First Cycle: Anavar + Testosterone Advice

[Igusa0420]

Yes, I had blood work done, and the numbers are all very good except for my uric acid levels that are just slightly high. Hormone levels are all good, my doctor was impressed. (And so was I, a lot of the numbers are looking amazing compared to pre-diet, and I honestly didn't expect things to look this good at this age. I probably have genetics to thank.) That said, I hear you on the age and BF issue. I really, really should have started this a long time ago when I was younger. I'm paying the price. But better than never I guess.

I understand that the steroids won't be a magic bullet; stepping back a bit, I think one of the main reasons I am considering the steroid option is to build up more motivation to keep going at the diet and pumping more frequently. I know pretty much everyone on these boards has had stronger willpower for a hell of a lot longer than I ever have had, but ultimately it boils down to motivation. Which, is probably not a great idea I guess.

[kelkel]

Yes, I had blood work done, and the numbers are all very good

Do you recall your total and free test levels and ranges were? Or was this your doctors opinion?

[Igusa0420]

Do you recall your total and free test levels and ranges were? Or was this your doctors opinion?

My doctors indication that it was within "normal" levels. However, I have the numbers once I get home, I'll check them out. I've decided not to use gear, but I'm still interested in the bodybuilding opinion on the numbers. Will get back.

[Igusa0420]

Just a quick update, I've decided not to use this cycle, at least not yet, and to continue working at it per everyone's advice. Looking over my body photos from the last 8 weeks I think it is apparent that I'm actually gaining muscle mass while not losing weight, so maybe I just need to stop worrying so much about the damn weight and just keep pumping, and not obsess too much over the BF readings my scale is returning. I've been further tuning my diet, keeping total calories down but increasing protein, keeping fat between 15-20%, and thinning out my carbs to very small portions over 4 times a day, sticking to brown rice etc.

[Gallowmere]

Just a quick update, I've decided not to use this cycle, at least not yet, and to continue working at it per everyone's advice. Looking over my body photos from the last 8 weeks I think it is apparent that I'm actually gaining muscle mass while not losing weight, so maybe I just need to stop worrying so much about the damn weight and just keep pumping, and not obsess too much over the BF readings my scale is returning. I've been further tuning my diet, keeping total calories down but increasing protein, keeping fat between 15-20%, and thinning out my carbs to very small portions over 4 times a day, sticking to brown rice etc.

You sound like me. This is part of the reason I've not even bothered ordering a cycle yet. It gives me that time to realize "man, I'm still doing very well without gear, so there's no sense in playing that trump card yet".

I'm a former fat guy as well (265 peak, 150 trough, 163 current), so the progression of shapeshifting alone has been astounding. However, at 32 I do realize that the time will be coming sooner than later.

Here's to riding what we've got until actually needing to reach back for a deeper gear.

[Igusa0420]

I'm a former fat guy as well (265 peak, 150 trough, 163 current), so the progression of shapeshifting alone has been astounding. However, at 32 I do realize that the time will be coming sooner than later.

Wow, that's impressive. At 42yo I'm just kicking myself for not doing this 20 years earlier. Hind sight, as usual. At 32, you've got the world ahead of you. (And to someone that's 52, I guess I do too. lol)

[Gallowmere]

Wow, that's impressive. At 42yo I'm just kicking myself for not doing this 20 years earlier. Hind sight, as usual. At 32, you've got the world ahead of you. (And to someone that's 52, I guess I do too. lol)

I wouldn't say that I've achieved anything too impressive, and the hard part is still ahead. Really, commitment to a diet is the easy part for me. The real test is going to be those months of slamming my face into deads and squats over and over, for marginal gains.

I'm more of a relative strength guy than a size guy, so seeing those lifts go up without major increases to bodyweight is what sets me on fire. The looking better part is just a fringe benefit.

I definitely feel you on the hindsight though. Just started lifting a year ago after losing all of that weight. A: I should have been lifting the whole time, and B: my biggest regret is wasting the best potential gains of my life, by spending my teens and twenties just being wasted on drugs and getting fat as hell.

[ScotchGuard02]

Yes, I had blood work done, and the numbers are all very good except for my uric acid levels that are just slightly high. Hormone levels are all good, my doctor was impressed. (And so was I, a lot of the numbers are looking amazing compared to pre-diet, and I honestly didn't expect things to look this good at this age. I probably have genetics to thank.) That said, I hear you on the age and BF issue. I really, really should have started this a long time ago when I was younger. I'm paying the price. But better than never I guess.

I understand that the steroids won't be a magic bullet; stepping back a bit, I think one of the main reasons I am considering the steroid option is to build up more motivation to keep going at the diet and pumping more frequently. I know pretty much everyone on these boards has had stronger willpower for a hell of a lot longer than I ever have had, but ultimately it boils down to motivation. Which, is probably not a great idea I guess.

If your Total Test and Free Test numbers are in the upper 90 percentile, then you're golden and you don't need AAS. "Normal" range of Test is HUGE. You want your T3/T4/TSH numbers to be high also. Those, along with E2 & IGF-1, will probably be the biggest contributing factors to losing fat and building muscle. If your numbers are truly "very good" and your diet's on track, you should think about an Anavar only cycle. Anavar is the only oral I would run without Test. It is a very weak steroid so the sides won't be severe and it will help with the weight loss and firming of the muscles.

You can't take Anavar, exercise 2 times per week, and expect to get ripped. You need to workout 3, 4, 5 times per week and add 20 minutes of cardio, after workout, 3 times per week. You need to take at least 60mg/ed to get any results. Good luck.

[Igusa0420]

If your Total Test and Free Test numbers are in the upper 90 percentile, then you're golden and you don't need AAS. "Normal" range of Test is HUGE. You want your T3/T4/TSH numbers to be high also. Those, along with E2 & IGF-1, will probably be the biggest contributing factors to losing fat and building muscle. If your numbers are truly "very good" and your diet's on track, you should think about an Anavar only cycle. Anavar is the only oral I would run without Test. It is a very weak steroid so the sides won't be severe and it will help with the weight loss and firming of the muscles.

You can't take Anavar, exercise 2 times per week, and expect to get ripped. You need to workout 3, 4, 5 times per week and add 20 minutes of cardio, after workout, 3 times per week. You need to take at least 60mg/ed to get any results. Good luck.

Thanks. Right now I have my full cycle of meds and that's basically my morale booster. Stare at the cycle, then just start pumping. lol It's kind of my mental insurance at this point, just knowing that I have something to fall back on (I know, that's not what it's for, but figuratively speaking) in order to keep me going. Per everyone's advice I talked to my trainer and have changed around my training and have a set of weights at home now and have gotten to training on average 3.5 days a week. That, and I bike to work every other day which is about 40 minutes round trip, although if I need to get 20 minutes AFTER training, I'll need to hit the aero bike too.

I'm curious on the oral only cycle. Everything I've read pretty much says oral-only is a big no-no for guys. How long would you run a 60mg/ed cycle on oral only? I'm assuming this would be a straight oral only cycle with a Clomid PCT? Again, I'm not going to try this immediately and especially without reconfirming my test numbers, but since I was under the impression that oral-only just wasn't going to happen, you have my curiosity.