starting strength gym
Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 22

Thread: Started TRT today

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,557

    Default

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Quote Originally Posted by MTUT View Post
    My lifts have gone up 10+% since starting (and my body weight has gone up about 8% as well) not quite six months ago,
    Since starting TRT, or the program?

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Since starting TRT, or the program?
    TRT

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,557

    Default

    Were they not going up before?

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    536

    Default

    As an informational piece about TRT...

    I went on TRT a year ago, after about 4 years of wondering why I couldn’t resolve life issues I would normally be fine with. See below.

    I’ve lifted a while, only to be in shape and stronger in general. I’ve done programming from starting strength to a year with James Steel.

    I was getting older (now 57) and doing far more than most people at any age, but I’m talking an average person. I was cruising along ok without any extraneous help. Not in any way incredible just what a normal dude looks like who stays in shape.

    Then the divorce came, or should I say her infidelity. This blindsided me (nope, spare me any talk of me being a pussy) as there were no indications of anything wrong.

    Sometimes people just want to fuck a co-worker.

    All that aside and the crux of this post, is that I’ve ALWAYS weathered difficulty in my life but this was different. I simply could not get over this and frankly, I kept wondering why. It was not “me.” Years went by when I was still sad, mad, hopeless...

    I did some research and looked into hormone levels. My test was less than 150.

    Long post short, when I got on just 100mg/ml my life changed dramatically. I am the poster boy for hormone management. I’ve not noticed physical changes but the mental changes kept me from going down a dark hole. My test levels are actually at the low end of normal, but man, I feel great.

    Moral of the story: men, test has more to do with your life than just “building muscle.”

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Were they not going up before?
    Yes, but much more slowly. Very, very slowly, and enough to make me wonder if (being 53) my strength had peaked. I had also been recovering from an SI injury over the prior year and had very inconsistent sleep due to work, which didn't help progress. My work changed at the same time the TRT began, which helped my rest schedule, but I'm pretty sure the TRT helped recovery on the lifts, which for a period went up very consistently and at a much faster rate than before. I also stopped feeling exhausted throughout the day, and just felt (and continue to feel) a constant energy to do things. Some of my lack of energy can perhaps be attributed to my crazy work schedule, but not all. I felt the same way for years even before I had that work schedule. The change in energy level was practically overnight with TRT.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Los Alamos, NM
    Posts
    3,239

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MTUT View Post
    Yes, but much more slowly. Very, very slowly, and enough to make me wonder if (being 53) my strength had peaked. I had also been recovering from an SI injury over the prior year and had very inconsistent sleep due to work, which didn't help progress. My work changed at the same time the TRT began, which helped my rest schedule, but I'm pretty sure the TRT helped recovery on the lifts, which for a period went up very consistently and at a much faster rate than before. I also stopped feeling exhausted throughout the day, and just felt (and continue to feel) a constant energy to do things. Some of my lack of energy can perhaps be attributed to my crazy work schedule, but not all. I felt the same way for years even before I had that work schedule. The change in energy level was practically overnight with TRT.
    Perhaps start a log? While the general information on this site has been extraordinarily valuable, your anecdotal information is not.

    Consider this my one Karen episode allocated per calendar year.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Charles View Post
    Perhaps start a log? While the general information on this site has been extraordinarily valuable, your anecdotal information is not.

    Consider this my one Karen episode allocated per calendar year.
    I admire you getting the episode out of the way so early in the year!

    My main purpose in commenting here to begin with was simply to reinforce what others have said about TRT having a wonderful impact on quality of life; strength gains are a nice byproduct, but not the reason I started TRT. I'm not sure my training log would be helpful (and I'm not inclined right now to post one anyway), but I'm happy if my anecdotal testimonial regarding energy, mood, and mindset is helpful to those sitting on the fence. I wish I had started years earlier.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Posts
    223

    Default

    Your anecdotal testimonial is helpful.
    I’ve finally found a doctor who has agreed I have low T and referred me on so hopefully I’ll start TRT in a couple of weeks.
    My levels have been 170 - 240 for at least the last 8 yrs ! Yes I am way too tolerant ! (54 yrs)
    I started NLP ~ 2 yrs ago, first with stronglifts, then SS last 18 mths.
    I have still managed to progress all lifts, DL at 405 now. Even so my T levels have not moved (190 last week).
    I’ll be interested to see what happens to my training after TRT..

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Posts
    442

    Default

    Everything about this is anecdotal. You take test, your test levels go up. That's the only constant. How much, how often, what impact it has - that's all individual.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    158

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Well since everyone is sharing anecdotal stuff, I'll add mine.

    In my early 40's I went to my doc (internal and sports medicine, team doctor for a couple of pro sports teams) for a yearly checkup, and when he asked how I was doing, I said I was generally ok but recovery from strength training had been rough. He immediately suggested a T test, which came up low. He suggested that I should think about trying T injections. It was tempting, but I was struggling with a Texas Method program (likely due to poor programming since I was doing it myself), and I wasn't sleeping well (5-6 hours sleep per night, 7 on a "good" night).

    I spoke with a guy in his 50's about T, and he lit up and said he'd been on it for a couple of years, he gave me a few tubes to try (which I didn't). He started it during a time where he wasn't sleeping much, had a long commute for a job, working long hours, etc.

    Then I talked to another guy, a Russian guy in his 60's, grew up in the Soviet Union and was a weightlifter and bodybuilder. While he was a proponent of T, he inquired about my training and lifestyle. I shared that I thought I may just need to back off the training and get more sleep. He suggested a few months off, no training, and get sleep in order, and then see. A few months was too long for me, so I took a month off, got retested and was higher than average for my age. I'm in my late 40's now and my strength numbers are way down, and am having trouble with recovery. Also my emotions have been pretty scattered. Maybe it's time to revisit this.

    A friend of mine, early 50's, has been emotionally struggling for the past few years, whining and crying, shacking up with bad women, etc. He got on T, and all of this changed. His thinking is clearer, he's not as emotional, and he's not dependent on the need for a GF. It's an interesting change.

    Does anyone have any reliable resources about TRT? I'd like to consider this again.

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •