Leg day
Belt squat 405 5x10
Neutral grip chin 8x6
Leg extension 180 15,15,20
Leg curl 160 12,12,12
Easy day today.
Started back on tbol at 40 mg. Will run that for 4 weeks to end the blast.
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How’s the blast been? Happy with the progress? How much weight are you up so far?
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IDK, I am up a little more than 20 lbs. Look about the same just bigger. I don’t think I’m cut out for steroids. Just don’t have the genetics to make it worth it. I’m just going to go for the lean and pretty big look I think. I think I can be 200 lbs lean at 5’10", and that is pretty good. More underwear model look than bodybuilder. I should just stick to trt doses. I’m going to finish the blast and try to keep gaining, but I just don’t get the crazy size some do.
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Pretty sure you’re in the same boat as me and will never touch tren or deca… wonder what would happen if you went to the darker dark side and blasted a bunch of deca!?
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I do believe that more drugs and stronger drugs will put more muscle on. All of the biggest and strongest guys I know have used a lot of gear, and stuff like Deca, Tren, Anadrol. I could do that stuff, but I just don’t want to pay the price down the road.
I think I could get a better physique doing that stuff, but I think I would for the most part be bigger with similar proportions. I am not going to get big round biceps like the pros have because it isn’t in my genetics. They will just be a bigger long potato shape than they are now lol. Taking gear has forced me to swallow the difficult pill that the look I want isn’t just gear, it’s also genetics. Mine aren’t terrible, probably above average even, but there is such a huge gap between that and the freaks. I have a natty friend with better genetics out lifting me. He has only been training a few years too. About my weight, and recently did a legit 600 lb squat and 455 lb bench. I only got him on the deadlift, and it’s only a matter of time before he passes me.
I guess I am getting older too (34 now), and having the athletic muscular look is pretty appealing.
I worry about long term heart, and kidney health, but also more vein things like the accelerated aging and balding associated with gear usage. Luckily I haven’t experienced much of this, and I want to keep it that way.
I figure that after this blast, I’ll be pretty damn close to my potential of what I can hold on cruise. The plan has been to not really go past that as it doesn’t make sense to me (to only have the muscle while on blast).
Kinda long winded. Just my thoughts on gear, and why it is a little disappointing for me.
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I feel that. I’m getting tired of chasing size as I feel I will never get what I want, and If I could, idk about it being worth it. My birthday is in June and I’ll be 30. Gonna try to be as lean as I can by then and then switch gears, for who knows how long. I’ve thought about trying CrossFit as well as pursuing strength. Who knows what I’ll do.
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I got into lifting to look better, then it was chasing a size, then strength, then size and strength (current). My current thinking is to just look pretty good with good athletic performance (fairly strong). I think I could look pretty good with CrossFit type workouts and still be fairly strong. That type of training might be fairly optimal for me actually.
I think the biggest thing you nailed. Being lean, and CrossFit is in my estimation pretty good for that.
I don’t want to be skinny with no muscle, but some muscle and lean is preferable to me than the off season powerlifter look.
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Delt day.
Log push press 180 3x8
Chin 5x10
Log strict press 165 3x8
Incline press 245 3x6
Bicep curl 35sx10 30sx10 25sx10
Triceps push down 170x12 120x12 90x20
Pretty good day. Strict press on log tried a new technique. I think it’s better, but still getting used to it.
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Exactly.
There are even PRO examples of people who cant get big. Frank Zane and Sly Stallone come to mind. They both were in the same pack with Arnold and his other friends, so its sure as hell they all experimented and did the same thing. Maybe even more trying to catch up.
Zane and Stallone, in difference to us, have very pretty genetics tho, so their small structure looks epic, BUT you can still see how they always were pretty small compared to Franco, who is also short but he has that pro bodybuilder look. So you take 3 short guys and only 1 of em looks like a pro bodybuilder. Zane and Stallone never actually got HOOOGE. Sure their genetics are much better than ours, but the size thing is the same.
And of course, not only the size element(we cant put on much muscle) but also genetics as - i dont think i will ever have big arms. I might just get extra centimeters on the same stuff i have, but it wont look much different.
I think blasting gear is still fine - you just have to understand that you dont do it to look like a pro bodybuilder.
Also, its not THAT bad. Idk how its in your gym and life but for me - as shit as i am in all this, if i would not have internet, i might have a totally different way of seeing myself and the world.
Sure, i go to the gym in the mornings so its not the MOST crowded, but thats how i always done it. It is super rare for anyone to be bigger and stronger than i am there. Sure once in a while someone looks big. Someone lifts a bit more. Once a year a REAL powerlifter shows up and benches my deadlift max for reps, but… without the internet i might have seen something like that only a few times in my life.
In my work, and in my life as such - never. Again, maybe once a year i could see someone really big at the shopping center or something, but thats as rare as seeing our prime minister at the mall also.
I think in US it should be simmilar - anyone i know who has gone there has said that its funny how on IG all the american women are blonde with big tits and in yoga pants, but in reality everyone is just fat and ugly there. You expect America to be like Baywatch 24/7 but all you get is beached wales.
Not trying to offend anyone - in here its the same. Looking at the stories with my gym tagged in it, you would think that my gym is all bodybuilders and pornstars, but you never get to see one - they kind of get lost in the majority of the population i guess.
So… with this in mind… We dont have the top 1% look and strenght but maybe we do have top5% ?
You know there was this statistics about - if you have ANY money right now, and you will be sleeping under a roof, you belong to the group of 10% of richest people on the planet? It went on and on about this, adding stuff and it came out that if you basically live an average life, you are like top 3% of the wealthiest people on the planet or smth.
Maybe its the same with what we do. We get bombarded with 1% and we dont see that we are the top 5% also.
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I think when I am lean, I have a Stallone like physique. Proportions are similar. Maybe not quite there, but similar. I think the key to his look is being shredded.
I guess for me, if I can have that look cruising, I am pretty happy. I’d almost rather have that look compared to a bigger but softer look. Not sure if I can get that lean though without some anabolics (Sly was for sure on the sauce, and was working with Franco).
I am not saying I won’t do another blast. I might. I do think about weighing things out long term in regards to health and also vain things like hair (which not everyone cares about).
If you look up their stats, Zane was 190 lbs at his biggest on stage. Now I am a bit taller than Zane, and not nearly that lean at 215 lbs currently, but I can’t be that many lbs away in terms of lean mass. Sly I think was like 175 lbs (he claims 173 lbs) when he was at his leanest (Rocky 4). I am also a bit taller than him. But it just makes me think that focusing a bit more on leanness might pay dividends.
Lot’s of truth there. I get asked if I am on the sauce. A bar tender told me I looked intimidating this last weekend. Comparing to normal people, I am pretty big and also in pretty good shape.
My gym attracts the freaks though. So many strong people with good genetics. So I see it a lot. In public, I rarely see anyone as developed as I am. Maybe if I go out to a party club (which brings out the saucy dudes). But if I am at the top already, why keep going in regards to blasting. Especially since being leaner would do more in the looking awesome. I just get sucked back into being stronger. That will probably be what gets me back on the sauce (chasing PRs).
Being lean is impressive even with worse genetics, yea. I felt 200% better about myself when i was 220lbs super lean.
Sadly, every aspect of my life says its unnecessary. First - my GF really likes that big bulky look. Sadly its exactly what im not. She would like smth like JM Blakely in his prime bulked up, but i am that person that gets fat in the mid section ONLY and the “bigger” i get the smaller everything actually looks. Lucky for me, i also like short and skinny girls and she is tall and blows up to 180lbs by taking 10mgs of Var for a few days, lol. So we are a shit couple in that regard, haha.
In my work, even if im fat, i feel like i get much more silent respect. I always got a lot of respect but i kind of really feel like i can feel those extra 40lbs worth of respect, haha.
In my training also - i did a few rounds of grappling(i suck at grappling, im a striker) and i actually won all rounds mostly just by trying to stay on top and people just tapped because they couldnt breathe. I could tap out a 230lbs dude in 5 seconds due to shortness of breath, and i would NEVER tap him when i was on loads of tren and around 220lbs.
And of course, all my main goals now ar strenght related(because i cant get big arms no matter what i do, so i did what all failed bodybuilding wannabes did - switched to strenght) and there, i believe, weight will be important also.
So it sucks to be me.
Lucky my heart is fine and i can blast away. Altho since i dont get much out of it, i believe i will play with low doses for a long time instead of blasts.
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Deadlift and secondary bench. Not a great day for lifting. All of a sudden I got really stuffed up. Then I got fatigued. I did do okay I guess on the main lifts, but cut deadlift a little short. Didn’t do any supplemental lifts.
Deadlift 565x1
Deadlift with chains 465 2x5
Narrow bench with shoulder saver 300 5x10
Did get blood work back. I’m a pretty good responder to adex and finasteride. Dosages were .25 mg EOD for the adex, and .5 mg ED for finasteride. Shocked how much impact they had. I was thinking they would be about 125 for each based on my previous labs.
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My arms even look big when I am lean. Lean makes up for a lot if you have a good amount of muscle, even if it isn’t distributed how I’d like.
She has good taste.
The guy is a monster with great genetics.
That is what I did. I also read a few things saying squats grew the arms well. That turned out to be bullshit, or bullshit for me at least.
I think you have greatly improved your regimen and outlook. I think your longevity will be improved. IMO, if you want to be a mass monster, you need to take a lot, but the guys recommending low doses are also somewhat correct too (just adjust expectations). I don’t think many will be large and lean with only like 200 mg/wk Test, but a bit of dabbling with a good cruise I think can be pretty effective.
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I also kinda use this to journal a bit. Here are some updates. Kinda got another cold. Gonna try out the new tests they ship out for the Rona just to be sure it is a cold. I went down hill fast after yesterdays deadlift session. Just feel crap.
Also, my car has been having lots of tire issues. I’ve had like 4 flat tires in the last couple month. Low profile tires suck in Minnesota (lots of pot holes, and very cold winter temps). The racing suspension doesn’t help. Got one yesterday, and with the cold, it was just kinda putting me in a bad mood.
I did do something good yesterday though. I signed up for a therapy session. I am going to go though the hoops to be evaluated for ADD / ADHD. I was diagnosed at an early age (6-7), but my mom was scared to keep me on meds and took me off after about a year. I struggle a lot with office work, and from that I develop anxiety. I am excited, but also anxious about this process (it could just turn out to be a money pit, and I don’t get meds). @Andrewgen_Receptors do you have any thoughts on this? I know you have mentioned being on adderall for ADHD. Is it effective long term? I know short term, the stuff is amazing (I learned linear algebra in a day after slacking for a semester and got the high score on the exam).
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I feel your pain. I went through a short stretch where I got a nail in my tires on 6 separate occasions, 5 of which were in the same tire! What are the odds?
Therapy has proven to be good for my friends that have done it in their adult life.
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Yeah, it totally sucks. This time I felt the car pulling to the side, and filled it right away (might have just been extremely low on air). It seems to be holding air, but kinda keeps me on edge that it went flat.
Yeah, most who do therapy seem to think it is worth it. The place I am going has psychologists and psychiatrists. I believe the first step is with a psychologist, then if they think a med is needed, they recommend you to their psychiatrist. It used to be that PCPs would do ADHD meds, but I don’t think many of them are comfortable doing that anymore.
I’m going to start by saying your therapist will not be able to give you anything for ADD/ADHD.
Having been on Adderall XR (extended release) 40mg (max dose) for a few years now, a couple notes…
-Your hunger will likely be subdued immediately - I can easily put down 4k calories and still want more food. But when I started taking this, I struggled to take in 2k calories daily. I just wasn’t hungry, and this lasted for about 3-4 months if memory serves.
-You might not be a good fit for Adderall. There are plenty of other medications and you will have to experiment on which ones you do well with vs which ones you dont. I’ve had a few that were okay, only 2 that were good (Vyvanse when I was a teenager, didnt work as well at 25 years old though| Adderall at my current age), and a couple that outright worked badly for me. It is highly individual so you will need to experiment.
-These WILL keep you awake, and are often prescribed for narcoleptic people as well. You will need to figure out how to sleep with an extremely potent stimulant in your system, but it will regulate eventually.
-The stuff is good to take long term, or at least as long as I have taken it - but I do worry a bit about the long term in case if I decide I no longer want to take it. There is a very noticable difference between the days I take it, and the days I miss a dose (foggy, extra munchy - like I just want to snack all day, no desire to do anything). I’ve come to terms I may need to stop taking it one day, but that is truly on the backburner for me at the moment as I have a degree in Computer Information Sciences that demands my attention.
As I was saying earlier, your therapist will not be able to prescribe these to you. You will likely need a psychiatrist, because these are Schedule IV drugs. They are a nuissance to get filled if shit goes sideways, but that is a rare occasion. What I’m saying is that if you want to go down this road - skip past your therapist ASAP and get to the person you actually need, being a psychiatrist.
If, in the case you aren’t sure if you actually have ADD/ADHD and you just want a prescription for the medication though (no judgment, as long as you are using it to benefit YOU only), you should study up on ADD/ADHD symptoms and look up “Adult ADD/ADHD Questionairre” and seeing what you find. There’s a link here if you want to use it, but it is also a PDF so if you don’t want to download it, no harm no foul - you should just find what you can find online (by legitimate scources).
All this aside, I have made great strides in my personal, professional, and academic life in the 2-3 years I have been taking this. The medication didn’t do that for me, but it pushed most of the laziness/slackerish tendencies aside and prioritized these goals for me. Not trying to oversell the medication here, but it honestly feels like I’ve been prescribed the “limitless” pills (like in the movie, but not quite that cool). I don’t regret it for a minute.
For real, if you have any specific questions or need help with any of this - please reach out to me.
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So the place I am going has both therapists (psychologists) and psychiatrists. I was under the impression that one generally saw the psychologist and then if they thought you had ADHD, they would refer you the the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist would then manage the med side of things. Maybe I am wrong here?
I guess I will ask about this process. If I am wrong, I guess it is some money and time down the drain.
It sucks how many hoops there are to jump though.
I talked to a guy who was on two of these a day. I was thinking that is a lot. I have taken an XR 30, and honestly that would be too much on a day to day basis. I was basically high on that. Walked across (1/4 mile) campus to a final in about 10 F weather in a tee shirt and didn’t notice I forgot my coat.
I noticed this on the couple occasions I have taken it (like 4-5 total times). No hunger.
I have taken these in the past. Honestly answered the questions. I score pretty high on them. I was diagnosed as a child. Was on rits for about a year before my mom took me off ot them.
I have a lot of issues with this. I can’t make myself do stuff I don’t like. I try to get myself hyped up, but it takes so much effort to start a project, then I get bored in 5 minutes and I am off to something not productive.
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Largely in the same boat, supposed to here back in a few weeks when I meet with my therapist again, shit is annoying and forever taking
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This is probably true. You can’t therapy away ADD/ADHD so I don’t have a therapist/psychologist, only a psychiatrist to manage medication.
I take two XR 20’s split dose, one at about 4:30am and one at about 1:30pm because I need its’ effects while at work and while at home (for school). This is unorthodox and my Dr wasn’t a fan of me doing it this way, but he left it up to me as long as it works in my best interest. The maximum dosage is 40mg daily for sure, so if someone was taking more than that, it wasn’t prescribed that way. If you only need say 10 or 20mg, then I would keep the dose lower - but you will likely find yourself able to manage the higher dose after adjusting to it, if that is the way you want to go.
The medication makes me want to start a lot of things, and I need to be careful what I put my attention to when taking it. If i put my focus into this forum, I will tunnel vision here for hours and do nothing else. If i put my attention to school, I will knock out literal days of course work in a few hours. You can waste time just as badly if you don’t know how it affects you. I also have a really hard time staying on topic during conversation because I hone in on 1 important detail (to me) and start talking about that instead of what the topic was actually about. I call it “squirrelling”, inspired by the dog in Up lol.
You may have something a previous Dr told me I had, which isnt necessarily ADD/ADHD, but IDD (Interest Deficit Disorder) (not a real term). This medication helps me with that too, so long as I manage what I’m doing during its’ peak times.
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