Michael's Quest Towards Greatness (Test-E + Epi Log)

[GreenEarth]

Hi everyone,

Bear with me, I'm very thorough.

My name's Michael. 6', 182lbs, 22 years old, 4 years worth of lifting, body fat is anywhere from 10%-12%. This will be my first cycle ever. After doing 9 months worth of light research on anabolics, about 3 months ago I took the plunge to really studying them, and decided that I wanted to delve into their magical depths. You know, before I get too old and decrepit Socrates said it would be a sad sad event for a man to reach old age without ever truly knowing what his body was capable of. Back then they didn't have anabolics, but screw it, I'm going to use his logic anyway

Enough of that. I'll be updating in here daily, as I always keep a log book. I log all of my supplement usage and exercises within a day, and I'll report on those. Also, I'm current in a recomp phase - hope to gain weight on this cycle, but as all young men hope, I'm also looking to lean out as well. Since I'm primarily concerned with cals-in-vs-cals-out at the moment, I am logging both my CALORIES and my PROTEIN. On off-days I eat primarily fatty sources (lots of eggs and bacon lol) and on on-days I eat much higher carb sources. Shooting for 300g of protein daily. Recomping - Impossible???? We shall see.

I've been using the DC training method for the past year or so, and seen incredible results. I'm one of those unfortunate Irishmen (95%) stuck with some ****ty genetics (rugby? gaelic football? lol), so I've always been battling with those. Started at a measly 6' 155 at age 18. By 21, after dedicating my time to lifting 5 times a week and keeping strict track of all my macros and calories, I had gotten to a whopping 170 However, within the past year, I've raised up to 182lbs at the same body fat percentage, which means I gained a bit less muscle mass in a year on DC than I had on a standard training program for 3 years. +12bs naturally is a miracle for me, so by this point I swear by the training method.

I've developed a whole new blast this time around. I have an injury to one of my lower spinal disks that makes it nearly impossible to execute any lower back exercise (outside of extensions, there isn't much...can't do squats or deads, or BB Rows....deep leg presses sometimes even affect it). Have had a lot of chiropractic work to make it not hurt, and I'm not trying to put it back to it's old state any time soon.

Enough of that. Here's the blast:

A1
Smythe Incline BB
Smythe Shoulder Press
Weighted Dips
Lat Pulldown
Seated Rows

B1
Preacher Curls
Reverse Cable Curls
Sitting Calf Raise
Laying Ham Curl
Quad Extensions

A2
Flat DB Press
DB Shoulder Press
Smythe CG Bench
Pullups
Laying T-Bar Rows

B2
Drag Curls
One-arm Reverse Cable Curl (have loved these since I saw a video of Dante demonstrating them)
Smythe Calf Raises
Incline Glute-Ham Raise
Leg Press

A3
Hammer Strength Chest Press
Hammer Stregth Shoulder Press
Tricep Overhead Cable Extensions
Rack Chins
Seated Cable Rows

B3
Wide-Grip Cable Curl
Reverse Preacher Curls
Sitting Calf Press
Sitting Ham Reverse Curl (the ony where you have a pad over your leg and push down)
Incline Leg Press

**Please note that I also execute static reps and stretches after nearly every exercise.


Cycle is:

Test-E: 500mg/w for 10 weeks (250mgs Monday + Thursday)
Epi2a3a: Starting week 2 through week 6: 30/30/30-40/40/40
HCG: (starting end of week 1) 250mg 2X/w for 10 weeks (Sunday + Wednesday)
Adex: .25mg 2X/w (Tuesday and Friday)


I'm excited for this. Most people report really starting to feel test-e around week 5 or 6, which is around the time I'll be nearing the end of my epistane, which takes a shorter time to kick in. Will get to hop on my test-e gains as I'm coming off of my epi gains, which is awesome

Also adding in .25mg of adex twice a week off the bat...usually I'd just like to have it "on-hand", but I doubt .5mg a week will seriously hinder possible gains, and it's just a safeguard. If any signs of gyno flare up, dosage will be increased. Will take .25mg the day after each test-e shot.

I've kind of arranged me schedule so that I don't have to do multiple thing on any day, outside of taking epi every day weeks 2-6. Test is M + Th, with the HCG occuring the night before each injection when me test will be at it's lowest point, and then I'm adding the mild amount of AI in on the day after each injection. As you can see, that essentially sets up:

M: Test Shot
T: Adex Dosage
W: HCG shot
Th: Test Shot
F: Adex Dosage
S: Nothing
Sun: HCG Shot

I like this setup


PCT:
Starts 2 weeks after last test-e dosage (will still be running HCG @ 3X/w during those two weeks)

Clomid: 100(first 3 days)-50(4 days)/50/50/25
DAA: 3gED/3gED/3gED/3gED/3gED
Forma: 7 pumps AM + 7 pumps PM for entirety of PCT, as well as the 2 weeks before PCT
Erase (original): 3/3/3/3
Adex: 0/0/0/.25mgEOD/.25mgE3D (in case of rebound estro gyno)
Ostarine (considering): 10mgED/10mgED/10mgED/10mgED



ALRIGHT! Let's get this rolling:


Day 1 - Monday, 5/28/12

Supps/Drugs ( ):

Test-E @ 250mg (Right leg quad)
Cranberry @ 3g (3 caps)
Hawthorn @600mg (2 caps)
SAMe @ 800mg (2 caps)
Fish Oil @ 2.1g (7 caps)
Vitamin D @ 4000iu (2 caps)
Flinstones Multi (My Opti-men got delayed in the mail, I get it tomorrow, and these were in my cupboard...cut me a break lol)

Workout: A1 Day

Smythe Incline BB - Warmup: Bar X 15, 35 per side X 12. RP SET: 185lbs 8 + 4 + 2 - NOTE FOR NEXT A1: Increase REPS
27 second static, followed by a 34 second stretch w/ 70lb DBs. Perhaps choose lighter DBs for next week's stretch.

Smythe Shoulder Press - Warmup: Bar X 16, 25 per side X 13 RP Set: 155lbs 8 + 4 + 2 - NOTE FOR NEXT A1: Increase REPS

Weighted Dips - RP Set - +55lbs 11 + 5 + 3, BW X 8 - NOTE FOR NEXT WEEK - Increase WEIGHT
13 second static at bodyweight (statics on dips are damn near impossible after a set lol), followed by a 60 second stretch

Lat Pulldown - Warmup: 100lbs X 15, 130lbs X 12 RP SET: 210lbs 8 + 5 + 4 NOTE FOR NEXT A1: Increase WEIGHT
25 second static, followed by a 60 second stretch.

Seated Row - Warmup - Two 45s per side X15. Working set: Three 45s + 25lbs per side - 9 + 5 +4 NOTE FOR NEXT A1: Increase WEIGHT



Diet Today:
3000 cals
374g protein ( Primary sources: 1lb 92/8 beef [about 100g], 3/4lb chicken [about 60g], Whey [100g daily is what I shoot for], Egg whites [50g], Greek Yogurt [40g]).

Went a bit overboard on protein today. Plan to scale it back much more towards 300g even. The rest of the cals were primarily weighted in favor of carbs, with fats likely clocking in around 40-50g.


Thoughts:

Glad to have my first Test-E injection done. And it was easy! I wasn't nervous about it at all, until the moment I had the needle at my leg and suddenly was like oh crap...I could potentially mess this up lol. But it went great...didn't even feel the needle pierce or go in, and didn't feel the oil being injected either. Switched needles between pulling and injecting, swabbed with lots of alcohol, aspirated, injected everything...felt great and was super easy. I'm not sore or anything...there's probably a good chance I could just use my right leg for the entire cycle. We shall see.

[ISU152]

I'll follow along...if I were you I would get some Liv.52 or Milk Thistle to protect your liver

[Lukef2000]

I'm in to follow along bro! I'm running my first cycle at the moment too. Except i got sus300 instead of test e and anadrol instead of epistane. On week three and I'm loving it! You'll probably get some injection pain in the following days until your muscles get used to the injections. And make sure you inject into the vastus lateralis not the rectus femoris like I did. Ouch! 7 days and still sore lol!

[GreenEarth]

I'll follow along...if I were you I would get some Liv.52 or Milk Thistle to protect your liver

SAMe is my liver protectant...wouldn't be caught dead without either Ursodiol, TUDCA, or SAMe for my liver on cycle, IMO those are the three most legitimate forms of liver aid, at least more so than Milk Thistle. Decided on SAMe for economical reasons lol. Originally I planned to add Liv52, but from what I've seen, it's really not as great as it tries to hype up to be. Promoting a healthy liver is not the same thing as preventing damage during a steroid cycle, you know?

I'm in to follow along bro! I'm running my first cycle at the moment too. Except i got sus300 instead of test e and anadrol instead of epistane. On week three and I'm loving it! You'll probably get some injection pain in the following days until your muscles get used to the injections. And make sure you inject into the vastus lateralis not the rectus femoris like I did. Ouch! 7 days and still sore lol!

Glad to have you along for the ride man, best of luck in your own cycle!



Day 2 - Tuesday, 5/29/12 Cardio

Supps/Drugs:

Arimidex @ .25mg
Cranberry @ 3g (3 caps)
Hawthorn @600mg (2 caps)
SAMe @ 400mg (1 cap)
Fish Oil @ 1.2g (4 caps)
Vitamin D @ 4000iu (2 caps)
Flinstones Multi (Opti-men due in today lol)

Fasted Cardio Workout: HIIT Sprints

Warm up walk: 20 minutes
Warm up jog: 5 minutes
HIIT Sprints: 8 minutes (30 second sprint, 30 second jog, 8 times)
Jump-Rope: 200 repetitions

Diet:

None yet. Today I have my full-time job from 8:30 - 4:30, and then go straight to my bartending gig from there. I packed 5 servings worth of whey, so around the time I'm done with this first job, I will have consumed 125g of protein and ~480 cals, then I likely won't be able to grab the rest of my protein and fat for the day until I get home around 11. Will update my diet when I get home today.

**Note: Forgot to mention this on this first post, but I do follow Berkhan's LeanGains/Intermittent Fasting Protocol, so most days I "break" my fast around 4pm and end my feeding period around 11pm.

UPDATE:

Total numbers for the day:

Cals - 2040
Protein - 305g

Due to running around I didn't get the quality meat sources I'd usually want, but most of my protein came from whey I packed (roughly 200g worth of protein lol), the rest came from 3 slices of bacon along with 9 whole eggs, and cheese. Carbs likely weren't above 10g, and fat was probably anywhere from 80g-90g (caloric numbers work out that way). Feeling good.

[Dr.Stri8ed]

Well planned out cycle and well planned training, I'm in.

[machorox123]

Subbin.. I feel ya wit the back problem.. I got a protruding disk in my lower back and cant do my favorite exercises besides benching

[technique88]

Subd! I will be running a similar cycle pretty soon, test e, SD, and winny. Just waiting for the gear to arrive! Kill it man!

[GreenEarth]

Updated last post...good to have you all along for the ride!

[technique88]

What size needle are you pinning with?

[technique88]

You should throw some casein protein in your shakes at work since you go so long with out eating...keep that protein synthesis never ending.

[GreenEarth]

What size needle are you pinning with?

Drawing with 21g, then switching it out for a 25g for pinning. Didn't feel any pain for my first pin, went very smooth...only thing is that it takes some force to get the oil out of the syringe, but you're supposed to inject slowly anyway, so that just helps to aid in the process.


Everyone that said my leg would get sore a day or two after the injection, you were right! Seems I spoke much too soon about not having any soreness from the shot...today my right leg is very sore and a bit tough to move as I regularly do. Hopefully that won't come around to bite me too hard in the ass during quad extensions today lol.

You should throw some casein protein in your shakes at work since you go so long with out eating...keep that protein synthesis never ending.

Hmm...I'll think about it. Truth be told I've never completely bought into the concept of benefits from slow-digesting protein. I mean, I get the same amount of protein either way, and following a system like LG/Intermittent Fasting, you kind of throw meal frequency and the concept of a "catabolic state" while not eating out the window.

[technique88]

Drawing with 21g, then switching it out for a 25g for pinning. Didn't feel any pain for my first pin, went very smooth...only thing is that it takes some force to get the oil out of the syringe, but you're supposed to inject slowly anyway, so that just helps to aid in the process.

Everyone that said my leg would get sore a day or two after the injection, you were right! Seems I spoke much too soon about not having any soreness from the shot...today my right leg is very sore and a bit tough to move as I regularly do. Hopefully that won't come around to bite me too hard in the ass during quad extensions today lol.Hmm...I'll think about it. Truth be told I've never completely bought into the concept of benefits from slow-digesting protein. I mean, I get the same amount of protein either way, and following a system like LG/Intermittent Fasting, you kind of throw meal frequency and the concept of a "catabolic state" while not eating out the window.

I honestly love the stuff. I drink it every night before bed and I can definitely say I feel a difference. Especially if you work out in the morning.

[GreenEarth]

Haha I work out around 3:30pm or 4pm daily...then break my fast at 5pm. Not sure if casein would make a difference at 11pm the night before or not!


Day 3 - 5/30/12

Supps/Drugs:

Cranberry @ 3 caps
Hawthorn @ 2 caps
SAMe @ 400mg
Fish Oil @ 1.2g
Vitamin D @ 4000ius
Multivitamin

Workout: B1 Day

***Note - because I am unable to do squats, I vary up my B day a bit. My A days are strict DC, and on my B days I still hit biceps and forearms and hammies like the DC method, but for calves and quads I essentially do standard pyramid sets with short rest intervals.

Laying Leg Curls - Warmup sets: 55lbs X 15, 70lbs X 14. RP SET: 160lbs 8 + 4 + 2. NOTE FOR NEXT B1: Increase REPS
26 Second Static, 60 second stretch

Plate-Loaded Sitting Calf Raises - Warmup sets: 1 plate per side (pps) X 30, 2pps X 22. Pyramid Set: 2 plates + 25 per side X 16, 2plates + 35 per side X 14, then X9. Note for next B1: Increase WEIGHT

Plate-Loaded Quad Extensions - Warmup set: 2 plates X 15. Working set: 3 plates X 15, 4 plates X 12, 5 plates X 9. Note for next B1: Add weight to ALL sets (+15)

Preacher Curls - Warmup: 50lbs X 15. RP Set: 100lbs 12 + 5 + 3 Note for next B1: Increase WEIGHT (+10)
25 second static, 60 second stretch

Reverse Cable Curls - Warmup: 60lbs X 15. Working set: 110lbs X 15, 120lbs X 11, 130lbs X 8
22 second static


QUAD WIDOWMAKER:

Alright, since I can't squat I need to get imaginative with these. For this particular one, I use the plate-loaded quad extension machine I used up top. My method is to rep a certain number of plates (3 today) until absolute failure, stop, take 3 quick deep breaths, rep til failure, and then repeat again and again until my legs feel like jelly and I'm only getting 2-3 reps before failure. Here's how it looked today:

3 plates: 18, 3 breaths, 5, 3 breaths, 4, 3 breaths, 3 = 30 total WM reps. Got up from the machine and almost fell down - legs nearly completely gave out from under me. If you have a machine in your gym to do this on (not sure how a nautilus quad extension machine would do), I HIGHLY recommend trying this as a widowmaker. The stretch and pump afterwards is completely ridiculous.


Diet:

2935 cals
347g protein
Fats around 50-60g, the rest of the calories are in carbohydrates.


Thoughts:

Legs felt awesome, and WOW...my arms were on fire today. But damn is my right quad sore lol. Second Test-E injection is tomorrow morning, so I think I may have to pin to my left leg, since I doubt my right will feel all fine and dandy by tomorrow morning. Only issue therein is that I get to look forward to my left leg getting this same soreness and difficulty in moving. Will have another .25mg of Adex on Friday, and then my first HCG shot (250mg) come Sunday.

[Lukef2000]

I might have to try that widowmaker set today on my legs session. Don't worry about the injection soreness your body will get used to it in a few weeks and you'll hardly feel them.

[Dr.Stri8ed]

Killer workout bro, u went HAM fur sure.

[technique88]

Very true about the casien bro...how do you fast? And work out on an empty stomach?! I am always eating and I avoid all supps that require an empty stomach b4 the gym lol.

[GreenEarth]

I might have to try that widowmaker set today on my legs session. Don't worry about the injection soreness your body will get used to it in a few weeks and you'll hardly feel them.

I am anxiously awaiting that day man! lol and definitely give the widowmaker a go. The key with it is absolute failure and short rest (pretty much like DC). Rep until you can't, take 2-3 deep breaths (should only be 5-7 seconds), and then just keep repeating. Guarantee you'll get those coveted jelly legs.

Killer workout bro, u went HAM fur sure.

Thanks man, great to have you along.

Very true about the casien bro...how do you fast? And work out on an empty stomach?! I am always eating and I avoid all supps that require an empty stomach b4 the gym lol.

I usually do an 18-hour fast with a 6-hour feeding window. Feeding is from 5pm-11pm, and the fast is obviously from 11pm-5pm the next day. To tell you the truth, I started on LG/IF about a year ago just for losing weight, and then never stopped. I've tried working out with food in my system since then, and I simply CANNOT do it. I feel so insanely bogged down and sluggish, it's strange. Either way, I'm not technically entirely fasted...usually have some pre-WOs beforehand which contain both calories and BCAAs (along with a healthy dosage of stims!), but not enough to break the fast. My feeding window is, by now, simply due to convenience. Most days I work until 4, work out for an hour, and then eat after that. I used to break the fast at 2pm, but that required me to spend SO much time every night preparing food to pack for the next day, and to tell you the truth I was just getting tired of using my time off from work to fix food...would rather be enjoying my free time with friends and family, you know?

I'm insanely dedicated to the gym, but the people who get into it and seem to swear off their personal lives are just kind of missing the beauty of life itself (getting all poetic up in here). I remember hearing from quite a few trainers (Dante Trudel included) that the clients they see the best progress with usually don't only have lifting to worry about - most have family issues, girlfriends to worry about, busy work schedules, essays due, etc...the types who always make sure to get their workout, but need to fit it in between everything else, along with their diet. My life is ridiculously busy right now, so having spare time at night to not be cooking food (or losing valuable sleep time due to cooking food) is very important to me.

It just works incredibly well for me. Feels more like a lifestyle than a diet these days. Still love all the people that are up on me like "You don't eat breakfast?? DO YOU KNOW HOW UNHEALTHY THAT IS???" lol

[GreenEarth]

Day 4 - Thursday, 5/31/12 Cardio

Supps/Drugs:

Test-E @ 250mg, Left leg
Cranberry @ 3g (3 caps)
Hawthorn @600mg (2 caps)
SAMe @ 800mg (1 cap)
Fish Oil @ 1.8g (6 caps)
Vitamin D @ 4000iu (2 caps)
Multi

Fasted Cardio Workout: HIIT Sprints

Warm up walk: 20 minutes
Warm up jog: 5 minutes
HIIT Sprints: 8 minutes (30 second sprint, 30 second jog, 8 times)
Jump-Rope: 200 repetitions

Diet:

Once again, none yet. Luckily don't have work at the bar tonight, so I'll be heading home around 4:30 this afternoon, and feasting heartily on fatty foods. Not sure how I feel about calories on these days...on Tuesday I kept it to 2000ish cals, but I'm not sure if I might do better around 2200-2300, since my workout days are right at 3000 cals...a thousand cal difference between days seems big. Thinking my total today will be around 2300 cals and 250-275g of protein. Probably less than 15g carbs, so we're looking at a good 110-125g of fat. Might track this macro today just to see what it's really at.

UPDATE:

Total cals: 2350
Protein: 250g
Fats: 106g

Thoughts:

Test-E injection went well this AM, decided to switch to my left quad since my right was still sore. Felt a bit of a pinch going in, but besides that it was just like Monday's shot (phew!). REALLY hoping that my right quad will stop being sore by the time Monday rolls around. I'd really like to keep the injections just to my quads (personal preference), but if need be I could put my shoulders into the equation...we shall see. Cardio was brutal due to the soreness, just like legs yesterday...but I worked through it (and now it's back with a passion lol). I'm not sure if I've ever had an injection in my quad at the doctor's office, so both of my virgin quadriceps have been officially deflowered.

[technique88]

Day 4 - Thursday, 5/31/12 Cardio

Supps/Drugs:

Test-E @ 250mg, Left leg
Cranberry @ 3g (3 caps)
Hawthorn @600mg (2 caps)
SAMe @ 800mg (1 cap)
Fish Oil @ 1.2g (4 caps)
Vitamin D @ 4000iu (2 caps)
Multi

Fasted Cardio Workout: HIIT Sprints

Warm up walk: 20 minutes
Warm up jog: 5 minutes
HIIT Sprints: 8 minutes (30 second sprint, 30 second jog, 8 times)
Jump-Rope: 200 repetitions

Diet:

Once again, none yet. Luckily don't have work at the bar tonight, so I'll be heading home around 4:30 this afternoon, and feasting heartily on fatty foods. Not sure how I feel about calories on these days...on Tuesday I kept it to 2000ish cals, but I'm not sure if I might do better around 2200-2300, since my workout days are right at 3000 cals...a thousand cal difference between days seems big. Thinking my total today will be around 2300 cals and 250-275g of protein. Probably less than 15g carbs, so we're looking at a good 110-125g of fat. Might track this macro today just to see what it's really at.

Thoughts:

Test-E injection went well this AM, decided to switch to my left quad since my right was still sore. Felt a bit of a pinch going in, but besides that it was just like Monday's shot (phew!). REALLY hoping that my right quad will stop being sore by the time Monday rolls around. I'd really like to keep the injections just to my quads (personal preference), but if need be I could put my shoulders into the equation...we shall see. Cardio was brutal due to the soreness, just like legs yesterday...but I worked through it (and now it's back with a passion lol). I'm not sure if I've ever had an injection in my quad at the doctor's office, so both of my virgin quadriceps have been officially deflowered.

I just deflowered my quad today =) HOLY SH*T is my quad sore! I used a 22G needle...wasn't bad at all but it just keeps progressively getting sorer lol. I'm going to be putting up a log within the next few days, too busy today...

[Dr.Stri8ed]

I just deflowered my quad today =) HOLY SH*T is my quad sore! I used a 22G needle...wasn't bad at all but it just keeps progressively getting sorer lol. I'm going to be putting up a log within the next few days, too busy today...

Oh u dirty slut lol, I'll b waiting on that log.