In Part One of this series we examined some of the principals involved in steroid cycling and printed an example of a 9-week cycle. In Part II we'll expand on our discussion of steroid cycling and look at some of the pharmaceutical strategies involved in maintaining our hard earned size while "off". We'll also examine the role of growth hormone and some "specialty" drugs

Testosterone Should be the Base of any Cycle

Regardless of whether the cycle is designed for mass, pre-contest, or maintenance, it should be built around a base of testosterone. Although other steroids exists that are more effective mass builders than testosterone on a mg per mg basis, they cannot be administered at the same level without causing serious side effects. For example, 50 mg of oxymetholone (Anadrol, Anapolon) is a more effective mass builder than 50 mg of testosterone. However, large amounts of testosterone can be used for long periods of time without the same deleterious side effects of an equal amount of oxymetholone. When we examine all of the steroids that are more effective than test on a mg per mg basis, we see the same trend every time.

Of the many factors that affect the success of any cycle, two stand out. One of course is the type of steroid used. The second is the total amount of steroid administered. 1 gram of testosterone a week is certainly going to cause more growth than 500 mg. However, the side effects associated with 1 gram are not significantly greater than those of half that amount. By using testosterone as a base, you are able to significantly increase your total intake of steroid without significantly increasing your health risk.

So, why not use a milder anabolic like nandrolone decanoate (deca durabolin) or methanolone (primobolan) to increase the total amount of steroid? Again, the other part of the equation is the type of steroid used. While these steroids look great on paper, real world application teaches us that they are not as effective as testosterone at inducing growth. While these steroids are certainly valuable adjuncts to any anabolic regimen, they are not sufficiently powerful enough to form the base of our cycle.

Tapering is a Waste of Time

Typical cycles are designed in a tapered fashion, starting low and slowly rising to the maximum dose. Once the maximum dose is reached, these cycles begin to steadily decline in dose to reach a very small amount at the end. The theory behind these cycles is as follows: At the start of the program, the body doesn't require much in the way of anabolics to grow. As the cycle progresses and growth occurs, more steroid is needed to maintain growth. At the peak of the cycle, the amount of steroid is slowly decreased to allow the body to return to a normal hormonal state. This ensures that the body does not experience a shock as the endogenous production of androgens has been restored through the gradual tapering of exogenous androgens.

Unfortunately, this theory of cycling is flawed. Designing cycles in this fashion usually ensures that the optimum level of steroid to induce growth is only present in the body for a short period. Most of the cycle is either spent climbing towards this goal or retreating from it in the hopes of restoring the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.

When designing a cycle, the very first question that must be answered is what is the peak mg amount of steroid that will be used during the course of the program. This amount of steroid should be used for most of the cycle, with little fluctuation at the beginning and end. This ensures that an adequate dose of steroid is being used to induce growth throughout the length of the cycle.

Concerns over maintaining or restoring proper function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA) are easily addressed via the use of a variety of pharmaceuticals. Once endogenous production of androgens has been halted due to excessive levels of androgens in the blood, the only effective methods of restoring normal hormonal function is by cleaning out or the use of pharmaceuticals like clomiphen or HCG. Tapering to restore normal hormonal function is a waste of time since it can easily be restored using these drugs.