First cycle with a higher body fat percentage

[sxkol]

Hi. A little about me: I’m 31 years old, 180 cm tall, and weigh 108 kg. A year ago, I weighed 150 kg, and I’m still on a diet.

Until about 7 years ago, I was in relatively good shape naturally. Since my weight caused a testosterone deficiency and severe symptoms, my urologist prescribed TRT on the condition that I lose fat, which I’ve done so far (42 kg in one year).
I’d like to start slowly—while continuing to lose fat—to maintain muscle or, ideally, build muscle at the same time. I go to the gym four times a week and do cardio several times a week. My blood work is generally fine; estradiol and prolactin are slightly elevated, HDL is at the lower end of the reference range, and LDL is good.

My TRT consists of 50 mg of Testogel per day. My plan would be to take 100 mg of methenolone enanthate for 10 or 12 weeks. Once my body fat percentage is in a healthy range, I’d start a proper second cycle, but until then I want to maintain my muscle mass and possibly build some new muscle; my calorie deficit is relatively high, at 1,000–1,500 per day. If i start this cycle, i would of course do a lot more cardio to elevate my HDL Cholesterol.

I would really appreciate any advice or tips.

 

[Broken Atlas]

Hi. A little about me: I’m 31 years old, 180 cm tall, and weigh 108 kg. A year ago, I weighed 150 kg, and I’m still on a diet.

Until about 7 years ago, I was in relatively good shape naturally. Since my weight caused a testosterone deficiency and severe symptoms, my urologist prescribed TRT on the condition that I lose fat, which I’ve done so far (42 kg in one year).
I’d like to start slowly—while continuing to lose fat—to maintain muscle or, ideally, build muscle at the same time. I go to the gym four times a week and do cardio several times a week. My blood work is generally fine; estradiol and prolactin are slightly elevated, HDL is at the lower end of the reference range, and LDL is good.

My TRT consists of 50 mg of Testogel per day. My plan would be to take 100 mg of methenolone enanthate for 10 or 12 weeks. Once my body fat percentage is in a healthy range, I’d start a proper second cycle, but until then I want to maintain my muscle mass and possibly build some new muscle; my calorie deficit is relatively high, at 1,000–1,500 per day. If i start this cycle, i would of course do a lot more cardio to elevate my HDL Cholesterol.

I would really appreciate any advice or tips.

There are some topics to adress here.
First is, to my knowledge, highly rare to never seen that a doctor prescribes testogel for a trt. I've seen estrogen gel for transitioning, but never testo. You absorb very little of the dosage through your skin.
My recommendation is to talk to your doctor about the possibility to switch to inject for better absorption.

A hdl on the lower end is pretty normal for a hard deficit. Also lipids are slow to adapt. The best you can do is adding niacin akd more healthy fats.

Methenolon is something you should worry about with the right bf%

In a hard deficit its almost impossible to build real muscle mass, you mostly can only.protect what's there. With tze numbers you've provided its still a couple month we talking abt for cutting.

So do one step after another, first finish your weight loss, optimize your hormon levels, your lipids, get ahead of your nutrition for the time after cutting and then worry about building muscle and doing a cycle.

 

[sxkol]

There are some topics to adress here.
First is, to my knowledge, highly rare to never seen that a doctor prescribes testogel for a trt. I've seen estrogen gel for transitioning, but never testo. You absorb very little of the dosage through your skin.
My recommendation is to talk to your doctor about the possibility to switch to inject for better absorption.

A hdl on the lower end is pretty normal for a hard deficit. Also lipids are slow to adapt. The best you can do is adding niacin akd more healthy fats.

Methenolon is something you should worry about with the right bf%

In a hard deficit its almost impossible to build real muscle mass, you mostly can only.protect what's there. With tze numbers you've provided its still a couple month we talking abt for cutting.

So do one step after another, first finish your weight loss, optimize your hormon levels, your lipids, get ahead of your nutrition for the time after cutting and then worry about building muscle and doing a cycle.

Testogel has the best efficacy-to-side-effect profile. Absorption is low, but you apply 50 mg of testosterone every day. Testogel also aromatizes significantly less. Therefore, Testogel is indeed actively used in medical circles and in clinical practice.

The thing is, I'm about to enter a phase where my body will start breaking down muscle more quickly because I don't have as much fat as I did a year ago. I was muscular a few years ago, and I still have some muscle left—and I don't want to lose that; that would be counterproductive, in my opinion.

And whats your opinion to protect muscles while in a calorie deficit? I do workout and eat 200 grams of protein a day.

 

[Broken Atlas]

Testogel has the best efficacy-to-side-effect profile. Absorption is low, but you apply 50 mg of testosterone every day. Testogel also aromatizes significantly less. Therefore, Testogel is indeed actively used in medical circles and in clinical practice.

The thing is, I'm about to enter a phase where my body will start breaking down muscle more quickly because I don't have as much fat as I did a year ago. I was muscular a few years ago, and I still have some muscle left—and I don't want to lose that; that would be counterproductive, in my opinion.

And whats your opinion to protect muscles while in a calorie deficit? I do workout and eat 200 grams of protein a day.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't meant to say gel is trash, it was just 1st I've never seen it for trt on men and 2nd out of efficiency its nothing I personal would consider.
Did you test your serum level and total testosterone since you started trt on the gel?

For muscle peotection testosterone is the best option.
So sticking to your trt, if hormon levels are in a good range, is the best protection you can do in your situation. Adding primo would just be a very expensive compound you dont get much out of in your situation. Primo is a luxury add on and really gets it peak with low bf% like 13-15 %

As far as I understand the current studies you maybe could add Retatrutide, even if you can handle your deficit and your hunger, reta acts as some sort of beta receptor agonist and forces the body to split down fat acids stored in the body.

 

[sxkol]

Don't get me wrong, I didn't meant to say gel is trash, it was just 1st I've never seen it for trt on men and 2nd out of efficiency its nothing I personal would consider.
Did you test your serum level and total testosterone since you started trt on the gel?

For muscle peotection testosterone is the best option.
So sticking to your trt, if hormon levels are in a good range, is the best protection you can do in your situation. Adding primo would just be a very expensive compound you dont get much out of in your situation. Primo is a luxury add on and really gets it peak with low bf% like 13-15 %

As far as I understand the current studies you maybe could add Retatrutide, even if you can handle your deficit and your hunger, reta acts as some sort of beta receptor agonist and forces the body to split down fat acids stored in the body.

Yes i am on 6mg reta a week and 2mg ghk cu per day.
I did hit a plateau three months ago i was stuck. Then i have slowly started reta and increased my dose, and have lost another 11 kg since then, so fat loss is working pretty well.

Okay, so it’s actually best to stick with TRT. If I switch to injections, I think I’d take at least 150mg per week, maybe 180mg, divided into 3 injections on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

 

[Broken Atlas]

Yes i am on 6mg reta a week and 2mg ghk cu per day.
I did hit a plateau three months ago i was stuck. Then i have slowly started reta and increased my dose, and have lost another 11 kg since then, so fat loss is working pretty well.

Okay, so it’s actually best to stick with TRT. If I switch to injections, I think I’d take at least 150mg per week, maybe 180mg, divided into 3 injections on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Clinical studies showed that mostly the beta receptor agonist effect peaking somewhere between 9 and 12mg a week. If you can afford that.

 

[sxkol]

Clinical studies showed that mostly the beta receptor agonist effect peaking somewhere between 9 and 12mg a week. If you can afford that.

Yeah, I have enough Reta—10 vials of 20 mg, so that should last me 4–5 months for now. If I can lose the last 15 kg by then, I can taper off and maybe switch to a maintenance dose.
Thanks for your opinion and advice bro