Posted by JW on 3rd Aug 2014

Structuring Training on Cycle

Training

Once you get half way into the cycle I would recommend avoiding the temptation to add any weight to the bar regardless of whether you feel you can. Instead if and where strength occurs on cycle from this point instead perform additional reps or even an extra set if the reps become too high.

Then when you start PCT you should drop the volume and increase the weight performing more like a strength range of reps/sets 5x5, 8x3, even 3x5. The reason for this is that when you come off cycle you no longer have a steroid pumping around the system giving you artificial muscle building benefits. Also you have zero natural testosterone from having shut down due to use of the steroid and worse still you have elevated oestrogen levels. This all gears towards fat storage and muscle loss and the reality in the weights room is you will struggle to maintain any of the lifts you finished on and with the previously mentioned hormonal issues coupled with lifting less your body will ditch a lot of that new muscle you gained. Our bodies are finely tuned machines that are built for survival and are primarily focussed on keeping us warm and attempting to use as little energy as possible. Therefore muscle is a luxury item and a ‘new’ load of muscle fibre developed in a very short space of time from the cycle require you to give the body a reason to keep them, now if you cannot lift as much or for as long etc. it has no reason to do so.

However, by having not bumped the weight at the end you should be able to slap extra plates on come PCT from what you had been using and in doing this you are challenging that new muscle as it is having to lift a weight it has never done so before, and this gives the signals to the body that it needs this muscle to survive should it come across a huge load again.