If I’m on my first cycle and ended up pretty close to the body I wanted…

[marsupial]

What do? Im about 15 weeks in. Made 20 lbs gains. A big portion of it was water and fat in the beginning so I went easy on the surplus and recomped a bit (new heavier weight stayed similar but my waist size went back down). I’m probably gonna come off at week 18-20, and I’ve just tapered down from 350 to 250 because I’m still making steady strength gains, want to lower some gear-related sides, and want to keep making gains but slower than before (my cardio/sports has suffered a bit)

Should I plan the next blast after I see where PCT + some time off leaves me? I may be open to bnc/trt for life but in any case would want to start that later (I’m 28 rn).

Won’t be posting pics for now. I will say that I looked at my current pic and my natty pic first day of cycle and almost convulsed from the amazement in the change. It’s not just about the delta in muscle tissue, one’s appearance on cycle is also affected by the extra glycogen, extra water, and even erythrocytosis to give your muscles a far more pumped look for the weight

 

[Avarice911]

That’s awesome that you’ve had a response that you’re happy with! Plan on losing 1/2 to 3/4 of the weight you gained tho. You may decide to bnc after awhile but for now, do what keeps you content. If you cycle again, I’d just do the exact same thing but with maybe a 30-50% dose increase

 

[Demondosage]

You’ll be back after you realize that you don’t keep a damn thing when you go off

 

[JeffroCat]

My first cycle was 250mg of test for 10 months. That was 23 years ago. I gained 25 pounds and kept every last drop when I came off.

 

[Dang-1]

My first cycle 27 years ago (yes I’m old) I went from 168 to 235 on just dbol. Huge amount of water and some fat but I kept at around 210 from then till my next cycle two years later when I pushed up to 235 with tren but no water or fat. My PCT was just HCG each time and I just bounced back pretty quickly. Your mileage might vary.

You lined up your options well, pct or bnc. You will lose a bunch of mass pct, no one’s making that part up and your odds of a second cycle are high. Here’s a few bits of advice:

Maybe Next run toss some HCG into your cycle weekly though as it makes PCT way, way easier if your natural production isn’t shut down and has a pronounced mood affect.

Watch out for moving goal post syndrome. I just kept pushing the goal further away in my 20s until 235 at 10%bf wasn’t big enough. You sound more mentally stable but with gear on tap and high training drive you can easily keep moving the goal post and it’s never enough.

Bnc is very easy to slip into and once they’re fooling yourself/treating yourself to a little dbol/Anavar/mast p pre workout on top of your TRT weekly without noticing weekly doses climbing. Once your over 100-150mg a week for most it’s not really a health cruise anymore (except some low converters who actually need 175mg to get to 1100test levels).

Bloodwork after 4 weeks of any new dose can really can save your ass.

 

[RaddishPork]

You'll have to come off cycle for about 2 months to see what you actually keep. Typically we lose more than we want to. That's why people say you never do just one cycle.

As long as you're responsible you can do a few cycles a year. Time it around when you want to look the best. Spring break, summer, winter bulk, etc.

 

[Dang-1]

Oh man I forgot some of the best advice on cycle timing!

Don’t cut in winter like a dumb ass, I’m so cold all the time, ripped to the bone and freezing like a meat popsicle.

 

[marsupial]

My first cycle was 250mg of test for 10 months. That was 23 years ago. I gained 25 pounds and kept every last drop when I came off.

Lmao 10 months? Why not just do a higher dose for shorter?

Then again, if you truly kept it all (hard to believe without pics, sorry), this lends credence to the fact that maybe lower dose for longer enables you to keep more gains because over longer time, there’s far more myonuclei proliferation at that supraphysiological dose and in that long time span rather than a time span of 12 weeks of test (where there’s hardly any, as seen by all the people who make a little bit of glycogen and nitrogen gains in that time span and then lose it after)

 

[marsupial]

My first cycle 27 years ago (yes I’m old) I went from 168 to 235 on just dbol. Huge amount of water and some fat but I kept at around 210 from then till my next cycle two years later when I pushed up to 235 with tren but no water or fat. My PCT was just HCG each time and I just bounced back pretty quickly. Your mileage might vary.

You lined up your options well, pct or bnc. You will lose a bunch of mass pct, no one’s making that part up and your odds of a second cycle are high. Here’s a few bits of advice:

Maybe Next run toss some HCG into your cycle weekly though as it makes PCT way, way easier if your natural production isn’t shut down and has a pronounced mood affect.

Watch out for moving goal post syndrome. I just kept pushing the goal further away in my 20s until 235 at 10%bf wasn’t big enough. You sound more mentally stable but with gear on tap and high training drive you can easily keep moving the goal post and it’s never enough.

Bnc is very easy to slip into and once they’re fooling yourself/treating yourself to a little dbol/Anavar/mast p pre workout on top of your TRT weekly without noticing weekly doses climbing. Once your over 100-150mg a week for most it’s not really a health cruise anymore (except some low converters who actually need 175mg to get to 1100test levels).

Bloodwork after 4 weeks of any new dose can really can save your ass.

good point about goalposts. Like I said, one thing that will help prevent me moving goalposts is that I value my cardio and athletic ability in certain pickup sports and outdoor activities that I do

 

[marsupial]

Oh man I forgot some of the best advice on cycle timing!

Don’t cut in winter like a dumb ass, I’m so cold all the time, ripped to the bone and freezing like a meat popsicle.

Yea my mass loss when I come off will be my “cut” for now lol.

 

[marsupial]

When would be the best time to cut if I want to get respectably lean again? Should I give it like two months post cycle? How will I know when I’m done losing gains? Will I be able to tell from decreasing strength levels that perhaps stop decreasing?

 

[marsupial]

You'll have to come off cycle for about 2 months to see what you actually keep. Typically we lose more than we want to. That's why people say you never do just one cycle.

As long as you're responsible you can do a few cycles a year. Time it around when you want to look the best. Spring break, summer, winter bulk, etc.

Heh ok. 2 months it will be

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Bro beat the dysmorphia. You won. You’re done. You can stop using gear.

 

[JeffroCat]

Lmao 10 months? Why not just do a higher dose for shorter?

Then again, if you truly kept it all (hard to believe without pics, sorry), this lends credence to the fact that maybe lower dose for longer enables you to keep more gains because over longer time, there’s far more myonuclei proliferation at that supraphysiological dose and in that long time span rather than a time span of 12 weeks of test (where there’s hardly any, as seen by all the people who make a little bit of glycogen and nitrogen gains in that time span and then lose it after)

Not for nothing, but I should be the one laughing at you. You gained 20 lbs of mostly fat and water on your first cycle? Good luck, dude. You're gonna need it.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Bro beat the dysmorphia. You won. You’re done. You can stop using gear.

(629 start time)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJ0kyZQXj4&t=629s

 

[RiceNKimchi]

(629 start time)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXJ0kyZQXj4&t=629s

Lol that wasn't expected. Last solution got dark quick haha

 

[marsupial]

Not for nothing, but I should be the one laughing at you. You gained 20 lbs of mostly fat and water on your first cycle? Good luck, dude. You're gonna need it.

My initial reaction was that you were endangering your health with that timespan…

 

[Mongo966]

What I don't understand about steroid conversations is why there are so many people with zero experience who feel an unbearable need to jump in and speak like they're season veterans, using expensive language and giving advice to people about what they should and shouldn't be doing. I just don't get it at all. It makes filtering out the bullshit extremely frustrating. Maybe I'm in a mood today but I'm just getting sick of this shit.

 

[Dang-1]

What I don't understand about steroid conversations is why there are so many people with zero experience who feel an unbearable need to jump in and speak like they're season veterans, using expensive language and giving advice to people about what they should and shouldn't be doing. I just don't get it at all. It makes filtering out the bullshit extremely frustrating. Maybe I'm in a mood today but I'm just getting sick of this shit.

Dude, this is like internet 101. People like the ego boost from feeling like an expert and make shit up. Hell, I feel like an imposter sometimes until I run some mental math I normally shy away from and realize I have been there and back. For me if I could help some of these guys maybe 20 year old me could not do so much damn win/fin and still hate myself.

I also don’t know where it started but I’ve heard the armchair/insta/influencer bodybuilders is supposedly why we see a proliferation of these 300mg cycles or oral only runs.

 

[JeffroCat]

What I don't understand about steroid conversations is why there are so many people with zero experience who feel an unbearable need to jump in and speak like they're season veterans, using expensive language and giving advice to people about what they should and shouldn't be doing. I just don't get it at all. It makes filtering out the bullshit extremely frustrating. Maybe I'm in a mood today but I'm just getting sick of this shit.

Is that going on in this thread?