Posts by Charles Ortiz3

Smith shuts down threads right when things are actually getting interesting... This site is supposed to be for debating stuff, but he just locks everything up for a few days mid-discussion. And the moderators too. They’re handing out warnings like they're some kind of preschool teacher...

So if you didn't get what the issue was before, well, now you finally do... just eat right and stay moving, honestly. Nobody expects you to be out there running a sub-10 second 100m dash or benching 900 pounds by tomorrow morning... just take it one step at a time...

This photo is like a year old now, but I guess I'm still hanging around somewhere...
https://i.postimg.cc/bwsHmnt2/a.jpg

So there's total testosterone in your system and then there's free testosterone, which is what actually matters... don't quote me on this, but I think I read somewhere that pro athletes can end up with low free levels even if their total count is high because their bodies are just burning through it for other stuff. I mean, what's the point of having testosterone if it isn't doing anything useful for you, right? But again, take it with a grain of salt because they might also be low because their body fat is super low or whatever... looks like both of yours are running pretty low.

You definitely need zinc to produce testosterone, and cholesterol too, just don't go overboard with it... you really need to be eating healthy fats since those help bump up your levels.

Cortisol, that stress hormone, basically works the opposite way of testosterone... if one is down, the other is usually up, so you should try to keep the stress levels in check.

Getting some solid workouts in tells your body to start cranking out more testosterone.

To get your hormones balanced, it really just comes down to eating clean and cutting out all that junk food... plus working out, getting enough nutrients like zinc and good fats, and trying not to stress out too much. Just don't expect things to change overnight...

Did you get these tests done just for fun or are you feeling under the weather? If you're sick, that might be why the numbers look weird right now.
Are you just naturally thin?
Do you stay active physically?
Is your diet pretty healthy?
Are you dealing with a lot of stress during the day, like, are you wiped out from working too hard or are you just exhausted for no clear reason...

Alexander Ramirez18 said:Fats are the ultimate testosterone booster (like nuts)

That’s exactly what I used to think too... Like, pistachios are packed with protein (unlike most other nuts, they actually have a complete protein profile), and almonds are right up there with them when it comes to vitamins, minerals, and fiber... there’s gotta be a catch somewhere...

It turns out nuts might actually be dropping your free testosterone levels, which a bunch of studies have pointed to... Scientists have thrown out a few possible reasons for this... Since we know the body builds testosterone from cholesterol, and nuts are loaded with phytosterols (plant sterols), those plant sterols end up lowering blood cholesterol—which is great for heart health and veins, sure, but it also drags down testosterone production... Another thing is that nuts might increase how much free testosterone binds to globulin in the bloodstream, which just makes less of it available for your body to use... Studies also suggest that nuts might slow down the conversion of testosterone into DHT (probably because of polyunsaturated fats, if I remember correctly, since apparently polyunsaturated fats aren't great for T while monounsaturated ones are)... A lot of people will say that’s actually a win because they view DHT as the "bad" kind of testosterone—since DHT isn't really needed for muscle growth and only free testosterone binds to muscle cell receptors, whereas DHT is more about body hair and going bald—but unlike regular free testosterone, DHT is actually essential for brain function and all those mental processes... So maybe it’s no wonder scientists lose their hair so fast... Then again, some researchers argue that nuts are actually amazing for testosterone because they provide the vitamins and minerals, like zinc, that you need to produce it in the first place... So honestly, you end up just not knowing what to believe anymore... 😁

swiftridge40 said:I’m totally on board with what ironseal8 was saying, but honestly, I’d grab that machine too since it actually gives you a lat pulldown, which is huge for chest, front delts, biceps, whatever... but if you just stick to barbells and dumbbells, you’re basically stuck with bent-over rows and deadlifts, and that’s about it... you miss out on the lat machine, the pull-downs, and having a pull-up bar...

https://www.fitness.com/exercises/back-exercises.aspx

Here’s a look at what these things usually come with...


You can hit back too, just skip to 1:50...

Larry Phillips6 said:The weight isn't heavier because of some kind of "resistance," it's just that the force you're pulling with is increased because of how the pulleys are rigged up...

Maybe you thought I was talking about friction loss, but I just meant the resistance being created itself, honestly I don't really care about physics textbook lessons...

For example.
https://www.amazon.com/fitness-equipment...r_id=156260446

70 kg weights turning into 140 kg pull

There are all kinds of ways they list it, like on US sites they might say the actual weight is X pounds, but the "resistance" reaches Y pounds thanks to the pulley system...

But then on American classifieds or Craigslist, people usually claim the weight is "doubled," whereas most English sites won't say it's exactly double, just that it's higher depending on the machine, plus some descriptions list different potential resistance levels based on which pulley setup you use, so I'm just looking for some real-world feedback or gear recommendations...

Austin Clark59 said:+

That's definitely your best bet, those all-in-one multi-gym machines are pretty much useless, especially if you're actually serious about training...

Meaning, if you were actually serious, you probably wouldn't have even started this thread...

Did I ever say I was a pro or that I had gym experience? I just work out at home regularly, doing pushups, situps, squats... picked up a 45lb weighted vest and some dumbbells the other day, but I'm trying to build a home gym since I can't be bothered to drive to the local YMCA, and I want to move more weight... I've hit a wall with just bodyweight stuff so I need more load for muscle growth, etc., and I'll drop some decent cash on a leg press machine since those aren't cheap, but I don't want to blow that much on upper body stuff too, these multi-gym setups can be found for $667, but I'm worried the weight stack is too light, so I'm wondering if that doubling thing is actually true or if it's less than that... if I grab the one with 150lb weights and it actually feels like 300lbs, that would be perfect, and it's not a super expensive machine...

ironseal8 said:If you aren't just starting out, you already know there's really only one main lift on this machine, the lat pulldown...
Everything else is just some kind of silly isolation movement...

Isolation moves work for me though, so I'm not really looking to argue about it... do you happen to know if those pulleys actually make the weight feel twice as heavy as it really is or what...

And if you actually care about your lats, you might be better off just installing a pull-up bar at home, since you can hit abs and everything else too.

That's definitely something I'd look into adding...

ironseal8 said:Honestly, training until you totally collapse is just pointless stupidity, especially if you're still new to this...

I wouldn't call myself a total newbie, though I guess I am one at the same time, and even though I hit the weights hard at home and have built up a decent physique, I really need to start moving some heavier iron, plus I just have this habit of pushing myself until I'm completely spent...

ironseal8 said:That’s honestly just a waste of money, you're way better off just grabbing some dumbbells and maybe a couple of short bars and a long bar...

If you could somehow snag an adjustable bench and some squat racks too, man, that would be the dream...

I'd much rather hit up a local gym than have someone hovering over me while I'm trying to push myself to the limit...

I've been thinking about setting up a home gym for a while now... definitely looking at grabbing a leg press machine to hit those quads and calves, even though those things aren't cheap at all. I'm probably going to pick up a multi-gym for upper body stuff too since you can find them way cheaper... most of them only have small weight stacks like 45, 60, or 70 lbs, which kind of sucks... but some sites claim the actual resistance feels twice as heavy because of how the pulleys work. Like, if the stack says 70 lbs, you might actually be feeling closer to 140 lbs of tension...

Has anyone here actually used one of these home multi-gym setups, and does that part about the weight being doubled actually hold up?...

For example...
https://s9.postimg.cc/jnixig6rz/full_ST-9022-1_red1.jpg