Let's face it, testosterone is the guy hormone that builds muscle. Young guys have plenty flowing during their teens and twenties. Old guys are running on fumes. There are a bazillion products that grace the pages of muscle and fiction magazines that claim to boost your testosterone production. Some claim to stimulate the body's testosterone. While others claim they are prohomones that convert to testosterone. Either way the serious bodybuilder wants more. They know they can work harder, recover faster and feel better if the testosterone is raging through the blood stream.

Jazmany Castellanos- 19 Years Old

Synthetic Testosterone = Steroids

When I was competing in bodybuilding in the early 80’s, steroids had been around for decades. Everyone at the national level used them and so did most at the local guys.

Even then, Steroids were restricted by prescription but they were classified in the same category as an antibiotic that your doctor might prescribe. In the last few years, our ignorant politicians (I mean this in its literal sense not a derogatory slam) have chosen to classify steroids with the same danger and penalty as heroin. This was absolutely absurd. Steroids taken in moderation are no more dangerous than many other prescription drugs. How can I make this claim? Frankly physicians are prescribing them regularly though they don't call it steroids. They call it hormone replacement therapy.

As it was then, to buy steroids on the street was illegal but now the dealer and buyer face a much stiffer penalties due to the reclassification.

What are Steroids?

Well a lot of drugs called steroids, like cortisone, but in the bodybuilding world, we are more specifically talking about anabolic steroids. We often elect to drop word anabolic.

In simple terms, anabolic steroids are nothing more than synthetic testosterone. There are many other steroids but for now let's stick to testosterone and its variants. Some variants of testosterones are:

Testosterone Propionate

Testosterone Cypionate

Testosterone Enanthate

Sustanon

Methandriol

Testosterone is the main male hormone that makes guys, guys. Testosterone puts muscle on the body and the drive in your sex. To the bodybuilder, muscle building is magnified if you are upping your testosterone. Take a look at the number of supplements on the market that claim to boost your natural testosterone.

Gary Strydom over 40 and still looking great!

 

Candy is Dandy but Liquor is Quicker

This is quote easily communicates the ingredients to make people mix at a party. In bodybuilding, Supplements Help a Bit, but Steroids Make It. Nothing can boost your testosterone better than taking testosterone. Or to say it another way, nothing will boost your testosterone like taking steroids.

I am close to getting off track here and am tempted to discuss taking steroids the different types, side effects, bodily reaction and use. Let’s not focus here. I'll save that for another article. Let's discuss moderate and legally prescribed dosages that many physicians will give you.

Euphemism: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. (Webster)

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a nice and legal way to take steroids. However, many would argue that taking steroids or supplemental testosterone in moderate amounts are helpful not harmful to the body. I assume the medical profession agrees since they liberally prescribe testosterone to the aging male population.

Hormone Replacement-Can I get in?

The normal testosterone range for an adult male is 241 to 827 ng/dl. This is wide range and I have asked my urologist how this was determined. I have never got a straight answer but I suspect that they sampled patients from 18 to 80 years old and the young guys showed up near the 827 mark while gramps fell in at 241 or less. Physicians readily tell you that testosterone drops with age.

So here’s my question. Where did you feel most virile 18 or your current age?

True Story with first hand information:

A 55 year old male, about year ago had testosterone level at 473 or pretty much in the middle. After regular HRT, his blood tests have shown testosterone to be as high as 1100 (patient noted really feeling great) but was more often about 700.

While this is not like injecting steroids twice a week, this high side increase has some very positive benefits. Specifically, the patient noticed increased muscularly and vascularity. He noted better endurance in his workouts and yes his sex drive was up more like his youth.

Side affects: none, but then why should he since he just moved to the high side of the normal range.

So how do you get on board? (Of course consult your physician)

• You need to be 35 years or older. I suspect your sex drive at 35 has deteriorated some since your teens and early 20’s
• Do you home work. Learn who the physicians (normally urologists) in your area that are actively prescribing HRT.
• Complain to your primary physician that the libido (sex drive) isn’t what it use to be. (I am assuming this is true statement and not suggesting you fib)
• Request a blood test to check your testosterone.
• Even if it comes back in the normal range that does not mean your cannot receive HRT.
• Stick to you complaint. Persistence here usually yields results. You may argue that normal for you may be on the high side.

Many physicians give a questionnaire. The questions will read like this and your answers make the difference:

1. Do you have a decrease in sex drive?
2. Do you have a lack of energy?
3. Do you have a decrease in strength and/or endurance?
4. Have you lost height?
5. Have you noticed a decrease in enjoyment of life?
6. Are you sad and/or grumpy?
7. Are your erections less strong?
8. During sexual intercourse, has it been more difficult to maintain your erection to completion of intercourse?
9. Are you falling asleep after dinner?
10. Has there been a recent deterioration in you work performance?

If you answers to majority of these are yes and especially 1, 7 and 8 yes, this is supportive of hormone replacement therapy.

What are the medications and how do they work?

Generally, a physicians prescribe a transdermal testosterone gel. Transdermal simply means it will absorb into the body through the skin. Two specific brands of gels are Testim and Androgel. Simply apply to the skin as prescribed daily and watch the testosterone levels rise. Rarely prescribed but not impossible are injectables such as testosterone enanthate or testosterone cypionate. These two are well know bodybuilder steroids. Once your testosterone is on the rise, you will feel the difference....no bull!

I can't leave this subject without stressing that "sweat eventually hardens to muscle". If you aren't busting your butt in the gym, then no supplement including HRT (steroid) is going help you build muscle. It starts in the gyms guys!

Train Hard-Train Heavy or Go Home

Please don't misinterpret this article. This article does not suggest steroid use or fibbing to get your doctor to prescribe HRT. Always consult your doctor before changing anything. That should cover it.

Sweat eventually hardens to Muscle".....Scott

This article is property of Bodybuilding Program Zone and may not be reproduced without written permission from Scott Jameson. Besides it wouldn't be right....Scott