Planning my first cycle, everyone says test only - 500mg or can I start lower

I am 24, been training 4 years, diet is sorted and I have done a lot of reading before asking this. Everyone on forums says test only first cycle and I agree with that. The question is whether 500mg per week is the right starting dose or if I should begin lower like 300mg to learn how my body handles estrogen before going to the standard dose. I have AI on hand and PCT ready. What does the more experienced community actually recommend?

500mg test e split 250mg Monday and Thursday is the community standard for good reason. Enough to feel the compound properly, manageable sides for most people, straightforward to track. Going lower than 350mg you might not get a clear read on how your body responds. The point of a first cycle is to learn your response - 500mg gives you enough signal to actually learn something.

I started at 300mg for my first cycle and got real results - kept about 5kg of lean mass after PCT. Starting lower to learn your E2 response is a valid approach, not just being timid. I knew one bloke who went straight to 500mg, got gyno flare at week 3 because he did not have his AI dialled in, had to stop the cycle early. Having AI on hand is not the same as knowing your dose. Lower start, learn the response, then step up next blast.

Bloodwork before you pin day one, bloods at 6 weeks in. Non-negotiable. You need a baseline to compare against and at 6 weeks you can see if anything is going sideways before it becomes a problem. PCT ready before you start, not after you finish - Clomid 50mg plus Nolva 20mg for 4 weeks starting 2 weeks after your last long ester pin. Do not wing PCT.

Good questions to have answered before you start. One thing nobody mentioned - have your PCT in hand before you pin day one, not after you finish the cycle. I have seen lads scramble to source Nolva and Clomid after their last pin and end up waiting 3 extra weeks with no PCT running. Have everything ready before you start, bloods included.