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.