TRT Credentials Thread

Guys… you want to give credentials using faith?

Set my profession to Giant Battle Robot.

Not sure if I’m one of these guys, but you can’t really expect me to dish much out as my only formal education is… high school… but I’m getting my old phone back soon enough (filed a complaint about it, supposedly it’s going to be taken in any day now, in which case I’ll be able to get some pics taken… otherwise I can post one of my old pics from November/December (its a long story but the google pixel was known to have defects regarding microphone/audio quality, I also appear to have the mild issue of… the phone doesn’t fucking charge…) so I’ve been using my old iPhone 6… but I shit you not around November/December right before I went to Europe I dropped the phone and shattered the back camera lens, so unless I’m going to take a selfie of my face or something (not happening), I can’t really provide a current pic.)

All I can currently put down is

Age: 19 (happy birthday to me… ‘twas 9-10 days who depending where you’re situated)
Height: 165-166cm (but we will just round to 170 because that makes me taller)…
Weight: 74.5kg
Years on TRT: 1.5
Photo: To be eventually uploaded excluding my face
Formal Education: HS graduate
Medical Professional: I’m an endocrinologist who resides in Colorado (hah just kidding)
Facebook: not sharing that but @dbossa has my Facebook and can confirm I am who I say I am
Instagram: not giving that out but flipcollar has my insta, don’t use Instagram anymore… haven’t posted since 2016
Years training: have always had somewhat of an athetic background. Martial arts for 7yrs (karate), boxing for 6mths, played tennis/soccer in middle school… lifted weights regularly from ages 11-14… stopped due to chronic pain becoming unbearable, started again at 17… though first time under a bench I was probably about 8… sporadically lifted weights before the age of 8, never anything serious… did a lot of push-up/sit-ups and whatnot, would throw in the occasional set of lateral raises/bicep curls etc

Current protocol: … it’s not trt that’s for sure (totals 270mg weekly)

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Name: Um…
Age: 40
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 200 give or take

Formal education: Couple of semesters towards a Creative Writing major.
Medical professional?: Nope. Fitness professional.
Other social media: Chris Colucci, Author at T NATION

Years on TRT: Zero
Years training: Since high school, with varying degrees of effort over the years.
Current protocol: Not currently on TRT. Using Alpha Male and Rez-V.

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: ISSA certifications - Fitness Trainer, Youth Fitness, Senior Fitness, Performance Nutrition; brown belt, kenpo jiujitsu; spent the last 15 years involved with T Nation learning via osmosis from the best coaches around; I apply a conscious effort/common sense to not speak outside my wheelhouse on any subject whether it’s TRT, lifting, cooking, sports, movies, or whatever.

EDIT: Recent photo in the Check-In thread here - Feb '20 Photo/Video Check-In

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Name: Spencer
Age: 36
Height: 5’9
Weight: 187
Photo:
image
Formal education: Bachelors degree in Business/ Marketing minor
Medical professional?: No. Work in medical device sales (Orthopedic surgery). One part of my job is to oversee surgery and basically keep surgeons from fucking up. The other part is building a relationship with docs/surgeons. Through my job I’ve developed personal relationships with many of the top docs in NYC including Endos & fertility specialists.
Years on TRT: 3 years
Years training: Off and on since 23 but in reality mainly the last 2ish years and even then not that seriously
Current protocol:
200mg/week 28.6mg daily IM (delts)

  • Vit C 2000mg (Amazon). -morning

  • Multi-Vitamin (Pure Encapsulations)

  • Methylcobalamin 1000mcg sublingual B12 (Solgar, Amazon) -morning

  • Magnesium Glycinate 400-600mg (Bulk Supplements powder, Amazon) -bedtime

  • Vitamin D/K2 2000iu Spring-Summer, 5000iu Fall-Winter (Thorne)

  • Omega 3 Fatty Acids
    Daily Total: EPA = 3620mg DHA = 2880mg
    Morning - Viva Naturals Triple Strength (2 servings)
    EPA - 2800 (main focus)
    DHA - 960

    Evening - Nordic Naturals ProDHA 1000 (2 servings)
    DHA - 1920 (main focus)
    EPA - 820mg

Blood levels:
(28.6mg/day, 24 hrs after injection so both peak & trough)
TT = 1999.1 Free T = 36 E2 = 77 SHBG = 39.9
(looks extremely high but it’s not the same as taking blood on trough 7 days after last injection)

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I grew up in the poorest County in Mississippi and moved to the richest zip code in NYC having never been there. Became a top real estate agent at Corcoran and eventually did medical device sales on the side where I was in charge of all of Brooklyn, NY. After 10 years in NYC I woke up one day and restarted life in Louisiana to be closer to family and because I love the South.
My knowledge is based solely on my own experience and figuring out through trial and error what works for me. I read as much as possible on many forums before joining T-nation. I’ve found T-nation to be the only resource I use these days. I have a very addictive personality and when I get into something I go all in.

TRT journey
About 5 years ago I started having major issues with energy, weight gain, libido, etc. I eventually found out I had anemia which is one reason I was put on TRT. I became completely obsessed with figuring out how to get back to feeling normal.

I started at 220mg once a week with 1mg anastrozole.
• had major issues from the start
• crashed estrogen twice
• always felt worse than before TRT

I eventually stopped the AI and dropped to 100mg/week
• I increased the dosage by 20mg every 2-3 months
• I started playing with increased injection frequency (twice/week, EOD, daily)
• tried sub-q & IM
• supplementing vitamins, minerals, etc

I worked up to 200mg/week doing daily shots with no AI or HCG. It’s where I feel optimal.
• I found that using 185mg for two weeks then going to 200mg for two weeks & repeat keeps my libido higher than normal

Normal before starting to have issues. 167lbs (5-6 years ago)

Pre TRT after having issues for 2 years. 205 lbs (2-3 years after previous pic, right before starting TRT)

Post TRT 178lbs (what I looked like about 1 year after TRT)

**(Jan 30 2020) (2-3 years after starting TRT) 187lbs
-for the past 6ish months I’ve been drinking too much & diet not great so gained considerable body fat


**(July 14 2020) 167 lbs


**(12/30/20) 164 lbs
image image image

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Name: Agent Fox Mulder
Age: 47
Height: 5’11 1/2
Weight: 235
Formal education: Acting/Automotive Industry/Intellectual Property (something lost on China)
Medical professional?: I was really good at electronic “Operation” as a child. (does that count?)
Facebook: Created an account, never really used it because the platform has always been outdated and crude.
YouTube: Who doesn’t.
Instagram: Nope
Other social media: Nope
Photo: To see me at my worst, you must also see me at my best.
Years on TRT: 2 and half years, stopped in April 2019
Years training: Beginner, just started months ago.
Current protocol: My protocol was/will be again 7mg enanthate or 5mg cypionate = 400> FT 15>

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I’m a perfectionist, I have passion and strong determination, if I’m into something I go all the way or not at all. I realized medical providers are seriously lacking in medical knowledge pertaining to TRT and learned a few things along my journey and knew there are others out there who are in need of guidance.

I’m also into kite surfacing, surfing and snorkeling. I was born to be in and around the water.

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A post was split to a new topic: TT 1300, Dr wants 700-800. Skip Injection Before Visit?

A post was merged into an existing topic: TT 1300, Dr Wants 700-800. Skip Injection Before Visit?

Name: Youthful55guy. Prefer to go by my screen name for privacy.
Age: 65
Height: 5’ 7.5 "
Weight: 187 - Solid muscle base but about 14 pounds extra padding. Working on cleaning up nutrition to get the fat down but keep the muscle. Note that I keep editing this line of the profile as I approach my goal weight.
Photo: Don’t post photos.
Formal education: Masters Degree in Reproductive Endocrinology
Medical professional?: Work in medical device industry summarizing complex clinical data into Risk-Benefit Analyses.
Years on TRT: 10+ years
Years training: Since 2000. A new year resolution that actually stuck.
Current protocol: 40-50 mg T-cyp + 450 IU HCG every 3 days (E3D). No need for E2 control per lab testing other then label doses of DIM. Started finasteride in January 2019. Optimized oral dose (per lab testing) at 2.0 mg/day. Switched to 5 mg/day topical (scalp) sometime back in 2021. Goal is to keep DHT mid-range to help keep hemoglobin in range.
Total and free T: Depends on dose and SHBG levels, which fluctuate but are always high. Typically Total T runs high due to high SHBG. Usually between 900-1400 ng/dL. Free T typically runs between 20-30 pg/mL. Goal is to maintain Free T in the upper 75th percentile of a 20-30 year old healthy male and not to exceed 100th percentile of a 60+ year old guy (i.e., keep it <~30 pg/mL using LabCorp ranges).
Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I consider myself highly informed about TRT but am constantly seeking to understand it better and perfect my protocol. I have participated in several forums. My first 3 years were under the guidance of a well respected TRT doc. My PCP now administers my protocol. I am constantly experimenting with different approaches to deal with high SHBG.

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Couple of consistent T Replacement forum posters I’d really like to see join in here: @enackers, @highpull, @NH_Watts, @rise80, @ncsugrad2002, @vonko1988.

Basically, if you choose to reply to threads and offer advice/info, there’s no real reason to avoid putting up some basic background info here to help members get a better grasp of who’s who and who they’re getting advice from. It’ll only benefit the forum as a whole.

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I’m in here, first guy I think. Anything in particular you want added?

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Bah, my mistake. I misread my list. Sorry.

Name: dlsmith. I have a unique first name, so I will just use screen name for anonymity

Age: 50
Height: 6’ 0"
Weight: 247 – Decent muscle, but entirely too much padding. Estimate that I need to lose 40 pounds of fat.
Photo: Not yet.
Formal education: Masters in Finance
Medical professional?: Nope

Years on TRT: New. Started September 2019
Years training: Weight training on and off for 30 years (after 4 years off, started back 6 months ago and have found the passion again), martial arts 10 years (BJJ, various striking arts). Currently into mountain biking for cardio to supplement 4-5 days/week lifting.
Current protocol: 110 mg T-c + 450 IU HCG every 3.5 days (switching to 3 days/ week starting today). Just decided to eliminate AI. Was at .25mg twice each week, .25mg once last week and none this week (So far, so good).
Total and free T: Last bloodwork was done 2 months ago. TT 1341, FT 26.3. I have increased dose by 20mg / week, so I imagine it’s a bit higher now.

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I am interested and I am learning. As I do not have the knowledge or experience yet, I will not give advice on the protocols of others. Where I think I can help others is in relaying my personal experience. I tried every natural approach possible for 15 year in an attempt to fix myself naturally. I know what it’s like to be a middle aged man suffering with low T, ED, etc. I will speak to my experience to let guys know they are not alone an that there is hope.

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Age: 39
Height: 6’2"
Weight: 255
Photo: can be found in my thread 38, Tired and Frustrated - #154 by rise80
Formal Education: HS grad
Medical Professional: nope not even close
Years on TRT: Around a year and a half
Years Training: Around 18 years with bouts of inconsistency
Current Protocol: 18mg test cyp daily IM no AI. I have not gotten labs at this dosage so not sure current levels. Last protocol @ 25mg daily had my total over 1400 not sure on free T as doctor does not measure. Last I measured it, I was around 25.7 with a total of 800.

I am a gym rat that likes to keep getting stronger. I fail to apply, what I believe is a decent understanding of diet, so I am currently hiding a decent muscular body with an excess of fluffy fattiness. I fully hate cardio too so that also contributes. I enjoy the outdoors and my favorite hobbies when not in the gym or working are hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and snowboarding or just hanging out with my wife and 3 kids.

I am no expert or authority on anything, so any advice or opinion I share on here is carefully thought about and is just my opinion from my general understanding or experience.

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Name: Ivan Mihov
Country: Bulgaria
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vonko1988
Age: 31
Height: 185cm
Weight: 96kg, around 20 percent body fat
Photo: Not yet.
Formal education: Maritime Engineer, Software Engineering
Medical professional?: Nope

Years on TRT: New. Started November 2019
Years training: Weight training on and off from 18 to 24, serious weight training for the last two years with small gains. Now for 3 months on TRT gained more than the previous 2 years. And still my training reigem and diet are far from perfect
Total and free T: Last bloodwork was done 1 month ago. TT 1156, FT 28. Im not 20mg sustanon daily and 100 UI HCG daily

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I am interested and I am learning. I do not have enough personal experience yet, but I’ve been learning about TRT and hormone optmisation for the last year in order to take the complex decision whether I need it. And all I’ve learned before starting helped me a lot and when Im on it everything clicks. Also the guys here help me a lot. I’ve read a few books and watched a lot of podcasts of the world’s leading hormone optimization docs. Also I’ve had the luck to consult 3 of them regarding my condition and I learned a lot from these people. My level of knowledge is still very basic, but I wanna improve it in order to first help myself and maybe help others in the future.
When I give advice I make the mistake to give it from my own perspective so I must correct that.

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Name: Jason
Age: 47
Height: 5’11"
Weight: 213
Photo:
Formal education: high school grad
Medical professional?: nope
Years on TRT: just a little over a year
Years training: off and on 20+. But steadily back 1year
Current protocol: test cyp 100mg once a week and 25mcg levothyroxine once a day
Total and free T: will update at and of month with new bloodwork
Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: learning as I go. I’m a husband and father who just wants to be healthier. Currently going to the gym 5-6 days a week.

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Name: NH or Watts works
Age: 48
Height: 5’ 11"
Weight: 215
Photo: Once I look like dextermorgan I will post it (I still don’t but am still posting something with good lighting on a rest day)
IMG_0409Cropped
Formal education: Some college
Medical professional?: No, Network Engineer
Facebook: No
YouTube: No
Instagram: Too personal
Other social media: NH_Watts' TRT Log
Years on TRT: 2 (optimized less than 1 year)
Years training: 18 (seriously for 8) Currently 5/3/1
Current protocol: 60mg E3.5D T-cyp (50mg DHEA, 100mg Preg)
Total and free T: No bloods for current protocol however:
(50mg@E3.5D) 100mg a week put me at 850 TT and 22 FT (trough)
(70mg@E3.5D) 140mg a week puts me at 1137 TT and 30 FT (trough).
(60mg EOD) 210mg a week puts me at 1998 TT and 46 FT (EOD so no real trough)

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I’m just a student here trying to learn and relay information to new comers. I try to base my knowledge on science rather than perception and anecdotal information I come across but again, always learning. I read a lot and listen to a lot of podcasts within this realm.

Ive seen a lot of positive changes in my physique in the last year between fat loss and muscle & strength increases. Recently been hitting a lot of PRs.

Recently quit alcohol for good, in September '19, as it didnt align with my priorities anymore.

Been with my wife for 25 years (married 16) and have 3 kids 14F, 12M, 9F that keep me very busy.

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Age: 41
Height: 6’ 0"
Weight: 175
Photo: sure
Formal education: IT / certifications and etc
Medical professional?: No

Years on TRT: New. Started dec 2018
Years training: 30-41 cycling and weights on and off

.
Current protocol: scrotal Cream and thyroid .

Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level:

I started TRT and the thought of having to take T and block a by product of something my body creates didn’t sit well with me.

Long story short I ran into jay Campbell who introduced me to Dr Nichols and etc

I followed his advice before and after becoming a patient.

He would answer questions and send me emails to help educate me so that I can pass on valuable information to others.

I know the basics. I do not have an underlying knowledge of medicine and that means my ability to help is hyper focused on TRT and thyroid.

Everything I believe is based on medical literature and studies my doctor has shared and explained with me. Including dr. Howell who is a researcher by trade and is an expert in medical studies.

Anthony Llabres; Russ scala; Eric Serrano, and dr. grant are all on the list of professionals I listen and talk with when I have questions I cannot answer . Not so much Serrano, but I respect and listen intently when he shares knowledge with us. Great guy.

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Name: highpull
Age: 66
Height: 6’0"
Weight: 222
Photo: nope
Formal education: yes, terminal degrees
Medical professional?: yes
Facebook: no
YouTube: no
Instagram: no
Other social media: no
Years on TRT: 7
Years training: 48
Current protocol: 170mg once weekly
Total and free T: 880-920 and 200-220
Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: 15yrs competitive Olympic weightlifter, PED use (we all did), TRT practitioner, Worldlink Medical/Neal Rouzier trained, also defense expert on malpractice claims. My “job” is not work. I live to help people. I encourage patients to learn as much as they can. I do the same and as such, I like to know what they are reading.

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Name: Michael
Age: 42
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: pre TRT 212lbs currently 193lbs
Photo: There are already several photos of me on this forum. Check my log(s).
Formal education: Associate in Digital Electronics / LAN and PC Repair
Medical professional?: Not even close. Software and Web developer. Also do programming for commercial controls systems.
Facebook: None
YouTube: None
Instagram: None
Other social media: This forum and one other (unrelated to anything discussed here)
Years on TRT: 1.5
Years training: Off and on my entire adulthood. Steady for the last 2.5 years with the exception of the last couple of months (bought a house and have been enjoying all of the chaos that entails). Ramping back up now.
Current protocol: 28mg Daily
Total and free T: Last labs (October ‘19) Total 679 ng/dL Free 25.2 pg/mL
Tell us something about yourself and your knowledge level: I’m generally pretty outgoing and offer my opinions and facts based on my own personal research and experience (which means that these “facts” are also my opinion in all reality). I researched TRT and joined this forum before I started TRT in order to gain the best understanding that I possibly could before I committed to this. I continue researching the topic as much as possible. I have been a student of diet and weight training, though I must concede that there have been points in my life that I have not been the best at practicing what I have learned.

If there is any way I can offer something to a discussion (even if it’s just another angle of thought that is not being considered) I will.

I typically have no patience for people who feel the need to belittle or look down on others. Everybody had to start this journey with ZERO knowledge. Some of us tend to forget that from time to time.

Non TRT information:

I’ve been a musician since the age of 12. Wrote my first QBasic program at that same age. Been married since 1995 to the same wonderful gal and have two boys 20 and 17. Moved from down south to Montana a shade over 5 years ago and recently purchased the home that I will hopefully grow old in. I am an avid fitness hound but I also try to give myself room to allow life to happen. My main goals are to be healthy and live a full life that includes being a part of my grandchildren’s lives (when that time comes). I just want to be the best person I can be, and try to ride this train for as long as I can. And if possible, I’d like to help others (especially my two sons as it applies to life in general) avoid any mistakes that I have made.

I figure that if nothing else, maybe I can give people something to think about lol.

Had an opportunity at the tanning place this evening to take pic today. Lighting sucks so I apologize for that, but I’d say that the last couple months hiatus has me back up to around 20% (possibly a tad higher, I haven’t measured). I’ll post another in about six weeks after I have addressed this issue! Lol

2 week update. It’s going the right direction.

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