Journey to the bottom of the food chain; Angus gains 0.33g of muscle!

[FuriousAngus]

Really enjoying your blog - love how clean and well-organized everything is. Funny enough, our stats are pretty much identical, though I’m a bit taller. What’s wild is how much I’ve actually picked up from you - and it’s not training, gear, or diet. It’s the pancake recipe, ivabradine, curcumin, knee sleeves, Versa Gripps… even I’m surprised how that happened.

Glad I could offer entertainment/something of value! I'm somewhat OCD by nature, so I like to have everything very organized, haha.

I actually bumped my dose of Iva because I saw you've been on 10mg x2/day on a thread somewhere (I think it was you?) and I figured ah why not? Let's try it out.

 

[FuriousAngus]

W10D03, 16/06/2025
Bodyweight at 81.60Kg

Woke up a bit lighter today but I felt pretty alright. I had breakfast and then took an uber to go get my car but man you guys gotta understand something; it's so hot here in the middle east that going out DRAINS you out of ALL energy, even if you don't leave your car. It's insane.

Breakfast
My signature oatmeal w/ cherries

Pre
I had my brother try this today; he never had CoR before so he just mixed everything cold and ate it, LOL! He said he didn't know you were supposed to cook it

10iu Humalog. I might try to up the Humalog dose back to 12 because this meal is now 175g of carbs. Also, out of rice cakes so had jam on toast; much better.

Training
Legs A

GREAT session today. Almost squatted but changed my mind last minute, haha. I used tobe a very good squatter; my best set was 365x25 ATG (I'd probably die squatting 225 now, I became such a weakling, lol).

Leg press (slightly lower reps, but still around 15) x4

Leg extension x2

Lying leg curl x3

Seated leg curl x3

SUPER
Standing calf raise (neutral > flexion) x6
Abductor machine x6

60 (SIXTY) minutes of Z2. Met up with a buddy on the bike toward the end so we just spent an hour talking.

Post

8iu Humalog. Crashed immediately after (it's near impossible to stay awake after this meal)

Sammiches

Also had a protein bar + pomegranate juice to make up for the extra calories.

Smelly shakers
Now be ready because I'm about to BLOW YOUR MINDS. Ever had to throw away shakers due to the nuclear smell?

I tried EVERYTHING to get this smell off (baking soda, vinegar, soaking over night, etc...) and nothing really worked.

Well, this guy on reddit recommended those tablets people use to clean their retainers and THEY WORKED LIKE A CHARM. ZERO SMELL, LIKE NEW! I almost cannot believe this.

 

[FuriousAngus]

W10D04, 17/06/2025
Bodyweight at 81.00Kg

Physique update
It’s been a while since I last posted one of these, I think I’m doing alright so far.

Need to shave them legs next time, lol.

For reference, this is where we started

Peptide pen update
I had enough time to test out my new auto pens and compare them to the Ergo II pens I bought a while back. While the concept behind theee newer auto pens is great, they don’t really work all that well in practice; sometimes they get jammed if there is a little resistance in the injection spot and at that point you can’t really manually press the plunger so you’re very likely to just lose all of your dose.

This problem does not exist when using the older manual pens, so I’ll be going back to using these for all of my shots.

Breakfast
Did I talk about how much I love these? Because I do.

Cherries.

Pre
You gotta have got to try these crème caramel mixes, they really do elevate the taste substantially.

10iu Humalog.

Training
Push B

GREAT workout today. I picked up the idea of using yoga blocks to elevate the pushing platform on some of the pressing machines for a better:more stable first rep and they worked like a CHARM; much better than getting an initial lift from someone. I have very long arms so this is a big deal for me.

Starting to look THICKKKK with this nasty pump.

Hammer strength incline press x2

Lying flat press x2

Pec deck from the future x2

SUPERSET
Machine laterals x6

Seated dumbbell press x6


Cable push downs w/ strap x3

Overhead cable push downs w/ strap x3

Leg raises x2

30 minutes Z2.

Post
Really diggin’ this store brand cereal; it stays crunchy much longer than Kellogg’s.

8iu Humalog.

I’m currently taking 400g of my carbs in the intra workout period.

No photos of sammiches, but I prepped my overnight oats for tomorrow and the day after.

 

[Eddie.]

Alright you said? Lol, you're doing great man. You made a solid progress since you started the push phase.

 

[FuriousAngus]

Alright you said? Lol, you're doing great man. You made a solid progress since you started the push phase.

Thanks Eddie! I'm committed to having my own mind blown at the final before/after progress comparisons once this growth phase is over! We're gonna make it frens.

 

[FuriousAngus]

W10D05, 18/06/2025
Bodyweight UNKNOWN (nephew stole my scale, lol)

Ivabradine update
I'm starting to develop some "beta-blockerish" sides at 10mg; mainly a soft cap on my HR during exercise (-8 going from 7.5mg to 10mg). This is making it rather unenjoyable to do Z2 (feels more like Z3+ now, though lifting is fine). Going back to 7.5mg.

Breakfast
Mah cherries

My sleep's been pretty terrible the past few days as I've been waking up every 1.5 hours or so (every cycle, I guess). I'm not sure what's causing this yet...

Anyways, I was still pretty exhausted after this meal so I went back to sleep and had a good 3 straight hours.

Pre
With apricot jam today!

10iu Humalog. A part of me wants to try 11/12 again, but I'm pretty comfortable at 10iu as it seems like I have absolutely nothing to worry about at this dose.

Training
Pull B

GREAT workout today; some PRs and I was able to grip some stuff pain free (WITHOUT my Versas)

Wide grip lat pulldown x2

Hammer strength lat row x2

Seated cable row x2

Single arm dumbbell curls x3

Single arm cable curl x3

SUPERSET

Reverse pec deck x6

Standing cable shrug x6

Crunches x2

30 minutes Z2, followed by a friend asking me to pin his glutes in the locker's (which I obviously did).

Yep, you heard that right; he told me he couldn't reach his glutes anymore and that he needed to pin 1.5cc in each glute (some mix of EQ/Test/Mast), but here's the thing... when he gave me the pin I didn't realize he put 3mls in it (figured it'd be 2 pins or we'd have to reload) so I pushed all 3 CCs of it in his right glute, LOL.

I'm so worried about the guy I really hope he doesn't wake up with his butt cheeks doubled in size, haha.

Post
Dried cranberries, yum

8iu Humalog.

Sammiches

Had a soft drink that my mother bought me, it's pretty light in calories/carbs (only 63 cals for the whole thing).

 

[The Answ3r]

W10D05, 18/06/2025
Bodyweight UNKNOWN (nephew stole my scale, lol)

Ivabradine update
I'm starting to develop some "beta-blockerish" sides at 10mg; mainly a soft cap on my HR during exercise (-8 going from 7.5mg to 10mg). This is making it rather unenjoyable to do Z2 (feels more like Z3+ now, though lifting is fine). Going back to 7.5mg.

Breakfast
Mah cherries

My sleep's been pretty terrible the past few days as I've been waking up every 1.5 hours or so (every cycle, I guess). I'm not sure what's causing this yet...

Anyways, I was still pretty exhausted after this meal so I went back to sleep and had a good 3 straight hours.

Pre
With apricot jam today!

10iu Humalog. A part of me wants to try 11/12 again, but I'm pretty comfortable at 10iu as it seems like I have absolutely nothing to worry about at this dose.

Training
Pull B

GREAT workout today; some PRs and I was able to grip some stuff pain free (WITHOUT my Versas)

Wide grip lat pulldown x2

Hammer strength lat row x2

Seated cable row x2

Single arm dumbbell curls x3

Single arm cable curl x3

SUPERSET

Reverse pec deck x6

Standing cable shrug x6

Crunches x2

30 minutes Z2, followed by a friend asking me to pin his glutes in the locker's (which I obviously did).

Yep, you heard that right; he told me he couldn't reach his glutes anymore and that he needed to pin 1.5cc in each glute (some mix of EQ/Test/Mast), but here's the thing... when he gave me the pin I didn't realize he put 3mls in it (figured it'd be 2 pins or we'd have to reload) so I pushed all 3 CCs of it in his right glute, LOL.

I'm so worried about the guy I really hope he doesn't wake up with his butt cheeks doubled in size, haha.

Post
Dried cranberries, yum

8iu Humalog.

Sammiches

Had a soft drink that my mother bought me, it's pretty light in calories/carbs (only 63 cals for the whole thing).

Forgot to reply earlier, but I’m running 10mg ivabradine total - 5mg twice a day. I’ve seen some go 7.5mg twice daily, but 10mg twice? That’s next level - haven’t seen that yet.

Same here with cardio - getting my heart rate to 125 is nearly impossible now. Feels like I’m dragging my soul uphill.

But man, your physique just keeps improving with every update - clean gains, dense muscle, everything on point. Just don’t go too far - with our height, once we cross 90kg+, we start looking like square fridges. It’s not like @Eddie., who’s 183+cm and walking around at 100kg looking like a Greek statue.

 

[Eddie.]

But man, your physique just keeps improving with every update - clean gains, dense muscle, everything on point. Just don’t go too far - with our height, once we cross 90kg+, we start looking like square fridges. It’s not like @Eddie., who’s 183+cm and walking around at 100kg looking like a Greek statue.

I agree, he looks bigger and better by the week. Also, I believe weight is irrelevant. Visuals is what matters most, if I saw him on the beach or in gym I’d definitely think, man that guy has a very good physique.

I can only say you’re still in a good spot for growth, I would take advantage of the current push phase and extend it until the moment your abs start to hide, or in case you find yourself in a bad situation with food, unable to digest, loss of appetite etc. Until then, keep up the good work!

Also, thanks @The Answ3r

 

[FuriousAngus]

Forgot to reply earlier, but I’m running 10mg ivabradine total - 5mg twice a day. I’ve seen some go 7.5mg twice daily, but 10mg twice? That’s next level - haven’t seen that yet.

Same here with cardio - getting my heart rate to 125 is nearly impossible now. Feels like I’m dragging my soul uphill.

But man, your physique just keeps improving with every update - clean gains, dense muscle, everything on point. Just don’t go too far - with our height, once we cross 90kg+, we start looking like square fridges. It’s not like @Eddie., who’s 183+cm and walking around at 100kg looking like a Greek statue.

Thanks brother! You guys are holding me accountable with all of your positive energy, I can't let you guys down! But to your last point: my goal is to be around 85/90KG at 8-9% BF year round (I'm still a few years away from that goal), and I feel that visually (as @Eddie. stated) I will look my best around that number, BIG but with aesthetic lines. I didn't know we were the same height.

On Ivabradine: I must've totally butchered that in my head, haha. I guess it was an experiment, LOL.

Ivabradine doesn't majorly affect my HR during exercise all that much, but at 10mg x2/day it most certainly does. It's MUCH better than Nebivolol, though (I hate that stuff).

I agree, he looks bigger and better by the week. Also, I believe weight is irrelevant. Visuals is what matters most, if I saw him on the beach or in gym I’d definitely think, man that guy has a very good physique.

I can only say you’re still in a good spot for growth, I would take advantage of the current push phase and extend it until the moment your abs start to hide, or in case you find yourself in a bad situation with food, unable to digest, loss of appetite etc. Until then, keep up the good work!

Also, thanks @The Answ3r

Thanks Eddie! Always the sound of reason, haha. You're most certainly right. That said, I did think this through a lot over the past two days and based on my current circumstances the plan going forward is likely going to be:

Phase 1 of gaining phase: 12 weeks (we're currently on week 10, so 2 more weeks)
Reset break/mini cut: 4 weeks of cutting (dosages will not change, but insulin will be dropped), I'll be following your suggestion of carbs mainly around training window.
Phase 2 of gaining phase: 12 more weeks but at 1000mg test (insulin resumed)
Another clean up/mini cut: 4 weeks followed by 4 months of rest (cruise) + hernia surgery

I would've liked to stick to my original plan of 4 months > mini cut > 4 months > mini cut > cruise, but this will no longer work with my job schedule + surgery, plus blasting for 3 years straight is probably not the greatest idea (this setup barely allows for 8 weeks of cruising).

The above new schedule will basically be a yearly plan going forward (probably); my blasts will always start immediately following the month of Ramadan/March (it's a religious month here were we all do a dry fast for 14 hours a day, hard to do much of anything).

 

[Eddie.]

Phase 1 of gaining phase: 12 weeks (we're currently on week 10, so 2 more weeks)
Reset break/mini cut: 4 weeks of cutting (dosages will not change, but insulin will be dropped), I'll be following your suggestion of carbs mainly around training window.
Phase 2 of gaining phase: 12 more weeks but at 1000mg test (insulin resumed)
Another clean up/mini cut: 4 weeks followed by 4 months of rest (cruise) + hernia surgery

Sounds great man!

The above new schedule will basically be a yearly plan going forward (probably); my blasts will always start immediately following the month of Ramadan/March (it's a religious month here were we all do a dry fast for 14 hours a day, hard to do much of anything).

Where are you from if you don't mind? I know what Ramadan is, I'm in Greece but i know some guys from Egypt who live here that follow it to the T. One of them is ifbb pro and he plays tomorrow at Dubai pro. Iirc on the latest Ramadan he was sleeping throughout most of the day and eating/lifting midnight hours. Otherwise it's very tough.

 

[FuriousAngus]

Sounds great man!



Where are you from if you don't mind? I know what Ramadan is, I'm in Greece but i know some guys from Egypt who live here that follow it to the T. One of them is ifbb pro and he plays tomorrow at Dubai pro. Iirc on the latest Ramadan he was sleeping throughout most of the day and eating/lifting midnight hours. Otherwise it's very tough.

Saudi Arabia! I was actually going to be at Dubai Pro but my younger brother changed his mind last minute; UAE is a neighboring country of SA, all part of something called the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), I can even go there without a passport (with ID alone).

This is a friend of mine who turned pro last year

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDuXhvvlK3g

He won his class IIRC not the overall comparisons (above).

Middle black shorts to the right, #200.

Something a lot of people are unaware of: QSC used to have a warehouse in Dubai with a 110% reship policy (they will reship for free no matter how many times your stuff is lost, which is likely zero due to the very lax Dubai import laws)

 

[FuriousAngus]

W11D01, 21/06/2025
Bodyweight UNKNOWN (forgot to weigh in)

Friday eats
Had a load of protein bars, lunch with the family, and finished the day off with these gorgeous burgers

This was one of the BEST burgers I had in a VERY long time; I did 1 chargrilled burger, 1 smash burger, fries and some tenders.

Also, fed some new friends I found in my parents' yard.

Today (Saturday)

I woke up feeling pretty tired as I couldn't fall asleep easy (lots of food to digest); I definitely over indulged yesterday. I also had absolutely no appetite, but I forced myself to have breakfast right upon waking.

I didn't really enjoy this meal as I was NOT in the mood to eat anything. I waited 5 hours after consuming this mean before getting the next one in, and it was still hard to eat.

Pre

The strawberry jam was the highlight of the meal. 10iu Humalog.

Training
Push A

Had a blast day despite the terrible sleep.

Hammer strength incline press x2

Hammer strength flat press x2

Standing pec deck thing x2

SUPERSET
Machine laterals x6

Seated dumbbell press x6

Cable tricep pushdown x3

https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdGpxM2x6NmFyNnkxY2hxMWlheXIzYzlleXZiOW1zaHpsZHA4N2VzaSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/uZF9GXdg8jweW3rJ9F/giphy.gif

Overhead cable tricep pushdown x3

Ab crunch x2

30 minutes Z2, watched OP 1133.

Post
Almost head this

But decided to behave

8iu Humalog. This was also hard to eat.

Sammiches
I had to take a couple of breaks because I could barely finish this meal. Appetite was completely shot today.

Moral of the story? Don't over indulge on a bulk right before bed, it'll destroy your appetite for the next day...

 

[FuriousAngus]

W11D02, 22/06/2025
Bodyweight at 82.7Kg

Update on statins (Rosuvastatin VS Pitastatin)
This thread caught my eye earlier and after digging around some more I have decided to experiment with Pitavastatin; it's sold for relatively cheap here in my country (17$ for a box of 28 x 2mg).

I'll be doing my labs in 2 weeks on 2.5mg Rosuvastatin + 10mg Ezetimibe and use that as a baseline for comparison with 1mg/2mg Pita + Ezetimibe which I'll be starting the day after I do my next labs. I'm doing this primarily for the potential effect it has on insulin sensitivity/glucose.

Tennis elbow update/gadget
I've been using this "flex bar" for a few days now (x3 sets of 15 twice a day) and it's absolutely WORKING.

I almost can't believe it, lol. That said, it's painful as hell right now because I'm pathetically weak (due to tennis elbow, obviously). In fact, my older sister (120lbs) could do an infinite number of reps with the same level of resistance that I could only do 15 with (with pain). The pain goes down a good chunk every single day.

Breakfast
Woke up pretty hungry today which is great because I REALLY need my appetite at this point in my gaining phase, lol.

Tasted much better than it did yesterday, but I'm getting pretty bored as this point so I'll go back to making pancakes or possibly making some warm oatmeal instead.

Pre
Not bored of this yet; I love CoR.

10iu Humalog.

Training
Pull A

Another GREAT workout today. Tennis elbow is still healing but my grip had some significant healing take place over the past few days; I can actually grip things now!

Wide grip lat pulldowns x2

Hammer strength lat row x2

Seated cable row w/ medium grip x2

Single arm dumbbell curl x3

Single arm dumbbell cable curl x3

SUPERSET
Reverse pec deck x6

Standing cable shrug x6

Leg raises x2

30 minutes Z2 cardio; phone was at 9% so it felt pretty intense, lol.

Post
New brand of dried cranberries; didn't like them as much, they're pretty hard compared to what I had before.

Still delicious, though. 8iu Humalog.

Sammiches
No pics, but I had a couple of tangerines as well; DELICIOUS.

Oh, I also received new 30g 1" needles today that I'll be trying with a 1cc barrel tomorrow; my oils are all MCT so they should technically pass through just fine.

 

[FuriousAngus]

W11D03, 23/06/2025
Bodyweight at 82.5Kg

I've been feeling a bit more bloated than usual the past few days (since Friday), but workouts have been pretty good and that's making it all so much better, lol.

Hernia update
I'm meeting up with the surgeon on the 30th to discuss surgery options (mesh VS no mesh) and to set a date for the surgery; I'll be pushing for late November.

Breakfast
Had a warm bowl of oatmeal with cherries and a side of toast + apricot jam

Delicious. I was actually pretty HUNGRY this morning.

Pre

10iu Humalog

Training
Legs A

I put on my shoes today before putting on my knee sleeves so I decided to just go through my workout without them; I'm just too lazy to do it all over again, lol.

Knees felt almost BETTER than they normally do with the sleeves. I was pretty shocked, haha.

Banded leg press x4

These were AMAZING; the band keeps constant tension on the knees/feet even at the top where there'd usually be a small portion through the ROM where the weight feels like nothing. I also think they felt better on my knees and feet.

Leg extension x2

Lying leg curl x3

Seated leg curl x3

SUPERSET
Standing calf raises x6
Abductor machine x6

Crunches x2

30 minutes Z2.

Post
I really don't like these cranberries. They don't taste BAD, it's just that the texture isn't there.

8iu Humalog.

I had sammiches for my last.

Also, I've been having EXTREME gas and cramping the past few days that I can't really explain. I ordered some Gas X but this is probably related to my IBS; whenever I spend more than 2-3 weeks at my parents' I start developing some PAINFUL gas and cramps that start late at night and extends into early mornings. It goes away literally while I'm in my car on the way back home. It's crazy.

 

[Vanargandar]

Also, I've been having EXTREME gas and cramping the past few days that I can't really explain. I ordered some Gas X but this is probably related to my IBS; whenever I spend more than 2-3 weeks at my parents' I start developing some PAINFUL gas and cramps that start late at night and extends into early mornings. It goes away literally while I'm in my car on the way back home. It's crazy.

You need to get on that sourdough grind bro. I have my wife pumping that stuff out almost daily lmao

 

[FuriousAngus]

You need to get on that sourdough grind bro. I have my wife pumping that stuff out almost daily lmao

Great idea. I LOVE sourdough, but it’s not widely available here (have to drive a bit to get some), but I’ll prob get some later. I actually love the taste of all fermented foods, haha.

 

[FuriousAngus]

W11D04, 24/06/2025
Bodyweight at 82.2Kg

Somewhat of a rough day today (more on this later). Woke up later than usual but appetite was absolutely RAVENOUS today.

Breakfast

Pre
I can eat probably eat 2000 calories worth of toast n' jam.

10iu Humalog.

Training
Push B

Started the workout with a FINGER PRESS; smashed my finger right in between two plates.

It's more swollen now since taking this picture, but I doubt there is a fracture because I don't really feel much pain aside from the extreme swelling. I also have full sensation and control over my joint, which is good news.

Carried on with my workout before the swelling got really bad.

Hammer strength incline press x2

Hammer strength flat press x2

Standing fly machine x2

SUPERSET
Standing lateral machine x6 (GOAT)

Seated dumbbell press x6

Tricep pushdowns w/ strap x3

Overhead tricep pushdowns w/ strap x3

Leg raises x2

30 minutes Z2.

Post
Switched back to Kellogg's; I'm testing out alternative foods to try and find out what's causing the extreme gas.

No cranberries; used more cereal.

Sammiches

New friend I made at my brother's.

I dropped the molasses today but I still got terrible gas so it wasn't that; I'll be dropping the bread tomorrow and replacing it with CoR. I also got some Gas X which seemed to help, but I need a solution not a band aid…

 

[Vanargandar]

Great idea. I LOVE sourdough, but it’s not widely available here (have to drive a bit to get some), but I’ll prob get some later. I actually love the taste of all fermented foods, haha.

Same bro. Sourdough, kombucha, sauerkraut, love that stuff. If you're baking savvy, get some sourdough starter and start pumping out your own batches!

 

[FuriousAngus]

Same bro. Sourdough, kombucha, sauerkraut, love that stuff. If you're baking savvy, get some sourdough starter and start pumping out your own batches!

I LOVE baking. I actually always wanted to make some sour dough but I never got around to doing it; this could be a project for the next couple of weeks! I also found a nearby bakery that makes pretty popular sourdough stuff, apparently.

 

[saod]

ما ادري مسموح الكتابة باللغة العربية الانجليزية عندي ضعيفة اللي فهمت انك تعاني من الغازات حسب تجربتي اذا كثرت الخبز الكامل اعاني من الغازات وبرضو الموز يجيني مشاكل الكارب ارز ابيض وبطاطس ابيض ما في اي مشاكل منه كل شخص مختلف حبيت انقل تجربتي يمكن تستفيد