Help a PH Newbie

[jimlynch11]

I'm currently in the midst of a cut to get ready for summer. I've dropped about 10 pounds while maintaining my strength, but still don't have the level of vascularity/cut that I'd like. At 21 years old, I'm currently at 6'3" 185, with a 10-15% body fat. I'm about to start a ECA stack using DymaBurn X-treme. I'm getting about a gram/per pound each day of protein, very little fat, and about 100 grams of carbs a day.

The point: I've been considering trying a PH. My reasons for wanting to try this are two fold. 1) Gain some strength as I've been at a plateau for the past few months. 2) I'd like to increase my muscle:fat ratio to hopefully satisfy my cutting goals.

I've been looking at a few different products, and done alot of searching on here and the 1fast400 site as well. Right now I'm torn between Dermabolics S1+ (transdermal) and the 1-AD from ErgoPharm (oral). Due to financial restrictions, I'd be planning on taking one bottle worth of whatever I choose, so it would be a brief cycle, followed by 6-OXO.

My question: What do you all recommend to accomplish the 2 goals I listed above?

[EdgarMex]

Go with S1+. 1 AD converts to 1-test, so it's better to go with a product that already is 1-test. If you can do a cycle at least 4 weeks long, don't waste your money and save it for later. Do plenty of research on side effects and PCT. The Prohormones FAQ at www.anabolicminds.com has lots of info.

[Holto]

I'm getting about a gram/per pound each day of protein, very little fat, and about 100 grams of carbs a day.

thats 1140 cals (not including fat)

just wanted to point that out

you might not be eating enough fat

that on top of an extremely catabolic caloric intake really scares me

I think you are ready to do a serious bulk soon, and maybe you should just grind out the cut until the middle of summer

[jimlynch11]

thats 1140 cals (not including fat)

just wanted to point that out

you might not be eating enough fat

that on top of an extremely catabolic caloric intake really scares me

I think you are ready to do a serious bulk soon, and maybe you should just grind out the cut until the middle of summer

I usually shoot for around 1500-1750 (normally ending up in the middle), but Fridays and Saturdays I kind of give myself off days and its up alot closer to 2500 (between food and alcohol). The reason my fat is so low is because most of my protein comes from protein shakes, lean chicken, and skim milk. I take creatine and ZMA to maintain muscle mass as best I can. I see your point though, and I don't want to lose muscle at the expense of being cut. Will upping it to 1.5 - 2.0 grams/per pound of protein while reducing some carbs accomplish this? Thanks for the input guys.

EDIT: To clarify, when I start the ECA stack, I was planning on modifying my diet to include roughly 1.5 grams per pound of protein and a total around 2000 cals.

[Holto]

if your calories are too low you will lose muscle...

thats the trick but I knew you weren't telling us the whole story re: your cals

what you are doing looks good bro you might want to consider a flax oil or fish oil supp

just to make sure you're getting exactly what you need

[EdgarMex]

1500-1750? I weigh 20 lbs less than you and cut with more cals, that's too low

[dxiw]

eat fat try shooting for mostly fat and protein and low carb... fat makes triggers testosterone...

[Holto]

1500-1750? I weigh 20 lbs less than you and cut with more cals, that's too low

he's averaging 1964 /day

and that's likely low 'cause with alchohol in the equation he could easily be taking in several thousand over a weekend

still seems low though :(

[jimlynch11]

eat fat try shooting for mostly fat and protein and low carb... fat makes triggers testosterone...

I try to avoid fat intake as much as possible, as both sides of my family have histories of heart disease (mom had a heart attack at 43, dad's dad died of a heart attack at 43) and I'm trying to end that cycle. But I do understand the concept of healthy fats - would throwing some low carb peanut butter into my diet (mainly in the form of additives to my shakes) be an effective way of accomplishing this test trigger?