Been training for 2 years already. Diet & training is on track. I will be running an anavar only cycle for the first time. Will be using for strength gains and muscle maintenance whilst cutting. Alpha pharma oxyanabol 10mg tabs. Here is what my current plan looks like.
5'2
121lb
BF 19%
week 1: 5mg
2: 5mg
3: 10mg
4: 10mg
5: 10mg
6: 10mg
7: 10mg
8: 5mg
Taken half in the AM, half in the PM.
Will be running with E/C stack 2x a day.
now my questions are -
1) how many weeks off after cycle? Was told time on=time off but just want to confirm because i've heard different things with var.
2) has anyone experienced any sleep issues with this?
3) i know var isnt used as some fat burning pill, but has anyone reported INDIRECT benefits when it comes to fat loss eg. appetite suppression? My body has always been VERY resistant when it comes to fat loss so I was wondering whether using var would in any way be beneficial in this sense. I should also get some slight recomp. benefits (increase in muscle growth despite being in a deficit and losing fat) is that correct?
1) Time off = Time on is the rule of thumb. Technically, start by looking at the steroid detection time of the compound you're using. (e.g. google "anavar detection time"). Var has a detection time of 3 weeks. This is how long the compound can still be detected in the body. But note that after that there is still a period of time the body has to re-establish homeostasis - "normal" levels of things like hormones, BP, lipids, etc. I would also argue it matters what you do after the cycle to give consideration to the rest of the body that wasn't directly impacted by the cycle, but still has to support the effects - meaning the weaker links in the chain like tendons, joints, ligaments, that have to support the increased weight that the muscles can now lift. Some steroids will positively affect soft tissue systems, but not all. Also steroids tend to contribute positively to your ability to "recover" - which allows you to train harder, more frequently, more intensely, with less recovery time and general "pain" - gives you the feeling of being "superman" - and then that starts to diminish as the compound clears post cycle. So it would be recommended to give consideration to the weaker links in the chain and your overall transition back to non-cycle to allow your body to assimilate the changes of the cycle and also go back to non-cycle w/o injury or pain.
2) Possible that some sleep issues may occur -but var doesn't tend to really tweak the CNS like things like tren. BP might be a bit of an issue (e.g. tension headaches, bloody nose, etc.) No guarantees since, esp for women the effects of a cycle are very individual - but var tends to be the mildest & most predictable. If there are issues, you can vary the dosage to find the "sweet spot". Also keep in mind if you are training harder or dieting harder "because you can", this may also affect your sleep quality.
3) Steroids are generally not "appetite suppressants" tho some people experience different impacts. If they are training harder, they may find they are more hungry. Which would follow. Or if you are dieting, steroids allow you to recover faster on more limited resources (food) w/ less muscle loss. The "lean out" value of a steroid comes more w/ the recovery ability, the promotion of lean muscle mass, etc. Just popping a var cycle and not training is not going to make you lose weight. Additionally if you aren't already lean (~15% or less), you may actually notice that you are getting more "thick" - because of your existing levels of bodyfat + increase in muscle mass. If you stick with the diet and continue, you should see the transition to more lean muscle mass / less bodyfat. But IMO, esp for women, if you are already > 20% bf and start cycling expecting to immediately start looking like a competitor, it probably isn't going to work like that. You may have to go thru a "thick" phase as your diet, supported by a cycle, promotes a leaner existence.
On a side note, I don't know why you are proposing a taper down the last week of your cycle. If it is a matter of resources (end of your anavar) and you are reducing the dose to lengthen the cycle, fine. But if not, there's no need to taper a cycle. The compound itself will phase out according to it's half-life anyway.