I’m on TRT, 150 mg/week along with an aromatase inhibitor. It’s a prescription from my doc; I tested low on T (now 46 y/o). Been on it for 3 years, only the last 6 months lifting. I get blood pulled every quarter and make sure my dosage keeps me in the high end of normal for both total and free T.
Do I still qualify as a natural lifter?
Just curious. It’s not like I’m going to stop taking it or anything.
Well…I would presume natural is nothing added, even if in “normal ranges.” Of course depending on what PL Fed you lift in…it might not matter…
[quote]knobby22 wrote:
I’m on TRT, 150 mg/week along with an aromatase inhibitor. It’s a prescription from my doc; I tested low on T (now 46 y/o). Been on it for 3 years, only the last 6 months lifting. I get blood pulled every quarter and make sure my dosage keeps me in the high end of normal for both total and free T.
Do I still qualify as a natural lifter?
Just curious. It’s not like I’m going to stop taking it or anything.[/quote]
That depends solely on the rules of each specific federation. Short answer is probably not, and I’m pretty sure not in USAPL, but you need to check the specific rules, and, if necessary, seek clarification from the governing body.
This thread also seems relevant to post here.
Whoa that thread is a shitshow.
I was just wondering how TRT is dealt with by the various feds. Sounds like it is fed dependent so I’ll check.
Deep down my answer is no, but unless you are going after records, and plan on destroying your competition, I wouldn’t worry about it much.
[quote]Ecchastang wrote:
Deep down my answer is no, but unless you are going after records, and plan on destroying your competition, I wouldn’t worry about it much. [/quote]
Naw, that’s definitely not the case. I’m motivated but that much. And I don’t have much time under the bar, either.
I’m just focusing on making class 1 total then over 2015 see if I can get to a master’s level total (which may be a bit optimistic).
[quote]knobby22 wrote:
[quote]Ecchastang wrote:
Deep down my answer is no, but unless you are going after records, and plan on destroying your competition, I wouldn’t worry about it much. [/quote]
Naw, that’s definitely not the case. I’m motivated but that much. And I don’t have much time under the bar, either.
I’m just focusing on making class 1 total then over 2015 see if I can get to a master’s level total (which may be a bit optimistic).[/quote]
I appreciate that you are more focused on hitting a specific total than on how you do relative to other lifters. The problem is, some of your potential fellow-competitors might not feel the same way; ie, how they finish in the meet might be important to them. And if you compete in a ‘no TRT’ fed, you will have had an unfair competitive advantage over anyone you beat. (Think of it this way–suppose you competed in a fed that allowed TRT, but banned all other substances. How would you feel if you discovered that one of the guys who beat you was on TRT + dbol?)
One final thought. If you’re truly only concerned with hitting a specific total (as opposed to how you place in the meet), then it doesn’t matter if you compete in an Open fed–your total will be the same, and no one could accuse you of having an unfair competitive advantage.
It boils down to what others have said above: Abide by the rules of the fed.
I’m on TRT and I don’t see it as being natural, despite whatever Pete Rubish is saying on YouTube about being natural because he’s only on testosterone.
I made the choice to start TRT so I will only compete in a non-tested federation. As a former collegiate discus thrower I’d like to throw again in masters meets but can’t do it in good conscious even if I’m not tested.
[quote]EyeDentist wrote:
[quote]knobby22 wrote:
[quote]Ecchastang wrote:
Deep down my answer is no, but unless you are going after records, and plan on destroying your competition, I wouldn’t worry about it much. [/quote]
Naw, that’s definitely not the case. I’m motivated but that much. And I don’t have much time under the bar, either.
I’m just focusing on making class 1 total then over 2015 see if I can get to a master’s level total (which may be a bit optimistic).[/quote]
I appreciate that you are more focused on hitting a specific total than on how you do relative to other lifters. The problem is, some of your potential fellow-competitors might not feel the same way; ie, how they finish in the meet might be important to them. And if you compete in a ‘no TRT’ fed, you will have had an unfair competitive advantage over anyone you beat. (Think of it this way–suppose you competed in a fed that allowed TRT, but banned all other substances. How would you feel if you discovered that one of the guys who beat you was on TRT + dbol?)
One final thought. If you’re truly only concerned with hitting a specific total (as opposed to how you place in the meet), then it doesn’t matter if you compete in an Open fed–your total will be the same, and no one could accuse you of having an unfair competitive advantage.
It boils down to what others have said above: Abide by the rules of the fed.
[/quote]
Makes sense. I’m not that interested in meet statistics, but rather making totals to move me up the ladder.
100% RAW has a form you can fill out and send in. If your levels are low enough w/o TRT and on the high end of normal while on, you have nothing to worry about. Unless you are top 3 in the meet or have “the look” as they call it, they won’t think twice about testing you.
IMO, its still natural if the levels are within the 300-1200 range. The natty guys who are still producing test naturally get a bit touchy w/ the subject, but how can they argue if your ranges are within normal specs? It’s an even playing field then.
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
100% RAW has a form you can fill out and send in. If your levels are low enough w/o TRT and on the high end of normal while on, you have nothing to worry about. Unless you are top 3 in the meet or have “the look” as they call it, they won’t think twice about testing you.
IMO, its still natural if the levels are within the 300-1200 range. The natty guys who are still producing test naturally get a bit touchy w/ the subject, but how can they argue if your ranges are within normal specs? It’s an even playing field then. [/quote]
I’m not familiar with the wording of the rule in 100% or the form you are mentioning; however if the rule is written where only exceeding an upper threshold is considered a violation, or waivers are granted, then a lifter on TRT is fine. If testosterone is on a banned list; then the lifter is not. ‘Even Playing Field’ is defined by the rules of the organization…opinions are not relative to the matter.
I don’t even get why some folks get worried over this. I’ve never even been to a tested powerlifting meet. Practically everything within 100 miles of me is going to be an untested meet anyways lol.
Being part of that thread, I dont believe it was a shit show actually, maybe heated but for the most part respectable.
If your like me and compete but not necessarily to win but more for personal record setting, the amicable solution and compromise would be just to do the open division. Its what I will be doing for now on, because in actuallity it really doesent fucking matter unless you have a real shot of breaking records or winning your division.
There was thread exactly like this roughly 6 months ago, and I’ll say what I said there:
Cheating is not defined by the ends achieved, but by the means employed. It concerns me that so many young people don’t understand this concept (and apparently middle-aged people, too).
You guys ever see the episode of South Park where Cartman pretends to be disabled to compete in the special Olympics? He came in last. Did he still cheat?
Unless the fed you are lifting in has a waiver that covers you, you’ll be cheating if lifting tested. But, other people are right, you probably won’t be tested, so if you’re morally ok with that, then it should be no problem.
Just wondering on the views on this whole “cheating” idea.
If you’re competing in a weight class, cut weight before the competition to weigh in in that weight class, and then rehydrate to actually compete at a higher weight than you weight in for… is that cheating?
I mean, “technically” you’re not breaking the rules.
[quote]LoRez wrote:
Just wondering on the views on this whole “cheating” idea.
If you’re competing in a weight class, cut weight before the competition to weigh in in that weight class, and then rehydrate to actually compete at a higher weight than you weight in for… is that cheating?
I mean, “technically” you’re not breaking the rules.[/quote]
The rulebook says you have to weigh in at a certain weight during the time of weigh in in order to compete in the weight class during the competition. I know of no rulebook for any federation on the planet that specifies that the lifter must be at the weight of their weight class during the competition, so no, in no way, shape or form could this ever be considered cheating.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]LoRez wrote:
Just wondering on the views on this whole “cheating” idea.
If you’re competing in a weight class, cut weight before the competition to weigh in in that weight class, and then rehydrate to actually compete at a higher weight than you weight in for… is that cheating?
I mean, “technically” you’re not breaking the rules.[/quote]
The rulebook says you have to weigh in at a certain weight during the time of weigh in in order to compete in the weight class during the competition. I know of no rulebook for any federation on the planet that specifies that the lifter must be at the weight of their weight class during the competition, so no, in no way, shape or form could this ever be considered cheating.
[/quote]
I’m thinking about doing an RPS competition and I discovered in their rulebook that if you break one of their records they will re-weigh you and if you weigh over the class limit of the class above the one you were lifting in the lift will not count. This is to discourage “drastic” weight cuts. E.g. I weigh about 160 currently, I plan to cut to 148 and recomp back, but if I rebound up to 165 and break an RPS record, it won’t count. This is somewhat relevant I suppose.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]LoRez wrote:
Just wondering on the views on this whole “cheating” idea.
If you’re competing in a weight class, cut weight before the competition to weigh in in that weight class, and then rehydrate to actually compete at a higher weight than you weight in for… is that cheating?
I mean, “technically” you’re not breaking the rules.[/quote]
The rulebook says you have to weigh in at a certain weight during the time of weigh in in order to compete in the weight class during the competition. I know of no rulebook for any federation on the planet that specifies that the lifter must be at the weight of their weight class during the competition, so no, in no way, shape or form could this ever be considered cheating.
[/quote]
But what about the lighter people who claim that it’s not fair, because they actually weigh more and they’re only able to do it because they’re skilled at manipulating their weight? That they’re just skilled at “cheating the system”.
There’s a certain segment of the anti-TRT, and really, anti-whatever, crowd that makes that same argument.
Personally, my take is that if you’re adhering the the actual letter of the law, it’s perfectly acceptable. If the law/rules are “unfair”, then petition for them to be changed, but the actual verbiage should be the final say.
If things are phrased to say that no substances were ever used, in any capacity, then it’s one thing. If things are phrased to say that certain hormonal levels do not exceed certain thresholds, as tested within a window around the date of competition, it’s another.
I don’t consider it cheating if you’re in literal compliance with the rules, even if some people think that the “idea/intent” of the rules should be more broad.
[quote]ape288 wrote:
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
[quote]LoRez wrote:
Just wondering on the views on this whole “cheating” idea.
If you’re competing in a weight class, cut weight before the competition to weigh in in that weight class, and then rehydrate to actually compete at a higher weight than you weight in for… is that cheating?
I mean, “technically” you’re not breaking the rules.[/quote]
The rulebook says you have to weigh in at a certain weight during the time of weigh in in order to compete in the weight class during the competition. I know of no rulebook for any federation on the planet that specifies that the lifter must be at the weight of their weight class during the competition, so no, in no way, shape or form could this ever be considered cheating.
[/quote]
I’m thinking about doing an RPS competition and I discovered in their rulebook that if you break one of their records they will re-weigh you and if you weigh over the class limit of the class above the one you were lifting in the lift will not count. This is to discourage “drastic” weight cuts. E.g. I weigh about 160 currently, I plan to cut to 148 and recomp back, but if I rebound up to 165 and break an RPS record, it won’t count. This is somewhat relevant I suppose.
[/quote]
Ah, in that case, I ammend my statement. There are certain conditions where it would be cheating.