E2 test is a good idea. Make sure your keyed in to how you feel and dont make knee jerk reactions based on numbers on paper.
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Slow and steady man. I knew I should have just dropped the AI once I lowered my dose. My body fat has dropped at least a few percent over the last month or so so Im in a diff spot than I was 6 months ago when I was on 120mg a week. Learning as I go.
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BROTHER, it is NOT worth it. Iām telling you, the slow creep is what always got me.
The skin on the back of my knuckles getting super dry and scaly was another clue for me.
Now if my e2 fluctuates low, I feel it in my knees, and my wrist joints. Everything snaps.
A lot of my joints still snap very loudly and im constantly having to stretch my joints.
Get yourself squared away bro before you do semi permanent or permanent damage.
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I find that funny. I cant use popping joints as my e2 indicator. I know my e2 isnt low and my joints pop anyway. My joints pop so much that when I put my kids to bed I try and sneak out and my popping ankles wake them up. They jump up and ask me not to leave. Lol. I pop all over.
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Im with you man, especially my ankles. Years of skateboarding injuries (and being fat) took its toll. Strangely enough not my knees. I will have to ponder the last couple weeks to see if I can come up with any other changes that are indicators.
I have been increasingly tired in the evening the last couple of weeks. Libido has been good though. I did put on 5 lbs rather quickly this week. Last Saturday (after thanksgiving and a weekend of whatever drinking) I weighed in at 213 which was my lowest in a long time and then this AM I am up to 218.5 after an IF day on Wednesday and just regular eating and rest albeit with a little bit of stress this week. Strange though.
Iāve been going through similar stuff lately. Feels like Iām coming out of it. Iām sure Iām just stabilizing and Iāll deal with more of the same over the next 3 weeks. Iām feeling very strong right now. Setting personal records every day. Hit 275 for 6 reps this morning and thatās a PR. Feeling very good. Making a bit of a scene in the gym but my give a f dial is at absolute zero right now.
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Very cool man, congrats! With my shoulders bothering me OHP and benching has been problematic and with my knee(s) squats have been harder. After my surgery Im only allowed to hit 45 degrees on those but this week with the other knee acting up its making everything hard. So basically I dialed everything back to about 60% 1RM and did sets of 10 pretty comfortablyā¦deadlifts at 60% didnāt bother anything. Next week should be better but given my age I may steer away from 5/3/1 for a bit and focus more on higher rep schemes. Not sure yet though.
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I gave up direct overhead lifting earlier this year. I do dumbell overhead press on a high incline bench. Anything to take compression off the spine. Not that Iām really having spinal issues or anything just trying to lift smart and stop it before it starts.
Ive moved my hands in closer on the barbell, started working in KB OHP, and doing 3-4 general shoulder warm ups before and things have been good. I still havenāt been going heavy on them (relatively speaking) but am working back up. I truly love the body quake of getting that last rep overhead. Lets me know Im done. 
This was a major problem for me, and I had no idea why my OHP hurt my shoulders. Once I brought it in much closer to where my shoulders were, much more comfortable.
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Oh yea I know exactly what your talking about. Going for that PR or just pushing it, arms and shoulders solid pushing, but the rest of your body is QUAKING! Good Shit.
Pushing through those barriers always gives me a good high and im pumped afterwards.
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Yeahā¦way more stable closer in. Pull ups too. Part of my shoulder pain initially was a lot of pull-ups peppered throughout the week. If your palms are out and far apartā¦as bad ass as it looks, its really bad for your shoulders. Especially if you weigh a bit or are weighting the exercise. Prone position is much more stable.
Yeah, quite addicting.
What do you mean? Should I bring my hands in a little closer when I do pull ups?
I have one of those ones you put in your doorway, so I always just put my hands where the pads are, maybe like a foot and a half or more apart.
What do you mean by prone position?
think hammer curlsā¦palms facing each other. Not sure if āproneā is correct but that is what the trainer called it.
Oh yes. My bar has that attatched, like a hammer curl pull up.
I HATE them, they donāt work my back like the other grips. Feels worse on my elbow tendons for some reason.
Maybeā¦but better for your shoulders! ĀÆ\ (ć)/ĀÆ
Ill give it a try and see if I get the same soreness the next day. If so I might have to switch.
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Some new lab values from my yearly physical last month. He wonāt test everything I want. I will get more hormone related labs in January. Protocol: 60mg E3.5D (120mg a week)
Total Testosterone - 693.17 (175 - 781)
PSA - .93 (0-4.0)
Cholesterol Total: 217
HDL-67
LDL-135
Hematocrit - 45 (40.1-51.0)
RBC - 4.87 (4.42 - 5.73)
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Like good. Looks like ldl way over the range?
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