First Cycle Advice

J

jtardy18

Greenlighter
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
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Hi all. Great forum, been browsing. Looking for some advice, I've read the sticky.

Stats: 38, 6ft 1 @ 86KG @ 16%, training 15 years, 2 years with solid diet and macro tracking. Researching now, cycle will begin in 1-2 months after I?ve brought my BF down a bit, pre-bloods will be done also. Diet and nutrition is already in check, but I haven?t been doing cardio so that plus my age is why I think my BF has crept up probably. As I mentioned I?ve read the sticky, I just want to confirm a few things just incase anything has changed and it hasn?t been updated. My long term goals are too try and get to 90-95kg @ 10-13% BF, I don?t think I can do this naturally tbh. My cycle goals are to enjoy the cycle but do this in the most healthy way possible, and to not screw up my health or affect my relationship with my wife.

I?ll be doing 250mgs test e per week. I?ll buy arimidex but I don't want to use it just for the sake of it, this is OK isn?t it?

I don?t want to use clomid and nolva for PCT everything I?ve read about these drugs seems to suggest they are very powerful and can have alottttt of sides.

I?ll taper off my cycle. Should I expect some ED when I?m totally off? I know everyone reacts differently. If this does happen is it ok to use cialis or viagra?

Thanks for any help
 
To add to this. My questions are mainly because all I?m seeing recommended online is 500mgs of test, high AI doses, high HCG doses, and high doses of clomid and nolva for PCT. In my slightly anxious mind this seems like a recipe for disaster, using all these drugs for the first time. How would someone know what is causing sides if they occur? I just want to try test at as low a dose as possible to see how my body reacts. Surely all these other bits and pieces aren?t needed @ a 250mg dose?
 
Hi there, welcome to Bluelight.

What you're planning to do is fine, especially with your realistic goals.

PCT drugs don't really have a lot of sides for most guys, but since you're taking a low dose of test, you should recover with or without them, so it would be unnecessary to take them.

I'd recommend getting a blood test at least by week 4 of your cycle, just to see where things are at, your estrogen levels etc. Make sure you get your basic supps like taurine for the cycle as well.
 
Sounds like you got the right idea. Low dose test to dip your toes jn the water with minimal ancillary drug use. No pct should be needed. Thumbs up from me.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I?ll take your advice onboard. Another question if you don?t mind. When if ever would PCT drugs be recommended? Let?s says I just stick to low dose test cycles, which is what I?m going to do, if I reach say 500mg of test PW would clomid or nolva be advised then?? Thanks
 
It depends who you ask, but think of it this way: if your hypogonadism is a result of an issue with the testes not responding to LH/FSH (ie the number and activity of leydig cells in your testes declined), then clomid and nolva (which work at the hypothalamus) aren't going to help.

You may enjoy a temporary boost thanks to negating any negative feedback from the natural release of test>estrogen post-cycle and raising LH/FSH levels very high, but as soon as you stop taking your clomid, your test levels will tend to fall again. Thus, it isn't helping you recover.

However, there are guys that suffer hypogonadism as a result of the hypothalamus apparently not responding. It often seems to result from the use of very strong AAS (like tren), from high doses, or from very prolonged cycles.

For these guys (ie those doing a strong multi-compound cycle), there's no reason not to try using a standard PCT, or perhaps more usefully something like triptorelin.

Also, if someone doesn't recover even from a low-dose cycle, it's still worth trying a PCT - hence the recommendation to get a blood test a month after the end of cycle. But most seem to recover just fine without.
 
Ok I understand, you explain things very well thanks very much. I?ve got used to seeing/reading ?Oh you?re having libido problems or not recovering a month after being off...Ok take 200mgs of clomid everyday etc? Seems like total overkill to me..
 
The thing is, the body registers that your natural hormonal levels aren't normal by itself once the AAS is out of your system, and it increases LH and FSH above normal almost immediately in an effort to restore natural test levels. If you're not on overly long or high-dosed cycles, the HPTA will usually handle things just fine.

Adding clomid might increase LH/FSH a little more while you take it, but the testes can only respond so fast anyway (in the sense of the cells actually permanently recovering/replicating, as opposed to simply releasing extra test), and being on a low-dose cycle (with a taper to acclimate the body to a reduced anabolic environment) means recovery should be pretty rapid regardless without a crash.

And in cases of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (the seemingly more common problem among AAS users) the body's naturally elevated LH/FSH clearly doesn't work anyway, so attempting to treat it by raising LH/FSH even further isn't necessarily that logical.

Then again, a lot of 'beginner's cycles' that I see have multiple compounds and SARMs in silly doses, so maybe it's not such overkill in those situations ;)
 
Interesting. Glad you elaborated on how and when a pct may be applicable. Granted it doesn't apply to me, but if I get asked the question I can give an answer and state why to back it up. So basically of hypothalamus is working fine, no pct. If hypothalamus is "shut down" then it may be beneficial or at least no harm in trying.
 
I had a training related question if anyone could advise? Is there any evidence out there that a certain training style is more beneficial when you are lifting enhanced? I?ve lookes around but haven?t seen anything concrete. I?ve been doing PPL, I?ve enjoyed it but I find it really drains me for a hour or two after, so when I start my cycle I?m going back to a 4 or 5 day split.

I understand progressive overload. I?ll normally try and progress through weight increases first, if that fails then I?ll go more sets or rep increases. But tbh I?m not enjoying heavy lifting on certain exercises e.g OHP. It?s like I can feel
an injury coming on as soon as I try and push this lift. I wear a belt but I can feel strange pulses or muscle twitches in my back lol, doesn?t feel right at all. I?m dropping this lift and going back to seated smith for shoulders.

Basically what I?m trying to say is if you?re using PEDs does this allow you to say lift medium weights for more sets/higher reps and still get good results? Everything I?ve read previously is from the natty perspective and the common belief seems to be very heavy, lowish reps, high frequency, stick to compounds only etc.. Been doing this for a long time but not really enjoying it, but I want to maximize my results on my cycle, so not sure which is the best way to proceed
 
Yep I actually understand now, instead of just reading or being told take 100mgs of clomid everyday, and do that just because everyone else does it, although many people probably wouldn?t even understand what they are trying to achieve by doing this. I?ve read stuff where a guy is saying ?my eyes feel really really bad, I?m more or less hallucinating while I?m driving? and the general response is ?just suck it up for another 2 weeks? seems crazy to me to put yourself through that, maybe for nothing, and when you probably don?t even understand what you are trying to achieve with the clomid


Serotonin101 said:
Interesting. Glad you elaborated on how and when a pct may be applicable. Granted it doesn't apply to me, but if I get asked the question I can give an answer and state why to back it up. So basically of hypothalamus is working fine, no pct. If hypothalamus is "shut down" then it may be beneficial or at least no harm in trying.
Click to expand...
 
Serotonin101 said:
Interesting. Glad you elaborated on how and when a pct may be applicable. Granted it doesn't apply to me, but if I get asked the question I can give an answer and state why to back it up. So basically of hypothalamus is working fine, no pct. If hypothalamus is "shut down" then it may be beneficial or at least no harm in trying.
Click to expand...

PCT drugs may work for secondary, (hypothalamic) but not primary (testicular) hypogonadism..
 
I do a bro split for training. If recovering isn't impacted you can add extra stuff in for lagging parts on your 5th or 6th day (depending how its set up).
 
I'm from the old school that ur first cycle is ur best cycle...ul make the best gains on this cycle so plan it out right...my 2cents is to do 500mg test and MAYBE a short term SARM after if you even need it....

JJ
 
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