From testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to a 1st Cycle (need advice)

lymedestroyer

New member
From TRT to a 1st Cycle (need advice)

Ill start with some background: Im 33 years old 6'2" and 200 lbs right now. I hover around ~20% ish body fat. I have never been able to put on muscle. At a rather young age I contracted an infection that basically destroyed part of my pituitary and most of my endocrine system. A few years ago I found out that I had low T so I promptly began injections. I have low SHBG so I respond very well to very small amounts of T. I can feel good on 50 mg of T cyp per week and .1 mg of letro EOD. The problem is I feel good but in 3 years my body hasnt changed. Im a naturally slim build but started accumulating abdominal fat. A year or so ago I found out that my thyroid was hypo as well so after starting some T3 and exercise I was able to lose 30 lbs to get to my current weight. I am at a weight that is much more comfortable for me to start from. My diet needs work but once I make the decision to follow through I am prepared with food. I will be eating mostly lean meats, with some complex carbs. I dont have a daily plan laid out yet but I see that most people here eat alot.

What I expect: I want to shed some weight, still need 20 lbs gone. I want to have a fit\athletic upper body. I want to be able to bench more than 130 lbs for once in my life. Im tired of being a weak ass. I want to get fit. Recomp is my main goal if that even makes sense.

Based on my calculations Ill need around 2700 cals per day to maintain based on my activity level. Test should help me burn more fat and put on a little muscle at the right dose with the right diet.

How to get there: This is purely hypothetical. 400 mg T cyp (this can be 500mg if need be) weekly split into 2 shots for 12 weeks, .1mg letro EOD. Since GH is tanked 100 mcg mod grf 1-29 with 200 mcg Ipam 1-2 times daily.

Training is going to be the "insanity" program in the mornings at least 5 days per week and weight training 3-4 times at lunch per week.

1. Does my chemical regimen look ok? What do I need to change? (This is my 1st cycle)
2. What would you guys recommend for diet and meal timing?
3. Should I for go the peptides for now since T is going to cause a linear increase in GH?

Thanks for taking the time and helping me with this.
 
welcome to ology.
1st off 50 mg of test a week is on the low side for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) most use 100 mg a week soo that may be part of your problem . if youer not in a huge hurry i would run 200-300 mg a week for 12-16 weeks and see how that goes. only use enough letro to control estrogen NOT destroy it. im very very surprised you use letro at all on 50 mg a week of test.
 
welcome to ology.
1st off 50 mg of test a week is on the low side for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) most use 100 mg a week soo that may be part of your problem . if youer not in a huge hurry i would run 200-300 mg a week for 12-16 weeks and see how that goes. only use enough letro to control estrogen NOT destroy it. im very very surprised you use letro at all on 50 mg a week of test.

Yes it is a very low dose. Whats weird is im around the 200 range natty on quests test range and im at 1200+ on the same range at 200 mg weekly. I think its because my SHBG stays low and doesnt bind it up.

Im not in a huge hurry, I recently changed doctors and my new doc wants me on 200 mg. per week. The 200-300 range may be spot on for just what im trying to do. I agree about the estrogen too. I hate estrogen because it caused my gyno so I inherently try to destroy it every time I get the chance but I always regret it. A little E is a very good thing for libido and joint\bone health. Apparently my body has a high T to E conversion affinity.

Will 200-300 mg get me where I am aiming in say 12-14 weeks or so? Assuming my diet is in check and my workouts happen as planned of course.
My main goal is to lose this extra abdominal fat, put some muscle on my chest, back and arms (5-8 lbs or so), and increase upper body strength by a decent margin. Im also hoping that some extra muscle on my pecs will hide my gyno a little better. Are these realistic expectations for that dose and hypothetical plan?

Thanks for taking the time to read through my case and for the advice. It is very solid. I expected to get blasted with 500-600 mg dose suggestions.
 
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at your age/having low T ... 200 a week can produce great gains and i think your expectations are realistic ...
 
Yes it is a very low dose. Whats weird is im around the 200 range natty on quests test range and im at 1200+ on the same range at 200 mg weekly. I think its because my SHBG stays low and doesnt bind it up.

200mg a week will put most guys at 1200+. That's not weird at all. Dawgs advice is spot on. No need to run test any higher than 200-300mg until you gain some muscle and lose some more fat. As far as the diet goes, don't worry so much about eating LEAN meat. Some of that fat is good for you. You can lose a lot of fat by simply removing sugar, bread, pasta and potatoes from your diet. Without all the starchy food in your diet you will be able to eat more meat. If you really want to get your diet in check you should talk to 3J.
 
Thanks very much guys this is very reassuring. I appreciate all the help. I was more questioning my own expectations not Dawgs advice (just in case).

Ill keep the "some fat is good" in mind and im definitely going to cut out simple carbs again unless its directly after a hard muscle training. Even then ill probably keep it limited to a powerade or something ti spike insulin a bit.

How can I find 3J? I definitely have questions about proper diet, meal timing ect.
 
I believe 3J has posted a few threads that are now stickies in the anabolics section. Just click on his name anywhere you see it, and you should be able to send him a message. That is once you get to 50 posts anyway.
 
Getting with 3J took my diet to the next level. I thought I kinda knew how to eat......fuck no. 3J got my diet dialed in and it wasnt that hard to follow. Worth every penny.
 
Getting with 3J took my diet to the next level. I thought I kinda knew how to eat......fuck no. 3J got my diet dialed in and it wasnt that hard to follow. Worth every penny.

I found 3J. It looks like im a poster child for what he does. When I get the cash im all in! This dude knows his stuff way more than what I thought i knew. WOW!
 
Doesnt your natty T shut down at any dose???

Yes but your body will rebound. It isnt well understood to what level though. With me I stay in the 250 ish range off of T. Some people will rebount to a higher level than they were pre T and some lower.
 
I wanted to give you guys a quick update. I havent committed to a clean diet yet. That is my biggest hang up. I have seen my appetite go through the roof, especially after a workout.

I have been rather thrown for a loop by my small workouts and the results they are yeilding. Some is mental for sure but as far as physical, muscles are much much harder. Pumps come on fast and generally end the workout for me. By that I mean after a few sets my pumps limit my range of movement and my muscles fail soon there after. I can get a few sets of curls, bench and pull downs in before I have to stop. Pumps last an hour or so. It is usually 15-20 minutes worth of a workout. I stay sore for 48 hours minimum. I use those 48 hours to break from lifting. Is this normal??? Am I doing something wrong?

Im only 3 shots in on a bi weekly injection schedule (200mg , 100mg)

I feel absolutely the best that I have in years. Much better than on low dose T. This is much more like it.
 
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Did a light workout last night. Recovery was much better. My muscles are feeling different for sure. It is hard to explain but I can feel changes taking place. I also noticed vascularity that has become much more prominent.

Good things are coming.
 
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