Frequently Asked Questions About Steroids

How much weight can someone expect to gain during the first cycle?
Provided dosing is sufficient, and this will vary from person to person, it is not uncommon to gain 10 Kg of muscle mass weight during a first cycle. Some of this may be water retention, although a solid gain of more than 10 Kg is possible.

Are the gains from steroid use temporary?
Yes and no. Steroids can help you do two basic things with regard to muscle growth. First, they can allow you to reach your genetic limits for muscle growth faster. Second, providing you continue to train and eat properly and use an effective PCT program, you should be able to maintain your genetic limit indefinitely. So the early gains should not be temporary. Also, steroids can allow you to push beyond your genetic limits. It is important to understand that bodybuilders are unable to maintain extreme physical development long-term without the repeated administration of anabolic substances. The body will always revert back towards its normal metabolic limits once AAS usage is discontinued. So in this context some of the gains will not be permanent.
Steroids do permanently alter the physiology of your muscles by adding more cellular nuclei. With higher nuclei content, each muscle cell can manage its volume more efficiently, which allows more rapid expansion. Even after a long period of complete abstinence from training and AAS the nuclei remain. This may provide a “muscle memory” effect, allowing you to reach your genetic limit (perhaps a slightly extended limit) faster than if you had never used AAS in the past. So in this regard, there are lasting benefits beyond the temporary increase in muscle size itself.

Can steroids make me look like a professional bodybuilder?
If you have the underlying genetics to allow for this extreme muscle growth, this may be possible with a lot of hard work and dedication. Genetics are a big factor in determining the ultimate limits to your physique. Many people use steroids and look very big and impressive because of it, but very few users are able to make it to the stage of a professional bodybuilding show.

How dangerous is an isolated cycle of steroids?
Anabolic/androgenic steroids are among the safest drugs available, at least in a short-term sense. Fatal overdose is not reasonably possible, and the negative health changes such as alterations in cholesterol, blood pressure, hematocrit, and blood clotting (among other things) are very unlikely to manifest in serious bodily harm or death after an isolated cycle. There are rare deaths from such things as stroke and liver cancer in short-term abusers, but such occurrences are statistically extremely rare in light of the millions of people that use these drugs.

How dangerous is long-term steroid use?
The long-term use of steroids for non-medical reasons can be a unhealthy practice. It has been difficult, however, to quantify the exact risk. The main issue is the fact that AAS abuse leads to permanent side effects.

Can steroids be used to enhance an athletic career safely?
The non-medical use of AAS by definition cannot be defined as a safe practice. However, it can be argued that anabolic/androgenic steroids can be used with high relative safety, even over a period of many years. The guidelines of steroid harm reduction are important to minimizing the negative health effects of these drugs. Provided an individual follows these guidelines and is careful with drug selection, dosages, and durations of intake, follows a diet low in saturated fats, cholesterol, sugar, and refined carbohydrates, actively trains with both resistance and cardiovascular exercise, and uses cholesterol support supplements such as fish oils and others during all cycles, it may be difficult in many cases to argue high tangible health risks. It takes a great deal of involvement and planning to use AAS in this manner, which is always advised.

What are the safest steroids for men?
Testosterone, whatever the form, tends to be the safest steroid for men. When the dose remains within the moderately range, alterations in cardiovascular risks factors are noticed, but not extreme.

Which steroids will not cause hair loss?
For those with a genetic predisposition to hair loss, all anabolic/androgenic steroids are capable of accelerating the process. Moderate doses of testosterone can be used with finasteride, a drug that reduces DHT conversion (and androgenic amplification) in the scalp. Still, those genetically prone to hair loss can have problems with any steroid.

What are the safest steroids for women?
Women are generally most concerned with the virilizing (masculinizing) effects of anabolic/androgenic steroids. The least virilizing agents are not those with the highest relative anabolic to androgenic effect, such as nandrolone, oxandrolone, turinabol, and methenolone. Anabolic/Androgenic ratios, while a useful measure to scientists, have little to no carryover in terms of virilization potential in women. In fact, nandrolone is extremely virilizing in women. It is important to remember that all AAS are based on male sex hormones and so they can cause masculinizing effects in women.

Can I just do a oral only cycle?
Sure. But should you? Probably not. Oral steroids are still going to suppress your natural Testosterone production very hard. You may find you don’t feel the best or symptoms of low testosterone. If you choose to do a oral-only cycle, you should prepare a proper PCT as well.

What about just a Prohormone or Designer Steroid cycle?
Prohormones and Designer Steroids are going to suppress your natural Testosterone very hard. Prohormones & Designer Steroids are no better (or even worse in some cases) than using a traditional oral steroid. The supplemental PCT soldl with these Prohormones/Designer Steroids is predominantly not very effective. A proper PCT should be based on Nolvadex/Clomid to be effective.

Injectables steroids changed color and looks weird. Why?
Injectable gear can crash due to storing the product in colder than recommended temperatures, which may happen in air mail shipping or because the ratio of AAS to oil is out of balance (this can be either a manufacturer error or a personal error if home brewing). This does not damage the steroid. In order to correct the problem, simply run the vial under warm water until the products reverts back to its normal state. Clean with alcohol swab after drying off.

My injectables have particles floating in it. What top do?
You can either dispose of the product or you can re-filter it by using a Whatman filter. While opinions will differ on this subject, the opinion of re-filtering is still available and a suitable solution in many cases, assuming the product is not badly polluted. In cases where it is apparent that the product is very poor quality and contains a large amount of foreign material, it would be wise to throw it away. This should not occur with reputable brands of UGL and will never occur with pharma-grade products.

I need to travel during my cycle. What do?
A solution would be to switch over to Testosterone Undecanoate. With a half life of 20 days, it makes for an excellent and risk free choice.

I’m getting muscle pumps. What can I do?
The first line of action should be:
Taurine (3-10g pre-workout)
Magnesium (200-500mg pre-workout, you may also add 200-500mg morning or afternoon depending on when you train)
Potassium (200-300mg pre-workout, you may also add 200-500mg AM/PM depending on when you workout)
Increase your water intake (1-2 gallons daily)

My injection spot is red/itchy/sore?
Get some antibiotics if it is red, itchy, or hot. If it is simply sore and/or swollen it is probably going to be okay. If in doubt, get some antibiotics; a common thing to tell your doctor is that you injected B12.

Is it normal to bleed after injecting?
Yes, it is common to occasionally nick a vein close to the surface of the injection site, which will cause blood to leak from the surface. The amount of blood which can seep from an injection site can be anywhere from a drop or two, to a very light stream which slowly flows down that body part. Even in the event a larger vein is hit when doing an injection, this type of bleeding is relatively easy to stop and will not pose any harm to the individual.

Is aspirating required when injecting?
No, most AAS users do not aspirate when injecting.

Does injecting build up scar tissue?
Yes, repeated intramuscular injections can cause the muscle to build up scar tissue. Generally there is no inflammation or inclusion in the tissue. In an effort to minimize scar tissue build up, users will rotate through many injection spots.

How to properly open an amp?
Ampules can be aided in opening by scoring (some ampules come pre-scored). Scoring is a process in which in a fine line is ground away around the neck of the ampule. Scoring makes it much easier to snap the top of the ampule off without breaking the vial and spilling the oil. Normally, a scoring tool is used for this process, although sometimes knives or other objects can be used.
An amp opener can be used, which is the fastest and the least time consuming methods.
If you don’t have an amp opener, grasp the amp between thumb and forefinger of one hand. Move liquid from the neck to the body of the amp by tapping (thumping) the ampule sharply. Using gauze pad (or similar), grasp the stem (the part above the neck) with the other hand. Break it from you and discard safely.
The so called tape-method can be employed, as well. The tape method involves taping the entire vial all the way up to the neck line. Several layers of tape should surround the vial, so that it is properly secured. The point of taping the vial is to prevent the contents of the amp from spilling, if it breakw somewhere other than the neckline. The other purpose is to reinforce the ampule, so that it is more likely to break at the neckline. One can combine both the tape method and the scoring, which is the best way to ensure that the oil contained in the ampule will not be spilled.

Can I re-use syringes?
Absolutely not. You should never take a needle which has entered the body and re-insert it back into a steroid product, as this can result in bacteria build-up and cause potential future infections.

How fast should I inject?
As a general rule, 30 seconds per ml.

Is it dangerous to inject small air bubbles?”
No, a small amount of air will do no harm. Air bubbles injected into muscle tissue is of no concern. Even if the individual were to thread a vein and inject the entire contents of the syringe into the vein, the small air bubbles contained within it would be irrelevant. In reality, several cc of air would have to be injected directly into a vein all at once in order to cause cardiac arrest. Even injecting 2-3 cc’s of air directly into a muscle would be largely inconsequential. Of course, such an action is not recommended.