Hey guys,
I am 20 years old with a little less than 1-yr of intelligent training under my belt. I'll be logging my offseason here for the foreseeable future. I'm super excited to get started.
Current BW is ~162lbs, tomorrow starts a 3-month gaining phase in which the goal is to be ~165/166lbs consistently. I have a history with obesity, thus the slower rate of gain despite training age. I follow a Renaissance Periodization style of accumulation, prioritizing volume and keeping relative intensity ~2RIR until the last week of accumulation, at which point most sets are 1RIR or less. Deloads are autoregulated, if I reach week 5 and I feel I can continue to accumulate I will; most mesocycles end somewhere between 4-6 weeks. Thank you to AJ for allowing me to share this journey with you guys. Let's work.
How big of a difference do you feel now that you have started TRT? Thanks for being open and sharing!
Oh boy do I have an update for you guys! Also, apologies for not logging recently, just finished up a research study (hopefully I'll be presenting and publishing that soon!) as well as the Junior year of my Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and Nutrition (4.0 last three semesters!). Also, about a month after I last logged, a huge event occurred in my life. I got diagnosed with hypogonadism (low testosterone). It's always been my dream to compete in Natural bodybuilding, but unfortunately that is no longer viable since I have started TRT back on April 21st. This whole time I have been training and eating in a suboptimal hormonal environment (test sub 250ng/dL). I'm not one to make excuses, but this is just calling it how I see it, the crazy thing is I never thought I felt bad, I guess you don't realize how badly you feel until you feel the other side.
Anyway, here's to logging away now that school and life has slowed a bit! Just finished a deload week, new mesocycle starts tomorrow and I'm beyond pumped! Running a PPLPPLO split.
Food is:
All days: P225 C315 F50. Happy to be back guys.
Long time no see!
We have a few changes to my program; I'm still running a Legs, Push, Pull split with two rotations. I am also adopting a style of training similar to AJ, I think that it fits my psychology better like I've mentioned before. The first session with that mentality went down today, and it was Legs A; it was awesome.
Calf Raise - 4x12,12,11,11
Leg Curl - 2x20x25
Precor Hack - 1x9x180 and 2x11x160
Pendulum Squat - 1x6x130 and 1x12x90
Leg Ext - 3x15,14,12x90
Leg Curl - 3x12,12,16x40
Morning BW - 164.0lbs
Time for another update boyos; these will likely slow to a once/week frequency soon as the Spring Semester of my Junior Year at University begins soon. We'll still be working though ;)
Yesterday's Pull:
NG Chins: 136x8,8,7,7@2
Seat Cable Row: 100x12,11,11@2
Ham Grip Pulldown: 115x10,9@2 and 100x14@0
Finished off with some lateral raises, calves (please grow lol), EZB Curl and Machine Preacher Curl.
Today's Push:
Incline Press: 140x8,8,8@3,2,2 (never did that before)
Flat DB Press: 65x8,8,8@2,2,1 (this either)
Down sets: 55x10,10@2,1
Cable Fly: 30x14,14@1,0
Finished off with some Overhead DB Tri Exts and Machine Reverse Flyes
Sessions are feeling awesome, performance has been really good lately. Feeling preeeeeetttyyy chubby lately though, likely just a digestive issue I'll have sorted within the week. Tomorrow we have sumo deads and hacks, anyone else get a weird nervous excitement the days/hours preceeding a leg day or is it just me?
AM BW: 162.2lbs
If you guys wanna follow me on IG my handle is patrick_exsc
Saturday’s Upper:
1ct Bench Press: 3x7x160@2,1,2
Pendlay: 3x7x115@2,2,1
Med Inc DBBP: 3x10,9,10@2,2,0
Ham Grip Pulldown: 2x10,9x115@1,2 and 1x15x100@0
EZB Upright Row: 1x12x40@3 and 2x11x45@1,0
Weighted Dips: 2x9,8x187@2,0 and 1x8x177@1
Incline DB Bicep Curl: 3x12x25@2,1,0
Sunday’s Lower:
SB Squats w/ Wedge: 3x6x170@2,1,1
RDL: 3x8x195
Leg Press: 200x55 total reps.
Leg Curl: 4x12,12,12,10x37.5
Calves
Lareral Raises (Machine)
These two sessions felt amazing. Bodyweight is the same (roughly, 161.5lbs) but body comp seems to be changing based on feel and appearance. Digestion And stress management are on point as well. Just have to rinse and repeat for the foreseeable future and tissue should come...
AM BW: 161.4lbs. Kcals same for the next week as BW went up 0.3% this week.
Thursday's Lower B: 8/10
Sumo Deads: 3x8,7,7x235@3,2,2
Hacks: 3x8,8,8x180@3,2,1
Leg Curl: 3x12,12,17x45@3,1,0 (good indicator I may be underestimating RIRs)
Leg Ext: 3x12,11,14x60@2,2,1
Finished off with some Calves, Lateral Raises, and Curls.
Felt beat up after this past week of training, rest day yesterday did wonders and I feel ready to kill today's Upper.
AM BW: 162.4lbs (Seems like an outlier, been around 160.5 all week).
Will wait a few days to see if reduction in steps is enough to put me at the rate of gain I'm looking for.
Have a great workout and day my friends!
Yesterday's Training: Push --- 7/10, felt pretty tired heading in and felt just okay during. Got the job done, leg's later and I am pumped. Deadlifts.
Incline Bench: 1x8x145@3 & 2x8x135@3
DB Bench: 2x8x60@3,2 & 1x12x55@2
Cable Fly: 1x15x30@3 &1x15x35@2
Skull Crushers: 2x15x40@2,0
Machine Reverse Fly: 3x15,14,13x60@1,1,0
AM BW 161.4lbs
Today's Training: Pull
NG Chins: 3x8x121@3,3,3 --- These were on point in terms of execution and how they felt. Will move up in weight next week.
Seated Cable Row: 2x10x105@2,0
Ham Grip Pulldown: 2x12@1,0
DB Lateral Raise: 3x24,22,16x15@2,1,1
Standing Calf Raise: 2x12x40@2,1 --- Pausing on these is a lost art these days.
EZB Curl: 2x12,12x35@2,0
8/10 session, I know I can handle more but there will is accumulation to come.
AM BW: 161lbs
Fantastic LOG Patrick!! I also watched your testimonial video on Revive Stronger! Are you still coached by Steve at the moment?? How do you find training with a strict RIR approach?? - Do you enjoy it?
Today's Training:
Safety Bar Squats: 2x180x8,8@2,0 & 1x160x8@3
RDL: 3x195x8,8,8@3,2,1
Leg Ext: 2x70x12,12@2,1
Leg Curl: 1x40x11@2 &1x35x12@0
Donkey Calf Raise: 3x70x20,20,18@2,0,0
Cable Lat Raise: 3x20x20,18,16@2,0,0
Machine Reverse Fly: 3x50x20,19,15@2,2,1
Morning BW: 161.0lbs
Rest Day tomorrow :)
Today's training:
1ct Bench: 3x8x150@3,3,1RIR
Pendlay Row: 3x8x1110@3,2,1RIR
Medium Incline DB Press: 2x10x55@3,2RIR
Hammer Grip Lat Pulldown: 2x10,9x115@1,1RIR
EZB Upright Row: 1x12x40@2RIR & 1x10x45@2RIR
Weighted Dips: 2x11,9x182@2,1RIR
Incline DB Curl: 2x12,12x25@3,2RIR
AM BW: 162.2lbs
Leg's tomorrow :)
Training set-up: Will post the specific workouts on the day.
D1: Upper
D2: Lower A
D3: Off
D4: Pull
D5: Push
D6: Lower B
Day 7: Off
Nutrition set-up: For context I generally train around 2PM and consume 5 meals/day.
TD: 200-220P, 330-350C, 50-60F --> Calories (~2600-2800)
Higher fats in the morning and night coinciding with my highest carb meals being pre and post, if meal-specific macros are something that interests you guys let me know and I'll be sure to post them up. Currently not utilizing an intra-WO because my sessions are no longer than 1-hr.
NTD: 200-220P, 280-300C, 75-85F --> Calories (~2600-2800)
For NTD macros are spread evenly.