Six Month TRT Bloodwork Check In

The Grind:

12-hour workday officially in the books. Between the long hours and the evening work event that wrapped at 9:00 PM, the schedule was pushed to the limit. By the time we broke everything down and I reached my car, it was already well past my usual bedtime. I didn’t walk through my front door until 9:45 PM; after a quick snack and some much-needed wind-down time, it was nearly 11:00 PM before I hit the pillow. My 5:00 AM alarm never stood a chance—I ended up snoozing until 6:00 AM.

The Stats:

* Workout: Cancelled (Prioritizing recovery over burnout).

* Oura Sleep Score: 68 (5h 40m).

* Garmin Sleep Score: 58 (6h 24m).

TRT Context:

I went in for bloodwork yesterday morning. I’m looking for a rebound from my last test in August, which was my lowest reading since starting TRT. Looking back, that August dip might have been influenced by the intense Florida heat and humidity—I’m curious if I literally “sweated away” some of the application.

Interestingly, yesterday’s application was the very end of the gel applicator. I might have squeezed out one extra “click” of dosage just to use up those last few drops before the blood draw. It’ll be interesting to see if that slight boost or the cooler January weather reflects in the numbers.

Gemini AI “No-Workout” Rating: 9.5/10 (Strategic Pivot)

While the gym didn’t happen, your Health Management score is high. Here’s why:

* The “Sweat” Hypothesis: While testosterone gel absorbs relatively quickly (usually 2–4 hours), extreme humidity and heavy sweating immediately after application can decrease absorption. Testing in January provides a much more stable baseline than the peak Florida summer.

* The “Extra Click“: Since you are on a gel, your blood levels peak roughly 2–4 hours after application. That extra bit of volume, combined with a late-night work event (higher stress/cortisol), makes this a very interesting data point to compare against your previous 902 ng/dL.

* Smart Skipping: With a Garmin score of 58, your “Body Battery” was likely too low for a productive lift. Forcing a workout on 5 hours of sleep usually results in poor form and increased injury risk.

TESTOSTERONE LEVELS:

May 6, 2023 – 268 ng/dL

August 18, 2023 – 1120 ng/dL

March 6, 2024 – 969 ng/dL

September 26, 2024 – 710 ng/dL

March 11, 2025 – 821 ng/dL

August 6, 2025 – 575 ng/dL

January 20, 226 – 902 ng/dL

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 68

5 hours and 40 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 58

6 hours and 24 minutes

WEDNESDAY 01-21-26

NO WORKOUT

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 21,000 (including this last swim)

SCM – 0

LCM – 0

Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026 – February 1, 2026

FRI – 800 Free / 25 Fly

SAT – 400 Free / 200 Fly / 100 Back

SUN – 1500 Free / 50 Fly / 25 Back / 100 Fly

USMS OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIP 1K – April 3, 2026 Sarasota

TV SENIOR GAMES – April 18 & 19 2026

THE LIFT AHEAD:

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST – TREAD

SUN – BACK & BICEPS

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK (got a sub for my cycle class)

FRI – SWIM ROWDY 800 Free / 25 Fly

SAT – 400 Free / 200 Fly / 100 Back

SUN – 1500 Free / 50 Fly / 25 Back / 100 Fly

MON – RECOVERY

THE ROAD AHEAD:

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 1/17 – 1/24

TAPER (50-60%) 1/24 – 1/30

STRENGTH (80-100%) 2/3 – 3/26

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 3/28 – 4/9

TAPER (50-60%) 4/11 – 4/16

runDISNEY:

PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1stSpringtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before considering the use of peptides and/or testosterone replacement therapy. 

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

It makes total sense that the workout didn’t happen today. After a 12-hour day and getting home past 10:00 PM, your body was essentially running on fumes.

Here is my rating for your “workout”—which, in this case, was the discipline to choose recovery over more stress.

GEMINI AI WORKOUT RATING: N/A (RECOVERY DAY)

Decision Score: 9/10 

You didn’t fail a workout; you successfully managed your physiological “battery.” Based on your data, trying to crush a session today would likely have been counterproductive.

 Data Analysis: Why Skipping Was the Right Call

* The “Sleep Debt” Factor: Both your Oura (68) and Garmin (58) are screaming at you. When your sleep score is in the 50s/60s and you’ve had less than 6.5 hours of sleep, your Central Nervous System (CNS) hasn’t recovered.

* The Testosterone Connection: Since we just looked at your levels, remember that 90% of testosterone production happens during REM and Deep sleep. Forcing a 5:00 AM workout on 5.5 hours of sleep is the fastest way to tank those high 900 ng/dL numbers you’ve worked so hard to maintain.

* Cortisol vs. Gains: A high-intensity workout on poor sleep spikes cortisol excessively. This can lead to a “catabolic” state where you’re actually breaking down muscle rather than building it.

 Recovery Roadmap for Today

Since it’s Wednesday, January 21, and you’ve already bypassed the morning session, here is your plan to get back on track:

* Hydrate & Eat: Your body is likely craving sugar/caffeine to compensate for the exhaustion. Stick to high-protein meals today to support muscle repair while you rest.

* The “No-Workout” Benefit: Use the time you would have spent at the gym to stretch or do 5 minutes of breathwork. It keeps the “discipline” habit alive without the physical toll.

* Early to Bed: Your goal tonight should be an “Oura 90.” Aim to be in bed by 9:00 PM to pay back that sleep debt from the event.

Would you like me to help you adjust your workout schedule for the rest of the week so you don’t miss out on your volume?

I can certainly help you organize and visualize this data! While I am a text-based AI and cannot generate an actual image file (like a .jpg or .png), I can provide a high-quality Markdown chart and a visual text representation that you can easily copy into a document or use as a reference.

It looks like your levels have seen quite a bit of movement over the last few years, particularly that significant jump between May and August of 2023.

Testosterone Level Progression (2023–2026)

| Date | Testosterone Level (ng/dL) | Change from Previous |

|—|—|—|

| May 6, 2023 | 268 ng/dL | Baseline (Low) |

| Aug 18, 2023 | 1,120 ng/dL | +852 (Significant Peak) |

| Mar 6, 2024 | 969 ng/dL | -151 |

| Sep 26, 2024 | 710 ng/dL | -259 |

| Mar 11, 2025 | 821 ng/dL | +111 |

| Aug 6, 2025 | 575 ng/dL | -246 |

| Jan 20, 2026 | 902 ng/dL | +327 |

Visual Trend Overview

This is a text-based representation of your levels over time.

1200 | [1120]

| * [969]

1000 | * [902]

| *

800 | [821]

| [710] *

600 | * [575]

| *

400 |

| [268]

200 | *

|__________________________________________

May ’23 Aug ’23 Mar ’24 Sep ’24 Mar ’25 Aug ’25 Jan ’26

Key Observations

* The Low Point: Your journey started at 268 ng/dL, which is typically considered below the reference range for most healthy adult males.

* The Peak: You hit a maximum of 1,120 ng/dL in August 2023, which is at the very high end of the clinical scale.

* Recent Stability: After some fluctuation in late 2024 and 2025, your most recent reading of 902 ng/dL shows a strong upward trend back into the “optimal” high-normal range.

> Note: Testosterone levels can be influenced by the time of day the blood was drawn, sleep quality, stress, and medication/supplement timing. Comparing these results with your “Free Testosterone” or SHBG levels often provides a more complete picture.

>

Would you like me to calculate the average level across all these tests, or perhaps draft a summary you can share with your doctor?

YES

It looks like you’ve been tracking these closely! Based on the data you provided, here is a breakdown of your averages and a summary of your results compared to standard clinical ranges for 2026.

 Testosterone Data Summary (2023–2026)

| Metric | Result | Context |

|—|—|—|

| Current Level (Jan 2026) | 902 ng/dL | High-Normal |

| All-Time High | 1,120 ng/dL | Very High (Aug 2023) |

| All-Time Low | 268 ng/dL | Clinical Low (May 2023) |

| Running Average | 766 ng/dL | Optimal/Healthy Range |

 Clinical Comparison

Medical guidelines (like those from the AUA and Endocrine Society) generally use the following benchmarks for adult men:

* Low: Below 300 ng/dL (Your May 2023 result fell into this category).

* Normal Range: 300 to 900+ ng/dL.

* Your Average (766 ng/dL): This is significantly above the average for most age groups (typically 400–600 ng/dL) and puts you in a very healthy “peak” bracket.

 Insights on Your Trends

* The 2023 Jump: Moving from 268 to 1,120 ng/dL in just three months is a massive 317\% increase. If this wasn’t due to medical intervention (like TRT), it suggests significant lifestyle changes (sleep, diet, stress) or a recovery from a temporary health issue.

* Stability: Since that initial spike, you have stayed consistently between 575 and 969 ng/dL. Even your “dips” (like August 2025) remained well within the healthy normal range.

* The Recent Bounce: Your latest reading (902 ng/dL) shows your body is maintaining high levels into 2026, nearly reaching your 2023-2024 peaks again.

A quick tip for your next test:

To keep these results accurate for comparison, ensure you are always testing at the same time (ideally between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM), as levels naturally drop by up to 25\% by the afternoon.

Would you like me to draft a summary of these trends that you can send to your doctor for your next check-up?

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