Good/Bad Gear: How Do You Judge?

[IronInsanity]

OK guys, my experience with gear is limited to a couple of cycles of test-e only. I realize there is a lot of bunk and underdosed gear out there. I'm pretty sure my first cycle was underdosed and my second cycle is not.

What do you use as your primary INITIAL gauge to determine if your gear is good or not?
- Strength gains
- Weight gain
- Libido
- Woody
- Sides present/absent

I capped the word "initial" because it's pretty easy to say whether your gear was good or not after a 12-week cycle. But there's not much you can do about it at that point, except find another source next time. How early can you tell and what do you use?

 

[Get Some]

Early libido increases are sometimes linked to a placebo effect. Confidence is increased because you are taking something and that can have a positive effect on your libido. So, you could still have bunk gear and get increased libido...but obviously that libido wouldn't hold up for more than a week or so. With long esters, it's very hard to tell until week 5 or later, especially if you are using an oral to kickstart. Orals are the easiest thing to tell if they are faked or underdosed. For this reason, only complete idiot labs and companies underdose their orals. If you take your planned dose of an oral you will know by day 2 or 3 at the latest if it's dosed properly, even if you're a first time user.

IMO, the only thing you can do is get a TON of feedback before purchasing anything. That is the only way to know if your oils will be any good. They just take too long to kick in to know if they will be any good in beginning.

 

[IronInsanity]

So with test, it's about week 5 before you can form an opinion? That's about what I figured. At that point GS, what is your primary indicator? And as for libido, wouldn't the presence/absence of a woody be a better indicator since it would be difficult to deploy the placebo effect while you're asleep

 

[NutNut]

Lab tests are my main indicator, depending on the compound sides will establish if it is good or not as I know myself well. Progress as far as measurements of body composition and size are also pretty clear as I have logs of what happened in previous situations so I can compare the similarities and differences and draw a pretty clear conclusion based on rate of change.

 

[F.I.S.T.]

OK guys, my experience with gear is limited to a couple of cycles of test-e only. I realize there is a lot of bunk and underdosed gear out there. I'm pretty sure my first cycle was underdosed and my second cycle is not.

What do you use as your primary INITIAL gauge to determine if your gear is good or not?
- Strength gains
- Weight gain
- Libido
- Woody
- Sides present/absent

I capped the word "initial" because it's pretty easy to say whether your gear was good or not after a 12-week cycle. But there's not much you can do about it at that point, except find another source next time. How early can you tell and what do you use?

There will always be a placebo effect to take into account but you will noticeably be making gains in weight and strength by wks 4-5 and on as well as better pumps and faster recovery times.You'' definitely know that your "on" something.

As stated before,lab tests should always be done before,during and after cycles IMO and this will give you the most accurate assessment of what you're taking.

 

[KBD]

Increased strength and energy for sure.

 

[gunslinger]

Excluding a lab test I can tell you how I feel the gear working. With test I feel nothing until about week 4 or 5. Then there is a bump in libido. I never get a sudden jump in strength on test. Its more slow and steady for me.

 

[fixxer]

I think that without a lab test, everyone's opinion's are just hearsay and that's exactly how they should be treated. There are way too many variables that go into "making gains" to even try to make some kind of assessment. I've seen people swear about gear that was tested to be under dosed. If you want properly dosed gear, make it yourself.

 

[Ogre717]

Agreed, you can think you feel it all you want. untill the weights start going up and measurments do too, your just trusting your source and hoping for the best

 

[IronInsanity]

I think that without a lab test, everyone's opinion's are just hearsay and that's exactly how they should be treated. There are way too many variables that go into "making gains" to even try to make some kind of assessment. I've seen people swear about gear that was tested to be under dosed. If you want properly dosed gear, make it yourself.

Well I agree that lab tests are the only way to know for sure. However, to say that otherwise you shouldn't make an assessment, even if subjective, doesn't make sense. Certainly, there are many variables. But it seems that ones experience with specific compounds would give them a fairly accurate gauge, even without lab tests.

 

[gunslinger]

Although I agree with the two above posts I will add this. If I have tried brand X gear and 8-10 people I know, trust and respect who all have lots of experience have tried brand X and all of us think it feels underdosed, the shit is underdosed! You can add in all the variables you like but If I have always blown up when taking dbol and the only thing different is the brand of dbol and I'm eating 80mg per day and feeling nothing the dbol is bunk.

 

[ketsugo]

I think that without a lab test, everyone's opinion's are just hearsay and that's exactly how they should be treated. There are way too many variables that go into "making gains" to even try to make some kind of assessment. I've seen people swear about gear that was tested to be under dosed. If you want properly dosed gear, make it yourself.

amen BRO- nobody ,"feels " gear , unless maybe you use like Test suspension which you can feel power during your workout a bit, absolutley mostly hearsay or in your mind etc etc.....