First Testosterone Cycle Log

[Tarrantino]

Introduction

Hello everyone my name is Tarrantino, I am 23 from London. Despite the name I am born and raised in England
I have been weight training now for 7 years in total. When I was 16 it was simply going to the gym with mates however since the age of 18 I have taken weight lifting and dieting very seriously to the point where I have made a profession out of being in the fitness industry as a Personal Trainer now Gym Manager. My physique change in the last 7 years has been very drastic, I initially was 58kg at 16 and now I am 86kg at 23 (6 foot by the way). During this cycle I am not looking to “bulk” or “cut” but more to re composition whether thats at my current weight or heavier I don’t mind. By current bodyfat is 15.5%

Pre Cycle thoughts.

I will be taking 500mg of testosterone enanthate split between two 250mg shots every Tuesday and Friday for 15 weeks. I will also be taking HCG on cycle on the same days split 250IU 2x a week.
I have Arimidex on hand should I experience any estrogen related sides. I have my PCT ready in the form of Nolvadex and Clomid for 2 weeks after my cycle.

Blood work

With regards blood work I have had all blood work checked, theres no way my doctor would do this for me ever so I have had to buy kits online, finger prick myself, put the blood into a small tube and send it back privately. So I have a complete overview of my current levels including biochemistry, haematology, endocrinology, lipid profiles etc etc

Speaking of blood tests I will be doing three blood tests. My first one will be between weeks 4-5 of my cycle where I will check my estrogen, I can then apply (if necessary) a suitable dosage of Arimidex to combat this if high. If I feel the effects of high estrogen before I test it I will start my Arimidex sooner, those I personally know who have done testosterone cycles have had very mixed experiances of estrogen on cycle, some have been prone whilst others have not had any sides at all. I feel this is the most sensible thing to do. I don't want to take Arimidex for the sake of it if I don't feel I need it as I know it can be harsh on lipid profiles.

I will also be checking my testosterone levels at 6-7 weeks in for peace of mind. I will also do a full retest of everything after PCT to ensure my normal levels are where they need to be.

Lastly I would like to add that I am in no way promoting or glorifying the usage of anabolic steroids , if you’re thinking about taking a cycle I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have with regards my PERSONAL experience. If you decide to take anabolic steroids it ultimately is your decision and you have to live by that if the cycle goes great or badly. There are experienced individuals on this forum who can probably answer most questions with greater knowledge than me.

Nutrition, Training and Supplements

This I will be keeping rather quiet, my nutrition and diet has been done for about a year now by a sports nutritionist. The diet involves sticking to a strict plan with strict eating times utilising a range of supplements to best support composition change on cycle. I am going to try my utmost to stick to this entirely throughout the cycle as I want to yield the best possible results.

My Training focuses on an intense upper body, lower body split. I will be aiming for progressive overload on all my lifts throughout my cycle.

I will keep you all updated

[matt thebeard]

enjoy the dark side lol

[Back In Black]

You should really start an AI from week one and 12 weeks might be a better length for first timers.

Also only 2 weeks of PCT? Extendit to 4, what are your planned dosages?

[Tarrantino]

You should really start an AI from week one and 12 weeks might be a better length for first timers.

Also only 2 weeks of PCT? Extendit to 4, what are your planned dosages?

Thank you for your input I appreciate it!

I will be doing PCT for 4 weeks, 2 weeks after my last test E pin Maybe I articulated that wrong in the original post.

My PCT protocol is:
Clomid: 100/100/50/50 & Nolva 40/40/20/20
I would like to know peoples opinions on this?

It was either a 10 or 15 week duration with the supply of gear I could get unfortunately, I suspected 10 might not have the same benefits however I was looking to go for 12 initially, just seems a waste of money to have 6 vials unused at the end of a cycle.

Im currently on day 10 or 11 of my cycle as I was waiting for mods on the site to approve me, I am not showing any signs of increased water retention but it's early days, The blood test week four/five will tell me just how my body is doing with estrogen, If it comes back I am on the high side of normal is it entirely necessary to still use an AI? Not probing just asking

[Tarrantino]

enjoy the dark side lol

That made me laugh man lol
Thanks

[Tarrantino]

Day 1

I will be going for delt injections throughout this cycle, this is my favourable site injection due to the fact I feel most relaxed, I can see everything going in and mentally I can be less shakey.
I am always swabbing the vials and my place of injection before pinning with different alcotip wipes of course.
First pin went really well, No issues in drawing the testosterone out with one pin and injecting with another. I had a really steady injection with no issues. It’s exactly the same feeling as if you go to a doctors to get a flu jab or something just a small pin prick, no need to be nervous or over think things. HCG injection was incredibly easy, doing this subq in my lower stomach the insulin needle was painless no problems at all.

Weight 86kg (+0.0)

Day 4

My second injection has been done now, I find injecting with my left hand far more difficult than my right. A lot more shakey today. Pip is worse however still not bad at all.
My first injection was probably a 4/10 in terms of pip and this one is maybe a 5/10 just due to the fact I was a little more shakey.

As for sides so far I really expected it to be way too soon to experience anything, in the gym I feel the same im really pushing myself and nailing my nutrition however the side effect I have noticed is when I wake up half way through the night or in the morning I have morning glory. This is uncommon for me to have this as frequently as I have over the last 3 days in a row but maybe placebo, but my mental libido itself is normal. I am ready to smash out some big sessions and will update on day 8 for my third injection. Still wrapping up my HCG and test injections on the same day, I dont think I will be having any trouble with HCG injections at all they're incredibly easy.

Weight 86.4kg +(0.4)

Day 7

Session intensity has definitely increased, lifts are steadily increasing in either reps or small weigh increases. I am hammering legs in the gym, this has always been one of my strong points however I am really looking to see what progress can be made all round.

Keeping my nutrition dialled in, I am even bringing damn tupplewear to my mates houses so I am getting my meals in lol.

No signs of water retention thus far, no shift in mood at all, Libido is a little bit higher than usual.

Weight 86.6 +(0.6)

[Back In Black]

Thank you for your input I appreciate it!

I will be doing PCT for 4 weeks, 2 weeks after my last test E pin Maybe I articulated that wrong in the original post.

My PCT protocol is:
Clomid: 100/100/50/50 & Nolva 40/40/20/20
I would like to know peoples opinions on this?

It was either a 10 or 15 week duration with the supply of gear I could get unfortunately, I suspected 10 might not have the same benefits however I was looking to go for 12 initially, just seems a waste of money to have 6 vials unused at the end of a cycle.

Im currently on day 10 or 11 of my cycle as I was waiting for mods on the site to approve me, I am not showing any signs of increased water retention but it's early days, The blood test week four/five will tell me just how my body is doing with estrogen, If it comes back I am on the high side of normal is it entirely necessary to still use an AI? Not probing just asking

You'll be crying like a bitch on that much Clomid.

Start your AI man and read this

My First Cycle: Planning and Executing a Successful First Cycle

[Tarrantino]

Thanks for all your help Back In Black.

The PCT I was a little unsure of in all honesty, there seems to be very different information where ever you look.
I'll definitely take everything i've read on that sticky on board. I'll do some more research whilst on cycle to further educate myself.

As for taking an AI, I'll start 0.25mg every other day and adjust accordingly when my blood tests are in if needed.

[Back In Black]

^^^good choice, it's really not worth the risk.

Good luck and post some pictures.

[matt thebeard]

why not use the larger muscles for injection sites like glutes and quads, delts is such a small muscle to carry juice into if you have virgin areas in the big muscle groups, I only start using delts triceps etc when i'm pinning daily and the bigger muscle areas are still sore etc distribution of the steroid from the smaller muscle groups is not as effective as from the larger and though you might see small "site" gains it will be from the pocket of oil going in there as opposed to overall growth from the compound itself, we all different but just putting this out there for info

[Tarrantino]

why not use the larger muscles for injection sites like glutes and quads, delts is such a small muscle to carry juice into if you have virgin areas in the big muscle groups, I only start using delts triceps etc when i'm pinning daily and the bigger muscle areas are still sore etc distribution of the steroid from the smaller muscle groups is not as effective as from the larger and though you might see small "site" gains it will be from the pocket of oil going in there as opposed to overall growth from the compound itself, we all different but just putting this out there for info

Thanks for the info Matt, I think my mindset going onto this cycle was as it's my first time what am I going to be most comfortable with. I'm a novice when it comes to injecting myself so the most important thing is that I am getting used to needles, injecting and feeling comfortable. I was quite close minded in terms of i'll just stick to delts. I understand the benefits of bigger area injections so once this weeks done I will order some bigger needles and start switching things up to glutes.

On a positive note, I am literally getting next to no PIP with delt injections now which is great.

[matt thebeard]

you've fulfilled the brief, I get that ;-) injecting yourself is tricky, and as you say those first few are pretty nervy, im very lucky now that the wife can help out and I can take a needle in most places now, there are three good spots in the rear lat too if someone offers to help out at all ;-)

[kelkel]

Good luck Tarrantino! Be following your progress.

[Tarrantino]

Day 10

A few updates for you all.
Today marks my 4th pin of test e, all of which have been delt injections thus far. Pip has been minimal to none, all injections have gone rather straight forward. I have ordered some new needles for Glute injections to switch up to a bigger site area. I feel I now have the confidence to try new sites so I will be doing glutes for the next 4 pins (2 weeks) to switch things up. Im glad I used my instinct and went for delts first despite being a smaller injection site as thats made me get used to needles a lot faster.

As stated in a previous post at day 6 I have started taking 0.25 Arimidex every other day. Yesterday I actually felt some very very subtle sensitivity in my nipples when I woke up which subsided, I will monitor this as today I feel fine.

I still feel very much like myself, no changes or shifts in mood. I am doing everything possible to stick to my diet and training and it looks like its ever so slightly starting to pay off, definitely finding the meal times challenging because I am naturally a busy man but Ive made it work thus far.

I am not even 15% of the way through my cycle yet however I have had my bodyfat re tested by the same experienced PT at work and my bodyfat has gone from 15.5% to 14.8% which has definitely given me a boost. (This was on day 9 I had this retested.) Might be cool to do this every 2/3 weeks of my cycle to monitor progress.

I before this cycle was in a awkward position where I was happy with my weight so didn’t want to cut however wasn’t too happy with my composition at the weight so definitely didn’t want to bulk and make that even worse. A few people in my family who see me frequently have said I look a little bit leaner too, all of this has given me a boost going into week three of my cycle!

Thank you for everyone’s continued support and advice!

Weight - 86.6kg (+0.6)

[Tarrantino]

Day 14 update

Hey everyone, this update definitely comes with good and bad news.

Lets start with the bad, then go to the good then back to the bad.

Okay so the cycle was going great but on friday which was day 10 during work I recieved a phone call out of nowhere from my brother who was highly emotional saying our family dog had to be put down immediately due to the fact a tumour had been found and it wasn't going to be reversable. Naturally as anyone would something to unexpected really shocked me and even though I ate everything that was on my diet plan on friday, when I was around my family on days 11 & 12 over the weekend and seeing them absolutely inconsolable it just made my appetite hit rock bottom. I ended up having to force feed my diet to get the calories in and even though I stuck to my diet I didn't eat everything I just ate what I physically could.

Moving onto some good news, No high E effects at all, moods been normal and not feeling any real mental differences. My BF% seems to be changing daily (In a good way) I am looking at myself and it seems every few days I am dropping bodyfat. If I was 14.8% bf% on day 10 I must be nearly at 14% now and to drop that quick without losing any weight is remarkable! My sessions have been on point and yesterday (day 13) all of my lifts went up really nicely either in weight or for 3-4 more reps which felt fantastic. I trained with someone who hadn't seen me in roughly 4 months and he was complimenting how much leaner and better I looked. The last time he saw me I was 90kg and 18% bodyfat but eventhough I looked big I just looked awful, like I barely trained.

I have been taking my arimidex at 0.25 every other day religiously, also always taking my hcg on days I do my test e pin.

Back onto some bad news, today marked my 5th pin at day 14 and it didn't go great! I did my first glute injection and I wasn't nervous, I wasn't shaking, however I bled quite badly no blood went into the syringe at all it was just after I took it out. I definitely lost anywhere from a little to a lot of my gear as so much blood came out! Never had this in previous injections so I must have just hit a vein

Really gutted but these things happen.

Weight - 86.6kg (+0.6)

[Tarrantino]

Day 25 Update - 4 Weeks in

Hey everyone, I've left it a little while since I last updated about my cycle.

I've now completed two weeks of delt injections followed by the last two weeks of glute injections. I'm now going to rotate those two sites every two weeks.

As far as the cycle is going not too much has changed since I last checked in with you all, all my lifts have been steadily going up. None of my lifts have gone up dramatically apart from my squat which I have put on 20 kilos for 12 reps going from 140 -> 160.

I am up slightly in weight. Since the start of the cycle I am now 1kg heavier whilst being 1.5% less bodyfat and I look far better for it.
The most noticeable changes have been on my legs. Places like my back, pecs and middle section all look less puffy and more hard.

Still looking to progress much more as the weeks go on, when I hit week 6 I will be ordering the last of everything I need to complete my cycle so I am fully stocked up. I will also be ordering a home Testosterone and Estrogen kit to have sent off to the lab to get my bloodwork checked.

I have had my blood pressure checked this week, same as usual and perfectly normal. On a side note I am doing a check in with my sports dietitian next week to speak about how my diets been going and anything we need to change etc.

I will probably do these check ins every week, on a weekly basis. Anyone who has any questions I will answer when I can

Weight 87kg (+1.0)

[leanmac]

i'm looking at doing similar cycle. Good to hear about pinning in the delts, that's where i was planning to start also.

keep up the updates.

[Tarrantino]

i'm looking at doing similar cycle. Good to hear about pinning in the delts, that's where i was planning to start also.

keep up the updates.

Good luck if you start it mate!

[Tarrantino]

Day 32 Update

Okay so I have just finished week 5, this has been the week I can definitely feel the testosterone "Kicking in" my lifts are really progressing, my aggression is up, I literally fall asleep so easily at night and am getting a fantastic quality of sleep.

I have changed up my diet slightly with my sports dietitian, took out a few things that I wasn't enjoying and hopefully now I can kick on enjoying my food a little more so it feels like less of a chore.

My weight is the same at 87kg, People have commented this week on how much "Bigger" I look. I would put this down to the fact my body just looks a lot more lean. My arms have always been a weak point of mine but they're coming in really nicely. I feel like every week I am chipping my body fat % down which keeps my motivation high.

Notable news to tell you, I have ordered my testosterone and estrogen kit so that should come in the next 2-3 days. I will send that back off when I get it and hopefully by my next update I can share with you my current test and estrogen levels. This is quite important as I am currently on Arimidex 0.25 every other day so it will give me a marker as to if I need to up this. No visible signs of high e though.

Next week I am going to order everything I need to complete my cycle so I am stocked up completely and I don't have to worry about buying things as I go along.

Looking forward to week 6! Will keep you all posted weekly.

Weight 87kg (+1.0)

[kelkel]

Look forward to seeing your BW results. Next 7 weeks should be great. Put the work in!

[Tarrantino]

Day 54 Update.

Been a little while since I updated.

Few things to update on both positive and negative.

Firstly I have cut my weight down very slowly back to my original weight of 86kg pre cycle, this is to compare my physique and cut a little more bodyfat.

Going through bodyparts individually I would say...

Arms are noticeably bigger, biceps triceps are definitely stronger.
Whilst my shoulders haven't got much stronger they look far more defined and can be very vascular when pumped (Never had this before to the degree I have in the gym lately)
Chest is far more firm, they used to be far more loose and puffy.
Abs definitely more definition, I never have had 6 pack abs and probably wont due to my genetics however I am far more toned.
Quads and Hamstrings are more defined, Hamstring strength has slowly increased whilst quad strength has dramatically increased.
Glutes, Definitely bigger probably due to the load of squatting i've been doing.
Back, Ive always had a wide back, just never defined probably the most disapointing area which is a shame because there is so much potential there just got to work harder.
Calves, Minimal difference.

Positives

I think when anyone does a cycle they are always thinking in the back of their minds "What if the gear I get isn't legit" and "I wonder if this is the real deal"

Well my testosterone results are in and in England they measure this with NMOL/L the "Normal range" is 7.6-31 and pre cycle I got this tested 3 times and I was anywhere between 14-18. The results came back at 65.7nmol/l clearly indicating that yeah its the real deal. Not sure what the forums policy on me saying what test brand i've got is? If it's cool I don't mind disclosing it.

I also got my estrogen and oestradol checked. These were bang in the middle of the normal range.

Negatives.

I'm not sure if anyone can help me out here thats possibly had a similar experience I have been experiencing dizzy spells lately, kind of like being lightheaded... It comes and go's sometimes it's worse than other times. I have tried to read up on it and the first thing I did was check my pulse and blood pressure, both came back fine, could be something stupid like I am not getting in enough water.

I have got a blood test scheduled next week it's very similar to what someone would get if they were being monitored for TRT, so I will let you all know if anything is highlighted.

Speak soon,
T

[kelkel]

Nice post Tarrantino. Glad it's going rather well.
Be sure to check your RBC's, specifically Hematocrit.
Have you given blood during this cycle?

[Tarrantino]

Nice post Tarrantino. Glad it's going rather well.
Be sure to check your RBC's, specifically Hematocrit.
Have you given blood during this cycle?

Hi Kelkel

I haven't given blood on cycle and I haven't had my RBC checked.
It got increasingly worse after my last post to the point I was getting full on vertigo driving home.
Being a gym manager I had a word with a couple of experienced steroid users in the gym who said if it's not my Blood pressure then I could be having a bad reaction to the Anastrozole.
I have cut the Anastrozole completely in the last week and my lightheartedness and vertigo has gone completely, really strange.

Luckily I haven't had gyno related symptoms, now I am just thinking should I switch, abandon or cut down on the dosage even further for the rest of this cycle. I've had a look at some forums on people using Anastrozole all I could find naturally was forums of postmenopausal women using it to lower their estrogen which the drug is widely prescribed for. Interestingly enough there was threads of women basically speaking about having the same symptoms that I had.

Strange ey

I do have a general blood test booked however that includes RBC, will let everyone know if it throws up any interesting results.

T

[kelkel]

I wouldn't wait on the BW. Just give some blood. Good for you and society. Hydrate well.

[Jangles1]

Bang same as what I just started for my first AAS, so very interesting.

Can I ask your calorie intake as I'm confused why you're not pumping on the LBS?

Are you just eating at maintenance?

Most people seem to put on between 15 and 30 lbs and keep 60/70% of that once PCT is over.

[Jangles1]

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