Got blood work finally.

[Neversummer]

Hey guys, I have been lifting seriously for several years now and more casually on and off for years before always natural. I finally got my bloodwork to see if my levels were good and if there there was anything I could do to improve.

it appears my Total testosterone And free are normal range, but my SHBG and estrogen are very high. Oddly enough I supplement with boron everyday and still have the high SHBG.

anything else I can do to improve my free test?
FYI I am 37yr old

thanks in advance guys

 

[Uncle_E]

Your SHBG and estradiol are on the high end of the acceptable range, they are by no means high. I’m in my late 30’s on TRT for a few years now, I’d take your natty numbers any day of the week.

 

[Neversummer]

Thanks for the reply. I have stalled on progress for sometime now. changing diet or exercise regiment seems to just have my wheels spinning. Thinking that maybe optimizing my bloods can get me back on track.

 

[match]

How are you defining and tracking your progress?

 

[NegativeMass]

Those labs look great man! I'm not sure why people are so worried about SHBG. I'm no expert, but after lots of reading I think it serves a purpose and is good to have within range. Also, don't get fixated on specific numbers. Your body is unique and wants to be at different set points than everyone else's. I like when my estrogen is in the high end of the range. I feel awesome when it is. If that was my lab work I would be stoked and carry on.

 

[Hyde]

Numbers look great man; when my test is around 600 I feel solid with estrogen around 30, fwiw.

If you aren’t taking 15-30mg of zinc daily, that’s a must. Ideally find one with a teeny bit of copper included to offset the zinc, but it’s not necessary.

Magnesium nightly is also always a great move, unless you are unlike 90% of the population and somehow get enough via diet.

Grape seed extract is an excellent blood-pressure lowering antioxidant that also acts as an aromatase inhibitor. A bit more test, less estrogen, and healthier cardiovascular system are all wins.

 

[Neversummer]

Thanks for the reply’s everyone! Good group of people on these forums.

when I stated progress stalled and I was spinning my wheels i was referencing PR increases and visually in the mirror. of course I can push up my numbers slightly by eating more but its not long before I start putting on fat and look worse in the mirror and then I loose any gains when I cut.

I keep Debating running my first cycle, with these blood results And my age (37) would I be a good candidate and likely to recover to acceptable levels? I would likely run something mild to make recovery easy

 

[Hyde]

Thanks for the reply’s everyone! Good group of people on these forums.

when I stated progress stalled and I was spinning my wheels i was referencing PR increases and visually in the mirror. of course I can push up my numbers slightly by eating more but its not long before I start putting on fat and look worse in the mirror and then I loose any gains when I cut.

I keep Debating running my first cycle, with these blood results And my age (37) would I be a good candidate and likely to recover to acceptable levels? I would likely run something mild to make recovery easy

IMO, steroids are a lifestyle/longterm health commitment/sacrifice. You really don’t keep much in the end without using them frequently, or really just staying on them, certainly not past the limit your natural production can then support.

If you have been lifting for many years decently, what you’ve got now is basically probably what it is at this point. You can add some strength still, but composition-wise you shouldn’t expect much more muscle at any lower bodyfat than you are now. If you want to be leaner, you’ll need to be smaller, & vice versa for muscularity and bodyfat.

The question is, are you willing to intentionally shorten your life, perhaps significantly, for your cosmetic or performance goals? If you have a lot of other great hobbies or want to live to see 80, I’d pass. You also need to consider if you are okay with the idea of TRT if you find you really can’t recover, because nobody can promise you will.

 

[Smont]

Everything looks absolutely perfect to me, anyone should be happy with those numbers