I just got myself tested and am waiting on results (still). At what point will you pursue a dr’s opinion?
Edit: I should just keep reading before posting ha.
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Thanks Pappa!
Yeah, I agree that it was quite a big drop in a short period which makes me think it may have been a bit of an outlier from some other factors, but may be worthwhile looking into if it could indicate something is wrong.
Doc didn’t red flag it, but maybe I’ll bring it up with him and see what his thoughts are.
Good luck! Yeah, more of a full blood profile than me looking to check my hormones in particular. But this did jump out at me as the biggest change. I’ll follow up and see what the doc has to say. I’ll be doing a lot of things to correct this, before I ever start pinning. Needles make me very queasy.
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most Docs dont until it gets REALLY low and that is probably because that is when the health issues are more prevalent. At the same time by that time quality of life symptoms would have been almost extreme and going on for a while.
If you arent having issues with sleep or moodiness then I would say its nothing to worry about but if those things become an issue then it becomes a quality of life thing.
With a newborn I a not sure how much you can take away from poor sleep though…and the moodiness that would come from poor sleep 
I like the idea of getting follow up bloodwork to make sure it isnt an oultier too.
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Thanks Bots, this will likely be the avenue I take just to make sure everything is still working. I appreciate the input.
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Yesterday was a new morning low weigh in: 217.6lbs.
I played pond hockey all day (local fundraising event) and had a few pints during the day, so I was likely just a little dehydrated but I’ll take it.
Forgot to weigh in this morning.
Saturday I had hotdogs for lunch and Sunday I had sushi for lunch. Still in a decent deficit both days, and overall decent diet. I wouldn’t be surprised if I start consistently seeing 217lbs on the scale.
There are a few unhealthy events being added to the calendar for upcoming weekends, which I will have to minimize the damage done, but they will be lots of fun at least! (Family trip for a long weekend, my birthday weekend, our annual friends betting party where bet on a plethora of sports for the year).
I hope y’all had a good weekend!
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Signing up for my first PL competition of the year. May 2nd; same host that I’ve lifted with for my previous competitions (ElitePowerlifting - CPL affiliate).
I’m going to be getting back from my Florida vacation on April 6th, so it will be a less than ideal peak, but I’m looking forward to getting back on the platform. This is right in my hometown, so it would be very hard to turn down. It has been a little while since I’ve worked up to any heavy singles, so I’m a little uncertain where my current strength levels are sitting!
EDIT:
Just looked up gyms that are close to where we are staying in Florida and it looks like there are two beautiful powerlifting gyms (Rival Athletics and Kissimmee Muscle) within 15mins from our resort. One is $25 and the other is $30 for a 7 day pass. I think the $30 one will win my $$ because it is 24/7 and I may be forced to slip in some after hours workouts depending on our itinerary.
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Work hard. And good luck!
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Thanks @ChickenLittle!
A.M. Weigh In: 217.0lbs (2020 PR)
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What sort of vacation is this, the Powerlifter Getaway Package? Looks like you chose the right place.
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Not enough sleep and too much stress are two things that will cause low testosterone levels. This alone could be the issue.
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Haha, it seems this is the case! Full competition calibrated plates, deadlift bars, reverse hyper, belt squat, etc.
My sleep has been decent recently, but stress levels are currently pretty high, so I’m hoping that this is the cause.
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I think it can take a while to get back to normal if you have been sleep deprived and stressed out for a prolonged period, maybe get bloodwork done again in a couple months. I don’t think it’s as easy to get doctor-prescribed TRT over here like it is in the US, and it doesn’t sound like you want that either.
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I’m not freaking out about it or anything at the moment, but I do plan on getting some follow up bloodwork. Probably wise to wait a few months to see if things normalize.
Yeah, not a route I hope to have to go down. There are a lot of changes I would prefer to make before going that far (lifestyle/diet changes).
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218.0lbs this morning - figured I was going to be up a bit, I was quite full/bloated upon waking but still noticing the abs starting to make an appearance!
5th Set Bench Meso 2 Micro 3
WG Bench
45 x 10
135 x 10
175 x 25
175 x 25
Rolling Triceps
35 x 15
35 x 15
Cable Triceps
60 x 25
50 x 25
50 x 25
50 x 25
Band Pullaparts red mini
34
33
33
BONUS
Ab Wheel - It has been a few months since doing direct ab work. Now that I’m leaning out a bit I figured I should target them a bit to pretty them up before unveiling them.
12
12
12
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Are you getting less sleep now with a kid? Could be a contributing factor to T levels.
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I definitely WAS getting less sleep, but I’d be lying if I said my sleep was limited these days. We are quite lucky that are little guy routinely sleeps through the night knock on wood.
Thanks though! As Chris mentioned, it may just take a little why to regulate itself back to “normal”. I appreciate the link and comment though.
The Vertical Diet eBook has a “Low T Quick Fix Kit” with a few suggestions as well such as getting adequate Vit D, which I’ve been slacking on taking.
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Vitamin D makes a big difference for health in general. I used to always feel tired and lazy in the winter and I was catching colds all the time, plus getting the flu every year too. Before Efferding even started talking about this I read an article on EliteFTS that was saying that in Europe the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults is 4000IU, I started taking more and I hardly ever get sick anymore and the winter doesn’t mess with me. According to Stan, up to 8000IU has been shown to have additional benefits, I tried that for a while and didn’t feel any different so I just take 5000IU now.
I’m not sure how much of that has to do with T production, but it does something for sure.
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I agree with follow up labs. External factors definitely play a part. If you remember what you ate like on the day of the test I’d also try to replicate that when you get it done again. The more you can keep your routine the same the cleared picture the labs will paint.
As for the low T… treat the symptoms don’t chase a number. Ultimately it’s about how you feel. I’d add 5000 iu of D3, chill out on any dairy products for a bit and see what happens. Believe me TRT can be a bitch. Oh yeah it has its perks but needles, needles, needles, labs, adjustments, giving blood, etc. I lucked out and got my protocol dialed in really fast but some others really have trouble.
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02/12/2020
5th Set Deadlift Meso 2 Micro 3
Deadlift
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 3
430 x 3
430 x 3
430 x 3
430 x 3
430 x 3
Block Pulls (bar height 18.75")
430 x 3
430 x 3
430 x 3
Band Pullthroughs green medium
15
15
15
Chinups
12
12
Hammer Curls
35 x 15
35 x 15
35 x 12
Woke at 218.2lbs this morning. A little carb heavy evening last night. Took the dog to the vet for his shots and grabbed a sub on the way home, then there was a bowl of pasta left out for me when I got home…so I ate that too. Not worried, still doing my morning fast so I expect calories are still down (not tracking at the moment). Mirror is still being friendly to me, fat covering my abs is definitely thinning out.
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A couple hours after my workout by back stiffened up quite a bit, still sore this morning. I did some foam rolling and drove to work with my heated seats on, lol. I’m pretty sure the pain/stiffness I’m experiencing is a tight QL. I should have got a massage before my deadlifts last night 
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