Introduction

I have been dealing with hyperthyroidism while being a natural body builder for a while now, its like having a persistent goblin lurking in the shadows and ready to destroy your gains. But fear not, I have been through this odyssey and I’m here to share my tested strategies in the face of this hormonal disaster. If want to learn more about my story check this article out. Otherwise lets get started on building muscle with Hyperthyroidism.

My symptoms Shindig

Lets first set the scene with a glimpse at my hyperthyroidism symptoms. I was bulking pretty consistently with weight going up nicely, only to find my weight halted at 4000kcal. So I cranked it up to 4500kcal but alas, I had no idea where that food was going because the scales were still going down. It’s a good thing that im a diligent (obsessive) tracker otherwise and caught this early on otherwise I may have been lost in a caloric Bermuda triangle.

That’s not all though! My fingers started to become stiff and incredibly painful when moving them. My gym performance turned into a Shakespearean tragedy were all my lifts were dwindling, muscles ached and my resting heart rate rocket like I was injecting caffeine into my eye ball.

Fear not, despite all this I managed to press on and forge a path of building muscle with Hyperthyroidism, that will help you get through it to.

My 5 tips

1. Heart rate: Pay close attention on your heart rate. Hyperthyroidism plays a crucial game of your heart, increasing your resting heart rate and making it harder to cool down post exercise. Wear a tracking device and embrace a longer rest between sets and give yourself a change to catch up before your next lift. I found that I needed to rest an extra minute between sets as to what I normally would. Trust me you’re not training for a cardiac marathon.
2. Warm up: No, im not suggesting a pre gym cardio session, but do your body a favor and get it warm. Make sure you put the joints you will be using through a range of motions before loading them up with iron.
3. Track, Track, Track (and then track some more): My Dad always used to say “measure twice, cut once”, well when dealing with hyperthyroidism, its “track twice, eat once (or thrice). Even at 4500kcal I was losing weight, and that seems like a lot of food. Make sure you are tracking both your weight and calories every day.
4. No ego lifting: Sure your strength might dwindle but fear not, lighten the load, concentrate on your form and you will still achieve that sweet nectar of the pump. So drop that ego lifting and your joints and muscles will thank you later and you might start building muscle with Hyperthyroidism.
5. Deload and unleash: Ideally everyone should be taking a deload week every 8 weeks or so, but for us hyperthyroid bodybuilder its non-negotiable. Every 8 weeks or so just take a week off or like me you will face the wrath of tendon aches. Let your body recover and don’t be stubborn, a week off is not going to affect your gains, but a 6 month injury will.

Conclusion

If you find yourself with the hyperthyroid or with these symptoms then seek advice from a doctor. But remember even with medication it can still be a long journey

This is all just advice from my observation of trying to building muscle with Hyperthyroidism. If you want to learn more about my ongoing battle then read my origin story here, or if you want to get in touch to discuss your condition please contact me.

06 August 2023