Enjoy your placebo.
Yes, it’s a proven fact that heavy, compound lifts increase endogenous hormone levels. Especially exercises that result in spinal compression. You are literally “scaring” your body into growth since it perceives such loading as a physical threat (which it is) and compensates to protect itself.
I break out with a little acne and feel distinctly more aggressive pretty much every time I go into a heavy lifting phase. However, it depends on the intensity you put into it, your genetics, etc. I don’t think anyone can quantify the amount of changes YOU will experience. Who cares? It’s just another tool to help you reach your goals. Take advantage of it.
I do squats everyday…
…My piss now comes out in little multi-use vials…
(ASSAY: 97.6% Urea)
I just did my squat routine this afternoon.
The girl next to me on the eliptical nearly lost an eye.
Well, after I started lifting the acne on my back got a little worse.
Increased testosterone? I find it a little more believable to place the blame on the fact that I am sweating more, and mashing my back and shoulders into benches, bars, and pads ain’t helping my skin too much.
As for aggression… walking around like I took a stick up the ass the previous night doesn’t exactly put me in a good mood, nor does tearing up whenever I try to get out of a chair.
Can’t say I think it’s something to waste time worrying over, though.
[quote] JJ wrote:
Short Hoss wrote:
You can expect to gain 30lbs from your first Squat cycle. Be careful of gyno!
who is that in your avatar? they have a similar chest to me - small! - but it looks ok seeing as the arms then taper to the waist mask it…
hmm.,.
Thanks.[/quote]
Casey Viator.
[quote]anonym wrote:
Well, after I started lifting the acne on my back got a little worse.
Increased testosterone? I find it a little more believable to place the blame on the fact that I am sweating more, and mashing my back and shoulders into benches, bars, and pads ain’t helping my skin too much.
As for aggression… walking around like I took a stick up the ass the previous night doesn’t exactly put me in a good mood, nor does tearing up whenever I try to get out of a chair.
Can’t say I think it’s something to waste time worrying over, though.[/quote]
it’s DHT that is causing that acne through inflammation, testosterone itself is not the culprit
inhibit the conversion of T to DHT and you will reduce acne, fish oil is one supplement that can help
[quote]Short Hoss wrote:
JJ wrote:
Short Hoss wrote:
You can expect to gain 30lbs from your first Squat cycle. Be careful of gyno!
who is that in your avatar? they have a similar chest to me - small! - but it looks ok seeing as the arms then taper to the waist mask it…
hmm.,.
Thanks.
Casey Viator.[/quote]
oh wow! i never saw him as a young man - he ALWAYS had massive fucking arms huh?!
JJ
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?
[quote]Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?[/quote]
You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?
You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.[/quote]
I used to have the same problem, holding my breath, it felt like it made my lifts easier.
[quote]OctoberGirl wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?
You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.
I used to have the same problem, holding my breath, it felt like it made my lifts easier.
[/quote]
Me too. I only hold my breath throughout the rep when I’m doing max attempts though. Otherwise I exhale slowly through the concentric portion or else I also get headaches or dizzy.
Squatting to increase testosterone is like drinking cold water to burn more calories. Technically, yes they both do that. But chances are, neither make a significant enough difference in T production or elevated metabolism for them to have a noticeable effect.
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Squatting to increase testosterone is like drinking cold water to burn more calories. Technically, yes they both do that. But chances are, neither make a significant enough difference in T production or elevated metabolism for them to have a noticeable effect. [/quote]
We’ve mentioned this. That hasn’t stopped the high school crowd from thinking squats are like “roidz”.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?
You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.[/quote]
I think you’re supposed to hold your breath during squats.
There are so many benefits to squatting besides the hormonal response that all heavy lifting causes.
Saying that the Powerlifts and Olympic lifts cause greater hormonal response than other exercises is a good thing to tell someone when you’re trying to convince them that working out their back and legs is something they should be doing.
But if you tell someone this in an effort to get them under the bar, and they say that they don’t want the hormonal response that heavy lifting causes, then just leave them. They don’t get it.
I’m not going to argue about if the hormonal response is anymore profound than the response you get from eating red meat. I’m not going to argue if Bodybuilders need to be doing the Powerlifts or if Olympic Lifts are worth their time. Many Champion Physiques have been made by using T-Bar Rows, Incline Bench Press, and Hack Squats as “the Big 3” instead of Squat, Bench, and Deadlift.
But I don’t think anyone will argue with me about the importance of lifting heavy weights and doing so often. Even if you’re a beginner, every time you step in the gym you should be doing at least one exercise where you’re using 135lbs.
I love T-Nation I get to learn analogies and shit
[quote]FightingScott wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?
You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.
I think you’re supposed to hold your breath during squats. [/quote]
You thought wrong. Controlled breathing will prevent you from passing out. How is that a negative?
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Squatting to increase testosterone is like drinking cold water to burn more calories. Technically, yes they both do that. But chances are, neither make a significant enough difference in T production or elevated metabolism for them to have a noticeable effect. [/quote]
Heavy resistance training will have a noticeable effect on your body, testosterone levels-of course its not going to be like steroids, but its definitely a difference-. And well squats, deadlifts, other compound movements ext are the best way to put extreme stress on your body.
Hell if high school kids think squatting is like roids thats awesome, maybe I’ll see more then one guy in the squat rack a week.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Guerrero wrote:
So squatting does up testerone, and no i’m not going roid rage, but yes i do get head aches.
Why do I get headaches?
You won’t stop holding your breath during the exercise.
I think you’re supposed to hold your breath during squats.
You thought wrong. Controlled breathing will prevent you from passing out. How is that a negative?[/quote]
You can breathe at the top between reps. Anyone who thought I meant that you’re supposed to hold your breath throughout the entire set deliberately misread my post.
I know you think I’m wrong all the damn time. But I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who takes in his air before descending into the squat, and holds that breath until the rep is complete or exhale slowly on the way up.