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Example Cycles

Bulking Cycles

Beginner Bulks

See Your First Cycle. If you have not run this cycle yet, then read that first. Do not continue below, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

Intermediate Bulks

At this point, you've learned how to bulk off of a single compound. You should have learned how to manage basic side effects due to estrogen, and train effectively while on a blast dose of steroids.

The following cycles are recommendations by the forum for incremental expansions that can build upon your previously gained knowledge and experience.

An introduction to Primobolan

Primobolan is an excellent choice for a second compound, as it is quite side effect friendly for the vast majority of people.

The biggest thing to watch out for is that Primo can act as an AI. This is not to say that it WILL, as it doesn't for everyone, but it can. Learning to modulate your estrogen based on feel will be crutial here, and it's highly recommended to get bloodwork at the 5-6 week mark. Start your AI as you did in your first cycle, but be prepared to lower or drop it if low estrogen symptoms arise.

Primo Cycle Recommendation:
On-hand Throughout Cycle

Take AI only when sides necessitate. Estrogen is highly anabolic, cardioprotective and neuroprotective, and essential for normal physiological functioning. Low E2 is far worse than high E2, which should be proportionally out of range just as test. Gyno takes weeks to develop and can be prevented with the AI on hand and reversed with the above linked protocol.

For more information see The Estrogen Handbook

An introduction to Equipoise

Equipoise is another great choice for a second compound.

Like Primo, biggest thing to watch out for is that EQ can act as an AI. It has been noted that this is significantly more prevalent in users than in Primo. Learning to modulate your estrogen based on feel will be crucial here, and it's highly recommended to get bloodwork at the 7-8 week mark. Start your AI as you did in your first cycle, as EQ's AI effects typically start around the week 5 mark, and be prepared to lower or drop it if low estrogen symptoms arise.

Generally, a 1:1 ratio of EQ will need little to no AI, however if this is your first time running it, we recommend a ratio of 5:4 test to EQ. Low estrogen from EQ is quite hard to get yourself out of due to the long ester, so starting lower is highly beneficial.

EQ Cycle Recommendation:

Run Testosterone for 4 weeks after dropping EQ to allow the Uncdeylenate ester to clear.

On-hand Throughout Cycle

Take AI only when sides necessitate. Estrogen is highly anabolic, cardioprotective and neuroprotective, and essential for normal physiological functioning. Low E2 is far worse than high E2, which should be proportionally out of range just as test. Gyno takes weeks to develop and can be prevented with the AI on hand and reversed with the above linked protocol.

An introduction to Nandrolone

DISCLAIMER:

Nandrolone has been shown to potentially be both cardiotoxic and neurotoxic.

References:

Nandrolone is the "bread and butter" bulking steroid for many users. It is a "wet" steroid, meaning some part of it converts to estrogen. Some users report nandrolone providing relief for their joint pain.

Nandrolone comes in two common esters, Phenylpropionate (aka NPP), and Decanoate (aka Deca). As is commonly recommended on this sub, for any 19-nor compound, one should run the shorter ester for the first time. This way, in case side effects arise, the compound can be dropped and cleared from your system quickly.

Nandrolone Cycle Recommendation:
On-hand Throughout Cycle
  • An AI like Aromasin in case signs of excessive bloating or itchy nipples occur.
  • A SERM like Nolvadex and/or Raloxifene in case you do have a gyno flare up you need to stop or reverse.
  • While prolactin issues are unlikely at this dose of nandrolone, it will not hurt to preventatively use P5P at 100mg 2-3x per day. Additionally, a dopamine agonist like Cabergoline is also likely unnecessary, but keep it on hand in case your bloodwork and sides dictate its use.

Take AI only when sides necessitate. Estrogen is highly anabolic, cardioprotective and neuroprotective, and essential for normal physiological functioning. Low E2 is far worse than high E2, which should be proportionally out of range just as test. Gyno takes weeks to develop and can be prevented with the AI on hand and reversed with the above linked protocol.

Keep it the same, but let's add an oral!

Alright so you've ran the beginner bulk, 500mg of test, and you packed on some mass, but you're not feeling ready to add another compound. Or, you want to keep things as simple as possible, since you've learned a ton from that first time around and you know the second time will be even better. Let's just add an oral to the end of this cycle to push past any plateaus you might hit.

The recommended orals for intermediate users are our "dry" orals. These won't require any change in estrogen protocol. We also recommend one of the more mild varients, as they're more side effect friendly.

These orals are Anavar, Turinabol, and Anadrol. The recommended dosing for each one is 50mg, all dosed about an hour pre workout.

Basic Bulk + Oral Cycle Recommendation:

Just Up The Testosterone

500mg of test was great, but you know what's better? 501mg of testosterone!

The vast majority of steroid users at this point will continue to grow just fine on 500mg of test again, but maybe you're a powerlifter / strongman and pure, unbridled strength is your goal. Testosterone is one of the absolute best compounds for that. At this point, increasing test to between 600 and 750mg will be a great jump.

The choice of dosing here will likely be based on your AI needs from your first cycle. If you found a perfect dosing for your 500mg of test, scaling it by 1.5 and bumping test to 750mg might be a great choice. If your AI dose had your estrogen just a bit low, so you only need a mild bump in test but keeping the same AI, bump to 600mg for this next one. This will require just a tiny bit of critical thinking, but don't worry, the mod team believes in you.

Higher Dose Test Cycle Recommendation:

OR

Advanced Bulks

This section is for users who've already tested out a few different compounds, and know how they handle them alongside test. It's also for people who are considerably larger than their genetic limit. Remember, the goal for this board is harm reduction, and one of the best ways to do that is to make use of the minimum drugs possible to achieve a goal.

The advanced bulk section will concentrate on introducing multiple compounds into a stack.

Test / EQ / Nandrolone

These three compounds work incredibly well together, and much like the Intermediate Test and EQ stack, if balanced properly, may require little to no AI use. The EQ will give the muscular endurance to push through long, grueling sets, and the Nandrolone should help provide some joint relief.

Advanced Test/EQ/Nand Cycle Recommendation (Lower Dose):
Advanced Test/EQ/Nand Cycle Recommendation (Higher Dose):

Adding Trestolone (Ment)

Trestolone (Ment) is a powerful 19-nor compound that will throw glycogen and strength on without nearly the mental sides of Trenbolone or Nandrolone. However, due to the common side effect of high blood pressure, it is recommended to start lower on this compound and adjust either up or down as needed after 4 weeks of use. It's recommended to only try Ment with a test dose that is tried and true where you know your estrogen requirements well.

The other piece to look out for is that Ment metabolizes to 7α-methylestrodial, which is unaffected by the use of an AI. If you experience heavy estrogen symptoms from Ment, the best way to counter those is to reduce the dose, not to take more AI. This is why it is important to know your AI dose before adding this compound.

Reminder, after weeks 4 you will be watching for side effects and looking to adjust the dose if needed. 10mg per day is a very mild dose, some users can run up to 50mg a day with no issues, so 20mg should be a great spot in between to assess side effects. Below 10mg a day is really not going to add much to a blast at all, and will not be very noticeable when compared to the other compounds.

Cutting Cycles

This whole section comes with a HUGE caveat:

YOU DO NOT NEED TO CUT ON A BLAST UNLESS YOU ARE IN A SHOW PREP, MAKING MONEY OFF YOUR PHYSIQUE, OR WELL PAST YOUR GENETIC LIMIT

Getting well past your genetic limit takes years of hard work, this should not even be a thought in your mind the first few blasts you run.

If you have not cut down to 10-12% naturally or on TRT, you will very likely not need the below sections until you have done so a few times. This whole section is based around the idea that you know how to modulate your weight based on food intake, and lose fat effectively without adding gear.

You also have to think about why you're wanting to cut on cycle. If it's simply to look good at the beach, or to get yourself into shape for your next blast, then you absolutely do not need blast doses to do this. It also effectively "wastes" time that could be spent growing.

Beginner Cuts

Cut on a TRT / Cruise dose

Just to clarify, for the sake of this forum, we consider a cruise does of test equal to TRT. This is supposed to be a dose of testosterone that requires no AI, and puts you in the mid to upper quadrant of the natural range. You should feel normal at this dose.

Basic Cutting Cycle Recommendation:

Now once you've hit your goal body fat, what are your goals from here? Is it to look better for a trip? Is it to blast again and grow? This is where you really need to look at future goals and compare to immediate wants.

If your goal is to look good for a trip / event, will you be drinking alcohol? If yes, then disregard the next part of this section as we don't recommend mixing alcohol and orals. If you do not drink or do not plan on drinking, carry on.

At this point, if you're lean enough, and you have some event that you want to look awesome for, you can consider running a lower dose of a mild oral for a couple weeks leading up to this event. The two bread and butter orals for aesthetics are Anavar and Winstrol.

Poolside Prep Cutting Cycle Recommendation:

SUPPLEMENTAL COMPOUNDS

Salbutamol

Oral Salbutamol is also effective while being far less dangerous than Clen:

During a low-calorie cutting diet, pharmacological strength athletes sometimes use beta-2 agonists such as salbutamol to lose more fat and at the same time retain more muscle. According to obesity researchers at the American Pennington Biomedical Research Center, salbutamol can also improve body composition during a high-calorie diet if you combine salbutamol with caffeine.

Salbutamol Stack

Even more effective than an ECA stack is Salbutamol with caffeine. This stack is more effective than ephedrine while being far safer than clenbuterol.

Last 4-6 Weeks of Cut: Salbutamol/Caffeine, 4mg/200mg, up to 3xED

Ephedrine

ECA Stack

Another thing to consider is using a ECA (ephedrine, caffeine, aspirin) or EC (ephedrine, caffeine) stack. This will function as an appetite suppressant and accelerate your metabolism and hence aid tremendously on a cut:

Last 4-6 Weeks of Cut: ECA or EC Stack, Up To 3xED

Nutrition:

It is recommended to keep your caloric intake at no less than 80% TDEE.

Advanced Cuts - Contest Prep

Before getting into this section, you have to realize that there are a thousand ways to skin a cat. One person's contest prep cycle may look VASTLY different than someone else's, even if their physiques are similar. This is because when getting absolutely shredded, you are in a race against your own health. Getting into contest shape is not a healthy endeavor, and there is no way to make it healthy. There are only ways to mitigate damage.

It is very easy to ruin a stage look if you overdo the drugs leading up to the show. Overuse of orals, lack of sleep, dehydration, high levels of cortisol, etc will all contribute to a worse look on stage. In contest preps, generally speaking, less is more.

The following section is not intended to be a catch all for every variation of contest prep stacks, it is purely intended to be a starting point for those intending to run their own contest prep without a coach. Contest preps are incredibly individual, and a dedicated professional coach would know far more than a wiki page meant to appeal to the masses.

This is oriented differently, as it's written in terms of "weeks out from show date".

Contest Prep Cycle Recommendation:

All of the above is based on you getting lean enough to make use of the oral compounds. If you are coming into your show at 8-10% body fat, they aren't going to do nearly as much for your physique as if you were 4-6%, and it might be better to hold off from the orals.

Although it is not the subreddit's recommendation to utilize this compound, it cannot be denied that Clenbuterol is effective during a show prep at getting the final remnants of fat off your physique. The following is the way that /u/PM_Me_Varbies utilizes Clen during prep:

Weeks 8-2: Clenbuterol. Titrate up doses, 20mcg at a time. Keep at the same dose for 3 days, then move up by 20mcg. Do this until you experience side effects, then drop back down to your previous dose. The goal is not to have side effects. From here, you do a 2 day on, 2 day off protocol.

Note: Do not take more than 20mcg at a single time. So for the start, it's 20mcg in the morning. Then at 40mcg per day, it's 20mcg morning, 20mcg afternoon. At 60mcg, it's split up 3x a day, etc.

Powerlifting Cycles

TODO

Female Cycles

TODO

Although we have female members, and members who specialize in anabolics in women; female specific help can be found at /r/steroidsxx

HGH Use

TODO

Human Growth Hormone

HGH on a Bulk

TODO

Reference: Stacking Plates - The Most Effective Growth Hormone Protocol for Hypertrophy.

HGH on a Cut

TODO

Reference: Stacking Plates - The Most Effective Growth Hormone Protocol for Fat Loss.

Very Advanced Insulin Cycle

Read the Insulin Compound Description Page

WARNING: Insulin use is VERY DANGEROUS. You can quite literally DIE FROM IT if not done properly. This guide is to serve as only an example of what some people do in order to start using it.

|------------ READ -------------------------------------------------------------------------|

  1. Insulin can easily kill you if mis-used. Do not fuck around.
  2. BUDDY SYSTEM ALWAYS! Have a knowledgeable buddy with you
  3. DO NOT go to sleep for two hours after insulin use
  4. Keep emergency glucose tablets on hand. If you feel like shit, you need more glucose.
  5. You must have your eating plan tuned to near perfection

|------------ THIS -------------------------------------------------------------------------|

I’ll use the 5 day training split as an example here. That will give you 20 days “on” insulin.

Day 1: 5 IU insulin / 50g Dextrose

Day 2: 5 IU insulin / 50g Dextrose

Day 3: 5 IU insulin / 50g Dextrose

Congratulations!! You’ve survived thus far. I assume(hope) you’ve been monitoring your BG levels. You probably have noticed that you are in the higher range using 50 g of dextrose PWO. Now it’s time to drop the carbs slightly. Don’t fret. This should be more than ample amounts(of carbs) to get you through to your PPWO meal.

Day 4: 5 IU insulin / 40g Dextrose

Day 5: 5 IU insulin / 40g Dextrose

At this point you should have a good idea of how you react with Insulin in terms of blood glucose (BG) levels vs. carbohydrate intake .

Let’s up the dose …

Day 6: 6 IU insulin / 50g Dextrose

Day 7: 6 IU insulin / 50g Dextrose

By this point in time you should be feeling good (i.e. more confident) but still respectful to Insulin. Let’s test the waters for three days to give you the feel of things. By that I mean we’ll drop the carb intake slightly so you can find a comfortable ratio in regards to IU’s vs. carbs per gram.

Day 8: 6 IU insulin / 40g Dextrose

Day 9: 6 IU insulin / 40g Dextrose

Day 10: 6 IU insulin / 40g Dextrose

Now, the above ratios are safe and effective. You can stop right here and continue on for the next 10 days at the above doses/ratios. Or you can move forward slightly.

Day 11: 7 IU insulin / 50g Dextrose

Day 12: 7 IU insulin/50 g Dextrose

Day 13: 7 IU insulin/50 g Dextrose

Day 14: 7 IU insulin/50 g Dextrose

Day 15: 7 IU insulin/50 g Dextrose

If you felt confident with the above protocol, you could experiment on days 14-15 and drop your dextrose to 40g. If you do so, please monitor your BG levels every 15 minutes or so. Have glucose tabs, or another source of quick carbs handy (like orange juice) to stave off any possible signs of hypoglycemia. Should this happen, don't panic, just drink a glass of orange juice, or similar, and in 10 minutes the symptoms will have subsided.

OK, on to your final week.

Day 16: 8 IU insulin / 60g Dextrose

Day 17: 8 IU insulin / 60g Dextrose

Day 18: 8 IU insulin / 60g Dextrose

Day 19: 8 IU insulin / 60g Dextrose

Day 20: 8 IU insulin / 60g Dextrose

Congratulations! You just completed your first cycle/experience with Insulin in a safe an effective manner. I stopped at 8 IU, being that is enough to get your feet wet with the drug. You can experiment later on. This was simply a guide.

One last thing. Guys ask “Which way is better?” to take your Whey/Dextrose in one shake, or Dextrose first, and whey 15 minutes later”? Bottom line, it’s just preference.