The following items can be added to most any cycle or stack. Some have been included in some of the sample stacks but can be added to any of the plans listed. If you are still new to steroid and hormone use, it’s best to wait until you have a little experience under your belt, but such items can be later added to the Novice plans once they’ve been completed a few times. They can also be added to any of the Intermediate or advanced plans.
Clenbuterol (Clen): A thermogenic used to help with fat loss – some data suggest it is anabolic and therefore could be used in a mass gaining phase. However, all data suggest its anabolic activity is limited to certain animals, which does not include human beings.
There are several methods of acceptable Clen use, but only two that can be deemed most efficient.
1. 2wks on/2wks off: This method will begin at 20-40mcg per day and increase by 20-40mcg per day once every few days. The highest dose of 120-140mcg per day will be reached the last few days of week two. Once two weeks is complete, the individual will discontinue use for two weeks in order for his body to readapt. The human body adapts to Clen quickly, and something must be done to stave off adaption. The 2wk on, 2wks off method is the most common form of use.
2. Continuous: Although less common than example one, it is somewhat common in elite level bodybuilding circles. This type of use will start at 20-40mcg per day and will hold at that dose for 2-3wks and then increase 20mcg once every 2-3wks until the Clen cycle is complete. The continuous increase although small and infrequent is enough to trick the body and keep the Clen continuously working throughout the duration of use.
1. Male starting dose is 40mcg per day. Female starting dose is 20mcg per day.
2. Male doses should not exceed 140mcg per day and should not exceed more than 3wks at this dose. Female doses should not exceed 120mcg per day and should not exceed 3wks at this dose.
3. Total Clen use should not exceed 16wks.
4. Hydration is very important with Clen and the individual may need to consume more water than normal. The individual may also find supplementing with Taurine to be advisable as Clen is known to deplete Taurine. The additional water intake along with Taurine supplementation may prevent muscle cramping that sometimes occurs due to Clen use.
Cytomel (T3): A thyroid hormone that is used to help with fat loss. This is perhaps the most effective fat loss tool any performance enhancing athlete will ever use, but it can come with a cost. Some may use low doses during mass gaining phases to help control fat gain that accompanies a mass gaining phase; however, cutting plans is truly the best place for this item to shine.
T3 is generally taken continuously until the end goal is met. Unlike Clenbuterol, the adaption issue does not exist. Because it is a thyroid hormone, many will only use it for short periods of time due to a fear of the thyroid no longer being able to produce the necessary T3 once use is discontinued. A thyroid shutdown can occur, but it is not common and unlikely if the individual has a healthy thyroid and does not supplement with T3 irresponsibly.
However long you decide to use T3, it should not be used until you have reached the latter part of your diet or cutting plan. You do not want to use it to start a fat loss plan; this medication will serve you best once you reach a point where fat loss becomes far more difficult.
Recommended starting dose (male or female) is 25-50mcg per day. If use is short lived, 4-8wks, the dose may be increased very few days until the desired or needed dose is reached. Optionally, if Cytomel is used for a longer period of time, 9-16wks, use should again start at 25-50mcg per day and increase 12.5mcg once every couple of weeks until the maximum needed dose is needed.
1. Cytomel use should not exceed 150mcg per day with most not wanting to exceed 100mcg per day.
2. Cytomel should not be used without anabolic steroids as it will destroy a portion of your muscle mass when used alone.
3. Cytomel will often drain energy stores as it thrives off of ATP.
4. Some may notice they run much warmer with Cytomel and require additional hydration.
5. Although rare, some men may experience a decreased libido during Cytomel use.
In all of our cycle and stack examples, we have listed Anastrozole (Arimidex) as the anti-estrogen medication to use when on cycle. Aromatase Inhibitors (AI’s) are the recommended form of estrogen control while on cycle. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERM’s) are not recommended for on cycle use and should be reserved for Post Cycle Therapy (PCT).
Other forms of AI’s may be used on cycle instead of Anastrozole with Letrozole (Femera) and Exemestane (Aromasin). There are other forms of AI’s available, but these represent the only ones most will ever need or want to use. Please see the profile pages for each medication for more information.
Human Growth Hormone or HGH can be added to any cycle or stack. This is an extremely expensive medication. There is quite a bit of debate on how long you need to use HGH to see a benefit, but how one defines benefits is important.
· Mass & Size: If you’re expecting HGH to produce a lot of mass and size, it will not do so without the conjoined use of anabolic steroids. It will also need to be used for extended periods of time. However, if used in very high doses along with high doses of steroids, such as in the Advanced cycle plans, growth can occur that is significant, but such levels of use will not be levels most every reach.
· Dieting: HGH is one of the best tools to add to a cutting or fat loss plan, and while it may not produce much in terms of an anabolic action during a short diet, say 12-16wks, it will make the overall fat loss and conditioning far more enhanced.
· Long-term use: Long-term HGH use at a low to moderate dose, this will cost a bit of money, but when it comes to overall transformations, if you can afford it and think long-term these will be the best HGH results not only in terms of your physical appearance but overall health.
1. Long-term HGH use, year round will normally fall in the 2iu per day range with possible periods of 4iu for men and 1-2iu for women.
2. Diet based HGH use will fall in the 2-4iu per day range for both men and women, with most women finding 2iu to be enough. 12wks minimum
3. Mass & Size HGH doses will normally begin at 10iu per day and often exceed it depending on need and desire. 12wks minimum
5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors (5AR’s) are taken by some steroid users in an effort to combat hair loss. The most common 5AR’s will be Finasteride and Dutasteride with the products Proscar and Propecia being the most well known. We cannot and will not recommend an 5AR use for the prevention of hair loss as such medications can cause a lot of androgen imbalances and a host of health issues for the steroid user. If you are concerned about hair loss but have no genetic predisposition to male pattern baldness, there’s great news, there is no anabolic steroid that’s going to cause you to lose any hair. However, if you are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness, if you want to use anabolic steroids you need to accept you very well may lose some hair or simply forget about using them if that’s not something you can accept.
The exception to the 5AR rule could be in cases of prostate enlargement, but such cases are not common for most steroid users. 5AR’s have been shown to be effective in treatment of enlarged prostates quite effectively and worth the risk associated in this case. However, for those with enlargement issues due to things like BPH, the use of low dose daily Cialis is also an effective and far safer.
PED5 Inhibitors are sometimes needed to help with steroid induced erectile dysfunction. Men who cycle moderate amounts of steroids with decent breaks in between will be less likely to need these on cycle, but some will. Those who are advanced gear users and use large cycles and are on more than off, such as an elite competitive bodybuilder, there is a very good chance he may need a PED5 inhibitor.
Cialis and Viagra are the two most common PED5 inhibitors, the most well known and most commonly available. Most steroid users will find Cialis (Tadalafil) to be the best option at a low daily dose, generally around 5mg per day.
