Simple recovery?

[Stonecold54]

:rofl:It funny what people call being off

lol for what I was on, that was OFF

[Shibby]

the sounds odd bro! is the bike ride far? how old are you? most important question when was the last time you had blood work done? It "sounds" more like you are not sleeping enough. Sleep is very important. Im gonna guess your levels are fine, especialy since you have been off for 2 years. Monitor your sleeping patern for a couple of days.

The ride is about a mile and half. I ride a BMX style bike so I can have more fun than just pedaling. I get plenty of sleep. I can't function and I am miserable all day if I get less than 7 hours. So I make sure I get enough sleep. I gave myself plenty of time to see if I could get myself to recover after being on for almost a year. The best I have done was going running every morning Mon-Fri and it was stiff for almost 6 days. I was over trained.

[Shibby]

I guess my big question at this point is if 250 is a good dose or if I should go lower. I am going to go about 12 weeks and try and get myself under 200lbs at 5'11", do PCT and see if I can maintain the conditioning once my body is much lighter and my muscles have spent a long time under cardio stress. I do some lifting still, hitting all the muscle groups but I do a lot of compound exercises with body resistance.

[Stonecold54]

I guess my big question at this point is if 250 is a good dose or if I should go lower. I am going to go about 12 weeks and try and get myself under 200lbs at 5'11", do PCT and see if I can maintain the conditioning once my body is much lighter and my muscles have spent a long time under cardio stress. I do some lifting still, hitting all the muscle groups but I do a lot of compound exercises with body resistance.

I think 250 will be fine.

[Bouncer]

do PCT and see if I can maintain the conditioning once my body is much lighter and my muscles have spent a long time under cardio stress.

dont mean to be a kill joy but the whole "maintain" thing never works. you will always feel like shit when your off test because when your on you feel so much better.

[Stonecold54]

dont mean to be a kill joy but the whole "maintain" thing never works. you will always feel like shit when your off test because when your on you feel so much better.

so true, lol

[Bouncer]

so true, lol

and if you think about it, its kinda of scary what i just typed. that sounds like something a coke addict would say. you cant deny science though. when you have test levels at high levels so many things fall into place to make you feel better and stronger. when your test levels are low so many things fall out of place.

[Stonecold54]

and if you think about it, its kinda of scary what i just typed. that sounds like something a coke addict would say. you cant deny science though. when you have test levels at high levels so many things fall into place to make you feel better and stronger. when your test levels are low so many things fall out of place.

yeah, I mean I could get by and function but knowing there is something better out there is tough to ignore.

[Shibby]

I understand that I won't be able to be like when I'm on. But if I can keep doing lots of cardio, get my weight down it won't be so hard on my body to keep doing it. If I come off and I end up pretty much where I am now, not being able to do something at least 5 days a week, I will re-evaluate things.

[Shibby]

yeah, I mean I could get by and function but knowing there is something better out there is tough to ignore.

That is very true. I know the common thought amongst people who are on is that there is just some point they want to get to. That is my goal but I keep reminding myself it will get harder when I come off.

[Bouncer]

think about it though shib, your going back on after 2 years for a reason. i understand your thinking and taking a different approach with cardio and getting leaner etc... but the brutal truth is, after you come off you will feel beat down and over trained until you go back on again.

[Shibby]

:(

It's tough knowing I can't train and be active like I once use to. So I am just going to keep fighting nature and try to find something that works. ;)

[barbender]

I agree with some of the statements above that your levels are probably just low. I am going through the same thing currently with regard to natural levels being low. A "low" dose of test would probably be beneficial to aid in your energy, recovery, and general emotional status. Sounds weird but test has pretty dramatic effects on mood. You might consider checking into having a blood work up done to test FSH LH and free and bound test levels. Adding in a good multi-vitamin would probably help too. I found a product, ZMA night time that helps to support your natty test levels through zinc, magnesium, and B6. The night time formula has L-Dopa to help you get more restful sleep. Low test can also cause sleep disorders and frequent sleep interuptions that you may not even be aware of. And just FYI, a "low" clinical dose (prescribed by a physician) would be 20 to 40 mg per week. Not much at all but still higher than natural. Arimidex might be a good option to look into.

[Bouncer]

:(

It's tough knowing I can't train and be active like I once use to. So I am just going to keep fighting nature and try to find something that works. ;)

you have already found something that works. hormones. lol

[coffee-guy]

Dear Shibster - you've always been a good friend - my advice to a friend would be to find some other way to "recover" - if you're not looking to compete or get huge then stick with other basic stuff - what all have you honestly given 100% to - how many different things have you tried - have you attempted to play with your carb/protein/fat ratios - have you tried changing the times of day you sleep/eat/work etc - have you tried eating less or more frequently - have you attempted eating different foods as your sources of nutrients (I "feel" better with certain carbs than I do others) - would circuit training be better for you right now - are you simply over stressed from your "life" - could something like taking a walk or doing yoga help - have you and the wife tried to balance responsibilities any differently - do you ever sit still or better yet do you sit still too long (I find the less I sit still to study or browse on here or whatever I'm MUCH more energetic - also -giving up TV 100% has REALLY helped me get my life more focused on ME)?????

All I'm driving at is that if I didn't compete I honestly don't "think" I would use - there is a LOT to be taken into consideration when playing with your endocrine system - even with such a low dose you're still f'ing with nature more than you would like to think - I know people do it all the time with alcohol and anti-depressants etc but it's just my humble opinion that maybe you should rethink this just a little longer??????