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Beginning to feel disappointed

MonsterMaker

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Get Shredded!
I’m in my 4th week of my first cycle and it has unfortunately been unremarkable for the most part. I feel like I’m either doing something wrong here or my gear isn’t up to par or I had my standards too high. I should mention that I’m getting my labs done this week too, just thought I’d put this out there to hear any thoughts.

I’m eating pretty clean @3000 cals a day. Carbs are 200+ Gs daily and protein is 200-400 gs daily. Carbs primarily from brown rice and veggies. Protein primarily from chicken breasts, tuna, and extra lean beef. I’m lifting 3X week and doing full body workouts. Bench, military, DB rows, rack pulls, tricep extension, flys, cable cross overs, make up a lot of my workout. I shoot for 4-8 rep range. Going to be trying a push/pull split to see if more recovery time helps with gains.

I’ve only seen a minimal increase in strength since starting. I definitely don’t have the mental edge I was hoping for. I actually feel kinda shitty most days. Just burned out feeling, and that’s kind of concerning. The extreme mental and physical exhaustion/fatigue is what had me looking into my T levels before I even decided I wanted to try a cycle, and now I’m blasting 500 msg and don’t feel any better or maybe even worse some days.

After about 2 weeks from starting I gained about 8 lbs. I assumed that was all water retention as I looked and felt puffy and lost definition, I have a soft look to me now. I gained about two more LBs since the initial bloat but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just body fat.

Does this sound typical for someone’s first? I kept hearing how great the first cycle is and how much mental aggression you have is just ridiculous... I just feel bloated...not to mention the pip I get almost every time has been hindering my progress, for sure. Especially the first couple weeks when I was only pinning my quads.
 
Was the same for me, I found that at about 6-8 weeks things started to look different. I was also eating too little and very clean. I was expecting crazy results and unfortunately that didn’t happen right off the bat. I definitely felt better mentally though as my test began to rise and I needed a sledge hammer to keep my dick down . Muscle growth shot through the roof once I got over my fear of carbs and raised them. Nothing blew me away until Test went a little past 500mgs and nandrolone was added. My physique completely changed. If the gear is bad, you’ll know after blood work . If the gear is good, eat more.
 
I’m in my 4th week of my first cycle and it has unfortunately been unremarkable for the most part. I feel like I’m either doing something wrong here or my gear isn’t up to par or I had my standards too high. I should mention that I’m getting my labs done this week too, just thought I’d put this out there to hear any thoughts.

I’m eating pretty clean @3000 cals a day. Carbs are 200+ Gs daily and protein is 200-400 gs daily. Carbs primarily from brown rice and veggies. Protein primarily from chicken breasts, tuna, and extra lean beef. I’m lifting 3X week and doing full body workouts. Bench, military, DB rows, rack pulls, tricep extension, flys, cable cross overs, make up a lot of my workout. I shoot for 4-8 rep range. Going to be trying a push/pull split to see if more recovery time helps with gains.

I’ve only seen a minimal increase in strength since starting. I definitely don’t have the mental edge I was hoping for. I actually feel kinda shitty most days. Just burned out feeling, and that’s kind of concerning. The extreme mental and physical exhaustion/fatigue is what had me looking into my T levels before I even decided I wanted to try a cycle, and now I’m blasting 500 msg and don’t feel any better or maybe even worse some days.

After about 2 weeks from starting I gained about 8 lbs. I assumed that was all water retention as I looked and felt puffy and lost definition, I have a soft look to me now. I gained about two more LBs since the initial bloat but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just body fat.

Does this sound typical for someone’s first? I kept hearing how great the first cycle is and how much mental aggression you have is just ridiculous... I just feel bloated...not to mention the pip I get almost every time has been hindering my progress, for sure. Especially the first couple weeks when I was only pinning my quads.

Let your Lab work do the talking.

But at 4 weeks you should be able to notice some benefit to the testosterone you are taking.
 
Post up your full cycle...everything you're taking (ai, etc). At 3000 cals, you're not going to put on a lot of mass, if that is your intent. Or are you trying to recomp? At 4wks in, you are just starting to get the benefit. 6wks is typically when the real magic starts to happen (at least for me).
 
I'm not sure what your goal actually is, but if it's bodybuilding your diet and training are the problem.

Try eating the exact same thing every day, all foods weighed out. Incorporate better carbs like oats, white rice, and some fruit. Make sure you're getting enough fats. One beef meal at night daily, and some healthy fats like evoo, mac nut oil, or peanut butter. Keep protein intake steady around 1.5g/lb of body weight. Do this for two weeks and see what happens.

Full body workouts suck for hypertrophy. Switch to push/pull/legs and a separate arm day. Make sure you have at least one heavier progressive overload movement per body part, and add a little volume. Then either make your last exercise for each part a stretched exercise or add static stretching after (or both) for extra metabolic load.

The stuff isn't magic, but it kinda is if everything else is correct. Get your bloodwork done and post it up along with doses.

What are you actually running?
 
Bloodwork is very important at this point..2nd,change up the training like GC said..Eat more..change source any see if the PIP goes..
 
Garlic Chicken is 3000% correct . Everything he mentioned . Oates with bananas and egg whites twice a day, 2 extra lean ground beef and sweet potato meals, sometimes white rice , 2 fair life protein shake drinks. Fruit for snacks . Dinner with the family, clean as possible. Hitting muscles twice a week and arms 3 times a week works best for me . 1-2 progressive overload (sometimes gets a little too egotistical). Volume and squeeze on the back end of every workout . I’m just a average dude that gains fat very quick and struggles to gain quality muscle . Once all of that was consistent day by day with the gear added . I actually look like I take steroids now . That’s the goal anyways right ? I’m still learning a lot from these guys on here. Everyday I try to improve something . Most of all, doing this the healthy way which sometimes I admit I tend to ignore . I’d Say Diet and quality of workouts is what’s gnna take you to the level your looking for
 
I'm not sure what your goal actually is, but if it's bodybuilding your diet and training are the problem.

Try eating the exact same thing every day, all foods weighed out. Incorporate better carbs like oats, white rice, and some fruit. Make sure you're getting enough fats. One beef meal at night daily, and some healthy fats like evoo, mac nut oil, or peanut butter. Keep protein intake steady around 1.5g/lb of body weight. Do this for two weeks and see what happens.

Full body workouts suck for hypertrophy
. Switch to push/pull/legs and a separate arm day. Make sure you have at least one heavier progressive overload movement per body part, and add a little volume. Then either make your last exercise for each part a stretched exercise or add static stretching after (or both) for extra metabolic load.

The stuff isn't magic, but it kinda is if everything else is correct. Get your bloodwork done and post it up along with doses.

What are you actually running?


Thank you lol.

Anyone at a point in their life where they feel they are ready to embark on a cycle should be well past the point of doing full body workouts.

I'd even dare to say there are more effective ways for beginners to train.

Sure Steve Reeves looked great doing full body but guys back then were morons when it came to training.
 
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For me being an Ecto..I are everything..pushed between 4500 to 6k a day.. I didn't eat clean,not fast food but eating every 3 hrs something..took a medium size cooler to work..a large shake 50+ grs..but consumed it during the 8 hrs..2 baked potatoes..tuna..peanut Butter sandwiches..I packed on the rice and pasta..
 
first of all- and most important- don't give up before the magic happens! Don't think u have to eat 99% ground beef when u have a burger. Don't be afraid of Carbs bro! they may be even more important than protein where u are right now. IF in the next 2-3 weeks u don't feel better, stronger, and have gained 10 more pounds, u have shit gear( and i don't even want u to mention where u got it- doesn't matter- it's shit) I'm wondering if ur having reverse placebo effect. Keep in mind everyones diff., but I gained 33 lbs in 8 weeks on 500 test and 50 mgs d-bol. my first cycle. (35 yrs ago). Doesn't mean u will- and I know the new age cycles are 500 test only, but the d-bol sure as hell didn't hurt me-(hint,hint) even @ 25 mgs- still think ur test is bunk- hope i'm wrong- but if it is don't give up-plenty of diff places to try. Once u get it figured out- and u will bro, after u get a few cycles under ur belt, test/deca/d-bol. tried and true- you'll thank me later- ur bloods will tell u what the problem is- and bro- stick the shit in ur ass- that's what it's there for!- The MAIN thing is DON'T give up! You are just missing something- you'll figure it out and then the bar will feel like it's moving by itself! (Almost) Good Luck man! and let us know what ur labs say!- that's gonna tell the tale for u bro! (one other thing- listen to your body man- sounds like u could poss. be working a little too hard-just a guess) Keep it simple- it's all one big experiment man. Just don't quit too soon- the shit works or we wouldn't ALL be doing it. Sorry to go on and on bud-good luck!
 
IML Gear Cream!
Def hang in there man. Also, how old are you?

You're gear could be under-dosed, might just be shitty quality overall, etc. Blood-work will tell the tale. If it's the gear, then I am very sorry and that sucks for sure. But at least you will know. I don't care who the source is if the gear is bad, don't care to start trashing anyone, just do more research and find one of the couple solid ones that are on these boards.

Garlic has some good advice on mixing up your workouts a bit to stimulate things as well as the nutrition part.

However, yes, your overall experience is not the "normal", imo, for your first test cycle of 500mgs/week at about the 4th/5th week in if:
- the gear is good
- training and diet dialed in
- and no underlying or pre-existing health conditions that could be holding you back.
 
Your at the point where you may just start to really feel/see any differences. Don't take this the wrong way, but if you can't grow without gear, its not going to magically correct the areas you may have been missing before using gear. What's your goals for the cycle? BF%? Expectations for the cycle, etc.?
 
Thank you lol.

Anyone at a point in their life where they feel they are ready to embark on a cycle should be well past the point of doing full body workouts.

I'd even dare to say there are more effective ways for beginners to train.

Sure Steve Reeves looked great doing full body but guys back then were morons when it came to training.

Im gonna beat a dead horse and second this....

200-400g protein a day? Wtf? And full body workouts, 3x wk?
That's a terrible recipe for today cycle success.
When i go in the gym to train arms... only arms.... it takes 60 minutes. I feel like i want to puke afterwards from the pain and intensity. All the curlbro jerkoffs are doing their bullshit workouts chatting it up and Ive got sweat rolling off me, out of breath, talking to no one. That's just arms. There is a huge difference between working out and training. Full body is going to do nothing but turn you into fit guy with little to no results along with that diet. If you want to bu8ld mass, lean or not you need to eat. When you're done, eat more. Then eat more.
If you have a term in your diet like "snack" ... you're not dieting. You made no mention of fats. Where are the good fats? There's another 1000 calories a day just getting a fair amount of goid fats in. If you weigh abs log everything id bet you're getting way less than what you think you are.
 
Libido was the first thing I “felt” on my first cycle of Testosterone at 500mg per week. Around week 3 or 4 I started getting random hard ons like I was in middle school again. Then from that point forward strength and weight gain followed. I gained a lot of sloppy weight because my diet was shit, but I gained significant strength very quickly from week 4 or 5 all the way through week 12. I felt like a complete alpha male and full of energy after my first shot, but now I know that was complete placebo lol.
Stay the course man, patience is key here. Either the gear is legit, or it’s not. If it isn’t just chalk it up as a loss and try to find a new source.
If you browse the sponsor forums for even 15 or 20 minutes you should be able to find a solid one.
Keep us posted on the lab results. Oh, and as everyone else said, ditch the full body workouts. If you are set on only going 3 days a week I recommend something like this:

Day 1 - Squats and legs
Day 2 - Bench press, shoulders, and triceps
Day 3 - Deadlift, lats, traps, rear delts, and if you’re feeling ambitious you can throw in extra hamstring work also.

Hang in there man, don’t get discouraged yet.
 
I'm going to offer you a suggestion here that you should really take into consideration - HIRE A COACH..

The type of training you're doing is garbage and you're wasting your time, and as far as your meals are concerned you most likely not timing them properly, and you're not making your adjustments where you should be with your on days and off days. Hire a coach, because you'll understand what I'm talking about.

If you do your research and look around you can find someone that would really work with you, and you'll have to check in every week with progress pics and you have to be on point and listen to everything they say.
They will teach you things you didn't know and they will see things that you cannot see, and they will make adjustments where need be.. If you get a good coach it'll be the best thing you ever did, trust me..
 
I'm not sure what your goal actually is, but if it's bodybuilding your diet and training are the problem.

Try eating the exact same thing every day, all foods weighed out. Incorporate better carbs like oats, white rice, and some fruit. Make sure you're getting enough fats. One beef meal at night daily, and some healthy fats like evoo, mac nut oil, or peanut butter. Keep protein intake steady around 1.5g/lb of body weight. Do this for two weeks and see what happens.

Full body workouts suck for hypertrophy. Switch to push/pull/legs and a separate arm day. Make sure you have at least one heavier progressive overload movement per body part, and add a little volume. Then either make your last exercise for each part a stretched exercise or add static stretching after (or both) for extra metabolic load.

The stuff isn't magic, but it kinda is if everything else is correct. Get your bloodwork done and post it up along with doses.

What are you actually running?

All I’m running is Test@500/wk and nolva 10 mags daily. Got AIs but haven’t needed them.

Will try to tighten up my diet, and tweak my weight training program to something more tried and true..

Will get back with any other questions you guys asked me later, I had a busy day, but really appreciate the feedback guys.
 
All I’m running is Test@500/wk and nolva 10 mags daily. Got AIs but haven’t needed them.

Will try to tighten up my diet, and tweak my weight training program to something more tried and true..

Will get back with any other questions you guys asked me later, I had a busy day, but really appreciate the feedback guys.

Hey brother just an idea man, just something to think about.. if you would like let us from the community here bright you up something for your routine and your diet, and if you feel froggy you can post weekly pics and everyone can chip in and help you along the way. It can be a community effort to get you on point.. there's a lot of knowledgeable Brothers here that put in a lot of time with helping each other out, you'll be surprised of the overwhelming amount of support and time guys would give you.
Just throwing it out there man..

You will literally have an allegiance of guys behind you helping you become the best version of you that you possibly can be.. we'll give you the instructions, and you just put in your time..
 
I'm just going to add my 2 cents. There's been great advice given by guys who knows the drill.
But what screams out to me...only 3 times per week, and not knowing anything about those 3 days as far as intensity...no way in hell I'm making huge gains by working out 3 days a week...I wouldn't waste my money on drugs....this is just my humble opinion.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
I'm just going to add my 2 cents. There's been great advice given by guys who knows the drill.
But what screams out to me...only 3 times per week, and not knowing anything about those 3 days as far as intensity...no way in hell I'm making huge gains by working out 3 days a week...I wouldn't waste my money on drugs....this is just my humble opinion.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
Can’t make gains on 3 days per week? DC, Jordan Peters 2 way split, Big As PPL. If somebody can’t get massive on a good 3-4 days per week they don’t train hard enough.
 
Get Shredded!
Can’t make gains on 3 days per week? DC, Jordan Peters 2 way split, Big As PPL. If somebody can’t get massive on a good 3-4 days per week they don’t train hard enough.
Listen, I'll stand by what I said...everyone has their own thoughts on training. Three days never had worked for me...to each their own...I'm not you, and you aren't me.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
You're not going to turn into Ronnie Coleman after a few weeks on cycle.

A full body routine 3x per week is a shit routine in my opinion. There's a reason why you don't see body builders or powerlifters lifting like that.. and the guys that actually do have dad bods or a middle aged women. There has to be a certain level of intensity there for you to make gains, and I don't see that happening with a full body routine.

Also, with 200g of carbs per day.. I am going to assume you are trying to cut. You're not going to make a whole lot of gains while in a deficit. Steroids are a hell of a thing, but you still have to feed your body in order to make gains.
 
l like what My friend Rod said
Don't quit....

Not before the Magic
Not before
Anything...

Never Quit
 
All I’m running is Test@500/wk and nolva 10 mags daily. Got AIs but haven’t needed them.

Will try to tighten up my diet, and tweak my weight training program to something more tried and true..

Will get back with any other questions you guys asked me later, I had a busy day, but really appreciate the feedback guys.
I wouldn't clean up the diet per se, I think you are probably not eating enough good food. Brown rice is shit imo, maybe one meal a day tops. The rest oats, potato, sweet potato, white rice, hell even pasta. Eat the same thing daily.

Definitely get on a better training split. Maybe Fortitude Training, Mountaindog, DC, etc.
Hey brother just an idea man, just something to think about.. if you would like let us from the community here bright you up something for your routine and your diet, and if you feel froggy you can post weekly pics and everyone can chip in and help you along the way. It can be a community effort to get you on point.. there's a lot of knowledgeable Brothers here that put in a lot of time with helping each other out, you'll be surprised of the overwhelming amount of support and time guys would give you.
Just throwing it out there man..

You will literally have an allegiance of guys behind you helping you become the best version of you that you possibly can be.. we'll give you the instructions, and you just put in your time..
We're always willing to help like Vision is saying. As long as you're willing to put in the work...
 
Hey brother just an idea man, just something to think about.. if you would like let us from the community here bright you up something for your routine and your diet, and if you feel froggy you can post weekly pics and everyone can chip in and help you along the way. It can be a community effort to get you on point.. there's a lot of knowledgeable Brothers here that put in a lot of time with helping each other out, you'll be surprised of the overwhelming amount of support and time guys would give you.
Just throwing it out there man..

You will literally have an allegiance of guys behind you helping you become the best version of you that you possibly can be.. we'll give you the instructions, and you just put in your time..


Hey man thanks for offering me something I can actually work with instead of unguided flack (hey I know I deserved it) but I’m really just looking for some help from you guys cause I know you know your shit and I certainly am not letting my ego get in the way of learning and taking advice because I know I don’t know shit about this game.

I trained since high school, with fluctuating levels of focus. I’m 33 now so over 15 years of that. This is the first time I’ve actually put everything else aside and have extreme focus on this, the only thing that comes before this is my family and work. All my other spare time I’m willing to dedicate to lifting and building my body up.

So that being said, hell ya, I would love for someone to take me on and give me some solid directions to follow throughout this cycle. I will follow it to a T.

I’m busy AF but I can probably squeeze some gym time in daily if need be, not for 3 hours at a time but we can get into that later. Little background: I work full time and then I have my kids (two toddlers) for 30 hours a week while my wife is at work. So like I said I’m busy but there’s no reason why I can’t get some more gym time in daily. My job is extremely flexible and I can basically get my 40 hours in ANY time I want, so got that going for me.

But ya definitely gotta start eating more carbs a d better carbs. Didn’t realize brown rice was garbage. Actually thought it was a good whole grain. Diet modifications won’t be a problem I’m good about following that stuff but have always been reluctant to eat “too” many carbs... but I’m getting over that today. That would explain why I eat so much protein....

Anyways let me know what you think. I don’t want to waste the 8 weeks I have left in cycle.
 
Hey man thanks for offering me something I can actually work with instead of unguided flack (hey I know I deserved it) but I’m really just looking for some help from you guys cause I know you know your shit and I certainly am not letting my ego get in the way of learning and taking advice because I know I don’t know shit about this game.

I trained since high school, with fluctuating levels of focus. I’m 33 now so over 15 years of that. This is the first time I’ve actually put everything else aside and have extreme focus on this, the only thing that comes before this is my family and work. All my other spare time I’m willing to dedicate to lifting and building my body up.

So that being said, hell ya, I would love for someone to take me on and give me some solid directions to follow throughout this cycle. I will follow it to a T.

I’m busy AF but I can probably squeeze some gym time in daily if need be, not for 3 hours at a time but we can get into that later. Little background: I work full time and then I have my kids (two toddlers) for 30 hours a week while my wife is at work. So like I said I’m busy but there’s no reason why I can’t get some more gym time in daily. My job is extremely flexible and I can basically get my 40 hours in ANY time I want, so got that going for me.

But ya definitely gotta start eating more carbs a d better carbs. Didn’t realize brown rice was garbage. Actually thought it was a good whole grain. Diet modifications won’t be a problem I’m good about following that stuff but have always been reluctant to eat “too” many carbs... but I’m getting over that today. That would explain why I eat so much protein....

Anyways let me know what you think. I don’t want to waste the 8 weeks I have left in cycle.

I’m not sure what responses you’re referring to as “unguided flack” but I’m just a little offended by that characterization of a whole bunch of ASF vets (which admittedly I’m not one of) offering high quality information that they have gathered throughout the years via their own personal research to you, for free.

I’m going to borrow a phrase that’s very often wrongly attributed to the Bible but was actually said by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism;

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
 
Brown rice is good if you're cutting/recomp. Unless I missed it, you still haven't stated what your goal is. Is it losing weight? Is it recomp? Is it adding mass? If it's adding mass, then throw in potato, white rice, pasta. Recomp is a bit of a bitch. It's long and slow relatively speaking. Because you're not focusing on just cutting weight or just adding mass.
 
I’m not sure what responses you’re referring to as “unguided flack” but I’m just a little offended by that characterization of a whole bunch of ASF vets (which admittedly I’m not one of) offering high quality information that they have gathered throughout the years via their own personal research to you, for free.

I’m going to borrow a phrase that’s very often wrongly attributed to the Bible but was actually said by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism;

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Not trying to offend you and i apologize for that, I do appreciate the advice big time. That was just in regards to getting shit about the full body workout with out any kind of better recommendations. Anyways either way I should probably look at it as advice to quit doing that.

Anyway please don’t let that smug remark of mine deter you or anyone else from offering suggestions to me. Thanks and sorry again guys
 
I never bulk nor cut.


I’m always in recomp mode lol


to the OP; starting a log would be super beneficial .... you’ll get guys dedicated to seeing you have success drop in on your log often, you’ll hold yourself accountable and you’ll have your questions answered thoroughly.

run a log bro.

and remember; this is a marathon not a sprint!
 
Brown rice is good if you're cutting/recomp. Unless I missed it, you still haven't stated what your goal is. Is it losing weight? Is it recomp? Is it adding mass? If it's adding mass, then throw in potato, white rice, pasta. Recomp is a bit of a bitch. It's long and slow relatively speaking. Because you're not focusing on just cutting weight or just adding mass.

Your right I hadn’t mentioned my goal, which is to simply put on as much mass as possible. I’m lean enough that I can deal with shredding at a later time. I obviously don’t want to put on too much fat in the process but I’m open to gaining some. I don’t seem to have to much of a hard time loosing fat it’s gaining mass that’s kind of been at a standstill forever so I’d like to break through that
 
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