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Thread: First cycle in 16 years...

  1. #1
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    First cycle in 16 years...

    Hello, everyone... I'm not new to the forum, but I haven't been around in a while. Lost access to my other account, so had to make this new one. I was never an active member, just came on and read, kept to myself and tried to gather as much info as I could.

    As the title states, I haven't done a cycle since 2007. I've only ever done three cycles. All three were in '06 and '07. I'm 38, 5'11, 12-15% bodyfat. I'm in pretty good shape and have always stayed in the gym, never taking too much time away from working out. I've been working out for general health and maintenance for years and now I'm wanting to put on some more size. I'm wondering what you think I should do for my first cycle. I've made up my mind that I'm going to do it, but I'll be honest, after such a long time, it's a little scary and intimidating... I'm aware that T only is probably the best route after all this time away from gear. But, I'm undecided on what type of T, how much, etc... I'm thinking starting pretty low dose and I'd prefer shorter cycle length, that's why I'm thinking T Prop at 250-300mg per week. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks.
    Last edited by hh86; 05-02-2023 at 10:19 AM.

  2. #2
    You probably wont gain much with such low dose. If you want to start lower its smart imo especially if its first time or havent used in very long time but you should raise it to maybe 400 or something after week or two

  3. #3
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    I would go 400 to 500 mg a week.I always like prop myself.Have everything you need on hand before you start.

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    prime urself before the cycle, then hit prop hard. its best for short cycles.

    you will feel like a pin cushion but u will like results.

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    Hi, that's what I'm thinking... Don't want to gain too much since it's my first cycle back after such a long time. I fear I might tear something if I go too hard and get stronger quickly with higher dosages. A few pounds of solid muscle would be great.

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    Quote Originally Posted by s1nc1ty View Post
    You probably wont gain much with such low dose. If you want to start lower its smart imo especially if its first time or havent used in very long time but you should raise it to maybe 400 or something after week or two
    Hi, that's what I'm thinking... Don't want to gain too much since it's my first cycle back after such a long time. I fear I might tear something if I go too hard and get stronger quickly with higher dosages. A few pounds of solid muscle would be great.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mooseman33 View Post
    prime urself before the cycle, then hit prop hard. its best for short cycles.

    you will feel like a pin cushion but u will like results.
    Three times a week for Prop, right? It sucks, but I really like shorter cycles Prop is what I've always read was the best for that.

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    Quote Originally Posted by songdog View Post
    I would go 400 to 500 mg a week.I always like prop myself.Have everything you need on hand before you start.
    You think that's not too high of dose after so many years? Or should I go up to 400 in the middle of the cycle and then taper it back down towards the end?
    Pin MWF? AI's and PCT, I'm still looking for the best protocol on those. Thanks.

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    No not if you been training your tendons and legaments will be ok.Just run 500 all the way through no tapering.

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    You had your labs checked?

  11. #11
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    Bump Cuz.

    OP; keep it simple: Test cyp for 12 weeks @ 350 / 400mg's a week
    Adex .5mg 2x a week

    (can someone add a PCT?)

    Keep your diet strict and train hard and you shoudl be GTG

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    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by Cuz View Post
    You had your labs checked?
    I will for sure be doing that before starting.

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    The boys nailed it here. Im going to throw in some controversial ideas.

    You already know you tolerate test well since youve done it before (and most guys tolerate it well), why not throw in 1 more compound and get the most out of your cycle? Kickstarting with anavar or tbol would be a good risk vs reward ratio.

    Pct will be clomid 100/50/50/50 and nolva 40/20/20/20. Hcg should be ran during the whole cycle at 250iu twice a week. Hcg keeps your balls alive so you can bounce back easier.

    If you plan on cruising forever you could throw in some deca and stretch the cycle to 14 weeks

    Definitely do bloods before and after so you’ll know if pct worked.

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    *Response to Scorpion0922:*

    Thanks, I'm still trying to nail down the pct and AI's for this. That has always been a little more complicating to me, I see so many different suggestions.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hh86 View Post
    *Response to Scorpion0922:*

    Thanks, I'm still trying to nail down the pct and AI's for this. That has always been a little more complicating to me, I see so many different suggestions.
    AI: Adex .5 mg's 2x/week

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    Quote Originally Posted by Octaneforce View Post
    The boys nailed it here. Im going to throw in some controversial ideas.

    You already know you tolerate test well since youve done it before (and most guys tolerate it well), why not throw in 1 more compound and get the most out of your cycle? Kickstarting with anavar or tbol would be a good risk vs reward ratio.

    Pct will be clomid 100/50/50/50 and nolva 40/20/20/20. Hcg should be ran during the whole cycle at 250iu twice a week. Hcg keeps your balls alive so you can bounce back easier.

    If you plan on cruising forever you could throw in some deca and stretch the cycle to 14 weeks

    Definitely do bloods before and after so you’ll know if pct worked.
    OP this is your pct right here.

    Octaneforce; for 1st cycle in 16 years less is more IMO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hh86 View Post
    I will for sure be doing that before starting.
    I just want to throw this out there you have been off gear for some time and now want to gain some size, in my opinion you are not going to keep those gains unless you continue to cycle, I would get my labs done and see where your natural levels come in at, if you’re not optimal consider giving Trt a try and you will see wonders in the gym if you were lacking, whether you do Trt or cycle or cruise and blast, you can’t quit and keep your gains, some people will say different but that’s my experience

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    Quote Originally Posted by Testie View Post
    I just want to throw this out there you have been off gear for some time and now want to gain some size, in my opinion you are not going to keep those gains unless you continue to cycle, I would get my labs done and see where your natural levels come in at, if you’re not optimal consider giving Trt a try and you will see wonders in the gym if you were lacking, whether you do Trt or cycle or cruise and blast, you can’t quit and keep your gains, some people will say different but that’s my experience
    Good point here and I think it's worth repeating; regular boood work is MANDATORY

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    More than likely if you run a cycle now u will end up staying on meaning needing trt. Im no longer a fan of the run 500 mg test only cycles particularly in your case.. can you? Sure, but all its gonna do is most likely fuck your levels up after you come off at your age. So when the test kicks in at about week 4-6, when you can feel it…you will have 6 good weeks of gains and then its time to come , you run the god awful pct plan which is horrible imo I hated them and most likely you will lose over half your gains. To me there is no point on in that thats just my opinion.

    Get your labs done, look at your natty test production full hormone panel all that shit and make a decision. If its low enough for trt then do trt if its not, i wouldnt fuck with it tbh. I can guarantee you if you do cycle most likely you will need trt

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cuz View Post
    More than likely if you run a cycle now u will end up staying on meaning needing trt. Im no longer a fan of the run 500 mg test only cycles particularly in your case.. can you? Sure, but all its gonna do is most likely fuck your levels up after you come off at your age. So when the test kicks in at about week 4-6, when you can feel it…you will have 6 good weeks of gains and then its time to come , you run the god awful pct plan which is horrible imo I hated them and most likely you will lose over half your gains. To me there is no point on in that thats just my opinion.

    Get your labs done, look at your natty test production full hormone panel all that shit and make a decision. If its low enough for trt then do trt if its not, i wouldnt fuck with it tbh. I can guarantee you if you do cycle most likely you will need trt
    Yeah at 38, even without gear, his test levels aren't likely going to be that good. Doing a cycle of test and coming off it isn't going to do him any favors.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Testie View Post
    I just want to throw this out there you have been off gear for some time and now want to gain some size, in my opinion you are not going to keep those gains unless you continue to cycle, I would get my labs done and see where your natural levels come in at, if you’re not optimal consider giving Trt a try and you will see wonders in the gym if you were lacking, whether you do Trt or cycle or cruise and blast, you can’t quit and keep your gains, some people will say different but that’s my experience
    I have thought about that, the big "what if" when I come off... It's another thing that has made me push off doing it. I will definitely be doing labs before and after seeing what that shows, I'll make the final decision whether I'll do this or not. Thanks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong View Post
    Yeah at 38, even without gear, his test levels aren't likely going to be that good. Doing a cycle of test and coming off it isn't going to do him any favors.
    I've thought about this possibility and will make the decision after getting all the labs. I can say this, I'm in very good shape, no health issues, been working out since I was a teenager consistently. But, the labs will tell all, so I'll just have to see where to go from there.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cuz View Post
    More than likely if you run a cycle now u will end up staying on meaning needing trt. Im no longer a fan of the run 500 mg test only cycles particularly in your case.. can you? Sure, but all its gonna do is most likely fuck your levels up after you come off at your age. So when the test kicks in at about week 4-6, when you can feel it…you will have 6 good weeks of gains and then its time to come , you run the god awful pct plan which is horrible imo I hated them and most likely you will lose over half your gains. To me there is no point on in that thats just my opinion.

    Get your labs done, look at your natty test production full hormone panel all that shit and make a decision. If its low enough for trt then do trt if its not, i wouldnt fuck with it tbh. I can guarantee you if you do cycle most likely you will need trt
    Yep, this possibility is one of the reasons why I've kept pushing it off since I turned over 35... I'm not expecting much gain and even if I kept 5 solid pounds of muscle, I'd be happy with that simply because I haven't added any additional muscle in years, just been maintaining... But, I'm absolutely going to do thorough labs and that will let me know what next steps to take depending on what gear I'll do or not do it at all. Thanks.

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    This is what I look like as of now, around 175lbs. No health issues and always stayed active in the gym since I was a teenager. All of the advice about what could happen to my T levels after the cycle is one of the main things that has kept me from going through with it since I'm closing in on 40... I'll get the labs and then check back in. Thanks to everyone for your help.
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    Last edited by hh86; 05-03-2023 at 07:48 PM.

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    Something I forgot to ask about... After so many years of not doing any gear, will it hit my body kind of like it did the first time I used? That "first cycle effect"? I thought maybe that could be a factor and that I wouldn't have to use higher dosages and it would make lower dosages more effective because my body hasn't had anything in it such a long time. What do you guys think?

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    Quote Originally Posted by hh86 View Post
    Something I forgot to ask about... After so many years of not doing any gear, will it hit my body kind of like it did the first time I used? That "first cycle effect"? I thought maybe that could be a factor and that I wouldn't have to use higher dosages and it would make lower dosages more effective because my body hasn't had anything in it such a long time. What do you guys think?
    Very likely yes.

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    So, just glanced at the responses... ill give my 2 cents. I am essentially the same boat as you just a year behind lolz.

    Anyways, I agree with the choice of test Prop. ( I explain most all of this in my blog post, but def more educated/experienced). I def think going 50-100 every day, you will do very very good. Make sure to use HCG 500iu every other day, that helps recovery. Also a good PCT.

    anyways, good luck!
    I am thinking of something similar, but i have a long way to go naturally lol... damn school/job/parent/life :-D

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    Quote Originally Posted by hh86 View Post
    I've thought about this possibility and will make the decision after getting all the labs. I can say this, I'm in very good shape, no health issues, been working out since I was a teenager consistently. But, the labs will tell all, so I'll just have to see where to go from there.
    Bloodwork is important, but there is no way of knowing if you're going to recover after the cycle. Using shorter esters and keeping the cycle as short as possible with the lowest possible dosage to give the results you want might help increase the odds of recovery.

    But yeah, most of us who are middle age and been using gear are on TRT for life now.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lemonada8 View Post
    So, just glanced at the responses... ill give my 2 cents. I am essentially the same boat as you just a year behind lolz.

    Anyways, I agree with the choice of test Prop. ( I explain most all of this in my blog post, but def more educated/experienced). I def think going 50-100 every day, you will do very very good. Make sure to use HCG 500iu every other day, that helps recovery. Also a good PCT.

    anyways, good luck!
    I am thinking of something similar, but i have a long way to go naturally lol... damn school/job/parent/life :-D
    Hi, I remember seeing posts from you when I was active here a few years ago. Is MuscleInk still around? But yeah, man, life got in the way for me too and a few years turned into well over ten years pretty fast. Are you close to 40 like me? Thanks for the help.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong View Post
    Bloodwork is important, but there is no way of knowing if you're going to recover after the cycle. Using shorter esters and keeping the cycle as short as possible with the lowest possible dosage to give the results you want might help increase the odds of recovery.

    But yeah, most of us who are middle age and been using gear are on TRT for life now.
    I understand... I'm approaching this with a very cautionary mindset and realistic expectations... I don't expect much gain, simply because I don't want to risk too much. A few pounds of muscle will make me very happy. The three cycles I did were between the ages of 21-23 and they weren't high dose cycles. I appreciate your input.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hh86 View Post
    Hi, I remember seeing posts from you when I was active here a few years ago. Is MuscleInk still around? But yeah, man, life got in the way for me too and a few years turned into well over ten years pretty fast. Are you close to 40 like me? Thanks for the help.
    yea, Im 37. Finally got into my career about 3 years ago

    About muscleInk, honestly i have no idea.. i just started creepin back on here about a few months ago, where i actually posted. Figured id put my past 10+ years lessons to use here

  32. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lemonada8 View Post
    So, just glanced at the responses... ill give my 2 cents. I am essentially the same boat as you just a year behind lolz.

    Anyways, I agree with the choice of test Prop. ( I explain most all of this in my blog post, but def more educated/experienced). I def think going 50-100 every day, you will do very very good. Make sure to use HCG 500iu every other day, that helps recovery. Also a good PCT.

    anyways, good luck!
    I am thinking of something similar, but i have a long way to go naturally lol... damn school/job/parent/life :-D

    Well look who showed back up? Great to see you around!
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  33. #33
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    Op you have some really solid answers above. My two cents is as follows:

    Keep test moderate. No more than 3-400 pw so that no ancillaries are needed (adex, etc)
    Add in Mast or Primo starting lower and working up as needed. Safe and effective.
    Run it as long as you like as long as BW is good.
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    I’m on TRT. And that’s what I do once or twice a year for a little blast. Works well imo

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