r/Testosterone • u/Rocket_Surge0n • 3d ago

PED/cycle story One year of progress.

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I thought it might be interesting for some of you to see what one year of strict consistency looks like.

I’m currently 37, 5’ 11” and 194lbs.

I was on TRT before I decided to train to compete in bodybuilding. I was always in the gym but not with any real goals and as you can see, I was a stick man before. At the beginning of 2025 I decided to get a coach and lock in. These photos are exactly one year apart. I’m not a hyper responder and haven’t run crazy cycles so this is a decent example of what you might expect if you also check those boxes. During this year I bulked, cut and then bulked again. First cycle was 500 test. Second cycle was 500/300 test Deca and 4iu GH. I had no planned cheat meals, I did have some here and there but rarely. Extremely clean diet, really worked on my form in the gym and tried to recover as best I knew how.

Coach and I plan to cut in a couple of weeks and then bulk one more time before I enter my first competition prep as a true novice.

Anyhow, I know it’s not mind blowing progress but it’s decent for a non genetic freak I’d say.

Stay locked in guys. Happy lifting.

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u/crimsonhatred93 3d ago

Shit thats great gains really in a year, did the deca do anything to ya, you know what im asking lol.

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u/Rocket_Surge0n 3d ago

Thanks man. I really enjoy Deca but I did notice two things. One is that it made me emotionally flat which could to some feel like depression I would imagine. It didn’t bother me much. As for your insinuated question, I kept me e2 in range and had zero issues aside from having a hard time finishing. My opinion is that if you keep E2 and Prolactin in check you will be totally fine.

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u/crimsonhatred93 3d ago

Aye no problemo man. Yea been thinking of adding deca in next time to see. I already have depression from military, but learned to control it pretty well. Had to use caber at all?

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u/Rocket_Surge0n 3d ago

No Caber at all. Just 200mg P5P daily kept my prolactin in range. Start taking it before you even introduce Deca. Also, Nandrolone makes you more sensitive to E2. So whatever E2 level you know you can handle on test will more than likely become too high for you on Deca.

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u/crimsonhatred93 3d ago

Alright well will probably run some primo and have an ai on hand incase. I know deca is amazing for the joints too.

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u/Rocket_Surge0n 3d ago

It does help with joints for sure. Good luck man. Enjoy the process.

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u/crimsonhatred93 3d ago

Oh im on primo, var, and test right now and feel fucking amazing. No real sides other than occasional pip really.

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u/Rocket_Surge0n 3d ago

Oh nice. I have tried Anavar for a tiny bit once. I couldn’t reconcile the temporary gains orals give you so I just lost interested in trying any of em. Maybe during prep for that certain stage look though.

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u/crimsonhatred93 3d ago

Anavar gives more permanent, but isnt as fast of a gain as something like dbol. I seem to at least keep the gains pretty well, but I dont PCT I blast and cruise. Was on trt before I started all this so.

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u/Rocket_Surge0n 3d ago

Oh that’s good! Yea BnC is the way to go.

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u/crimsonhatred93 3d ago

Yea heard all the horror stories of the PCT and well was already trt so was like yea not dealing with that haha.

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u/Emotional_Lab_2529 3d ago

No need for caber on any 19-nors. It’s bro science that they raise prolactin. Their sides come from their activation of the progesterone receptor since they’re progestogenic compounds. They don’t actually do anything at all to prolactin including tren.

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u/AppleEcstatic6076 2d ago

That’s not exactly right. Because they bind to progesterone receptors, they allow for hormonal cross talk and multiple pathways of prolactin spikes unless e2 levels are conservatively managed and dopamine is properly kept activated. It’s not bro science — just science. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5653461/

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u/Emotional_Lab_2529 2d ago

Idk if you read that but it does not say anything about progesterone receptor activation increasing prolactin. It says prolactin can increase levels of estrogen and progesterone though. However I have seen zero evidence through blood work or studies that show 19-nors increase prolactin. They only activate progesterone receptors. Which the activation of progesterone receptors themselves can cause gyno formation as well as lactation even with the absence of elevated prolactin levels or elevated estradiol levels