About
Steroids:
Q: What are
the best ways and what are best steroids for women to use?
Women athletes certainly do need to take a different approach to
steroid use than males do. There are only a limited number of
the drugs listed in this text that a woman would even want to
consider. Among those are Primobolans, Proviron, Nolvadex,
Nandrolones, Anavar, Winstrol, and synthetic Growth Hormone.
It is important to note that even on the lowest dosages of any
of these steroids, women can start to experience virilizing
effects. This is because any amount of steroid introduced into
the woman's endocrine system is a serious jolt. Anabolic
steroids are synthetic derivatives of male hormones and can
cause serious adverse reactions in some women. The most
prudent approach to administering anabolic steroids to the
female involves the use of low dosages of very low androgenic
items. Women obviously do not have to worry about the
Gonadotrophic suppression that men do nor do they usually
encounter much of a problem with the hepatotoxicity of
anabolic steroids. This is because they most often use low
dosages of very clean items. Since the most androgenic items
tend to be the most toxic to the liver, by avoiding these
items women also avoid the liver stress that most men undergo.
Women can however benefit from the use of estrogen
antagonists. Many women favor the use of Nolvadex and/or
Proviron while trying to attain muscularity. Anabolic steroids
have been extremely effective for many women athletes who use
them to obtain size, strength and endurance. Since the
virilizing effects women suffer from using anabolic steroids
tend to be permanent, it is prudent to use caution at all
times. One of the safer ways that I have seen women use
anabolic steroids is to stack two low androgenic items for a
period less than six weeks and then take several weeks off of
the drugs before coming back to another four or five week
cycle and then taking a good two months off of the drugs. With
this pattern, women can watch for adverse reactions which
usually occur in proportion to the duration of use by the
female. The use of Growth Hormone by women has proven to be
extremely effective in some cases. Since Growth Hormone is not
an androgenic drug, it does not result in any virilizing
effects for women. Growth Hormone greatly increases
muscularity primarily by reducing body fat stores in the woman
while leaving the lean muscle mass unaltered.
Q:
How much of the weight that is usually gained on a steroid
cycle is actually solid muscle?
The majority of weight gained on a steroid cycle is from
retention of cellular and extra cellular fluid. This is what
many lifters will call water bloat. This initial
water weight gain is beneficial up to a certain point. It
provides extra nutrients to the muscles and increases their
ability to contract by simply giving them more area to work
in. The average weight gain on a steroid cycle ranges anywhere
from five to twenty pounds. Let's say a lifter has gone on a
two month steroid cycle and gained a total body weight of
twelve pounds. By monitoring body fat percentages, through
body composition analysis, an athlete can keep an idea as to
how much of what they gained is body fat. Although anabolic
steroids can increase the body's ability to mobilize and use
fat stores, many athletes find that they go through an
increase in body fat while on a bulking cycle. This is simply
because they take in an excess amount of calories on an
effective bulking program. This is actually a benefit, not a
hindrance, at this time. Let's say our subject who gained
twelve pounds determined through body composition analysis
that he had put on four pounds of body fat. This leaves an
eight pound increase in lean body weight. Of that eight
pounds, it is very likely that only two pounds are skeletal
muscle. It is known that for every one pound of skeletal
muscle you put on, the body brings with it three pounds of
supportive cellular and extra cellular fluid. Still, an
increase of two pounds of skeletal muscle mass is a
substantial gain.
Q:
What accounts for the incredible pump I get while I am using
anabolic steroids?
The"steroid pump" does have an actual physiological
explanation. It is primarily due to the fact that there is
more blood available in the body during a steroid cycle. One
of the affects of anabolic steroid use is an increased
production of RBC's (red blood cells). That increases blood
volume and greatly improves the oxygen carrying ability of
blood. This increases the efficiency and endurance of skeletal
muscle cells. A 200 pound lifter could carry an extra liter of
blood during this time. This increased blood volume partially
explains why some athletes feel "pumped" all the
time while they are on a steroid cycle. It also explains the
incredible pump you get while working out at this time.
Q:
I have pondered the question whether or not to use steroids
for several years. I have finally made up my mind that I am
going to try them and I was just wondering what kind of
results I
should expect?
This is really a difficult question to answer.
Results vary greatly from one individual to the next. In
general, steroid users find that their first cycle is the most
dramatic in terms of the gains that they make. Some users
claim to gain a solid thirty pounds on their first cycle while
others notice little if any gains at all. Obviously, the
athlete that has weight trained for a number of years, and
continues to train intensely during the cycle and who eats a
high calorie nutrient dense diet, stands to put on a lot more
muscle than the athletes who are not disciplined enough to
follow through with the whole program. It has been
substantiated that a steroid user taking moderate dosages of
Nandrolone Decanoate and Dianabol can gain twice as much
muscle mass in a two month cycle than they could in an entire
year of effective training. It is felt that an individual can
gain a maximum of 4 pounds of muscle per year for every 100
pounds of body weight that they possess. This would translate
to a 200 pound man having a maximum potential to gain 8 pounds
of muscle per year, which itself would be an enormous gain.
The first time steroid user can gain as much as 8 pounds per
100 pounds of body weight in a single ten week cycle. This
means that the first time steroid user could gain 16 pounds of
muscle injust 2 months. Their maximum potential without drugs
would be 8 pounds in an entire year. It is easy to see that
the steroid gains are substantially higher.
This does not mean that if a person can gain 16 pounds of
muscle in two months on a steroid cycle that they could gain
96 pounds of muscle if the athlete were to stay on steroids
for twelve months straight. Certain inhibiting factors
prohibit that. Evidence suggests that the maximum gains of a
steroid cycle are reached before the eighth week. It is rare
for the first time steroid user who eats right and trains hard
not to gain at least four or five pounds of solid muscle.
Q:
Do most professional bodybuilders use steroids?
Yes they do. I would estimate that 100% of all professional
bodybuilders use steroids and I would go as far to say that
90% of the athletes that compete at the national amateur level
use anabolic steroids. Obviously, few of these athletes are
admitting to steroid use, especially at this point in time.
Anabolic steroid use has never been more of an antisocial
behavior than it is right now, and the stigma is getting worse
all the time. Professional bodybuilders have to stand out and
say that they denounce the use of the very drugs that helped
them achieve their current status or they face serious
consequences. The point of being a professional bodybuilder to
begin with is that they have reached a level of notoriety that
is synonymous with marketability.
Through seminars, posing exhibitions and endorsements,the
professional athlete turns all of his hard work into financial
success. All of that is in serious jeopardy if that athlete
has been branded with the stigma of using illegal and banned
substances to reach their position.
Thus, you will see nauseating hypocrisy in athletes at that
level, not only in bodybuilding but in many sports where the
athletes are idolized by their fans and the general public.
Many professional bodybuilders have sincere intentions when
they condemn the use of anabolic steroids in athletics, as
they recognize the enormous abuse potential for these drugs
when placed in the hands of ignorant individuals. I would
criticize their actions further if I could honestly say that I
would not do the same thing placed in their position.
Q:
My doctor informed me that using veterinarian steroids is very
dangerous. He said that they are not fit for human
consumption. What do you think?
Veterinarian steroids do not have to meet the exact same
sanitary specifications that human pharmaceuticals do;
however, they are generally made under sanitary conditions.
Legitimate veterinarian steroids are certainly a much better
choice than using any form of a counterfeit. I have never
heard from an athlete that felt they were harmed by the use of
a veterinarian steroid. Interestingly enough, some of the most
modern anabolic steroids are for animals. However, there are
numerous new veterinarian anabolic steroid preparations being
developed every year. A number of these preparations look to
be remarkably anabolic with minimal androgenic qualities.
These agents should optimize muscle mass increases while
minimizing androgenic side effects. Australia seems to be
producing most of these new vet drugs.
Q:
Is it possible to use Anadrol in a pre-contest cycle without
retaining water?
The pre-contest use of Anadrol is untraditional yet several
bodybuilders claim to have done it with outstanding results.
Few, if any steroids, deliver the type of size and strength
gains seen with Anadrol. Anadrol gives the muscles bulk and
fullness that would be extremely desirable in a bodybuilding
show. The problem is that Anadrol almost always causes water
retention and it aromatizes quite easily resulting in high
estrogen levels. Some bodybuilders have successfully managed
this estrogen and water retention problem by using Nolvadex at
10 to 20 mg per day in a stack with 50 mg of Anadrol right up
to the day before the bodybuilding contest. Very often, a
prescription diuretic such as Dyazide, Lasix, or Aldactazide
is used for three or four days before the bodybuilding contest
to eliminate what subcutaneous water retention did exist.
Usually, it is a good idea to supplement potassium salts such
as Slow-K when using prescription diuretics. Some athletes
have been able to control the water retention with over the
counter diuretics.
Other effective methods have involved taking the Anadrol right
up until the week before the contest and then switching to
Halotestin for the last seven days. This has worked well for
some who find that the Anadrol takes a good two or three days
to get out of the system and then they find they still have
the muscle fullness yet don't have the water retention
problem. Halotestin maintains muscle hardness without the
water retention.
Q:
I am currently cycling the steroids Deca Durabolin at 200 mg
per week and Sustanon at 250 mg every ten days. I am making
great gains on this simple cycle. Unfortunately I am suffering
from some acne on my face and back that seems to be aggravated
by the use of these steroids.I have a
prescription for Tetracycline which I have used in the past to
control acne. Would there be any problem with taking the
Tetracycline while I was on these steroids?
Tetracycline and anabolic steroids do not go well together. Tetracycline is
a broad spectrum antibiotic that has many purposes. It works
primarily by inhibiting protein synthesis. Since Tetracycline
does exhibit this anti-anabolic effect, it is working in the
opposite direction of the anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids
increase protein synthesis and can encourage bacteria growth
which often aggravates acne. Tetracycline may inhibit the
functions of the anabolic steroids, or the anabolic steroids
may inhibit the effects of the Tetracycline. Rather than try
to examine which drug would come out on top, it seems the
easiest solution is to not use Tetracycline while taking
anabolic steroids. Other ways that athletes have been able to
control acne that is caused by the use of steroids include:
showering more frequently, using prescription soaps, using
tanning beds, by using Retin-A and the last course might
involve using Accutane, a prescription acne medication.
Q:
I have gotten in the habit of taking small amounts of
Primobolan Depot or Deca off and on between cycles. For
example, during an off cycle period of four months, I usually
take a single SO mg shot of Deca every two weeks and
occasionally take 50 mg Primobolan Depot. Is this a bad
practice?
It is
common for athletes to use a small amount of a mild anabolic
steroid between cycles, but it is not a good idea. Non-stop
use can inhibit the body's natural testosterone production and
other endocrine system functions from returning to normal.
Although such low dosages would likely not exhibit any
toxicity nor promote any significant side effects, they would
also not yield much in the way of positive effects. Many
bodybuilders continue to use small dosages of steroids between
cycles because of their insecurities with letting go of
steroids completely. Many steroid users develop an attitude
that if they are not taking any steroids they are simply not
making any gains, and to justify even training they will use
small amounts of steroids between their cycles. If I were to
make a recommendation on the use of low dosages of mild
steroids between cycles I would not encourage it. The off
cycle period is a time to train natural and let the body fully
recover from the steroid use and I believe you can only fully
recover if all steroids are eliminated from the system.
Q:
What is the correct way to open glass ampules?
Glass ampules are a real pain. The proper way to open them is
to score them around the narrowest part of their neck. To
score these glass ampules it is best to use a metal knife with
small teeth. Occasionally, these are provided with the ampule
and these knives work best. If these knives are not provided
it occasionally works to use a fingernail file, grapefruit
knife, or a type of kitchen knife with very small teeth. This
knife should be rotated around the narrow part of the neck in
a sawing motion. After a white line or "score' is clearly
evident on the neck, the ampule is ready to be cracked open.
Before cracking the ampule open, it should be placed inside a
clean paper towel or a thin clean cotton towel one hand should
firmly grasp the lower portion of the ampule, the other hand
should grasp the very top. A quick snapping motion should
cleanly remove the top of the ampule. A needle can then be
inserted and the liquid drawn out. Do not try to crack open an
ampule without scoring it or by using your fingers directly
against the glass ampule. Occasionally the glass ampule can
shatter and this glass can cause a serious cut.
Q:
l have heard a couple of rumors that seem to indicate that the
calculated use of oil based testosterones will go undetected
by urinalysis. Are some athletes using testosterone for
contest preparation in drug tested events?
The
rumors you are hearing are repercussions of a research project
last year in which a half of dozen males were given various
dosages of oil based testosterone (I believe it was Cypionate)
for a period of six weeks and tested to see if they would pass
a urinalysis. All six subjects displayed an acceptable
testosterone to epitestosterone level which would not have
resulted in a positive test. Two of these subjects were using
a dose of 300 mg per week, which is quite a bit of
testosterone. More and more bodybuilders are using
testosterones for contest prep. They must learn to manage the
water retention that can accompany such use; this is often
done with the use of unbanned diuretics. The use of injectable
testosterones amongst college football players is reportedly
very high. You might guess that the NFL has a high percentage
of athletes using testosterones as well. One athlete informed
me that he used a high dosage of the oral testosterone ester
Andriol (testosterone undecanoate) at a drug tested
bodybuilding contest in California and passed with an
acceptable testosterone to epitestosterone ratio. This
bodybuilder stated that he used eight capsules of Andriol per
day for approximately four weeks prior to the contest and only
stopped using the drug two days before the contest. His ratio
was 4.5 to I (a positive ratio is 6 to I or higher in most
cases). Low doses of testosterones are the prototype
undetectable steroid. There are rumors of exotic European
steroids which cannot be detected as of yet but the actual use
of these products is very low. The actual use of testosterone,
on the other hand, has always been popular.
Q:
I am using a type of injectable oil based steroid. My problem
is that I cannot get all the tiny little bubbles out of the
oil after I pull it into the syringe. I have heard that if an
air bubble gets in the syringe and is injected, it can kill
you. What should I do to make sure I am injecting safely?
First
of all, it would likely take a full three ccs of air injected
right into a vein to cause a fatality. Small air bubbles
injected intramuscularly in an oil solution do not pose a
hazard, yet it is a good practice to eliminate them anyway.
Small air bubbles that appear in an oil solution after it is
drawn into the syringe will slowly rise to the top of the
syringe if held needle-side-up. This may take as long as ten
minutes with some persistent tapping on the side of the case.
After the air has all risen to the top of the solution, the
stopper can be slightly pressed which expels the air from the
syringe.
Q:
What is the difference between a cc, a ml, an I.U., a mg and a
mcg?
A cc
(cubic centimeter) is equal to a ml (milliliter). They measure
volume. For example if a vial contains 10 ml of liquid, that
is the same as 10 ccs. A mg (milligram) measures the dose of a
drug, A mg is equal to 1/1000 of a gram. A mcg (microgram) is
equal to 1/1000 of milligram. An IU (International Unit) is
also used to measure the dose of a preparation.
