First Cycle, Test E Only. Recomp for Athlete


EDIT: In this pic I was 79kg x 13% BF, then I went to 77kg x 11% BG and my abs are more visible now.

FOREWORD : I’ve read the newbie first cycle post already and drawn my own conclusions.

I’d like to start my first cycle. I’m a non-competitive athlete who trains for relative strength and high skill movements. Stuff such as gymnastics and martial arts.
I’ve also been lifting for about 7 years drug-free.
My stats might be considered poor for the standards, but try to max both lifting and gymnastics isn’t such an easy feat.
Anyway, I’m currently sitting at:

  • 177 cm = 5’ 9’’
  • 77 kg = 170 lbs
  • 11-12% BF

Now though I’d like to start my first cycle. My target stats are:

  • 80-82 kg = 176-180 lbs
  • 6-8% BF

I don’t want to take too many risks with AAS usage, so I think I’m gonna run something like 350-450 mg / week of Test E.
My long term plan would be to do 1-2 cycles per year, one for bulking (or better yet, working on proportions and strength increase) and one for cutting. While I focus on skills and maintain my physique for the rest of the months.

My question is, since this would be my very first cycle, is it possible to go for a recomp instead of a standard bulk? I might not be able to reach my goal with this cycle alone, but at least get closer to it.

Training plan: 2x week full body training, plus maybe a day where I work on my weaknessess (delts, arms, calves)
Diet plan: Low cals-carbs on rest days (sport practice), high cals-carbs on lifting days, higher proteins to take advantage of the increased test levels.

You can really do some harm. You have not shown that you have any knowledge or interest in PCT. Spoiler alert! Most PCT info on steroid forums [and here] is wrong.

Any amount of AAS will totally shutdown your HPTA. So a smaller cycle does not provide any relative protection.

Other aspects are E2 management with an AI and concerns with fertility.

My bad, sorry. I haven’t explicitly talked about it but I’m reading a lot about PCT. From “perfect PCTs” here and around other forums to textbooks such as Llewellyn’s.

So ofc I’m gonna use HCG, Nolvadex and Clomid because I’m interested in keeping my gains and I understand that my axis needs to recover properly in order to achieve that.

Again, sorry if I sounded like a total newbie who has never read anything on the subject. :slight_smile:

Anyway, where are most PCT advices wrong in your opinion? Do you advise Prisoner’s taper protocol or something different?

First post on this forum so take this with a grain of salt…

Yes you can recomp on gear but usually your better off using different compounds other than test, like tren or eq etc. As this is you first cycle though, you shouldn’t be trying anything other than just test. Since with test your probably better off choosing a full cut or bulk, maybe focus on cutting whilst the test kicks in (4-6 weeks) and then ‘clean’ bulk for the rest of the cycle. A bit of clen or eca stack would help lean you up!

I might be using just Test forever, but since I lack experience I don’t really know what I’m talking about. For the moment, I’m just confident I can achieve and maintain my goals with Test alone.

I already use ECA as a stimulant for my training sessions, rather than Clen that has much more sides.

Your hybrid approach might work, after all since this is my first cycle the Test should have a stronger effect regardless. Combined with high protein diet for elevated protein synthesis and carbs refeeds on training days…
Cool, with this one more possible solution I’m more confused than ever. XD XD

EDIT: Added the most recent pic I’ve taken of myself on the first post.
This was 2 months ago @ 79kg x 13% BF, now I’m @ 77kg x 11%BF.

If your going to stay on test you won’t need pct, but this is a pretty big decision. Do you really want to be pinning twice a week for the rest of your life?

Doesn’t need to be confusing. If you want to recomp then eating slightly over maintenance calories with good foods and a protein rich diet coupled with a solid training split and cardio, you may be able to recomp on test alone. Especially since this is your first cycle. I just believe that on test, you may be better off focusing on cutting first, whilst the test is kicking in, before trying to add some mass.

If your going to cycle on and off, can you lay out your pct dosages and timing?

I’ve explained myself poorly again. What I meant is that I’m gonna use just Test for every cycle I will ever run. And I might do max 2 cycles per year, lasting 8-10 weeks each. The rest of the time I’ll stay off so ofc I’m gonna do PCT as well.

So you suggest to go sligthly hypercaloric and do more activity for recomp instead of going slightly hypocaloric. I see.
I guess there are a lot of possibilities and they really depend on my goals at each and every time of my life.
I know recomp is usually not recommended because it being a somewhat advanced approach that could lead nowhere if done poorly.
I had never heard about the hybrid approach you suggested during the same cycle (cut then bulk), and I’m curious now so I’ve started my researches on whether or not this could be the right solution for me.
Thanks for the idea. :slight_smile:

My PCT would be Nolva and Clomid at standard dosages, plus HCG during cycle. Standard protocol, that is.
But then someone said that common PCT protocols are wrong so that made me doubtful for a while. I know that a vet among the vets, Prisoner, recommends Test tapering during PCT. I wonder if this is more effective.

Oh I understand. Trust me, you plan that now but two cycles down the track you will want to try something else.

This hybrid approach is what I used for my first cycle (14 weeks 500mg/week test e) and I used clen to help with the cut. It was very successful.

Try running the hcg on cycle but you may find it causes some estrogen related sides. I did for my first two cycles but found that not running it was better FOR ME, might be different for you. I prefer to run hcg 250iu E3D for 3 weeks starting the day after my last injection followed by clomid. The clomid dosed at 100mg for first 2 days filled by 50mg ED for a week, then 25mg ED for 4 weeks. Asin 12.5mg E2D for whole pct. Bloods confirmed this was effective, again for me.

I trust you. Anavar, Equipoise and Deca could be my “Tier 2” go to AAS.
Lean gains from Var, increased endurance from Eq and Deca as a hair safe compound that may help relieve chronic joint inflammation.
So far I’ve discarded the idea of using less safe stuff because I’m pretty much genetically prone to every aesthetic side that AAS could give.

I might stay away from Clen as I find low dosage ECA gives me a serious performance boost without introducting any side effect whatsoever.

So you used Asin for PCT. Is this somewhat similar to Nolva?

They are all good things to try down the track. What makes you think you will get all the side effects?

No, Aromasin, or Exemestane, is an AI (aromatase inhibitor) which binds to the aromatase enzyme and disables it. Aromisan does this permanently which means whatever aromatase it binds to will be useless. Aromatase enzyme is what converts testosterone into estrogen, thereby preventing this will allow for higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of estrogen. So aromasin is used on cycle and/or on pct to control estrogen.

Nolvadex, or Tomaxifen, is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) which binds to targeted estrogen receptors and either blocks it to prevent estrogen from binding, or activates it and works the same way as estrogen would. One of the receptors that nolvadex binds to is in breast tissue, it blocks these receptors which in turn prevents estrogen from binding and causing gyno. Nolva also directly has an effect on the hypothalamus and cause it to release gonadotropin. The gonadotropin then binds to the pituitary gland which then releases LH (leutenising hormone) and FSH (folical stimulating hormone), both of which bind to receptors in the testes to produce testosterone. This essentially makes it a jumpstarter for the HPTA and is why it’s used on pct.

So basically aromasin is taken to control estrogen and nolvadex is used to prevent/treat gyno as well as make you testicles work again. This really should be something you should have learnt before considering steroids though, please ask any more questions you have before you start!!

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Yeah well, I slacked off a bit since I was studying other related topics and eventually I would have started studying PCT seriously. Also because there’s an ex pro, a friend of mine, who offered to follow me in the process.
So I guess he should know one thing or two about it.
This is why I only asked questions specific to my case (i.e. an athlete who trains for relative strength, not a bodybuilder who wants to get huge).

I really thank you for the explaination and I might ask you further questions before I start. I understand there’s a lot to learn about AAS, it’s like a whole new world of training.