Hey, man, just do what I’m doing and aim for “off season” physique competitor. I’m just going to try to maintain a physique that’s always one 3-4 month cut away from being ready for the stage. 
I think right now I’m off season physique competitor, 3-4 years of lean gains away from competition!
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The leg DOMS are terrible! I’m so sore I feel a little sick.
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I don’t think you’re doing yourself justice with this.
How so?
Am I aiming too low?
I watched part of a Netflix documentary about physique competitors. The pros who do it full time stay pretty lean all year. They do a lot of modeling so they like to always be a few weeks away from being ready for a photo shoot.
I think you’re less than 3-4 months away from stage ready. Just my 2c, as someone who’s not experienced stage ready.
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Ok, gotcha. I actually forgot I even wrote that part!
It’s going to be new territory for me as I move forward. I have no good reason to add a bunch of fat ever again. I’m too old/experienced to add pounds of muscle in short periods so I’m going to have to grind.
I think I finally understand why some coaches say to start bulking at 10% body fat and to cut when you hit 12 or 15%.
I always thought that was extreme but I put in a lot of work over the past 16 months and I think I could’ve avoided some suffering if I had listened.
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Are you seeing any growth on your legs yet from the bulk??
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5/13
Well I’ve decide to do a mini cut for two weeks before vacation. I know it’s all gonna come back while I’m there but I’ll feel better coming in a little leaner
Woke today at 181.6. Gonna shoot to come in at 175.
Chest and triceps
Superset 1
Cable press/fly
Superset 2
Incline cable press/fly
Superset 3
Narrow dumbbell press
Triceps pull down
Superset 4
Overhead triceps extension/pushups
Finisher
Incline underhand pushups
Cable press/fly alternating till failure
Food for today
Meal 1
5/8 cup whites, 1 egg, 2 pieces turkey bacon, 3/4 cup oats
Meal 2
1 cup fat free cottage cheese, 4 strawberries
Meal 3
5 oz chicken
4 oz rice
3,oz greens
Meal 4
5 oz chicken
4 oz rice
3 oz greens
Meal 5
5 oz chicken
Salad mix
Fat free Italian dressing
Meal 6
Evening shake
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I think so. I haven’t measured yet but jeans are fitting a little snugger in the thighs and butt.
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Yessir jeans are a great indicator!
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After you asked I thought it made sense to do measurements. Here are measurements from September 2018 and May 2019
9/07
Left forearm 2.5 from bend 12.25
Right forearm 12.25
Right bicep 15.5
Left bicep 16
Shoulders 50.25
Chest 41
Waist 33.5
Right quad 9 inches up from kneecap 21.75
Left quad 21.75
Hips 37.5
Right calf 13.75
Left calf 14
Total change
9/18 5/19 (9 months)
Left forearm 2.5 from bend (no change)
Right forearm (no change)
Right bicep (up 1 inch)
Left bicep 17 (up 1 inch)
Shoulders 52 (up 1.75 inches)
Chest 46.5 ( up 5.5 inches). I believe this is all the last work I’ve done. I had next to no lats in September and now I have little wings!
Waist 35 (up 1.5 inches 
)
Right quad 9 inches up from kneecap 23.5 (up 1.75 inches 
)
Left quad 23.25 (up 1.5 inches)
Hips 39.75 (up 2.25 inches)
Right calf 14.25 (up 1/2 inch)
Left calf 14.25 (up 1/4 inch)
Very encouraging to see these changes. Now to get that waist a little smaller!
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Came in way light on food today. Strangely enough I’m not too hungry and I still have my shake in about an hour.
186 protein
134 carbs
37 fat
1617 calories. Was aiming for around 1900 but missed a shake and a snack with a busy work day. Oh well. Curious as to what the scale will say tomorrow…
Also I got my gallon of water down for the first time in a while!
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Not sure how I missed your journal, but looking forward to catching up!
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Glad to have you along for the ride brother!
That’s it. I’m doing measurements too
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Only if you can find a pair to fit 
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5/14
Woke at 179.6
Wasn’t expecting to get back to the 170’s on the first day but I’ll take it!
Back and biceps
Superset 1
Lat pull downs / straight arm lat pull downs
Superset 2
Cable rows / low cable rows
Superset 3
Isolation curls / cable curls
Finisher
Poundstone curls
All sets were 3x15. Went super hard this session and the pump was insane. Felt like I had grown wings. I had an itchy spot on my back afterwards and wasn’t even close to being able to reach it.
Added 10 lbs to the poundstone curls and OMG it was so much harder. Powered through with a lot of grunting.
Today’s food
Meal 1
1/2 cup whites, 1 egg, two pieces turkey bacon
Meal 2
1 cup fat free cottage cheese, 4 strawberries, 1/4 cup grapenuts, 2 oatmeal peanut butter balls
Meal 3
5 oz chicken
4 oz brown rice
3 oz greens
Meal 4
5 oz chicken
4 oz brown rice
3 oz greens
Meal 5
Premier protein shake
Meal 6
5 oz chicken
5 oz greens
Meal 7
Evening shake
212 protein
115 carbs
30 fat
1587 calories
Didn’t mean to get that low but ran out of oats and didn’t make adjustments.
Very curious as to how my body will react to restricted nutrition and calories while on cycle. Test is used for bulking in general, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be optimal for cutting as well. Guess we’ll see.
Today is a good day!
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5/15
Woke 177.6
Well this is going quicker than expected. I woke up reallly hungry for the first time in a while. I forgot to take my sermorelin when I got up to pee so now I have to wait for an hour before breakfast. Oh well. Guess it’ll give me time to pack lunches etc.
Yesterday was hard at work. One of our front desk employees got a call out of the blue that her dad had shot himself and he died. Therese nothing that I could say to help. We took her over to her moms house and the police were there. Pretty terrible. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.
For those of you who are believers, he family are solid Jesus followers, but our employee walked away from her faith a few years ago. I pray that her dads actions don’t push her even further away. We’re all broken people and need a Savior. Sorry bout that but no where else really to get that off my chest.
Today’s supposed to be legs but we’ll see. My wife is sick so I’m headed into work early to pick up her morning shift. Hopefully I can break away at lunch get it done, and like no my way back afterwards.
Hungarian oak leg blast day six
Warm up sets
Squats
2x8 slow @95lbs
Working set
4 minutes AMRAP @95lbs
Leg extensions
3x30@90
Leg curls
3x30@110
Goblet squats
3x30@52.5
This sesssion will mark the 1/2 way point of the program. I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around 8minuted of AMRAP squats. Might need a puke bucket.
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Woke 176.8
The initial weight loss has slowed as I expected. I already feel a little leaner lol.
Today’s workout
Shoulders
Superset 1
Plate raises
3x15@50
Dumbbell should we press
3x15@52.5
Superset 2
Arnold press
3x15@52.5
Front dumbbell raises
3x15@40
Superset three
Neutral grip dumbbell shoulder press
3x15@45
Lateral raises
3x15@25
Superset 4
Rear felt cable pulls
3x15@40
Incline reverse flys
3x15@20
Been a little bit since I’ve done a dedicated shoulder day. I’ve been throwing a few sets here and there. Starting to really feel like I’m back on track!
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