The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

Who is going to pick up the slack for doing the macros for their pet llama? Come back "Dr" uncle Rico! Probably a fifty something year old pervert thinking he'd get one of you buff stud young lads... be well

 

@weldertaco .... Consistency and longevity are the main things you need to focus on. @Supra TT I'm not surprised but am surprised of the choice of juice. What if you never did and gave a solid decade before that choice? Serious question..

 

@ThunderCookies the most buff in this thread right now # for # ?

 

@dwalden2 151#? I know you're smaller but buddy... Seems like you and your beard would be around 175...

 

Date night tonight. Went to see Ari Shaffir at the Brea Improv (fucking HILARIOUS) had fried calamari at the yard house before. Few old fashioneds there. And now a California burrito. “Cheat” meal only to rattle @PackCon (I don’t count any of my food I just eat generally healthy with a few damn delicious meals) and some more beer

 

Drive to Salinas. Get a burrito from El Charrito. Get another one for me and overnight ship it. They’re life changing.

 

Perfect time for gains.

new year new me people will be coming soon and not looking forward to that lol

 

If my wife ever leaves me, ima get on juice and just go hard. Love this shit.

 

I did spend alot of time and effort gaining naturally. About 3.5 years. I could of given it more, but I had some health issues. When I started lifting, we were using all the old school preworkouts like jack3d and no xplode with all the banned substances they put in there. After about 2 years lifting I could hardly go to work anymore, I could hard get to the gym, I could hard function. I was SO TIRED. Zero energy, zero motivation, NOTHING. I was also very stressed out with my job... I started googling symptoms and eventually went to see a DR.

I was diagnosed with hypogonadism in 2014. They gave me some bull shit pills to help me, which did nothing and then they gave me some bull shit gel which did nothing and after a year I did more research and realized I need real TESTOSTERONE, not some bull shit gel. I talked to my Dr about it and he was reluctant because of my age (24) - yet if you google it, it's way more common now-a-days and it's a fact nearly everyone will require it someday (TRT).

I gave up with the DR - my natural test levels were right at 300ng/dl. Most TRT clinics accept people below 400 ng/dl - especially at my age I should be well over 700+. I had test levels of a 45+ year old male at age 25.

I again started feeling like shit (just randomly day in week out - even with dr bs help). I met a friend in the gym who talked about test and he knew he could get some. I was extremely curious and after feeling like complete garbage for years I said what could go wrong - DR don't give a fuck so fuck it. I did it and my god I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW GOOD I felt. I was beyond feeling like a God. I only did 500mg which a common TRT is 125-200mg depending how well the person metabolizes. Also being non pharmacy grade the quality is certainly less.

I spent countless hours researching before I tried and when I was on it I spent even more hours. I bought books and did my homework, lots of books... lots and LOTS of research... And here I am nearly 4 years later.


Sorry for the novel, but I did have a reason for it and I felt like finally sharing about it and being honest. Everyone always poked and jabbed about it, but when someone finally asked I figured it was time.

I appreciate you asking and I hope my story helps.


Pic below of my natural progresses

 

Those were some serious natty gains!

As someone who’s always been curious about it, I (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) appreciate how open you are with your use. I’ve learned a lot just reading your posts.

I wonder how old the average man I’d when trt becomes beneficial. 40?

 

I appreciate your willingness to share your story.
Your concerns regarding pharmaceutical TRT are why I know when my thyroid finally shuts down I’m going to go the route of biologic hormones through a compounding pharmacy rather than screwing around with something like Synthroid.

The issues with hormone replacement are that people assume you have symptoms (A) and your hormone level X is low (B). Therefore if we fix B we fix A. WRONG. Its not A and B its A and Q. You’ve got a multitude of factors influencing underlying pathology not just one.
This is where I respectfully disagree with your claim every man should eventually need TRT. First of all, if most of any population ends up developing disease its an epidemic issue and means something is severely wrong with our environment (because this is a recent need in the vast timeframe of human existence).

T levels reduce as men age. This is not pathology but a fact of life. I do not believe that T levels alone (or maybe at all) contribute to the pathological symptoms associated with the fabricated medical condition of “Low T”.

Low T is an exploitation of social construct of male masculinity by pharmaceutical companies to make a buck. And it has caused a lot of men to suffer from things such as DVT, PE, heart attacks, stroke etc. because their misled physicians were prescribing drugs.

Men hear the words Low T and their masculinity is threatened. So its been turned into a medical condition. Whereas is we look at women and their hormonal changes they experience throughout their lifetime they are told its “natural” and “just deal with it”.
But not men... nooooo aging isn’t natural for men its a disease. How dare you expect men to just deal with it. This is our egos we’re talking about!

I think TRT is pushed to be a money making scheme when there is little to no science to legitimize it. Hypogonadism and pituitary conditions are real pathologies that require treatment, but “Low T”... meh. I think if Low T is real its far more likely that its a pathology stemming from our piss poor diets, obesity, lack of exercise, the hormones and antibiotics we are all exposed to, and potentially the vast over medicating we experience in the western world.

I empathize with your pain. I spent years with docs who failed to help me and I was left to my own devices. Luckily since then physicians have caught up slightly and I have a great doc now.
Unbalanced hormones are miserable and torturous. I’m glad you found something that has worked for you.

 

Thanks. Open for whatever question you have.

I didn't touch in depth on why I think every male will be on TRT... Maybe I should have since I didn't think it'd spark such deep convo.

I agree with you on many points and they are extremely valid. I also feel women are in the same boat, they too require hormone therapy and probably will eventually. I agree 100% it's due to exactly what you said "piss poor diets, obesity, lack of exercise, the hormones and antibiotics we are all exposed to, and potentially the vast over medicating we experience in the western world."

Our food has been modified so heavily...

I believe my slow decline was due to those stupid pre-workout but that was bro science there. I don't take those anymore for that reason.

 

I was genuinely curious and appreciate your honesty! You look great and always have encouraging and positive things to post here!!

 

What’s going on in here? @SLO/TACO is handing out compliments?

@broke_down its safe to return bud

 

Sure, you also footin the gas bill for me to drive up there?


I will be up there though for Christmas time most likely as my girlfriends family is there

 

I'm sure it would be beneficial because a little extra of a good thing can be better...But I just turned 50, never took anything other than OTC stuff on and off through the years (most of which didn't work and a couple that did ended up banned!) and I'm still going pretty strong! Been lifting since I was about 14 or 15, competed in bodybuilding and powerlifting and am still benching over 300 lbs for reps, overhead pressing 175 for at least low reps, squatted 365 for an easy couple sets of 5 yesterday (got some painful tightness in my left upper quad everytime I get heavier in squats or I'd be doing more) and maintaining a 34 pants at 220 and 5'8". I think I've lost a little vigor for hitting it hard but at least some of that I attribute to having done it so long and just lost a little interest and some to working out alone in a non-climate controlled barn that's been hotter than crap lately! lol Just thank goodness I have a 20 inch fan to keep things tolerable. I still get the urge to keep powerlifting but gotta get this thigh thing worked out which I know is largely due to less physical activity outside of working out that didn't use to be an issue which has tightened up the muscles or tendons or something that I have to get loosened up.

 

It’s so good that the wife and I are going to fly back to Cali specifically to eat there one weekend once she gets back

 

Any thoughts on the idea that heavy lifting (weight or volume) increases natural testosterone production? Haven't really done any research into the validity of it or if there is any "scientific" backing to it.

 

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FACK DOES ROIDS DO TO YOU THAT MAKE YOU WANT TO STICK YOUR DICK IN A FREAKING HARMLESS FRUIT.