Gaining weight in winter | Community Forum

lovedogs2411.84RPOriginal post

1mo ago

I'm looking for some advice on ways to help with gaining muscle weight. I've been on a light test/primo cycle and took a break for 2 months. This has been the easiest cycle I've ever done, alongside a small amount of Reta and HGH, which brought my body fat down to about 10% according to my caliper measurements. I can see veins in my lower abs and my weight has dropped to 90kg. I'm 6'1" tall. My last cycle included: 250mg test, 300mg primo, 2iu HGH, and 2mg Reta. My joints were too dry, and my E2 was definitely too low, but it suited the summer look. I realize this is a cruise for many, but that's how I approached it. I prefer lighter cycles, especially since I’ll be hitting 47 soon. This will be a ramp-up in terms of dosages for me after several years. My self-prescribed TRT dose is 150mg test e for the last 2 months. My blood test results were fine, but my ALT was up to 100 after I had a bit of a wild time at a music festival. Essentially, I'm wondering whether to use mast or primo, and whether to go with NPP or deca? I'm leaning towards primo for E2 management and deca for joint support. So, for 16 weeks: 400mg test e, 200-300mg mast or primo, 200mg NPP or deca mainly for my joints, and 10mg Anivar sublingual pre-workout for a boost. 4 weeks on, 4 weeks off? 2iu HGH before sleep and 0.5/1mg Reta to keep things in check. I've used all these compounds multiple times before. Unfortunately, I have pre-existing gyno, which didn’t flare up on my last cycle, but I'd like to avoid issues this time as well. I've started by adding an extra meal each day and then…

9 replies

diggereast9.95RP

1mo ago

I'd pick NPP over Deca any day, mate - it feels way better and doesn’t take 5 weeks to kick in. NPP has a strong effect, while Deca feels more like a slow burn.

lovedogs2411.84RP

1mo ago

Got it. I’ll save the deca to pair with my TRT/cruise at a low dose.

modern_science3.59RP

1mo ago

Your cycle seems like a solid starting point based on what you did before. At 200mg, NPP is likely your best option. If you’re going to keep Reta in while bulking, maybe maintain it at a lower dose for a couple of weeks and then discontinue it completely. Personally, I could pile on 35 pounds of body fat quickly. But when trying to eat to grow with mostly clean foods, I struggle to finish my meals by the end of the day. I can’t imagine a 16-week growth phase with something that slows down digestion and blunts appetite.

mothtavern12.29RP

1mo ago

I’m currently on 1mg of Reta and can eat a lot. I’ve been on it for about 6 months at around 2mg per week. It’s really not an issue for me right now, but I might drop down to 0.5mg and see how it goes. Eating has never been a challenge for me without Reta, and it only slightly slows me down at these lower doses. Now that I’ve scaled back, I could eat all day, haha.

lovedogs2411.84RP

1mo ago

I guess another question is whether it would be beneficial to do half primo/mast and dose each? Or switch from primo to mast halfway through? Just thinking out loud for the discussion.

shadowstone10.18RP

1mo ago

With ALT around 100 and gyno already a factor, I’d probably take care of those issues before adding more compounds. The stack is becoming quite complex for a 'mild' bulk. If I were in your position, I’d want to get liver labs, blood pressure, lipids, and estradiol checked before making any decisions. Sometimes, keeping it simple makes it easier to identify what’s causing any issues.

shadowstone10.18RP

1mo ago

To be honest, I’d focus on the bulk itself before altering the drug list. If your food intake, sleep, and training are improving, you might not need to complicate the cycle at all. At 46/47, with old joint issues and already elevated ALT levels, I’d prioritize recovery and stable health markers over trying to gain a bit more weight. The extra meal and gradual increase in training sounds like the best part of your plan to me.

sparksfly4.49RP

1mo ago

One thing to be cautious about is using better joint comfort as a reason to add another compound. Less pain doesn’t necessarily indicate a healthier joint - sometimes it just makes it easier to push yourself harder than you should. Given the ALT concern and existing gyno, I’d want to get those checked out first and then keep the plan as straightforward as possible.

emberranger6.52RP

1mo ago

There's a lot of useful info here. Just wanted to share from my own experience - I also have mild pre-existing gyno, but I take a 20mg nolva/tamoxifen pill in the morning, and it keeps it pretty much unnoticeable. Just keep in mind it’s not a permanent solution. It’s a good temporary fix, but if I stop taking the tamoxifen, my nips puff back up. It’s more of an issue during summer since I’m not hanging out by the pool without a shirt in the winter, haha.