The Official Gym & Fitness Thread

Slow and steady. Keep it up!

 

this is super interesting. Why not slowly cycle off if you wish you had never got on? You’ll lose mass and whatnot but if you can’t enjoy it anymore then why do it?

 

That's not really how it works. To cycle off you would do a thorough PCT that uses SERMs to restart your natural test production. Just tapering off the test slowly will still leave you shutdown, and then when you're finally off completely your body takes a long time to restart production, that is if you don't use a PCT to restart everything. Even then, once restarted your body is only going to make the same amount of test levels as it did prior to starting a cycle. Thus, you go back to feeling like shit with low levels but now it's worse because you had those high levels and now the low levels feel 10000x lower than before.

It's complicated lol

Edit: SERM not SARM

 

That could be it, I want to incorporate a few minutes each workout on them and try to build up just to make sure I’m not a weakling.

Thanks!

 

I mean I understand that for the most part and it’s a long process... but going back to “normal” would still be worth it, no? It takes years to get that big. It may take years to get back to half ass normal but it’s just part of it , no? Kinda one of those. If you really want it things?

 

Idk bro. It depends how you define "normal" I guess.

Is normal having low test levels, not making gains, and feeling like shit a lot? I mean technically biology says it's normal for the levels to drop over time, but what is the "normal" age for levels to be at? It's all about how you feel really.

Or is normal giving yourself a shot once a week to remain feeling young?

I don't know the answer lol

Either way, gear will fuck with you psychologically, especially when coming off.

 

All true. Only he can answer any of this as it’s all different foreveryone.

 

I think I’m going to make tomorrow a rest day, I haven’t had one in a while.
Yesterday was weights only so today was all cardio, got a little sprint in on the bike and ran part of the mile on the treadmill, one of my sprints (.1) I ran at 7.7 and it felt great.

My goal is to burn 10K calories this month in workouts.

 

@Travish325 and @Supra TT

Educate me.
When you just come off T, do you really lose your gains from that alone or is it from coming off the other anabolics you typically cycle with the T?

 

No. You lose gains by coming directly off and crashing your test levels and not doing a proper PCT or going on a lower MG trt. That mixed with spike in cortisol causes loss. However, the loss is mostly water (if you come off correctly) so the weight loss people view as gains loss.

Realistically, if you come off properly and get your natural test production going quicky, and add in a SARM to drop cortisol, you will keep a significant amount of the gains.

It's all about balance.

If you just come directly off anything, even only testosterone and don't PCT or anything then yes you will lose basically everything.

 

Went to the range today and put 300rds through my service pistol then hit my old high schools track for a workout.

1/2 mile warmup at 8:00min pace.
6 1/4 mile repeats at 1:20-1:30min pace with 2:00 min rest in between.
100yrd sprints x5
1/2 mile cool down.

35 degrees and windy made this shit suck ass. Forgot my beanie so my ears and head was freezing the whole time. I hate cardio.

 

Which is why I don't go off my weight for gains... I'm up from 286 to 310, and coming off I'll probably drop back to 290 ish. But that's water weight from test being up.

I will gauge gain loss based on my strength. I know what lifts I hit on cycle so I can compare that to when I'm off. If I keep eating and training the same way my lifts should stay about the same.

 

That makes sense.

Man all this is dedication. Not sure I could put in the work for all that

 

The only reason I mentioned what I did, was because I should of given it more time. I know my levels were low via that test after I went to the Dr... I didn't think about it at all in the immediate time. However, I was still progressing, because I worked HARD and the only time I ever felt like I had energy and motivation was at the gym. Sure, outside of the gym I was pretty miserable... I think this also was due to my work situation - I was in such a terrible position with people and my single life - I was so lonely. When I actually reflect back on it all, I wish I did it differently.

Great thing about life is though, we live and learn - sometimes easy, sometimes hard. I chose the path I did, and while if I knew what I knew now, I'd of given it more time... however, I feel so damn good now. Even off cycle at a bare minimum I feel mentally and physically 100x better. I may sound contradicting I guess, but I am just trying to be open.

It's tough, someday I hate myself, some days I'm like WELL YOU CHOSE THIS... It's a double edge sword. If anyone is to ever ask "Should I do roids"? - I'd advise against it - NO. It's just too mental fuckery IMO. I am not strong mentally, some people are. It's like an addiction if we are to compare it to something. Not literally addicted, but the same physiological effects - IMO.

Travis pretty much covered it. If you're on legit TRT and you do cycle, you shouldn't lose much true muscle. Typically, your natural T is less powerful than synthetic T. Some people believe this, some don't.

The real reason behind the synthetic T is due to the spikes when injecting (T goes up a little high then slowly tapers down between shots), and typically people are on the high end of "normal" when prescribed. This is simply because why be put on TRT and go back to the low end??

Anyway, if you cycle steroids and just go back to your normal natty production ( alot of people do this) - if done properly like Travis mentioned, you are fairly safe to retain. The issue he didn't heavily talk about is the psychological effects it has on your mind. You start seeing the scale drop, you get mentally psyched out and you think your strength goes down (it does) and all these effects HIT YOU HARD and you believe you are getting weak and skinny again and ITS TRUE BECAUSE YOU GAVE UP!!! It won. The fucking mental side effects won. This is the hardest part, ever.

When you come off the drugs and go back to a normal TRT regimen, the effects are hugely lessened... I don't feel any different coming off my tren and 8 other drugs to run some low dose test and primo right now - actually, I FEEL BETTER. A break so to say.

 

I think I am, and then I get on the treadmill and realize that I’m not.

 

It’s funny honestly. “If I knew then what I know now” is what a ton of us say even though tons of people give us advice who had already went through the experience to live and learn ‘for us’ but we still like to live and learn on our own lol.

I’m with ya on the low T and feeling miserable a lot. Just being so lethargic when you want to get hyped fucking sucks.

 

Apparently I burned 17k last month

 

Pharmaceuticals come with their own bag of worms.
I’ve pretty much gotten to the point where I’m done taking meds unless I will die without them.

When I was wrongfully put on TRT at 19 that shit just makes you feel fucking off. I hated it. But I had a physician that was stupid and making assumptions off a single lab value.

When it comes to my thyroid I’m delaying meds for as long as possible. I’m OK now, I only deal with brief periods of low thyroid hormones, but as it worsens I’m going to try to tough it out and make lifestyle changes as much as possible (eventually my thyroid will stop working all together).

People want a magic pill and unfortunately one doesn’t exist. Meds just trade one problem for side effects.

I agree, don’t fuck with anything for as long as possible. Especially with hormones it becomes a lifetime commitment and there are psychological consequences that come with it.

Meds are not real hormones, so you can’t expect them to make you feel “normal”.

Plus as stated I’m a believer its not just the hormone level thats the issue. Its something else, so addressing the lab values does nothing to address the underlying condition so symptoms exist regardless.

 

I plan to get a decent workout in this evening, as long my schedule allows for it. Looking forward to it!

I think the treadmill has that affect on everybody, to be honest. I never feel strong or motivated when I get on a treadmill, which probably explains why it's been over a year since I've even used one.

 

I love the TM.
Weather is not a problem, I can set the speed, I control the incline, and I can watch things while I run.
It really makes shit super mindless and easy LOL.

It can get boring on long runs but honestly I use the TM on a good 50% of my runs.

My favorite is the set it and forget it pace. I don’t have to put in a lot of effort in forcing myself to slow down. I do 80/20 running. I really struggle with running too fast. Its nice to run and not think about it.