Test only for a cutting cycle

[milton35]

Hey

I'm at the end of my first cycle (10 weeks of 500mg test e per week) and I've gained 30 pounds. Unfortunately, my bf has increased quite a bit. Don't have anything to measure with, but I'd say it went from 15% to 18%. This might not seem too extreme to you, but because I'm not that big, I sometimes feel like your average skinnyfat dude because of it. And the gut is REALLY bothering me, not only from a aesthetic POV, but also from a practical one: getting my socks on can be a real hassle, so is tying my shoe laces. To top things off, I have puffy nipples from puberty, which really makes for a super soft look.

Because of this, I want to cut, even though it'll soon be winter and no one will really notice anything except me. But there's no way I'm going to cut without some test and risk losing my gains.

So this is what I had in mind:

10-12 weeks of test e, 250mg per week, 10mg aromasin ED to prevent bloat

diet: 500kcal under maintenance, high protein, low carb

weight training: like I'm used to. 8-10 reps. 5, maybe 6 sessions per week, 50min each. I know this might seems like a lot, but I prefer doing 6x50min than 4*80min

cardio: 2x running, 2x swimming, 1 boxing session per week

I would do the cardio in the morning and the weight training in the evening.

My goal is not to be ready for the stage, but just to lose that soft look. From 180lbs @ 18% to 160lbs @ 10-12% so I'm ready for my next bulking cycle, because obviously I shouldn't bulk up any further with the way I look now.

What do you guys think of all this? This will be my first cutting experience.

 

[joeblow12345]

Post your age and height?

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[milton35]

I'm 23. 5'8 180lbs.

 

[dylangemelli]

i think that you need to do something about your diet and training man... a test only cycle should not be causing you to have that big of an increase in body fat... there are obviously flaws in your diet and training... if that is the case, then there is no point in running any sort of cycle until you fix these issues... the way you have it laid out now is basically the same thing you already ran, just less test... aas are not just going to magically work without the proper work being put in...

 

[joeblow12345]

Yes I agree with dylan your diet is the issue. The juice wont do anything to cure your bad eating habits. And if diet was on point then you wouldnt have gained all that fat on test. You should have been leaner after the water came off with more muscle.

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[milton35]

I realise that my diet was a mistake. On all different forums, I read that when on cycle, you should add at least 1500-2000 kcal to your regular diet. I felt that this was waaaay too much, but everyone insisted on this. So I took their advice (only added 1000kcal though) and guess what... I gained way too much fat on this 3700kcal diet. 3700kcal may not sound like a lot, but to me it really is. Maybe those guys are swinging forehammers all day at their jobs, but I just sit on my ass all day. Big difference. At around week 6, I dropped the fats and carbs a little and haven't gained that much fat since. Hey, at least now I've learned from my mistake.

Oh, and joeblow, I'm still on cycle and not on any AI's, so maybe I'll get a little leaner after the cycle. I doubt that my belly fat will decrease, though.

 

[joeblow12345]

The kind of food you eat makes the difference. If everything is clean then you wont gain fat. If your still on cycle then you need to come off and do a pct. Thats the reason your still holding the bloat. And the on cycle ai would have minimized this.

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[TheSVPdeal]

his diet must have been a mess, a 10 week test cycle most guys with good AI use would lean out

http://www.isteroids.com/

I agree. This was what I did my first cycle and in lost body fat while eating whatever I felt like.

 

[timetogethuge1940]

i really think for cutting.. the simpler the better. but it is all going to depend on your diet. elevated test levels is one of the best ways to burn fat, but if u don't eat right then its not going to workout the way you want. i'm not saying u shouldn't run a cycle, but i really think if u ate better, and maybe did your cardio sessions at a time where fat burning is accelerated like after lifting weights u will see better results. if u want to to keep the muscle u have consider picking up some bcaas and hmb instead of the test. also i noticed with your diet that said u had good results dropping weight when u dropped some carbs and fats. if u are going to do a cycle.. do not cut your fats, u will need them.

also.. make sure you fully recovery from the cycle u did before starting a new one/this one.

 

[monk32]

I realise that my diet was a mistake. On all different forums, I read that when on cycle, you should add at least 1500-2000 kcal to your regular diet. I felt that this was waaaay too much, but everyone insisted on this. So I took their advice (only added 1000kcal though) and guess what... I gained way too much fat on this 3700kcal diet. 3700kcal may not sound like a lot, but to me it really is. Maybe those guys are swinging forehammers all day at their jobs, but I just sit on my ass all day. Big difference. At around week 6, I dropped the fats and carbs a little and haven't gained that much fat since. Hey, at least now I've learned from my mistake.

Oh, and joeblow, I'm still on cycle and not on any AI's, so maybe I'll get a little leaner after the cycle. I doubt that my belly fat will decrease, though.

I'm on the same cycle as you so I'm wondering how on earth do you gain 30 lbs??
you mentioned your calories increased 1000 to 3700 so you were on 2700 before...may i know when do you start this 3700calories? Week 1? or Week...??
I'm currently on 4500calories (from 3200) and I'm in Week6 and i've only gain 4lbs so far...

 

[milton35]

I'm on the same cycle as you so I'm wondering how on earth do you gain 30 lbs??
you mentioned your calories increased 1000 to 3700 so you were on 2700 before...may i know when do you start this 3700calories? Week 1? or Week...??
I'm currently on 4500calories (from 3200) and I'm in Week6 and i've only gain 4lbs so far...

Hey bro


I upped my calories from 2700 tot 3700 over the course of the first week. I know this is confusing because some people say that you should only start increasing the cals once you can really feel your strength going up. I'm glad I didn't listen to those guys because my strength only went up by the end of week 6 and by that time I had probably already gained more than 20 lbs. Imagine all the gains I would've missed out on if I waited this long to increase the cals.

Also, a lot of people say that they didn't start gaining until week 4 or so. This wasn't the case with me. I just steadily gained like 4-5 pounds per week starting from week 1. By week 7, I kinda stopped gaining weight.


From what I read online, gaining 30 lbs on your first cycle really isn't that special. I think you just have bunk gear. Even if your diet was shit (which I don't say it is), you should still have gained more than 4lbs by now in water weight alone, assuming you're not on an AI right now.

 

[milton35]

i really think for cutting.. the simpler the better. but it is all going to depend on your diet. elevated test levels is one of the best ways to burn fat, but if u don't eat right then its not going to workout the way you want. i'm not saying u shouldn't run a cycle, but i really think if u ate better, and maybe did your cardio sessions at a time where fat burning is accelerated like after lifting weights u will see better results. if u want to to keep the muscle u have consider picking up some bcaas and hmb instead of the test. also i noticed with your diet that said u had good results dropping weight when u dropped some carbs and fats. if u are going to do a cycle.. do not cut your fats, u will need them.

also.. make sure you fully recovery from the cycle u did before starting a new one/this one.

Thanks for the advice bro. To be honest, I haven't done any cardio on cycle (or in my life for that matter lol).
And no, I'm not some "I want to lose weight so I'll drop the fats" guy. But they were around 150g, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to drop them to around 120g. Dropped carbs from 370 to 350. I realise 350g is a really low number for carbs on a bulking cycle, but since I'm sitting on my ass all day, I really don't think I need more.

 

[timetogethuge1940]

gear effects everyone differently. monk, don't be discouraged. your test will kick in soon enough and you will start seeing excellent gains. slow and steady gains are better, and easier to keep them quick rapid ones.

milton, i would assume that a lot of your weight gain was do to water and like you previously stated.. a shitty diet. Gaining and keeping 30 pounds on any cycle is absurd.. doesn't matter if it is your 1st cycle and your 100th. if you do a good bulking cycle and diet, after pct.. 10-15 pounds of lean mass is excellent results.

 

[timetogethuge1940]

Thanks for the advice bro. To be honest, I haven't done any cardio on cycle (or in my life for that matter lol).
And no, I'm not some "I want to lose weight so I'll drop the fats" guy. But they were around 150g, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to drop them to around 120g. Dropped carbs from 370 to 350. I realise 350g is a really low number for carbs on a bulking cycle, but since I'm sitting on my ass all day, I really don't think I need more.

cardio is a key part to getting and staying lean. I am not saying you have to go outside and run 10 miles everyday.. but doing 20 minutes of light cardio as soon as you wake up, or as soon as you get done lifting weights can exponentially increase the fat burning of your body. Those macros seem a little high to me, do you know what your bmr is..? or around?

 

[dylangemelli]

just because 30 pounds was gained, doesn't mean it was a good thing... in this case, it was not at all... the numbers aren't as big of a deal as opposed to the final picture and the look... there are obviously so many flaws with the diet here and the cardio... it can be fixed but a new routine and diet needs to be implemented to get things on the right track...

 

[RickRock13]

This is a perfect example of how not to run a cycle. Too many guys think that when they run a cycle they should just pack in as much food as possible. Sure they will gain weight, but it will be mostly fat. That isn't a very effective way of doing things. The goal is to add muscle, not scale weight.

As for your original question, you can cut with any compound you want. Test will work fine to hold on to muscle while dieting.

 

[monk32]

Hey bro


I upped my calories from 2700 tot 3700 over the course of the first week. I know this is confusing because some people say that you should only start increasing the cals once you can really feel your strength going up. I'm glad I didn't listen to those guys because my strength only went up by the end of week 6 and by that time I had probably already gained more than 20 lbs. Imagine all the gains I would've missed out on if I waited this long to increase the cals.

Also, a lot of people say that they didn't start gaining until week 4 or so. This wasn't the case with me. I just steadily gained like 4-5 pounds per week starting from week 1. By week 7, I kinda stopped gaining weight.


From what I read online, gaining 30 lbs on your first cycle really isn't that special. I think you just have bunk gear. Even if your diet was shit (which I don't say it is), you should still have gained more than 4lbs by now in water weight alone, assuming you're not on an AI right now.

oh...increased during week1 already....
i increased my calories slowly and hit 4400k only at week3..
my diet is relatively clean and i'm on AI as well.
dont know if my gear is bunk or not...have posted a pic of it...no one can confirm yet...
will continue to train/ eat/ rest hard...and wait...

 

[monk32]

gear effects everyone differently. monk, don't be discouraged. your test will kick in soon enough and you will start seeing excellent gains. slow and steady gains are better, and easier to keep them quick rapid ones.

milton, i would assume that a lot of your weight gain was do to water and like you previously stated.. a shitty diet. Gaining and keeping 30 pounds on any cycle is absurd.. doesn't matter if it is your 1st cycle and your 100th. if you do a good bulking cycle and diet, after pct.. 10-15 pounds of lean mass is excellent results.

hey bro,
thanks for the encouragement....

 

[Jack steel]

I'm on the same cycle as you so I'm wondering how on earth do you gain 30 lbs??
you mentioned your calories increased 1000 to 3700 so you were on 2700 before...may i know when do you start this 3700calories? Week 1? or Week...??
I'm currently on 4500calories (from 3200) and I'm in Week6 and i've only gain 4lbs so far...

I've heard everyone talking about upping calories but I haven't seen what your macro ratios are. I've gone through cycles and completely wasted them and gained nothing due to having a shitty diet. I never gained fat because I just don't for some reason, but I didn't gain an ounce of muscle either. 4 lbs in 6 weeks doesn't mean bunk gear necessarily but you both need to make damn sure your being strict and tracking your macros. Steroids or not, you cant cut corners by eating anything less than 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight. I've tried endlessly thinking the juice would make more efficient use of my protein and I'm always sorely disappointed. In a sentence... Track yur diet!!!

 

[monk32]

I've heard everyone talking about upping calories but I haven't seen what your macro ratios are. I've gone through cycles and completely wasted them and gained nothing due to having a shitty diet. I never gained fat because I just don't for some reason, but I didn't gain an ounce of muscle either. 4 lbs in 6 weeks doesn't mean bunk gear necessarily but you both need to make damn sure your being strict and tracking your macros. Steroids or not, you cant cut corners by eating anything less than 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight. I've tried endlessly thinking the juice would make more efficient use of my protein and I'm always sorely disappointed. In a sentence... Track yur diet!!!

i track my diet in a log.
macros - proteins 41%, carbs 32%, fats 27% = 4400 calories
i eat the same food everyday except on day 7 and i eat rather clean without much seasoning.
before cycle i was at proteins 50%, carbs 30%, fats 20% = 3200 calories (was trying to lower some bf before cycle)

 

[Soadman]

Hey

I'm at the end of my first cycle (10 weeks of 500mg test e per week) and I've gained 30 pounds. Unfortunately, my bf has increased quite a bit. Don't have anything to measure with, but I'd say it went from 15% to 18%. This might not seem too extreme to you, but because I'm not that big, I sometimes feel like your average skinnyfat dude because of it. And the gut is REALLY bothering me, not only from a aesthetic POV, but also from a practical one: getting my socks on can be a real hassle, so is tying my shoe laces. To top things off, I have puffy nipples from puberty, which really makes for a super soft look.

Because of this, I want to cut, even though it'll soon be winter and no one will really notice anything except me. But there's no way I'm going to cut without some test and risk losing my gains.

So this is what I had in mind:

10-12 weeks of test e, 250mg per week, 10mg aromasin ED to prevent bloat

diet: 500kcal under maintenance, high protein, low carb

weight training: like I'm used to. 8-10 reps. 5, maybe 6 sessions per week, 50min each. I know this might seems like a lot, but I prefer doing 6x50min than 4*80min

cardio: 2x running, 2x swimming, 1 boxing session per week

I would do the cardio in the morning and the weight training in the evening.

My goal is not to be ready for the stage, but just to lose that soft look. From 180lbs @ 18% to 160lbs @ 10-12% so I'm ready for my next bulking cycle, because obviously I shouldn't bulk up any further with the way I look now.

What do you guys think of all this? This will be my first cutting experience.

Test leans me out sounds like your diet is off!

 

[TheSVPdeal]

I've heard everyone talking about upping calories but I haven't seen what your macro ratios are. I've gone through cycles and completely wasted them and gained nothing due to having a shitty diet. I never gained fat because I just don't for some reason, but I didn't gain an ounce of muscle either. 4 lbs in 6 weeks doesn't mean bunk gear necessarily but you both need to make damn sure your being strict and tracking your macros. Steroids or not, you cant cut corners by eating anything less than 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight. I've tried endlessly thinking the juice would make more efficient use of my protein and I'm always sorely disappointed. In a sentence... Track yur diet!!!

People are all different. I've ran cycles without eating that much protein and still gained 15 pounds while leaning out and looking like an Adonis. I'm pinning prop and tren now and keeping calories on the lower side and seeing great results.

I know that Rick has similar views on protein. Maybe he'll speak up.