Here is my background info. I'm 36, 5' 9", was 175lb when I started my cycle in March, probably 10% body fat which is higher than people here seem to like but that's what is was. I ran 12 weeks of Test E 500 mg/week split into injections M/Th. Also ran 500mg of HCG Sun/Wed.
Some additional background info. Feburary 2010 discovered I had low testosterone. It was hovering around 200. I had never taken steroids or anything else so the low T was not expected. I was sent to a Urologist who grilled me with steroid questions and pretty much accused me of taking them as the reason I had low T. That was the first thing that made me not like him. He put me on Clomid 50mg once a day. My T level jumped to over 1,100 then came down into the 700 range, then settled down into the 550 range. Unfortunately my estradol level shot way up too, over 200 at one point! I was an emotional mess and it sucked. The urologist said it was fine and wouldn't do anything about it. Second reason I didn't like him. Since I didn't like the doctor and questioned what he was telling me I did my own research which led me to this site.
Since the doctor had pretty much accused me of steroid use and my first doctor talked about testosterone injections I decided to run a cycle and see what happened. Before the cycle I was still on Clomid but down to taking just 25mg a day. I didn't want to change too many things when I started the cycle and I wasn't sure what would happen going off clomid after 2 years of daily use. So I kept taking the clomid during the cycle. I also had arimidex in case it was needed.
The first 6 weeks of my cycle went exactly like what I read in other people's logs. The strength gains, muscle gains, energy level..etc were great. On several muscle groups I had doubled the amount of weight that I had started at. Then things went south quickly. I had switched to a new vial and thought maybe it was bad gear. I had a lab done and my total T came back as over 1,500 so the gear was good. My strength gains had stopped, I started feeling tired, and I didn't get pumped driving to the gym. I kept pushing lifting the same weight for another 2 weeks. At week 8 I was still were I was at strength and size wise at week 6. Then the muscle pumps started in really bad. One set of 5 reps and my muscles would so pumped and swollen it would hurt to move them after the set. In addition to lifting I was also doing kick boxing. The muscle pumps would affect me there too. After 30 seconds of punching my arms would have a severe pump and it would be painful to throw punches. This continued on the rest of the cycle. Then my injuries started to add up. Tendons in my elbows became painful and duing any type of curls hurt. Both shoulders became inflamed to the point that it hurt to lift my arms. I ended the 12 week cycle about where I was at by week 6.
I waited 2 weeks and then started a 6 week post cycle therapy (pct). Giving my previous low T problem I wanted to make sure I gave my natural production a solid kick start. I ran clomid and nolvadex. I also ran labs at the end of the cycle and during post cycle therapy (pct). The PCT worked and my natural production was 1007 on week 6. I am curious to see what I level out at going off of everything now. My LH and FSH were completely shutdown even though I was taking clomid throughout the cycle. That is what I wanted to confirm. Next cycle I won't be taking the clomid during and save it for post cycle therapy (pct).
My questions come from what happend at week 6 and beyond. From what I had read that is when I should have been feeling the full affect of the cycle and really getting into it. The gains in other people's logs from week 6 to week 12 were amazing. I basically had none. I know muscle pumps are common but muscle pumps that intense that even throwing punches hurt? The big question is what can I do so the same thing doesn't happen in my next cycle? Any feedback, questions, comments, or criticism is welcomed.
Some additional background info. Feburary 2010 discovered I had low testosterone. It was hovering around 200. I had never taken steroids or anything else so the low T was not expected. I was sent to a Urologist who grilled me with steroid questions and pretty much accused me of taking them as the reason I had low T. That was the first thing that made me not like him. He put me on Clomid 50mg once a day. My T level jumped to over 1,100 then came down into the 700 range, then settled down into the 550 range. Unfortunately my estradol level shot way up too, over 200 at one point! I was an emotional mess and it sucked. The urologist said it was fine and wouldn't do anything about it. Second reason I didn't like him. Since I didn't like the doctor and questioned what he was telling me I did my own research which led me to this site.
Since the doctor had pretty much accused me of steroid use and my first doctor talked about testosterone injections I decided to run a cycle and see what happened. Before the cycle I was still on Clomid but down to taking just 25mg a day. I didn't want to change too many things when I started the cycle and I wasn't sure what would happen going off clomid after 2 years of daily use. So I kept taking the clomid during the cycle. I also had arimidex in case it was needed.
The first 6 weeks of my cycle went exactly like what I read in other people's logs. The strength gains, muscle gains, energy level..etc were great. On several muscle groups I had doubled the amount of weight that I had started at. Then things went south quickly. I had switched to a new vial and thought maybe it was bad gear. I had a lab done and my total T came back as over 1,500 so the gear was good. My strength gains had stopped, I started feeling tired, and I didn't get pumped driving to the gym. I kept pushing lifting the same weight for another 2 weeks. At week 8 I was still were I was at strength and size wise at week 6. Then the muscle pumps started in really bad. One set of 5 reps and my muscles would so pumped and swollen it would hurt to move them after the set. In addition to lifting I was also doing kick boxing. The muscle pumps would affect me there too. After 30 seconds of punching my arms would have a severe pump and it would be painful to throw punches. This continued on the rest of the cycle. Then my injuries started to add up. Tendons in my elbows became painful and duing any type of curls hurt. Both shoulders became inflamed to the point that it hurt to lift my arms. I ended the 12 week cycle about where I was at by week 6.
I waited 2 weeks and then started a 6 week post cycle therapy (pct). Giving my previous low T problem I wanted to make sure I gave my natural production a solid kick start. I ran clomid and nolvadex. I also ran labs at the end of the cycle and during post cycle therapy (pct). The PCT worked and my natural production was 1007 on week 6. I am curious to see what I level out at going off of everything now. My LH and FSH were completely shutdown even though I was taking clomid throughout the cycle. That is what I wanted to confirm. Next cycle I won't be taking the clomid during and save it for post cycle therapy (pct).
My questions come from what happend at week 6 and beyond. From what I had read that is when I should have been feeling the full affect of the cycle and really getting into it. The gains in other people's logs from week 6 to week 12 were amazing. I basically had none. I know muscle pumps are common but muscle pumps that intense that even throwing punches hurt? The big question is what can I do so the same thing doesn't happen in my next cycle? Any feedback, questions, comments, or criticism is welcomed.
