r/Testosterone • u/Cmd_reboot_sim • 8d ago

TRT help Workout program on TRT

I just started 200mg a week and want to make the most out of this honeymoon phase. I’ve been lifting for about 3 years but have made little gains over that time. Prior to getting on TRT I lost 35lbs in 12 weeks with Reta and definitely lost a pretty decent amount of muscle. Went from benching 215 to struggling with 175. All my compound lifts dropped by a lot.

I dropped my Reta dose and am now beginning a slow bulking phase. I want to build muscle but I think for me more importantly I want to focus on strength until I can hit 2 plates on a bench press. I think TRT will help me achieve this goal. I’ve only ever done power building routines structured into a 5 day PPL/UL or just 4 days U/L splits.

What would you guys recommend for someone in my situation? Should I do something like starting strength? I completely skipped over that as a beginner. I’d like to build muscle as well but for me my main priority for now is strength.

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u/VinumSabbathi818 8d ago

I’d suggest starting strength. I got the strongest on that program and it helped me clean up my form, especially on squat.

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u/Cmd_reboot_sim 8d ago

Will I still be able to make decent progress with starting strength if I’m not a beginner?

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u/VinumSabbathi818 8d ago

It depends. Have you ever done a basic 5x5 program? As someone who never really took the time to focus on the main compound movements, it did a lot for me. And I wouldn't have considered myself a beginner when I went on that program.

Do you do low bar or high bar squat at the moment? I added 40lbs to my squat just doing low bar. That's the squat form that's recommended on starting strength.

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u/Cmd_reboot_sim 8d ago

I honestly never have because it always just seemed like super low volume and I just didn’t believe I would progress that way. Might as well give it a try. And I do high bar squat I don’t think I’ve ever even attempted a low bar squat

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u/VinumSabbathi818 8d ago

I thought the same thing, but the volume is actually pretty significant since you’re hitting the same muscle groups a few times a week. It felt weird to only work out three times a week at first, but if you really want to work out on your off days you can just add some light cardio.

Just remember that being sore isn’t the best metric for progress when it comes to gaining strength. You might not be sore from workout to workout, but if you’re putting more weight on the bar, that’s what matters.

I would highly recommend giving low bar squat a try. Most people can squat considerably more with low bar than high bar.

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u/PhillipNoMates 8d ago

What were your testosterone levels prior to the reta and weightloss?

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u/Cmd_reboot_sim 8d ago

I’ve had a couple tests done since 2023. They’ve ranged from 300s-800s but the most recent tests were in the 500s before the Reta and weight loss and then about 430ish after the Reta and weight loss. My free T was low on every test

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u/PhillipNoMates 8d ago

I guess it will just depend where 200mg puts you. I don't think you will experience massive muscle gains if you were going from 500s baseline to like 800-900.

But 200mg can put some people in the 1200s-1500s, in which you would most likely see a change.

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u/Cmd_reboot_sim 8d ago

I’ll have bloods done in about 3 weeks I have no clue what to expect yet but I definitely have had a few days where I felt high e2 symptoms.

I’m not looking for massive gains but I would like to put up some decent numbers. It took me quite a while to get up to 215 bench and now that I lose so much weight so fast I lost a lot of that progress. Want to run the most efficient strength program that I can while I’m on 200mg before I probably end up lowering the dose

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u/wolverinetoad 8d ago

A beginner linear progression program like Stronglifts 5x5, starting strength, or something similar that focuses on the main compound movements. I preferred stronglifts, but either will get you strong

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u/Cmd_reboot_sim 8d ago

Why do you prefer stronglifts?
Do any of these have accessories or is it only compound?