42 y/o- looking to try AAS- again. Advice wanted

[Warrior45]

I cannot stress enough like others have said how important your diet, your macros, your actual training are more so than AAS. Currently I am running a dose barely above TRT at 200mgs per week of Test Cyp and making consistent gains that I can hold onto in my 30's. When I was in my 20's I would run the test, eq, tren cycles that everyone boasted about and was not able to make the quality gains I am now because my mindset was the drugs were going to do the work for me.

I know you think you have maxed out your natural physique at this point, but until you are at least 200+lbs and very lean that is not possible at 6'. I understand your desire to run AAS, we all here share that common desire. I also know regardless of what anyone says you want to run some Test. I was the same way. Just do it right and follow everyone's advice and you will be fine.

Focus on nutrition, training and recovery....and then let the Test you run just aid in that recovery and growth.

 

[macgyver]

I cannot stress enough like others have said how important your diet, your macros, your actual training are more so than AAS. Currently I am running a dose barely above TRT at 200mgs per week of Test Cyp and making consistent gains that I can hold onto in my 30's. When I was in my 20's I would run the test, eq, tren cycles that everyone boasted about and was not able to make the quality gains I am now because my mindset was the drugs were going to do the work for me.

I know you think you have maxed out your natural physique at this point, but until you are at least 200+lbs and very lean that is not possible at 6'. I understand your desire to run AAS, we all here share that common desire. I also know regardless of what anyone says you want to run some Test. I was the same way. Just do it right and follow everyone's advice and you will be fine.

Focus on nutrition, training and recovery....and then let the Test you run just aid in that recovery and growth.

Great advice and insight. It is nice to see what others have been through.

I was late to the game and never took AAS prior to turning 40. I trained naturally my whole life. Maxed at a lean 195 @ 5'9. (12%bf range) After a head injury and 3 years of feeling shitty, I found out I had developed low-t and become hypo thyroid. (both pituitary stimulated) After the stigma of putting a needle in me was passed and I was also not worried about recovery, I felt free to try things.

This idea of a magic pill soon disappeared. I realized it is not much different than training naturally. The same rules apply.....Just AAS shifts the curve. I have seen people who run enormous cycles and still are weak as hell and look like sh!t. Without the foundation of knowledge underneath, you become dependent on external things to make up for your lack of discipline. Those are the same guys that a few years down the road lose all their size.

I was lucky to see the advice of some long time vets on here. Slow and steady....no crazy cycles. Build from your foundation and be consistent over time. I am 40+ and still making gains (albeit slowly at this point in the game) Being the biggest, strongest guy around is not my goal anymore. I was fortunate that my many years of foundation have paid off for me. I am in a place I can maintain with or without drugs. I am currently leaning out to about a 4-6 week out from contest level. 5'9 and 200lbs just passing below 10% range. I was just up at 227 and still had 'abs'. Lean I have 18.5" arms, 49" chest and a 31" waist and 25" quads. I can pause bench over 400lbs, squat 550, and deadlift 640. I have never have never even run test to 750....and not sure I ever will.

Just saying drugs can help in the equation, but MOAR is not always the best route. If you lack the tools to naturally get your 6' tall frame to 200lbs, I would try to make an effort to improve those areas of either your training, diet or lifestyle. That will only make the AAS MORE effective or mean you dont need nearly as much. Just my opinion

 

[Wolfnicks]

Thanks again for all the feedback. I totally get its the diet, just probably didn't want to admit it as much as I should have. Ive done it before, but not in awhile, so Im going to map out my typical macros for the week and see where I'm at and work to add 500+ a week. My fear, like most im sure, is adding to much fat. I know you will gain some fat when trying to add muscle, I just don't want to see it go up too much. So ill keep the supply as lean as possible.


One thing I havent mentioned here that maybe someone will have feedback on is that I have sleep apnea (let me know if I should move this to a different forum- its just ties into the overall convo here). I have had it for years. As important as sleep is in recovery and building muscle, ive always wondered how much that is impacting my ability to gain muscle. I've been on and off CPAP for about 10 years. It has never helped. Others I know that use it, RAVE about the difference it has made in their lives and I couldn't even tell you if it was making a difference for me. So after 6 months or so, I would stop using it. Who wants to sleep with a machine attached to them if its not providing any benefit?? I'm back on it now, going on the 3rd week. This time, the mask and machine are more high tech and it MAY be working better this time, but I still cant say for sure. I seem to be able to wake up better. Meaning, before when my alarm would go off, I felt exhausted and didn't/couldn't get out of bed. When I finally would, i felt like i hadn't even slept. Now, I seem to be more awake and if I can force myself to get up, within a few minutes I feel decent. I'm still having daytime sleepiness and can easily fall asleep in the middle of the day I wanted too. My plan is to give this a shot till May. I should see significant results (sleep results) by then. Doc say most feel better with in days of using it, but hasn't been the case for me. So without significant REM sleep cycles, wondering how much of an impact that is having. Not saying I need AAS for that reason, but another piece of the puzzle.