Testosterone Propionate Dosage
Testosterone propionate, in particular, is less commonly used by beginners who are new to anabolic steroids.
The reason for this is that due to its short half-life, testosterone propionate is a short-acting drug that requires frequent administration (injections at least every other day), and most beginners may not like this inconvenient dosing schedule.
Therefore, testosterone enanthate and testosterone cypionate are much more popular and common choices among beginners because they only require two weekly injections.
We mentioned in the introduction that testosterone itself has a moderate level of estrogenic activity due to its moderate level of interaction with the aromatase enzyme.
This should always be taken into account when considering a testosterone propionate dosage, as the level of aromatization and subsequent estrogenic activity is always dose dependent, meaning that a high enough testosterone propionate dosage for physique and performance gains will always be high enough to promote a notable amount of aromatization.
The higher the dose of an aromatizable androgen such as testosterone, the greater the rate of aromatization.
It is always a good idea to use a moderate amount of an aromatase inhibitor on cycles using at least bodybuilding doses of testosterone, but we will cover this in more detail in the side effects section of this post.
A very important point to make clear to the reader before listing the example cycles is the fact that testosterone should always be considered the base compound of any anabolic steroid cycle.
Testosterone should also be the first and only compound used in any beginner's cycle, and here's why:
1. a safe place for testosterone in every anabolic steroid cycle is absolutely necessary every time.
During the duration of an anabolic steroid cycle, the endogenous natural production of testosterone is always suppressed or completely stopped due to the use of exogenous androgens.
In the absence of adequate endogenous testosterone levels, some form of exogenous testosterone must always be used to maintain normal physiological functions governed by testosterone.
2. Testosterone is undoubtedly the only anabolic steroid that can be used alone, and many athletes and bodybuilders often use it alone.
The reason it can be used alone is related to the first point mentioned above.
3. Testosterone is one of the most versatile anabolic steroids in terms of how it is administered and how it is cycled.
It acts as an excellent bulking and mass building compound and can also be utilized effectively in cutting cycles and fat cutting phases.
Medical Testosterone Propionate Dosage
In medicine, testosterone propionate is primarily used to treat androgen deficiency (hypogonadism or male menopause) in adult males, and the original prescribing guidelines listed the testosterone propionate dose for these conditions as 25 mg two to three times per week.
The latest prescribing guidelines and ranges are 25 to 50 mg every other day or every other day for a total of two to three times per week.
Testosterone propionate is also used as an adjuvant therapy for female breast cancer patients, albeit rarely, and because it is used so infrequently, prescribing guidelines have never been established for this use.
However, in one study conducted over a 16-month period from October 1946 to January 1948, 12 breast cancer patients used a dose of 150 mg of testosterone propionate per week (50 mg every other day) [1].
While this particular dose may be considered too high for women, it was considered necessary under the conditions of the time.
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Testosterone Propionate Doses
Testosterone propionate dosage for physique and athletic performance enhancement purposes is very similar to the total cumulative dosage per week of any single testosterone preparation.
The difference with the testosterone propionate dosage is that it needs to be administered more frequently.
Testosterone propionate beginner doses are usually in the range of 300 - 500mg per week, especially for the first anabolic steroid cycle (usually equivalent to 75 - 125mg every other day).
Even the lowest dosage of 300mg can dramatically improve physique and strength, provided the beginner has proper nutrition and training regimen and is strict.
Intermediate testosterone propionate doses typically fall within the range of 500 - 700 mg per week (125 - 175 mg every other day equivalent), and in most cases do not need to exceed 500 mg.
Some intermediate users have been known to take slightly higher doses, but this is generally not necessary if the individual's nutrition and training components are properly organized.
Advanced testosterone propionate doses are generally no higher than intermediate doses, but have been known to go as high as 700 to 1000 mg per week or more (175 to 1250 mg every other day).
However, it is very important to remember that nutrition and training are the key drivers for individuals to achieve their goals.
Another very important point to emphasize is that high doses and excessively high doses are not the definition of any type of advanced anabolic steroid user.
Remember that increased Testosterone Propionate doses always correlate with increased aromatization and increased severity of side effects.
It is not always necessary to use testosterone in bodybuilding at high doses as the main anabolic agent in a cycle.
Testosterone propionate is often used in conjunction with other anabolic steroids in certain cycles.
Testosterone does not always need to be run at doses of 300mg, 500mg, 700mg or higher because the individual is using other anabolic steroids at the same time.
In such cycles, testosterone can be relegated to a supporting role, providing TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) while other compounds are utilized as the primary anabolic agent to build muscle.
This is the concept of taking testosterone in a TRT dose.
The idea behind this concept is to utilize testosterone at a level that comes as close as possible to reflecting the body's endogenous physiological dose.
The purpose of this practice is to maintain the normal physiological functions that testosterone manages and regulates in the body, and this is done during periods when the user's natural endogenous testosterone production is interrupted or suppressed as a result of periodically used anabolic steroids.
Given that the human body produces approximately 50 to 70 mg of endogenous testosterone depending on factors such as genetics, age, and lifestyle, the appropriate testosterone propionate dosage for TRT purposes is approximately 100 mg per week or less (which translates to 25 mg every other day).
It also serves the dual function of eliminating or lowering the rate at which testosterone aromatizes into estrogen, negating the need for an aromatase inhibitor in all but the most sensitive individuals.
Testosterone Propionate Dosage for Women
It is very rare for female anabolic steroid users to use Testosterone Propionate, given that Testosterone Propionate is more androgenic than other anabolic steroids, while other anabolic steroids may be less androgenic.
Testosterone propionate is also used medically in the treatment of female breast cancer patients and in the treatment of female-to-male sex reassignment.
It is not recommended for women seeking performance and physique enhancement due to the tendency for masculinizing effects to occur very quickly while using strong androgens such as testosterone, trenbolone, etc.
However, due to the fact that plasma levels of testosterone propionate are much easier to control (due to the shorter ester), there is a small group of female users who prefer it for this reason.
In general, if masculinization symptoms are prominent, discontinuing this compound will result in rapid elimination from the body in a matter of days (rather than weeks as with the longer ester forms of testosterone) due to its short half-life.
In this case, doses of female testosterone propionate are used in the 25 mg range every 5-7 days for an average of 6-8 weeks (often shorter).
Proper Dosage and Timing of Testosterone Propionate
Testosterone propionate has a shorter half-life of 4.5 days compared to esterified testosterone, which has a longer propionate ester.
Testosterone propionate doses should be injected at least every other day, regardless of the day of the week, to maintain stable blood levels.
For example, if you plan to administer 400 mg of testosterone propionate injections weekly, it is recommended that you inject 100 mg on Monday, 100 mg on Wednesday, 100 mg on Friday, 100 mg on Sunday, and 100 mg on Tuesday.
You should know that testosterone propionate is not highly favored among individuals, not only because of the frequent injection issues, but also because most testosterone propionate is considered to be a very painful injection.
This is partly due to the short chain of the propionate ester, which is known to irritate the injection site, and partly due to the large amount of auxiliary solvents (such as benzyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate), which are also known to irritate the injection site but are required in larger quantities in higher concentration anabolic steroid formulations.
Some users can be very sensitive to these effects, and their reaction can cause severe pain at the injection site, along with a low-grade fever that usually lasts for 2-4 days after the first few injections, so testosterone propionate should be avoided at all costs.
Along with potential injection site irritation and pain, the fact that testosterone propionate must be administered frequently makes it not a highly favored testosterone variant except for a small number of niche users.
Expectations and Results from Taking Testosterone Propionate
Testosterone Propionate is, of course, testosterone, so it has a moderate aromatization that leads to estrogenic side effects such as bloating, water retention, increased blood pressure (due to bloating), and the risk of gynecomastia.
The soft, bloated physique caused by bloating is generally undesirable for most users looking to participate in a cutting cycle or lean mass cycle.
Therefore, Testosterone Propionate should be used in conjunction with an aromatase inhibitor to neutralize the aromatase enzyme and eliminate the water retention effects caused by estrogen conversion, resulting in a harder looking physique without the soft puffiness.
By doing so, testosterone can be successfully utilized as a 'hardening' and cutting compound, as well as being utilized to increase muscle mass.
Some individuals prefer water retention, in which case testosterone is preferred as a bulking and strength gaining compound, as they believe it helps to protect tissues and connective tissue from the stressors of heavy lifting.
In any case, testosterone is also an excellent compound for a full-blown bulking and strength gaining cycle, which seems to be the norm among bodybuilders and athletes.
It is a very versatile compound that can provide the anabolic strength needed for the bulking phase.
Testosterone Propionate References
[1] Testosterone Propionate in the Treatment of Recurrent Cancer of the Breast. Arthur B. McGraw, MD Arch Surg. 1948;57(3):385-390. doi:10.1001/archsurg.1948.01240020391009.
