I am 51 have been lifting all my life. Did some
Bench only meets in my 20’s. Kept training but didn’t think about competing again until my 40’s. Broke my neck six years ago and had a fusion. It left me with permanent atrophy in left shoulder and bicep.
Ignoring the pain and disadvantaged I made my return to competition in 2020. I lift raw in PA (sleeves only) and fully tested. Since my comeback I have done S215kg B163kg D250kg @105 class.
I have recently joined CAPO since the abolition of the anti affiliation rules but will also keep lifting in PA so that I am still subject to drug testing in and out of competition. I have no desire to jump on gear or the other dodgy lifestyle clinic drugs at this stage in my life and I am still making reasonable progress as an old man whose body doesn’t make a lot of testosterone.
The best Australian 105kg raw natty lifter in the over 50 age group is Eric Dumas with a 705kg total. I think I can get to within 30kg of that milestone raw. To do 700kg+ for me will need wraps and a bendy deadlift bar. That means lifting alongside untested lifters (I train with many such people and they are my biggest supporters) and seeing how close I get to them as a natty.
Won’t post much here until I’m getting closer to a meet. I think a 600lb/273kg deadlift should be possible within the next two years. Getting back to a 180kg bench will be a harder slog due to my neck injury and permanent nerve damage. The asymmetry also makes it hard to set up in squats but I think 230-240 in sleeves should be possible.
Oh and I’m 182cm tall so at 105kg I am not carrying a lot of mass. Also want to stay healthy and don’t really want to get above 110kg bodyweight at my age.
I’d ask myself if it is really worth it even if truly natural to go through this and the usually higher cost of competing tested, just to have my meets say they are tested. I suppose going for records makes the decision a bit more difficult. I guess, my thinking is that the number you total really matters very little to most people, and the extra hassle isn’t worth it.
If you do go on TRT, I am pretty sure you should sign up for untested, unless it is specifically allowed.
My five year plan does not include TRT. When I’m much older and closer to death anyway I might consider it but for now I find it satisfying to work hard and see what I can do.
Family history of prostate and kidney disease and mainstream medicine doesn’t exactly endorse TRT if you’re healthy. Have buried both parents recently and they were on a daily cocktail of drugs just to stay alive. No thanks.
There are no TUE (therapeutic use exemptions) for testosterone in my tested federation. In the unlikely event that I did cave and take the easier option, then of course I would cease to be a member of that federation.
Being only on TRT in a untested federation is playing on hard mode. You would be going up against guys taking grams of gear a week. The older guys often use the crazy doses too.
You may or may not benefit from TRT. I am not pushing it, but in some cases it can improve overall health. I get what you are saying about the shady TRT mills too. Those are often Rxing life long mini steroid cycles.
I guess my point is that if you are deficient in Test, that doing TRT in a responsible way can improve things like heart health, risk of diabetes, and even things like blood pressure (more so indirectly, as many lose some fat on TRT).
I wouldn’t look at it like a thing for powerlifting performance. That doesn’t make much sense from a cost / benefit standpoint. If your health would improve from it, then it makes sense. If not, it doesn’t make sense IMO. I am on Testosterone (145 mg/wk), because I was low. It hasn’t made training much easier. I have improved my lifts, but likely would have to some degree natural over the last couple of years while I was on Test. I think I’ve gone from around 1315 lb total to a bit over 1500 lb total (haven’t competed in a while now). I think my overall health is better though. I am 25 lbs lighter (was about 230 lbs pre Testosterone) is what I would guess is behind that.
I’m 51 with an ACDF that has left me permanently weaker on one side. I would say that my 625kg/1378lb total in sleeves a few months ago isn’t too bad for a broken natty with one good arm. I feel that a raw 680kg/1500lb is within my reach by the time I am 55. I could probably do about 100lb more with knee wraps and a deadlift bar.
Given a family history of kidney and prostate issues amongst many other things I’m not keen on the idea of taking testosterone any time soon. There’s not a single nephrologist, urologist oncologist or cardiologist who would recommend TRT to me.
Lifting against guys who blast tonnes of gear doesn’t worry me. I’ve got their back and they have mine. How many or them will still be lifting ore even still alive in 20 years from now?
Seven weeks left until Oceanias
Training this week at my away from home gym
Squat 190kg 3 x 2 sleeves
Bench 150kg x 2
Deadlift 215kg x 4, 200kg x 8 beltless
Bodyweight just 101kg which is too light. Have minor pec strain so the 170kg bench target will be a challenge.