will low natural test levels cause me to lose gains quickly?

[mrplunkey]

I definitely do not agree with that.. It is like saying when your hormones skyrocket after starting AAS, you ll start gaining in 3 months.. With that low levels of testo, muscle is gonna be lost very quickly unless diet and training is well.. His body will prefer burning muscle

So when do you lose muscle mass?

I begin losing water (I normally control it with some armidex anyway) after 10 days after my last shot. I'm done with the water weight after 20ish days.

And for the 2-4 weeks after my last shot, I'll actually continue to get stronger and gain mass. That's a great time because I feel super-dry and strong. Then I hold even for another 4-6 weeks. No gains, but no noticable losses.

Then around 8-10 weeks, I'll begin to notice that I lose reps and muscle volume. Eventually I'll lose overall strength by the 10 week mark.

Are you saying you lose size/strength even faster than that?

Note: I do use test ethanate... that may be why I experience the ramp up and ramp down more gradually.

 

[stevesmi]

So when do you lose muscle mass?

I begin losing water (I normally control it with some armidex anyway) after 10 days after my last shot. I'm done with the water weight after 20ish days.

And for the 2-4 weeks after my last shot, I'll actually continue to get stronger and gain mass. That's a great time because I feel super-dry and strong. Then I hold even for another 4-6 weeks. No gains, but no noticable losses.

Then around 8-10 weeks, I'll begin to notice that I lose reps and muscle volume. Eventually I'll lose overall strength by the 10 week mark.

Are you saying you lose size/strength even faster than that?

Note: I do use test ethanate... that may be why I experience the ramp up and ramp down more gradually.

yes 2-4 weeks makes sense after your last shot because the esthers are still in your body.. most test esthers clear in 2-3 weeks.. cyp is 2 weeks.. sustanons long esther is 3 weeks.. deca can take 5 weeks.

for me once the esthers clear I begin to level off and then slowly drop.. once you lose that androgenic and anabolic state its hard to stay above a certain level of strength unless you are really really below your genetic potential. the idea though in the end is to keep as much gains as possible.. if you don't look better after PCT then you did before the cycle then you failed on that particular cycle..

 

[aquatic_glories]

Yes , I am saying that it is gonna happen faster.. Protein turnover happens on a constant basis, not once every 10-12 weeks. It is interesting that you restart gaining and then start losing again. It doesnt make a lot of sense but maybe that has something to do with your genetic limits.. If you are over it or very close to it, a few mistakes in your training and diet can cost you to lose muscle.. I used AAS for 3 years and after I stopped, the first 2-3 weeks were hell, yes I could increase my lifts but it was much less and I had to give 200% effort.

I am getting close to 10 weeks after my 3 years of use and I am adding weight or rep constantly, it was nowhere close to this with mid 200 of test levels..


Testo and sex drive doesnt have a perfect correlation but I believe it is different for muscle mass. That why people gained muscle sitting on their ass in that latest Harvard research while using test... And people with 1500 who cant add muscle.. they are doing something wrong.. 1500 is a really high level and unless there is another endocrine condition(zero estrogen,, supressed immune system?) or pathological condition, it is almost impossible not to gain anything with that levels of testo(genetic limits excluded again)

 

[mrplunkey]

For me personally, I think the anabolic effects of test lag me taking them by a minimum of four (and actually closer to five) weeks.

I'll feel more energetic and positive within a week or two of my first shot. And maybe I do have a little more zest in the weight room. But as far as real strength and mass, it's at least 4-5 weeks.

Maybe it's because I'm an old codger (43 y/o).

 

[aquatic_glories]

I really dont know why people say it takes at least 4 weeks to feel effects etc.. Blood tests says that you are anabolic at latest within few hours. But maybe I am a paranoid and feel effects very quickly (I can easily understand 1/10 inch size gain or loss very easily at any given time-no joke)

Personally, I gain almost all of what I gain at the first 4 weeks of a cycle (even with long esters).. the only exception was my first cycle where I almost had no muscle or strength gain for the first 2 weeks..Turned out that I overdosed AI. Other than that I noticed visuable changes within a week everytime.. I even feel tren at first injection-its ridicilous..
After 4 weeks, I gain little strength and size so If I knew what I know now, I would do 4 week cycles instead of 8-10 the whole time.

 

[FlexManning]

no you can build muscle with low levels of test.

there are guys with high levels of test that look like crap... you need to workout

and 330 can be boosted with a better diet, working out (deadlifts, squats) and natty supps.. you do not need HRT.... yet.

It's true. If I'm not mistaken Charles Poliquin has said as much, that he's gotten results with clients who had the test of young girls.

It's like with many other drugs, the fact that it works the way it's intended doesn't necessarily mean it worked because you're body was lacking in it. Nobody has a Vicodin deficiency for instance.

 

[aquatic_glories]

The rats had their testicles removed and still grew muscle.. This is also another proof that there are a lot of muscle growth mechanisms and probably lots of them arent discovered.. But again having test level of 300 at 170 pounds and having the same at 220+ pounds are much different things.. Testosterone is still a very important factor in muscle growth. Thats why we use testosterone as a doping

 

[Nelson Montana]

This is , to a great degree, why I developed UNLEASHED. When you come off a cycle, overall T is low but it's the FREE T that maintains muscle. So if you can raise FREE T , even if total test is low, you're ahead of the game.

 

[stevesmi]

This is , to a great degree, why I developed UNLEASHED. When you come off a cycle, overall T is low but it's the FREE T that maintains muscle. So if you can raise FREE T , even if total test is low, you're ahead of the game.

so true.

total test can be 200 and free test can be 75 and you would grow like a weed.

 

[stevesmi]

I really dont know why people say it takes at least 4 weeks to feel effects etc.. Blood tests says that you are anabolic at latest within few hours. .

yes that is true.. however as demonstrated from my tren ace cycle it takes time to build up in your system even if the half life is short. (i do not know the brology behind it)

i did feel a difference in the first few days.. however it wasn't until week 3 until my strength gains really took off to superhuman status

with primo I saw a difference when i looked in the mirror after week 3 as well.