I’ve made some gains, but it’s come at the cost of my mental health. I’ve never felt smaller or more foolish.
Bulking and cycling as an untrained fatty is incredibly counterintuitive. I thought I would be the exception to this rule, but I was wrong. Most of you probably don’t need to hear this, but take advice when the majority of people tell you something. Yes, there are exceptions, but chances are, you’re not one of them.
If you’re going to cycle, get as lean as possible first, find a training routine you genuinely enjoy, and dial in your diet. Don’t make the mistake I did by winging it. That approach leads to overwhelming anxiety and self-doubt.
Lower the dose to 175mg while eating at maintenance for four weeks, then cut to 12% body fat (around 180 lbs). I’d like to continue the blast a little longer, but at this point, the benefits of reaching an optimal body fat outweigh the diminishing returns of continuing the blast.
What would you do if exogenous testosterone was out of the equation? When you have the right answer to the most important question - That’s where the magic happens! I’m surprised you stick with testosterone, even though you learned it’s not the answer you’re looking for.
It’s time to make some longwithstanding goals for 2025 - Where would you like to be in one year from now? How will you get there? Which type of training does your body respond to? If I am to repeat myself, I highly recommend you try the full body HIT program of 30-10-30.
I’m sticking with test because I’ve been hypogonadal since I was a teenager and will inevitably need to start TRT sooner rather than later.
HIT has always interested me, though it has a somewhat dogmatic following, with many people viewing it in a very black-and-white way. Personally, I like starting with a good warm-up, then using a moderate weight for 10-12 reps. After that, I move to my heaviest set for 6-8 reps to failure, and finish with a lighter weight for 12-15 reps for one or two more sets to failure. This approach gives me a nice mix of low and high volume. I’m also planning to read Heavy Duty by Mike Mentzer.
My main goal for 2025 is to be more relaxed. To achieve this, I’m focusing on spending more quality time with my wife and child, saying yes more, and setting a solid yet flexible schedule for myself. I’ve realized that balance and being present are just as important as physical progress.
age old tale of prove to yourself not others and your mindset will be changed for the better also. If you can handle the cycle and see your mistakes taper off the negative habits, change them for the better and keep working forwards.
I’m really happy with my gains, but over the twelve weeks, I dealt with a lot of anxiety and stress about how my higher body fat might be holding back my results. Dialing in my AI also took some time, and that wasn’t a fun process.
This whole experience was super humbling. I wouldn’t say I’ve had some big self-actualization moment or anything, but I’ve learned a lot about myself and my goals in this short period.
TL;DR: Happy with my gains overall, but I feel like an idiot for going about it all the wrong way.
You look a lot better tbh. More muscular and even slightly more lean. I think it was a success granted not a large success . I say just lower the dose and try to shed some fat
look at the positive bro, you’ve got stored matter to go and burn off with some workouts before its your muscle loss! physical training is as much mental also “for every negative teres a positive, workout how to control them both and you gain the structure and strength you need”
