[Rab Craig]

Actually looked in the mirror this morning and hit a few poses and prob feel I look the best In terms of shape and how my body feels in at least 11 years. I’m too fat, but on balance I feel good. Nights sleep disturbed but not awful.

Training

Panatta Super High Row – 1×7 & 1x tripe drop
Wide pulldowns – 1×10
Underhand pulldowns 1×12
Stiff-ish arm pulldowns heavy stretch – 2×10 partials in stretch
T-Bar Rows – 2sets of 8 set high very upper back/traps
Camber Bar chest supported rows – 3 sets of 8-12
Rear delt/trap face pull crossover type movement superset with reverse pec Dec X2
Smith shrugs superset with machine row lower trap shrug/row hybrid – 2 sets of 12-15

*****

I’ve never enjoyed back training much, but I feel recently I’ve learned a lot (too late for it to matter as happens in life a lot) and I’m really liking it

[Rab Craig]

Food is instinctive just now but pushing for a very good week after quite a few family events that I had more than usual

Yesterdày

1. 50g whey. 75g oats.
Train
2. Protein & carb recovery shake and protein bar
3. Rice and beef meal
4. Chicken and wholemeal wraps meal
5. Rice and beef meal
6. Shake only

Would usually have had more carbs in the last meal. Didn’t feel I needed it. Lower kcal day..protein high jacks lower for me

Today much the same.

[Rab Craig]

Sleep continues to get a bit better with Baby Ava the Miss Behava. Wee rascal doing better. Wife is amazing. Continues to smash fuck out of being a mum, training, great wife. Take strength and inspiration from her above anything else.

Chest and shds today

Low incline BB – 2 heavy sets of 6-10
Hammer incline/nautilus lev flat/panatta multiflight lower fly/pushups – Giant Sets X3
Hammer Str shoulder press – 1×20, 1×12
Supported side laterals strict – 3×12 +partials
Cable single arm laterals rougher – 3×10-20
Seated DB laterals (arched up to make nasty strict – 3 sets of 10-15

*******

More work than normal. Feel great today. Very focused. Water bigger volume on my little gimpy side delts.
Feeling great on incline. Feel comfy doing nasty paused reps with 2 plates a side. Really happy with that.

I done a spell just finished doing low incline with a camber bar for super deep stretch. Without a doubt thats made me stronger but also allowing me to not injur my right pec that I’ve partially tore a dozen times. Takeaway from Dante Trudelnwith the camber bar and 5 sec paused in the hole

[Rab Craig]

I always batch cooked 5% beef mince chilli for my last meal – beef, veg, tinned chopped tomatoes, some kidney beans…staple last meal for me thru preps as it filled me up and was ready for a while week in a pot and good frozen etc

In this game, some people eat plain as fuck because they’re savages and don’t care (my wife). Others try to be like that as they think that judges award extra points for how shit anytime you have and how much you whip your own back to suffer.

[Rab Craig]

My son is only 3 but he loves my food the oats, protein, cream of rice etc lol. Sundays right now since I am in contest prep I stick to my diet 100%. No days meals off plan. When I’m not in prep, I usually have all of Sunday off and eat / go out to eat what ever we all fancy.

Even mid week if I want to eat with family or take them out I will. I just adjust the rest of the plan to suit

Good to hear. Fills me with hope that there are real people out there with good quality of family lives being lived. I loath the idea of not sharing a meal withbmny wife and kids. That important time around a table etc. you can imagine what it must be like in some households of folk who are into this . I spoke to James supercell (forget his second name..memory terrible). Love him having a Sunday lunch etc with the family on prep.

[Rab Craig]

Observation for my own brain dump and journaling for me

Over the last 10 years since stopping competing, I rarely ever look at myself or pose. Never really look at myself. I don’t dislike how I look now. I also don’t like it. It’s just me.

As I get more into the lifestyle and training again I’m going to have to look again..think about it.

I realise I haven’t trained those nasty sets on sets or triple drops or mad pumps on side laterals etc that gives that noticeable look.

I’d also hate to take a picture and post/send it, where as before I’d post shit all the time on the forums for a good laugh

I also forget what smack talk training is like. I miss that side of training I don’t see a lot (maybe I never did). I loved the camaraderie of getting in there and testing it up. Slagging off training partners. Pushing through challenge sets or having to match someone as you already talked shit about their set. Very 1970s pumping iron was my best times in the gym and I miss that and need to get back to that

Internal monologue post end;

[Rab Craig]

Fuck knows how to. Edit a post. Forgot to add some Bulgarian split squats. Always like a single leg squat in there. Feel it helps with knee health and strength

[Rab Craig]

Today is the first day of my old life, where I accept things are not what they were

10 min cross trainer warmup for knees.

4/5 warmup sets for knees and tendons, just to take the “my knees are full of broken bottles” feeling away. After that they’re very kosher.

*****

Quads and Calfs

Hammer leg ext – hammer 45 deg leg press – Watson leverage squat – panatta horizontal leg press (pin). 4 rounds on this giant set

Seated calf raise
3 heavy sets + partial reps

Panatta horizontal calf
3 sets with drip sets

******

Trying to change how I train legs but how I think about it all for a few reasons. Shift the paradigm

A. My legs are SMOL now and not what they were. Joints delicate and tendons been hurt a few times too many
B. I’m not willing to risk it for a biscuit under a bar with 4 plates now.
C. I need to work and be a dad and cannot be trashed for 2/3 hours post quads like I used to be.
D. I think I’m a little bit of a pussy now even all that aside
E. I want to make some progress, not all the progress. I don’t need that. Wanna enjoy myself.

[Rab Craig]

What do you do on family days with meals? Has that changed a bit now? Kid/kids like it?

[Rab Craig]

A lot depends on age, how long on, what you ran before TRT, how many cycles in etc. You tend to see younger guys even after a 19 nor inclusive cycle do fine without a PCR and feel fine. Several cycles deep and a long time on, or not 23 years old etc then the probability of just making a pct a sure thing becomes a solid reality.

I don’t think you need to get blood work for everything. It’s excessive. And even if you did..it might not tell you everything. If levels are in range but you feel shit and have nothing prior blood wise to go on then it’s telling you nothing for £150. If you feel shit you feel shit.

[Rab Craig]

Mad family weekends. Spent the morning with my daughter, then headed into work to shoot the breeze with training buddies for a coffee and a wee arms blast. As much a de-stress and breather from family life as anything sometimes. Good sleep last night so feeling on better form.

Ez Preacher superset with incline dB curls X4
Narrow straight cable curls superset with rope hammer curls X4
Tricep pushdowns superset with machine dips X4
Panatta overhead cable triceps triple drop sets

Straight out the door, home, away to see Santa. The real one Kris Kringle doppelganger. My wife and 4 year old buzzing right off their nut.

Feeling good to prep for a better solid week

Off to ultraflex Durham Monday morning a drive with other owners of new gym to scout on some kit and I want them to see the vibe Anth Bailes has in there. Very very good gaff.

[Rab Craig]

Mast doesn’t lower my e2

Primo lowers it nicely

Eq lowers it a lot

I advise running your own blood work on each to see what it does to your e2 and want makes you feel the best

I’m due bloods on wed. Typically run trt of 100mg test C and 50mg primo. Feel spot on.
Started 150mg test and 400mg mast 2 weeks ago. Feel me starting to get gyno yesterday. I’m stupid sensitive. Bloods wil likely confirm. Happy to report back if anyone gives AF

[Rab Craig]

Interesting seeing the challenges are replicated, all be it at a different level across the board as I also reach near 40.
I have a mindset I’m trying to shift of what worked for me at 25 and had me at my best and competitive….and it’s just irritating me and pissing me off 🤣. Need that paradigm shift to think different and try to enjoy it.

[Rab Craig]

Yesterday – woke up after a much better sleep. Only had to settle the girl 8 times before 11pm, once at 2am.then slept through. I’ve had worse sleeps on tren than that so pretty good 🤣

Unfortunately the existing gym and new gym had a tonne happening. Quick session but felt good. Enjoyed it and could focus.

******

Panatta super high row, wide grip pulldowns, stiff arm pulldowns Giant sets X3

Barbell row, shrugs, dB chest supported row giant sets X3

Panatta multiflight bent over rear delt lats, dB bent lats, dual cable face pulls giant sets X3

*****

Out the door to back to back meetings with shareholders of new gym, new pts and adding Ashbourne to both gyms to save time and paperwork. Trying to make my life as efficient as possible right now andnfindnways to cut back on the bullshit to have more family and personal time (training and friendships have taken a hit in recent times)

[Rab Craig]

I always feel it depends on the volume of food needed as to what the choices are for me. If it’s bigger portions then the cleaner and simpler it has to be. Small portions of pasta I can do etc.