Best Testosterone Cycles

Testosterone. The Daddy. The Big Boy. The Ronnie Coleman of steroids or no wait is that Tren? Regardless, testosterone is really going to be the base of most people cycles – or might even just be the whole cycle to begin with!

Of course, testosterone is going to be one of the best bang for buck anabolics. Some might say “Oh it’s not anabolic or androgenic enough”, and that is the whole goal of this article. Is testosterone really a good compound to run on its own, what can you expect in regards to results and side effects, and how to manage dosing to get the maximum results.

What are the Best Testosterone Cycles?

• Anecdotally, for a leaner look users report better results from Testosterone Propionate EOD
• For off season, Testosterone Cypionate or Enanthate is optimal
• Sustanon has the added benefit of carrying both long and short chain Testosterone
• Any Testosterone can work for TRT, HRT, or a Cruise.

What is Testosterone?

Testosterone (C₁₉H₂₈O₂ ) is the male sex hormone produced by the Leydig Cells in the gonads. Leydig cells are controlled by the Luteinizing hormone (LH), and another hormone called Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) control the production of sperm. Both FH and FSH are produced by the Pituitary Gland.

Testosterone is then converted into two compounds.

1.) Dihydrogen Testosterone (DHT)

Through the process of 5-alpha-reductase, about 5-10% of natural testosterone is converted into DHT. DHT has certain effects on the body such as facial hair growth, head hair loss, and prostate enlargement. This is why some hair loss preventatives are DHT blockers.

2.) Estradiol

Through aromatase, testosterone does convert into estradiol, the main female hormone. Having some estrogen in the male body is optimal. Even having slightly elevated estrogen levels can be beneficial for muscle growth, however too much or too little is not advisable.

Who should run a Testosterone cycle?

Testosterone is one of the first and most basic compounds people end up using in their anabolic journey. The side effects are generally easily managed at low dosages, and even at higher dosages you’re really only looking at managing estrogen, DHT, and blood markers. Obviously, using any exogenous testosterone will cause some testicular shutdown, and more intense cycles will require a Post Cycle Treatment (PCT).

If you are looking to get some extra muscularity, better recovery, or some muscle preservation when in a fat loss phase, then a testosterone cycle could be very beneficial. It is not however a magic pill that will make you Jay Cutler overnight, good training and diet principles should still be followed.

Testosterone Side Effects

Since testosterone does convert into DHT and estrogen, it can have a host of side effects.

• Suppression of natural testosterone production
• Shrinking testicles
• Hair loss
• Body hair growth
• Prostate enlargement
• Deepening of voice

How to design a Testosterone Cycle

Firstly, make your choice of which of the testosterones you want to use, Propionate, Enanthate, Cypionate, or Sustanon (For this application I am not going to cover Decanoate).

Secondly, you need to make the choice if testosterone will be the only anabolic in your cycle or not; adding something like Equipoise could yield better results than just running testosterone alone, of course that brings other side effects into account.

Lastly, managing estrogen whilst on cycle is important. Using something like Aromasin or Arimidex could keep estrogen at bay. Of course, then you need to make sure you follow a strong PCT.

Testosterone Propionate Cycle

Testosterone Propionate (Prop) is the testosterone ester that has the shortest carbon chain. This means that Prop will break down much faster compared to longer ester testosterones (Cypionate, Enanthate). This makes it very easy to control stable blood levels of testosterone, however a drawback is that you’ll need to inject more frequently because of the shorter half life.

Compound 💊	Usual Dosages Found 📌	Half Life ⌚	Injection Frequency 💉	Compound Specific Side Effects 🩹
Testosterone Propionate	100mg/ml, 125 mg/ml or 150mg/ml	4.5 Days	Every other day	Very painful injections compared to Cypionate and Enanthate

Testosterone Prop is very commonly used pre contest, as managing testosterone levels in this period can be very beneficial. Of course, this requires more administration of injections. Pre contest this can be problematic because Prop has a tendency to cause massive inflammation on the injection sites; especially if you are a bit fatter than you should be pre contest.

Unless you really love injecting, I would not suggest using Prop in the off season, on a cruise, or as a TRT. Due to the high injection frequency, I just do not see the point. It will still aromatize, it does exactly the same as any of the other testosterones; however some anecdotal evidence does suggest a drier look so pre contest is best. Why? Not entirely sure, but most likely due to less estrogen conversion.

Beginner Testosterone Propionate Cycle: 

Weeks 1 – 10:

300mg Per Week (100mg on Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

Intermediate Testosterone Propionate Cycle: 

Weeks 1 – 6:

300mg Per Week (100mg on Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

Weeks 7 – 12:

400mg Per week (100mg on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday)

Stacking Testosterone Propionate with other compounds for a bodybuilding contest: 

Weeks 1 – 5:

300mg Testosterone Propionate

Weeks 6 – 10:

300mg Testosterone Propionate

300mg Masteron Propionate

Weeks 11 – 16:

400mg Testosterone Propionate

300mg Masteron Propionate

200mg Trenbolone Acetate

40mg Winstrol Daily

Testosterone Cypionate Cycle

Testosterone Cypionate (Cyp) is much a much longer chain compared to Propionate, with a half life much longer as a result. In fact, Cyp has such a long half life it is often part of the TRT (Testosterone Replace Therapy) plan for males who suffer from Hypogonadism. Cyp also tends to be more inoffensive in regards to pain and swelling compared to Prop and Enanthate.

Compound 💊	Usual Dosages Found 📌	Half Life ⌚	Injection Frequency 💉	Compound Specific Side Effects 🩹
Testosterone Cypionate	250mg/ml	8 Days	Ideally twice per week	Just normal side effects associated with exogenous testosterone

Cyp is most often used in the off season environment, purely due to the fact that most off season compounds tend to be long esters. For ease of maintenance, running a longer ester Testosterone just simplifies everything a whole lot more.

Beginner Testosterone Cypionate Cycle:

Weeks 1 – 12:

250mg Per Week (125mg on Monday and Thursday)

Intermediate Testosterone Cypionate Cycle:

Weeks 1 – 6:

250mg Per Week (125mg on Monday and Thursday)

Weeks 7 – 12:

400mg Per week (200mg on Monday and Thursday)

Stacking Testosterone Cypionate with other compounds for a bodybuilding offseason:

Weeks 1 – 5:

250mg Testosterone Cypionate

Weeks 6 – 10:

500mg Testosterone Cypionate

250mg NPP

Weeks 11 – 16:

500mg Testosterone Cypionate

250mg NPP

50mg Anadrol per day

Testosterone Enanthate Cycle

Very similar to Testosterone Cypionate, Testosterone Enanthate has a longer (ish) half life. One of the most commonly used testosterones in most athletes cycles, it’s safe to say that Enanthate is a prime androgen for muscle growth as a base for cycles.

Compound 💊	Usual Dosages Found 📌	Half Life ⌚	Injection Frequency 💉	Compound Specific Side Effects 🩹
Testosterone Enanthate	250mg/ml	7-9 Days	Ideally twice per week	Just normal side effects associated with exogenous testosterone

Some people use Enanthate for pre contest situations, however most people will use it in a muscle gaining phase. Not really  known for being very “watery” or “dry”, it has various uses.

Beginner Testosterone Enanthate Cycle:

Weeks 1 – 12:

250mg Per Week (125mg on Monday and Thursday)

Intermediate Testosterone Enanthate Cycle:

Weeks 1 – 6:

250mg Per Week (125mg on Monday and Thursday)

Weeks 7 – 12:

400mg Per week (200mg on Monday and Thursday)

Stacking Testosterone Enanthate with other compounds for a bodybuilding offseason:

Weeks 1 – 5:

250mg Testosterone Enanthate

Weeks 6 – 10:

500mg Testosterone Enanthate

250mg NPP

Weeks 11 – 16:

500mg Testosterone Enanthate

250mg NPP

50mg Anadrol per day

Stacking Testosterone Enanthate with other compounds for a bodybuilding show prep:

Weeks 1 – 5:

500mg Testosterone Enanthate

Weeks 6 – 10:

500mg Testosterone Enanthate

300mg Masteron Propionate

Weeks 11 – 16:

500mg Testosterone Enanthate

300mg Masteron Propionate

200mg Trenbolone Acetate

40mg Winstrol Daily

Sustanon Cycle

Unlike the aforementioned compounds, Sustanon is actually a blend of 4 different testosterones in one . Initially designed to be the perfect TRT drug, since the 4 testosterones all have different esters. This will allow a gradual and slow release of testosterone over a period of time. Sustanon is comprised of the following:

• Propionate (30mg)
• Phenylpropionate (60mg)
• Isocaproate (60mg)
• Decanoate (100mg)

Compound 💊	Usual Dosages Found 📌	Half Life ⌚	Injection Frequency 💉	Compound Specific Side Effects 🩹
Sustanon	250mg/ml	15 Days	Ideally twice per week	Just normal side effects associated with exogenous testosterone

Because of the Decanoate, Sustanon has a very long half life and because of the blend of esters, a very gradual and steady level of testosterone in the blood is to be expected. This drug is mostly used in the offseason.

Beginner Sustanon Cycle:

Weeks 1 – 12:

250mg Per Week (125mg on Monday and Thursday)

Intermediate Sustanon Cycle:

Weeks 1 – 6:

250mg Per Week (125mg on Monday and Thursday)

Weeks 7 – 12:

400mg Per week (200mg on Monday and Thursday)

Stacking Sustanon with other compounds for a bodybuilding offseason:

Weeks 1 – 5:

250mg Sustanon

Weeks 6 – 10:

500mg Sustanon

250mg NPP

Weeks 11 – 16:

500mg Sustanon

250mg NPP

50mg Anadrol per day

PCT for Testosterone

When you use any exogenous hormone, including Steroids, your body will downregulate its own production of that certain hormone via a negative feedback loop. This is unavoidable with Steroids.

Thus, you will experience low Testosterone levels after any Testosterone cycle, and you will see lower levels of LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). These two are the hormones that are vital for Testosterone production in the body.

To both increase natural Testosterone, and manage the Estrogenic sides of a Testosterone cycle, you will need to include the following compounds into your PCT:

1. A SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator) of some kind
2. HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)
3. [Perhaps] HMG (Human menopausal gonadotropin) and Carnitine

FAQ’s

Can I run a testosterone only cycle?

Yes! Absolutely. It’s advisable that your first and second cycle should be only testosterone, to see how you react and cope with the most basic of drugs. Especially if you’re a beginner, you will have massive gains from a test only cycle.