DLTBB Progress Log

[DLTBB]

21st December

Cardio:

• N/A - Ankles, feet and knees all feeling a little tender from yesterday. Hoping to feel good enough to bike/treadmill it tomorrow. Either way, I smashed out 360 minutes at upwards of 140 (sometimes up to 180) BPM yesterday.

Push:
(Working in higher rep range today because my energy is still kind of sapped & heavy sets don’t feel sensible. Probably should have had a complete rest day, but I’m stubborn. )

• Machine flat press 4 x 12-15
• Seated press 4 x 12-15
• Dip machine 4 x 12-15
• Cross-body extension 4 x 15
• Cable rear fly superset Y-raise 2 rounds 15 reps per
• Fly 4 x 15

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility - Legs felt stiff and achy this morning so made this a priority and felt some immediate relief.

Wicked pump from the higher rep sets. Had to work a fair bit lighter but feel as if I got some benefit from the workout, even if it was just raising my heart rate and getting me out of the house for an hour. Nice to keep the blood flowing.

3lbs down since last session but I think I must have lost quite a bit of water from sweating yesterday. Going to make sure to rehydrate and get some carbs in me by the end of the day.

https://imgur.com/a/czNZGYg

 

[DLTBB]

22nd December

Cardio:

• N/A - Still have leg DOMS.

Pull:

• Wide-grip pull-down 4 x 6-12
• Cable row 3 x 6-8
• Chest supported T-bar 3 x 6-10
• Reverse pec-deck superset cable pull-over 3 x 8-12 on each
• Cable curl 3 x 10-12
• Seated incline DB curl 3 x 10-12

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility - Business as usual. Focused on trouble areas from hiking.

https://imgur.com/a/nXKyfmS

 

[DLTBB]

23rd December

Cardio:

• 25 minutes incline treadmill 140-150 BPM

Legs:

• Pendulum squat 3 x 6-8
• Bulgarian split squat 3 x 12 (using a kind of pulse technique where I’m staying in the mid 80% of the ROM, no lock-out etc.)
• Single leg press superset single leg extension 3 rounds 8-12 rep range
• Lying hamstring curl 3 x 8-12
• Standing calf raise 6 x 8-15 (holding final rep of each set in stretch for 30 seconds. Set 6 was a drop set also)

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility - a little more emphasis on ankle, hip and glute mobility today. Still a little pain in my knees today but manageable.

Managed to secure a bit of an early dart from work as it was super quiet. Trained in my second gym. There’s some good kit for legs but it’s small as it is and then you’ve got groups loitering around key pieces of equipment, people setting up tripods etc. Not good etiquette when it’s busy. What I did notice today is they’ve got a little supplement store in the gym and stock some good brands like STROM/TbJP, so I’ll use that in the future as ordering online can be a ball ache - waited 2 weeks for my last order. The lad on the desk persuaded me to try a scoop of a new PWO they’re stocking. Must’ve been loaded with beta alanine as my face felt tingly as f*ck throughout. Hate that feeling.

Buzzing to have a few days off for Christmas. My diet will be a little off no doubt but I’ll be sure to train when I can and any excess fat or water I gain, I’ll tidy up next week with an increase in cardio/reduction of calories. Certainly not going to stress about it and will indulge and enjoy eating. Little to no alcohol though, not really my thing.

Have a small stack of training/nutrition plans to create while I’m off. The side hustle has exploded this last week. People must be keen to get back into a good routine/get in shape as the new year approaches. Hoping to help create some solid transformations next year.

E2’s back in range after a little sprinkle of Aromasin and sleep/mood has improved as a result. Feeling a little bit of extra fullness now I’m on higher Test. The Primo/Mast are too low to be doing anything noticeable. I’ll probably add 25-50mg Var later down the line.

Pretty much ready for Christmas now. Done the food shopping, bought presents, got the house looking spotless. Excited to just relax and unwind now.

Hate to blow my own trumpet but my legs look legit enormous here:

https://imgur.com/a/mTz7AM4

 

[DLTBB]

24th December

Cardio:

• N/A - Christmas rush and all that.

Push:

• Standing barbell press 3 x 4-8
• Cable Y-raise 3 x 8-12 and 1 x 20
• Flat plate-loaded press 3 x 4-8 (aimed for 6 with 5PPS but couldn’t manage)
• Costal pec-deck 3 x 8-12
• Close grip machine press 3 x 6-8
• Cross-body extension 3 x 8-12 and 1 x 20

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility

And that concludes the pre-Christmas training and pretty much wraps up 2022. Very happy with this year’s progress. I can’t remember my weight in January but I’m up 40lbs since I was released in July 2021 and I’m probably a little leaner too. Scaled 2 out of 3 of the UK’s highest peaks. Brought 60 new clients on and helped make some great transformations. Set some solid foundations now and hoping next year is a big one.

 

[DLTBB]

Merry Christmas all.

Hope you guys had a nice day.

I’ve had a good one. Met family/friends in the pub about midday, visited my Nan who I’d not seen in 2 years (family squabbles), visited my parents and then spent the day and had dinner at my Mrs’s parents house with her family. Had 3 drinks and my diet had been shocking but it’s Christmas so I’m not too concerned. I’ve got one more night out arranged for the 30th and then I’ll be back at it 100% from there and hoping to make some great gains.

Some absolute helmet was mortal drunk as soon as I got in the pub at 12, shouting, causing a scene, calling the women behind the bar c*nts etc. All while there was kids about. I gave him a telling off and the landlady called the police. 3 cars and a van arrived shortly after and he was carted off and probably spent his day in a cell. Proper tool. Other than that, lovely day and nice to catch up with family and friends.

 

[DLTBB]

26th December

Cardio:

• N/A - 1 hour time limit.

Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps:

• Seated DB press 4 x 6-10 (up to 105lbs DBs, 90 degree angle)
• BTN Smith machine press 4 x 12-15 (didn’t used to have the shoulder mobility to do this comfortably, feels great now and incredible pump at high reps)
• Cable Y raise 3 x 12
• DB swings (chest against incline bench) 2 x 20-25
• Face away cable curl 3 x 6-12
• Crossbody extension 3 x 6-12
• 5 minutes of continuous superset preacher curl and V bar pushdown

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility (first thing in the morning at home)

https://imgur.com/a/yQ0yimz

Was due to train pull but my mate hadn’t trained since our last pull session and was complaining about doing it twice in a row so I cut him some slack and did something a little different. Wicked pumps from all the excess food but my gut is ruined. Must’ve shat ten times since last night. Diet will be a lot cleaner today but still not ideal. Business as usual tomorrow though.

 

[DLTBB]

27th December

Cardio:

• 25 minutes stationary bike 140-150BPM

Pull:

• Wide-grip pull-up (weighted +85lbs DB) 3 sets 15, 14, 10 and a rest pause + 2
• Chest supported T- bar (lat focus) 3 x 6-8 (5 plates)
• Iliac pull 3 x 6-10
• Close grip pull-down (MAG handle) 3 x 6-10 & 30 second hold in stretch on final rep
• Straight bar cable pullover 2 x 10-12
• Hyperextension 2 sets to failure

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility

More back volume than usual today as biceps felt well worked from yesterday. I was convinced I was in work today but found out it was a bank holiday last minute so it feels like a bonus day off work, buzzing with that.

Need to do a proper food shop today and get some proper food in. The excess chocolate and sweets are going in the bin. Sick of looking at them now.

 

[DLTBB]

28th December

Cardio:

• N/A

Legs:

• Pendulum squat 4 x 6-12
• SSB good morning 3 x 10-12
• Single hack squat 3 x 6-8
• Standing calf raise 6 x 6-12
• Sissy squat 3 sets to failure

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility

Pulled up at my original gym after work to find it had shut at 4PM. Disappointing. Had to go to gym #2 but must admit I was tempted to go home and call it a day. Different kind of session than originally planned as the equipment is completely different. The etiquette there isn’t the best either, people walking over from the other side of the gym claiming they’re still using certain machines etc. Order of the exercises was a little bit scrambled because of availability of equipment.

40 kilo PR for 6 rep calf raise (plates added to top of the machine), little bit unsteady as my lower back was fried but kept some decent control considering.

https://imgur.com/a/aLsd1r2

 

[DLTBB]

Finally had my biopsies reviewed from my colonoscopy months ago (the NHS is shit at the moment) and they're saying it looks like ileocolonic Chrohn's disease. Not ulcerative colitis as I'd originally expected but not too far off. They're going to arrange an outpatient clinic to discuss what treatments are needed. In all fairness, my symptoms are pretty tame at the moment and it isn't bothering me. It's just nice to have an answer, be sure I've not got cancer and be in the right hands to get treatment if my symptoms flare up again. Obviously not ideal to have it in the first place but feels much better than having things going wrong and being in the dark about what it is.

 

[DLTBB]

29th December

Cardio:

• 25 minutes incline treadmill 140-150BPM

Push:

• Plate-loaded chest press 3 x 6-8 (decline-ish angle, top set 4.5 PPS, 6th was a real grinder)
• Single pec deck 3 x 6-10
• Shoulder press 3 x 6-8 (it’s like a Smith machine with the stability but it’s split in the middle so you can press unilaterally, let me angle the bar directly over shoulders, really good. 6th rep of final set real grinder again)
• Plate-loaded lateral raise 3 x 6-10
• Triceps push down 3 x 6-10 & 1 x 20 (whatever you call the attachment below, feels unreal)
• Cable rears 2 x 20

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility

https://imgur.com/a/SE6qfKN

Had a chat with the bloke who runs the supplement store from the gym and decided to create an affiliate link as he stocks pretty much every supplement I’m recommending for on-cycle support to clients for the same price as buying direct. Helps a local business gain some traction, keeps client’s health in check and I get a small kickback, you can’t go wrong.

In a good spot to blow up as soon as I add an oral to this cycle.

https://imgur.com/a/Nl403Oa

 

[DLTBB]

30th December

Cardio:

• N/A

Pull:

I woke up with a pain/strain feeling in my sternum/mid-back so I spent about 10-15 minutes stretching, using bands and dead hangs from the bar to loosen up.

• Random challenge: 100 wide-grip pull-ups in as little sets as possible. 4 sets. Last set only had 7 remaining.
• Plate-loaded low row 3 x 6-8
• Narrow MAG pull down 3 x 6-8
• Iliac pull 3 x 8-12
• Barbell curl 3 x 6-8
• Single cable preacher 3 sets to failure

Misc:

• 30 minutes full body mobility

Discomfort has died down since training. Hopefully it’s nothing to worry about. May have just slept in an awkward position.

I’m going on a night out with a few friends tonight. I’ll have a few drinks and probably won’t get to bed until late. Let’s see if I can get myself in to the gym tomorrow for the final session of the year. I’m 50/50 about whether I’ll end up going but we’ll see.

 

[DLTBB]

Yep, definitely no training today. I had a lot to drink and not very much sleep. Good night and nice to see everybody but feeling sluggish today is going to put me in the right headspace to hit the ground running going into the new year. Won’t be doing much tonight at all! Have a good one all.