"The worse thing is crashing" - IFBB legend Victor Martinez shares insight on TRT cycles

Victor Martinez is one of those unsung heroes in the realm of bodybuilding. He competed as a professional for nearly two decades and competed against some of the best in the game, including Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler.

In a recent interview on Simon Fan's YouTube channel, Martinez gave important insight into the use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to maximize gains in professionals. In doing so, he revealed that during his prime, Martinez often doubled the 100 mg dosage every few weeks.

"It is TRT so it doesn’t matter. It’s a little loophole of not juicing, I’m on TRT,” said Victor Martinez. “I mean compared with a TRT dose which is 100 milligrams, I mean – I’d probably take probably double that probably once a week. And that’s good enough, again, to do enough, to where you’re not bringing your levels too low. The worse thing is crashing."

Testosterone is a vital hormone in the human body, especially when it comes to sports. In bodybuilding, testosterone levels directly impact an increase in muscle mass and in the sculpting of a lean physique.

Maximizing muscle gain is not a necessity in any other sport except bodybuilding. In fact, it can impair performance in sports such as soccer. This is why TRT is often used heavily in bodybuilding. Martinez encouraged the use of synthetic testosterone in professional bodybuilders to see how they feel on a cycle.

"Once you’re on synthetic – yeah, once you’re on synthetic and you’re on it, I know people want to get off it, but go ahead. Do it. You know, I’d like to see you try it if you have a girlfriend, a woman, a partner, whatever. Go ahead and see how you feel."

High levels of testosterone can have potential negative effects, including lower sperm count, cardiac muscle damage, and liver disease. Martinez emphasized the importance of keeping track of the levels.

"At the end of the day, nothing beats knowing by having your blood work and knowing what your levels are because that will ultimately let you know what you’re deficient on – it’s – you know, as long as you have your head right because that stuff messes with your head."

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"It was a simple rule" - Victor Martinez on cycling steroids in three-month on-and-off cycles

Martinez spoke of the way classic bodybuilders, including himself, cycled steroids. He added that it was a 'simple rule' as compared to what some bodybuilders are doing today.

"Oh, it was a simple rule. It was basically three months on you compete, show’s over, you did your post-cycle for a couple of weeks and you had time off. And you train as hard as you could without it. It’s one of those things, we don’t just want to train pre-contest because now you have to set yourself up to go into that contest prep."

Victor believes that today's bodybuilders want to have 'one foot out' and hence do not cycle steroids the correct way.

The number of drugs available today also destabilizes cycling periods.

"No, they’re doing it all wrong. They’re taking everything, they’re not cycling it right, they’re not having the time off, they’re not clearing up their receptors."