Test Only Cycle: overview & what to expect

It is the primary hormone found in men’s testicles. Moreover, women’s ovaries also produce testosterone but in smaller amounts. The production of this hormone starts during puberty and is at its highest in men up until the age of 30.

The hormone is the main one associated with sex drive as it plays a vital role in producing sperm. Without testosterone, a man is as close to a woman as he’ll ever get. Testosterone is what give men a deep voice, facial hair, energy, drive, aggression, and a zest for life.

Testosterone is also useful for building muscle size and strength, and is still the most commonly used steroid in all of existence. This is the one 9.8% of men will start with when it comes to anabolic steroid cycles.

Its wise for your 1st cycle to be comprised of ONLY testosterone so you can differentiate between the Test and the other compounds on your 2nd and 3rd cycles. This article will cover that, and will also give you the most important points to know about Test.

Max’s Note: The article you are about to read, is based on my own personal experience, it does NOT promote any illegal use of anabolic steroids (Performance Enhancing Drugs).

What is testosterone?

Given the importance of this hormone in men, its production levels in your body are essential to be aware of. While it is naturally produced by the body and decreases with age, some factors can hinder or lower its production. One of the most common things you’ll find among the articles of this website, is that your body’s testosterone levels are affected by many steroids (including by testosterone itself).

What is an ”Ester”?

Esters are a part of organic chemistry, as is everything related to anabolic steroids. There are different kinds of testosterone esters, and understanding the difference between these, will be crucial to your foundational understanding of steroids.

An ester is a synthetic derivative of testosterone, to put it in simple terms. Various esters have a shifting around of atoms, which then form ever so slightly different chemicals of the original compound.

Although there might only be 1-2 atoms that are different from one ester and another, even this is enough to alter properties like how fast or slow a particular ester can be released in the body. This is often the primary difference from one ester to another, and what may determine which ester you choose to use for your cycle.

The majority of Testosterone esters are suspended in oil (cottonseed oil and sesame oil). Oil based esters release slower in the body. In other words: they take longer for the body to use, which results in the testosterone staying in your body/system longer. This is how they got their name ”slow-release” or ”long-chain” esters.

Each of the testosterone esters we’ll cover here, are injectable and their dose will depend on what type of ester you choose, which will depend on what you’re trying to achieve.

Popular testosterone esters:

The most common testosterone esters you’ll hear among bodybuilders or athletes include:

• Cypionate

This is a slow-acting testosterone that is taken through injection. The proper use of deep intramuscular injection delivers a sustained release of enough testosterone in the bloodstream for up to 2 weeks. It possesses an 8 day half-life.

For TRT, the dosage for this testosterone is 125 to 160 mg weekly or 150 to 200mg weekly. In a year, one would normally be prescribed to take about 52 injections.

Common esters of Cypionate include: Depo-Testosterone, Andro Cyp, TC, TCPP, and Testosterone Cyclopentylpropionate.

• Propionate

This testosterone acts faster compared to the likes of cypionate and propionate. It possesses a half-life of about 2-3 days. This therefore, is not considered a sustained (slow) release. As a result, it has to be injected every fourth day. It is therefore hardly used for TRT.

Common esters of Propionate include: Testoviron Depot, TP, Testosterone Propanoate, and Propionyltestosterone.

• Enanthate

This works similarly to the cypionate. It is a slow-acting form of androgen that is injected into the body. With a deep intramuscular injection, one benefits from a sustained testosterone release to the bloodstream for up to 2 weeks. It has a half-life of 8 days. In a week, the dosage recommended is 120-160 or 150-200 mgs. with roughly 52 injections in a year.

Common esters of Cypionate include: Xyosted, and Delatestryl.

• Undecanoate

This is one of the testosterone that acts slowly to maintain the serum levels within the needed range. It doesn’t have significant fluctuations, and given its longer half-life, it is recommended to be administered every 3 months after the first 6 week dose. It is a prodrug of testosterone within the body and is considered a natural form of testosterone.

If used as an intramuscular injection, it is usually administered 1000 mg. every 12 weeks. However, for the oral intake, the dose is taken 2 to 3 times daily.

The common esters are: Nebido, and Aveed.

Orals versions: Jatenzo, and Andriol.

• Suspension

This type does not contain ester and is common with bodybuilders as a potent mass agent. It is also said to be the most powerful among injectable steroids producing strength and quick muscle mass. If used to treat low testosterone levels, one is supposed to take 25-50 mg. dosage 2 to 3 times weekly.

Andronaq, Sterotate, Aquaspension Testosterone, and Virosterone are the most common esters.

Popular testosterone cycles:

There are different testosterone cycles aiming at different goals. They include;

• Test-only cycle

This cycle involves Cypionate or Enanthate because they are slow acting. These esters are ideal because they don’t require frequent injections. Each week, one can take 1 injection and achieve optimal testosterone levels.

For those with more experience, below are common cycles:

• Cutting cycle

The primary aim of this cycle is to burn fat while not losing muscle mass.

A slightly more beginner-friendly cutting cycle could include Winstrol for, and would look like:

Week’s 1-12 – 400mg./week of Testosterone Cypionate
Week’s 7-12 – 50mg./ed of Winstrol
Week’s 15-17 – 50mg./day of Clomid for 3 weeks (Post Cycle Therapy)
Optional 0.5mg/every other day Arimidex throughout the cycle

Cutting Cycle 2 (TEST, ANAVAR, &/OR WINSTROL):

Week’s 1- 6 – 40-80mg./day Winstrol and/or 40-80mg./day of Anavar
Week’s 1-12 – 125-250mg./e3.5d of Testosterone (Cypionate or Enanthate)
Week’s 15-17 – 50mg./day of Clomid for 3 weeks or Nolvadex 20mg./day for 4 weeks (Post Cycle Therapy)

• Bulking cycle

A bulking cycle is always incorporated when the user is trying to achieve a significant amount of muscle size.

This is done in one or two ways:

The user builds lean muscle.
The user gains as much mass as possible.

TESTOSTERONE CYPIONATE OR ENANTHATE (15 WEEK BULKING) CYCLE:

Week’s 1-15 – 250mg./e3.5d of Testosterone (Cypionate or Enanthate)
Week’s 1-6 – 30-60mg./day of Dianabol or 50-100mg./day of Anadrol (Optional)
Week’s 18-20 – 50mg./day Clomid for 3 weeks (Nolvadex at 40/40/20/20) (Post Cycle Therapy)

DECA-DURABLOIN & DIANABOL (15 WEEK BULKING) CYCLE:

Week’s 1-2- 400 mg. of Deca-Durabloin is used.
Week’s 1-6 – 30 mg./day of Dianabol
Week’s 1-15 – 300 mgs./week of Deca, 500 mg./week of Testosterone, and 0.5 Arimidex every other day
Week’s 18-20 – 100 mgs./day of Clomid (10 days), then reduce to 50mg./day (10 more days)

• Post cycle therapy (PCT)

This therapy is essential for two reasons:

Fast recovery.
Maintaining the body muscle mass.

This process is what your allows your body’s natural production of testosterone to resume, which will be halted by the weekly synthetic testosterone injections. Its critical to not skip this part, as its possible the abnormally high estrogenic effects you’ll be experiencing post-cycle, could even lead to gynecomastia (male breast tissue!)

For an in-depth guide on PCT, read my full article on it right here.

The important thing to know is there are different types of PCT compounds that combat this process. They are: SERMS, AI’S, and HCG.

The most common SERM used for PCT is Clomid. A common protocol of using Clomid, following a TEST cycle, would be 50mg./day for 2 weeks, then dropping it to 25 mg./day for the following 2 weeks.

The most common AI’s are Arimidex and/or Aromasin. AI’s are most useful for helping with water retention.

The last thing to keep in mind with PCT is that depending on how fast or slow the ester is you used on cycle, that will tell you how quickly to start your PCT following your last injection. The slower the ester, the longer after you’re last shot you can wait to start the PCT (10-14 days). The faster the ester (Test Propionate) the quicker you should start it from your last injection (3 days)

Testosterone results

Different types of testosterones are used to achieve different goals. However, most of them can help one achieve body mass, increase the production of the testosterone hormone, help in injury and tissue recovery, among others. This is why it is so common among athletes and bodybuilders.

Benefits of using testosterone:

• Muscle and strength gain

All the types of testosterone help in muscle and strength gains. This is the most common reason given among bodybuilders and athletes.

• Faster recovery

One of the testosterone that is responsible for fast recovery is Deca Durabolin. Deca Durabolin helps regulate the amount of cortisol produced by the body because of the stress in weight lifting. Although this damages the body tissues at first, over time, this increases the ability of cortisol to recover muscle strains or injuries.

• Fat loss

Most of the testosterone increase one’s appetite. The more one eats, the more they get the energy and want to work out more. Regular exercise help in managing obesity by reducing body fat.

Testosterone side effects:

Several androgenic side effects arise from the use of testosterone, including heightened aggressiveness, oily skin, acne, and baldness acceleration. These will vary from one person to another. Other side effects include;

• Water retention

Testosterone converts to estrogen in the body, which is primarily a female hormone. The increase in the levels of this hormone can result in water retention. AI’s and SERMS help to fight off increased levels of water-retention.

• Acne

This is one of the androgenic side effects of testosterone, but it will not happen for everybody. If one is susceptible to acne, use of testosterone beyond a few weeks can cause acne.

• Gynecomastia

This is the formation of breasts usually caused by an increase in estrogen hormone levels. This is widely regarded amongst men as the absolute worst side effect one could ever experience as a result of injecting testosterone. If the proper PCT precautions are taken, then gynecomastia is nothing to worry about however.

testosterone FAQ’s:

Do Testosterone esters show up in a drug test?

All esters can be detected on a drug test, depending on the time it was taken. Studies show that slow-release esters can be detected up to 3 months from when it was injected, and fast-release esters can be detected only up to 2-3 weeks.

What are the long-term health effects of using testosterone?

Prolonged overuse of testosterone can lead to health problems such as strokes, cardiovascular problems, and in extreme cases heart attacks/death. Acne and depression from mood swings can also occur. The more serious effects are usually a result of taking it in too high of a quantity, for too long a time period.

Conclusion:

Testosterone is commonly used for fat burning and muscle building, but most use it for bulking cycles because of its anabolic effects. Some options are cheaper, while others are more expensive. Depending on the needs and intent of use, one can determine what works best for them.

Generally speaking, testosterone is usually far less expensive than other anabolic steroids (usually $60-90 a vile), and serves as the ”go-to” solid base foundation of most steroid cycles.

Learn More

TESTOSTERONE (LEGAL SUBSTITUTE)

Read Reviews

5.00

1 Ratings

Improves energy levels & hormone balance.
Shown to increase libido & testosterone production.
Supports strength, lean muscle mass, & athletic performance.

CHECK SBULK TESTOSTERONE PRICING!

If you enjoyed this article and you’d like a more real, NO-BS info-packed guide on cycling steroids, then grab your digital E-Book copy of ”Straight From The Underground” by John Doe Bodybuilding. This is my #1 recommended underground handbook on EVERYTHING related to steroids. Everything in this book is based on first-hand experience instead of theory.

-Mad Max