Health Phase - What is it and why?

RockyP

Member
Assuming you are not ever planning to come off testosterone (either you're old like me and on HRT at baseline or for whatever other reason), I am wondering more about how to structure health phases / cruises (they're not the same, but they are used interchangeably by some).

For example, for lots of men 150 - 200 mg of Test per week will get their Total Test to 1000+ with all other lab markers normal. Nice and easy, I think we'd all agree this is a nice health phase.

But what if you were to run something like 250 of test with 175 - 250 of masteron with all blood markers normal (including lipids from the masteron compared to where they sit with just test). Some guys will throw in 50 of deca for their joints on a long term basis.

I'm not saying we should run the system until something breaks, but if all of your health markers are normal (including things like hsCRP, Blood pressure, HCT, lipids, LFT, kidneys), and assuming you will not ever come off completely, what is the benefit to running 150 test per week vs something like 250 test / 175 masteron, other than the semantics of the latter being a cruise and the former being a health phase? I suppose many of us are still under the androgen receptor downregulation thing which we now know is not true (they actually up-regulate). It makes me wonder if the community is just following the professionals in this, as those guys really do need a health phase to give themselves some sort of break from 2 to 3g+ cycles. But for someone who "blasts" on 750 - 1100 mg, if your health is just as good on 400 mg as it is on 150 mg (cruise / "health phase"), what's the difference? For me personally I will most definitely be dropping to 175 test when I have surgery. And if there were any life events that occurred where I knew I could not give my training 100% attention I would not waste any gear beyond just a TRT base. But besides those circumstances, I'm struggling to figure out why I'd run 150 test instead of slightly higher with a pinch of masteron, as for me it gives my physique a noticeably different / better look even at a low dosage.
 
Blood tests don't show everything. So to even consider running long term TRT+ you would need to add in something like an annual echocardiogram, annual organ ultrasounds, annual calcium score tests etc.

If you did that along with regular bloodwork then ya could be ok.
 
Blood tests don't show everything. So to even consider running long term TRT+ you would need to add in something like an annual echocardiogram, annual organ ultrasounds, annual calcium score tests etc.

If you did that along with regular bloodwork then ya could be ok.
Very challenging to get those tests paid for, let alone annually, if you are healthy and asymptomatic / no medical necessity. I’ve had them all in the past 2 years. Cost a fortune and were normal. CACC zero. Will be repeating that in a year or so.
 
Calcium score is not great, only shows calcified plaque, not soft plaque (the kind that easily breaks off and gives you Myocardial infarcts, strokes, etc.)
If you are below 35, it will most likely be zero even if your entire heart is filled to the brim with plaque
 
Calcium score is not great, only shows calcified plaque, not soft plaque (the kind that easily breaks off and gives you Myocardial infarcts, strokes, etc.)
If you are below 35, it will most likely be zero even if your entire heart is filled to the brim with plaque
Not under 35. But this is good advice to others. Lots of false negatives in sub 40 year old crowd. CACC usually is part of coronary CT angiogram which will for a better picture (literally and figuratively) of your situation. Again. Very very expensive out of pocket cost.
 
Blood tests don't show everything. So to even consider running long term TRT+ you would need to add in something like an annual echocardiogram, annual organ ultrasounds, annual calcium score tests etc.

If you did that along with regular bloodwork then ya could be ok.
I'd wager less than 1% of long term gear users are doing all that shit so to say "to even consider..." is ridiculous. The only thing most people consider is whether they want the gains or not.
 
I'd wager less than 1% of long term gear users are doing all that shit so to say "to even consider..." is ridiculous. The only thing most people consider is whether they want the gains or not.

Sure. If you are blasting and then dropping to regular TRT then I dont think you need these sorts of checks on a regular basis. But if you are running supraphysiological levels of TRT for long periods of time I am just saying regular bloodtests wont show everything.
 
The more I think about it I’m just going to drop to 175. Will live to fight another day.
Sure. If you are blasting and then dropping to regular TRT then I dont think you need these sorts of checks on a regular basis. But if you are running supraphysiological levels of TRT for long periods of time I am just saying regular bloodtests wont show everything.
 
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