Orbital: Now, I realize that if I searched the damn site here enough I may find the answer on my own but I figured I’d cut to the chase by asking you. Why would it be bad for a woman to take 1/4-1/3 dose of Tribex-500 or another testosterone supplement? Yes, I realize that that too much of certain things turns women into lantern-jawed, ostrich-leather skinned, bass voiced she-males, but by decreasing the dose wouldn’t you avoid that? I guess I’m a little frustrated that the benefits of test are not available to women - that and I’m sure that there are other things available to women that accomplish relatively the same end, but I am as yet too ignorant as to what they are. Could you direct me to some site or book that explains all the pro’s/con’s of various supplements? Thanks!
Ko has been taking Vitex. Which is a supplement that “regulates” or “lowers” estrogen in women. Maybe you should consider that first. However, I deal with the lack of test supplements for women by taking creatine, supplementing with protein powders/shakes, eating a higher than usual amount of protein (especially red meat). I also don’t eat past 7PM and my last meal of the day is mostly protein, and my last “snack” is a protein shake. Literally. Do these “litte” things make a big difference for me? Hell, yeah. I’ve made HUGE gains.
As for training (cux this is a factor, too) - I have always believed that if a woman wants to gain muscle, she’s gonna have to train harder and heavier than most men. Or men in general. And I have to. In otherwords, I literally push myself to constantly “up” my weight loads in the gym. I’m sure most guys do this, but I have to be more aware of my progress. I don’t know how to explain this any better. And I’m NOT saying that “I’m just SO much stronger than most men…” He he he, well, in our gym I am. smirk And these guys are supposedly swimming with testosterone.
Thanks for your response. I am just now delving into the nutrition/supplementation aspect so forgive me my ignorance. Basic info: 28yo, 5’2", 140#, medium build, sz 6 (other friends that wear sz 6 are 120# so Lord knows where my extra 20# go), natural tendency to gain muscle easily but difficult to lose fat, sedentary job, no athletic proclivity. Goal: Fitness competitor off-season look - very firm/well developed musculature, symetrical, lean without being ripped.
I’ve been successful at losing a bit of weight through eating clean/healthy and a basic workout routine. I’ve hit a plateau though, and to overcome it I probably need to bone up on some more technical nutrition/supplementation and to change up the routine. I currently try to eat about 130g of protien daily (usual sources -red meat, chicken, fatty fish, egg whites, cottage cheese) and most of my carbs come from steamed veggies as complex carbs tend to make me feel sluggish tired. I don’t eat past 7pm either, and my last meal is unusually protien heavy. I’ve not been the best at keeping a dietary journal of late but I believe I’m around the 1800c/day mark. Even though this is considered healthy by many standards, it is obviously not enough to get me through this plateau. After reading what test sups do for men, it seemed like we’d benefit from it as well. What recommendations could you make?
When contemplating what sort of wourkout to do, I have to factor time constraints (work 7:30-4:30, commute, child’s bedtime by 8pm) so I need to get things done in 90min or less. I generally do 25 min cardio 4x/wk with one 60 min session/wk - too much/not enough for fat loss? Schedule is Mon-Chest/Ab’s/Tri’s; Tues-Legs(quad intesive); Wed-Cardio; Thurs-Back/Ab’s/Bi’s/Delts; Fri-Legs(glute intensive); occasional Sat make-up day. I train upper body heavier and lower body with more volume. I’m a bit leary of changing this as my leg development kicks ass on my upper body development, but if need be I could change it up. Again, recommedations?
Karma, try Methoxy-7. It’s anabolic but not androgenic. My wife loves it.
I would cut back the cardio, and give yourself a rest day in between workouts. Have you tried 5X5? It would be perfect for you, you can be in and out of the gymn in 1 hr or less, 3 days a week. Then you can do cardio on the off days if you feel you need too. You may find that you won’t need the supps.
I’ve been weight training since 1983. Been competitive on/off since 1987. Through this time, I have not resorted to any type of test supps. This past year, I have begun to use Creatine, GROW and Surge. As well as other protein powders (sorry, Biotest - been using Bioplex). Before that, the strongest supp I used was GABA. Good nutrition and smart training has gotten me to where I am. I don’t think you’ve been training long enough to consider such things as testosterone supplements.
I"m not sure what your current BF% is. So, can't really tell you if your calorie intake is too much or too little. Do you want to get leaner? If so, you might need to reconsider your caloric intake. But to really find out if you indeed need to consume more tor less han 1800 calories - and to make sure that you are eating 1800 cal's a day is to begin a food journal. I would start that now. Hmmm, tired after carbs? This is also where a food journal would be helpful. Maybe some higher GI carbs cause you to be tired? That could be the issue.
I too have to factor in time constraints. Right now, I work full time and am also a artist but am still able to train five days a week (in the middle of a natural bulking program). For cardio, I jump rope now (ala Renegade training) and in August, it'll be boxing training. The rope jumping is just 2-nights a week for 30-minute sessions. That's it. You're doing cardio, what, five days a week? How come that sounds excessive to me? Why not eliminate 2 cardio days for a night of jumping rope or sprints? Are you doing any compound lifts in your routine? By including compound lifts (squats, deads, bench, cleans) it would cut down the amount of days in the gym. And yet provide you with a very well rounded routine. Just some thoughts.
Alrighty, thanks for the suggestion but I’m a little confused now. I did a search and read several articles on the 5x5 routine and it seems that you are supposed to use a rather heavy weight and low reps…have I been lied to all along that this is not what women are supposed to be doing, that we should instead do lighter weights in rep ranges from 15-20 if we are looking to (dreaded words approaching) sculpt/tone instead of bulk? Waaay back when I did all this before (10 years), I dated the guy training me and so I paid virtually no attention to what I was doing (training plan-wise), just obeyed him and didn’t look at what he was loading. I do recall working a hell of a lot harder at a lower rep range than I have been recently (he kept a waste pail beside me on leg days). Forgive me for sounding so incipent but, really? Should I go back to doing the heavier weights/low reps deal?
Actually, Tribex would have no effect on a woman, other than messing with hormone levels. You see, Tribex works by increasing the pituitary gland’s secretion of Lutinizing Hormone (LH), which in turn stimulates the testicles to produce more testosterone. In women, however, LH targets the glands such as the ovaries which do not produce testosterone. So you would see no anabolic effects from taking Tribex, although you might see increased libido. Methoxy-7 is probably just what you’re looking for. It produces all the anabolic effects of androgens and testosterone boosters, but is not a “male hormone” and therefore will not produce male side effects or mess with hormone levels.
Karma, the “perceived wisdom” of having women do higher reps to “tone” or lose fat is, well, wrong. The idea was that reps in the 15-20 range would (a) prevent the use of a weight that would “bulk” women up and (b) provide some sort of aerobic effect as well. Both ideas are - again - wrong.
There’s a concept called periodization that I’m sure you must have heard of if you’ve been reading T-Mag for any length of time. If not, it basically means that you should change your routine up every so often - most people change once a month or so. Different rep ranges will yield different results and training effects, so it’s a good idea to expose your body to a variety over time to ensure that you’re not missing out on something.
Now, if you want to lose weight, 5x5 is not a bad choice. Lower rep ranges (i.e. 6 reps and under for a beginner or intermediate) will generally give you more strength without increased bulk. Also, if you’ve been training light, the heavier weights will shock you a bit. Combine that with a lowered calorie intake and some fat should come off.
I agree with the recommendations for Methoxy and Vitex. They’re great for women. But I also agree with Patricia’s point that you probably don’t need any sort of supplementation (aside from maybe a protein powder and perhaps Surge) at this point. Start a food/training log, see what your current caloric needs are, change your training program and see what happens. If after all that you’re still stuck, then maybe you should think about some supps. But if your diet isn’t dialed in pretty well no supp’s gonna help.
Good luck!
Thanks to all for the input. I’ve begun the training/diet log (long overdue I realize) and will do the 5x5 for 8 weeks and update on the results. Thanks again!