New Member Introduction

tianjian

New Member
Greetings!

I've been reading threads on Meso for years, joined a couple of years back, and finally decided to make a New Member Introduction post.

A little about me: I'm 40 years old, based in the US, and I've been lifting weights since I was a teenager. I'm 6'2" and currently 180lbs with about 14-15% bodyfat (I use a bathroom scale for that BF% estimate, so it could very well be wildly off).

I have been fascinated with AAS for over 15 years, but only just started my own AAS journey last week.

My overall goal is to build muscle mass. I have a narrow frame and a high-ish metabolism, so staying lean has come somewhat naturally for me. Building muscle, however, is much more challenging. At my heaviest (and when I was in my best shape) I was around 215 pounds. That was around the age of 27.

I have been keeping track of my labwork over the past few years and it has shown a steady decline in natural test production, although the most recent labwork from a few weeks ago showed a much more dramatic decline. Hence my decision to start using AAS at this time.

I've learned so much from the Meso community over the years, and I hope to continue learning throughout this journey. Perhaps as I get some experience under my belt, I may be able to contribute to the community as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read my intro, and I'm looking forward to engaging with the other members.
 
high-ish metabolism
Building muscle, however, is much more challenging.

eat

If you haven't, calculate your maintenance macros, eat above them, get 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, and train hard to use it all. Use a food scale. Weigh everything. Log it in an app.

most recent labwork from a few weeks ago showed a much more dramatic decline. Hence my decision to start using AAS at this time.

are you chasing a test number, or did you see losses in your log book?
 
Hi @Elektrobot - thank you for your response. I appreciate the engagement.

eat

If you haven't, calculate your maintenance macros, eat above them, get 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, and train hard to use it all. Use a food scale. Weigh everything. Log it in an app.
Yes - agreed 100%. You hit the nail on the head. Eating has always been a challenge for me, particularly because I don't have much of an appetite. Something that I've recently implemented to help with that is signifigantly increased cardio. I've upped the cardio from 3x 20-min sessions per week to 5x or more 30 minutes sessions per week. I implemented this change concurrently with the start date of my current cycle 11/20/25, so I haven't seen much of a change in appetite yet.

In addition, I am making a concerted effort to try to enjoy cooking. It has always been a nuisance or hinderance for me and I believe that associating such negativity with cooking has had the unintended consequence of causing me to eat less (to avoid cooking). I am slowing down and doing my best to find some positivity in meal prep.

are you chasing a test number, or did you see losses in your log book?
I could feel the drop in test and also witnessed it in my log book. Of course the feeling and performance could be attributable to a number of factors, but I was consistently experiencing symptoms of lower test, and my performance was not improving as it should have, given the effort I was putting in and my nutrition.

I was still surprised to see how low my latest lab results were, however. My labs from a few weeks back showed a total test of 328 and free test of 46.9. These values are approximately half of what I tested at just a couple of years ago.

I don't have a target test range yet. It is something that I will have to determine throughout this journey. The trigger that caused me to choose now to go on test was my low total and free test. I have fully intended to use AAS eventually, but I wanted to take things as far as I could naturally before administering exogenous test. Knowing that I'll most likely be on test for the long haul, I didn't want to start too soon before my natural levels declined.

I am begining with a very traditional test-only bodybuilding cycle. The duration and amount of test I end up using will be determined by how I react to the test. Once the cycle is complete, I'll most likely cruise on a dose in the normal TRT range, dictated by what feels best and by health markers too of course.
 
Okay, I'm new here, and I thought it was normal, but whatever.
There is an entire thread telling you what to do as a new member

Others find it and follow it

Why can't you?

 
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