Hello everyone

[BAroids]

Hey guys,

Just started reading the forum recently and this seems like a great community, so I signed up. I'm 41 years old. I've never taken any performance enhancing drugs. I've lifted off and on since my 20s and done a fair amount of martial arts when not lifting regularly.

I'm interested in longevity, fitness and packing on some muscle while i still can. This seems like the right age to start testosterone even just from a longevity and health/lifestyle perspective. I am planning to start trt/trt+ soon. Total t is still decent, around 680, but free is dropping, 9 on a reference range of 6-24 last test. Total t was 820 not that long ago so that's dropping too.

Planning to start at trt dosages and slowly work my way up to more performance enhancing/supraphysiological levels. I'm trying to decide between do it yourself trt or starting with a clinic first. Down the road I may want to explore other anabolics as well. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I'd love to find a coach to work with to analyze my bloodwork and make suggestions.

I'm also very interested in HGH. I think at my age it makes sense to be on at least an IU or two per day. Maybe cycling above that occasionally. Still trying to figure out reliable sources and wether to go with pharma or generic.

Right now and for the next few months I'm focusing on losing weight and getting my body in as good condition as possible to minimize side effects from the test. Bp is pretty good, 120/80 typically. I'm 248 pounds and want to get to 225 or so before starting test. Trying to improve lipids too.

Really looking forward to learning from you guys and participating.

Thanks,
BAroids

 

[Jj25085]

Hey there!

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for sharing your background. I’m in a similar boat as you, being new to performance enchantments. Currently I am almost finished with my first cycle. Even though I’ve still new, I have done a bunch of research regarding AAS and would be happy to try and answer some questions and share some of my experiences with you. It definitely can be intimidating at first haha.

Just a little advice- I may be over the top when it comes to bloodwork, however, I think it’s just such an important thing to use within your cycle. I try to do it every 2 weeks. Make sure to have your baseline before so that you can compare all of your levels. For your first test, make sure it’s very comprehensive and includes everything. From there you can do tests that include more of your basic blood work and then occasionally the comprehensive again.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll do my best to help you out

 

[BAroids]

Thanks bro! I appreciate it! I will be in touch with some questions Im sure. I definitely am onboard with bloodwork. I started seeing a functional/integrative health practitioner as my primary care provider recently and she's a big proponent of regular bloodwork even for regular non chemically enhanced people.

 

[Elektrobot]

Great intro dude, you have the right outlook on this.

I'm trying to decide between do it yourself trt or starting with a clinic first.

Don't ever listen to me or anyone else who tells you to self treat your health without a doctor..... but, in my non-medical opinion, you may get better results doing it on your own. Especially if you have an attitude thats receptive to learning before trying.

I'd love to find a coach to work with to analyze my bloodwork and make suggestions.

It's great to seek guidance and it should always be encouraged so long as that person is qualified to give the advice you are asking for.

I'm also very interested in HGH. I think at my age it makes sense to be on at least an IU or two per day. Maybe cycling above that occasionally. Still trying to figure out reliable sources and wether to go with pharma or generic.

HGH is a long game. Not sure that you would see benefit from 1IU. Check your baseline IGF number before starting so you can know what your response to a certain dose is. There is lots of good information here about HGH, how to choose which one to use, and sources for it. You will find what you need.

getting my body in as good condition as possible to minimize side effects from the test.

This is what I want to see in every new member intro

Trying to improve lipids too.

Very important. Focus on that. Get extended testing lile ApoB and Lpa. Maybe start using a fish oil supplement. Knock out your triglycerides, get your HDL to 60 and you LDL to 70.

started seeing a functional/integrative health practitioner as my primary care provider recently and she's a big proponent of regular bloodwork

Read through the serum blood testing topic and learn what tests we should be ordering and why, and the best places to get them.

 

[BAroids]

Great intro dude, you have the right outlook on this.


Don't ever listen to me or anyone else who tells you to self treat your health without a doctor..... but, in my non-medical opinion, you may get better results doing it on your own. Especially if you have an attitude thats receptive to learning before trying.


It's great to seek guidance and it should always be encouraged so long as that person is qualified to give the advice you are asking for.



HGH is a long game. Not sure that you would see benefit from 1IU. Check your baseline IGF number before starting so you can know what your response to a certain dose is. There is lots of good information here about HGH, how to choose which one to use, and sources for it. You will find what you need.



This is what I want to see in every new member intro

View attachment 350119


Very important. Focus on that. Get extended testing lile ApoB and Lpa. Maybe start using a fish oil supplement. Knock out your triglycerides, get your HDL to 60 and you LDL to 70.


Read through the serum blood testing topic and learn what tests we should be ordering and why, and the best places to get them.

Are there good resources on this forum for finding a steroids coach?

Glad you think I'm taking the right approach. I have always taken fish oil but increased the dose substantially recently to help with the lipids. I also started on citrus bergamot. Last lipid panel was in March. HDL was 43, ldl was 147, triglycerides were 100, apolipoprotein b was 118. This is probably going to be the biggest challenge for cardio health. High cholesterol runs in my family on both sides and I've always been high.

Blood pressure today was mid 120s/high 70s. Resting heart rate usually high 50's. Hopefully losing some weight and the supplements will get the lipid numbers in line.

6'1" 248 lbs. Thinking I'll see improvement getting down to 225.

 

[Elektrobot]

Are there good resources on this forum for finding a steroids coach?

I haven't looked myself so I'll have to sit this one out. Hopefully someone else can share more.

I have always taken fish oil but increased the dose substantially recently to help with the lipids.

Maybe as your Dr. about Lovaza. It's a prescription fish oil supplement. I told my Dr that I wanted to take a fish oil supplement, that I didn't trust over the counter products, and that I prefer a prescription. He gave it to me.

Last lipid panel was in March. HDL was 43, ldl was 147, triglycerides were 100, apolipoprotein b was 118. This is probably going to be the biggest challenge for cardio health. High cholesterol runs in my family on both sides and I've always been high.

Lots of discussion about this here.

Hopefully losing some weight and the supplements will get the lipid numbers in line.

Cardio man. Cardio. Can not stress the importance and benefit of cardio enough. It has a huge impact on lipids. 35 min of steady state cardio at 70% of your max heart rate is what does it. Daily. Daily. Daily. I just get on a treadmill at 3.8mph with no incline, gets my heart rate right where it needs to be, and I watch some youtube shit on tv for 35 min

 

[BAroids]

I haven't looked myself so I'll have to sit this one out. Hopefully someone else can share more.



Maybe as your Dr. about Lovaza. It's a prescription fish oil supplement. I told my Dr that I wanted to take a fish oil supplement, that I didn't trust over the counter products, and that I prefer a prescription. He gave it to me.


Lots of discussion about this here.


Cardio man. Cardio. Can not stress the importance and benefit of cardio enough. It has a huge impact on lipids. 35 min of steady state cardio at 70% of your max heart rate is what does it. Daily. Daily. Daily.

10-4 on the cardio
I've been doing 20-25 mins 4-5 days a week but will increase it

 

[BAroids]

I haven't looked myself so I'll have to sit this one out. Hopefully someone else can share more.



Maybe as your Dr. about Lovaza. It's a prescription fish oil supplement. I told my Dr that I wanted to take a fish oil supplement, that I didn't trust over the counter products, and that I prefer a prescription. He gave it to me.


Lots of discussion about this here.


Cardio man. Cardio. Can not stress the importance and benefit of cardio enough. It has a huge impact on lipids. 35 min of steady state cardio at 70% of your max heart rate is what does it. Daily. Daily. Daily. I just get on a treadmill at 3.8mph with no incline, gets my heart rate right where it needs to be, and I watch some youtube shit on tv for 35 min

Is lovaza better than tge over the counter ones in some way?

 

[Elektrobot]

Is lovaza better than tge over the counter ones in some way?

Because lovaza, or it's generic, is a prescription medication, I feel it is a better choice vs an unregulated dietary supplement.

Each capsuel has 465mg of epa and 375mg of dha. It is usually prescribed at 4 capsules daily.

That dose was studied during the drug trials and shown to provide a beneficial result.

 

[BAroids]

Hey there!

Welcome to the forum! Thanks for sharing your background. I’m in a similar boat as you, being new to performance enchantments. Currently I am almost finished with my first cycle. Even though I’ve still new, I have done a bunch of research regarding AAS and would be happy to try and answer some questions and share some of my experiences with you. It definitely can be intimidating at first haha.

Just a little advice- I may be over the top when it comes to bloodwork, however, I think it’s just such an important thing to use within your cycle. I try to do it every 2 weeks. Make sure to have your baseline before so that you can compare all of your levels. For your first test, make sure it’s very comprehensive and includes everything. From there you can do tests that include more of your basic blood work and then occasionally the comprehensive again.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’ll do my best to help you out

Did you take the do it yourself approach? Any interesting/unexpected results or side effects from your first cycle?

And any threads you would point me to that a newbie should definitely read?

 

[Jj25085]

Did you take the do it yourself approach? Any interesting/unexpected results or side effects from your first cycle?

And any threads you would point me to that a newbie should definitely read?

Hey,

Yeah, I did the do it yourself approach. I do have some experience in the medical background so I do have the upper hand in that. However you can definitely find just about anything you need within these forums or just with a simple google search. You can also use AI to help with some questions you have. I don’t know any specific forums that I can point out, however you’ll find useful information in just about all of them.