Hi folks,
I’ve been lurking for a while and thought this would be a good place to start a training log and share ideas.
I’m 37, based in London, have been training a good few years but have been spinning in the mud in regards to changing body composition and strength.
My goals are to:
- Get to 12-15% body fat by June 2022 (I think I’m around 30% at 94kg)
- Increase muscle mass (I need help nailing down this goal to be more specific)
- Reach and maintain average to high testosterone levels
- Want to bench 100kg for five, Squat 130kg for five and deadlift 180kg for five.
Current PBs:
SQ. 130kg
BP. 85kg 
DL: 140kg
So my main problem is very low T levels. At 15 I had kidney cancer and was told the treatment will most likely have a negative effect on my T levels and fertility.
Now I’m 37, have very low testosterone levels but the National Health Service here in the UK have been less than helpful over the last few years.
I had a suspicion my testosterone levels were low as I showed all the symptoms, so I got a private test done.
I showed this to my GP who got all snotty with me. In short, without going into detail, the NHS is not an option for me.
I’m researching TRT protocols and investigating options.
My next training day is Sunday, looking forward to it!
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Bet you hit your goals by XMAS. You tracking your calories? Post a before pic.
Hey
I’m based in west mids and managed to get TRT on the NHS. I’ll be honest with you it took me ages but helped I have a really good GP. I got a NHS blood test and asked to check free test levels, after that I had a urologist appointment who basically felt my balls and ok’d me to get treatment. There are a range of treatments including gels and injections. Personally injectables are better, I’m on 1ml of Sustanon 250 every fortnight. It’s not a great protocol but I’m not paying to go private and it’s improved my life. You have the right to a second opinion if your GP isn’t listening btw.
One thing that will help your T levels is a reduction of BF, it’s certainly done wonders for me.
With regards to your goals do you know what you need/want to do in order to reach them? Have you got calories/macro’s in mind? A specific training programme? Dieting on a deficit to get your 1st goal will make it harder to get goal 2+4, perversely long term dieting also reduces T levels
Yeah, that would be great. I’ll feel more comfortable writing down a viable plan - I’ll do that when I get in. Oh and upload a before pic. Good shout.
Oh man, it’s been a massive fuck around, first with the GP then with the primary care Trust. They said it will likely be a year to eighteen months before I get treatment.
I’m hoping normalised testosterone levels will help me with goals 2-4. Yeah, my macros are solid. I’ve lost 15kg since February and my lifts have even slightly improved.
My programme is Push, Pull, Legs. I go low and heavy on compounds and do metabolic work on accessories etc.
Thanks for your comments 
Unfortunately you’re probably right in your time estimation given everything is backlogged due to covid. I feel your pain I remember how shitty I felt. I was chasing appointments every week with secretary’s, I did see (truthfully) it was impacting my mental health which I think may have sped things up albeit only a little.
15kg in 3 months is solid work, think about a weeks diet break when weight loss stalls. Im just coming off the back of a long term fat loss program and wish I’d done more diet breaks when progress was shut.
You doing one session on each push, pull, legs session or 2 per week? How long have you been training?
Yeah I started off eating whatever I liked as long as it was three reasonable meals and two snacks then gradually tightened up over time.
I’m coming up to the end of a break now. My weight loss has totally stalled so will drop calories a bit more and get my steps up.
I train four days a week at the moment, PPL and a day for core, abs, calves etc.
Well done on your diet, why do you think more diet breaks would have helped?
Just had a couple of blocks of months at a time when I wasn’t losing anything which I essentially wasted and tried dropping more kcals but to no avail. I think when I next go through a fat loss phase I’ll probably plan one every 6-8 weeks but hopefully will be a short phase as I’m being careful with my current bulk. I’m more concerned with bringing my lifts up at the moment than my physique.
With regards to training if you can train 4 days per week you’re probably better off looking at an upper/lower split or push/pull (where you incorporate push and pull as a whole body split so quads, chest shoulders and hams, glutes, back) there’s quite a bit of research showing that twice per week for frequency is superior to once per week due to muscle protein synthesis and learning movement patterns. There’s quite a few examples on here of routines. I got into 5/3/1 at the start of the year and honestly I don’t think I’ll ever train another way
Thanks for the routine tip, I will look into it, hitting the same muscle groups twice per week sounds good to me. I have another 10 weeks left of my current routine, so I will see it out. I used to be terrible for routine hopping!
I think I was hesitant to take a diet break as my bf levels were so high but I think I needed a week off even for psychological relief. I really like the idea of 531, I think it’s a good place to go after doing 5x5 etc.
Thanks for the heads up!
OK, Sunday. Kept to 2000 calories, around 190g protein reached. Here is my workout. Starting a new routine this week and tightening up diet a bit more.
DLs felt difficult, a bit gassed. May lower the weight a bit and do more volume to build up work capacity, then start progressing from there.
Bench felt really good. For a very long time I would get tricep tendinitis and struggle with bench but once I worked on different grips till I found one that suited me, the paint went away and now I can bench again.
Incline DB presses felt good, light but that’s due to feeling pretty taxed. Could have pressed the 27.5s but was cautious.
Very pumpy, felt good.
Going to do this routine I found in a T-nation article. I made a slight adjustment as I can’t do lunges… yet.
What do you think?
Monday now.
Taking an off day. Hit my macros pretty well. Got five fruit n veg in, I’m going to gradually increase that to 7-10 servings. I find I just feel better with more veg and fewer processed foods; less anxious, more clarity, brighter mood.
Better get to bed, early start tomorrow.
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OK so here’s some current pics. As you can see, a fair bit if weight to lose. I’ve been advised to begin TRT w/ HCG, microdosing daily.
Due to my very low T I find it difficult to drop fat and increase LBM.
I estimate my bf% at around 35%
Yesterday I did 22000 steps, also performed ‘Upper Body 2’.
Weight down this morning from 107kg to 93.5.
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First time squatting since before lockdown. I took it very light, pleased I did as my knees were creaky as fuck, and a bit sore today. I noticed I’m fairly hamstring dominant when I squat, I will put a plate beneath my heels next time.
It was nice to use the MedX leg press, I really bloody like MedX machines. Took me a while to get the settings just right to optimise the exercise. Previously I would stack it for 20 reps easy, this time I only loaded 200lbs, laid the back of the seat very low and got in deep, knees to the chest for full ROM. Left me battered.
Used the MedX leg curl, great isolation, felt really good, I don’t think I’ve experienced a hamstring pump before.
Was a tricky day food wise. I just didn’t feel like eating. Stupid as it sounds, my ex who I’m still friends with has started seeing someone and felt a slight pang of… something, I don’t know what exactly but it left me feeling a bit ‘off’.
Weight down from 107kg to 93kg
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TRT stuff.
OK. I explained the NHS aren’t being remotely helpful at all, be at least two years before I get treatment and I’m experiencing ALL the symptoms of low as confirmed by the MediChecks test.
Pretty debilitating tbh, mood swings, low confidence, indifferent to everything etc.
Doctors first suggestion was to provide antidepressants 
I have a vial of testosterone cypionate 200, HCG and awaiting pins. Also ordering an AI should I need it.
I understand there are particular benefits to administering TRT SubQ daily. So I would be looking at 14mg daily.
I’m I’m no immediate rush but I need to be sorting this out ASAP.
