My first cycle

[itsmyfirsttime]

Hi everyone,

I'm 28 years old, after some influence from a close friend I decided to do my first cycle (planned 2 cycles and then stopping, but we'll see what future brings).
I did some research, and I know some stuff, but I still have a few questions. Before I start with questions a little bit about me.

As stated I'm 28, male, my height is 190cm (~6'3") and my current weight is ~113kg.
I started going to the gym some 8 years ago when I was 20 as I planned to join military. At that time I have been very active for around 20 months in continuation.
I was hitting gym 6-7 times a week, I have been doing endurance runs (10K) 4 days a week and on Thursdays I would be doing sprints (20x 100m).
I was also doing ~500 pushups daily, ~ 1000 crunches daily, hitting heavy bag for ~30 mins sessions on same days I would be running and also do jumping rope for around 20 minutes on those same days, I was pretty fit and satisfied with my body at the time.

Fast forward, things got complicated and I left military as I couldn't join paratroopers as I originally intented. I got a job as a software developer and have been idle for the next almost ~7.5 years and during this period I was stuffing myself with junk food and basically doing no exercises except for ocassional pushup here and there. Recently I decided that it was time for me to get back in shape as I believed it would be much easier now than when I'm 30+. In around 5 months I got back lost strength on almost all of my lifts.

Here are some pictures of my progress in the last 5 months:



First image was taken in May, day before I started hitting the gym again, second one was from end of August and third one is from early November.

My current lifts are:

Bench: 165kg
Squat: Never measured max, but I'm doing sets of 180-190 x8
Deadlift: 230kg

My goal from taking a cycle would be to drop down to around 100-105kg, keep as much muscle and strength as possible and lose decent amount of BF (maybe around 5%).
I do not want to look huge like those professional bodybuilders, I want to look lean and athletic, something like this comes to mind but obviously it's not possible from 2 cycles only (or ever depending on how I react to cycles):



so the goal is to try and have body as similar as to the one on the image above.

My plan was to do first cycle of Sustanon 250 and after PCT and some recovery time start second cycle which would consist again of Sustanon 250 and Anavar.


I would like to get as much advice from experienced people as I can. Are these plans for first 2 cycles legit? How many calories should I intake? What percentage of protein? What percentage of carbs? Should I do cardio?

Anything that's helpful is more than welcome. Let me know if you need some additional information.

Thanks in advance.

Please note that I'm not limited to 2 cycles only, but depending on how satisfied I am with results after first 2 cycles I'd like to get off the stuff and just keep working out and eating as clean as possible in order to keep my body lean as much as possible along with strength.

[JaneDoe]

Hi bro ,I hope to help with this!


1. Discover your Basal Metabolism Rate: Those calories needed to keep your body's organs working when you're not doing anything

Mifflin-st jeor
10x weight in kg + 6.25x height in cm - 5 x age in years + 5 for men and women -161

Option 2

Katch-McArdle

370+ 21.6 x lean mass in Kg men and ..

2. Once you have arrived at your TMB result, calculate your Total Energy Expenditure. Yes, it is the calories that maintain your body weight even with physical activity.
Metabolism rate multiplied by activity factor.

sedentary
BMR x 1.2
Practice little or no physical activity during the week

slightly active
BMRx1.375
Practice physical activity up to 3 times a week

Moderate active
BMRx1.55
Practice physical activity up to 5 times a week

very active
BMR x 1.725

Practice physical activity 5-6 times a week

Extra active
BMR x1.9
Practice physical activity twice a day throughout the week.


By doing the above, you will get your body weight maintenance calories (TDEE) . Knowing how much calories you need to maintain weight, just subtract some calories, a good starting point is to subtract 500kcal from your (TDEE.)

[JaneDoe]

For you to lose 1 kg or 1 pound a week you must understand one thing, in half a kilo of fat stored in your body there are 3,500kcal.

Let's say you're aiming to lose 1 kg or pound a week, just calculate:


3.500kcal x 1 ÷7Why does the week have 7 days



= 500kcal




So we know that cutting 500kcal from TDEE will make you lose 1kg per week

[JaneDoe]

You should monitor closely to see that you are not losing more than 1kg per week. It can chew up your muscle mass.


If you want to be more conservative, try to lose 0.5 per week: 3500x0.5 ÷ 7 = 250 kcal. This is for you to lose a pound a week

[itsmyfirsttime]

Thanks for the input man, the formulae doesn't really add up for me, but calorie deficit of 500kcal should suffice. I still need to calculate my BF, my goal would be to get it to around 13-14%. Any input on what is the ratio of nutrients I should digest daily?

[JaneDoe]

You can leave your macronutrients at 40% protein / 40% carbohydrate / 20% fat

[JaneDoe]

Thanks for the input man, the formulae doesn't really add up for me, but calorie deficit of 500kcal should suffice. I still need to calculate my BF, my goal would be to get it to around 13-14%. Any input on what is the ratio of nutrients I should digest daily?

Well, let's go. These equations are a good guideline for you to adjust your diet from there... I recommend that you have a digital scale so that you can weigh yourself on an empty stomach in the morning. Write down your weight, and write down what you are eating, all quantities, exact values ​​of each food with a description of C / P / F and calories provided throughout your day

With this habit you will achieve an exact level of calorie level that maintains your body weight.

And you can adjust things from there

[JaneDoe]

Get an estimate of your BF % using this calculator
>>>>>>>

https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/navy-body-fat

[Cylon357]

OP, I recommend you read the planning my first cycle sticky. It has tons of good info that will be relevant to you.

https://forums.steroid.com/anabolic-...rst-cycle.html

[JaneDoe]

Oh yes, aerobic every day in the morning on an empty stomach for about 30-40 minutes. Regarding your cycle, do you intend to use 250 iu of HCG 2 x week to keep your testicular function working? Cycled HCG will cause you to have faster recovery on PCT when using Novadex+ Clomid

[JaneDoe]

OP, I recommend you read the planning my first cycle sticky. It has tons of good info that will be relevant to you.

https://forums.steroid.com/anabolic-...rst-cycle.html

This thread is epic, very good! ByAustinite

[rise_against]

Test alone or test and a low dose of anavar. Don't go crazy

[itsmyfirsttime]

Thanks guys. How much progress should I expect from my first (two) cycles based on my current state (body/strength)?

[n0rdic]

OP, to be honest, I wouldnt recommend jumping on a cycle right away. Adjust your diet and put in some hard work BEFORE turning to a cycle. You would be amazed at what you can achieve without the use of a cycle. You stated that you've turned to junk food consistently, and from what it sounds like your training routine hasnt been the best for achieving the goals you wish to accomplish. Incorporate a good weight training regime and start something new as far as your diet and training goes. As you can see there are plenty of resources here to help you along the way..at such a young age there really shouldnt be a decline of natural testosterone as well. Try natural first and kill it! Best of luck

[JaneDoe]

Thanks guys. How much progress should I expect from my first (two) cycles based on my current state (body/strength)?

Don't expect a magic effect from steroids, expect a magic effect from your diet and training!
Steroids just power things up, making you absorb nutrients better, and generating better muscle recovery.
Forget this idea of ​​how long a cycle will give you results! Nobody here can answer that each genetic is unique, each human being on this planet has its biological and physiological differences, so just work hard year after year!
An effective cutting plan with diet and drug use is around 16 weeks. This is to get all the fat out of your body, but of course you won't grow during the cutting phase just get ripped. So, you have to have enough lean mass to hold as much muscle mass as possible during the cutting phase.

[JaneDoe]

You have a solid foundation, I aim for your results in 3 months of cycle, diet and training fit. ....Most bodybuilders use 12 to 16 weeks for the cutting phase. When the bf% is high above 15% they choose to do a 16-week cutting plan to kick all the fat!

Hope this helps!

[itsmyfirsttime]

OP, to be honest, I wouldnt recommend jumping on a cycle right away. Adjust your diet and put in some hard work BEFORE turning to a cycle. You would be amazed at what you can achieve without the use of a cycle. You stated that you've turned to junk food consistently, and from what it sounds like your training routine hasnt been the best for achieving the goals you wish to accomplish. Incorporate a good weight training regime and start something new as far as your diet and training goes. As you can see there are plenty of resources here to help you along the way..at such a young age there really shouldnt be a decline of natural testosterone as well. Try natural first and kill it! Best of luck

That's what I would do, but the thing which prevents me is my job, I wish I could workout as much as I did when I was 20. I consider myself to be on borderline age of youth, so I figured out there's nothing else to wait for. I would honestly also wish to get 5-6 years under my belt to see where it takes me before starting my first cycle but yeah, I already made my decision.
I already had my estrogen and testosterone levels tested, my estrogen is somewhere near 60 (a bit high) and my test is around 560, I did this test at around 7 in the evening, I'll do one more in the morning (heard test levels are higher in the morning) just before I start my cycle so I can compare it with what I get after PCT.

[itsmyfirsttime]

Thanks for your opinion, I will try my best to keep diet and training regime in check. Will try and post back updated photos after first cycle is done, I'm planning to start this month with Sustanon and run it for 10 weeks.

[Huher]

I would say you have to lose 40-45 pounds to be lean, and that's not as lean as your goal. Since you don't have tons of muscle I would start cutting without any gear and when around 15% bf start the first cycle with sust as a mild cutting to lean out a bit more and change body composition. Then do the pct, rest, start the second cycle and do a lean bulk.

Finally, to be honest I don't think you will reach that goal physique with these 2 cycles, but you're gonna look thousands time better with an athletic physique.

[itsmyfirsttime]

I would say you have to lose 40-45 pounds to be lean, and that's not as lean as your goal. Since you don't have tons of muscle I would start cutting without any gear and when around 15% bf start the first cycle with sust as a mild cutting to lean out a bit more and change body composition. Then do the pct, rest, start the second cycle and do a lean bulk.

Finally, to be honest I don't think you will reach that goal physique with these 2 cycles, but you're gonna look thousands time better with an athletic physique.

Yeah, as I guessed, to be honest I didn't expect to be anywhere near that body on the 2nd image after my first 2 cycles, but to get as close as I can. I got from the gym 4 hours ago and bought 2x 10ml Sustanon 250 and some AI called Letrobol (Femara as the guy who sold it to me called it, I got 10 tablets, he said to use 1/4 of the tablet every 2nd day if I feel any estrogen side effects). Sustanon is from some Indian company called Arenis Medico. Didn't have my first injection yet as I forgot to buy anti-bacterial cotton swabs, so I'll most likely have my first dose tomorrow or on Friday. Still need to get Nolvadex, he didn't have it with him today.

[JaneDoe]

Thanks for your opinion, I will try my best to keep diet and training regime in check. Will try and post back updated photos after first cycle is done, I'm planning to start this month with Sustanon and run it for 10 weeks.

I will be following

[JaneDoe]

Advice, be careful with Letrozole, because even you taking low doses of it can sink your E2. Do a search here on the forum, before taking it. I would switch to Aromasin

[itsmyfirsttime]

I oficially started my first cycle today. Injected first dose of 0.5mg of solution (125mg of test). Based on what I researched it will take around 4 weeks before I start noticing changes. I will be updating this thread so others who start with test cycle know what they can expect. I also bought food scale and body weight scale and supplied myself with first batch of "healthy food" (oats, some fruit, rice, tuna cans, chicken, beef, fish), refreshed my supplements stack as well (new tub of protein, new preworkout, new can of creatine and also bought some multivitamins in local pharmacy). I will run this cycle for 9 weeks most likey unless I start noticing some side effects which would force me to make some adjustments/abort the cycle. I will try to post regularly every Monday and Friday on things like: injected dose, effects I feel, weight lost/gained, lifts progression etc.

[itsmyfirsttime]

2.) Injected another dose of 0.5mg yesterday, no difference in strength gains, weight is 112kg (-1kg), still eating clean. Time to take 2 or 3 days off as I overworked myself in the past 7 days in the gym.

[JaneDoe]

Following !

[Test Monsterone]

You'll need to lose a lot more than 5% bf to look like the guy in your post. On top of that, that is not a realistic and maintainable look, not for your body type. I'm not hating, I couldn't maintain that either.

Not sure why you or anyone posts their max lifts - this has nothing to do with your physique. Your physique is primarily going to be based on your diet. It's not about lifting as much weight and as many sets as you can. It's about lifting intelligently. I didn't read your entire post but I didn't see if you are on TRT or not. If you're planning on doing a couple of cycles and think you're going to look like that guy, it'll never happen. When you get off your cycle you will lose everything you gained. I wouldn't even bother running any cycles unless you are going to be on TRT. It's a complete waste of time and will fuck you up more than anything.

Oh, and don't lift more than 4 days a week. It's pointless and you will be working against yourself. Your body needs time to repair itself - that is the basis of bodybuilding. I had most of my best gains lifting every other day.

[itsmyfirsttime]

You'll need to lose a lot more than 5% bf to look like the guy in your post. On top of that, that is not a realistic and maintainable look, not for your body type. I'm not hating, I couldn't maintain that either.

Not sure why you or anyone posts their max lifts - this has nothing to do with your physique. Your physique is primarily going to be based on your diet. It's not about lifting as much weight and as many sets as you can. It's about lifting intelligently. I didn't read your entire post but I didn't see if you are on TRT or not. If you're planning on doing a couple of cycles and think you're going to look like that guy, it'll never happen. When you get off your cycle you will lose everything you gained. I wouldn't even bother running any cycles unless you are going to be on TRT. It's a complete waste of time and will fuck you up more than anything.

Oh, and don't lift more than 4 days a week. It's pointless and you will be working against yourself. Your body needs time to repair itself - that is the basis of bodybuilding. I had most of my best gains lifting every other day.

Let's be honest, that "goal" body look image I posted is overexaggeration, as stated before I don't really aim to be anywhere close to that after 2 cycles, but as close as possible. I posted my lifts so other people can compare the numbers to those which I'll provide at the end of a cycle. I don't plan to stay on TRT after these 2 cycles, but I'm not sure though, if I don't experience any side effects and I feel good, I don't see any reason to stop cycling. Other people said that I'll keep some of the gains even if I stop using, was that false? I can't stay idle for 3 days per week, I usually exercise 7-9 days in a row and then take 2 sometimes 3 days off if I feel really exhausted.

Anyway, injected 3rd dose of 0.5mg today, weighted myself in the morning and got 111.1kg (~-2kg). No noticeable difference in strength as of yet, yesterday was back day, lifted 230kg on deadlift again, it did feel a bit easier than last time, but I had 2 days of rest on Friday and Saturday. Still eating clean, my feelings/emotions are somewhat standardized (no major fluctuations) unlike they used to be in the past, could be due to multivitamin and vitamin D3 pills I'm taking for the last few days.

I do have one question though, how should I use AI (Lethrozol-Femara)? Should I not use it until I notice first side-effects or should I start using it in any case sometime during my cycle? (I will search for it in case no one answers, I just thought I'll give it a try on this thread before searching for it).

[SampsonandDelilah]

I kept gains after each cycle, well after PCT. Were they as pronounced as while I was “on”? No, but definitely incremental gains. The hardest part of PCT is the emotional yo-you’s. Other than that, I retained muscle mass that I didn’t have prior to starting the previous cycle. TRT is certainly a much better option for keeping gains, but again I moved the needle forward cycling and running PCT’s before making TRT a part of my life.

As far as splits, hard to paint with a broad brush. We are all so different in terms of recovery. Because of my work and travel schedule, I’ll often go 8, 9, or 10 days in a row and then be off for 3 or 4 days. I feel great after getting a nice “de-load” and then get right back to it.

When I’m home and my schedule is steady, I do a standard 5 on and 2 off split and do just fine. I try to give a minimum of 2 days between muscle groups but augment that with cardio or core work. I mostly try and be mindful of my shoulders, they’re old and achy and tend to be involved in most upper body lifts, mine get smoked quickly.

You’ve obviously made tremendous progress based on your pics, congratulations. Work hard, set realistic expectations and be proud of your accomplishments. The gear will help you but you have to continue to help yourself (diet, rest and realistic goals).

Knowing your maxes is important in my opinion because I like to working sets around 65-75% of my 1RM. I have good luck with that formula and it’s establishes a baseline for me to conduct my working sets and not try and go too heavy. I reassess every 4-6 weeks (especially earlier in my journey) and then try my maxes again and reset my working sets calculations.

I’m in the maintenance phase of my career (I’m 47) but still stay in those percentages…my days of trying to add a ton of mass are behind me so my 1RM are not as important in this stage of the game.

Best of luck and keep up the good work.

[SampsonandDelilah]

Let's be honest, that "goal" body look image I posted is overexaggeration, as stated before I don't really aim to be anywhere close to that after 2 cycles, but as close as possible. I posted my lifts so other people can compare the numbers to those which I'll provide at the end of a cycle. I don't plan to stay on TRT after these 2 cycles, but I'm not sure though, if I don't experience any side effects and I feel good, I don't see any reason to stop cycling. Other people said that I'll keep some of the gains even if I stop using, was that false? I can't stay idle for 3 days per week, I usually exercise 7-9 days in a row and then take 2 sometimes 3 days off if I feel really exhausted.

Anyway, injected 3rd dose of 0.5mg today, weighted myself in the morning and got 111.1kg (~-2kg). No noticeable difference in strength as of yet, yesterday was back day, lifted 230kg on deadlift again, it did feel a bit easier than last time, but I had 2 days of rest on Friday and Saturday. Still eating clean, my feelings/emotions are somewhat standardized (no major fluctuations) unlike they used to be in the past, could be due to multivitamin and vitamin D3 pills I'm taking for the last few days.

I do have one question though, how should I use AI (Lethrozol-Femara)? Should I not use it until I notice first side-effects or should I start using it in any case sometime during my cycle? (I will search for it in case no one answers, I just thought I'll give it a try on this thread before searching for it).

Hold of using an AI until your symptomatic…blood work is critical. No point in starting a medication if it’s not needed. They have their own host of issues too.

There are plenty of private labs available to check your estranged numbers along the way. I’d read up on the different types of AI’s available and look more towards aromasin or arimidex.

Estrogen is a key hormone for emotional well being, sexual health and muscle growth. It’s a fine line to straddle, welcome to the world of fucking with your hormones…

[Cylon357]

Hold of using an AI until your symptomatic…blood work is critical. No point in starting a medication if it’s not needed. They have their own host of issues too.

There are plenty of private labs available to check your estranged numbers along the way. I’d read up on the different types of AI’s available and look more towards aromasin or arimidex.

Estrogen is a key hormone for emotional well being, sexual health and muscle growth. It’s a fine line to straddle, welcome to the world of fucking with your hormones…

Who says there are no more American poets left??

Seriously, this is well put and should be the tag line of every AAS board, forum, sub, and / or website on the planet. Not meant to discourage, but rather to emphasize the importance of knowledge in this game. Guys get into trouble through ignorance, not a particular compound. Ignorance is curable and this site is an excellent vaccine against it.



PS - C'mon, with the current state of the world, did you expect me to NOT use the v-word??

[Honkey_Kong]

Thanks guys. How much progress should I expect from my first (two) cycles based on my current state (body/strength)?

This is impossible to say. Some people respond well to gear and other don't respond so well. How are you going to fall on the spectrum? I have no idea. I think how well you train and stick to a diet will play a huge role for you

[itsmyfirsttime]

Injected 4th dose of 0.5mg today, this completes 2 weeks, did arms today, was pretty sore from previous days, don't feel anything different as of yet, based on what I read, I'm expecting it to hit me either next (3rd) week or week after next (4th). I plan to do bloodwork (only test and estrogen levels) in week 5 and also switch from 250mg/week to 375mg/week from week 5 until end of cycle (week 9). This morning scale was showing 110.9kg (~-2.1kg).

[Cylon357]

OP, are you doing 250mg per week or 500mg? It sounds like 250, which isn't much of a cycle. In fact, that's just a hair more than some TRT protocols. If you are doing 250 a week, do not expect much at all.

[itsmyfirsttime]

OP, are you doing 250mg per week or 500mg? It sounds like 250, which isn't much of a cycle. In fact, that's just a hair more than some TRT protocols. If you are doing 250 a week, do not expect much at all.

Yes it's 250mg per week. I don't want to go all crazy on the stuff as I have no experience. I'm going more for the safe side and paying attention to side effects, in my second cycle I was thinking of going up to 500mg/week of test and combine it with Anavar and maaaaybe HGH, but I'll see what happens. How much do you think is "appropriate" for first cycle?

[itsmyfirsttime]

OP, are you doing 250mg per week or 500mg? It sounds like 250, which isn't much of a cycle. In fact, that's just a hair more than some TRT protocols. If you are doing 250 a week, do not expect much at all.

Also, some 2 months ago I started watching Derek's YouTube channel (MorePlatesMoreDates) and read this as well: https://moreplatesmoredates.com/first-steroid-cycle/
Based on his opinion 500mg/week for a starter is an overkill (even 250 is on the higher end based on the article above). What do you think?

[Cylon357]

Yes it's 250mg per week. I don't want to go all crazy on the stuff as I have no experience. I'm going more for the safe side and paying attention to side effects, in my second cycle I was thinking of going up to 500mg/week of test and combine it with Anavar and maaaaybe HGH, but I'll see what happens. How much do you think is "appropriate" for first cycle?

Also, some 2 months ago I started watching Derek's YouTube channel (MorePlatesMoreDates) and read this as well: https://moreplatesmoredates.com/first-steroid-cycle/
Based on his opinion 500mg/week for a starter is an overkill (even 250 is on the higher end based on the article above). What do you think?

I REALLY encourage reading the "Planning my first cycle" linked above. All of your questions are answered there.

Sure, men will run 250mg Test per week on cycle, but it will be with another compound or two. But, blood work will tell the tale for you. When you pull mid-cycle blood work, please do post up what your total T is.

[itsmyfirsttime]

5th dose was taken yesterday (0.5mg), I decided to introduce Anavar to my first cycle, running it at 30mg/day, I have 100 pills which should last me for 5 weeks at current dosage. I still feel no difference in strength from Sustanon, I did legs yesterday, if anything I felt a bit weaker than usually, I'm thinking it might be because of a 3 day rest I had taken. Weight this morning was 111.4kg. I will increase Sustanon dosage to 300mg/week starting next week for 3 weeks and then do 350mg/week for last 3 weeks. I'm a bit worried that I still don't feel anything. No side-effects until now, at least nothing that I noticed.

[itsmyfirsttime]

Here are some photos of stuff I got.

Attachment 181501Attachment 181502Attachment 181503Attachment 181504Attachment 181505Attachment 181506

[itsmyfirsttime]

Spam software is effing me up for some reason, new bench press personal record yesterday (170kg).

[Huher]

Also, some 2 months ago I started watching Derek's YouTube channel (MorePlatesMoreDates) and read this as well: https://moreplatesmoredates.com/first-steroid-cycle/
Based on his opinion 500mg/week for a starter is an overkill (even 250 is on the higher end based on the article above). What do you think?

If you use test enanthate, 28% of the weight is the ester, so 250mg test e is actually only 180mgs of testosterone, IF it's not underdosed. Since it has a longer half life you won't even get that 180mgs in a week. It turns out it's barely above natural production. In that case you're shutting down your natural production, messing up your HPTA just to have nearly the same amount of test in your body than without any steroids. It makes absolutely no sense. Don't trust some bro science made up by a youtuber, trust biology instead.

Edit: just noticed you're using sustanon. That contains phenylpropionate and decanoate too which have even bigger weight than enanthate and nearly the same-longer half life, so even worse.