🔥 Less Gear, More Discipline – BeefyM’s TRT Phase and Some Experiments 🔬

[MLX]

Week 6 Update​

Weight:
85.0 kg (morning, fasted)

Compounds:

• TRT: 150 mg Test E / week
• Retatrutide: 5 mg
• IGF-1 LR3: discontinued
• No other compounds

Training:
Training plan remains the same + daily LISS cardio.
Energy stable, strength still progressing, no signs of overreaching or fatigue.
Everything feels smooth and consistent.

Diet:
~2,500 kcal
Appetite is still noticeably lower overall, but not in a bad way, just easier to control food intake.
Had a big cheat meal this week (~2,100 kcal KFC) and surprisingly didn’t gain anything.
Next morning fasted weight was actually slightly lower, which pretty much confirms Retatrutide is doing great for metabolism and nutrient handling.

Observations / Notes:
Went for bloodwork this week.
My hematocrit and hemoglobin are still elevated from the last cycle:

• HCT: 0.54
• Hemoglobin: 199
• RBC: 5.9

I donated blood to bring it down and will continue monitoring.
From now on I’ll be dosing TRT subq daily to reduce peak levels and hopefully keep HCT from creeping up again.

Hydration aiming for around 5 liters of water daily.
In suplement stack right now for htc omega-3s, nattakionase and 100 mg aspirin daily as a preventative measure.

The trend is already improving right after the last cycle I was at HCT 0.56, so it’s slowly heading in the right direction. After the donation I should be back in a safe range.

All other markers came back totally fine.

Until my HCT and the rest of the blood markers fully stabilize, I won’t start a bulk or add any additional androgens to my TRT.

If anyone has additional tips for managing high HCT (besides full TRT stop or home micro-bleeding), feel free to share. Always open to good advice.

Otherwise libido good, mood stable, drive normal.
No fatigue, no burnout, work performance is excellent, mentally I feel balanced.

Visual notes:
Still a bit flatter, mostly in my head though.
Vascularity is good, pump in the gym still good.
Midsection continues tightening up and legs/lower body keep improving.

View attachment 2150

Nice progress and a well-structured, easy-to-follow cycle. I took around 300 mg of nattokinase daily (about 6000 FU), but to be fair I was only running 420 mg of testosterone per week, so my hematocrit never went above 46%.

 

[Beefym]

Week 6 Update​

Weight:
85.0 kg (morning, fasted)

Compounds:

• TRT: 150 mg Test E / week
• Retatrutide: 5 mg
• IGF-1 LR3: discontinued
• No other compounds

Training:
Training plan remains the same + daily LISS cardio.
Energy stable, strength still progressing, no signs of overreaching or fatigue.
Everything feels smooth and consistent.

Diet:
~2,500 kcal
Appetite is still noticeably lower overall, but not in a bad way, just easier to control food intake.
Had a big cheat meal this week (~2,100 kcal KFC) and surprisingly didn’t gain anything.
Next morning fasted weight was actually slightly lower, which pretty much confirms Retatrutide is doing great for metabolism and nutrient handling.

Observations / Notes:
Went for bloodwork this week.
My hematocrit and hemoglobin are still elevated from the last cycle:

• HCT: 0.54
• Hemoglobin: 199
• RBC: 5.9

I donated blood to bring it down and will continue monitoring.
From now on I’ll be dosing TRT subq daily to reduce peak levels and hopefully keep HCT from creeping up again.

Hydration aiming for around 5 liters of water daily.
In suplement stack right now for htc omega-3s, nattakionase and 100 mg aspirin daily as a preventative measure.

The trend is already improving right after the last cycle I was at HCT 0.56, so it’s slowly heading in the right direction. After the donation I should be back in a safe range.

All other markers came back totally fine.

Until my HCT and the rest of the blood markers fully stabilize, I won’t start a bulk or add any additional androgens to my TRT.

If anyone has additional tips for managing high HCT (besides full TRT stop or home micro-bleeding), feel free to share. Always open to good advice.

Otherwise libido good, mood stable, drive normal.
No fatigue, no burnout, work performance is excellent, mentally I feel balanced.

Visual notes:
Still a bit flatter, mostly in my head though.
Vascularity is good, pump in the gym still good.
Midsection continues tightening up and legs/lower body keep improving.

View attachment 2150

Week 8 Update

Weight:

86.5 kg (morning, fasted)

Compounds:

TRT: 15 mg Test E daily subq
Retatrutide: unchanged
No other compounds

Training:

Training plan remains unchanged, still consistent week to week.
Strength is stable, performance good overall.
During the last session I slightly strained a muscle in my right shoulder while doing dumbbell presses (bad execution on my part).
It’s annoying, but nothing serious, giving it a day or two and it should be fine.
Daily LISS cardio still in place, unchanged.

Diet:

Diet structure is technically the same, but with the holidays I’m not tracking or stressing food at all.
I’m eating what’s available and enjoying it, diet time will come again, I’ve got the whole year for that
No alcohol though, food only.
Retatrutide is still doing its job:
I don’t feel the need to eat everything on the table, satiety kicks in quickly, but I can still eat normally if I want to.
Digestion feels good, no GI issues.

Observations / Notes:

Hydration remains high (around 5 L daily).
Next bloodwork check is planned after New Year to reassess HCT and other markers.
Energy levels remain good, libido is great, strength feels stable.

Overall wellbeing is solid, mentally I feel relaxed and balanced, probably helped by not stressing diet during the holidays.

Visual notes:

Physique looks mostly the same overall.
Possibly a bit more watery / softer right now due to holiday eating, but that’s expected and temporary.
Nothing concerning, once diet tightens back up, conditioning should return quickly.

 

[Beefym]

Nice progress and a well-structured, easy-to-follow cycle. I took around 300 mg of nattokinase daily (about 6000 FU), but to be fair I was only running 420 mg of testosterone per week, so my hematocrit never went above 46%.

Thanks man, appreciate it.

My hematocrit really only shot up after running DHB together with test.

When I experimented with tren in the past, I actually never had numbers like this, which is interesting.

What’s funny is that liver values were completely fine on DHB, even though a lot of people report elevated liver markers with it.
Unfortunately there’s no compound that only gives and never takes.

If DHB didn’t push my HCT that high, I’d probably stay on it, I had zero other sides,
no legendary PIP, lipids stayed reasonable, blood pressure was fine, liver and kidneys all good. HCT was really the only issue.

 

[MLX]

Thanks man, appreciate it.

My hematocrit really only shot up after running DHB together with test.

When I experimented with tren in the past, I actually never had numbers like this, which is interesting.

What’s funny is that liver values were completely fine on DHB, even though a lot of people report elevated liver markers with it.
Unfortunately there’s no compound that only gives and never takes.

If DHB didn’t push my HCT that high, I’d probably stay on it, I had zero other sides,
no legendary PIP, lipids stayed reasonable, blood pressure was fine, liver and kidneys all good. HCT was really the only issue.

For kidney health, cystatin C and a urine sediment test are the most important markers. Creatinine and eGFR often show problems only late. The main cause of kidney damage over time is high blood pressure. Ideally, blood pressure should be ≤130/80 mmHg. Values above 150/90 mmHg are especially dangerous because long-term high pressure damages the kidney’s filtration cells.

The liver is very resilient and can recover quickly when stress is reduced. Good glutathione availability supports liver protection and regeneration.

For overall health, it is also important to monitor lipids especially ApoB, HDL, and triglycerides as well as hematocrit, since these reflect cardiovascular risk and blood strain.

 

[Beefym]

Week 8 Update

Weight:

86.5 kg (morning, fasted)

Compounds:

TRT: 15 mg Test E daily subq
Retatrutide: unchanged
No other compounds

Training:

Training plan remains unchanged, still consistent week to week.
Strength is stable, performance good overall.
During the last session I slightly strained a muscle in my right shoulder while doing dumbbell presses (bad execution on my part).
It’s annoying, but nothing serious, giving it a day or two and it should be fine.
Daily LISS cardio still in place, unchanged.

Diet:

Diet structure is technically the same, but with the holidays I’m not tracking or stressing food at all.
I’m eating what’s available and enjoying it, diet time will come again, I’ve got the whole year for that
No alcohol though, food only.
Retatrutide is still doing its job:
I don’t feel the need to eat everything on the table, satiety kicks in quickly, but I can still eat normally if I want to.
Digestion feels good, no GI issues.

Observations / Notes:

Hydration remains high (around 5 L daily).
Next bloodwork check is planned after New Year to reassess HCT and other markers.
Energy levels remain good, libido is great, strength feels stable.

Overall wellbeing is solid, mentally I feel relaxed and balanced, probably helped by not stressing diet during the holidays.

Visual notes:

Physique looks mostly the same overall.
Possibly a bit more watery / softer right now due to holiday eating, but that’s expected and temporary.
Nothing concerning, once diet tightens back up, conditioning should return quickly.
View attachment 2220

Week 9 Update

Weight:
87.0 kg (morning, fasted)
Weight is up a bit after the holidays, but nothing crazy, mostly water from higher carb intake.

Compounds:

TRT: 15 mg Test E daily subq
Retatrutide: unchanged
HGH: started 2 IU daily before bed
HCG: 250 IU 2× weekly
No other compounds

Training:

Currently running a classic bodybuilding-style program.
The focus is on controlled execution, quality reps, good mind–muscle connection and progressive overload.

Cardio remains daily unchanged.

Diet:

Calories are slowly coming up, currently around 2,800–3,000 kcal.

Diet is relaxed post-holidays, no strict tracking at the moment.
Despite higher food intake, Retatrutide is still clearly doing its job. I don’t feel excessive hunger, satiety kicks in quickly, but eating normally is never an issue.
Digestion feels good.

Observations / Notes:

This year I decided to finally treat myself and try HGH for the first time.

Obviously very early, but first impressions are great

First night: noticeably deeper sleep,
Woke up after ~2 hours thinking it was already 4 a.m. , turned out it was just 2 hours in
Deep sleep continued through the night.
First 1–2 days I felt slightly “foggy” during the day, but it faded by late morning.
Overall feeling pretty relaxed and chilled

TRT and Retatrutide continue to do exactly what they should.
Libido is good, work drive strong, energy stable.

Bloodwork control is planned for next week.

Blood pressure is fine, hydration unchanged (~5 L/day).
Supplementation remains the same.

Visual notes:

Physique looks a bit more watery/soft right now from holiday food, but nothing concerning.
At least I don’t feel as flat anymore.
Once diet tightens up again, conditioning should return quickly.

Overall:

Very satisfied so far. Everything is working as intended and I feel genuinely great.

 

[Beefym]

Week 9 Update

Weight:
87.0 kg (morning, fasted)
Weight is up a bit after the holidays, but nothing crazy, mostly water from higher carb intake.

Compounds:

TRT: 15 mg Test E daily subq
Retatrutide: unchanged
HGH: started 2 IU daily before bed
HCG: 250 IU 2× weekly
No other compounds

Training:

Currently running a classic bodybuilding-style program.
The focus is on controlled execution, quality reps, good mind–muscle connection and progressive overload.

Cardio remains daily unchanged.

Diet:

Calories are slowly coming up, currently around 2,800–3,000 kcal.

Diet is relaxed post-holidays, no strict tracking at the moment.
Despite higher food intake, Retatrutide is still clearly doing its job. I don’t feel excessive hunger, satiety kicks in quickly, but eating normally is never an issue.
Digestion feels good.

Observations / Notes:

This year I decided to finally treat myself and try HGH for the first time.

Obviously very early, but first impressions are great

First night: noticeably deeper sleep,
Woke up after ~2 hours thinking it was already 4 a.m. , turned out it was just 2 hours in
Deep sleep continued through the night.
First 1–2 days I felt slightly “foggy” during the day, but it faded by late morning.
Overall feeling pretty relaxed and chilled

TRT and Retatrutide continue to do exactly what they should.
Libido is good, work drive strong, energy stable.

Bloodwork control is planned for next week.

Blood pressure is fine, hydration unchanged (~5 L/day).
Supplementation remains the same.

Visual notes:

Physique looks a bit more watery/soft right now from holiday food, but nothing concerning.
At least I don’t feel as flat anymore.
Once diet tightens up again, conditioning should return quickly.

Overall:

Very satisfied so far. Everything is working as intended and I feel genuinely great.

Week 11 Update

Weight:

88.0 kg (fasted)

Compounds:

TRT: 15 mg Test E daily (subq)
Retatrutide: last dose this week
HGH: increased to 3 IU daily before bed
HCG: 250 IU 2× weekly
No other PEDs

Training:

Training remains the same, John Meadows “Gamma Bomb” and daily LISS cardio..
Pumps are noticeably stronger this week.

Diet / Appetite:

Calories still slightly above maintenance (mild surplus).
Appetite remains, zero issues with overeating.
Reta ends this week, so next weeks will show how much appetite returns without it.

Observations / Notes:

HGH is starting to show its signature effects:
water retention is up, slight “moon face”
pumps during training are stronger
mild fullness throughout the day.

Sleep has improved dramatically, deeper sleep
quick sleep onset after bathroom trips, waking up feeling like the night was long even after short stretches, almost DOMS-like sensation at night in trained muscle groups. No carpal tunnel symptoms, no tingling, no major sides so far beyond water.

Energy, mood, libido and work drive remain very good.

Bloodwork / Health:

Recent bloodwork:

HCT remains elevated, so no return to heavier cycles yet, staying on TRT until HCT drops below 0.50, other health markers are all good, liver, kidney, heart, thyroid, lipids all okay. Went through EKG + Echo, heart size normal, wall thickness normal, no structural enlargement.

Supplementation and hydration unchanged.

Visual notes:

Physique looks slightly more watery but still full.
No excessive bloat. Pumps are better, strength is steady, and overall shape is holding well despite the water retention.

Overall:

Very happy with how things are trending.
HGH is clearly doing what HGH should do, Retatrutide still working until last dose.

 

[Alireza]

Hi there,

I've been following your log for a while, and you've made great progress!
I've got a few questions about your routine:
Do you notice increased testosterone levels from daily subcutaneous injections of your TRT? I inject my TRT at the moment every day with 27.5 mg in my deltoid muscles, and I was wondering if you ever had any side effects from daily subcutaneous injections.

My total testosterone levels with 25 mg of TRT and 250 IU of HCG were 31.70 nmol/L (914 ng/dL), free testosterone at 0.581 nmol/L, and SHBG at 49.2 nmol/L.
I doubt that daily injections (subcutaneous or intramuscular) would be more effective or have fewer side effects.
It would be great to hear about your experience.