Log Restart – May 2025: New Phase, New Focus

wheyProteinKing

New member
Hey everyone,
It’s been a while since my last post here, and I wanted to give a quick update on why the original log from February wasn’t continued—and what’s next.


Why the Log Paused​


To be honest, right around Week 9 of the cycle, life hit hard. I had to deal with a few unexpected personal issues—nothing tragic, but between work stress, travel, and a minor shoulder tweak (more annoying than serious), I couldn't stay consistent with training or logging. Rather than half-ass updates, I decided to pause the log until I could fully commit again. Lesson learned: even with the best plan and gear, recovery, consistency, and life balance still dictate results.


I also realized that being in a deep deficit for that long, combined with the cycle, started impacting my recovery more than expected. Sleep quality dipped, and I began losing strength despite being on cycle—classic case of pushing too hard without enough food. So I made the call to transition into a controlled maintenance phase around Week 10, and ultimately ended the cycle early at Week 12 instead of going the full 16.


Where I’m At Now​


Current Stats (May 2025):


  • Age: 26
  • Height: 6'0"
  • Weight: ~205 lbs
  • Body Fat: ~11% (measured via calipers and visually comparable)

After deloading, cleaning up sleep and food, and stabilizing at maintenance for a solid few weeks, I’m finally in a position to restart and run a smarter, more sustainable phase.


What’s Next​


I’m gearing up for a lean mass phase, possibly utilizing a lower-dose, longer-duration cruise+blast approach. The focus will be less on chasing numbers and more on refining physique, adding quality size while staying sub-12% body fat.


Potential Setup (still refining):


  • Test E: 200–300mg/week (baseline/cruise)
  • NPP or Primo: ~300–400mg/week depending on how lean I stay
  • Calories: ~300–500 above maintenance, with a focus on high-quality carbs and intra-workout nutrition

I'll share a revised training split, updated diet, and compound selections in the next post.

Thanks to everyone who reached out or followed the first log. I’m back and more focused than ever—this time with more realistic pacing, more consistent updates, and a clearer goal in mind.


Feel free to drop any questions or suggestions below. Let’s build.
 
Glad to see you back! Life definitely happens, and sometimes it’s better to hit pause than push through when things aren’t clicking. Your decision to adjust the cycle early sounds smart. Looking forward to seeing how you approach the next phase, especially with NPP or Primo. I’ve used Primo in the past and loved how clean the gains were. Keep us posted!
 
Solid comeback post! I’m curious about how your energy levels were during the calorie deficit phase—did you feel like it was affecting your training too much? Also, any tips for training around a shoulder issue? I’ve been battling a shoulder tweak myself lately.
 
Welcome back! It’s easy to push through when you’re in the thick of a cycle, but taking a step back when things aren’t clicking is key to long-term success. Props for recognizing that and being honest about the pause. For the next phase, I’d definitely recommend keeping carbs around your workout times for better performance and recovery. I’ve had good results doing that with Primo. Also, make sure you’re tracking your blood work with the cruise doses. Small adjustments go a long way.
 
Really admire the honesty here. Life throws curveballs, and the fact that you took the time to recover and reset is great. I’ve been considering NPP as well for lean gains after a cycle, but I’m still on the fence. How are you planning to integrate it into your training? I know some people love it for its faster effects, but I’ve read mixed things on how it affects joints and recovery. Keep us posted on how it works for you!
 
Really admire the honesty here. I’ve been considering NPP as well for lean gains after a cycle, but I’m still on the fence. How are you planning to integrate it into your training? I know some people love it for its faster effects, but I’ve read mixed things on how it affects joints and recovery. Keep us posted on how it works for you!
 
One thing I’d suggest is considering how much cardio you’re doing now vs before. If you’ve scaled it back, that might be a reason for some of the recovery issues in the first place. Just something to think about as you move forward!
 
Glad to see you back! Life definitely happens, and sometimes it’s better to hit pause than push through when things aren’t clicking. Your decision to adjust the cycle early sounds smart. Looking forward to seeing how you approach the next phase, especially with NPP or Primo. I’ve used Primo in the past and loved how clean the gains were. Keep us posted!
Thanks, man! I definitely appreciate the support. Yeah, the decision to pull back was tough, but it feels like the right move now. I’ve heard good things about Primo, and I’m really excited to give it a go at a more moderate dose. I’ve been reading through a lot of logs and trying to dial in my approach for lean mass. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes once I’m back into things. Appreciate you following along!
 
Solid comeback post! I’m curious about how your energy levels were during the calorie deficit phase—did you feel like it was affecting your training too much? Also, any tips for training around a shoulder issue? I’ve been battling a shoulder tweak myself lately.
Appreciate it! It’s definitely hard to balance everything, especially when life just doesn’t slow down. During the calorie deficit phase, I definitely felt my energy dip—especially towards the end of the day. Training was a bit of a struggle some days, but I just focused on getting my work in and listening to my body. As for the shoulder, I kept the pressing movements pretty light and focused more on high-rep, controlled movements. Stretching and rotator cuff exercises have been a lifesaver, though! Definitely recommend incorporating those if you haven’t already.
 
Welcome back! It’s easy to push through when you’re in the thick of a cycle, but taking a step back when things aren’t clicking is key to long-term success. Props for recognizing that and being honest about the pause. For the next phase, I’d definitely recommend keeping carbs around your workout times for better performance and recovery. I’ve had good results doing that with Primo. Also, make sure you’re tracking your blood work with the cruise doses. Small adjustments go a long way.
Totally agree about blood work—I'm definitely keeping an eye on that. I’ve read a lot about how small tweaks in the cycle can make a big difference, so I want to make sure everything stays balanced. I’m planning on adjusting the carb timing with the Primo as well—thanks for the reminder. And yeah, the slower compounds like Primo require some patience, but I’ve heard the results are worth it. I’ll be sure to keep the updates coming, especially for those considering it in the future!
 
Really admire the honesty here. Life throws curveballs, and the fact that you took the time to recover and reset is great. I’ve been considering NPP as well for lean gains after a cycle, but I’m still on the fence. How are you planning to integrate it into your training? I know some people love it for its faster effects, but I’ve read mixed things on how it affects joints and recovery. Keep us posted on how it works for you!
Good to hear your thoughts! I’m also a bit on the fence about how NPP will impact my joints and recovery, but I’ve read good things about how it can speed up the process and help with lean muscle gains. I’ll definitely keep track of how it feels on my joints and update you guys. It’s always a balancing act, but I think the key is not rushing and giving everything the time it needs. I’ll be sure to report on how the recovery feels as I go!
 
One thing I’d suggest is considering how much cardio you’re doing now vs before. If you’ve scaled it back, that might be a reason for some of the recovery issues in the first place. Just something to think about as you move forward!
Great point about cardio! I definitely dialed back my cardio during the calorie deficit phase, mostly because I was focusing on keeping muscle mass. That’s something I’ll need to adjust moving forward, especially once I’m back in a slight surplus. I’ll probably add in a bit more low-intensity cardio to help with fat gain prevention as I bulk up. Thanks for the tip—I’m keeping that in mind as I restart this phase!
 
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