Deca is a special compound to me. I did it for my first cycle at 50mg/ week and saw fantastic results. My first cycle was like 6 weeks. Some folks say that the long esters should be run for longer. It's true Deca take a little longer than a shorter estered anabolic for you to start seeing results, but it will continue to be in your system for a while after you stop too, so that logic works both ways. I ran my cycle for 5 or 6 weeks (can't remember now) but I gained somewhere in between 15-20 lbs. Yes, it came close to shutting me down too. If you have your heart set on Deca, go with the shorter ester NPP. I'd go with low doses. I think a lot of folks believe that high dosages need to be run on most things, but I think if you did 150 mg of Deca or NPP per week, you'll get good results, sides will be low, and your recovery will go smoother.