TRT for Bodybuilding (The Ultimate Guide)

You can start gaining muscle mass after about 12 weeks of testosterone therapy. This all depends on multiple additional factors, including diet and exercise.

Studies have concluded that men going through testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) typically notice results between 12–20 weeks.

It's important to note that peak muscle gain will likely take 6–12 months [3].

So, does that mean that a bodybuilder going through TRT will see huge gains after a few months?

That all depends on the dosage administered to treat the low testosterone levels.

Typically, treatments will aim to bring your T-levels back into the normal range. And what bodybuilders would need for huge muscle mass gains are much higher T-levels.

However, doctors will rarely prescribe higher doses just because you want to change your aesthetics.

“Testosterone plays a role in the development of muscle mass, and reduced levels of the hormone can result in a significant loss of muscle mass.”

- Joseph Brito III, MD

No, not all bodybuilders can get access to testosterone replacement therapy.

This type of medical treatment is not simply available for the purpose of bulking up.

Doctors should only prescribe it to people with verified low testosterone levels.

While that can happen to bodybuilders of all ages due to underlying health conditions like hypogonadism or prostate cancer, the intention is not to raise T-levels to extremely high ranges.

The idea behind treating free testosterone deficiency is to raise levels into the normal range.

And those ranges won’t provide bodybuilders with the massive gains you often associate with professional bodybuilders who rely on huge doses of anabolic steroids.

But there is a positive way that it can be used.

I have worked with a few amateurs who hit plateaus in their bulking a lot sooner than could be explained by their training and diet routine.

After they got tested at a TRT clinic, doctors determined that they had significantly reduced total testosterone levels. 

Before they started treatment, they also went for a DEXA scan to get details of their BMI, bone density, and muscle mass [4].

They repeated this after six months of treatment, and the results were great.

In these cases, bringing free testosterone back to normal levels was enough to break through that plateau and achieve some great results for muscles and bone mineral density.

Both injections and topical testosterone replacement therapy are suitable for bodybuilders.

Both types can provide performance enhancement for muscle strength and growth, but it’s typically injections that can bring on faster results.

But you have to be careful with anabolic steroid use.

When it comes to bodybuilding, TRT can often be this temptation to increase dosages. But you have to be aware that there is an increased risk of health issues ranging from acne and fluid retention to serious liver damage.

You can still benefit from TRT by sticking to the prescribed dosage.

You should never go against your doctor’s recommendations and start experimenting with different timing and doses just to maximize muscle strength.

It’s probably a lot more difficult to get a huge boost in T-levels from a gel. So, if you want to avoid the temptation of taking a large injection dose, then maybe discuss a topical option during your initial treatment consultation.

People with significant underlying medical conditions like prostate cancer or cardiac health issues shouldn’t consider taking hormone treatment.

Also, men with normal testosterone levels shouldn’t consider this type of medical treatment.

Let’s start with some medical considerations.

Because testosterone plays such a major role in regulating many different body functions, it’s vital that a doctor look at your full medical history and current health issues before considering TRT.

While the potential benefits for chronic fatigue and muscle wasting might be important, they could be counterproductive if they make other health conditions worse.

Another medical consideration is the underlying reason for the lack of testosterone production. One reason could be related to the pituitary gland.

If it doesn’t produce enough luteinizing hormone, then the testicles will become less productive. Addressing that issue with long-term TRT might not be the best option.

This is also precisely why you should never consider taking testosterone medication without consulting a doctor. There are so many things that can go wrong, from testicular atrophy to a damaged cardiovascular system.

And once you factor in organ damage from abnormally high exogenous testosterone, it's really not a direction that any bodybuilder should go [5].

You can either go to your family doctor or a dedicated online clinic for testosterone replacement therapy.

The good news is that, with men's health becoming more acknowledged by the public, there is a shift in accessibility to such treatments.

What people would have always done in the past was discuss testosterone-related issues with their doctor during a routine check-up, and that would typically lead to a blood sample and lab testing for testosterone levels.

The doctor would then get you to come into the clinic once a week or something similar for an injection.

As you can imagine, this would be quite an expensive treatment, one that many insurance providers didn’t fully cover or that many men couldn't afford.

But things have changed.

Today, there are online TRT clinics, and as with everything that’s offered online, that has resulted in huge changes to the overall TRT cost.

You still have to go through the process of testing your free and total testosterone, followed by a detailed consultation with a doctor.

And depending on the medical assessment, you then receive your treatment through the mail.

You then have follow-up consultations to assess your progress and whether there is any need to adjust the dosage. And all this costs a lot less per month than what traditional medical services would charge.

It’s just as safe, and you get access to licensed doctors and FDA-approved medication.

“Low testosterone results from a problem in the testicles or the brain and can cause low libido, muscle loss, and/or depressed mood.”

- Nick Milazzo, MSc, MPH