Im not going to pretend like I know anything about steroids or your exact situation, however, just by reading your post and your “arguments” to support your position on needing to take a cycle I would say it sounds like you are more worried about staying lean and losing your love handles while putting on some strength/size to get to a place more of your liking.
My opinion, which may indeed be wrong, but just throwing it out there…
Sounds like you are a bit insulin resistant-love handles, also, considering your height, weight, and age I’d say you just need to spend a few more years focusing on clean bulk periods and heavy weight/high volume training to get some size on your frame and don’t sweat the love handles so much. 200lbs shouldn’t be that hard to get to at your height.
Just throwing it out there bro, but by all means dude, it is your decision. But as a 26 year old being 5’11 and 235 with some love handles myself, your goals aren’t that lofty, patience, consistancy and picking one goal at a time sounds like an easy fix to your situation.
If you are training with these “greats” of your country, and they are natural, sounds like you have all the resources you need to reach your goals.
I too started training at an early age, but long periods away from the gym, be it lack of discipline or occurences throughout day to day life is by no means consistant training it helps to have the muscle memory but thats about it, I am finally at a place where I can make it a focal point in my life and I have found a humble attitude will get you a lot further/stronger than ego lifting. That has been my experience, maybe not true for you, but it takes less thought to consider it than the alternative you are giving yourself.