Forskolin
Forskolin is product derived from the coleus forskohlii plant that has been shown to upregulate the activity of the enzyme adenylate cyclase, which we have previously shown to be important as it creates cAMP accumulation needed for the second messenger response to beta-adrenergic stimulation. While forskolin by itself may have a null effect (it was previously used to lower blood pressure where beta-adrenergic stimulation should increase blood pressure), it should have various useful effects to us. In combination with these other products cAMP accumulation will further decrease any effect from prostaglandins and adenosine receptor stimulation, or alpha2-regulated inhibition. This allows a stable environment for second messenger transport.
Guggul sterones
Guggul sterones are an age-old ayurvedic medicine touted to increase thyroid activity. This has nothing to do with the beta-adrenergic system, and at first may seem rather obsolete. Continual fat loss and lower calorie diets have been known to cause a starvation response whereby T4 to T3 conversion is lowered and the opposite conversion increased to lower thyroid activity and thus slow metabolic rate. This occurs so that we do not use our entire fat supply in just a few days and can stay alive longer under starvation conditions. Now ephedrine has been shown to actually upgrade T4 to T3 conversion or at the very least lower the opposite reaction (23).
But this latter occurrence has been attributed to the continual alpha-receptor stimulation that ephedrine would display under normal conditions, but since we use an alpha-receptor blocker it is unlikely we will be able to make as much use of this benefit, and so the addition of Guggul is advisory, as it has been shown to increase T4 to T3 conversion (26).
Most likely, to avoid early beta-2 phosphorylation we will add yohimbine at a later stage, and should add guggul at the same time.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine
After HSL-P has released fatty acids they just sit there basically. They require protein transport to get them into circulation where they can be used as fuel. If not, and under the high caloric diet we have outlined this is most likely, they will simply be re-esterified again. This is why we do not expect any fat loss. But just to give nature a helping hand we might add some Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC), one of the proteins used to transport fatty acids. Adding too much has no use as supraphysiological amounts have shown little to no benefit, but adding some may increase any possible downregulation of the transport systems and increase the likelihood that some actual fat is used.
Putting it all together
So what sort of doses and what sort of dosing pattern do we need ? Well I won?t bore you with the details, but this particular mix has been most effective :
Product Per dose
Ephedrine Hcl 12.5 mg
Caffeine 100 mg
Yohimbine Hcl 3 mg
Forskolin 20-30 mg
Acetyl-L-Carnitine 200 mg
GuggulSterones 30 mg
You can opt to take 1 dose 6 times per day, roughly every 2.5 hours, or 2 doses 3 times per day, roughly every 5 hours. This is preferably taken between meals when it is most likely there is least insulin interference and most chance of any additional calories being burned that are not from food. For people who have a tendency to get jittery on ephedrine and are bothered by this, I suggest the first dosing pattern which has lower peak doses. For most people I would recommend the 3 a day dosing pattern however.
Use the Ephedrine/Caffeine/Forskolin/ALC combo for the full outlined twelve weeks, then add the yohimbine and guggul the last 6 weeks. For those wishing to do so, the last two weeks clenbuterol can be added to emphasize the fat loss effect.
More Dietary and supplementary Implications in regards to mass gain on-cycle and maintenance post-cycle.
It is imperative that the high-calorie diet is maintained at the very least through week 17. The chance of losing muscle when protein synthesis is kept high and no caloric deficit needs to be filled will severely decrease the chance of losing lean body mass. That goes without saying. It also goes without saying that this diet should be spread out over 5-6 meals daily in order to keep metabolism and nutrient supply high. But there are certain things we can do to enhance our chances as well.
Leptin management
Leptin has been hailed as the new miracle discovery in fat loss. It?s a hormone that seems to regulate the amount of fat to muscle that is burned when glycogen is not available to meet energy demands. Leptin seems to be exponentially higher in obese individuals than in leaner specimen. So being lean and staying lean, our leptin levels are not to our advantage. Leptin levels are marked by higher cAMP breakdown and greater adenosine interference. So thanks to caffeine and forskolin we can sort of inhibit the effect of our low leptin on interfering with the use of fat for fuel, but we can also implicate other measure of supplementation.
Normally I might recommend Vitamin E, which has been shown to elevate leptin levels (27) slightly. But since Vitamin E seems to lower blood clotting and this effect can be enhanced by steroid use , it is never advisory to take large amounts of vitamin E while on a steroid cycle. If you have some in your multi-vitamin, lets say no more than 30-40 units, I doubt it will be a problem, but more than that may not be safe.
That leaves only two other products proven to elevate leptin, and since nicotine (28) is highly addictive and goes against our health-conscious approach, that leaves us only with zinc (29) . The addition of the highly available zinc aspartate may offer us some benefits in keeping leptin levels higher and is worthwhile in our supplementation regimen.
Magnesium
This mineral is so versatile in its use to us, that it seems unlikely that I could mention it under anything other than its own paragraph. First of all it needs to be mentioned that many athletes are deficient in magnesium, and that this deficiency is hard to detect since magnesium is stored mostly in interstitial space and intracellularly (30), and not so much in blood where it is measured. Blood levels appear to be rather constant despite deficiency.
Now magnesium is necessary for proper muscle contraction (31), glycolysis (use of blood sugar, effectively lowering glycogen increasing efficiency of the beta-adrenergic system), protein synthesis, preventing cardio-vascular disease, improved cellular metabolism, and creatine storage. As such taking supplemental magnesium in a fairly large dose will be beneficial to us.
ZMA
Since we recommend both the intake of zinc and magnesium, it may be wise to opt for a ZMA supplement, that contains 30 mg of chelated zinc and 450 mg of chelated magnesium. Since both can be hindered in absorption by calcium (32), and bodybuilders often eat calcium-rich foods, it is better to take them together during a time when the stomach is relatively empty (at least 60 minutes after the last meal) and without calcium present. The time of day preferentially near sleeping time as Zinc has beneficial effects in maintaining optimal testosterone levels and resting recovery, so this is the time of greatest activity.
Creatine
Creatine has been the age-old supplement in bodybuilding, from high meat intake to the latest fad in creatine-enhancement supplementation. However, it appears plain old micronized creatine is still your best bet. The efficacy increase of most of these hyped up supplements is so small it in no way makes up for the price increase. Why do we recommend creatine here ? Well mostly energy supply during the late end of the cycle and the post-cycle. Glycogen will be low due to our low intake of high-GI carbs and enhanced glycolysis through supplementation. Therefore added creatine may be able to restore our ATP losses to some degree, at least for anaerobic activity like weight training, so we have ample energy at all times. By having increased magnesium intake we should be able to increase creatine storage as well. Transport of creatine into the cell will be somewhat limited in the absence of insulin , but should in no way be a problem. Considering the length of time we will use this and the minimal input we expect from it, it makes little sense to load the creatine. Taking 3 grams of creatine 45 minutes prior and again immediately after our workouts should be more than sufficient.
Vitamin B complex
Here too the benefits to be had are multiple. B-vitamins have common characteristics that include enhancing the circulation, allowing for a better oxygen supply and more energy, helps with blood formation and metabolizes carbohydrates. That means once again a valuable contribution to our goal of adding lean mass to the frame. B-vitamins are water-soluble and readily depleted, so making sure we have optimal levels on a daily basis is needed. A B-Vitamin complex that supplies a 100-1000% of the daily needed amounts is recommended.
Putting together supplementation
On workout days we will use 3 grams of creatine about 45 minutes before the workout, and again, with a post-workout protein shake (note : no weight gainers or added carbs) within 30 minutes of completing training, from week 1 through week 13.
The rest of our supplementation is taken throughout the cycle and post-cycle : 1 dose of B-vitamins with breakfast, 1 dose of ZMA on an empty stomach between before last and last meal of the day, in the absence of calcium. Last meal should be taken prior to bed.
Protein shakes should be used as deemed necessary to increase protein and/or calorie intake at any time during the day. Protein shakes are preferably a combination of casein and whey, mixed in milk.
Other worthwhile supplementation, but certainly not necessary, are dessicated liver tablets, CLA and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids to improve cholesterole profile.
The use of an anti-aromatase
Some may not be satisfied with just the lean results from using testosterone propionate , boldenone undecylenate, stanozolol and a beta-adrenergic cocktail on a low-carb, high protein diet. The aromatization from the testosterone /boldenone may still be too much to cope with. In that case an anti-aromatase drug can be added. But we should first point out that blocking the aromatization of these steroids will result in a lower HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio and thus has implications as far as cardio-vascular risk.
If an anti-aromatase product is used, I recommend proviron over femara or arimidex , eventhough the latter are stronger. Proviron is milder and does allow for some estrogen, which gives us the increased benefits mentioned under the header ?in defense of testosterone? previously while still reducing over-all levels a bit which decreases water retention and visceral fat accumulation.
Now testosterone/boldenone lower subcutaneous fat primarily where the beta-adrenergic cocktail will reduce visceral fat first and then subcutaneous fat. So they are highly synergistic. By blocking the aromatase you will increase visceral fat burning because you stop estrogen?s anabolic effect on visceral fat stores. I would only add Proviron if you note a tad too much water retention or if you experience signs of gynocomastia (male breast growth). Start with 25-50 mg and do not increase unless deemed absolutely necessary. At this dose you can run the proviron week 1-13, if you have to increase it, consider decreasing it again when problems desist.
What about the side-effects that will occur ?
Acute side-effects have been put into the background because they pose no threat to our health and existence per se. But since they are often visible, we still care to address them as best as we can :
Gyno
When nipples get itchy or swollen and you fear gyno may begin to set in, you should use the proviron as outlined above. In the acute stage, running some 20-40 mg Nolvadex the first 3-4 days may offer relief as well. Again, any longer is not advisable since we do depend on estrogen for certain effects such as Growth Hormone increases and androgen receptor upregulation.
Hair loss
Hair loss via steroid use is a pre-existing genetic condition. If you do not have it all the steroids in the world won?t affect your hair. If you do have it however, then its an inevitable fact and sad to be the one to say it, but you might as well deal with it while you can still get the body to compensate for it.
I highly advise against the two standard treatments, which are the administration of either a 5-alpha-reductase blocker or an anti-androgen. That the latter is a bad idea I needn?t point out. Using an anti-androgen would entirely defeat the purpose of using androgenic steroids. Among this class of drugs is spironolactone (aldactone). That the former is a bad idea may not be known to most. First of all since stanozolol is DHT derivative and boldenone has no high affinity for the 5AR, using a 5AR inhibitor would not affect these drugs. It would only stop the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Now we already mentioned the negative effects resulting from less DHT including less strength, lower neuromuscular response and increased chance of estrogenic side-effects (too much estrogen works against us because of its effects on gluconeogenisis).
So you might try topical remedies such as minoxidil hair sprays or something if you believe that sort of thing would work, but stay away from finasteride (proscar, propecia) and spironolactone (aldactone).
Liver damage
Liver damage is often overstated. We do use a liver taxing drug (stanozolol) so we do need to address this. Oftentimes the negative effect of oral steroids on the liver have been quoted because of elevated aminostransferase values, which are indeed a partial indicator for liver damage. However these levels will rise as a result of muscular damage from training as well and offer us no conclusion as to the actual negative effect. For that purpose it is essential that when you have bloodwork done, you ask the doctor to check creatine kinase and CGT levels as well. If the former is higher than normal and the latter remains unchanged then no liver damage has occurred. If the opposite is true and CK is normal and CGT is elevated, then liver damage has occurred.
If it does occur then the use of milk thistle (sylibum marianum) or Picrorohiza (33) is recommended. Both appear to have a good effect on liver regeneration. Because some of the activities of these products may be mediated by enhancing cytochrome P-450 activity, it Is not recommended that you take them as a precautionary measure. Instead, have blood levels checked for the aforementioned values once every 3 weeks while taking stanozolol and if deemed necessary, add them to your supplementation regimen
Loss of Libido
Since we use testosterone as a base, this will not be problem. Additional use of proviron would further stimulate libido, so it is actually possible your libido may be phenomenally higher than normal.
Acne
Get over yourself, these are zits, they pose no threat to your health. Proper skin care and OTC medication can be used if it makes you feel better, but avoid the use of prescription medication like anti-biotics and accutane at all costs, as these products are far more taxing on your liver than stanozolol. So in the interest of your health prescription medication for acne is not advisable.
If you get acne so bad that it really ruins your life : DON?T USE STEROIDS !!!!
Virilisation
If you are a a man : who cares ?
If you are a woman : DON?T USE STEROIDS !!!!
Prostate hypertrophy
No link between steroids and prostate cancer has ever been demonstrated, however with age a condition known as benign prostate hypertrophy can occur. Since we previously determined estrogen to be the causative factor and that androgens can actually be used as therapy to counter BPH, adding proviron at 50 mg/day should limit your risk of this. If you already have BPH or other prostate problems : DON?T USE STEROIDS !!!!
Appendix : Working with your doctor
As we mentioned before, steroid use should occur under medical supervision. With this document you are capable of interpreting a lot of data. So this may be a good time to point out what sort of data you will need from your doctor. I would advise, as I do to all my athletes, that you have blood work done every 3 weeks while on and several weeks after the cycle, starting with the week before the cycle. The following data should be collected :
Supression and recovery are examined based on levels of LH, FSH, DHEA, androstenedione and testosterone . During the cycle blood levels of testosterone and androstenedione should rise, as other decline and post-cycle a reverse tendency should be noted.
Liver damage is based on aminotransferase values (ALT, AST) as well as Creatine Kinase (CK) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (CGT). When CGT is elevated we can speak of liver damage. If it is significantly elevated use of milk thistle and cessation of use for stanozolol is recommended. If CGT is not elevated, CK levels may explain why ALT and AST are elevated.
Thyroid activity is measured with levels of TSH, T4 and T3. TSH levels should not be affected at any time during this cycle since no exogenous thyroid hormone is used. The amount of T4 and T3 are crucial as both steroid use and yohimbine use will suppress T4 to T3 conversion, and guggul should counter that to some extent. This is why it may be wise to keep an eye on this as well. It can?t hurt and if you are having blood checked anyway, can?t see why you wouldn?t have this checked
Lastly, cholesterol values. Total cholesterol and HDL/LDL ratio should be examined. During the cycle HDL/LDL-ratio should remain normal and total cholesterol should lower, unless you are using proviron, then HDL/LDL ratio may drop. After the cycle and complete recovery, values should restore themselves.
Statistics: Posted by nextlevel — Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:37 pm