Pro-Hormones And Pre-Made Cookie Dough...What Do They Have In Common?

They are probably the most misunderstood supplements available right now. Pro-hormones were first brought to the supplement market back in 1991. Since then, they have skyrocketed to the top of the bodybuilding supplement market - being outsold by only Creatine and MRP/Protein supplements. And there’s only one reason why... they work! The reason I say pro-hormones are misunderstood is because most people don’t realize what they are and, more importantly, how they work.

To truly understand how pro-hormones work; you should understand how they relate to steroids. In fact, pro-hormones are so closely related to steroids that, theoretically, you could substitute any individual steroid from a synthetic steroid cycle with a completely legal pro-hormone, adjust the doses appropriately, and you’ll get the same results.

Pro-hormones, by definition, are precursors to other hormones. Sometimes they are hormones that are naturally found in your body, sometimes they aren’t. But either way, they are one step away from the target substance. I like to think of it like this: In order to make cookies you have to have all the ingredients right? Like flower, butter, sugar, vinegar (I don’t know how to make cookies J)? Or, you can just go buy some pre-made cookie dough, throw it in the oven and call it done! Well, in this case, the pre-made cookie dough is a precursor to the cookies; it’s just one step away! Make sense? The end result is the same, but the process of getting there is a little different. My point is, whether you go buy cookies (testosterone) or buy cookie dough (precursors to testosterone) and bake them yourself, you still wind up with cookies!

Although, at first glance, this analogy looks like a pretty good one, it does have its fundamental flaws. One thing is for certain, when you make cookies, if you are careful, you won’t waste any of your cookie dough. This is not the same with respect to precursors and the hormones they turn into. While testosterone and its precursors have the same effects, testosterone is much more potent milligram for milligram. What happens is, when you take a precursor, it must be converted into the target hormone through a series of enzymatic reactions. Kind of like how the heat from the oven changes the cookie dough into cookies, only these enzymatic reactions produce more waste. The bad part is that, depending on the precursor and its ability to convert to the target hormone, this process will waste 75% or more of the pro-hormone! At the very best, only 25% of it will turn into the target substance.

But this isn’t as bad as it sounds! Even though pro-hormones don’t carry the same potency as real illegal steroids, they are very effective. Pro-hormones, in my opinion, are the most effective muscle builders on the legal supplement market.

Ok. I’ve kind of explained how they work in general. So, now all you have to do is go down to GNC and pick up a pro-hormone and in a short 6 weeks, you’ll be the Man you always knew you could be, right? Well… not exactly.

If you want results, you have to make sure that whatever you do, you don’t set yourself up for failure. Imagine this: It takes you 30 minutes to drive to work everyday? sometimes you can get there in 25 if you really step on it and luck out with traffic. But one morning, for some reason or another, you find yourself with only 15 minutes to get to work… OH #*%!. Now, you and I both know that this means you are going to be late. There is no way you are going to make it in time! You’ve set your self up for failure! That’s how it is in life; if you don’t utilize your time wisely you will probably fail. Well, pro-hormones act the same way. All they do is raise your “muscle building hormone” levels - that’s all! What you do with the “muscle building hormone” is up to you. If you don’t work hard to utilize the testosterone they bring, you are setting yourself and your supplements and up for failure.

This is where most supplement programs fall short. You see? the problem isn’t the supplement itself. The problem is that people either don’t utilize them correctly or they have such high expectations that, even though they get some results, they end up disappointed. Setting the right goal and having reasonable expectations is the key to success - with all supplements, not just pro-hormones. Most people don’t know this, but if you don’t workout and don’t eat right, you aren’t going to get results… even with mega doses of the most potent anabolic/androgenic steroids in the world! And trust me on this one; No matter what you read anywhere, there is no magic-pill that grows muscles without resistance training - period!

Set Yourself Up For Success!

One of the first mistakes people make with pro-hormones is they think they are all the same. Don’t let yourself be fooled! Just like there are different kinds of cookies, there are different kinds of testosterone. Essentially, if you want chocolate chip cookies you’ve got to get chocolate chip cookie dough. Some are precursors to different hormones and have different chemical properties and do different jobs in your body. Some are better for building hard dense muscle and some are better for building larger but softer muscle. Some are better used during cutting phases and some are better for building. Some are more potent and carry a larger variety of side effects and some are the opposite. And of course, there are some in the middle of it all. Knowing which one is the best one to use for your specific goal is the first step in setting yourself up for success. How many times have you seen or heard of a person taking an ephedrine based fat burner to gain muscle? Maybe that was you? In short, do your research before you jump into any supplement cycle. Look at the supplement facts panel on the label or call the company to find out what is actually in the product before you use it. Don’t be discouraged by “proprietary formulas” either; they are just a way for the manufacturing company to protect their formula from other companies who don’t have the money or resources to produce a good product. Right now, the 4 top pro-hormone products make up over 50% of the pro-hormone market.

Get Big Now!

Use this as a guideline to find the right pro-hormone for you.

Androstenedione/diol:

The infamous “Andro”, androstenedione was the first pro-hormone on the market. It is a direct precursor to testosterone but is the least effective muscle builder because of its low conversion percentage (5%) and influence on estrogen levels. Androstenediol (note the “diol”) came shortly after and is still considered to be one of the best pro-hormones on the market. It has a much higher conversion rate to testosterone at around 15% and has fewer side effects associated with it. Androstenediol is also known as 4-AD.

19-Nor Androstenedione/diol:

I still consider this to be one of the most revolutionary pro-hormones ever developed. This one was the first precursor to come along that doesn’t convert to testosterone; it converts to nor-testosterone or nandrolone. Nandrolone is the substance in Deca-Durabolan, the drug most bodybuilders consider to be the best steroid available. It is a good “in between” product because it is a good promoter of muscle growth and has very few side effects. Like Andro, the diol is the more effective version due to its higher conversion rates.

1, 4-androstanadienedione/diol:

This is the Boldenone precursor and is the best pro-hormone for strict muscle growth and overall size. It can produce some estrogenic side effects but is the best product to put on sheer size. According to Steroids.com, Boldenone is best when stacked with a testosterone product so, in turn; this is probably best when stacked along with an Androstenediol product.

5-alpha-androstenedione/diol

If you are looking for more quickness, strength and explosiveness, you need to get this one. This is the Masteron precursor and is best for achieving that hard dense muscle that is rich in fast twitch fibers. It should be used only during the end of a bulking cycle or throughout a cutting cycle. This is one that a lot of people end up disappointed with because when they hear that they are going to get hard lean muscle, they expect that this product will burn the fat too. Well, it will burn some fat, but only indirectly. It’s not going to relieve you of a ¼ inch of fat around your gut. To get the most benefit out of this one you should already be somewhat lean. No estrogenic side effects with this one but you do have to worry about an increased chance of oily skin and acne, accelerated hair loss, and aggression. I should mention one thing regarding steroids and hair loss. Don’t be discouraged by this side effect unless you are already thinning out up top. Highly androgenic steroids will accelerate hair loss but they won’t start it. So the only time you should be worried about this side effect is if you are going to lose your hair anyway.

Once you pick the right product or combination of products, the next step is to use them correctly. If you want to optimize your pro-hormone cycle you have to first be sure that they are working in the best conditions available. You want them to get into your system as quickly and easily as possible to prevent waste. The absolute best way for any drug to get in your system is to inject it. However, this is an illegal and dangerous practice and not one that most of us are willing to try. Next best to injections are the topical solutions. They are great because they bypass the digestion process that is so harmful to oral pills. If you don’t mind the inconvenience of rubbing on a cream or gel a couple of times a day, go this route. The most common form is an oral pill. For orals, the best condition is an empty stomach. Swallow them with water or even with a small glass of OJ. You want the stomach to only have to worry about one thing - your pro-hormones. If you want to get real drunk real fast, drink alcohol on an empty stomach. And if you want your oral supplements to work better, take them on an empty stomach as well!

Something else to note: You should take your pro-hormones as frequently as possible while spacing them evenly throughout the day to keep your hormone levels up. One dose of a typical pro-hormone will last up to 5 or 6 hours in your system but generally its peak effectiveness falls within the first 1-2 hours of taking it. If you stagger your doses throughout the day you will keep the concentration up so you are reaping the benefits of the pro-hormone longer. No matter what delivery system you use, pro-hormones are meant to be cycled. A cycle is a specified period of time that you should be on a particular supplement program. You can cycle a single supplement or you can stack any number of supplements together within a cycle. A cycle is typically followed by a break that is the same length as the cycle. An 8-week cycle of 2-3 different products is the norm and most likely to produce good results.

Setting Expectations:

Above, I mentioned that pro-hormones have the same effects as anabolic steroids but they aren’t as potent milligram for milligram. There is something I would like to clarify. Steroids (and testosterone in general) have this delusion surrounding them as if they are some special, almost “snake oil” substance that magically piles on muscle while you’re sleeping. I’m not trying to downplay steroids or anything, but the fact is, they wont do squat for you unless you take advantage of them while they are in your system. To get massive, you have to workout harder, you have to eat cleaner, and you have to rest and recover more than usual. Steroids allow you to do this more efficiently… they don’t do it for you! And the same goes for pro-hormones. They aren’t going to just blast muscle on you effortlessly; they allow your hard work to be more productive, making it easier to stay motivated and hit your goals.

For me, the coolest thing about pro-hormones is that, when they are used correctly they will produce results for everyone. Even in the very worst cases, when people don’t see the gains right away, they know they are working. They get stronger and feel motivated more and more every day. When they kick in, they have this “avalanche effect” and once the muscle starts building… it just builds and builds on top of itself until you reach your goal. There is no doubt about it; if you set yourself up for success and keep realistic expectations, you can’t lose!