posted Sun, 12/14/2025 - 11:51
1130
+ 1 First cycle advice
ad
Hello everyone in the community. Brand new account and I'm new to anabolics. So I'm 5'9", 185 lb. I have been lifting for roughly 3 years now and my main goal is hypertrophy (although I do enjoy the strength gains that come with it). So I'm planning my first cycle. I'm just doing Test E. For 10 weeks, just to see how my body reacts. I'm doing 250 mg. A week, ill be pinning 125 mg. Twice a week for the 10 week duration. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
- Bookmark
- 1
- 0
Just remember to get your bloodwork done, pre, during, and post cycle. Don't be a dummy and ignore your health, bro! And yeah, pinning ED with those tiny needles is the way to go for stable levels.
Look up steroid plotter on steroid wiki.
What youre looking for is the curve profile to be flat as possible. Thats daily pinning with test cypionate. Enanthate is close enough.
The peaks and valleys in a once weekly or twice weekly pinning regimen potentiate higher aromatization and reduction rates(aromatase and 5alpha-reductase), increasing chances of gyno and accelerating male pattern baldness. Pinning everyday mitigates this.
E2 also upregulates IGF1 production. Its the underlying major driver of why people take GH, to make IGF1. IGF1 is very anabolic.
You just need to acclimatize to a test dose for a month and get total and free test, E2, DHT. Then increase the dose a little. Repeat tests. Watch for sides like gyno and hair shedding. Take telmisartan or an ARB if needed.
4.Dont donate blood unless you have actual polycythemia vera (PV). PV typically has a low serum EPO (a WHO minor criterion), whereas secondary causes like testosterone show normal or high EPO because production is EPO‑driven.
Every test, drink 2 liters of water. Take it the same time every time.
5. Test markers
Total and free
E2 sensitive
DHT
IGF1
GGT
Cystatin C with eGFR (the creatinine one is worthless)
A1C
ApoB and lipid panel
CRP(sensitive)
Just once or if you have problems:
Lp(a)
ACTH
Thyroid panel
Reverse T3
Prolactin
Morning cortisol
Best supps and medications:
Injectable carnitine
Injectable coQ10
Retatrutide
Ezetimibe
Nebivolol (i like it, caution if considering)
Tadalafil
Dinners ready. Good luck
If it's primary polycythemia I don't think they would be running gear, right? (Blood cancer)
It's also not a good idea to donate with secondary. You're constantly depleting and booming production along with tanking iron levels. A very bad cycle to get into trust me, that one still stumps hematologists to this day. Luckily there are advanced protocols to correct the condition, which I had to find myself.
Anyhow good info I just wanted to touch on that. What's cooking anyways? Prime rib?
Yeah, its just concerning that our primary care doctors will annihilate our iron stores like that. I get it, heart problems are the biggest killer, but its infinitely more nuanced than that with our population of gear heads.
Anyway, wife made steak fajitas haha
Thanks for the advice, it was a great read will definitely consider it.
Yeah man, you need to find an e2 level that does NOT cause gyno. Everyone is different. Your number could be 90 pg/mL E2. It could be 60. If you find that 100pg/mL makes your nipples hurt, back down to 80 or whatever test dose doesnt result in gyno symptoms.
Then stay there. So if youre good at 90, your test could be 1800 ng/dL, a 20:1 ratio.
Youre good. That could be at 140mg a week (20mg a day).
E2 is good for you to a certain point. Its neuroprotective, cardioprotective. AIs are last resort tools.
Lastly, E2 helps you grow muscle via IGF1. They you could start with 2IU a day GH and ramp up to as much as you can afford and tolerate (max is 30 IU lol, spaced 4x a day, 6 hours apart, but thats if youre a pro bodybuilder). I do 6 IU, the same levels as an 18 year old.
Great. I'm all about a higher range of estrogen, just not too high. But, that's considering my shbg is in check. If not I get some soreness if it's low range.
People need to be more geared on what effect has the last cycle done or which cycle should be run after one. Like for example I would never run two cycles in a row that included anavar. That would wipe my shbg to zilch. It's all about that tightrope.
30iu GH per day! damn I'd be shaking like a leaf haha
Shbg is another marker that i have yet to get really into. All i know is if you wipe out all your shbg steeply, you get a dht spike. And thats not necessarily good for certain tissues like prostate and hair.
PCT:
Weeks 1-2: Nolva 40mg, Clomid 100mg
Weeks 3-4: Nolva 40mg, Clomid 50mg
Follow with a natural testosterone booster, make sure you’re getting in adequate Vitamin D3.
My recommendation only. I’m now on blast and cruise like most but that’s what worked for me when I was younger and started
I needed this, PCT is where I was a little bit confused on dosages and timeliness. Thanks bro.
You are pretty short for your weight so I am going to ask, are you fat? or really built? If you are fat you need to get that off because it will make your life better on gear.
Bro 185 at 5'9 is almost victim weight. I don't think I've ever seen anyone fat being 185 and 5'9. Shit I like my women about 5'5 and 180.
I don’t know man 5’ 9” is short as fuck for a guy. I may have over done it some it’s to put a fire under his ass and get on with the gym.
I guess if your going off the scale the government used to measure bmi in school in the 90s. Listen up yall. IF YOUR UNDER 200 POUNDS AT ANY HEIGHT THAT MEANS A 200 POUND MAN CAN HOLD YOU DOWN WHILE ANOTHER 200 POUND MAN MOLESTS YOU. Get your weight up
I'm pretty built, for reference I used to be 150 before I ever touched a weight and now 185 and didn't gain much fat. Maybe a little bit from bulking, but mostly muscle.
Forgot to mention, wait about 2 weeks after last injection to start the PCT
300mg/wk
seen my mate thats 6'5 240 go to 260 on it. just eat big and clean train hard.. for u should be 200g+ protein/day and clean
I usually try to get in atleast 180 g. Protein a day minimum, and around 3,000 calories (clean food). It's worked wonders for me, went from 150 to 185 where I'm at now. But yeah for sure I'm thinking of just upping the dose to 400 a week, 200 pinned twice a week for my first cycle instead of what I was going to do. Thanks for the advice.
I’d suggest a low dose of dbol with it (5mg before bed), but that’s just me. My joints dry out WAY too much with only test as my E2 levels crash.
I've read into dbol some, what are the effects of it from a firsthand experience?
A little extra water retention and increased protein synthesis. It aromatizes which is why it’s good for people in my shoes who get achy. If you have any estrogen sides then an AI would solve that but the odds of 5mg of dbol creating gyno are slim.
Would you recommend a good beginner dosage for a cycle of dbol and test? Thanks alot btw
5mg dbol before bed for first 6 weeks.
400mg test e/c for 14–16 weeks.
Then the PCT described in here. Pin twice a week. Realistically you could take the dbol the entire time but that can be frowned upon… it’s kind of an old school approach.
Okay awesome I'll grab some dbol then. And how do you know when to start AI? Sorry for so many questions
Get bloodwork now so you have a baseline, then again 6 weeks in. Search estrogen sides on here… puffy nips is when you need to really be worried.
My retarded comment aside I very much agree with the 500mg a week for 12+ weeks. Also having an AI on hand. I personally prefer anastrozole.
As far as PCT is concerned I have no advice as I’ve never done it. I just stay on test.
I think im going to go for a good 400 a week dosed twice weekly, probably do it for around 14 weeks after reading some of these comments. And make sure I get an AI. Tbh I haven't bought an ai but I'm going to. Thanks for the advice bro.
10 weeks is too short IMO, it takes 2 to 3 weeks for Test E to fully peak in the blood. 250mg will get you gains compared to Natty test that you have been on, BUT 500mg per week will get you worthwhile gains in return for shutting down your endocrine system, I would also go for 12 to 14 weeks in length. Only reason to run less Test in my eyes is if you don't respond well to higher Testosterone and it makes you feel rough. Most find it makes you feel great though.
I'll probably go for a clean 400 a week for around 14 weeks then. It seems to be a good starting point as opposed to my low dose. Thanks for the advice.
400 a week for 14 weeks will yield solid results. You want to maximize your first cycle and virgin receptors. You’ll likely never gain as dramatically as you do on your first. You only get 1 chance at a first cycle. Make sure you diet, training and sleep are locked in from the start, but especially your diet.
Id go higher and run it longer. Just me though
Personally I don’t think 250mg a week is worth shutdown of production at all. I’d do at least 375-500mg first cycle, ai on hand n only use it necessary
Spot on ! Couldn’t agree more !
Very true.
What’s your goal?
Going to cycle and come off or blast and cruise?
My plan as of right now is to just cycle and come off and if I react to it we'll to go on a deca/test e cycle.
Okay, remember you’ll need time between cycles, especially to PCT.
With Deca it takes a while to start working and get inpatient and go crazy high doses or you’ll get bad sides and it’ll take a while to clear.
Yea if ur not on trt and wanna come off, do more than 250 then for sure. Don’t waste the shutdown, time and money with PCT and everything for only a relatively high but close to normal high range levels. Would make no sense at all, and I’m all for going minimal but I can’t see someone waste a cycle/PCT
Yeah yall have definitely given me insight, I'll wait for my test to arrive and just buy more, an ai, and PCT. What's the best way to store injectable test e?
Keep it somewhere dark and without much temperature variation, room temperature.
Cabinet or safe. I keep mine in my gun safe.
Word.
1g of test 30 weeks or gtfo
A real man doesn’t accept anything less than everything.
1g Test, 1g Mast, 1g Tren
word-UP
Yeah, you’re smart with starting low first!
But @Aggieguy is right. Cut some weight first or you’re going to aromatase your test and get bad sides.
Run some Tirz or Reta first. Then cycle.
Also, plan out your PCT and blood work.
I dont know if this is fake or not but going off your stats you're short and fat so get that diet in check first.
Lol Jesus. Rawrrrr
I've (not) learned my lesson about making fun of short dudes on here. Those fuckers stick together. They will come crawling out of all the nooks and crannies and swarm ur ass. Be careful bro
Fat guys are fair game. We all hate fat guys. Even fat guys hate other fat guys
LMAO yeah probably going to have a bunch of pissed off midgets! And yes I can make fun of fat people because I used to be fat myself and so now I call it out.
5'9 185 is fat?? Bruhhh
Hell yeah it is unless it's all muscle.
A topless front double bicep pic is the only way to verify bf% and cycle structure. Any further advice would be senseless without that critical step. And hold a spoon in your mouth so we know it’s a current photo. Or a cigarette