Nolvadex and HCG in Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)

One of the most frequently asked questions is how to properly use the Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) drugs Nolvadex, Clomid and HCG correctly.

How to take Nolvadex for PCT
As an alternative to Clomid, which has been reported to have led to unwanted side effects such as visual disturbances in some users, Nolvadex can be employed. Nolvadex is a trade name for the drug Tamoxifen. Like Clomid, the half life of Nolvadex is relatively long enabling the user to implement a single daily dosing schedule. Administration would start as per the timescales outlined above and the duration would be identical to that of Clomid.

Typically, for a moderate-heavy cycle, the following dosages would be used:
Day 1 - 100mg
Following 10 days - 60mg
Following 10 days - 40mg

Occasionally, heavier cycles containing perhaps Nandrolone (Deca) or Trenbolone which by definition are particularly suppressive of the HPTA, may require a slightly longer therapy. Likewise, more modest/shorter cycles may require lower dosages, perhaps dropping each by 20mg per day.

Some users like to use both Clomid and Nolvadex in their PCT in an attempt to cover all angles. An example of the dosages involved might be:

Day 1 - Clomid 200mg + Nolvadex 40mg
Following 10 days - Clomid 50mg + Nolvadex 20mg
Following 10 days - Clomid 50mg or Nolvadex 20mg

Of course, the examples provided are not set in stone and may be adjusted depending on the factors outlined above and individual variances.

Using HCG
It is our opinion that HCG is probably one of the most misunderstood and misused compounds in bodybuilding. Hopefully this information will go some way towards rectifying that for the members of MuscleTalk. HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin and is not a steroid, but a natural peptide hormone which develops in the placenta of pregnant women during pregnancy to controls the mother's hormones. (Incidentally, this is the reason you may hear of people testing for growth hormone (HGH) with a pregnancy testing kit - If their HGH shows 'pregnant', they've been ripped-off with cheaper HCG - but we digress slightly).

Its action in the male body is like that of LH, stimulating the Leydig cells in the testes to produce testosterone even in the absence of endogenous LH. HCG is therefore used during longer or heavier steroid cycles to maintain testicular size and condition, or to bring atrophied (shrunken) testicles back up to their original condition in preparation for post-cycle Clomid therapy. This process is necessary because atrophied testicles produce reduced levels of natural testosterone, this situation should be rectified prior to post-cycle Clomid therapy.

HCG administration post-cycle is common practice among bodybuilders in the belief that it will aid the natural testosterone recovery, but this theory is unfounded and also counterproductive. The rapid rise in both testosterone, and thus oestrogen due to aromatisation, from the administration of HCG causes further inhibition of the HPTA (Hypothalamic/Pituitary/Testicular Axis - feedback loop discussed above); this actually worsens the recovery situation. HCG does not restore the natural testosterone production.

The typically observed dosing of 2000 to 5000IU every 4 to 5 days causes such an increase in oestrogen levels via aromatisation of the natural testosterone that this has been responsible for many cases of gynecomastia.

From the above discussion it is clear that HCG is best used during a cycle, either to:

1) Avoid testicular atrophy, or
2) Rectify the problem of an existing testicular atrophy.

HCG Dosage
Smaller doses, more frequently during a cycle will give best overall results with least unwanted side effects. Somewhere between 500IU and 1000IU per day would be best over about a two-week period. These doses are sufficient to avoid/rectify testicular atrophy without increasing oestrogen levels too dramatically and risking gynecomastia. This dosing schedule also avoids the risk of permanently down-regulating the LH receptors in the testes.

It is important for the HCG administration to have been completed with 6 or 7 clear days before the onset of PCT in order to avoid inhibition of the Nolvadex and/or Clomid therapy. Also, a small daily dose (10-20mg) of Nolvadex would normally be used in conjunction with HCG in order to prevent oestrogenic symptoms caused by sudden increases in aromatisation.

Presentation and Administration of HCG
Synthetic HCG is often known as Pregnyl (generic name) and is available in 2500iu and 5000iu (not ideal for the above doses!). Administration of the compound is either by intra-muscular or subcutaneous injection. It comes as a powder which needs to be mixed with the sterile water. The powder is temperature-sensitive prior to mixing and should not be exposed to direct heat. After mixing, it should be kept refrigerated and used within a few weeks - though there are sterility issues which need to be considered after mixing.

Summary and Presentation of Clomid and HCG
Clomid and/or Nolvadex are more effective than HCG post cycle, but some long-term users like to use HCG during a cycle, or to prepare the testes for Clomid and/or Nolvadex therapy.

Clomid is available in 50mg tablets most commonly, but also comes in 25mg capsule, often in boxes of 24 tablets. Tamoxifen is made by a number of manufacturers and comes in 10mg or 20mg tablets, most commonly 30 x 20mg tablets. HCG generally comes in kits of three ampoules of powder needing to be mixed with the provided injectable water as 1500IU, 2500IU or 5000IU per ampoule kits.

Best Oral Steroids

What are the best steroids? This is a tricky question and one that can’t be answered with a single anabolic steroid. With literally hundreds of anabolic steroids available to us deciding which is the best steroids is difficult. We can however, decide which steroid is best suited for your goals or point you in the right direction. There are a number of factors, which can determine the best steroid for you, the user. Your age, past experience, gender, goals, training experience, weight, level of muscle mass, current health state and genetics. Below we will try to discuss this in more detail and determine the best steroids available and optimally suited.

Oral steroids are some of the most popular steroids ever used. They can be considered for the title of best steroids, but shouldn’t be used alone in most cases. The standard foundation of a backbone of testosterone is suggested and then an oral steroid can be added as secondary compound or used as a kick-start or finisher.  Some of the most popular steroids still used and ever used are below. All these can be considered for the title of best steroids, but they need to be put into separate categories as well, such as the best steroids for cutting, best steroid for bulking.

    Dianabol (Methandrostenolone, Dbol, D-Bol)
    Anadrol (Oxymetholone, Adrol, Abombs or Drol)
    Anavar (Oxandrolone)
    Turinabol (4-Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone, Tbol, Oral Turinabol, OT)
    Winstrol (GP Stan)
    Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone, Halo)
    Proviron (Mesterolone)
    Primobolan (Methenolone, Primo)

These oral steroids can be used for bulking and some best suited for cutting. For example, Dianabol is one of the most popular anabolic steroids ever used and has been around since the 1960’s. Dianabol can be considered one of the best steroids (oral) as its probably the most popular and well known oral steroid in existence. Those wanting extra muscle mass with low side effects use Dianabol widely today. It was first developed to add mass and strength to the Olympic USA Team after they lost to their Russian competitors by their Olympic Team doctor – Dr. John Zeigler.

Anavar and Winstrol are closely followed in terms of popularity and women can use both of these steroids as they have better safety profiles than others. As opposed to Dianabol and Anadrol being used in extremely low doses because of virilisation side effects and symptoms. Many tout Anavar and Winstrol as the best steroids for overall mass and fat loss and their overall popularity confirms this. Both these anabolic steroids are the user-friendliest around and so can be considered as the best steroids because of their qualities in the oral category.

The Best and Worst Anabolic Steroid Choices for Beginner Steroid Cycles

It is important for every beginner to understand what is an appropriate choice for a cycle and what is not, and what choices are merely acceptable (not a stellar choice but not a horrible one either). It has already been established that a very first cycle consisting of Testosterone-only is the best and safest choice for a beginner. The reasons for such a choice have already been made very clear. With this being said, the most appropriate choices of compounds will be covered here.

One very important detail to be made clear to any and all beginners is the fact that not only should oral anabolic steroids not be used in a cycle, but that absolutely no cycle should ever consist of only oral anabolic steroids under any circumstances. The decision to run a cycle consisting of only a single anabolic steroid and no injectable compounds is most usually the very first decision of any beginner or individual looking to begin anabolic steroid use. This is usually the result of a fear of needles, but this must be overcome, and once overcome it becomes much easier afterwards. Oral steroids are not designed to be run solitarily (on their own), and instead serve to act as supplementary compounds to a solid base cycle that should always include injectable compounds, of which an essentially required injectable being Testosterone (for every single cycle). Injectable compounds are the base compounds of any cycle, and all orals are meant to be supplementary or ‘kickstarting’ compounds (this will be explained later).

Cutting Cycle. With this being said, there are various injectable compounds that require very frequent injections, while there are also more beginner-friendly compounds that require infrequent administration of injections. For example, Testosterone Enanthate or Testosterone Cypionate are both known as long-estered compounds that exhibit a very slow window of release and a long half-life incomparison to other fast-acting anabolic steroids such as Testosterone Propionate. Long-estered compounds such as Testosterone Enanthate are commonly utilized by beginners and are very suitable for beginners due to the fact that beginners and first-time users are commonly shy, scared, and/or squeamish when the issue of needles and injections are concerned.

Once again, the reader must be reminded that anabolic steroids are very serious drugs, and every individual, if considering the use of anabolic steroids, must engage in proper administration protocols. If an individual is not serious enough to perform proper administration via injection of anabolic steroids, then he/she is not serious enough to engage in anabolic steroid use.

The following lists are in order of the most appropriate choice of compounds to the most inappropriate (top to bottom of the lists):

IDEAL BEGINNER COMPOUNDS FOR A FIRST-TIME ANABOLIC STEROID CYCLE:
- Testosterone Enanthate
- Testosterone Cypionate
- Sustanon 250 (blend of 4 different esterified Testosterone variants)
- Testosterone Propionate

IDEAL BEGINNER COMPOUNDS FOR USE IN SUBSEQUENT BEGINNER ANABOLIC STEROID CYCLES:
- Testosterone Enanthate
- Testosterone Cypionate
- Sustanon 250 (blend of 4 different esterified Testosterone variants)
- Testosterone Propionate
- Equipoise (AKA Boldenone Undecylenate)
- Deca-Durabolin (AKA Nandrolone Decanoate)
- Injectable Winstrol (AKA Stanozolol)

MODERATELY ACCEPTABLE BEGINNER COMPOUNDS FOR USE IN SUBSEQUENT BEGINNER ANABOLIC STEROID CYCLES (SHOULD IDEALLY BE INCLUDED LATER ON AFTER BUILDING CYCLE EXPERIENCE):
- Nandrolone Phenylpropionate
- Oral Winstrol (AKA GP Stan 10)
- Dianabol (Methandrostenolone, Methandienone)
- Anavar (Oxandrolone)
- Injectable Primobolan (Methenolone Enanthate)
- Oral Primobolan (Methenolone Acetate)

COMPLETELY UNNACEPTABLE COMPOUNDS FOR BEGINNERS (FOR EITHER INTERMEDIATE OR ADVANCED USERS ONLY):
- Anadrol (Oxymetholone)
- Masteron (Drostanolone)
- Trenbolone

In the case of anabolic steroids such as Testosterone Enanthate, Testosterone Cypionate, Sustanon 250, Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca-Durabolin) and Equipoise (Boldenone Undecylenate), these anabolic steroids are known as long-estered compounds. As mentioned earlier, this indicates that they possess long half-lives and must be injected twice weekly where the full weekly dose is split evenly into two injections. For example, a 500mg/week Testosterone Enanthate cycle would require a 250mg injection on Monday followed by a 250mg injection on Thursday. This is so as to maintain proper stable steady peak blood plasma levels of the hormone. Although individuals can still make progress with a single weekly injection, twice weekly injections are ideal in order to maintain stable and steady peak blood plasma levels. Failure to do so will result in increased incidence and intensity of side effects due to peaks and valleys in unstable blood plasma levels.

Building Muscle with Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides

Growth hormone can be a very confusing subject to those who don't take the short time it takes to understand how it works in our body, how it is released in our body, and how we as people can manipulate these secretions.

For those that do some research and learn how to use these powerful compounds, the potential to create new muscle is unlimited. Peptides are here to become the next generation of performance enhancement and muscle building compounds. Taking a short time to  gain an understanding about how they work, will be the key to gaining huge amounts of muscle and untold brute strength, while burning bodyfat permanently. First, lets take a look at out bodies normal GH, how it is released, and the benefits it has on us.

Growth Hormone is a 191-amino acid polypeptide that is produced naturally in our body by our anterior pituitary. HGH is a protein that stimulates the body cells to increase both in size, as well as undergo more rapid cell division than usual. It enhances the movement of amino acids through cell membranes and also increases the rate at which these cells convert these molecules into proteins. It also increases the body's IGF levels, which is most likely the sole reason for reported muscle gains in users, and IGF is well known for muscle and cartilage repair. This growth hormone, called Somatotropin, is different then the normal HGH that we think of when we think of bodybuilder and athletes using GH for performance enhancement. HGH is really rHGH, or "recombinant HGH" which means it was made using DNA technology. This rHGH is called Somatropin, and is what is found being sold on the black market to bodybuilders and athletes. Now here's the sad part, almost all of the black market rHGH today is not the 191 amino rHGH that you are expecting to put into your body. True, 191 amino HGH is 22kda in weight, and I can almost guarantee you wont find that in the fridge of any of your local gym rats. Companies have removed aminos from the chain, as 191 aminos is a very long and difficult chain to produce. Many producers have found that folding the amino chain over on top of itself to shorten it work to their benefit. Either way, when you inject rHGH into your body, you are introducing a sub-part substitute to your natural GH and may eventually effect or inhibit your natural producing of that quality GH.

GROWTH HORMONE RELEASING HEXAPEPTIDE
So what can be done about this? This is where the new peptides come in, GHRP and GHRH. First we will look at GHRP(6). GHRP, or Growth Hormone Releasing Hexapeptide, is a GH secretagogues peptide. What does that mean? Well, when introduced into our body, GHRP induces our pituitary to secrete GH. What is more interesting is that it does it from a completely different receptor then GHRH does (we will get to GHRH later). These GHRP secretagogues act like synthetic ghrelinmimetics (keyword being mimetics). This is the reason for hunger reported with GHRP use, because ghrelin is naturally released by the stomach lining to induce hunger in humans. Because GHRP stimulates our natural secretion from the pituitary, we are getting the top quality, 191 amino GH in our bodies... no gimmicks and no substitutes. We are getting elevated levels of this, and the best part is it is being produced by our own body. rHGH use has been known to inhibit natural production, and GHRP has been used to restart a persons natural production. Other peptides that fall into the GHRP category are hexarelin, and Ipamorelin.

GROWTH HORMONE RELEASING HORMONE
On the other side, saturating a totally different receptor, we have GHRH. A growth hormone releasing hormone is a 44 amino peptide that is produced and our hypothalamus, and sent down to our pituitary to stimulate the growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-r) as a signal to start producing GH. An added benefit of GHRH is that it promotes slow-wave sleep directly, and can stimulate the pituitary alongside of a GHRP. An example of a GHRH would be CJC-195. Besides the advantage of our own natural GH, another advantage of CJC is that it has a much more prolonged effect on our GH levels in the body (increased half-life).

DOSING
So now, we move onto dosing. We will start with  - GHRP-6. I like using GHRP-6 post workout, before my meal. It helps me increase my nutrition uptake, and it is also great at that time because I pin IGF pre workout (which is on the negative feedback loop), so pinning GHRP later will keep your body up and producing GH naturally and working with your natural IGF. Also, mid day is when your GH levels are at their lowest, so this is an optimal time to pulse. Dosing ranges from the minimal 100mcg, to what I take, 500mcg. For a GHRH, we want to pretty much base it off the same time schedule, but days taken will be a little different. For CJC1295 DAC, we want to dose it from 1mg to 2mg per week, splitting the dose up in half and taking them 3 days apart. For example, 1mg on Monday and 1mg on Thursday is a fine and effective protocol. As for all the others, GHRP-2, hexarelin, Ipamorelin, CJC no-DAC well you're capable of researching them on your own. For even better results, we can pulse GHRP while we have CJC in our systems, hitting our pituitary from both types of receptors, and keeping it doing its natural GH pulse. For this reason supplementing a GHRP with a GHRH yields great results.