My First Log: Testosterone & Trenbolone Comeback After Lower Back Injury

TheLifte

New member
Hi everyone,

About Me:
I’ve been training for almost 5 years and have been on AAS for about 2 years. So far, I’ve completed 4 cycles. Unfortunately, during my 4th cycle (250mg Test E and 600mg Primo E per week), I injured my lower back around the 8-week mark in February 2024. I ignored the joint dryness caused by low estrogen and paid the price when I went too heavy on squats. As a result, I had to stop training for about 5 months.
During my recovery, I maintained a low dose of testosterone (150mg per week) and, over time, became quite chubby, reaching 100kg. However, I’ve been back in the gym for the last couple of months, working out 3-4 days per week, doing plenty of cardio, and focusing on lifting moderate weights to lose fat. So far, I’ve successfully lost 16kg and brought my body fat down to around 12-14%.


Current Height and Weight:
- 5’10’
- 84.7kg

Goal of the Cycle:

The main goal of this cycle is to regain my strength, surpass my previous lifting numbers, and add lean muscle to my upper body over the next 14-16 weeks. I plan to do this with a modest calorie surplus while staying lean and vascular throughout the Australian summer.
PEDs, Dosage, and Cycle Length:

- Testosterone Cypionate: 300mg per week
- Trenbolone Enanthate: 200mg per week (may increase depending on how I feel with the Tren, as I’ve used up to 200mg in the past with minimal side effects and great focus)
- Ment: I’ll consider adding this toward the tail end of the cycle if everything looks good.

Ancillaries and Supplements:

- Daily Supplements:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D3 + K2
- Curcumin
- NAC (N-acetylcysteine)
- Magnesium
- Melatonin
- Vitamin B6 (P5P)
- Berberine and Metformin
- Creatine
- Glutamine
- Fish Oil
- Injectable L-Carnitine
- Injectable Glutathione
- Psyllium Husk
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Cialis (for circulation)

Training and Cardio Plan:

Sunday: Posterior chain-focused leg day (keeping quad training light and avoiding spinal compression as I continue to recover)
Monday: Upper body – Chest focus
Tuesday: Abs and cardio
Wednesday: Back day
Thursday: Arms day
Friday: Shoulders and traps
Saturday: Abs and cardio (family time/cheat day)

*I’ll provide detailed exercises and movements throughout the log as we progress.*

Nutrition:

Currently, I’m eating around 3400 calories per day with the following macros:
- Carbs: 440g
- Protein: 250g
- Fat: 60g
My meals are pretty consistent throughout the week:
- Carb Sources: Oats, fruits, Lebanese bread, pasta, cream of rice, basmati rice
- Protein Sources: Milk, protein yogurt, chicken breast, lean chicken mince, lean beef mince, whey protein
- Fat Sources: I don’t usually add fats directly, but get them from animal protein sources.
I’ll be reassessing my diet every 2 weeks to make sure I’m gaining weight at a steady pace without putting on unnecessary fat.

Final Thoughts:

This is my first log, so I apologize if it’s a bit long. I’m happy to take any constructive criticism or advice, especially on food, nutrition, or training. Also, I’d love to hear from others—especially anyone who’s come back from an injury or has experience with this cycle—please share your tips and insights! How have you managed strength gains after an injury, and what adjustments did you make to your cycle or recovery?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
 
Hey everyone,

Quick update to the log since February 21st:

Training Update:I’ve really been focusing on mobility and joint health these past couple of weeks. My back feels a lot better, and I’ve been able to start adding some more intensity back into my workouts. I’m keeping the weight moderate, especially on my lower body days, and I’ve been paying extra attention to my form. The key for me is controlled movements and avoiding heavy compressive loads until my back fully feels like it’s recovered.

Strength Progress:I’m starting to see some nice progress in my upper body lifts. Bench press and overhead press are starting to move up again, and I’ve been hitting rep PRs on dumbbell presses. Squats are still a bit iffy—I'm working back into them slowly with the lighter loads, but I’m focusing on other leg movements like leg presses and lunges to keep the legs active without pushing too hard. Deadlifts have been going well, but I’m keeping them light for now, focusing on form and stretching my lower back after each session.

Diet Adjustments:I’ve stuck to the calorie range, but I noticed my weight has been creeping up a bit faster than I’d like. I bumped my cardio days from 3 to 4 per week, keeping it around 30-40 minutes of steady-state to help balance out the surplus. I'm keeping an eye on how my body composition changes over the next couple of weeks. I want to make sure I’m adding lean muscle without picking up too much extra fat, especially with summer coming up.

The current macros are working well for now:

  • Carbs: 450g (slightly adjusted up)
  • Protein: 250g (still the same, feels good)
  • Fat: 55g (I dropped a little fat intake since my body seemed to be storing a bit more fat than expected)

PED Update:So far, the cycle is going smoothly with the Test C and Tren. I’ve been feeling great on the Tren—no major side effects so far, and I’ve actually noticed better focus during my workouts. I’ve kept the dosage at 200mg for now, but I might increase it to 250mg if I feel like I can handle it. The only issue I’ve noticed is a slight increase in body temperature, but it’s manageable. I haven’t added Ment yet; I’ll see how the next few weeks go before deciding on that.

Ancillaries:Everything is still in check with my ancillaries. I’m still on my liver support (NAC, TUDCA) and my general health supplements, and I think that’s been really helping with recovery and energy levels.


Thoughts on Recovery:It’s been interesting working my way back into things after the injury. I’m really focusing on recovery strategies like stretching, foam rolling, and light yoga after workouts. I’ve also been using more heat and cold treatments to keep my back loose. I’ll be getting a sports massage once a month to help with any muscle tightness around the lower back area.

Overall, things are moving in the right direction. I’m regaining strength, staying relatively lean, and my back is improving. I'm looking forward to pushing the intensity in the next few weeks. I’m also considering adding a bit of Ment towards the end of the cycle to really help bring out more muscle definition and vascularity for summer, but I’ll see how the Tren is treating me first.

Anyone else on a similar recovery journey or working with Tren right now? Would love to hear what’s worked for you in terms of recovery or how you managed the balance between strength and aesthetics while bulking!

Looking forward to the next update!
 
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