Looking for a trainer/coach that understands low-T/ADT training

[catbus]

I'm 4 years in on the standard triple blockade (Abiraterone / Orgovyx / Dutasteride) and things are going very well. PSA is stable at < 0.01. And I just rode a century ride this past weekend. (woot!)

I'm calling on the wisdom of the aPCA tribe in my search for a coach / trainer that truly gets working with T-deprived bodies and how near-total lack of T can affect strength and cardio training efforts. I do strength, cardio, and flexibility work now, but it feels random and haphazard, and I'm looking to work with someone knowledgeable in this space to help me up my game and slow the inevitable decline. I've talked to the trainer folks at my cancer center and their advice was pretty generic with the addition of "allow extra time for recovery". I'm after more than that. Any reccomendations or connections are welcome.

Googling for this is a wasteland, due to the overwhelming search results for T supplements.

Thanks all, and be well.

-LikesToFly

[MateoBeach]

I have been trying the “Big 5” strength program clearly explained in the book Body by Science for the past month. Five exercises, one set each done with very slow movements until complete failure within two minutes. Only done once a week for maximal muscle and strength building. So only about 15 minutes in the gym each week. But it is very intense and best to do on Nautilus or MedX machines so no risk of injury.

I found a local physical therapy that has the full MedX machines and I am starting there tomorrow rather than lower quality machines at my paid gym. Also Medicare will cover it. 💪😅

[Teacherdude72 in reply to MateoBeach]

could you explain more on the MedX machines and medicare paying please???

[MateoBeach in reply to Teacherdude72]

A local physical therapy practice has the full line of MedX machines. I had a PT intake yesterday morning paid by Medicare. But the trainer they have is separate so I had to pay her for the training fee.

But the machines and her training support were excellent at my first Big Five (plus) workout yesterday. Much better than on the inferior machines at my other gym. Even effort through whole ranges of motion smoothly to failure. Yes, intense and hard but felt safe. Will continue.

[wagscure259 in reply to MateoBeach]

please let us know how this goes. As per your recommendation I read Dr McGuff’s book. Back in the early 90’s I did a super slow workout ( which was developed by Ken Hutchins) . It is an extremely intense and difficult to perform program. I tried it recently and it was just too intense at age 70+. I have moved to onto a full body Multi-rep rest pause program to shorten my workouts but it allows me to get to failure 3 days a week where I vary the specific exercises. I am still trying to work out frequency but I don’t think once a week would work for me in this castrate state for over 9 1/2 years. All the best to you.

[London441]

Work harder and faster. A great lift should never take more than 40 minutes. Mix your routines up with different sets, reps, weight etc.

Keep a log if it makes you feel more organized. But mostly work harder. Don’t confuse this with adding too much too soon, which gets you injured. Know your body and add a little at a time.

Remember: If it doesn’t suck you’re not working hard enough. When you do this you’ll feel so good the rest of the time you’ll never go back. Take less time between sets.

Most older guys don’t work nearly hard enough to get the results they seek.

[Irun]

I too have been searching for that elusive coach . Been on zytega for almost 7 years and run ultra marathons .

I think it will be many years before anyone actually gets it right because :-

1) until a few years ago the docs thought big exercise was bad with cancer

2) we are all different in terms of how we react to drugs

3) prostate cancer generally happens to older men and that’s a different style of coaching in itself

So I have a coach , get sent exercises once a month and does a video call watching me exercise . It does work for me and I am getting stronger . She is a rehab physio amongst other things so gets strength building opposed to a standard gym coach . I guess we are in many ways like women without T so we need to train like them and not expect muscles to look like they would in men without pca . That first realisation for me made a big difference to my attitude .

All my stuff is done from home . If you want to contact my coach let me know . I am uk based .

[maley2711]

I Know zip about weight resistance training and the terminology and little about "major muscle groups" This week I asked Kaiser nurses and my potential RO about something similar...a specific proven program of resistance training, with specifics. The Ro replied that no definitive studies exist.....just "work" most major muscle groups ......I'm only slightly motivated to work with weights at home or gym....exercise like squats and stretch bands are of interest and more likely to be done/used by me. But...what exactly.....would lifting a gallon of water for x reps be a waste of time...for my wife, would be a challenge!!!

Can a person derive the same or similar benefit from increasing reps and not the weight...do I need weights, when we have sufficient weight items in our home. 2-3 miles per day at 20 minute miles adequate...been doing that for years?

[Hidden]

Cat you are looking for a Master Personal Trainer. Part of their curriculum for this designation are exercises that do not bear weight on bones due to metastatic lesions. Essentially all the exercises work by replacing visceral fat with muscle. It’s a very long drawn out process coupled with diet. Couple with recommendations from your Cardiologist. No body wants a stroke, heart a track, or broken bone in a gym...... For example, my heart rate was limited to 120 bpm max. Good luck.

Gourd Dancer

[Purple-Bike]

I can't give any advice excepy my own finding. If you can push yourself maximally you can beat ADT. When starting ADT I went all-out in the gym, to the last possible rep. Panted like no one else. Twice a week one hour each time. Once with focus on upper body once on legs and back. 20 second bursts with all-out pedaling on exercise bike, racing against a number on the meter. I maintained or slightly increased strength in all my muscle groups.

[Calhoun113]

I’m pretty lame when it comes to exercise. Not too much energy and could not deal with a trainer. I did find Curtis Adams who produced many videos of workouts for beginners and seniors. Seems to be just my speed right now. Maybe I’ll gradually work up to something more intense. Might be worth looking into.

[No_stone_unturned]

I approach my work out with BMI being the driver. As others have eluded to, there’s no one size fits all program, but exercising to failure will yield the best muscle building results. How you get there is unique to you. You can do low reps heavy weight, or high reps low weight. As long as the last set you do has you struggling to finish, your doing it right.

My gym workout is 3 times a week; 30-40min

Legs, legs, legs. I haven’t had to work out my big muscles since my early 20’s. Now it’s the corner stone of my workout. I lost so much muscle in my legs, that I became wobbly. I like the sit down leg press the best. Covers all of the major muscles in your legs.

Chest press: covers chest, shoulders and triceps. I mix it up with flys and inclines. I also do daily pushups at onset of hot flash.

Curl machine. Biceps.

Ab machine. Abs.

Diet, diet diet. Goal is low bmi.

And If you feel like taking a mental health day, take it! Hope this is helpful.

Best;

[wagscure259 in reply to No_stone_unturned]

Excellent, sometimes overlooked point regarding BMI. I guess it’s a difficult balance between building muscle and cardio duration. Best to you.

[Huzzah1]

I've had a membership at LA Fitness (Now free as part of the Silver Sneakers program with Medicare) for many years, in my later years I had been a binge exerciser. It is now a priority. I observed a number of the trainers until I identified the guy I wanted to work with. He is sending me a weekly program via an app with a very wide variety of exercises on the machines. He's always at the gym in the AM so he checks in with me regularly. For lower body, it will alternate from doing full squats etc one day to isolating individual muscles by doing 1 leg squats or extensions on another day. I like doing high intensity workouts and never spending more than 45 seconds between sets. Get in and get out of the gym. It drives me crazy when I see folks do a set then sit at the machine while they write a book or something on there phone.

The key is to do something!