# ToolSteel's first cycle



## ToolSteel (Apr 7, 2015)

Hey there guys (and gals). I have made an intro thread and lurk quite a bit, just not a frequent poster. First off I want to say I'm grateful for all of the info that is available on this site.

My cycle is pretty standard for a beginner:
duration 10-12 weeks, mathematically i have enough oil for a crack over 13 weeks, so accounting for loss should be right in the 10-12 range.
Test E 600mg/wk pinned mwf, 600mg frontload
Aromasin 10-12.5mg eod (2 different brands/dosing)
HCG 250 2x/wk, m/f
PCT Clomi/Nolva 50/50/50/50, 40/40/20/20

The only thing I'm unsure of and would like opinions on is how to run the HCG transitioning from cycle to pct. I have searched a lot but it's tough to find good threads when you cant search for 3-letter words.

Current stats:
5'10.5"
215Lbs
15%

bench 350, squat 315x12 (havent done a 1rm in a while), dl 525

current pic in avatar, albeit not a great one, still look pretty much the same as that was only about a month ago. I do plan to take more quality "before" pics in the next couple days.


As i said i don't really post a lot, but i will try to keep this updated as best as I can. I have been doing my research on this for a long time, excited that it's finally happening.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 7, 2015)

Link to my intro post with pics: http://www.ugbodybuilding.com/threads/17041-Intro-Background?p=274864&viewfull=1#post274864

Looking back now i'm definitely a good bit leaner; I'll be getting some new progress pics up soon.


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## bronco (Apr 8, 2015)

You going to pin test e mwf?


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## ToolSteel (Apr 8, 2015)

Yes simply because it makes it easy math. Being my first go, shots of less than a ml seemed less daunting. I may switch to m/f. But I figure if I don't mind the pins, what's it going to hurt to spread it out.


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## PillarofBalance (Apr 8, 2015)

ToolSteel said:


> Yes simply because it makes it easy math. Being my first go, shots of less than a ml seemed less daunting. I may switch to m/f. But I figure if I don't mind the pins, what's it going to hurt to spread it out.


Your peak plasma levels won't be as high doing mwf. Grab your sack and put 1 to 1.5cc in twice a week.  If it puts your mind at ease take a 3cc syringe and fill with water. then squirt into a teaspoon. See how tiny of an amount it is.

Hehehe I said squirt


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## snake (Apr 8, 2015)

TS,

I'm TRT so no PCT advice will come from me. As for your 3x/wk, I don't see a problem there but if you can cut that to 2x/wk I think it will work better for you. Here's why; somewhere in that 3x/wk you're going to be putting a needle in your ass or thigh and be squatting in 1-2 days. The further you keep a possible PIP from a good squat, the better off you will be.

As for your dose, this is just me but I would like to see you drop it to 500mg/wk and run it out for 16 weeks. The math works out so you have what you need. Here's my Broscience reasoning for this. First, it's your first, there's always another. Second, and this is a big one for me; you take the same amount of gear and spread it out, exposing it to more training and diet. Assuming you hit your bench once a week, you get 3-4 more benches out of that cycle with the same amount of gear. Plus I feel the longer you hold the gains on, the longer they stay when you're off.

I like your stats, you're about the same as me so I'll be watching you brother. Best wishes and keep me updated.


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## wabbitt (Apr 8, 2015)

Pinning three times a week so that you can use less at a time doesn't make much sense.  The more holes you punch in yourself, the more damage you do.  No sense building up a lot of scar tissue when it isn't necessary.  Test enan is incredibly painless, and it won't make any difference between a half, 1, or even 2 ccs.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 8, 2015)

PillarofBalance said:


> Your peak plasma levels won't be as high doing mwf. Grab your sack and put 1 to 1.5cc in twice a week.  If it puts your mind at ease take a 3cc syringe and fill with water. then squirt into a teaspoon. See how tiny of an amount it is.
> 
> Hehehe I said squirt





snake said:


> TS,
> 
> I'm TRT so no PCT advice will come from me. As for your 3x/wk, I don't see a problem there but if you can cut that to 2x/wk I think it will work better for you. Here's why; somewhere in that 3x/wk you're going to be putting a needle in your ass or thigh and be squatting in 1-2 days. The further you keep a possible PIP from a good squat, the better off you will be.
> 
> ...


Lol I'll sack up. What you're saying makes sense. I don't have a problem dropping to 500 and extending cycle; just gonna have to get good at reading the decimal lines. 



wabbitt said:


> Pinning three times a week so that you can use less at a time doesn't make much sense.  The more holes you punch in yourself, the more damage you do.  No sense building up a lot of scar tissue when it isn't necessary.  Test enan is incredibly painless, and it won't make any difference between a half, 1, or even 2 ccs.


Right you are. 





Thanks guys. This is why I like it here.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 8, 2015)

Leg day this morning. Squats 135-20, 225-15, 315-8, 225-15. I recently switched to a narrowish stance, used to go pretty wide. Switching it up feels like it took a good bit of stress off my hips and allows me to go deeper and really stretch the quad at the bottom. Weight went down a bit at first but it's steadily coming back up now that I'm getting used to it. After that hit leg press 3x12, leg ext/curl supersets, db lunges, back extensions. Been off of heavy deadlifts for a couple weeks after throwing my back out, slowly working them back in. 

Took some current pics. The wheels are nothing overly impressive but better than they've ever been. Weight was 212.6 before my workout.


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## Paolos (Apr 8, 2015)

PillarofBalance said:


> Your peak plasma levels won't be as high doing mwf. Grab your sack and put 1 to 1.5cc in twice a week.  If it puts your mind at ease take a 3cc syringe and fill with water. then squirt into a teaspoon. See how tiny of an amount it is.
> 
> Hehehe I said squirt



He's right you will never notice the difference...go for it


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## ToolSteel (Apr 8, 2015)

snake did you get my pm... not sure if i can send yet with low posts even though i tried


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## widehips71 (Apr 8, 2015)

Am I the only one that thinks front loading is a waste of gear?


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## wabbitt (Apr 8, 2015)

widehips71 said:


> Am I the only one that thinks front loading is a waste of gear?


Nope.  Total waste.


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## widehips71 (Apr 8, 2015)

Yeah bro save that shit and stretch it out another week


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## ToolSteel (Apr 8, 2015)

Eh little late for that now. There's always next time.


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## mickems (Apr 8, 2015)

ToolSteel, you're getting good advice on here from the UG brothers. Looking forward to seeing your progress.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 9, 2015)

mickems said:


> ToolSteel, you're getting good advice on here from the UG brothers. Looking forward to seeing your progress.



Oh I agree. Very glad I found this site. I was a former ology member... Dodged a bullet there!
And thank you. Hopefully my progress will be something to be proud of.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 10, 2015)

Had a decent upper body workout last night. Was kind of spur of the moment due to some schedule changes but went pretty well. 
Main lifts:
Flat bench
135-20
225-15
275-6
275-5
275-12 (slingshot)
225-10 paused

2 arm db bent row
110's-12
110's-12
110's-10
80's-15
75's-15

Db shoulder press
45's-20
55's-15
60's-10
65's-8

Then aux work front/side/rear raises, bi/tri supersets, chin-ups, and flat flys.  

This morning's pin went perfectly. Pumped up for legs Saturday night, may go in the morning if I can drag my ass out of bed.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 10, 2015)

Pumped up shot from last night


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## ToolSteel (Apr 15, 2015)

Yesterday's pin went perfectly. Outer quad. Nearly zero pip, which surprises me a little with the way people talk about t400. I do have plenty of exp with IM injections, although it's on animals lol. So either I'm really good at pinning, it's really smooth gear, Or a little of both. 
The first couple were sore the next day, this one I could find a sore spot if I tried, but can't feel it while walking. I'm happy. 
Training is going well. Strength is coming back well after losing a bit on my last Keto cut. Squats are lagging a little, but I haven't been pushing them super hard due to ankle pain (broke it a couple years ago). Lots of aux work though , leg press, extensions, lunges, goblet squats, etc. 

Diet is going well. I had been shooting for 4k as clean as possible but have dropped tht down to 3-3.2 for the time being. I put on fat very easily so decided to hold it back a little until things hit full swing. 

All in all things are good. No big news.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 18, 2015)

Friday pin went great. Ha the day off from the gym today and took my daughter to the park. 
Didn't quite hit my protein goal for the day, and splurged on an oatmeal cream pie before bed lol. 
Smashing upper body in the morning.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 19, 2015)

Incline db went well. It's always lagged a bit farther behind flat bench than it should, but catching up. 105's for 9 and aaaaaalmost 10, then 90's for 12/10/8. I was pretty happy with that. Nice stretch and constant tension, got a pretty darn good workout from it.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 21, 2015)

Had an awesome bench session tonight. Set a new pr at 355. Wasn't planning on maxing tonight but as I got midway through I realized I was feelin pretty good so I just went for it. 
135/25, 185/15, 245/8, 295/5, 315/2, 355/1. 355 went up super smooth, I was completely shocked. So smooth that I went back for 365, but halfway down I could tell my pecs were completely toast. Ended up getting stuck halfway and needed a 2 finger spot to get it up. Oh well. Back to high volume and I'll get it in a couple weeks.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 27, 2015)

I'm exhausted so short update. Screwed up my back again somehow. Pisses me off. I can lift fine for the most part, it's just super tight when I wake up every morning. Squats doing alright, still keeping weight moderate and working on form; hitting the hypertrophy with hacks, leg press, and extensions. With some goblet squats thrown in now and then. 
365x5 with a slingshot today on flat bench after a 325 triple. Felt pretty solid. 
Diet on track, weight up to 227. 
Now if I could just magically fix my back.


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## ToolSteel (Apr 28, 2015)

Snapped some progress pics tonight and compared them with similar poses from January when I was coming off a several month long carb cycling run. I was freaking blown away once I put them side by side. 
Today started week 4 of my cycle. Shit's about to get real


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## ToolSteel (May 5, 2015)

Woke up with a cold today feeling like complete crap. Couldn't breathe well, sore throat, etc. decided to hit the gym anyway cuz these gains ain't gonna make themselves. Sure glad I went cuz I ended up setting TWO personal records on flat bench. After warmup and a couple work sets I hit 275x10 and followed up with 315x5! Previous PB's were 6 and 3 respectively, probably just over a month ago. By that point my elbow was starting to twang so I moved on to aux work. Would have liked to go higher but there's always time for that. Probably wait another week or two then go for another 1rm.


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## ToolSteel (May 6, 2015)

Sideshota from my Monday bench session


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## ToolSteel (May 8, 2015)

Hit 405 with a slingshot this morning in preparation for a raw max next week. Went up easier than expected but tough enough I wasn't gonna go any higher. Had such a rush when I locked it out lol.


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## ToolSteel (May 8, 2015)

Labs in today. Any thoughts? Yes I new about the 1500 limit.


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## ToolSteel (May 12, 2015)

375 raw bench pr tonight. 

Back is slowly getting better, been absolutely killing leg ext, press, goblet and zercher squats, and hip strength. Can't wait to get the bar on my back again.


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## ToolSteel (May 13, 2015)

I pooped a Cornish game hen


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## ToolSteel (May 14, 2015)

Nothing crazy to update. 100's on db incline for 3x12 which was pretty sweet. 220x20x4 leg extension. New Chiro today; hopefully he gets my back fixed right quick so I can get back into skwaats.


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## ToolSteel (May 20, 2015)




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## Sledge (Jun 11, 2015)

Hey man. Really enjoying reading your progress. Making some great gains! I'm wondering what this "slingshot" thing is.


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## DF (Jun 11, 2015)

Looking good stool !!!


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## ToolSteel (Jun 12, 2015)

Been out of town for a while and on a "social media vacation"

Updates to come.


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## ToolSteel (Jun 23, 2015)

Ok time for some updates:
Bench is doing exceptionally well. Actually everything upper body is. Yesterday morning hit 385 on flat bench (PR) then hit 405/445/465 with my slingshot. Will be going for 405 raw next week. If I hit it, that will be a 70# gain since I started the cycle. 
Weight is up all around drastically. T-bar rows on the machine are up to 4 plates for sets of 8. Laterals/curls/push downs/etc are all up 20-30# on working weight. 
It makes me even more frustrated that I royally ****ed my back only a few weeks into the cycle. Legs are doing "alright" with machine work and lunges but nothing like that could have been with good old squats and deads. I am nearly pain free now though so will start working in some zercher squats and getting some weight on her. 

Body weight up to 235, did put on a little bit of fat but it's doing well overall. I'll get some current pics in here soon.


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## Fsuphisig (Jun 23, 2015)

Seems like a "blast"!


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## ToolSteel (Jun 30, 2015)

Last pin is tomorrow. Hit 405 smooth and solid on bench this morning. Back is 90% recovered; haven't done barbell squats yet but it's getting there. 

Update pics from this morning after hitting 405. Body weight 235. Shirt stayed on cuz my clippers died halfway through trimming my fur vest last night lmao


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## ToolSteel (Jul 14, 2015)

Pct starts tomorrow. Yay.


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## wabbitt (Jul 15, 2015)

ToolSteel said:


> Pct starts tomorrow. Yay.



PCT sucks.  Do whatever you can to make yourself go to the gym.  Chances are good that you really won't want to.


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## ToolSteel (Jul 30, 2015)

It has been tough. I was forced to take a week off due to ot at work but did what I could at home. Started 3rd week of pct today. Some pics from this morning. Weight 230 at time of "photo shoot" lol


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## jennerrator (Jul 30, 2015)

you seem to have a rug on your belly.....

looking good though!!!!


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## ToolSteel (Jul 30, 2015)

Jenner said:


> you seem to have a rug on your belly.....
> 
> looking good though!!!!



LOL thanks. My clippers are dead. I'm a powerbuilder anyway, I ain't got time for razors!


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## ToolSteel (Aug 12, 2015)

Last day of pct. hit upper back and arms this morning. Weight and strength are holding well. 227 post workout.


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## ToolSteel (Aug 28, 2015)

Couple weeks post pct. feeling great. Had a couple big meals, weighed 236 today lol. But I had a dozen eggs and 2 cups of rice for dinner and hadn't pooped yet.


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## PillarofBalance (Aug 28, 2015)

I didn't know you were mexican. We can't be friends anymore.


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## ToolSteel (Aug 28, 2015)

I'm just shocked that you considered us friends in the first place 

 #hater.


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## Magical (Aug 28, 2015)

Awesome progress man


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## ToolSteel (Aug 28, 2015)

Thank you! I'm pretty happy and really looking forward to the future!


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## NbleSavage (Aug 29, 2015)

Looking swole, Steel.


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## ToolSteel (Sep 24, 2015)

6 weeks post pct. Flat morning pic. Weight 231. Strength slowly climbing.


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## ECKSRATED (Sep 24, 2015)

U should take off your sweater vest when inside the house.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Sep 24, 2015)

ECKSRATED said:


> U should take off your sweater vest when inside the house.



You let me wear mine in the house....


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## ToolSteel (Sep 24, 2015)

ECKSRATED said:


> U should take off your sweater vest when inside the house.



Lol I do periodically


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## DieYoungStrong (Sep 24, 2015)

Damn dude, you might be hairier then I am....and that's saying something.


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## ToolSteel (Sep 24, 2015)

Yeah.. But hey I don't gotta worry about people noticing body hair growth on cycle. I'm covered lol


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## Lilo (Sep 24, 2015)

Wax on, wax off...


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## ToolSteel (Sep 24, 2015)

Hellllllllllll no!!!


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## mickems (Sep 24, 2015)

Nice job ToolSteel!


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## NbleSavage (Sep 24, 2015)

You're holding the scale well, Steel. Keep eating and training hard!


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## jennerrator (Sep 25, 2015)

that rug....it hurts my eyes!!!


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## Dex (Sep 25, 2015)

Great job Tool. And I think you would still be about 229lbs without the fur.


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## silvereyes87 (Sep 25, 2015)

a good read. you look great man. great thread keep up the awesome work.


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## ToolSteel (Sep 25, 2015)

Dex said:


> Great job Tool. And I think you would still be about 229lbs without the fur.



Lol. Perhaps.


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