T Nation

Considering Gear

#1

So I’ve been silently researching AAS for some time now, I have source recommendations from friends, I’m 36 years old, work an office job 10 hours a day plus a commute which leaves me very little time for the family and gym. I have worked out off and on, mainly on, since I was 14 with consistent stints of up to 2 years before taking a life break. Diet has alway been my biggest problem, not the workouts. For the past year I have found ways to get my 45-60 minute workout sessions in 3-5 times a week depending on the program I am following. I have noticed that the last few years have added a few inches to my waistline which I am not happy about which brings me here;

Stats: 36 yrs old, 5’ 11", 215 pounds
Here are my 3RM for a few exercises. Ya I know my squat is weak but I am recovering from a knee injury.
Bench 260#
Squat 320#
I have no idea what my BF is.

I am getting blood work done in a few weeks to see what my levels are but at this point I am strongly considering a cycle of Test to help me shrink my waist a little and obviously add a little more muscle. I am looking for recommendations to push me one way or another. Would Hot-Rox along with a strict diet help me shape up or am I am the point where AAS makes sense.

#2

Lose the fat first. Let your weight stabilize. Then decide about AAS.

Every extra pound of fat you have is basically a mini endocrine organ. It excretes the aromatase enzyme to convert testosterone into estrogen. That’s fine if you are at a healthy body fat percentage because you need some estrogen.

If you’re fat you have too much aromatase enzyme which is bad for natural lifters and even worse for people on AAS.

Do you weigh your food and log it on myfitnesspal? I’d recommend logging everything you eat for a month and seeing what your weight does, then adjust.

Source: I’m fat with a sedentary job. Correcting it this year.

#3

Thanks for quick reply. Last year I got very strict with the my diet, logged everything, weighed everything for 12 weeks. I went from 217 pounds to 194 pounds but I lost a lot of strength and just felt weak. I was carb cycling during the diet which lead to the weak feeling and I realized that was an unsustainable routine. My diet is clean, no fast food, 90% of the time whole foods, 3 meals a day consist of chicken, lean beef, turkey, rice and veggies. The hard part is that by the time I finish working out, I have to get to sleep within a 1-2 hours so that I can be ready for work. Assuming I am sleeping 2 hours after workout that only leaves me 6 hours of sleep which isn’t always enough to recover.

#4

Your situation sounds familiar to what I was dealing with.
I second what basement said. Loose some more weight before you cycle. When you do cycle is there a period during the year where stuff seems to be a bit more predictable or just less demanding? For myself I found right before the end of the fiscal year it could be real slow or crazy busy and of course after the start between work and holidays it was just hard to be steady with the gym. I found spring and summer was my best bet with easy work load. Just something for you to think about when timing your cycle.

To help with weight loss I have used t3 it did help. It’s not something I would recommend without knowing your families medical history. If it is something you are open to then go research. The thing that helped me was putting on muscle. A pound of muscle burns about 30-50 calories a day, and a pound of fat burns 2-3 calories a day.

So if you could at least keep your muscle active as possible and gains a few pounds of lean mass during the time of year your busiest at work then you all the better set up for your cycle.

As far as keeping the muscle active I am going to share something that might get you some weird looks but it WORKS. Go get one of those big ass blow up body balls sometimes I have heard them called pilates balls but idk if that is just a miss label. Bring that ball to work and use it instead of your office chair. You end up having to keep your body core in a tense state to stay balanced. You don’t get to slouch or relax and use the chair back to keep you up right.
I know the idea of bringing the ball to work and using it sounds dumb but it works. People might look at it funny but someone shared it with me and I even use one at home now.

#5

Thanks for the reply. The damn office job is killing me! Before i had an office job staying fit was much easier. I dont really have any downtime to plan around. It doesnt matter if budgets are due, projects are always occuring so my options for a workout window are pretty fixed. Now i am on the hunt for a good workout program to follow while cutting. Also im trying to locate or devise a diet that is sustainable unlike carb cycling.

#6

It sounds like your current job is the problem. Are you able to change jobs? Kind of crazy to take drugs so you can respond in a way you would if you worked 50 hours a week including commute & slept 8 hours per night.

If you can’t change jobs, are you able to build ‘invisible exercise’ into your working day?

I’m thinking using a train not a car so you can stand not sit on the commute. Stop a few miles from work & Cycle, walk or run to the office twice a day.

Are you able to put a home gym in your house? Then you could train very early, recoup on the commute then cycle, walk or run to the office.

Can you get a standing desk? That makes a big difference to your waistline.

Can you negotiate a gym pass from your employer for a gym close to the office & use flexi- time to train at lunch 3 times a week?

Just ideas really

#7

The real solution to your problem isn’t drugs. It’s learning to suffer for a cause that’s important to you. Find the time to get to the gym, whether it’s 4am or your lunch break, and get disciplined on your diet and the rest will fall into place. The drugs will really work once you do that. Sorry for the harsh-sounding opinion. I’ve been up since 4am and am at my high-pressure, long-hours job.