First post here, to give a little background I am 45 years old and I have been on t-injections 100 mg once a week, hcg injections 20cc twice a week and estrogen blocker 1/2 tab twice a week for 3 months now. My testosterone was very low at 253 but is now at 663. The doctor took me off the estrogen blocker because on my recent lab work my levels were actually a little low.
Over the past 3 months it has been a life changer, my energy is back from an extreme low, my sex drive is at a 9 on a level of 1-10 and all the other symptoms of low t have gone as well.
The point of the post is I have been lifting weights and trying to get in shape (6’ and 185.5lbs) with a body fat of 19.6% (was 23% 3 months ago). I have been trying to gain weight by using weight gainers and eating as much as possible but I have been stuck at a max of 187lbs. I stopped the weight gainer for a week and lost down to 183 lbs thanks to a really high metabolism. Since this is all new to me I have a few questions.
1: I know my body fat is up there but I am trying to get some mass on me because I am skinny-fat aka skinny arms for my size. I have long legs and arms so it makes me look scrawny. I have however just fooling around with weights 2 days a week/30 minutes per day increased my biceps by 1.9 inches over the past 3 months so I guess the potential is there. Should I keep trying to pack on mass and not worry about the body fat for now? I am trying to avoid high fat food like fast food, etc.
2: How many days per week and how much time per day should I work out to get some mass/tone? I have seen so much conflicting info on the net from 1 day a week to 7 days a week.
3: I am currently taking a vitapack (marked daily nutrition pack) and Maximum Human Performance Up Your Mass once a day. Plus the T injections and hcg injections.
4: Is 663 tlevel where I should be for gaining some muscle or do I need to be near 1000? My doctor said they would not increase my dosage that 663 is perfect.
I have been lifting free weights at home but I do not know what I am doing so I think I will join a gym. How many days should I go?
How long did it take for you to begin feeling better? Im in week 4 of 100mg ew and feeling nada.
With the weights I would ease into the protocol…give yourself a good 2-3 of base before hitting it hard. You might consider posting this in the training forum.
[quote]junglecamo wrote:
How long did it take for you to begin feeling better? Im in week 4 of 100mg ew and feeling nada.
With the weights I would ease into the protocol…give yourself a good 2-3 of base before hitting it hard. You might consider posting this in the training forum.[/quote]
It took about 3 weeks to notice a little difference and about 2 months to notice a BIG difference. It takes a while but it will get there.
Lucky you. It sounds like with your metabolism, you could almost eat anything you want and not gain a considerable amount of weight.
I would find a protein shake with as many calories and protein content as you can find. Add a couple of those shakes a day to your normal diet routine.
Definitely join a gym. Have a mass shake after your workout and before bed. You should be able to pack on some muscle.
Just try to stay away from sugar and aspartame in any powder you buy.
IME if you have a fast metabolism (like I do) increasing the T dose is liable to make your metabolism even faster, making weight gain even harder. But that’s my experience - I’m the type who loses 10 lbs in a week if I don’t train due to travel, etc.
I’ve been on TRT for about 2 months now (I’m 51), and am finding that 1/2 to 1 hour a day of pure strength training, 4 days a week is getting good results in the gym - with a trainer. I wouldn’t want to do less, and sometimes do more than that. I also hike a local peak at least 1 time per week for cardio.
IMO 663 is probably not high enough to get dramatic results. My doctor shoots for around 900, but mine has tested even higher on 100mg/week.
Aspartame makes me literally physically ill. It has this effect on some percentage of the population, and was even the subject of an FAA notice to airmen years ago for its bad effects which include potential blackout. For that reason I stay away from it and all other fake sweeteners. If you want a good protein powder try musclefeast dot com. I use their hydro whey, which is sweetened with stevia (a natural sugar alternative). It’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t have either a bunch of sugar or fake sweeteners. The chocolate tastes decent.
That said, be careful about just slamming unlimited amounts of protein. I was making that mistake before I began going to a nutritionist. Your body can convert almost anything to store as fat, and that includes excessive amounts of protein. You need some reasonable balance in your diet. I’ve gone from 21% BF to less than 17% while adding 10 pounds of lean mass in about 3 months on a balanced diet. But you have to get the diet right - especially at our age.
I’ve been on TRT for about 2 months now (I’m 51), and am finding that 1/2 to 1 hour a day of pure strength training, 4 days a week is getting good results in the gym - with a trainer. I wouldn’t want to do less, and sometimes do more than that. I also hike a local peak at least 1 time per week for cardio.
IMO 663 is probably not high enough to get dramatic results. My doctor shoots for around 900, but mine has tested even higher on 100mg/week.
Aspartame makes me literally physically ill. It has this effect on some percentage of the population, and was even the subject of an FAA notice to airmen years ago for its bad effects which include potential blackout. For that reason I stay away from it and all other fake sweeteners. If you want a good protein powder try musclefeast dot com. I use their hydro whey, which is sweetened with stevia (a natural sugar alternative). It’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t have either a bunch of sugar or fake sweeteners. The chocolate tastes decent.
That said, be careful about just slamming unlimited amounts of protein. I was making that mistake before I began going to a nutritionist. Your body can convert almost anything to store as fat, and that includes excessive amounts of protein. You need some reasonable balance in your diet. I’ve gone from 21% BF to less than 17% while adding 10 pounds of lean mass in about 3 months on a balanced diet. But you have to get the diet right - especially at our age.[/quote]
Thanks everyone for the help I appreciate it.
Do you experience any side effects from having a level of 900? When I asked my doctor she did not want mine any higher.
I will take your advice and try out the 1/2 hour to 1 hour 4 days a week.