First Cycle 500mg Test - Help!

[AussieLadGains37]

First Cycle Help – 500 mg Test E (on TRT base)


Stats:Male | 37 years old | 189 cm | 100 kg | ~21% BF (Hume Body Pod)
Background:Currently on TRT at 200 mg/week Test E (EOD injections). Hit a plateau and want to run a 12-week blast.

Proposed Cycle:

• Testosterone Enanthate: 500 mg/week for 12 weeks
• Injected IM EOD (Every Other Day)

HCG:Currently taking 8 units (300 IU) EOD on a 1ml U-100 syringe (HCG 3750 IU/ml).
Supplements (starting 2 weeks before cycle and running throughout):

• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Fish Oil
• Vitamin D3 125 mcg daily
• Citrus Bergamot 600 mg daily
• Nattokinase 100 mg (2,000 FU) daily
• CoQ10 100 mg daily
• Psyllium Husk
• Cialis 5 mg daily

AI Protocol:Anastrozole — currently taking ¼ of a 1 mg tablet EOD (on alternate days to pinning). Will adjust based on symptoms/bloods.

Hair Loss:I am genetically susceptible to hair loss and have worked hard to restore and maintain what I have now. I will be running Finasteride + Minoxidil throughout the cycle to protect my hair.

Bloodwork:Pre-cycle bloods are stable. Planning mid-cycle bloods at week 4 (Total T, Free T, Sensitive E2, CBC/Haematocrit, Lipids + hs-CRP, LFTs, PSA, etc.).
Questions:

1. Is my AI protocol (0.25 mg EOD) reasonable to start with? Should I increase only if I get nipple puffiness / high E2 symptoms?
2. Are my supplements sufficient to help keep blood markers in check (especially lipids, CRP, haematocrit, and blood pressure)?
3. Cardio — planning 3x per week jogging. Is this enough? Should I add more (Zone 2, walking, etc.)?
4. Training — best frequency on 500 mg Test? 5 days per week? 6 days? Twice a day? Any recommended split for a cut/lean bulk?
5. What should I realistically expect in terms of gains, strength, body comp, and sides over 12 weeks?
6. Hair loss — any extra tips or things to watch for while running Finasteride + Minoxidil on 500 mg Test?
7. HCG — should I keep my current 300 IU EOD, increase it, or drop it completely during the 500 mg cycle?
8. Best ways to manage Estradiol levels (besides AI)? Any tips on keeping it in the sweet spot without crashing?
9. Do I need to add another anabolic?

Any other advice, things I’ve missed, or red flags with this setup would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

 

[BritishCanadian]

How long have you been on trt for?

And what is the "plateau" you reference?

 

[AussieLadGains37]

TRT for 1 year - not making gains in the gym like I did first 10 months - 2 months of training hard - lifts not going up.
Looking to blast while under 40 - then maintain

 

[BritishCanadian]

TRT for 1 year - not making gains in the gym like I did first 10 months - 2 months of training hard - lifts not going up.
Looking to blast while under 40 - then maintain

What are your test levels on 200 per week?

The shortest answer is you need to get lean, that should be your priority here, lean out and then blast.

 

[AussieLadGains37]

Test is 1100 @ 200mg
What body fat percentage should I aim for before I start?

 

[BritishCanadian]

Test is 1100 @ 200mg
What body fat percentage should I aim for before I start?

Your at 21bf, so you want to get down to at least 15, maybe less.

More androgens is not the solution to your problem at this stage, more than likely your plateau is due to diet ot training style/frequency.

With test levels of 1100, you should have no problem putting on muscle and strength.

 

[AussieLadGains37]

I have just lost 20kg (last 12 months) been running calorie surplus of 200 calories a day recently - only just increased to 200mg. I will train harder and get bf percentage down to 15ish percent before starting cycle good advice. any cycle advice? will the lower bf mean loss e? or just easier to lose fat before i start?

 

[LevButlerov]

First Cycle Help – 500 mg Test E (on TRT base)


Stats:Male | 37 years old | 189 cm | 100 kg | ~21% BF (Hume Body Pod)
Background:Currently on TRT at 200 mg/week Test E (EOD injections). Hit a plateau and want to run a 12-week blast.

Proposed Cycle:

• Testosterone Enanthate: 500 mg/week for 12 weeks
• Injected IM EOD (Every Other Day)

HCG:Currently taking 8 units (300 IU) EOD on a 1ml U-100 syringe (HCG 3750 IU/ml).
Supplements (starting 2 weeks before cycle and running throughout):

• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Fish Oil
• Vitamin D3 125 mcg daily
• Citrus Bergamot 600 mg daily
• Nattokinase 100 mg (2,000 FU) daily
• CoQ10 100 mg daily
• Psyllium Husk
• Cialis 5 mg daily

AI Protocol:Anastrozole — currently taking ¼ of a 1 mg tablet EOD (on alternate days to pinning). Will adjust based on symptoms/bloods.

Hair Loss:I am genetically susceptible to hair loss and have worked hard to restore and maintain what I have now. I will be running Finasteride + Minoxidil throughout the cycle to protect my hair.

Bloodwork:Pre-cycle bloods are stable. Planning mid-cycle bloods at week 4 (Total T, Free T, Sensitive E2, CBC/Haematocrit, Lipids + hs-CRP, LFTs, PSA, etc.).
Questions:

1. Is my AI protocol (0.25 mg EOD) reasonable to start with? Should I increase only if I get nipple puffiness / high E2 symptoms?
2. Are my supplements sufficient to help keep blood markers in check (especially lipids, CRP, haematocrit, and blood pressure)?
3. Cardio — planning 3x per week jogging. Is this enough? Should I add more (Zone 2, walking, etc.)?
4. Training — best frequency on 500 mg Test? 5 days per week? 6 days? Twice a day? Any recommended split for a cut/lean bulk?
5. What should I realistically expect in terms of gains, strength, body comp, and sides over 12 weeks?
6. Hair loss — any extra tips or things to watch for while running Finasteride + Minoxidil on 500 mg Test?
7. HCG — should I keep my current 300 IU EOD, increase it, or drop it completely during the 500 mg cycle?
8. Best ways to manage Estradiol levels (besides AI)? Any tips on keeping it in the sweet spot without crashing?
9. Do I need to add another anabolic?

Any other advice, things I’ve missed, or red flags with this setup would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

TRT for 1 year - not making gains in the gym like I did first 10 months - 2 months of training hard - lifts not going up.
Looking to blast while under 40 - then maintain

Test is 1100 @ 200mg
What body fat percentage should I aim for before I start?

welcome to the EVO family @AussieLadGains37
At 21% body fat you’re going to aromatize hard on 500mg, you need to dial in first before this.

Before changing anything, get a TRT log up first because you’re already on 200mg with total T around 1100 and stalled lifts means the limiter is likely food, sleep, training structure, or recovery not more test.
Post 2 weeks of ed bodyweight, cals and macros, training numbers, sleep, steps, cardio, BP, and your labs so the EVO family can dial your TRT baseline and then decide how to do a blast. 15min of your time to start

HOW-TO LOG?

Why is a Log Journal important?

• Doing a log will actually help you way more than just dropping random updates. When you lay it all out week by week you start to see patterns in your body that you won’t catch otherwise.
• Other guys here run logs all the time and there’s no privacy issue, nobody is asking for your name or anything personal, it is just training, diet, and how the compound feels.
• The feedback you get is also way better because people can follow along and spot things you might miss. It also helps the next guy who is thinking about running the same compound so you are giving back while you learn.
• Even if you think you might not stick with it, just starting the log makes it easier to come back and add quick notes. That way you get more out of what you are running instead of keeping it all in your head.

To really guide you we need more info from you:

• Please share your diet, training, cardio, sleep, supplements etc log with us in a NEW thread, full log journal so our guidance is based on facts you provide.
• It will take 15-20 minutes max.
• We have 100s of years of experience between us, so you need to post a LOG Journal with your stats (weight,height,age, years training, cycle history) diet, training, cardio, supplement, sleep details. If you don't log what you eat or train now, open NOTES on phone and start recording it there and paste here. Very easy.
• Please post a Log Journal asap for us

Please click the anabolic forum
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/forums/anabolic-steroids-and-peds.2/
top RIGHT, you see: +POST THREAD
click that

in Title: write your cycle name, like> My _____ Cycle Log
___ = the name of your log
example: My TRT training Log
in body: write your planned cycle or cycle you doing now, your diet, training and we will help you along on your cycle

here are examples of LOG Journals
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/first-testosterone-cycle-log.104133/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/sustanon-trenomast-deca-dbol-cycle-journal.105881/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/s-gentz-2025-26-growth-phase-log-with-psl.106514/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...var-bpc157-beligas-pharmaqo-cycle-log.104843/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...g-log-sponsored-by-purity-source-labs.103669/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...erone-cycle-and-beginner-training-log.106310/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/average-trt-back-to-savage-cycle-journal.106252
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...-testosterone-masteron-primobolan-deca.105348
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...odybuilding-log-masters-55-competitor.102611/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...ron-npp-tren-anadrol-log-to-stage-2025.102590

P.S. are you listening to our podcast? if not, you should; this podcast is about steroids, sarms, peptides, and bodybuilding:
https://www.evolutionary.org/podcasts/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evolutionary-bodybuilding-radio/id1798623410
https://open.spotify.com/show/53q1RFTgG4h6TQHsJ4xY6Z

@HarleyGuy @Allupfromhere @Pigsy @waggat @Trenhead3cc @Kopite67
@Grumpy @LH5515 @Yuri @Doctakay @catdadironman @bss

 

[AussieLadGains37]

Copy that will do - thank you

 

[BritishCanadian]

I have just lost 20kg (last 12 months) been running calorie surplus of 200 calories a day recently - only just increased to 200mg. I will train harder and get bf percentage down to 15ish percent before starting cycle good advice. any cycle advice? will the lower bf mean loss e? or just easier to lose fat before i start?

Its not necessarily about training harder, but maybe training smarter. If you have been training constantly for strength, take a month amd drop the weight down and increase reps.

Getting lean before you increase gear will be the best thing you ever do.

Once you have that sorted, then its time to ask about cycles plans etc. But also keep in mind, it all depends on bloodwork...we can create these fantasy cycles , but in reality, what works for you depends on bloodwork and how your body reacts ...check out @Nasser1997o2 podcast

 

[LevButlerov]

Copy that will do - thank you

will be waiting

 

[LevButlerov]

Its not necessarily about training harder, but maybe training smarter. If you have been training constantly for strength, take a month amd drop the weight down and increase reps.

Getting lean before you increase gear will be the best thing you ever do.

Once you have that sorted, then its time to ask about cycles plans etc. But also keep in mind, it all depends on bloodwork...we can create these fantasy cycles , but in reality, what works for you depends on bloodwork and how your body reacts ...check out @Nasser1997o2 podcast

Good point on the @Nasser1997o2 podcast @BritishCanadian
here is a link for you @AussieLadGains37 to @Nasser1997o2 podcast and log
log https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...cle-journal-post-surgery-and-sickness.107169/
podcast https://www.evolutionary.org/evolutionary-org-659-interview-with-evo-brother-nasser199702/

 

[AussieLadGains37]

Thanks you guys appreciate the support - last question for now - If maitenance is 3000 calories - I am comfortable running 1000 calories deficit - do I truly need 280g of protein to preserve muscle or is 180g daily acceptable?

 

[BritishCanadian]

Thanks you guys appreciate the support - last question for now - If maitenance is 3000 calories - I am comfortable running 1000 calories deficit - do I truly need 280g of protein to preserve muscle or is 180g daily acceptable?

Congrats on the weight lost already BTW...again, experiment and find what works for you, run a 1000 calorie deficit and see how you respond, adjust accordingly

 

[Nasser1997o2]

Hey Bro,

I would personally get as lean as you can before increasing anabolics.

21%bf is too high. I would use a glp1 like reta and try to get down to 10% first. It'll suck, but stop complaining.

Regarding your test dose, I would slowly tritrate up. Once you're really lean you'll find that you aromatise less and you'll need less estrogren control. Maybe none at all.

Then you can increase the dose to 250mg, then once you hit a wall with that, 300mg and so on. And as you increase the dose you can slowly implement AI's if you need to.

So instead of just a 12 week period that wont get you far, you can slowly increase the dose over time and get months/years of consistent progress.

 

[HarleyGuy]

Copy that will do - thank you

There's a lot to unpack here in order to dial in the most accurate answer to all your questions so I look forward to your log bro. @LevButlerov gave you a great how-to on logging so let's get that up and running and we'll be sure and guide you.

You got some awesome feedback from @BritishCanadian already to get you started as well. We have some really knowledgeable members on here that will be happy to help bro.

Looking forward to your log.

 

[Yuri]

Welcome my brother

You should look at getting a coach or some help to get you and your health started

**not a plug for myself I’d happy help you find any coach not just myself

 

[LevButlerov]

Thanks you guys appreciate the support - last question for now - If maitenance is 3000 calories - I am comfortable running 1000 calories deficit - do I truly need 280g of protein to preserve muscle or is 180g daily acceptable?

lets get your log started please we can discuss there more and you do need at least 220 protein tbh @AussieLadGains37
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/first-cycle-500mg-test-help.110819/post-2061311

welcome to the EVO family @AussieLadGains37
At 21% body fat you’re going to aromatize hard on 500mg, you need to dial in first before this.

Before changing anything, get a TRT log up first because you’re already on 200mg with total T around 1100 and stalled lifts means the limiter is likely food, sleep, training structure, or recovery not more test.
Post 2 weeks of ed bodyweight, cals and macros, training numbers, sleep, steps, cardio, BP, and your labs so the EVO family can dial your TRT baseline and then decide how to do a blast. 15min of your time to start

HOW-TO LOG?

Why is a Log Journal important?

• Doing a log will actually help you way more than just dropping random updates. When you lay it all out week by week you start to see patterns in your body that you won’t catch otherwise.
• Other guys here run logs all the time and there’s no privacy issue, nobody is asking for your name or anything personal, it is just training, diet, and how the compound feels.
• The feedback you get is also way better because people can follow along and spot things you might miss. It also helps the next guy who is thinking about running the same compound so you are giving back while you learn.
• Even if you think you might not stick with it, just starting the log makes it easier to come back and add quick notes. That way you get more out of what you are running instead of keeping it all in your head.

To really guide you we need more info from you:

• Please share your diet, training, cardio, sleep, supplements etc log with us in a NEW thread, full log journal so our guidance is based on facts you provide.
• It will take 15-20 minutes max.
• We have 100s of years of experience between us, so you need to post a LOG Journal with your stats (weight,height,age, years training, cycle history) diet, training, cardio, supplement, sleep details. If you don't log what you eat or train now, open NOTES on phone and start recording it there and paste here. Very easy.
• Please post a Log Journal asap for us

Please click the anabolic forum
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/forums/anabolic-steroids-and-peds.2/
top RIGHT, you see: +POST THREAD
click that

in Title: write your cycle name, like> My _____ Cycle Log
___ = the name of your log
example: My TRT training Log
in body: write your planned cycle or cycle you doing now, your diet, training and we will help you along on your cycle

here are examples of LOG Journals
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/first-testosterone-cycle-log.104133/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/sustanon-trenomast-deca-dbol-cycle-journal.105881/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/s-gentz-2025-26-growth-phase-log-with-psl.106514/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...var-bpc157-beligas-pharmaqo-cycle-log.104843/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...g-log-sponsored-by-purity-source-labs.103669/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...erone-cycle-and-beginner-training-log.106310/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums/threads/average-trt-back-to-savage-cycle-journal.106252
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...-testosterone-masteron-primobolan-deca.105348
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...odybuilding-log-masters-55-competitor.102611/
https://www.evolutionary.org/forums...ron-npp-tren-anadrol-log-to-stage-2025.102590

P.S. are you listening to our podcast? if not, you should; this podcast is about steroids, sarms, peptides, and bodybuilding:
https://www.evolutionary.org/podcasts/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evolutionary-bodybuilding-radio/id1798623410
https://open.spotify.com/show/53q1RFTgG4h6TQHsJ4xY6Z

@HarleyGuy @Allupfromhere @Pigsy @waggat @Trenhead3cc @Kopite67
@Grumpy @LH5515 @Yuri @Doctakay @catdadironman @bss

 

[rizzlekdizzle]

diet and training first I reckon - 200mg is really TRT+ so you should still be getting gains for sure.
Get that BF down - reta will help too.

 

[AussieLadGains37]

Thanks for all the advice - all of it is appreciated
In the last 12 months I have gone from 122kg to 101kg - lost 21kg using Reta
Only reason I stopped before goal weight was achieved was Gout flared up from all the purines released from fat loss -
I waited this out and stayed a constant weight for 2 months - it's no longer an issue and i am able to diet hard again
Reta doesn't hit the same anymore even though I've stayed on low doses
I've been running a little Cagri to help speed things along
Full Log in the works - I will post shortly

 

[bss]

First Cycle Help – 500 mg Test E (on TRT base)


Stats:Male | 37 years old | 189 cm | 100 kg | ~21% BF (Hume Body Pod)
Background:Currently on TRT at 200 mg/week Test E (EOD injections). Hit a plateau and want to run a 12-week blast.

Proposed Cycle:

• Testosterone Enanthate: 500 mg/week for 12 weeks
• Injected IM EOD (Every Other Day)

HCG:Currently taking 8 units (300 IU) EOD on a 1ml U-100 syringe (HCG 3750 IU/ml).
Supplements (starting 2 weeks before cycle and running throughout):

• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Fish Oil
• Vitamin D3 125 mcg daily
• Citrus Bergamot 600 mg daily
• Nattokinase 100 mg (2,000 FU) daily
• CoQ10 100 mg daily
• Psyllium Husk
• Cialis 5 mg daily

AI Protocol:Anastrozole — currently taking ¼ of a 1 mg tablet EOD (on alternate days to pinning). Will adjust based on symptoms/bloods.

Hair Loss:I am genetically susceptible to hair loss and have worked hard to restore and maintain what I have now. I will be running Finasteride + Minoxidil throughout the cycle to protect my hair.

Bloodwork:Pre-cycle bloods are stable. Planning mid-cycle bloods at week 4 (Total T, Free T, Sensitive E2, CBC/Haematocrit, Lipids + hs-CRP, LFTs, PSA, etc.).
Questions:

1. Is my AI protocol (0.25 mg EOD) reasonable to start with? Should I increase only if I get nipple puffiness / high E2 symptoms?
2. Are my supplements sufficient to help keep blood markers in check (especially lipids, CRP, haematocrit, and blood pressure)?
3. Cardio — planning 3x per week jogging. Is this enough? Should I add more (Zone 2, walking, etc.)?
4. Training — best frequency on 500 mg Test? 5 days per week? 6 days? Twice a day? Any recommended split for a cut/lean bulk?
5. What should I realistically expect in terms of gains, strength, body comp, and sides over 12 weeks?
6. Hair loss — any extra tips or things to watch for while running Finasteride + Minoxidil on 500 mg Test?
7. HCG — should I keep my current 300 IU EOD, increase it, or drop it completely during the 500 mg cycle?
8. Best ways to manage Estradiol levels (besides AI)? Any tips on keeping it in the sweet spot without crashing?
9. Do I need to add another anabolic?

Any other advice, things I’ve missed, or red flags with this setup would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the forum !

 

[waggat]

good start to your log @Skinnybig please share some pics of you face blurred so we can understand your base, and approve log

First Cycle Help – 500 mg Test E (on TRT base)


Stats:Male | 37 years old | 189 cm | 100 kg | ~21% BF (Hume Body Pod)
Background:Currently on TRT at 200 mg/week Test E (EOD injections). Hit a plateau and want to run a 12-week blast.

Proposed Cycle:

• Testosterone Enanthate: 500 mg/week for 12 weeks
• Injected IM EOD (Every Other Day)

HCG:Currently taking 8 units (300 IU) EOD on a 1ml U-100 syringe (HCG 3750 IU/ml).
Supplements (starting 2 weeks before cycle and running throughout):

• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Fish Oil
• Vitamin D3 125 mcg daily
• Citrus Bergamot 600 mg daily
• Nattokinase 100 mg (2,000 FU) daily
• CoQ10 100 mg daily
• Psyllium Husk
• Cialis 5 mg daily

AI Protocol:Anastrozole — currently taking ¼ of a 1 mg tablet EOD (on alternate days to pinning). Will adjust based on symptoms/bloods.

Hair Loss:I am genetically susceptible to hair loss and have worked hard to restore and maintain what I have now. I will be running Finasteride + Minoxidil throughout the cycle to protect my hair.

Bloodwork:Pre-cycle bloods are stable. Planning mid-cycle bloods at week 4 (Total T, Free T, Sensitive E2, CBC/Haematocrit, Lipids + hs-CRP, LFTs, PSA, etc.).
Questions:

1. Is my AI protocol (0.25 mg EOD) reasonable to start with? Should I increase only if I get nipple puffiness / high E2 symptoms?
2. Are my supplements sufficient to help keep blood markers in check (especially lipids, CRP, haematocrit, and blood pressure)?
3. Cardio — planning 3x per week jogging. Is this enough? Should I add more (Zone 2, walking, etc.)?
4. Training — best frequency on 500 mg Test? 5 days per week? 6 days? Twice a day? Any recommended split for a cut/lean bulk?
5. What should I realistically expect in terms of gains, strength, body comp, and sides over 12 weeks?
6. Hair loss — any extra tips or things to watch for while running Finasteride + Minoxidil on 500 mg Test?
7. HCG — should I keep my current 300 IU EOD, increase it, or drop it completely during the 500 mg cycle?
8. Best ways to manage Estradiol levels (besides AI)? Any tips on keeping it in the sweet spot without crashing?
9. Do I need to add another anabolic?

Any other advice, things I’ve missed, or red flags with this setup would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Thanks you guys appreciate the support - last question for now - If maitenance is 3000 calories - I am comfortable running 1000 calories deficit - do I truly need 280g of protein to preserve muscle or is 180g daily acceptable?

Hey mate,

If your not improving on 200mg per week then something is wrong with your diet and or training.

Agree with what the others have said. Get a bit leaner then do a cycle.

Can you show us your full weekly training (cardio and weights) and a typical day of meals.