Towards the end of your cycle, you’ve made some of the best gains you’ve ever had in your life – and now your priority to build muscle has turned into maintaining it. And the best way to do it? PCT.
Effective PCT after anabolic steroids or prohormones is the best way to:
Restart Testosterone Levels (and promote free testosterone)- Block Estrogen
- Detoxify the Liver
- Maintain your gains
And one of the healthiest ways I’ve found to do this is through Natural PCT Supplements.
These are supps that work as post cycle therapy’s after your cycle without the use of any synthetic compounds.
A lot of guys like to use these along side SERMs like Clomid or Nolvadex, but I think they’re strong enough to stand on their own – and also they don’t carry the side effects that accompany most of the stronger SERMs.
I also have several reservations about SERMs, but I’ll get to those later.
Why you want to start Post Cycle Therapy
If you haven’t given much thought to your recovery after a cycle – do so, immediately.
Just coming off a cycle with no preparation can lead to a whole host of problems for both your body and your mind.
One of the main issues being estrogen – the female hormone. Straight after your cycle, one of the main issues you have to deal with is an excess supply of this stuff.
Too much estrogen can lead to:
- Low libido – Little, or no sex drive
- Gynecomastia – Develop ‘Bitch Tits’ or ‘Man Boobs’
- Decrease in Muscle Mass – Lose your gains
- Increased Fat around the Abdomen – Lose your abs
- Mood Swings – Feel miserable and unwell
This is due to the amount of testosterone that was previously in the body has caused some issues. As your test levels were so high, the estrogen in your blood stream has climbed to cancel it out.
But now that your testosterone levels are significantly lower, estrogen becomes the more dominant hormone of the two.
Luckily good PCT’s contain components known as aromatase inhibitors, which suppress the enzyme which creates estrogen, and allows you even the score while you build back your testosterone levels.
However, it doesn’t stop there, other problems you can encounter after the end of your cycle include:
- Erectile dysfunction – Enlarged prostate by androgens can effect the nerves to your penis
- Liver and Kidney Damage – Internal organ damage due to cycling methylated prohormones
- Circulatory issues – High blood pressure and and increase in bad cholesterol
- Raised Prolactin Levels – Hard leaking nipples due to a lack of dopamine in the body
These are all problems you can face when finishing a cycle, and not preparing for them can seriously impact your health, damage your future gains and prolong your recovery.
If you’re thinking about using SERMs
These are Select Androgen Receptor Modulators and used a lot by guys for their post cycle therapy, however I strongly suggest you think twice about them.
Nolvadex, Clomid, those types of products do have their purpose, but the side effects associated with them is risky business.
The main problems I’ve noticed:
- Cognitive Impairment – Things are harder to focus on, and struggle to think clearly
- Blurred Vision – Things become ‘fuzzy’, depth perception becomes impaired and you can be dangerous driving
- Depression – Mood swings and lack of motivation (Not what you want while trying to recover)
PCT supplements can be taken along side SERMs to speed up the process, but I feel personally if you want a safe recovery just to use the natural PCT supplements. They take a little longer but the benefits they do for your health is totally worth it.
A Quick Note If you have a ‘guy’ for your SERMs
Gym dealers are a serious problems when it comes to PCT. In my experience a lot of these guys don’t have a lot to gain from recovering from a cycle – because how will they make money out of you then?
Most of the PCT (in my experience) sold by dealers are absolute bunk – this is so that you struggle with your recovery and feel the only way to get back on top is via the products that they sold you initially. Be wary.
PCT Supplements – What You Should Be Looking for
When you’re selecting a natural PCT there are 2 things that you should be looking for:
- The amount of servings per day
- Clinically proven ingredients
With these types of supplements you want to be aiming to get around 3 – 4 servings a day. This allows the supp to constantly supply your body with the nutrients it needs to allow for a speedy and effective recovery.
I cover both this topic and the ingredients that you should be looking for in you PCT, in another article.
With those in mind, and a good knowledge of the PCT market I was able to find the top 3 of these supplements on the market.
1. Prime Male – Best All Rounder
Prime Male is one of the best natural supplements I’ve seen for helping you recover after a cycle of prohormones.
Made by Propura, Prime Male is actually used for helping men with low testosterone, however many of the ingredients it that make up Prime Male are absolutely perfect for PCT.
If you want results, this is what you should be looking for.
The benefits of Prime Male means it can help with:
- Boosting/restarting your testosterone production – Essential after a cycle
- Promoting ‘Free’ Testosterone – Have more accessible/usable T-cells
- Blocking estrogen – Help against any side effects after a cycle
- Lowering Prolactin – Restoring dopamine and aiding recovery
Why it’ll work for you
The servings on Prime Male are second to none. With 4 servings a day of 1 capsule, Prime Male helps to regularly supply your body with the nutrients it needs to support a full natural recovery.
There’s been some fantastic reviews on the product, and it seems to have a loyal fan base, with some guys even taking it over actual testosterone injections:
The key ingredients that really stood out to me were:
- Vitamin D3 – A generous portion and closely linked to boosting testosterone levels
- Mucuna Pruriens – Contains L-DOPA, helps lower Prolactin levels and boost Dopamine
- D-Aspartic Acid – An amino acid renown for boosting testosterone
- Luteolin – The most potent bioflavonoid for blocking estrogen
- Boron – Clinically proven to help promote free testosterone
You can see the full list of the nutrients involved in Prime Male over on their site: www.primemale.com/how-it-works
Where it needs work
Although it performs a lot of the functions that your looking for in a PCT, Prime Male doesn’t do much for detoxifying the liver – which isn’t that much of an issue if you haven’t been using methylated prohormones.
However, if you are, I would suggest purchasing some natural Milk Thistle separately. It’s relatively cheap and helps repair any damage that may have been caused.
Prime Male – Overall
Summing up I’d say Prime Male is definitely the best out there if you’re looking for a natural PCT. The servings are great and the ingredients used are totally on point for the effects that we want to achieve.
As it tackles so many areas, it is more of a premium supplement and costs more – but let me tell you, it’s totally worth it.
1 bottle will set you back around $69.00, or the equivalent depending on what country you hail from (they ship worldwide) however, the company do offer discounts on the more boxes you buy.
Personally I recommend getting the 3 box deal – that should fully cover your PCT and comes with a 90 day money-back guarantee, AND they throw in an extra bottle of the stuff for free.
It’s the best natural supp I’ve found so far for PCT, and I think it’ll be a hard one to beat.
You Can Read My Full Review on Prime Male Here
Website: www.primemale.com
2. TestoFuel – Best for Testosterone
After a cycle, one of you priorities is maintaining your gains – and a big way to do that is by restoring your testosterone levels. TestoFuel from Roar Ambition is contains the most testosterone boosting nutrients I’ve seen in any PCT supplement and in generous amounts.
If you’ve already got your estrogen levels under control, I strongly suggest you look into TestoFuel.
A self described ‘anabolic support complex’, the main ways TestoFuel helps after your cycle is:
- Increased Testosterone Levels – Maintain more mass after a cycle
- More Free Testosterone – Have more test available in your system
- Enhanced Libido – Higher sex drive and more confidence
If you’re mainly concerned about getting your T levels back up, this is definitely one to look into.
Why it’ll work for you
TestoFuel contains all the key natural nutrients that are used for boosting testosterone, and in large amounts too. Not only that, the serving schedule is great too. 4 doses throughout the day should give your body everything it needs to keep testosterone levels on the rise.
All the ingredients used are clinically proven, but the ones I liked most were:
- Vitamin D3 – Closely linked to testosterone production
- D-Aspartic Acid – The best amino acid for higher T-levels
- Oyster Extract – Full of nutrients to help boost testosterone along with other benefits
- Zinc – Used by the brain in reactions to create testosterone
- Magnesium – Promotes free testosterone in the bloodstream
The list doesn’t end there either, you can see all the ingredients, along with full write ups over on their website at: www.testofuel.com/ingredients
Where it needs work
Don;t get me wrong, TestoFuel is one of the best testosterone boosters you can come across, however as an estrogen blocker or detoxer it doesn’t seem to do much.
However, if you have both of those areas covered already, it’d be a great addition to your stack.
TestoFuel – Conclusion
It’s the best T-booster out there, so it had to come in at number 2, it’ll definitely help towards maintaining your muscle mass after a heavy cycle.
However, if you’re considering TestoFuel you want to make sure that you have your estrogen blockers and anti-oxidants already lined up.
You can read my full review on TestoFuel here
3. Revolution PCT
This is a product from FINAFLEX that I’ve reviewed that could also help in the battle you face after your cycle.
Revolution PCT made it onto this list, mainly by it’s ability to be a ‘Jack of all trades, but a master of none’.
Supplementing this product may help:
- Boost Testosterone
- Block Estrogen
- Restore Liver
However, the means by how it achieves this aren’t the best – but it does beat a lot of the other PCT supplements out there.
What works
Revolution PCT contains quite a few good ingredients that can help out after a cycle:
- D-Aspartic Acid
- Fenugreek
- Milk Thistle
- Saw Palmetto
- Stinging Nettle
These are all proven ingredients and can really help, post cycle.
What doesn’t work
Many of the ingredients used are heavily under-dosed. The serving schedule needs work too – 1 serving a day isn’t going to make that much of a difference to the body.
Also it contains Arimistane, which is a form of DHEA, which although may help decrease estrogen levels, can cause side effects like erectile dysfunction and low sex drive – the exact opposite of what you want to achieve on a PCT.
Revolution PCT – Conclusion
Overall this supplement covers good areas needed for PCT, but it is heavily under-dosed.
The serving schedule needs work, and there may be side effects which can effect sex drive and libido.
It definitely doesn’t compare to the other two.
You can read my full Revolution PCT review here
Website: http://finaflex.com/
Overall Conclusion
The out and out best PCT supp you can get right now has to be Prime Male. It boosts testosterone, blocks estrogen, and even helps reduce prolactin and restores your body’s supply of dopamine.
It uses all clinically proven nutrients in volume, which allows it to be one the supplement in my opinion for PCT on the market. With 4 servings a day, and a 90 day money-back guarantee if you decide to get the 3 month supply, it’s a serious supplement that you can’t lose with.
If you’re interested in it, I suggest you go check them out on their website www.primemale.com for more info.