First Cycle / adding Anavar mid Cycle - Help

[Newbie1998]

(I plan my first ever Cycle: Test + Anavar.) Wouldn’t it make more sense to start with Test only, so you can see how your body responds and more easily identify any side effects? Then, assuming you tolerate it well and your bloodwork looks fine, potentially consider adding Anavar later on?

 

[Hyde]

(I plan my first ever Cycle: Test + Anavar.) Wouldn’t it make more sense to start with Test only, so you can see how your body responds and more easily identify any side effects? Then, assuming you tolerate it well and your bloodwork looks fine, potentially consider adding Anavar later on?

Yes, that’s correct.

Although I would challenge you not to add a second steroid the very first cycle.

Do you think you won’t achieve significant gains from blasting testosterone much higher than yours has ever been? You just don’t need two different steroids yet; you can only grow so much muscle in a period of time or acquire actual lean mass so fast. If you need to call an elevator, you must push the button. You can stand there pushing the button 100 times like an idiot, but it’s going to come at the same speed regardless once it’s been called and will take you to the same destination just the same. You can’t take the elevator farther than it can go on one trip.

And if you only use test, you can see how that alone affects your lipids, blood count etc. You will have better information for future runs.

 

[Newbie1998]

Yes, that’s correct.

Although I would challenge you not to add a second steroid the very first cycle.

Do you think you won’t achieve significant gains from blasting testosterone much higher than yours has ever been? You just don’t need two different steroids yet; you can only grow so much muscle in a period of time or acquire actual lean mass so fast. If you need to call an elevator, you must push the button. You can stand there pushing the button 100 times like an idiot, but it’s going to come at the same speed regardless once it’s been called and will take you to the same destination just the same. You can’t take the elevator farther than it can go on one trip.

And if you only use test, you can see how that alone affects your lipids, blood count etc. You will have better information for future runs.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I really like the elevator analogy — it puts it into perspective.

At what point would you personally consider adding Anavar then? Would you keep the first cycle Test-only and potentially introduce Anavar in a second or third cycle, once you already know how you respond to Test?

 

[Hyde]

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I really like the elevator analogy — it puts it into perspective.

At what point would you personally consider adding Anavar then? Would you keep the first cycle Test-only and potentially introduce Anavar in a second or third cycle, once you already know how you respond to Test?

I would only consider adding a second compound beyond testosterone when I was no longer able to achieve the desired effect at a dosage of testosterone solo that I could personally tolerate.

Anavar is not a better growth agent per mg than testosterone or many other AAS. Anavar specifically is useful for its glucocorticoid inhibition to better preserve lean mass in a cut, or increase strength/power output with minimal absolute bodyweight increase in a fairly short time frame (think weightclass strength sport) with neutral effects to water retention (something like Mast Prop or Winstrol could do the strength job but would actually make you drier, while Tren would be most comparable for that role but can have significant mental sides for some, and Halo is too toxic to be run as long as Var or Tren).

Notice how none of those specific use cases are bodybuilding off-season/growth-related.

Someone looking to lean bulk without excess water retention even still has better options potentially adding things like Mast, Primo, or EQ if they needed more total mg but could tolerate no more testosterone.

And you may be able to run several cycles of test without even needing to raise the dose. If you feel you need more, take more, but give the drugs a fair chance to work in subsequent cycles. Also, you may be someone who can take a LOT of test - that’s not a bad thing. Many guys who get really big will use test as the bulk of their mg. Or at least the largest individual dose of anything in their stack.