Whether you’re new to using anabolic steroids, or a seasoned pro, you’ll be wanting to get the most out of your cycle.
Cutting, bulking or recomping; whatever the type of cycle you’re running, you won’t see results from the very start. This is because it takes a while for most steroids to have an effect, particularly those which are injected.
This delay is why a lot of bodybuilders opt to kickstart their cycle so they don’t waste a day waiting for the drugs with a longer ester to start to work. Here’s what you need to know about kickstarting your cycle and how it works in practice.
What is kickstarting?
If you’ve done your homework, you’ll have probably heard of kickstarting already. It’s a common way of stacking which ensures that every day during your cycle counts.
A lot of the steroids used take a while to get properly into the system, sometimes as long as a few weeks. This means that at the beginning of the cycle, you’ll be missing out on any extra cutting or bulking results you were hoping to see.
It is possible to get around this by using an additional drug, usually an anabolic steroid but not always, that works much more quickly. This extra drug is the kickstarter, and is only used right at the beginning of a longer cycle.
As the main steroids in your cycle start to take effect, the kickstarter drug stops so you don’t end up with too many side effects or taking too high a dose. Using a faster-acting performance enhancing drug in this way means that you can bulk, cut or recomp from the start of your cycle and enjoy better results straight away.
Oral steroids are often used as a kickstarter. This is because they’re often too toxic to the liver to run for an entire cycle but because they act quickly and can be very effective, they’re the perfect short term solution.
When to start kickstarting
The principle of kickstarting is attractive to most bodybuilders, but the question is often asked: how many cycles should I have behind me before I can try this?
If you’re just starting out on anabolic steroids you are probably eager to get amazing results, but you need to take it easy. Everyone reacts differently to anabolic steroids and until you know what side effects you are more prone to, you can’t plan your optimal cycle.
For this reason, all the experts recommend only running one steroid at a time for your first cycle, but if you’re using a testosterone with a longer ester (such as cypionate or enanthate) you won’t see the effects for a few weeks anyway. That leaves you free to try kickstarting your cycle with a little bit of Dbol for the first 3-4 weeks.
This will allow you to judge the effect that the Dbol has on your body, before later assessing the testosterone when it finally starts to work. The only proviso is that the dosage of the Dbol should be low, around 30mg per day, because this is your first run-out.
In subsequent cycles, Dbol can still be used to kickstart results, but typically at the higher dose of 50mg per day. You might also run this kickstarter with a longer acting stack of two or more drugs, unlike your initial cycle.
Dianabol isn’t the only steroid which can be useful for kickstarting a cycle; winstrol and anavar are favored by some. And testosterone can also be used to kickstart, but in the form of the short-acting ester, testosterone propionate.
Alternatives
Oral steroids are effective, and some users say deliver the best results they see without the need to pin.
However, although you’ll get results, lots of people suffer from side effects, and there’s the added problem of liver toxicity too.
Some users are able to tolerate oral steroids for a short time while kickstarting a cycle but for others, their reaction is far too strong to make it desirable or safe. For these individuals, there is an alternative: SARMs.
A different type of drug entirely but producing similar results, SARMs can be a viable alternative. It’s possible to get quicker results, in the same way as oral steroids, although the effect won’t usually be quite as dramatic.
However, the benefit is that you can run SARMs for much longer and the side effects are far more tolerable than anabolic steroids. They also don’t cause any toxicity to the liver either which is one of the biggest oral steroid concerns.
Therefore, if you don’t want to use test prop, and oral steroids are causing you problems, SARMs could give your cycle a kickstart without the unpleasant effects.
Make your cycle count
When you’re cycling you should be feeling the effects every single day to really push your boundaries and get the results you want. Kickstarting your cycle is a great way to ensure that you don’t waste time sitting around and waiting for the drugs to start working. But make sure you do your research and understand how your body reacts to steroids before going in too hard, too soon. Remember – just because it worked for your buddy, doesn’t mean it’s right for you too!
