Lately, I cannot shake the sense of my mortality.
Why?
For the very first time in my life, I am truly feeling my age.
Not so much in the day to day stuff, but definitely in the gym and out on the road.
Here’s what I mean by that:
Few weeks back, I decided to make some small changes to the way I eat to get some unsightly fat off my midsection that I’d accumulated through taking my eye off the ball on the food front.
In times past, these adjustments didn’t trouble me at all (beyond a mild discontent at having to say “no” to certain snacks and whatnot). Training carried on as normal and I’d generally find myself getting stronger (at least in proportion to my bodyweight and occasionally in absolute terms) – most likely because I was filling myself with better quality “fuel”, albeit in smaller quantities.
Not so much this time around.
Honestly, it’s been a grind, and I’m only something like three weeks in as of this writing. Sure, the fat is coming off at a good clip – but damnit it’s unpleasant.
Weights that have hitherto flown up feel like they weigh a tonne… I’m achy in New and Exciting ways… and the less said about my long(ish) runs, the better.
It’s gotten to the point that Jess has given me a deadline to buck my ideas up, or else she’s going to start cooking all of my meals for me to make sure I’m getting adequate nutrition!
An awful fate indeed… but I digress.
Believe it or not, the issues I have just described have nothing whatsoever to do with my diet per se (I’ve steered miles clear of “extreme” diets since one nearly cost me the sight in one eye). What’s happened is, the (relatively small) dietary changes have merely exposed an underlying decline that has been happening for several years at this point.
Testosterone levels in men begin to drop between the ages of 30 and 40 at a rate of roughly 1% per year. Alas, that is a cohort I have been in for some time, so it’s logical to conclude my T levels are beginning to circle the drain.
ArRrRr NHS rightly says this is unlikely to cause problems in and of itself (much to the chagrin of drug-peddling grifters shilling the fantasy of the “andropause”).
That said…
In my thoroughly unscientific opinion, the small decline may well be felt by men who are relatively strong and in good shape, not only because they are in better tune with their bodies than the fat man who spends his days doomscrolling on the sofa in soiled joggers, but also because little physiological changes can make big differences to performance levels.
It has been my experience anyways.
Take all of that with a truckload of salt because I am not a doctor, nor do I profess to be one, and I haven’t studied the literature (nor am I properly qualified to understand it even if I had).
But if I am correct, I can certainly see why so many men about my age and older decide to get a script for TRT or go the whole hog and buy a bunch of gear of unknown providence from Johnny Juicehead down the gym.
It’s sure easier than making the needful changes to the way you train, eat, and live, not to mention having the humility to accept your decline and set your expectations accordingly.
Speaking of that…
My course, “Silver Era Secrets” is written for those who want a smart, safe, sustainable way of training that delivers respectable results without the aid of steroids or other PEDs (even if you’re no longer a spring chicken).
The methods you’ll learn and follow are based upon how greats like Steve Reeves, John Grimek, and Tommy Kono trained in the days before that horrible stuff exploded onto the scene and forever changed the fitness landscape for the worse in my opinion.
For a full breakdown of exactly what’s included, see the below URL.
Make sure you read the information carefully, to make sure your decision is an informed one:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/programme
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman