If we're just looking at how much lean muscle you actually keep after a 20-week cycle, what would be the equivalent of running 200mg Test and 300mg Deca if you were to go with a Test-only cycle instead? Would it take something like 800mg of Test to see the same results?
I get that Deca and NPP have their own specific benefits and side effects that you don't really get with a high dose of Test. But for this, I'm strictly curious about the amount of retained lean tissue you'd walk away with once the cycle is over.
Thanks!
800mg might be overkill for some, but honestly if you're looking for that same "fullness" deca gives you, you'd probably need at least 600-700mg of just test to feel like you’re gaining at the same rate.
id say 750mg test is probably the closest to that 500mg total stack. deca is just so much more anabolic mg for mg that you really have to crank the test up to match the raw tissue growth.
dont forget about the water weight - deca makes you look huge while youre on but once you drop the water the "retained" muscle might actually be pretty similar to a 500-600mg test only run.
it really depends on how you handle estrogen. if i try to run 800mg test to match a deca stack, i just end up a bloated mess lol. id stick to around 600mg and just eat more.
deca is legendary for a reason man. you can push the test high but the "look" is never quite the same. maybe 700mg test? but the sides at that dose are a whole different beast than the deca/test combo.
keep in mind that "lean tissue" is tricky to measure. 200/300 is a classic for a reason... to get that same push from test alone you're definitely looking at 3x or 4x your cruise dose.
honestly i think 800mg test is a bit much to compare to 500mg total of test/deca. id guess around 600-650mg is the sweet spot where the actual kept gains would start to look the same.
Honestly it’s tough to say exact numbers, but Deca definitely helps lock in a lot more lean tissue without having to crank test super high
I’d guess you’d need way more test-only to match the retention from Deca, maybe 600–800mg-ish, but your joints and recovery would take a hit
The magic with Deca is the nitrogen retention + collagen support. High test alone just won’t give you that same “staying power” for muscle
In my experience, cycles with Deca leave you looking fuller and harder after PCT compared to test-only at similar gains
If you’re just curious about muscle left at the end, Deca/NPP stacks are kind of unbeatable for that. Test-only can get close but at a cost to your recovery and joints
