1. Using Excessive Dosages

When taking steroids, the more is not always better. 2 aspirin help your headache 200 kill you. It isn't only dangerous, but studies have shown it to be ineffective. The body can only use a limited amount of the steroid so the extra is turned into estrogen by the body. (i.e. Bitch Tits)



2. Staying On Steroids Too Long

"Cycle" indicates one would go on and come off. Going on and staying on is not cycling the drugs. Most cycles are 8 to 12 weeks. While you are on your kidneys and liver work harder. Your body also does not produce its own testosterone. There is a time on = time off theory to give your body time to recover. If you ever broke a limb and had it in a cast you have seen how quickly a muscle will atrophy if it goes completely unused, the same thing happens to an extent with your testosterone production.


The big 3! diet training and rest.
If you cannot make gains natural you will not keep gains made with gear. You MUST master these three first.

3. Eating Poorly

Your body will not grow if it cant feed the muscles and it wont believe it can feed them unless you are eating more calories than you need. If you weigh 185 pounds and want to weigh 220 pounds you need to eat like a 220# guy. Everyone says "yes I am eating a lot" but a lot is relative. The guideline is 1.5 to 2grams of protein a day per pound of body weight. Think about that. Do the math. That is a lot of food. Shooting for that 220# BW above you would need 7.5 cans of tuna just for your protein alone, not counting the carbs fat and calories you need. It is better taken in real food not supplements to make sure your getting the fat and carbs you need also.



4. Training Incorrectly

Muscles only grow if they have to. They do not want to. They only have to if you are attempting to do something you can not do. I am talking the 1-5 rep range here. You will need a spotter and you will need to use good form. This rep range is where most lifting injuries come from and you cant grow when you are injured. That being said you will notice an increase in strength when "on". Be careful to ease into new max weights to allow your tendons and cns to adjust. Gear grows strong muscles not strong tendons and if you blow your elbow you cant train.



5. Rest

Sleep is important. If you are a 5 hour a night guy plan to sleep longer you need a full night sleep. But rest also means resting the muscle or muscle group. I like the Push / Pull / Legs split because it gives every muscle a full week off of work to recover. Muscles grow while recovering not while lifting. If you lift every day you will not make gains. The muscles get tiny tears int hem and are inured. They repair themselves stronger so they don't tear under the same stress again, that repair is why they get bigger.



6. Using The Wrong Steroids

READ READ READ. There are profiles on every steroid site on the internet. Some are highly toxic, some are gentle, some are bad for tendons, some are better for them.
ASK Questions. We were all new once. Someone helped me and someone will help you. (how you ask can sometimes make a big difference. One line posts like "what should I do?" will get little to no response, but if you read and have an idea, posting your stats, history and ideas will almost undoubtedly get you much help.)



7. Using Counterfeits

If you go on to any site you can find and blab, "i want to buy gear for my first cycle" you will get scammed. Scammer know you don't know anyone and even if they burn you, who would believe you, you're a nobody. Better to wait 6 months and get good gear than loose your money now to junk or a scammer.
Know your source. Ok you cant really know your source, but I'll bet if your patient and ask around many other people know of him/her. The internet allows information to travel instantly to millions and billions of people. If someone sells crap word will get out.