Working Out while on Steroids

[artysporty]

Hi All,

I just started my first cycle and today is the end of the first week.
Its a rather strong cycle suggested by a friend 500mg sustanon and 200mg deca per week. I noticed a big difference in my workout beginning the 5th day. I have more strength, but something feels strange.

Today I did shoulders and normally I would feel a huge burn when I do lateral raises. Though I train to failure and train with volume, I did not feel the burn. I did not feel tired. Basically I could do more and more sets, but I stopped due to fear of injury.
Quite frankyly I was not satisfied with my workout even though I lifted heavier and more volume. I just feel desensitized to pump and burn. I do to failure but there is no mental strain involved.

Is it normal for steroids to mask the burn? How then do you know when to stop? What is a satisfying workout? Usually when I do shoulders, I can't take off my shirt after the workout without feeling it. I kinda like that feeling. I imagine with more sets and volume, I can get the same with steroids but I fear injury. It seems to me the steroids gave me more strength and also "wash" away the burn so I can have more training?

My routine was follows: dumb military 90lbs (10,8,6), 50lbs (8x1.5reps), 40lbs(6x1.5reps)
lateral raises (15,12,10,8)
bent over raises (rear delts) (15,12,10,8)
20 lbs dumbell military 30reps. (no burn, no pain) QUIT

I'm 5'7.5" 178lbs natural.

Is this a normal feeling?
thanks

 

[tbizzle]

Hi All,

I just started my first cycle and today is the end of the first week.
Its a rather strong cycle suggested by a friend 500mg sustanon and 200mg deca per week. I noticed a big difference in my workout beginning the 5th day. I have more strength, but something feels strange.

Today I did shoulders and normally I would feel a huge burn when I do lateral raises. Though I train to failure and train with volume, I did not feel the burn. I did not feel tired. Basically I could do more and more sets, but I stopped due to fear of injury.
Quite frankyly I was not satisfied with my workout even though I lifted heavier and more volume. I just feel desensitized to pump and burn. I do to failure but there is no mental strain involved.

Is it normal for steroids to mask the burn? How then do you know when to stop? What is a satisfying workout? Usually when I do shoulders, I can't take off my shirt after the workout without feeling it. I kinda like that feeling. I imagine with more sets and volume, I can get the same with steroids but I fear injury. It seems to me the steroids gave me more strength and also "wash" away the burn so I can have more training?

My routine was follows: dumb military 90lbs (10,8,6), 50lbs (8x1.5reps), 40lbs(6x1.5reps)
lateral raises (15,12,10,8)
bent over raises (rear delts) (15,12,10,8)
20 lbs dumbell military 30reps. (no burn, no pain) QUIT

I'm 5'7.5" 178lbs natural.

Is this a normal feeling?
thanks

not for me, I get insane painful pumps when i run test. Maybe the deca, I never ran it.

 

[rjx]

Since you are a newbie to gear and its just been one week, drop the deca and do only test like ALL newbies should do.

I think you are doing to many sets. I would just do 2 - 3 sets per movement and make those 2 or 3 sets count. I think 4 sets is to much per movement. You could aim for 3 x 10, 8, 6 or 8, 6, 4.

Don't be afraid to go heavier. If you can lift it under a controlled manner, then by all means grab a spotter and lift. Just pay attention to your joints and any aches and pains you might encounter and take it from there.

Since you are on gear, add the intensity. You could try lifting the same poundage's that you normally lift, but go slower. Make the light weight feel heavier by going super slow, if needed. Really concentrate on the muscle you are working and feel it. Do rest pause, partials, forced, etc. I love pre-exhaustion, rest pause, and I am getting into partials for complete muscular failure.

You could also do 5 reps of a weight and see how that goes. If it felt easy, rest and add more weight and do another 5 reps. Repeat as many times as it takes to get to a weight that you can barely get 5 reps on then lighten it up a little if you are wanting to do sets with more reps. Do this to figure out what the max weight you can handle is. Be smart about it, don't end up doing 7 sets for each movement trying to figure this out. 5 sets or less should work.

When you say 90lbs, do you mean 90 pound dumbbells or 90lbs total?

 

[Deepglute]

Hi All,

I have more strength, but something feels strange.

Today I did shoulders and normally I would feel a huge burn when I do lateral raises. Though I train to failure and train with volume, I did not feel the burn. I did not feel tired. Basically I could do more and more sets, but I stopped due to fear of injury.
Quite frankyly I was not satisfied with my workout even though I lifted heavier and more volume. I just feel desensitized to pump and burn. I do to failure but there is no mental strain involved.

Is it normal for steroids to mask the burn? How then do you know when to stop? What is a satisfying workout? Usually when I do shoulders, I can't take off my shirt after the workout without feeling it. I kinda like that feeling. I imagine with more sets and volume, I can get the same with steroids but I fear injury. It seems to me the steroids gave me more strength and also "wash" away the burn so I can have more training?

Welcome to the wonderful world of AAS! Juice makes it possible for your body to recover much quicker from intense workouts. Because your training to failure, you are experiencing the true benefits of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) that most newbies never do. If your mind will allow it, you will increase the poundages with each workout.

My routine was follows: dumb military 90lbs (10,8,6), 50lbs (8x1.5reps), 40lbs(6x1.5reps)
lateral raises (15,12,10,8)
bent over raises (rear delts) (15,12,10,8)
20 lbs dumbell military 30reps. (no burn, no pain) QUIT

I'm 5'7.5" 178lbs natural.

Is this a normal feeling?
thanks

IMO, you should stay on your current cycle, it's working well for you. I do believe strongly that you will benefit much more from your workouts if switch to a "Mike Mentzer" style of training. Mentzer's workout incorporates the pre-exhaust method of training a muscle. This means doing the lateral raises BEFORE doing the DB military presses. The logic behind this is when doing DB presses first, your weaker supporting muscles, (in the case of delts, it's triceps), give out before your delts have reached failure. Training the delts in this fashion will force you to do less weight on the DB military presses, but you'll just have to "bite the bullet, and swallow your pride" on this in order to better develope your delts. Mentzer style of training also incorporates forced reps, and pure negaitve reps after reaching failure. Training in this fashion will only be possible if you perform only 2 sets per exercise. You can train long or you can train hard, BUT YOU CAN"T DO BOTH! Think of sprinters who do only short bursts of speed conditioning, whereas distance runners do long low intensity runs. Who looks more massive and muscular, sprinters or marathon runners?

Here is the delt workout I would suggest to switch to:
DB side laterals: With a weight that will allow at least 6 good reps to failure but no more than 10, (don't stop at 10 though if you haven't reached failure). Once failure is reached have someone assist you with 2 forced reps, (some assistance up but none down), followed by 2 negative reps, (your partner will help you raise the weight very quickly with you fighting to lower the weight on your own VERY SLOWLY). Now immediately (without rest), switch to DB's which are only approx. 70% of the weight used in your first set and complete another set in the same fashion as described above. Now without rest, do your first set of DB military presses in the fashion described above, following immediately with your second set of DB military press, again using a weight which is approx 70% of the weight used in your first set. Finish your delts with 2 (descending) sets of bent over lateral raises in the same manner you performed the DB side laterals.

A few more suggestions: This type of training is more effective, (because of better control on the forced and negative reps), using machines rather than DB's, example: cybex lateral raises in place of DB side raises, and Hammer iso lateral behind the neck press plate loaded machine in place of DB military presses. It won't take too many weeks of training at this extreme intensity level that you will need to switch to performing only 1 set per exercise instead of 2. Finally, PROGREESIVE RESISTANCE IS KEY, (always strive to move up in the amount of weight you're using with each new workout, but trying to stay in the 6-10 rep range.

If you do your workouts as I have described above, you will descover the true meaning of the word, "INTENSITY"! Dorian Yates built his incredible physique incorporating this style of training.

Good Luck!

 

[artysporty]

Wow thanks for the good and fast advice.

From what I am hearing, I should try to push my body a little more as long as proper form is observed. I didn't go all out because I need to see how my body(tendons) respond first. Even though I don't feel the burn when working out, I feel the sore tomorrow (alot of it).

My goal is to be 200lbs in 10weeks. I'm 33, lifting since 19 but seriously for 5 years. I gained 6lbs net and loss fat around my waist (don't know how but i did) in a week of AAS.

I think I will cap off the weights, say I will cap off at 90lbs per arm dumbell military but start increasing reps to 12,10,8 then start doing 8,7,6 on slow negatives etc. Basically, focusing on control and not absolute weights.

Question: Today for chest, I will do 115 lbs incline dumbells per hand for 12,10,8 or should I do 90lbs for 12,10,8 at very slow negatives? Before steroids, i did 120lbs flat and 110lbs incline (if that was my first exercise).
My plan is to do 115 incline, 110 flat, burn on decline (very slow negatives,
1.5 reps etc) for 60lbs. Cable flyes. The thing is, I know how to stress and strain my pecs without steroids, that has never been a problem...on steroids I feel a disconnect between failure (even on high intensity) and mental strain like i'm on adrenaline...surreal. I guess its like when I was climbing with a cut hand, it just doesn't "hurt".

My goal today is to feel the pump and hopefully some burn. Chest is where I can notice easily if i have a pump or not. So far, I think there is a humungous difference between natural and steroids. I fear it might be hard to reconcile the two when I'm off...planning to do only once cycle (really).

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[eastarr69]

Drop The Deca...check The Training Forum And Run The 5x5 Routine Listed There..it Will Work Grat For You..and I Would Use The Test As A Bulking C Ycle Anyhow Where You Want Heavier Weights And A Good Moderate Rep Range..run The 5x5 And You Will Grow And Get Strongewr..

E

 

[Deepglute]

Question: Today for chest, I will do 115 lbs incline dumbells per hand for 12,10,8 or should I do 90lbs for 12,10,8 at very slow negatives? Before steroids, i did 120lbs flat and 110lbs incline (if that was my first exercise).
My plan is to do 115 incline, 110 flat, burn on decline (very slow negatives,
1.5 reps etc) for 60lbs. Cable flyes. The thing is, I know how to stress and strain my pecs without steroids, that has never been a problem...on steroids I feel a disconnect between failure (even on high intensity) and mental strain like i'm on adrenaline...surreal. I guess its like when I was climbing with a cut hand, it just doesn't "hurt".

My goal today is to feel the pump and hopefully some burn. Chest is where I can notice easily if i have a pump or not. So far, I think there is a humungous difference between natural and steroids. I fear it might be hard to reconcile the two when I'm off...planning to do only once cycle (really).

Thanks again for your advice.

The idea of determining the effectiveness of your workouts based on "The Pump", is fantasyland. It's the same thing as determining the quality of the HGH you're using based on how tight your finger joints feel.

"The Pump", is nothing more than increased blood volume in the muscle. If you want a greater "Pump", just eat more carbs, (which BTW, you should be eating massive amounts of food while on cycle).

Progressive resistance is the true measurement of effective training, diet, and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) use. Your lifts should be no less than 20% more at the end of your cycle than they were at the start. Since you were doing 110lbs. DB incline presses before starting your Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) cycle, you should strive for at least 135lbs. DB's by end of cycle. Most guys who avoid making the massive increases in the poundages they use while on cycle, do so out of lack of will power, fear, and laziness.

An old saying I was taught 30+ years ago, "To get bigger, you must get stronger. To get stronger you must get bigger". Strenght increase and muscle weight gain go hand in hand.

Good Luck!