Frequently Asked Questions

[Big Cat]

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT STEROID PRODUCTS OR ANCILLARY DRUGS IN SPECIFIC CHECK THE ONLINE STEROID PROFILES AT THE LINK BELOW FIRST :

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/catsteroids.htm

PLEASE READ THIS FAQ CAREFULLY BEFORE POSTING ANY BEGINNER TYPE QUESTIONS. IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF FLAMING AND HUMILIATION AND IT WILL SAVE US A LOT OF ANNOYANCE

1.I'm not yet 21, should I use steroids ?

HELL NO. Plain and simple. Steroids WILL, not may, WILL stunt your growth. They close the epiphysial plates in your bones and stop all possibility of attaining a greater height. Further more using steroids during puberty, when you are dealing with an already very unstable endocrine system can have severe consequences in the long run : Erectile dysfunction (impotence), loss of libido and even infertility ! I assume most men in their late teens and twenties hope to have children some day and lead a long and fulfilling sex life, so steroids before the age of 21 : NO ! Questions about steroids by teens may well be ignored.

If you are a teenager wondering about steroids, heed this advice. Read the boards, absorb the knowledge and learn so you can use them properly when you are old enough. But for your own good steer clear of them now. For once and for all, use your mind, we have nothing to gain or lose by telling you not to use them.

2.Steroids are not magic !

They are merely effective hormonal supplements. They increase the rate of protein synthesis in the body, but to synthsize protein one still needs to take in enough protein and take care of his energy needs with fats and carbs. Those thinking that steroids will get them out of the rut their bad diets have created are sorely mistaken. A steroid user needs a minimum of experience because his diet will take a lot more work than the diet of a natural athlete. We are talking in excess of 25 calories per pound of bodyweight daily, where 18-22 will suffice for a natural. And most can't even make that. Large amount of proteins especially need to be consumed. Upwards of 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight daily. Steroids do not cause growth, they merely speed up the process and stretch it to supra-physiological levels, working with the means they have. And those means are the food you consume.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU ATTEMPT TO ATTAIN GROWTH BY PROPERLY ADJUSTING YOUR DIET BEFORE EVEN CONSIDERING STEROIDS !

3.You should not use steroids until you have reached your natural limit.

Well lets say you need to be close to it. This has a lot to do with the previous points and for two reasons. The first being that if you are not near your natural limit, there is no way you tried enough variations in your diet to assume you are ready to use steroids.

The second reason is that if you cannot attain a near natural limit, you simply do not possess the nutritional skills to make steroids work to their maximum. The result being that you will waste a lot of money, get lots of side-effects, but not the gains you were hoping for.

4.You should have all your gear and drugs prior to starting a cycle !

Ordering steroids in many small packages reduces the cost of each package and reduces the chance of a large amount being seized. Do not however, start a cycle with your first package if the rest has not arrived. Breaks in a cycle can be hazardous to recovery, mass retention and your entire endocrine system, often with disastrous long-term consequences. If your package does not arrive, or does not arrive on time, you will have to stop your cycle, stay off as long as you were on and start again from square one.

This goes for ancillary drugs as well. All of us are quite sick of hearing from kids that their cycle is almost over, yet they don't have Nolva /clomid to help them kick natural test back in after the cycle. Sorry, that's not our problem, its something that would not have happened had you done some basic research first. DO NOT post such stupid questions on the board. We will keep a two strikes and you're out; record, meaning the first time you get a warning, the second time you get banned.

5. Source posting is a no-no.

Read the board rules, talk to the mods.

6.What sort of gains should I expect ?

This is a question dependent on too many variable factors and has no answer. DO NOT ASK THIS QUESTION. It only works on people's nerves and makes them not want to answer your other questions. This is possibly the dumbest question you can ask.

7. Do i need something to bring my natural test levels up after a test cycle?

This should go without saying. If you were thinking of asking this question, take it from me, you are not ready to start using steroids. After a cycle of steroids your natural sex hormone levels will be severely suppressed due to a mechanism called negative feedback. To preserve gains and keep a mentally and physically healthy life-style, you need to get your testosterone levels back on line. When a deficit of steroids in the body has occured, it will attempt to make natural testosterone again. But unfortunately steroid levels do not drop off, usually there is an estrogen rebound which prolongs the negative feedback. Estrogen of course will not suffice to keep your gains. So the need of an estrogen antagonist is needed post-cycle, either Clomid (clomiphene citrate) or Nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate).

During longer or very suppressive cycles (Deca, long term test, trenbolone) your testicles may begin to shrink heavily due to disuse. this may make it harder to make natural test right off the bat. In such cases it is advised you use HCG as well to bring back the size of the testicles first.

8.When should I use Clomid or Nolvadex for this purpose ? How long and how much ?

This depends first of all on the products used. Specifically what the longest acting product was in teh cycle. If you used only orals or test suspension or winstrol injections, then you need to start Clomid/Nolva therapy immediately afterwards. If short esters like propionate or acetate were used, then start 4-6 days after your last shot. If you use long esters (enanthate, undecylenate, undecanoate, decanoate, enanthate/heptylate, ...) then start therapy 10-14 days after your last shot.

For Clomid start with 150 mg/day for 2 weeks, then 100 mg/day for 2 more weeks. With nolvadex, which should be given preference, start with 50 mg/day for 2 weeks and 25 mg/day for 2 more weeks. In both cases that is 4 weeks.

Before using these , consult the appropriate profiles on these substances as found in this site's steroid profiles section :

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/catsteroids.htm

9. When, how and how much HCG should I use ?

Again, consult the appropriate profile for more detailed information prior to use. But basically the idea is to start as soon as your cycle is over, or even the last week of the cycle. Take 4 shots over 20 days, 3000/3000/1500/1500 IU respectively, taken every 5 days. For this method, inject intra-muscularly. HCG can also be injected subcutanously but that requires more injections.

Two things to note : HCG is suppressive of natural testosterone, so make sure your Nolvadex or Clomid therapy lasts at least 2 weeks longer than your HCG therapy. NEVER do an HCG run without the concommittant use of Clomid or Nolvadex.

HCG in high doses or during long term use (longer than 25 days or higher than 5000 IU per shot) can have a reverse effect and may hinder your recovery, stick to the above protocol.

HCG comes in two vials, once vials are mixed, it needs to be kept refridgerated.

10.I heard you can drink Injectable winstrol / D-bol. Is this true ? Are the results the same ?

This is one question all of us are REALLY sick of hearing.Winstrol (stanazolol) and D-bol (methandrostenolone) are both 17-alpha-alkylated steroids. 17-alpha-alkylation is a structural alteration that allows the steroid to withstand degradation in the liver and makes them orally available. So YES, these steroids can be taken orally.

Note 1 : The efficacy of this method is equal to taking an oral winstrol or D-bol preparation. Usually this is 75-80% of the efficacy one would get when injecting. Most are willing to accept 1/5th less gains or will take 1/5th more of the product because taking it orally is still easier than daily injections

Note 2 : These products are toxic to the liver. When injected they only pass the liver once, so they are a little less toxic. When ingested, only use them for 6 weeks on end and then stay away from them for 14 weeks. This goes for all 17AA steroids.

Note 3 : Not all injectable steroids can be taken orally, only 17AA steroids (D-bol, Winstrol, Anavar, Anadrol) and 1-methylated substances (Proviron and Primobolan). Other injectables will yield only 4-6% of their injectable capacity.

[Big Cat]

11.I'm planning a cycle with only D-bol. How should I use it ? What gains can I expect ?

This is without a DOUBT the stupidest question we hear here every day. Oral steroids only are not the way to go. Because they are extremely hazardous to the liver, lethal even in the long run, they can only be used for short periods and require extensive off periods. No mentionable amount of mass can be built during the short cycle and no mentionable amount of mass can be retained during the long off periods.

With D-bol or Anadrol its twice as bad. The gains are mostly estrogen mediated. That means lots of bloat and water, fat gain, easy to lose your gains (never expect to keep more than half from a D-bol only cycle, even if your diet is perfect) and so forth. D-bol is part of any good bulking cycle , but D-bol alone IS NOT A CYCLE.

For safe and maintainable gains you should really inject.

12. I'm afraid of injecting, I don't know how to do it. What should I do.

Injecting is childsplay. Basically you pierce the skin with the needle, when it gets a little tougher, you've hit muscle. push through it. Now pull back on the plunger. If no blood enters the syringe, inject. If blood enters the syringe, pull the needle back slightly and then inject. Always make sure the muscle you inject into is relaxed. if you inject into the glute, you NEED to sit down to make the muscle relax if you inject yourself but stand up when someone else injects it. With the quad, make sure the knee is bent.

You can learn how to inject here, including all types of spot injections :

http://www.spotinjections.com/

i'm not a big believer in spot injections, if you do use them, use only aqueous products like test suspension and winstrol and a finer needle.

If you are still scared, have someone else do it for you.

Another informative link for regular intramuscular injections is:

http://www.osu.edu/units/osuhosp/patedu/Materials/PDFDocs/medicatn/geninfo/intrainj.pdf Courtesy of Humannkid

This is a .pdf file and you need to RIGHT CLICK and "save target as" directly to your computer and read through Adobe Acrobat or print out. Thanks for the heads up Humannkid


13.I can't get any needles. How do you expect me to inject ?

This is the lamest excuse there is. Syringes and needles are legal over the counter products in 99% of the world. if you happen to be in that 1% of the world where it is illegal to purchase them over the counter, try this site :

http://www.getpinz.com

14. What size needle should I use ?

For glute and even quad injections a 23 G will suffice, 1 to 1.5 inch. The longer for the glute injections. For spot injections, the use of a 25 or even a 27 G is recommended. Its more comfortable. For coarser products like Deca 25's will be too small and a 23 must be used.

15.What are my nutritional requirements when using anabolic steroids ?

I think this is perhaps a question that should be asked MORE often. People seem to think that steroids are the magic bullet and that they can slack off with diet and training. Nothing can be fuirther from the truth. To use steroids correctly, you should be near your natural limit of muscle growth. That never makes things easier. You will have to eat even more to gain muscle, 25 calories per pound of bodyweight and 1.5 grams of protein over 6-7 meals daily.

If you are dieting to lose fat, that' is another matter. You should deprive yourself of calories while still keeping protein as high as possible. In such a state you WILL NOT gain ANY muscle. The use of Anabolic steroids in such conditions is only the preservation of lean mass while trying to lose fat with a catabolic condition.

16. I want to use Winstrol, my friends say it will get me "cut" !

Bull**** !!! Steroids do not cause any serious degree of fat loss. Steroid use during dieting phases is only to preserve lean mass. Not to cause fat loss. to lose fat a diet and cardio are still the most effective ways. of course there are illegal drugs that can help, like clenbuterol and T3. But not steroids. The choice of steroid is nonetheless important, you need to select a non-aromatizing steroid in order to avoid adding fat, which would be counter-productive.

17. Give me a checklist for what I need to do a cycle

Enough steroids. If you do 500 mg per week of testosterone, and you get a product that is 250 mg/ml, then you need to make sure you have 20 ml of this testosterone. And so on. if its only 100 mg/ml, then you will need 50 ml of this product. Same with tabs. 100 D-bol tabs of 5 mg are nothing. For a cycle you need more than 250. Make sure you also have your ancillaries : Anti-estrogens for during the cycle (Nolvadex and Arimidex) and your aids for post-cycle (HCG, Nolvadex, Clomid, aldactone). And of course, plenty of syringes and needles.

18. I have 100 D-bol tabs, how should I use them ? (Similar to : I have 5 amps of Deca, how should I use them ?)

Easy. YOU DON'T !!!! These are illegal products and controlled pharmaceuticals for a reason. They need to be used responsibly. If you cannot do a proper cycle for whatever reason, then don't do one at all. These half-assed attempts will not only not provide you with any gains, they can still cause side-effects and long-term problems with libido and fertility. Not worth it. Wait until you have all you need for a real cycle, then come back and ask again.

19. I cannot get Clomid/Nolvadexfor post-cycle. Can I still do a cycle ?

At your own risk yes. testosterone will be suppressed much longer, testicular atrophy may become irreversible, etc. Most of your gains will be lost if you are so careless. Moreover this is not a valid excuse. There are plenty of sources for ancillary drugs to be found. Here are at least two mod-approved sources. Mail them for prices on the likes of arimidex (anastrozole), Nolvadex (tamoxifen) and Clomid (clomiphene) and others.

(E-mail a mod for help)

[Big Cat]

20. I cannot obtain steroids locally. I'm a little worried about ordering on the internet. Are there any precautions I should take ?

A.When selecting a source

Select your source carefully. Not getting scammed is your first priority. Never order any product from someone you don't know can deliver, or wasn't recommended to you by someone you know personally who can vouch for him. Not just some board member that says he is good, but a respected person who has more to lose by lying than by being upfront. Below are some types of sources you should not deal with :

1.Sources with a real fancy website that can be located on a search engine. Most sources will find websites too conspicuous. Some sources in countries where they are legal will have a website, but usually not a very open one. If they have a very commercial website its either a scammer or a sting operation. either way you lose your money.

2.Legit online pharmacies. Even if they claim you don't need a script. These people wave all responsibility for the package. the real problem is that these sites are well-known with customs offices. When packages from these places enter the country they are immediately detained. All too often, there is a paper trail of your payment as well. You not only stand to lose your money, but could also face legal charges. These are places like Pharmagroup. Usually they are overpriced as well.

3. Never, ever buy from a source that mails you. Obtain sources from stand-up people at reputable boards, from friends and people who have a lot to lose by cheating you. Never from a stranger. If the source has to mail you, he is not reputable. It usually means he has already been denied by most moderators.

4. Never place a very large order. If you are dealing with a source for the first time, never order more than $500 the first time around. If he delivers, you can always order more.

B. When ordering stuff

With props to immortal juicer for some of this information.

There are some things you need to watch when ordering steroids online. Most people are worried about the illegal nature and the consequences this may have. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on these matters. Be aware of your own rights, and above all, deny but DO NOT lie. Making up stories requires a consistency, when you do not have that it usually bites you in the ass. Things to watch when ordering :

1.Never pay by any tracable means. No bank transfers, no cheques and definitely no credit cards. Pay cash, wester Union, Paypal or money order. When the package arrives you can always claim it was sent to you by mistake since there is no proof your ordered it.

2. if you are worried about your money, send it by registered mail so you know where it is and whether or not it has arrived. if you know it has, even if the source cheats you, you can paste his name over the internet and he will never scam another person

3.Always use your real name, fake names will draw attention with law enforcement.

4.If possible, have the package sent registered as well. these are checked less by customs, they are tracable so you know where it is at all times and you can sign for delivery so your source knows its made its destination as well. When its sent registered, the law states that you know what you are signing for, so claiming you didn't order it doesn't work. In this case, when asked, state that this is not what you ordered, you order legal supplements. It was a shipping mistake.

5. usually intercepted packages are not followed up because they know they have no case. This is so in 99% of seized packages. That alone should make you more at ease. 95% of shipped packages make their destination without problems. The odds are in your favour. If seized you will receive a seizure letter. If the letter asks you to contact them, then contact them. Deny that you ordered any such product and when asked denounce them. End of story. Some countries require you to send a signed letter with a copy of your ID to denounce them. If not asked to contact, ignore the letter. Once letter is received, consider package lost. Most sources will reship if you can send them a letter of seizure, or refund your money if it fails twice.

6.People are all too often caught for gear they have in the house. Apart from seized gear, you stand to lose that as well. When expecting a package, keep a clean house. Stash your stuff elsewhere, where it is safe.

7.Never consent to a search. if needed that buys you time to make clean house.

8.never answer the questions of a law enforcement officer without the presence and counsel of an attorney

9.Always be respectful.

21. I have some gear, but I'm not sure if it is real. How can I tell whether it is fake or not ?

First option : Take a high-resolution picture and mail it to me at raven1008@yahoo.com and list what it supposedly is including content and concentration. You may also want to post it on the board for others to see, getting more than one opinion never hurt.

Second option : If you do not have the means to make an online picture, then mail the EMPTY box, vial, amp or what have you to me. My adress is listed on the steroid profiles pages. Make sure it has no content left (draw it in a syringe and keep it there for later use once verified) and ship it safely with a note inside saying "Empty boxes and/or vials of pharmaceuticals for research purposes" and I will have a look at it. Also put in your email adress for me to contact you.

22. What is the safest steroid I can use to make the best gains ?

Very stupid question. Side-effects caused by steroids are either of an androgenic or an estrogenic nature. The gains caused by steroids come from the activation of androgen or estrogen receptors. In essence that means reducing the side-effects is the same as reducing the gains. So you need to know what you want, good gains or a safe cycle. Every steroid has a risk of side-effects as well, there is no safe steroid and there is no one safest steroid.

The best advice I can give in this regard is to make a choice which side-effects bother you most, estrogenic or androgenic, and then attempt to eliminate those as best you can. But you will have to come to terms with the risks eventually. if you cannot deal with the fact that you may (because side-effects are rarer than you think if you use responsibly) experience side-effects, then you are not ready for steroids. Either your gains mean more to you, or they do not. Make the choice.

23. How should I store my gear ? Does it need to be refridgerated ?

This question comes in many regards. To new gear, to multi-dose vials etc. The plain and simple fact is, you need to store them in a cool, dry and dark place. Like a basement for example. Refridgeration is not necessary unless you basement is hotter than 65 degrees or is very humid. Possible exceptions are of course Growth Hormone, which is best kept refridgerated and HCG. HCG comes in two vials, and they can be kept just like any other steroid. But once the vials are mixed, if its a multi-dose and there is some left, it needs to be kept refridgerated. That's the reason it comes in two vials, so it wouldn't have to be kept in the fridge.

24.How many mg go in 1 ml ? How much is one CC ? Etc.

Questions of this nature usually go back to education. If they didn't teach you this in junior high, then you live in the retarded parts of the world. but lets go over them anyway, simply because I know how much this question is asked.

1 cc is one cubic centimeter. 1 ml is 1 milliliter. They are exactly the same. 1 cc = 1 ml. These are volumetric assignments according to the metric system, the system used by 95% of the world. They indicate a volume, not a weight.

1 mg is 1 milligram. Its a weight measurement. In exact weight one could compare 1000 mg of any substance to 1 ml of any fluid, but depending on the substance and the fluid this will slightly differ. there is no exact match between weight and volume. The amount of mg per ml is always smaller than 500 or otherwise it would no longer be liquid. But basically it can range from 1 mg to 400 mg for every ml. It depends on the product and should be listed on the vial or amp. If it states 250 mg/ml then 1 ml or 1 CC contains exactly 250 mg. No more, no less. If it states 20 mg/ml, then each ml or each CC contains 20 mg. And so on. ITS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU COMPREHEND THAT THE AMOUNTS OF MG PER ML WILL DIFFER FOR EVERY PRODUCT, AND THAT THERE IS NO RELATION BETWEEN WEIGHT AND VOLUME.

1 mcg of 1 µg is 1 microgram. A measurement 1000 times smaller than a mg. Clenbuterol and T3 for example are expressed in such small amounts. basically one can state that 1 mcg = 0.001 mg.
So if your clenbuterol is 20 mcg, then its the same as 0.02 mg

1 IU is an international Unit. This is product-specific, because this number will differ for every substance. 1 IU of VItamin D is not the same amount as 1 Iu of HCG. And so forth. IU's are always different and can only be expressed in reference to 1 and the same product.

[Big Cat]

25. How should I dispose of needles ?

ok, not the most posed question, but some nice info to pass along nonetheless, courtesy of ctgblue. But I will let him do the talking, here is a link to the thread. Good info and a must read for anyone that uses more than just the casual cycle. careful disposal is a necessary contribution to society and goes a long way towards public acceptance of steroid use :

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42793

With the necessary props to CT of course for taking the time to post this.

26.You guys seem to stress nutrition a lot in succesful steroid use. Unlike most people, I'm smart and do really want this to pay off and I plan on eating adequately to grow good muscle. But my appetite isn't that big. What can I do ?

This courtesy of JP, with the necessary credit

Naturally Enhancing Your Appetite


Many guys seem to have a problem of eating enough calories to help them grow. Training/lifting doesn’t seem to be a problem, neither does taking the “supplements”. Knowledge of supplements is so prevalent on the message boards that anyone can easily get the info they need with a simple click of the mouse. Nutrition on the other hand, is the most difficult aspect of bodybuilding. It takes up hours of your day, every day. It is also the most neglected aspect of our sport because it is: time consuming, expensive and lets face it, boring.
The guys that take this sport seriously all realize that consuming enough good calories is what separates the men from the boys. There is no humanly possible way that a man can add 100 or more pounds of lean body weight to his frame without eating high calorie multiple meals thru-out the day.
Most guys will admit that it is a daunting task. “How can I continue to eat when I feel full or not hungry at all?”. Well, that is what this article is all about. I will let you in on a time proven method of increasing your appetite that is 100% natural, no supplements or pharmaceuticals are necessary.

The trick is in knowing how to make yourself hungry. If you have to force yourself to eat when you don’t feel hungry, it becomes a burden and you will certainly fail.

The first step:
Forget about the traditional way of eating. 3 meals per day just wont cut it (unless you are one of the genetically gifted few). A minimum of 6 meals will soon become your habit.

For the first 5 days, I want you to eat every hour. YES EVERY HOUR !!!. Its not as bad as you think. Not full meals every hour, but small portions of anything.
Example:
1 apple, ½ peanut butter sandwich, ½ protein shake, chocolate bar, banana.
Quality of the foods you eat in these 5 days is not as important as the fact of actually eating something. It must be small enough to not fill you, even if you are still hungry, don’t eat. Let your stomach get used to the small hourly snack/feeding. By the 3rd or 4th day you find yourself starving, craving for that snack. Your metabolism will also start to adjust to your new eating habit. Rather than storing calories to hold you over till your next feeding in 4 or 5 hours (like you used to do), it will come to expect another feeding in a short period. Thus, send more calories to be burned for energy, or for muscle recuperation from your work outs. Can you now see the opportunity for body fat reduction?

After getting your body used to the hourly feedings, you are going to find yourself hungry just about all the time. The logical step for the next 5 day period, is to start eating more at each snack time. But rather than eating every hour, spread the time out to every 90mins (1 ½ hour) or 105mins (1 hour 45mins).

Continue with this process of 5 day periods until your are eating a full meal every 2 ½ or 3 hours minimum.

Eating a lot is not easy. Food preparation of your 6 daily meals takes up a lot of time. Granted, 1 or 2 of those meals will probably be a protein shake but the amount of calories we are forced to eat would turn the average lazy joe into a 300 pound tub of lard in less than a year.
Workout hard, sleep as much as you can, drink the well dry of water, take your supplements and EAT.

Now that you have a solution to your appetite problem, I expect to see you walking around with 20 new pounds of mass within the next 4 months.

27.Can I consume alcohol while I'm taking steroids ?

Thanx to PTBW for raising the issue. Will alcohol limit your gains ? probably not. But consider a few aspects. First of all alcohol is an estrogen agonist. It can enhance the effects of estrogenic drugs and worsen their effects. Especially if you are sensitive to things like gyno and bloat, one should consider this effect. Secondly, alcohol has a hefty negative effect on your liver. Combining it with oral steroids can be very dangerous in terms of liver damage. All in all the risk may be minimal, but abstaining from alcohol is the only way to avoid a lot of problems. If you drink more than a glass of wine every day, or if you are renowned for your weekend binges, I urge you not to self-administer prescription drugs.


UNDER DEVELOPMENT. If you have additions for the FAQ, mail them to me please or provide me with a link

If anyone else has additions to this post, post it underneath. One of the mods will copy your post into this post in the proper format, and delete your post after it has been done.