Blood work prior to first cycle - advice needed

**Nackel** · 11-11-2019, 06:33 AM

Hello,
I apologise if this is in the wrong sub-forum.
I am 27, 178 cm tall and currently 83 kilos (want to drop back down to 79-80 over the next two weeks) and was planning to begin my first steroid cycle. The cycle would have been arimidex 0.5mg every 3rd day, hcg at 500 units, and test E @ 250mg twice a week for 8-10 weeks and a standard nolva/clomid pct. I've been lifting for 7 years. Now recently (past couple of years) I have found it extremely difficult to add mass and strength has been decreasing and often feel flabby rather than hard and it is a pain for me to lose weight. Fat distribution is generally at the hips/thigh love handles and chest area (mooby)
No major changes to diet made when bulking or losing weight (if anything I've been a lot stricter when trying to lose weight)
Anyway my blood work doesn't seem to indicate to me that I should not start a steroid cycle

Progesterone0.26 ng/ml (range : 0.2 - 1.4).

E2 37.5 ug/ml (range 7.63 - 42.6)

sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) 52.8 nmol/L (range 18.3 - 54.1)

Testosterone 7.16 ng/ml (range 2.49- 8.36)

Free Testosterone 121 ug/ml (range 50-300)

TSH 1.16 uIU/ml (range 0.27- 4.2)

Free T3 2.76 ug/ml (range 2 -4.4)

Free T4 1.41 ug/dl (range 0.93 -1.27)

Any suggestions? maybe try the arimidex and try proviron ?

Help is much appreciated.

**rt4man** · 11-11-2019, 05:31 PM

Hey man, I was in the same boat as you. I did my first cycle at 26. I did everything by the book. The same dosages and everything. Well now I am 28 and have been feeling like crap for about 6 months so I went and got some blood work done and I have low T. So now I’m going to be on TRT for the rest of my life. Looking back I wish I hadn’t done a cycle. Stay away man! It’s not worth it. It’s better to be steady on your hormone than going on a roller coaster.

**Krb367** · 11-11-2019, 09:20 PM

Pre cycle bloodwork isn’t generally used to distinguish if you should or shouldn’t cycle. It’s to get your natural base line. Then mid cycle bloods, which will show quality of gear/what the cycle is doing depending on the compounds ran. And finally a post cycle bloodwork to compare to pre cycle bloods.

And also for obvious health reasons throughout the entire process!

**Dgs59** · 11-11-2019, 10:03 PM

if you are not putting mass and gaining strength that's most likely your diet my man. You might want to have a look at that first before cycling ... What BF% are you at right now?

**GearHeaded** · 11-11-2019, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by Dgs59

if you are not putting mass and gaining strength that's most likely your diet my man. You might want to have a look at that first before cycling ... What BF% are you at right now?

agree .. plus on top of it he hasn't had a clear goal . he talks about not gaining mass and strength, yet then talks about losing weight cause he is flabby around the waist. you need to pick a clear goal, you can't gain mass and strength if you want to lose 20 pounds or lean out.

pick a clear goal. get a clear diet and training program in order and stick to it and optimize it. then re-access your decision to do a cycle

**Nackel** · 11-11-2019, 10:50 PM

I should have been more clear in regards to the "cutting" and "bulking". I have changed from one form of diet to another over the course of my years of training.
Perhaps a bit of history would help as a kid up to about 15-16 years old I was very very fat and have always had trouble losing weight that would get me into the shape that I like.
With regards to do the bot being able to put on mass (lean) I am comparing myself from mid this year to mid last year when I was performing the same workout routine and eating the same. Strength is no where near what it was.

**bobspix** · 11-12-2019, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by Nackel

I should have been more clear in regards to the "cutting" and "bulking". I have changed from one form of diet to another over the course of my years of training.
Perhaps a bit of history would help as a kid up to about 15-16 years old I was very very fat and have always had trouble losing weight that would get me into the shape that I like.
With regards to do the bot being able to put on mass (lean) I am comparing myself from mid this year to mid last year when I was performing the same workout routine and eating the same. Strength is no where near what it was.

Have you ever bulked and then tried to go on a cut or are you chasing body re-composition from the start. That also might be the problem. People tend to restrict growth by trying to cut fat and build muscle at the same time.