Hi Mike,
I was reading couple good articles written by you about Anabolic steroids in mens physique division. And I think you are the men who knows alot about it and can help me. I want to compete in MP after one year. Now I want to build some muscle, but Im allways trying to stay lean as much as possible all year, so my goal is not build muscle as much as possible, but build lean, good quality muscle. So I have about 8 months gain some mass, before I start about 3 months cutting diet. My nutrition based on good quality food, drinking alchohol maybe 3 times a year. So if you can guide me what should I buy from IronMagLabs and how use it I would be very happy Also I attached couple photos of me.
You look like you will do well in the MPD. You also look young, which means you have plenty of time to improve your body even further.
First of all, you should understand that muscle is muscle. there is no such tuing as "quality" muscle over any other kind of muscle. Whjen people use the tterm "quality" muscle, they are referring to one of two things, which is either adding muscle in the right places (bringing up areas which improve your aesthetics and weak points) and avoiding putting muscle in the wrong places (such as the waist)...or adding a bunch of fat and water while adding muscle. Most people, with the right drugs, can blow up rather quickly, adding 20-30 lbs of mass within a relatively short period of time, but most of the time it is combination of muscle, fat, and water. Eve if no fat is added, water can account for over 50% of one's "gains" when using certain drugs. for example, if someone is using just test prop with an AI, but us stryggling to add more mass, he can toss in some Anadrol, GH, and insulin and add 20 lbs very quickly. The majority of this weight gain will be in the form of water retention, but because most of it will be 'inside' the muscle, it will look like muscle. This type of over-hydrated muscle tissue will make you look massive abd full, but it does not have a hard, dense look to it. It lacks "quality"...because again, most of the weight gain was not actual muscle fiber.
Now, if the weight you gain is legitimate muscle fiber, it will be "quality" muscle, regardless of how fast or slow you add it. Sometimes, when guys add muscle too quickly, they add waist size, but this is usually due to over-eating, which is often required when one wants to add a lot of muscle fast.
Another point I would like to make is that water retention goes away as sooinas you discontinue using the offending steroids/drugs. So, it does not really matter of you are hokding some water in the off-season. It only matters what you look like onstage.
When you say you want to gain "lean" muscle, I am assuming you mean you mean you don't want to add bodyfat as you add muscle. I agree that this is the best way for a physique competitor to go, as it makes it easier to get in shape. In addition, if you aren't eating a ton fo food, you are unlikely to increase your waist size as much as the BB'r seeking mass at al costs. However, don't misunderstand--you will still need to eat plenty of food to gain lean muscle--you just don't want to over-eat. Eating clean should also be a priority, as it will allow you to eat more food without adding bodyfat, which transaltes directly into greater muscle gains.
In order to add muscle without adding bodyfat, the following basic guidelines will probably suit you well.
* Eat 500 calories above mainetance during your muscle building phase
* Eat clean, which means natural foods without added fats or sugars.
* A macro ratio of 1.5 grams protein, 2 grams carb, and .5 grams fat works well for most people trying to gain muscle without adding bodyfat. If you find you aren't able to gain muscle on this plan, increase your carbs to 2.5 grams per pound and see how that goes. The key to keeping the fat off when carbs are on the higher side is to 1) keep the fats low and 2) eat clean carbs, not sugar and processed junk. Lastly, when following the typical "clean" BB'ing diet, you will need to add a bit of healthy fats to your diet in the form of fish oils, olive oil, nuts & seeds, etc. But, you only need a little bit.
As far as steroid selection is concerned, the truth is that you can use ANY of the steroids IML makes because none of them aromatize (convert to estrogen) and none of them, aside from a couple of the weaker PH's (which you won't be using), cause water retention. Some of IML's steroid products will actually dry you out, which is great for pre-comp, but none will actually make you hold water, so any of them are suitable during the off-season.
If you want to gain muscle tissue as quickly as possible, Super DMZ 3.0 is impossible to beat. When using this stuff muscle gain will be a piece of cake, especially for someone new to AAS. However, it does cause lethagy and appetite suppression in some people. Until you try it, you won't know if you will experience this side effect or not. A product called Epi-Tren is alos very good. It is not quite as potent for growth as DMZ 3.0, BUT...most people feel great on it and you will maintain a very hard & dry look while on it. You can also run it for longer than DMZ 3.0.
In your situation, Epi-tran may be the best bet. While I can't recommend you use more than the recommended 3 caps daily, you can easily run 4-5 caps per day for 6-8 weeks, no problem. I usually recommend no less than 6 week cycles of Epi-tren simply because you will continue making gains for much longer than 4 weeks...and it takes a bit longer to grow muscle with this stuff than something like DMZ 3.0. With a comparatively reduced level of toxicity, safety is not an issue with 6 week cycles. I also recommend you use Cycle Support at 2 caps daily.
There is absolutely NO need for an AI when using Epi-tren, as this product already reduces estrogen levels through 2 mechanisms. 10 because it suppresses testosterone production, there will be less test to aromatize into estrogen. 2) Epistane, one of the AAS in Epi-tren, has anti-estrogenic properties, which will further reduce your estrogen levels. By adding an AI on top of that, you will lower estrogen too much. Estrogen levels will already be low enough using Epi-tren alone.
You may be expecting me to recommend a handful of products, but I won't...because you don't need them. You could add some 4-andro if you antd to maintain anormal T levels, but there really isn't any need to add another active steroid product to your Epi-tren. In someone like you, 4-5 caps of Epi-tren daily will produce amazing results, likely adding at LEAST 10 solid pounds of muscle tissue over a 6 week period. Some 1st time users add more. This is my recommendation. If after trying Epi-tren you want to use something else, go for it, but this is probably a good 1st choice for you.
Another reason I am recommending Epi-tren is because it will give you experience with the product before contest prep, which is important because Epi-tren is one of the products you should certainly be running the last 6-8 weeks of your prep, along with Epi-andro. Assuming your org does not drug test, an Epi-tren & Epi-andro combination will produce amazing results in muscle dryness & hardness, especially when your BF% is very low. By using these products the last 6-8 weeks of your show, it will also help you maintain your muscle tissue while losing fat. It would be a huge mistake to not use them at this time. By the way, Epi-andro is not methylated, so it is completely fine to stack these 2 products together.
For now, use Epi-andro and Advanced Cycle Support, follow the dietary guidelines, and let us all know what kind of progress you make by the end of your cycle.