Ruckin's first cycle log: test cyp only [IV gear]

[ruckin]

Jeez I can't believe it's almost time. I'm planning to take my first shot on Monday. Thank you so much to all of the great guys here at meso who have helped me learn so much valuable info since I joined 9 months ago. I wouldn't be in such a good position to start this without you all.

The tentative plan is 500 mg/week test cyp for 15 weeks. Pharma aromasin and nolvadex will be on hand to combat possible estro issues.

My current weight is ~235 lbs at 6'2. My goals for the summer are pretty aggressive but realistic I think: I'd like to finish weighing at least 260, and hopefully a little leaner than I am now. If I lose 5+ lbs of fat during the process while adding that much good mass I'm pretty confident that I'll be lean enough to have veins showing in my abs. My biggest gym goal is to squat 500 lbs olympic style ass-to-grass (current best is 395). I'm also shooting for a 375 bench (current best is 320), press goal is 235 or so (current best is 205), and deadlift goal is 600 (haven't maxed in a while but I can probably get 470-480 now). Also, this is my off-season prep for the fall rugby season, so for the last 10 weeks I'll be heavily focusing on maximizing my fitness. For any of my rugby brothers reading this I've always played 2nd row but I want to move to tighthead prop, hence the desired weight gain.

Training plan is full-body, 3 days per week, alternating between 2 workouts. First 5 weeks will be higher reps/volume than I'm used to and I'll slowly lower the reps and increase the intensity (% of 1RM) as the summer progresses and I add in more conditioning.

Workout A:
power cleans: 3 reps x5 sets
bench: 12x3
squat: 12x3
dumbbell rows: 12x3
incline bench: 12x2
chin ups: 1 set max reps
power shrugs: 12x3
weighted planks: 30 seconds x 2 sets
optional: curls or side raises

Workout B:
power cleans: 3x5
press: 12x3
squat: 12x3
deadlift: 10 singles in 10 min [I'll be alternating this with rack pulls 10x3 every other workout B]
incline bench: 12x2
chins: 12x3 [or similar volume with lower reps until I'm strong enough to do this many BW chins]
weighted planks: 30 seconds x 2 sets
optional: curls or side raises

conditioning session 1x/week just to maintain my current fitness as best as I can.


This is just for the first few weeks. I'll be changing the reps and sets later in the cycle as I mentioned before but the exercise selection won't change much.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Kinikuman]

Your training program looks good for gaining the mass you want. Might I suggest you throw in a 6 week Soviet-style peaking program or 2 in there to really help you blast up your 1RMs? I have found these style programs to give very good results with both the squat and bench.

I'll be following this.

 

[ruckin]

Your training program looks good for gaining the mass you want. Might I suggest you throw in a 6 week Soviet-style peaking program or 2 in there to really help you blast up your 1RMs? I have found these style programs to give very good results with both the squat and bench.

I'll be following this.

Do you have a link to what program you're specifically thinking of? Or could you elaborate further on it? I know those soviets were all about maximizing their sport performance so this sounds interesting.

 

[Colt44]

Looks good. I'll be following. Did you get pre bloods and do you plan to get mid?

 

[Kinikuman]

There are 18 workouts over a six-week period. The top number is the % of your 1RM that you will use for the set. The bottom is your RepsxSets. So, 2x6 would be 6 sets of doubles at whatever % of 1RM selected. I have failed the program but it has never failed me. It looks like this:

 

[ROB581211]

Good luck on your cycle. Looks like you got a good plan laid out. Look forward to seeing your progress

 

[ruckin]

Looks good. I'll be following. Did you get pre bloods and do you plan to get mid?

I have not gotten pre cycle bloods but I do intend to get them in a couple months when my test levels are stabilized to gauge the quality of my gear.

There are 18 workouts over a six-week period. The top number is the % of your 1RM that you will use for the set. The bottom is your RepsxSets. So, 2x6 would be 6 sets of doubles at whatever % of 1RM selected. I have failed the program but it has never failed me. It looks like this:
View attachment 23757

This looks like an excellent peaking program. I will definitely keep this in the back of my mind for future use, but it looks like something that would be used by a more advanced athlete who actually needs 6 weeks to progress and peak for an event. I plan on being able to add weight to the bar nearly every workout for the length of this cycle, so I believe that utilizing a standard linear progression strategy will yield the best results given my situation. Thank you for sharing this, I'm definitely saving it for future use.

 

[Colt44]

I have not gotten pre cycle bloods but I do intend to get them in a couple months when my test levels are stabilized to gauge the quality of my gear.

Come on Ruck. 9 months of studying and you're not getting pre-cycle labs? More important than the quality of gear is ensuring you make a full recovery post cycle. How are you to know that without a baseline? You can wing it I suppose but you can also take all guesswork out of the equation with one simple test. It's your world but you're probably going to wish you had when recovery is attempted. Just my 2 cents man. Good luck.

 

[ruckin]

Come on Ruck. 9 months of studying and you're not getting pre-cycle labs? More important than the quality of gear is ensuring you make a full recovery post cycle. How are you to know that without a baseline? You can wing it I suppose but you can also take all guesswork out of the equation with one simple test. It's your world but you're probably going to wish you had when recovery is attempted. Just my 2 cents man. Good luck.

I understand that it's something I should be doing, and I genuinely appreciate your concern. The reason, and I'm sure I'll get flak for this, is that the testing isn't available in my state, so with the cost of gas to drive all the way to an out of state labcorp and back in addition to the $50+ for the test, I just can't justify spending that with how tight of a budget I'm on, when I still need to pay my rent and all these other bills. I was barely able to afford the gear and ancillaries. Now I'm sure I'll get shit for that, and people will say I need to get my priorities straight, but taking this leap is something I need to do in order to reach my goals and live the life I want, so I'm doing what I can to make that happen. I'm willing to live with the consequences.

 

[Colt44]

I understand that it's something I should be doing, and I genuinely appreciate your concern. The reason, and I'm sure I'll get flak for this, is that the testing isn't available in my state, so with the cost of gas to drive all the way to an out of state labcorp and back in addition to the $50+ for the test, I just can't justify spending that with how tight of a budget I'm on, when I still need to pay my rent and all these other bills. I was barely able to afford the gear and ancillaries. Now I'm sure I'll get shit for that, and people will say I need to get my priorities straight, but taking this leap is something I need to do in order to reach my goals and live the life I want, so I'm doing what I can to make that happen. I'm willing to live with the consequences.

No flak here. I understand the situation. Weak ass excuse for your health but you do you.(Ok a little flak) You going to be able to afford the food? Hope you reach your goals man, truly.

 

[Seven]

What days are you pinning?

Subbed
Good Luck

 

[ruckin]

What days are you pinning?

Subbed
Good Luck

Thanks brother. I'm planning on doing 500 mg once per week, and I should be starting on monday so looks like it'll be every monday.

Actually looking at my schedule for the next week it might be a better idea for me to start on tuesday or wednesday, but either way it'll be once per week. I know that everyone likes to have "more stable blood levels" but I've heard enough from some experienced vets to convince me that pinning more less frequently, and getting that spike in hormone levels seems to yield slightly better gains. If the sides start to bother me too much though, if at all, I can switch to twice per week to try to combat that.

 

[ruckin]

Not on yet but I started my off-season program today that I'll be doing so I figure I'll start logging now.

numbers listed as weight x reps x sets, or weight x reps, reps reps, etc. if I didn't do the same reps each set.
Power cleans: 195x3x5
press: 120x12,12,8
squat: 245x12x3
deadlifts: 375x1x12 [8 min] [What I've been doing for deads lately is I set a timer and do as many singles as I can in that time. Gonna bump the weight up to 385 next time]
paused incline bench: 155x12,10
chin ups: 244x5x4
weighted planks: 65x30 seconds x2

What a humbling workout lol. I've never done so many high-rep sets before. I'm so gassed. I hated having to lower the weights so much but I have to leave my ego at the door if I want my plan to work.

 

[ruckin]

Well brothers, the deed is done. I've officially handed in my natty card. Finished the pin at 9:58 pm tonight. It went very smoothly. I was profusely sweating the whole time lol. I definitely did not keep the pin steady so I'll be expecting some pip tomorrow, hopefully high rep squats help out with that haha.

Jeez I just can't believe I finally actually did it. I feel like this isn't real life... No turning back now though, time to make my dreams come true.

I had my anthem playing on my phone while I did it. I know I'm in the minority here but this song is without question the greatest piece of music ever written to me. It's perfect for every situation for me



Can't wait to kill it in the gym tomorrow!

 

[Colt44]

No wonder you couldn't hold the pin steady. That song made me want to shot put kittens and kick the shit out of some puppies. Then kill myself. lmfao

But congrats are in order. The cherry is popped.

 

[ruckin]

No wonder you couldn't hold the pin steady. That song made me want to shot put kittens and kick the shit out of some puppies. Then kill myself. lmfao

But congrats are in order. The cherry is popped.

Lmao yeah i'm probably a little insane, I can easily fall asleep listening to that song. Thanks for the congrats colt!

 

[ruckin]

Holy moley, I was not expecting the workout I just had. First of all, I have some decent pip in my glute today, it isn't too bad that I couldn't do my normal workout though. What DID keep me from doing my normal workout really caught me off guard. I'm doing my squats, and after the first and second sets I thought I was gonna pass out, i've never come that close to fainting from training before. I barely made it through my last set and I had to leave. I'm laying at home in my bed right now about to take a nap, it was that bad. I also experienced the most extreme pump I've ever felt in my lower back, it was borderline painful on the drive home.

I'll be returning to the gym later to finish the workout and i'll update the reat of the day tonight. I feel like a pussy for leaving but I think I would have actually passed out if I stayed there. All I can say is wow. I have no clue why that happened.

 

[Seven]

It wouldn't have been good laying on the floor out cold. You made the right decision. You'll be alright....maybe

 

[ruckin]

What an interesting day. So as I said in my earlier post, I almost passed out in the gym during squats, which freaked me out a lot. I still don't know if it had something to do with the test or if it was just a coincidence that it happened the day after my first dose.

Anyway, my second trip to the gym went well lol. here is my total workout for today:

power cleans: 200x3x5
bench: 205x12,12,11
squat: 250x12x3 (I squat olympic style ass to grass just for the record)

*5 hour break and a nap lol*

dumbbell rows: 90sx12,12,15 (for each side obviously. I use no momentum when I row by the way, very strict form.)
paused incline bench: 175x8x2
chins: 242x8
power shrugs: 365x12x3
weighted planks: 65x30 sec x2
bb curls: 65x12x3 supersetted with side raises: 40sx12x3

Pip has not seemed to decrease yet, hopefully by tomorrow morning it'll be getting better. Still not bad though.

 

[ruckin]

PIP unfortunately was worse yesterday than it was on Tuesday, but it's a little tiny bit better today. Fortunately I've still been able to squat and clean though, it just isn't as fun as normal lol. My glute is swollen, not red though, but pretty sore. I can just barely walk without a limp but if I'm going up stairs I look like an old man.

So yesterday I did an hour of cardio, sort of. I walked to and from my gym which is a 15 min walk each way, and I did 30 min of incline walking on a treadmill. Today I had a brutal workout, I didn't quite feel fully recovered from Tuesday's workout but I was still able to hit most of my goal numbers.

power cleans: 200x3x5
press: 120x12,12,11
front squat: 185x12x3
rack pulls (from just a hair above the knee): 405x8x3
paused incline bench: 155x12x2
chins: 245x5x4
weighted planks: 70x30 sec x2

I really need this pip to subside by Saturday so I can do some conditioning. It's already been around 2 weeks since I've ran so I really need to get back on that at least once a week until the fall season draws closer.