posted Thu, 06/04/2026 - 06:49
786
Front Load Test Cyp or Nah?
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Hey everyone, a little background: 45 male, starting some self-prescribed TRT. I ran a few cycles in my late 20s and early 30s but over the last 10 years my T-levels have slowly declined into the low 400s and I just feel like shit at those levels. I have young kids that I need to keep up with so I can't be tired and foggy all day.
Since I'm genuinely doing it for my health, im planning on keeping the dose around 70 to 100 mg a week. Going to be doing test cyp and daily injections. I'll start low and then get new labs and adjust based on how I feel.
So with that in mind I want to get saturation levels up quickly so I can start feeling better faster.
Should I front-load the test or just let it naturally peak?
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Lets say you get your hands on some REDACTED Test Cyp 250 (that is 250mg/ml). 100mg is 0.4ml of 250mg/ml. 0.4 ml divided by 7 days is 0.0571429 ml,...............................
I LEAVE MORE TESTOSTERONE IN THE DISCARED SYRINGE THAN THAT. You could get some USP carrier oil and dilute to make measuring easier and syringe losses less or inject twice a week.
So after researching further, I now believe that front loading would indeed be counter intuitive to microdosing.
The benefit to daily pins, especially with cyp, is that microdosing daily better mimicks your natural test production and results in less fluctuation of other hormones, which in turn lowers side effects.
That, plus the fact that the exogenous T would be in your body along with your natural production for some time, until your body down regulates.
https://youtu.be/RtpCh6U9v6o?si=F5rEDslO0dis8nsb&t=132
https://youtu.be/MwfzM20pYdo?si=1rBvGEiHyaH68iWV
https://youtu.be/bbo7i98oxnU?si=Qv5jR-KKO64kb7HF
https://youtube.com/shorts/LNTFYqL4FZg?si=uWP9siwNuulYO9iG
@BFG
Seems to be a glitch in this post...
@Greg classic eroids, fixed =)
It’s Been 15 years since you’ve ran anything? I would not front load it. It only takes about 4 weeks to reach peak serum levels. Front loading might get you there a week early. You may respond very differently now at 45 than you did at 32 so take it slow.
Daily injections are going to get old fast once the initial excitement wears off. While it’s better in theory, and will keep your serum levels much more stable, in reality it doesn’t seem to make a big difference. I inject MWF, 50mgs each. Many people do really well on twice a week dosing.
I really wouldn’t recommend doing it yourself and having to rely on UGL test for TRT when it’s so easy and relatively cheap to get a legit script and pharm grade test and any ancillaries you need. You don’t want to be in a position where you dial in dose and things are going great and then you get a bunk batch of test. And then it takes a month before you realize the reason you haven’t been feeling as good is because you got bunk test. Then you wait for another order or start a different brand and have to wait 4-6 more weeks to get your levels back up. While serum levels do peak around 4-6 weeks, for me it took 10-12 weeks to really feel the full benefits of TRT. I felt good at week 6, but great at week 12. Another thing too, if you travel there’s risk in taking test you don’t have a script for and you don’t have to worry about that with a legal script.
Good points.
If I decide I'm on TRT for life, then yes a legit prescription will be part of that. I don't want "low-t" on my medical history until I'm certain I can't fix it myself.
I ran a full blood panel before making my decision. I'm iron overloaded, pre-diabetic, gut endotoxins present, and LH and FSh are low. So yeah ... a lot of that I can fix but it's hard to get it done when you feel like shit every day and it takes a week to recover from a single 3 exercise workout.
Some additional info on the possible benefits from daily pins: https://youtu.be/RtpCh6U9v6o?si=F5rEDslO0dis8nsb&t=132
I’m just telling you bro, as someone who’s been involved with this stuff for 15 years, and done every different injection frequency you can think of, I don’t get any noticeable benefits from ED dosing with long esters for TRT. On paper test levels remain significantly more stable and there are benefits to that, but in terms of tangible results I don’t see any. But it doesn’t hurt to try it out. After 6–12 months you’ll be tired of it, you’ll be missing shots here and there and may decide to try some different. 3x a week works great for me.
There’s literally no problems with having low T in your medical history. There’s a lot of things I’d like to keep out of my medical history but test levels aren’t one of them. The issue with starting it yourself and then wanting to switch over to a legit provider and get a script is you will have to come off for atleast 2 months so your levels drop, but then come back up enough to be normal low. If your total test is 20ng/dl, as it will be say a month after coming off many doctors are trained to recognize that you’ve artificially crashed your test levels because you’ve been self administering exogenous hormones. But 8 weeks or so after your last injection you should be back up to normal low. Like 100, 200ng/dl. But then you’re going to feel like shit for those 2 months. Your doctor might want to dick around with starting you on low doses and titrating up slowly to where you should be. So there’s another 3-6 months of feeling like crap, potentially erasing the progress you made with your health and physique while you were self administering. When I decided to go on TRT I found the provider on like a Thursday, did bloods the following Monday and had a shot in my ass walking out of their office with a script that Wednesday. So you could potentially do the same thing and have a script in less than a week from now.
I know what you mean about not having the energy to workout and then when you do taking days to recover. So I support your choice to go on TRT and I think it will help you. I would just recommend doing it legally. It’s just too easy these days not to.
Ok you don't front load trt to many variables... There's some cases for a cycle but honestly letting your body adjust is the safest healthiest way to do anything period ...gotta crawl before you walk etc
Low 400s could be a hundred other things. Full blood panel? Low bf? Free test? Sbgh? Igf1?
Agreed. Yes I have an extensive panel already and there are numerous issues, all inline with what you'd expect to see from 5 years of sedentary lifestyle and terrible eating habits. Additionally, iron overload is likely a key factor.
Of note was the LH, FSH, Estradiol, and DHEA were all low along with T. That points to an upstream issue with signaling.
All of it put together paints a picture of something that I may very well be able to correct, so the TRT run is literally just to get me feeling better while I tackle the root causes.
Anyone who wants to front load i ask 3 questions.
1. Why!?
2. Why!?
3. Why!?
My uncle owned a frontloader for clearing brush. Is that what you mean? Bobcat is my choice if you decide to buy one.
Its not creatine. Just choose your weekly dose and stick to it to the end.
I’m going to start running a cycle of 1.5 mg of test decanoate pinned sub q with a 60g 1/8” needle daily. How would you go about front loading that?
You would actually want to “front-back load” that. It’s actually called boofing front load.
Might as well use as eyedrops
At that rate I recommend a gelatin suppository. 2x daily, let me know if you need help.
A video tutorial at the very least
I’ll need a volunteer. The GoPro is already charged.
The most logical thought is to get on permanent TRT. If you have low t symptoms, it’s kind of dumb just to solve them for a season when hopefully you have many years ahead of you.
The most "logical" is to not be dependent on an exogenous drug for the rest of your life. The most "logical" thought is to attempt fixing the underlying issues causing the hormonal decline and then reserve TRT for when you truly need, which may be never. American men are experiencing a huge decline in T level due to numerous reasons - many of which we can address. The problem is, it's hard to get out of the hole when you're low T, so giving yourself a rope ladder with TRT is a more logical approach. If you genuinely attempt to fix the issues and you are unsuccessful, well ... then you truly are on TRT for life, but at least you tried alternatives.
Oh ok. When you find more holistic supplements, please go on shark tank. You will be a billionaire.
In the mean time, supplement vitamin b, vitamin d, and maintain a sub 20% body fat. On top of that, get in the gym four times a week and suck it up.
It might help to state that my goal is to not be on TRT for life but rather use TRT as a temporary crutch to get myself back in shape and work on all the underlying issues that are causing my hormonal decline. Additionally, I know from my past use experience that I'm a sensitive responder to AAS - hopefully that's still the case ten years later. So yes, a low dose of 70 to 100 mg a week is plenty for what I'm trying to accomplish.
do you know your natural test level right now? 70mg a week MIGHT actually be BELOW your current natural level, resulting in more underlying issues on top of the ones you currently have.
The whole point of TRT is to bring you to optimum levels, however people and doctors have different definitions of optimum.. optimum for your age? optimum for as 20 year old, etc
um... what? Im so confused by this
70-100 mg a week? What would you even frontload?
" I'll start low and then get new labs and adjust based on how I feel."
If you are going to titrate up to "see how you feel", then why even think about frontload?
I guess my questions are redundant because "frontloading" isnt even a thing anyway
Are you a bot?
70-100 mg a week is a pretty common starting dose for TRT. I'm not going for a super physiological, roided-out freak vein meathead - been there done that. I'm going for healthy hormone levels while I work on fixing underlying issues that are likely causing my hormonal decline (gut health, stress, sun exposure, eating and sleeping habits, etc.)
So pinning 150 mg on day one as a front load and then resuming the normal daily microdoses is why it's a front load.
The question is mainly about the impacts of that on the overall goal.
ohhh.. I see you edited... I think starting at 150 and keeping there would be perfect based off of labs. Maybe drop +-10-20 on either end, but 70mg is pretty fucking low dude
He's not going for "roided out freak vein meathead"..
He's just using exogenous testosterone to somehow find some motivation lol.
You obviously aren't middle-aged with five kids, multiple businesses, and very little time to find motivation to do anything other than eat, sleep, and deal with your family.
Do that for about five or six years natty, and watch your desire to go to the gym dissolve because you simply don't have the energy for it nor the time.
I feel ya. I would just warn you though that after a while the nice "high" feeling does eventually wear off.
Did you get your E2 levels checked too? Seems like you get easily triggered by questions which could be high estrogen. What is your total T, Free T, SHBG, Albumin, Sensitive E2?
I’m sure you’re the only person in human history with this problem. Kudos to you for making it work. Incredible.
This man is an inspiration
Most of us don’t have time for the gym… we make time.
Im 44, retired from the military, a single dad, and currently work a full time job.. i understand the grind bro...
Im simply saying that 70mg a week of Test is not only not going to help you, it ight make you feel shitter... but do what you want
good luck
is daily injects with a max dose of 70mg even possible????
250 @ .05 = 12.5 x 7 = 87.5 ... Closer enough.
That may seem low to some but again I've always responded very well to test. For reference, in my old life I never had to do more than 200 a week to get great results, with or without additional compounds.
The other consideration is that I plan on coming back off of TRT so I don't want to be introducing super physiological levels that my body normalizes to, knowing that I can never maintain those once I come back off. I'd rather start conservatively, see how I feel, and let the labs tell me which direction to go.
Simple answer no. If it’s just test cyp just ride the wave till it’s saturated. Front loading doesn’t work the way we think it did back in the day. If you want high levels right now this second get yourself some test prop to run with your cyp. That will get your serum levels up quickly. But honestly not worth it in my opinion. 6-8 weeks of your test cyp and you’ll be at stable high levels. A drop in the bucket of time when you really think about it.
Thanks. This was more to the point of what I was asking - does front loading work the way we think it does mathematically?
I am confused, 10 to 14 mg of test c a day?
Yes it's a pretty common thing with TRT clinics now to have people microdose subQ with MCT oil based test cyp. I've pinned enough in my glutes, delts, and quads that I don't particularly want to go back to IM.
But the difference is microdosing will take a lot longer to get levels up versus the typical one to two times a week prescribed for TRT.