# my first 1ad/4ad cycle!



## stoned_free (Dec 8, 2004)

hey everybody. i'm in my 2nd week of my first 1ad/4ad cycle, and so far, things have been going pretty good. of course, i'm a little inexperienced, so i have started this log in hopes of getting some advice and input on my diet and training from all the helpful people here
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 . anyway, here's my stats as well as my plan of action:
19 yrs old. 5'5", starting weight: 128 lbs. not sure about bf, but according to a self administered calliper test ~8%
diet: on average, 260g protein, 230g carbs, 65g fat
training: 5 day split- Monday: legs, tueday: some clean cardio, wednesday: chest, thursday: back, friday: HIIT, saturday: shoulders/traps, sunday: arms
i also do some low-intensity jogging twice a week for about 25 minutes (my goal is to gain some mass, but i love running too much
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)
i plan on increasing my calories every week by about 200-300 cals, depending on how i look and feel
supplements: vitamin c & e, 9grams of fish oil, multi vit/min, ala, nac
my carbs come mainly from whole wheat bread, oats, brown rice, and skim milk
my protein sources are eggs, tuna, ground round beef, chicken breasts, protein powder
and for fats, egg yolks, natty pb, and fish oil
i'll also be posting my pics weekly 
well that's about all i can think of for now, i'm looking forward to everyone's input, thanks!


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 8, 2004)

*week 2 pics*

here's my pic for the beginning of my 2nd week.  since day 1, i've gone from 128 to 134, and my bf actually went down about .1%!  obviously it's mainly water weight, and i'm not too sure i've got the callipers down yet, but i think that's still impressive.


----------



## sara (Dec 8, 2004)

Welcome to IM  
1 comment that I have your protein might be a little too high.. maybe you could go down 1.5 grams per lbs/ body weight instead of 2??


----------



## simbh (Dec 8, 2004)

Not bad a week and you put on 6 pounds ... Just make sure you do a good pct , Im assuming with 6-oxo ?

Anyways , good luck , and Ill be watching this as I plan to do a 1-ad 4 week cycle myself just after the holidays .


----------



## I'm Trying (Dec 8, 2004)

The only problem is your too young to do a 1ad/4ad cycle.


----------



## PreMier (Dec 8, 2004)

I'm Trying said:
			
		

> The only problem is your too young to do a 1ad/4ad cycle.



That and he hasnt even touched his natural potential at that size.

Goodluck buddy   Just make sure you follow a proper PCT like simbh suggested.


----------



## ZECH (Dec 8, 2004)

Not to sound negative but at 19 and at 128 lb., there is no way you need 1-test and 4-ad! Eat and sleep and get big.


----------



## I'm Trying (Dec 8, 2004)

PreMier said:
			
		

> That and he hasnt even touched his natural potential at that size.



Which is what I was getting at I guess in a round about way. I'm 28 and haven't even done any type of cycle.


----------



## I'm Trying (Dec 8, 2004)

dg806 said:
			
		

> Not to sound negative but at 19 and at 128 lb., there is no way you need 1-test and 4-ad! Eat and sleep and get big.


I agree with DG. You should be eating like a MOFO and lifting like a MOFO.


----------



## Zac2013 (Dec 8, 2004)

I luv 1-ad Im going try to buy 11 bottles before the banned.. Because of 1-ad and all the hard work I'm up to 170 lbs were last year I was your size.


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 8, 2004)

yeah, for pct i have some 6-oxo, but lately i've been considering some nolva ... which would you guys recommend?


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 9, 2004)

ok, i'm on the 12th day of my cycle, and i've been feeling pretty tired all day today, despite a full nights rest last night, which by the way seemed to be one of the deepest sleeps i've had in a long time.  not too sure if it's the 1ad causing the lethargy, or the fact that i've just come straight off an ecy stack. but other than that, and the occasional burning when i piss, i haven't experienced any other side effects.  
on another note, my weight is still at 134, but my bf actually went down another tenth of a percent since sunday, even though i'm eating about 500 cals over my mainenance!  
but about the lethargy, what are some ways of combating it?  i'm thinking of taking some ec whenever i feel it coming on, but i don't want to get hooked back on.  are there any other ways to boost my energy?
and again, thanks to everyone for being so helpful.


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 12, 2004)

today's the beginning of the 3rd week of my cycle, and allready i'm at 136 lbs!  That's 8 lbs. in 2 weeks, and on top of all that, my bf has gone down to 7.6%.  I've been keepin pretty strict on my diet, and i've upped to carbs to about 270, and lowered the protein to about 230.  I did however slip up just a bit on the weekend with my diet and sleep... so far, no real side effects, besides weight gain , have occured, and i must say, things are looking pretty good.  i haven't really noticed any dramatic strength increases either, but i had allready been plateaued for a while coming into the cycle. here are my pics.


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 22, 2004)

hey everybody, so far i've been stacking 1ad/4ad for 25 days, and the results have still been amazing me.  i've been pretty stressed the last couple weeks with finals and all, but i still haven't missed a workout, or a meal.  last time i weight myself i was up at 139 lbs!  that's allready been 10 lbs in about 3 weeks.  best of all, my bf has remained stable at about 8%.  my calories vary around 2600-2800 on off days, 2800-3000 on lifting days.  still no serious side effects.  i am a born endomorph, so for me to be able to gain 10 lbs with minimal fat gain has really been amazing.  i usually put on fat very easily, which is why i have kept myself at a low bodyweight by doing tons of cardio.  the only other time i tried to really bulk was when i first started lifting, where i got myself up to 140 lbs. towards the end of my first year, but also added about 3 pant sizes with not much muscle.  that is when i took up daily cardio, and eventually got around to doing 2 hiit sessions a day, one of them being on an empty stomach, 3 or 4 times a week, with !  this lasted for about 4 months.  looking at my first pics, it goes without saying that i lost a tremendous deal of muscle.  oh well, live and learn.  now, i've got a much better sense of nutrition, i'm well aware of my recovery abilities, and this cycle, though probably started prematurely, has really rekindled my love for lifting! with the holidays coming up, i'm gonna be pretty busy, so this will probably be my last update until my cycle is over, which will be on Jan 8th.  by then, i hope to be at a solid 145 lbs!  i'm confident in myself that i can do it, so until then...


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 22, 2004)

here are some of my progress pics


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 29, 2004)

hey, to anybody that's been keeping up with my journal, i hit 145 lbs and still 8% bf! that's a 16 lb gain in lbm!  since i hit my goal a week and a half earlier, i was considering dropping calories back down to maintainance and doing some hiit in order to harden up during my last week, as well as adding creatine to help maintain my size.  then when the cycle is over, i'll bump up the calories by 500, and begin pct.  the thing is, i'm concerned with losing muscle, so my question is, would it be better to continue with my increased calories up until the end, and keep them during pct, or should i lower them until pct, then increase them when pct begins?  what i'm more concerned with is minimizing fat gain, any suggestions?


----------



## Cold Iron (Dec 29, 2004)

keep your cals up. Unless minimizing fat is more important than gaining/keeping LBM and strength to you

Wait till PCT is over and then lower cals and worry about cutting


----------



## stoned_free (Dec 29, 2004)

thanks.  right now i'm at 22x my bw, which is around 3100-3200 calories.  now i know the only reason i'm getting away with this is the ph's, and once the cycle is over, at that amount of calories and the inevitable hormonal imbalance that's going to follow, i'm sure to gain some fat, which i now accept.  should i keep my calories at 22x my bw, or should i lower it standard bulking calories like 18 or 20x my bw?


----------



## Egoatdoor (Dec 31, 2004)

Hi, I just stopped by your Journal for the first time. Keep eating and take the creatine. It should help you when you are off cycle.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 4, 2005)

well, my 6 week cycle is coming to an end this saturday... i'm really going to miss ph's, because to be honest i had amazing results.  i'm up at 146 right now, and my bf% is somewhere between 8-9%. i gained 3/4" on my arms, 1 inch on my quads, my bench went from 165 max to 190!, deadlifts from 225x6 to 250x8!, barbell rows went from 135x8 for 2 sets to 135x12 for 3 sets. my pants still fit loose at the waist, but are much more tighter now around my thighs, and all the sleeves on my shirts are stretched.  DAMN I LOVED MY CYCLE!!!!  but all good things must come to an end, and now, i'm getting ready for pct...  i plan on using metacort, and nolva, and i've also begun loading some good ol' micronized creatine.  now i have some questions regarding the metacort.  i read on a couple of posts that it is a good idea to start taking the aromatise inhibitor a few days early, to help with the allready present estrogen.  is there really any reasoning behind this, or is it more of a "just in case" kind of thing?  i was also wondering if there were certain times in the day to take the metacort and the nolva, like first thing in the morning for instance, or right before bed?  i've searched around, but there are way too many different ideas and theories thrown around on the "proper" way to take them.


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 4, 2005)

stoned_free said:
			
		

> barbell rows went from 135x8 for 2 sets to 135x12 for 3 sets.


Progressive resistance. Increase the weight to 155, see how many reps you can do and then work that up to 12???


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 4, 2005)

another question i have is regarding pct training.  on cycle, volume was extremely high, and i'm just starting to taper down my sets.  i've done some searching on various training protocols, and i'm going to go with a low rep (5-8)/ low volume (4 sets for delts/bi's/tri's 6 sets for back/chest, 9 sets for legs) in order to keep strength high.  my question is, should i do a 4 day mon,tues, thurs,fri split hitting chest/bi's, quads/hams, delts/traps/tri's, back.  my other option is a 3 day HST style split, doing total body workouts mon, wed, fri, using compound movements, heavy weights, low reps.  i know i've allready asked a ton of questions, but this is my first cycle, and i'm trying to do all i can to make sure i do everything right.


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 4, 2005)

I don't vary my routines from on cycle to off, except I may make some minor adjustments in the weights as sometimes I am not as strong or have as much muscular endurance off cycle as I reach the third and fourth week.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 5, 2005)

ok, i'm going to keep the same routine i have now, but i am going to lower my volume and up my intensity in order to get shorter workouts.  as for the metacort, has anyone tried applying it early in order to deal with the allready present estrogen?  it sounds like an interesting theory, just not sure if it is enough to make a difference


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 9, 2005)

hey everybody, today is the 6 week mark of my cycle, and i must say, i am more than pleased with my results!  so much so that i decided to extend my cycle to 8 weeks.  the reason for this is because i got some s1+ from a friend, and it's just enough for a 2 week supply, so i decided to add it onto my current cycle, seeing as how it's probably going to be my last, and a 2 week cycle of s1+ is probably not going to do much if i take it in the future.  i allready surpassed my target bw on this cycle by 2 lbs at 147, and now, i'm aiming for 150!  again, i know i was too young to begin with, and i could have easily gained naturally with hard work and patience, but nevertheless, i'm glad i went ahead with it.  besides, it's not like i didn't put any hardwork into this either.  i did plenty of research, kept a clean diet that i followed day by day, and worked my ass off in the gym.  anyway, here are my progress pics after 6 weeks


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 9, 2005)

You look bigger than in the first set of pictures, but pro steriod or not pro steroid, you need to work on developing an 'x" frame. Your physique is very "up and down", or rectangular.

"X" frame means wide shoulders and back, flaring ( "sweeping")quads and a smaller in comparison waist. Your legs are not visible in the pictures, but your torso again is very rectangular and not a "x" frame.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 10, 2005)

ego, i've definitely noticed that problem.  i'm also stumped on how i can correct it.  i remember reading in the weider system of bodybuilding about expanding the ribcage with breathing squats and breathing pullovers, where you perform 15-20 reps with moderate weight of each exercise, supersetted back to back, only you pause at the top of each rep and perform a certain breathing pattern.  apparently this forces the cartilage of your ribcage to expand, making your upper torso wider and thicker.  i'm a little skeptical whether or not this is possible, so i'm not sure if it would be worth a try, if you or anyone else has any experience with it.  also, besides pullups/downs, what other good exercises are there for lat width?


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 10, 2005)

stoned_free said:
			
		

> ego, i've definitely noticed that problem. i'm also stumped on how i can correct it. i remember reading in the weider system of bodybuilding about expanding the ribcage with breathing squats and breathing pullovers, where you perform 15-20 reps with moderate weight of each exercise, supersetted back to back, only you pause at the top of each rep and perform a certain breathing pattern. apparently this forces the cartilage of your ribcage to expand, making your upper torso wider and thicker. i'm a little skeptical whether or not this is possible, so i'm not sure if it would be worth a try,


 I'm skeptical too. 


> if you or anyone else has any experience with it. also, besides pullups/downs, what other good exercises are there for lat width?


Don't make the problem too complicated. So you need to widen the back and shoulders. OK, focus your workouts on doing that. I had a similar issue a year ago, not so much that I was "up and down", but that my lat and shoulder width were not enough to counteract very large quads. What I have been doing for nine months on the advice of a very good trainer is:
1) Weighted chins or pullups at least two out of every three back workouts. ( Do not worry if you can only do a few, the most I can do right now with a 25 lb plate is 7 or 8. The point is to do them and over time as your strength increases, so will the reps.)
2) Wide Grip ( shoulder width) Bent Over Barbell Rows with an underhand grip. Do these with the back at a 45 degree angle. I do these for two workouts, then do regular bent over rows for one. The underhand wide grip and the 45 degree angle brings more of the outer and lower lats into the movement.
3) Do side laterals every shoulder workout to widen the shoulders. I have also been adding Wide Grip Upright Rows too, focusing on using the side delts ( which means using less weight) and not the traps to raise the bar.
4) Mixing in close grip underhand pulldowns with the normal wide grip overhand pulldowns. This will hit the lower lats.

This has really increased the width of my entire upper body and the problem has been solved, so now I have been able to go back to training legs hard.

I have a Journal here also, so check out some of my workouts in there.

One other piece of advice. If you are not doing them, add deadlifts to your routine. This is in my opinion the second best overall exercise. It will build muscle throughout your body, including the back, traps and shoulders.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 10, 2005)

thanks for all the great suggestions. i've been working out in my home gym currently since school has been off for the holidays, and thus, my school's weight room as well.  i've been weighted chins for about 3 weeks so far, but seeing as i don't have a dipping belt, i've been improvising with a backpack .
it did help me get through a plateau.  today i will begin a 4 day mon, tue, thurs, fri split, higher frequency split, mainly because my recovery has vastly improved, and i haven't been capitalizing on this as much as i should.  so this is what i was planning for my back and shoulder routines:  
tues: 2 sets weighted chins, 1 set underhand barbell rows.  6-8 reps
        2 sets overhead dumbell press, 1 set side laterals.  6/10 reps respectively
fri:  2 sets underhand barbell rows, 1 set weighted chins
      2 sets widegrip upright rows, 1 set side laterals. 
how does my shoulder routine look?  for the side laterals, i was considering throwing a static hold at the end of each set.  and should i include deadlifts with my back or leg workout?  i worked them in with back at the start of my cycle, but i ended up taking them out because i felt like i was overtraining my back, but i was also doing 12 sets for my back, besides the deads, so that could have been it...


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 10, 2005)

i've enclosed some pics of my quads and calves, and any [positive] critiquing/ suggestions are welcome.  i've been doing gvt for my quads and hams, and they loved it so much that they decided to grow an inch, but progress has been slowing, and i'm ready for a change. my calves have always been relatively big due to genetics. without any direct work, they're 14inches in circumfrence while relaxed, but i'm about to throw in some calf raises in order to spark some new growth. and again, thanks for all the advice, it is much appreciated


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 10, 2005)

stoned_free said:
			
		

> i've been weighted chins for about 3 weeks so far, but seeing as i don't have a dipping belt, i've been improvising with a backpack .


Backpack...that's something I never thought about. Good idea.


> today i will begin a 4 day mon, tue, thurs, fri split, higher frequency split, mainly because my recovery has vastly improved, and i haven't been capitalizing on this as much as i should. so this is what i was planning for my back and shoulder routines:
> tues: 2 sets weighted chins, 1 set underhand barbell rows. 6-8 reps
> 2 sets overhead dumbell press, 1 set side laterals. 6/10 reps respectively
> fri: 2 sets underhand barbell rows, 1 set weighted chins
> ...


 On a 4 day split, I don't think you should be doing back and shoulders twice. Yes, you want to prioritize them, but that means working them hard and I do not see how 1 set of underhand rows and 1 set of side laterals in a workout is going to do enough to create muscle hypertrophy. 

Rework the split so each part is worked once a week. You do not want to do legs the day before or the day after back.

For the one back workout, consider this in order: 1) 2-3 sets of weighted chins, 2) 3 sets of deadlifts 3) 3 sets of underhand bent BB rows 4) 3 sets of pulldowns, either close or wide grip.  The next week, substitute regular bent BB rows for the underhand rows and either T Bar Rows or seated cable rows for the pulldown. 

This is 11 or 12 sets for the back. It is a big muscle group and 12 sets should not create an overtrained condition.

You need a lot more work on the shoulders. Consider: 1) Seated Dumbbell or barbell Military Press 3 sets 2) 3-4 sets of seated side laterals( doing them seated should make you less inclined to cheat, which will take emphasis away from the side delts and onto other assisting muscles such as the traps and arms). Do not do a prolonged static hold. Pause at the stop for about a half second, while contracting the side delts. 3) if you feel you can handle it, then 3 sets of wide grip upright rows. If you do this right, your side delts are going to feel fried after these six sets. Then finish with, 4) Shrugs for the traps.

Remember to keep eating and take your creatine. Pyramid the weights up as you go along, but do not do this at the sacrifice of keeping proper form. All of this should help build size in those areas.


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 10, 2005)

stoned_free said:
			
		

> i've enclosed some pics of my quads and calves, and any [positive] critiquing/ suggestions are welcome. i've been doing gvt for my quads and hams, and they loved it so much that they decided to grow an inch, but progress has been slowing, and i'm ready for a change. my calves have always been relatively big due to genetics. without any direct work, they're 14inches in circumfrence while relaxed, but i'm about to throw in some calf raises in order to spark some new growth. and again, thanks for all the advice, it is much appreciated


Its hard to make a definitive judgement without a full body shot, but it looks like your legs are a pretty good size compared to your upper body. And as someone with genetically challenged calves, I'd kill for yours...LOL. If my judgement is accurate, you appear to have very good genetics as a potential bodybuilder if you want to go that route(or else just a legend with the girls at the local beach).  You have the leg part of the "x" down and getting the waist down should not be hard long term. You need to really work on getting that upper body wider.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 10, 2005)

so are you saying i should ditch the twice a week workouts? i just got done doing a lower body workout right now, and i did the half the volume of what i normally do, so i'll probably still have to do another leg workout later on this week.  i'll definitely take your advice and follow the back/delt routine you gave me.  how's this for a new split? mon: chest/bi's, tues: thighs/calves, wed: off, thurs: delts/traps/tri's, fri: back.  i don't plan on becoming a pro in the future, i'm just looking to get big AND symmetrical, not just big and bulky.  and i must say, even though i only started lifting after high school to get bigger, everytime i get asked to flex by the ladies, and whenever they tell me things like, "whoa, you're getting big", or "let me feel your arms" it definitely pushes me to keep on lifting .  of course i know i'm nowhere near huge, but hey, who am i to tell them otherwise, lol.  but seriously, i'm glad i've come a long way from weighing 115, 11% bf in high school with 12.5 inch arms, to 147, with 14.25 inch arms and the same size waist.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 11, 2005)

i've decided to post my workout progression in my log, so feel free to make suggestions where you see fit. today was chest/biceps day, and it was definitely one of my best chest workouts ever!
*note* i always do two warmup sets with 50 and 60% of my load, and one weight acclimation set

flat barbell bench: 155x6, 160x6, 165x6
incline barbell bench: 115x8, 135x6, 135x4
dips: b.w.x8, b.w.x9, b.w.x10

dumbell curls: 40x6, 42.5x4, 42.5x4
barbell curls:  65x8, 70x6, 70x6

on the flat bench, my plan was to do 3 sets of 155x6, but i was feeling stronger than ever, and knew i could do more, so i added 2.5 on each side on each set.  i didn't reach failure on any of my sets, but i'm sure on my last set i could pushed one more.  so far that's a 20lb. increase on my 6rep max!
today was my first day doing incline with a barbell, so i wasn't sure where i was at, last time i tried was about 3 months ago, and i was only able to hit 135x4.  again, on my last set i could have definitely popped off two more, but decided against it because the platform where i rest my feet was beginning to slip out. ( i have to setup bricks to place my feet on when i bench because i'm a little guy, and my legs just dangle off the edge of my bench, lol, my home gym is hella ghetto).
i'm going to start adding weight on the dips, cause they're getting too easy with my bodyweight. dips are one of my favorite chest exercises. i love the stretch they give me.

my reps on the dumbell curls were a little low, but that's because i can normally do 40x8, but i feel a plateau coming on, so i tried upping the weight.
my barbell curl strength is about the same, but i feel a slight increase coming about, so i think i'm going start devoting my energy on that while i rest of the dumbell curls for awhile.  meanwhile, i'm going to need another exercise to replace the db curls.  any suggestions?  i was think preacher curls.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 13, 2005)

today was a shoulder/traps/triceps, and i had one helluva workout!  i took ego's advice on the shoulder exercises, and they were definitely killler!  my workout went as follows:

overhead db press: 50x8, 50x6, 50x6
widegrip upright rows: 75x10, 80x8, 85x6
seated lateral raises: 15x8, 15x8, 15x6
reardelt lateral raises: 27.5x8, 27.5x8, 27.5x8
barbell shrugs: 185x12, 205x10, 225x6

closegrip benchpress: 135x6, 135x6, 135x6
skullcrushers: 65x10, 70x6, 70x7

i pulled out 2 extra reps on my first of db presses, but was only able to do my planned 6 on the next two, next time i will shoot for 3 sets of 7.  i was definitely able to feel the upright rows, and next time i will up the whole pyramid by 5lbs.  doing the lateral raises seated is ALOT different than standing, and i first attempted 20lbs, but had to lower the weight down, cause i couldn't even get a single rep in. the 15's felt nice, and next time, i wil shoot for 3 sets of 8.  since the start of my cycle, my reardelt has continued to get stronger, and they're definitely starting to stand out now.  i'm going to knock out 3 sets of 8 with 30lbs. next time.  on my last set of shrugs, my forearms gave out before my traps, but it was still a 10lb. increase from last week's workout, so i'm not complaining.
i've seem to have plateaued on the close grip bench presses, but i've increased my 6 rep max by 20lbs since the start of cycle.  i'm beginning to gain strength on the skullcrushers, so i'm going to make that my first tricep exercise, and pyramid up the weight.  and since i'm ditching the closegrip presses for now, i'm going to start doing pressdowns as my second tricep exercise.  

all in all, i had a great workout today, my shoulders were pumped so bad that it hurt, but damn it felt good!  tommorrows back day, and right now, it's time to rest and eat like a maniac


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 14, 2005)

just finished a back workout, and right now it feels like i really gave my lats hell!  this has to have been one of the most focused back workouts i've ever endured, because i'm determined to bring them out and get my x-frame going!  anyway, here's what i busted out today:

weighted chins: bw+5lbs x 6, bw+10lbs x 4, bw+15lbs x 3
deadlifts: 185x12, 215x10, 250x6!
reverse grip rows:  125x8, 115x10, 115x10
closegrip pulldowns: 85x10, 95x8, 100x6

normally i could do more reps with weighted chins, but this time i kept my elbows out and locked, stabalized my lowerbody completely, and focuses solely on my lats, and i've never felt them work harder!  other times i would let my elbows in and let my biceps assist me and/or let my legs sway a bit in order to squeeze in a few extra reps, but really, i've been cheating myself.  i haven't deadlifted in about a month, so i started low, but i ended up setting a new personal record, and it was also the first time i tried them from a platform, so i'm feeling hella good about that.  it took me awhile to get a feel for the reverse grip rows on the first set, but after lowering the weight a bit and adjusting my stance, i was able to take my biceps out.  they felt great because not only did i feel them in my lower lats, but my rhomboids and middle traps were burning more than ever!  the pulldown station on my home gym is a little sketchy, and only fits 100lbs, but the unlubricated pulley which likes to stick in certain areas probably adds a few more lbs. of resistance.  besides, by the time i got to them, my lats were fried...  

i'm going to be making my lats my new priority, because honestly, they're lagging.  but anyway, right now they're screaming at me for a chicken breast with brown rice, so gotta give them what they want.  this weekend is off for me, but maybe i'll throw in some clean cardio or a hiit session, depending on how i feel.  and again, if anybody has any suggestions or comments, feel free to let me know!


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 14, 2005)

Great job with those last two workouts and congrats on the personal best on deadlifts.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 15, 2005)

ego, thank a lot man, especially for the new delt/back exercises .  

here are my weekly progress pics.  i've decided to start taking full body shots, in order to gain a better grasp of my proportions and trouble/lagging areas.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 15, 2005)

some more pics. i moved my calories down a bit, cause the fat gain started coming in finally, so i actually didn't gain any weight this week, but i did get harder all around, and gained some serious definition in a weeks time, and my belly circumfrence went down a half inch, my bicep and forearm (both relaxed) gained 1/8 of an inch, and so did my quads.  the callipers read 7% bf.  i swear this stuff is amazing!


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 17, 2005)

today was chest/biceps day, and it was fuckin amazing!!!  i blew away last weeks sets on all my chest lifts, and and made some decent weight increases on my biceps.   
flat bench: 160x6, 165x6, 175x6!!
incline bench:115x10, 135x6, 145x5!
dips: bwx10, bwx10, bwx10

barbell curls: 60x10, 70x8, 75x6
db preacher curls: 22.5x10, 27.5x6, 32.5x4-17.5x8 (dropset)

i uppped my 6rep max for flat bench by 30lbs. during my cycle, and i couldn't be happier.  i also went up 10lbs. on my incline bench.  dips remained consistent. but i figured since i also slapped on 20lbs. of bodyweight, that's like increasing the weight .
i upped my 6rep max on barbell curls by 5lbs. as well, which is pretty decent for one week's time imo.  and this was my first time doing preacher curls in over a year, and they felt extremely nice during the stretch.  i threw in the dropset because i knew this was going to be my last workout on androgens, so i thought i'd make the most of it.


----------



## stoned_free (Jan 26, 2005)

hey everybody.  sorry for the delayed update, but my cycle ended last saturday, and i ended up at 148 lbs. and 8% bf, for a total of 20 lbs gained in 8 weeks.  that's 17.12 lbs of lean mass, which i happen to be quite content with.  strength was incredible.  monday i benched 185 for 4 reps, and i'm in pct, so that's great, and yesterday my squats went up to 205, 8 reps ass to grass!  i'm confident that i can keep most if not all my gains by the end of pct.  i'll post my results after pct, which will be in 4 weeks.  by the way, i'm on nolva, metacort, e/c/y, alcar, and creatine right now.  the nolva at 30mg weeks 1-2, 20mg week 3, 10mg week 4, and the metacort at 5 pumps a day.  i haven't experienced any losses in libido, and the ecy is helping to combat the lethargy.  strength is rising still, so that's a plus.  i have pics from last saturday, which i'll have uploaded by friday.  so until then.


----------



## Egoatdoor (Jan 26, 2005)

S, You're making good progress. Its great to see somebody here really improving as you have.


----------



## stoned_free (Feb 1, 2005)

hey everybody, i know these update pics are a bit late, but my camera erased my pics from the end of my cycle, so i took some yesterday.  today i weighed in at 150!!!  my bench is at 185x3, shoulder press at 55x6, deadlift is 265x6, and today i squated 225x6, and did stiff-legged deadlifts at 225x6.  so strength hasn't gone down, but it has plateaued.  and i'm still gaining.  pct hasn't been as rough as i thought.  i'm currently taking metacort (5 sprays daily), creatine, aakg (although i haven't noticed any difference with it), alcar, nac, milk thistle, ala, and some e/c.  anyway, here are my most recent pics.


----------



## stoned_free (Feb 1, 2005)

more pics


----------



## Egoatdoor (Feb 1, 2005)

Your back looks much better....wider and even some nice definition too...shoulders are also a bit wider. Good job.

If you feel that your lifts start to plateau, don't be afraid to take a week or two and switch to higher reps, say 10 or 12. Drop the weights a bit, but keep them challenging. This will work different muscle fibers and could kick the body into a another growth spurt because you have surprised it with a change of pace so that the body gets out of its low rep comfort zone.

I also remember seeing that you were hitting the wall on dumbbell curls I think. The bis are a small muscle and constantly increasing the weight on a low rep routine can be hard without getting into excessive cheating. An option is to a drop set on your last set( I think you did do that one day on side laterals?). Do as many reps as you can with the higher weight, then grab a dumbbell at half the weight and do more reps until you totally fail, focusing on contracting the bis hard on each rep. This will extend the intensity beyond what you could have done by just stopping when you failed at the higher weight.


----------



## stoned_free (Apr 15, 2005)

hey, i'm back.  it's been two months since my last update, becaues i got pretty fat during pct... and was embarassed to post any pics, but i just finished a quick mini cut and feel more confident about putting up some pics.  anyway, my new stats are:
150lbs., not sure about bf% because i lost my callipers, 15"arms, 22"quads, 30"waist.
Bench:205x4, Row:185x4, Squat: 235x5, Deadlift:275x4 from a 6" platform
i'm pleased with my results and continuted to grow in size and strength during pct, which came as a surprise.  right now my focus is on maintaining my weight while dropping some bf percentage for summer.  i will be starting a new journal for that, so please, any advice would again be appreciated.


----------



## Egoatdoor (Apr 15, 2005)

I was wondering where you were... 

You're looking good just as you are....you're gonna be fighting the girls off with a stick at the beach this summer.


----------

