I use CRT, it's a really small dosage of co/caine but it doesn't count because I'm only doing really small keys of it every 20 minutes rather than actual lines.
I always called bumps "microdosing" but this is definitely a way to go in the future! In the words of my longtime sports idol, the great college placekicker Harmon Tedesco, "That cocaine was medicinal."
@@hannibalwantsahuggrande3433humans have been using plants from their environment to alter their minds and bodies since forever bro. Its part of the human experience
Guys taking TRT who haven't even cracked 40 is crazy to me. I'm 45. I don't take anything but I have a physique I'm proud of. I don't care what others think. I've worked hard for years to get here. Whenever I got down about guys that are bigger than me I just reminded myself there's a good chance I'm going to live longer than them. Living long enough to watch my kids grow up is my main goal these days.
54 and looking to hit about 1200 total in powerlifting comp to celebrate 55 late this year. After everything I’ve seen researching the topic, I don’t see myself jumping on that crap until I start suffering true low testosterone symptoms. Would be so easy to get a prescription and be jacked as hell putting up huge weight in competition. But there is something cool about accomplishing whatever I do through hard work, proper nutrition, and my natural body.
A tiny percentage of the guys on TRT at ages below about 55-60 actually need it. There’s only a handful of legit clinical purposes for this therapy. There’s a few cancers, some rare disorders, and MAT patients on methadone. That’s really about it. Everyone else just wants to do it for non medical reasons that are not necessities. If one gets on trt and only gets mild overall benefits and positive treatment outcomes that are not dramatically improving quality of life, and only mildly improving it, it prob means they didn’t need it. On th other hand, if a patient experiences dramatic improvements to quality of life that are overwhelmingly obvious, it likely means they had such low test levels chronically that they do in fact need it. Having said all that, I don’t really care if guys do it when they don’t really need it and just want it. But I do not like it when those same guys pretend they are in former group of patients that actually need the treatment. Because I know first hand what it’s like to live with test levels well below 100ng/dl, for five years. And my estrogen levels were elevated because in my case the methadone was just roasting and aromatizing the little test I was still making. So I was basically becoming a woman, involuntarily. And jokes on them anyway because actual TRT doses will never make anyone super jacked like they hope it will. It will just help you look like a jacked natty. Which isn’t anything to cry about, but it’s not gonna do what most guys think it will do. You need abusive doses for that.
Do any of you even know what trt is actually for? You don't just decide if you're going to get on it. I'm 39 and on 90mg a week because about two years ago things just changed, I started feeling like crap, libido died, started getting cranky. Went to the doctor and my test was around 200. I eat fairly healthy and exercise regularly. You think I just choose to get on trt? Don't you think I'd rather not stick myself with a needle once a week for the rest of my life? Getting on trt made me normal again. Bunch of clowns.
guys... putting aside people with actual hormonal troubles... do we need this? i've been an acrobat for 15+ years trained different things different ways all my life. i'm 40 now still flipping around probably on a safer way but still. Before injecting anything just eat , sleep and train right. then make your choice. keep training boys.
Your example is wrong. A better example is, you trained for 15+ years as an acrobat, and suddenly couldn’t do the things you previously could. Slowly, as you got older, you could do less of the acrobatic techniques, and the ones you could do were taking a toll on your body. However, there’s something you could take that would give you back the ability to perform acrobatics the way you used to. Your body wouldn’t hurt, your recovery would increase. The question is, do you love acrobatics enough to turn back the clock? Everyone gets older. Everyone’s body loses the benefits of youth. With modern science, everyone has a right to decide for themselves if they want to turn back the clock on age. Hell, we all collectively take every other medication under the sun but the moment it’s about muscle mass, everyone runs around like the apocalypse is happening.
Because this is the United States of America and I want to, that’s why. As long as I’m not hurting anyone or burdening the taxpayers, who really cares but a bunch of self-righteous, virtue signaling woke weirdos?
I would say dont jump on TRT, Zack. Part of your character in this fitness space is precisely being the natty giraffe that doesn't look the part, and yet still has put up insane strength numbers. At least for me, it is a big part in what makes you feel so relatable.
Crazy that grown men are sitting here debating whether they should do drugs to start feeling a "little" better. If you have anything actually going with your life you should not even be thinking about this 😂
I’ll throw my thoughts out there with background for context. I’m 39, turning 40 in a few months. I’ve trained pretty seriously since 15 - 15-22 for collegiate sports, 22-29 more for bodybuilding, 29-34 more for powerlifting, and 34-current more for endurance (while keeping a priority on maintaining a base level of strength). I was definitely a bit vain with how I looked for a period of time but once I went more into powerlifting, I pretty well lost all the vanity and I’ve only cared about performance since. The vanity aspect is interesting like you mention. As a gross generalization, I think vanity with one’s looks is more prevalent in younger populations, but again this is a gross generalization. Combine that with social media and constant bombardment, I understand the pull to it. Let’s just say I am glad I was pretty well finishing college well before Facebook took off and Instagram was a thing. Anyways, I’ve been getting yearly blood work since mid 20s, then twice a year starting at 35. I’ve always had T levels on the lower end of the range, the most I’ve ever seen is in the low 400s. At 36, levels came back under 300 for the first time. My wife and I had a discussion then about TRT as we’d already had our kids and weren’t going to have more. She was on board with me doing whatever I wanted / needed to be “optimal”, whatever that means. Having a supportive partner is important; her take was that, if she was going to be with me into old age, she wants both of us to kick ass and take names the whole time. There’s no reason to not be the best version of yourself. My T was low but I didn’t feel like I had many of the low T symptoms so I decided to ride it out. Most of 2024, things seemed to go downhill with how I felt but my wife really was the one to notice things were off. This past fall levels came back at 208ng/dl; more important though, I felt like garbage and how I felt was starting to affect how good of a dad I could be to my two boys. I had a conversation with my primary care doc (not a clinic) and he was on board with prescribing provided I do quarterly blood work the first year and stay in contact with him to make sure I get dialed in. I started a reasonable but not T mill type dose (120mg/wk, 40mg 3x/wk) and the difference is night and day on just about every front. Now I’m not one to gatekeep; I could care less what anyone wants to do or put in their body. If 100% of men in the US were on, so be it. That said, I do think that going on replacement before you actually need it is not the smartest idea. But if the time comes that one would benefit from replacing what they might not have, 100% explore it.
I am worried that the people who are abusing it is gonna lead to a problem where people who really need it will have a really hard time getting it. People like you who have a real reason will have a hard time Convincing a doctor youre not About to abuse it and become some instagram model
James already blasted steroids in the past. Seems more reasonable to take it now after he trashed himself , but i think true nattys should avoid steroids and TRT IS a steroid, no matter how much it seems to get brushed off as natural progression as u get older.
very rarely do cycles fully shut you down long term (TRUST ME). Some people just want to get on gear cause they dont look like PT's. That more as a consequence of no idea how to eat, train and recover, and then they blame genes. I cant take TRT cause it fcks up my blood pressure soo much, so I have learned to eat and train smarter to still make gains 53 plus. Humans just prefer the easy path. Discipline and effort are fkn hard
You're correct mate. Stay off, unless you actually need it due to low test. It'll make very little positive difference unless your currently genuinely low, or unless you take a decent dose. Small balls, bad skin, high BP, hairloss, natural shut down, cost, pining etc. All things you don't need. Especially as you're happy and doing great.
The small balls scares people but honestly it’s the least of the side effects that you end up caring about. Although I do miss my full sized eggs. But I’m one of the few guys that had an actual medical need for getting on it. It’s still caused by my own stupidity and recklessness abusing drugs, but without these meds I would suffer and lose all quality of life. It would be nice if people just owned it and said “I just wanna be slightly enhanced and not deal with natural fluctuations” instead of “oh no guys! I’m at 350ng/dl! I’m practically a 90yo man! I need TRT now” For reference, my levels were at about 50ng/dl, and it took me 5 years to figure it out.
I started at 38. The most noticeable thing was actually the well being effects for me personally, huge help with anxiety and self doubt along with better mood and drive
Major downside that no one talks about and sometimes mistake for an upside: the libido change making you JO furiously multiple times throughout the day. It diminishes after about a year but my god, that is not very fun in the beginning. Well, actually it does seem great initially, and then it quickly does not.
@dinosaurman4000 funnily enough if I'm to be fully honest with myself, it was the gym gains that peaked my interest initially. I was looking at the mental benefits as a nice bonus, but since I've lived it now for a good while the priority has completely switched, the mental benefits are everything and the gym gains are now the nice cherry on top. Absolutely zero regrets here
@dinosaurman4000 another thing for me is I noticed I'm making far more mature and sensible decisions since I started, it may be coincidental but it's noticeable
Sorry but you are being a little hypocrital by railing on Eubanks but defending your friend. Is your friend gonna stop making videos and content? No? Then he’s also gaining the same thing as Eubanks, maybe not for the same reason, but they are both using steroids to further their career (I know plenty of Jiu jitsu guys who never touch steroids, so I don’t buy that, + there’s therapists for anxiety). He also talks about health a ton and now he’s sticking needles in his butt. I don’t have anything against people taking steroids and people who use them for their own personal reasons, I just can’t stand people who build up natty “cred” then go juice and wants us to just act like nothing has changed. One of the reasons I watch your stuff is cause you are a rare natty on RUclips. Maybe you would get more views on steroids, probably lol. If so then I’ll also stop watching you, cause if I want to watch roided up guys, I got Jay Cutler and bodybuilders for that type of content.
You really should've scrutinized this guy's credibility as a fitness influencer, as a lot of his viewers will be influenced by his choice to not fix his testosterone levels naturally. He's now another lifetime customer for big pharma.
More people (who are not the stans that dominate most of every influencer's own comment sections) should call him out for having defrauded his public for a year and a half. One you vocally brand yourself, as a representative of your for-profit fitness business, as clean (something no one forced you to do), you cannot quietly start taking PEDs and continue to rake in the profits without telling anyone. If you eventually do say something (and who knows how pure his motives were; perhaps he just thought he'd be pushing it by not acknowledging it by now) that does not take away from the previous time period's fraud.
In your case, TRT would only really help you if your T is low. Otherwise, you're just using testosterone. True TRT is Replacement for those who have low T, not something that's an augmentation of current test levels. Edit: Also, most who go on end up going back off because of side effects.
@@RUclipsChillZone I can't remember where I saw the statistic, but overall, the vast majority stop because of side effects. (Edit: May have been Barbell Medicine) I had to stop because of anxiety, and bad acne didn't help either even though I'm older. Also, people are really confusing TRT with outright testosterone use. TRT can help someone become healthier because they're lacking in what they need to have normal levels.
@@gibbsm Steroids also usually start with testosterone too. The RT makes it what it is, replacement therapy. If people want to go on a low dose, they should just say so, otherwise it's totally confused with doing it for medical reasons. (I have a feeling I will lose this battle due to lack of attention to detail from the masses.)
@@akalion213 exactly. I'm 46 and most people guess me 10 years younger and I've used gear for 15 years. It's a myth that gear ages you. It's all genetics. I was in Vegas last week and got carded (they have to card everyone) and the female clerk could not believe I was 46. Told my GF and me, I was smoking hot for my age. Don't fall for the "steroids age you" BS.
I've seen as much as 2 decades difference. I guessed a guy was close to 40 when he was my age. Heck a lot of pro bodybuilders you can add 2 to sometimes even 3 decades to their age
I just assume kids are on sarms/TRT at this point even if they are Mid. Makes me feel better about myself honestly .. never caved to the BS and saw through the fake nattys since day1
Every time I guest pass at a gym with a lot of kids I am shocked all over again. Every time a physique looks decent for his age the kid starts talking casually about his PEDs like they are magic muscle candy. Then I hear all the kids who look like the chess club captain doing the same. A lot of high school athletes were on when I was a kid, more than most people know, but this is getting totally out of control!
People instead of eating in a caloric surplus and training harder are taking the easy way. Always have been these people. Is eating in a constant surplus annoying? Yes. Is it better than potentially going in the ground 20 years earlier? Yes. I think it is.
When you mentioned "they make so much money" @5:20 I would bet 100% that the men putting their physical health on the line with steroids to look better are also putting their financial health on the line with MASSIVE amounts of debt just to look better.
Maybe the guys blasting and stacking. Actual TRT isn’t that expensive. Not necessarily cheap when you go to a clinic, but it’s still not like ozempic where they’re charging like $1500 a month.
I am 43, started training at 39 (played sports in high school but never weight trained more than a couple consecutive months) I am in better shape now both cardio and strength. No HRT or anything beyond fish oil and creatine. One day if i notice i am feeling “different “ for a long time i will talk to my doctor about HRT until then i like going through airports without explaining my kit I started late and l i’ll never be an alex eubanks but i’ll be a better me
It's like you were describing me. Started lifting at 38, 44 now and no TRT, zero supplements and I mean zero! All whole foods and weight lifting/cardio and I would say at 13% body fat at 202, with a good physic. I'm hoping to make it to 70 before I need TRT.
Yeah man, one of my personal pet peeves is when the big guy tells everyone they should be big or else they don't know how to train. Super odd bias considering all the reasons to train. Body building is its own thing and that's fine, but it isn't everything for everyone.
So many people talk about only going on TRT when your numbers are low which is nonsense. You work with symptoms not numbers. The world we live in seems almost tailor made to hammer our testosterone. Whether or not a guy goes on should never be influenced by people on the internet. Talk to your doctor not a gym bro who is anti and just has an opinion. Good post Zack.
TRT is Testosterone replacement therapie! None of these influencers had low T monitored over a longer period of time. And none of them fixed livestyle issues before getting on TRT. So you can just call TT. Testosterone Therapie! Just don‘t call it TRT because there are people out there who really need TRT for what it was meant for!!
Disregarding the side effects and the fact that I don't have any of the symptoms that would call for TRT: For me, the practical side of it is huge. The fewer substances I have to rely on ingesting/injecting for the rest of my life, the better. There will most likely be enough of those anyway when I enter my 60s and 70s. I'm very, very glad that there are so many medications out there for people who need them, but for me it's a huge sense of freedom not having to think about bringing X amount of Y whenever I travel or stay somewhere other than my house. Not to mention the reliance on the supply chain. (And again; this isn't a moral statement. I'm not one of those guys who think that every man should be an island and there's some superiority in being free of "dependencies", even when they're actually just normal interpersonal relationships with a give and take.)
This is a big one for me, I'm in my 40s and take no medications, I plan to keep it that way for as long as possible. I travel frequently, and never have to consider med supplies. And testosterone does not drop with age, if you stay eat well, sleep well, and exercise, you can maintain healthy test levels even into your 80s.
For all these people who don’t need TRT, I hope there will never be a major shortage for some reason or another. That would REALLY suck for those who need it to keep at a healthy level. I have heard the stories from people whose health, physical and mental, are a mess without TRT and the stress it puts on their lives when they can't get or afford the treatment due to shortages. I have will have very little sympathy for those who choose to go on TRT to build bigger muscles, knowing they make themselves reliant on it for the rest of their lives. Also taking drugs to manage stress should be a last resort. This seems like a shortcut on Jame's part, that will only lead to potentially worse health out comes. He is pushing his body too much in the first place.
If you think you need trt at 25, you started late in life and trying to play catch up, you’re not working hard enough, or you’re lazy af…there is no way you should be juicing at 25 unless you’re an elite level bb or you got a medical issue. Using it for looks means you got deeper issues
So James takes TRT for 'feels' and thats ok, but when Alex does the same thing and it's a problem. The reality is they're both just trying to justify their use when it wasn't necessarily required. What level of jiu-jitsu are you performing at that you need TRT to feel good?
You probably do look like you lift lol. People's perception of what is normal when it comes to physique development is just completely fucked nowadays because of all the fake nattys everywhere.
No one should allow the opinions from people they don't know personally dictate how they feel about their body. Too many people think their opinions matter way more than they do and too many people enable them
i have to take trt due to a brain tumor inhibiting my natural production. trust me, its annoying and the feeling of being dependent sucks. once you start, you'll want to increase the numbers bc of the "what if", and then its over.
Yeah people,don’t talk about that much, how there’s this weird temptation that happens where you start thinking “damn, I feel amazing at 120mg, I wonder what 160mg is like.” I have to take it because I’m on MAT and take methadone, so I have two medications where I have to deal with the whole being dependent on it part. It does suck. I’m at the highest take home step for MAT so for me it’s just like a monthly prescription, but it still sucks knowing that I can’t easily move if I wanted to take a job in another state or city. The whole “liquid handcuffs” thing. I am slowly tapering but I know damn well that the odds are stacked against me for any chance of getting the dose down to zero. But that’s all on me, I have to take responsibility for it because I’m the one who decided to abuse drugs years ago. There’s an odd catharsis in knowing that it’s my own fault, rather than it being from a health condition out of my control.
@ thank you, it's been 8 years already. started as a teenager and it has become normal, but it makes it all the more absurd to watch perfectly healthy people gamble with their physical and mental well being because of other peoples opinions. Zack for example really gives too much of a shit, which makes him prone to needing substances in the future
William Burrows argued that modern society turns us into image junkies, consumed with the look of things more than the experience of things. Certainly today’s “fitness meta” is just reductio ad absurdum.
I think the irony of steroid use is that for “vanity’s sake” you throw away your skin health, organ health and you age rapidly. Again, all this for vanity... those things suuurly make look better. And if you don’t die early because of heart issues you’ll have a considerably worse time health wise than your peers once you are actually old. Because you did “fitness”. I see why bodybuilders do this. Athletes give up their health for the sake of their sports. But to have your average impatient gym goer use the arguments of “vanity” and “I do fitness for my health” while abusing steroids is peak comedy.
I think going on TRT to manage stress and deal with tiredness is still an extreme step. TRT's normalization for these more feelings-based reasons, as opposed to reasons of appearance, is just as problematic, in my opinion. It's normal to be tired in your late 30s when you have a new-born. Do we need to medicate normal, human experience?
honestly, I already said to myself that IF I stay in the gym until I am 35, and give it a good effort, then I will truely consider trt as soon as I feel like it could help me. Until then I have another 10 years in which I have to prove to myself that this is not just a phase. Kinda have to earn it...
That dependency issue is a deal-breaker for me. At 58 years old, I would likely see some benefits from taking it, but I never will unless it somehow becomes a medical necessity for me to survive. I wonder how many of these young guys on it have ever considered what would happen if we have a major disaster, war, etc. that suddenly disrupts availability for an extended period of time. That would not go well.
Zack - your early videos helped me so much with weightlifting. You put out awesome info without selling anything. If any RUclipsr deserves $1M worth of cars and a $3M house, it’s you. Jump on that TRT and get yo self that Lambo.
I'm 36 and had a terrible accident 4 years ago. Took 8 months of physical therapy to reach max medical improvement and the temporary and permanent disability made me my fattest while losing muscle mass. Spent these last few years focusing on doing everything for recovery and super super slow gains/regains. It's still extremely mid and sometimes I think about how much it might help my situation but I don't have any other symptoms besides the stress and depression but I feel like that's centered around the financial burden and pain. Not being able to sleep well enough because you're hurting too much and not earning enough sucks
I definitely won’t say never. A lot of things are ramping up in my life. Both personally and professionally. It would be nice to feel some extra power. Also it still kinda scares me. Like idk how down I am to be always injecting and dependent on something until I die.
@zacktelander you You can certainly try it. Have hcg/hmg and enclomiphene so you can kickstart things again. The longer you're on, the longer you risk difficulties coming off.
In my opinion unless your symptoms are chronic people need to start using the term testosterone optimization therapy, or TOT because if you go over what you should produce naturally even as your age declines for whats healthy for a younger you, you are optimizing. Which i have nothing against but i prefer we take 1 more degree of honesty.
Thumbed up cause your main thesis. I am good friends with a highly ranked IFBB pro. When asked what he’d recommend as a first cycle he said 300mg of trt.
James used to take steroids in the past anyway, he even said so himself in one of his OG videos. You do not need TRT at all unless a doctor recommends it. I'm 45 years old & 100kg (I just eat healthily & train 3 times a week for 25+ years) I also train jiu jitsu & am considered quite strong according to others.
No there’s a small percentage of us that actually need it. But it’s a very very small percentage. It’s basically just a handful of genetic disorders, a few different cancers, and people on MAT who take methadone. That’s really about it, as far as people who NEED to take it. Everyone else just wants to take it.
Why are we jumping to the nuclear option of TRT before optimising everything else? Feels short sighted to just say oh I feel tired and stressed lets pump myself full of steroids. Barring any medical deficiencies you should optimise sleep, diet, training and life stress to account for this. Unfortunately you can't just jump off TRT when your done if you were on it for a while, that testosterone tap will be dry and you'll be a slave to it for the rest of your life.
ZT, I'm 41, still lift and thanks in part to you, I started oly lifting a few years ago. I wish I started that sooner in life, but oh well. I need to exercise as it helps mentally, but I have 2 kids and I have a hard time in life. Kids are hard and life is hard and certain things have never been easy for me. I'm going to get some bloodwork done and see where ALL my levels are at, not just testosterone. I want feel better and like you, I don't care how I look. I want to be strong, but also, and perhaps more importantly, feel better. We're all trying to improve, but taking TRT or any PED for the gains is just childish. Body building is just glorified body dysmorphia. No excuses, just improve mate.
I'd hop on TRT, and bigger lifts would be a nice bonus, cause like, hell yeah...but I've been dealing with depression, memory issues, and weird sleep for years. If that's cause of low T, man, my life would improve so much.
Guys just remember in the end its your body,do what you want and have to do with it. Internet nobody's and their opinion doesnt really matter dont let their opinion sway you when it comes to your health. Stay safe
You could easily hold off. At 46 I’ve still got more vectors to work and I’m still progressing and progressing in different ways. I only consider trt on premise of what you’ve said. If I need to knuckle down in the last decade of my best working years, it may seem a good answer even for health.
He said in his video that be blasted steroids at a young age which messed up his hormones, runs a business, had a kid, has low T and wants to feel better. It's not like other influencers who jump on TRT when because they just want to look bigger.
I struggled with low test as early as 16, when I should’ve had crazy good numbers. At 28, after feeling like crap since 13 and not being able to keep weight off, while also making virtually no progress in the gym (no strength gains, no muscle gains, despite hiring a trainer and nutritionist), I finally said enough and hopped on TRT- it helped (mood, strength, gains, sleep all improved), but it killed my fertility right before my wife and I started trying to conceive. I came off and switched to HCG and enclomiphene, and after 6 months fertility was back. Dropped the HCG (too pricey), but just the enclomiphene is enough to keep my testosterone at a healthy amount, and it means no shots! Can’t recommend that route enough.
The people on gear-lite or even TRT are going to have a tough time when they become collapse aware. I can get off stims in future and go back to caffeine, nicotine or a second line med, but can you get off TRT when supplies become constrained? I'd be scared shitless of that reliance; I'd have to get full tits to consider hopping on.
Testosterone is one of the easiest drugs to manufacture and synthesize. It’s cheap to make and there’s an abundance of it across the market. If there’s no test, there’s prob also no food on th shelves either, and you’d have much bigger problems to deal with than not being able to inject. Either way, living your life that way, constantly stressing about what you’ll do if society and/or the economy collapses, seems like a horribly miserable way to live. There’s a reasonable amount of prepping and planning, and then there’s freaking out and stressing over things so far out of your control.
find it quite troublesome that so many people view this as a cure to mental health issues.. instead of attacking the root causes, throwing a bandaid on a hole for a pool will only work for so long before the water all pours out
bro don't start TRT before going to psychotherapy i know it's a meme at this point but i think you can afford a ethical psychologist to help you cope with anxiety
Saw Greg cold start and rev one of his Hypercars on a recent review with those TikTok gymbros and *brap brap brap* ya boy doesn't give a fuck bout those monsters in the garage be pretty cool to be able to disrespect such crazy machines like that
If you're not taking care of your body first i would not even consider TRT. I would recommend against getting on TRT if you don't *need* it. Most guys need to get their life in order, not get on TRT. I've been on TRT for 4 years. I started at 34 years old after being diagnosed with Hashimotos and then finding my total T was 190. I felt tired and had brain fog all the time while having a family and being a first responder. Before i began TRT, i was already lifting consistently for years, doing some cardio, sleeping 9 hours a night and my diet was solid. I *needed* TRT to feel normal again. Now, my total T on maintenance is about 900 and i feel pretty normal again. Guys I've talked to who were interested in it (some on their mid 20s) had mediocre or poor life habits and wanted an easy fix.
Stay natty-you don’t want to look like a grandfather in your 40s. I’ve been running into old friends at the gym who took roids, and now they look 10 years older than me, with thinning hair, alligator-like skin, and high blood pressure. The same guys who scoff at junkies are the ones justifying their insecurities by taking TRT. Ironically, by their 50s, junkies and roid users will end up looking the same.
And waste a few years on therapy and a small fortune. Hormonal intervention is practically immediate and easily reversible, even if it does not bring any expected effect.
It's ok, all about freedom and being honest to yourself. If it is "required", then it can be unhealthy to not take it. Best to avoid it for just clicks or money. But good to take if required.
Maybe we're meant to age. Maybe we're meant to struggle with the reality of raising a child. Maybe we're meant to hit lows. ...Maybe there are some serious gains left on the table there when you opt out and reach for the juice. Mind gains?
Seriously, the expectations of bf%, size, as well as strength measures, like bench, deadlift, etc, is bonkers. And it's compounded by unrealistic expectations on time to achieve it as well. Craziness.
TRT is definitely not all roses. It’s not something to be taken lightly. I started it at 43. A new man never told me that because my body’s over 20% I will get a lot of extra oestrogen which presents itself with more DHtT conversion which gives you slight blotchy skin and low mood,so gotta work condition to get the most out of it. I’ve been told so many times down the years that sure your strong and athletic but your pretty fat lol as if that’s the only measure of success
The goal for the "senzu bean" of fitness for many is an addictive thing - they think its the TRT, they take it - love it, until other health complications begin 5-7 years later then look for the next senzu bean to replenish themselves.
Who are these doctors prescribing this to young guys? I’m turning 70, still hitting the gym and bike riding. I went to my doctor because I’m tired a lot and have night sweats, muscle loss. A blood test later revealed I was low but not abnormally low. A few years later I went back after a blood test and my t was up. He asked me how I did it? I have no idea but I still sleep like crap! I’m in the age group that needs it! And yes , vanity is a part of it!
The 'How you look meta' is true in any aspect of sports. I officiate HS sports on top of competing in weightlifting and powerlifting and as a basketball official they care much more how you look than how well you know the rules or how well you call the game. Look the way they think you should look and you'll shoot to the top.
I use CRT, it's a really small dosage of co/caine but it doesn't count because I'm only doing really small keys of it every 20 minutes rather than actual lines.
*key bumps
@matthewgriffiths527 **keys, if you know you know
KeyRT
@@michaelchevalier9777 🤣
I always called bumps "microdosing" but this is definitely a way to go in the future! In the words of my longtime sports idol, the great college placekicker Harmon Tedesco, "That cocaine was medicinal."
Only a matter of time before Telander hops on the TRT train. Just you watch folks.
I think I’m going to avoid it as long as possible but I certainly will never say never
100% you're friends are the greatest factor of your behavior
People cant just age naturally like humans have been doing since......forever?
@@hannibalwantsahuggrande3433humans have been using plants from their environment to alter their minds and bodies since forever bro. Its part of the human experience
Don't do it @@zacktelander
rip
Rip open a bottle of test *
natty gone carry on xd
Good on you for being honest about getting on it
@@gooberthorpos8195 that's all we really ask of people, innit?
Honesty is all that matters! good job!
Guys taking TRT who haven't even cracked 40 is crazy to me. I'm 45. I don't take anything but I have a physique I'm proud of. I don't care what others think. I've worked hard for years to get here. Whenever I got down about guys that are bigger than me I just reminded myself there's a good chance I'm going to live longer than them. Living long enough to watch my kids grow up is my main goal these days.
54 and looking to hit about 1200 total in powerlifting comp to celebrate 55 late this year. After everything I’ve seen researching the topic, I don’t see myself jumping on that crap until I start suffering true low testosterone symptoms. Would be so easy to get a prescription and be jacked as hell putting up huge weight in competition. But there is something cool about accomplishing whatever I do through hard work, proper nutrition, and my natural body.
@SprSonik13 Amen brother.
it's crazy huh. I'm 56 and might consider TRT when I'm 70 but not before. Low testosterone is usually a sign of a poor lifestyle, diet etc etc
A tiny percentage of the guys on TRT at ages below about 55-60 actually need it. There’s only a handful of legit clinical purposes for this therapy. There’s a few cancers, some rare disorders, and MAT patients on methadone. That’s really about it. Everyone else just wants to do it for non medical reasons that are not necessities.
If one gets on trt and only gets mild overall benefits and positive treatment outcomes that are not dramatically improving quality of life, and only mildly improving it, it prob means they didn’t need it. On th other hand, if a patient experiences dramatic improvements to quality of life that are overwhelmingly obvious, it likely means they had such low test levels chronically that they do in fact need it.
Having said all that, I don’t really care if guys do it when they don’t really need it and just want it. But I do not like it when those same guys pretend they are in former group of patients that actually need the treatment. Because I know first hand what it’s like to live with test levels well below 100ng/dl, for five years. And my estrogen levels were elevated because in my case the methadone was just roasting and aromatizing the little test I was still making. So I was basically becoming a woman, involuntarily.
And jokes on them anyway because actual TRT doses will never make anyone super jacked like they hope it will. It will just help you look like a jacked natty. Which isn’t anything to cry about, but it’s not gonna do what most guys think it will do. You need abusive doses for that.
Do any of you even know what trt is actually for? You don't just decide if you're going to get on it. I'm 39 and on 90mg a week because about two years ago things just changed, I started feeling like crap, libido died, started getting cranky. Went to the doctor and my test was around 200. I eat fairly healthy and exercise regularly. You think I just choose to get on trt? Don't you think I'd rather not stick myself with a needle once a week for the rest of my life? Getting on trt made me normal again. Bunch of clowns.
guys... putting aside people with actual hormonal troubles... do we need this? i've been an acrobat for 15+ years trained different things different ways all my life. i'm 40 now still flipping around probably on a safer way but still.
Before injecting anything just eat , sleep and train right. then make your choice. keep training boys.
Low t doesnt even mean that shit if you eat more that could be better sometimes
Shouldn't jump on it if you aren't trying to eat, sleep and train as best you can
A legitimate practitioner would go there first as well
Your example is wrong.
A better example is, you trained for 15+ years as an acrobat, and suddenly couldn’t do the things you previously could. Slowly, as you got older, you could do less of the acrobatic techniques, and the ones you could do were taking a toll on your body.
However, there’s something you could take that would give you back the ability to perform acrobatics the way you used to. Your body wouldn’t hurt, your recovery would increase.
The question is, do you love acrobatics enough to turn back the clock?
Everyone gets older. Everyone’s body loses the benefits of youth. With modern science, everyone has a right to decide for themselves if they want to turn back the clock on age. Hell, we all collectively take every other medication under the sun but the moment it’s about muscle mass, everyone runs around like the apocalypse is happening.
people want to keep the same lifestyle with the same excess they are accustomed to, they want to redline like they did in their 20s.
Because this is the United States of America and I want to, that’s why. As long as I’m not hurting anyone or burdening the taxpayers, who really cares but a bunch of self-righteous, virtue signaling woke weirdos?
James has talked about being on the sauce in the past - years ago
I’m pretty sure James used PEDs before, during his 20s. Hopping on TRT now is not a big deal.
I remember watching a tiktok from him saying he used to take peds years ago, but I might be full of shit
@@IlikeTwodlno you’re not he did take them
@@johnno8586 so in other words he is not natty. People will still not realize that tbh
It may not be a big deal but it is a really bad deal
Yeah. He's been pretty open about that. I think he said he took roids when he played rugby.
The Fitness circle definitely seems to be "eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Its coming backwards and will destroy long-term fitness.
I would say dont jump on TRT, Zack. Part of your character in this fitness space is precisely being the natty giraffe that doesn't look the part, and yet still has put up insane strength numbers. At least for me, it is a big part in what makes you feel so relatable.
On his other channel “TheSlappableJerk” he goes more in depth about his desire to hop on
😂😂😂@@stronk9760
Crazy that grown men are sitting here debating whether they should do drugs to start feeling a "little" better. If you have anything actually going with your life you should not even be thinking about this 😂
I’ll throw my thoughts out there with background for context.
I’m 39, turning 40 in a few months. I’ve trained pretty seriously since 15 - 15-22 for collegiate sports, 22-29 more for bodybuilding, 29-34 more for powerlifting, and 34-current more for endurance (while keeping a priority on maintaining a base level of strength). I was definitely a bit vain with how I looked for a period of time but once I went more into powerlifting, I pretty well lost all the vanity and I’ve only cared about performance since.
The vanity aspect is interesting like you mention. As a gross generalization, I think vanity with one’s looks is more prevalent in younger populations, but again this is a gross generalization. Combine that with social media and constant bombardment, I understand the pull to it. Let’s just say I am glad I was pretty well finishing college well before Facebook took off and Instagram was a thing.
Anyways, I’ve been getting yearly blood work since mid 20s, then twice a year starting at 35.
I’ve always had T levels on the lower end of the range, the most I’ve ever seen is in the low 400s. At 36, levels came back under 300 for the first time. My wife and I had a discussion then about TRT as we’d already had our kids and weren’t going to have more. She was on board with me doing whatever I wanted / needed to be “optimal”, whatever that means. Having a supportive partner is important; her take was that, if she was going to be with me into old age, she wants both of us to kick ass and take names the whole time. There’s no reason to not be the best version of yourself.
My T was low but I didn’t feel like I had many of the low T symptoms so I decided to ride it out. Most of 2024, things seemed to go downhill with how I felt but my wife really was the one to notice things were off.
This past fall levels came back at 208ng/dl; more important though, I felt like garbage and how I felt was starting to affect how good of a dad I could be to my two boys.
I had a conversation with my primary care doc (not a clinic) and he was on board with prescribing provided I do quarterly blood work the first year and stay in contact with him to make sure I get dialed in.
I started a reasonable but not T mill type dose (120mg/wk, 40mg 3x/wk) and the difference is night and day on just about every front.
Now I’m not one to gatekeep; I could care less what anyone wants to do or put in their body. If 100% of men in the US were on, so be it. That said, I do think that going on replacement before you actually need it is not the smartest idea. But if the time comes that one would benefit from replacing what they might not have, 100% explore it.
I am worried that the people who are abusing it is gonna lead to a problem where people who really need it will have a really hard time getting it. People like you who have a real reason will have a hard time
Convincing a doctor youre not
About to abuse it and become some instagram model
I see no difference between what you're doing and a woman taking HRT, which is completely normalised and accepted.
Tell your boys "i could not man up and be a better father" so i started TRT. Sounds like what a man should do :D.
@@jackmehoff2363 Valid point and concern; it has some parallels to the CGM shortage concerns from the diabetic community.
@@ginag8723 Thanks for the kind words!
"I'm on TRT" is just "I got work done" for dudes
James already blasted steroids in the past. Seems more reasonable to take it now after he trashed himself , but i think true nattys should avoid steroids and TRT IS a steroid, no matter how much it seems to get brushed off as natural progression as u get older.
very rarely do cycles fully shut you down long term (TRUST ME). Some people just want to get on gear cause they dont look like PT's. That more as a consequence of no idea how to eat, train and recover, and then they blame genes. I cant take TRT cause it fcks up my blood pressure soo much, so I have learned to eat and train smarter to still make gains 53 plus. Humans just prefer the easy path. Discipline and effort are fkn hard
@@johnbiggs3912 ah since you said TRUST ME in capital letters thats enough edvidence that steroids don't shut people down, thanks
You're correct mate.
Stay off, unless you actually need it due to low test. It'll make very little positive difference unless your currently genuinely low, or unless you take a decent dose.
Small balls, bad skin, high BP, hairloss, natural shut down, cost, pining etc. All things you don't need. Especially as you're happy and doing great.
The small balls scares people but honestly it’s the least of the side effects that you end up caring about. Although I do miss my full sized eggs. But I’m one of the few guys that had an actual medical need for getting on it. It’s still caused by my own stupidity and recklessness abusing drugs, but without these meds I would suffer and lose all quality of life. It would be nice if people just owned it and said “I just wanna be slightly enhanced and not deal with natural fluctuations” instead of “oh no guys! I’m at 350ng/dl! I’m practically a 90yo man! I need TRT now”
For reference, my levels were at about 50ng/dl, and it took me 5 years to figure it out.
He goes more in depth about his desire to use roids on his other channel “theslappablejerk” if that’s not him then it’s his twin
@@stronk9760 😂 that’s not him it’s a dude that makes funny tik toks. Dude is really pretty funny.
Most people that think they are low, are basing this off a One time test, too. lol
Yeah it's a joke aye. As he said in the video he was overworked and under rested. Of course his test was going to be low.
I started at 38. The most noticeable thing was actually the well being effects for me personally, huge help with anxiety and self doubt along with better mood and drive
This is why I've been interested in TRT. not for gains in the gym, but mental health benefits
Major downside that no one talks about and sometimes mistake for an upside: the libido change making you JO furiously multiple times throughout the day. It diminishes after about a year but my god, that is not very fun in the beginning. Well, actually it does seem great initially, and then it quickly does not.
@dinosaurman4000 funnily enough if I'm to be fully honest with myself, it was the gym gains that peaked my interest initially. I was looking at the mental benefits as a nice bonus, but since I've lived it now for a good while the priority has completely switched, the mental benefits are everything and the gym gains are now the nice cherry on top. Absolutely zero regrets here
@dinosaurman4000 another thing for me is I noticed I'm making far more mature and sensible decisions since I started, it may be coincidental but it's noticeable
@@lurkingherkinSorry, but if you think you can inject chemicals to make you a more mature human; you’ve got your head up your ass.
Sorry but you are being a little hypocrital by railing on Eubanks but defending your friend. Is your friend gonna stop making videos and content? No? Then he’s also gaining the same thing as Eubanks, maybe not for the same reason, but they are both using steroids to further their career (I know plenty of Jiu jitsu guys who never touch steroids, so I don’t buy that, + there’s therapists for anxiety). He also talks about health a ton and now he’s sticking needles in his butt. I don’t have anything against people taking steroids and people who use them for their own personal reasons, I just can’t stand people who build up natty “cred” then go juice and wants us to just act like nothing has changed.
One of the reasons I watch your stuff is cause you are a rare natty on RUclips. Maybe you would get more views on steroids, probably lol. If so then I’ll also stop watching you, cause if I want to watch roided up guys, I got Jay Cutler and bodybuilders for that type of content.
You are absolutely SPOT ON and i think most viewers of Zack have the same opinions. If he does steroids i aint watching
Doing steroids for ju jitsu 🤦🏻♂️😂
I'm 47, good skin, no wrinkles. Will fix my muscles the old school way and save my skin
You really should've scrutinized this guy's credibility as a fitness influencer, as a lot of his viewers will be influenced by his choice to not fix his testosterone levels naturally. He's now another lifetime customer for big pharma.
More people (who are not the stans that dominate most of every influencer's own comment sections) should call him out for having defrauded his public for a year and a half. One you vocally brand yourself, as a representative of your for-profit fitness business, as clean (something no one forced you to do), you cannot quietly start taking PEDs and continue to rake in the profits without telling anyone. If you eventually do say something (and who knows how pure his motives were; perhaps he just thought he'd be pushing it by not acknowledging it by now) that does not take away from the previous time period's fraud.
In your case, TRT would only really help you if your T is low. Otherwise, you're just using testosterone. True TRT is Replacement for those who have low T, not something that's an augmentation of current test levels. Edit: Also, most who go on end up going back off because of side effects.
I noticed exactly the opposite, everyone who started never stopped from my environment, only I stopped because I got bored of being the biggest guy
@@RUclipsChillZone I can't remember where I saw the statistic, but overall, the vast majority stop because of side effects. (Edit: May have been Barbell Medicine) I had to stop because of anxiety, and bad acne didn't help either even though I'm older.
Also, people are really confusing TRT with outright testosterone use. TRT can help someone become healthier because they're lacking in what they need to have normal levels.
@@JeffO- The first T in TRT stands for Testosterone. Just saying.
@@gibbsm Steroids also usually start with testosterone too. The RT makes it what it is, replacement therapy. If people want to go on a low dose, they should just say so, otherwise it's totally confused with doing it for medical reasons. (I have a feeling I will lose this battle due to lack of attention to detail from the masses.)
Guy in my gym looks like he's in his late 30s and one day I struck up a conversation and found out he's actually 26. Gear, not even once.
That's mostly genetic probably
No, it's the drug abuse.
@@akalion213 exactly. I'm 46 and most people guess me 10 years younger and I've used gear for 15 years. It's a myth that gear ages you. It's all genetics. I was in Vegas last week and got carded (they have to card everyone) and the female clerk could not believe I was 46. Told my GF and me, I was smoking hot for my age. Don't fall for the "steroids age you" BS.
I've seen as much as 2 decades difference. I guessed a guy was close to 40 when he was my age. Heck a lot of pro bodybuilders you can add 2 to sometimes even 3 decades to their age
@@JasonS-eo7sh Not that I particularly enjoy backing up your point like this but I'm 34, look 44, and have never taken gear haha.
I just assume kids are on sarms/TRT at this point even if they are Mid. Makes me feel better about myself honestly .. never caved to the BS and saw through the fake nattys since day1
When you see how we their training and nutrition is vs their results, it's hard to conclude otherwise
That's not Testosterone Replacement Therapy, that's just going on testosterone.
I assume a person is on trt when they say Mid
Every time I guest pass at a gym with a lot of kids I am shocked all over again. Every time a physique looks decent for his age the kid starts talking casually about his PEDs like they are magic muscle candy. Then I hear all the kids who look like the chess club captain doing the same. A lot of high school athletes were on when I was a kid, more than most people know, but this is getting totally out of control!
@@salvadorromero9712 Wow. That's horrible. I workout in my basement so I'm glad I don't have to see that.
It’s okay for james but not okay for alex u-bank. Hypocrisy at its finest. Justify because the supposed reason is different (it’s total BS)
I must admit that I didn't get why it was ok at 35 "just to feel better" vs an influencer.
Imo, in both case they shouldn't take it.
Yeah, total cope take from Zack just because James is his friend.
Literally no health justification (like hypogonadism)
People instead of eating in a caloric surplus and training harder are taking the easy way. Always have been these people. Is eating in a constant surplus annoying? Yes. Is it better than potentially going in the ground 20 years earlier? Yes. I think it is.
When you mentioned "they make so much money" @5:20 I would bet 100% that the men putting their physical health on the line with steroids to look better are also putting their financial health on the line with MASSIVE amounts of debt just to look better.
Maybe the guys blasting and stacking. Actual TRT isn’t that expensive. Not necessarily cheap when you go to a clinic, but it’s still not like ozempic where they’re charging like $1500 a month.
I am 43, started training at 39 (played sports in high school but never weight trained more than a couple consecutive months)
I am in better shape now both cardio and strength. No HRT or anything beyond fish oil and creatine.
One day if i notice i am feeling “different “ for a long time i will talk to my doctor about HRT
until then i like going through airports without explaining my kit
I started late and l i’ll never be an alex eubanks but i’ll be a better me
It's like you were describing me. Started lifting at 38, 44 now and no TRT, zero supplements and I mean zero! All whole foods and weight lifting/cardio and I would say at 13% body fat at 202, with a good physic. I'm hoping to make it to 70 before I need TRT.
Yeah man, one of my personal pet peeves is when the big guy tells everyone they should be big or else they don't know how to train. Super odd bias considering all the reasons to train. Body building is its own thing and that's fine, but it isn't everything for everyone.
So many people talk about only going on TRT when your numbers are low which is nonsense.
You work with symptoms not numbers.
The world we live in seems almost tailor made to hammer our testosterone. Whether or not a guy goes on should never be influenced by people on the internet.
Talk to your doctor not a gym bro who is anti and just has an opinion.
Good post Zack.
The doctors will go based on the numbers before the symptoms. This was a very biased post and it shows
@ yes brother we both agree which really makes no sense though in the UK there does seem to be a little shift.
TRT is Testosterone replacement therapie! None of these influencers had low T monitored over a longer period of time. And none of them fixed livestyle issues before getting on TRT.
So you can just call TT. Testosterone Therapie!
Just don‘t call it TRT because there are people out there who really need TRT for what it was meant for!!
Disregarding the side effects and the fact that I don't have any of the symptoms that would call for TRT: For me, the practical side of it is huge. The fewer substances I have to rely on ingesting/injecting for the rest of my life, the better. There will most likely be enough of those anyway when I enter my 60s and 70s. I'm very, very glad that there are so many medications out there for people who need them, but for me it's a huge sense of freedom not having to think about bringing X amount of Y whenever I travel or stay somewhere other than my house. Not to mention the reliance on the supply chain.
(And again; this isn't a moral statement. I'm not one of those guys who think that every man should be an island and there's some superiority in being free of "dependencies", even when they're actually just normal interpersonal relationships with a give and take.)
This is a big one for me, I'm in my 40s and take no medications, I plan to keep it that way for as long as possible. I travel frequently, and never have to consider med supplies. And testosterone does not drop with age, if you stay eat well, sleep well, and exercise, you can maintain healthy test levels even into your 80s.
For all these people who don’t need TRT, I hope there will never be a major shortage for some reason or another. That would REALLY suck for those who need it to keep at a healthy level. I have heard the stories from people whose health, physical and mental, are a mess without TRT and the stress it puts on their lives when they can't get or afford the treatment due to shortages. I have will have very little sympathy for those who choose to go on TRT to build bigger muscles, knowing they make themselves reliant on it for the rest of their lives.
Also taking drugs to manage stress should be a last resort. This seems like a shortcut on Jame's part, that will only lead to potentially worse health out comes. He is pushing his body too much in the first place.
If you think you need trt at 25, you started late in life and trying to play catch up, you’re not working hard enough, or you’re lazy af…there is no way you should be juicing at 25 unless you’re an elite level bb or you got a medical issue. Using it for looks means you got deeper issues
This was clear as mud. Still don’t know how bro feels about it but I know he has feelings about it
So James takes TRT for 'feels' and thats ok, but when Alex does the same thing and it's a problem. The reality is they're both just trying to justify their use when it wasn't necessarily required. What level of jiu-jitsu are you performing at that you need TRT to feel good?
Stay natty brother. God bless 🙌
Just want to remind everyone that most people train natural and will never use steroids.
Been lifting for 10 years and have never looked like i lift and yet never went on gear proud of myself
If you feel good, there is no need to change anything.
You probably do look like you lift lol. People's perception of what is normal when it comes to physique development is just completely fucked nowadays because of all the fake nattys everywhere.
@yewtewbstew547 100%
You're probably jacked irl dude. Don't put yourself down
Lack of confidence is a super power. Normal people aren't willing to do whatever it takes to get that level of validation.
just can't shake the feeling it's simply becoming:
"amount of trt taken = number of lambo's available to buy"
There does seem to be a correlation, doesn’t there? 😂
Bro he is 100% going to start taking TRT…sounds like he’s starting to justify it talking about his friend on it.
No one should allow the opinions from people they don't know personally dictate how they feel about their body. Too many people think their opinions matter way more than they do and too many people enable them
i have to take trt due to a brain tumor inhibiting my natural production. trust me, its annoying and the feeling of being dependent sucks. once you start, you'll want to increase the numbers bc of the "what if", and then its over.
Im sorry youre going through that bro, wish u the best
Yeah people,don’t talk about that much, how there’s this weird temptation that happens where you start thinking “damn, I feel amazing at 120mg, I wonder what 160mg is like.” I have to take it because I’m on MAT and take methadone, so I have two medications where I have to deal with the whole being dependent on it part. It does suck. I’m at the highest take home step for MAT so for me it’s just like a monthly prescription, but it still sucks knowing that I can’t easily move if I wanted to take a job in another state or city. The whole “liquid handcuffs” thing. I am slowly tapering but I know damn well that the odds are stacked against me for any chance of getting the dose down to zero. But that’s all on me, I have to take responsibility for it because I’m the one who decided to abuse drugs years ago. There’s an odd catharsis in knowing that it’s my own fault, rather than it being from a health condition out of my control.
@ thank you, it's been 8 years already. started as a teenager and it has become normal, but it makes it all the more absurd to watch perfectly healthy people gamble with their physical and mental well being because of other peoples opinions. Zack for example really gives too much of a shit, which makes him prone to needing substances in the future
when you doing a video on chris williamson's trt
Chris injecting straight into his forearms
lol banter.
You're different people? hehe
🤣🤣
yeah fitness is a place of improvment and i love that you point out the negativity btw you look amazing my man
Great take mate, transparency with yourself is golden, what I felt Alex missed, yet James nailed.
William Burrows argued that modern society turns us into image junkies, consumed with the look of things more than the experience of things. Certainly today’s “fitness meta” is just reductio ad absurdum.
I think the irony of steroid use is that for “vanity’s sake” you throw away your skin health, organ health and you age rapidly. Again, all this for vanity... those things suuurly make look better.
And if you don’t die early because of heart issues you’ll have a considerably worse time health wise than your peers once you are actually old. Because you did “fitness”.
I see why bodybuilders do this. Athletes give up their health for the sake of their sports.
But to have your average impatient gym goer use the arguments of “vanity” and “I do fitness for my health” while abusing steroids is peak comedy.
Another RUclipsr not pushing trt but showing and telling how amazing they are and makes them feel lmao
I think going on TRT to manage stress and deal with tiredness is still an extreme step. TRT's normalization for these more feelings-based reasons, as opposed to reasons of appearance, is just as problematic, in my opinion. It's normal to be tired in your late 30s when you have a new-born. Do we need to medicate normal, human experience?
honestly, I already said to myself that IF I stay in the gym until I am 35, and give it a good effort, then I will truely consider trt as soon as I feel like it could help me. Until then I have another 10 years in which I have to prove to myself that this is not just a phase. Kinda have to earn it...
That dependency issue is a deal-breaker for me. At 58 years old, I would likely see some benefits from taking it, but I never will unless it somehow becomes a medical necessity for me to survive. I wonder how many of these young guys on it have ever considered what would happen if we have a major disaster, war, etc. that suddenly disrupts availability for an extended period of time. That would not go well.
Zack - your early videos helped me so much with weightlifting. You put out awesome info without selling anything. If any RUclipsr deserves $1M worth of cars and a $3M house, it’s you. Jump on that TRT and get yo self that Lambo.
Pretty sure it would not help with anxiety, cause it would boost your aggression and irritability a lot...
I'm 36 and had a terrible accident 4 years ago. Took 8 months of physical therapy to reach max medical improvement and the temporary and permanent disability made me my fattest while losing muscle mass. Spent these last few years focusing on doing everything for recovery and super super slow gains/regains. It's still extremely mid and sometimes I think about how much it might help my situation but I don't have any other symptoms besides the stress and depression but I feel like that's centered around the financial burden and pain. Not being able to sleep well enough because you're hurting too much and not earning enough sucks
10:80 unless you are hypogonadal, TRT would NOT help you. What would help is a 250 mg of test a week cycle that some people insist on calling TRT.
been on weekly low dose TRT for a few years now. due to severe stress combined with low numbers. It has helped me immensely.
you're gonna be on "trt" in a year or so, guarantee. so damn focused on it lol
I definitely won’t say never. A lot of things are ramping up in my life. Both personally and professionally. It would be nice to feel some extra power. Also it still kinda scares me. Like idk how down I am to be always injecting and dependent on something until I die.
This is the biggest problem because at the first major crisis you will have a big problem 2020 has shown that this is very likely in future
@zacktelander you You can certainly try it. Have hcg/hmg and enclomiphene so you can kickstart things again. The longer you're on, the longer you risk difficulties coming off.
@@zacktelander Yikes bro
Give it time. You’ll hop on, too.
One of us! One of us! One of us!
In my opinion unless your symptoms are chronic people need to start using the term testosterone optimization therapy, or TOT because if you go over what you should produce naturally even as your age declines for whats healthy for a younger you, you are optimizing. Which i have nothing against but i prefer we take 1 more degree of honesty.
You surprised? He's always been the "friendly" face of fitness grifts
Thumbed up cause your main thesis. I am good friends with a highly ranked IFBB pro. When asked what he’d recommend as a first cycle he said 300mg of trt.
The difference is prioritizing real life vs social media
James used to take steroids in the past anyway, he even said so himself in one of his OG videos. You do not need TRT at all unless a doctor recommends it. I'm 45 years old & 100kg (I just eat healthily & train 3 times a week for 25+ years) I also train jiu jitsu & am considered quite strong according to others.
Good for you bro
I was actually under the impression he had already admitted to taking TRT. The only thing that shocked me was that he hadn't already left the closet.
Teens/20 somethings taking "low" doses of test ain't trt. Everybody taking shit is on "trt". It's a f.... joke.
No there’s a small percentage of us that actually need it. But it’s a very very small percentage. It’s basically just a handful of genetic disorders, a few different cancers, and people on MAT who take methadone. That’s really about it, as far as people who NEED to take it. Everyone else just wants to take it.
The Deus Ex: HR Background - perfect match, well done!!!
Why are we jumping to the nuclear option of TRT before optimising everything else? Feels short sighted to just say oh I feel tired and stressed lets pump myself full of steroids. Barring any medical deficiencies you should optimise sleep, diet, training and life stress to account for this. Unfortunately you can't just jump off TRT when your done if you were on it for a while, that testosterone tap will be dry and you'll be a slave to it for the rest of your life.
ZT, I'm 41, still lift and thanks in part to you, I started oly lifting a few years ago. I wish I started that sooner in life, but oh well. I need to exercise as it helps mentally, but I have 2 kids and I have a hard time in life. Kids are hard and life is hard and certain things have never been easy for me.
I'm going to get some bloodwork done and see where ALL my levels are at, not just testosterone. I want feel better and like you, I don't care how I look. I want to be strong, but also, and perhaps more importantly, feel better.
We're all trying to improve, but taking TRT or any PED for the gains is just childish. Body building is just glorified body dysmorphia. No excuses, just improve mate.
I'd hop on TRT, and bigger lifts would be a nice bonus, cause like, hell yeah...but I've been dealing with depression, memory issues, and weird sleep for years. If that's cause of low T, man, my life would improve so much.
Guys just remember in the end its your body,do what you want and have to do with it. Internet nobody's and their opinion doesnt really matter dont let their opinion sway you when it comes to your health. Stay safe
I agree that how you feel matters the most! I strive to age gracefully naturally, with as few interventions as possible
You could easily hold off. At 46 I’ve still got more vectors to work and I’m still progressing and progressing in different ways. I only consider trt on premise of what you’ve said. If I need to knuckle down in the last decade of my best working years, it may seem a good answer even for health.
He said in his video that be blasted steroids at a young age which messed up his hormones, runs a business, had a kid, has low T and wants to feel better. It's not like other influencers who jump on TRT when because they just want to look bigger.
Which is almost precisely what I touched on in the video. James is my close friend
@@zacktelander Ik. This comment was directed for those who just want to write crap without watching his or your video.
The Lol just kidding got me 😂
I struggled with low test as early as 16, when I should’ve had crazy good numbers. At 28, after feeling like crap since 13 and not being able to keep weight off, while also making virtually no progress in the gym (no strength gains, no muscle gains, despite hiring a trainer and nutritionist), I finally said enough and hopped on TRT- it helped (mood, strength, gains, sleep all improved), but it killed my fertility right before my wife and I started trying to conceive. I came off and switched to HCG and enclomiphene, and after 6 months fertility was back. Dropped the HCG (too pricey), but just the enclomiphene is enough to keep my testosterone at a healthy amount, and it means no shots! Can’t recommend that route enough.
They always have to follow it up with "through a doctor"
The people on gear-lite or even TRT are going to have a tough time when they become collapse aware. I can get off stims in future and go back to caffeine, nicotine or a second line med, but can you get off TRT when supplies become constrained?
I'd be scared shitless of that reliance; I'd have to get full tits to consider hopping on.
Testosterone is one of the easiest drugs to manufacture and synthesize. It’s cheap to make and there’s an abundance of it across the market. If there’s no test, there’s prob also no food on th shelves either, and you’d have much bigger problems to deal with than not being able to inject. Either way, living your life that way, constantly stressing about what you’ll do if society and/or the economy collapses, seems like a horribly miserable way to live. There’s a reasonable amount of prepping and planning, and then there’s freaking out and stressing over things so far out of your control.
find it quite troublesome that so many people view this as a cure to mental health issues.. instead of attacking the root causes, throwing a bandaid on a hole for a pool will only work for so long before the water all pours out
bro don't start TRT before going to psychotherapy i know it's a meme at this point but i think you can afford a ethical psychologist to help you cope with anxiety
The clip where the guy says Eubank's getting mogged is wild because the guy in the foreground looks like he's never been to the gym lol.
"Inflation is real!" 😂💯
Saw Greg cold start and rev one of his Hypercars on a recent review with those TikTok gymbros and *brap brap brap* ya boy doesn't give a fuck bout those monsters in the garage be pretty cool to be able to disrespect such crazy machines like that
If you're not taking care of your body first i would not even consider TRT. I would recommend against getting on TRT if you don't *need* it. Most guys need to get their life in order, not get on TRT.
I've been on TRT for 4 years. I started at 34 years old after being diagnosed with Hashimotos and then finding my total T was 190. I felt tired and had brain fog all the time while having a family and being a first responder.
Before i began TRT, i was already lifting consistently for years, doing some cardio, sleeping 9 hours a night and my diet was solid. I *needed* TRT to feel normal again. Now, my total T on maintenance is about 900 and i feel pretty normal again.
Guys I've talked to who were interested in it (some on their mid 20s) had mediocre or poor life habits and wanted an easy fix.
the hyper-aging from roids is scary
These pearl-clutching videos are so hilarious. All the outrage and the enrage-oh my!😮😂
Stay natty-you don’t want to look like a grandfather in your 40s. I’ve been running into old friends at the gym who took roids, and now they look 10 years older than me, with thinning hair, alligator-like skin, and high blood pressure.
The same guys who scoff at junkies are the ones justifying their insecurities by taking TRT. Ironically, by their 50s, junkies and roid users will end up looking the same.
guys you know you can also go to a therapist if you struggle with anxiety
And waste a few years on therapy and a small fortune.
Hormonal intervention is practically immediate and easily reversible, even if it does not bring any expected effect.
Or you could pay a "shaman" to rub crystals on your body to realign the negative energies that are causing the anxiety
@@jonnyoneplate 😂 therapy is not a pseudoscience, mate
@@AndiGraz🙄lol good luck with that
@@jonnyoneplate I've already had
42yo and never thought of doing trt. Idgaf. I may look like a dad, but I can move things like a dad too.
Looking like a Dad without kids isn't the flex you think it is
@@matthewgriffiths527having balls the size of a grape ain't a flex neither
@@matthewgriffiths527Hoping on chemicals isnt the flex you think it is. Its a weak pathetic cope move.
It's ok, all about freedom and being honest to yourself. If it is "required", then it can be unhealthy to not take it. Best to avoid it for just clicks or money. But good to take if required.
2025 and Zack on here explaining why he doesn't want to take TRT as if it's not normal to stay natural. Fuck.
Maybe we're meant to age. Maybe we're meant to struggle with the reality of raising a child. Maybe we're meant to hit lows.
...Maybe there are some serious gains left on the table there when you opt out and reach for the juice.
Mind gains?
Seriously, the expectations of bf%, size, as well as strength measures, like bench, deadlift, etc, is bonkers. And it's compounded by unrealistic expectations on time to achieve it as well. Craziness.
TRT is definitely not all roses. It’s not something to be taken lightly. I started it at 43. A new man never told me that because my body’s over 20% I will get a lot of extra oestrogen which presents itself with more DHtT conversion which gives you slight blotchy skin and low mood,so gotta work condition to get the most out of it. I’ve been told so many times down the years that sure your strong and athletic but your pretty fat lol as if that’s the only measure of success
would be dope if you and Dylan react to another vintage weightlifting training
The goal for the "senzu bean" of fitness for many is an addictive thing - they think its the TRT, they take it - love it, until other health complications begin 5-7 years later then look for the next senzu bean to replenish themselves.
I wonder how many of the people on TRT, eat well, sleep well, reduce stress, don't drink and manage all the other issues that affect hormones.
Who are these doctors prescribing this to young guys? I’m turning 70, still hitting the gym and bike riding. I went to my doctor because I’m tired a lot and have night sweats, muscle loss. A blood test later revealed I was low but not abnormally low. A few years later I went back after a blood test and my t was up. He asked me how I did it? I have no idea but I still sleep like crap! I’m in the age group that needs it! And yes , vanity is a part of it!
The 'How you look meta' is true in any aspect of sports. I officiate HS sports on top of competing in weightlifting and powerlifting and as a basketball official they care much more how you look than how well you know the rules or how well you call the game. Look the way they think you should look and you'll shoot to the top.
Unless you have low T despite best non-pharmalogical attempts to increase it, I'd stay away from it. Adding Test throws too many things out of whack.