First Timer! Going easy but could use your input!

[RollPlayer]

week 6! Up 11lbs to 206lbs. Also bumped TEST to 500mg this week. I plan to continue at 500mg until week 10 and then drop back to 400mg last two weeks. I am still only using 300mg of DECA a week. Pumps are great! Feel strong! Have not maxed out in a while so don't know exactly what kind of strength gains I've had. However I can now complete sets of 8-10 with weight I was previously only pushing for 4-6 reps. Also, where I could barely incline 225lbs for 3 reps I can now push for 10!
Diet is still under control but I tell you I almost hate eating now! I have to choke the food and MR drinks down just to get my calories!

[RollPlayer]

Workouts have been hampered slightly. My wife went to LA for work so I'm stuck with the lil' ones. Been in the gym Mon, Wed, and will hit it again Friday, and Sat night after my wife returns.
Did bench on Monday. Started out weak but felt good once warmed up. Hit 295lbs for 3 reps. My previous max-bench was 285lbs ( I had hit 315lbs earlier this year but back off from flat bench to focus on incline). So I'm up slightly I think. Still having a little shoulder pain from throwing the football on Memorial Day so I didn't want to push it any further. May be sort of a phsycological block as well. My incline bench has improved dramatically though. I'm going to switch it up and consentrate on dumbells for awhile. I like working the dumbells on the exercise ball.
That's it for now. I'll keep you posted.

[Card_Hock]

Great detailed threads Roll...keep grow'n bro ..i'll be running a similar cycle in a couple weeks ...keep us posted

[RollPlayer]

Thanks CH. I hit the gym this morn and was planning on working my back but my brother talked me into benching. Felt good & strong!!! Hit 315lbs for 3 reps!! If you follow my Journal here or in Precision M you'll see the strength gains. I was never a big bencher, but I just hit 30lbs above my 1RM for 3 reps!!! And I still felt good. I think I still have some reserves about my shoulder being injured. I know I'll be able to push even more when I'm convinced my shoulder is OK. One more week of really paying attention to it and I'll be ready to push it REAL hard! It actually feels fine now but better safe than sorry. It doesn't bother me at all today even after lifting heavy so I'm sure it's almost 100%.
Next week I'll be back to my regular routine!!!

[RollPlayer]

Week 7!! Shot my ass and heading to the gym this morning. Gonna mix it up a bit. Normally do chest on Mondays but since I hit it last Friday I'll start the week off with a smashing back routine! It feels good to get back on schedule now that the wife is back. I'll post new pics soon.

[Card_Hock]

better safe than sorry... from what i read, deca can really mask the pain ..

[RollPlayer]

I'm not real impressed with my gains so far. I'm beginning to think that the QV TEST EN might be underdosed. From what I've been reading the QV as of late has been as low as 138mg/ml. I've been eating as recommended, training as recommended, and resting as recommended. I have been supplementing with vitamins, and drinking LOT's of water (at least 1-1.5 gallons ED). I am in week 7 and have only gained between 8-11lbs (fluctuates). It is solid with little fat or water, which is another reason I think the TEST is underdosed. This gear seems a lighter color than the first bottle is another reason. I could very possibly put this much weight on just with as much food as I eat. I train 1 bodypart, hard, every day with good intensity. This progress is more in line with what I could possibly have done naturaly, strength-wise. The weight gain is what leads me to believe the DECA is most likely legit because the gains are more like a DECA only cycle. Nuts have shrunk very little if at all. Getting wood is no problem. I think the first bottle of TEST was probably OK but I don't know about the second.
What do you guys think? If you saw me training & eating you would definately know it was not for a lack in those areas. I did only recently kick the TEST up to 500mg (Week 5_400mg; Week 6_500mg).
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

[Card_Hock]

most people can't naturally gain 11 lbs in a year bro, plus you should have been running the test at 500 and deca at 400 from the get go, you've only been doing it for 2 weeks and you don't start seeing the effects of those 2 compounds untill the 3rd or 4th week, so the next couple of weeks should tell the tell, you can't worry about the past, so focus on the present and really train hard and eat ALOT ....cause your about to explode !!! i can't remember how long you were going to run this bout i would stretch the test to 12 weeks and leave the deca 10 ...just my .02

[RollPlayer]

CH- I'm sure you're right about the weight gain. That's why I was pretty sure the DECA is legit. We'll see what happens in the next couple weeks. I upped the TEST 3 weeks ago, so next week will be the determining week. I'll keep you all posted. I also got a new, local source... no more mail order, waiting on so-in-so crap. (If I can't say that please feel free to edit)
I'll be running 12 weeks. I plan to be 'Off' until mid September. Then I am running one more 12-16 week bulker.

[RollPlayer]

Week 9. Shot on Monday. Hit chest Monday & back today. Workouts felt good but I was out of town all weekend and did not eat enough. I really felt the difference in strength too. I'm feeling REAL lean. I was told I would retain a ton of water but I'm not seeing it. Weight is still holding around 204lbs.

3 more weeks to go.

[BM]

Nine weeks and your only up nine pounds? Something is wrong here. Are you sure your eating enough? You getting at least 300 grams of protein a day?

[RollPlayer]

Originally posted by LARGE&INCHARGE
Nine weeks and your only up nine pounds? Something is wrong here. Are you sure your eating enough? You getting at least 300 grams of protein a day?

That's been my concern as well. I was eating a boatload. Plus 3 shakes a day at 900 calories a pop! Just started ninth week yesterday. I've been stuck between 8-11lbs for several weeks. If you read entire journal you'll see I only raised the TEST to 500mg at week 5. But still, I was expecting to gain more weight. Like I said I am not holding hardly any water. I'm sure my body fat % has gone down as well. I'll admit, the last two weekends I headed up north to Chico to visit family and starved! Both weekends I felt like I was losing weight! There is definitly going to be some things I do differently next time.

[Lich]

Well If im correct u still may be experiencing only the 250mg u took for the first 4 weeks, soon enuff (hopefully) the 500mg weeks will kick in and get some real gains going. Deca is playing its roll well im sure.

Besides that, the only thing I noticed is if u rlly want to get bigger, do HEAVY weight, LESS reps. Try a weight u can barely get 4-5, use that for 4 sets say on the bench. Get as many as u can lifting with the furiosity of maxing out each rep, and have a friend spot u for forced reps if u want as well. Then, next time u hit chest, ADD weight. Say u benched with 225, add 5 - 10 pnds this time but shoot for the same/more reps. Dont up ur reps, up ur weight, then reps if possible.

Just some beginner tips that r often over-looked.

[RollPlayer]

Last pic before starting PCT.

Pic is not REAL clear. Something happened when I was editing out the tattoos. Sorry.
Currently hanging in about 205lbs. Up a whopping ten lbs. Solid though. I do feel leaner. I believe it is noticeable in the pics (b4 and after) as well. I didn't gain any more weight after 7-ish weeks. I guess that's what happens when you start a cycle before you know what the HELL you're doing.

I'll be planning another 'bulker' for next cycle after 10 weeks off or so. This one will be planned out much better. Including diet, supplements, thorough PCT, etc. With what I've learned I'll be expecting much better results.

Thanks for all your help to date.

[FUZO]

GREAT JOB KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK