Every time I go on a cycle of “gear,” I get really severe acne. Is there anything I can do or take to minimize these breakouts? Are the shorter- acting testosterones better to take?
The unfortunate part of this answer is the sad fact that acne is very variable among people. Some individuals can eat and inject thousands of milligrams of testosterone and not break out, whereas other persons can look at a greasy donut and wake up with 10 new pimples on their face. When testosterone is exogenously injected, it has several fates. It can be converted into estrogen, it can remain as testosterone, or it can be converted into another testosterone derivative, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In some predisposed individuals, DHT attaches to receptors on the sebaceous glands of the skin and it causes them to over-secrete sebum. Excessive amounts of sebum create a great breeding ground for skin bacteria. When these overloaded sebaceous glands become “infected” with an overabundance of bacteria, the result is a pimple. Over the years, I have observed that short-acting testosterone esters (such as those found in testosterone propionate, testosterone suspension, and Sustanon 250) all seem to result in huge fluctuations in serum testosterone levels and thus, seem to cause the most acne flare-ups. The longer-acting esters (like testosterone cypionate and testosterone enanthate) seem to maintain much more stable testosterone levels and thus result in fewer acne problems. This phenomenon may best be explained by the fact that the faster-acting testosterone esters enter the bloodstream in much higher concentrations and thus result in much higher conversion rates to DHT. Another interesting phenomenon I discovered over the years is that bodybuilders who take Arimidex (a strong aromatase inhibitor), and thus reduce the amount testosterone that’s converted into estrogen, also notice a much higher rate of acne breakouts. This observed phenomenon is probably due to the fact that since testosterone cannot convert to estrogen, it instead converts to DHT at a much higher rate (thus leading to a greater incidence of acne). More evidence for the DHT mechanism behind acne can be observed when one takes the anti-hair loss drug, Propecia. Propecia inhibits the conversion of testosterone into DHT. When Propecia is taken on a regular basis (one milligram per day), the user will notice a significant decrease in acne and hair loss (all side effects of DHT exposure). For the bodybuilder who cannot control acne flare-ups with some of the manipulations I mentioned above, antibiotics such as Augmentin and Tetracycline can be used (short term) to kill off the bacteria and thus, the huge boils and pimples that appear on the skin. However, for long-term acne control, antibiotics are not a wise choice since, in addition to killing the bad bacteria, they also kill off all the “good” bacteria in the colon and thus can present the user with stomach problems and diarrhea. Accutane is currently the best anti-acne drug on the market. It permanently shrinks the sebaceous glands over a course of two to five months of treatment. While there are a few uncomfortable side effects (dry skin, chapped lips and sore joints), they are completely reversible upon discontinuance of the drug and the “clear” skin that results is permanent. (Note: On occasion, a second course of Accutane treatment is required).
Why does Genentech’s liquid Nutropin last for three weeks (considering it’s already premixed), while all the other growth hormone preparations go bad six to seven days once reconstituted with water?
Over the last several years, Genentech patented a relatively new technology whereby they were able to package one of their growth hormone products in a stable liquid medium. They call this product Nutropin AQ. Nutropin AQ is the first ready-to-use liquid growth hormone formulation (supplied as 10 milligrams of sterile liquid somatropin per vial). The interesting thing the Genentech scientists learned when studying synthetic GH was that it is a very large, convoluted, molecule that, when exposed to water (as occurs when one reconstitutes a vial of lymphilized GH), it starts to work its way between the large GH molecules. This leads to a destablization and ultimately, a destruction of the GH molecule. In the laboratory, Genentech scientists exposed the GH molecule to an acidic aqueous (water) environment and found that the acid in the water caused the large convoluted GH molecule to contract and become more stable. (The tightly contracted GH no longer allowed water molecules to work their way inside and thus destabilize it). This stabilized environment allowed the GH molecule to be successfully stored for over 19 months in a liquid medium with no loss in potency. As I have said in the past, all GH preparations are equally potent and perform the same functions in the body; however, Genentech Nutropin AQ has the unique ability of remaining 100 percent potent from the first to the last injection.
When taking oral compounds such as Anadrol-50, Dianabol or Anavar, is it best to take all the pills at once or should I spread them out throughout the day?
Oral steroids have very short half-lives in the body compared to their injectable counterparts. As a result, oral steroids need to be taken periodically throughout the day (every three to four hours with meals). If you are diligent in taking your orals over the course of the day (most of us cannot even remember to take one multivitamin a day), you’ll see great results and fewer mood swings because your daily hormonal levels will be less apt to fluctuate and will be more likely to remain stable. A strategy that some women employ (to give another point of view) is to take only one dose per day of oral steroids in the hope they will get a nice boost in muscle building potential, yet limit their exposure time (and thus side effects) from the drugs. If a woman were to take one dose per day of orals (e.g., six milligrams of Winstrol tabs and five milligrams of Anavar tabs), she’d get significant muscle gains, yet she would only be exposing herself to about eight hours a day of masculinizing hormones. (She would thus greatly reduce the potential for side effects). Obviously, this same woman would not want to be taking injectable compounds at the same time or else this entire strategy would be employed in vain. (We want her to be drug-free when the orals run their course).
I am looking to gain as much muscle (in the shortest time period) as is humanly possible. Where should I start?
I could write three pages answering this question for you. Without rehashing my latest article in the most recent issue of Rx Muscle (the quarterly magazine I publish which can be purchased at www.RxMuscle.com), the single most important factor in growing huge is to be a consistent, incessant eater of the correct muscle-building foods. Remember, the body does not like to be deprived of protein or fat (both are required nutrients for optimum lean muscle gains). On the other hand, carbohydrates are completely unessential nutrients. If, as bodybuilders or regular sedentary individuals, we were never to eat another gram of carbohydrates, our bodies would continue to grow muscle and metabolize fat without a single hesitation (and most of us would find we got much leaner, as well). To get huge, you must consume a high-protein (1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight), moderate-fat (including essential fats, cholesterol-based fats and monounsaturated fats), and moderate-carbohydrate diet (just enough carbohydrates to fuel your workouts). If you’re consistent, you will be successful. If some of you think I have a secret weapon in my arsenal of muscle-building and fat-burning techniques, you are correct. It’s called knowledge!
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