First Test E Cycle - Diet Questions

Pharma / TRT
1

Ok all, i am 36 year old male. 3 years ago i was an unhealthy fat 260 lbs. One day i just decided to change my life. I hit the gym hard and ran a lot in the beginning. In the first year i got my weight down to 193lbs. A few months later i impregnated my wife. At the time she delivered my son i was back up to 240 lbs (very unhealthy. It is now 1 year later and i am back down to 212. This time i lightened my cardio a bit and focused more on lifting. But i do still incorporate a good amount of cardio into my week. I have been holding at 212 for about 3 months now. My max reps at the gym have stabilized as well. My height is 5’ 9" and body fat still at 24%.

After several months of research and thought process i decided to take it to the next level. I have just completed my 2nd week of test e. This is my first cycle ever. My dosage is not typical and i am sure i will be executed for it. My test e is 300mg/ml. I take one cc every 6 days. I know i should be taking atleast 500mg weekly, but this is what i decided on as i am a father of 3 and have to attend a kids school event every once in a while.

I hope to extend this cycle somewhere between 10 and 12 weeks. I have AI and hcg on hand but have not yet begun taking either of them. I also have clomid and nolva which i will begin 2 weeks after my last pin.

I will attach a pic shortly to show everybody that i still have some fat on my body. My arms and shoulders are shredded, my chest is hard as a rock underneath the little bit of fat that i still have and my mid section area still has some flab. But i am strong as fuck. I can plank for almost five minutes. I just ran a 12 mile race last month. I feel a lot better than i look right now.

Here is a typical day of eating for me since i started my cycle:

5am - 6 egg whites and 2 whole eggs mixed in w 1/2 cup of oats.

8am - 7 oz grilled chicken / 1/2 sweet potato - 4 oz broccoli w olive oil

11am - 2 scoops whey w 1/2 cup of oats mixed in.

2pm - 7 oz turkey chopmeat / 4 oz brown rice / 4oz baby carrots

5pm - 7 oz grilled salmon / 4 oz asparagus w olive oil / 4 oz brown rice

6:30 pm - gym (bcaa’s during workout)

8pm - post workout and last meal - 1 apple w almond butter / 1 fat free greek yogurt / 2 rice cakes

My question is this. I want to build muscle mass / strength and shred the rest of this stubborn fat off my body. What do i need to do different?

2

You are in no danger of getting too jacked for your kid’s events lol. You say you are strong but reference that you can run 12 miles as supportive evidence? I think sharing your main lifts would make more sense as a guage of strength.

I can tell you right now you are going to have dissappointing results. A low dose cycle mixed with competing goals of gaining lean mass and losing fat. Yes, while on you can do both to an extent, but more than likely you will tread water.

3

Your benchmarks are not really applicable for strength. Planks? Distance running? WTF.

You are at the high end of TRT, not even close to a decent muscle building cycle. When you start taking exogenous hormones your natural production drops/stops. So you are starting with a negative and barely adding enough to cover the deficit. It is head smackingly ridiculous.

An AI is not an option. Why are you waiting? Your estrogen levels will be rising without an AI and you are more likely to add fat with what you are doing than anything else.

If you move to a decent beginners cycle of 500mg test per week you will be much better off. Do strength work on a good 5x5 linear progression or similar focusing on the three main power lifts with a few good accessory lifts (rows, dips, pullups) spread over 3-5 days at the gym. You will add muscle which will burn more calories and then the fat will come off more than excessive cardio.

Your program as it stands is just a big freaking mess.

4

Forgive me. I did not explain myself correctly. The reason i mentioned that i can plank or distance run was to show that although i still retain some fat, i feel like i have the abilities of somebody who is more fit than i would appear. I do lift a great deal. I wont say that i am a super strong lifter. My bench is maxed at 235, squat 285, and dead lift only 265 because i am dealing with a lower back issue from a few years back. I lift 5 days/week. My workouts are balls to the wall. I leave the gym soaked with every workout.

Since my original post last night, i have decided to up my weekly dosage to 500mg per week going into week 3 which started today. I have to listen when everybody is saying to do so. That being said, i will start the AI this week as well.

Based on these adjustments, what additional changes do you suggest ie. Diet, workout, supplementation, etc. thnx for your assistance. Much appreciated.

5

Not sure how many will agree with me here, but your post workout needs to be more substantial than that, I know its probably close to going to sleep for most people but need to beef that up a bit or go to the gym at a different time of day, try some more fish and a baked potato or something really need the added protein and calories after the gym.

6

[quote]Abbat41535 wrote:
Forgive me. I did not explain myself correctly. The reason i mentioned that i can plank or distance run was to show that although i still retain some fat, i feel like i have the abilities of somebody who is more fit than i would appear. I do lift a great deal. I wont say that i am a super strong lifter. My bench is maxed at 235, squat 285, and dead lift only 265 because i am dealing with a lower back issue from a few years back. I lift 5 days/week. My workouts are balls to the wall. I leave the gym soaked with every workout.

Since my original post last night, i have decided to up my weekly dosage to 500mg per week going into week 3 which started today. I have to listen when everybody is saying to do so. That being said, i will start the AI this week as well.

Based on these adjustments, what additional changes do you suggest ie. Diet, workout, supplementation, etc. thnx for your assistance. Much appreciated.[/quote]

Wow, I am thoroughly impressed. It is so common to see someone flip out after getting some suggestions to see someone take them to heart and make changes to their protocol is refreshing. If you make the changes of upping your test and adding in an AI you should be doing really well with your current diet and workouts.

Give it about three weeks or so and then update us on how it is going.

7

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Midway through week 3. This is the first week at 500mg. Started AI 2 days ago.

8

Does anybody know how i can remove my main picture that i posted at the top of this thread? I would like to remain discreet on this endeavor and accidently posted a pic showing my face.

9

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27 days in - 500 mg per week.

10

Lol. You’re 211lbs with a 235lb bench press and describe yourself as “strong as fuck”. I could bench 275lbs and trapbar deadlift 400lbs at 175lbs and would NEVER describe myself as strong

Anyways… your diet looks good and you’re obv’s serious about your venture seeing that you’ve found this place. If you keep your nose clean you’ll get great advice here

I’d add a better post workout meal if I were you. Myself I get my fast acting carbs to replenish my glycogen levels from an intense workout from pure dextrose dumped into my shake. I’ll follow that with a protein meal shortly after… you train later in the day tho so I’m not sure how you’d go about eating that late

You’re on the right track. Keep pushing yourself and posting your progress.

11

Ok, “strong as fuck” was taken totally out of context. As mentioned earlier, i simply meant that although i was still a bit chubby, i could perform activities that healthy athletes are doing.

And regarding my post workout meal, i have changed my workout time down a bit. So i actually squeeze in a big meal post workout. Typically a 7oz piece of salmon w steamed broccoli and a large baked potato.

As for my progress, it is day 29 and there have been significant changes. I am definately growing. Saturday night at a birthday party for a friend, one of my wife’s friends kept groping my pecs. It was awesome. And two friends said i look bigger. My workouts are ridiculous. I hit it so hard. My cheesy bench went from 235 to 250 already. And my endurance is through the roof. My main issue is that because i started this cycle with a good amount of body fat, my chest and arms are getting bigger but my belly is staying big as well. I realize that i am bulking, but i was hoping that the muscle would burn some of this belly fat. Maybe in time, as it has only been 4 weeks.

My other issue is that i dont get much sleep. I know that sleep is essential but i have had insomnia my whole life and it is no different now. I am only averaging about 5 hours a night. Trust me i am working on this. Just bought melatonin.

Anyway, thats it for now. I will check back in in a few days. Oh and if anybody can please assist in helping me take down the picture that i accidently posted at the top of this thread, i would greatly appreciate it.

12

[quote]Rocksolid1 wrote:
Not sure how many will agree with me here, but your post workout needs to be more substantial than that, I know its probably close to going to sleep for most people but need to beef that up a bit or go to the gym at a different time of day, try some more fish and a baked potato or something really need the added protein and calories after the gym. [/quote]

yeah, i agree.

13

[quote]Abbat41535 wrote:
Ok all, i am 36 year old male. 3 years ago i was an unhealthy fat 260 lbs. One day i just decided to change my life. I hit the gym hard and ran a lot in the beginning. In the first year i got my weight down to 193lbs. A few months later i impregnated my wife. At the time she delivered my son i was back up to 240 lbs (very unhealthy. It is now 1 year later and i am back down to 212. This time i lightened my cardio a bit and focused more on lifting. But i do still incorporate a good amount of cardio into my week. I have been holding at 212 for about 3 months now. My max reps at the gym have stabilized as well. My height is 5’ 9" and body fat still at 24%.

After several months of research and thought process i decided to take it to the next level. I have just completed my 2nd week of test e. This is my first cycle ever. My dosage is not typical and i am sure i will be executed for it. My test e is 300mg/ml. I take one cc every 6 days. I know i should be taking atleast 500mg weekly, but this is what i decided on as i am a father of 3 and have to attend a kids school event every once in a while.

I hope to extend this cycle somewhere between 10 and 12 weeks. I have AI and hcg on hand but have not yet begun taking either of them. I also have clomid and nolva which i will begin 2 weeks after my last pin.

I will attach a pic shortly to show everybody that i still have some fat on my body. My arms and shoulders are shredded, my chest is hard as a rock underneath the little bit of fat that i still have and my mid section area still has some flab. But i am strong as fuck. I can plank for almost five minutes. I just ran a 12 mile race last month. I feel a lot better than i look right now.

Here is a typical day of eating for me since i started my cycle:

5am - 6 egg whites and 2 whole eggs mixed in w 1/2 cup of oats.

8am - 7 oz grilled chicken / 1/2 sweet potato - 4 oz broccoli w olive oil

11am - 2 scoops whey w 1/2 cup of oats mixed in.

2pm - 7 oz turkey chopmeat / 4 oz brown rice / 4oz baby carrots

5pm - 7 oz grilled salmon / 4 oz asparagus w olive oil / 4 oz brown rice

6:30 pm - gym (bcaa’s during workout)

8pm - post workout and last meal - 1 apple w almond butter / 1 fat free greek yogurt / 2 rice cakes

My question is this. I want to build muscle mass / strength and shred the rest of this stubborn fat off my body. What do i need to do different?[/quote]

did you happen to get bloodwork prior to this cycle?

14

[quote]Abbat41535 wrote:
Ok, “strong as fuck” was taken totally out of context. As mentioned earlier, i simply meant that although i was still a bit chubby, i could perform activities that healthy athletes are doing.

And regarding my post workout meal, i have changed my workout time down a bit. So i actually squeeze in a big meal post workout. Typically a 7oz piece of salmon w steamed broccoli and a large baked potato.

As for my progress, it is day 29 and there have been significant changes. I am definately growing. Saturday night at a birthday party for a friend, one of my wife’s friends kept groping my pecs. It was awesome. And two friends said i look bigger. My workouts are ridiculous. I hit it so hard. My cheesy bench went from 235 to 250 already. And my endurance is through the roof. My main issue is that because i started this cycle with a good amount of body fat, my chest and arms are getting bigger but my belly is staying big as well. I realize that i am bulking, but i was hoping that the muscle would burn some of this belly fat. Maybe in time, as it has only been 4 weeks.

My other issue is that i dont get much sleep. I know that sleep is essential but i have had insomnia my whole life and it is no different now. I am only averaging about 5 hours a night. Trust me i am working on this. Just bought melatonin.

Anyway, thats it for now. I will check back in in a few days. Oh and if anybody can please assist in helping me take down the picture that i accidently posted at the top of this thread, i would greatly appreciate it.[/quote]

I think the expectation to be shedding your belly fat while growing is too much to ask; you really need to pick one goal and stick at it

If your entire upper body is growing and you maintain your current waist size you should appear leaner or more “aesthetic”

Typically to get a lean waist you want to shed excess body fat but you can reduce your everyday waist measurement just by strengthening your inner abs with stomach vacuums… Google it! This actually works quite well IMHO

You can also get yourself on a decent planking routine and practice contracting your abs throughout the day while sitting, standing, walking or driving. This won’t help shed any fat but strengthening these muscles can have quite an impact on how you look… forget excessive ab work that only targets the outer abs

I’d also watch to control any bloating or excessive eating that distends your gut

Eventually, you’ll obviously want to get on a solid routine where shedding fat and maintaining muscle will be your top priority. While bulking you should keep a close eye on how quickly you are gaining weight. You can only build so much muscle at a time. If you pack on 15lbs in 4 weeks chances are it’s mostly water and fat

15

Thank you for your input and suggestions. I understand that depleting fat while on a bulk cycle is a near impossible task. I was just hoping that a clean bulk diet, along with 20 minute cardio 5 days a week along with intense workouts 5 days a week would really assist in the process. 4 weeks in and no substantial fat loss up to this point. Maybe i am setting expectations too high. Maybe i am shedding fat but just not at the rate i was hoping. I will give it more time and stop whining.

Also, looked into stomach vacuum exercise. Very difficult for me to hold for more than 15 seconds. But i will continue to vacuum a few times a day, each day.

Also, my latest blood work should come in in the next 3 days. I will post my stats along with an updated pic.

16

You should just diet down to a satisfactory level of bodyfat for this cycle. What you think is muscle gain is mostly fluid storage in the muscle. It will disappear after the cycle and you will look worse than before if you bulk.

This is why we tell people without enough experience not to start using steroids. Your ability to get results when natural will typically show how well you will do on a cycle.

17

Ok got some results from my blood tests 4 weeks into cycle. One major detail that i left out in this thread is that i kickstarted this cycle with 40 mg of anavar daily. In addition i made a huge rookie mistake and never got my baseline bloodwork done. So i dont have anything to compare it to. I realize i will be highly criticized for not doing baseline testing and taking anavar on my first cycle. I have now been off anavar for 5 days and will continue the cycle without any orals moving forward. My liver readings came back “unsatisfactory”. Here are my results:

Everything else came back in normal range so i will just post some highlights:

Glucose - 83 (normal is 65 - 99)
Liver AST - 64 (normal is 12 - 40) IU/L
Liver ALT - 104 (normal is 6 - 60)
Red blood count - 5.52 (normal is 3.70 - 6.00)
Neutrophils - 73% (normal is 40 - 70)%
Cholesterol - 142 (normal is 125 - 200)mg/dl
HDL cholesterol - 19 (normal is greater than 40)mg/dl
Cholesterol/HDL - 7.5 (normal is less than 5.0)ratio
HDL cholesterol % - 13.4 (normal is greater than 15)%
LDL cholesterol - 103 (normal is less than 130)mg/dl
Triglycerides - 102 (normal is less than 150)mg/dl
Testosterone Total - 1550 (normal is 300 - 1080)ng/dl
Testosterone Free - 574.5 (normal is 47 - 244)pg/ml
Sex hormone binding globulin - 6 (normal is 11 - 80)nmol/L
% of free testosterone - 3.7 (normal is 1.6 - 2.9)%

So i know how my numbers compare to normal readings but i dont know how to break them down when it pertains to AS. Can somebody who is knowledgable give me some type of analysis based on my readings and maybe lead me in the right direction? Since i started the cycle i only had one bad day of fatigue, but every other day has been great. I am concerned that my body had a bad negative reaction to the anavar. As mentioned, i have discontinued it and will not be going back on. Straight test from here on out. Also, my libido was fired up in the beginning and has settled down a little bit. Is that due to the anavar shutting me down also? I feel ok, i still get it up without question, but the first 2 weeks i was a freak of nature.

Anyway, your input is greatly appreciated.

18

E2 values?

19

Apparently they didnt provide an E2 test. Is this something that i need to specifically ask for next time? I just assumed it would be included.

20

[quote]Abbat41535 wrote:
Ok got some results from my blood tests 4 weeks into cycle. One major detail that i left out in this thread is that i kickstarted this cycle with 40 mg of anavar daily. In addition i made a huge rookie mistake and never got my baseline bloodwork done. So i dont have anything to compare it to. I realize i will be highly criticized for not doing baseline testing and taking anavar on my first cycle. I have now been off anavar for 5 days and will continue the cycle without any orals moving forward. My liver readings came back “unsatisfactory”. Here are my results:

Everything else came back in normal range so i will just post some highlights:

Glucose - 83 (normal is 65 - 99)
Liver AST - 64 (normal is 12 - 40) IU/L
Liver ALT - 104 (normal is 6 - 60)
Red blood count - 5.52 (normal is 3.70 - 6.00)
Neutrophils - 73% (normal is 40 - 70)%
Cholesterol - 142 (normal is 125 - 200)mg/dl
HDL cholesterol - 19 (normal is greater than 40)mg/dl
Cholesterol/HDL - 7.5 (normal is less than 5.0)ratio
HDL cholesterol % - 13.4 (normal is greater than 15)%
LDL cholesterol - 103 (normal is less than 130)mg/dl
Triglycerides - 102 (normal is less than 150)mg/dl
Testosterone Total - 1550 (normal is 300 - 1080)ng/dl
Testosterone Free - 574.5 (normal is 47 - 244)pg/ml
Sex hormone binding globulin - 6 (normal is 11 - 80)nmol/L
% of free testosterone - 3.7 (normal is 1.6 - 2.9)%

So i know how my numbers compare to normal readings but i dont know how to break them down when it pertains to AS. Can somebody who is knowledgable give me some type of analysis based on my readings and maybe lead me in the right direction? Since i started the cycle i only had one bad day of fatigue, but every other day has been great. I am concerned that my body had a bad negative reaction to the anavar. As mentioned, i have discontinued it and will not be going back on. Straight test from here on out. Also, my libido was fired up in the beginning and has settled down a little bit. Is that due to the anavar shutting me down also? I feel ok, i still get it up without question, but the first 2 weeks i was a freak of nature.

Anyway, your input is greatly appreciated.[/quote]

1500 for a total test number on 500mgs a week is garbage. Find a new source.