Powerlifter Larry Wheels is an open book about his recent decision to stop using steroids. Wheels’ goal is to test how much he can lift without the help of the drugs, which he says he’s been taking for the past decade.
The flip side is that Wheels is now on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) because he says his body can no longer produce the hormone naturally. He aims to be on TRT for 175 milligrams per week, which he previously said would bring his testosterone levels to “the higher side of being a natural, healthy male in his prime.”
On September 7, 2022, Wheels took to his YouTube channel to test his squat and bench press strength while on TRT. Here’s how it went:
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Editor’s Note: BarBend does not intend to make a moral or ethical statement regarding the athlete’s actions. This article reports on the information laid out by the athlete(s). BarBend is not a medical resource and does not endorse the recreational use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Adjusting to His New Normal
Wheels prepped for his squats by warming up with a 25-kilogram (55-pound) barbell. While breezing through the reps, he noted that his body feels far more flexible now that he’s four kilograms (nine pounds) lighter.
Wheels next progressed to 65.8 kilograms (145 pounds) and 106 kilograms (235 pounds) before the video cut to him talking with bodybuilder Simon Fan about the differences between lifting on and off steroids.
“[I feel] flatter, lighter on my feet, significantly less pump,” Wheels says. “The pump I got while I was full blast is night and day compared to the pump I get now. It’s hard to even call it a pump on TRT.”
After more sets at heavier weights, Wheels capped his squats with a set of five at 269.9 kilograms (595.1 pounds). That was Wheels’ first time squatting that heavy in six months due to strongman training and a back injury. He intended to leave a few reps in the tank. Still, he called his final set a “reasonable” place to be. In the past, Wheels squatted 410 kilograms (900 pounds).
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[Related: Larry Wheels Reveals a Physique Update One Month After Getting Off Steroids and On TRT]
The bench press followed the same formula as the squat: Wheels warmed up light with 60.8 kilograms (134 pounds) before moving to sets of 101.7 kilograms (224.1 pounds) and 165 kilograms (364.1 pounds).
The final set weighed 224 kilograms (494 pounds), which Wheels powered through for five paused reps. For reference, an Instagram post from May 28, 2022, showed Wheels hitting a one-rep max of 307 kilograms (675 pounds) for what he called the “biggest bench of my life.”
Larry’s Thoughts
Though Wheels has noticed some loss of strength, the weight loss has led to easier workouts, faster recovery between sets, and better stamina.
“[I’m] really, really ecstatic with the numbers I pulled off today,” Wheels says at the end of the video. “Still, for confirmation, in a couple weeks’ time, I’m [going to get] my blood tested to make sure they are within normal range and that I’m not too over where I should be because I don’t want to be on a mini cycle.”
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The range that Wheels referred to is the aforementioned 175 milligrams per week. He said that if he can maintain and build upon the strength he displayed during this workout on those testosterone levels, he’ll be “over the moon.”
Featured Image courtesy of Larry Wheels’ YouTube channel.