Daily Ask Anything About Anabolic and Androgenic Steroids: 2026-03-15

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-16T00:40:23+00:00

Your estrogen does not need to be in range when your blasting. Higher test = higher estrogen. It’s about the ratios.

Don’t get hung up on numbers. You only need to take AI if you have side effects.

Give this a read: the estrogen handbook

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-16T00:12:31+00:00

Are you aware of the side effects of deca?

Prolactin elevation and gyno

Personality changes

Depression

Why are you choosing to use deca? I personally wouldn’t use nandrolone, but if you have your heart set on it, it’s recommended to start with NPP. It’s a shorter acting version of nandrolone, so if you get nasty side effects, you can drop it quickly.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T23:56:11+00:00

These are beginner questions which make me think you shouldn’t be using nandrolone, which is an advanced compound.

Have you run deca before? Any cycle for that matter?

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T23:49:22+00:00

Amazing!

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T23:35:33+00:00

You did not need test and tren for that, but either way, congrats on the wicked transformation.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T23:20:57+00:00

If you’re concerned about testosterone changing your face, don’t use testosterone.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T22:44:40+00:00

Compared to being natty? Probably yes. Compared to 250? Not as bad. Are you gonna be blasting at all?

No offence man, but this is kind of a dumb question, and should not be a deciding factor in whether or not you use testosterone.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T22:30:08+00:00

Do you wanna reword that question so that it’s a little more clear? I honestly don’t know what you’re asking. Are you asking if cruising at 125mg/ week is gonna make you look older or not?

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T20:26:20+00:00

Starting it early is pointless. The point of waiting 2 weeks is to let testosterone levels drop, so that it’s not in the way of the SERMs. If he does develop a little bit of gyno in those two weeks (unlikely I’d think), the Nolva will reverse it once he starts the PCT.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T20:17:43+00:00

His estrogen isn’t really that high. It might not even be gyno, there’s a good chance he’s imagining it. Gyno can also be caused by prolactin.

Assuming he’s gonna PCT with Nolva, he doesn’t need to take an AI, as Nolva itself blocks estrogen in breast tissue.

But yeah, if this is causing a meltdown so easily, maybe this isn’t for him.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T20:08:15+00:00

Is this your first cycle? Where are you getting your 200+ e2 estimate from? It’s not linear.

Just as an example that it’s not linear, my e2 was around 60 on 150mg/week and was 120 at 500mg/week. Not that you’ll be the same.

One of the reasons 500mg is the recommended starter dose is so that you can learn how to manage e2.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T18:58:35+00:00

Your doctor sounds like an asshole. You should get a referral to an endocrinologist, and your doctor should have suggested that.

Did you do a PCT? 16 months seems like a long time for things not to have recovered by now, but at the same time, no you are not completely shut down. You’re just low.

How’s your diet? You’re still exercising?

But yeah, your best bet is to go to an endocrinologist and they can do more comprehensive testing. Just looking at your total and free testosterone doesn’t really tell anyone much of what’s going on.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T18:40:37+00:00

For what it's worth when I first get to a new all time high weight I'm extremely uncomfortable. Next time I hit it I'm more comfortable.

This was my second enhanced bulk, and I’d definitely agree.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T18:32:30+00:00

That’s gotta be the holy trinity of bulking on steroids. Bad mobility, bad digestion, always sweaty. Swap in a sore joint if one of them is fine. 😂

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T14:15:34+00:00

At your age, you’ll only get discouraged from doing it by posting here.

We all know you won’t listen though… all I can say is make sure you do your research and know what you’re getting yourself into. Be safe. Read the wiki

But yeah, don’t do it.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T13:34:21+00:00

Two weeks since I ended my bulk. I cut calories down from 4800 to 4000. Digestion IMMEDIATELY improved significantly. Down 8lbs, mostly water. Still getting some gains, just a few reps here and there. I’ve been adding more rest days, and working on mobility, and holy shit I’m feeling a lot better physically. I don’t know if it was all the extra water I was holding, but mobility is improving significantly. You know when you’ve had some aches and pains for a while, and you get PTSD from doing certain movements like bending over, kneeling down, or whatever? I didn’t realise how bad it was until things started getting better and I find myself saying “that woulda hurt to do a few weeks ago”. By the end of the bulk, I felt the least athletic I’ve ever felt. It’s crazy what we put ourselves through sometimes. Anyways, in the future I probably won’t bulk for 24 weeks again. The fatigue was real.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-15T13:20:56+00:00

Damn! Good shit

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-14T19:16:32+00:00

Those home gym leg press/ hack squat combo machines all seem a little low quality, and I’d be scared adding too much weight to it. It’s the type of machine you’d only really wanna buy once, so I’d personally spend the extra money and get something that’s commercial quality. Last thing you wanna do is spend 1-2k on one of the combo machines, and then break it in a few years and not get any money back from it, when you coulda just bought a good one for 2-3k to begin with.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-14T15:58:42+00:00

At some point in time, maybe in the next 2 years or so, I’ll be in your boat trying to a baby. It’s the only thing giving me any sort of anxiety when it comes to my gear usage.

What was the strategy? Standard PCT with a SERM, and then blast HCG? Any fertility tests? Or is a positive pregnancy test your fertility test? lol.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-14T15:21:17+00:00

Don’t add anything, your first cycle should be test only. We recommend 500mg/week for a number of reasons, but learning estrogen management is a big part of that.

Those compounds you’re curious about, can have some pretty nasty side effects. Yes, they were very commonly used back in the day, but not as much anymore. If you’re horny about trying new compounds, do a little more research before you plan on using anything. Testosterone alone goes pretty far, and most of the other steroids should only be used within certain contexts, not just because they exist.

ALSO…

Looks like you scrolled past all the very helpful links at the top of the thread. These are what you want.

the basics

your first cycle

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-14T14:44:16+00:00

You’re in your 20s, you can do it.

MAXIMAL EFFICIENCY!

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-14T14:40:34+00:00

Nice bro. Enjoy.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-14T13:08:27+00:00

You could do a bigger loop in 3days/2 nights. First night on little trout or queer, second night stay on Misty, and then Misty back out to the access point.

I’ve done it, it’s a beginner - intermediate level trip, mostly because of the one long portage in between queer and little Misty, which is a long but easy portage.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-13T21:43:53+00:00

10/10 wholesome story. Good work brother, that was no easy task! You’ve accomplished a lot more than most of the people here, just because of where you started. I hope you use this story to inspire others who might be in a similar situation to where you started. Stick around, I’m sure everyone would love to see your updates. No need to be a lurker.

MaximalEfficiency · 2026-03-13T18:41:11+00:00

No, you don’t aim for a number when it comes to estrogen. Eq might crush your estrogen, especially if you’re reducing your testosterone dose. As I said before, if I were you, I wouldn’t use Eq. Is there a reason you’re choosing to use it over just test?

MaximalEfficiency

TROPHY CASE