Larger than human online bodybuilding coach Craig Golias reminisces on losing his sex drive and taste when he took a break from TRT (and no steroids).
Many people have one expression when they see what Craig Golias used to look like as a teenager and what he looks like now — pure astonishment! This former competitor turned online bodybuilding coach weighs a whopping 300 plus pounds of pure muscle. In this week of The Mike O’Hearn Show, Craig Golias discusses Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and balancing pushing the boundary while prioritizing health.
Natty Mode and Taking TRT
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Craig Golias started bodybuilding late at the age of 20. He talks about how right now, he’s doing a form of “natty mode” where he’s taking TRT, a form of hormone therapy to boost testosterone.
Bodybuilders who use enhancers occasionally go into a natty mode, where they stop doping for a while. This helps their body rest and heal, thus reducing the long-term side effects of taking enhancers. However, when they do this, they suffer from many side effects.
The last time Golias went full natty mode in 2015, he got sick. He recounted the side effects he experienced:
“The last time I came completely off [no TRT or steroids] I didn’t want to train anymore and my sex drive crashed. I even lost my taste for a little bit — for like three or four days.”
Bodybuilders face this common problem after waning off anabolic steroids (1).
So these days, Golias does Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) when he takes breaks from taking anything. He cycles off for 2 or 3 months and takes 250mg of testosterone. Golias also says that he doesn’t weigh himself when he comes off. When you’re on TRT, you’re taking a break; you’ll lose some weight, size, and muscle mass (2).
Golias isn’t immune to this, but keeping your training and diet in check helps to keep the balance. Golias still does his regular training and diet regimen while on TRT. He doesn’t get lazy, stop training, or stop eating his meals. He has a fast metabolism, and missing a meal will make him drop a couple of pounds.
He’s super regimented with what he does during TRT. All he does is give his body a break from supplements for his health. Going completely natty played with his mental health a bit. Mike O’Hearn sees people go TRT, stop doing everything else, and get lazy. He’s impressed that Golias stays on point and doesn’t get lazy.
Craig Golias on Bodybuilding While Taller Than 6 Feet
Mike O’Hearn and Craig are 6’3, making them appear even larger in real life — most bodybuilders are between 5’6” and 5’10”, Golias noted. Before the coronavirus, Golias says he got to a whopping 360 pounds! He was so big that it was uncomfortable. People loved the pictures, but he felt unhealthy, and there was a significant strain on his heart.
Craig Golias is having fun doing what he’s doing. He last bulked around two years ago, and now he’s just been maintaining. His favorite weight range is about 330 lbs. He keeps his waist small and feels lean and more vascular. Since he’s tall, he can still maintain a great size, even on TRT.
Bodybuilding Is an Art
Craig Golias believes in keeping his waist small. His goal is to keep looking as aesthetic as possible at his weight. Bodybuilding is an art, and he feels that keeping the same frame is necessary. He works to keep his stomach as flat as possible. Mike O’Hearn believes bodybuilding is an art show, not a sport. All athletes work out, but bodybuilders aren’t working out for performance; it’s based on aesthetics. It’s mostly a person’s opinion of what looks good. Golias believes that when you’re a little lighter, your waist can be much more in check.
Bodybuilding While Being Health Conscious
Bodybuilding is Golias’ life. He doesn’t know anything else. So stopping his regimen just because he’s going on TRT doesn’t make sense to him. Instead, he cleans out a little and focuses on health because it’s all about longevity.
TRT is about health and taking a break to let your body rest and breathe for a minute. You can’t be on supplements all the time. Craig works with a professional dietician to tell him how to stay healthy.
Age and Bodybuilding
Aging requires ensuring your bloodwork is okay so you can be around for your family. O’Hearn is over 50 and says that his primary motivation for him is his son. Golias does bloodwork once or twice a year but plans to look into it more. He thinks it’s essential to monitor your health.
People think that being a certain age limits you. O’Hearn posted a shot of himself at 21 and 53 and arguably looks better at 53! O’Hearn finds this an inspiration and thinks it should motivate many people who want to give up in their 40s. Age is just a number.
They both get a lot of hate because people don’t want to believe them. You should take care of yourself in your 30s if you love bodybuilding and want to continue for a long time. Golias admits that he sometimes pushes the boundaries but always comes back and cares for his health. O’Hearn believes that this is the smart way to go about things.
Wrapping Up
Mike O’Hearn couldn’t get below 239 lbs even after dieting, overtraining, and incorporating fasts over three months. He even did a depletion sauna and no water for a few days. Golias got to 275 lbs for a competition the last time he got shredded. Being smaller doesn’t appeal to him. He’d instead go for a bigger look and still have abs.
O’Hearn wanted to see how strong he would be at that lean weight. They both love how they can experiment with their bodies. O’Hearn is so happy at how much he can still do at his age. He still does neck presses at his age and gets to tussle with 20-year-olds, the best worldwide. It’s just plain fun!
Both behemoth bodybuilders intend to meet up for another show in the future. But, for now, they plan to continue being the gladiators they are, pushing the limits and caring for their health.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn and Craig Golias talk in full on our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Visit the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded every Friday for new episodes of The Mike O’Hearn Show.
References
- van Amsterdam, J., Opperhuizen, A., & Hartgens, F. (2010). Adverse health effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 57(1), 117–123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2010.02.001
- Hartgens, F., Kuipers, H., Wijnen, J. A., & Keizer, H. A. (1996). Body composition, cardiovascular risk factors and liver function in long-term androgenic-anabolic steroids using bodybuilders three months after drug withdrawal. International journal of sports medicine, 17(6), 429–433. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-972873
