Samson
MuscleHead
- Dec 8, 2013
- 253
- 70
I've been looking for information on how to train post cycle. I read a quote from Dorian Yates where he suggests that users that cycle on and off should cut the frequency and number of sets by almost half. So i've been digging around the Internet for different theories. I found this article, it's a little old but it also suggests taking it down a notch during PCT. The sample workouts I can't get to paste in here but you can get the idea from the article.
I couldn't decided if this should go into the training or PCT but it mostly talks about training so its here. If one of the mods wants to move it thats fine...
What do you guys think? Do you take it down a Bit to protect against injurys or keep lifting the same way?
How to maintain your gains post cycle - Part I
Posted by Maki Riddington on March 6th, 2005
Note: This article is geared (pun intended) towards the moderate user (defined as 400mg-1000mg/week). It is not intended for the advanced user who stays on for long periods or year round and uses more then a gram per week plus Insulin, GH and other goodies.
Life is good. You’ve got money in the bank. You’re dating Barbie, the hot silicone blonde from the gym, and you’ve just amassed 15 pounds of lean muscle on your current cycle. With this newfound muscle under your belt, 24/7 pumps, heavier weights lifted with each new session, and a sex drive that’d put Hugh Hefner and Ron Jeremy to shame.
What more could a meathead ask for? Probably a whole lot more, but that’s beside the point. However, all good things must come to an end. Week 12 has arrived and you’ve just taken your last shot.
For newbies the weeks ahead will be met with mixed feelings and for the non-virgins the routine is far too familiar. Your balls are no longer swole, your pumps are going to disappear quicker than a fat lady gobbles down a Krispy Kreme, and your strength is going to drop. Oh yeah, your newly acquired muscle gain is going to take a beating. Fun stuff, eh? Of course, there’s always the option of bridging until your next cycle, but what’s the point? You’re going to have to come off sometime, that is, if you value your health and your balls enough to quit.
Granted you’ve been smart and planned out your entire cycle in advance, it should be safe to say that the post cycle therapy (PCT) portion has been designed according to the type of drugs and their reactions with each other and with your body. So, what else can be done to offset the classic post cycle symptoms? Well, there are three areas that need to be addressed.
1. Training
2. Nutrition
3. Supplements
The understanding of how to implement the proper use of each area will not only allow you to hold on to your newly acquired muscle, it may also create some more muscle tissue in the process, even if it is a small amount.
Gearing Down
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 (more on this in Part II), 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. Your life now sucks. All those gains are going bye bye. Or so you think. Alas, there’s hope for your poor small-balled self.
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 sucking it up and kissing 40% or more of 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.
For this to happen, several variables need to be examined. The two most important for our purposes are the frequency of the workouts during the cycle, the number of sets performed and the rep range. I’ve left some other variables out, however these are the main variables that most trainees change in a program. For simplicities sake I’ve drawn up a couple of generic programs that might be employed during a cycle, for examples.
The Strategy and Programs
The number of times you “hit it” is important in most relationships. If you skimp on frequency, performance suffers, and as a result your relationship weakens. The same can be said about the frequency of training sessions, the body, and the relationship between strength and size. During a cycle most people increase the frequency due to increased recovery. However, post cycle the number of sessions in a week should be altered as the body is now in a state of recovery. Nevertheless, there are exceptions to certain rules; this being one of them. If you were training five to six days a week during your cycle, the same frequency can still be maintained almost to the same degree, however one of the other exercise variables (mentioned above) involved must be changed (more on this later).
If your training has been based around a six day split, cutting the frequency down a day or more will give the body some much needed time to recuperate. Below are some examples of how your training frequency can be structured when coming off the above outlined programs. Here are five, four, and three day splits that can be used. The choice of muscles worked each day may be varied.
Increasing the Volume
Once the frequency of training has been chosen, the next step is to choose the number of sets or the amount of volume that will be used in the routine. The number of sets selected will depend on the level of intensity you’ll be using. Intensity, for the purpose of this article, can also be defined as the overall work load used in a training program (determined by the frequency and number of sets employed). For example, if you have been training to failure using a high number of sets, it should be quite obvious that you cannot continue training in the same manner. That said, to maintain the same level of intensity the number of sets employed must be lowered. You do this because there is an inverse relationship between intensity and the number of sets used in a workout session. As seen below the number of sets chosen should coincide with the frequency.
Below are some examples based upon the first two example routines I outlined above.
Spicing Things Up
Variety is the spice of life. Although cliché, it’s the truth though, and most likely throughout your cycle, the repetition range that’s been used has varied. Post cycle, however, repetition ranges should stay the same if they’ve been altered. Let me explain a bit further.
High reps are known to primarily work on increasing the non-contractile proteins and the semi fluid plasma between the muscle fibers. In scientific circles the 140 pound lab techs call this sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Meatheads refer to this as “pump training.” The other type, low rep training, is called sarcomere hypertrophy. This is otherwise known as power training. It works on increasing the size and number of the sarcomeres that make up the myofibrils. Each type of hypertrophy has a different effect. Bodybuilders and those purely interested in aesthetics train using the pump method. Athletes who are in sports that require explosiveness and speed train primarily using the power method.
Training post cycle should focus on a variety of rep ranges. Low rep training focuses on neuromuscular efficiency, which in turn is responsible for strength production with minimal hypertrophy. Higher rep training focuses more on hypertrophy while placing less emphasis on the neuromuscular system. If one area is favored the other will suffer. So, to stay big and strong it is imperative that you utilize a mixed rep range in your training program. Below I’ve outlined the programs in their entirety so you can see what the programs look like once all the variables I mentioned have been added in.
*
Coming off a cycle isn’t fun, and it’s not an easy task. Truthfully, it sucks. However, with proper precautions taken, and by simply following the guidelines I’ve provided, the post-cycle transition won’t be so rough. It’s that simple.
I couldn't decided if this should go into the training or PCT but it mostly talks about training so its here. If one of the mods wants to move it thats fine...
What do you guys think? Do you take it down a Bit to protect against injurys or keep lifting the same way?
How to maintain your gains post cycle - Part I
Posted by Maki Riddington on March 6th, 2005
Note: This article is geared (pun intended) towards the moderate user (defined as 400mg-1000mg/week). It is not intended for the advanced user who stays on for long periods or year round and uses more then a gram per week plus Insulin, GH and other goodies.
Life is good. You’ve got money in the bank. You’re dating Barbie, the hot silicone blonde from the gym, and you’ve just amassed 15 pounds of lean muscle on your current cycle. With this newfound muscle under your belt, 24/7 pumps, heavier weights lifted with each new session, and a sex drive that’d put Hugh Hefner and Ron Jeremy to shame.
What more could a meathead ask for? Probably a whole lot more, but that’s beside the point. However, all good things must come to an end. Week 12 has arrived and you’ve just taken your last shot.
For newbies the weeks ahead will be met with mixed feelings and for the non-virgins the routine is far too familiar. Your balls are no longer swole, your pumps are going to disappear quicker than a fat lady gobbles down a Krispy Kreme, and your strength is going to drop. Oh yeah, your newly acquired muscle gain is going to take a beating. Fun stuff, eh? Of course, there’s always the option of bridging until your next cycle, but what’s the point? You’re going to have to come off sometime, that is, if you value your health and your balls enough to quit.
Granted you’ve been smart and planned out your entire cycle in advance, it should be safe to say that the post cycle therapy (PCT) portion has been designed according to the type of drugs and their reactions with each other and with your body. So, what else can be done to offset the classic post cycle symptoms? Well, there are three areas that need to be addressed.
1. Training
2. Nutrition
3. Supplements
The understanding of how to implement the proper use of each area will not only allow you to hold on to your newly acquired muscle, it may also create some more muscle tissue in the process, even if it is a small amount.
Gearing Down
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 (more on this in Part II), 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. Your life now sucks. All those gains are going bye bye. Or so you think. Alas, there’s hope for your poor small-balled self.
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 sucking it up and kissing 40% or more of 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.
For this to happen, several variables need to be examined. The two most important for our purposes are the frequency of the workouts during the cycle, the number of sets performed and the rep range. I’ve left some other variables out, however these are the main variables that most trainees change in a program. For simplicities sake I’ve drawn up a couple of generic programs that might be employed during a cycle, for examples.
The Strategy and Programs
The number of times you “hit it” is important in most relationships. If you skimp on frequency, performance suffers, and as a result your relationship weakens. The same can be said about the frequency of training sessions, the body, and the relationship between strength and size. During a cycle most people increase the frequency due to increased recovery. However, post cycle the number of sessions in a week should be altered as the body is now in a state of recovery. Nevertheless, there are exceptions to certain rules; this being one of them. If you were training five to six days a week during your cycle, the same frequency can still be maintained almost to the same degree, however one of the other exercise variables (mentioned above) involved must be changed (more on this later).
If your training has been based around a six day split, cutting the frequency down a day or more will give the body some much needed time to recuperate. Below are some examples of how your training frequency can be structured when coming off the above outlined programs. Here are five, four, and three day splits that can be used. The choice of muscles worked each day may be varied.
Increasing the Volume
Once the frequency of training has been chosen, the next step is to choose the number of sets or the amount of volume that will be used in the routine. The number of sets selected will depend on the level of intensity you’ll be using. Intensity, for the purpose of this article, can also be defined as the overall work load used in a training program (determined by the frequency and number of sets employed). For example, if you have been training to failure using a high number of sets, it should be quite obvious that you cannot continue training in the same manner. That said, to maintain the same level of intensity the number of sets employed must be lowered. You do this because there is an inverse relationship between intensity and the number of sets used in a workout session. As seen below the number of sets chosen should coincide with the frequency.
Below are some examples based upon the first two example routines I outlined above.
Spicing Things Up
Variety is the spice of life. Although cliché, it’s the truth though, and most likely throughout your cycle, the repetition range that’s been used has varied. Post cycle, however, repetition ranges should stay the same if they’ve been altered. Let me explain a bit further.
High reps are known to primarily work on increasing the non-contractile proteins and the semi fluid plasma between the muscle fibers. In scientific circles the 140 pound lab techs call this sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Meatheads refer to this as “pump training.” The other type, low rep training, is called sarcomere hypertrophy. This is otherwise known as power training. It works on increasing the size and number of the sarcomeres that make up the myofibrils. Each type of hypertrophy has a different effect. Bodybuilders and those purely interested in aesthetics train using the pump method. Athletes who are in sports that require explosiveness and speed train primarily using the power method.
Training post cycle should focus on a variety of rep ranges. Low rep training focuses on neuromuscular efficiency, which in turn is responsible for strength production with minimal hypertrophy. Higher rep training focuses more on hypertrophy while placing less emphasis on the neuromuscular system. If one area is favored the other will suffer. So, to stay big and strong it is imperative that you utilize a mixed rep range in your training program. Below I’ve outlined the programs in their entirety so you can see what the programs look like once all the variables I mentioned have been added in.
*
Coming off a cycle isn’t fun, and it’s not an easy task. Truthfully, it sucks. However, with proper precautions taken, and by simply following the guidelines I’ve provided, the post-cycle transition won’t be so rough. It’s that simple.
