The average weight for your weigh-ins from July 1st to July 31st is 169.74.

The average weight for your weigh-ins from June 1st to June 30th was 170.03.

 

I go by a running 30 day Average as one can fluctuate from day to day weigh ins.  So I’m holding pretty steady from June into July.  

 

Went to bed 7:30 and I did lay and watch tv but it wasn’t long before I went to bed but both OURA and GARMIN had me falling asleep around 10pm.

 

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 53

4 hours and 53 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 54

4 hours and 9 minutes

 

The good news is today is the day. My month prescription of my TRT Gel. For some reason on occasion I run out of the gel before my subscription arrives. A few times it had been the providers failure to ship on time but this time it’s arriving 30 days from the last one arrived but I ran out of it about 5 days ago. So tonight I’ll use half a doze after it arrives then go back to my am routine tomorrow. Later next week I get my blood work done then I’ll have my doctor check-in.

May 6, 2023 – 268 ng/dL

August 18, 2023 – 1120 ng/dL

March 6, 2024 – 969 ng/dL

September 26, 2024 – 710 ng/dL

March 11, 2025 – 821 ng/dL

STRENGTH – July 12th – August 23rd

ENDURANCE -August 26th – August 30th

TAPER – September 2nd – September 20th

COMBO – A bit of Legs, Back and Biceps

1 hour and 10 minutes

5 mins Easy Indoor Cycling

120 lbs x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

1 min rest between sets

(Last Time 115 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 110 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 105 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 176 lbs at 94.62% 1RM / PR x Reps 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 172.5 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 3)

(Prior Time 170 x 4 / 3 / 4 / 4 / 5)

(Prior Time 167.5 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 4)

 

Standing Curlbar Curls w/ Armblaster (PR 60 lbs) at 60 lbs at 100% 1RM / PR x Reps 6 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 5

2 min rest between sets

(27.5 lbs on each side)

(Last Time 60 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 4)

(Prior Time 60 x 4 / 4 / 5 / 4 / 3)

(Prior Time 55 x 6 / 7 / 6 / 4 / 6)

 

Seated Cable Row at 181.0 lbs at 90.5% 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 5 / 5 / 5

2 min rest between sets

(PR 200)

(Last Time 178.5 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 5)

(Prior Time 176 x 7 / 7 / 5 / 5)

(Prior Time 176 x 6 / 6 / 4 / 5)

 

Shower, Drive and Eat Banana then on to next gym…

TEACH 30 min Indoor Cycle class

 

FRI – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

SAT – CHESTIE (Endurance Set) + PELOTON WALK+RUN

SUN- COMBO

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST (then at a work event at 6:30am)

WED – SWIM w/ Team (Triathletes)

THU– COMBO (then at a work event at 6:30am)

 

Wine & Dine 10K – OCT 25th

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1st

Springtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

 

NONE

 

SCY- 35,950

SCM – 83.650

LCM – 48,100* updated post Wed swim.

 

– 24th Annual Gainesville Senior Games

500 Free

100 Back

100 Fly

50 Fly

100 IM

– 2025 ROB CURRY PANCAKE PENTATHLON

Sept 21st

100 Fly

100 Back

100 Breast

100 Free

200 IM

–3rd Annual SWAGtoberfest Meet October 12th

TBD

– T.V. Senior Games April 18 & 19, 2026

TBD

It sounds like you had a productive day, despite the sleep challenges and the slight hiccup with your TRT Gel prescription!

Sleep and Recovery

It’s definitely frustrating when your sleep trackers disagree, especially when you feel like you went to bed earlier. Both Oura and Garmin putting you around 10 PM with similar low scores (53 and 54 respectively) and under 5 hours of sleep suggest a poor night’s rest. It’s great you’re back on your TRT Gel tonight, as that can certainly impact sleep quality and overall recovery. Hopefully, getting back on your regular dose will help improve your sleep metrics.

TRT Levels and Workout Phases

It’s good to see you’re staying on top of your TRT levels with consistent tracking and doctor check-ins. Your levels have fluctuated, which is expected, but you’re keeping an eye on it. Getting your blood work done next week will give you a clear picture of where you stand after resuming your gel.

Your planned training phases, Strength (July 12th – August 23rd), Endurance (August 26th – August 30th), and Taper (September 2nd – September 20th), are well-structured for your upcoming swim meets in September.

Thursday, July 31st Workout

You had a solid Combo workout today focusing on Legs, Back, and Biceps.

* Seated Leg Extension: You made excellent progress here, increasing the weight from 115 lbs to 120 lbs for 4 sets of 8 reps. That’s a clear sign of strength gains!

* Cable Lat Pulldown: You maintained your weight at 176 lbs for 5 sets of 4 reps, which is a good effort, especially considering it’s at 94.62% of your 1RM. While you didn’t quite match all 5 reps in the last set compared to prior times, consistently hitting 4 reps at this high percentage is impressive.

* Standing Curlbar Curls w/ Armblaster: You hit your PR of 60 lbs for the first two sets of 6 reps, then 5 reps for the remaining sets. This shows you’re pushing your limits and maintaining high intensity on your biceps.

* Seated Cable Row: You lifted 181 lbs for 4 sets of 5 reps, which is an increase from your last session. This is great progress, moving closer to your PR of 200 lbs.

Overall, this was a strong workout with notable improvements in your leg extensions and cable row, and sustained high intensity on your bicep curls. You managed a tough session despite the reported poor sleep, which speaks to your dedication.

Looking Ahead

Your upcoming training schedule is packed and varied:

* Friday: Swim with Team (Masters)

* Saturday: Chest Endurance Set + Peloton Walk+Run

* Sunday: Combo

* Monday: Swim with Team (Masters)

* Tuesday: Chest (with a work event early morning)

* Wednesday: Swim with Team (Triathletes)

* Thursday: Combo (with a work event early morning)

This looks like a challenging but balanced week, integrating your swimming, lifting, and teaching. Be mindful of the early morning work events on Tuesday and Thursday, as they might impact your ability to get enough sleep, especially considering your recent sleep struggles.

rUNDISNEY and Swim Competitions

It’s great to see your race calendar laid out! You have some exciting runDisney events to look forward to: Wine & Dine 10K (Oct 25th), WDW 5K (Jan 8th), and Princess Half (March 1st).

Your upcoming swim competitions in September and October, leading into the Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic in 2026 and T.V. Senior Games in 2026, show a strong commitment to your swimming goals. Your consistent tracking of SCY, SCM, and LCM distances is excellent for monitoring your progress.

Overall Assessment

Considering the less-than-ideal sleep, you still delivered a very good workout with clear strength gains in several areas. The immediate goal should be to prioritize sleep and recovery as you get back on your TRT gel schedule. Keep up the excellent work in tracking your progress and staying committed to your fitness goals!

Do you have any specific goals you’re focusing on for the upcoming Strength phase?

That’s a fantastic and very common goal! The “V-shape” physique is highly sought after, emphasizing broad shoulders and a wide back that tapers down to a narrower waist. To achieve a bigger chest and back, particularly focusing on that V-taper, you’ll want to prioritize specific exercises and training principles.

Here’s how you can approach it, keeping your current routine and goals in mind:

1. Focus on Compound Movements:

These exercises recruit multiple muscle groups and are highly effective for building overall mass and strength.

* For Chest:

* Barbell Bench Press (Flat, Incline, Decline): Incline is particularly good for upper chest development, which contributes to a fuller, more “lifted” look. Flat bench is great for overall mass.

* Dumbbell Press (Flat, Incline): Allows for a greater range of motion and helps address muscle imbalances.

* Dips (Chest variation): A powerful bodyweight exercise for the lower chest.

* For Back (especially for the “V”):

* Pull-ups / Lat Pulldowns (Wide Grip): These are crucial for developing the lats, which create the width of the “V.” Your current Cable Lat Pulldown is great; continue to push progression here.

* Barbell Rows (Bent-Over Rows): Excellent for overall back thickness, including lats, rhomboids, and traps.

* Dumbbell Rows (Single-Arm Rows): Great for targeting each side of the back individually and building thickness.

* Seated Cable Row: You’re already doing these, which are good for thickness and overall back development. Continue to progress here.

* Deadlifts (if you incorporate them): The ultimate compound exercise for overall back, glute, and hamstring strength and thickness. Be sure to use proper form.

2. Incorporate Isolation Exercises (Strategically):

While compound movements build the foundation, isolation exercises can help refine specific muscles.

* For Chest:

* Dumbbell Flyes (Flat, Incline): Good for stretching the chest and working the outer pec.

* Cable Crossovers: Provide constant tension throughout the movement and can target different parts of the chest depending on the angle.

* For Back:

* Straight-Arm Cable Pulldowns: Excellent for isolating the lats and improving the mind-muscle connection.

* Face Pulls: Great for upper back (rear delts and traps), improving posture, and shoulder health.

3. Don’t Forget Shoulders!

While not directly chest or back, broad shoulders are essential for the V-taper illusion.

* Overhead Press (Barbell or Dumbbell): Builds overall shoulder mass.

* Lateral Raises: Crucial for developing the medial (side) deltoids, which contribute significantly to shoulder width.

4. Training Principles for Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth):

* Progressive Overload: This is the most critical principle. To get bigger, you must continually challenge your muscles. This means:

* Increasing Weight: As you did with your Leg Extensions.

* Increasing Reps: Staying within the 6-12 rep range for most sets is generally good for hypertrophy.

* Increasing Sets: More volume (sets x reps x weight) over time.

* Decreasing Rest Time: (Carefully, as this impacts strength).

* Improving Form: Better form allows you to target the muscle more effectively.

* Volume: For muscle growth, aim for 10-20 working sets per major muscle group per week, split across 1-2 sessions.

* Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on feeling the target muscle work. For lats, think about pulling with your elbows, not just your arms. For chest, focus on squeezing the pecs.

* Consistency: Showing up and putting in the work consistently is paramount. Your structured week already demonstrates this!

5. Nutrition and Recovery:

* Calorie Surplus: To build muscle, you need to consume slightly more calories than you burn.

* Adequate Protein: Aim for 0.7-1.0 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day to support muscle repair and growth.

* Quality Sleep: As you’re keenly aware, sleep is when your muscles repair and grow. Prioritize 7-9 hours. Even 4-5 hours significantly impacts recovery and hormone levels.

* Hydration: Essential for all bodily functions, including muscle performance and recovery.

How this applies to your routine:

* Thursday Combo Day: This is perfect for hitting both back and biceps. You could potentially add a chest exercise or two here if you want to emphasize it more.

* Saturday Chestie (Endurance Set): This is your dedicated chest day. Consider incorporating some heavier compound movements (like incline bench) before moving into endurance-focused sets, or alternate weeks between strength and endurance for chest.

* Workout Structure: Ensure you’re progressively overloading in your Cable Lat Pulldown and Seated Cable Row. Try to consistently increase the weight or reps over time. For your curls, you’re already hitting PRs, which is fantastic!

By consistently challenging your chest and back with progressive overload, focusing on the right exercises, and supporting your efforts with proper nutrition and recovery, you’ll be well on your way to that bigger chest, broader back, and classic V-shape!