The Cautious Return to Maintenance Calories Post-Bulk

[Exivious]

I've read a lot about this, but most articles about bulking and cutting are either explicitly about doing so clean, or (more often IME) they are deliberately vague and ambiguous so you're not sure if they apply as much to enhanced (or vulnerable during PCT) guys or not. I was 150 lbs and my maintenance was around 2200 kcal (I'm 150 lbs) when I started this cycle of 500mg test c, and unfortunately I just lost a pound on my week-to-week average eating 3300 kcal here in week 8.

My fitness and conditioning is obviously much improved and my baseline maintenance is going to be higher than it was before when this is all over, but the thought of sticking with 3500+ all throughout PCT is scary as hell to me.

I've read about people losing most of their gains by rapidly cutting back to maintenance during PCT. If I get fat during PCT, where cardio is ill-advised, I'll effectively lose a lot of my gains anyway when I start a clean cut this summer.

Let's say by my last shot I'm gaining a pound per week while eating 3700 kcal. I weigh everything, I eat less than 50g fat per day, I eat exclusively food I prepare. I'm going to wait 10 days for the test c to clear before starting PCT. By the first dose of SERMs, should I STILL be eating 3700? Should I still be in surplus by PCT week 4?

 

[Morefyah]

I've read a lot about this, but most articles about bulking and cutting are either explicitly about doing so clean, or (more often IME) they are deliberately vague and ambiguous so you're not sure if they apply as much to enhanced (or vulnerable during PCT) guys or not. I was 150 lbs and my maintenance was around 2200 kcal (I'm 150 lbs) when I started this cycle of 500mg test c, and unfortunately I just lost a pound on my week-to-week average eating 3300 kcal here in week 8.

My fitness and conditioning is obviously much improved and my baseline maintenance is going to be higher than it was before when this is all over, but the thought of sticking with 3500+ all throughout PCT is scary as hell to me.

I've read about people losing most of their gains by rapidly cutting back to maintenance during PCT. If I get fat during PCT, where cardio is ill-advised, I'll effectively lose a lot of my gains anyway when I start a clean cut this summer.

Let's say by my last shot I'm gaining a pound per week while eating 3700 kcal. I weigh everything, I eat less than 50g fat per day, I eat exclusively food I prepare. I'm going to wait 10 days for the test c to clear before starting PCT. By the first dose of SERMs, should I STILL be eating 3700? Should I still be in surplus by PCT week 4?

You need to wait a lot longer then 10 days to start your pct. probably closer to 21 days if not longer.

 

[Exivious]

You need to wait a lot longer then 10 days to start your pct. probably closer to 21 days if not longer.

I read a lot of people saying 14 days for test c/e, but early research led me to schedule 10 days back in December for some reason. I'll go back over everything and revise it upward.

 

[Heavy Iron]

I read a lot of people saying 14 days for test c/e, but early research led me to schedule 10 days back in December for some reason. I'll go back over everything and revise it upward.

Half life is about 8 days. So 8 days after last pin you have 250mg in your body that needs to clear. Another 8 days you have 125mg in your body. We're at 16 days and you have a low TRT dose in your system still. Another 5-8 days and you have about 60mg. Low enough to start up your PCT.

 

[Havah]

Pct 10 days post last injection of test cyp will have you waste half if not all your pct because of high exogenous test levels, then (in most case) your body will just start test production on its own again

Wich you know isnt too bad in itself but can be improved
Only way to know for sure is bloods, i d suggest drawing bloods for total test 3-4 weeks after your last pin and see from there

 

[Exivious]

So many articles say 14 days, but what you say makes sense. 14 days could be prudent for TRT doses, but probably not for supraphysiological doses like mine. I'm glad this was pointed out to me, but anyone have ideas on the calories during PCT (and before that as T levels start to wind down)?

 

[Exivious]

So, how's this work?

Say you're eating 4000 a day bulking, your cycle is ending and your goal is maintaining gains without getting fat (duh). How much are you eating by the time PCT begins? When PCT ends? How long till you're comfortable going back to maintenance without your body cannibalizing?

(And I settled on 20 days after last shot for PCT, at which point I should have around 20mg in me. Biological half-lifes are so variable, and it's even harder to estimate when dealing with a fairly long duration drug. So thanks for setting me straight on that.)

 

[MisterSuperGod]

You need to figure out what your new maintenance calories are for your current weight and stick with that. Fire up the TDEE calculator.

 

[Exivious]

You need to figure out what your new maintenance calories are for your current weight and stick with that. Fire up the TDEE calculator.

So switch to my new unenhanced maintenance as soon as the test clears and PCT begins? Start tapering down to it say a week before PCT begins when test starts to reach closer to normal levels?

 

[MisterSuperGod]

So switch to my new unenhanced maintenance as soon as the test clears and PCT begins? Start tapering down to it say a week before PCT begins when test starts to reach closer to normal levels?

Keep in mind, this is my opinion and i am no guru here.

i would drop to maintenance shortly before the Test clears. Keep pushing the calories prior to that to take advantage of that last bit of increased protein synthesis and nitrogen retention before it's back to normal.