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Written by Dave Palumbo
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Monday, 08 April 2002 |
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QUESTION: I need a little advise for an unsolvable problem. I have been in bodybuilding (actively) for almost 8 years. I have competed 5 time. I am currently in my early 30's, 5'11", weight 250, andbodyfat is 10.2%. I'm not bragging, but I am more knowledgeable than 80% of my friends,competors, and gym buddies (I've studied everything I could get my hands on,and always read your column)That is why my current problem plagues me. My current cycle started on Nov18, 2001. I started using SEROSTIM growth hormone and after a couple of days of 12IUs per day, I had to stop. I experienced a very "bloating" feeling and lots of lower back pain (not kidney pain, but lowerback pain) Even though I was weighing 242 I felt like I weighed 280(veryuncomfortable). I decided to stop for a few days and to start back at 10iu's daily but I experienced the same results. I thought it was the anadrol-50 I was taking so Iquit taking both the A-50 and the GH and then, after a week break, started on 2IU's daily. I am still mildly uncomfortable. What is going on Dave? ANSWER: I decided to print this tediously involved letter (which I shortened as much as possible already) because it is a very common complaint that I receive from first time growth hormone users. The prices of synthetic GH have drastically dropped in recent times probably because of its extensive use by AIDS patients (thus, it is more readily available now). Among bodybuilders, a common mentality is "if some is good" then "more is better". When GH first became available on the market about 10 years ago, it was very scarce (since only pituitary dwarves required it), therefore, most bodybuilders used only 2IUs or less per day. Today, with the cheap prices and ready availability, GH users are using up to 36IUs per day in hopes that they will maximize their muscle gains. What these bodybuilders do not realize is that when they take growth hormone injections, they are not injecting a pure growth stimulus-- they are taking a stimulating or releasing factor. It is for this very reason that high dosing of GH is not necessarily going to result in more growth-- growth is limited by the amount of IGF-1 that the liver can produce in response to any given dosage of GH. Given my vast experience working with both pioneering life extension doctors and top ranked competitive bodybuilders, I feel safe in predicting that an ideal dosage of GH is in the range of 2-6 IU's per day. As the amount of injected GH increases over 6 IU's, the liver seems to lose its ability produce anymore IGF-1 (i.e. maximal IGF-1 release seems to occur at an injected GH level of 6 IU's). Additionally, as GH dosages increase over 4 IUs per day, the amount of edema (water retention) increases exponentially. If this subcutaneous water retention gets bad enough, the GH user will experience extreme discomfort, flank pain (in the kidney area), increased blood pressure, numbness of the hands and feet, and possible spontaneous vomiting due to excessive intra-abdominal fluid pressing on the outer walls of the stomach. In the above case, I recommend that the individual in question should cut his GH intake back to 2 IUs per day and slowly increase his dosages until he determines what his ideal dosage is (something under 6IUs per day). I would guess that 3IUs per day would be a prudent dosage for this individual. QUESTION:I would like you to help me because I already did many consultations with national-level bodybuilders and each one gave me completely different advice. Please help me to grow and to get my bodyfat levels down. ANSWER: You must remember that there are many different ways to "skin a cat". Likewise, there are many different ways to gain muscle and lose fat. If you ask 10 bodybuilders how to achieve that goal, you will probably get 10 different answers (and none of them will be, necessarily, wrong). My advice to you is to find one person that you trust and respect and follow their advice impeccably. The biggest mistake that beginning bodybuilders (and some veterans) make is to listen to too many different opinions. Pick one person and listen to that person ONLY. QUESTION When using clenbuterol, do you recommend using the pills or the liquid? How should I cycle clenbuterol to burn fat prior to a contest? ANSWER: To answer your first question, the pills are always the wiser choice since you can always be sure of the dosage you are consuming. With the liquid version, the dosing becomes a little tricky since the methods of measuring become very questionable. The most effective way to cycle clenbuterol is to start with 2 pills per day (everyday) beginning 12 weeks out from your competition. Every 2 weeks, thereafter, you should increase the dosage by one pill. Therefore, at 10 weeks out you will be taking 3 pills per day, at 8 weeks out you will be taking 4 pills per day, at 6 weeks out you will be taking 5 pills per day, at 4 weeks you will be taking 6 pills per day, and at 2 weeks out you will be taking 7 pills per day. Once the competition is over, you should cycle down the clenbuterol by immediately dropping down to 2 pills per day (for one week) followed by 1 pill per day for the second week. By week 3, you should drop down to 1 pill every other day and then go completely off. Good luck.
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