Bruno's First Cycle Log

I've decided to take the plunge and do my first cycle. Strength & Muscle Gains at gym have been hard to come by lately and I'd like to get a little boost to reach my goals.

Goodies are on their way and I plan to start on Monday!

Current Stats:
- Age = 29
- Training for 11/12 years.
- Weight = 89/90kgs
- Height = bout 1.75m
- BF% = I estimate around 12/13% (top abs showing, vascular in some areas in upper body) [/li]

Latest strength stats in Big 3 Powerlifting lifts (all with no belt, gloves or wraps)
- Squat 170kgs for 5 reps
- Deadlift 190kgs for 5 reps
- BB Bench 125kgs for 5 reps

Cycle
My ultimate goal is to be and look like a strong mofo :evil: Single digit bf% is not as important to me..as long as my abs a visible and I have some separation between muscle groups I'll be happy. I estimate I'll be ultimately happy at a 95kg+ body weight at a bf% of 10/11%.
I'm a firm believer in easy comes-easy goes so I don't want to rush to get to my goals. With this first cycle, all I want to do is firstly determine how I react to test (concerned about gyno as I had pubescent gyno as a teenager) and secondly. break the 90 barrier but at a 11% bf (post pct). That said, my cycle will be:

• Week 1 - 12: Test E @ 500mg per week (pin 2x pw)
• Week 6 - 16: HCG 500iu per week (pin 2x pw)
• PCT 1 (since I am already taking HCG on cycle)
• Letro on hand (Hopefully there is no need for this )

I know that I will probably have to wait up to 6 weeks for the test to kick and I am happy with that: want to be able to see how I react to test and will add a kicker in a next cycle (slow and steady wins the race). With respect to Bridge, I am undecided between TBol or Anavar but will only make up my mind when I see hows it going in week 7/8.

Calories
Through using the various calorie formulas and trail a& error, I've found that my maintenance calories is around 2,700 cals. While I've been following IF for the pass 1 year and abit, I'm gonna follow a more traditional 6x meal a day eating plan at 3,000 cals per day. Working on it and will post it by the end of the week for comment.

Cheers for now!

Good luck Bro. I find running a log and taking regular pics help with motivation.
Enjoy

Thanks Rhino. I've taken a few pics and will upload them later as soon as I edit out my face.

With respect to training, I've found that I don't do well with volume...I burn out very quickly and I dont have much energy after the 3rd or 4th exercise. But i assume that while on cycle, I'll be able to recover far quicker therefore I should add more volume into my workouts.

Current Workout:

Tues

• Squat - 3 sets of 5 (150, 160, 170)
• Bench Press - 3 sets of 5 (115, 120, 125)
• Incline Bench - 3 sets of 8 (85)
• Weighted Chin Ups - 3 sets of 8 (Body weight, +_10kg and +15kg)

Wed

• Deadlift - 6 sets of 6 reps with 1 min rest in between (140)
• Standing Shoulder Press - 6 sets of 6 resp with 1 min rest (60)
• Barbell Bent over Row - 6 sets of 6 resp with 1 min rest (65)

Thurs (been lax with this lately over the past few weeks but need to start again)
30mins cardio

Friday

• Deadlift - 3 sets of 5(170, 180, 190)
• Standing Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 6 (75)
• Barbell Bent over Row - 3 sets of 8 (80, 85, 90)

Sat

• Squat - 6 sets of 6 with 1 min rest (125)
• Leg Press - 6 sets of 6 with 1 min rest (150)
• Bench Press - 6 sets of 6 with 1 min rest (95)
• Chin up - 6 sets of 6 with 1 min rest (BW)

Sun

• 30mins cardio (usually treadmill @ 5 km/h & 15% incline)
• Standing calf raise - 3 sets of 8 reps
• Hammer curls - 3 sets of 8 reps
• E-Z bar curl - 3 sets of 8 reps
• Tri extension - 3 sets of 8 reps
• Tri Pull down - 3 sets of 10 reps with no rest (decreasing weights 70, 60, 50)

With respect to the above, how do you guys suggest I increase volume? With what exercises and where? My only limitation is that on Wed and Friday I'm not able to make it to gym in time (work and family commitments) so I train at home. The only equipment I currently have at home is a Olympic Barbell and like 240kg of weights!

By the way, my goodies arrived this morning...super keen to get started. Just need to get my pins and syringes. To double check, is this all I need:

• 24x 3mil syringes
• 24 x 23G needles for the injection
• 24 x 21G needles for drawing from the vail
• 24 x alcohol swabs
• 20 x Insulin syringes & needles

Did I miss anything out?

Good luck bro, Im still undecided but wanted to do the exact same cycle as this and our stats are similar, actually you bigger than me by about +- 10kgs

Ill follow closely so regular updates should be in order

Can i ask what brand your gear is?

Will definitely make regular updates..best way to keep motivated, disciplined and working hard!

I'm using PGW's Test-E. Its dosed at 300mg/ml so I might do 600mg per week to keep the dosing easy (instead of injecting 0.83ml each time I'll just inject 1 ml).

Pics this morning (06/02/2013) first thing:

Just did my first vitamin B 12 and complex injection. 1ml of each in one shot in my quad. Had to push harder than expected to get the liquid in and initially my leg had a dull pain.. No pain at all 30mins later though

First test shot done... Ain't a natty any more! No pain whatsoever, just a little pinch. Really don't know why I was so scared all this time!

The diet I came up with:



Any suggestions as to how I can improve it?

Thanks

Bruno wrote: First test shot done... Ain't a natty any more! No pain whatsoever, just a little pinch. Really don't know why I was so scared all this time!

I spoke to soon, woke up with some serious PIP today... Limping like I had a heavy leg day last night! Doesn't help since today is a heavy squat day

Strange that it didn't happen with my first vit b12 & comp shot

Be careful not to go over 1ml of B-Complex per week. I used to have such hassles injecting Suspension into my legs, injection site used to swell up like a balloon

That's what I read in a previous discussion so I injected 1ml b12 & 1 ml bcomp into my right quad. Got minimal pain and was fine the next day.

Yesterday morning I pinned 1 ml Test-E into my left quad and everything was fine until this morning. Afterwards I realised i used a 5/8" 25G needle...I thought I bought 1" :oops: !

It seems to be getting worse but i guess its just virgin muscle and I've been warned that PGW's Test E may cause some injection pain.

At what point should I be concerned that the pain hasn't disappeared? 2 days?

00pump wrote: Be careful not to go over 1ml of B-Complex per week. I used to have such hassles injecting Suspension into my legs, injection site used to swell up like a balloon

Pump, why be careful of not more than 1ml B-Co per week?

Bruno wrote: That's what I read in a previous discussion so I injected 1ml b12 & 1 ml bcomp into my right quad. Got minimal pain and was fine the next day.

Yesterday morning I pinned 1 ml Test-E into my left quad and everything was fine until this morning. Afterwards I realised i used a 5/8" 25G needle...I thought I bought 1" :oops: !

It seems to be getting worse but i guess its just virgin muscle and I've been warned that PGW's Test E may cause some injection pain.

At what point should I be concerned that the pain hasn't disappeared? 2 days?

You'll be fine. It lasts a few days. Test is oil based so you cannot compare this with b12 water based intra muscle pain.

Pyroclasm wrote:

00pump wrote: Be careful not to go over 1ml of B-Complex per week. I used to have such hassles injecting Suspension into my legs, injection site used to swell up like a balloon

Pump, why be careful of not more than 1ml B-Co per week?

High doses of B-Co can cause nerve problems, blurred vision and neurological impairment to name a few

Bruno wrote:

Bruno wrote: First test shot done... Ain't a natty any more! No pain whatsoever, just a little pinch. Really don't know why I was so scared all this time!

I spoke to soon, woke up with some serious PIP today... Limping like I had a heavy leg day last night! Doesn't help since today is a heavy squat day

Strange that it didn't happen with my first vit b12 & comp shot

Hey bro, experiencing the same thing. Smaller dosage = less pain (less oil to absorb I'm guessing). I read it's just cause my muscle aren't used to such large amounts of external fluid being pushed in. On a smaller dose now and it feels much better.

Today is much better.. Pain still there and leg doesn't bend that easily but not limping at all. Guess it was just virgin muscle syndrome

Next injection tomorrow in the delts!

00pump wrote:

Pyroclasm wrote:

00pump wrote: Be careful not to go over 1ml of B-Complex per week. I used to have such hassles injecting Suspension into my legs, injection site used to swell up like a balloon

Pump, why be careful of not more than 1ml B-Co per week?

High doses of B-Co can cause nerve problems, blurred vision and neurological impairment to name a few

Agree with you bud but confused about the 1ml as a high dose?

Week 2 now. Weight as at this morning is 90.5kg.

Pinning had been going well except for that first one... PIP from first pin subsided enough for me to do legs on sat only! Tried squatting on wed but it wasn't pretty so decided to do a chest day. Delt on Thurs and right quad yesterday didn't result in any significant PIP

Obviously the test hasn't kicked in yet but definitely feeling the effects of upping my calorie intake... Despite eating more than I ever have over the past year I am still hungry all the time! Guess it's my metabolism firing on all cylinders!

With respect to training on cycle, do you guys stick to a regular 4/5 day a week split where you do one body part a week or do you train full body workouts? Somewhere in between, ie training same body part twice let week? I'm concerned that I may be training sub optimally while on cycle.

Bruno, how do u find your recovery doing deads 2x a week? I find doing deads from the floor incredibly taxing on the cns, so i usually do full deads on legs day for hamstring and glutes and then on back day I do rack pulls or partials for back thickness...just wondering how u find your recovery?

I actually don't find its an issue...but bear in mind that 1 of those days I go heavy but little volume (3 reps of 5) and I only do 1 other back exercise that day (BB rows) plus shoulder press...all heavy but little volume. To be honest, I feel the medium weight but higher volume and shorter rest periods to be more taxing on my system.

 

I also do sumo deads instead of conventional, find it places more emphasis on my back and hips than conventional and my knees are less stressed (have a left knee where I had reconstructive surgery done in my teens ).  Maybe thats why I'm not totally fried after these sessions?

Not sure to be honest if that's an issue. Maybe it's cos u do lower volume than I do, I am more of a volume kinda guy... after this show i have 16weeks to the next one so I am gonna be changing up my training style to a little less volume...

DJ, I am still amazed and awed at your transformation in just a year... Volume training and your approach to nutrition is definitely working for you!

I like to go heavy but can't handle much volume when I do... I burn out as soon as I go over 3 or 4 sets of more than 5 reps for squat and deads (other exercises I find me forgiving) . I've been doing that for years and now I've ended up being much stronger than I look.

I then incorporated higher volume days into my workout to get some hypertrophy but as you can see, my exercise choices and variety is still skewed towards heavy compound movements. I've basically just dropped the weight and increased the set /rep scheme and intensity.

Well then stick with it bro... keep going at it... I am doing loads or reading into doggcrap at the moment and I am super keen to give it ago..