Hello Graham..... Welcome to Ology!
First thing I wanna say is: "age is just a number!" But that having been said, we play a numbers game here. We often measure gains by a number on the scale. And to really begin to help you we need to know your stats, not just what you're using.
I'm 52 year young. I have a body that most 20 year olds would love to have. But more important, is that, according to the numbers on my test results, my doctor has said that I do have a 20 year old body. He is amazed at what I have achieved since I turned 50. He says I'm THE healthiest male in his practice--- of any age! I live in NYC and here you'll find many men our age in similar physical condition. A hyper-competitive environment does wonders to "steel your resolve."
Also to note, I have incredible genetics for holding back time. My father, for example, did not age perceptively at all until he turned 75.
So, can you expect big growth at our age, even if all your ducks are in a row?
Unfortunately, in my very humble experience, I gotta say the answer is NO. Actual gains are hard to come by after 50.... Don't know why, medically. But many things happen as we age. Our bodies are out of the growth game. We no longer digest food efficiently. Our digestive systems have become "sensitive" to food allergies. We don't produce the proper enzymes for digestion. And our aging cells have become, with time, more insulin resistant. Diet is at least 80% of this game. The deck becomes stacked against you with time.
Using gear I find not to be a problem for the most part. I would avoid EQ like the plague, however. Far too many possible blood issues there. Risking a high hemocrit level and "thick" blood pushing through aging organs is just not worth the risk! I like tren/test/mast to achieve lean gains. Even with tren sides, I feel better on it than on EQ! I don't sleep for long stretches anymore anyways, so I hardly notice "tren-somnia."
All that said, I still make gains. I've just learned to be patient
And persistant. Learn quickly what your body needs food-wise. DO NOT use massive doses of steroids. More, I have found out, is NOT better. Be reasonable and moderate-- no more than 1g total. Keep your cycles short... No more than 12 weeks at a time. And adjust your expectations during PCT.... You probably have low natty T at this point anyway. Don't expect that cycling will help that. I still cycle instead of blasting and cruising.... But I'm starting to re-think that.
So yes.... Stay in the game.... It's fun. Simply re-define what the word, "gains," can mean. I'm happy to simply look great. I'll never be massive. I'm more concerned with the numbers on my bloodwork reports than the numbers on the scale.