Thank You for This Place; An Older Guy Starting Out

I came here wondering if my issue was low T or just being 59 years old.

I’m a masonry guy so I have always been stronger than most. So things hurt, it goes with the territory. Tired well yeah I work hard. I find I cant lose weight anymore and Good God I weigh 250lbs. And I just might not be a smart as I used to be It still did not hit me until I needed ED meds to make the wife happy.

I looked around and found you guys, read your words and the light was on. I went to a local out fit in Washington St. Innovative Mens and had my blood done

My testosterone level was 93.3 There may be woman with that much testosterone in them

I have been self injecting .8 ml of Testosterone Cypionate 200mg per ml, once a week (160mg per week)
500units HCG twice a week
one cap Anastrozole .5 milligrams one a week

Going back in for blood work and readjustment of meds in 6 weeks

Started working out and realized I was far too atrophied to work hard and also keep my job. So I’m doing a pushup, pull up, planks workout until I am closer to normal. Then I am starting up a weight program. It has been 20 years sense was doing that before.

I cant believe how much better I already feel. I was barley human, hardly a man. But I did not know it because it cheeped up on me so slowly. It looks like I wasted money on ED meds. I don’t need them now. My mind is clearer and hell if I am not already getting stronger. Al lot stronger. It has not even been 3 weeks yet. Pictures have been taken (scary)

As to being sore. Im not sore anywhere now, all joint pain is gone. Except just a little muscle soreness after a work out, but it doesn’t last.

I will be needing a lot of advice, I came into this very ignorant. And I’m planing on going into a body building work out. I know a lot about strength training and nothing about body building.

Advice is requested. I claim to already know almost nothing.

Welcome to the club, glad you are responding well. You will find a great deal of information here. Some of it may be conflicting - what works for some doesn’t work for others. Take it slow and figure out what works for you.

Test Cyp usually comes in 200mg per ml, but I have also seen it in 220mg and 250mg, so the ml (you are taking .8) isn’t as important as the mg. If yours is, like most, 200mg, then you are taking 160mg per week. This can be important later on.

After a few weeks you may develop some estrogen sides - water weight, itchy nipples. That is what the anastrozole is for. If you do develop sides, you will want to get a blood test so you can figure out how to adjust your anastrazole and that is when the test cyp dosage can become important.

You do not need the Hcg unless you want to preserve your fertility or the size of the boys. If you don’t care about your balls shrinking, you can skip the Hcg. If it’s not a hassle, then keep it up. I think your dosage is higher than what some recommend but if it works, go with it.

Plan on donating blood in the future. TRT raises your hematocrit and that may put you at a higher risk of a stroke. Donating blood reduces this risk, and, it’s a good thing to do. I think it took me a year before I needed to donate.

Check out some of the training forums for getting started working out again. There is a beginners forum, an over thirty five forum, a bodybuilding forum, whatever you’re looking for.

I just wanted to give you an overview of a few of the things that I have found out and that I felt were important. You are sure to be getting a lot more advice.

Good luck!

Thank you that was great info . Im just learning the lingo. I will try to get the dosage info correct. The HCG dosage sounds like it is double what I see suggested here. Do you know of a down side to that?

Im looking forward to my 6 week blood work. So I can see where things are going.

Oddly there seems to be a psychological effect to this program. I care what I look like all of a sudden. I had stopped caring.

You were right on with the Test Cyp it was 200mg per ml. Thanks again

My guess is based on your age, T dose, hcg dose and AI dose, that you will eventually develop some effects of high estradiol. Here’s why I believe that.
1- 160 mg of T cyp is a little higher than a lot of guys use AND injecting once per week increases the likelihood of T> E conversion.
2- older guys have more T>E naturally.
3- being overweight causes more T>E
4- hcg causes the testes to make some T and that T will aromatise a little and the AI can’t prevent that
5- your on a low dose of the AI

So, don’t be surprised if you either begin to back slide or your blood work shows high E2.

Having said all that, glad your feeling so good!

I feel amazing right now, but as low as I was, making me feel better should have been easy. Energy increase, thinking clearer and a big jump in libido yes its great. I’m going to keep all advice on me. I will be ready for symptoms or blood test results. I think the guys at Innovative are progressive on this issue, but I will see. They did give me twice as many Anastrozole as my 6 week cycle would indicate. Maybe their is a reason for that. That is the only thing they did that with

Working on my weight now. I have 60lbs to lose. I’m sure that has been part of the problem (how could it not be). Pre low T losing weight was very easy for me, being fat is rather new to me. We will see

Thank you for the advice. I will look for high estradiol in the test. And if I feel these gains fall off before then, I will ask the guys at Innovative if I should be taking that second pill per week they gave me.

Im reading stuff about smaller injections twice a week with my insulin syringes. Is that something I should also consider, if my results show a need?

You should inject twice a week to avoid major changes in T levels. Insulin needles reduce damage.

If you are a normal anastrozole responder, you will need more that 0.5mg/week. May need 1.5mg/week.

250iu hCG SC EOD is all that is needed, so you are close.

See these links found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman
advice for new guys - need more info about you
protocol for injections
thyroid basics explained - check oral body temperatures as suggested

Post all of your lab work with ranges.
TT
FT
E2
CBC
hematocrit !!!
AST/ALT
TSH -this and next three if not using iodized salt or body temperatures are low
fT3
fT4
fasting glucose
A1C
fasting cholesterol
PSA
DHEA-S
Vit-D25 or take 6,000iu Vit-D3

Weight gain will be hampered if thyroid is sub optimal. Body temperature is very useful in evaluation of overall thyroid function. You need to be using iodized salt.

If you get a hunger that does not go away, it may be a protein hunger and you do not want to throw carbs at it.

Post your other medications, OTC and Rx.
Any other health issues?

Will do. I noticed the damage from the 25g 1" It leaves me sorer than my new workout by a long shot. My next blood work is more detailed, so i will have it all then other than the PSA which I have now. I have a PSA of 1.8. I believe the blood work they did was to get me in the door cheap

Extra thanks for the dietary and vitamin advice it will be followed. Fortunately other than two worn out knees I have no medical issues or medication. And oddly my knees stopped hurting as soon as I started my injections so not even advil anymore

I will post again when I have all info