# GSDdad's training and nutrition log



## GSDdad (Nov 7, 2022)

Hello everyone. Welcome to my training log.

I'm a nobody, been training off and on since I was in my 20s. More info in my intro thread.

My intention with this log is to track progress, nutrition, gear, what works /doesn't work, and hopefully input from the experience on the boards here.

Particulars:

38 years old
5'9"
186 lbs (7 day average)
188 lbs on the scale this morning
BP: 128/68

Training experience: I've been lifting off and on since my 20s. Never made a ton of progress, but in my mid 30s I discovered I had low testosterone (200s). I think this may have accounted for some (but not all) of my lack of progress. For the last few years I've been on trt, and have made some big improvements in body composition and muscle mass.

The plan:

This is my first cycle. I'm planning to run
500mg of Test-C per week for 14 weeks. (250mg Sunday, 250mg Wednesday)

 .5mg of Arimidex twice a week.

(.25mg of Arimidex twice a week, keeps my estradiol around 40 on 200mg/wk of Test-C)

I have Anavar as well, with the idea that I might put it in the last 6 weeks of this cycle, depending on how things go.

Lab Work

I had an extensive blood panel drawn on 11-1-22 (out of pocket) and a smaller blood panel drawn on 11-2-22 (through TRT doc).

Some of the lab values are out of range a bit. But what's odd is that the labs drawn the very next day show them in range (the ones that overlap on both labs). Last injection was Sunday evening (36hrs before first labs, 2.5 days before second lab draw).

11-1       11-2
Hemoglobin          18.9        17.8    (ref range 18.5)
Estradiol                 78           40       (ref range 60)


Test (total)             2068      1181


My hematocrit also showed high on the labs from 11-1, but I don't have hematocrit values from 11-2 to compare it to.

I live at 6000' above sea level, which can contribute to elevated hemoglobin and hematocrit. The 11-1 test was fasted, first thing in the morning, probably somewhat dehydrated. The 11-2 test was mid day, several meals and probably a half gallon of water in. That hydration may have affected the hemoglobin levels between the two tests. I'm wondering if the hematocrit was similarly affected.

As of now, I'm thinking I'll proceed with the cycle and this training block as planned, and recheck labs in 4-5 weeks, making sure to be hydrated for the labs. I'm also eligible to give blood again, so I'll do that this week. If blood markers are still high at 4 week lab check, then I'll re-evaluate and may pull the plug on the cycle until I can get them back where they should be.

Training

I am running a 5 day split, Sunday through Friday:
Upper, Legs (glute /ham focus) , rest, Push, Pull, Legs (quad focus).

2 working sets for most everything (some of the isolation movements I'll do more). Both sets taken to failure. This has been very effective for me over the last 8 weeks, so I'm going to continue with this type of programming.

I am currently doing two 20 min cardio sessions per week: Sunday, several hours after lifting, and Tuesday morning (rest day).

I'd prefer to be running a straight PPL split, but my work schedule makes that a problem, and this fixed schedule works best for me, for now.

Nutrition

At my leanest I was 178lbs in August, I was down to about 1700kcal. I've slowly added calories back in until I got to 3000 cals, which brought me up to about 183lbs.

In the last week I've upped the calories to 3400, and have seen my 7-day average weight jump up to 186 (I was 188lbs on the scale this morning).

I eat about 3400 cals /day right now. But I know this will need to go up.

250p/410c/80f

Typical day of eating looks like this:

Meal 1: overnight oats (oats, whey, geek yogurt, almond milk, raspberries)

Meal 2: 3 eggs, 3 pieces of wheat toast, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup oats, 150g blueberries

Meal 3: 5 oz chicken, 2c rice

Meal 4: Chicken fajita (4oz chicken, grilled bell peppers, 1 oz shredded cheese, salsa, large tortilla) 1.5c rice

Meal 5: 5oz chicken, 1/2c rice, 2 oz whole almonds.


Supplements:
4iu GH (5 on/ 2 off)
2.5g of fish oil daily
1g of Citrus Bergamot
Multivitamin
200mg of caffeine (pre-workout) /400mg on leg days
4g Beta-Alinine
6g L- Citruline Malate
5g melatonin (as needed)

I've attached some pics below. Shitty ring lighting underwear pics are from first thing this morning. I intend to post weekly "check-in" pics that are the same for progress. The lighting isn't great, but it will be  consistent.

Pics aren't much to write home about. But it's a starting point.


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## GSDdad (Nov 7, 2022)

Labs added.


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## GSDdad (Nov 7, 2022)

Numbers:
187.0 on the scale this morning. 
186.2 - 7 day average

BG: 101 immediately upon waking.

My BG has been in the high 90s to low 100s the last two or three times I've checked it over the last week. Prior to bumping my calories up (and adding in a lot of carbs as part of that) my BG was usually in the mid 80s. (It was 88 on 11-1-22 as part of my fasted labs).  I'm going to try moving the carbs from my last meal of the day to my post workout meal, and see if less carbs in the evening translates to lower BG in the morning.

Rest/Recovery:
Last week was a de-load week, in prep for starting this cycle and new training block. Sunday's Upper session felt amazing. The extra hour of sleep from day-light savings roll back probably didn't hurt, but coming off a rest day on the back of a deload, I was revved up and ready to hit it yesterday.

This morning I still felt really good, but maybe not quite as awesome. That's probably more a consequence of training at 6am, than anything else. I'd prefer to train mid-morning, but that's just the realities of life. 

Food:
Food has been good the last several days. Feels like the body is adjusting to the increased calories, feeling less "full" all the time, and not struggling to get the last few meals down, at all.  Water intake is right at 1 gallon/day. Going to keep steady at 3400 calories for a while since the scale is climbing.

Training:
Upper Day (Sunday)

Flat DB BP:
95s x 7*
75s x 12*
*both sets up 1 rep from last week

High Incline Smith Press:
1.5pps x 11
1pps+10lbs x 16

Lat Pull Down:
175lb x 7
145 x 13

Seated Cable Row
145 x 12
130 x 13

Seated Cable Curl
145 x 15
105 x 17

DB Shrug
85s x 13
85s x 12

Dips
+45lbs x 13
+45lbs x 10

_Felt awesome all the way through this session. Felt like I got the most out of nearly every set possible. Really happy with this workout._


Monday Legs (Glute/Ham focused)

Seated Ham Curl
220 x 11*
180 x 19*
*up from last week

DB RDL (squat racks were full, so had to roll with DBs)
100s x 11
80 x 14

BB Hip Thrust
230 x 14
180 x 20

Smith Weighted Lunge
35lb/ea x 12
35lb/ea x 10

Calf Raise
180 x 15
180 x 11

Ab Vacuums

_Intensity was good on legs today. Absolutely smoked by the end (right at 60 mins working time). Solid day._



A few pics, post Upper day. (Posing is shit. I have no idea what I'm doing.)


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## GSDdad (Nov 9, 2022)

Push Day

Numbers:
188.8 on the scale this morning.
186.6 - 7 day average

BG: 107 upon waking up

Rest/Recovery:

Felt pretty solid today waking up . Rested, excited to get into the gym, ready to work. Maybe a 7/10.

Yesterday was a cardio and recovery day (20mins on stair mill). 6.5 hrs of sleep last night.

Food:

Ended up eating my last meal late (9pm) due to a dust up at work that resulted in missing my meal 4 window. Still got it in, all good. Still eating right at 3400 calories. Weight is climbing kinda fast. 3.5lbs this week, but it's likely just water. Not going to change anything yet.

Strained my right thumb and left forearm in that dust up at work too. They're a bit sore, but nothing more. Didn't affect training at all today, so that was good.

Training:

Flat BB bench
215 x 6*
185 x 8
* _+10lbs over last week_

Incline DB bench press
90 x 6*
70 x 14
* _+5lbs over last week _

Cable Crossover
30 x 10
23 x 12

Lateral Cable Raise
13 x 19
17 x 8
_ended up going up on the 2nd set, since it took 19 reps to get to failure. This is a big jump from  previous weeks._

Pin loaded dip machine
245 x 12
205 x 12

_Today's session was really good. I was very pleased with how the flat bench and DB bench weights were moving. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 10, 2022)

Pull Day

Numbers:
188.4 on the scale this morning.
186.8- 7 day average

BG: N/A

Rest/Recovery:
6/10
6.5 hrs of sleep last night. I think the amount of sleep I can get is one of the biggest issues in my training, diet, recovery, supplementation pillars. But, I go to bed immediately upon getting home from work, and train first thing in the morning. Some things in life just aren't ideal. Still felt fine today, just didn't feel amazing. Going to grab a nap this afternoon though, so that will be nice.

Food:
No changes here. Weight (7 day average) is still moving up. I know it will eventually stall. When it does, I'll move calories up. Anyone have recommendations on how much to bump it by when it's time? +250kcal? +500kcal? more? 

I don't want to move calories up unnecessarily high, but I also don't want to waste time futzing about sneaking up on a calorie surplus, when I could just make an adequate jump and continue to grow. 



Training:
Lat Pulldown
175 x 7
145 x 14*
* _1 rep improvement over last session_

Chest Supported T-Bar
115 x 9
90 x 15

HS High Row 
100 x 9
80 x 15

HS Row (stepped back/short pos. bias)
135 x 10
90 x 22
_backing off 1 full plate was too much_

DB Shrug
100 x 8
90 x 12

DB Curl
25 x 9 
25 x 8
_forearm pump/fatigue took me out of both sets before true bicep failure, even though I used straps for most of the pull movements to preserve grip/forearm strength. Next session I'll swap shrugs and curls and see if it makes a difference.

Notes: Overall a good, but not great session. Intensity and focus were good. Training partner was out sick, which was a bummer. But still got it done._


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## GSDdad (Nov 12, 2022)

Leg Day (Quad Focus)

Numbers:
190 on the scale this morning.
187.4 - 7 day average

BG: N/A

Rest/Recovery:
6/10
6.0nhrs of sleep last night. Not great sleep, but I worked over night last night and slept during the day. It is what it is. Still got a solid training session out of. The upside was I got to have more time between waking up and training, which was a nice change.

Food:
No changes here. Weight jumped up today. But the 7-day average (which I put more stock in that a single daily number) is up 3lbs this week. Mostly water, for sure. But glad it's moving. My abs are still sharp in the morning, less so as the day goes on, but that's part of pushing calories and growing, right? 
Weekly average on calories is right at 3400. So that's good. Hitting my macros, food is going well.



Training:

Adductors
130 x 14
110 x 13

BB Squat
335 x 7*
255 x 11
* 2_ rep improvement over last session. No idea what my 1rm would be. But the first five reps were really clean and moving fast. Really happy with this today._

Hack Squat
3pps x 6*
2pps x 12
*_came up four reps short from the last time I hit this weight on Hacks. Might have just poured it out in the back squat. Not sure. _

Standing Calf Raise
180 x 17
180 x 15

Leg Extension
165 x 14
125 x 12 (+5 partials, + iso hold)

Cable Crunch
120  x 20
135 x 10

_Notes: Overall pretty good. I was pleased with the squats. A little frustrated at the drop in the Hacks, but I didn't sleep extremely well. It could absolutely have been that. Rest day tomorrow then we start over for week 2. So we'll see next Friday where the hack's shake out. 

(didn't get video of this week's squat. This video is last week's 335x5. Similar today, but reps felt a bit better until 6 & 7. Those were a grind.) 



https://imgur.com/a/15WSs04

_


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## CJ (Nov 12, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> HS Row (stepped back/short pos. bias)
> 135 x 10
> 90 x 22
> _backing off 1 full plate was too much_



I do the same thing, step back and stiff arm the chest pad for support. The travel arc of the handles stinks on the machine for hitting lats. If you have your chest into the pad, you're pulling up into your upper back and biceps. But if you step back, you get it on the downward path and you can really dig into the lats.


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## GSDdad (Nov 12, 2022)

CJ said:


> I do the same thing, step back and stiff arm the chest pad for support. The travel arc of the handles stinks on the machine for hitting lats. If you have your chest into the pad, you're pulling up into your upper back and biceps. But if you step back, you get it on the downward path and you can really dig into the lats.


Exactly. I can't take credit for it. I stole it from Jordan Peters.


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## CJ (Nov 12, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Exactly. I can't take credit for it. I stole it from Jordan Peters.


I saw him do it as well, but I had already stolen it from some girl at my gym.  😂

I saw her doing it, she's pretty bad ass, so I tried it. JP validated it though. 

Reminds me... I need to thank her.


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## GSDdad (Nov 13, 2022)

Beginning of week 2!

Upper Day

Numbers:
188.2 on the scale this morning.
187.6 - 7 day average

Scale weight was down a bit today. Due to food. 

BG: 95 (upon waking up)

Rest/Recovery:
6/10
Had a bit of a later night than usual. Not a normal occurrence. Still got 7 hrs of sleep, so felt rested for the gym. Just didn't feel as strong today.

Food:
My weight is down because I didn't hit my calories the last 2 days. I was out for social functions both evenings, and got food. It just wasn't my normal meals and wasn't the usual amounts. This is not a normal occurrence, and prior to this I can't remember the last time I missed a meal. I expect my weight to be back on track in the next day or two. Overall, the 7 day average is still climbing. 



Training:

BB Bench Press
220 x 5 (+1)
195 x 8 (+2)
_*both of these sets are up from last week in weight, reps or both. _

High Incline Smith Press
1pps + 35lbs x 6 (+1)
1pps  + 25lbs x 8 (+1)

Lat Pull down 
175 x 7 (+1)
145 x 11

Cable Row 
145 x 15
155 x 10

Preacher Curl (pin loaded) 
60 x 19
85 x 8
*_first set was way too light _

Tricep Push Down
60 x 10
50 x 13

Cardio: in place of my usual 20 mins AMRAP sled push. I did. 90 minutes at the trampoline park with the kids. HR was definitely between 120-130bpm for quite  a while. That'll do for cardio today. 

_Notes: Solid day with some weights or reps added. Pretty happy with this, especially with the late evening last night. Looking forward to week 2._


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## GSDdad (Nov 14, 2022)

Leg Day (Glutes and Ham focus) 

Numbers:.
190.2 on the scale this morning.
188.0 - 7 day average

Scale weight is right back up from the drop over the last 2 days. Currently averaging 2lbs/wk gain. 

BG: n/a

Rest/Recovery:
6/10
Slept well last night (6hrs). Felt tired coming into the gym. But due to schedule crap, I was training at 5am. Might just be the earlier than normal time. 

In a few more days and I'll be on vacation for the holiday. That should make training later in the morning much easier. 

Food:
Got all my meals in yesterday. Ended up feeling really really full at the end of the day. So full it felt like it pushed my HR up (like when you over eat and sit there feeling like a fat piece of shit). 

My resting HR is usually in the high 60s or low 70s, but last night after my last 2 meals, it was hovering in the 90s. The extra water I drank might also have contributed. I hydrated extra, because I did a blood donation yesterday. 

As I write this my resting HR is back in the mid 70s though. 

Training:

Lying Leg Curls
150 x 14*
110 x 17*
*_got more reps for both sets this week_. 

BB RDLs 
225 x 10
195 x 12

BB Hip Thrust
230 x 15
230 x 13

Weighted Lunge - Smith Machine 
+25lbs/side x 12
+35lbs/side x 10

Seated Calf Raise 
90 x 21
135 x 13

_Notes: today's session was OK, not great. But the work got done. Tomorrow is a rest day. Hoping to come back Wednesday feeling recharged and ready to hit it. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 14, 2022)

Posting imgur links to same pics to see if quality is better:



https://imgur.com/s8cPdOY




https://imgur.com/WFY6inn




https://imgur.com/MvlQJBR


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## GSDdad (Nov 16, 2022)

Push Day

Numbers:
191.2 on the scale this morning.
188.7 - 7 day average

Scale weight is still climbing, 7 day average still climbing. Still on track for averaging 2.0/lbs week. 

BG: n/a

Rest/Recovery:
8/10
Yesterday was a rest day (just did a 20mins cardio session). Got extra sleep the last two nights. Between the rest and extra sleep I was feeling good and ready to go this morning, even though it was a 5am gym call.

Food:
Still getting all my food in. Weight is still climbing, so that's good. 

I'm considering switching to a carb cycling type meal plan, similar to what @CJ is running. My fasted BG hasn't been below 95 since I started upping the calories and carbs. I'm wondering if cycling the carbs might help with some insulin sensitivity. Also, I'm finding toward the end of the day, after I've eaten 400g+ of carbs, I feel super full, my HR is up and I don't feel awesome. It's not so bad that I couldn't keep going like this. I'm just wondering if cycling the carbs might help feel a little less uncomfortable. It not, then I'll just power through. 

Open to thoughts from those who have experience here. 

Training 
Flat DB Bench Press
100 x 4*
80 x 10*
*_I've never used the 100s before. I was hoping for 5 or 6. But no partner /no spot today, 4 ain't bad. 
*upped the weight on my back off set. Happy with DB BP this week _

Incline Smith BP
2pps x 4
1pps + 25 x 11

Cable Crossover
30 x 18
30 x 14

Lateral Cable Raise 
15 x 15 (tempo + 1 count pause) 
20 x 8

Weighted Dips
45 x 12
45 x 8

_Notes: Today felt solid. I was in one of the backup gyms, so the Smith and cables resistance was a bit different, so not really hung up with the numbers this week. But each set was good and I felt like I got a lot out of each one. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 19, 2022)

Leg Day (quad focus)

Numbers:
189.8 lbs on the scale 
188.9 - 7 day average 

Weight is still going up

Rest /Recovery:
7/10
Today I felt better. Wednesday and Thursday I was feeling a bit run down. I'm hoping it's just a cold. I've felt a bit lethargic at times, head pressure, elevated HR. I'm keeping an eye on it, but I'm hopeful it's just a cold or something. Today I had a good leg session and did it on no caffeine. 

Food:
Food the last few days has been easier to get down because I reduced the number of calories I was eating on regular training days (medium carb days) and upped it on leg days (high carb days). I didn't quite hit my carb and calorie goal today, but I'll keep working on it. 

Training:

Adductor
130 x 14
110 x 11

Leg Press
6pps x 9
5pps x 14 +1*

Hack Squat 
3pps x 11
2pps x 20 +1*
*_I got absolutely buried by the final sets on both LP and Hacks. The backoff set on the LP was going good. At rep 13 I thought "I'm gonna get 20". At rep 14 I thought "oh fuck. I'm not gonna get 15". It went bad really fast. _

Seated Calf Raise 
135 x 15
90 x 17

Leg Extension 
185 x 12
145 x 12 + 5 partials +2 iso holds


_Notes: Wednesday and Thursdays workouts weren't awesome. But today's was really good, especially considering I skipped the pre workout caffeine that I usually take. 

Really pleased with how week 2 wrapped up. I'm up about 4 lbs total in 2 weeks. I feel like that should be a bit higher, so I may increase my food intake. The next week is going to be done traveling to see family for the holidays, living out of a suit case and working out in gyms on the road. It's not ideal, but it is going to be fine. I'm bringing some food with me, but I can't take enough for the whole week. I'll reevaluate my calories at the end of next week. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 20, 2022)

Push Day

Numbers: 
Weight: n/a (no scale today) 
BG: n/a
BP: 126/76

Rest/Recovery:
9/10

I woke up today feeling fantastic. Looks like all this elevated HR and raised BP stuff was from a cold. I'm starting to kick it and feel so much better. HRV on my Garmin was back in normal range for the first time in a week, and sleep was a lot better.

I hit the gym today ready to GO!

Food:
Food is going good. I brought about 4 days worth of meals which should keep me covered while I'm driving. I'll figure out food while I'm at the in laws, that shouldn't be too hard. 

Training:
Flat DB bench
90 x 10*
75 x 15

Smith Incline bench 
2pps x 5+1
1pps +25lbs x 10 +1

Pec Dec Fly 
90 x 17
120 x 15

Lateral DB Raise
20 x 20
20 x 11 (first 6 +manual resistance) 

Dip Machine
205 x 15
225 x 9

Today felt really really good. Not sure if I'm starting to feel the test (it's only the beginning of week 3) or it's just getting over this cold (probably more likely). Either way, today was a good session. 90 x 10 was an improvement. 

Probably could have gotten more if I wasn't at an on the road gym. (The DBs only go up to 75. So to get 90, I had a set of 70s, and then my training partner set some 20s on top, janky ass Lincoln Log style. 🤣 Shady, but it worked!) 

_Notes: I've been keeping an eye on my HR and BP the last week. It's coming back down as I'm feeling better. So I'm thinking it was due to having a cold. That's good news. Really looking forward to the rest of this week._

_This mornings BP was 126/76. Still higher than I'd like, but definitely down from earlier in the week. So trending in the right direction. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 20, 2022)

Double post.


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## eazy (Nov 20, 2022)

feeling so nice, had to post it twice.   

glad you're feeling better.


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## GSDdad (Nov 22, 2022)

Pull Day 

Numbers:
191.2 - on the scale this morning 
190.0 - 7 day average 

BG: n/a

Rest/Recovery 
8/10 
Felt good this morning. Slept well. Was ready to go. 

Food:
Got all 655 carbs in yesterday, for a kcal count of about 4400. Managed to do it while driving 6 hours cross country for the holidays. 

Weight is still climbing, but it's slowing down. This could just be the end of the water retention, or maybe not. Just going to have to watch and see. 

Training:
Not too concerned with matching/beating numbers, since we're training on the road. 

Yesterday's glute /ham day was mediocre. But today's pull day was solid, despite getting into a minor disagreement with a gym staff member over the amount of noise he thought we were making. 🙄 

Still managed to stay focused and get good work done. 


_Notes:
My training partner is starting to notice changes, and I'm seeing some as well. I'll take some progress pics when I get home. At the end of the week. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 23, 2022)

I was actually hungry between meals today, so I ate extra. 

I can't remember where I heard it said(maybe from Dusty Hanshaw?) but it was basically: "if you're still hungry during a food push, take it. Eat more." 

So I did. 

Even though today was just a medium carb day, I ate extra. I figure if my body is telling me it can handle more food, I should probably listen. 

Today's totals:
230p
480c
60f

That's about 175c higher than I had planned.


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## nsimoy (Nov 23, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> I was actually hungry between meals today, so I ate extra.
> 
> I can't remember where I heard it said(maybe from Dusty Hanshaw?) but it was basically: "if you're still hungry during a food push, take it. Eat more."
> 
> ...



Hunger is such a blessing.


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## GSDdad (Nov 23, 2022)

nsimoy said:


> Hunger is such a blessing.


Oh man, you are not kidding. On my leg days I eat 650+ grams of carbs, around 4400cals. It's...a struggle. But I've been approaching meals like a rough leg day set. Something that just has to be done. Head down and power through.


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## GSDdad (Nov 23, 2022)

Leg Day (quad focused) 

Numbers:
191.4 - on the scale this morning 
190.2 - 7 day average 

Rest /Recovery 
4/10
I woke up this morning with a headache and feeling kinda crappy. I didn't get the best sleep either. I had been getting over whatever cold had been chasing me earlier this week, but I think I caught something new from one of my kiddos. I actually can't remember the last time I was sick for more than 36 hrs in a row, it's such a rare thing. Oh well. Can't change it. 

Well, since today was the last session of the week, because of the holiday and scheduling stuff, I took some cold meds, and went to train anyway. 

Today was  
"OK, self; let's get a little work in, but today's goal is to not hurt ourselves. OK?" 
"Roger that, other self." 

Food:
We'll see how today goes. It's hard enough to get ~4k kcals in when I'm feeling 100%. Not sure how I'll do today feeling under the weather. Just gonna take it easy and see what happens. 

Training:
All things considered, it wasn't actually bad. Adductors, leg press, Smith machine squat (deep quad focus squat), leg extension and calves. 

I felt like I got some ok work in, and didn't get hurt. That is a W in my book. 

_Notes:
I'm feeling pretty run down as I write this out. Fortunately, the next 3 days I'm out of town with family. So nothing going on, nothing to do except sit around and relax. So hopefully that will be a nice recharge for me. 

Probably gonna get a nap after this next meal, because... why not?

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who's read this far. I hope you get all the gainz you asked for! _


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## GSDdad (Nov 27, 2022)

Upper Day 

Numbers
192.2 - on the scale 
190.9 - 7 day average 

Rest/Recovery
9/10

I took the last 2 days off. Hung around with family, and did basically fuck all. Just moving from one sitting chair to another. About as low activity a 48 hr period as I can ever remember. 

That recovery was enough to kick the cold I had. After finishing the first leg of the drive back home from the holiday, I was itching to get in the gym this evening. 

Food
I've been on plan and getting all my meals in the entire trip, with the exception of Thanksgiving. I took that day to just eat as I wanted, and even then...I didn't go off the rails. 

Weight still seems to be going up, albeit slowly. I'll check it against my home scale Monday and reevaluate calories then. 

Training
HS chest press (pin load) 
2 sets to failure 

High Incline Smith Press 
2 sets to failure 

Lat Pull down 
2 sets to failure 

Seated cable row 
2 sets to failure 

Tricep seated dip machine 
2 sets to failure 

Lateral DB raise 
2 sets to failure 

DB curls 
2 sets to failure 
(back to curling with 30s, which didn't trouble my elbows. That's a good sign). 

_Notes
I didn't get hung up on (or record) numbers today because it was a road gym. Different machines, different weights, etc. But it was a good session. Muscles are feeling fuller, even when I'm not in the gym. Definitely feeling bigger than ever with a pump. I'm feeling good and enjoying the progress I'm seeing so far. 

Tomorrow is the long travel day. Monday, back in the primary gym (finally) for a leg day. _


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## GSDdad (Nov 30, 2022)

Push Day 

Numbers:
193.2 - on the scale
191.5 - 7 day average 


Rest/Recovery
9/10
I slept really well last night, yesterday was an off day. I felt good today.

Food
I've upped my calories slightly to stay above 3000kcal, even on my low days. Trying to keep the weight gain from stalling. I've still got decent separation and visibility in my abs, so not getting sloppy, yet. 

Training

Flat BB Bench 
225 x 5* +1
185 x 10
_*1 more rep than last session _

Incline DB bench 
90 x 5 +1
70 x 12

Cable Crossover 
30 x 9
23 x 12

Lateral Cable Raise 
17 x 15
13 x 13 + drop set + iso hold 

WWeighted Dips 
45 x 9
45 x 8 + drop set (bw) 

_Notes: today felt pretty solid. I'm in week 4 now. I keep waiting for the big jump in strength, but I haven't seen it yet. I'm getting stronger, most of my numbers are going up a bit each week, although some lifts I'll drop a rep one week and get it back the next. _

_Its possible I just had an unrealistic expectation of what that strength bump might feel like. That's OK. I'm not disappointed with my progress so far. Just gonna keep at it, slow and steady. _

_Recorded a set of dips to check depth. _




https://imgur.com/a/RB9Vrqf


----------



## GSDdad (Dec 3, 2022)

Off Day 

Numbers:
Yesterday - 193.0 on the scale 
192.1 - 7 day average 

Rest/Recovery 
Been feeling pretty good lately. This is the end of week 4. I'm definitely feeling stronger, mood is up, libido is up. Generally feeling recovered and ready for the next workout. 

Food
Still getting all my meals in. High days are ~4500-4700 cals, 250p/650c. Definitely not feeling hungry as the day goes on, but still managing to get the food down. 

Training
Pull day on Thursday was good. Weight or reps were up on most lifts, intensity was good throughout the entire session. 

Leg (Quad focus) on Friday was good too. 


Adductors 
2 sets to failure 

Leg Press
6pps x 13*
4.5 pps x 24
*_rep PR_

Hack Squat 
3.5pps x 6*
2pps x 12
*_new weight for hacks _

Walking Lunges
BW x 24
40lb dbs x 12

Leg Extension 
185 x 14*
145 x 16
*_new weight _

DB Shrug 
2 sets to failure 
*didn't get these fit in on Thursday, so added them back 

Seated Calf Raise 
135 x 15
90 x 20

_Notes: Great leg day. My legs are smoked today. I was able to keep the intensity high throughout the entire session, although it was a fight. The leg press sets took it out of me and I got pinned under both the hack for both sets. But they were all out, so that's good I guess. _

_I'm up 10 lbs in all of November, and 7 lbs in 4 weeks, since starting this cycle. Cant wait to start week 5 on Sunday. _


----------



## GSDdad (Dec 4, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Off Day
> 
> Numbers:
> Yesterday - 193.0 on the scale
> ...



Upper Day

Numbers:
197 - on the scale  (+11lbs) 
193.1 - 7 day avg (+7lbs) 

BIg jump in weight this morning (+4lbs from Friday). I doubt all of it will stick, but it's still nice to see it going up. My goal is still to hit 210 by the end of this cycle (that would be ~+25lbs). So every bit that drags that 7 day average up, helps. 

Rest/Recovery
10/10
I slept well last night. Woke up feeling ready to go! 

Food
Keeping my low days above 3k calories, my medium days around 3500-3700, and my high days at 4500 calories is helping to keep the scale moving. It's work to get that food in, but it's getting done and it's working. I hate seeing my stomach all bloated out, but I'm trying to just trust the process. 

Training 

Flat DB bench 
100 x 7 (+1)*
85 x 10 (+2)
      *3 rep PR

High Incline Smith Press 
2pps x 6 (+1)*
1.5pps x 11 (+2)
     *2 rep PR 

Lat Pull down 
160 x 12
145 x 10

Wide grip cable row 
155 x 15*
165 x 10*
*rep or weight PR 

Cable Curl Machine

145 x 13 (+iso hold) 
125 x 13 (+iso hold)


Dip Machine 
245 x 16*
265 x 10 (+3)*
*rep or weight PR

_Notes: today felt really really good. I hit weight or rep PRs on almost everything. Reps were clean, intensity was high. 

I took some updated progress pics this morning pre workout. Lighting and posing still suck, but there's progress there. So I'll take that as a win. _



https://imgur.com/a/dOxbWDu




https://imgur.com/a/bihAImN


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## Oakley6575 (Dec 4, 2022)

Looks like you've added some back width. Keep it up


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## GSDdad (Dec 4, 2022)

Oakley6575 said:


> Looks like you've added some back width. Keep it up


Thanks mate. Yeah, my lats have definitely come up some. 
I also just re-taped my quad and I've added 1/2" since starting this cycle. So it's progress. 

Just gotta keep at it.


----------



## GSDdad (Dec 7, 2022)

Push Day 

Numbers: 
193.6 on the scale this morning 
193.7 - 7 day average 

BG: 97 fasted this morning 

Scale has been slowly dropping from Sundays high of 197. Weekly average is still going up slowly. Progress isn't linear, so hopefully it's kar a small bump and then we'll keep climbing. I'm still 0.5lbs up from 7 days ago, and 2lbs up for the weekly average. So that's good. 

Rest/Recovery 
Only slept 5.5 hrs last night. Woke up a bit tired. Sometimes work keeps me out until 1030pm, and 5.5-6hrs is  all the sleep I can get. That's not ideal but that's just facts sometimes. 

Food
No changes. 

Training
Poor sleep aside, I still added a rep on bench today. 

225 x 6 (+1) which is one rep more than last week. 

90 x 8 on Incline DB bench was also and added rep over last week. 

Strength is going up. Not by crazy amounts. But it is climbing steady. The rest of the session was solid too. 

TTomorrow - pull day.


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## GSDdad (Dec 8, 2022)

Pull Day

Numbers
193.0 on the scale today. (-0.5lbs from yesterday, and - 1.0lbs from a week ago). 
193.6 - 7 day average (-0.1lbs, 7 day avg is starting to slide as well). 

Rest /Recovery
I didn't have to hit the gym at 0500 this morning, so I didn't. I was able to get meal 1 in and then train at 0800. Felt really nice. 

Food
So the scale has slid backwards all week. 197 was a peak, but that was a big jump, I knew that wasn't going to stick, yet. But I've slid back all week to where I'm now a down a pound from 7 days ago.
I've been eating
 ~3100 cals on non training days
~3500 cals on my medium days 
~4500 cals on high days 

I think I'm going to have to bump my medium and low days up by 250-300 cals each, which would be an increase on 5 of my 7 days. I'll add in more carbs and maybe a bit more fats on those days. 

Training

Pull Ups
I did 3 sets of overhand /prontated grip pull ups today, which I haven't been able to in almost a year due to some elbow tendonitis. It felt better than it has in a long time, not perfect, but not awful. 

DB Rows 
100 x 11
80 x 15

Cable Pull Over 
120 x 12
100 x 13

HS Row:
115 x 10
90 x 14 
Prontated grip, focusing on squeeze in upper back. 

135 x 12
115 x 14
Neutral grip, step back Lat bias 

Preacher Curl:
Played with the Prime variable resistance profile plate load machine today. Did four sets with varying resistance profiles and weights. Really enjoyed this machine. I was surprised at how little weight it took to really dig into my biceps. 

DB shrug 
90 x 15
90 x 12

_Notes- I've never tried to push food and put on weight quite like this before. I'm surprised at how frustrated I get when the scale drops. It's at least as frustrating as seeing it go up on a cut, if not more so. I knew it wouldn't be all linear. But as a guy who's always struggled to not over eat and struggled to get lean. I thought the weight would go on a little easier. _


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## GSDdad (Dec 9, 2022)

Leg Day (quad) 

Numbers
195.4 - this morning 
193.8 - 7 day average 

Weight is back on track today. That's good. 

Rest /Recovery
8/10
Woke up feeling good this morning. 

Food
I upped my calories on my medium and low days. We'll see if the weight sticks over the next few days. 
Yesterday's medium day:

290p
475c
91f
3700 kcals

Training
Got shorted on time today, outside my control. So I was a bit irritated about that, but I made the most of the time I had. 


Adductors 
130 x 15
110 x 12

Leg Press 
5pps x 18
6pps x 13

Hack Squat 
3.5pps x 8
2.5pps x 10

Leg extension 
145 x 16 + partials to failure, +iso hold to absolute failure 
-only has time for one all out set on leg extensions, and had to cut out lunges and calves today. So I went with two intensity additions to finish with. It worked. My legs were smoked. 

_Notes: this is the end of week 5. Strength is coming in. It's not the rocket fuel strength explosion that others seemed to talk about. But it's consistent and steady, +1 or +2 reps or +5/+10lbs incremental progress. No complaints. _
_I'll schedule blood work for the end of next week. _


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## GSDdad (Dec 12, 2022)

Upper Day - Start of week 6

Numbers
198.2 - on the scale this morning (+1.1 lbs from last Sunday 
194.7 - 7 day average (+1.5.lbs from last Sunday's avg) 

Rest and Recovery 
8/10
Still feeling good. Plenty of energy and drive in the gym. 

Food
The calorie bump has my weight moving again which is good. But Holy holy hell do I feel like a bloated pile of shit after a lot of my meals. Ugh. Oh well, guess I just have to trust the process. 

Training

Flat DB bench press 
100 x 7
80 x 11
- both sets had good clean reps right until the final rep, those were both real grinders. 

High Incline Smith BP 
2pps x 5
1pps +10lbs x 16

Lat Pull Down 
160 x 11
145 x 11

Cable Row
165 x 11
145 x 15

Lateral Cable Row 
13 x 15 +3 partials 
13 x 15 + iso hold 

Unilateral Pin loaded Preacher Curl
40 x 13
30 x 13
30 x 12

Tricep Dip - pin loaded 
245 x 13
205 x 14

Notes: none


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## GSDdad (Dec 14, 2022)

Push Day 

Numbers 
196.2 - on the scale 
195.3 - 7 day average 

Rest /Recovery 
7/10 - Garmin watch says I haven't slept well the last few nights, HRV is low, but I don't know why. Scheduling allowed me to train at 0900 today instead of 0600, which helped. I felt like I got up for today's session. 

Food 
No changes. 

Training

Flat DB BP 
90 x 11*
65x16*
Rep PRs

Incline DB BP
75 x 12*
60 x 16*
Rep PRs 

Cable Crossover 
23 x 15
17 x 20

Lateral Cable Raise 
17 x 12
13 x 10 (+ double drop set) 

CGBP
135 x 15
155 x 8

DB Skull Crusher (from the floor) 
20 x 15
20 x 12

_Notes: I changed gears slightly today. I dropped most of my weights by 10-15%, and instead focused on 
A) more reps 
B) really clean controlled reps 
C) slower eccentrics

I reset a bit by dropping the weight and upping the volume slightly. I want to rebuild back to my higher working weights, but when I get there the plan is to be stronger through better /cleaner reps. Progressive overload isn't just about moving the weight up, it's improving on number of reps, quality of reps, tempo, etc. 

This was a really good session. Going to be sore on Friday for sure. _


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## IronSoul (Dec 15, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Posting imgur links to same pics to see if quality is better:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looking pretty damn lean bro. What BF are you sitting at?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GSDdad (Dec 15, 2022)

IronSoul said:


> Looking pretty damn lean bro. What BF are you sitting at?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't even have a guess at my bf%. 
I'm up almost 20lbs between these pics (1st pic is mid August 2022 @178lbs, 2nd pic is yesterday @196lbs). 





I can still see my abs in the morning and if my stomach is empty. At the end of the day I can see them if I flex down on all the food in my stomach. 

But I hold a good amount of bf in my lower back, which you can kind of see in this pic here. 



My quads tend to stay decently lean no matter what. I can see vascularity across them pretty much all the time, and even more so when they're pumped.


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## Oakley6575 (Dec 15, 2022)

Good progress!


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## IronSoul (Dec 15, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> I don't even have a guess at my bf%.
> I'm up almost 20lbs between these pics (1st pic is mid August 2022 @178lbs, 2nd pic is yesterday @196lbs).
> 
> View attachment 33042
> ...



Looking great bro. How do you feel being heavier? Also, where do you get your shorts. I’m digging those. Thought they were silkies at first. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GSDdad (Dec 15, 2022)

Pull Day 

Numbers
195.6 - on the scale 
195.4 - 7 day average 

Actual scale weight continues to bounce around by 1 or 2 lbs per day. But the 7 day average is slowly climbing. It's up 0.1 lbs over yesterday, and on pace to continue 2lbs/week. So I can't complain.

Rest /Recovery
9/10 - slept well. Garmin agreed, HRV was back in range. 

Food
No changes. The last several weeks I've been using sugary cereals (150g of fruity pebbles or cinnamon toast crunch) post workout with 50g of protein to help get my carb and calorie goals. It's definitely helpful. Goes down pretty easy even if I'm not hungry (I'm rarely hungry anymore). 

Training

SL DL 
315 x 4
225 x 8
Had extra time today, so I decided to mess with SLDL a bit. Not much to speak of with weight, but I was just feeling it out. 

Lat Pull down 
160 x 13
145 x 10

Chest supported tbar row 
115 x 12*
90 x 15
*extra rep over last session 

HS High Row 
90 x 9
70 x 15

HS Row 
115 x 15
90 x 17

Pin Load Preacher Curl 
90 x 10
65 x 13
30 x 15 (single arm) 

_Notes: I dropped most of my weights back 10-15%, like yesterday, and really focused on improving the quality of the rep. I've been taking bpc 157 @500mcg/day for the last 6 days to try and improve the pain in my forearms. _

_It is improving, so that's good. _


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## GSDdad (Dec 15, 2022)

Oakley6575 said:


> Good progress!


Thanks mate! I appreciate it! 


IronSoul said:


> Looking great bro. How do you feel being heavier? Also, where do you get your shorts. I’m digging those. Thought they were silkies at first.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I definitely feel the weight. I breathe heavier, and my cardio has taken a hit. I try to keep two cardio sessions a week in, but even still, my cardio has fallen some. But my long term goal is to get to a lean weight in the ~210lbs range. So I'll adjust, over time. 

I can't remember where I got the olive green shorts... I hardly wear them any more. I tend to default to the style in the leg pics you quoted. Those blue ones are Pidogym 5" shorts. I wear those a lot or one of my Brokig 5" shorts. Why? Because they hug the crap out of my legs and I'm a vain schmuck like that. 🤦


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## IronSoul (Dec 15, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Thanks mate! I appreciate it!
> 
> I definitely feel the weight. I breathe heavier, and my cardio has taken a hit. I try to keep two cardio sessions a week in, but even still, my cardio has fallen some. But my long term goal is to get to a lean weight in the ~210lbs range. So I'll adjust, over time.
> 
> I can't remember where I got the olive green shorts... I hardly wear them any more. I tend to default to the style in the leg pics you quoted. Those blue ones are Pidogym 5" shorts. I wear those a lot or one of my Brokig 5" shorts. Why? Because they hug the crap out of my legs and I'm a vain schmuck like that.



Hahahah I love it man. Why not be? We gotta love ourselves. But yeah you’ll feel the weight always. It’s good that you’re keeping the cardio in. That will at least keep things healthier at a heavier weight 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GSDdad (Dec 16, 2022)

Leg Day (quad focus) 

Numbers
195.6 on the scale 
195.4 - 7 day average 
No change from yesterday 

Rest and Recovery 
9/10 woke up ready to hit it this morning. I like these days. 

Food
No changes. Getting all my food down without much trouble. 

Training

Adductors 
130 x 17
110 x 15

Leg Press 
6.5pps x 11*
5 pps x 13
*added half a plate per side and only lost 2 reps. 3 count negative and about as deep as I can physically go (knees nearly touching my shoulders). These felt really good. 

Hack Squat 
3.5pps x 6
1.5pps x 21
*the first set felt heavy this week and I actually lost reps. So I stripped some weight and went for 20, which I got. #21 pinned me and I needed my spotter to get out of the hole. Good all out set. 

Standing Calf Raise
2.5pps x 15
2pps x 15

Leg Extension
145 x 20
165 x 14 (+partials to failure, +iso hold to absolute failure) 

_Notes: I came into this training session ready to go and it definitely showed. All the sets were good, felt like I got everything out of them that I could. _

_This is the end of week 6. I've got labs scheduled for tomorrow. Sunday marks the beginning of week 7._


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## GSDdad (Dec 19, 2022)

Upper Day 

Numbers
195.4 - on the scale this morning
195.6 - 7 day average 

Weight has slid back a bit. We'll see what this week brings before I bump calories again. 


Rest /Recovery 
6/10
Sleep was short this morning. Wife and I were out for a spicy Christmas Party last night. Had two drinks and stayed up late. So sleep was less than ideal. But this is a very once in a while occurrence, so not that big of a deal. Short sleep not withstanding, today's training was pretty good. 

Food
No changes so far. Gonna see how the rest of the week goes before changing anything. 

Training

Flat DB Bench 
90 x 12*
70 x 15
*extra rep over last week 

Incline BB bench 
185 x 6
135 x 15

Lat Pull down 
160 x 11
130 x 12

Seated cable row 
145 x 15
125 x 17

Pin load Preacher Curl 
90 x 13*
70 x 13
*+10 lbs and +3 reps over last session 

HS Lateral Delt Raise 
90 x 15
70 x 16 + partials to total failure 

DB skull crusher (from the floor) 
20 x 15
20 x 11

Notes: good day. Even though my weight hasn't moved much this week, I can definitely tell the 500mgs have fully or nearly fully kicked in. I've had several people make comments on my increase in size. Strength is climbing steadily. Good stuff. Week 7 - here we go.


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## GSDdad (Dec 19, 2022)

Leg Day (glute & ham focused) 

Numbers
196.4 - on the scale 
195.7 - 7 day avg (+0.5lb from a week ago) 


Rest /Recovery 
8/10
Garmin still doesn't think I'm sleep well. But I felt pretty ok and was able to get up for the gym this morning.

Food
No change. Getting my meals in without too much trouble. Feeling pretty full a lot of the time. I'm almost never hungry, and if I do find myself hungry it's usually a sign that I've fucked up and I'm already behind in my meals. 

Training

Seated Ham Curls 
240 x 11*
180 x 18
*extra rep over last week 

RDL 
245 x 12
195 x 15
-like most of my other lifts, I dropped the weight back some and saw good progression in rep quality, connection, and higher reps. 

Weighted Hip Thrust
180 x 20
180 x 14
- really shortened up the ROM on this one and focused on the feeling of pelvic tilt (rather than a dip and arch). Really good feel. 

Weighted Lunge (Smith) 
25lb pps x 13
15lbs pps x 15 
-really focused on driving with the glute 

Seated Calf Raise 
135 x 15
90 x 15


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## IronSoul (Dec 19, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Leg Day (glute & ham focused)
> 
> Numbers
> 196.4 - on the scale
> ...



Looks like a good day


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GSDdad (Dec 23, 2022)

Upper Day 

Numbers
197.0 - on the scale
196.0 - 7 day avg 
currently pacing at .5lbs /week. The pace has definitely slowed. 

Rest and Recovery 
9/10
Slept well last night. Got 7 solid hrs of sleep on 7mg of melatonin.

Food
No changes here 

Training

Pull Ups
bw x 9
bw x 7
bw x 5
Pull up strength is way way down. But, after 8 months of not being able to do pull ups with a prontated grip, so that's progress. 

DB rows
105 x 11*
90 x 13
*+5 lbs, same reps over last week 

Cable Pullover 
120 x 13
100 x 13

HS Iso Lateral Row 
3pps x 12
2pps x 17

Plate Load Preacher Curl 
45 x 9
45 x 10
25 x 10

Machine Shrug 
115 x 15
100 x 15

_Notes: really good day today. I heard Ron Partlow talk about a mindset approach to low volume /high intensity style programs like this one. Basically, you have to approach every set "like it's an event." I've really started thinking of it this way, especially on the big compound or main lifts of the day. It's been helpful to ensure I'm getting everything I can out of each set. _


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## GSDdad (Dec 26, 2022)

Upper Day

Numbers
199.2 - on the scale 
196.8 - 7 day average 

Rest and Recovery 
10/10 - had the last 2 days off for Christmas. Got a lot of sleep last night, came into the gym today ready to hit it. 

Food
Went off plan for Christmas day, because it's Christmas. That might be why my weight is up today. We'll see how the rest of the week plays out, and whether this weight jump sticks. 

Training

DB flat bench 
100 x 7
80 x 12

High Incline Smith BP 
1.5pps x 11
1pps +10lbs x 15 + 3

Lat Pull down 
150 x 14
 120 x 12 + double drop set

Seated Cable Row 
120 x 17
125 x 13 + drop set

DB preacher curl
25 x 15
17.5 x 20

DB Lateral Raise 
25 x 15
25 x 12

DB skull crusher (from the floor) 
25 x 15
25 x 12

_Notes: strength is still climbing. Some of the cable machine weights are different. I was at a backup gym today. I walked into my primary gym and it looked like Jan 3rd in there. I said, out loud, "Nope. Fuck this." and walked out. Went to the private gym instead. Good choice. 

Also got to play around with a new Christmas gift, the performance pins which make drop sets fast and a little more intense. They auto eject out of the weight stack, letting you do drop sets without having to stop or take your hands off the bar. Really helped take the Lat Pull downs and the cable rows to a new level of suck. 

Happy Christmas to all who read this far down! _


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## eazy (Dec 26, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> performance pins


Sounds interesting.




GSDdad said:


> this far


Made it


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## GSDdad (Dec 28, 2022)

Push Day

Numbers




200.4 on the scale this morning
7 day average - 197.5

I know that 200lbs isn't big by gym standards, and there are a lot of guys here that are 215,230,245+ lbs at my height (5'9"). But I've never been 200lbs before, so this is a milestone/goal for me.

That's +6.5 lbs in December and +14lbs since the start of this cycle.

Rest and Recovery
7/10 - Garmin says I'm not sleeping well. HRV is down. I am waking up (kinda) with numbness in my right hand several times each night. This could be from an old work injury, or it could be the 4iu GH eod, or a combo of both. Not sure.

Food
No changes. Weight has started moving again with the same food. (3500cals low, 4000cals mid, 4500cals high days). 

Training

DB Incline bench
85 x 10*
70 x 15
*+2 reps at this weight 

Seated Cable Press
40 x 15
30 x 18

Cable Crossover 
25 x 17
25 x 16 + drop set

Cable Lateral Raise 
15 x 18
15 x 12
15 x 10 + drop set

CGBP
165 x 8
135 x 15

SIngle Arm cable Tricep extension 
30 x 13
30 x 10

Notes: Due to the holiday, I was short one day of recovery since last training chest. So I dropped the weight a bit to not be stupid. Still a solid day though.


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## lifter6973 (Dec 28, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Push Day
> 
> Numbers
> 
> ...


Congrats on the milestone. That yellow font is hard on the eyes. I would go with another choice. Oh wait, I am on ugbb purple, maybe its not so bad in another setup  🤷‍♂️


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## GSDdad (Dec 28, 2022)

lifter6973 said:


> Congrats on the milestone. That yellow font is hard on the eyes. I would go with another choice. Oh wait, I am on ugbb purple, maybe its not so bad in another setup  🤷‍♂️


I'm not sure what it looks like in ug purple. I'd originally divided it up by color to make it a bit easier to read, section by section, instead of a wall of text. I'll try a different color. Thanks for the feedback.


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## GSDdad (Dec 29, 2022)

Pull Day

Numbers
198.4 on the scale 
197.6 - 7 day avg 

Rest and Recovery
7/10 - felt pretty ok today. Not amazing but not bad. Was able to get up for the gym this morning, that's what matters. 

No changes on food

Training

Lat Pull down 
165 x 13*
145 x 10 +2 drop sets
* +5 lbs, same number of reps 

Chest supported tbar row
120 x 12*
100 x 15*
* +5 lbs same number of reps 

HS underhand high row 
90 x 12*
75 x 15**
* +3 reps 
** +5lbs, same reps 

HS Row 
115 x 10
90 x 15

OPreacher Curl - pin loaded 
90 x 12
80 x 8 +2 drop sets 
30 x 15 (single arm) 

DB Incline shrug 
65 x 12
65 x 10

Here is a video of the drop set pins in action on the preacher curl set. The nice thing about them is you don't have to come out of the machine to move the pin, the tension stays on the muscle the entire time. You just lightly (or not so lightly) tap the stack to eject the pin and off you go on the drop set. Rinse. Repeat. 

Pretty impressed with these so far. 



https://imgur.com/a/DGzwxcq


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## nooiq (Dec 29, 2022)

GSDdad - whoa! I'm impressed!

We're about the same age and your Test levels dwarf mine. Please watch your liver though. When I was young I had a super-nice weight trainer. He used steroids. He looked great but he died young. Just mentioning it because I don't want you to hurt yourself.

Great regiment! I may copy some of that.


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## GSDdad (Dec 29, 2022)

Mid Cycle Labs are back. Drawn 3 days after last injection (trough) 

RBC, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are all still out of range. But all of them are better than they were 7 weeks ago, and are trending in the right direction. 

RBC dropped from 6.09 to 5.83
Hemoglobin dropped from 18.9 to 17.9
Hematocrit dropped from 56.1 to 54.1


T3 uptake is a bit more out of range than before, and T4 is a bit low. But nothing alarming. 

Lipids all look good.

E2 is actually a bit lower (56 now, down from 78)


Total test is at 2730 (up from 2068, on 200mg/wk)
Free Test is at 1094 (up from 591, on 200mg/wk) 

Overall, I'm pleased with these labs. 

An interesting thing I found: my fasting glucose on these labs was 88. I tested my blood glucose with my home monitor 20 mins before the lab drew my blood, and that tested at 109.

So I don't think my at home BG monitor is accurate. I'm not sure if they can be calibrated or if it's just trash.


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## GSDdad (Dec 29, 2022)

nooiq said:


> GSDdad - whoa! I'm impressed!
> 
> We're about the same age and your Test levels dwarf mine. Please watch your liver though. When I was young I had a super-nice weight trainer. He used steroids. He looked great but he died young. Just mentioning it because I don't want you to hurt yourself.
> 
> Great regiment! I may copy some of that.


Those values are on 200mg TRT. 
And all of my liver values are fine...

Not sure what you're getting at.


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## nooiq (Dec 29, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> What values are you referring to? My pre-cycle labs? Or my mid-cycle labs?


You mean about the Testosterone or liver?

Your T values that dwarf mine would be the 1181. Mine was 780 or so when I had it checked a number of years ago.

If you mean liver values (AST/ALT), I would check them mid-cycle and between cycles. That and keep an eye on any signs of tumors. If you're not married I say you just date a healthcare provider and let them worry about it for you


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## GSDdad (Dec 29, 2022)

nooiq said:


> You mean about the Testosterone or liver?
> 
> Your T values that dwarf mine would be the 1181. Mine was 780 or so when I had it checked a number of years ago.
> 
> If you mean liver values (AST/ALT), I would check them mid-cycle and between cycles. That and keep an eye on any signs of tumors. If you're not married I say you just date a healthcare provider and let them worry about it for you


I answered my own question after I replied. I actually edited my reply. 

1181 total test is on 200mg/wk TRT. My natural values were around 200 ng/DL before TRT. 

I just posted my mid cycle labs 10 mins ago, actually. AST /ALT are all spot on actually. (I'm not currently running any orals, FYI.)


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## nooiq (Dec 29, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> I answered my own question after I replied. I actually edited my reply.
> 
> 1181 total test is on 200mg/wk TRT. My natural values were around 200 ng/DL before TRT.
> 
> I just posted my mid cycle labs 10 mins ago, actually. AST /ALT are all spot on actually. (I'm not currently running any orals, FYI.)


Rock on! 

Glad to hear that. Just keep checking on them. There are also OTC supplements that can help if they ever do get high.


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## lifter6973 (Dec 29, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> Mid Cycle Labs are back. Drawn 3 days after last injection (trough)
> 
> RBC, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit are all still out of range. But all of them are better than they were 7 weeks ago, and are trending in the right direction.
> 
> ...


Can you remind me of your cycle again?  I don't like the high blood counts but if you can donate and lower then no big deal.


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## GSDdad (Dec 29, 2022)

lifter6973 said:


> Can you remind me of your cycle again?  I don't like the high blood counts but if you can donate and lower then no big deal.


500 mg test /week.
I don't love them. But they're actually down from 7 weeks ago. Also, I live at altitude, and my levels tend to hover at or near top range, in general. Downside of living above 6000'.

And I'm eligible to donate again in about 1 or 2 weeks.


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## lifter6973 (Dec 29, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> 500 mg test /week.
> I don't love them. But they're actually down from 7 weeks ago. Also, I live at altitude, and my levels tend to hover at or near top range, in general. Downside of living above 6000'.
> 
> And I'm eligible to donate again in about 1 or 2 weeks.


How many times a year do you donate? Mine weren't that high but if I go above 300 mg of test a week they start to get at the top of the range. Then when I donate, it takes a while for my iron levels to bounce back.

I usually take an iron supplement for a bit however I am not clear if ferrous gluconate or sulfate can actually increase hematocrit or hemoglobin which sort of defeats the main purpose of my donating.  I'll have to google. @Send0 or @CJ or anyone else, do you know?


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## lifter6973 (Dec 29, 2022)

Ok, I google checked, apparently it can and usually does increase hematocrit and hemoglobin so in my case with the iron, I have to watch not to overdo it.


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## GSDdad (Dec 29, 2022)

lifter6973 said:


> How many times a year do you donate?


I'm new to donating. 
I donated once about 7-8 weeks ago, at the start of this cycle. And once before that back in June or July. So I don't have a clear pattern of what a donation does for my blood work.


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## lifter6973 (Dec 29, 2022)

GSDdad said:


> I'm new to donating.
> I donated once about 7-8 weeks ago, at the start of this cycle. And once before that back in June or July. So I don't have a clear pattern of what a donation does for my blood work.


Keep an eye on MCHC and MCV numbers on your bloods. If those start to dip, you likely have low iron or low iron saturation %.


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## Cochino (Dec 30, 2022)

Hematocrit and high RBC is not good,. Donating blood is a must.  Yes, it depletes your iron levels, but a couple of cups of spinach  a week for your meals or in a smoothie can take care of that.  Sweet potatoes and greens in general work well also.

You don't need to fuck around with iron supplements unless you're a woman who's still menstruating.


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## lifter6973 (Dec 30, 2022)

Cochino said:


> Hematocrit and high RBC is not good,. Donating blood is a must.  Yes, it depletes your iron levels, but a couple of cups of spinach  a week for your meals or in a smoothie can take care of that.  Sweet potatoes and greens in general work well also.
> 
> You don't need to fuck around with iron supplements unless you're a woman who's still menstruating.


Still trying to stir shit up? Grow up and stop trolling sir. This shouldn't be the behavior of a 60 year old. You know better.


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## Cochino (Dec 30, 2022)

lifter6973 said:


> Still trying to stir shit up? Grow up and stop trolling sir. This shouldn't be the behavior of a 60 year old. You know better.


Huh?  I'm giving solid advice from personal experience.


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## lifter6973 (Dec 30, 2022)

Cochino said:


> Huh?  I'm giving solid advice from personal experience.


How is you trolling advice sir? Please just grow up sir. We don't need your immaturity.


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## Cochino (Dec 30, 2022)

lifter6973 said:


> How is you trolling advice sir? Please just grow up sir. We don't need your immaturity.


You know what. I'm going to call you out on the flame forum and make you post pics/and or videos.  I'll post mine.

Then we'll see who's the troll here.


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## BigBaldBeardGuy (Dec 30, 2022)

Cochino said:


> Huh?  I'm giving solid advice from personal experience.


It was good advice.


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## Cochino (Dec 30, 2022)

BigBaldBeardGuy said:


> It was good advice.


I know.  @lifter6973  is a troll. Not sure why he is here.


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## GSDdad (Dec 30, 2022)

@Cochino 

I know high RBC and Hematocrit aren't good. But, the most recent lab values are down from previous labs, and are trending in the right direction. So that's good. 

I'm eligible to donate again in a week or two, so I'll get that done as well.


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## GSDdad (Dec 30, 2022)

Leg Day 

Numbers
200.8 - on the scale 
198.0 - 7 day average 


Rest and Recovery 
5/10
Woke up feeling a bit tired this morning. 
Dropped several reps on multiple exercises today. The rest of the house has had a cold and cough for the last week. It might've finally caught me. 

Training

Adductors 
140 x 11
120 x 11

Leg Press 
6pps x 10
4.5pps x 15
-both sets are short reps from previous weeks 

Hack Squat 
3pps x 5
2pps x 15
-both sets are short reps 

Standing Calf Raise 
230 x 17
230 x 12

Leg Extension 
165 x 17
145 x 12

Notes: not a great day. Got the work done anyway, and kept the intensity high, but I missed reps all over the place. Tomorrow is a day off.


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## GSDdad (Jan 5, 2023)

Quick Update on the beginning of the week. 

Sundays Upper Day went ok. I dropped back on weight a bit, as I was getting over that cold from last Friday. 

Monday's Glutes and Hams was pretty piss poor. I had a hard time getting a good connection on RDLs and Bulgarians, and that was 50% of my working sets for that day. 

Today:

Push Day 


Numbers
200.6 on the scale 
199.3 - 7 day average 

Weight is still climbing slowly. Staying on 2lbs/wk pace on average. 

Rest and Recovery 
9/10
I slept well last night and was good and up for the gym today. I've found that getting to train in the later morning (9 or 10 am) I seem to be a bit more mentally ready than training at 6am. Life doesn't always allow that, but it's good to know. 

Food:
No changes yet. 

Training

DB flat bench 
100 x 7 +1
80 x 13*
*+1 over last week 

Incline Smith BP
2pps x 5
1.5pps x 13*
*+1 rep over previous 

Cable Crossover 
30 x 14
25 x 16

Lateral Cable Raise 
15 x 16
17.5 x 10 +drop set 

CGBP (Smith) 
1p +20lbs/side x 10*
1p /side x 12
*+2 reps over last 

Cable Tricep extension 
20 x 13
15 x 13

Notes: None.


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## GSDdad (Thursday at 5:39 PM)

Still training consistently and eating, just haven't had time for daily updates. 

Pull Day 

Numbers
198.2 on the scale 
200.0 - 7 day average 

Yesterday I was 198.8, and the day before that I was 202.4. Food hasn't changed, training hasn't changed. Water consumption might have been down slightly but nothing drastic. I'm in week 9 and haven't moved food up in several weeks. I'm thinking it's time to add more calories. 

Rest and Recovery
Still doing ok here. I feel pretty rested in the mornings, despite waking up several times a night due to numb right hand. It is what it is.

Food
I think it's time to bump calories (ugh). 

Training

Lat Pull down 
165 x 13
130 x 14

Chest supported tbar row 
125 x 10*
100  x17*
*progression in weight, reps or both 

HS High Row 
90 x 13*
75 x 19*
*added reps for both sets 

HS row 
115 x 12 (prontated grip) 
135 x 12 (neutral grip) 

DB shrug 
85 x 15
85 x 12

Preacher Curl (pin load) 
90 x 13
80 x 13
30 x 15 (single arm) 

Notes: Today was a good session. Kinda bummed to see my weight slide 4 lbs in 2 days without really changing anything. I thought I'd "conquered" 200lbs and was reliably staying above it.


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