You've just finished your cycle. It's been 3 weeks since your last injection, and your PCT is well under way. NOW what? You've already dropped a few pounds. Your bench has gone down by 10%, and you don't have that Superman feeling you had 2 months earlier. Your arms look smaller, and you aren't getting the compliments at work that were pouring in by the hour before. Your brain is telling you to wait another 6 weeks before you cycle again, but your heart and ego are screaming for another round. You've got plenty of gear stashed, and every morning when you reach for the coffee, there it is in the kitchen cupboard just staring at you...calling out, saying..."Hey buddy, I can end all of this misery right now. Just shoot me, and you'll be king again, and all the people who have been disrespecting you will get faded into Oblivion."
Tempting isn't it?
But right now is the time to plan and lay the groundwork for the next cycle. AND..more importantly, it's the time to heal. After months of brutal, gut-busting workouts that have taken an incredible toll on your joints, and muscles that have grown familiar with the the pattern of training you've used, you NEED this time off.
The first thing you need to do, is get as far away from the gym as possible for at least a week---preferably 10 days. I usually take 2 weeks off. That means no gym..NOTHING. No weights, no cardio, no You Tube vids of bodybuilders. Take your mind as far away from lifting as you can get it. So naturally, that also means no strict diet. Order pizza. Eat doughnuts. And watch yourself shrink. Yep, I said watch yourself shrink.
"But Goth...why would you tell me to do that? I'm trying to get buff...not blubbber."
That's right, and by taking this time off from everything to do with bodybuilding/fitness, you will prime your mind for a cycle far more effective. Without a mental and physical layoff, you are going to burn out. Trust me, I've been there.
After a week of beer, pizza, and porn, it's time to get back in the gym...but that doesn't mean to jump right back into heavy weight and super-high intensity. Doing that is only going to fry you before you start your next cycle. After I get back in the gym, I like to train at about 70% intensity. There's no way for me to tell you what "70% intensity" is, but generally, you want to use weights that you can fairly easily do for 20 reps, yet keep the reps at only around 15. Take each set to only a slight burn. You need this type of training in order to condition the muscles and joints. I prefer to use a lot of machines and cable work during this time, saving the heavy bar work for the coming cycle when the grear is in full circulation. This is also a good time to work on the things that you probably neglect during season, like rotator cuff work, abs, stretching, and neck work.
After a few weeks of light training (conditioning), you're ready for cycle prep. The week your cycle starts, make sure you've taken in a lot of carbs and protien in preparation for your cycle frontloading. If you don't know how to properly frontload, then you need to research it. But GENERALLY, you're going to be pinning a double dose (maybe more) your first week, and you need to make sure you have adequate nutritional support already in place.
Lastly...DON'T WORRY about your time off cycle. That "size" you're losing is mostly just a little water (unless you're a pill-muncher who thinks oral-only cycles actually work--in which case you're fucked). Relax and trust in the fact that you'll be back on your next cycle far bigger and stronger than if you had just jumped right back on
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Originally Posted by 1tuffcookie
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