1zach4's First Cycle Log!

[1zach4]

Alright well after a ton of research and training I am about to start my first AAS cycle either today 9/20 or tomorrow 9/21 dependent upon when my gear arrives.

My cycle will consist of:

Test E 500mg/wk for Weeks 1-14
Deca 400mg/wk for Weeks 1-12
Dbol 40mg/ED for Weeks 1-4
Letrozole .25mg/ED Weeks 1-14
PCT will be Nolva/Clomid

I have support supplements in place such as Taurine, Flaxseed oil, Milk thistle, glucosamine, glutamine, R-ALA, Multivitamin, Fish liver oil, and vitargo to drink immediately PWO and then a weight gainer shake 30min later. Also including VPX NO Shotgun before workouts.

I am also going to run a Clen/T3/ECA stack but after some research i'm not entirely sure when this should be done...

My options are:
- to start running it at week 12 when I drop the Deca, but keep my calories up and step up the cardio.
- Start once PCT starts, keeping calories up but stepping up cardio
- Wait till week 6 of PCT to start so that Test/Deca gains have subsided and i'll be able to keep protein intake up but reduce carbohydrates/fats and increase cardio.
- Wait till PCT is finished.

I'm personally leaning towards running it on cycle if my gains won't be hurt by it so I can start shedding fat gained from my cycle while still gaining muscle.

I'll be keeping a log as often as possible with school/work full-time. Just for a reference point, I am starting this cycle at 189lbs.

Wish me luck!

[1zach4]

not getting gear until today or tomorrow...so i'm still waiting!

[1zach4]

First injection is tonight! Im at work all day so i'll be hitting the gym in the morning

[1zach4]

DAY 1

Injected 250mg Test E, 200mg Deca, took 40mg Dbol, and .25mg of letrozole tonight! Hittin the gym in the morning with maxx_juice who is on the same cycle I am, but this is his second cycle.

Will update tomorrow with the workout/diet for the day, might include some before pictures also just so I can keep track for myself

[1zach4]

DAY 2

Alright this morning's workout was chest...kind of tough due to starting the bulking diet this morning, 8 egg whites and 1 cup of oatmeal was pretty tough today. Also, VPX's NO Shotgun didn't help the situation at all because it didn't settle with me right this morning, however the energy and pump were GREAT.

Also a word on vitargo: Drank it immediately PWO and felt re-energized and even more pumped within minutes, followed up with protein/carb gainer shake 30min later.

Workout looked like this:

Flat Dumbell Press
1 X 12 (Warmup)
2 X 8-10 80lb dumbells(Hit 9 both times due to pumps taking over the tri's)

Dropped to 55lbs and did a burn out set, hit about 15 reps.

Incline Flys
2 X 8-10 (45lbs each side)
2 X 6 (65lbs each side)
1 X 10 (55lbs each side)

Incline Chest Press
2 X 10 (270lbs)

Did deep stretching after each exercise, and used a HIT style workout after some research, so i'm trying to avoid overtraining the chest.
Felt the Dbol kick in, haven't noticed anything from letrozole yet. Maxx_Juice took .75mg of letro last night not paying attention and experienced headaches last night and this morning.

[1zach4]

DAY 3

Well took today off from the gym due to working all day...still here actually. Will hit the back tomorrow and continue with 40mg Dbol. Dbol is showing some decent strength gains already on day 3. Everything is going great with the diet, and the first injection was fine, just a little soreness. However, today the soreness seems to have moved a few inches into the right side of my lower back but i'll be alright.

[1zach4]

DAY 4

Trained my back today, got a great pump in the gym and changed my dosing of Dbol from once in the morning to 20mg twice daily and noticed that keeping my blood levels stable really improved the effects of dbol at the gym.

Diet is on point today

Meal 1: 8 egg whites, 1 cup oats w/ milk, Whey w/ glutamine

Meal 2: 1/2lb ground turkey with brown rice and 1/4 cup cheese

Workout

Meal 3: Vitargo immediately PWO, gave an amazing boost of energy and pump afterwards because I actually took the full dose today instead of the half serving I took the first time.
PWO Gainer shake 30min after vitargo

Meal 4: Chicken Breast, veggies, pasta

Meal 5: Chicken Breast, brown rice

Meal 6: Bedtime Shake w/ glutamine

2nd injection is tomorrow, 250mg Test Enan, 200mg Deca

My back workout looked like this:
Wide grip pullups
3 X 10

Lat pulldowns
1 X 10 (270lbs)
1 X 8 (320lbs)
1 X 6 (340lbs)
then 270lbs to failure

Seated upright rows
1 X 10 (175lbs)
1 X 8 (205lbs)
1 X 6 (225lbs)
set to failure with 225lbs

Isolated lat pulldowns
2 X 8 (175lbs)
2 X 8 (205lbs)
set to failure with 205lbs

finished up with 3 sets of close grip pullups to failure. I would have thrown in deadlifts but I have not done them in a while and maxx_juice's schedule didn't workout with mine to meet up at the gym today.

[CSAR]

Sorry, don't mean to be a pest, but...



plus you should be reporting the amount of weight you're lifting in lbs. I think the mods, vets, & senior members would be more forthcoming if you give them more substance in this thread.

Good luck w/ your cycle!

[1zach4]

Pics removed until week 6 or so

[1zach4]

Removed

[1zach4]

DAY 5

Did my first day of legs with Maxx_juice and I finally getting back in the gym together. Needless to say we both enjoyed trying to walk out of the gym, and driving a 5-spd is not for me on leg days.

Workout looked like this:

Squats:
Warmup with 135lbs for 15 reps
set of 10 at 185lbs
set of 10 at 225lbs
and then due to feeling like I had pins and needles in my inner thigh (no pun intended) I backed down to 185lbs to burnout.

Leg Press:
1 X 15 (180lbs)
1 X 15 (360lbs)
1 X 10 (450lbs)
Burnout with 360lbs

Standing calf raises:
3 X 20 (180lbs)
1 X 20 (225lbs)

Seated calf raises superset with leg extensions:
3 x 20 calf raises @ 90lbs
3 x 10 extensions @ 150lbs

Hamstring Curls:
1 X 10 @ 115lbs
1 X 10 @ 130lbs
1 X 10 @ 140lbs

Went light on the weights due to the legs being a little out of it, but did extremely high intensity and felt like throwing up most of the time.

Injection is tonight, dbol started really kicking in now that I have moved to dosing twice daily instead of once in the morning. My legs had more reps in them than I thought, had to stop my burnouts on the leg press because my head couldn't take it anymore...might have been due to poor breathing near the end according to maxx_juice, but I could've sworn I was breathing fine.

Will keep things updated as much as possible. Will list today's diet soon, had a lot of homework to do and had a 3rd family member pass away in just as many weeks, so food hasn't been on my mind too often today.

[1zach4]

DAY 6

Inection went well last night, just a little bit of soreness today. My legs hurt 10X as much as my injection does...killed them yesterday.

Today maxx_juice and I hit the shoulders, almost didn't go to the gym due to going to sleep and waking up with a substantial headache.

Workout looked like this:

Seated dumbell shoulder press:
Warmup 1 X 15 (45lb dumbells)
2 X 10 (60lbs)
1 X Failure (50lbs)

Reverse Fly:
Warmup 1 X 15 (90lbs)
2 X 10 (135lbs)
1 X 10 (150lbs)

Dumbell Lateral Raises:
3 X 10 (20lb dumbells)

Bent arm lateral raises:
3 X 10 (20lb dumbells)

Front Dumbell Raises:
3 X 10 (20lb dumbells)

Shoulder Shrugs:
3 X 10 (90lb dumbells)

[1zach4]

DAY 11

Haven't updated in a while due to being swamped with school and being sick, but luckily my sick day fell on a rest day so it did not inhibit my working out. All workouts have gone well so far and i'm about to hit the gym for my back day.

Blood pressure got up to 150/92 the other day and had been causing me some terrible headaches at the gym or when doing anything for that matter. I took a look at my diet and realized I was falling short on water intake and taking in entirely too much sodium. So I cut the sodium and upped the water and now 2 days later I feel great, no headaches, BP is ranging between 135/80 and 140/82. It's great having a nurse for a fiancee.

Gained around 5-6lbs so far...fluctuates throughout the day so I contribute it to water weight and the higher calorie diet.

Will update with tonight's workout when I get home.

[1zach4]

DAY 14

Everything has been going great, picked up some hawthorn berry and my blood pressure has shot straight back to normal. Now I can actually get some more work done in the gym and push myself harder without feeling like my head is going to explode.

I started at 189lbs and as of this morning I am sitting at a steady 196lbs after 2 weeks. I feel a lot more filled out and Dbol is working great in the gym, obviously I know some of this is from water, but along with my diet I have put on some weight otherwise.

I am going to see my doctor in a week or so because I told him about my high blood pressure, and he asked about the supplements I was taking, so obviously I only listed legal ones and he said they were fine. He suggested I add aged garlic to my regimen to keep BP at bay, and he is going to run some tests to check kidney and liver values, so I am going to stay on top of my milk thistle to make sure nothing abnormal comes up in those tests. Hopefully I can hold out on the appointment for another two weeks so I won't have dbol running through my system anyway.

I will update with pics in 2 weeks probably...gives me some time to put on a few more pounds and add some more weight to my lifts.

At the moment my workouts all look like this:
Chest
Flat Dumbell Press
1 X 15 (60lbs)
2 X 10 (75lbs)
1 X 10 (85lbs)

Incline Dumbell Chest Press
1 X 10 (65lbs)
1 X 10 (70lbs)
1 X 10 (80lbs)

Decline Chest Press
2 X 10 (180lbs)
1 X 8 (225lbs)

Back
Wide grip pullups
3 X 10

Lat pulldowns
1 X 10 (270lbs)
1 X 10 (340lbs)
1 X 10 (360lbs)
then 300lbs to failure

Seated upright rows
1 X 10 (175lbs)
1 X 10 (205lbs)
1 X 10 (225lbs)

Isolated lat pulldowns
2 X 8 (200lbs)
2 X 8 (225lbs)
set to failure with 205lbs

Close Grip Pulldowns
1 X 10 (150lbs)
1 X 10 (170lbs)
1 X 10 (180lbs)

T-Bar Rows
3 X 10 (180lbs)

Legs
Squats:
Warmup with 135lbs for 15 reps
1 X 10 (225lbs)
1 X 10 (245lbs)
1 X 10 (265lbs)

Leg Press:
1 X 15 (270lbs)
1 X 10 (450lbs)
1 X 10 (540lbs)
Burnout with 450lbs

Standing calf raises:
3 X 20 (180lbs)
1 X 20 (270lbs)

Seated calf raises superset with leg extensions:
3 X 20 calf raises @ 140lbs
1 X 10 extensions @ 150lbs
1 X 10 extensions @ 165lbs
1 X 10 extensions @ 180lbs

Hamstring Curls:
1 X 10 @ 115lbs
1 X 10 @ 140lbs
1 X 10 @ 160lbs

Shoulders
Seated dumbell shoulder press:
Warmup 1 X 15 (45lb dumbells)
2 X 10 (60lbs)
1 X 10 (65lbs)

Reverse Fly:
Warmup 1 X 15 (90lbs)
2 X 10 (135lbs)
1 X 10 (150lbs)

Dumbell Lateral Raises:
3 X 10 (25lb dumbells)

Bent arm lateral raises:
3 X 10 (25lb dumbells)

Front Dumbell Raises:
3 X 10 (25lb dumbells)

Shoulder Shrugs:
3 X 10 (100lb dumbells)

Arms

Weighted Dips
3 X 15 (45lbs)

Dumbell Curls
1 X 10 (35lbs)
1 X 10 (40lbs)
1 X 10 (45lbs)

Tricep Rope pulldowns
1 X 15 (80lbs)
1 X 10 (100lbs)
1 X 10 (120lbs)
1 X 10 (130lbs)

Incline Dumbell Curls
2 X 10 (35lbs)
1 X 10 (40lbs)

Tricep V-grip pulldowns
1 X 10 (150lbs)
1 X 10 (165lbs)
1 X 10 (175lbs)

Hammer Curls
1 X 10 (35lbs)
1 X 10 (40lbs)
1 X 10 (45lbs)

Reverse Grip tricep pulldowns
1 X 15 (100lbs)
1 X 10 (140lbs)
1 X 10 (150lbs)

[timtim]

you have alot of room for natural improvement. no reason to cycle yet.

[1zach4]

I knew these comments would come, and my only defense is that those pics were taken after dieting horribly for a month...gained probably 5% in body fat in that month, i've already leaned out and added mass in just 2 weeks. I guess my body was ready for dbol and a good diet again.

[Small Guy112]

bump good luck with the cycle... i think 5 out of 10 people take they're first cycle before they are ready... its all about knowing what your doing and being safe about it. Having the right pct in order ect......

Good luck keep us posted

[hardgainer12]

I knew these comments would come, and my only defense is that those pics were taken after dieting horribly for a month...gained probably 5% in body fat in that month, i've already leaned out and added mass in just 2 weeks. I guess my body was ready for dbol and a good diet again.

d-bol wont lean you out. 2 weeks of d-bol and id be up prob 7-10 lbs. all water tho.

[1zach4]

where did I say dbol was the reason for being lean? I stated my body was ready for dbol, meaning I have responded well with strength gains on top of a clean bulking diet which has lead me to losing a few pounds of fat already at around 5000 cals/day.

I'm not holding much water at all on dbol because i'm running letrozole at 0.5mg a day

[hardgainer12]

where did I say dbol was the reason for being lean? I stated my body was ready for dbol, meaning I have responded well with strength gains on top of a clean bulking diet which has lead me to losing a few pounds of fat already at around 5000 cals/day.

I'm not holding much water at all on dbol because i'm running letrozole at 0.5mg a day

how the hell are you losing fat at 5000 cals ED? thats impossible. u could maybe do that when the test kicks in but u are not going to lose any weight with a d-bol test cycle. its kinda against the point of a bulker

[1zach4]

I also realize that I may have started too early by some standards, but I have a great diet and I keep it on point, and I understand what works for me in the gym because as of a year ago I was 165lbs and now 2 1/2 weeks into my first cycle I have lost fat, gained mass, and limited my water retention...I weighed in at 207 today

[timtim]

there is no way that you can burn fat on 5000 calories a day. at 207 pounds your doing nearly 23 times your bodyweight in calories.

you can say you have everything perfect, this and that and whatever, there is no physiological way your burning fat. that only happens in the absence of calories, not in a super surplus.

and a 40 pound weight gain in a year looks good on a scale but those pics you have posted tell a far different story. your bodyfat is well above 15% in those pics.

i already said i thought you could gain naturally alot more but if your running gear and loading up on calories you will gain more bf which will be estrogenic in nature and nearly impossible to burn off without hardcore dieting. i speak from experience. good luck either way but what your doing doesnt seem to be working as well as you think, unless bloated and smooth with a high bf is the look you like.

[1zach4]

I'm sure I could gain more naturally, but after a lot of research and talking to people that have run many cycles, I decided to go ahead and do my first cycle. I will put pics back up after I take progress pics because from what I have seen so far, I will make great progress during this cycle.

[1zach4]

BTW timtim, there is a physiological way to burn fat on a 5000 calorie diet. You burn fat all day as it is your primary source of fuel up to a certain point.

[timtim]

bullshit. 5000 calories will not allow for fat burning, not with your body or your drug regiment. unless you have a wicked fast metabolism which it seems you dont.

i know people double your size who bulk on way less than 5000 calories a day and they arent burning fat at their current caloric intake. again, people who are in superior condition to you are not burning fat with a moderate supply of aas to aide in the caloric surplus, but your saying you are. so you trying to say you have a gift for calorie burning is bullshit cause your physique would show it and it doesnt. i believe that there are people who can utilize caloric levels like you say, my friend competed naturally in the world's for his pro card last year and he eats about 4500 calories cutting. but he is a specimen. you show none of the genetic cues of a metabolically superior person so saying its possible is true, but not for you.

[1zach4]

you understand nothing of physiology then...people with 30% BF still use fat as a source of energy at lower energy expenditure rates. Do some research and tell me that low intensity exercise does not burn fat, or that you do not use fat as fuel at rest and i'll consider myself proven wrong.

[1zach4]

Also, take a look back and realize I retracted my statement that I have lost weight through fat. I am now at 204 this evening, so the fluctuation in weight is due to water. Letrozole has worked wonders now that I have upped my dosages to .75mg/day.

I see no need in furthering this argument since I understand the usage of fat as fuel at lower intensity, and you have taken everything I have said out of context. I will post comparison pictures in a few weeks and then i'd honestly appreciate your comments on my progress.

[timtim]

you understand nothing of physiology then...people with 30% BF still use fat as a source of energy at lower energy expenditure rates. Do some research and tell me that low intensity exercise does not burn fat, or that you do not use fat as fuel at rest and i'll consider myself proven wrong.

sorry, my understanding of physiology extends beyond making shit up. if people with 30% bf were burning fat at rest and while moving, they'd be getting thinner.

if you, YOU, are in a caloric surplus, which 5000 calories a day is, your body will not catabolize neither muscle nor fat for energy because you are providing more than enough to sustain all the tissue. you could even do your nice little low intensity walk and burn off say 500 calories a day and still not lose any fat at all. why????? because you have a supply of calories waiting from the food you have been eating all day and that will be preferentially used as energy throughout your day. and if you have carbs with every meal and your insulin is moving throughout the day up and down, you are also limiting lypolysis from the presence of carbs in your blood.

this is basic. i have a very strong understanding of the information i am providing. you can attempt to question the information but your physique shows your knowledge. if you think your build is the result of being "highly informed" on bb'ing, nutrition, and aas then thats your opinion. you seem to not want to listen to those who know more so i will leave this alone. its pretty pointless trying to help someone in need when they have all the answers already. your completely clueless as to what the caloric level you are eating is doing, especially if you think your burning fat eating that much.

[1zach4]

you don't realize that the proof of what I know is not in my physique. I was around 12% BF a month before these pics were taken, not to mention this is the first time I have actually enacted my knowledge of physiology on my own body. Yeah I don't look like a great example now, but I will. Therefore this argument is over until I post updated pics so you can critique them.

Also, upon further critique of my diet, I am consuming around 4000 calories a day, and I drop carbs a little after lunch.

[Small Guy112]

A wise man once told me dont argu with fools......Cause one looking from the outside in cant tell whos WHO

[hardgainer12]

you don't realize that the proof of what I know is not in my physique. I was around 12% BF a month before these pics were taken, not to mention this is the first time I have actually enacted my knowledge of physiology on my own body. Yeah I don't look like a great example now, but I will. Therefore this argument is over until I post updated pics so you can critique them.

Also, upon further critique of my diet, I am consuming around 4000 calories a day, and I drop carbs a little after lunch.

dude this whole burnfat while walking around thing is so stupid! if that was true then y are the people with 30% bf still at 30% bf. and your running letro at .75 mgs a day? wow good luck. what does your diet look like if u dont mind me asking?

[1zach4]

I never said people "burn" fat as they walk around, but at low intensity work...whether that be sitting around, all the way up to a jog, fat is the primary source of energy.

Sample Diet:

Meal 1:
8 Egg whites, 1 cup of oatmeal (Shake w/ glutamine if working out late in the day, but most workouts are in the morning)

Meal 2:
Chicken Breast, broccoli, 1/4 swiss cheese
(PWO on early days)
Immediately PWO Vitargo, 20min later Gainer shake

Meal 3:
Chicken Breast, 1 1/2 cups of brown rice

MEAL 4
Chicken Breast, veggies, Whey shake 10g glutamine (Early workout days)

MEAL 5
Chicken Breast, ½ cup brown rice

MEAL 6
Chicken Breast, 2tbsp peanut butter

MEAL 7 (Bedtime)
Whey Shake, flax seed oil

[hardgainer12]

ok ur not understanding the whole "5000 calorie a day system." when u eat that much ur body uses the food as energy. i dont even wanna talk about it anymore. its off topic. i like the diet. what are the end macros for it?

[1zach4]

Protein: 304g

Carbohydrates: 388g

Fats: 37g

[hardgainer12]

3146 cals. u feel thats enough for a bulker? u know your body better than me

[1zach4]

im only on week 3, so my diet changes every few days right now. I have put on 15lbs already, which some is water obviously, but I feel like this diet is working for my body right now. My strength is consistently up in the gym right now, and I feel great. However, I see what you mean on the cals...there is room for improvement

[1zach4]

DAY 18

Today was back day

Wide Grip pullups:
3 X 10

Straight leg dead lifts (haven't done these in years)
1 X 15 (135lbs)
1 X 10 (185lbs)
1 X 10 (205lbs)
1 X 10 (225lbs)

Bent over barbell rows:
1 X 15 (135lbs)
3 X 10 (155lbs)

Close-grip rows:
1 X 15 (70kg)
3 X 10 (90kg)

Lat pulldowns:
1 X 10 (210lbs)
1 X 10 (270lbs)
1 X 10 (320lbs)

[hardgainer12]

im only on week 3, so my diet changes every few days right now. I have put on 15lbs already, which some is water obviously, but I feel like this diet is working for my body right now. My strength is consistently up in the gym right now, and I feel great. However, I see what you mean on the cals...there is room for improvement

theres always room for improvement. or there would be nothing to look forward 2. obviously ur doing very well. keep the gains coming

[1zach4]

thanks for the encouragement hardgainer

will keep things updated often now that arguments have died down

[1zach4]

DAY 19

Leg and Injection day!

Squats:
1 X 15 (135lbs)
1 X 10 (185lbs)
1 X 10 (225lbs)
1 X 10 (275lbs)

Leg Press:
1 X 15 (270lbs) 6 plates
1 X 10 (450lbs) 10 plates
1 X 10 (540lbs) 12 plates

Standing Calf Raises:
3 X 25 (270lbs)

Leg Extensions:
1 X 15 (150lbs)
1 X 10 (180lbs)
1 X 10 (240lbs)

Seated Calf Raises
2 X 20 (180lbs)