| |
Coming off isn't a walk in the park. A user often faces multiple symptoms such as weight loss, a decrease in body strength, loss of muscle tissue, increased fat deposits due to a drop in nutrient partitioning, a decrease in motivation to train, depression, laziness and a lack of self discipline. All of this is caused by a catabolic state induced by a decrease in testosterone production and an increase in cortisol. Simply stated, you've got the post cycle blues. All those gains are going. Or so you think.
With the proper knowledge, dedication, and testicular fortitude, holding onto the majority of your strength and size gains after a cycle is not such a far fetched idea. In most cases it appears that taking two steps forward and one step backward is the result in carrying out a properly designed cycle. However, what many end up doing, is taking one step forward and two steps backward. In other words, many people know how to build up muscle while using steroids but very few understand how to maintain that muscle afterwards. Let me explain.
Most trainees put a lot of time and effort into planning a cycle and very little into a training program. It almost seems that the majority of trainees feel that an increase in effort in combination with one or more injections a week magically solves their problem! However, an increase in effort does not and will never make up for a poorly planned program. For those who have put aside some time to draw up a program, they still tend to ignore the post cycle phase, which can bring about our worst fears, small balls, no hair, and big breasticles. A cycle doesn't end after the last injection.
It stops when the next one is started. However, if you're one of the rare few who've decided to play it safe and only plan on doing one cycle a year, understanding how to come off a cycle is extremely important as opposed to those who come off and go back on after a 2-4 month hiatus.
After a cycle, the muscles are in need of a stimulation that is at a level close to what they had been given while "on." Unfortunately many times trainees become paranoid afterwards and continue to keep the level of intensity high. Big mistake! This causes a couple of things. For starters, it opens up the body to burn out in the form of neural fatigue. This in part, is primarily because the body can no longer cope with the demands that are being placed upon it. The hormonal system is in a state of recovery and the body cannot withstand the same amount of stress anymore. Two, injury can and often does occur as the loads used can no longer be supported by the body due to the rapid increase of muscle tissue and the lag in development of the supporting soft tissues. As a result you have a strong muscle but your tendons and ligaments cannot support the muscles that are being used to lift the loads.
Instead of losing that hard earned muscle away post cycle, a training program needs to be structured in such a way that it allows for the body to adapt back to it's regular state and still allows for a stimulus to be received.
Coming off a cycle isn't fun, and it's not an easy task. However, with proper precautions taken, and by simply following simple guideline the post-cycle transition won't be so rough.
|
|
