For any cycle longer than 6 weeks, you need to get your hands on some hCG and use it during the cycle. A small dose will keep the testes running as normal during cycle, so they can jump back on track when the cycle is over. Plus, when you use hCG during the cycle, you don't need to use it for PCT. On-cycle hCG forces your testes to continue producing testosterone as they normally would. The trick with on-cycle hCG use is to avoid using too much, too frequently (which can also desensitize your testes the same as not using any at all!). It’s important to use just enough to stimulate the testes to produce the same amount of testosterone they would normally. Check out the simple hCG dosing guidelines -
hCG Dosing Guidelines- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin -
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hCG on-cycle- Preferred method -
hCG during last 2 weeks or after the cycle- only if hCG was NOT used during cycle -
1-6 week cycle
No hCG needed
No hCG needed
8 week cycle
250iu every 4 days* from week 3-8
One 1000iu shot per week for 2 weeks with AI† taken daily
12 week cycle
250iu every 4 days* from week 3-12
One 1000iu shot per week for 3 weeks with AI† taken daily
16 week cycle
250iu every 4 days* from week 3-8Take a 2 week break250iu every 4 days* from week 11-16
One 1000iu shot per week for 3 weeks with AI† taken daily
* Every 4 days = Shoot on Monday, then on Friday, then on Tuesday, ect.
† AI - Aromatase Inhibitor (While taking 1000iu shots, I recommend 10mg/ED of Aromasin or .5mg/ED Arimidex to keep estrogen in control. Discontinue 4 days after last hCG shot.)
If you are doing the on-cycle hCG protocol it is important to discontinue hCG 2 weeks prior to AAS clearance. Therefore, when you officially start PCT you will be clean of all AAS's and will be 14 days from your last hCG shot. This allows your testes to become re-sensitized to the body's LH signal from the brain, making for a quick recovery of natural testosterone production as soon as the steroids and hCG clear the system. This is another reason why on-cycle hCG is superior, because it allows you to start recovering as soon as PCT begins.
If you aren't doing hCG on-cycle, then use hCG according to the "last 2 weeks or after the cycle" guidelines, and start it 4-5 weeks before the AAS's are expected to clear the system (Or as soon as possible if you are already past this point).

Improper use of hCG
Using hCG after the cycle is the least effective way to use hCG.You see, when you're on steroids, your brain cuts off the signal to the testes, and your testes stop producing testosterone. Once this happens, your testes shutdown, start to shrink, and become unresponsive to stimulation from the brain (essentially, the testes become desensitized). This is the reason why alot of guys never recover from a steroid cycle even after using tons of hCG and SERM's -- because the testes have stayed inactive for too long and have become permanently desensitized. Here are a list of problems you can have from waiting untill the end of a cycle to use hCG -
  • High Possibility of Permanent Testicular Damage/Desensitization
  • Higher hCG Dose Requirement
  • Higher Conversion Rate to Estrogen

For a fast and quick recovery of testosterone production after a cycle, you must avoid the long-periods of suppression. Once your testes go unused for too long, it is virtually impossible to get them to come back full strength, no matter how much hCG you take.