Thank you! I will definitely delay progressive overloading the row variations. Maybe just some long length partials with lighter weight?
Also, thanks for the tag in your transformation post!
I’m thinking about it but wondering if my goal should be to get my T-levels to an optimal or at least normal level. I could post “before” and “after” of blood work. It’s hard to have physique goals when you know your endocrine system isn’t doing the best it could be.
Why not both?
What would your goals look like if hormones were on point? Physique-based? Performance-based?
I like @Andrewgen_Receptors’s thoughts. Imagine how helpful it would be to a lot of us older than 35 to watch someone already at your level of development and experience take care of her whole self and kick ass while she’s doing it.
Is there a reason for avoiding “intensity” in general?
For example, why are hard sets of exercise like leg press, split squats not allowed
When I got my surgery, I was told to avoid bending at the hip specifically but was cleared after 3 weeks to do anything else
You’d love my econ class. We talked about models with risk and 1/2 the class was hypotheticals about ways/times to die 
I guess I don’t really have any related to performance or appearance. I’m most interested in the recovery and psychological perks related to higher T levels.
To be honest, I have some writing and reading goals, and a goal to lead a small group in the spring. But those feel so scary and monumental that I almost don’t care what my bicep peaks look like.
I’m kind of at this place where I trust my body to do its thing. And it miraculously does as long as I keep challenging myself regularly in the gym. It sounds crazy, but I actually like the way it looks. And my husband can attest to this because I’m constantly giving him a show. (Intentional vagueness required here.)
I’ve made it more of an ongoing pursuit to feel energetic, not hurt, and look great in and out of clothing, but I have no definitive aspirations related to musculature, and I’m lean enough. I could probably clean up a couple habits and end up with a better body comp, but just don’t care strongly enough about it.
I appreciate the heck out of you for getting me to think about all of this.
Excellent question. I suspect that she’s just not an experienced lifter because the advice she gave me went directly against what the doctor said I could do two weeks ago.
She also told me not to PR on any upper body lifts like lateral raises… which should tell us everything we need to know.
She was super cool though so I don’t mean for that to come off as disrespectful. I think mainly she was cautioning me about straining too hard with any upper body work.
Exactly! Chris made this point too.
Sounds like my cup of tea!
Um, excuse me sir, but ya’ll are insanely jacked and fit and lean. Your level is miles above mine.
Absolutely not, but thank you
I’ll warn that some folks never really feel different, so don’t go chasing the rabbit down the hole. But I do hope that you end up getting the symptom relief you need. I didn’t notice too much about how I felt, but I noticed much more about how I acted. I do believe my wife felt a noticeable difference from pre-TRT to post-TRT, though I can’t say I have all the details for that.
I’ll leave the second part of this alone lol. I don’t think it’s crazy to like the way you look; I think most women would rather look like you than look like they do in their current body.
If you would change nothing about your physique, then you are in a special place and I’m happy for you.
Glad my questions helped, though I think you would have gotten there yourself anyways.
That’s super good advice. After lurking around some of our pharma threads, I can see why you’d say that. However, I suspect that when my testosterone is particularly low, I can feel it. There’s a hypersensitivity that comes with it and a desire to withdraw or pull back from anything social.
I bet she did and I’d love to hear her impressions of it.
Have you ever taken Jordan Peterson’s personality test? I recommend it. I bring this up because I bet the results would be different if you were to take it when deficient in certain hormones versus taking it when hormones are optimized.
Our boss graciously gifted it to every member of the local staff here and it was eye-opening. There were some bits that I questioned, but for the most part it was spot on.
Despite being in the 92nd percentile in extroversion and 91st percentile in enthusiasm, I scored “moderately high” (67th percentile) in withdrawal. And I suspect all the personality traits can be influenced – up to a point at least – by hormones, habits, and life circumstances.
If you haven’t checked it out before, here ya go!
That’s very kind of you! Sure, it’d be fun to have massive delts and a waist the size of a paperclip, but what would it cost to get there and is the time or mental investment worth it? I have doubts.
I’m nowhere near perfect, but enjoying a level of fitness I can easily maintain is a great place to be. Some would call this complacency, but I consider it a super power.
And I had to get off social media to get to that place. Another tangent. Sorry.
Fitness professionals (certainly not all, there are amazing ones out there) seem to be trying their hardest to breed insecurity among their followers. So getting off of it gave me a perspective based more in reality than what influencers espouse.
I just got so tired of hearing the message, “Everything you’re doing is wrong and you’ll never get results.”
I think those who are addicted to social media, and the fitness spaces there, are gradually destroying their mental health by consuming messages designed to make them constantly dissatisfied with their bodies.
I do love a good performance or physique goal and believe it’s healthy to have them on occasion. But right now I’m into the idea of gradually coaxing your body in the right direction while maximizing other aspects of your life (relationships, faith, work, habits, hobbies, etc.).
I’m not so sure about that! You got my wheels turning… as usual.
I haven’t, but I’ve taken the Myers-Briggs one a few times and always landed on the same result.
I’ll take the peterson one tonight. I won’t try to compare between deficient and optimized as I’m not actually aiming for either right now (at 300mg Mast/100mg Test/50mg NPP lol) but I bet you’re right. I don’t think it would be a huge change, but I’m sure there would be a difference.
Don’t be. I think I commented here a few months back about how poisonous I think social media is - that opinion hasn’t changed. I agree that many accounts are offering ‘advice’ while using insecurities as their sales hook. Women’s magazines have done this for decades in the grocery store checkout aisle, now they can do it in the comfort of your own home!
I have a particular beef with male-centered advice creators using known male insecurities/vulnerabilities to sell their ‘products’. I mean, there’s already nowhere for men to turn for advice that actually works - why make it even worse for them?
/rant
I’m right there with you. I can’t fully dedicate myself to my physique goals as school, personal growth, and family all need a seat at the table too. So I make sacrifices where I can, but still put effort into all of them - just at different levels (usually addressing the weakest at the time until it no longer feels weakest).
What’s your result, if you don’t mind sharing?
Actually I lied. I think T waffle between INTP (Logician) and INTJ (Architect).
I was pretty sure I was INTP, but I retook it to be sure. Showed up INTJ 
Both still seem quite accurate regardless.
I’ve gotten INTJ before, but the last time I took the test I got INFJ.
Is this chart accurate for you guys based on your Myers Briggs results?
Myers Briggs is okay, but I’ve gotten multiple results over the years. ENFP is my usual though. And based on the chart, it’s actually spot on.
The Jordan Peterson test is far more in-depth. It’ll give you details you hadn’t thought of but need to be aware of so that you can adjust your environment and behaviors to your greatest ability, or pursue more of the stuff that plays to your strengths. I loved it. Chris’s results were crazy accurate too.
There’s a doctor, Patrick Flynn, who says that every woman is actually FOUR women, personality wise. He says we have four vastly different personas based on our hormonal cycle. He has some incredible hot takes that you guys (or anyone visiting my log) may find interesting.
This is a great interview with him where he goes in depth on male hormones and female hormones.
I’m not a follower of this interviewer or her YouTube channel, but the info Dr. Flynn shared is compelling and worth consideration.
Yeah, I could have told you it was ISTJ and ISTP without taking it lol.
I like going to the 16 personalities site though, they describe each one in a lot of detail.
I might find some time to do this at work today (I have one of those jobs that I sit around and do nothing until someone needs me to save the day).
Borderline Personality Disorder is the female disorder - as in all women are BPD but in varying degrees. It’s what makes women - women, and why we love them even when they try to stab us and shit in our beds.
The Male equivalent is Narcissistic Personality Disorder - all men are narcissists but in varying degrees. (posting for disclaimer that men aren’t better than women, just different. These characteristics are not relegated to just male or female).
High BPD women can effectively mould themselves to the person they’re attracted to. Joker/Harley Quinn are a great archetype of this; and even though Harley Quinn is batshit crazy, she’s got the ride or die kind of love/attachment most men would kill for.
**and before anyone wants to go dredging up arguments and counterpoints: I don’t care.
The title on this alone tells me i’m going to be a big fan of his.
Awesome test. That was far more detailed than previous Myers Briggs tests. It was fast too! (ENFP again!)
Not all of us are Amber Turd! 
His speaking cadence is a little difficult to get used to, but there are bits and pieces in this that are really interesting. HOWEVER, just like most health professionals, I think his understanding of testosterone in women isn’t quite right. I’ve heard better info from Dr. Tyna Moore who tells women to supplement with testosterone until they hit a level where they’re hot and horny. I prefer that perspective.
I always liked DISC because the instructor has to call me a “giant D” in front of corporate rooms
