Test E and Water retention

[NotConvincedYet]

Right... So I have done a hell of a lot of research, posted my stats up many times and finally gotten sorted with a cycle I will do. Here it is:

Wk 1-10 Test E 250gm/wk (correct, 250g a week, not 2 x week!). I want slow gains.
use the AI (arimidex) from the beginning, start at .25 eod and if you get any gyno signs go to .5 eod
Wk 13 nolva 20/20/20/20/20
clomid 50/50/50/50/50

I have done blood work and found out I am right on the low level of testosterone.

I am 10% body fat, just over 180lbs at 6ft.

I discreetly want to put on around 10lbs of lean muscle which is why I have opted for a smaller dosage (the recommended is 500 a week)

My big fear is water retention. I know how to eat to stay lean, so if I follow my usual protocol will I maintain definition as I cycle, or is it inevitable I will get subcutaneous water retention on test E?

[Sgt. Hartman]

Keep your estrogen levels in check, eat clean, and do cardio and you'll be fine.

Test will increase muscle glycogen which will give your muscles a fuller look but most of the time when you see someone with moonface or they look extremely bloated all over, it's from excess estrogen.

[bowldawg]

Bump. I'm curious as well. Thinking of doing a lower dose too, but have been leaning towards prop. I retain water very easily mostly in my face.

[Bonaparte]

1) you mean mg, not grams.
2) 250mg is likely to disappoint. Try 400mg instead and just use more adex.

That was my first cycle and landed me roughly 10 lbs of LBM in 11 weeks (after PCT).

[Hazard]

agree with Bonapart..... I wouldn't encourage going higher on dosage but 350-400mg's isn't going to make you blow up or do anything crazy.

As for water retention.... it depends on how your body responds. I can run high levels of test and barely look like i'm holding water..... my father keeps his dosages low and has a moon face at times. His bloodwork is ALWAYS spot on also so it's just genetic. The adex will help - just monitor how you look and adjut accordingly.....

~Haz~

[NotConvincedYet]

This dosage topic brings up an interesting point I think.

My level of test is in the 200 mark. As I understand the normal range is 300-1000 (forgive me, I am not sure what the measurement is - ng/dl??) Anyways, for someone to go from 200 to even 400 is a double in test level, and I would think that a double amount of test would/could produce a result much more profound than a 200 increase in someone that is, say at the 900 mark.

So as an example if I were to up the dose from 250mg/week to 400mg/week that could have a massive influence on results due to my test being so low in the first place. So Bonparte, the same dose may be less sensitive in your case depending on what your bloodwork was to begin with.

Now I am making some big assumptions here, and I am a gear virgin at this point, but doing my due diligence nevertheless.

Wouldn't it be better to start with a low dose in this circumstance, and reassess for a possible second cycle after recovery rather than go too big?

Food for thought. Could be off the mark here, but it's important to think these things through ;0)

[Bonaparte]

This dosage topic brings up an interesting point I think.

My level of test is in the 200 mark. As I understand the normal range is 300-1000 (forgive me, I am not sure what the measurement is - ng/dl??) Anyways, for someone to go from 200 to even 400 is a double in test level, and I would think that a double amount of test would/could produce a result much more profound than a 200 increase in someone that is, say at the 900 mark.

So as an example if I were to up the dose from 250mg/week to 400mg/week that could have a massive influence on results due to my test being so low in the first place. So Bonparte, the same dose may be less sensitive in your case depending on what your bloodwork was to begin with.

Now I am making some big assumptions here, and I am a gear virgin at this point, but doing my due diligence nevertheless.

Wouldn't it be better to start with a low dose in this circumstance, and reassess for a possible second cycle after recovery rather than go too big?

Food for thought. Could be off the mark here, but it's important to think these things through ;0)

Natural test levels make little difference when you start pinning test.
Your natural production will dry up within a few weeks, so it is then a level playing field.

FYI: 400mg/week will put most around 3,000ng/dl or close to it (this is the "cycle" range, where gains become readily apparent). So your 200ng/dl vs 700ng/dl natural baseline becomes pretty irrelevant.

[NotConvincedYet]

Ha! There ya go. Cheers for that Bonaparte. Now there's some info I haven't come across and it is well received. And interesting to boot!

There's a reason you have 'knowledgeable member' under your name!

[Ashop]

Right... So I have done a hell of a lot of research, posted my stats up many times and finally gotten sorted with a cycle I will do. Here it is:

Wk 1-10 Test E 250gm/wk (correct, 250g a week, not 2 x week!). I want slow gains.
use the AI (arimidex) from the beginning, start at .25 eod and if you get any gyno signs go to .5 eod
Wk 13 nolva 20/20/20/20/20
clomid 50/50/50/50/50

I have done blood work and found out I am right on the low level of testosterone.

I am 10% body fat, just over 180lbs at 6ft.

I discreetly want to put on around 10lbs of lean muscle which is why I have opted for a smaller dosage (the recommended is 500 a week)

My big fear is water retention. I know how to eat to stay lean, so if I follow my usual protocol will I maintain definition as I cycle, or is it inevitable I will get subcutaneous water retention on test E?

The ARIMIDEX will help with water retention too. Keep water intake high and eat clean.

[NotConvincedYet]

Thanks ****. I have already started dropping my salt intake too.

Quick question regarding adex... do you take it all the way through the cycle, right to the completion of PCT?