Cylon357's Super Cool Covid 2020 Weight loss comp log!

[Ghostman_SW]

The FitBit thing is pretty handy. I'm not paying for "premium access" but still get some pretty good data on my workouts, this is from the HIIT from Monday night (Squat day).

Attachment 181968

The only time I have premium is when I buy a new device and they give you 5 free months or something like that. The data is excellent but not for $10 or more a month.

Sleep premium will break down your sleep score further into Time Asleep, Deep & REM, and Restoration.

[Ghostman_SW]

Do you have Mobile Track active on your Fitbit? Helps put some extra steps on when pushing a grocery cart, etc.

[Cylon357]

The only time I have premium is when I buy a new device and they give you 5 free months or something like that. The data is excellent but not for $10 or more a month.

Sleep premium will break down your sleep score further into Time Asleep, Deep & REM, and Restoration.

Mine does the breakdown without the premium. One of the views looks like this from last night. I normally get 7 and a half or 8, that little bit of var seems to throw it off just a bit.

[Cylon357]

Do you have Mobile Track active on your Fitbit? Helps put some extra steps on when pushing a grocery cart, etc.

Oh my yes �� I want ALL the steps! It doesn't do a great job in the house, but outside it is pretty spot on. In the grocery seems to work well, too, must be something about the concrete block walls they build houses with here.

[Cylon357]

Neat little back workout tonight.

No deadlifts, maybe next week.

Started with pullups, 3x6-8 wide parallel grip, 2x6 closer 45 degree underhand grip, 1x6 wide grip.

Then setup the landmine setup for some rows. 3x10 close grip, 2x8 wide grip, 2x8 with alternating grip on the barbell itself, first the right hand on top, second set left hand on top.

Front squats, 1x6, 1x8 then 1x6 with more weight. Calf raises followed, 3x25.

Setup the cable rig and did one arm rows at about ribcage height, trying to really focus on pulling with the lats. 2x10 each side.

30 minute walk for LISS. Protein, shower and done.

[Cylon357]

Shoulders today. Had to keep it short... weekends go to fast (not that @Wango has that problem...)

Started with overhead presses got my 3x8 work sets in.

Moved to shrugs super setted with push-ups.

Triceps pushdowns super setted with ez curl bar curls, 3x10-12 each.

Cable flyes and reverse cable flyes, 2x10 each. Wrapped with dumbbell laterals, 2x10.

Upper body was looking pumped... well, pumped for me. I'll take it!

[wango]

Shoulders today. Had to keep it short... weekends go to fast (not that @Wango has that problem...)

Started with overhead presses got my 3x8 work sets in.

Moved to shrugs super setted with push-ups.

Triceps pushdowns super setted with ez curl bar curls, 3x10-12 each.

Cable flyes and reverse cable flyes, 2x10 each. Wrapped with dumbbell laterals, 2x10.

Upper body was looking pumped... well, pumped for me. I'll take it!

Smiling ear to ear brother The wife and I practically pinch ourselves everyday to make sure; trust me, we don’t take it for granted and truly count our blessings.

Man, a pump is a pump sometimes. After scrubbing the shower, I’ll peak in the bathroom mirror & check. Once, I was so proud, I went out to where my wife was sitting and showed her; she rolled her eyes, told me to not bother her and poof, pump was deflated.

[Cylon357]

Smiling ear to ear brother The wife and I practically pinch ourselves everyday to make sure; trust me, we don’t take it for granted and truly count our blessings.

Man, a pump is a pump sometimes. After scrubbing the shower, I’ll peak in the bathroom mirror & check. Once, I was so proud, I went out to where my wife was sitting and showed her; she rolled her eyes, told me to not bother her and poof, pump was deflated.

Our wives must be related!

[Cylon357]

Squat workout yay!

I wanted to mix it up some today, so I started with barbell squats. Hey I said SOME, not a whole lot. Got my work sets there.

Set up the landmine and did some squats with that, facing the landmine attachment. Sort of like a front / hack squat blend, or maybe the same angle that you would hit a tackling dummy at. Well, that YOU might hit a tackling dummy at, I'm not hitting that sucker. 3x10

Since I had the landmine setup, I decided to do rows instead of pull-ups, and I think I got my form and grip right this time. Felt it GOOD in the lats and not at all in the low back. 3x10

Calf raises, 3x20 followed. Then 2 sets each of leg extensions supered with leg curls, 10 to 15 reps each set.

LISS / MISS consisted of about of a mile jog a minute, walk a minute.

This grip turned upside worked well to get the lats. Very cool feel.

[wango]

Squat workout yay!

I wanted to mix it up some today, so I started with barbell squats. Hey I said SOME, not a whole lot. Got my work sets there.

Set up the landmine and did some squats with that, facing the landmine attachment. Sort of like a front / hack squat blend, or maybe the same angle that you would hit a tackling dummy at. Well, that YOU might hit a tackling dummy at, I'm not hitting that sucker. 3x10

Since I had the landmine setup, I decided to do rows instead of pull-ups, and I think I got my form and grip right this time. Felt it GOOD in the lats and not at all in the low back. 3x10

Calf raises, 3x20 followed. Then 2 sets each of leg extensions supered with leg curls, 10 to 15 reps each set.

LISS / MISS consisted of about of a mile jog a minute, walk a minute.

This grip turned upside worked well to get the lats. Very cool feel.

The equipment keeps expanding. Do you have room for more, what’s on the wishlist?

[Cylon357]

The equipment keeps expanding. Do you have room for more, what’s on the wishlist?

I generally try to snap things up if a bargain becomes available.

Not enough more room (yet) because The Wife wants us to have not 1 but 2 guest rooms. But, I think I can convince her that we could just use a Murphy bed in one of them, and move the aerobic equipment in there. Treadmill, climber and rowing machine.

As far as what I would like, some sort of leg press attachment for my rack would do. I was designing one of my own and planning on building it from wood, with some config options for doing shrugs, hack squats, vertical leg presses, MAYBE some horizontal push pull stuff. It sounds way more advanced than it is lol!

But then I decided to mock up the plans in metal and have a welder or machine shop take a look. That is still pending...

[Cylon357]

Bench day boogie time!

Note that this is a "bonus week", ie the fourth work week, so I'm rolling the dice on overdoing it, but cutting back on volume to get through it.

Anyhow, started with dumbbell bench press, 2x8, 1x6 work sets. Moved on to dips, 3x8, no weight.

Push-ups off the handles 3x12, followed by super sets of skull crushers and ezcurl bar curls, 2x10 each.

About a two mile walk for LISS, then chill time. HIIT will probably be on Saturday.

[Cylon357]

Back day, baby!

Reduced the volume but kept the intensity up. Week 4 almost done!

Started with pulldowns, 6x8-12, various grips, widths and weights. I had originally just wanted to do a few to warm the lats for chinups, but it was feeling fine so I went with it.

2 sets of chins followed, though not much in the tank, 2x6.

Set up that landmine thing and did rows. 6x8-12. The first two were testing out other grips, but I ended up using the same grip I did on Squat day. Oh actually I did so one extra set of both hands holding the barbell, 6 reps, 3 with right hand on top, 3 with left hand on top.

Believe it or not, that was it. My lats and uper back were fired up, and if this were week 1 or maybe even 3, I would have done some light leg work. But I knew I had yard work to do, and will be doing HIIT after shoulders tomorrow.

I did get in 10k+ steps with the yard work BTW, so I'm calling that good enough for LISS.

[wango]

Back day, baby!

Reduced the volume but kept the intensity up. Week 4 almost done!

Started with pulldowns, 6x8-12, various grips, widths and weights. I had originally just wanted to do a few to warm the lats for chinups, but it was feeling fine so I went with it.

2 sets of chins followed, though not much in the tank, 2x6.

Set up that landmine thing and did rows. 6x8-12. The first two were testing out other grips, but I ended up using the same grip I did on Squat day. Oh actually I did so one extra set of both hands holding the barbell, 6 reps, 3 with right hand on top, 3 with left hand on top.

Believe it or not, that was it. My lats and uper back were fired up, and if this were week 1 or maybe even 3, I would have done some light leg work. But I knew I had yard work to do, and will be doing HIIT after shoulders tomorrow.

I did get in 10k+ steps with the yard work BTW, so I'm calling that good enough for LISS.

Darn tooting, yard work counts! What truly kicks my old ass is getting our shower perfectly clean. That’s almost an hour job there & way too much bending and shoulder work at awkward angles.

[Cylon357]

Shoulder workout today! Last day of week four!

Barbell overhead press to start, 3x7 work sets.

Decided to keep it relatively easy with regard to the weights, so went to tricep pushdowns super setted with ezcurl bar curls, 3x10 to 12.

Cable flyes and cable reverse flyes followed, 3x8-12. Dumbbell laterals finished it, 2x8.

Then, the HIIT.
2 minutes hammer work
1 minute rest
2 minutes shadow boxing
1 minute rest

3 rounds of that, 12 work minutes.

The hammer tire work involved both the big and little hammers, and a new 40 pound slam ball. So 45 seconds with the big hammer, 45 seconds with the small ones, then 30 seconds with the ball.

Shadow boxing involved 50 seconds of shadow boxing, 15 push-ups then the remainder of the round in more shadow boxing.

Thought I was gonna die, but I didn't this time. And that was the end of week 4, woo hoo!

[spywizard]

have you tried static lifts for the overhead??? In a smith machine, load about 25% more than your PR... then get an assisted lift, (don't hold in lock out) then lower it counting to 12... if you can get to 12 you don't have enough weight on.. and for safety, obviously is why we use a machine... only do this 1x per week for 6 weeks, will push you through any sticking points..

[Cylon357]

have you tried static lifts for the overhead??? In a smith machine, load about 25% more than your PR... then get an assisted lift, (don't hold in lock out) then lower it counting to 12... if you can get to 12 you don't have enough weight on.. and for safety, obviously is why we use a machine... only do this 1x per week for 6 weeks, will push you through any sticking points..

I have not tried that, at least not yet. I started moving more into isolation movements and focusing more on feel and "pump" than on the weights themselves. Old(er) joints just don't dig the poundage as much as younger. Plus, I work out almost exclusively at home and don't have a smith machine add on.... yet!

[spywizard]

I hear you on the joints... I don't do heavy anymore either, still get the results i want, more lean and striated... healthier for me too..

[Cylon357]

So this has been an easy deload week so far.

I did about a 3 mile walk yesterday, and rode a bike for about 30 minutes today. Easy ride, no real intervals or anything. Then my crazy, supposed to be deloading a** went and said "dur, why me no jog half mile?" so I did that, too. Left calf kept cramping up,and that encouraged breaks, but there was only 3 and I kept them under 10 seconds each.

Weights tomorrow, maybe.

[Cylon357]

BTW, I had moved the cream dosage up to 3x a day,but I think I got too much PSA from that. Dropped it back down to 2x a day, and things improved in like 3 days. The cream does have a short half life (like 3 hours) but I would not have guessed DHT and PSA would come down that fast. It COULD have been a bout of prostatitis, though I usually have to hit that with antibiotics.

I felt that extra bump of test though, especially in the libido department. From what I can tell, the cream brings more dht, less estrogen, at least as compared to injections. I've got some pharmacom test cyp I may experiment with shortly, either replacing the cream entirely or finding some best of both worlds approach. I suspect the former, but that cream is handy for traveling and what not.

[Cylon357]

Week 4 starts tomorrow, so I've been taking it somewhat easy. We did go look at some new cars for The Wife today, didn't buy anything yet.

But on the more interesting front, what the heck is Cylon up to tonight??



Details later....

[wango]

Week 4 starts tomorrow, so I've been taking it somewhat easy. We did go look at some new cars for The Wife today, didn't buy anything yet.

But on the more interesting front, what the heck is Cylon up to tonight??



Details later....

Nice gear! What ride are you buying for your queen?

[Ghostman_SW]

Week 4 starts tomorrow, so I've been taking it somewhat easy. We did go look at some new cars for The Wife today, didn't buy anything yet.

But on the more interesting front, what the heck is Cylon up to tonight??



Details later....

Eager to see what you think about Pharmacom. Tried ordering over a week ago but their customer service is nonexistent right now.

[Cylon357]

Nice gear! What ride are you buying for your queen?

She is looking at both the Acura TLX and the Audi A4. I personally wasn't blown away by either. She has a 20 year old Acura TL that still rides like a dream with a quarter of a million miles on it, but even for Honda / Acura, that mileage is starting to push it.

I gotta stop before I start saying things like "what's this 'hold the brake' thing?? In my day, if you took your foot off the brake, you went forward grumble grumble"

[Cylon357]

Eager to see what you think about Pharmacom. Tried ordering over a week ago but their customer service is nonexistent right now.

If you got it from their store, then yeah, their comms are spotty, IIRC. Still, it did arrive. In fact, in my (limited) experience, it seems that most vendors comms are at best so-so.

[Cylon357]

Nice gear! What ride are you buying for your queen?

And to expand on the gear part, I'm a bit paranoid after my first test injection left me with an infection. So, I'm filtering some into the sterile vial and going to draw from that for my first injection.

BTW, if you hear that GSO is easy to draw, eh, that depends. This doesnt seem like it to me, but I am used to water based goods. It took about 3 minutes to push 1.5 ml through a .1 micron sterile filter. Yeah, a bit overkill, but like I said, paranoid. That was with a 25g needle, though drawing didn't take nearly that long (but still a little bit)

#noob

[Cylon357]

Eager to see what you think about Pharmacom. Tried ordering over a week ago but their customer service is nonexistent right now.

Just did my first low volume subq injection, just to test tolerance to the carrier and to see how well it does subq. .10 ml (25mg C) with a 1/2 ml 1/2" 27g insulin pin in the fat of the glute. We will see what we see...

Edit to add: drawing into the the insulin pin did seem easier than drawing into the 3ml syringe. Volume is a factor...

[Ghostman_SW]

If you got it from their store, then yeah, their comms are spotty, IIRC. Still, it did arrive. In fact, in my (limited) experience, it seems that most vendors comms are at best so-so.

It took them 12 days just to respond but they finally have. That is a relief. Order is processing.

[Ghostman_SW]

Just did my first low volume subq injection, just to test tolerance to the carrier and to see how well it does subq. .10 ml (25mg C) with a 1/2 ml 1/2" 27g insulin pin in the fat of the glute. We will see what we see...

Edit to add: drawing into the the insulin pin did seem easier than drawing into the 3ml syringe. Volume is a factor...

I based my purchase off your comments about using grape seed oil as the carrier.

[Cylon357]

I based my purchase off your comments about using grape seed oil as the carrier.

MCT and GSO are supposed to be among the best tolerated. I THINK MCT may flow better than GSOin general,but I would bet that varies by vendor.

I'm going to see what the injection site looks like in the morning. That will be a good test. If no problems, then I will probably cut back on the cream and use 50 to 75 mg Test C per week with it. Work in progress though so if I need to pivot, that's what I will do.

[wango]

And to expand on the gear part, I'm a bit paranoid after my first test injection left me with an infection. So, I'm filtering some into the sterile vial and going to draw from that for my first injection.

BTW, if you hear that GSO is easy to draw, eh, that depends. This doesnt seem like it to me, but I am used to water based goods. It took about 3 minutes to push 1.5 ml through a .1 micron sterile filter. Yeah, a bit overkill, but like I said, paranoid. That was with a 25g needle, though drawing didn't take nearly that long (but still a little bit)

#noob

Actually I got a new batch (new brand) of syringes & needles, that I swear I’m having a hell of a time drawing just my test into, wtf.

BTW, never liked the 3ml syringes myself, even when I was combining 3 compounds. I’m a fan of 1 ml. With a 3/4 inch needle. For IM, it’s a breeze with pecs and delts & I still use it for Sub-Q.

[Cylon357]

Squat day, woo hoo!

First day back, and thus first day of week 1 of 3.

Squats, kept it easy'ish because I didn't work out last week much and don't want to be hobbled for several days. Anyhow, got my target with barbell squats.

Kept it in the rack and did calf raises, 3x20. They were firing tonight!

Leg extensions and leg curls, 2 sets each, 10 to 15 each set.

Then things got "interesting". By interesting, I mean "nobody gives a rats red rump about this".

Set up the land mine and did forward facing squats with the barbell first on one shoulder, then the other, 2x10. Left the setup and did rows with the narrow grip pulldown attachment under the barbell with a pad between it and the bar. 3x10. I did 2x6 pull-ups as well, lats were jabbering with me pretty good too.

Went out and slogged a mile in 11 minutes flat. I call it a victory today. Edit: my mile time was actually 10:23

Pool, shower and now enjoying some ground turkey tacos with The Wife.

And I will probably be Fred Sanford'ing around by Wednesday.

[Cylon357]

No reaction at the injection site this morning, BTW. No redness, no swelling, no lump. It was only .10 ml, but I will up that on Thursday to .15 or maybe .20 ml and see how that goes. It is Test C, so I can't say that I'm feeling anything from it yet, but lets see where we land in 4 to 6 weeks, should all go well.

BTW, regarding my previous infection... I used a different lab that uses MCT oil. It was also a test prop / cyp blend and .30 ml, IIRC. I injected on Friday evening and by Saturday morning when I woke up, it had lumped up and gone red. By Sunday morning, the red sort of took on a checker board look, spread some and was warm / hot to the touch. I went to the minor med Sunday afternoon, and got some meds for a "b-12 shot gone wrong". Anyhow, antibiotics knocked it out in a couple of weeks.

And that is the source of my paranoia lol!

It could be that had I taken the same precautions with the previous lab (filtering, starting with a smaller dose, just one ester, etc) that it would have been fine. But I don't want to have to filter the products I'm using. I bet that PharmaCom will be GTG without all the extra steps, like I said, just a bit paranoid right now.

[Ghostman_SW]

By starting with the lower dose, how would have it helped with the infection?

[Cylon357]

By starting with the lower dose, how would have it helped with the infection?

I don't know that it would have, just speculation. Maybe lower volume would equal lower bacteria count and maybe that level, the body could have handled on its own?

I'm neither a doctor nor do I have a background in natural science, so it is possible I have no clue what I am talking about...

[Cylon357]

Bench day yay!

I have had a hard time getting a good start on week 1. First, I shifted from Sunday to Monday, not a crime in and of itself. Then yesterday I felt blah and moved Bench day to day. Still no crime, and I got back on track. I just felt like crap yesterday, who knows why.

Dumbbell bench to start. 3 work sets, 8, 5, 6 then 2x6 45 degree incline presses with my 8 flat weight.

Dips, 1x8, then 2x10. No weight and really got the outside of my upper pecs with these and the incline presses.

Skull crushers super setted with barbell curls, 3x10 each.

2 mile walk for LISS, then in the pool, shower, protein and chilling with you animals.

Life is groovy, baby!

[Cylon357]

To add, I will up my dose of the PharmaCom Test C to a .20ml (50mg) subq injection tomorrow morning. Again, I'm testing volume and reaction, likely to punt the cream for anything except travel. Cream just brings too much DHT.

BTW, I guess I am a "roided up freak" now. Test, proviron , anavar , hgh are all in my system at one time or another. I'm just doing two types of test (cream and C) right now with hcg , but once I get the protocol solidified a little more, I will add in some hgh again and maybe proviron on the regular.

[Cylon357]

I did my second subq shot of PharmCom's Test C this morning, no issues to report yet. This was .20ml which is 50mg. This volume seemed to sit in the body without issue - I couldn't even tell where it was after the injection. This carrier (GSO) seems to sit with me much better than the MCT I mentioned previously, though I recognize not all MCT (or GSO for that matter) is created equal.

Still doing two a day with the cream but over the next week or two I'm going to taper that down to first one a day, then probably just cut it off IF I decide I want to run the 2x week injections as my HRT instead of the cream. I will save the cream for when I travel, though, I think it makes a lot of sense. I may just stick with the cream and add low dose dutasteride (.1mg per week). What I have prescribed from the doc is actually in a gel cap form, so it should be relatively easy to blend with everclear.

Eh, we will see where we land. Life is a journey, Jack, not a destination!

[Cylon357]

I thought I had added this already, but evidently not. I drew and injected the second injection with a 29g insulin pin. This was S L O W. The 27g I used for the first injection will likely be what I use going forward, but man, I did NOT feel that 29g needle. The logical thing to do is to find a 28g and give that a go, but I have something of a pin surplus right now, so I really should just use what I have.

Mild soreness this morning in the injection area, but no redness or swelling. I can't even feel a lump, which obviously is good. I might not notice the soreness if I didn't know I had done an injection in that spot. I'm calling the GSO good to go, at least after filtering. The next batch I filter, I will use a .22 micron pvdf or nylon filter and see how that works.

[Cylon357]

Quick back day today. By quick, I mean like 40 minutes, so there was no half stepping.

Started with pullups, various grips. 5x6, no weight.

Setup the land mine deal and did rows, 1x12, 2x10, 2x8, 2x5. Increasing weight and various grips here too.

Goblet squats super setted with kettlebell swings, 2x10 each. Calf raises with dumbbells, 2x20.

That was it today, just was time crunched. But, a good workout, even if quick, is better than nothing!