Running GH straight through 20 weeks of prep, who is still pulling it early and why?

Used to pull GH 8 weeks out every prep because I assumed the water retention would be a problem close to show day. Changed that last season and ran 3.5 IU fasted AM straight through to peak week. Results were measurably better. Conditioning was tighter, no water issue I'd always assumed was coming. Anyone else made this switch? What changed your mind and what dose are you running through the final weeks? Also curious if age plays into the dosing logic here.

I changed my approach three preps ago and have not pulled GH early since. Running 3 IU fasted AM through to peak week. At 60 years old I use 3 IU where younger competitors might push to 4 IU - the age-dependent dosing logic makes sense when you look at natural GH secretion declining with age. The water retention concern close to a show is manageable at this dose and the conditioning benefit in the final 4 weeks is real. I run an IGF-1 test 4 weeks into prep to confirm product quality.

The old logic of pulling GH 8 weeks out was based on anecdotal water retention concerns that don't hold up at 3-4 IU doses. The fat loss and conditioning benefit of running it all the way through is worth more than the marginal water management benefit of stopping early. Fasted AM is now the near-universal protocol for prep use in the community. IGF-1 blood test at 4 weeks in is the quality check - if you're paying GH prices you need to know what you're actually running.

Made the same switch two seasons ago after a friend in NYC who places consistently at regional level told me he stopped pulling early. The difference in final conditioning going into peak week was clear. Running 3.5 IU fasted AM straight through. The IGF-1 test at 4 weeks tip is one I've followed every run since I got burned by underdosed product once - waste of time and money running GH without confirming it's real.

I run GH at 2.5 IU fasted AM throughout prep now, have not pulled it early in two seasons. The French medical establishment would not approve of any of this but the results speak for themselves. Sleep quality and final week conditioning are both better when GH runs through to the end. At 2.5 IU the water retention concern is not material in my experience.

This clears up a question I've had about GH and prep. I assumed pulling early was standard practice. The data from people who've run it all the way through is pretty clear that the water retention concern doesn't hold up at 3-4 IU. Will apply this when I get to that stage.

Good to know about the IGF-1 check at 4 weeks to verify GH quality. That's something I'll definitely do when I get to running GH. The prep approach of running it all the way through rather than pulling early is counterintuitive but the logic is sound. Filing this away for when it becomes relevant to my planning.