

I’m very excited to begin my journey in 2025 by starting this log. I was diagnosed with PTSD in July 2024, but I’d been ignoring my symptoms for far too long. As a result, I fell off the bandwagon, stopped going to the gym, and forgot how vital training and diet were for my mental health. Over the past seven months, I’ve learned that I can’t sit around hoping to feel better—I have to take action to help myself feel better. Because of this, I’m heading back to the gym and making 2025 my best year in terms of health and training.
Age: Early 30's
Weight: 111 Kg
Height: 185 cm
Training Experience: My best physical condition came after 3.5 years of consistent diet and training. I’ve been in and out of the gym since I was 16, but that early training wasn’t as efficient or committed as it could have been.
Cycle History: I’ve done one 16-week test cycle in the past, followed by PCT—one of my best memories in my fitness journey. I felt incredible, gained a lot of size, met my now-fiancée, and life in general was really great. I was so energized; it felt like there was a fire under me in every facet of my life.
Injury & Health: I’ve had a couple of left shoulder dislocations but manage it with mobility work. I haven’t had any issues for almost two years now. I’ve recently given up drinking as it negatively affects my medication and my mental health; it takes me days to recover from even a small or moderate amount of alcohol.
Goals:
My main goal is to be conservative for now. I’m going overseas in February for three weeks, and upon returning, I plan to get blood work done. I also want to have my fertility tested, since I’d like to start a family in the next three years. Knowing my baseline will help me decide on future steps. I’m hoping to recomp, regain some of my previous muscle, and lose unwanted body fat. I’m not sure of my current body fat percentage, but I’d estimate around 20–30%. I’d like to assess where I am after 16 weeks of consistent diet and training, then decide how to proceed.
Training Split:
I’ll be training four times per week on an upper/lower split. This routine will run for four weeks, followed by a deload, then move into a second four-week block with updated exercises.
Main goal: Progressive overload. If I can’t increase the weight, I’ll add a rep until I can execute the exercise with more weight.
Day 1: Upper body focused - Chest Emphasis
Day 2: Lower body focused - Quad Emphasis
Day 3: Upper body focused - Back Emphasis
Day 4: Lower body focused - Ham/Glute Emphasis
Diet:
I’ve been using Carbon to manage my diet with great results. I just finished a two-week diet break, eating at maintenance (my TDEE) for those two weeks. I’ve dropped from 119 kg to 111 kg over about 12 weeks. I plan to continue cutting since I still feel good, recover well, and have noticed positive changes in the mirror.
- Current TDEE: ~3250 calories
- Deficit Target: ~500 calories below TDEE
Macronutrients:
- Protein: 260 g
- Carbs: 212 g
- Fats: 90 g
- Total: ~2700 kcal
I look forward to hearing your feedback—good, bad, or ugly—because that’s what learning is all about. Additionally, I felt my absolute best while on testosterone in the past. In the future, I plan to explore the possibility of long-term TRT, once I have my blood work and fertility considerations sorted out.