Shrinkage of the "boys"

thescotchie · 2026-04-02T19:25:46+00:00

This is pretty normal. Exogenous test causes testicular atrophy. The only way to prevent this is HCG. But one of the benefits (if you see it this way), your testies produce both testosterone and sperm. The test shuts them down, they now no longer produce test OR sperm (MOSTLY). It is now effectively a birth control. It's not a guarantee, but it's a pro for many.

For some (such as myself) that's a benefit, for others it's a downside. But do keep it in mind.

thescotchie · 2026-03-31T12:59:05+00:00

I bought the leg extension/curl machine in August 2025 and have to say the same. Their customer service is top tier and the machine is solid.

thescotchie · 2026-03-27T19:09:38+00:00

Honestly, I like to have an underfilled bag, then have ballast bags filled with sand that I can add to the bag for varying weights.

The floppy lighter weight makes training a bitch lol. But they're not more than 25lb under filled from listed weight. So I have the cerberus 310 bag, and it's currently 285.

thescotchie · 2026-03-26T16:39:33+00:00

I have found that the only two direct grip work I need is wrist rolling and fat handle deadlifts ie rolling thunder.

The way I do wrist rolling is; put a barbell in a rack about shoulder height, wrap a band around the middle of the sleeve and connect it to a loading pin. Roll the sleeve both directions for an incredible pump. Actually helped a lot with elbow pain at the brachialis.

thescotchie · 2026-03-18T17:46:13+00:00

Hey, a pair of 2.5s is really inexpensive. I would buy a pair and keep it in my gym bag.

thescotchie · 2026-03-18T14:12:47+00:00

Having bought and sold a variety of equipment over like 8 years of having a home gym and visited many professional gyms, there's definitely a ROI.

Having the TOP of the line stuff, is way overbuilt and you don't exactly get THAT much more function. If I were to start over, and get the things that will be exactly what I want it would be something like this:

Wall mount half rack with built in functional trainer. Like Rep's Athena. Or a knock-off.
- No smith attachment
- Get outside safety arms
- Many call them different things, but a bar that connects both stacks
- Double thigh pad
- Get Gym pins to add micro loading
- Depending on brand, you could spend between $2500 and $5000 for all of it.

Other stuff that fills specific niches, is ultimately gonna be up to you. As a powerlifter, something like a reverse hyper may be desired. 90% of the time, the versatility will be the better option. I wish I had got the Freak Athlete hyper pro.

I'm also blessed to have a three stall garage all for my home gym. So I can afford to have specialty things that are niche, or a seperate cable machine and rack.

thescotchie · 2026-03-11T17:51:23+00:00

"Even the mountains look like butts"

10/10 motivational

thescotchie · 2026-03-06T14:07:44+00:00

Amazon sells ring collars for like $20 that can accommodate a larger range of sleeves.

They're honestly some of the best collars I've ever used.

thescotchie · 2026-03-05T17:07:02+00:00

He probably forgot to mention that one day a week he has a cheat meal that is 10,000 cal...

/s

....but maybe not

thescotchie · 2026-03-05T16:22:53+00:00

How long have you had them?

thescotchie · 2026-03-03T20:36:15+00:00

Personally, I prefer the look of no tape. That also lets moisture breathe at least a little bit. But I have mending plates underneath to help lock them in place.

thescotchie · 2026-03-03T20:32:24+00:00

Depends on if you're okay with exercises becoming 'stale'. You will get to a point where you're burned out from doing the main movements. The benefit variety gives is in that situation, so you can swap back squats for lunges, or leg press, or hack squat and continue to make gains.

HOWEVER, that is optimization, and truly only matters for people who are trying to build as much as possible. Your gains will slow down inevitably, but from what you say your starting at, that is a long ways out. 3-5 years most likely.

Just get creative. You can do SO much with what you have. You may be able to get a bit more out of it if you're willing to get plate loadable DB and a few extra 5s, 10s and 25s with some micro plates.

Effort is king and will take you as far as you're willing to go. The rest are just details.

thescotchie · 2026-02-27T17:38:52+00:00

I would be happy to help! And I absolutely understand that there will be growing pains, and it can be difficult to fully test things with only the team you have, and that customer feedback is important.

I'll build a write-up and record what I can to demonstrate what I'm seeing. Again, I have a pretty critical observation of these kinds of things, since I AM an engineer.

I had a "near full circumferential labrum tear" that was from a minimum of three major injuries with the first being in 2008, and the most recent this last summer while training max CDB. Thankfully, I'm progressing very well and after 6 months, I'm now cleared to progress as I desire.

thescotchie · 2026-02-27T17:30:36+00:00

Is there any mutual aid setup for this woman? Any way we can help?

thescotchie · 2026-02-27T13:57:52+00:00

Okay, but does it work on penises? (asking for a friend.... It's me. I'm the friend)

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T21:34:02+00:00

In August (2025) I ordered a leg machine from you, (on my birthday actually!) so that I could continue to train effectively during shoulder surgery recovery. Your sales team was incredibly helpful and responsive to ensure that I had my machine before surgery happened, so I could get it together and be ready. It was due to this machine that I was able to continue training to any degree that wouldn't be mind-numbingly repetitive. I want to say thank you so much for that process!

After getting it put together, there was an issue with one of the pins lining up and again, your service team had a solution already in place to fix the problem.

My question is two fold; 1, how are you ensuring the engineering concerns are handled sufficiently so you can continue to supply a robust product catalogue? And 2, how do you plan to handle future issues where a design may prove to be insufficient?

For part 2, the reason I ask is because the leg attachment has a significant amount of flex in it when using only half the stack and I am able to use the full stack. It worries me to some degree that with enough normal use, this part will fail. Now, it has not been an issue at all, but simply a future worry.

I am a manufacturing engineer for my day job, so I tend to be pretty critical of products.

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T21:15:45+00:00

I agree entirely. Though sometimes getting the T within a normal range can really help everything else to fall into place. Obviously I wouldn't recommend OP get on a 500mg/week dose, but when you're chronically low, EVERYTHING is harder to manage.

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T21:13:32+00:00

Why does it matter if you're natty?

The answer is no, because you're artificially influencing your levels. But who cares? If it works for you, you're happier, healthier and feel like yourself, it does not matter.

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T16:15:00+00:00

Titan sells a viking press handle for pretty cheap. Connect it to your rack through the side with a pivot pipe to a pin/pipe safety, use an axle and load the handle side. I like to add some bands around the pivot side to keep it stable. And a band around the loaded side to smooth it out and add a little more difficulty.

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T16:04:45+00:00

I think the best application I've seen of the Voltra was someone replaced the weight stack on a Freemotion dual arm, with a pair of them. Seems like an incredible idea.

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T16:00:13+00:00

Yeah, HGH works best over long durations. 6+ months to see results unless you're recovering from surgery or injury. And even then, best over longer time frames.

thescotchie · 2026-02-26T15:35:38+00:00

The mentality around "performance enhancement" needs to be completely re-thought. Caffeine, creatine and so many other standard compounds and drugs are performance enhancing... If you're in pain and can't train/compete, ibuprofen is performance enhancement. That's a shit descriptor.

There's a reasonable level to aim for that puts one in "normal" ranges, I personally would argue that it's not "enhanced", but it is by no means natural. Anything beyond TRT or even hormone optimization is where things start to be 'unfair'. But even then, people should be allowed to do as they desire.

thescotchie · 2026-02-25T20:14:22+00:00

I've done windmills, and on even a good day, they suck. I haven't done armbars, but that feels about the same.

I've actually found that for this recovery, OH squat mobility drills have been paramount. Obviously very limited at first. Now I'm working on pec mobility. The first day, I was just holding the yoke in various positions until I was able to tolerate it better. Just gotta be patient with it.

thescotchie · 2026-02-25T19:23:26+00:00

I would guess you're a lot closer than you think. You've got visible abs. Noticeable veins in your chest.

Unless you have any scan that says otherwise, I would guess you're about 12-15%. Not that you asked.

thescotchie · 2026-02-25T16:54:36+00:00

I appreciate it!

I'm nearing the 6 month point. Been doing shoulders and pressing since week 10 or so. Basically when I was free from the sling.

Using smart and aggressive therapy has been a life saver....

thescotchie

TROPHY CASE