Testosterone 101: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Synthetic Testosterone

Testosterone, it’s what makes a man a man! Most steroids are either testosterone or a derivative of testosterone.

I think a test only cycle is really the best first cycle you could use. It’s a good first cycle because you get to experience first hand what the added testosterone can do for your body.

If you go stacking a bunch of shit for your first cycle then you have no idea what is doing what, and you also have no idea what kind of side effects you’re going to get or which drugs they’re coming from.

Testosterone Side Effects

With testosterone the biggest side effect for myself was acne. You can get acne at the onset of the cycle and you can have a flare up after you come off cycle. Basically any major hormone fluctuation makes acne easier to flare up.

Some will have this worse than others. I know guys who don’t get acne at all using steroids, but they’re a rare breed.

Water retention on both Testosterone Cypionate and Testosterone Enanthate is about the same from my experience. While some claim one to hold more fluid retention than the other, I’ve ever noticed a difference between them and in low to moderate dosages it’s usually not a big issue if your diet is mostly clean.

With higher dosages (500 mg +/wk) you’ll want to include an Aromatase inhibitor with your cycle to combat possible estrogen elevation which can lead to the development of female breast tissue (aka gynecomastia) and some will find sensitivity even at lower dosages and will need an estrogen combatant.

Testosterone Cycle Results

As for results, for someone who has never used anything before then you could expect gains of up to 20 lbs in 8 – 10 weeks on just a test only cycle.

Retaining Testosterone Gains

Retaining gains all comes down to your diet, your training, and your post cycle therapy. With everything in tact then I’d say retain-able gains are 50-60% at best. I’m not going to bullshit anyone, usually you’ll have to cycle again and again to keep more size or gain any new size.

For someone who is not yet at their genetic ceiling I’d strongly advise against using steroids to begin with. Most people begin steroids before they reach their peak genetic potential and this will only short-change future gains.

If your body becomes used to having all of this extra testosterone before you gain the most size you can naturally then it can certainly be an uphill battle trying to gain ANYTHING when steroids are not present.

Also know that the more you cycle the less likely your natural levels are to come back FULLY. Yes they can come back into “normal range” in due time, but where you were once at 800 ng/dl of natural test may only come back to 500 ng/dl.

Much of recovery is age specific and also depends on how much time you take between cycles. This is where it can become a double edged sword. The guy who takes more time off between cycles may recover more fully, but the guy who runs back to back cycles will probably be ahead of the game in terms of overall size and strength.

So you have to ask yourself what you’re looking for and also what is realistic. I’m going to be brutally honest with you and tell you that you shouldn’t expect to become some lean 250 lb monster when you’re only cycling 1- 2 times per year.

Guys who are of this caliper are cycling non-stop and spending a lot of money on gear! Think “old school” here, a good solid 190-220 lbs is much more realistic and maintainable for someone who isn’t running gear non-stop.

Basic Testosterone Esters – The Best Types Of Testosterone

Test is test, the difference between the different testosterone’s is the ester that is attached to it. Certain esters are faster or slower to break down in the body. This directly has to do with injection frequency and the longer acting tests do not need to be injected as much. Okay, there is only one type of testosterone out there and that is TESTOSTERONE!

Shorter tests need to be injected more than once a week and blends of long and shorter acting tests need to also be shot more frequently to take full advantage of the short esters combined with the longer esters.

An ester is a “carrier” of testosterone. The body needs to break down the ester to be able to use the testosterone. This is why certain tests such as Testosterone Enanthate or Testosterone Cypionate take a good 2 – 3 weeks to kick in fully, while shorter tests such as Testosterone Propionate kick in within the first week.

Here is a little fact when it comes to esters attached to testosterone. The shorter action of the ester, the more testosterone that directly gets into the bloodstream.

For example, you could take a shot of 200 mg of Testosterone Enanthate and when it’s all said and done you may only be getting 150 mg of total testosterone due to the loss in the breakdown process. If you took a shot of 100 mg of Testosterone Propionate (it most commonly comes in 100 mg/ml doses) then you may be getting 90 mg of testosterone into your system.

So if someone is on 500 mg/wk of testosterone that is a long chain test then they may only be getting 400 mg/wk of the testosterone. I never factored into this myself. If I wanted to run 500 mg/wk of test then I’d go by label values and roll with it. I never over-estimated just to hit a certain dosage, I never got that nit-picky about it.

Testosterone normally comes in 200 mg/ml preparations or 250 mg/ml preparations.

Short acting test such as Testosterone Propionate typically comes in 100 mg/ml preparations, and although I’ve seen and used 200 mg/ml concentrations of Testosterone Propionate I’d advise against it because it usually hurts like a bitch!

The Top 6 Most Common Forms of Testosterone

Testosterone Cypionate

Testosterone Cypionate or “cyp” is probably the most common type of testosterone on the market. It’s what a Doctor would prescribe you from a pharmacy. It has an active life of about 8 days and a 3 month detection time.

It’s most commonly injected once weekly however this frequency can increase with higher doses of the drug. A typical beginner dosage is anywhere from 200 mg – 500 mg/week while the most common dosages are 500 mg – 1,000 mg/week.

Testosterone Enanthate

Testosterone Enanthate (or commonly referred to as “Test E”) is very similar to Testosterone Cypionate. Just like Testosterone Cypionate, it has an active life of about 8 days with a detection time of 3 months.

Dosing of Test E is the same as Testosterone Cypionate and the biggest difference between the two of them is you’ll find Test E most commonly available in a 250 mg/ml preparation versus the 200 mg/ml preparation of Testosterone Cypionate

Testosterone Enanthate vs Testosterone Cypionate
Who Will Win?

Honestly, the two are pretty much interchangeable. I could take one or the other, they’re that similar.

Water retention on both Testosterone Cypionate and Testosterone Enanthate is about the same from my experience. While some claim one to hold more fluid retention than the other, I’ve ever noticed a difference between them and in low to moderate dosages it’s usually not a big issue if your diet is mostly clean.

With higher dosages (500 mg +/wk) you’ll want to include an aromatase inhibitor with your cycle to combat possible estrogen elevation which can lead to the development of female breast tissue (aka gynecomastia) and some will find sensitivity even at lower dosages and will need an estrogen combatant.

Testosterone Propionate

Testosterone Propionate is a faster acting testosterone with an active life of 2 – 3 days and a detection time of 3 weeks. This type of testosterone needs to be injected at 3time a week and is known to cause more soreness from injections.

This test is most common with people who want to look harder and stay “dryer” during cycle and most common with bodybuilding competitors as the event draws nearer.

As stated above, it’s most commonly prepared in 100 mg/ml concentrations and for this reason many users will shoot this steroid every other day or even every single day to achieve desired dosing for the week.

Some people just don’t tolerate the PIP (post injection pain) from this testosterone and stay clear of it altogether although it was never anything that I couldn’t tolerate myself.

Users of Testosterone Propionate will find that this test doesn’t convert to estrogen as easily as longer acting esters. Many who would experience gynecomastia on long chain test will have no issues on test prop.

But if you don’t know whether or not your gynecomastia prone it’s best to include at least a small amount of AI in there regardless (such as Arimistane, Arimidex, or Aromasyn).

Sustanon 250

Sustanon-250 is a 250 mg concentration that is derived from a blend of short, medium and longer acting testosterones.

The intention of Sustanon-250 was to make a blend of testosterones that was time released so it was easier to maintain steady blood levels.

The blend consists of 30 mg of Testosterone Propionate, 60 mg of Testosterone Isocaproate, 60 mg of Testosterone Phenylproionate, and 100 mg of Testosterone Decanoate.

Sustanon-250 has an active life of up to 3 weeks with a detection time of 3+ months.

While this steroid can be injected once a week it’s more common to administer it twice/wk to take full advantage of the shorter acting Testosterone Propionate in the compound.

Most users will find that 500 mg/week is a good dosage and therefore inject it twice per week, spaced evenly throughout the week (ie; Mon/Thurs injection schedule)

I personally do not like this blend of testosterone. I’ve used it in the past and I personally didn’t feel it to be a steady release of hormones into my body. This was a feeling of one day feeling great and the next day feeling like I was on nothing at all. A lot of guys love Sustanon but I prefer to stick to single esters myself.

Sustanon users will want to include an AI (aromatase inhibitor) with their cycle because the nature of the longer acting esters that compromise this blend can aromatize fairly easy… easier than single ester tests such as Testosterone Enanthate, Propionate or Cypionate.

Testosterone Suspension

Although not as common nowadays, testosterone suspension is a VERY POWERFUL type of testosterone because it’s testosterone without an ester attached to it at all.

What this means is that there is no breakdown process and the hormone goes straight into the bloodstream…all of it! This is the type of steroid that will benefit you the most when taken about an hour pre-workout for a boost in the gym.

Test suspension has an active life of 24 hours and a detection time of 24-48 hours, making this a suitable steroid for athletes in drug tested sanctions.

Suggested usage is a shot per day and some even suggest twice/day on test suspension, but I have found that with a long chain test ran as a base then test suspension can just be used on workout days an hour before the workout.

I never had an issue injecting 3 – 4 times a week when a long chain testosterone such as Enanthate or Cypionate was used with it.

You’ll definitely want a decent amount of aromatase inhibitor with this one! Because there is no breakdown process or de-esterfication of the hormone before it can be active, aromazation (conversion to estrogen) is almost inevitable!

I would bump up my AI while using this steroid, and suggested usage of test suspension is in smaller blocks such as 4  6 week duration due to the estrogenic nature of this compound.

Test suspension is usually a water based suspension that can be a painful shot. There are labs out there that produce oil-based test suspension and if it were myself I’d suggest oil based as your first choice if you can find it.

Test suspension most commonly comes in 50 mg/ml concentrations (although I’ve seen 100 mg/ml preparations) and 50 mg an hour before the lift is where you want to stay.

This dosage is all that is needed for an incredible surge in the gym and strength that seems to come out of nowhere. This is a test that is more common among power-lifters for this very reason! It produces massive strength boosts in the gym and it’s almost instantaneous!

Other Forms Of Testosterone

There are higher milligram tests available from many UGL labs nowadays (Underground laboratories) and some blend such as “Andropen” that are composed of 5 different types of test esters.

Almost all of these high milligram dosages or blends are becoming exclusive to each specific lab. While some are decent, most are repping false claims and are of no more total milligrams than normal test concentrations.

I’ve had numerous reports from guys who were using a 350 mg-500 mg/ml test preparations who went in for blood-work and to their surprise their test levels were barely above the high end of normal range.

High Milligram Blends Of Testosterone

Okay, now something I’m seeing a lot of lately are SUPER HIGH MILLIGRAM BLENDS, such as 500 mg test. My advice is to stay away from them.

For one, I don’t believe dosing is going to be accurate and secondly, if it is legit then it’s either A. going to hurt like a bitch, or B. has Ethyl Oleate in it (Ethyl Oleate or “EO” is a chemical used to cut down on pain or mask pain and it’s caustic as a motherfucker and bad for your system. I’ve seen “EO” such a rubber stopper straight into a vial before!)

There are some 300 mg test blends, or Sustanon 300 out there that is legit though (Sustanon is typically 250 mg/ml) but know that all of these concentrations of higher mg tests or blends are usually underground labs and it takes getting familiar with the product to know if it’s decent or not.

There are a couple blends of “Test 400” out there that are decent, but then there are 400 mg tests that are totally bunk or are of no more than a single dose of regular 200 mg testosterone.

The bottom line is this… most concentrations are dosed at a specific dosage for a fucking reason! It’s because that is the best concentration of hormone to Benzyl Benzoate and Benzyl alcohol to oil. (Benzyl Benzoate “BB” and benzyl alcohol “BA” are what are used to break down the powder into liquid form before being added to the oil).

As soon as people start fucking around with these concentration then problems are more likely to arise!

Remember, this is the black market in most cases, and any time a lab can label something to sell a shitload of it… they’ll do it!

For more information on performance enhancement be sure to check out my e-book “Straight from the Underground”, the ultimate performance enhancement guide!

Straight from the Underground ebook

Over and out!- JD

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40 thoughts on “Testosterone 101: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Synthetic Testosterone”

  1. Just a personal view but I would suggest people check out anti-aging or TRT doc and getting blood work done before hopping on. Even if you come back high least you know and did due diligence and talked to a doctor. I got checked out with friend of mine, he was at low end of normal I was at high end, and doc was willing to write script for test for both of us, they want business, they are also usually a lot more open to guys running higher numbers than regular docs.

    Reply
  2. Speaking of Testosterone. What are other alternative ways people use to increase it? Like HCG, Red-PCT etc. and what can be expected from them (gains-wise and possible side effects/effect on natural levels)

    Reply
    • clomid, HCG, and Red-PCT can all help. Those would be the first 3 to go to. As for significant gains in test levels, I’d say a steady 300ng/dl would be an average increase. Many guys just use these alone to help with test elevation

      Reply
  3. Hey John Doe,
    Im currently on trt and have been since Jan. My dose is 250 cyp per week, hcg twice a week. Im wanting to add a blast and recently got my hands on Tren, Var and more test cyp. Is an eight week cycle too short to yeild results on this stack and what would you recommend for dosing? I also picked up some letro for just in case and some nolva for pct–thanks for any help

    Reply
    • no, 8 weeks is plenty to see results on tren and test. I myself don’t use high test because I don’t like the water weight and skin sides, keep at under 300mg/wk myself. But if you’re used to 250mg/wk then maybe bump to 500mg/wk and I’d keep tren at 300mg/wk

      Reply
    • Man I know I am gonna get shit but I have been lifting for a year and my gains have been not great I mean I have grown and I lift I don’t mess around and I am on methadone mantinece and it is known to drastically lower test I am 30 yrs old And feeling defeteated I need help getting plugged in with someone can anyone help me

      Reply
  4. I’m sure I haven’t reached my natural peak but I have access to some test and really want to give it a go.
    I know you advise against it, but do you feel it is completely out of the question?

    Reply
  5. Hi john doe,

    What does of testosterone can i take per week if i dont want to experiance hair loss? I wish to take a safe dose of test with using finasteride and its side effects, what would u recommend?

    Reply
    • I have no idea, I’d you’re going to lose hair it’s coming , its genetic. I would say keep your test no more than 500mg a week and limit cycles to two a year

      Reply
  6. Dear John Doe,

    I have been taking 200mg twice a week for two months and I realize that I hate it (both with and without Arimidex). It makes me incredibly moody; retain water; has broken my sleep patterns and messed with my appetite and sex drive/erections. S far it is NOTHING like the testosterone cypionate I used for two years which was smooth and solid and, while it caused acne, made me feel incredible with a great sex life to boot.

    Sadly, I don;t have any cypionate to switch to but I do have a bunch of propionate around the house. I am wanting to switch to this asap but wanted some advice on managing the change. Any words of wisdom you have would be welcome and thank you!

    D.

    Reply
    • just make the switch and be sure you’re injecting propionate more often than long chain test, 3x/wk is ideal (Mon/Wed/Fri) easy enough, just switch off to prop, it’ll be in your system before the other test levels leave

      Reply
  7. I’ve been reading a bunch about benefits of splitting Test E shots into 2x a week vs 1 entire shot a week. How much difference in your opinion (sides, benefits, pros/cons) to shooting 2x200mg shots a week vs. 1 400mg shot per week?

    Reply
  8. JD bro, I’ve followed most of your advice on gear, researched a lot on my own and it has gotten me pretty good results!

    One thing that I don’t yet fully understand is nutrition while on and after, in my case, test E only cycles (500mg/ml per week for 12 weeks). Would you care to explain how much calories do you add when bulking on cycle, what do you do with your calories after the cycle – do you lower them, keep them the same, change diet? What protein/carbs/fats intake do you recommend while on and off cycle for maximum gains/keeping gains. Thanks a lot and best regards.

    Thank you

    Reply
  9. Good day to you! 1st I would like to thank you for all the powerful info you have schooled me w/ this past year! Next would you recommend using red pct 2.0 while using test? I am currently on TRT & would like to know your thoughts on using RED for the estrogen blocker? If not would you plz tell me what you recommend? Thanks again

    Reply
    • Yes, it works very well for combating estrogen, especially in a day when anti e’s and AI’s are being taken way too much, to the point that those ancillary drugs often become more of an issue than the anabolics themselves. Thanks for reading -JD

      Reply
  10. I’ve been training for a year now and I’m thinking about using testoviron depot enanthate 250ml by bayer and dbol-10 10mg 100tabs by gainzlab because Ive beena training so hard but I gained only a little so I wanna try using enhancing drugs for just once only. Can you give me advice about this. pls?

    Reply
    • Yea, don’t do it. You’re not gaining because you aren’t eating enough, period. If your plan is a one and done cycle don’t ever touch them, u keep nothing when u cone off it , truth!! -JD

      Reply
          • Well, I’m still 23 so maybe I won’t completely get off roids once I see the results haha.

            I still don’t know how to use these items tho😅 6 ampules of testoviron enanthate and 100caps of dbol 10mg and is this enough for my bulking stage? ask the guy who watch over the gym in our town but he doesn’t really know anything either.

  11. Well, I’m still 23 so maybe I won’t completely get off roids once I see the results haha.

    I still don’t know how to use these items tho😅 6 ampules of testoviron enanthate and 100caps of dbol 10mg and is this enough for my bulking stage? ask the guy who watch over the gym in our town but he doesn’t really know anything either.

    Reply
  12. I am 51 , 185 , 5’9″ , have done 2 cycles of just test , one cycle of test e and NPP but the last cycle was 4 years ago all low dose ( 200 mg and lower of each ) but was happy with the results of the test e NPP . my weight is usually around 185 in or out of shape , the test e NPP cycle put me around 195 in about two months with an ok diet . I have just purchased 2- test e 2500mg/10ml , 2-NPP 1000mg/10ml , 50 25mg Aromasin tablets and 50 50mg clomid tablets . I’m looking at either doing a first 8-10 week cycle of just test and a second 8-10 week cycle of test e and NPP or one 12 week cycle of both . After my plan is to maintain with only eating and workouts . I went off due to my girlfriend and I were doing IVF and I didn’t want to fuck that up . It’s March 4th and I want to be well on my way to looking good by the end of April . I have some fat around my waste and a decent natural shape and muscle build . From past experience my body reacts well to low doses , my appetite is always high with an attraction to sweets and probabaly would not have fat if I cut that out . My natural test level before ever cycling was close to 800 , dropped after cycle when tested prior to IVF , took clomid for a month and was back up to around 800 , is now in mid 700’s . not going to concern myself to much about diet for now just need to get started and pick a cycle to go with ASAP . Whats your thoughts ?

    Reply
  13. Test aids in burning fat as well right?
    So if i take test e, it will help in burning fat? I know that test prop helps in burning fat, but it has to be injected more frequently and it is more expensive. I have used it for my first cycle ( my only cycle, almost a year ago) but I don’t intend to use it again unless for competition. So, back to the question, will test e help in burning fat? Will be waiting for your reply.

    Reply
    • Yes and no, keeping a good level of test can help burn fat but if you use too much test it’s been my experience that the water retention blurs things out. Maybe 200-300mg a week would be best, I’m not a fan of high test cycles

      Reply
  14. Is HCG an important part of PCT for a Test only cycle (500mg/week for 12 weeks)?Or one could just take Nolvadex and Clomid for 4 weeks and get away with it?

    Reply
  15. Hey John thanks for everything you do. I have purchased straight from the underground and no BS bodybuilding and really like your info and approach. I have a job that has a lifetime benefit so cost not being an issue I am heading for a TRT script with additional low dose compounds

    I am 54 and suspected I had low test so I did the trial. Ran 250 test Sustanon then added 250 deca, Deca helped my sore joints. gains were real good and lost a little body fat.

    Test was sustanon and deca.

    My question:
    How long do I need to wait before a blood panel will justify TRT.

    Reply
  16. I am on my 3 Month now on Testosteron enantat only, every 5 Day 200mg . My goal is 12 Months straight and then 8-12 Weeks break. So far very happy by the results. Slowly but right. After the 12 Months, will start a PCT Clomid 2 weeks after.
    I am 35 Years old.

    Reply

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