'Reacher' Star Alan Ritchson on How Testosterone Therapy Helped Him Get in Shape for Season 2

The Coffee Shop
21

i’ll chime in with experience…
i’m 57 and started testosterone about 5yrs ago and can only say good things about the results. i lift moderate weights 5 days/week and run 3.5-4 miles 5 days/week and was definitely suffering pre-testosterone therapy in terms of experiencing discomfort during these activities + slow or even painful recovery. was also feeling run-down most days of the week. about 3 months after starting testosterone it largely went away - joints feel better, higher energy, better workouts, etc. i have not noticed any anxiety or aggression, acne, etc.

i take 1.5ml via injection once a week. body stats: 5’ 6" and 133 lbs.

my wife also does it and the affect on her libido has been life-changing.

I keep considering it. Just tired of the constant aches and pains, niggling injuries, not being able to go as hard as I want in the gym. Libido has dropped a lot recently too. I’m getting close to pulling the trigger on trying Androxal, which isn’t exogenous testosterone but increases endogenous testosterone production. Seems like less side effects and won’t shut down natural production.

I’m with you. I’ve considered it. Most of my hobbies are physical, my job is fairly physical, and as I get older I’ve noticed a STEEP decline in capacity to exercise, recovery, and lots more nagging injuries.

I have a weird aversion to medicating away my problems though and am generally horribly resistant to adding more small tasks to my routine, even something as small as a weekly self administered injection. I have a hard enough time remembering to take a daily multivitamin. I also don’t want to start something that, should I want to stop, could have negative side effects.

If you decide to hop on, I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.

22

He says 600mg, per week I presume.

The dude looks like he orders his TRT in 40 gallon drums.

23

But, they are in competition for roles, so in that regard I don’t know that it’s significantly different.

The significant difference is in athletics covered by written anti-doping policy you’re signing - usually literally - your name to essentially a code of conduct.

In acting there is no written code of conduct. Drugs of all conceivable kinds, cosmetic surgeries.

The risk is that if steroid users start to win all the action bro jobs, it pushes more and more younger guys into drug use at times it could harm their long term health…or long term fertility.

I was thinking about this while watching the (not terrible!) Roadhouse remake… Jake Gyllenhaal might have been “natty”. Probably not. But he wasn’t egregiously swole. Conor McGregor OTOH - sure looked injected to the gills. And USADA recently decided to walk from UFC…over Conor McGregor not wanting to spend six months in the anti-doping pool before his first competition.

24

i’ll chime in with experience…
i’m 57 and started testosterone about 5yrs ago and can only say good things about the results. i lift moderate weights 5 days/week and run 3.5-4 miles 5 days/week and was definitely suffering pre-testosterone therapy in terms of experiencing discomfort during these activities + slow or even painful recovery. was also feeling run-down most days of the week. about 3 months after starting testosterone it largely went away - joints feel better, higher energy, better workouts, etc. i have not noticed any anxiety or aggression, acne, etc.

i take 1.5ml via injection once a week. body stats: 5’ 6" and 133 lbs.

my wife also does it and the affect on her libido has been life-changing.

I keep considering it. Just tired of the constant aches and pains, niggling injuries, not being able to go as hard as I want in the gym. Libido has dropped a lot recently too. I’m getting close to pulling the trigger on trying Androxal, which isn’t exogenous testosterone but increases endogenous testosterone production. Seems like less side effects and won’t shut down natural production.

I’m with you. I’ve considered it. Most of my hobbies are physical, my job is fairly physical, and as I get older I’ve noticed a STEEP decline in capacity to exercise, recovery, and lots more nagging injuries.

I have a weird aversion to medicating away my problems though and am generally horribly resistant to adding more small tasks to my routine, even something as small as a weekly self administered injection. I have a hard enough time remembering to take a daily multivitamin. I also don’t want to start something that, should I want to stop, could have negative side effects.

If you decide to hop on, I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.

I’m still putting it off, it’s not cheap, about $1500 a year. Every time I’m about to lay it out to my wife it seems like some biggish expense comes up. FWIW, what I’m considering are oral drugs not testosterone injections.

25

I’m 49, turning 50

I am interested and do weights alternate days and bjj 3-4 times a week

I don’t think I need it for injuries and having never weight trained I think there’s still significant scope to improve without T

However, I think sleep would improve and recovery and I’d be able to do more but once you start there’s no going back.

26

I’m 49, turning 50

I am interested and do weights alternate days and bjj 3-4 times a week

I don’t think I need it for injuries and having never weight trained I think there’s still significant scope to improve without T

However, I think sleep would improve and recovery and I’d be able to do more but once you start there’s no going back.

What happens if you stop taking it? Does taking the supplement slow down/stop your body from producing it naturally?

27

I’m 49, turning 50

I am interested and do weights alternate days and bjj 3-4 times a week

I don’t think I need it for injuries and having never weight trained I think there’s still significant scope to improve without T

However, I think sleep would improve and recovery and I’d be able to do more but once you start there’s no going back.

Not true at all.

28

I’m 49, turning 50

I am interested and do weights alternate days and bjj 3-4 times a week

I don’t think I need it for injuries and having never weight trained I think there’s still significant scope to improve without T

However, I think sleep would improve and recovery and I’d be able to do more but once you start there’s no going back.

What happens if you stop taking it? Does taking the supplement slow down/stop your body from producing it naturally?

Your natural production of test will shut down when on TRT. Your body sees all this exogenous test in your system and thus signals your natural production to stop.
If you stop, your natural production will typically/eventually start up again, but there are also meds your doc can give you to help that process.

29

i’ll chime in with experience…
i’m 57 and started testosterone about 5yrs ago and can only say good things about the results. i lift moderate weights 5 days/week and run 3.5-4 miles 5 days/week and was definitely suffering pre-testosterone therapy in terms of experiencing discomfort during these activities + slow or even painful recovery. was also feeling run-down most days of the week. about 3 months after starting testosterone it largely went away - joints feel better, higher energy, better workouts, etc. i have not noticed any anxiety or aggression, acne, etc.

i take 1.5ml via injection once a week. body stats: 5’ 6" and 133 lbs.

my wife also does it and the affect on her libido has been life-changing.

I keep considering it. Just tired of the constant aches and pains, niggling injuries, not being able to go as hard as I want in the gym. Libido has dropped a lot recently too. I’m getting close to pulling the trigger on trying Androxal, which isn’t exogenous testosterone but increases endogenous testosterone production. Seems like less side effects and won’t shut down natural production.

I’m with you. I’ve considered it. Most of my hobbies are physical, my job is fairly physical, and as I get older I’ve noticed a STEEP decline in capacity to exercise, recovery, and lots more nagging injuries.

I have a weird aversion to medicating away my problems though and am generally horribly resistant to adding more small tasks to my routine, even something as small as a weekly self administered injection. I have a hard enough time remembering to take a daily multivitamin. I also don’t want to start something that, should I want to stop, could have negative side effects.

If you decide to hop on, I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.

I’m still putting it off, it’s not cheap, about $1500 a year. Every time I’m about to lay it out to my wife it seems like some biggish expense comes up. FWIW, what I’m considering are oral drugs not testosterone injections.

Good to know about the oral drugs. I had heard that injection was most effective, and most people who start with the cream eventually self.injwft.

That, and as I understand it requires somewhat regular follow up and blood work to make sure you levels stay where they need to be.

30

I’m 49, turning 50

I am interested and do weights alternate days and bjj 3-4 times a week

I don’t think I need it for injuries and having never weight trained I think there’s still significant scope to improve without T

However, I think sleep would improve and recovery and I’d be able to do more but once you start there’s no going back.

Not true at all.

eh, you can look on google for pics of arnold when off the sauce
.

31

I’m 49, turning 50

I am interested and do weights alternate days and bjj 3-4 times a week

I don’t think I need it for injuries and having never weight trained I think there’s still significant scope to improve without T

However, I think sleep would improve and recovery and I’d be able to do more but once you start there’s no going back.

Not true at all.

eh, you can look on google for pics of arnold when off the sauce

Not sure what that has to do with it? The part I had bolded, I assumed they meant that medically you cannot go off TRT once you start it. And thats not true. Sure, your test level will be low again, but nothing stopping you from going back to that.

32

I meant you can’t come off without consequences, you can obviously stop.

I’ve seen some papers suggesting you might got back to a lower level than when you started.

I have a friend who’s early 30’s and has fucked up his endocrine system from juicing so badly he has been on it since he was a teenager.

It’s like a lifetime netflix subscription

33

I meant you can’t come off without consequences, you can obviously stop.

I’ve seen some papers suggesting you might got back to a lower level than when you started.

**I have a friend who’s early 30’s and has fucked up his endocrine system from juicing so badly he has been on it since he was a teenager. **

It’s like a lifetime netflix subscription

OK but you are talking about something completely different than TRT. You may as well talk about the evils of advil, and then compare it to someone snorting oxycodone.

Also, anyone who believes ‘Reacher’ got his physique by just using normal TRT really doesn’t understand how these drugs work lol.

I’ve never understood the stigma about people using TRT. No one has an issue with drugs to lose weight, or antidepressants, or adhd drugs to improve attention, or cosmetic surgery. But a drug to make you feel more energetic and maybe gain a couple pounds of muscle (again, if you think you will get a body builder physique from TRT, you don’t understand)…nooooo…baaaad…evil!

I have a family history of prostate cancer, along with genetic high BP, so will prob never be a great candidate for TRT, but I certainly have no issue with other people using it, assuming they aren’t in a sport where it is banned.

34

I meant you can’t come off without consequences, you can obviously stop.

I’ve seen some papers suggesting you might got back to a lower level than when you started.

I have a friend who’s early 30’s and has fucked up his endocrine system from juicing so badly he has been on it since he was a teenager.

It’s like a lifetime netflix subscription

I think there are big differences between taking testosterone to get level up but still within physiological levels, or even taking moderate amounts of drugs to get somewhere beyond that, and then the absolute crazy stuff serious bodybuilders and strength athletes are taking.

35

Of course and there is a massive difference but I’m not sure we completely understand the long term impact of TRT replacent.

36

Of course and there is a massive difference but I’m not sure we completely understand the long term impact of TRT replacent.

Sure the more we investigate the more we’ll discover. Still in the context of fucking up your endocrine system, I’d think we have a pretty good idea by now if something that extreme was going to be an expected outcome of typical testosterone replacement therapy.

37

I think the main issues comes from individuals self medicating.

Slightly off piste but germaine to the above comment, my SiL, besides being utterly insufferable for anything more than thirty seconds, self medicated her thyroid. That was extremely stupid. She has several degrees (science but non medical, as you probably could guess) and I suspect she decided she had a thyroid issue to avoid eating a healthy diet and doing some exercise. She didn’t involve a doctor in this self diagnosis and subsequent thyroid drugs. My brother had to tempt ger out of the house for a walk with a bar of chocolate last time they stayed at mine. I shit you not.

Long story short, there are some real idiots out there, even well educated idiots, and TRT is readily available.

There is a massive difference between education and intelligence, which we see demonstrated on these boards quite regularly.

38

Of course and there is a massive difference but I’m not sure we completely understand the long term impact of TRT replacent.

Sure the more we investigate the more we’ll discover. Still in the context of fucking up your endocrine system, I’d think we have a pretty good idea by now if something that extreme was going to be an expected outcome of typical testosterone replacement therapy.

Exactly. And low T can cause issues as well.
Also worth noting all the extreme use of PED’s by pro athletes over the past…80 years?? But even just looking at the past 30-40 years, and go figure, no wild outbreak of cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc among athletes.
Not saying everyone should use TRT, of course not, but the uneducated assumptions about it that so many people make is just ridiculous.

39

My thoughts on Efron is he’s enjoying the fruits of all the HGH. His body in Baywatch was pretty extreme

ZE has stated an interviews that he hated having to be Baywatch buffed because it was very difficult to maintain and hard on his body and mind.

And regarding women and T - My surgeon put me on HRT after my hysterectomy. I was on it until I started back bike racing and would have had to apply for a TUE. The surgeon said she could not in good faith, sign the TUE, since there was an option to change to a different medication that did not have T. I definitely did not feel as good mentally or physically after the change of meds.

40

I think the main issues comes from individuals self medicating.

Slightly off piste but germaine to the above comment, my SiL, besides being utterly insufferable for anything more than thirty seconds, self medicated her thyroid. That was extremely stupid. She has several degrees (science but non medical, as you probably could guess) and I suspect she decided she had a thyroid issue to avoid eating a healthy diet and doing some exercise. She didn’t involve a doctor in this self diagnosis and subsequent thyroid drugs. My brother had to tempt ger out of the house for a walk with a bar of chocolate last time they stayed at mine. I shit you not.

Long story short, there are some real idiots out there, even well educated idiots, and TRT is readily available.

There is a massive difference between education and intelligence, which we see demonstrated on these boards quite regularly.

How did she get the thyroid drugs? I wouldn’t think they would be so readily available as something like testosterone.