heres the background- my training has honestly been kind of a mess. i love the gym and lifting heavy but i straight up hate dieting. getting there to do the work was easy but the food side was always a struggle for me cause i just wanted fast food and easy stuff. so yeah- steroids were 100% a shortcut for me and i totally admit that but thats not really the point of the post.
my lifts arent even that crazy to be honest: (5RM) OHP- 145, Bench- 225, Squat- 275, DL- 405. im 6'3 and ive been training for 2 years.
this isnt my first cycle either. i hopped on way to early the first time and made some solid gains but then i lost basically everything after PCT cause my diet sucked and i was partying way too much.
the goal this time was simple- get big then get shredded. i started at 180, did a dreamer bulk up to 200 then cut back down to 180 and im still cutting for another few weeks. i just ran a basic PPL routine twice a week. bulked on like 4500-5000 calories and cutting on 2000-2500.
cycle was 500mg Test E/525mg NPP for 8 weeks then switched to 525 Tren A/300mg Test E for the 8 week cut.
the pics are both about an hour after the gym and flexed. 180 on the right is only 28 days after the 200lb pic on the left. im pretty stoked with how much changed in just 4 weeks.
im open to any questions or if you want to talk shit thats fine too lol. i really wanted to talk about using too early and all the mistakes i made along the way.
EDIT: yeah i have gyno from when i was a kid. i actually had surgery for it a few years back and it helped a bit but as you can see its still there.
look i know i dont look amazing or anything but it is what it is. i dont really regret taking stuff since i never made any real progress being natural. take what you want from my experience i dont mind putting it out there.
respect for being honest about it, most people just pretend they’re “genetically gifted” lol. honestly the biggest thing that jumps out isn’t the compounds, it’s the consistency stuff you already mentioned. food, sleep, partying, all that adds up way more than people wanna admit.
i’ve seen so many dudes nuke their progress because they treated gear like the magic fix instead of just a multiplier. if the base isn’t solid, it just amplifies the mess. sounds like you kinda figured that out the hard way.
also not gonna lie, dropping 20 lbs in a month and still looking fuller is wild, so clearly something worked. just don’t let the short term win trick you into thinking it’s sustainable forever. health catches up eventually whether you care or not.
if anything, your post is a good reminder that food discipline and recovery matter way more than people want to accept. gains are boring as hell when done right, but they actually stick.
honestly man, respect for being so real about it. most people just flex numbers and pics without ever mentioning the mistakes or struggles behind it. sounds like you learned the hard way that diet and consistency matter just as much as gear, if not more.
dropping from 200 to 180 in a month and still looking fuller is crazy progress. the fact that you’re reflecting on your early cycles and what didn’t work shows a lot of maturity too.
also, the gyno thing is super common—doesn’t take away from all the hard work you’ve put in. keep tracking, learning, and being honest like this, it’s way more useful than pretending it’s all perfect.
honestly, reading this makes me feel less alone with all the mistakes i made early on too. that jump from 180 to 200 then back down in a month is wild, sounds like your body’s loving the cycle. biggest takeaway for me is that the diet side really does make or break everything—i feel you on hating it, it’s brutal. also props for being real about gyno, that stuff can stick around and it’s frustrating but doesn’t erase the progress you’ve made.
honestly man, that’s a wild transformation in just a month. i feel you on the diet struggle—i’ve been there too, it’s way easier to lift heavy than to eat clean all the time. sounds like you actually learned a ton from your first cycle and this one, so at least you’re smarter going in. keep grinding and just enjoy seeing the results, mistakes and all.
man, i get this so much. the whole “love lifting, hate dieting” struggle is real, and it’s wild how much food really decides your progress. honestly the fact that you’re even tracking this stuff and seeing the changes in a month is insane. not gonna lie, your lifts aren’t crazy numbers yet but the transformation in just 4 weeks shows consistency actually matters way more than the “big numbers” flex.
also big respect for being open about mistakes and not sugarcoating the cycles. most people just post pics and act like it’s all magic. sounds like you actually learned a ton the hard way, and that’s worth more than any Instagram glow-up.
damn man, that’s honest as hell—props for putting all the details out there. not many people are this upfront about the early mistakes and PCT struggles
wow, those lifts for just 2 years and your height are solid. i feel you on hating the diet side, that’s always the hardest part for me too
your cut looks crazy clean for just 4 weeks, must feel good seeing the progress after all the trial and error
appreciate the talk about gyno too, a lot of people gloss over stuff like that, makes your post feel super real
honestly, even if it’s “just a shortcut” it’s cool to see someone owning their story and what worked/failed—definitely helpful for anyone thinking about jumping on early
appreciate how honest this is tbh- not a lot of people admit the diet side was the real struggle
respect for owning the mistakes instead of pretending it was all perfect from day one
ngl that’s a crazy change for just 4 weeks- even if you’re being humble about it
a lot of ppl jump on early and never talk about the crash after- this is real
