage to longer esters is that they need to be injected less frequently (test prop needs to be injected every other day while you can shoot test cyp once a week). The disadvantage to long estered steroids is that they contain less actual steroid. Anecdotally, however, most people from Steroid.com and other discussion boards who have tried differing esters on their various cycles agree: Testosterone Propionate causes the least side effects and the least bloating, while Enanthate causes the most. Also, any injected testosterone will inhibit your natural test levels and HPTA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Testicular Axis). A Hundred mgs of test/week takes about 5-6 weeks to shut the HPTA, and 250-500mgs shuts you down by week 2 (4).
Testoviron StackWhat stacks well with Testoviron? Well, since it´s a testosterone with both a short and long acting component, I suppose the answer is everything and nothing. Since it´s got a short ester in it, you would have to inject it every other day, so you may as well run another short acting drug with it (Trenbolone Acetate, or whatever). However, since it´s got a long acting component to it, you may consider using a longer acting drug with it (Deca or Eq, perhaps); the downfall here is that you don´t get the full benefit of shooting test prop alone (less water retention, etc...) but you still have to shoot as frequently as if you were only using prop. The testosterone Enanthate is long acting, but you´re still going to be shooting this compound every other day to make use of the propionate component. Thus, the advantage of testosterone Enanthate (reduced shooting frequency) is negated. Many people´s favorite´s are Eq (boldenone undeclyenate) or Deca (nandrolone decanoate), but really, anything will stack well with testoviron. Tren (Trenbolone Acetate), Masteron, and/or Winstrol are also favorites for many on a cutting cycle, and it´s important to note that a product to fight water-retention and other estrogenic sides would be warranted if Testoviron were used for a cutting cycle.
Finally, it´s worth noting that sometimes a strategy known as "frontloading" is employed with products like this one, since it contains both testosterone propionate, and Enanthate. This is where double or triple the intended dose for the cycle is injected for the first two weeks, and the propionate ester gives a very quick rise in blood plasma levels of testosterone, and then the Enanthate ester is relied on for a more even blood level in the ensuing weeks. The reasoning behind this is presumably to get the blood levels of the drug up quickly in the hopes of seeing results more quickly, and then have the blood levels even out and stay constant.
Of all testosterones available on the market today, blended ester products like this one are the most unjustifiably expensive. This is both because they are in high demand, as well as more rare than single estered products. You can only find Testoviron in the Dominican Republic and Italy (135mg versions available in both countries). Expect to pay up to $5-7 for an amp of this stuff, and if your source is asking for more, expect to walk away. When the price of testosterone is so low, I can´t justify purchasing a blended product for any more than you would purchase a single estered test.
Testoviron Profile(Testosterone Propionate + Testosterone Enanthate) 17b-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one Testosterone base + Enanthate ester+ Propionate Ester Molecular Weight: 412.6112 Molecular Weight (base): 288.429 Molecular Weight (Enanthate ester): 130.1864 Molecular Weight (Propionate ester): 74.0792 Formula (base): C19 H28 O2 Formula(Enanthate ester):C7 H12 O Formula (Propionate Ester): C3H6O2 Melting Point (base): 155 Manufacturer: Schering Effective Dose (Men): 300-2000mg+ week Effective Dose (Women): Not recommended Active life: 8 days Detection Time: 3 months Anabolic/Androgenic ratio:100/100
References:
Pope, H.G, Kouri, E.M., & Hudson, J.I. (2000). Effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on mood and aggression in normal men: A randomized controlled trial. Archives of General Psychiatry, 57, 133-140 Chance, S.E., Brown, R.T., Dabbs, J.M., & Casey, R. (2000). Testosterone, intelligence and behavior disorders among young boys. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 437-445 Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2003 Jan 7; [epub ahead of print] Related Articles, Links "Development of Models to Predict Anabolic Response to Testosterone Administration in Healthy Young Men." J Investig Med. 1997 Oct;45(8):441-7 J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1986 Dec;63(6):1361-4. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Feb;82(2):407-13. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Mar;282(3):E601-7. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 May;7(3):271-7. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2004 Oct;5(5):459-70. Metabolism. 1991 Apr;40(4):368-77. J Lab Clin Med. 1995 Mar;125(3):326-33. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue. 2003;9(4):248-51. Effect of androgen on erythropoientin in patients with hypogonadism] [Article in Chinese] 1.Am J Physiol. 1998 Nov;275(5 Pt 1):E864-712 Biochim Biophys Acta. 1995 May 11;1244(1):117-20. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Dec;281(6):E1172-81. Health Psychol. 1990;9(6):774-91. Fertility and Sterility 33.

Clomid: Frequently Asked Questions

Sunday, January 7, 2007

The "Secret" to Getting Huge Revealed

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Hardcore Bulking (bodybuilding)

Hardcore Bulking Off season is a bodybuilders favorite time of year and the favorite words whispered after a recent contest. So the time is here, what are you going to do about it? First step is to determine what you want to do and set some goals. You cannot achieve anything without a plan. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. So let’s set some clear cut goals. You are going to need all the tools at your disposal before you begin. You are going to work on written goals, nutrition, training, and finally the hardcore cycle. Write down your goals. Have everything written down and in plain sight as a reminder of what you are trying to achieve. So write down your target weight, your training days, your daily calorie goals, your cycle, etc. Keep a master log book of everything you are trying to do. Like I stated, you must plan for success. First thing is to determine your target weight and body fat goals. Don’t be overly concerned with fat. This is, after all, the off-season, but there is no need to go above 13-14%. At that point you can still see some abs if you flex them hard enough and you will have acquired the mass point necessary for massive gains. Picking a target weight is very dependent on your level of experience. Since this series of articles is targeted primarily at advanced lifters, I recommend trying to achieve 20lbs of pure mass; some fat, mostly muscle. So now that you know you are trying to get another 20lbs of size, how do you go about doing this? First and foremost is diet. You cannot make gains if you are not feeding yourself at the goal you want to achieve. So since you know you are trying to get 20lbs, you are going to eat as if you you’re already at that weight. The best way to achieve this is to take in a total daily calorie intake of 30 kcals per pound of bodyweight for ectomorphs, 25 kcals for mesomorphs, and 20 for endomorphs. So for the 230lb average size ecto/meso bodybuilder, he is going to need to eat almost 7500 cals per day. Sounds incredible, I know, but it can be done quite easily. During the off-season you will eat calorie dense foods, some fast food, and some bulking shakes. I am not going to outline an exact diet for you, but I will give some general guidelines that I highly recommend. Variety is very important in bulking, eating the same foods over and over is boring and there is no reason to. Save the tuna and rice for show time; you can get very creative when bulking and actually enjoy eating. So let’s look at some calorie dense foods that fall in the category of bulking and are acceptable bodybuilding foods. I love cheese when bulking it is high in protein, goes on everything and it is a very easy way to add calories to every meal. I don’t mean Velveeta or cheese in a can here; I am talking about quality cheese, like Tillamook extra sharp. My other favorite is milk. I love milk with every meal and protein shake when bulking. Oh, and don’t forget my extra special, super bulking treat……natural peanut butter. Tons of calories, high in complete chain protein and essential fatty acids. So now you have my favorites, let’s go shopping. Grab a pen and paper and write down a shopping list. Don’t just go in the store and wing it. Remember earlier I stated you are going to write everything down. This includes shopping. You write down your weekly shopping list, your training schedule, your cycles and your goals. So back to shopping, you are going to need a lot of food to get to 7500 cals per day. Here are my shopping list recommendations: Breakfast ideas:7-10% lean ground beefHoney Nut Cheerios cerealOatmealBagelsWhole eggsCheeseBananas Lunch ideas:TortillasGround beefSalsaCheeseBreadWhite rice Dinner ideas:FishBroccoliWhite riceGround beefBell peppersPotatoesSteak Snack ideas:Roast beefBeef jerkeyNatural peanut butterGraham crackersString cheese Now remember, I am not going to set up a diet for you, just give you some ideas of my favorite calorie dense foods. It is up to you to plan some meals and make sure to eat 5-6 meals per day. I don’t see a need to eat more than that because you are not trying to speed up your metabolism; you are trying to slow it down by eating more food at each meal and eating less often. I am a huge proponent of high calorie shakes during the off-season. I personally belong to Muscle Milk anonymous! All kidding aside, they have the most incredible flavors and are highly addictive. Instead of the usual 2 scoops, I use 4 scoops in 16oz 2% milk for a 900+ calorie shake. I have two of those per day, plus my 3 solid meals and then my night time snack. My favorite night time bulking snack is 4 graham crackers spread with tons of natural peanut butter and then made into two sandwiches, 2 string cheese and a huge glass of milk. It is totally yummy, and I highly recommend it. You probably won’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night. The peanut butter will hold you over until you get up for breakfast. People are always highly concerned about percentages of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. I am not so concerned, so long as I am getting 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight that I want to be, the rest will just naturally be carbs and fat. So for our hypothetical diet of 7500 calories per day to get to 250lbs, I need 500 grams of protein, which is 2000 calories of protein. That still leaves me 5500 calories of fat and carbs to enjoy. You must eat protein first in every meal, if you are going to get full while eating, it better be on protein and not anything else. It is always easy to squeeze in extra carbs, and needless to say, fat is too easy. So for our 6 meals, of which 2 are already Muscle Milk and have 170 grams of protein, you don’t have far to go. The next 4 meals just have to have about 80 grams per meal. One glass of milk at each meal is 10 grams, so now you have just 70 grams. See how easy this is? Carbs add up real fast, especially with dense foods like cereal, bread, bagels, and rice / pasta. Now you are beginning to see how easy bulking while eating clean is. A couple of days per week, I recommend you head over to McDonalds and get 2 or 3 Big Macs or double cheese burgers. Go to In and Out, Burger King, or whatever your favorite is, and do a major feast. You can easily get in 3000 cals in one sitting with 3 Big Macs, a large fry, and a shake. So if you do that 2 times per week, you are going to have two days of about 10,000 cals per day, something that is really going to help with the metabolism and bulking.We also need to address the very important issue of post-workout (pwo) nutrition. I cannot stress enough how important it is to consume the majority of your daily calories in the first 3 meals pwo on training days. The primary source of energy when training is the conversion of glycogenesis in the formation of glycogen from glucose. Glycogen is synthesized depending on the demand for glucose and ATP (energy). If both are present in relatively high amounts, then the excess of insulin promotes the glucose conversion into glycogen for storage in liver and muscle cells. When you have completed a workout, your muscle cells are depleted of glycogen and it must be replenished as quickly as possible to promote recovery, and cell repair. Protein cannot be utilized for cell repair if we don’t first address the depletion of glycogen. The best way to replenish depleted glycogen stores is to use a very high glycemic carbohydrate in conjunction with a rapid and easily digested protein to shuttle into the cell for repair. I personally use a custom made shake that costs me literally pennies to consume. I shop at the local beer brewer’s store and purchase bags of pure glucose or dextrose which they use for home beer brewing. I mix 40 grams of glucose with 16oz (84g) of grape juice and 3 scoops (66g) Nectar whey protein. Nectar is an ultra high quality, flavored whey isolate. This is one of the fastest digested proteins on the market, so in conjunction with my high glycemic pure glucose and grape juice, I have just made a super high quality, muscle repairing shake that costs literally nothing to make. I also recommend you throw in 10 grams of creatine and 10 grams of glutamine at this time. Your muscles are sponge’s pwo and this is the optimal time to feed them and prepare the tissue to utilize the nutrition for primary protein absorbtion instead of feeding the intestinal tract, a primary scavenger of ingested proteins, especially glutamine. Your next two meals of extremely important because you are still within the so called “window of opportunity” for muscle repair with nutrition. Your pwo shake should not leave you feeling full for long; it is easily digested and is intended to be so. You are going to want to eat again one hour after you drink your shake. At this time, you still want an easily digested, low fat protein but you should move into moderate glycemic carbs as we are still “filling the tank” so to speak but no longer need fast carbs as most of our glycogen was replenished with the glucose. This meal should be preferably a light, white fish, or chicken breast. I consume mahi-mahi, tuna, or chicken with broccoli and rice or a baked potato. Eat a large portion of protein, the carbs are just a means to an end to shuttle the protein, so fill up with protein first, then eat your carbs to shuttle the amino acid chain into muscle cells. Our third and final pwo meal of importance while bulking will finally include some essential fatty acids which are also necessary for tissue repair, primarily tendon and ligament tissues. So now we get to really consume the calories and have fun with this meal. I like to eat 8-10 whole eggs, avocado, 6 pancakes, bacon and a glass of orange juice. Another favorite is 1lb lean ground beef in tortilla shells with avocado, salsa, cheese, a baked potato or rice and some milk. So there you have the three most important meals of your day on training days. It is critical to watch your nutrition at this time, especially since you are trying to repair damaged muscle tissue, replenish glycogen stores, repair connective tissue, and cells. I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat, your body is willing and able to consume massive amounts of calories pwo without spilling into excess body fat storage. Another critical issue we need to address is the use of insulin and nutrition pwo. The three meals I have outlined fall well within the acceptable specs for humalog use, not humulin-r so that cover pwo nutrition. I will cover the use of R in later articles, as well as proper eating if you choose to use it. For now just use 10-12iu humalog pwo only following the former meal guidelines and you will be utilizing proper protocol and nutrition to maximize your growth. As stated, look for a future article on insulin use and proper nutrition with it for maximum off season bulking. Insulin is going to be one the greatest products we can use when bulking, especially since you really can’t go hypo if you are going to be eating that many calories each day. We will address multiple use per day on training days to maximize your gains, especially how to super-charge your diet. I have said it before and I will say it a million more times until you get it through your thick heads. Without nutrition, no gains are possible. Bulking or dieting, it doesn’t matter what your goals are, nutrition is about 80% of our battle. Training and drugs are a means to an end. I can entirely change my physique from fat to lean, from thin to bulk all with diet manipulation. Try doing that with just training and a cycle but only eating 2 or 3 meals per day. Nutrition is your greatest anabolic agent, everything else is just the icing on the cake. In the next installment of this series we are going to tackle hardcore training principles and eventually what you are all dying to know, the hardcore bulking cycle. For now, read and re-read the information presented before you. Learn to eat right and you can easily put on another 10lbs without even touching a weight or sticking a needle in your glute.

Friday, January 5, 2007

Side Effects of Steroids

Side Effects of Steroids Most of the time, when steroids are mentioned, they´re brought up as the reason a particular athlete can run so fast, hit so many home runs, or make so many tackles. They are also claimed to have extraordinarily harsh side effects and for causing severely unforgiving and permanent damage. Everybody´s seen movies like "The Program" where steroids ruin a young athlete´s life, or perhaps "The Aaron Henry Story" on HBO, where a young athlete suffers lifelong problems from his steroid abuse. Most recently, I saw the movie "Spiderman" where the villain, the Green Goblin, admits to having his superhuman strength and psychotic personality from using "performance enhancers"! I´m here to assure you that those types of horror stories are few and far between, and after consulting with literally hundreds of athletes and bodybuilders, I´ve almost never heard of anything even remotely resembling the popular "horror stories" we see in the media almost daily. I´ve certainly never seen anyone become the Green Goblin from using them, either.. By reading this article, coaches, athletes, parents and teachers will know the truth about anabolic steroid side effects and will be able to make their own informed decisions as to how bad they are. But I suspect that after reading what I have to say, as well as what the scientific literature says, the question of how bad steroids are will be a different question entirely; the only question remaining will be "why didn´t anyone tell me this before?" When I initially started research for this piece, I consulted not only real-life athletes who had vast experience with anabolic steroid use, but also scientific and medical journals. The picture that unfolded before me was very different than the one typically painted by the mass media, and certainly much different than the one I found on http://www.steroidabuse.org/, http://www.dea.org/, and http://www.drugabuse.gov/. In my research on the governmental sites, I found very little of use, to be perfectly honest. There were tons unfounded claims and talk of money being put into "studies." In reality, the government "studies" on anabolic steroids were not medical studies at all. They were surveys given to various age groups, on steroid use, in order to generate statistics. There was nothing of medical value or scientific merit on those sites, despite the endless parade of doctors that seemed to be against their use. Here´s an example of one of the more absurd claims made on one of those sites: "..[steroids] they are dangerous drugs, and when used inappropriately, they can cause a host of severe, long-lasting, and often irreversible negative health consequences. These drugs can stunt the height of growing adolescents, masculinize women, and alter sex characteristics of men. Anabolic steroids can lead to premature heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure and serious psychiatric problems. In addition, because steroids are often injected, users risk contracting or transmitting HIV or hepatitis.." This is the information found on a government website, in a piece written by a doctor. I´m surprised she didn´t mention turning into the Green Goblin in her list of possible health side effects. As you read what I have to say, I want you to keep this in the back of your head. I want you to remember this claim, made by a medical doctor, as you read the rest of this piece. All of the information here is exactly what has been reported to me by athletes, as well as what is found in credible scientific journals; then decide for yourself what the truth about steroid side effects is. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anabolic Steroid Side Effects:1. Inhibition of Natural HormonesThe inhibition of natural hormones is probably the most common and probable side effect experienced from the use of anabolic steroids. In almost all cases, adding a hormone into your body will send a message to your endocrine system to stop producing it. This is because your body wants to remain in a very balanced state -- called "homeostasis," if I remember my high school biology class correctly. To maintain homeostasis, the body wants to avoid having too much of any particular hormone. To achieve this, the body sends a message to the testicles to slow down, or even stop producing testosterone when there is too much circulating. Unfortunately, this happens when any kind of hormone is added into the body, so even if an athlete is not using testosterone, but is using other anabolic steroids, the body will still send this signal 99% of the time. Of course different steroids cause varying degrees of inhibition ranging from total shut down of endogenous (natural) testosterone production, to very mild inhibition, where some natural hormones are still being produced and circulating. In almost all cases, this inhibition is over once the steroids aren´t active in the body anymore. In the following charts, we can see a mirror image of the level of steroid in the body (Nandrolone), compared with the level of natural testosterone being produced. In other words, as the level of steroid rises (chart 2), the level of testosterone falls (chart 1), and vice versa: Now, as that first chart shows, testosterone levels fell when Nandrolone (an anabolic steroid was administered, but interestingly, the following chart shows an almost identical mirror image, where the Nandrolone levels in the blood rise. What this indicates is that the amount of this particular steroid in the blood is directly and proportionately inhibiting natural testosterone production. Here´s the chart: Most athletes who use anabolic steroids accept all of this as a necessary price to pay in order to experience the benefits from using steroids. In an effort to combat this, athletes have experimented throughout the years with various compounds to avoid or at least limit this problem. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, anti-estrogens, and Selective Estrogen Receptor Antagonists are all used during a cycle, or after (or both) with this goal in mind. The following is a table showing the various hormonal levels of former steroid users who haven´t used them for a year (*called "ex-abusers" by the nice people who funded the test) versus current users (*abusers): What we see in this chart is not surprising to anyone who is actually familiar with steroids, and not with media-hype. In people studied who haven t used steroids for a year, ALL of their measured hormones (testosterone, estrogen) were within the NORMAL RANGE! Clearly, the effects that steroids have on your hormones are reversible and the horror stories we ve all read in the media about people who never regained normal hormonal function after one cycle are greatly exaggerated. I think anyone who is familiar with "After School Specials" about steroids will be very surprised at learning this fact. As for "The Aaron Henry Story" on HBO, I can t imagine how he has suffered side effects well into his 40âs when the steroid users in this study were totally fine after one year, and in some cases used more than he did! (*Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 84 (2003) 369-375) 2. Steroid Effects and Liver DamageLiver damage is probably the most sensationalized of all side effects possible from steroid use. The media often focuses on this particular problem as if it occurs with every steroid, and in every person who takes them. Nothing could be further than the truth. Most anabolic steroids which are ingested orally pass through the liver, which functions as the body´s filtration system. When something goes through the liver, it is broken down by various enzymes, and passed along into the bloodstream. Most research on orally administered anabolic steroids focus on the fact that liver enzymes are elevated following ingestion. But does this necessarily mean that the liver is being damaged, does it? Of course not. Commonly, studies that focus on steroid toxicity often use absurd doses, or incorrectly focus on liver activity instead of damage. The liver functions as the filter for the human body.. it´s going to be activated whenever something (not just a steroid) passes through it. Does that show that steroids damage the liver? Let´s see what the scientists say.. There was an eight-week study done in 1999, which looked at the effects of an 8-week cycle of Oral steroids. The steroids examined were Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone), Dianabol (methylandrostanolone), or Winstrol (Stanozolol) on rats at the dose of 2mg/kg-body weight, administered five times a week for 8 weeks. That s almost 200mgs/day of any of those steroids, for a 200lb user. That is, I´ll speculate, much more than the average person would use on a cycle. In fact, I have never, in my years of researching steroids and speaking with athletes, heard of anybody using 200mgs/day of Halotestin, Winstrol, or Dianabol. Ever. And, at the end of that study, In vivo, each rat still had liver enzyme levels that were within normal range! (*Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Feb;31(2):243-50, Rat liver lysosomal and mitochondrial activities are modified by anabolic-androgenic steroids. Molano F, Saborido A, Delgado J, Moran M, Megias A.) In another study, 16 bodybuilders using steroids were compared to 12 bodybuilders who were not. Then the bodybuilders who had used steroids stopped taking them for three months, at which points, the researchers found that liver enzymes had returned to the same levels as the non users. After only 3 months! (*Int J Sports Med 1996 Aug;17(6):429-33, Body composition, cardiovascular risk factors and liver function in long-term androgenic-anabolic steroids using bodybuilders three months after drug withdrawal. Hartgens F, Kuipers H, Wijnen JA, Keizer HA.) We can see from the chart below that ex-steroid users have totally normal liver enzymes one year after they stop using& .in fact, for some liver enzymes, even the current users have normal scores! (*Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 84 (2003) 369-375) 3. Steroid Effects on Cholesterol (Blood Lipid Profile) Steroids can, in fact lower HDL cholesterol and raise LDL cholesterol. HDL (high density lipoprotein, commonly referred to as "good cholesterol") helps to protect the arteries by bringing unused cholesterol to the liver where it is broken down. LDL on the other hand has the opposite effect. Some steroids can therefore cause high cholesterol levels with low HDL and high LDL. Some steroids are, of course, very mild on blood lipids, while others are notably harsh. In both cases, however, it is likely that a return to within normal parameters would occur after steroids are not being taken. 4. Gynocomastia (Development of breast tissue in males)The development of gynecomastia or feminization of the breast tissue in males is possible with anabolic steroids. This is due to an excess of estrogen being present in the body, through a process known as "aromatization" whereby androgens like testosterone are converted to estrogen. This excess estrogen then finds its way to the receptors in breast tissue and binds to them. This results in the possibility of female-like breast tissue, which must sometimes be removed by surgery. Most athletes experience itchiness of the nipples, followed by pain. Since this develops over several days, usually, the athlete usually has more than enough time to discontinue the use of the compounds he´s taking, or to attempt to counteract the breast tissue development while remaining on the cycle. The two most common ways this is achieved by steroid users is either to use an anti-estrogen like Nolvadex or Arimidex in their cycle or to take Letrozole (*a very strong Aromatase Inhibitor and antiestrogenic compound) afterwards, to destroy the tissue that has developed. Male breast development occurs in basically the same way as female breast development, and the use of anabolic steroids can result in this happening at a later stage in life for males. At puberty a surplus of hormones all combine to stimulate the growth and development of breast tissue. The initiation and progression of breast development involves a variety of pituitary (and ovarian, in women) hormones, as well as various local mediators. As you can see from the following chart, testosterone has the ability to aromatize (convert to estrogen), and eventually become part of the cascade of hormones that eventually contribute to the development of breast tissue: (GYNECOMASTIA: ETIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT Chapter 14 - Ronald S. Swerdloff, MD, Jason Ng, MD, and Gladys E. Palomeno, MD, March 1, 2004) 5. Acne and Anabolic SteroidsAnabolic steroids can cause the Development of acne and the extent to which it is experienced can be due to a number of varying factors, with the particular steroids and exact dosages used being the two primary factors. The skin´s sebaceous glands have a particularly high affinity to Dihydrotestosterone, which is an androgen the body naturally produces from testosterone via the enzyme 5-alpha Reductase. Increased sebaceous gland activity can oily skin which can combine with bacteria and dead skin caused by normal wear and tear, eventually causing pores to become clogged more quickly than the body can remove them. This of course, is preventable by using only particular steroids, cleansing the skin regularly, and perhaps using a topical anti-androgen. (1. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(8):571-8. 2. Clin Dermatol. 2004 Sep-Oct;22(5):419-28. 3. Pol Merkuriusz Lek. 2004 May;16(95):490-2.) 6. Roid Rage Increased aggressiveness is often claimed to occur with anabolic steroid use. Although it´s highly rare (less than 5%), significant psychiatric symptoms have been found in some steroid users, including aggression and increased violence, mania, and even psychosis. However, it must be noted that in the studies done without a control group, it can safely be assumed that naturally aggressive people simply just be more inclined to use steroids (type-A personalities, if you will). This would probably have an effect on possibly skewing the results. Certainly, if someone takes the risk to use steroids to improve their performance in a sport or their physique, they have certain aggressive traits. Can steroids enhance them? Possibly. Can steroids be to blame for anti-social, psychotic, "roid-rage" type behavior? Probably not. The evidence just isn´t there to support that. In fact, a landmark study was performed which examined different doses of testosterone administration on men aged 20-50, who had a variety of experience with steroids from having used them previously to not at all prior to the study. A variety of psychological tests were performed at the outset of the study as well as at the end. What was found was that no participant in the study had become violent as a result of the testosterone injections they had been receiving, although some said they felt more aggressive. This clearly indicates that there is a high level of control over possible violent or aggressive behavior that can result from steroid use. The researchers also noted that in terms of the psychological tests performed, some subjects showed little or no response to testosterone, with regards to psychological measures, while others experienced significant changes. Thus, general temperment clearly plays a large role in how one responds psychologically to steroid administration. In addition, when this study was compared with others, similar results were found: Out of 109 cases studied, only 5 people exhibited Psychological (Manic or Hypomanic) effects. (*Archives of General Psychiatry, Volume 57, February 2000.) 7. Steroids and BaldnessSteroids can possibly cause men to start balding if they have a genetic predisposition towards Male Pattern Baldness. The gene for baldness is thought to reside in the X chromosome exclusively, so a good general indication of whether someone is genetically predisposed towards being bald is to look at the men on their mothers side. Chances are that if the majority of them are bald, then the person will be carrying that gene too. The reason steroids can cause premature balding is that the scalp reacts to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) quite strongly, and many steroids can either convert to DHT or are derived from it. Of course, several anti-baldness medications can prevent this, such as Finasteride and Dutesteride. This is, of course, merely a cosmetic effect, and poses no real health issues. It could be catastrophic to a potential career with any one of a number of 80´s rock bands, but other than that, I can´t really see any real problems associated with hair loss; especially since it can be avoided when proper steps are taken and certain steroids are avoided. 8. Cardiovascular Problems from Anabolic SteroidsAnabolic steroids have been linked with cardiovascular issues. Part of this may be due to their effects on Blood Lipids (see above). But some of it is due to the fact that many steroid users have been found to have enlarged ventricles. This is actually very common in bodybuilders as well as powerlifters and other types of athletes, and is more indicative of the effect of weight training on the heart, rather than solely steroid use. 9. Virilization (Development of male characteristics in women)This term refers masculinization, or development of male sexual characteristics that females could potentially suffer from steroid use. This side effect on women is often reversible after the cycle has ended. Some typical signs of virilization are the development of a deeper voice, hirsuitism (growth of excess body hair), enlargement of external genitalia (clitoral enlargement), and possible male pattern baldness, or acne on the face or body. This is all dependent, of course, on the compounds used as well as the dosages employed. Personally, I have witnessed the most permanent of these effects to be the deepening of the voice due to the hypertrophy (growth) of the vocal chords. This is typically the most unwelcome side effect, as it makes it very obvious when a woman is using steroids. Of course, if this begins, the best course of action is to cease taking all steroids immediately. There are several ways to reverse this effect, the most common being to undergo a medical procedure known as vocal chord scraping. And yes, it´s exactly what it sounds like. 10. Stunted Growth (height)The use of some steroids can possibly stunt the growth potential of people who have not finished growing. This is only possible with certain steroids, and not with others. In fact, certain steroids have been used in clinical settings to improve growth rates in children. It is probable that the premature closure of the epiphysial cartilage, which is most likely caused by aromatizable steroids, will lead to a possible growth inhibiting effect, and could ultimately result in a shorter adult height. This most likely an irreversible side effect, as the growth plates would have sealed and can not "re-open". Anavar (Oxandrolone) has been used to improve the height of growth stunted children, and it is probable that most DHT-derived steroids could also be used for this purpose as could certain anti-estrogens. Speaking in broad terms, growth stops at the end of the teenage years...there is almost no chance to keep growing. This is because lengthening of a bone occurs at the epiphyseal growth plates (called the "growth plates" in common parlance), the remnant of the cartilage model. It's capable of proliferating. In 99.9% of humans, the process of bone elongation ends at around the mid to late teen years. At this point, the growth plates are obliterated and disappear, after which no more elongation (typified by an increase in limb length, height, etc...) can take place. Elongation of the bone occurs here and at a second epiphysis at the end. The proliferation of the cartilage happens very quickly, actually fast enough to keep ahead of the bone generation that´s "chasing" it, called ossification, which is just the replacement of cartilage by bone. As long as the cartilage growth "stays ahead" of the bone, you grow taller, as bone replaces cartilage. When the bone finally catches the cartilage (because the cartilage slows its growth rate, not the bone), it ossifies, and "seals" the growth plate. Here´s a growth plate picture, enhanced by radioactive dye (GP= Growth Plate), so you can sort of see the bone "catching" up with the cartilage. (Human Anatomy and Physiology, 6th Edition, John W. Hole jr., Wm. C. Brown Publishers.) 10. Prostate EnlargementOnce again, this is only a possibility that steroids could cause enlargement of the prostate. The media-perpetuated claim of possible prostate cancer seems to be wholly unfounded, according to most research. In many cases, this enlargement is quickly remedied upon cessation of anabolic steroid use. The first period of prostate Prostate growth, occurs first during puberty and is as a result of the testicular secretion of androgens. During adolescence to adulthood, the prostate stays at this stage, despite the relatively high levels of androgens found in the body. Then, much later on in life, there is often a second stage of growth. Although this was originally deemed to be a result of Dihydrotestosterone s actions in the body, it is more likely due to estrogen combined with a small amount of either DHT or Testosterone. Thus, it´s not hard to imagine that taking steroids can cause this type of prostate enlargement and caused trouble for a steroid taking athlete. Typically, a product such as Finasteride or Dutesteride is taken to avoid this problem, with a high degree of success. 11. High Blood PressureThis problem is possibly the most easily remedied of all steroid side effects. It s very common for steroid using athletes attempting to gain maximum bulk to abstain from all aerobic activity. This causes the body to work much harder to circulate blood. Also, the typical water and sodium retention induced by certain steroids can contribute to this. If blood pressure is measured regularly to ensure that the value is not higher than 140/90, there should be no problems. 12. Kidney ProblemsThe kidneys can undergo more possible strain during anabolic steroid intake. Kidneys are involved in some of the filtration and excretion systems of the body, and as such, when a foreign substance is administered, they necessarily work harder. Some steroid users have noticed very dark urine when on a cycle, and this is indicative of the kidneys working overtime to accomplish their goal. One of the major offenders of this seems to be Trenbolone, which turns the user s urine a very dark color unless enough water is taken in daily. Also, even though I know you re probably getting sick of hearing this from me, the possibility of side effects is dependant on both dose as well as compounds administered. Some steroids (Nandrolone) are even used to help treat people with Kidney problems! So clearly, they aren´t as bad as they´re made out to be with regards to possible kidney issues. 13. Immune System ChangesThere is a large amount of data indicating that anabolic steroids may have some effect(s) on modulating the immune system. As with most potential side effects, this is largely dose and compound dependant. There is strong evidence that different analogues produce vastly different effects on the immune system. Testosterone and certain analogues have been shown to be possibly immunosuppressive, while Nandrolone and other steroids are possibly immunostimulating. Both, however, have been found to be beneficial when given to AIDS patients, who clearly have an already compromised immune system. This is because the increase in lean body mass that those steroids can provide is consistent with an enhanced ability to fight off infections, enhanced survival rates, and a better quality of life. (1.Int J Immunopharmacol. 1995 Nov;17(11):857-63. 2. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1990 Sep;37(1):71-6 3. AIDS. 1996 Jun;10(7):745-52. 4. Journal of Neuroimmunology 83 1998, 162-67.) 14. Sterility in Males and FemalesIt´s a common side effect of steroids to cause temporary sterility in both males as well as females. In fact, anabolic steroids are so proficient at this that they have actually been studied and approved by the World Health Organization as a male contraceptive possibility. Steroids do this by disrupting the various hormones in women which potentiate the ability to have regular menstrual cycles. In men, steroids lower Follicle Stimulating Hormone to the point where normal production of sperm is not possible. This isn´t to say that nobody on a cycle has every conceived; quite the opposite, actually. There ve been legions of "happy accidents" reported to me by athletes who were on cycles and thought they couldn´t possibly conceive. Sterility caused by steroids is temporary, of course, and generally reversible by treatment with Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators such as Nolvadex or Clomid, and/or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. (1. Fertil Steril. 2004 Jan;81(1):226. 2. Urology. 2000 Oct 1;56(4):669.3. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1985 Oct;61(4):746-52 4. Fertil Steril. 1994 May;61(5):911-4. 5. Andrologia. 1985 Sep-Oct;17(5):497-501 6. Urol Clin North Am. 1986 Aug;13(3):455-63.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steroid Effects Myth: Believing Everything You HearOk, so this last side effect isn´t really a steroid effect at all. But it s true, nonetheless. It´s my hope that you read this entire article and were surprised and possibly even a little outraged. Maybe you were outraged with how casually I seem to treat a very serious topic& but more likely than not, you were outraged at the fact that most of you´ve come to think about steroids and their horrible side effects has been greatly exaggerated. The simple fact of the matter is that anabolic steroids, like any medication, can cause a host of unwanted side effects. I´m certainly not suggesting otherwise. What I am suggesting is that a more logical and rational view be taken of them. The literature suggests that these drugs are safe when used in a clinical setting; my numerous interviews and experience with athletes suggests that this also holds true outside the clinical setting. Please don´t misinterpret my position as being pro-steroid, anti-media, or anti-government. To do so would be to miss the point of this work entirely. I have the utmost respect for the media for providing the services that they do. I also have the utmost respect for the government and those who serve this country. Anabolic Steroid Side Effects are a very real and possible concern for those who decide to use them. My position, therefore, is one that I hope is consistent with both the media as well as the government s position: I simply wish to tell the truth, and allow my reader to make the best and most informed choice possible. In that regard, I think this article has served its purpose.
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