GET
SHAFTED
Two major contribut-
ing factors are Stress
and the Thyroid
gland. Stress symp-
toms are described as
mood swings, inability to
concentrate, anger and
sadness. Physical symp-
toms would be weight
loss, sleep disturbance
and chronic fatigue. If
you have ever dieted for
a long period of time you
can easily attest to these
symptoms. There are two
things we want to consid-
er as part of this cocktail.
The first is hypothyroid-
ism. This is where the
thyroid isn’t producing as
much as it should be. In
turn this could affect tes-
tosterone levels causing
issue with sexual desire
which then leads to weak
or erectile dysfunction.
So what can you potentially do to prevent
this dysfunction beyond the obvious?
and does it really matter? To answer the
second question, it quite frankly doesn’t.
Your girlfriend/wife or significant other
might not be pleased but if the goal is
to get into the best condition you can
without losing too much muscle mass.
Whether you can get it up or not is actu-
ally irrelevant and there’s likely nothing
you can do about it.
THERE ARE MAYBE SOME CONSIDERATIONS
TO SLOW THIS ONSET AND TO TRY AND KEEP
YOUR HORMONES FROM GOING OFF THE
CHARTS.
1. THINK ABOUT YOUR DIET
Adding fats into your diet may contribute
towards maintaining a higher testosterone
level.
2. CONSIDER DIET BREAKS.
Potentially opt for a longer prep where
you will up your calories back to estimated
maintenance for a period lasting around 5-7
days. This could lower overall stress put on
yourself psychologically but also help you
recover from what will be grueling workouts.
3. SWITCH YOUR CARDIO
HIIT is stressful, which might effect your
‘woody'. Opting for a lower to moderate
intensity cardio session may help especially
towards the end of prep.
These recommendations above are all
just ‘things’ that might help but let’s
face it; you’re pushing your body be-
yond where it wants to be. Surviving
the famine is its main priority. You don’t
NEED to ‘get it up’ to continue living.
If you’re considering prepping for a
contest think about the consequences of
living for a short time with erectile dys-
function. It’s weird when it happens, it
becomes a negative feedback loop but
just accept it for what it is, get ripped
and get back to a sensible body fat level
in a reasonable time frame.
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