I imagine Birmingham tonight will be carnage, I don’t often miss going out but the last Friday before Christmas invokes memories of being young and in broad street with feet sticking to the floor no matter what venue you are in. Enjoy it mate
Well i stayed until 10 last night, managing to get the last train home and then a kebab for the walk from the station. Feel rough as today even though i probably only drank around 10 pints.
I haven’t managed to eat anything yet today, i only have myself to blame.
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I just want to highlight this, I have been part of the UK drinking culture before so I know this seems fairly normal, but 10 pints is about 30 units of alcohol (depending on the strength), that’s more than a full sized bottle of vodka.
Sure you know that already, but the “only” made me think it was worth highlighting. Hope you feel better soon!
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you had the same thought I did. Years ago I would have said the exact same thing but these days that 30 units is 5 years of drinking.
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I guess for me i was comparing me of 6 months ago with me today. Normally i’d go 10 pints, then spirits and go all night but i made a conscious choice to get the last train back with the rest of my team staying out all night.
I was determined to do that but i get your point, my baseline is somewhat warped. I also don’t think i’m ever going to fully get out of that with my mates, rugby culture but i am ok with that if i do it once every 6 months or so.
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The good thing there is it’s a conscious choice, we all make sacrifices for things we count as important in life, and no judgement at all from me, like I said it was just the “only” that stood out.
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24th December 24
So i’m taking about 10 days off all lifting activities. Played rugby at the weekend and am very sore. I was chatting to the Mrs but realised i am carrying a lot of niggles so going to give me body 10 days to just heal.
I laid in bed last night and everything hurt, i’m getting old!
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Getting yourself pre-transformation photo ready - solid tactics 
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lol i might regret saying this as i’m feeling a little bit chubby… but i’ve really done well in my last 11 weeks of gaining. So might do another 10 week block.
Although after xmas eating i might need a little mini cut in Jan!
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6th January 2025 Week 1 - Upper A (Diet/maintenance week)
No real plan what i’m going to do this month. Just going to go in and lift until i think what i want to do.
2m rest between each set, each set to failure.
-
HS Chest Press
50kg each side x 7
40kg each side x 12 -
Seated cable wide row (Upper back)
70kg x 9
70kg x 8 -
Viking Press
66kg x 8
56kg x 10 -
Lat Pull Down
84kg x 8
77kg x 10 -
Pec Dec
84.5kg x 8
77.5kg x 8 -
Bent over tricep rope cable extension
12 weight x 8 reps
11 weight x 8 reps -
Cable bicep Curls
4 weight each side x 12
x 10
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7th January 2025 Week 1 - Lower A (Diet/maintenance week)
No real plan what i’m going to do this month. Just going to go in and lift until i think what i want to do.
2m rest between each set, each set to failure.
-
Trap bar squats - focus on power, no resting weights on floor
113kg
x 8
x 6 -
Seated hamstring curls
89kg
x 8
x 6 -
Standing calf raises
85kg
x 10
x 8 -
Cable ab crunches
17 weight on rack
x 8
x 6 -
Hip Thrust
40kg x 10 nice and slow
80kg x 8
I’m still working out what i want to do now programme wise but for legs i want better acceleration, so going to focus on 6-8 reps and focus on power and acceleration in the reps.
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9th January 2025 Week 1 - Upper B (Diet/maintenance week)
No real plan what i’m going to do this month. Just going to go in and lift until i think what i want to do.
2m rest between each set, each set to failure.
-
DB incline Bench
36kg DBs
x 6 x 6 - probably would have got more on the first set but some idiot bumped into me and that was that set done -
HS Row
40kg each side
x 10 x 8 -
HS Shoulder Press
50kg each side
x 8 x 6 -
Pull Ups - 1m rest between sets
x 3
x 2
x 2 -
Cable Lat raises
25kg x 6
20kg x 6 -
Incline bicep curls
17.5kg DBs
x 8 x 6 -
Tricep Dips
x 8
x 6
Didn’t really get a good pump today, not sure if that’s the lack of carbs or what not.
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13th January 24
Since Thursday last week i’ve been in agony with a tooth. Turns out my nerve is dying in it so need to either get a root canal or get it removed (both very expensive). Been smashing painkillers but not sleeping or eating so no training for me.
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tooth ache is the worst. Sell a kidney and get it sorted.
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15th January 25 WK 2 - Upper A - no real plan at the moment
2m rest between each set, each set to failure.
-
HS Chest Press
50kg each side x 8
45kg each side x 6 -
Seated wide cable row
77kg x 8
70kg x 8 -
Viking Press
67.5kg x 8
57.5kg x 8 -
Lat Pull Down
91kg x 6
84kg x 8 -
Pec Dec
87kg x 8
87kg x 6 -
Incline cable curls
5 weight x 10 x 7-3 -
Tricep bent over cable extensions
13 weight
x 7 x 3 dropped to 12 weight x 3
So my dentist was finally back open (rather than the shitty NHS one i had to go to) and it turns out my tooth was infected (cue the pain), so got some antibiotics which have helped.
But the tooth nerve has died so either needs removing or root canal work. I’d been really good with money recently and cleared a lot of debt but adding an unplanned £1.5k is very frustrating. Probably means the family won’t go abroad on holiday this year due to my tooth.
Makes me feels like a rubbish dad, i know i’m not but feel it. Not sure how so many parents afford to take their kids abroad. Would need to save at least £300 plus a month to pay for a abroad trip.
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I’m pretty sure your feeling this way is the best evidence that you aren’t, in fact, a rubbish dad.
well, “travel abroad” means something very different in the land of beans-on-toast versus in the states, but i do think an awful lot of people finance their trips to avoid feeling like they’re brokies… which only further makes them broke.
It’s why I stay off of social media.
I’m happy with the life I can provide.
When I compare the lifestyle I can provide with that of people on Instagram, I feel like I’m inadequate.
So I deleted Instagram, lol.
Sorry to hear about your tooth, bud. You’re active in your kids lives and you’re setting the example as someone who strives to better himself. Sounds like a pretty damn good Dad to me.
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Just to echo what @Andrewgen_Receptors has said all of what you’ve mentioned highlights the fact you’re probably not a rubbish dad.
There’s a hell of a lot of places in the UK that are pretty awesome to go to for a decent price. We haven’t been able to go abroad due to my daughters illness and we’ve had some really good holidays (as well as a couple of crap ones but the good far outweighs the bad). We’ve been to Scotland in the 6 weeks the last few years and it’s relatively cheap and also quiet. The Isle of Wight is also pretty good and doesn’t cost the earth, I’m going for a week to both this year and combined I think they’ve cost me less than £1300, I could’ve probably found stuff cheaper than that if we didn’t need an accessible property.
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Last 2 guys said it all. Whilst going abroad for a sunny holiday to keep up with the Jonses is nice, what your kids really want and need is for you to be present in their life, support them, love them no matter what, make them feel safe and spend time and have fun with them. You seem like you tick a whole lot of boxes to me. I am not sure what your overall financial situation is but I used to find (I am a bit older now) that when I was struggling a little, if I reviewed all of my costs and spending and worked through a budget, we were always spending way more than I thought on stuff that we maybe didn’t really need. There was always an opportunity to save a little more money every week. It’s amazing how quickly a few quid a week adds up.
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Thanks all, it is a 100% keeping up with the Jones’s as nearly all his friends from school have gone abroad and i feel the pressure for him to have that experience but in reality he loves our holidays in the UK to the beach.
I actually have a really well paid job, but had to remortgage at the worst time with rates and then my extension went £15k over budget so had to take out an emergency loan and then maxed out my credit card to finish the works which just killed me. I’ve got 4 years left on the loan and then things will be normal again. Was just feeling like i was on top of my finances but spending £1.5k on a tooth just sets me back and feels selfish as its money spend on me.
Just need to focus on the have rather than what we don’t right now.
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16th January 25 WK 2 - Lower A - no real plan at the moment
Just did what i want today, no real plan but wanted to focus on my glutes a little more.
- Seated leg press - power reps
135kg x 12
155kg x 10
175kg x 8
195kg x 6
Maxed out the machine in the end which was a fun feeling.
-
Hip thrust machine
120kg
3 sets of 8 reps -
Seated Hamstring curl
91.5kg x 8 x 5 -
Calf raises
95kg x 8 x 6
Was late this morning as slept through my alarm so missed lunges and abs.
With hip thrusts on the machine, i’m not sure whether to do these slowly or powerfully. I want to develop glute power but also need to get my glutes being controlled as well.
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