Perimeter Edition - Starting Strength Weekly Report July 15, 2024 (2024)

Jacquie benches 135 lb for a new PR single at Starting Strength Boston. [photo courtesy of Stephen Babbitt]

John demonstrates the proper set up for a deadlift at this last weekend's Squat and Deadlift camp at The Strength Co. Costa Mesa taught by Starting Strength Coach Grant Broggi. [photo courtesy of Grant Broggi]

Kevin locks out 365 lb for his fifth rep at last weekend's Squat and Deadlift camp at The Strength Co. Costa Mesa taught by Starting Strength Coach Grant Broggi. [photo courtesy of Grant Broggi]

Jessica Sorensen finishes her deadlift at Starting Strength Atlanta. Whether it is in person or virtually, Jessica’s cheers are likely the first words gym members will hear after hitting a PR. She leads encouragement from the front, from her place near the top of the gym leaderboard, which changes like a stock market ticker. [photo courtesy of Adam Martin]

Nathan Wolfinger starts to set his back into hard extension to push the floor away with 305. “Wolf” has gained 25 pounds of good bodyweight since beginning his novice linear progression at Starting Strength Atlanta. When he realized his rack neighbor, a Yankee, had never eaten at Waffle House before, Wolf non-judgmentally treated him to a post-workout breakfast there, an olive branch gesture of compassion and Southern hospitality. [photo courtesy of Adam Martin]

At the Ironfest VI competition held at Testify Strength & Conditioning, Emalie Petersen and Sara Deibler took 1st place in the Open Female/Female team division, Camden Grasmick and Brian Farley took 1st place in the Open Male/Male team division, Jason Wilkerson and Loren Wilkerson took 1st place in the Open Male/Female team division, and Sharon Foster and Julie Snyder took 1st place in the Masters Female/Female team division. View Full Results

Diana practices some bench press singles in preparation for IronFest VI, an annual partner-based competition at Testify Strength & Conditioning in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Phil Meggers]

Mike locks out 395 lb for a very smooth 3rd attempt at this weekend's IronFest VI competition at Testify Strength & Conditioning in Omaha, NE. [photo courtesy of Barb Mueller]

The Jarecke family showed up with three generations at this weekend's IronFest VI competition! Clockwise from top-left, Rich, son Jeremiah, and granddaughters Aubrey and Addi all lifted together (and against each other!) in the partner-based meet. [photo courtesy of Barb Mueller]

Martin Shenfield

After perusing the boards and reading a few different situations, it occurred to me that my chronic back pain, crazy broken leg, bad mood, lack of strength etc etc may be caused/not helped by low testosterone. Coupled with the fact that I had two undescended testicl*s as a child (one surgically fixed and the other left to be retractile for some bizarre reason) I thought I would ask my doctor to test me.

He did and I got 475 ng/DL total which he said was fine. Obviously I didn't test anything else. I wasn't happy so I found a way to order my own blood test with the appropriate stuff.

My best results are:
I am 36 years old.
Total test - 533 ng/DL
Free test - 373 pmol/l I don't know that unit you US guys normally use.

My shbg was in range. Thyroid was fine. Kidney function was checked and fine. Doctor didn't say anything during the physical exam.

The only actual anomaly is my FSH level was 19 U/L with the reference range being 1-8.

LH was 5 with the same range.

So given my history, high FSH level do you think I should give TRT a crack? It's hard to get here in Australia but I can get it with a private script. At least at the moment anyway.

I assume that I do have primary hypogonadism but for some reason my Test levels are not horrible and my LH level is within range. I guess the balance between everything is what is a problem for me.

Obviously I can't thank you enough because I wouldn't have even found this out without you doing what you do, so figured I should give you the final say.

Mark Rippetoe

I don't want the final say. This is your situation, not mine. If it were me, I'd try to elevate my test and see how I felt, which is the only way to know.

Darracq

I used to never get sore from benching, but the last couple sessions I have been pretty sore. I have been doing one back off set of 6-8 reps, maybe it's because I am hitting more reps than I usually get, because it's after my heavy set?

Mark Rippetoe

Soreness is always due to un-adapted-to eccentric loading, in this case the extra reps. It will subside.