Maybe its time to really simplify your training whilst focusing on only specific lifts or movements. Search up 'One hard Thing ’ by Dan John or better still buy ‘Never let go’ book on kindle and read it.
Or there is an article on TN for Dans ‘One lift a day’ program.
Makes training much more simple but definitely not easier.
Having a coach is helping me.
There isn’t any thinking, just feedback and on-the-spot corrections.
I should have done this sooner.
I’m usually the person that when shit gets tough, I double-down on my commitments. It goes… okay… I wouldn’t recommend it though 
29th May 2024 Week 18 - Lower Body and Biceps
BB RDL
120kg x 8
107kg x 10
97kg x 12
BB Squats
95kg x 7
85kg x 9
75kg x 11
Pinwheel Curls
20kg DBs x 12
18kg DBs x 12
16kg DBs x 12
V Ups
x 15
x 14
x 12
x 12
Cable Curls -21s
6 weight x 21 x 21
Ankle rehab
x 15 x 15
That’s an excellent suggestion, it’s one I’ve pondered doing myself before now.
30th May 2024 Week 18 - Upper body
DB Slight incline Press
44kg DBs x 7
40kg DBs x 9
36kg DBs x 11
Pull ups - palms facing 24 reps, 25 seconds rest
7 sets, no improvement from last week
x 4 x 4 x 4 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3
Weighted Dips
10kg x 8
7.5kg x 10
5kg x 12
HS Seated Row
52kg Each side x 7
47kg Each side x 9
42kg Each side x 11
Lat raises
16kg DBs x 6
14kg DBs x 8
12kg DBs x 10
Tricep Pushdowns
10 weight on rack x 25
12 weight on rack x 15
12 weight on rack x 12
Done. Booked a holiday finally in about 8 weeks. So i’ve decided that i’m going to diet.
Not sure i’ve got a plan on this yet but i’m going to start cutting carbs for a start and then cut out cakes etc. as well.
Plan incoming.
31st May 2024 Week 18 - Lower Body and Biceps
RDL
140kg - just so i could be like @cdep89 lifting 3 plates!
x 5 x 5 x 5
BB Squats
105kg
x 5 x 5 x 5 @come
Rope Hammer Curls
11 weight x 12
10 weight x 12
9 weight x 12
Rope Crunches
15 weight
x 12 x 11 x 10 x 12
DB Curls
14kg DBs x 10
16kg DBs x 9
Calf Rehab
3 sets of 15 reps
Happy to be done this week. Got my initial diet plan going but i’ll need to refine it. Basically eggs, meat and shakes and then dinner! Job done for now.
Haha, nice one brother. RDLs in that rep range feel insane. The good thing is even in a diet it’s highly likely you’ll maintain those numbers! 
Sounds like a solid plan to me. I find for me the absolute most important thing is consistency. If I can get 3 out of 5 meals a day to be exactly the same it really helps keep me on track.
3rd June 2024 Week 19 - Upper Body
BB Incline Press
80kg x 8
70kg x 10
60kg x 12
Chins 24 reps with 25 seconds rest inbetween
x 4 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 2
Viking Press
66kg
x 6 x 6 x 4
Seated cable Row
91kg x 8
82kg x 10
70kg x 12
Cable Fly
6 weight
x 12 x 12
Tricep OH Rope extensions
6 weight x 12 x 12
Not sure how diet is going to go this week I’m working away in Glasgow until Wednesday and then London on Thursday so i’m not eating any prepped meals at all. Its a busy week all of a sudden with work.
7th June 24
What a rubbish week. Missed a workout Tuesday and Wednesday as i was in Glasgow. I ended up drinking a lot both days with work and feel like crap now. Then was in London with work Thursday so again missed a workout to see the kids (which i’m glad i did though).
Went to the gym this morning and i just ached, did some RDLs to warm up and started getting pins and needles in my left outside foot.
So stretched a bit and just come home. I’m back on my diet Thursday and today though but annoyed at myself for drinking as i did and annoyed i didn’t workout. Also annoyed i have some pins and needles from RDLs as they’ve been going so well. Hoping its just from a tight hamstring pulling after being sitting and travelling a lot this week.
Hmm, that’s a strange one. Just put it down to “one of those things”, I’m sure it’ll be fine next time.
10th June 2024 Week 20 - Upper Body
Trying to get back into normality now.
BB Incline Press
85kg x 6
75kg x 8
65kg x 10
Chins - 24 reps with 25 seconds rest
x 4 x 4 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 1
Machine Press
30kg Each side
x 10
x 8 (didn’t push hard enough)
x 10
Rope Row
96kg x 6
84kg x 8
75kg x 10
Viking Press
66kg x 6
61kg x 7
56kg x 8
Skull Crushers
18kh DBs x 12
12kg DBs x 15
Just hoping to have a normal week now.
What does this mean for you ? Seems like getting on the beers is kinda normal for you, just not all the time ?
I feel that if he wants to get on the beers, that’s fine. He’ll just have to accept that his gym progress will forever be two steps forward two steps back. People talk about other people spinning their wheels all the time, and once you’re past a novice level (which he is by a longshot)… consistant beers is one of the easiest ways to stay in the same spot or make very slow progress. Deep down I think everyone who reads his log knows that’s not what he wants.
rugby_lifting is one of the nicest most humble guys on the forum, and we’ve seen him overthink programs, have indecisiveness about whether to cut or bulk, and then as soon as he gets into the thick of one decision he thinks he should be doing the other. This has happened equally with programs and with diet.
We’ve also seen him be super consistant, come back from injury, ask a ton of questions and learn so much valuable information that makes him more knowledgeable than 90% of the people that likely go to his gym. It’s simply time for him to decide what his priorities really are. I apologise for making assumptions here but it seems he’s just in acceptance for the inevitable “rugby night out, away for work etc etc… BEERS”, even though it’s not what he really wants to do.
If you care about this journey as much as we think you do @rugby_lifting , you’ve got to learn how to moderate and pick your moments. You don’t need to go tee-total, hell… I still have the extremely rare binge myself or just the one here or there. If I’m wrong about your priorities then ignore what I said and just enjoy yourself man - it’s your freedom and prerogative to do that, which is fine!
What helped me was a book called “The Naked Mind” by Annie Grace. It really brings to light the lies around alcohol and the culture around it. Completely changed my mindset. There are so many valuable nuggets of wisdom in there that will completely alter how you think about this stuff. Things like when someone asks you why you are not drinking and try to encourage you to, it’s not about you… it’s about them. You have brought that person to a place where they feel uncomfortable about their own choices, and the only way they know how to combat that is to get you to have a beer to validate them. Give it a read.
I didn’t mean for this post to be so long. I hope it helps in some way though.
This was an excellent post and I truely hope @rugby_lifting reads this with the positivity that I did.
Thank you for the kind words and what you said rings true with me.
Overall my priorities and views on life/ this world have changed massively over the last 2 years. I think what i’ve been through and ageing has made me a much better and more rounded person and i wish i could have been the man i am today previously.
I’m ok with the fact that i will never be as lean as some on here because of my lifestyle and i’m ok with that. I’m also ok with having that massive booze session maybe once every other month, even if it does set me back i’m ok with that.
To answer the question @simo74 what is normal, i’d list
With that though i do expect to see progress overall due to the hard work and being on point most of the time. I think recently I’ve not had that balance right but that’s probably in part to other life stresses taking away my determination and self control.
That being said, looking in the mirror i’m pretty happy with where i am right now. I’ve successfully made my arms a little bigger, my squat and RDLs are climbing. I’m hitting 24 reps of chins/pulls twice a week (in less and less sets each week).
Thats turned out to be a bit of a long response. Enjoy your comments on here though @cdep89 and @simo74
That is an awesome list mate and if you can do all that you will deff progress. Maybe try to plan around your big drinking events, to further minimise any impacts on the other items in the list. You have done and continue to do a great job. I’d gladly go back 10 years and be in your position. The one thing on your list that I think is going to be a game changer is the goal setting (you
Knew I would say that, didn’t you). Get the goal and plan dialled in and you will be so surprised. Play on sir:
11th June 2024 Week 20 - Lower body and biceps
BB RDL
100kg 3 sets of 8 - did all my reps nice and slow to focused on not rounding my back at all
BB Squats
95kg x 8
85kg x 10
75kg x 12
DB Hammer Curl
16kg DBs
x 12 x 11 x 10
Cable bicep curls
4 weight each side x 12
3 weight each side x 12
2 weight each side x 13
V Ups
x 15
x 13
x 11
x 12
Calf rehab
3 sets of 15 reps
Happy with today, still have a bit of pain/ numbness/ tightness in that lower back but it goes away when i stretch and loosen up so i’m ok with that.
Good stuff man. And good reply.
As I say, I too still have the odd couple of pints and the occassional big blowout. The pareto principle (80/20) rule rings true and as long as you’re on point most of the time you can still reach whatever your goals are.
Your lifestyle isn’t bad enough for you to think “you’ll never be as lean as some of the guys on here” though. It’s like simo says, just slightly better planning is needed, and if you go off the plan don’t use it as an excuse to continue being off the plan. Timing your big nights out around deloads or routine switchups is how I do things so the extra few days of rest I need doesn’t impact me much as it’s never in the middle of trying to chase progress in the days after the blowout. Also keeping protein high and the carbs minimum on drinking days is good 'cause you’ll get a ton of carb calories from the beer (still make sure not to drink on an empty stomach though). Even if you don’t do that, the biggest dieters have a couple of refeed days anyway. 6-8weeks of hard dieting and then the big treat of 15 beers and a takeaway for the hangover. There’s no problem with that (I mean, I’m sure there is… but I think you and I both need these times to remind ourselves why we don’t do it all the time, heh).
All of us sometimes need to remember we’re lifestyle gym-goers and the whole min-maxing thing some of us do is a massive con that we don’t need. As long as you’re happy that’s the main thing.
Maybe it is an age thing, or maybe it depends on your friendship groups and social pressures, but I have reached a point where the hangover is just not worth it. I hate the feeling of loosing 1 sometimes 2 days feeling awful, just so I could be like everyone else and drink.