Cycle Planning

A while back I told Slammer I would post some basic info on cycle planning. While this is far from exhaustive, it is intended as a basic primer.

A cycle can be divided into three separate phases, preparation, implementation and recuperation. All three phases are important to your success. In this post, I am going to deal with the first and most over looked phase, cycle preparation.

First of all, you need to find out if you are ready for a cycle. This involves both the physical and mental aspects of the game. Is your body ready to handle AAS. Have you been seriously training for at least two years? Are you at least 21 years old? Are you in good physical health? These are just a few of the physical considerations. If you are serious about doing this, then go to your doctor and get a real physical. This check at a minimum should include your liver function, BP and if you are over 40 a prostate exam. Also you need to monitor your health during your cycle. I check my BP daily and use a heart rate monitor when doing cardio. These items are relatively inexpensive and they let me know more about my physical state. If you ask me, it is money well spent.

On the mental side, do you understand what steroids are, how they work and what the potential side effects are? If not, then learn. Do not put anything into your body that you don’t understand. Read, learn how to use the search engine on this and on other sites. If you still don’t understand something then ask. We, the vets and mods of this board are here to help you.

Next you need to identify your goals. What do you want to accomplish in your cycle. Do you want to bulk, cut, prepare for a contest, or gain strength. A common problem in cycles is that people have conflicting goals in their cycle. If you try to both bulk (build muscle mass) and cut (reduce body fat) in the same cycle, then you will do neither well. So decide on a single goal and work to accomplish it.

Okay, so you now have a specific goal in mind. When doing any cycle, you need to consider your training regime, your diet and the gear you are going to use. If you fall short in any of these areas, your results will suffer. Sit down and plan out your training. Make a schedule and stick to it. Being a successful body builder is more about dedication than gear or genetics. Hard work is rewarded with results. If you don’t train correctly, you will short change yourself.

Next, find a good source (or six). Check them out thoroughly. Get references and check them out. Keep in mind a reference is someone that is well known and trusted. This means mods and long time, well known vets. If you need a source, join SE. The guys listed there can be trusted. It costs a few bucks, but how much will it cost you to get scammed?

Once you have your sources, then you know what gear you have available to you and what you can afford. It doesn’t do any good to design a cycle with halo, if you can’t find it, or to use HGH if you can’t afford it. If all you can get is test and D-bol, then you are either going to do a cycle with just those two items, or you will need to find another source.

A final note, don’t start your cycle until you have all of your gear in hand. This includes your post cycle therapy, along with any anti e’s you may need. It is much better to have Nolvadex and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Remember body building is a lifestyle, not a hobby.