What's your opinion on the increasing numbers of young men using TRT? I'm greatly concerned by it truthfully. There's a new trending injection. It's just it's like a wonder drug makes a big difference. [ __ ] yeah. Strength is going up [ __ ] quick, mate. But experts are concerned that it's being overprescribed. Let's [ __ ] be serious here. Honestly, do you really honestly think that that many young guys are in need of testosterone replacement therapy? I mean, be be honest. Some blame the influencers. All these fitness influencers going on YouTube saying, "Well, my testosterone levels aren't high enough. I need HRT. You don't need it. You're not even close." But doctors worry. This is being driven by predatory clinics hustling hormones for cash to naive users. I just get annoyed with these direct to consumer marketing and these quack clinics. And so they're basically just trying to sell drugs. Yo, what's going on guys? Today I'm going to teach you some steroid math. If a depressed person stuck some testosterone into him, his depression would go away. I just wanted to fight everyone in the gym. I just wanted to get into a fight with someone. We see this all the time where guys who are doing this in their 20s decide they want to have kids in their 30s and they can't. Like, have your balls even fully dropped when you started this, bro? A whole lot of risk and pain in the ass that you better know what you're sign up for before you sign up for that [ __ ] Where do you think this is headed? just massive amounts of young 20-year-olds taking testosterone. Once upon a time in the late 1800s, a French scientist injected himself with a mix from dog and guinea pig testicles, claiming it made him feel younger. His experiment grabbed attention, but it wasn't backed by real science. It wasn't until decades later that scientists made a breakthrough, sympathizing testosterone from cholesterol, earning the 1939 Nobel Prize in chemistry. This transformed treatment followed testosterone, helping men with fatigue, weak muscles, and delayed puberty. Baths also saw his edge. And as Arnold, Mr. Olympia, and gym culture rose, steroid juice exploded. It's showtime. Although testosterone was tied to doping, underground bodybuilding, and early deaths. In 1999, wider abander cementing its infamy as a performance-enhancing drug. But a major shift was coming. Hey, men with low tea have androgel, the number one prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy. A less potent testosterone gel received FDA approval in 2003, making TRT easier than ever before. Drug companies began to push low tea as a common problem, focusing on the pain points for the average man. men not feeling like you used to, experiencing less success in the bedroom, don't have the energy that you used to. And besides, you've gained so much weight. I mean, really, you jiggle. I jiggles more than I do. After around 30, testosterone levels naturally decline slowly, and that's exactly where the marketing focused. Millions of men 45 and older just don't feel like they used to. Are you one of them? With an aging population and TRT designed as a lifelong treatment, it became a gold mine. Private clinics popped up, skipping insurance to sell testosterone for cash, fast and easy. Come on, you've got a life to live. With many clinics using online questionnaires for screening, asking questions like, "Do you feel fatigued, lower mood, or fall asleep after dinner?" While commercials presented impressive transformations, man up, give it a shot. Unsurprisingly, prescriptions increased four-fold in men 18 to 45 years old between 2003 and 2013 with prominent celebrities opening up about their positive experiences with the jab. Yeah, it makes a big difference. Many top performers are rumored to use it. Some even call Bezos the unofficial TRT ambassador. In question, do you think Jeff Bezos is on steroids? 100%. Oh, really? I I have no opinion. I really don't know. Mel Gibson, Stallone, Hugh Jackman. Some men just have elevated levels of testosterone. And I would say if you look at Kumale and if you look at me, you'd be like, well, sure, those two guys must have elevated levels of testosterone naturally because they're just, you know, alpha dog monsters. The 2020 lockdown drew even more users. With online healthcare booming, private TRT clinics made treatment easier than ever before through virtual consultations. It took on a Hollywood prestige. Get dressed. With seemingly everyone hinting at the same thing. Muscle. It's just It's like a wonder drug. Feel sharper, stronger, and anxietyfree. It's quite the promise. There's a fork in the road. The low testosterone path is miserable. If you take the Limitless Male path, you can change your life and your future. I wanted to know why top doctors and fitness experts were sounding the alarm. But the horror story is true. Because here's the thing, TRT is awesome. Imagine feeling depressed, fatigued, and unable to focus. A doctor diagnoses you with a testicular deformity, explaining your low testosterone and symptoms. Then he offers you a shot to restore your testosterone to healthy levels, boosting your mood, your strength, your focus, and vitality. The synthesis of testosterone and a Nobel Prize for a reason. It's life-changing. But it's not just testicular damage that can lower testosterone. Male testosterone levels have been declining for decades, and that's for a variety of reasons. One is that we are seeing more comorbid conditions. So we know that as you have more diabetes, more high cholesterol, more high blood pressure, those things are correlated with having lower testosterone along with endocrine disruptors such as microplastics in the environment. This can result in issues in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, the place that signals the testicles to produce testosterone. And this is where the lines start to get blurred. That people are now searching for the magic pill, the drug that can replace hard work, and a healthy diet. But it's trending upwards at an ever alarming rate. Fitness experts argue that many are using TRT as a quick fix for issues like poor sleep, bad diet, and high stress rather than addressing the root cause. As shown by this post in the TRT subreddit, me 6 weeks into TRT, praying for a six-pack whilst deleting junk food. A common frustration is being diagnosed with healthy testosterone levels despite showing symptoms only for doctors to deny prescriptions. It's this gray area which many clinics are exploiting to sell testosterone to people who don't actually need it. And this is where TRT becomes TRT. Where do you think this is headed? Are there going to be just massive amounts of young 20-year-olds taking testosterone? Yo, what's going on, guys? There is a worrying trend, especially on social media now, of young men jumping on TRT to make gains in the gym. Testosterone maxing is what the news sites labeled it. Joseph Wells started TRT at 18, now a personal trainer. He's on over five times the dose that most doctors prescribe. Dismantling my 1,260 mg per week testosterone cycle because people think I'm insane for doing this. I'm not. It's actually quite a safe cycle with limited side effects. Normal testosterone levels for men range from 300 to 1,000 NOGS per deciliter, but many are pushing it well beyond this. This is where the term testosterone replacement therapy starts to get questionable cuz a lot of guys are they think they're on TRT, but it's like you're you're on mini enhancement territory. Let's just level with what it actually is and just be aware of that. Will says he started TRT out of insecurity, admitting I was pretty naive and just wanted to get more jacked, but he doesn't regret it, claiming it helps with recovery and muscle growth. Can I blast at the age of 17 to 18? For sure. Like, what's stopping you? That's what I did. While steroid juices once taboo, many influencers and now openly sharing their usage and the benefits on social media. Within a 6-month period, I was able to lose 70 lb of body fat and put on 10 lb of lean, solid muscle. mostly overwhelmingly positive. My strength is going up [ __ ] quick, mate. And encouraging people to visit a clinic. Others are saying, "I definitely think the average young man should be on a low dose of testosterone prescribed by a doctor." So TRT is still natural, right? TRT is the new fake natty for some people cuz it's like, oh, you know, I'm not actually doing anything. But in reality, the baseline state you've imposed is exogenous, as in externally administered and not representative of what you could sustain with natural function. And a large percentage of young guys who say that it's a soft launch for I'm on steroids. A particular worry for naive users who see it as a magic bullet solution. People who actually have been relying on these things as crutches for a lack of effort just simply pisses me off because you haven't even tried. you haven't even tried or you might be a fitness model and think you need to do this stuff. I'm not buying it. This sentiment is highlighted in the comments. I'm tired of seeing 17-year-olds juiced up to the gills in my gym. It's gotten out of control. I'm one of the rare few who hit my natural peak after 2 weeks of putting in work. They reach their natural limit of patience. As a result, there's plenty of young teenagers looking to start taking testosterone to gain muscle and feel better. Like, have your balls even fully dropped when you started this, bro. Many are concerned by the popular light in which TRT misuse is shared. If you're depressed, just take steroids. Men's mental health only exists because of low testosterone. If you're a creator on Tik Tok and your whole platform is based around talking about, advising people what to take, getting excitement out of this, and also selling, you are the scum of the earth. To say that you could take TRT generally with no consequence would be very misleading in my opinion because unfortunately testosterone injections do come with risks. It can make you infertile. It can lead to more risk of heart disease. You know increase of cholesterol. It can affect your liver, your all your organs. It can be very damaging especially when abused. Most young men aren't screened for heart issues, making unmonitored highdosese TRT even riskier. It can also affect future fertility as TRT suppresses natural testosterone and disrupts sperm production, possibly causing permanent infertility. And and we, you know, we see this all the time where guys who are doing this in their 20s decide they want to have kids in their 30s and they can't. You estimates say maybe about one in 20 infertile men are that way because of testosterone. High testosterone can increase sebum secretion causing oily skin leading to severe acne. You You notice my skin has just absolutely changed. The texture has changed. The only real [ __ ] side effect is just the acne, mate. In other words, if you think mega dosing testosterone will help you look like seabbum, you could end up with seabbum at home. And I was crying into the bed and it was so painful. It can also speed up hair loss in men. Genetically prone to male pattern balding. male breast tissue growth becomes more likely and sleep apnea can worsen. Some people become raging [ __ ] Some people with barely TRT levels of steroids, just like one and a half times the normal amount, they will jackle and hide into a different [ __ ] person. Today, I just wanted to fight everyone in the gym. I just wanted to get into a fight with someone. And the risk of blood clots increase. I can't say definitively that's what caused my blood clots, but I I mean I'm pretty sure that's exactly what caused my blood clots. My advice to you guys is that whatever you are looking to pursue in life, make sure you get an expert to help you and do not take it lightly. For all guys with medical issues, TRT can be a lifesaver, worth all the risks. But for the healthy guy, doctors argue it could end up doing more harm than good. I I am on TT. Okay. What What led to that decision? Um, oh, I went and did my blood and I was and and my doctor was like, "Hey, like like he's" He's like, "You your test levels are fine. Like, it's all good, but he's just like, you could be better." Oh, no. Hyperoptimization. And I was like, "Let'sing juice me up." Which begs the question, how are so many younger guys able to get access to TRT? There are probably millions, young men and older men, taking exogenous testosterone. Conservative estimates suggest that prescriptions for testosterone grew from 7.3 million to more than 11 million between 2019 and 2024. Do you really honestly think that that many young guys are hypogonatal and in need of testosterone replacement therapy? Everyone on the planet has experienced low mood, brain fog, and tiredness. Compared to social media influencers and Hollywood action stars, 99% of people have difficulties gaining muscle. And this is the dilemma. For all the years up to this point, what people focused on was nutrition, workout routines, solid interest in bettering their physiques and getting themselves in shape. There is such a disturbing trend right now where those search terms and even those interests have been replaced by TRT or interest in TRT SARMMS peptides ompic is certainly what endocrinologists are finding. What we see most of though is not the athletic healthy guys. It's the people with more of a functional hypoganism. So they they have other chronic health problems that's just making the whole system shut down a little bit. Obesity, diabetes, sleep apnnea and other medications. By the way, in a 2022 drama study, a doctor posed as a 34year-old with high testosterone seeking fertility preservation. And despite the contradiction, six out of seven clinics offered him TRT. TRT is becoming like a very, very popular almost trendy fad nowadays where a lot of people are haphazardly jumping on testosterone replacement that may otherwise not even need it. Researchers like Broomman worry that men's health clinics promote unrealistic ideas of masculinity, making it seem like the only thing standing between you and the perfect man is willpower and a testosterone shot. Medicalized masculinity. Testosterone levels fluctuate throughout the day is typically lowest in the evening. Doctors suggest some clinics are exploiting this to get men diagnosed with low testosterone. So, what a lot of these clinics would do, and I've heard this anecdotally, is they would check them late at night, but label as if they were doing them in the morning. This way, they can put it on the insurance as a medical necessity. You know, I just get annoyed with these direct to consumer marketing and these quack clinics. And so, there's a ton of these, right? Because testosterone is a sexy thing. And so, these clinics, especially these online clinics or whatever, they're basically just trying to sell drugs. Some influencers have been criticized for taking TRT to stay unhealthily lean or to bulk up for social media. They can test your testosterone levels in 20 minutes and my [ __ ] was like 350. They were like, "We can get you on test." And I was like I was like, "Bro, I was like, why haven't I done it?" So, they pinned they pinned me right there. Um, and it was great. Think about this. Holy [ __ ] He walks in 20 minutes later. They say, "You're at 350. Here are your options. You want to get an injection?" 10 minutes later, he's getting an injection. The concern is that the fitness industry is becoming more about aesthetics, often at the cost of long-term health. It's now staggeringly simple to obtain them, and examples are fed to kids on their phone before they even get out of bed in the morning. If we were to go back to 2013, 14, 15, would we have said there's going to be a lot of people in their young 20s who are going to be taking testosterone and linking you to testosterone clinics? This is how easy it is, guys. You can walk in, pay for a testosterone test, and then they can say, "Here are your options." Money talks, but it's not just doctors and personal trainers being upset over losing business. TRT clinics often offer a quick fix, masking deeper and more serious health issues. Yeah. Don't just take testosterone therapy. You better know why. And so, we end up getting these referrals. people are on testosterone already and we have to figure out well do they have a hypothalamic pituitary tumor or did their testicles just fail which can happen or whatever you know and sometimes we end up diagnosing these big tumors up in their brain that went undiagnosed because they just got put on testosterone. The hub has a prescription of testosterone can result in people overlooking much deeper issues that doctors need to treat as quickly as possible. If a 35-year-old healthy athletic person develops true clinical hypogonatism, low testosterone, it either means their hypothalamus and their pituitary aren't working or their testicles have failed for some reason. And that needs to be diagnosed and the underlying root cause needs to be treated and that person might be still trying to have a family. So, you can't just suddenly start giving people drugs, you know, testosterone because that just that doesn't do anything. They might have a big fat tumor upper in their hypothalamus and pituitary. If you're dealing with undiagnosed sleep apnnea or poor diet and exercise, boosting testosterone won't fix the root cause. Some argue the current marketing may actually deter those who truly need it. You got movie stars and actors calling their steroid use therapy. That makes it seem like hormone health is just about results in the gym. I am really on a push now to rename what people call TRT, testosterone replacement therapy, because indeed some people have low testosterone and need it replaced. There are probably millions of young men and older men taking exogenous testosterone injections. They're doing what I call testosterone augmentation therapy. Let's make a very clear distinction. Genuine TRT is a potentially life-saving treatment for those who actually need it. People getting prescription TRT despite not needing it. It's just people doing steroid cycles. Perhaps a safer route for bodybuilders who are riskaware and would otherwise be buying from sketchier places. But TRT, the haphazard overprescription of testosterone, is masking more serious issues, prioritizing profits over health or overstating the benefits and downplaying the negatives, are not necessarily the best combination for improving the health outcomes of those that need it or protecting those that don't from messing themselves up. And this is why doctors and fitness experts suggest the TRT trend needs to stop. Scientists have found only 12.5% of people who watch our videos are subscribed. I was a low tea unsubscribed beta male. Now I subscribed. I'm a man. Man up. Give it a shot. Wow. Join Bartholomew by hitting subscribe.