The Most Overlooked Step for First-Time Steroid Users

Why Baseline Testing Matters

For many athletes who consider starting their first anabolic steroid cycle, preparation often focuses on cycle design, sourcing quality products, side effect management, and post-cycle therapy (PCT). While these are all critical, one of the most overlooked yet essential steps is obtaining baseline blood work before ever beginning steroid use.

Establishing a hormonal baseline provides a clear picture of your natural endocrine function—especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPTA)—before it is altered by exogenous hormones. Once a cycle begins, this natural “snapshot” of your physiology is lost forever.

Key Hormones to Test

Before your first cycle, laboratory testing should include:

• Total Testosterone – Your natural T production level.

• Estradiol (E2) – To understand your baseline estrogen balance.

• Luteinizing Hormone (LH) – Reflects pituitary stimulation of the testes.

• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) – Involved in reproductive and testicular function.

These values act as your personal hormonal reference point.

Why Baseline Values Are Crucial

Without baseline data, it is nearly impossible to accurately evaluate recovery after a cycle. For example:

• If post-PCT testosterone returns to 600 ng/dl, you might assume recovery is complete. But if your baseline was 850 ng/dl, then you are still significantly below your natural norm.

• If your post-PCT results show 450 ng/dl, this might seem low—yet if your natural baseline was only in the 400s, then this could represent full recovery for you.

In both cases, without baseline testing, you would never know.

Long-Term Benefits

• Measure true recovery after each cycle.

• Identify early warning signs of suppressed or incomplete HPTA function.

• Personalize PCT protocols based on your actual biology, not assumptions.

Takeaway

Before beginning your first steroid cycle, establish your baseline hormonal profile through comprehensive blood work. This one step—often neglected by beginners—provides an irreplaceable reference point that can guide your recovery, protect long-term endocrine health, and ensure smarter decisions for every cycle that follows.

? Remember: You only get one chance to know your true natural baseline. Don’t skip it.