@Dmomuchole brother aint that the truth. I just had an epic fail on my blood labs a1c and have taken a few steps back. I think you hit the nail on the head.
The desperate plight of a hard gaining ectomorph
- Thread starter SidTheSlothh
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Dmomuchole
Well-known member
I think you did brother that’s what this forum is all about is us pulling together and helping one of our comrades.
I’m also curious if his body is aromatizing most of the extra testosterone to estrogen. The bloods are the only way to know. I’d suggest get baseline bloods and mid cycle bloods 6 weeks in your next cycle, of course after you get your diet dialed in. This should give you a better idea of what’s going on.
Our body always tries to maintain a balance between testosterone and estrogen and it does this by converting some of the excessive test into estrogen. This is absolutely a possibility if your body chemistry is drastically different then the “average Joe”. I’m sure you probably already know this. So it would make sense if this is what was taking place but we can only speculate without the test.
The key and any longtime bbr or trainer will tell you anything can be accomplished by maintaining a healthy diet, not compounds. But we like to enhance our results lol so then we have to dial it in and counter the side effects we are presented with by utilizing the tools we have. There are also compounds that don’t aromatize but I wouldn’t suggest using them until you get your test only cycle figured out.
You and your brother may want to do your own test because that would be another variable you don’t need to add to the equation.
I’m also curious if his body is aromatizing most of the extra testosterone to estrogen. The bloods are the only way to know. I’d suggest get baseline bloods and mid cycle bloods 6 weeks in your next cycle, of course after you get your diet dialed in. This should give you a better idea of what’s going on.
Our body always tries to maintain a balance between testosterone and estrogen and it does this by converting some of the excessive test into estrogen. This is absolutely a possibility if your body chemistry is drastically different then the “average Joe”. I’m sure you probably already know this. So it would make sense if this is what was taking place but we can only speculate without the test.
The key and any longtime bbr or trainer will tell you anything can be accomplished by maintaining a healthy diet, not compounds. But we like to enhance our results lol so then we have to dial it in and counter the side effects we are presented with by utilizing the tools we have. There are also compounds that don’t aromatize but I wouldn’t suggest using them until you get your test only cycle figured out.
You and your brother may want to do your own test because that would be another variable you don’t need to add to the equation.
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@SidTheSlothh… @Dmomuchole just summed it up with some golden advise.
SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
We did take turns getting bloods after the initial two times as the results were almost identical so the presumption was why spend extra money if the results are near the same haha. Will definitely do my own bloods throughout the next cycle.
My testosterone was 1600 when I tested it initially at the beginning of the cycle. After seeing the testosterone shoot up I knew it was legit and didn’t get testosterone checked again and only estrogen. My estrogen ran higher than the proper range but that is normal when on T so the adex must have controlled it there and prevented it from skyrocketing out of control. The adex taking 1mg a day for a week and just running it two times weekly had no extra impact on controlling estrogen and ran me high blood pressure whihh chi dropped after lowering the dose back down after bloods determined the higher dose was no more effective. I’m thinking I will take neuros advice and run aromasin instead of adex and see how that feels. The excess burning and tearing feeling during cycle I am just going to assume that was estrogen since I am not getting it anymore? But that and also the initial bloat for a few weeks are some things I want to correct next time as I believe those two things precluded me from lifting at maximum intensity in the gym.
My testosterone was 1600 when I tested it initially at the beginning of the cycle. After seeing the testosterone shoot up I knew it was legit and didn’t get testosterone checked again and only estrogen. My estrogen ran higher than the proper range but that is normal when on T so the adex must have controlled it there and prevented it from skyrocketing out of control. The adex taking 1mg a day for a week and just running it two times weekly had no extra impact on controlling estrogen and ran me high blood pressure whihh chi dropped after lowering the dose back down after bloods determined the higher dose was no more effective. I’m thinking I will take neuros advice and run aromasin instead of adex and see how that feels. The excess burning and tearing feeling during cycle I am just going to assume that was estrogen since I am not getting it anymore? But that and also the initial bloat for a few weeks are some things I want to correct next time as I believe those two things precluded me from lifting at maximum intensity in the gym.
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SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
Here is post workout meal. Went ahead and did the beans cause didn’t want them going bad in the fridge.
Gonna hit a turkey burger tonight with peas
Gonna hit a turkey burger tonight with peas
SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
Went to wal mart to grab a few things and looked for a powder similar to the one dmom posted and this is what I found. 22 bucks for 22 servings. It is the same brand as my other bag but not a mass gainer
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SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
Dinner. These turkey burgers are great, 240 calories and 31g protein and they ain’t that big.
Eating these meals today was rough as I was full throughout the entire day. I haven’t eaten like this in a long time.
The pictures I posted today most of that I am going to eat on a daily basis with minor adjustments. Swapping out the protein in the morning, cutting the bar and gonna change my milk to skim milk. Does this look good. Anything to add or exclude that I didn’t mention?
Eating these meals today was rough as I was full throughout the entire day. I haven’t eaten like this in a long time.
The pictures I posted today most of that I am going to eat on a daily basis with minor adjustments. Swapping out the protein in the morning, cutting the bar and gonna change my milk to skim milk. Does this look good. Anything to add or exclude that I didn’t mention?
Dmomuchole
Well-known member
Man I’m glad to see you being proactive, shows how determined you are.
SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
My frustrations are turning into motivation. I know eating just what I did today is going to require a lot of discipline, a lot more than the training itself. It’s easy for me to make myself go to the gym and put in everything I got there. The diet is difficult to keep consistent, especially when you have family around you who eats like shit and also a girlfriend that does too. Holidays are going to exacerbate it but will try and limit what I can.
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PNWmuscle
VIP
Figuring out your diet will help you down the right road. For one is some of your choices of meat. Saw you had turkey burgers. If you’re having trouble getting in cals just go for the 80/20 ground beef. Incorporating some meat with fat will help. Yes, I’m giving you a reason to eat ribeyes. I’m jealous.
Carbs stick to what you can get down. I can throw down a ton of rice. But potatoes and oat meal fill me up quickly. Rice with some chicken broth to moisten it up helps it go down.
Fats should come from your meat, avocados, olive oil, nuts, peanut butter.
As far as macros, I think tracking macros fully is over kill. Focus on hitting your calories and protein, remainder of calories fill as you please with carbs and fat. You will find as time goes on where you feel best for carbs, but honestly you’re in a bulk so I’m sure you’ll get enough
Carbs stick to what you can get down. I can throw down a ton of rice. But potatoes and oat meal fill me up quickly. Rice with some chicken broth to moisten it up helps it go down.
Fats should come from your meat, avocados, olive oil, nuts, peanut butter.
As far as macros, I think tracking macros fully is over kill. Focus on hitting your calories and protein, remainder of calories fill as you please with carbs and fat. You will find as time goes on where you feel best for carbs, but honestly you’re in a bulk so I’m sure you’ll get enough
SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
I was intending on going off a bulk once my cycle ended but I am convinced fat loss is really difficult for me and adding muscle mass would help melt it off. Going to keep eating the way I have been keeping it almost the same each day and see if my compound lifts go up next week to see if eating better has an effect on strength gains for me.
This PCt must be kicking in as I’ve had a sex drive and am feeling good
This PCt must be kicking in as I’ve had a sex drive and am feeling good
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SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
I’ve never considered hiring a trainer as I have always felt that everything you need to know is available with free research.
Life is great financially for me right now. I’m making good money at my rank in the military and I work at a university as cadre for rotc. The semester is over and just been teleworking which means not doing shit, so I got a part time job to really start stacking the money each month. But, like most good things they come to an end. I am currently pending discharge and I have no clue when they will give me orders giving me an out date. When I leave service I am going to take a significant pay cut. Hard to find a job that will pay me almost 6k take home each month with generous benefits. I’ve known nothing but Army in my adult life and knowing doctrine, tactics, and how to manage and train soldiers is not a skill that translates in the civilian sector. Say this because I am being frugal right now and just building a nice size emergency fund for when that time does come so am not trying to spend any uneccesary money.
I am also paying my girlfriend through college right now and she is pursuing a 2 year degree to become an RN. However, it is taking a little longer than 2 years due to prequisite issues and she will be almost at enough credits for a four year degree. In a quandary figuring out which route is best for her to take. Does she follow through with the 2 year and start working right after and then part time work on the four year, or does she go straight to the 4 year delaying an income. @NeuroRN your thoughts?
Life is great financially for me right now. I’m making good money at my rank in the military and I work at a university as cadre for rotc. The semester is over and just been teleworking which means not doing shit, so I got a part time job to really start stacking the money each month. But, like most good things they come to an end. I am currently pending discharge and I have no clue when they will give me orders giving me an out date. When I leave service I am going to take a significant pay cut. Hard to find a job that will pay me almost 6k take home each month with generous benefits. I’ve known nothing but Army in my adult life and knowing doctrine, tactics, and how to manage and train soldiers is not a skill that translates in the civilian sector. Say this because I am being frugal right now and just building a nice size emergency fund for when that time does come so am not trying to spend any uneccesary money.
I am also paying my girlfriend through college right now and she is pursuing a 2 year degree to become an RN. However, it is taking a little longer than 2 years due to prequisite issues and she will be almost at enough credits for a four year degree. In a quandary figuring out which route is best for her to take. Does she follow through with the 2 year and start working right after and then part time work on the four year, or does she go straight to the 4 year delaying an income. @NeuroRN your thoughts?
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NeuroRN
ICU nurse/Moderator
Take the two year. Start working. Most money she will ever make as a nurse is right now during covid. The pay difference between 2/4 year degree is Marginal and her experience will be far more valuable than going straight to 4 year.
However if I’m reading this right she’s already taken two years to get pre reqs, then she should at least attempt to transfer her pre reqs to a bachelors program. If I could do life over again, I’d do a two year program start making money, and then work on my bachelors while I was making money.
However if I’m reading this right she’s already taken two years to get pre reqs, then she should at least attempt to transfer her pre reqs to a bachelors program. If I could do life over again, I’d do a two year program start making money, and then work on my bachelors while I was making money.
SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
Awesome that’s what I was leaning more towards. She was getting free tuition for two years at the university since she was a tennis athlete on scholarship but would have had to complete it paying 2 years too at university. Her fucking arms are just about my size too :sweat_smile:I’ll find a pic later and edit out face haha. And university prices are much more expensive than a community college so I am glad I made the right move and had her transfer over. I’m only paying about 800 a semester instead of 15k.
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SidTheSlothh
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Never ate a good diet or had a solid weight lifting routine. She doesn’t go to the gym anymore and barely scrapes 1200 calories a day and is still the same size, just as muscular haha
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SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
Still have a week and a half to go on pct before I get bloods but I am happy with how it has been going. I feel like it is working, getting morning erections, and my balls aren’t retracting into my scrotum during sex anymore. Glad the clomid and nolva seem to be working as that is one less thing I have to figure out and experiment with next cycle. I’m also in the process of trying to get a referral to do a sleep study to see what all is going on with that.
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SidTheSlothh
Well-known member
Wasn’t planning on running another cycle until the Feb March timeframe but I aint doing shit until I figure out what it’s going to take to build naturally. I’ve been sticking to my diet thus far and will see next week if there is strength gains, if not I need to adjust and increase caloric intake and continue doing this until I find what works. If I am unable to build naturally it aint going to happen on juice so am not going to run another until this is figured out.
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Try not to measure your lifting gains week to week…sometimes you have a bad week/day. Keep a good log on food and lifts…this is a journey not a trip. You could go a month without adding lbs to the bar and shoot up on a good day. Keep your head down, put in the work and it’ll come…might take a monthe…year etc. maybe a lifetime.
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