Heyooo
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I like that Iām getting stronger but its really monotonous.
The same squat/bench/deadlift is getting lame and I feel like I just want to go on straight up dumbbells and machines for a while
I also feel the same way that I canāt keep up with people Iām trying to compete against and my progress is too slow. TRT gets more and more appealing sometimes.
I think the awards ceremonies are overly long with the level of āparticipationā trophy. The athletes definitely earned it, but there are way too many filters at these meets.
I had a teammate get trophies for open and submaster full power, then open and submaster bench only, open and submaster deadlift only, etc and it felt like it went on all day. These only happen because they make it possible, and they actually make money off this (whatever fee they charge for āadditional divisionā
Do strongman
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Im about to do Static Monsters soon - strongman push/pull with Log press and 11" axle deadlift. Just need strongman equipment at home.
I have an axle and swiss bar at my gym, and might take/buy a yoke from my friendās place since shes not using it.
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Sandbags and kegs are great low cost implements as well.
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Read about some of the side effects in the pharma section and it will scare you straight.
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Wut?
TRT side effects are basically trivial compared to the side effects of low testosterone.
Donāt read the pharma thread, thatās for non TRT use. Read the TRT threads.
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I probably wonāt touch trt til later in life. I think the biggest issue with trt is ppl getting on it to early. 22 yo has no reason to be on it unless he has some under lying medical reason. Iām pretty sure Iām one of the only20- 35 yo in my town that can produce my own test at this point.
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Usually there is a reason for low Test levels, sometimes you can do just fine with clomid/hcg sometimes you need testosterone, hell maybe itās thyroid and you just need to bring that function up.
Thereās a billion ways to improve your test levels, some are direct TRT, some are HRT.
If test levels are low itās always worth exploring ways to improve it. TRT/HRT isnāt a one size fits all approach.
Problem these days is that many of those in their 20s simply want to party 24/7, load themselves up with alcohol, eat crappy food, do very little resistance training and pull all nighters. Not a lifestyle conducive to optinal test levels.
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I agree. My problem is the testing. Idk how it is in other states, but the base lines are so high that 9/10 ppl (18-25 yo included) test low. 650 free test is not low for natural levels but by trt standards they are.
Youāre spot on though, thereās tons of ways to boost test naturally which imo should be the first route attempted. But we live in a world of instant gratification. So diet /lifestyle changes vs a needle
It seems like āconsidering TRTā is a sort of euphemism for considering steroids these days. If you actually have low test and can get medically supervised TRT then it only makes sense to do it because otherwise you will have all sorts of problems. But if you diagnose yourself with low T because you didnāt get the big PRs you were aiming for and your doctor is a guy in a locker room then maybe reconsider.
As far as straight up steroid use, there appear to be safe ways to do things but again, there are risks involved and following the wrong advice will only increase those risks.
Ahh I gotcha. I see where youāre coming from with that.
Makes sense.
Yeah, Iād totally go through a legit TRT doctor. I still feel too young at 32 to jump into it, and everybody around me is doing well in drug-tested divisions
Doesnāt hurt to get blood work 
Yeah I should do that. Itās been 3 years since my last blood test
I would say you need symptoms and multiple rounds of blood work confirming your condition. I had both symptoms and multiple blood tests showing it was low before I started. I also did HCG monotherapy for 6 months, which helped only a little.
People get in a hurry with TRT, and pharma in general. Take your time, be sure, otherwise you will second guess yourself.
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What I love about powerlifting: It can be a blast to lift heavy things. Lifting heavy things gets things off of your system and makes you feel better when youāre down. You never know whatās gonna happen. Itās addicting to see your numbers go up. Going to powerlifting meets and showing off what you can do in front of a live audience is such a blast. Powerlifting is great for you to get stronger and lift big weights.
What I hate about powerlifting: Not everybody in the sport is gonna be nice. You will meet some huge egos and narcissistic people in the sport for sure. There will always be some lifters who will act like theyāre better than you. You will also always get criticized a lot 'cause there will be some who will criticize your form and act like itās the only way to lift when you know itās a good lift. There will always be criticizers and doubters in the sport. Another downside of powerlifting is that sometimes your numbers will go down and youāll end up plateauing and all that crap. Also, injuries can be annoying as ALL powerlifters get injuries even though they never will admit it publicly.
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