I’m a blood test junkie and I wanted to ask about your train of thought when bumping your test.
Are you doing it for the sake of “chasing a feeling” (pump, energy, etc.)? Are you doing it to follow a certain “progression” until you notice sides? Are you doing it because that’s what was suggested to you? Are you doing it to achieve a certain level of test serum concentration on blood work?
I recently took 200mg/week of test c from a UG vendor. After 3 shots, i noticed no difference in how I felt, so I went for bloodwork.
My total test was 550 (which is exactly where it was before the cycle started after 8 weeks off and some pct). I imagine the test c I got was either underdosed, or just a faulty batch. Either way, swapped it for pharma test, and after 1 week with it (250mg) I redid bloods and I was up in the >1,500. Now we’re talking.
So here’s my question:
My lab tests (I’ve gone to 3 different places) will not show me exactly how much total test I have, the upper limit is 1500, anything over will be shown “> 1500”.
As such, I can’t exactly judge whether or not an increase in dosage results in a corresponding increase in total test - I can only assume it does.
With that said, if my test is already on the supra physiological level (>1,500). Would I benefit from an increased dose? I’ve tested both the day after the shot, and the day before the next shot, both levels “are the same” (I’m doing 125mg on Tue/Sat).
Should I instead consider pushing other drugs? (currently doing UG deca @ 400, but I’m a water retentive sucker).
You are asking for or getting the ECLIA immunoassay which is the wrong T test for cycle or Blast users. You want a Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) T blood test. Yes it is alot more expensive. Your insurance will probably not pay for the more accurate expensive test.
HTH
Thank you for the clarification. I’ll try a few more labs. I’m not in the US, so our labs here don’t have as many options, from what I can tell.
And to follow that up, is there “golden” total testosterone level you should aim for? Is that what you would use to gauge whether you go higher on the dose or not?
No I don’t think there is a golden level. I believe based on age there are levels one should be at.
The doctor saying you are in range doesn’t really mean much. Inrange of an 18-80-year-old.
I believe that 500-750mg a week is max. With every steroid, adding some more has diminished returns - the more you take the less you get. Your first 250mg might give you extra 100% benefits. Going up to 500 will add more like 50% and going up to 750mg will give you some extra 15% imo.
But there has to be a lot of individual experimenting, because you need to be on same kcals and same training for a month on one dose, then change it and then see if the results change.
As for me, i dont think i get much different results if i increase dosages. I always progress slow, but adding compounds or dosages does not really speed that up. Maybe thats because i dont get enough protein or whatever, but i think there is also that genetic upper limit of how much you can gain pre day/week/month.
I dont see my progress being different on 350mg test and 150mg EQ and 50mg of stanazolol as opposed to 1g of test, 750mg of tren and 50mg of stanazolol, so now i am experimenting the other way - how low can i go and still keep getting stronger.
Im starting to believe that the results we can get from drugs and increased dosages are also genetic. If you look like shit natty, you probably would never need more than basic dosages of stuff as you just wont respond. Guys who look like they are on steroids natty, are the ones who will go to pro contests on mild cycles and will win Olympias on lots of stuff.
As for me… i believe 250mg of test is enough of a cruise/mild cycle and 500mg test is the most i would ever take. And im not sure if 500mg would do more than 250mg, but i would just take more on a blast just because it makes sense on paper.
Thank you for the perspective and personal experience Hank!
I did look shitty natty so I hope you’re wrong lol
What I mean was, when you do 250mg, or if you go higher than that. What are your blood levels of total test in ng/dl for example? Or did you only check for other health markers instead?
in my country labs either cap it at maximum range or the results are all screwy so i have never known.
also, i dont believe there is much point to know - just because your blood shows more test doesnt mean you need it and use it… and also, just because you get 1 reading on lower test and a good reading on more test, it doesnt mean it will speed up your progress.
If good TRT or natty is 1000ng, and @swoops39 said 3000ng is on 500mg, it doesnt necesseraly mean that you gain more with those 3000ng…
There is a limit at which your results just cap for the day/month/year - and you cant override that, IMO.
I agree with you 100%, it’s like chasing a number, not truly conclusive of muscle building and not to mention that everyone’s individual response to AAS is different.
I guess I’m just trying to gather information from different sources to create some sort of framework for myself of what signals to look for to determine whether I can push more, or push elsewhere, or stay level.
The total test, or free test, was a quantifiable way to check, compare progress pics and BF scans over time to see where my body behaves better.
I was doing 450mg/week test c + 200mg deca last cycle, but I would have terrible acne breakouts on my back and shoulders. I did put on 18 lbs of lean mass (Commercial InBody Scans) over a 12 week span.
This time i wanted less acne so i lowered it to 250mg/week + 400mg deca. But it looks like despite significantly less acne, I’m not making as much progress, and I’m still quite high on E2 (80pg/ml) and look soft despite being 12% BF.
My next guess is to try EQ instead of Deca, maybe I’m just too prone to E2 conversion. And bump test to 375mg (vs the 450 acne mess). And gauge that again for 4 weeks to see progress levels.
I would always like to see test as the highest in a blast. 250mg of test is basically a cruise, and there are many sources that say that its no the best way to blast - when you stay on cruise dose of test and just add stuff.
Also, its deca that makes you soft looking, not E2, imo…
this is me on 300pg/ml of e2, back when i didnt know what an AI is… if you are lean, e2 cant really make you soft… its probably deca as it does make everyone soft and you are also taking twice as much as you did before, so you have twice as much Michellin Man effect
Never had acne on test tho, my acne is hardly dependant on food i eat. I can drink energy drinks and eat sugar, and i will break out in huge red blimps that hurt as fuck, but once i take those foods away i am pretty clean, so i dont know what to say to you as far as that goes, but i would really suggest you keep that test in 350-500 range if you want to add stuff… try 350 test and 200 deca maybe?
p.s - you will always get LESS results when you do more and more stuff… every next cycle will give you less…
300pg/ml of E2 is bonkers lol But yeah, you still looked lean, that’s nuts.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
And yeah, I guess Test at the end of the day is the safest (or least dangerous) of the compounds, So it makes sense to make sure it’s the one you’re dosing the highest.
As far as acne goes, I’ve always been acne prone too, even naturally, so AAS just makes it worse. I eat clean 90-95% of the time. I used to be 300lbs obese, so I’ve learned to avoid fast food, processed sweets, and the like.
I did read “micro dosing” your test helps keep a steady level and therefore minimize hormonal fluctuations, which should lessen the acne breakouts. But can you really call it “micro dosing” if you’re blasting?
I’m doing 125mg Tue and Sats, I’ll add 125mg extra on Thu for a total of 375. And if I don’t experience crazy acne in 4 weeks, I may consider the other 125mg on Sun for a total of 500mg.
And deca may have to drop to 200mg, yes. Because I’m only eating about 2400 cals (40/40/20), with a 5 day split, at 196 lbs. I don’t think i should be this soft.
