Age 60+ and on TRT

[North120]

At well over 60, I was surprised to learn that I had osteoporosis. My doctor got suspicious since I am of normal weight and reasonably active for my age. My bones should be holding up better than they are. He tested me for T levels and my total T was half the minimum, and my free T was one-third the minimum. Not good, even for a guy pushing 70 fast. It seems that low T is a big cause of osteoporosis for older men.

I get 80 mg a week in one sub-dermal shot. My doc want to get me into a normal range for a man in his 50's and 60's. It will take at least a year to see if it helps strengthen my bones. But, in the mean time I am wondering what other benefits older guys have experienced. I think my libido is getting a boost, but I certainly don't have the drive I had at 22. Still the woman in my life should be happier.

I had been a member of a gym for about a year and a half. I quit partly due to my travel schedule, partly due to the fact I was facing surgery, but mostly because I did not notice much of a difference in my body. No matter how hard I pushed the workouts, progress was very slow. After an initial jump in strength, I basically hit a plateau at about 6 months and went nowhere for the next year. Could that be the low T holding me back?

I guess I am interested in hearing from men in the 60+ group. What worked, and what didn't.?

 

[BigBamBoo]

There are some VERY in shape and active 60+ members here who I am sure will chime in.

Plateaus happen at any age when working out. Usually means you need to change your workout routine.

Good luck to you.

 

[North120]

There are some VERY in shape and active 60+ members here who I am sure will chime in.

Plateaus happen at any age when working out. Usually means you need to change your workout routine.

Good luck to you.

I hope that the getting my T into normal levels helps with increasing my strength. And, I will experiment with the workouts.

 

[North120]

I am also wonderintg about those men who have diagnosed with osteoperosis and are getting TRT to help with that. How long have have you ahd TRT and has it helped? Right now this is my #1 concern.

 

[Cataceous]

Prior to TRT I had three rib fractures in three years. A DEXA scan result was characterized as "borderline osteopenia." After a year of TRT a followup DEXA scan showed normal bone density.

 

[North120]

Prior to TRT I had three rib fractures in three years. A DEXA scan result was characterized as "borderline osteopenia." After a year of TRT a followup DEXA scan showed normal bone density.

Thanks for that information. I need a bit of hope since am just over the borderline for osteoporosis.

 

[Mojo88]

I'm 68, been self-injecting (100mg/wk) for about 8 years. You should learn how to give yourself the shots. Very easy, and less pain once you master the techniques.

18 months ago I weighed 175lbs, and at 6'2" I was looking skinny. I was an avid hiker, but no weights, plus I had been doing mostly vegan diet. 20 years ago I weighed 260, so 175 was just too light, and my muscle mass was decreasing for sure. So I started reading up, I wanted to gain weight and muscle.

I joined local Planet Fitness, started lifting weights, eating more meat, adding in supplements (like Creatine Monohydrate) and protein powders. Plus I really tried to clean up my diet, no junk food, all organic. Anyway, I noticed good results quickly and now weigh in at 210, with my arms and shoulders much better looking. I got rid of my "pencil neck" too, LOL.

I've over-trained three times so far, with an injury each time. It's easy to get carried away and the temptation is to always push over your limit, otherwise the results are minimal. As they say "no pain, no gain", but at age 60+ you gotta be careful. I guess I'm a gym rat now, never thought I would be, but I really enjoy it, plus it's awesome to be in better shape than some guys half my age!! Sometimes I actually have ladies giving me the eye.................woohoo....

 

[Mountain Man]

I'm 68, been self-injecting (100mg/wk) for about 8 years. You should learn how to give yourself the shots. Very easy, and less pain once you master the techniques.

18 months ago I weighed 175lbs, and at 6'2" I was looking skinny. I was an avid hiker, but no weights, plus I had been doing mostly vegan diet. 20 years ago I weighed 260, so 175 was just too light, and my muscle mass was decreasing for sure. So I started reading up, I wanted to gain weight and muscle.

I joined local Planet Fitness, started lifting weights, eating more meat, adding in supplements (like Creatine Monohydrate) and protein powders. Plus I really tried to clean up my diet, no junk food, all organic. Anyway, I noticed good results quickly and now weigh in at 210, with my arms and shoulders much better looking. I got rid of my "pencil neck" too, LOL.

I've over-trained three times so far, with an injury each time. It's easy to get carried away and the temptation is to always push over your limit, otherwise the results are minimal. As they say "no pain, no gain", but at age 60+ you gotta be careful. I guess I'm a gym rat now, never thought I would be, but I really enjoy it, plus it's awesome to be in better shape than some guys half my age!! Sometimes I actually have ladies giving me the eye.................woohoo....

I am 65, lifting and working out since 1967. I have had more than my fair share of injuries from working out and know what that pain from injuries feels like all too well. I work out at home, mostly with bands and a little dumbell work from a bow flex adjustable set. You almost can’t injure yourself with bands, as the most joint straining parts of the moves are taken out. You also can work in multiple planes of motion, which is why they are a staple in physical therapy. It’s also harder to overtrain. I still work full time and going to a gym is not going to really fit in. Good job getting into the muscle building aspect of TRT. When guys in their 60s say they “don’t want to look like a bodybuilder,” I don’t believe it. I think it is an excuse for not working hard. No, it’s not likely that any of us are going to look like Arnold, but it is fun to get double takes when wearing a tank top or being shirtless. I’m married 32 years and still want to impress the wife, which I do. Great post guy!

 

[Roy5678]

59 years old here, 2 months into TRT. Recommend the kettle bell swing and the Turkish getup ie “Pavel’s Simple and Sinister” program.

 

[DragonBits]

At well over 60, I was surprised to learn that I had osteoporosis.

I think my libido is getting a boost, but I certainly don't have the drive I had at 22. Still the woman in my life should be happier.

I guess I am interested in hearing from men in the 60+ group. What worked, and what didn't.?

I am guessing that isn't exactly what you meant to say.

Currently I am 67.

My first GF got me a life time membership to a gym in 1975, she made the initial down payment and I paid the rest of the contract, kept it ever since, now it's $50 a year to LA Fitness. Can't beat that price. Before that I used to work out at home, my dad made me a work bench I used to use, so I have been exercising for as long as I remember.

I never had a serious injury, some overuse stains like groin pull, rotator cuff strain, knee stain, but the type of thing that goes away after 1-5 months. Over time I have worked out with most routines people mention, free weights, bands, cables, pneumatic weight machines, computer controlled weight machines, etc, but I tend to use nautilus type machines most often.

Right now I do pyramid training, but at the end of the heavy set I throw in 15-20 reps at 50% of the 1 rep max.

What didn't work? Everything else besides TRT. Supplements, continuing to work out, dhea, etc. None of that worked.

I first noticed the slow down in 1995 when I was 43, my total T at that time was 376 ng/dl (348-1197). Lack of energy, desire to nap a lot, lower libido, weight gain. But the endocrinologist at the time said I was normal, though I knew that something had changed for the negative. But after seeming a couple of other doctors, I sort of lost interest in the subject, just accepting it as normal.

Slowly gained weight from 145>190, at 5.4 that is pretty heavy.

I never had ED, but didn't have a strong interest in sex, though in 2009 after a 7 year absence from any sex, I had sex with a new woman.

That reminded me of what I was missing, so I went to a doctor in Bangkok where I was on vacation at the time. He gave me a PSA test and an EKG, then a shot of Nebido, (testosterone undecanoate). I am pretty sure my total T was still around 350, though it was never tested.

So despite the long delay, my start on TRT was remarkably easy. I was pretty much self directed ever since, though I have at times worked with a doctor, for me I can take them (doctors) or leave them.

After TRT in 2009, first thing I saw was a huge burst of energy, in the next 6 months I went from 190 >145. Libido was the same as when I was 22, but better since I had a lot more experience. For a time in 2010-2011, libido was off the charts, higher than when I was a teenager.

Now I have "settled down" to what I was call a normal libido, good ability to exercise, my blood glucose has come down, weight is still around 145, strength about the same as always, maybe a little stronger, little more bulky, but my cardio isn't as strong as when I was 40 and would run 5 miles. But I haven't been focusing on cardio.

Having been on and off TRT twice, there is no way I will ever stop, it's a world of difference and quite easy to feel the difference.

I have no idea of what my bone density is, I have been called hard headed.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

After an initial jump in strength, I basically hit a plateau at about 6 months and went nowhere for the next year. Could that be the low T holding me back?

YES!!!! No amount of training, eating etc is going to overcome lack of hormones. It's like expecting body putty to harden without the hardener. If that were not the case you'd see natural/tested women's physique competitors looking like the pros, to cite one example. Now, there could be other reasons as well, but you have to fix the hormones anyway.

 

[Cooper]

I am 65, lifting and working out since 1967. I have had more than my fair share of injuries from working out and know what that pain from injuries feels like all too well. I work out at home, mostly with bands and a little dumbell work from a bow flex adjustable set. You almost can’t injure yourself with bands, as the most joint straining parts of the moves are taken out. You also can work in multiple planes of motion, which is why they are a staple in physical therapy. It’s also harder to overtrain. I still work full time and going to a gym is not going to really fit in. Good job getting into the muscle building aspect of TRT. When guys in their 60s say they “don’t want to look like a bodybuilder,” I don’t believe it. I think it is an excuse for not working hard. No, it’s not likely that any of us are going to look like Arnold, but it is fun to get double takes when wearing a tank top or being shirtless. I’m married 32 years and still want to impress the wife, which I do. Great post guy!

Mountain Man what is your TRT program look like? Cream or injections? Any AI?

 

[North120]

One of the quickest benefits of TRT has been better sleep. Pre TRT I would wake up avery 2-3 hours to use the bathroom. Now, I easily go 4-6 hours before I wake up and sometimes all the way through the night.

"I think my libido is getting a boost, but I certainly don't have the drive I had at 22. Still the woman in my life should be happier."

Yes, I didn't phrase that quite right. I should have said, "the women in my life seem a bit friskier these days." Did I mention one of the advantages of old-age is that the male/female ratio starts to tilt rather dramatically in favor of being a man? So, it pays to stay as fit as a guy can be.

"YES!!!! No amount of training, eating etc is going to overcome lack of hormones."

Sadly true in my case for the past few years. Live and learn. Hopefully, the future will be better.

 

[Mountain Man]

Mountain Man what is your TRT program look like? Cream or injections? Any AI?

140 mg testosterone cypionate weekly. No AI or HCG. I eat pretty clean get my sleep and work out daily. Resistance bands, pushups, and occasional dumbell work and Schwinn air dyne on alternate days.

 

[SilverSurfer]

I am 65, lifting and working out since 1967. I have had more than my fair share of injuries from working out and know what that pain from injuries feels like all too well. I work out at home, mostly with bands and a little dumbell work from a bow flex adjustable set. You almost can’t injure yourself with bands, as the most joint straining parts of the moves are taken out. You also can work in multiple planes of motion, which is why they are a staple in physical therapy. It’s also harder to overtrain. I still work full time and going to a gym is not going to really fit in. Good job getting into the muscle building aspect of TRT. When guys in their 60s say they “don’t want to look like a bodybuilder,” I don’t believe it. I think it is an excuse for not working hard. No, it’s not likely that any of us are going to look like Arnold, but it is fun to get double takes when wearing a tank top or being shirtless. I’m married 32 years and still want to impress the wife, which I do. Great post guy!

Exactly! I’m 50, and feel the same. The only difference now between 50 year old me and 25 year old me, is that I have to workout smarter, and harder, than I did at 25, but given that I don’t drink or party anymore that part is easier. I’m also more patient, like myself as is a whole lot more, and trade max weight for max reps. Sure, I may not be as big as I was at 25, I am far more ripped, and better balanced as an athlete as I do some yoga, and am forced to vary my training routine to avoid / lessen injuries.

 

[Cooper]

SilverSurfer do you mind sharing your protocol?

 

[Roy5678]

Exactly! I’m 50, and feel the same. The only difference now between 50 year old me and 25 year old me, is that I have to workout smarter, and harder, than I did at 25, but given that I don’t drink or party anymore that part is easier. I’m also more patient, like myself as is a whole lot more, and trade max weight for max reps. Sure, I may not be as big as I was at 25, I am far more ripped, and better balanced as an athlete as I do some yoga, and am forced to vary my training routine to avoid / lessen injuries.

I’ve read that max weight is more important the older we get

 

[broker]

Any of you guys have prostate issues? Bph ?

 

[North120]

One thing for certain, at 60+ it's a lot easier to get injured and a lot longer to recover. For that reason I am very careful. One injury that knocks me out of training for a month can undo several months of training.

It's been two months since I started my 80mg a week routine of TRT. So far I don't notice much difference in muscle or fat reduction. I certainly sleep better. and the libido has been cranked up a notch or two.

 

[Mountain Man]

My prostate, which has been enlarged since I was in my 40s, has fluctuated since on TRT. It showed a sudden rise last year, but has for some reason, dropped. A lot of guys here advise not to have a biopsy, but I had one and it showed no cancer. It was not painful, just a little uncomfortable. I am with Morgantaler’s clinic and he did the pre and post review with me. He believes that prostate in most men rises independently of the use of TRT. I know that sex before and exercise in the previous 48 hours can adversely effect the PSA score. I had sex the night before my recent bloodwork and worked out on my Schwinn Air Dyne hard the day of the bloodwork. I think you find a doctor that you trust and follow their protocols.