[Andy]

The site has been down for a while so I’ll kick off by saying the break in Marbella was very much welcomed, and I couldn’t wait to come home and crack on with the reverse. The first 2 sessions weren’t the best to say the least, but that’s to be expected when I under ate, under drank (water), and generally just lazed around for 4 days.

I was (kind of still am) holding water, but it appears to be dropping off.

I’ll be doing my first check-in of the reverse tomorrow and deciding where to take my physique from there.

I am starting a pregnancy protocol the first week of August that I was kindly given by Nathan. I’ll be running this until the magic happens. If anything, I think it’s going to set me up for the growth phase of my career, assuming it’s going to take 6+ months to bake a baby.

Up until my 2020 season I used to come OFF OFF, no TRT for up to 4 months, so I am not shy of taking time away from PEDS. I will still be on TRT and GH during the pregnancy protocol though.

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[Andy]

I’d dial your carbs back and replace the calories with fat. Start with a 50g pull, and put fat back in at 20g and see how your body changes. I have push/offseason clients running trace fats, all the way up to 1 guy running 120g. This is all determined from experimentation.

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[Andy]

Yeah Wednesday/Saturday is what I used to do when I put 2 in.

The Wednesday meal used to be something small, more so just to have something off plan than anything else. My Saturday meal would be out at a restaurant for a 2/3 course meal with my girlfriend.

Back to back not only messed up my stomach, but also messed with my head a bit.

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[Andy]

Landed in Marbella for the yearly gym family shindig. The plan is not to go too mental food/drink wise. My other half and I are planning on training at M13 both tomorrow and Friday.

I found many moons ago that I need to have a subtle – or so – blow out per year. Go out with the boys (and this time girls too), have some drinks, eat lots of good food and then feel realigned by the time I get home.

The plan food wise is to eat intuitively, not measuring everything, but also not eating sources too far away from the norm.

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[Andy]

No shakes just now. I wanted to see how my stomach responds to just whole foods, and I’ll be honest, my digestion has never been better so I will run just whole foods until I need to use whey and carb powders.

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[Andy]

Reverse is going well. As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve dropped down a little more to 257.7, but this is just PED clearance. I am a little softer, but again, that’s just down to clearance. I have yet to take photos or check-in post show, but I feel I’m at a level of experience now that I don’t need accountability during this phase – I’m 15 years deep in terms of competing, so you’d think that would be a given.

Macro setup

TD P: 340 C: 600 F: 80

NTD P: 340 C: 480 F: 80

PEDs

Test E – 250mg/week, split into 2x 125mg

GH – 4IU/day, 45 minutes pre-bed (timing prior to bed is not for any specific reason)

Reta – 0.75mg/week

hi andy, im on around 4500 cals a day also, could i ask how your meals look?

Im a little higher in protein and lower carb / fats , but probably need to adjust slightly which would yield better performance etc.

Thanks bud/[/quote]

Hi Greg,

Nutrition is all relative, if your setup works for you then it works for you.

M1

100g – Beef fillet

2 – Whole egg

6 – Egg whites

80g – White jasmine rice

1 – Banana

300ml – OJ

M2

200g – 2% turkey mince

50g – White jasmine rice

1 – Apple

10g – Macadamia nut oil

50g – Fermented veg

M3

200g – 2% turkey mince

130g – White jasmine rice

1 – Banana

50g – Fermented veg

PWO MEAL

250g – Haddock fillet

170g – White jasmine rice

50g – Fermented veg

M5

200g – 5% beef mince

75g – White jasmine rice

50g – Pasta sauce

50g – Fermented veg

200g – Pineapple

M6

260g – Salmon fillet

50g – White jasmine rice

100g – Grapes

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[Andy]

Reverse is going well. As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve dropped down a little more to 257.7, but this is just PED clearance. I am a little softer, but again, that’s just down to clearance. I have yet to take photos or check-in post show, but I feel I’m at a level of experience now that I don’t need accountability during this phase – I’m 15 years deep in terms of competing, so you’d think that would be a given.

Macro setup

TD P: 340 C: 600 F: 80

NTD P: 340 C: 480 F: 80

PEDs

Test E – 250mg/week, split into 2x 125mg

GH – 4IU/day, 45 minutes pre-bed (timing prior to bed is not for any specific reason)

Reta – 0.75mg/week

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[Andy]

I personally would increase your test, and add the EQ later. You don’t to climb to peak dosage from the get go. A slight increase in test for a few weeks, and then add the EQ according to the 4:1 ratio. Run blood work within the same timeframe you did in your last cycle and see if your E2 values are sitting at or near 50ng/L

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[Andy]

We just came back from a wee staycation at Loch Lomond’s Cameron House. It’s only a 45 minute drive from the southside of Glasgow, but it never fails to be incredible. My other half is English, so 3-4 whiskey’s deep, trying to contain my new found love for Norway while watching the England game was a struggle. . .

I weighed in yesterday at 257.7. I competed at 261 the morning of Empro. Obviously, this will be mostly water from the gear being pulled to 250mg of test.

GH went back in at 3IU last weekend, and has now been increased to 4IU per day – pre-bed.

What a difference in fullness!

I’m feeling better by the day.

We are flying to Marbella on Wednesday for a 4 night trip with 6 other couples from the gym, which I can’t wait for.

I learned after the 2024 season that a period post-show where I am overly social sets me up for an even better offseason. I know that once my brother’s stag do is done in August that it will be full steam ahead!

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[Andy]

When you said that on that previous ratio, your E2 is right where you wanted it to be? What value did it sit at?

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[Andy]

Back yesterday, and a few sets add here and there.

Rope cable pullovers – 2 sets, 12-15

HS SA PL lat pulldowns – 1 set, 8-12

Conventional T-bar rows – 2 sets, 8-12 – 1 set added

Megamass chest supported t-bar rows – 2 set, 8-12 – 1 set added

SA DB row – 2 set, 8-12 – 1 set added

SA cable high-to-low row – 2 sets, 8-12

I’m slowly getting back to fully intensity on a back front.

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[Andy]

To shadow a few of the team, I’d be seriously questioning your intensity if you’re able to train without rest. I’m sure a few of the coaches will agree, if you get handed a consultation form that says they’re training every day, 9.9/10 you’re going to assume that intensity isn’t there.

Yes, some people can train intuitively and take a rest as and when needed, however, if you’re training with the upmost intent, by the time you register that you need a rest day, it’s too late, and it’s going to take a lot more than 1 day off to recoup.

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[Andy]

A pretty busy NTD yesterday, but not one where I was on my feet all day, so I did 4000 steps first thing in the morning walking around the local park which is dead at 5:45am. However, it wasn’t until I was chilling for the 5 minutes I get per day, that I realised that I hadn’t done my set cardio (30 minutes on my NTD). Instead, I’ve done 15 minutes this morning and I’ll do 15 minutes PWO.

I prefer doing my cardio in the gym as the bike in my flat is on its last legs.

Back today as my training partner needs to swap sessions around, but that’s fine with me.

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[Andy]

300mg of test E during the 8 weeks, tidy up, and then push up with other compounds in play.

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[Andy]

200mcg fasted. If I scale that up then I put another 200mcg pre-workout. I ended up putting all 400mcg in fasted as I kept forgetting to have it with me to take pre-workout.

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