Low Testosterone -- Getting Help What Should I Expect?

[heistroller]

I'm just getting back into training after having a 14 month old child & becoming sedentary. A couple of weeks ago I had my test levels checked & it was 146 (2 pm). I came back a couple of days later in the am & it was 66. Went for an MRI of the pituitary & everything checked out normal. side note ... my levels were low 2 yrs ago when my wife & I looked into infertility treatment but I did not do anything then other than take clomid to get more swimmers.

For the past 3 weeks I've been doing HIIT volume training 10/10 followed by 3 sets to failure on a couple of other exercises. I've dropped from 200 lbs & 27% body fat to 192.5 lbs & 22.9% body fat in 18 days (2.8 lbs lbm added; 10.5 lbs fat loss). I've been eating w/a deficit of 500 calories/day avg. I zigzag to try & keep my body guessing. I've eaten anywhere from 180 to 325 grams/protein day & track my macros daily.

My questions are:
1) Once I start receiving the test injections, will I see accelerated fat loss & muscle gain in a relatively short time frame under my current training protocol?
2) My goal is to get leaner. With more of a normal hormonal response, should I consider ditching the deficit & trying to clean bulk since I'll be getting help? If I gain 10 lbs lean muscle & 2 lbs fat, I'm still getting leaner (just an example...not what I'd expect).

Any thoughts are appreciated & I realize I'm going to have an increase in estrogen. The office I'm going to keeps an eye on that & has aromatase inhibitors (arimidex) handy.

 

[AnabolicHolic]

I'm jealous about the office you go to having AI's and understanding their place in TRT God bless that office. But as to the questions, YES you will get MUCH accelerated fat loss (and muscle gain) when you finally get your test levels to more normal ranges (say 600-900). It's not gonna be magic/overnight....but within months you will notice it. It's amazing how the fat melts off when your test level is double or triple what it was (for those of us with 250-350 levels). And yes again, you can recomp or lean bulk on higher calories and not add on fat (maybe even lose fat actually), but cutters will be even more pronounced in fat loss....I was just having a conversation with a girl who didn't understand how I can eat what I eat (and eat most of it at night) and not get fat whatsoever. Its having your test levels equivalent to a 21 year old, no doubt. I did not tell her that part, that is on a need to know basis....essentially only you guys know this stuff lol

 

[Axillist]

1) Once I start receiving the test injections, will I see accelerated fat loss & muscle gain in a relatively short time frame under my current training protocol?
2) My goal is to get leaner. With more of a normal hormonal response, should I consider ditching the deficit & trying to clean bulk since I'll be getting help? If I gain 10 lbs lean muscle & 2 lbs fat, I'm still getting leaner (just an example...not what I'd expect).
.

1. Yes but not as fast as you may think. Seems to be slow and steady.
2. That completely depends on what's the most important to you. I would keep the deficit and work hard to lose some fat because I don't like to hide my hard earned muscle. Others just want as much muscle as possible and worry about fat loss later. There is no wrong answer, it's just personal choice.

 

[heistroller]

Thanks for the info. I think I will stay doing what I'm doing. I'd like to be a good bit leaner.

AnabolicHolic, this place is a low t center. There are several around. They do a complete metabolic panel, well I don't see T4 & IGF-1, but TSH, LH, FSH & Prolactin along w/a lot of other chemistries is included. The cool thing to me is that they're not looking for a number per se. They take into consideration total, SHBG & free test. Then if you tell them you're still not feeling it, have low libido, depression, etc, they work to get you where you're feeling better. The consultant told me normal free is 12-15, but a lot of their patients have to go to 16 or 17 to function "normally".

 

[AnabolicHolic]

Thanks for the info. I think I will stay doing what I'm doing. I'd like to be a good bit leaner.

AnabolicHolic, this place is a low t center. There are several around. They do a complete metabolic panel, well I don't see T4 & IGF-1, but TSH, LH, FSH & Prolactin along w/a lot of other chemistries is included. The cool thing to me is that they're not looking for a number per se. They take into consideration total, SHBG & free test. Then if you tell them you're still not feeling it, have low libido, depression, etc, they work to get you where you're feeling better. The consultant told me normal free is 12-15, but a lot of their patients have to go to 16 or 17 to function "normally".

M
Well that explains the usage of AI's.....anti-aging clinics/low T clinics are usually more likely to prescribe a "womens drug" for a man (who actually needs it, high estrogen can fck up your prostate....I mentioned this to the endo, and he agreed but still wouldn't prescribe me arimidex) as opposed to a GP or endo's office. I finally got a free test and estradiol # recently....and free test was 36 (with total test at 961) . The lady was alarmed to say the least, I told her I was taking something that combats SHBG and increases free test (namely stinging nettle combination products)...so I guess that stuff works? My estrogen was high as well, not sure if that causes increases in free test or not, but that was the only other real variable. But yeah, keep at the deficit and you will see dramatic increases in fat loss in due time.....I have issues with staying under 2500 cals, I must have been a POW in a past life and just can't make myself suffer lol.

 

[heistroller]

Update: After 6 weeks of injections my test levels rose to 550 w/a free test of 12.1. My doses were 200, 120, 120, 120, 120, 140. Since then I have been dosing @ 160. I started to have some nipple sensitivity which was more like a burning/itchy feeling for a couple of days after being in the sauna. I'm on my 2nd week of arimidex...quarter tablet 2x/wk.

My goals changed along the way a little. Instead of shooting for something crazy like 12% bf, I decided to still get plenty of protein but not regulate my diet as much. I was enjoying the new strength & size gains too much. After 90 days of exercise, I've went from 200 lbs 27% bf to 199.5 lbs w/18.2% bf. This means that I've dropped 18 lbs of fat & gained 17 lbs of muscle...which is a little too hard for me to believe. I did the testing via BIA, so I know it is not perfect. Chances are I started off a little leaner than 27% & I'm not quite at 18%. Either way, my longer term goals are to get to 12% by next summer.

 

[jbryand101b]

I couldn't imagine myself being 18% body fat.

 

[pillsRgood]

I couldn't imagine myself being 18% body fat.

Lol, kind of a dick post. ..made me laugh though, as do most of your posts