Exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel examined fitness influencer Alex Eubank’s training and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) use in a recent YouTube video, shared on Sept. 11, 2025.
Eubank is one of the most popular names in fitness, thanks to his aesthetics and reach with younger audiences. His fitness journey hasn’t been without obstacles; Eubank was hospitalized after his whole body went numb during a 48-hour fast.
He’s made a full recovery, but later confirmed that his testosterone levels plummeted. Side effects like low sex drive, poor sleep, and sub-optimal energy led him to make a change. He jumped on a 200-milligram weekly TRT dose and has kept the door open to possibly increasing it in the future.
Exercise Scientist Critiques Training and TRT Use of Alex Eubank
First, Dr. Israetel looked at Eubank’s preference for 30 degrees on the incline bench to build the upper pecs.
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“It’s totally true that anything above a 15-degree incline starts to hit the upper pecs a lot, and 30 to 45 and even to 60 degrees are all no wrong answers for the upper pecs, especially if you take a proper arch.
We typically arch our backs to create stability, pull our shoulder blades back to create shoulder enhancement for health and injury risk. To me, a 30-degree incline is substantially lower to feel in my pecs, maybe I’ll go to 45, but 30 is A-okay,” Dr. Mike Israetel said.
This is Eubank’s blueprint to back training:
- Pulldowns
- Heavy Rows
- One-Arm Lat-Focused Movements
While Dr. Israetel suggests Eubank’s back training plan has merit, he believes light rows and especially pullups are too good to pass up for gains.
“Light rows, so machine rows, sets of 20, cable rows, sets of 20, I think they are awesome. I would also like folks to try pullups.
Pullups and assisted pullups have this incredible ability to stretch and centrically load your lats in a way that pulldowns don’t because they have a frictional coefficient going on.”
He also judged Eubank’s technique efficiency during heavy barbell rows. Eubank executed solid reps but Israetel believes he’d achieve greater results using less weight.
“His technique here is good, but to be great, he’d have to pull a plate off each side and get an even better workout, which is awesome because it’s less fatigue, less injury risk, for better workouts, if you use really meticulous technique.”
Finally, Dr. Israetel gave his thoughts on Eubank’s decision to start testosterone replacement therapy in his early 20s.
“He got a lot of criticism for getting on TRT as a 24-year-old. He said he felt not so great and his test levels were multiple times confirmed as low.
Those two things you don’t feel your best and your test levels are low are instant candidacy for TRT. So, already, there is no problem.”
As for Eubank’s use of 200 milligrams of TRT a week, Dr. Israetel emphasized that it’s a high dose.
“200 milligrams of replacement testosterone–so your body typically produces, that’s per week, your body typically produces about 75, and if you want to be Superman, it’s like 125,” he shared. “Is it high? Yeah, 200 is really high.”
Dr. Israetel critiques more than just influencers — he’s also taken a microscope to eight-time Mr. Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman’s intense training methods. He praised “The King’s” intensity during training but said he had room to improve his technique.
Overall, Dr. Israetel was impressed with Eubank’s training approach. However, he does stress that a 200-milligram weekly dose of TRT might be too much for someone his age.
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