HeavyGains
New member
Hey Guys,
I wanted to start a new training log to track my progress and share some details about my journey. A quick background before we dive into it:
Background & Health Update
In early 2024, I had my bloodwork done and found that my natural testosterone levels had crashed. I hadn’t used any gear previously, so I’m guessing it’s just a part of getting older. After discussing options with my doctor, I decided to run a 12-week cycle of Test E at 250mg per week (injecting twice a week). The results were great—strength went up, and I added some good size. The most common comment from gym buddies was that I looked “fuller.”
After completing the cycle, I decided to drop down to TRT. In my mind, there was no need to try to bring my natural test levels back up when they were already so low.
Current TRT Protocol
I’m currently running 150mg of Test E per week, injecting twice a week. I just got my recent bloodwork back, and while I could probably drop the dosage to align more with natural levels, I’m happy with where I’m at—just slightly above normal levels.
Current Bloodwork Results
- Total Testosterone: 54 nmol/L (range: 8-30)
- Free Testosterone: 1873 pmol/L (range: 170-670)
- SHBG: 17 nmol/L (range: 11-78)
The only concern from the results is that my HDL was slightly below the reference range, and my LDL was just slightly above. However, everything else seems in good shape.
Current Stats
- Height: 170cm (5'7")
- Age: 43
- Weight: 82kg (180lbs)
Diet & Nutrition
My diet is pretty straightforward right now to help maintain muscle while keeping fat gain in check. I’m hitting around 3435-3835 calories per day with the following macros:
- Protein: 285g
- Fats: 55g
- Carbs: 450-500g
I find keeping it simple and sticking to basic foods like chicken and rice works best for me, especially when I’m at work. When I’m home, I keep it pretty consistent, but at work, it’s trickier due to limited food options. Protein shakes are my go-to for extra protein while on-site.
Meal Plan Overview:
- Wake Up Drink: 400ml water, BrainCo Gut Repair (1 scoop), Apple Cider Vinegar (10ml), 3-5g Colostrum, Milk Thistle (2), Dandelion Root (1).
- Meal 1: 70g creamy rice, 40g Rule1 Protein.
- Pre-Gym: Protein shake (600cals), NMN (1 scoop), 600mg L-Carnitine (injectable), and Gear shot.
- Meal 2: 200g cooked chicken breast, 200g jasmine rice, 100g veggies, Vitamin D3 (5000IU), Ubiquinol, Citrus Bergamot, 1 scoop Magnesium.
- Meal 3: 90g oats, 40g Rule 1 Protein, 10g chia seeds.
- Meal 4: 250g cooked 95/5 beef mince, 200g sweet potato, 100g veggies.
- Meal 5: 300g egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 4 slices of 9-grain toast.
- Meal 6: 200ml unsweetened almond milk, 70g rice puffs, 30g Rule 1 Protein, 6 fish oil caps.
Supplements:
- Multi-Vitamin
- Vitamin D
- Fish Oil
- Psyllium Husk (when needed)
- Magnesium
- BrainCo Gut Repair
- Colostrum
- Other general health supplements as listed.
Training Split
I’m currently following a 5-day split with a focus on strength and size. My goal is to push hard on certain lifts (especially for biceps) while also dealing with some tendonitis in my left arm. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve felt a lot of improvement, so I’m ramping up the intensity.
The gym I train at is basic, so I sometimes need to modify exercises, particularly on leg days. Here's a breakdown of my current split:
Day 1 – Back, Chest, Abs:
- Bentover BB Row: 3 x 12-16 (50kg)
- Underhand Grip Chin-Ups: 3 x 12-16 (60kg)
- Underhand Grip Supported Machine Row: 3 x 12-15 (64kg)
- Unilateral Pulldown: 3 x 12-15 (25kg)
- Incline Cable Flye: 3 x 12-15 (15kg)
- Flat DB Press: 3 x 10-12 (37.5kg)
- Incline Leg Raise: 3 x 12-15
- Ab Crunch Machine: 3 x 15-18
Day 2 – Shoulders & Arms:
- DB Shoulder Press: 3 x 10-12 (37.5kg)
- Standing DB Side Raise: 3 x 8-10 (12.5/15kg)
- BB Front Raise: 3 x 10-12 (25kg)
- Reverse Pec Dec: 3 x 10-12 (60kg)
- Cable Curls + Rope Pushdowns Superset: 3 x 10-12 (curls 25kg, pushdowns 35kg)
- Machine Preacher Curls + Overhead DB Ext Superset: 3 x 12-16 (curls 35/30kg, overhead 25kg)
- DB Hammer Curls + DB Kickbacks Superset: 3 x 16-20 (each curls 10kg, kickbacks 7.5kg)
Day 3 – Legs:
- Lying Leg Curls: 3 x 16-20 (30kg)
- Single Leg Lying Leg Curls: 3 x 12-16 (20kg)
- Hack Squats: 3 x 12-16 (50/60kg)
- Unilateral Leg Press: 3 x 12-15 (125kg)
- Hip Thrusts: 3 x 10-12 (140kg)
- Standing Calf Raise: 3 x 20-25 (95kg)
Day 4 – Front & Side Delts, Chest & Triceps:
- Incline DB Press: 3 x 10-12 (37.5/40kg)
- Flat Bench Press: 3 x 10-12 (80/90kg)
- Pec Dec + Machine Press Superset: 3 x 12-15 (pec 55kg, press 60kg)
- Shoulder Press Machine: 3 x 10-12 (45/50kg)
- Leaning DB Side Raise: 3 x 10-12 (12.5/15kg)
- Tricep Pushdowns: 3 x 12-15 (35kg)
- Incline DB Skullcrushers: 3 x 20-25 (30kg)
- Hanging Leg Raise: 3 x Max Reps
Day 5 – Back, Rear Delts, Biceps:
- Wide Grip Chin-ups: 3 x 6-8
- One Arm Low Cable Row: 3 x 10-12 (28kg)
- Wide Grip Machine Row: 3 x 10-12 (60kg)
- Stiff-arm Pulldowns + Underhand Grip Pulldowns Superset: 3 x 12-15 (each stiff 32kg, pd 60kg)
- Rear DB Raise + Rope Face Pulls Superset: 3 x 10-12 (each db 15kg, face pull 28kg)
- Incline DB Curls: 3 x 10-12 (12.5/15kg)
- BB Curls: 3 x 8-10 (30kg)
- Back Extensions: 3 x 12-15
I’m excited to start this new cycle and really focus on building strength and muscle, especially with the goal of improving my arm training after dealing with tendonitis. The diet and training plan are straightforward, but I’m open to any suggestions or insights, especially from those who have gone through similar cycles or experienced similar setbacks.
Thanks for the support, I’ll be updating regularly with progress!
I wanted to start a new training log to track my progress and share some details about my journey. A quick background before we dive into it:
Background & Health Update
In early 2024, I had my bloodwork done and found that my natural testosterone levels had crashed. I hadn’t used any gear previously, so I’m guessing it’s just a part of getting older. After discussing options with my doctor, I decided to run a 12-week cycle of Test E at 250mg per week (injecting twice a week). The results were great—strength went up, and I added some good size. The most common comment from gym buddies was that I looked “fuller.”
After completing the cycle, I decided to drop down to TRT. In my mind, there was no need to try to bring my natural test levels back up when they were already so low.
Current TRT Protocol
I’m currently running 150mg of Test E per week, injecting twice a week. I just got my recent bloodwork back, and while I could probably drop the dosage to align more with natural levels, I’m happy with where I’m at—just slightly above normal levels.
Current Bloodwork Results
- Total Testosterone: 54 nmol/L (range: 8-30)
- Free Testosterone: 1873 pmol/L (range: 170-670)
- SHBG: 17 nmol/L (range: 11-78)
The only concern from the results is that my HDL was slightly below the reference range, and my LDL was just slightly above. However, everything else seems in good shape.
Current Stats
- Height: 170cm (5'7")
- Age: 43
- Weight: 82kg (180lbs)
Diet & Nutrition
My diet is pretty straightforward right now to help maintain muscle while keeping fat gain in check. I’m hitting around 3435-3835 calories per day with the following macros:
- Protein: 285g
- Fats: 55g
- Carbs: 450-500g
I find keeping it simple and sticking to basic foods like chicken and rice works best for me, especially when I’m at work. When I’m home, I keep it pretty consistent, but at work, it’s trickier due to limited food options. Protein shakes are my go-to for extra protein while on-site.
Meal Plan Overview:
- Wake Up Drink: 400ml water, BrainCo Gut Repair (1 scoop), Apple Cider Vinegar (10ml), 3-5g Colostrum, Milk Thistle (2), Dandelion Root (1).
- Meal 1: 70g creamy rice, 40g Rule1 Protein.
- Pre-Gym: Protein shake (600cals), NMN (1 scoop), 600mg L-Carnitine (injectable), and Gear shot.
- Meal 2: 200g cooked chicken breast, 200g jasmine rice, 100g veggies, Vitamin D3 (5000IU), Ubiquinol, Citrus Bergamot, 1 scoop Magnesium.
- Meal 3: 90g oats, 40g Rule 1 Protein, 10g chia seeds.
- Meal 4: 250g cooked 95/5 beef mince, 200g sweet potato, 100g veggies.
- Meal 5: 300g egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 4 slices of 9-grain toast.
- Meal 6: 200ml unsweetened almond milk, 70g rice puffs, 30g Rule 1 Protein, 6 fish oil caps.
Supplements:
- Multi-Vitamin
- Vitamin D
- Fish Oil
- Psyllium Husk (when needed)
- Magnesium
- BrainCo Gut Repair
- Colostrum
- Other general health supplements as listed.
Training Split
I’m currently following a 5-day split with a focus on strength and size. My goal is to push hard on certain lifts (especially for biceps) while also dealing with some tendonitis in my left arm. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve felt a lot of improvement, so I’m ramping up the intensity.
The gym I train at is basic, so I sometimes need to modify exercises, particularly on leg days. Here's a breakdown of my current split:
Day 1 – Back, Chest, Abs:
- Bentover BB Row: 3 x 12-16 (50kg)
- Underhand Grip Chin-Ups: 3 x 12-16 (60kg)
- Underhand Grip Supported Machine Row: 3 x 12-15 (64kg)
- Unilateral Pulldown: 3 x 12-15 (25kg)
- Incline Cable Flye: 3 x 12-15 (15kg)
- Flat DB Press: 3 x 10-12 (37.5kg)
- Incline Leg Raise: 3 x 12-15
- Ab Crunch Machine: 3 x 15-18
Day 2 – Shoulders & Arms:
- DB Shoulder Press: 3 x 10-12 (37.5kg)
- Standing DB Side Raise: 3 x 8-10 (12.5/15kg)
- BB Front Raise: 3 x 10-12 (25kg)
- Reverse Pec Dec: 3 x 10-12 (60kg)
- Cable Curls + Rope Pushdowns Superset: 3 x 10-12 (curls 25kg, pushdowns 35kg)
- Machine Preacher Curls + Overhead DB Ext Superset: 3 x 12-16 (curls 35/30kg, overhead 25kg)
- DB Hammer Curls + DB Kickbacks Superset: 3 x 16-20 (each curls 10kg, kickbacks 7.5kg)
Day 3 – Legs:
- Lying Leg Curls: 3 x 16-20 (30kg)
- Single Leg Lying Leg Curls: 3 x 12-16 (20kg)
- Hack Squats: 3 x 12-16 (50/60kg)
- Unilateral Leg Press: 3 x 12-15 (125kg)
- Hip Thrusts: 3 x 10-12 (140kg)
- Standing Calf Raise: 3 x 20-25 (95kg)
Day 4 – Front & Side Delts, Chest & Triceps:
- Incline DB Press: 3 x 10-12 (37.5/40kg)
- Flat Bench Press: 3 x 10-12 (80/90kg)
- Pec Dec + Machine Press Superset: 3 x 12-15 (pec 55kg, press 60kg)
- Shoulder Press Machine: 3 x 10-12 (45/50kg)
- Leaning DB Side Raise: 3 x 10-12 (12.5/15kg)
- Tricep Pushdowns: 3 x 12-15 (35kg)
- Incline DB Skullcrushers: 3 x 20-25 (30kg)
- Hanging Leg Raise: 3 x Max Reps
Day 5 – Back, Rear Delts, Biceps:
- Wide Grip Chin-ups: 3 x 6-8
- One Arm Low Cable Row: 3 x 10-12 (28kg)
- Wide Grip Machine Row: 3 x 10-12 (60kg)
- Stiff-arm Pulldowns + Underhand Grip Pulldowns Superset: 3 x 12-15 (each stiff 32kg, pd 60kg)
- Rear DB Raise + Rope Face Pulls Superset: 3 x 10-12 (each db 15kg, face pull 28kg)
- Incline DB Curls: 3 x 10-12 (12.5/15kg)
- BB Curls: 3 x 8-10 (30kg)
- Back Extensions: 3 x 12-15
I’m excited to start this new cycle and really focus on building strength and muscle, especially with the goal of improving my arm training after dealing with tendonitis. The diet and training plan are straightforward, but I’m open to any suggestions or insights, especially from those who have gone through similar cycles or experienced similar setbacks.
Thanks for the support, I’ll be updating regularly with progress!
