Approved Log My First Log - Cleaning Up and Locking In Before Blast Off

[Frogger]

My gym has it's app sorted so I'll be back on track tomorrow. Still going to change gyms though because I'm pretty impressed with the machines in the other place. My current one is just a generic chain gym that's half treadmills and a few cable and plate loaded machines with nothing fancy

 

[LevButlerov]

My gym has it's app sorted so I'll be back on track tomorrow. Still going to change gyms though because I'm pretty impressed with the machines in the other place. My current one is just a generic chain gym that's half treadmills and a few cable and plate loaded machines with nothing fancy

The new gym throw up some bodybuilding gym pics please.

 

[Frogger]

The new gym throw up some bodybuilding gym pics please.

Hopefully it's as good as it looks in the few pictures I've seen

 

[LevButlerov]

Hopefully it's as good as it looks in the few pictures I've seen

Waiting on the pics.

 

[ballin2504]

New week, new training time. Moving from late evening to early mornings to go along with this week's shifts.

10/2/25
My weight came in a hair under 84kg this morning but of course that's largely hydration and glycogen related. What really matters is the gradual drop over the course of the week(s).

Chest - Not overly happy with the performance of some of these lifts as I know I was lifting more just a couple of months ago before I moved away from barbell lifts and towards machines and dumbbells. Something I'll just need to get over as stimulus is what matters, not writing down big numbers. I know it was a decent session because I've still got DOMS in my pecs almost three days later, where previously I've struggled to really work my chest hard enough for that.

Started off with my 2km run and a few sets of incline crunches in the 10-20 rep range to warm up and get myself moving

Flat BB bench

15x60kg
15z80kg
10x100kg
5x120kg
7x100kg

Cable crossovers - moved the pulley heights around a lot to find the best position for working the pecs while avoiding uncomfortable (not painful) clicking in my shoulders

10x12.5kg
10x15kg
10x12.5kg
10x12.5kg - this is where I decided to move to the pec dec. I just couldn't get a burn going on the cables today

Pecdec

10x54kg
10x68kg
10x82kg
7x103kg
10x89kg - I'm used to being able to max out the machine for reps so this is where I knew my pecs were cooked. Moved to triceps to give my chest a few minutes to recover before I finished off with dips

Tricep push down - the small ez bar handle thing

20x43kg
15x50kg
15x57kg
10x50kg

Incline crunches - again, to give upper body muscles a short rest

10 +10kg
10 +10kg
10 bodyweight only

Dips - chest focus, bodyweight only

15
10
10

End of session

11/2/25

Back

Started my run but it felt like my shins were going to explode so I went straight into stretching and getting ready to lift. I was about to spend 8 hours lifting and moving heavy stuff at work anyway.

Lat pulldown

10x47kg
10x67kg
10x77kg
10x57kg
10x57kg

Bent barbell rows

15x45kg
10x65kg
10x45kg
10x45kg - wasn't feeling the most locked in for free weight movements so I moved to a machine

Single arm plate loaded row

10x20kg
10x40kg
10x60kg
10x60kg
10x60kg
15x40kg

Lat prayers - to stretch out more than anything before leaving the gym

15x21kg
15x28kg
15x28kg
15x24.5kg

End of session

Today was a rest day as my chest is still good and tender from Monday morning and I wanted to be more recovered before shoulder day so I could make it a big one. Food hasn't been super tight. A few hard to measure meals with an early valentines day outing but overall but I should have been below maintenance calories almost every day apart from Tuesday with a big late night bowl of cereal.

Time to cook up some veggies and have some protein before bed.

Great update. Very detailed

 

[Frogger]

Waiting on the pics.

It might be a couple of weeks before I make the change. I'm waiting out the cancellation period at my current gym

 

[Npcclassicphysique champ]

It might be a couple of weeks before I make the change. I'm waiting out the cancellation period at my current gym

forget old place hit up the new one bro

 

[Tiger Salman Khan]

New week, new training time. Moving from late evening to early mornings to go along with this week's shifts.

10/2/25
My weight came in a hair under 84kg this morning but of course that's largely hydration and glycogen related. What really matters is the gradual drop over the course of the week(s).

Chest - Not overly happy with the performance of some of these lifts as I know I was lifting more just a couple of months ago before I moved away from barbell lifts and towards machines and dumbbells. Something I'll just need to get over as stimulus is what matters, not writing down big numbers. I know it was a decent session because I've still got DOMS in my pecs almost three days later, where previously I've struggled to really work my chest hard enough for that.

Started off with my 2km run and a few sets of incline crunches in the 10-20 rep range to warm up and get myself moving

Flat BB bench

15x60kg
15z80kg
10x100kg
5x120kg
7x100kg

Cable crossovers - moved the pulley heights around a lot to find the best position for working the pecs while avoiding uncomfortable (not painful) clicking in my shoulders

10x12.5kg
10x15kg
10x12.5kg
10x12.5kg - this is where I decided to move to the pec dec. I just couldn't get a burn going on the cables today

Pecdec

10x54kg
10x68kg
10x82kg
7x103kg
10x89kg - I'm used to being able to max out the machine for reps so this is where I knew my pecs were cooked. Moved to triceps to give my chest a few minutes to recover before I finished off with dips

Tricep push down - the small ez bar handle thing

20x43kg
15x50kg
15x57kg
10x50kg

Incline crunches - again, to give upper body muscles a short rest

10 +10kg
10 +10kg
10 bodyweight only

Dips - chest focus, bodyweight only

15
10
10

End of session

11/2/25

Back

Started my run but it felt like my shins were going to explode so I went straight into stretching and getting ready to lift. I was about to spend 8 hours lifting and moving heavy stuff at work anyway.

Lat pulldown

10x47kg
10x67kg
10x77kg
10x57kg
10x57kg

Bent barbell rows

15x45kg
10x65kg
10x45kg
10x45kg - wasn't feeling the most locked in for free weight movements so I moved to a machine

Single arm plate loaded row

10x20kg
10x40kg
10x60kg
10x60kg
10x60kg
15x40kg

Lat prayers - to stretch out more than anything before leaving the gym

15x21kg
15x28kg
15x28kg
15x24.5kg

End of session

Today was a rest day as my chest is still good and tender from Monday morning and I wanted to be more recovered before shoulder day so I could make it a big one. Food hasn't been super tight. A few hard to measure meals with an early valentines day outing but overall but I should have been below maintenance calories almost every day apart from Tuesday with a big late night bowl of cereal.

Time to cook up some veggies and have some protein before bed.

@Frogger Numbers looks amazing........

 

[Frogger]

@Frogger Numbers looks amazing........

Back in the gym this morning after taking the weekend off because of other time commitments. Cardio went well and now I'm doing legs. Today should be my last session in my current gym before I pick up my key tag for the new one.

Hoping today will be a decent session but I've just come off night shift so I'm just going to hammer a couple of isolations and then head home to bed.

 

[Noah Wixx]

I changed gyms and it helped me alot.

 

[Frogger]

I changed gyms and it helped me alot.

Had a very quick look while I picked up my key tag and they've got a big range of hammer strength (or similar) machines. It should be a good change.

 

[Frogger]

I hadn't realised it'd been a week since I last put up some sessions. Things haven't been super consistent, shift rotations have been doing me in and all weekend I had to be up past 11pm and then awake again by 5am so I was lazy and didn't make it into the gym.
Yesterday was my first session in the new gym and the range of equipment is much larger, including a lot of machines I've never used. The plan was to get in a good back session today but I'm not sleeping well between night shifts and I'm sore all over so I'm giving myself some extra time for recovery. I'll get a picture of the place when I'm on a shift rotation that gets me in there when it's relatively empty. It's probably nothing impressive to most, but for a smallish town it's a pretty decent gym.


14/2/25

Shoulders

I started my cardio but my legs really weren't feeling it so I stopped a couple of minutes in. This session was before work anyway so I had 8 hours of light-medium intensity cardio work ahead of me anyway.

Dumbbell shoulder press to warm up

15x15kg
15x20kg
15x20kg

Plate loaded shoulder press

10x40kg
10x80kg
10x120kg
10x100kg
10x100kg
10x80kg
10x80kg
10x60kg
10x60kg This feels like way too much volume looking back but I can't see myself pushing much more than 120kg even for fewer reps at the moment. My shoulders just eat up volume.

Pec deck rear delt fly

10x40kg
10x47kg
10x54kg
10x47kg

Dumbbell lateral raise

10x7kg
10x10kg
10x8kg
8x7kg

Dumbbell front raise

10x10kg
10x10kg
10x10kg

End

17/2/25 Just a small session. I was very tired going into this already

Cardio - Just my normal 10 minute/2km run but I added in a slight incline because felt like I hadn't been pushing my cardio at all lately. I think I'll be slowly increasing this incline over time.

Seated hamstring curls

10x61kg
10x75kg
10x89kg
7x103kg - failed after 7, dropped weight and continued without rest - 5x89kg
10x75kg

Quad extension

10x47kg
10x61kg
10x75kg
7x96kg - failed, 25 second pause and continued - 5x96kg
7x82kg

End

18/2/25 First session at the new gym

Skipped the run because my legs were sore from the previous day

Machine chest press

10x47kg
10x75kg
10x103kg
7x117kg
5x103kg

Pec deck - this machine at the new gym has pretty poor ergonomics compared to the last one. Seat wobbles, range of motion is limited to 90 degrees, handles pivot in an uncomfortable way

7x60kg
7x60kg
4x72kg I decided here that I'd try it first on my next chest day to get used to it while I wasn't fatigued

Dumbbell slight incline bench

10x20kg
10x25kg
10x30kg
10x35kg
10x35kg form started to falter here
10x25kg

Cable crossover

10x10kg
10x15kg my chest was pretty tired at this point so my shoulders were taking over and throwing everything off
10x12.5kg

Machine tricep extensions - I've never used one of these machines before so getting the positioning right will take some time

15x30kg
10x45kg
10x45kg
10x40kg

Dips (bodyweight) to close the session out
3 sets of 10

End

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be in for a massive back session. I'm very keen to try the plate loaded low row and some of the less common pulldown attachments they have.

Bodyweight has been fluctuating a bit as I've been working to get my hydration levels way up. I've just ordered some casein protein along with my stock up of regular WPC so hopefully I can better utilise that to beat cravings at night.

 

[Npcclassicphysique champ]

I hadn't realised it'd been a week since I last put up some sessions. Things haven't been super consistent, shift rotations have been doing me in and all weekend I had to be up past 11pm and then awake again by 5am so I was lazy and didn't make it into the gym.
Yesterday was my first session in the new gym and the range of equipment is much larger, including a lot of machines I've never used. The plan was to get in a good back session today but I'm not sleeping well between night shifts and I'm sore all over so I'm giving myself some extra time for recovery. I'll get a picture of the place when I'm on a shift rotation that gets me in there when it's relatively empty. It's probably nothing impressive to most, but for a smallish town it's a pretty decent gym.


14/2/25

Shoulders

I started my cardio but my legs really weren't feeling it so I stopped a couple of minutes in. This session was before work anyway so I had 8 hours of light-medium intensity cardio work ahead of me anyway.

Dumbbell shoulder press to warm up

15x15kg
15x20kg
15x20kg

Plate loaded shoulder press

10x40kg
10x80kg
10x120kg
10x100kg
10x100kg
10x80kg
10x80kg
10x60kg
10x60kg This feels like way too much volume looking back but I can't see myself pushing much more than 120kg even for fewer reps at the moment. My shoulders just eat up volume.

Pec deck rear delt fly

10x40kg
10x47kg
10x54kg
10x47kg

Dumbbell lateral raise

10x7kg
10x10kg
10x8kg
8x7kg

Dumbbell front raise

10x10kg
10x10kg
10x10kg

End

17/2/25 Just a small session. I was very tired going into this already

Cardio - Just my normal 10 minute/2km run but I added in a slight incline because felt like I hadn't been pushing my cardio at all lately. I think I'll be slowly increasing this incline over time.

Seated hamstring curls

10x61kg
10x75kg
10x89kg
7x103kg - failed after 7, dropped weight and continued without rest - 5x89kg
10x75kg

Quad extension

10x47kg
10x61kg
10x75kg
7x96kg - failed, 25 second pause and continued - 5x96kg
7x82kg

End

18/2/25 First session at the new gym

Skipped the run because my legs were sore from the previous day

Machine chest press

10x47kg
10x75kg
10x103kg
7x117kg
5x103kg

Pec deck - this machine at the new gym has pretty poor ergonomics compared to the last one. Seat wobbles, range of motion is limited to 90 degrees, handles pivot in an uncomfortable way

7x60kg
7x60kg
4x72kg I decided here that I'd try it first on my next chest day to get used to it while I wasn't fatigued

Dumbbell slight incline bench

10x20kg
10x25kg
10x30kg
10x35kg
10x35kg form started to falter here
10x25kg

Cable crossover

10x10kg
10x15kg my chest was pretty tired at this point so my shoulders were taking over and throwing everything off
10x12.5kg

Machine tricep extensions - I've never used one of these machines before so getting the positioning right will take some time

15x30kg
10x45kg
10x45kg
10x40kg

Dips (bodyweight) to close the session out
3 sets of 10

End

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be in for a massive back session. I'm very keen to try the plate loaded low row and some of the less common pulldown attachments they have.

Bodyweight has been fluctuating a bit as I've been working to get my hydration levels way up. I've just ordered some casein protein along with my stock up of regular WPC so hopefully I can better utilise that to beat cravings at night.

@Frogger yea havent seen you update bro
you have bad cravings? you think about using semaglutide?

 

[Frogger]

@Frogger yea havent seen you update bro
you have bad cravings? you think about using semaglutide?

It's more a lack of impulse control and I just need to knuckle down and try harder. I won't be going for any glp1 drugs because I'll just end up using it as a crutch and I'll never learn to work hard at a cut that way.
If I was say 10% bf and looking to dip down into the single digits I would consider it, but at my level my calories aren't low enough to need anything but better self control.
There's also the fact that I'm not competing, so it really doesn't matter too much if I'm not crazy lean by the date I've set myself. I'll just either go into the blast slightly less cut or I'll give myself another few weeks to drop some more fat.


On the topic of the blast, I'm considering sticking to the tried and true test + mast and simply raising the mgs rather than switching to EQ. I'm coming to realise that my nutrition and training are what has been lacking in the past, not my compound choice.

 

[Npcclassicphysique champ]

It's more a lack of impulse control and I just need to knuckle down and try harder. I won't be going for any glp1 drugs because I'll just end up using it as a crutch and I'll never learn to work hard at a cut that way.
If I was say 10% bf and looking to dip down into the single digits I would consider it, but at my level my calories aren't low enough to need anything but better self control.
There's also the fact that I'm not competing, so it really doesn't matter too much if I'm not crazy lean by the date I've set myself. I'll just either go into the blast slightly less cut or I'll give myself another few weeks to drop some more fat.


On the topic of the blast, I'm considering sticking to the tried and true test + mast and simply raising the mgs rather than switching to EQ. I'm coming to realise that my nutrition and training are what has been lacking in the past, not my compound choice.

you know with glp-1 peptides yes its a crutch bro but once you get used to not eating or craving it goes away @Frogger

test with some winstrol would be a better blast imo

 

[Frogger]

you know with glp-1 peptides yes its a crutch bro but once you get used to not eating or craving it goes away @Frogger

test with some winstrol would be a better blast imo

Peptides may be a consideration next time once I'm going into a full length cut but right now the plan is to gradually move back into a surplus in April and start growing again

 

[Npcclassicphysique champ]

Peptides may be a consideration next time once I'm going into a full length cut but right now the plan is to gradually move back into a surplus in April and start growing again

you can use peptides irrespective of the diet bro but you do make a good point lets wait for a cut move @Frogger

 

[Frogger]

Couple of sessions from the past two days to put up. Keep in mind that basically all the machines here are different to what I'm used to and I'm trying to get a feel for most of them. In general the ergonomics of these machines don't feel as good, but the wide range of equipment should make up for that in time.

20/2/25

Back

Started with my normal 2km run at 12kph. The treadmills here are pretty low quality and the whole thing was bouncing with every step.

Cable pull overs to warm up the lats

3 sets of 10x10kg

Plate loaded low row single arm

10x20kg
10x60kg - it was here that I decided the machine wasn't working for me. The grips were at an odd angle and I couldn't get comfortable

Flat plate loaded row single arm - This is a strange machine, lots of levers and cables instead of a single pivot

10x40kg
10x70kg
10x90kg
10x70kg

DB curls - I tried the machine preacher curls first and didn't love the machine. Pretty poor effort honestly but my wrists weren't feeling great after lifting heavy things all night at work

10x12.5kg
10x15kg
10x17.5kg

End

21/2/25

Shoulders with some core work

Cardio - I got a few minutes into my run but my guts were feeling pretty unsettled so I moved onto lifting rather than risking making myself feel unwell

Plate loaded shoulder press - ergonomics on this machine are alright, it's just hard to get into. I'm about 133cm/52 inches around at the delts and I could barely fit into the machine. I'm sure there are plenty of lads bigger than that here who simply wouldn't get in unless they put the seat on the floor.

10x40kg
10x80kg
9x100kg - definitely different to the machine at the other gym. I could push a lot more there
10x80kg
8x80kg
10x40kg

DB rear delt fly - Tried some rear delt work with the cables and wasn't really feeling it. I'll keep trying different things though because cables are king for constant tension

10x8kg
10x8kg
10x8kg
10x9kg
10x10kg
10x10kg
11x9kg

DB lateral raise

10x9kg - Side delts were feeling pretty weak here already from the shoulder press before
10x8kg
10x7kg

DB front raise

5 sets of 10x10kg

Steep incline sit ups were inserted into rest periods during the front raises for four sets in the 15-20 rep range.

I'll attach a picture below of my progress. I'm not nearly as lean as I could be as I'm still working through some compulsive eating issues. Most days are between 2-2.5k kcals but about once a week I'll come up to my old maintenance and cause a mini stall on the weight loss. I regret not getting a chest or arm pump before taking the picture. Still waiting on that fridge that ended up on back order to kick off my meal prepping again.

 

[LevButlerov]

Couple of sessions from the past two days to put up. Keep in mind that basically all the machines here are different to what I'm used to and I'm trying to get a feel for most of them. In general the ergonomics of these machines don't feel as good, but the wide range of equipment should make up for that in time.

20/2/25

Back

Started with my normal 2km run at 12kph. The treadmills here are pretty low quality and the whole thing was bouncing with every step.

Cable pull overs to warm up the lats

3 sets of 10x10kg

Plate loaded low row single arm

10x20kg
10x60kg - it was here that I decided the machine wasn't working for me. The grips were at an odd angle and I couldn't get comfortable

Flat plate loaded row single arm - This is a strange machine, lots of levers and cables instead of a single pivot

10x40kg
10x70kg
10x90kg
10x70kg

DB curls - I tried the machine preacher curls first and didn't love the machine. Pretty poor effort honestly but my wrists weren't feeling great after lifting heavy things all night at work

10x12.5kg
10x15kg
10x17.5kg

End

21/2/25

Shoulders with some core work

Cardio - I got a few minutes into my run but my guts were feeling pretty unsettled so I moved onto lifting rather than risking making myself feel unwell

Plate loaded shoulder press - ergonomics on this machine are alright, it's just hard to get into. I'm about 133cm/52 inches around at the delts and I could barely fit into the machine. I'm sure there are plenty of lads bigger than that here who simply wouldn't get in unless they put the seat on the floor.

10x40kg
10x80kg
9x100kg - definitely different to the machine at the other gym. I could push a lot more there
10x80kg
8x80kg
10x40kg

DB rear delt fly - Tried some rear delt work with the cables and wasn't really feeling it. I'll keep trying different things though because cables are king for constant tension

10x8kg
10x8kg
10x8kg
10x9kg
10x10kg
10x10kg
11x9kg

DB lateral raise

10x9kg - Side delts were feeling pretty weak here already from the shoulder press before
10x8kg
10x7kg

DB front raise

5 sets of 10x10kg

Steep incline sit ups were inserted into rest periods during the front raises for four sets in the 15-20 rep range.

I'll attach a picture below of my progress. I'm not nearly as lean as I could be as I'm still working through some compulsive eating issues. Most days are between 2-2.5k kcals but about once a week I'll come up to my old maintenance and cause a mini stall on the weight loss. I regret not getting a chest or arm pump before taking the picture. Still waiting on that fridge that ended up on back order to kick off my meal prepping again.

@Frogger you're actually MUCH leaner, wow leaner for sure but we should start meal prepping again soon.
Big shoulder day lots of close volume, you're intense.

 

[stevesmi]

Meal prepping will be crucial for sure