With all of the designer steroids flooding the market, user views seemed to be skewed in regards to optimal cycling conditions. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, and the most popular injectable steroid available. It is my opinion, and that of many others, that testosterone should be the backbone of every cycle. Its effects on mood, mass building, and strength gain, are almost universal. It is predictable and delivers results. It is safe to use, and it has a “normalizing effect” while on more potent, side effect inducing steroids. It is also extremely cheap. Testosterone can be run for long periods of time with minimal liver toxicity, unlike the designer orals. For those of you looking to include testosterone in your upcoming cycles, here is a short breakdown.
There seem to be two sides to the coin, those who say "test is test" and those who insist there is a noted difference in response to testosterone released by different esters.
First off, ALL forms of testosterone partially aromatize into estrogen via the aromatase enzyme, and are converted to DHT (dihydrotestosterone) by the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. DHT is responsible for the majority of androgenic side effects (acne, male pattern hair loss, etc). I will go into prevention of estrogen and DHT related side effects at the end.
For those who are researching, an ester is a small carbon based attachment added to a steroid molecule that causes a slower release of the hormone. The longer the ester, the longer the release time.
The 3 commonly available esters available with testosterone are;
Propionate
Cypionate
Enanthate
Sustanon is also popular testosterone based injectable. It contains a blend of testosterone mixed with the esters:
Phenylpropionate
Propionate
Isocaproate
Decanoate
Finally, there are products of pure testosterone available, commonly called testosterone suspension. This product has no ester at all, and is usually ranked highest among the different versions of testosterone. It must be injected at least once every 2 days, preferably once a day, however. It also has a reputation as being very painful.
For some reason, many seem to believe that steroids are injected intravenously. This could not be farther from the truth. An oil based injection into a vein will cause a severe allergic reaction involving coughing, sweating, the chills, and cramps. Don’t do it. All injections of testosterone, or any other steroid for that matter, are done via intramuscular injection.
testosterone enanthate- must be injected once a week (most split the same dosage into 2 injections a week) The ester continues a slow release over a two week period. post cycle therapy starts 2 weeks after the last shot of testosterone enanthate. One can expect testosterone enanthate to “kick” around week 4, or as late as week 5.
typical dosage- 500-1000mgs. more experienced users use higher doses. a beginner should start with 500mgs a week.
testosterone cypionate- must be injected once a week (most split the same dosage into 2 injections a week). The ester continues a slow release over a two week period. post cycle therapy starts 2 weeks after the last shot of testosterone cypionate. note that cypionate appears to be essentially the same as enanthate. the difference, though small, lies in the fact that the enanthate ester is every so slightly lighter (a difference of one carbon atom). The weight of the ester is taken in cosideration when dosing the drugs. 200mgs of testosterone enanthate contains slightly more tesosterone than testosterone cypionate. Despite this fact, some people rank cypionate above enanthate. Again, post cycle therapy starts 2 weeks after the last shot.
typical dosage- 500-1000mgs. more experienced users use higher doses. a beginner should start with 500mgs a week.
Testosterone propionate- propionate is a short ester. Testosterone propionate must be injected once every other day. some opt for once a day injection, and in a bind once every 3 day injections can be used, though not recommended as it will cause very large fluctuations in hormone levels, leading to more side effects. Post cycle therapy starts 2 days after the last shot of testosterone propionate.
typical dosage- 50-150mgs every two days. Due to frequency of injection and pain commonly associated with short ester injections, those desiring higher doses will commonly use a longer ester.
people claim that due to the fact that frequent propionate injections cause a more stable blood level of testosterone, aromatization and bloat isn’t as bad with this testosterone. While there is merit to the argument that less aromatization occurs with a more consistent blood level, I have personally not noticed a large difference between propionate and the longer esters in this regard, but it is certainly possible as user response varies.
Sustanon- Sustanon has a singular reputation among the testosterones. Users of other esters of testosterone typically raise the dosage with each cycle to achieve the same effect. Sustanon, however, has the reputation of delivering a relatively constant effect under the same dosage.
500-1000mgs a week. Again, more experienced users will use higher doses.
dosing guidelines for sustanon are commonly incorrect. Sustanon contains both very short acting and very long acting esters. some tend to handle it as a long estered drug, others, a short estered. The dosing ranges from injecting 3 times a week to once every 5 days or so. Those who deviate from once every 5 days will experience a fluctuation in hormone levels, causing more side effects. post cyle therapy starts 3 weeks after the last injection of this drug due to the decoanate ester, which has a 3 week release time. Some opt for 2 weeks, but the lower levels of testosterone being released at this point will still cause some suppression.
Testosterone suspension- Once again, commonly ranked highest among the testosterones. It causes an instantaneous increase in testosterone levels and sustains a release from the injection for 2 days. Estrogenic side effects are the most pronounced with this drug since it instantly spikes testosterone levels. Side effects can be lessened with more frequent injections
dosing- 50-100mgs a day. Some people go as low as 25mgs a day.
Its probably apparent by now that the dosages of these substances vary significantly on a weekly basis. I touched on the subject of ester weight being factored into the dose of substance administered. In short, less of the shorter estered testosterone can be used in relation to the longer estered, since the shorter estered testosterones contain more actual testosterone. 500mgs of test suspension contains more than 100mgs more of pure testosterone than 500mgs of test enanthate.
When a new user of injectables (who nowadays has probably done superdrol, phera plex, halodrol, etc already) the cycle most commonly recommended to him is
500mgs of testosterone enanthate or cypionate a week for 12 weeks
with a 30-40mgs a day dianabol jumpstart for the first month (remember it takes enanthate and cypionate about a month to kick in)
The dianabol can be substituted for any of the available designer steroids. This cycle is solid and simple, but lets examine the pros and cons. First off, dianabol is is a methylated oral. It is liver toxic. While not much of a concern for the short period being used, it should still be taken into consideration. Testosterone by itself rarely raises liver values (indicative of stress) by itself when used in moderate doses. Some people are more sensitive to steroids than others, and side effects can manifest very quickly, not to mention injuries or illness may occur while on cycle. For an individual on his first cycle, being able to note and control these side effects is important. Test enanthate and cypionate release over a 2 week period. If gynocomastia (male breast formation), uncontrollable acne, hair loss, injury, or illness occur, the user will have to wait 2 weeks for the drug to finish releasing. This is not optimal
The pros to this type of cycle are that enanthate/cypionate are relatively painless, and must only be injected once or twice a week. To a new user just feeling his way through his first few injections, the low frequency of injection can be very helpful.
Id like to suggest an alternate cycle to those who fear estrogenic or DHT related side effects. Testosterone propionate finishes releasing testosterone into the body within 2 days. If there is a flare in gyno that cannot be controlled with on hand anti estrogens or if the user notices his hair if falling out, the problem will not be given a chance to progress if testosterone propionate is discontinued. These issues would continue to progress for 2 weeks if cypionate/enanthate were used.
100-125mgs of testosterone propionate every other day (or 50mgs ed) for 8-10 weeks.
There is no need for a jumpstart as testosterone propionate begins its release immediately. There will be visible changes in strength and weight within a week, without the liver stress associated with an oral jumpstart. Any side effects that cannot be controlled can be easily halted within two days once the substance has been stopped, and only one substance is being used, as opposed to learning to use two at the same time as in the aforementioned cycle.
The downside is that testosterone propionate tends to become painful at the injection site 2-3 days after use.
As for controlling estrogen and DHT related side effects, I would recommend 3 basic substances.
Estrogen Control-
Tamoxifen citrate- AKA nolvadex, this is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) that prevents already formed estrogen from activating estrogen receptors. Tamoxifen has a special affinity for the nipple, making it a prime candidate for gyno prevention. Bloating will not be effectively controlled with tamoxifen (excess estrogen causes water retention). It also allows for the already circulating estrogen to impact HGH secretion and glycogen uptake by muscle tissue, unlike the next substance. If gyno arises while on an aromatase inhibitor, tamoxifen is usually called upon to knock it out.
Dosing- 10-20mgs a day. 40 if used to knock on forming gynocomastia
Anastrozole- AKA a-dex, arimidex. This is a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor. This inhibits the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. This will control bloating, and gynocomastia. It will not allow for the creation of estrogen in significant amounts, and therefore it will not allow for the HGH boost and glycogen uptake that a SERM will. It will give a user a harder look however, as the muscles will not be bloated with water.
Dosing- .25mg every other day, .25mg a day, or .5mg every other day.
Finastride- This is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. DHT is what causes male pattern hair loss, benign prostate hypertrophy (in some cases), and acne. Finastride is effective in lowering circulating levels of DHT, and is most useful to those with a genetic predisposition to male pattern baldness. If your father is bald, then you should probably play it safe and use finastride.
Dosing- 1mg-2mg a day
This is an overview, there is much more knowledge out there in relation to combining testosterone with other steroids, and other types of estrogen/DHT control. I hope this has been helpful, but this overview alone does not contain enough information to get an individual safely through a cycle.
Other areas to look at:
Proper diet
Training
POST CYCLE THERAPY (no, its not optional, or overrated)
Supplements that must be taken on cycle for blood pressure, acne, prostate etc.
Good luck everyone, safe cycling.
There seem to be two sides to the coin, those who say "test is test" and those who insist there is a noted difference in response to testosterone released by different esters.
First off, ALL forms of testosterone partially aromatize into estrogen via the aromatase enzyme, and are converted to DHT (dihydrotestosterone) by the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme. DHT is responsible for the majority of androgenic side effects (acne, male pattern hair loss, etc). I will go into prevention of estrogen and DHT related side effects at the end.
For those who are researching, an ester is a small carbon based attachment added to a steroid molecule that causes a slower release of the hormone. The longer the ester, the longer the release time.
The 3 commonly available esters available with testosterone are;
Propionate
Cypionate
Enanthate
Sustanon is also popular testosterone based injectable. It contains a blend of testosterone mixed with the esters:
Phenylpropionate
Propionate
Isocaproate
Decanoate
Finally, there are products of pure testosterone available, commonly called testosterone suspension. This product has no ester at all, and is usually ranked highest among the different versions of testosterone. It must be injected at least once every 2 days, preferably once a day, however. It also has a reputation as being very painful.
For some reason, many seem to believe that steroids are injected intravenously. This could not be farther from the truth. An oil based injection into a vein will cause a severe allergic reaction involving coughing, sweating, the chills, and cramps. Don’t do it. All injections of testosterone, or any other steroid for that matter, are done via intramuscular injection.
testosterone enanthate- must be injected once a week (most split the same dosage into 2 injections a week) The ester continues a slow release over a two week period. post cycle therapy starts 2 weeks after the last shot of testosterone enanthate. One can expect testosterone enanthate to “kick” around week 4, or as late as week 5.
typical dosage- 500-1000mgs. more experienced users use higher doses. a beginner should start with 500mgs a week.
testosterone cypionate- must be injected once a week (most split the same dosage into 2 injections a week). The ester continues a slow release over a two week period. post cycle therapy starts 2 weeks after the last shot of testosterone cypionate. note that cypionate appears to be essentially the same as enanthate. the difference, though small, lies in the fact that the enanthate ester is every so slightly lighter (a difference of one carbon atom). The weight of the ester is taken in cosideration when dosing the drugs. 200mgs of testosterone enanthate contains slightly more tesosterone than testosterone cypionate. Despite this fact, some people rank cypionate above enanthate. Again, post cycle therapy starts 2 weeks after the last shot.
typical dosage- 500-1000mgs. more experienced users use higher doses. a beginner should start with 500mgs a week.
Testosterone propionate- propionate is a short ester. Testosterone propionate must be injected once every other day. some opt for once a day injection, and in a bind once every 3 day injections can be used, though not recommended as it will cause very large fluctuations in hormone levels, leading to more side effects. Post cycle therapy starts 2 days after the last shot of testosterone propionate.
typical dosage- 50-150mgs every two days. Due to frequency of injection and pain commonly associated with short ester injections, those desiring higher doses will commonly use a longer ester.
people claim that due to the fact that frequent propionate injections cause a more stable blood level of testosterone, aromatization and bloat isn’t as bad with this testosterone. While there is merit to the argument that less aromatization occurs with a more consistent blood level, I have personally not noticed a large difference between propionate and the longer esters in this regard, but it is certainly possible as user response varies.
Sustanon- Sustanon has a singular reputation among the testosterones. Users of other esters of testosterone typically raise the dosage with each cycle to achieve the same effect. Sustanon, however, has the reputation of delivering a relatively constant effect under the same dosage.
500-1000mgs a week. Again, more experienced users will use higher doses.
dosing guidelines for sustanon are commonly incorrect. Sustanon contains both very short acting and very long acting esters. some tend to handle it as a long estered drug, others, a short estered. The dosing ranges from injecting 3 times a week to once every 5 days or so. Those who deviate from once every 5 days will experience a fluctuation in hormone levels, causing more side effects. post cyle therapy starts 3 weeks after the last injection of this drug due to the decoanate ester, which has a 3 week release time. Some opt for 2 weeks, but the lower levels of testosterone being released at this point will still cause some suppression.
Testosterone suspension- Once again, commonly ranked highest among the testosterones. It causes an instantaneous increase in testosterone levels and sustains a release from the injection for 2 days. Estrogenic side effects are the most pronounced with this drug since it instantly spikes testosterone levels. Side effects can be lessened with more frequent injections
dosing- 50-100mgs a day. Some people go as low as 25mgs a day.
Its probably apparent by now that the dosages of these substances vary significantly on a weekly basis. I touched on the subject of ester weight being factored into the dose of substance administered. In short, less of the shorter estered testosterone can be used in relation to the longer estered, since the shorter estered testosterones contain more actual testosterone. 500mgs of test suspension contains more than 100mgs more of pure testosterone than 500mgs of test enanthate.
When a new user of injectables (who nowadays has probably done superdrol, phera plex, halodrol, etc already) the cycle most commonly recommended to him is
500mgs of testosterone enanthate or cypionate a week for 12 weeks
with a 30-40mgs a day dianabol jumpstart for the first month (remember it takes enanthate and cypionate about a month to kick in)
The dianabol can be substituted for any of the available designer steroids. This cycle is solid and simple, but lets examine the pros and cons. First off, dianabol is is a methylated oral. It is liver toxic. While not much of a concern for the short period being used, it should still be taken into consideration. Testosterone by itself rarely raises liver values (indicative of stress) by itself when used in moderate doses. Some people are more sensitive to steroids than others, and side effects can manifest very quickly, not to mention injuries or illness may occur while on cycle. For an individual on his first cycle, being able to note and control these side effects is important. Test enanthate and cypionate release over a 2 week period. If gynocomastia (male breast formation), uncontrollable acne, hair loss, injury, or illness occur, the user will have to wait 2 weeks for the drug to finish releasing. This is not optimal
The pros to this type of cycle are that enanthate/cypionate are relatively painless, and must only be injected once or twice a week. To a new user just feeling his way through his first few injections, the low frequency of injection can be very helpful.
Id like to suggest an alternate cycle to those who fear estrogenic or DHT related side effects. Testosterone propionate finishes releasing testosterone into the body within 2 days. If there is a flare in gyno that cannot be controlled with on hand anti estrogens or if the user notices his hair if falling out, the problem will not be given a chance to progress if testosterone propionate is discontinued. These issues would continue to progress for 2 weeks if cypionate/enanthate were used.
100-125mgs of testosterone propionate every other day (or 50mgs ed) for 8-10 weeks.
There is no need for a jumpstart as testosterone propionate begins its release immediately. There will be visible changes in strength and weight within a week, without the liver stress associated with an oral jumpstart. Any side effects that cannot be controlled can be easily halted within two days once the substance has been stopped, and only one substance is being used, as opposed to learning to use two at the same time as in the aforementioned cycle.
The downside is that testosterone propionate tends to become painful at the injection site 2-3 days after use.
As for controlling estrogen and DHT related side effects, I would recommend 3 basic substances.
Estrogen Control-
Tamoxifen citrate- AKA nolvadex, this is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) that prevents already formed estrogen from activating estrogen receptors. Tamoxifen has a special affinity for the nipple, making it a prime candidate for gyno prevention. Bloating will not be effectively controlled with tamoxifen (excess estrogen causes water retention). It also allows for the already circulating estrogen to impact HGH secretion and glycogen uptake by muscle tissue, unlike the next substance. If gyno arises while on an aromatase inhibitor, tamoxifen is usually called upon to knock it out.
Dosing- 10-20mgs a day. 40 if used to knock on forming gynocomastia
Anastrozole- AKA a-dex, arimidex. This is a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor. This inhibits the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. This will control bloating, and gynocomastia. It will not allow for the creation of estrogen in significant amounts, and therefore it will not allow for the HGH boost and glycogen uptake that a SERM will. It will give a user a harder look however, as the muscles will not be bloated with water.
Dosing- .25mg every other day, .25mg a day, or .5mg every other day.
Finastride- This is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. DHT is what causes male pattern hair loss, benign prostate hypertrophy (in some cases), and acne. Finastride is effective in lowering circulating levels of DHT, and is most useful to those with a genetic predisposition to male pattern baldness. If your father is bald, then you should probably play it safe and use finastride.
Dosing- 1mg-2mg a day
This is an overview, there is much more knowledge out there in relation to combining testosterone with other steroids, and other types of estrogen/DHT control. I hope this has been helpful, but this overview alone does not contain enough information to get an individual safely through a cycle.
Other areas to look at:
Proper diet
Training
POST CYCLE THERAPY (no, its not optional, or overrated)
Supplements that must be taken on cycle for blood pressure, acne, prostate etc.
Good luck everyone, safe cycling.
