Your question was: VitaminShoppe mega men question...?.

Firstly AAS dont specifically give you muscle gains... they simply help your body work better... your diet is what gives you teh muscle (and/or fat) gains!.

Alot of people lose their gains after a cycle because:.

1 - incorrect PCT meaning their body is all to pot and cant hang on to gains...

2 - misinformed of what their gains are thinking that teh water bloat the steroids have caused are muscle tissue... you will usually lose water bloat after a course of gear and therefore be lighter... any fat you have put on will stay!.

Its the same with strength gains.. whilst taking anabolics the muscles perfom better so you are stronger... as long as your diet is good the muscles repair themselves so when you come off your stronger than when you started. altho some strength will be lost...... as your muscles arent performing at their peak as they are on gear..

Lastly... from your original post you seem to be of teh opinion that dieting shuold be done AFTER a course of gear?? dieting can and should be done whilst on a course..... it's just most people separate their courses into bulkers and cutters!..

O.k.... i'm getting there slowly.....

It seems there's so much info out there..you get over loaded, or it's the right info with the best intentions but it's not as correct as it should be... if that makes sense?.

Being able to talk to non-judgemental guys like yourself makes all the difference and hopefully more sense!!.

........i thought you had to eat like a man on a mission while on your cycle, upping your carbs, not worrying too much about your fat and making sure you had plenty of protien coming in and drinking like a fish. - water that is!.

I didn't realise I could still be working on keeping lean while doing the gear - or have got that wrong? - I thought I needed a lot more calories, and that excessive amounts of cardio weren't the best for maximum gains?.

So as pscarb said earlier, if i've got it right. As long as i'm getting sufficent calories - froms carbohydrates - I should be able to gain muscle and strength even if I add more cardio work in the week to keep myself lean?..

So, can I start my 'cutting' now.

Jeez, my brain is starting to hurt!..

No dont start cutting now... get your PCT done with.. get your body back to normal... get your eating to the point where your happy and your not putting on or losing... THEN start a cutting cycle..

You do need to eat more whilst on cycle... but calories/carbs just for the sake of it are bad news... ideally everything should be worked out for your lean bodymass.. so your only taking in the amount of calories you need to build muscle!.

Theres lots of info out there yes... unfortunately theres not TOO much which advocates common sense and basics! nearly ALL succesfuly bodybuilders use these two things as the most importnat part of their diets/training!..

SlimJim there is lots of info out there and to be honest even I am learning after all these yrs..

As Lee has already said you don't need to separate bulking and cutting cycles (unless competing) this is normally done by those who need an excuse to get fat..

I and many others gains quality muscle whilst still maintaining Abdominal muscles you can bulk up by eating a clean diet as it is all about calories and cardio.....

I would keep the diet as it is and just add cardio to your weekly regime this will drop some of the fat you have and as long as you are eating enough carbs and protein then your muscle will be unaffected...