There are many reasons why athletes voluntarily or are forced to stop using steroids. One of the main reasons is that they consider some possible health risks.
Some people heard that steroids can be used for up to 15 weeks, and then they have to stop for 8 weeks, so they did it. Some people are under financial pressure or find that there are drug tests in the competition. Others are because the effect of using steroids is not as obvious as before, and their progress is getting slower and slower.
Almost all athletes will face the following situation: they have complicated thoughts about the weeks after stopping the drug because they don’t know what will happen. Those who have had this experience before (almost all negative) know exactly what to face. What you have to worry about are various withdrawal reactions such as weight loss, strength loss, muscle loss, and increased fat accumulation. Some people will also be depressed, hate training, lethargic and undisciplined. The reason for these problems is simple: you have entered the catabolic stage. Bodybuilders must deal with two major problems in the next few weeks, which will have serious effects on the body and mind. Many people start using steroids again shortly after stopping steroids because they can’t solve these two problems.
The first problem is the reduction of the body’s own testosterone secretion. Most steroids inhibit the HPTA hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis, resulting in a decrease in testosterone secretion by Leydig cells. The duration and type of medication determine the degree of suppression. The stronger the steroid’s male-like nature, the stronger the suppression of endogenous testosterone secretion. At the top are various testosterone compounds, such as Dianabol and Anadrol, which are also the drugs with stronger effects. The milder DECA, Primobolan, Stanozol, etc. do not suppress endogenous testosterone as much, and are relatively slow and steady. Studies have shown that 20 mg of Dianabol per day for ten days can suppress endogenous testosterone secretion by 30-40%. The secretion of endogenous testosterone will not return to normal overnight. Athletes face a stage where exogenous testosterone does not exist and their own testosterone is not enough to improve the situation. It is urgent to increase the secretion of endogenous testosterone as soon as possible.
The second problem is more important and is one of the determining factors for the possible decline in athletic performance. We know that steroids are effective in reducing the catabolism caused by cortisone (glucocorticoids secreted by the adrenal cortex) in the body. Steroid molecules block the cortisone receptors, so that the cortisone is in a deactivated state. The body responds by producing more cortisone receptors so that the cortisone receptors above the normal level in the blood can work normally. As long as the athlete continues to use steroids as planned, this is not a big problem. But if C is stopped at this time, a large number of cortisone receptors are suddenly free, combining with a large number of cortisone molecules in the blood, and sending instructions to muscle cells to break down amino acids – this is fucking pitfalls, they will leave the muscle cells and enter the blood to become glucose or blood sugar.
In summary, bodybuilders need to increase their testosterone secretion at this stage and control cortisone levels within an acceptable range. Here is how to interrupt the steroid plan. It should be pointed out that we cannot guarantee that there will be no loss of muscle and athletic performance.
Athletes must first finalize the date for completely stopping steroids so that they can be prepared for various drugs and psychology.
Start slowly and steadily weaning off strong androgenic steroids about four weeks before your planned full withdrawal date. Oral steroids like Dianabol and Anadrol require a fourteen-day slow withdrawal, so that the main oral androgenic steroid is gone about two weeks before full withdrawal. Injectable androgenic steroids like Testosterone and Trenbolone Acetate are tapered to zero over four weeks. Milder oral steroids like Primobolan, Stanozolol, Anavar, Turinabol, etc. start tapering two weeks before full withdrawal and are fully tapered in 14 days. The more “mild” injectable steroids like DECA, Primobolan Depot, and Winstrol Depot are best tapered to half the dose a week before withdrawal.
Do not stop all medications suddenly, or your body will immediately enter a catabolic phase. Free cortisone receptors combined with low testosterone and low androgen levels can lead to a significant loss of strength and muscle mass, and fat gain, water retention, and bitch milk are also common. The cause of bitch tits is a sudden drop in testosterone levels, with estrogen becoming the dominant hormone. Extreme apathy towards training and sex is very noticeable, and the overall mental state is very bad. Never stop taking medications suddenly and completely unless it is for medical reasons.
If the athlete is not already using anti-estrogens, he should start taking measures a few weeks before stopping C. If he has already started anti-estrogens, just continue. 20 mg of tamoxifen nolvadex per day combined with 25 mg of provibol will generally meet this purpose. This prevents estrogen excess, and it is important to know that the chorionic gonadotropin used to stimulate testosterone will also increase estrogen levels. The masculinizing effect of proviron can increase testosterone levels and shift the testosterone/estrogen ratio towards androgen. Provibol can greatly reduce the rebound that occurs after the anti-estrogen is stopped.
In order to increase the athlete’s own testosterone secretion, on the one hand, the chorionic gonadotropin is used, which directly and quickly stimulates the Leydig cells of the testis, and on the other hand, clomiphene is used, which promotes the function of the entire HPTA hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis but has a slower effect. HCG is started in the last week of withdrawal, with three injections of 5000 i.u. three times three days apart. The same dose is then given three times five days apart. Clomiphene is started after the third HCG injection, as its gonadotropin-stimulating effect is more effective when the testicles are already activated. Clomiphene is used over two weeks, two 50 mg tablets per day in the first week, and 50 mg per day in the second week. Obviously female athletes do not need to do this.
The above is only helpful if the athlete can effectively control the catabolic effects of increased cortisone.
The beta-2 sympathomimetic compound Clenbuterol meets this requirement due to its good anti-catabolic effects. It blocks the cortisone receptors so that the athlete can retain most of the strength and muscle gained by using steroids. Clenbuterol is started immediately after steroid withdrawal and continued for eight to ten weeks.
Another sympathomimetic compound MHJ is also anti-catabolic. The most appropriate medication for this phase is arguably Cytadren, which is used to treat Cushing’s syndrome (chronic overproduction of glucocorticoids from the adrenal glands due to various reasons, manifested as obesity with hypertension and other symptoms). It is very effective in reducing cortisone levels and athletes often use it immediately after the steroid program ends. Other athletes use the thyroid hormone T3, which has anabolic effects at low doses and when used too close together, and this effect is more pronounced when used with the anti-catabolic Clenbuterol.
Growth hormone HGH is also reliable during the withdrawal period, as it has strong anti-catabolic/anabolic properties. Don’t expect to increase growth hormone secretion with ornithine and arginine, and you have to give up the idea that you can maintain the muscle volume gained with drugs by “natural means”.
As the situation changes, so should your nutritional intake. After stopping steroids, your metabolic rate will return to normal, and you will need to reduce your daily caloric intake by about 25-30%, but you should still maintain protein at 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight per day.
Reduce your training volume. Don’t train as much as you did when taking drugs, which will accelerate catabolism. Crazy training at this time will have a negative impact. You should stick to basic training, train each muscle group once a week, and maintain your strength level as much as possible. Do not train more than four times a week, and each time should be controlled within an hour. Continue to do heavy compound movements to maintain muscle mass, and do not completely switch to high-rep isolation movements.
The necessary relevant knowledge, self-discipline, ambition and willpower are the magic weapon to protect most of the strength and muscle from loss. In addition to year-round medication, successful C-interval bridging cruise can also keep you moving forward. Sometimes taking a step back is to take two steps forward, don’t fight for temporary gains and losses. Almost everyone can use medication to get bigger and stronger, but it is not so easy to protect hard-earned muscle and strength. Correctly stopping C with good bridging can help maintain results and lay a foundation for persistence for further training.