Strength / Weight Training

Anyone ever worry about their testosterone levels. I’m hurtling towards 40 and understand levels start to drop.

Yes, the concern is there, hurtling towards 40 myself.

Supposedly good sleep, good diet, good fats, vitamins, weight training all help keep it topped up. Lowering stress and improving sleep is a problem, with young kids about.

I definitely notice a difference at 42. In addition to what @Acliff says, adjust workout plans to suit. Don't go too easy, but don't smash heavy volume 5 days a week. It's difficult to accept that you have to change your program. I really should start doing more stretching and mobility work too , as I'm starting to pick up strains and aches a little more

But there are people on the forum well into their 40s who have made great progress/ look fantastic .

That or start HRT .

I’m 55 and the only drop off of performance I have noticed was Covid related. I’m planning to try and improve fitness etc soon but pressures of work and family make everything difficult - especially work.
I played a lot of squash before Covid - 3 or 4 days every week for a minimum of 90 mins each day. I have played a guy who was 73 years old - so don’t worry too much about your 40s!

Mobility and good recovery have already become really important at 37.

I was reading about tongkat ali and Fadogia Agrestis. Seems like voodoo to me

If you're concerned, you can get your bloods done for around £100 AFAIK.

Test boosters are an industry rife with snake oil. Be careful. The best things for testosterone are generally just things that are good for life. Good sleep, low stress, not too much booze, balanced diet.

The gym I go to has a blood can come and test people. Can’t think why. So may give it a go. It seems mad that there isn’t a hrt for men. When some of the effects of low testosterone are quite serious.

There is HRT for men. An old colleague of mine was prescribed TRT on the NHS in his 20s,as his was naturally very low.

What you wont get prescribed is HRT for normal age related declines in testosterone production. As per further up the thread , there are many private clinics that offer testosterone therapy, but there's a lot of very dubious companies and products in that space .

As already mentioned by a few , there's plenty to do to help yourself before looking to medical solutions

Re getting older: Weightlifting is very beneficial for women and seems to help a bit as well against the post menopausal fat gain.

I am getting creakier for so far strength is not as much as 10 years ago, but ok.

My rowing speed on the machine definitely isn't what it was 20 years ago 😆

I'm mid-40s and have a terrible life style for t production (not much sleep, crap diet and lots of stress). I haven't noticed a decline in strength yet - in fact, i think i'm lifting more than i've ever done (but then i'm not a big gym rat / hardcore lifter). General fitness seems pretty unchanged to for the mo as far as I can tell. The only noticeable change has been more recovery time for unexpected strains, mobility and body comp is slowly changing. Plus i can now put my back out in my sleep. Hey ho, it's better than the alternative.

Yeah as chrismanc says you can get medically prescribed trt.

Getting bloods done is worthwhile to just know where you're at. like do I actually have low T or do I just not train/eat well.

I have considered getting bloods and err... finding some kind of path... to getting TRT, but side effects, relative age, and seriousness I take strength (as in, not serious enough to warrant) means I've decided against it.

Feel your pain. Just started a gym membership again for the first time in years of just cycling and home yoga. Not a day has passed without an area of my body being in actual pain 😂

Yep - i'm sure studies have shown lifting weights improves bone density & can delay onset / severity of osteoporosis

My big mate who lifted heavy for years has been advised by his doc and a physio that he should lift lighter and more reps as he is older - 57 years. Not sure if this advice is good or not but he’s doing it. Saying that, light for him is heavy enough for me 😁

TRT is a forever choice... It crashes natural test and for whatever reason you want off it, it could be months, if not years/never to get your natural production up.

But that may be worth it for the lifestyle pick-me-up of increased test.

I have seen several fitness sites say the same :)

Max strength goes down, joints get a bit creakier so it's sensible enough.

We have to see how it goes, but I did notice sets of 5x5 and 3x8 assistance seems to be too much for recovery, so moved to 4x12 sets for assistance.

I guess you also need additional testing for certain cancers like with female HRT?

But if it's HRT/TRT or feeling miserable even during daily life tasks, I can see the argument.

But you are young!!! Get the plates on😂😂😂

Kind of a vent but not really:

Five weeks out from my first powerlifting comp since before covid and having to pull out due to a change of dates (now on my wife's birthday). Preps not been amazing but hitting small comp PRs on squat and bench at a lower weight class (we don't talk about deadlifts) so not sure whether to finish my taper/peak and test anyway or just reset and rebuild. Frustrating to not have a purposeful end date again, I've been in 'general build' mode for ages now, but probably a good thing for my general cortisol levels.

Surely it is best to finish your plan and then reset?
No chance your wife could celebrate on a different day? Tread carefully with that one 😂😂

that does suck, sorry to hear that.

I'd carry on with the peak and run a mock meet personally but I know it's not the same. Sure you could find someone to call commands for you?

I'd fuck it all off and tell myself about what could have been on my death bed

I was this close to a 400kg bench haha

Reckon you're all right, stick to the plan and shift some tin. Cheers!

As an old guy (66) I urge lower weight and higher reps/sets.
Recovery after a heavy session takes longer as I get older. Doing less weight more frequently works better for me.