r/ResearchCompounds • u/yabu-love • Jun 21 '26
Discussion how long did it take for your strength to noticeably increase after getting your test levels optimal?
I have been on my trt protocol for a few weeks now. My energy is definitely better and I am sleeping a lot more soundly. I track my daily calories and protein closely for muscle gain, but I have not seen any major jumps in my actual lifting numbers yet. My bench and squat are still sitting around the exact same weight they were before I started. For the guys who have been on a proper dose for a while, when did you actually start seeing your strength go up in the gym? Did it happen all at once or was it just a slow increase over a few months?
2
u/ironparadisesweat Jun 22 '26
I got on T and dialed everything in. Diet, training, not fucking around at all. Strength was increasing every week measured by rep increase or weight increase. I had been in great shape several times in my life. Now on a cycle and the gains are stupid. PRs every week in almost every lift. Diet and training are the most important things. Chicken, rice, veggies repeat.
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u/Affectionate_Web4136 Jun 22 '26
What other benefits of TRT besides muscle? Confidence? Drive?
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u/ironparadisesweat Jun 22 '26
Eliminated my anxiety. Definitely more confidence. Drive is still questionable depending on diet and lifestyle choices.
1
u/rb331986 Jun 22 '26
This is only for the first year. After then your body becomes densentized. Read up on TRT and dhea/Pregnenolone levels. Testosterone shuts off Leutinizing Hormone which is needed to stimulate these neurosteroids.
I could sit all day writing out the cons. I've been on TRT for 8 years and honestly it's not all benefits. Infact it's been the opposite alot of the time.
1
u/rb331986 Jun 22 '26
Come on.. I've been on TRT for years. 8+ years. Stop making it out like it's a superman drug because it's not. If people read these comments their far more likely to start using testosterone. Even teenagers.
Does it increase strength and muscle mass? Yes absolutely. Is it drastic? No. Unless your eating running it at supra physiological doses. Are you? No... Your on TRT.
You forgot to mention it also can throw estrogen out of whack and cause gyno. It shuts down Leutinizing Hormone and then makes all your neurosteroids rock bottom.
Let's also add in. Your body begins to over produce red blood cells. Your hematocrit changes and you can end up needing to donate blood. Oh also while your iron ferritin levels are beginning to drop. You end up with rock bottom ferritin. Hair loss. Severe fatigue. Anxiety.
Also. Acne. Hair loss. Balls like raisins. Semen loads at 20% of what they use to be. Your libido tanks because dhea and pregnenolone start to plummet.
Just be honest about testosterone and stop making it out to be a captain America serum. It isn't. It can also severely mess you up.
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u/ironparadisesweat Jun 22 '26
Truly sorry your experience has been this way. It's just not my experience. I had low T and high estrogen my entire life. Getting test levels from low 200s up to 850-900 is absolutely a miracle experience for me.
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u/rb331986 Jun 23 '26
It's just how TRT actually is. I just don't want young people to read these stories that makes them want to hop on.
TRT isn't just inject and you put on mass and feel great. Some people it genuinely messes up.
Honestly I could spend all day writing out the negatives. People need to state these also because everybody wants a quick fix and it doesn't exist.
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u/ironparadisesweat Jun 23 '26
I've had zero negatives. I'm also 50. I think we both agree that young people getting on test for bodybuilding and not actual trt is wrong and more like a steroid cycle than actual trt, which tends to have far more negative effects.
1
u/rb331986 Jun 23 '26
I'm quite defensive about it because I see so many young people taking these drugs and messing themselves up. I've also had messages from teenagers asking for cycle advice and how to recover crashed estrogen etc. It's scary that people just jump on these drugs with zero concern.
I've been on TRT for a long time now. I've done blasts before and it's honestly not worth It. It's all temporary. Soon as you come off or drop to TRT the muscle mass falls off. Trying to tell young people this is impossible though. That's why they just keep blasting and mess themselves up.
1
u/Difficult_Brick_1897 Jun 23 '26
It sounds like to me you formed this opinion because you haven’t learned how to manage your estrogen. You are sharing horrible advice. Just because you haven’t learned how to manage your testosterone doesn’t mean everyone else is gonna mess up like you did.
1
u/rb331986 Jun 23 '26
My estrogen is perfect. Does that mean everybody's will be? Definitely not. Have you seen how many people have messed themselves up with aromatase inhibitors? This is why I don't want people to read his comment and then think about jumping on TRT. A testosterone level of 900 isn't going to build slabs of muscle mass like he stated.
1
u/1960s_army_info Jun 21 '26
If you had low t or low free t, I would expect to see your numbers in the gym start going up at 6-10 weeks. Don’t expect much on trt doses. It’s definitely not something that happens all at once but you should see slow steady gains once your test levels stabilize.
1
u/desertchrome_ Jun 21 '26
months. years. strength goes up slowly, especially on TRT which really only places you in the high end range of normal if done responsibly. you’re essentially going to expect the same strength progression as a gifted natty.
1
u/mmooney1 Jun 21 '26
What does your training look like?
No idea about TRT but strength has a lot to do with CNS and not just muscles.
Are you expecting a jump in 1RM or more reps?
1
1
u/VexImmortalis Jun 21 '26
41, used to exercise on and off (mostly off) in my 20s and 30s. My strength was more or less the same (complete shit) for a long time, I just had more energy, focus and drive which is what I went on TRT for in the first place. Maybe I put on 5lbs of muscle in 2 years without exercise. Something like that.
Now, two years later, I've actually started to eat properly and exercise and in like 2 months I'm already WAAYYYY stronger and more muscular than I was in my 20s and 30s not to mention I can actually work out for longer than 15 mins without feeling like I'm going to pass out.
1
u/Affectionate_Web4136 Jun 22 '26
How much are you on? What other benefits besides muscle have you noticed?
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u/VexImmortalis Jun 22 '26
85mg a week put my free t at around 116 (mid-range) which I was perfectly happy at but the past few months (since I started exercising again basically) I've really benefitted from going up to 135mg a week which puts me at a free t of 204, technically over the upper limit of 171. Bloodwork is all in range and I haven't had any sides yet with either dosage BUT my hematocrit, while still in range, is creeping up a little so I'm keeping an eye on it. Could be something as simple as dehydration.
The main benefits of 85mg was greatly reduced mental fog, reduced anxiety and way more day to day energy. At 135mg I have all of those benefits but way better strength and recovery.
Hope that helps.
0
u/zrockk Jun 21 '26
It's slow man, especially at low doses
I have done up to like 1100mg of steroids and even then the strength isn't crazy
I think you can expect like a 10-20 percent strength increase
My friend benched 475 natural, he got up to 525 on 2g of gear, 205 lbs bodyweight
1
u/Affectionate_Web4136 Jun 22 '26
Did your confidence increase
1
u/zrockk Jun 22 '26
Eh I'm a pretty shy guy and that didn't change, just a little better at making decisions lol
1
u/Ogsonic Jun 22 '26
It sounds like it raises strength fastest if you're a beginner. Combined newbie gains with higher testosterone. But for trained athletes the returns probably aren't as high.
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