Greetings!

AssociateX said:

With privatemdlabs is "Male Athletic Anti-Aging Panel" the one I want? It looks like it covers what I was looking for, although I don't know if it's missing something or if there is a different option that's more suited towards me.

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I just remembered that you're not even taking steroids.

Any reason that you can't go through your Dr for the bloodwork, and use your medical insurance to cover the cost?

BigBaldBeardGuy said:

like a middle-aged soccer mom who hasn’t been fucked in 5 years.

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I offer a service to help soccer moms address this deficiency in their life.

CJ said:

I just remembered that you're not even taking steroids.

Any reason that you can't go through your Dr for the bloodwork, and use your medical insurance to cover the cost?

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I have health insurance but I don't have a doctor that I see regularly. I'll try to figure that out this afternoon, although the cost of what is probably a one time test won't break the bank. I did see there was a body builder test option also.

@BigBaldBeardGuy I was reading on the forums somewhere and I saw where you wrote that soreness does not correlate to something, but I can't remember what that something was and I can't find the thread. In your understanding, does post workout soreness correlate to something specific?

AssociateX said:

@BigBaldBeardGuy I was reading on the forums somewhere and I saw where you wrote that soreness does not correlate to something, but I can't remember what that something was and I can't find the thread. In your understanding, does post workout soreness correlate to something specific?

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Use the search function. I told you before nobody gets paid to help you.

BigBaldBeardGuy said:

Use the search function. I told you before nobody gets paid to help you.

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Give me $5 and some Reese’s cups…..I’ll beat up anyone you need beat up

Achillesking said:

Give me $5 and some Reese’s cups…..I’ll beat up anyone you need beat up

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Reeces cups are the best.

AssociateX said:

@BigBaldBeardGuy I was reading on the forums somewhere and I saw where you wrote that soreness does not correlate to something, but I can't remember what that something was and I can't find the thread. In your understanding, does post workout soreness correlate to something specific?

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I'll give you a freebie..

Muscle soreness/DOMS is not required for growth. In fact, too much soreness could be indicative of too much muscle damage, so your body has to put a lot of resources to simply recovering, and not actually adapting/growing.

While soreness is not required for growth, it can be a good indicator that you're stimulating the target muscle properly. If you're lifting in proper rep ranges, with a close proximity to failure, a little soreness is good, in my opinion. But I want that soreness gone within a couple/few days.

Exercises that really work the muscle hard in the stretched position, usually are the ones that cause soreness. Think RDLs vs Leg Curls, Hack Squats vs Leg Extensions, DB Bench vs Cable Flyes. Some muscles rarely get sore, because they're hard to load while stretched, like the shoulder muscles.

If one is inclined to push extra volume, it's usually a good idea to do so with exercises that don't cause much soreness, so he/she doesn't overwhelm their recovery ability.

CJ said:

I'll give you a freebie..

Muscle soreness/DOMS is not required for growth. In fact, too much soreness could be indicative of too much muscle damage, so your body has to put a lot of resources to simply recovering, and not actually adapting/growing.

While soreness is not required for growth, it can be a good indicator that you're stimulating the target muscle properly. If you're lifting in proper rep ranges, with a close proximity to failure, a little soreness is good, in my opinion. But I want that soreness gone within a couple/few days.

Exercises that really work the muscle hard in the stretched position, usually are the ones that cause soreness. Think RDLs vs Leg Curls, Hack Squats vs Leg Extensions, DB Bench vs Cable Flyes. Some muscles rarely get sore, because they're hard to load while stretched, like the shoulder muscles.

If one is inclined to push extra volume, it's usually a good idea to do so with exercises that don't cause much soreness, so he/she doesn't overwhelm their recovery ability.

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Thank you.

I made a doctor's appointment for next Friday, in 8 days, to get blood work done. I'm going to get my testosterone checked for sure, but I'm wondering if the rest of these are needed since I'm not on and I'm not going to do any steroids:

Complete Blood Picture
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Sex hormone binding globulin
Hormone Panel
Triglycerides/Cholesterol

It all seems like interesting stuff that I would want to know anyway.

Send0 said:

I offer a service to help soccer moms address this deficiency in their life.

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Even the fat ugly ones where their entire bodies wobble long after they stop laughing.
Your the man. Taking it for the team. Or in this case doing it for the team.

Send0 said:

I offer a service to help soccer moms address this deficiency in their life.

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Hope this pic keeps you in the cuddles mood all weekend. It's hot like a chick with a my juvie record. Transformers.

Rickt said:

Even the fat ugly ones where their entire bodies wobble long after they stop laughing.
Your the man. Taking it for the team. Or in this case doing it for the team.

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Nah, the fat ones go to @6FeetFromTheEdge ... he has a monopoly on the fatties market

Rickt said:

Hope this pic keeps you in the cuddles mood all weekend. It's hot like a chick with a my juvie record. Transformers.View attachment 45173

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definitely has @6FeetFromTheEdge written all over it

You know they're fat when you cannot tell when they are making a facial expression.

AssociateX said:

Thank you.

I made a doctor's appointment for next Friday, in 8 days, to get blood work done. I'm going to get my testosterone checked for sure, but I'm wondering if the rest of these are needed since I'm not on and I'm not going to do any steroids:

Complete Blood Picture
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Sex hormone binding globulin
Hormone Panel
Triglycerides/Cholesterol

It all seems like interesting stuff that I would want to know anyway.

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Yup, that list is the meat and potatoes. SHBG should already be included in the other tests, but ask, to make sure.

I got the blood work done today. I just have to wait for a couple of days for the results.

I have put on weight of 5lb, although I've also had unsolicited comments on the improvement of my appearance from five different people. Most of those comments mentioned that I look leaner, with one comment saying that I look stronger.

My heart rate yesterday was 60 and blood pressure 128/82, but I also walked a few blocks to my appointment.

This is how the diet had been going: (I stopped buying apples after I ran out of them.)

Saturday

8.5 hours sleep

Morning

120 golden potato baked

Caffeine 200 mg

Lunch

Dinner


Friday 11-10-2023

5 hours sleep

Morning

200 golden potato baked

Caffeine 200 mg

Health check up, blood work

Lunch

200 baked golden potato

220 ahi tuna

180 grean salad

Shadow boxing and wind sprints

Creatine BCAA and vitamins

Dinner

1,200 salad rice beans, chicken, mashed potatoes

2,000


Thursday

9 hours sleep

Morning

150 salad spring mix kale rice and beans

110 medium baked golden potato

Caffeine 200 mg

vitamins D3 gluc and chondroitin

Shoulders

Creatine, BCAA

Brunch

110 med baked golden potato

400 lean pork tenderloin

250 salad w spring mix kale rice beans

Dinner

350 cabbage soup with ground beef kale onion carrots

2 hour bike ride

350 cabbage soup

1,200 1 lb tri-tip fried in olive oil

2,920


Wednesday

5.5 hours sleep

Caffeine 200 mg

350 lean pork

200 salad with rice and beans

Creatine 5 g

Work 8 hours, no workout

Lunch

200 solid with rice and bean

210 tuna

Dinner

200 lean pork

300 salad rice and beans kale and spring mix

400 rice sausage and eggs

500 bread cream cheese basil and tomato

2,360


Tuesday

6 hours shroom sleep

Morning

200 golden potato

Caffeine 200 mg

Arms

Lunch

200 salad; spring mix, rice, beans

350 lean boneless pork

2 hours bike

Dinner

350 lean pork

150 salad

2nd dinner

500 beef burrito w beans and corn

1,750


Monday

6 hours sleep

Morning

Caffeine 200 mg

250 russet potato

2.5 hours sleep

Caffeine 200 mg

Push-up day

Creatine BCAA vitamins

Lunch

650 egg burrito

2 hour bike ride

Dinner

300 chicken

1,200


Sunday

Caffeine 200 mg

Shadow boxing cardio

Amino acids BCAA

Morning

1,200 steak, small potato, and salad

2 and a half hours of bike riding

360 tuna

1200 mac and cheese

1,560/2=

780

450 apple fritter

500 tacos

2,930


Saturday

8 hours sleep

Rest day

Morning

Caffeine 200 mg

Lunch

250 baked russet potato

2 hours biking

Dinner

600 mahi-mahi and curry rice with spring mix

850


Friday

4 hours sleep

Just after midnight

250 turkey sandwich

Multivitamin and vitamin D3

Morning

Caffeine 200

160 Canned potatoes

400 sardines and tomato sauce

Rest day drive home

Dinner

Mushrooms 3.5 g

450 spaghetti

1,260


Thursday

8 hours sleep

Morning

300 pasta salad

150 fajita chicken

***Caffeine 200

Multivitamin and D3

Lunch

240 tuna

150 fajita chicken

50 croutons

***Shoulders

Dinner

400 mackerel

340 chicken sandwich

90 plain Greek yogurt

1,720


Wednesday

Got about 5 hours sleep (Santanist chanting)

Morning

350 California burrito

***Multivitamin and vitamin D3

***5 g creatine

Lunch

500 salmon

***Curls and triceps

Dinner

550 chicken sandwich

500 pasta salad

400 fajita chicken

2,300



Tuesday 10-31

Got 8 hours sleep

Morning

***Caffeine 200

100 apple

50 sauerkraut

***D3 2000

Lunch

100 apple

100 sauerkraut

Push-ups and flies

***Creatine/BCAA

500 half California burrito

Dinner

660 Mackerel

1,510



Monday

Caffeine 200 mg

450 rice tuna broccoli stir fry

660 mackerel

Rest day

1050 pork

50 sauerkraut

2210


Sunday

Caffeine 500 mg

100 apple

525 pork

100 apple

475 tuna rice and veggies

150 tri-tip

100 ahi tuna

1550

Here are the test results. The doctor said that everything was in the normal range except for my sodium, which he was concerned about but wouldn't tell me why. Not particularly happy with my testosterone being near the bottom of the range, although I would appreciate the expertise opinions here on it.

Why no comments on the blood work?

AssociateX said:

Why no comments on the blood work?

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stop being concerned about numbers on a piece of paper, and worry about if you have any actual symptoms instead.

Lots of guys feel just fine, and gain muscle without issue, with test in the 400-500 range. I mean by your own admission you are getting compliments on how your physique is improving.

Numbers are arbitrary/meaningless in the absence of symptoms. If you don't like that answer then there's nothing else to say.