SWALE,
You're knowledge and input is refreshing.
I am personally gyno sensitive. I also use AI's and SERMS very carefully and minimally as I have found that over-use can actually cause increased estrogen sensitivity personally.
My personal approach is to use compounds that do not aromatize and during times when estrogen levels are higher, and offset this environment by increasing my androgen levels (using non aromatizing androgens). When the goal is to increase HPTA function I have found that short term estrogen suppresion (4 weeks) with tapered doses of either an AI or SERM are effective without causing rebound. Recently I have been using methyl-ATD (in a tapered fashion) which I have found to work very well without rebound.
One other thought... I feel that many people who are using androgens for non HRT purposes are still using way too much. There are many effective ways of creating a highly anabolic environment with much lower doses which also greatly reduces side effects including estrogen conversion.
Many users don't realize that as the dose of a given androgen increases, the anabolic effect increases in a non-linear manner. I remember one individual who claimed he was taking 4 grams of
testosterone per week. He didn't realize that with a poor diet and training that he was gaining significantly less than others using 1/10th of the androgens he was using. I realize this is an extreme example, however hopefully people get the point.
I can understand the desire to develop an extreme physique. I can't understand using a chemical approach that is less effective and more harmful because of the "more is better" mentality.