New Guy

[KingWill]

Wanted to introduce myself, been here reading for the past few weeks and this is the forum I am most interested in so figured I would do it here.

Reader's Digest version - I am 51 and have been lifting on and off since I got my first set of Sears weights when I was 10. Mostly off in my late 20s and early 30s but pretty regularly for the last 15 years. Got into the best shape of my life in 09, ran some triathlons and did a half marathon and then in early 10 tore my meniscus and damaged a tendon in my elbow. Took time off to heal up and am currently trying to get back to where I was. Starting doing CJC/GHRP about 3 weeks ago and my knee has never felt better and the elbow is improving. Done a handful of cycles in my time but nothing heavy or long. I am contemplating "self medicating" TRT to speed things along, and possibly as a lifestyle change, but am still undecided about that.

There seems to be a wealth of knowledge and some good guys on this forum and I hope to pick your brains and do some learning. I don't post a whole lot but there are questions I will have and things I will want members opinions on.

My goal is to look like The Dutchman when I am his age. :yup: Only partially kidding - I want to be healthy, live long, and look good and have fun while doing that, probably like most everyone else here.

 

[DragonRider]

The main goal of HRT/TRT is to replace low levels of testosterone. If your levels aren't low, then all you would accomplish would be to replace your naturally occuring levels with exogenous levels. You are going to function best with naturally occuring levels. Replacement is the next best thing.
If you are talking about taking more than TRT levels then you are doing a steroid cycle and you are just fooling yourself.

 

[KingWill]

I last tested July of 09, and I was on the low end of normal then. If I wasn't working out and was a couch potato I would not even consider it. Not interested in doing any more cycles, been there done that, and that was 5 or 6 over a 25 year period. I am talking about 100 - 125 a week max. I don't want sides, I don't want to retain water, I don't want to shut my natty test down, etc....Like I said above, I am still in the "thinking about it" phase right now. Most likely I will get another blood test before making my final decision. I did two weeks worth of reading on this forum before posting, and have probably read everyone of your posts, so I am here to listen to other's opinions and weigh my options.

 

[crazycrew]

You need to get a good set of labs so you will have a base line to work from. If you are indead on the low end of normal then a small amount of test and/or HCG would probably help you. But untill you get the proper testing done to know where you are now OPPS>>>

I just saw where you say you are taking 100 - 125mg a week. You could get tests done now. Lay off test for 6 weeks and then get anouther set of tests. This shooting in the dark could be doing more harm than good.

 

[KingWill]

That's probably what I am going to do. I haven't done any yet - 100-125 is what I am considering doing.

Thanks

 

[DragonRider]

I I am talking about 100 - 125 a week max. I don't want sides, I don't want to retain water, I don't want to shut my natty test down, etc.....

100mg of test a week will shut natural production down.

 

[KingWill]

So how does HRT work then? If you have levels in the 200s and you are supplementing with a 100 week, and that shuts down your natty test, how is the 100 a week helping at all? I have to admit I am confused, there appears to be numerous threads on here with people doing HRT starting with low levels who now have levels in the 4 and 5, and even 7 hundreds at 100 a week(or every 5 days). I just can't get that math to work. Not trying to get too much into your business here, but are you telling me that your natty test is shut down and you are getting by on only what you are injecting? With the half lfe, isn't the first shot gone by week 3?

 

[KingWill]

Ran some numbers and someone tell me where I am wrong. I find different half lives shown for test cyp but to simply I am going to go with 7 days, doing 100 mg every 7 days.

Week 1 - 100
Week 2 - 50 + 100
Week 3 - 25 + 50 + 100
Week 4 - 12.5 + 25 + 50 + 100
Week 5 - 6.25 + 12.5 + 25 + 50 + 100

So after 5 weeks, if natty test is shut down, you should only have levels of around 194 right? I know that's oversimplified but tell me what I am missing here. Even if you bump that number to 150 every 7 days you still end up around 290 after 5 weeks.

 

[DragonRider]

So how does HRT work then? If you have levels in the 200s and you are supplementing with a 100 week, and that shuts down your natty test, how is the 100 a week helping at all? I have to admit I am confused, there appears to be numerous threads on here with people doing HRT starting with low levels who now have levels in the 4 and 5, and even 7 hundreds at 100 a week(or every 5 days). I just can't get that math to work. Not trying to get too much into your business here, but are you telling me that your natty test is shut down and you are getting by on only what you are injecting? With the half lfe, isn't the first shot gone by week 3?

A normal male only produces about 49mg of testosterone per week. That 49mg will produce anywhere from 300 to 1000ng/dL blood levels of testosterone depending on the individual.
An injection of testosterone is about 25% ester weight, which means you are actually injecting about 75mg of pure testosterone, which as you can see is more than what a man would produce normally. Anytime you match or surpass what your body normally produces the HPTA shuts down natural production.
Keep in mind that when your levels are in the 200's, that is 200 nanograms per deciliter, not 200mg.

Ran some numbers and someone tell me where I am wrong. I find different half lives shown for test cyp but to simply I am going to go with 7 days, doing 100 mg every 7 days.

See the post above. You are confusing the amount injected with the amount that is circulating in your blood.
Your math on the half life is good, but what it is showing you is how high over normal amounts of testosterone you are injecting. It isn't showing you circulating levels.

 

[KingWill]

Gotcha - thanks.