- Check the expiry dates of every product. - Make sure that the vial or ampoule contains the right drug in the right strength. - During the whole preparation procedure, material should be kept sterile. - Wash your hands before starting to prepare the injection. - Disinfect the skin over the injection site. - Make sure that there are no air bubbles left in the syringe. - Once the protective cover of the needle is removed extra care is needed. - Do not touch anything with the unprotected needle. - Once the injection has been given take care not to prick yourself or somebody else. Step by step for vials - Wash your hands. - Disinfect the top of the vial. - Use a syringe with a volume of twice the required amount of liquid or solution and add the needle. - Suck up as much air as the amount of solution needed to aspirate. - Insert needle into (top of) vial and turn upside down. - Pump air into vial (creating pressure). - Aspirate the required amount of solution and 0.1 ml extra. Make sure the tip of the needle is below the fluid surface. - Pull the needle out of the vial. - Remove possible air from the syringe. - Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands. Step by step for ampoules - Wash your hands. - Put the needle on the syringe. - Remove the liquid from the neck of the ampoule by flicking it or swinging it fast in a downward spiraling movement. - File around the neck of the ampoule. - Protect your fingers with gauze if ampoule is made of glass. - Carefully break off the top of the ampoule (for a plastic ampoule twist the top). - Aspirate the fluid from the ampoule. - Remove any air from the syringe. - Clean up; dispose of working needle safely; wash your hands. Injecting - Wash your hands. - Reassure yourself / patient's for procedure. - Uncover the area to be injected (lateral upper quadrant major gluteal muscle, lateral side of upper leg, deltoid muscle). - Disinfect the skin. - Relax the muscle. - Insert the needle swiftly at an angle of 90 degrees (watch depth!). - Aspirate briefly; if blood appears, withdraw needle. Replace it with a new one. - Inject slowly (less painful). - Withdraw needle swiftly. - Press sterile cotton wool onto the opening. Fix with adhesive tape. - Check yourself / patient's reaction and give additional reassurance, if necessary. - Clean up; dispose of waste safely; wash your hands.

The "steroid pump" does have an actual physiological explanation. It is primarily due to the fact that there is more blood available in the body during a steroid cycle. One of the affects of anabolic steroid use is an increased production of RBC's (red blood cells). That increases blood volume and greatly improves the oxygen carrying ability of blood. This increases the efficiency and endurance of skeletal muscle cells. A 200 pound lifter could carry an extra liter of blood during this time. This increased blood volume partially explains why some athletes feel "pumped" all the time while they are on a steroid cycle. It also explains the incredible pump you get while working out at this time.