I am on my 5th week of test, how can I tell if my gains are water or mass?

[Samurai]

First of all I am 5'11, I weighed about 203 when I began. Right now I weigh 215, but that doesn't seem right. I look at myself in the mirror more than I weigh, and the only difference I see is my mucsle have a puffy watery look to them. . I am taking test enanthate at 500mg per week and I am getting about 320 grams of protien and 4,200-4,500cals a day, but I don't see any solid muscle mass. Also I have been getting a lot of digestive problems like being constepaited a lot, I relizied that I wasn't getting enough fiber in as well. WTF...

 

[StoneColdNTO]

Moved to the appropriate forum........

 

[durabol]

What, did you think you would put on 10lbs of solid muscle in 5 weeks? Forget it, its not gonna happen. So yes, its probably mostly water.
If you can put on 15-20lbs of actual solid muscle mass over the run of a year (lets just say with 2x3 month cycles on, and 2x3months off) then you are doing DAMN GOOD!
...........I'm talking actual lean muscle mass here (ex. a competitor who may move up a weight class from one year to the next)

 

[Samurai]

What, did you think you would put on 10lbs of solid muscle in 5 weeks? Forget it, its not gonna happen. So yes, its probably mostly water.
If you can put on 15-20lbs of actual solid muscle mass over the run of a year (lets just say with 2x3 month cycles on, and 2x3months off) then you are doing DAMN GOOD!
...........I'm talking actual lean muscle mass here (ex. a competitor who may move up a weight class from one year to the next)

I thought I can only be cycles for 12 weeks at max...and it is Test at 500 and NOT dbol so why the no muscle mass gain. Will I notice it within my 8th or 9th week? Would uping the dose to 750 help...usually people on this board always say Test is best and to be on it at 12 weeks?

Elaborate please

 

[durabol]

3 months is 12 weeks!
I said 2 cycles of 3 months each, with 2 periods of being off for 3 months.
I didnt say that you will see NO muscle gain, but just that your expectations are a little high. Most of the gains you will see is from water weight, yes. The lean gains will be as Ive said above, if you are lucky!

And what are you talking about, d-bol, test? I made no mention of either one. And by the way, it will happen with either one, if thats what you were wondering.

Oh, and NO, dont up it to 750. See how you do on the 500. It will come with time.
But yes, I would agree that test should be run the whole time, and used as the base for most cycles. Its also the one to use if you are only gonna do one drug at a time.

 

[durabol]

Also, look at the post "EQ vs test" if this is your first cycle.

 

[tewlow]

Don't forget your post cycle therapy (pct) afterward either. If this is your first Test run I sure as hell wouldn't go up to 750 that will just increase your possible sides.(my opinion)And hell most giants I know only run 500.Check the Forum on running 500 in the forum.

 

[Samurai]

Don't forget your post cycle therapy (pct) afterward either. If this is your first Test run I sure as hell wouldn't go up to 750 that will just increase your possible sides.(my opinion)And hell most giants I know only run 500.Check the Forum on running 500 in the forum.

This isn't my first (well my first with just Test alone)...my third....I gained a lot on my first with Test E. + Dbol cycle. I know variables are involved, but my diet is pretty consistent as I wrote already on my first post, so what else could it be ...my training? I doubt it.....or is it just hard to gain a lot of solid muscle on the third cycle in comparison to someone's first?

That's why I was thinking of uping to 750 because maybe my body is immune/or used to 500 mg.

 

[Samurai]

BUMP....more input needed please

 

[Samurai]

bump

 

[Starkraven]

dude what kind of answer are you looking for? it takes time to build mass. going from 500-750 is just elevating your test levels thats all, it isnt like thats going to make you gain more muscle necessarily. its all in your diet/training. do you squat? deadlift? train HEAVY? i mean heavy? what do u eat, post your diet..you expect too much. 3rd cycle or 1st, u can always use 500mg unless you stay on that dose and by the time u need to go to 750 u will already be huge enough trust me. your muscles have a puffy/watery look because u are taking test which aromatizes to estrogen. are you using arimidex? if you were, you wouldnt look that bloated. then again, when bulking you will bloat a little unless you know how to eat which means you will gain more quality mass, not quantity. the scale means nothing when bulking or even dieting. look at yourself, if you are not gaining enough, eat more. if looking too fat, clean out your meals. for instance instead of white rice with 70% ground beef or dark meat chicken, try old fashioned plain ass oats with a lean steak like london broil or eye of round or a plain ass chicken breast. the cleaner you eat, the leaner you will look. that doesnt mean lower calories. it means alot of plain calories. eat some whole eggs in the morning with the whites.

 

[Dlove]

Good point above from starkraven. I wouldn't up it either especially if you only weighin in at 215. Watch you sodium sugar eat clean asfuck take some letro and drink h20 till it comes out of your ears and you will lose some bloat. Green tea helps dry me out a lot too.

 

[Trevdog]

You may have gained more lean mass than you think. Good move on upping the fiber, more water can't hurt either.

It is easier to gauge how much lean mass you are gaining if you use an antiestrogen along with test. Aromasin or arimidex keep water retention down, but controlling estrogen may hinder your gains to a very small degree. Personally I do use them because I prefer a "dry" look.

 

[101st]

upping is not neccessary

dude what kind of answer are you looking for? it takes time to build mass. going from 500-750 is just elevating your test levels thats all, it isnt like thats going to make you gain more muscle necessarily. its all in your diet/training. do you squat? deadlift? train HEAVY? i mean heavy? what do u eat, post your diet..you expect too much. 3rd cycle or 1st, u can always use 500mg unless you stay on that dose and by the time u need to go to 750 u will already be huge enough trust me. your muscles have a puffy/watery look because u are taking test which aromatizes to estrogen. are you using arimidex? if you were, you wouldnt look that bloated. then again, when bulking you will bloat a little unless you know how to eat which means you will gain more quality mass, not quantity. the scale means nothing when bulking or even dieting. look at yourself, if you are not gaining enough, eat more. if looking too fat, clean out your meals. for instance instead of white rice with 70% ground beef or dark meat chicken, try old fashioned plain ass oats with a lean steak like london broil or eye of round or a plain ass chicken breast. the cleaner you eat, the leaner you will look. that doesnt mean lower calories. it means alot of plain calories. eat some whole eggs in the morning with the whites.

like everybody is trying to tell you upping is not what you will have to do to put on more muscle.although some people do think that you could have asked me that question a year ago and i probably would have told you maby. but my point is NO dont up cause 500 can and will work just as good or better than 700 or more. think of it this way at 700 your body wont be using all that you put in so you will be wasting money. so dont do that.also i think that once you get on your cutting phase then some of the bloated look will fade away, but in the mean time yea green tee is also good to dry you out.

 

[Johny J]

Your muscles look puffy for numerous reasons. They are holding more nutrients and water, do to the Testosterone levels being elevated and your weight training. Also, protein intake will cause you to hold water. This is because your plasma protein levels and many other nutrients in the blood and your cells will elevate. do to simple osmosis, your body will hold more fluid to kep things in the right working ratios.

Now i pu that the short and sweet way. Hope that helps. Holding water in your muslces, and holding water in general are 2 different things. If your muscles look puffy..good. If your face looks puffy and your belt gets tight...bad.

Now like the guys said, some of the weight you put on is water, some is muscle weight. Thats fine. The fluod ion your muscles will only reach a certain level, so gains after that are mostly lean muscle gains. However, overall bloating can keep going and going until you look like a baloon, which aint so good.
When you here of a dude putting on 30-40lbs during a cycle.. thats bloating.

you can only build so much muscle so fast. This is regulated by the following things..
Diet, Hormones, Training, Genetics, Rest.
You took care of the hormones part. Now the rest is up to you.

Keep the protein high, the salt low, drink lots of water, train hard and smart. Dont focus so much on how many mgs of juice you pump into your ass.. focus on the form and weight you push, the food you eat, the resat you get.

hope that helps man.

p.s. I have weighed in at 250 or so at 5'11, and have never gone over 500mg of test. matter of fact, i think that is a bit high for me, so now it is staying at 250mg or so with a touch of EQ.