Reasonable expectations for new guy

[Vantage]

A little info on me, first.

41 Y-O, athletic, work out with weights 2-3 times a week, on a mountain bike (my 'sport') 3-4 times a week, 150-155 pounds - 5'8" - ~15% BF

Diet: Paleo+dairy (cheese/greek yogurt). ~1g/lb bodyweight protein / day, 100-250g carbs (depending on workout, bike riding takes carbs - weights not so much), plenty of good fats. ~2200-2500 cal/day

I shoot for 8+ hours of sleep and rarely hit the booze.

I've had bloods. My total test levels have come up in the high 200's/low 300's repeatedly. Free test is very low. The GP and endo both say my levels are low, but 'not low enough'. The GP recommended that I do less cardio and more weights. I've followed this advice and I think it's helping overall health, but my power on the bike is in the toilet.

Anyway, I'm sore after every workout of reasonable intensity (weights or bike). Recovery is an issue, I probably can get in 2-3 good workouts a week. Anything more than that and I'm just junk.

I've tried a run of Clomid. I think it helped me, but it also concerns me as a long term answer. The last thing I want to do is give myself tits and screw up my vision.

So now I'm looking to do a run of Test E. I don't really feel the need to go crazy with it. I'm not looking to pick up a huge amount of mass. Essentially, I just want to be strong and feel younger. The Test E cycle from the book _Anabolics_ looks reasonable to me. 200-400mg/week. I figure I could run it for 10 weeks, being a slower acting ester and all, without too much trouble.

I'm ok with putting on a little weight, but I don't really want an extra 20+ pounds that a bigger cycle might give me. I'm looking for more muscle mass (a couple pounds), better recovery and stronger lifts/rides. What I don't want is to completely shut off my HPTA. I'll have the Clomid handy for a restart as well as Anastrozole for during and after. If I'm on only modest amounts of T for a relatively short amount of time, should I get some HCG as well? I've seen varying thoughts on this. On the PCT, should I run Nolva with the Clomid?

I guess I'm just a bit out of my element and really don't have a good grasp as to how deep the water really is. I'm hoping I can hit something a little over physiological levels of T (say, 1500 ng/dl or so) with good F.T. numbers. Overall, I want to be very careful not to hurt my overall health. I'm not looking for a panacea or cure-all, I just want to feel like I did when I was younger. I would have posted this in the TRT forum, but I think the numbers I'm talking are a little high for TRT, so I've stuck it here.

Thanks for the help.

[Times Roman]

I'd consider a new doc more sympathetic to the HRT cause.

Get that dialed in first before considering anabolics at higher levels.

if you are a biker, then why would you want additional weight? this will negatively impact your sport, as your lung to weight ratio will be impacted.

[Vantage]

As far as a TRT doctor goes, it just seems like too much of a pain. The drs. I've talked to don't seem to know as much as a veteran AAS user. I'm sure they have a greater breadth of knowledge, but in terms of practical experience on making a guy feel more like a guy, they fall short. I'm sure there are those who really know their stuff, but how much is it going to cost and how long to do I have to shop to find that doc, when, ultimately, I can do the work myself? I'm fine with jabbing myself with a needle, so I don't need someone to do that for me. Also, I doubt I'm going to get many docs that will purposefully take me to supra-physiological levels. From what I've read, most start tapping the brakes about 700 ng/dl of total test.

Second. I'm not particularly interested in adding much mass as I know that added weight will hurt my bike riding. It's just that I don't particularly care if it does add a little weight, especially muscle. While 'on', I expect it to add some water weight as well. It's not like I ride a bike for a paycheck, it's just entertainment. I figure that if I can add a little muscle mass then I might be able to ramp up metabolism and maybe even natural test production while 'off'.

As a side note, I spent 6 months a couple years ago getting down to 135 pounds (no chemical help) for better climbing. It took a very close eye on my diet and 18 hours/week riding. I did a couple races that way. Yes, I could climb, but I think I messed up my metabolism and hormone profile doing it. I was freaking miserable and was looking over the edge of an eating disorder. So I'm 15+ pounds heavier than I was then, I'm much stronger and I feel a lot better. I can accept that I may not climb a long hill as well because my overall health is better. There's something to be said for that, you know?

[hawk14dl]

You didn't post scales on your blood tests, but those numbers, if on a standard scale, are very low.

Perhaps give the site sponsor a call. Lowtestosterone. con. They will be more expensive then self treating, but they will also be legal, and their drs know what they're doing

[rplante7]

I f you are looking for a one time cycle of test it most likely will give you the extra stamina and recovery you are looking for. The bad news is that once you are done you will return to where you previously were