EdwardChase
Well-known member
Are you considering using steroids for the first time? If you’re a beginner you’ve probably been overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information there is about this topic. In this post, I’m going to lay out an appropriate first cycle and answer a few common questions that beginners generally have. Before I do however, I’d like you to know that there is more than one way to skin a cat. The layout below is just one way to get good results from a first cycle. I think it’s a great starting point, but certainly not the only way to go about it.
With that being said, let’s begin by dispelling a myth that most aspiring steroid users believe… More is better.
More is NOT better.
A lot of beginners think that they need to, a) use high dosages or b) take more than one steroid in their first cycle. Beginners want to get HUGE!! They want to use more so that they can gain more. It makes sense. I was the same when I first got into this game. However, what most beginners don’t realise is that this mentality is the equivalent of shooting a fly with a bazooka. You can achieve the same result with a fly swatter. It doesn’t help the situation when you have an experienced steroid user saying, "start with a smaller dosage’. It immediately implies that you should be taking more. However, relative to the experienced user that “smaller dosage” is only considered small because their body has become accustomed to larger dosages. Relative to someone (like yourself) who has never used steroids in their life, the only reference point your body has ever had, is your own natural testosterone levels. Which, to put things into perspective for you is about 7mg daily for the average male (O’Donnell et al., 2017). Some of this 7mg then gets aromatised (converted) to estrogen and some of it gets bound by SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). Without getting too complicated, just know that your body utilizes less than 7mg of testosterone on a daily basis. Keep this in mind.
Testosterone
In my opinion a first cycle should contain just 1 steroid. That steroid (in my opinion) should be testosterone. It’s the best all rounder steroid that you can take (losing body fat and gaining muscle) and it’s identical to your bodies’ natural testosterone which is an ideal place to start (leave the exotic stuff for another day). If you’re taking a (wink, wink), “smaller” dosage, your chances of estrogen related side effects should be negligible. The testosterone that you use should be either Enanthate or Cypionate because they’re longer acting (due to the artificial adding of an ester) and only require you to inject twice a week to maintain stable blood levels. If you’re new to this, I’m assuming you’ll probably want to keep the amount of required injections to a minimum. At least until you get used to it.
Frontloading
For your first week on testosterone, you should frontload (double) your very first dosage. This will get your blood levels up within 3 (or so) weeks instead of 4-5. This will mean that you spend more time in a peak blood level concentration which will maximise your gains.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Another important note to consider is the use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. It’s good practice to include HCG in every one of your cycles. HCG will nearly completely maintain your body’s natural testosterone while using exogenous hormones (steroids), (Coviello et al., 2005). Without it, your testicles will temporarily go into a dormant state and will take approximately 6-8 weeks to return to normal once the exogenous hormones (steroids) have left your system (depending on the steroid used, dosage and duration of your cycle).
So with all of that being said, here is…
The Layout
Week 1 - Frontload 350mg of testosterone Cyp/Enth (350mg Monday & 350mg Thursday)
Week 2-10 - 350mg Test Cyp/Enth (175mg Monday & 175mg Thursday)
Week 1-12 - 750ius hcg. (250iu Monday, 250iu Wednesday & 250iu Friday)
(Alternate/optional hcg regimen)
Week 1-12 - 750ius hcg. (350ius Monday, 350ius Thursday)
(This alternative hcg regimen is for people who are apprehensive about injecting themselves for the first time. Instead of injecting HCG 3x a week, you only have to inject two slightly larger doses twice a week.)
Week 13-16 Nolvadex @ 20mg daily OR Clomid @ 100mg daily
(Nolvadex/Clomid isn’t absolutely necessary, but it is preferable. By taking hcg throughout your cycle you’ve maintained your natural testosterone so you could easily skip the Nolvadex/clomid and have your natural production continue without skipping a beat. It will however really kick your testicles and pituitary gland into high gear after coming off of the hcg.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose all of my gains when I come off of steroids?
A: No. As long as you continue to eat well and train effectively then you should keep most, if not all of your gains. You may lose a little water weight when you first come off of steroids as they make you retain about 2-3 kilos of additional water weight.
Can I gain muscle on steroids without working out or by not working out as hard?
A: You need to work for it. The harder you work and the better you eat, the more drastic your results will be.
Should I be concerned about Gynecomastia (the formation of breast tissue in males)?
A: for a cycle like this, you shouldn’t have any issues. However, if you begin to experience itchy/sore nipples, these are the early warning signs of gynecomastia. Nolvadex @ 20mg’s daily should be enough to circumvent any issues. Though, it’s always good practice to have an Aromatise Inhibitor on hand in case you find that you are sensitive to aromatisation (the conversion of testosterone to estrogen). Exemestane at 12.5mg Every Other Day (EOD) would be the secondary course of action.
Is this First Steroid Cycle Plan appropriate for my particular goals? i.e. bulking - cutting - losing some fat while gaining lean muscle mass - improving athletic performance.
A: Yes. Testosterone is a very versatile, all rounder steroid that can be used for a broad range of purposes. However, more importantly you need to realise that steroids are just hormones. They only work to enhance the stimulus you provide them with. For example, if you’re specifically eating and training to build size, then testosterone will enhance the results of that particular stimulus (i.e. building additional size and strength). If you’re eating a clean diet with slightly reduced calories (and appropriate training) you’re likely to lose fat and gain some lean muscle mass.
I’ve heard that if you use HCG for too long or at doses too high it can damage your testicles and permanently desensitize them. Is this true?
A: Definitely not true. CLICK HERE to be educated about this bodybuilding myth that plagues HCG.
I’ve heard that Nolvadex and Clomid have some sort of synergy together. Should I take both?
A: No. There’s no “synergy” or added benefit by taking both together. The reason for this is because both Nolvadex and Clomid compete for the same receptors at the hypothalamus and pituitary. Synergy is defined as two or more elements having a greater effect when combined, compared to their individual/separate effects. This is not the case with nolvadex and clomid. They do not compliment each other in any way.
References
With that being said, let’s begin by dispelling a myth that most aspiring steroid users believe… More is better.
More is NOT better.
A lot of beginners think that they need to, a) use high dosages or b) take more than one steroid in their first cycle. Beginners want to get HUGE!! They want to use more so that they can gain more. It makes sense. I was the same when I first got into this game. However, what most beginners don’t realise is that this mentality is the equivalent of shooting a fly with a bazooka. You can achieve the same result with a fly swatter. It doesn’t help the situation when you have an experienced steroid user saying, "start with a smaller dosage’. It immediately implies that you should be taking more. However, relative to the experienced user that “smaller dosage” is only considered small because their body has become accustomed to larger dosages. Relative to someone (like yourself) who has never used steroids in their life, the only reference point your body has ever had, is your own natural testosterone levels. Which, to put things into perspective for you is about 7mg daily for the average male (O’Donnell et al., 2017). Some of this 7mg then gets aromatised (converted) to estrogen and some of it gets bound by SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). Without getting too complicated, just know that your body utilizes less than 7mg of testosterone on a daily basis. Keep this in mind.
Testosterone
In my opinion a first cycle should contain just 1 steroid. That steroid (in my opinion) should be testosterone. It’s the best all rounder steroid that you can take (losing body fat and gaining muscle) and it’s identical to your bodies’ natural testosterone which is an ideal place to start (leave the exotic stuff for another day). If you’re taking a (wink, wink), “smaller” dosage, your chances of estrogen related side effects should be negligible. The testosterone that you use should be either Enanthate or Cypionate because they’re longer acting (due to the artificial adding of an ester) and only require you to inject twice a week to maintain stable blood levels. If you’re new to this, I’m assuming you’ll probably want to keep the amount of required injections to a minimum. At least until you get used to it.
Frontloading
For your first week on testosterone, you should frontload (double) your very first dosage. This will get your blood levels up within 3 (or so) weeks instead of 4-5. This will mean that you spend more time in a peak blood level concentration which will maximise your gains.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Another important note to consider is the use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. It’s good practice to include HCG in every one of your cycles. HCG will nearly completely maintain your body’s natural testosterone while using exogenous hormones (steroids), (Coviello et al., 2005). Without it, your testicles will temporarily go into a dormant state and will take approximately 6-8 weeks to return to normal once the exogenous hormones (steroids) have left your system (depending on the steroid used, dosage and duration of your cycle).
So with all of that being said, here is…
The Layout
Week 1 - Frontload 350mg of testosterone Cyp/Enth (350mg Monday & 350mg Thursday)
Week 2-10 - 350mg Test Cyp/Enth (175mg Monday & 175mg Thursday)
Week 1-12 - 750ius hcg. (250iu Monday, 250iu Wednesday & 250iu Friday)
(Alternate/optional hcg regimen)
Week 1-12 - 750ius hcg. (350ius Monday, 350ius Thursday)
(This alternative hcg regimen is for people who are apprehensive about injecting themselves for the first time. Instead of injecting HCG 3x a week, you only have to inject two slightly larger doses twice a week.)
Week 13-16 Nolvadex @ 20mg daily OR Clomid @ 100mg daily
(Nolvadex/Clomid isn’t absolutely necessary, but it is preferable. By taking hcg throughout your cycle you’ve maintained your natural testosterone so you could easily skip the Nolvadex/clomid and have your natural production continue without skipping a beat. It will however really kick your testicles and pituitary gland into high gear after coming off of the hcg.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose all of my gains when I come off of steroids?
A: No. As long as you continue to eat well and train effectively then you should keep most, if not all of your gains. You may lose a little water weight when you first come off of steroids as they make you retain about 2-3 kilos of additional water weight.
Can I gain muscle on steroids without working out or by not working out as hard?
A: You need to work for it. The harder you work and the better you eat, the more drastic your results will be.
Should I be concerned about Gynecomastia (the formation of breast tissue in males)?
A: for a cycle like this, you shouldn’t have any issues. However, if you begin to experience itchy/sore nipples, these are the early warning signs of gynecomastia. Nolvadex @ 20mg’s daily should be enough to circumvent any issues. Though, it’s always good practice to have an Aromatise Inhibitor on hand in case you find that you are sensitive to aromatisation (the conversion of testosterone to estrogen). Exemestane at 12.5mg Every Other Day (EOD) would be the secondary course of action.
Is this First Steroid Cycle Plan appropriate for my particular goals? i.e. bulking - cutting - losing some fat while gaining lean muscle mass - improving athletic performance.
A: Yes. Testosterone is a very versatile, all rounder steroid that can be used for a broad range of purposes. However, more importantly you need to realise that steroids are just hormones. They only work to enhance the stimulus you provide them with. For example, if you’re specifically eating and training to build size, then testosterone will enhance the results of that particular stimulus (i.e. building additional size and strength). If you’re eating a clean diet with slightly reduced calories (and appropriate training) you’re likely to lose fat and gain some lean muscle mass.
I’ve heard that if you use HCG for too long or at doses too high it can damage your testicles and permanently desensitize them. Is this true?
A: Definitely not true. CLICK HERE to be educated about this bodybuilding myth that plagues HCG.
I’ve heard that Nolvadex and Clomid have some sort of synergy together. Should I take both?
A: No. There’s no “synergy” or added benefit by taking both together. The reason for this is because both Nolvadex and Clomid compete for the same receptors at the hypothalamus and pituitary. Synergy is defined as two or more elements having a greater effect when combined, compared to their individual/separate effects. This is not the case with nolvadex and clomid. They do not compliment each other in any way.
References
- Coviello, A. D., Matsumoto, A. M., Bremner, W. J., Herbst, K. L., Amory, J. K., Anawalt, B. D., … & Zirkin, B. R. (2005). Low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin maintains intratesticular testosterone in normal men with testosterone-induced gonadotropin suppression. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 90(5), 2595-2602.
- O’Donnell, L., Stanton, P., & de Kretser, D. M. (2017). Endocrinology of the Male Reproductive System and Spermatogenesis.
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