I don’t take it but TRT can be a game changer for some guys! Follow dr max draper on instagram, he’s a TRT specialist
Printable View
Certainly if needed due to naturally low t levels. But it's perfectly reasonable to lose weight lifting strength when it hasn't been done in a good while, even if keeping physically active in other ways. Sometimes it can simply be down to a loss of overall body mass from more cardio orientated exercises and they may just need to consume more calories to put on a bit more body weight in order to get back to lifting those heavier weights.
I’m a natural lifter so never taken anything but been around gyms and bodybuilders for years so I know bits and pieces!
You can get oral steroids but some can be toxic on your kidneys etc. Can’t remember why, something to do with having to be digested twice whereas injections go straight into your blood.
TRT is called TEST E I think and is predominantly injectable. You might get orals not 100% sure. Not sure about the gels.
In a couple of years, I’d be tempted to try TRT to be honest. Seems to lots of positive benefits for over 40’s
The fundamental problem with anabolic steroids is that they cause enlargement of all muscles, including the heart. You hear of teenagers and 20 somethings hopping on the gear early and dying of heart failure by their early 30s.
Social media has played a major role in this problem in more recent years with body builders on social media getting sponsorship deals to sell snake oil products while being under pressure to achieve and maintain gains that would be unrealistically obtainable naturally. All to give the misleading impression that it's the product that they're selling that is responsible for those gains and not the unconscionable amount of steroids that they're taking instead.
I agree to a certain extent but bodybuilders are far more educated nowadays with blood work and a better understanding of their bodies and steroids.
If you look at guys like vigorous Steve and Dean St Martin on instagram they are pretty healthy without the side effects.
Back in the day it was just listening to ‘Big Dave down the gym’, however there is a lot of info out there and the steroids are better understood now. They are more or less the same for the last 20-30 years.
Steroids can be done relatively safely if you have the right guidance and do enough research.
Still wouldn’t do it myself but I will do TRT if I feel I need it but through a well respected clinic and clinician.
All the famous ‘educators’ say you should max out your natural abilities for 5-6 years in the gym before making any decision. They if you do decide to jump on then you have a solid foundation and can add minimal amounts for maximum effect.
The guys who train for a month or two then jump on with little experience and no guidance are crazy
The problem is where to draw the line. People who resort to steroids regardless of their level of experience are generally unsatisfied with their natural physique. They take a little gear to get bigger, until they feel unsatisfied again, then they take more gear to get even bigger and the cycle continues until it spirals out of control.
People who can't be satisfied with their natural physiques are never going to feel permanently satisfied, because they're forever chasing something "better" than where they currently are. So even if they take steroids to get bigger, they'll eventually feel unsatisfied again, leading to higher levels of steroid use.
Unfortunately most people see IFBB pro’s, Mr Olympia etc and think that they are natural.
Even my wife didn’t know the difference. The fact that most pro’s don’t take about their steroid cycles, means a lot of people chase an unachievable goal.
If you google natural bodybuilding champions and Mr Olmpia the difference is extreme.
I just find the idea of injecting myself too much, I just couldn’t do it.
You can identify who is taking steroids as they'll be a combination of big and shredded simultaneously. Which most men simply can't achieve naturally and have to contend with either being big (large muscles but with a higher body fat percentage) or being skinny shredded (low body fat but with sacrifices to muscle size). Those who have been taking high doses of steroids for an extended period of time will usually be left with bloated abdomens due to elevated HGH levels. As you say though, the average person who isn't into muscle fitness wouldn't know if a person is on steroids or not just by looking at them.
I took a circumstantial week off training last week, came back to things on Tuesday and Wednesday feeling very strong and ready to go at again.
We've got a holiday in the first week in July so going to hit it really hard for the next 8 or so weeks int he hope of getting in to some sort of decent shape before then.
I'm tearing my hair out on the best way to split things up. With the garage gym it would be quite easy to do 5 sessions a week but we often have things get in the way of a training session.
I did a bench press pyramid on Tuesday which I really enjoyed, wonder if anyone else has done something like this?
Sets
1 10 x bar
2 5 x 60kg
3 4 x 70kg
4 3 x 80kg
5 2 x 90kg
6 1 x 100kg
7 1 x 105kg
8 2 x 90kg
9 3 x 80kg
10 4 x 70kg
I felt it was a good combo of reps to weight, with a focus on working towards heavy singles to boost the ego but also build confidence that I can handle higher weights. And the bonus is that it only took half an hour so to get through.
Been out for the last couple of weeks with tendonitis in my wrists and elbows (worse on my left side).
Have any other of the lifters on here experienced this issue? I would appreciate any advice for dealing with this so I can get back to the gym and continue my progress.
I've noticed a click in my left elbow when bench pressing 5-6 reps at 60kgs, followed by pain for days/weeks after travelling from my wrist to my elbow on the outer side of my arm.