Starting Your First Cycle

Agree — good info. I'd skip the DBOL example for a first cycle though. Not worth adding an oral like dbol on your first run; see how you react to test alone first.

You could run the testosterone two extra weeks — e.g., weeks 1–12 — just shift the other compounds two weeks forward so PCT begins week 14, and stop HCG/Arimidex before PCT. Dbol would still be the same dose for 4 weeks. Question: what if I extended dbol to 6 weeks instead of 4 — would that be a problem?

My first cycle was 16 weeks of test only and it went great — shoulders popped, aggression, strength and motivation all kicked in after 3–4 weeks. I started in January and finished last month. I had to stop abruptly because my gear got delivered to the wrong address and I'm waiting for a new order. Since I've been off for about four weeks, honestly nothing dramatic happened. For me it's mostly mental — less aggression and some water loss after stopping, but no AI or PCT. Just dialed-in diet, cardio, weight training. That's just my experience; genetics matter a lot.

You skipped PCT. You'll probably lose most of that muscle. Not smart.

I'm still looking pretty big and people still assume I'm on gear. I'm keeping most of my gains with proper nutrition, supplements, and training. First cycles aren't always perfect.

Haha, nice.

You're too young for any cycle.

Not everyone needs 0.5 mg Arimidex EOD. You could start at half that twice a week with test, then go to the full 0.5 mg twice weekly if needed, and then EOD if required. I don't aromatize much — on TRT I can have 110 mg test e and total test 1200–1300 with E2 around 30–35. I'm on TRT so I don't try to restart my own system, and I don't use HCG anymore.

Best practice for beginners: get bloodwork during the cycle, ramp doses carefully, and monitor how your body reacts. So many people skip testing like it's optional — that's reckless. Protect your health, it's not infinite. Peace.

I don't get why folks keep asking the same thing for decades. Sure there are always newcomers, but the answer is kind of obvious: don't overthink it. Do some research and you'll figure out what a sensible first-time protocol is. You don't need to keep asking.

Quick background: I'm almost 54, started using in '89/'90 at 17. I competed from 1990 through the early 2000s, turned pro and then stepped away. I drifted from the sport and gyms for years, just got back into it recently. Reading these boards lately, it feels like things swung from one extreme to another. Back in the early '90s nobody got blood tests; we dosed far less than many people do now — we took around 400mg, not the crazy amounts you hear of today. Nowadays everyone's obsessing over weekly estrogen tests and minute dosing adjustments. That's useful in some cases, but it's gotten excessive. I see people testing estrogen every week on small doses, and it makes me wonder where that level of monitoring came from…

Nice supportive response there.

Honestly, there's a lot of theory around this. You don't necessarily have to change the dose — 30 mg/day is fine. And the four-week oral limit? I don't know who set that. The liver alarm around orals is overblown — you might see elevated liver enzymes, but that doesn't mean permanent damage; levels usually normalize after stopping. Unless you have a condition like hepatitis C, you could take orals for longer stretches without catastrophic issues. I wouldn't suggest extreme doses (like massive Anadrol amounts) for months though. Bottom line for newbies: be logical. These are medical drugs fashioned for specific uses, and if your testosterone is normal and you're young, introducing loads of exogenous hormones can cause harm. But most risks can be reduced by using sensible doses and monitoring…

Explain what's actually different about dianabol now compared to the '70s?

I have to disagree with the blanket 'too young' line. Age alone doesn't tell the whole story — why you're using, your training experience, and goals matter. I started at 17; I competed and took very small doses for shows. A knowledgeable 17– or 18-year-old who's trained, surrounded by experienced people, and has clear goals could make smarter decisions than some 26-year-olds who haven't trained seriously. So it depends, don't just say 'too young' without context.

Slow down, read the rules. FYI this thread is five years old and paragraphs help readability.

That's nonsense — most of us were 17 once, and few of us would say we were mature enough to mess with our endocrine systems then. Most teens are still partying and not disciplined enough for steroids. Unless you've trained seriously since pre-teen years, at 17 you probably haven't built the base to justify steroid use — your skeleton might still be developing.

I'm new here. Is this the right place to ask for personal advice?

Solid write-up. Thanks.

Helpful info, appreciate it.