This was not 100% effort hehe around 70% for all my cardio
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Which programme is this by the way? Think I’ve missed that.
Program X, his first ever, blend of strength and hypertrophy
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Being self-employed is tough. Well I think it’s also because I work with social media hehe. i have been working like crazy like week, some days 9 AM to 11 PM lol
But then there is a day like today where I have so much trouble putting myself to it because my mind is not focused at all. Gotta check this social, chat with that people, there and there. Switched off the phone. But I work on the computer so the distraction is here…
As promised, only 5 reps though, but I’m still super happy with for I think I never went past 40 or 42 on flat incline before that! I’d probably would have done 6 with a spotter behind me for mental fortitude hehe
I think I have a problem with alcohol, seriously, I still went out saturday (after a 9-23 and a 9-19 day I wanted to blow some steam off) and ended up terribly drunk and sleeping like 5 hours in a car.
But I’ve noticed something. I’m more assertive. Somebody in the club pushed me and I shoved him away instead of cowering. Smart? I don’t know but I don’t think I would have done that before. And some stuff like that.
Maybe the work going well made me more confident?
I also doubled 120kgs on the floor press after that, oith a pause and relative ease (125 no problemo) so i’m really happy all in all.
Started counting calories again to shed some fat off. I’m really motivated even though It will annoy me losing some strength
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So, since I’m not following someone else’s program, I’m back to logging. I have a powerlifting comp the 10th of December. I’m not planning on performing, for I’ll be one of the weakest lifters there, and I’m also cutting lol. Down 6 kilos at 87 right now (abs for social media and stuff is more important to me right now than adding 15 kilos to my puny total).
A/ Bench Press 1 x 125 kilos
This was horribly tough. My left shoulder and triceps have been bugging me and are weaker since 3 weeks. The rest of the week is a deload. I think I need it after the 12 weeks of brutality of Program X. I just wanted to see if I could beat my bench PR for I had good hopes. But I guess my recovery was not great.
B/ Incline DB Press
8 x 30 kgs
8 x 34 kgs
8 x 38 kgs I guess that’s a PR ahah
C/ 2-Board Press
5 x 5 with 100 kgs
My arms were already fried, which explains the puny weight. I did the second set at 110 but it felt too tough.
D/ Reverse-Band JM Press
4 x 10 with 50 kgs
E/ Machine Pulldown
4 x 8 with 85 kgs
Tough enough. I decided to deload after this. The rest will be easier.
Also, for the first time ever, I did a full blood checkup. Well almost full. As much as I could get for now. I don’t have my free T but I have my total T: 33.0 nmol/L or 9.5 ng/mL
The reference range is 9.7 to 27.75.
This is a bit of a surprise, for you now, I still don’t have a single hair on my cheeks at 32 lol and I have been feeling tired for a very long time (months, years maybe?). And for me, this wasn’t the best or longest night of sleep either lol
What does it mean? Maybe the reference ranges are just very low? Can some member versed in hormones shed a light on my humble person? @wanna_be mate maybe?
My cortisol is very high though (494 nmol/L) So I thing deloading is a good thing. My creatinine is also a little bit over the reference. Other than that, everything in range, and my cholesterol is even lower.
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I’m amazed anyone would shove you. I guess in a loose shirt it isn’t obvious that you could press them through the ceiling. But glad you shoved back. Smart.
I totally get the social-media abs thing, but it makes me sad. Not disagreeing with what you’re doing, I understand the “reality” (not that social media reflects reality, but it is a reality of its own). But it does make me sad. There’s a song about the female version of the same problem, it’s called “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax. Worth a listen ha.
I appreciate the tag but I’m the wrong person to ask about hormone related questions lol. A lot goes into the details and there seems to be a gray area for what’s normal and not normal.
I’m also pro drug, so my answer is always T 
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I’m confused, are you saying the reference range is in nmol/L or ng/mL? Just trying to match units… you’re either over the range or under it lol
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Not trying to be a douche, but potentially related?
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Refrence range is:
9.7 to 27.75 nmol/L
or
2.8 to 8.2 ng/mL
Probably yeah… I’m trying to remember, when I was with my ex, I didn’t drink anything for more than a month. I can’t remember if I was tired or not. Probably.
I have been trying to diminish this a lot. Last couples of week-end no alcohol and the one before that very little. For now… I’m still a marmot. But to be honest I usually don’t sleep enough at night and try to cover that with a long nap. It’s been that way for a month. I have trouble sleeping early
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Okay so you would need SHBG and fT (via Equilibrium Dialysis) tested to tell anything.
Your TT levels are hella high; being above the range natural is exceedingly rare… like so rare that I think your results are a lab error.
As @TrainForPain mentioned, you drinking certainly won’t help you feel any better. Also, your lack of sleep is the very first step needing correction before talking hormones.
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That’s for sure. That’s purely mental. I lack motivation for about anything, be it work or leisure. And I often spend extra time in my bed. Then I spend too much time on social media. I feel so unaccomplished, and I don’t want to do anything but go on walks ahah . I have to give myself an extra kick in the butt
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My man, you already know what’s causing most of these issues because you say them before we do.
Can I recommend a break from social media, video games, pornography, etc? Give yourself some time to reset and focus in on what you really want.
^This is to help reset your dopamine (effort/reward) system.
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Completely with you and @Andrewgen_Receptors - you know what to do.
I’ll also add: booze messes up my sleep, so it’s a double whammy
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Completely… Trying to quit porn, which is tough as long-time celibate. I have stopped video games maybe a year ago. Social media is gonna be tough since now it’s part of my job… But I know it has become some kind of drug. And I also really enjoy doing my educative videos
It has become some kind of vicious circle, because I stopped being interested in many things a while ago. I am often bored when I have free time (dopamiiiiiine…), I feel lonely, I don’t go out with my friends or very rarely for they all have girls now. And people really like my videos. I feel like I can help them. At the same time I got addicted to this and the likes and followers count creeping up… But also there is serious money to be done. So yeah, I know what I’m doing is not great, but at the same time I don’t feel like doing much else
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Dude, I’m not celibate and it’s still tough to quit. I try to, but mann - its like a monkey with a banana.
I have 0 experience on this side of the table so I can’t speak much on it. What I would recommend though! is to find something else productive to do with your time. Learn a new skill, teach yourself programming, do some form of self-help, martial arts, etc. I won’t say to not be a content creator, but I will say you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.
If I were to offer a solution to help you balance this, I would literally go 50/50 on your time spent on social media (consuming or creating), and on whichever self-improvement mode you choose. We all still need to grow, even while pursuing other avenues.
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Can I ask, do you have a consistent daily work schedule, as in work same or similar hours every day ? I find for me the easiest way to get sleep back on track and also to limit my internet time, is to just have my time planned out. Going to bed at a consistent time every day and getting up at the same or similar time (even if I dont need to) is the mist critical part for me.
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Social media just wasn’t a thing when I was coming up, so I think I don’t “get it”
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This!!!
I have a friend who works in social media and they have a strict work schedule (like a 9-5) then after that (like a normal job) they make sure they are off it because it was effecting them previously as well.
Other than this the best advice I can give would be to try and tackle one thing at a time. Sometimes trying to sort everything out seems overwhelming and just too much but spending 6 weeks having a proper work schedule, then 6 weeks getting regular sleep patterns etc etc can really help everything become manageable.
Small goals and hold them for 6 weeks or so then on to the next goal. Wish you all the luck and happy to provide support of you need any on here!
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Yep, this is super sound. Truth is I still feel “worthless”. Because I don’t have enough money. So it’s probably not right but i’d rather try to make some greens
Noooo and this is terrible… I usually coach at 8 AM for one hour or more, but usually have lots of free time and work whenever I want, sometimes at weird hours, late. I feel like I’m always and never working at the same time.
It’s a lot of pressure. You have to post at certain time, and often (I post at least 4 tiktoks a day), and you have to film, edit and have it on the phone before I leave the house to post it at the right time etc…
And it’s hard to come up with sutff, good ideas and videos. So when you have one you note it or try to film it, and next time you go to the gym you have to film (if you can, because some times you cannot ughhhhh)
Anyway, leg day
A/ Squat 8 x 3 with 80 kgs
Easy, light. Low bar feels bad on my elbows
B/ Deficit Deadlift work up to 5 reps at 170 kgs
Was easier than I thought
C/ Leg Press 3 x 12 with 3 plates
Was so much harder than I thought, I was just so weak
D/ Lying Leg Curl 3 x 12 with 40 kgs
Easy
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