New to TRT, need help understanding how to approach weights.

[PushrodV8]

I was just approved for TRT on 3 days/week, T Cyp 200 mg/ml @ 0.25 ml SQ with accompanying medicine HCG and E2 blocker symptoms arise.

I need to lose weight, I am 6'3, 260. While my frame holds it well, I am a fat ass by medical definition and I want to fix that.

However, I also want to build muscle like before I hit this downward spiral of hypogonadism.

Will lifting heavy + eating a surplus to build muscle, still allow me to lose weight because of the TRT or will I gain muscle but still be a fatty?

I understand the principles of calories in/out, but adding in trt to the equation, I wasn't sure if I could eat and lift to gain and still burn fat down to a healthier level.

Hope this all made sense, thanks for your time!

 

[madman]

I was just approved for TRT on 3 days/week, T Cyp 200 mg/ml @ 0.25 ml SQ with accompanying medicine HCG and E2 blocker symptoms arise.

I need to lose weight, I am 6'3, 260. While my frame holds it well, I am a fat ass by medical definition and I want to fix that.

However, I also want to build muscle like before I hit this downward spiral of hypogonadism.

Will lifting heavy + eating a surplus to build muscle, still allow me to lose weight because of the TRT or will I gain muscle but still be a fatty?

I understand the principles of calories in/out, but adding in trt to the equation, I wasn't sure if I could eat and lift to gain and still burn fat down to a healthier level.

Hope this all made sense, thanks for your time!

Diet is key and at 6"3 260 if you are holding a lot of body fat than you will definitely need to go on a calorie deficit to loose fat.

Sure healthy testosterone levels are important when it comes to gaining muscle/loosing fat but understand that regardless of whether one achieves testosterone levels in the mid-normal or high-normal physiological range from trt doses (100-150mg/week) even though one will notice improvements in body composition (muscle gain/fat loss) and better overall recovery trt doses are in no way comparable to steroid doses of testosterone (300-600mg/week) which would put ones testosterone levels well into the supra-physiological range allowing one to see significant gains in muscle/strength and recovery.

The only way one is going to build a lot of muscle is using testosterone in high doses.

Sure with a good diet and proper training when on trt one will see overall improvements but do not expect miracles regarding muscle growth!

 

[PushrodV8]

Thank you for your response. I may have worded it wrong, I have been like this for a good 5 + years now, and I wasn't sure how my body would respond to being normal levels again(I am low 200s, high 100's) I wasn't sure if it would be beneficial to take advantage of the initial normalizing and lift heavy or if it would even matter at all, or if I should just focus on getting to a healthy weight, while still lifting.

 

[Nashtide]

Being on TRT will make it easier to build muscle and lose fat, but it's not a miracle drug. If I were you, I'd focus on losing fat. Eat a clean diet and lower carb intake. Lift weights and do plenty of HIIT cardio. 6'3" and 260 is way too big to be in prime health. I would shoot for sub 20% body fat which is probably in the ballpark of 190-200lbs.

 

[PushrodV8]

thank you for your response nashtide, I would prefer to be in the 200s.

 

[Nashtide]

thank you for your response nashtide, I would prefer to be in the 200s.

You can be in the 200's but it's extremely unlikely that you can be 210 and lean. Not impossible, but you'd have to be jacked like an NFL running back to be north of 200lbs at 6'3". If long term health is what you're looking for, then leanness should be the goal. Depending on your age, that means a body fat % of no more than 20%.

 

[PushrodV8]

The ultimate goal was to be in shape, with a good platform to focus solely on eating for lifting heavy, basically as much lean muscle mass as genetically possible natural. Since trt will normalize me, or that is the goal, whatever lean muscle mass I can make my body produce at its normal levels. I have a nice power rack with olympic weights, so squat, bench, deadlift, ohp are some of the staples I can easily do and want to start once I get to feeling better.

 

[Nashtide]

The ultimate goal was to be in shape, with a good platform to focus solely on eating for lifting heavy, basically as much lean muscle mass as genetically possible natural. Since trt will normalize me, or that is the goal, whatever lean muscle mass I can make my body produce at its normal levels. I have a nice power rack with olympic weights, so squat, bench, deadlift, ohp are some of the staples I can easily do and want to start once I get to feeling better.

How old are you? Age has a lot to do with the ability to pack on muscle. Once you get north of 50 it becomes pretty tough to add a lot of lean muscle mass. IMHO, there are several facets of "being in shape". Strength, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, lbm, bf%, all blood work and blood pressure wnl, etc.

 

[PushrodV8]

I am 28. My test levels were low 200s, dipping under 199. I am hoping a resurgence to normal levels will help me get back into bodybuilding. When I was 18, I was sub 200, now I am just a floppy mess.

 

[Nashtide]

I am 28. My test levels were low 200s, dipping under 199. I am hoping a resurgence to normal levels will help me get back into bodybuilding. When I was 18, I was sub 200, now I am just a floppy mess.

Okay, different story. If you get your T levels into the high normal range and eat a clean, healthy diet and lift weights with a purpose and do HIIT, you can definitely reach your fitness goals and stay in the range of 200-210.

 

[PushrodV8]

eating clean meaning at a surplus and lifting to build? Or eating clean at 500 below TDEE and lifting to build.

I am assuming by the addition of HIIT, you lift/cardio and eat at a deficit but your still put on lean muscle?

 

[Vince]

For me to lose my extra fat was it go low carb, I can't believe what a difference it made in my physique and also my lipid panel (probably something you don't care about). I would at least have a complete thyroid panel with reverse T3, if your thyroid is out of whack you really have a hard time in losing weight.

Ben Bikman believes wholeheartedly in a low carb diet.

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...an-believes-wholeheartedly-in-a-low-carb-diet

A low-carb diet for beginners

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?14206-A-low-carb-diet-for-beginners

 

[PushrodV8]

Thanks Vince!

We have a thyroid panel planned at 90 days. I have done low carb before, I don't have any problems losing weight with it, but due to the low T, I just lose the motivation to keep it going and say screw it and back to old habits.

I hope once I start the protocol and everything takes time to normalize I can keep that drive going. I am almost certain I will,

 

[Vince]

Thanks Vince!

We have a thyroid panel planned at 90 days. I have done low carb before, I don't have any problems losing weight with it, but due to the low T, I just lose the motivation to keep it going and say screw it and back to old habits.

I hope once I start the protocol and everything takes time to normalize I can keep that drive going. I am almost certain I will,

Once you start seeing results, it's a lot easier to stay motivated. When you have your thyroid panel make sure they do the reverse T3, I just started synthetic T3, 8 weeks ago. It really helps me through my workouts.

can cytomel by itself be used to treat hypothyroidism

https://www.excelmale.com/forum/sho...mel-by-itself-be-used-to-treat-hypothyroidism

 

[Nashtide]

eating clean meaning at a surplus and lifting to build? Or eating clean at 500 below TDEE and lifting to build.

I am assuming by the addition of HIIT, you lift/cardio and eat at a deficit but your still put on lean muscle?

It's generally agreed that losing fat and building muscle at the same time is tough. The key reason is in order to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit and to gain muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus. Now, you can certainly lose fat and maintain muscle mass and really add definition at the same time. So the decision is yours. If I were in your shoes, I would cut first then lean bulk later. So I would start in a calorie deficit by cycling carbs. Almost no carbs on rest days and moderate carbs on gym days. Try to keep most of the carbs in the peri-workout period. Eat lots of protein and good fats. Use HIIT to torch fat and rev your metabolism. As you lean out your physique will improve dramatically. At your age, abs should be a goal. That usually means about 12% bf.

 

[madman]

It's generally agreed that losing fat and building muscle at the same time is tough. The key reason is in order to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit and to gain muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus. Now, you can certainly lose fat and maintain muscle mass and really add definition at the same time. So the decision is yours. If I were in your shoes, I would cut first then lean bulk later. So I would start in a calorie deficit by cycling carbs. Almost no carbs on rest days and moderate carbs on gym days. Try to keep most of the carbs in the peri-workout period. Eat lots of protein and good fats. Use HIIT to torch fat and rev your metabolism. As you lean out your physique will improve dramatically. At your age, abs should be a goal. That usually means about 12% bf.

10-12% bf is lean but to truly see the abdominal muscles one would need to be sub 10% as in single digits (6-8%).

 

[Nashtide]

10-12% bf is lean but to truly see the abdominal muscles one would need to be sub 10% as in single digits (6-8%).

I'm not sure about those numbers. Being 6-8% bf is elite. I think you can definitely see abs at 12. Not like a bodybuilder prepping for competition, but like an actor.

 

[madman]

I'm not sure about those numbers. Being 6-8% bf is elite. I think you can definitely see abs at 12. Not like a bodybuilder prepping for competition, but like an actor.

In my avatar I am around 8%.

One could see abs at 10-12% but you are not ripped!

 

[Nashtide]

In my avatar I am around 8%.

One could see abs at 10-12% but you are not ripped!

The OP doesn't want to be ripped. Just in good shape. So my point to him is at his age, good shape should include seeing abs. That's why I suggested 12%. If he gets from 6'3" 260 down to visible abs he'll be pretty happy I'd imagine...

 

[PushrodV8]

Abs again would be nice, I was 16 when I last saw those mystical unicorns