Ask Anthony Roberts

Each month I get tons of emails asking me about everything you could imagine. I have also disabled the “comments” feature on my blog for various reasons, and I apologize to the people who have tried to post comments (unsuccessfully). But I’ve always answered 100% of my emails, and will continue to do so as long as time permits. Generation S, my newest book, will be launched shortly (Pre-Order here, and you’ll get a copy the day it comes out!)…so I might slack off a bit with the emails for awhile, but…I thought I’d republish a “best of” email questions I’ve received (don’t worry, I’ve changed the names), and hopefully answer a lot of questions all at once, and maybe even have a bit of fun…Enjoy.

Ask Anthony Roberts….

Anthony-

What do you think the best form of testosterone is? I’ve got access to testosterone in virtually any form you can think of…Enanthate, Cypionate, Propionate, etc…even custom blends like Supertest 450 and such.

Help!

~Brad

Brad-

Testosterone is basically testosterone. The ester (the fatty acid chain attached to it) simply delays the rate that blood plasma levels of the drug declines in the body. Regardless of the ester, with the initial injection  of the steroid (from that injection) basically reaches it’s peak level within the first day, then based on the length of that ester, declines.

Longer esters (for practical purposes) don’t make the steroid peak at a different time than shorter ones, the peak blood plasma levels simply decline more slowly. Of course this means you can build up to a higher level with multiple injections, but in the end, testosterone is simply testosterone, regardless of ester (for most practical purposes). If you’re a precontest bodybuilder, or someone who needs exacting detail and scrutiny in a cycle, then you will find several noteworthy differences between extremely long and extremely short esters (water retention, aromatization rates, etc..), but for most people, especially using half a gram per week or less, it’s probably not going to make a huge difference.

Anthony-

I was talking to a vet from an internet forum. Long story short he said I would gain more muscle from running Deca 800mg wk w/ Test 125mg wk vs. Test 500 and Deca 500.

He made a compelling argument. I mean Deca is more anabolic than Test, is this true or what?

I mean I was always under the impression that more test equals more muscle, so I’ve been taught. If you want more muscle up the Test and screw all other roids, is this true? Is test all I need to get the monster size I want? (training/diet aside)

~Joe

Joe-

It’s likely that all the average person needs is testosterone. Right now, it’s all I use. Frankly the idea that Deca is more anabolic than test (nowhere near 3x though) is based on the Vida reference scale, which doesn’t really accurately describe how things work in real life. Those “Anabolic Ratings” are helpful, but they’re far from an accurate description of how anabolic steroids rate compared to each other. They’re mostly useful for the keyboard-cowboys on the ‘net, with little real life experience with the drugs or people using them. We’d all be getting huge off Halotestin if those ratings meant anything.

~AR

Anthony-

I’ve been reading a lot of stuff by some different steroid gurus, yourself included. There’s this guy Paul Borreson who seemed to advocate some really wacky stuff…really super high doses, priming the body, then blasting the system with androgens, then high anabolics,  then cruising on lower doses…but he was a really good bodybuilder, coached a Mr.Olympia,  and has a very strong scientific background, including a degree in Pharmacology and several published research articles. Can you give me your thoughts on his methods?

~Marcus

Marcus-

I won’t get into exact specifics about the guy’s actual life…but suffice it to say he died of an overdose of recreational drugs, and was eventually exposed for having none of the credentials he claimed to have.

Ok…that being said, who cares? I don’t put much stock in credentials, only results. Good coaches and this includes “drug coaches” or “gurus” get good results…great ones get great results. I don’t see this kind of thing producing many champions.

You can run all of these exotic cycles, with obscure compounds, cycling high androgens with high anabolics, doing 3 week “blast” cycles, etc…ad nauseam…and you won’t get better results than just running a couple of compounds at a consistent dose for a decent length of time. All those “sexy” exotic cycles are marketing bullshit, and an attempt to make something simple into something complex, and give the designer of those cycles some kind of credentials as a “guru”. Pardon me while I puke.

The top bodybuilders and powerlifters I know basically all do the same thing; run what you can get your hands on, for as long as you can afford it, and when you can’t get as much, run less. As for time off…ha ha…the top powerlifters and bodybuilders never come off steroids. Besides diet cardio and training, the difference between a powerlifter’s precompetition cycle and an off season bodybuilder’s is very little. During contest cycles, bodybuilders typically taper off everything and favor short acting injectables, while powerlifters building up to a meet go with the old saying “less jabs, more tabs.”

~AR

Anthony-

I previously lived in an apartment with my training partner (another bodybuilder), and now live in an apartment with my girlfriend and my dog. Over the past few years, come to a point in my bodybuilding career that I’m unable to inject my own glutes, and my old room mate was kind enough to do it for me…but now I live with my girl and my dog. Would she be committing a crime if she did my glute injections for me? I feel like I trust her enough…but…is this common? Can she get in trouble?

Would it be weird to ask her to inject me?

~Dave

Dave-

Not as weird as asking your dog to do it.

~AR

Anthony,

I read an article over on SteroidsLive.com about Asia-Pharma. What’s your take on them? The author of the blog seemed to love their products, but I’m not seeing much about them on the forums I visit.

~Tim

Tim-

Admittedly, I have never tried their products, but that’s because I have a prescription for everything I use right now, and am more than satisfied with my HRT doses. That being said, I’ve had this prescription for several years now, and have missed out on a lot of new companies on the market that I’d have liked to try; Asia-Pharma is one of those companies. I have two friends who have gotten great results from Asia Pharma products, with no shipping problems – both were blown away by the quality, and one of them (who had previously only used UG/Bootleg stuff) said it was light years away from anything he’d ever used. So, while the reviews I’ve gotten are very good, the unfortunate truth is that while I’d love to try the products, I’m going to have to stay with my ‘script – and stay legal.

~AR

Anthony,

I’ve been reading about the latest pheromone research, and how androstadienone in the air seems to sweep women off their feet.

So I’m wondering…do you think that a cologne could be made from, say, tren acetate, or some other highly androgenic steroid, that would have a similar, but perhaps much more potent effect?

If so, how best would this be homebrewed?

Robert

Robert-

I’m glad you asked that question. I frequently dab a bit of trenbolone acetate behind my ears when I’m going out for a short while, but for longer social engagements, I prefer the long-lasting aroma of trenbolone enanthate. Simply dissolve it as you would when making any home brew injectable, put it in a vaporizer and spray on.

~AR

Anthony-

I’ve read your profiles on IGF-1 and MGF, as well as an article you wrote on the two, and even heard you on the radio talking about them. Since they first came on the scene and you spoke about them, what’s new with them? Can women use them also? How are they stacked, and cycled? Myself and my wife haven’t been able to understand much about them even though we try, and rely on you for all of our information. Thanks a ton.

~Eddie and Natalie

Eddie and Natalie-

Since I first wrote my book “Anabolic Steroids: Ultimate Research Guide” and then my next one “Beyond Steroids”, much has changed about my opinion on steroids. Even since I wrote a ton of information on them for MesoRx.com, I’ve changed some of my views.

I really think that the most anyone should realistically use of Lr3IGF-1 is about 120mcg, done post workout, and about double that amount of MGF (Mechano Growth Factor).

I still think that shooting post workout is most beneficial because the receptors are most sensitive at that time, and the proteins which inactivate the peptides are lowest.

As for women, I think half that dose is optimal.

With regards to stacking them optimally with steroids, Testosterone and Trenbolone are the likely candidates…both increase IGF receptor sensitivity and number.

~AR

Anthony-

What’s the deal with Balkan Pharmaceuticals? They seem to have come out of nowhere, and are producing what looks to be a nice line of products, which are reasonably priced. Still…I’m a bit wary because as I said, they popped out of nowhere. Can you give me the inside info on them? I don’t really know anything about this kind of thing at all.

And why is their Testosterone Enanthate product called Testosteron-E Retard? Why would they put the word “Retard” at the end of their product name???

~Carlos

Carlos-

Great question. Balkan Pharmaceuticals is (to the best of my knowledge) a registered pharmaceutical company, producing high quality human grade steroids in Europe. From what I can tell, they’re operating legally in their home country, and the owner has taken all the appropriate steps to insure their longevity and legality, as well as their quality.

As for the word “Retard” it doesn’t necessarily have the connotation of “mentally retarded” overseas, or in pharmaceutical nomenclature. In this case, the word “Retard” means to slow down or make slower, and it’s common for foreign pharmaceutical companies to attach that word to their products to indicate that they’re slow-releasing versions of the parent hormone or compound. In primarily English speaking countries, using that word in that context is uncommon, even though it’s actual meaning (to slow down) would still apply.

Early word out of the Llewellyn camp is that BP has been lab tested, and that the results for their Testosterone Enanthate product came out as  slightly overdosed.

~AR

Mr. Roberts-

I’ve been having trouble gaining size and strength (or even getting cut) despite using tons of what I know are real anabolics. I’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid issue, and have been told this could be the reason that steroids aren’t producing great results for me. Is this possible?

~Billy

Billy-

It’s certainly possible that a thyroid issue could cause an elevation in sex hormone binding globulin, which would interfere with the effectiveness of anabolics. You might want to consider something to lower SHBG with your next cycle. “Unleashed” from Protein Factory is a good choice for that kind of thing, or whatever incarnation of “AcTivate” is currently being sold on the market, as are certain oral anabolics like Winstrol, Proviron, and Anavar.

Of course, there’s always the probability that you’re not gaining what you should from steroid use because your training and/or diet are not in order. I’d look to that area first before anything else.

~AR

A-Rob-

First of all, let me say that I’ve been reading your stuff since you posted as “hooker” on the original “Triedia” several years ago. I’m very impressed with you so far, but I’ve noticed that you seem to have calmed down over the last few years. What’s the deal?

-Larry

Larry-

First of all, thanks for the compliments. And yeah, I guess I’ve calmed down. You should really check out Generation S, though, because it’s the best book I’ve ever written, and certainly shows no signs of me being calmer or more complacent. I worked really hard on this one, and I’ve got a whole new agenda of things to be pissed off about.

I still believe in education above all things, and if you are set on using anabolics, then you should learn everything about them, from their safe and optimal use to all other ends of the spectrum. But right now, I’m not just educating people on how to best use anabolics, and not saying anyone should break the law, but actually trying to let people know what really happens in the underground, which is the focus of my new book.  I feel that nobody should break the laws on steroids, and you can argue something like “an unjust law is not a law” but tell that to the guys who are in the can, away from their families. It’s not worth it, and we’ve seen some pretty major busts in the past few years, all of which have provided some really interesting stuff for the book.

I feel that things are coming to a tipping point, and we all need to be responsible in our use of anabolics, put on a good face for the lawmakers, and work with them to make steroids legal for intelligent adults. This is a very exciting time to be alive for anabolic steroid users, and I feel like we can influence lawmakers positively if we do things right and not make total asses of ourselves. And, of course, if we expose the things that need to be exposed, and clean up our side of the street.

I have a prescription for steroids, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think you should have the right to do whatever you want…prescription or not. I choose to not break the law, but will continue to educate everyone, on all sides of the law, to the best of my ability.

Maybe I haven’t calmed down, I’ve just grown up.

Nah.

It’s probably neither.

~AR



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