Very First Test-E Cycle for Lean Bulk - Questions, Suggestions, Progress/Blog

[soldhisoul]

First off, hello all Steroidology members. This is my very first post, however I have been lurking for quite some time. Long story short I have decided to run my very first cycle of Test-E and wanted to make sure everything looks good and share my progress with everyone here.

So let me start with some basic info about myself. I've been lifting and participating in sports (soccer, gymnastics, muay thai, bjj) since I was 14 (24 now). Can't say I've been very consistent, the lifting has been on and off because...well because life, but I've been always going back to the gym after a lay off. I haven't participated in the sports mentioned above for the last 2 years aside from an occasional soccer game here and there. Fast forward now, I've been back hitting the weights consistently since July on a 10 weeks on/1 week off schedule. The only supplements I have been using are Whey (~100g/day), cycling Creatine (1 wk load 20g/day then 8 weeks 5g/day then a week off; rinse and repeat) and the basic MultiVitamin (Orange Triad), Fish Oil and Vitamin D. Made some decent gains but hit a plateau on pretty much every lift. I switched off my rep ranges (from 8-12 to 6-8 to 7-10) and have not made much progress. My diet isn't bad as I don't eat fast food at all (aside from occasional Chipotle) but I don't count my calories; I know for a fact I've been eating above maintenance calories because i eat like a horse but i have no idea how my macros are. So after doing some lurking and some homework I decided to get some Test and run a 12 week cycle followed by 6 weeks PCT (Nolva, Clomid & Tribulus) starting 2 weeks after my last pin of Test.

Current Stats:
Age: 24
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 171lbs
BF: ~13%-14%

Now before I talk about the cycle and the layout I'd like to mention that my goal is CLEAN bulk. I understand I'm not going to magically pack on 20lbs of muscle with no additional fat, realistically I'm looking to add around 10lbs while shedding a bit of fat and that's pretty generous. Now, onto the cycle:

Week 1-12 GP Test-E 250mg/2x per week (Monday AM; Thursday PM)
Week 1-12 Arimidex 0.5mg EOD to avoid bloat/estrogen sides
Week 1-12 HCG 250iu/2x per week

Here are my questions about this cycle:
-Should I keep my AI at 0.5mg eod or knock it down to 0.25mg? I was told arimidex is not very friendly on the lipid profile in males and it slightly affects IGF1 but I could not get my hands on any Aromasin hence why I'm using Anastrozole. My arimidex is a 1mg triangular pill so it would be a real bitch to cut into 4 even pieces @ 0.25mg but if that's more beneficial then I'll have to find a way.
-Question 2, should I really inject HCG during my cycle? I have 3 amps of 5000iu Pregnyl HCG which at 500iu a week for 12 weeks should be more than enough. However I have seen mixed opinions about running HCG on cycle. Some people swear by it and some say to completely avoid it due to elevated Estrogen levels (I'm running an AI so I'm guessing it should counteract that?). What do you guys think? HCG on cycle or during PCT? Or something else? This is one thing I'm confused about.

I'll be doing high volume training 5 times a week (monday - friday) working mainly in the 8-12 rep range. I will also be doing HIIT Sprints and Jump Rope twice a week.
Monday: Shoulders and Traps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Triceps, Biceps, Forearms
Thursday: Back
Friday: Chest & Abs

For my diet I'll aim to take in ~3,000cal/day consisting of mostly Protein and Fats with some carbs. Still tweaking this. Some input would be appreciated as nutrition is my weakest point. Macros will be 50(P)/30(F)/20(C)

As mentioned earlier PCT will be 6 weeks of Nolva, Clomid and 1g Tribulus/day. I will be doing my first pin next week if my supplies (pins, syringes, swabs) come in tomorrow. Ordered them with a delay because my gear came in 2 weeks earlier than I thought it would. I'm attaching some images of current build and will be updating you guys on weekly basis throughout my cycle. Other thing I should mention is that the test I'll be running is Geneza Pharm Test-E and what I've heard is that GP oils are a hit or miss kind of thing (sometimes under-dosed) but i didn't find that out until after i placed my order (will be ordering Schering Test E next time :/, dumbass I know) but I guess I won't know this until a few weeks into my cycle but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Wish me luck!

 

[mich29]

looks like your done some decent research on the ai start low and up it if needed. I believe hcg is for during your cycle but my brain is old and foggy at the moment but i'll bump this so others will see it and comment as well.far as calories your want to count them as it may seem your eating a lot but might not be as much as you think. Overall your post looks pretty good

 

[AverageMan]

3000 calories for a bulk (even a lean bulk) seems low for your age height and weight. 3000 would be more maintenance, while 3500-4000 would be a bulk.

 

[ClarkFit]

We are the same age height weight and body fat. I have not yet started my Test E from Geneza yet. My first cycle as well. I am VERY curious to see your results!!

 

[AverageMan]

At 40 my metabolism is much slower than yours. I run cuts at about 2700 calories and carb cycle. Maintence is more like 3000.

My cycle is already f'ed up given I found my grar is under dosed. I'm looking to salvage a 8ish week cycle which is very short. Better than nothing i guess.

Would like to see before and after pics from your cycle. Logs are a great thing to keep.

 

[ClarkFit]

What manufacturer underdosed?

 

[MJF]

Hcg: some people swear by it, others say not needed. I would use it if you have it. During cycle, not pct. You could try a smaller dose of ai, but like you said, it'll be hard to cut the pill to a consistent smaller dose, which is why I prefer rui liquids.

I also think your diet is a little off. If you can swing it, I'd hire 3J for his carb cycle diet/coaching plan. He's made many people contest ready with his plans so there's no doubt he can set you up perfectly.

Other than that, good first post. Nice research.

Edit: just saw that this was an older thread. Very slow day for me. Stuck here 12 hours making overtime and haven't had to go oitside once yet. Tough life.

 

[luckypaul]

Welcome brother, the best advice I can give you is to train naturally until you have trained at least a couple years consistently. Before you start screwing with your hormones, you need to show more commitment. Judging from the photos you have posted you have room for improvement.

I walked the talk bro. I ran my first cycle at 31yrs of age, after 10 yrs of consistent training. I maxed out natural at 246 lbs and 10-11% bf.

If you had trained dedicated for several years, I would say run a cycle. My advice is to get a solid training regimen and understand nutrition better. With this advice, you could put on another 20lbs easy.

Paul