1st cycle after literally days of research - tell me if it all looks good!
I’m 31, male, been weight lifting 8 years, never taken gear, normal test levels, diet good
w 1-10 test e, 250mg x2/week
w 1-12 arimidex, .5mg x2/week
w 3-10 HCG, 500iu x2/week
PCT: w 13 nolvadex, 40mg daily
w 14-16 nolvadex, 20mg daily
Looks on spot to me except the arimidex.
I take it you are deciding to use it rather than seeing if you need it on cycle. Nothing wrong with being cautious. However I would start the dosage at 0.25 mgs with each shot and see if that does the trick. You can always go up if need be. It is all to easy to tank your estrogen and if you have never done that, with this being your first cycle you could easily mistake no estrogen sides with there being something wrong with the test. Or even possibly thinking you are having a reaction to the test like test flu. I know some guys feel like the walking dead when they tank their estrogen. And some lucky fucks never feel a thing and never have issues with recovery too.
I wouldn’t automatically run the arimidex out to week 12. Chances are you won’t even need it week 11. You should have a feeling about weather or not you will need any arimidex on week11 by how you respond during the cycle.
If you have issues cutting the arimidex tablet into 0.25 mg doses then try this. Grind the tablet into dust. Get a small bottle and a clean syringe. Measure 4cc’s of liquid, I like rum because it helps cover the taste of the ground up arimidex tablet and I know rum won’t let bacteria grow. Put the 4cc’s of rum and the ground up tablet into a small bottle. Shake well. Measure out 1cc and you have roughly 0.25 mgs. Injest orally.
You could even just use 2cc’s but the liquid will only hold so much powder and without knowing how physically big the arimidex tablet is I can’t even guess how much filler powder they used to make it.
Also I would time your HCG usage to last until the week before PCT. You don’t want to take it during PCT but you should take it up to PCT.
If you get gyno or high estrogen issues during cycle that higher and higher doses of arimidex just won’t address then that estrogen is coming from the HCG. No amount of arimidex can eliminate or control the estrogen that HCG causes in your testicles. If you get puffy or soar nipples you will need to address that with Nolvadex.
Thanks for the prompt response my friend. I appreciate the tips - that’s just what I was looking for.
I hope you’ll allow a follow up: the symptoms for high/low estrogen seem so similar (puffiness, water retention, fatigue, low labido). If this is the case, how will I know whether to increase or decrease the AI or SERM?
I give this advice to a lot of guys. Obviously go read up on the signs of high and low estrogen in men.
You should notice if you tank your estrogen. You will be tired, no libido, dry creaky joints that hurt. If you notice anything like that the day after you take arimidex then wait three or so days with no arimidex dosage then start again at a lower dose. It might even start two days after you dose arimidex, everyone is different.
Really since you are going for your first cycle, you are taking HCG, and you will have both arimidex and Nolvadex on hand, maybe start off without any arimidex or Nolvadex. It is so easy to over use arimidex. Since we need the estrogen to build muscle and so many guys seem to never have issues while never taking arimidex then why not safely find out if you even need arimidex on cycle. You are not taking a crazy dosage of test so you are well within the window most guys seem to tolerate.
This is just an idea for how you can find out if you need arimidex at your given dosage. Start out without anything ancillaries, no arimidex no Nolvadex. If you get puffy nipples or anything that seems like gyno then take Nolvadex at around 10mgs every other day to every day. That should address the gyno. Now if you do end up needing the Nolvadex and you start showing other signs of high estrogen like bloating, high blood pressure, emotional roller coasters, and or no libido then dose the arimidex at 0.25 mgs on days you pin.
One way that I myself notice the estrogen issues is in regards to morning wood. If I am running a cycle and I notice a drop in libido that could be just being tired or other stuff but if I am not waking up pretty consistently with morning wood I know the estrogen is too high. I dose my AI at night and man that next morning it’s like my dick wants to pop. Now if the morning wood isn’t there the next day that tends to mean I need to increase my dosage. Basically when my estrogen is too high and I knock it down the morning wood comes the next day but that is just because I got the estrogen lower, not necessarily to the optimal window where my body likes it. When I have consistent morning wood I know I am in the window my body likes.
You are just going to have to watch everything and then adjust accordingly.
I wish I could give you an easy to follow X dosage of test needs Y dosage of arimidex but everyone is so damn different. Then we have to deal with UGLs not making everything perfectly dosed.
With you being on your first cycle I think Nolvadex to address the gyno then arimidex lightly dosed for the other signs of estrogen would be the safer way for you to ease into this.
If you notice the other signs while taking nothing basically signs of high estrogen besides gyno then just start with the arimidex at a light dose and adjust.
Hopefully someone else will chime in with some good input for you to use.