Q: How do Pro Hormones work?
A: Pro Hormones are a category of supplement that convert
into various different anabolic hormones in the body. When you take a pro
hormone it starts a cascade of chemical processes that result in high levels of
hormones that can be highly anabolic and androgenic. Anabolic simply means
tissue building (i.e. they help your body add new muscle) while Androgenic means
masculinizing (i.e. they enhance the male characteristics, for example higher
sex drive, faster beard growth, oilier skin, more confidence and aggression).
While these hormones are elevated in your system you will find it easier to
build muscle and lose fat and will exhibit higher strength levels.
Q: Who should use Pro Hormones?
A: Pro Hormones are the ultimate route to rapid muscle
development and faster fat loss but they are not for everyone and should be used
with caution. Pro Hormones should not be used by females and are strictly for
males over the age of 21. Under this age your body is still developing naturally
and there is little benefit in affecting your already high hormone production.
Pro Hormones are to be used for enhancement and not a crutch for poor training
and bad diet. All users should be in good health with a decent level of training
experience. You can make significant gains training naturally and Pro Hormones
work best in those who already have a decent foundation of muscle and strength.
As with any product that affects hormone output, Pro Hormones should be avoided
by those with severe medical conditions, including but not limited to, prostate
issues, low testosterone, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, immune
dysfunctions and liver or kidney impairment. Pro Hormones are not for the
treatment of medical conditions. Some athletic organisations and sporting bodies
may test for the use of Pro Hormones, if you are subject to testing of this kind
we do not recommend the use of Pro Hormones.
Q: What is stacking?
A: Different pro hormones have different strengths and elicit
different effects in the body. Some are bigger mass gainers but can cause some
fat or water bloat, while others are better suited for getting lean and hard.
Stacking simply means choosing two or more different pro hormones and using them
together to create a more tailored effect for your personal goals. It is often
better to stack low doses of different pro hormones than using a high dose of
one alone.
Q: What is cycling and how do I plan it?
A: Unlike protein or other food supplements Pro Hormones are
designed to be used in short well planned bursts. We refer to these as cycles or
cycling. It is important to plan a cycle well and ensure you have the correct
amount of doses to achieve your goals, and have effective ancillary supplements
and PCT products available (see later questions for more details). A typical
cycle will vary depending on which type of Pro Hormones you are using, how you are
stacking them and what you hope to achieve from the cycle. For very strong
compounds you may be using 2 week mini cycles to limit side effects, for milder
compounds it may be 6 to 8 weeks, especially during fat loss diets which can
take longer than muscle building. However the vast majority of cycles will be
around 4 weeks in duration - this offers enough time to build some muscle and
lose fat but comes to an end before side effects begin to show too much.
Q: What is Shutdown/Suppression?
A: The human body has a number of mechanisms for ensuring it
does not create too much or too few hormones. When you introduce a synthetic pro
hormone into your system your body simply assumes it is making too high a level
of natural
anabolic hormones and responds by suppressing or shutting down production of
your natural testosterone levels. This is fine during the cycle as the pro
hormone will be far stronger than your natural hormone levels and will allow you
to build muscle and lose fat at an accelerated rate. However when you cease
using the product at the end of the cycle you will be in the tricky situation of
having low natural levels and no synthetic pro hormone to balance this out. This
is referred to as shutdown. Different pro hormones will produce different levels
of shutdown or suppression. Generally speaking the stronger the compounds used,
the worse you will be shut down. At this stage, if you have planned properly you
will begin PCT.
Q: What is PCT?
A: PCT stands for Post Cycle Therapy. It consists of products
that will help restore your normal hormone function as swiftly as possible. This
involves boosting your normal testosterone production and limiting any excess
estrogen (the feminine hormone) that may be a result of an altered hormone
profile. PCT products come in various forms too and some are more suited to
different pro hormone cycles. Again, generally speaking, the stronger and longer
the cycle, the stronger and longer the PCT protocol will need to be to help you
return to normal function and keep the gains made during the cycle. Much like
Pro Hormones you can also stack PCT products to create a more tailored effect.
For a more detailed look at PCT read our Insider's PCT article on the website.
Q: What is liver support/milk thistle and do I need it?
A: Milk thistle and other herbal formulas are products which
reduce the stress on the liver and help it deal with extra toxins. It is often
used after consuming alcohol to help enhance the livers natural detoxifying role
in the body. Pro Hormones, when ingested, need to get into the blood stream to
exert their effects but when the hormones pass through the liver they will often
be shut down. There are different methods for helping pro hormones enter the
bloodstream intact and keep them effective. Some use fats in the digestive
system to become bio-available, while others use the Methylation process to help
them pass through the liver. Pro Hormones that are methylated tend to be much
stronger than ones that are not and they are better guaranteed to get into the
body intact however the liver needs to work harder to process these compounds.
If using methylated compounds using milk thistle can help reduce stress on the
liver. It is also important to limit or avoid alcohol intake while using
Methylated compounds to reduce the stress on the liver. Always use milk thistle
if you are using Methylated products. Around 600mg a day of a quality milk
thistle herbal extract a day is ideal for maximum protection and detoxification.
There are also various formulas available containing milk thistle with other
useful Detox products to ensure your body maintains peak efficiency and health.
Q: Do I need anything else on my cycle? Can I add other
supplements?
A: If you're using methylated compounds ensure you have liver
support/milk thistle, always ensure you have a proper PCT as well. After this
there are things you may wish to consider but may not be essential. If using
compounds that convert to estrogen easily and cause a lot of water bloat, you
may wish to use some form of anti-estrogen compound in the cycle to limit these
side effects. While using Pro Hormones your body is far more anabolic than usual
and as such it can handle larger amounts of protein, turning more into muscle
than normal, so you may wish to increase your protein intake too. You can stack
virtually all other supplements from your normal regime into a cycle such as
Creatine, Beta Alanine, Pre workout drinks, Post workout recovery aids etc. You
can use fat burning thermogenics if your main goal is fat loss on the cycle, or
use other natural anabolics if your goal is greater mass.
Q: How do I know which products are right for me?
A: You can read about each Pro Hormone individually on our
site and see which description best fits your goals. If you are still unsure
about which product or stack is suitable for you feel free to ask a further
question on the product itself and one of our advice team will be able to give
you more information. Please review the previous questions and answers for the
products too as you will often find someone has already asked a similar question
to you before.
|
