22 Year Old First Cycle (Lean bulking)

[Legacy]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have arimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

**Additional information about me on post #4

 

[cmb5017]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

Just a warning. ..if u start trt on ur own theres no goin back. Keep that in mind.
theres also no need for clomid or nolvadex as ur not goin to come off you simply drop back down to ur trt level dise when ur through with the cycle. Theres not much ur gona be able to do about the acne.you will however need aromasin 12.5 EOD through out cycle and possibly trt if your estrogen sensitive. EQ has the most lean and keepable gains.

 

[SpikedEggnog]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

dude 550 isnt that bad, yeah you should be higher at age 22 BUT my TEST was at 300 before i got on TRT. What is your Diet like? do you have Depression, Anxiety, a lot of Stress, etc?? Have you thought about trying to boost your natural TEST levels? TRT is permanent in case you didnt know, i mean people you go on TRT typically dont stop taking TEST for the rest of their lives. if youre planning on using 1-200 mg test cyp then use 1-200 mg Deca, not 3-400 mg that is too much in my opinion and I would use TEST first for at least 12 weeks without using anything else like Deca or EQ. I would try some other options before you start sticking yourself with needles though..

 

[Legacy]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

dude 550 isnt that bad, yeah you should be higher at age 22 BUT my TEST was at 300 before i got on TRT. What is your Diet like? do you have Depression, Anxiety, a lot of Stress, etc?? Have you thought about trying to boost your natural TEST levels? TRT is permanent in case you didnt know, i mean people you go on TRT typically dont stop taking TEST for the rest of their lives. if youre planning on using 1-200 mg test cyp then use 1-200 mg Deca, not 3-400 mg that is too much in my opinion and I would use TEST first for at least 12 weeks without using anything else like Deca or EQ. I would try some other options before you start sticking yourself with needles though..

Yes I'm aware that TRT is for life. The way I see it is if I'm on the low end of the spectrum now, I'll probably need it by 30 anyway. For me, TRT is more appealing than cycling for many reasons, including the one I previously mentioned. My diet is on point. Without going into too much detail, my carbs are low, protein is high and fats are moderate/high as well (nowhere close to low enough to affect my testosterone production negatively).

I definitely have a lot of stress as I'm an engineering student. Anxiety is pretty bad too honestly, although I try my best to push through it. I'm constantly fatigued and seem to lack a luster for daily events (though I wouldn't consider myself depressed). Sex life is great and sex drive is through the roof so no problems there.

I was planing on doing at least 8 weeks on the low dose of test to see how I respond to it before adding in any other compounds. That way I'll be good to hop off and run PCT if I decide that it's not for me. Thanks for the advice on the deca, definitely better to start lighter and work up depending on sides in my opinion, I've just read that it's pretty weak for gains unless you're running at least 300mg/week which is why I was originally thinking 300-400 mgs/week.

I've tried taking DAA for a natural test boost, but no noticeable results after cycling it for a few months. I've also been getting plenty of sleep, though as I said before, I'm always tired for some reason. The way I see it is even if raising my natural test production works a bit, my natural potential isn't really going to change much at all. I'm at the point where I want to be able to continue to make progress in terms of gaining muscle. I've already gained around 45 pounds of lean mass over the last four years as I started out at just 120 lbs and a higher bf percentage than I am now. I love bodybuilding and just want to be able to continue linearly.

 

[Legacy]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

Just a warning. ..if u start trt on ur own theres no goin back. Keep that in mind.
theres also no need for clomid or nolvadex as ur not goin to come off you simply drop back down to ur trt level dise when ur through with the cycle. Theres not much ur gona be able to do about the acne.you will however need aromasin 12.5 EOD through out cycle and possibly trt if your estrogen sensitive. EQ has the most lean and keepable gains.

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it. The clomid and nolva are just in case I decide that gear isn't for me and I want to come off after 8 weeks or so. Thanks for the feedback on the AI and EQ. Do you think EQ over 14-16 weeks would yield better/more keepable gains than TBol at 60mg/day for 6-8 weeks?

 

[SpikedEggnog]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

dude 550 isnt that bad, yeah you should be higher at age 22 BUT my TEST was at 300 before i got on TRT. What is your Diet like? do you have Depression, Anxiety, a lot of Stress, etc?? Have you thought about trying to boost your natural TEST levels? TRT is permanent in case you didnt know, i mean people you go on TRT typically dont stop taking TEST for the rest of their lives. if youre planning on using 1-200 mg test cyp then use 1-200 mg Deca, not 3-400 mg that is too much in my opinion and I would use TEST first for at least 12 weeks without using anything else like Deca or EQ. I would try some other options before you start sticking yourself with needles though..

Yes I'm aware that TRT is for life. The way I see it is if I'm on the low end of the spectrum now, I'll probably need it by 30 anyway. For me, TRT is more appealing than cycling for many reasons, including the one I previously mentioned. My diet is on point. Without going into too much detail, my carbs are low, protein is high and fats are moderate/high as well (nowhere close to low enough to affect my testosterone production negatively).

I definitely have a lot of stress as I'm an engineering student. Anxiety is pretty bad too honestly, although I try my best to push through it. I'm constantly fatigued and seem to lack a luster for daily events (though I wouldn't consider myself depressed). Sex life is great and sex drive is through the roof so no problems there.

I was planing on doing at least 8 weeks on the low dose of test to see how I respond to it before adding in any other compounds. That way I'll be good to hop off and run PCT if I decide that it's not for me. Thanks for the advice on the deca, definitely better to start lighter and work up depending on sides in my opinion, I've just read that it's pretty weak for gains unless you're running at least 300mg/week which is why I was originally thinking 300-400 mgs/week.

I've tried taking DAA for a natural test boost, but no noticeable results after cycling it for a few months. I've also been getting plenty of sleep, though as I said before, I'm always tired for some reason. The way I see it is even if raising my natural test production works a bit, my natural potential isn't really going to change much at all. I'm at the point where I want to be able to continue to make progress in terms of gaining muscle. I've already gained around 45 pounds of lean mass over the last four years as I started out at just 120 lbs and a higher bf percentage than I am now. I love bodybuilding and just want to be able to continue linearly.

try it 12 weeks bc it takes about a month for it to really start kicking in, PLUS if you are running 1-200 that is very low. DRB is the spokesperson on here for deca cycles, he is old school and when he started cycling he did 200/200 test cyp, deca - you can make sick gains on very low doses, its all about diet and training. when i first started TRT i was using only 100mg test and i gained 15 lbs (210 to 225) BUT i also lost a little bodyfat too because my diet was on point, so MORE isnt always better. more may mean more pronounced effects but also more sides, remember that. so when it comes to AAS id start small, you are basically your own lab rat, i know it is tempting to slam the AAS hard but just be smart

 

[Legacy]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

dude 550 isnt that bad, yeah you should be higher at age 22 BUT my TEST was at 300 before i got on TRT. What is your Diet like? do you have Depression, Anxiety, a lot of Stress, etc?? Have you thought about trying to boost your natural TEST levels? TRT is permanent in case you didnt know, i mean people you go on TRT typically dont stop taking TEST for the rest of their lives. if youre planning on using 1-200 mg test cyp then use 1-200 mg Deca, not 3-400 mg that is too much in my opinion and I would use TEST first for at least 12 weeks without using anything else like Deca or EQ. I would try some other options before you start sticking yourself with needles though..

Yes I'm aware that TRT is for life. The way I see it is if I'm on the low end of the spectrum now, I'll probably need it by 30 anyway. For me, TRT is more appealing than cycling for many reasons, including the one I previously mentioned. My diet is on point. Without going into too much detail, my carbs are low, protein is high and fats are moderate/high as well (nowhere close to low enough to affect my testosterone production negatively).

I definitely have a lot of stress as I'm an engineering student. Anxiety is pretty bad too honestly, although I try my best to push through it. I'm constantly fatigued and seem to lack a luster for daily events (though I wouldn't consider myself depressed). Sex life is great and sex drive is through the roof so no problems there.

I was planing on doing at least 8 weeks on the low dose of test to see how I respond to it before adding in any other compounds. That way I'll be good to hop off and run PCT if I decide that it's not for me. Thanks for the advice on the deca, definitely better to start lighter and work up depending on sides in my opinion, I've just read that it's pretty weak for gains unless you're running at least 300mg/week which is why I was originally thinking 300-400 mgs/week.

I've tried taking DAA for a natural test boost, but no noticeable results after cycling it for a few months. I've also been getting plenty of sleep, though as I said before, I'm always tired for some reason. The way I see it is even if raising my natural test production works a bit, my natural potential isn't really going to change much at all. I'm at the point where I want to be able to continue to make progress in terms of gaining muscle. I've already gained around 45 pounds of lean mass over the last four years as I started out at just 120 lbs and a higher bf percentage than I am now. I love bodybuilding and just want to be able to continue linearly.

try it 12 weeks bc it takes about a month for it to really start kicking in, PLUS if you are running 1-200 that is very low. DRB is the spokesperson on here for deca cycles, he is old school and when he started cycling he did 200/200 test cyp, deca - you can make sick gains on very low doses, its all about diet and training. when i first started TRT i was using only 100mg test and i gained 15 lbs (210 to 225) BUT i also lost a little bodyfat too because my diet was on point, so MORE isnt always better. more may mean more pronounced effects but also more sides, remember that. so when it comes to AAS id start small, you are basically your own lab rat, i know it is tempting to slam the AAS hard but just be smart

Great advice, I am definitely someone who is all for taking the safe and cautious route... plus since I'm concerned about acne and would like to keep side effects to a minimum it makes a lot more sense to start with small doses anyway. Thanks for your suggestions, I'm hoping that Dylan, Rick and some of the others will come in to give their two cents as well.

 

[cmb5017]

EQ will always be superior when it comes to keeping gains. You can run test EQ and tbol together.
I still reccomend u do just test as your first cycle though. Get an idea of what it does to ur body. If u find every thing looks good next cycle u can start stacking

 

[JackSteel]

Dude, I'll be blunt and quote Rich Piana.... just eat MORE. You're entirely too small for your height to require AAS. I wouldn't keep adjusting your dieting and training and hold off a couple more years if I were you. I'm 6ft 190 and I can't deny that I could've and should've gotten here naturally because now my body has gotten use to AAs and they don't have as much of an effect. It's like using the nitrous boost too early in a street race I that makes sense. You're not horribly young but you're still a lot younger than ideal. No one likes to hear this but your brain isn't even done developing until you're around 25. Think of the long term effects that you could save yourself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JackSteel]

Otherwise test and EQ is a great and relatively mild cycle in terms of side effects, so that's what I would do... Err, aside from test only that is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Legacy]

Dude, I'll be blunt and quote Rich Piana.... just eat MORE. You're entirely too small for your height to require AAS. I wouldn't keep adjusting your dieting and training and hold off a couple more years if I were you. I'm 6ft 190 and I can't deny that I could've and should've gotten here naturally because now my body has gotten use to AAs and they don't have as much of an effect. It's like using the nitrous boost too early in a street race I that makes sense. You're not horribly young but you're still a lot younger than ideal. No one likes to hear this but your brain isn't even done developing until you're around 25. Think of the long term effects that you could save yourself.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I completely see your point, I'm still very much undecided. Given that my test levels are on the lower end of the spectrum, I'd be surprised if there was too much more that I could gain naturally. I'd be happy to post pics when I get back later if you guys would like to see my physique for reference.

EQ will always be superior when it comes to keeping gains. You can run test EQ and tbol together.
I still reccomend u do just test as your first cycle though. Get an idea of what it does to ur body. If u find every thing looks good next cycle u can start stacking

Good points, thank you for the advice.

 

[RickRock]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have arimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

**Additional information about me on post #4

Brother where in the hell are you coming up with this idea of your test being low? 550 is a VERY good number. That is not low in any way, shape or form. You are at normal range and a couple hundred above low normal even. There's not a doctor in existence that would give you TRT with those numbers, especially at your age. I think you are jumping the gun here way to early. There are natural things you can do with diet to bring those things up as well, but honestly your numbers are not bad and it has absolutely nothing to do with you not making gains. I promise you that taking your test from 550 to say 800-900 will not make one bit of difference as far as results. It just doesn't work that way. As long as you are in normal range it doesn't matter much where your numbers fall within that range. Once you get above the nor,al range into superphyiological range, it's a different story, but that would be a high dosed cycle.

At your current age and stats, you shouldn't be cycling right now. First you need to eat properly for gains. It doesn't look like you've achieved much of a natural base quite yet, and you just aren't ready for steroids. My test levels were no different than yours when I was your age, yet I hit it hard and NATURAL until I was 35. I'm not saying you have to wait that long, but you have a ways to go yet buddy. If you want to look into sarms and have me help you set something up with that, I can certainly do that, but I don't recommend steroids right now, and I just can't advise you on them

 

[DylanGemelli]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have adimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

dude 550 isnt that bad, yeah you should be higher at age 22 BUT my TEST was at 300 before i got on TRT. What is your Diet like? do you have Depression, Anxiety, a lot of Stress, etc?? Have you thought about trying to boost your natural TEST levels? TRT is permanent in case you didnt know, i mean people you go on TRT typically dont stop taking TEST for the rest of their lives. if youre planning on using 1-200 mg test cyp then use 1-200 mg Deca, not 3-400 mg that is too much in my opinion and I would use TEST first for at least 12 weeks without using anything else like Deca or EQ. I would try some other options before you start sticking yourself with needles though..

Yes I'm aware that TRT is for life. The way I see it is if I'm on the low end of the spectrum now, I'll probably need it by 30 anyway. For me, TRT is more appealing than cycling for many reasons, including the one I previously mentioned. My diet is on point. Without going into too much detail, my carbs are low, protein is high and fats are moderate/high as well (nowhere close to low enough to affect my testosterone production negatively).

I definitely have a lot of stress as I'm an engineering student. Anxiety is pretty bad too honestly, although I try my best to push through it. I'm constantly fatigued and seem to lack a luster for daily events (though I wouldn't consider myself depressed). Sex life is great and sex drive is through the roof so no problems there.

I was planing on doing at least 8 weeks on the low dose of test to see how I respond to it before adding in any other compounds. That way I'll be good to hop off and run PCT if I decide that it's not for me. Thanks for the advice on the deca, definitely better to start lighter and work up depending on sides in my opinion, I've just read that it's pretty weak for gains unless you're running at least 300mg/week which is why I was originally thinking 300-400 mgs/week.

I've tried taking DAA for a natural test boost, but no noticeable results after cycling it for a few months. I've also been getting plenty of sleep, though as I said before, I'm always tired for some reason. The way I see it is even if raising my natural test production works a bit, my natural potential isn't really going to change much at all. I'm at the point where I want to be able to continue to make progress in terms of gaining muscle. I've already gained around 45 pounds of lean mass over the last four years as I started out at just 120 lbs and a higher bf percentage than I am now. I love bodybuilding and just want to be able to continue linearly.

try it 12 weeks bc it takes about a month for it to really start kicking in, PLUS if you are running 1-200 that is very low. DRB is the spokesperson on here for deca cycles, he is old school and when he started cycling he did 200/200 test cyp, deca - you can make sick gains on very low doses, its all about diet and training. when i first started TRT i was using only 100mg test and i gained 15 lbs (210 to 225) BUT i also lost a little bodyfat too because my diet was on point, so MORE isnt always better. more may mean more pronounced effects but also more sides, remember that. so when it comes to AAS id start small, you are basically your own lab rat, i know it is tempting to slam the AAS hard but just be smart

Great advice, I am definitely someone who is all for taking the safe and cautious route... plus since I'm concerned about acne and would like to keep side effects to a minimum it makes a lot more sense to start with small doses anyway. Thanks for your suggestions, I'm hoping that Dylan, Rick and some of the others will come in to give their two cents as well.

hey bro... im more than happy to help and chime in but your not going to like anything i have to say on this... i honestly think trt at your age, discussing it or even considering without a specific medical condition, only because you "assume" at a certain age you will be in a certain range is far past absurd and quite reckless... the reasoning on it is very poor that you have provided and i KNOW the huge mistake you are making... even running a cycle at your age is bad enough and nothing i recommend nor condone even to some of my competitors that are clients so just recommending it to an every day person is NOTHING i even consider... i completely understand being concerned that your test is on the lower side and my preference would be to see you in the 850 range at your range but to even discuss trt, you would need to be in that 100-200 range with a diagnosed condition, which you clearly do not have... i REALLY think you should take a big step back and reconsider and lifelong mistake you are about to make... you are going to cause far more intrinsic issues that you know and unfortunately, you will find out the very hard way if you do this... the one thing you said i do like a lot is the fact that you want to run more sustainable compounds, which is something i preach and that is the right idea, so if your intent on cycling, you do have that aspect correct but i just can't understand why you want to do this to yourself because i already know the end result and its not what you are going to want...

 

[SpikedEggnog]

Dude, I'll be blunt and quote Rich Piana.... just eat MORE. You're entirely too small for your height to require AAS. I wouldn't keep adjusting your dieting and training and hold off a couple more years if I were you. I'm 6ft 190 and I can't deny that I could've and should've gotten here naturally because now my body has gotten use to AAs and they don't have as much of an effect. It's like using the nitrous boost too early in a street race I that makes sense. You're not horribly young but you're still a lot younger than ideal. No one likes to hear this but your brain isn't even done developing until you're around 25. Think of the long term effects that you could save yourself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

you know its serious when you have to quote Rich Piranha

 

[SpikedEggnog]

Dude, I'll be blunt and quote Rich Piana.... just eat MORE. You're entirely too small for your height to require AAS. I wouldn't keep adjusting your dieting and training and hold off a couple more years if I were you. I'm 6ft 190 and I can't deny that I could've and should've gotten here naturally because now my body has gotten use to AAs and they don't have as much of an effect. It's like using the nitrous boost too early in a street race I that makes sense. You're not horribly young but you're still a lot younger than ideal. No one likes to hear this but your brain isn't even done developing until you're around 25. Think of the long term effects that you could save yourself.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I completely see your point, I'm still very much undecided. Given that my test levels are on the lower end of the spectrum, I'd be surprised if there was too much more that I could gain naturally. I'd be happy to post pics when I get back later if you guys would like to see my physique for reference.

EQ will always be superior when it comes to keeping gains. You can run test EQ and tbol together.
I still reccomend u do just test as your first cycle though. Get an idea of what it does to ur body. If u find every thing looks good next cycle u can start stacking

Good points, thank you for the advice.

Dude a couple more things I wanted to say. You seem to think 550 is low end of spectrum BUT in reality it is not that bad. i know the scales says 1296 top but 1296 is stupid high, trust me. the average range is really about 5-700. but people can fall below or above and still be fine it depends. and your test levels do fluctuate periodically so you could be higher then 550 depending on when you draw blood, your diet, training, etc. alot of factors go into it - but i just want to clear up that 550 is not LOW i think it should be higher at 22 but that doesnt mean 550 is low for you that can be perfectly normal - now the other thing i want to address is how you feel - you are basing everything about how you feel on your supposed "Low" test. Dude there are many variables to consider. You need to evaluate more then just TEST - your thyroid, your pituitary gland, adrenal glands, your Liver, your Blood ( iron, hematocrit, etc) maybe Estrogen levels, etc. Other potential diseases or conditions like i spoke of before like Anxiety, Depression, etc. Your Diet. Your training. etc etc. Also didnt you say you are prone to Acne? so there is obviously some hormonal imbalance issues, TEST is not the only hormone you need to worry about like i said, and 550 is not as bad as you think. there are many possible issues that may need to be addressed. and also like rick rock said, if your TEST goes up to 7-800 it will NOT make you superman, you wont feel crazy on top of the world, strength through the roof, etc etc. thats not how it is dude. You can also try out SARMS like people recommend, that would be a better solution then jumping on TRT.

 

[drb_iac]

Hey guys, I'll start off with my stats:
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165 lbs
Bf %: 7%
Training time: 4 years

I'm considering starting AAS use as my gains are starting to dry up despite a highly consistent, dialed in diet and training protocol. I'm very prone to acne and would like to keep that minimized as much as possible. I had bloodwork done about 3 months ago and my test is on the lower side despite having never used AAS or anything suppressive before (free test was far below normal and total test was 550 on a scale of about 300 to 1296 ng/ml).

My plan is to potentially use 100-200mg of Test Cyp per week as a TRT baseline as this would likely take my total test up to a much more normal or slightly elevated level. I would then add in a second compound to blast with such as 60mg of TBol/day for 6 weeks or 600mg/EQ per week for 14 weeks. I've also considered using deca at 300-400mg/week, but I fear that would yield too much acne for my liking. I have arimidex on hand and would also invest in getting some nolva and clomid just in case sides are too strong and I want to hop off. After my blast, I would continue on the 100-200mg of test weekly until I was ready for another blast. Could I get some opinions on this strategy please-- especially in regard to which compound I should use to blast with? Keep in mind I'm trying to minimize acne and make more quality, keepable gains than what would be seen with compounds such as DBol or high doses of Test. I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks guys!

**Additional information about me on post #4

Whooooa mule...slow this cart down. No trt dude..no way. So did you get the results re-checked. When your test is low it makes you miserable and dicky boy aint going to do much talkin either..dig? So you said sex is good? Sex is good and no problems? Then get re-tested. You are not low OK..trt out the way.
You feel flat like not strong anymore and gains are slowing down? That is called a plateau. I have only had about 10 million of those!!
So you are considering doing aas for the first time right? Ok you are actually a little young, and I do not believe your test numbers are low. So no EQ either ok? Save it for latter bro.
If you do 200/200 deca cyp, you may or may not get acne since it is a low dose. Unless you want to go to primobolan then you have to deal with zits. I just draw on them and make happy faces out of them. Now if you get your test re-checked, and it is still on the lower end then you can make the cycle 200deca,400 cyp.This simple 12 week cycle will jump start you ass right into gear. NOW as for anit E and clomid. Lets look at what the docs say.

I never ever took any antiE in my life. I only started using clomid after doing about 20 cycles, so either I am lucky and so are my hundreds of buds OR this whole thing is a bit over rated. The doctors treating AIDS patients call getting off gear.."The Refractory Period" . You begin the refractory period 29 days from the last dose of aas. I think that the majority of men tend to not get bitch tits and estrogen is not a problem. The aids docs use arom, and dex and hcg and clomid because they are dealing with patients on their death beds. They are treating those wasting away like in a prison camp. Now read the arimidex then read the clomid. Let us bring the information out here.
Read these quotes from Dr Walter Jekot ..a leading aas researcher on aids. "Clomid is another type of antiestrogen and possibly can have a great effect on return of libdo, quality of life etc because clomid increases LUTENIZING hormone and testosterone, but does not appear to down regulate testicular LEYDIG CELL activity because it BLOCKS testicular estrogen receptors as an estrogen antagonist...Ok so clomid is another type of antiE and causes you to produce test.
Now arimidex- quoting again.. is an antiestrogen that reduces estrogen production by inhibiting the activity of aromatase, the enzyme that converts test to estrogen. The decrease in estrogen production signals the hypothalmus to increase ...ok ready...LEUTINIZING hormone which in turn stimulates the LEYDIG cells in the testes to produce test.
Actually I am glad none of this was around in my day because aas was confusing enough. So there MAY be a need for sick person to follow all refraction guidlines.

So for you...200/200 at 12 weeks then clomid at 50mg x2 for 2 weeks..done.. talk to ya latter when ya have 10 more lbs of muscle on you ok? Put clearisil flesh tone on the zits and forget about them. Don't forget to eat more. Eggs, eggwhite, chicken, tuna, some beef, whole oats. No dbol, no eq, no trt ok?

 

[Legacy]

Alright you guys have convinced me not to run with the TRT regimen.

Here are a few pictures of my current physique so that you can see where I am at:

So as far as a first cycle goes, do you all think that I should wait longer before doing my first? If not, should I stick with a SARMS first cycle, or do something like a low dose test + TBol? I'm trying to minimize sides and make some clean, keepable gains so I'm not interested in doing anything like a 500mg test only first cycle at this point in time... maybe down the road though

 

[drb_iac]

Oh for fuck sakes dude! You look awesome my bro. What the fuck is the deal with trt and all that shit bro? Come on you look good. Here is my advice when you hit too many plateaus and feel like your wheels are spinning then go 200 /200 deca cyp. Get your self re-tested. Now you have two things telling me your test is not low. First you are built up. Can't do that without test bro. Second your sex life is ok and dicky boy is taking it down. Can't do that without test. IF and only IF your test is to the low side then try this....200 deca/200cyp. Sorry I had to do it.

 

[chickenlifts]

Testosterone in the 500s is not low at all, and whats all this TRT talk when you're jacked already. You're playing mind games with yourself.

 

[Legacy]

Thanks for the nice comments. My doc kind of psyched me out because he was concerned about my test being low. I've had bloodwork done twice, both times my free test was below normal, the 550 was my higher of the two times for total test.

I'm still curious as to if people think I should still push down the natural route for a bit longer, or if I should look into SARMS/a mild first cycle?