Bodybuilding Log 2025: Weeks 1-4

Bodybuilding

Jan 28

TRIGGER WARNING: This blog contains content around nutrition quantities, restrictive dieting, diet-culture, body-image, and body weight.

DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to be replicated. Doing so without proper guidance or consulting with a qualified health professional can result in serious damage to one’s health. This does not replace or supplement the advice given from a health professional. Always speak with your doctor before making changes to your nutrition, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

“We are back for our 3rd bodybuilding prep! After 10 years of training, I am 17 weeks away from competing and have spent the last 7 months specifically building muscle to compete as a natural bodybuilder. So it’s time to dust off ye’ ol poses and get to work.

My initial bodyweight is 209lbs, bodyfat tested using skin caliper is 14% and my baseline blood work is all good so we are ready to go.

But, after my prep last year got halted early because of some health complications, it really made me take a step back and rethink the sport. Although I am incredibly passionate about it, I was unsure if it still aligned with my values as someone who studies and prioritizes health.

You see, although bodybuilding has a lot of overlap with health-supporting concepts such as exercising, nutrition, mental resilience, personal growth, and more; it can involve a ton of very unhealthy practices that are hidden on social media when taken to the extreme. This includes restrictive dieting, rapid bodyweight changes, drug use, and over exercising.

But I don’t believe this means the sport should be rejected altogether. Losing body fat in general or competing can be a great goal, learning experience, and athletic achievement if it’s something you want to do and you do it conscientiously. So, I’m going to be sharing my journey through this prep using updates and tips every couple of weeks, to hopefully share a more transparent and objective approach to the sport. The sport needs more voices redefining what it means to succeed, leaning away from purely temporary aesthetic achievements and towards self-understanding and self-development. Especially nowadays when social media standards are drawing more people to early steroid use.

So if you want to follow along, drop me a follow. It’s time to get to work” - Aidan

Week 0

Baseline testing was performed after a 4-week bodyweight maintenance period. The maintenance period followed 7 months of muscle growth, where 1 pound of bodyweight was added per week for 28 weeks.

Baseline Anthropometric Data

Body weight: 209lbs

Body Fat Percentage*: 14%

Estimated using 4-point Durnin and Womersley skinfold caliper*

RHR: 58 bpm

VO2max (estimated): 47.6 mL/kg/min

Resting BP: 136/70 mmHg

Baseline Nutrition

Daily Caloric Intake: 3100 kcal

Protein Intake: 220g

Carbohydrate Intake: 375g

Fat Intake: 80g

Weeks 1-4

Resistance Training

Day 1: Lower body with a hinge focus

Day 2: Push with a chest focus

Day 3: Pull with core

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Lower body with a squat focus

Day 6: Push with a shoulder/triceps focus

Day 7: Pull with core

Day 8: Rest

2 exercises were selected per muscle group (i.e. 2 for shoulders, 2 for the chest, 2 for the triceps). Exercises were selected based on the following criteria:

Apply load into the lengthened range of motion (except when not feasible due to availability or equipment limitations)

Can be taken to failure safely

Do not incorporate antagonistic or muscles from other functional groupings (i.e. no pressing exercises were performed that also trained the core, lower body, or pulling musculature)

2-3 sets were taken within 1-3 reps from failure for each selected exercise. Long length partials and rest-pauses were used sparingly (2-3 sets per session).

Cardiovascular Exercise

Steps (average): 12,733

Frequency: 6 days per week

Intensity: 65-70% HRmax (130-140 bpm)

Duration: 30 minutes x 5, 60 minutes x 1

Modality: Elliptical Bike/Stairmaster

Nutritional Intake (estimated average per day)

Caloric Intake: 2400kcal

Protein Intake: 220g

Carbohydrate Intake: 245g

Fat Intake: 60g

Fiber: 35g

Sugar: 50g

Caffiene Intake: 100-120mg daily

Supplements (dosages not disclosed): Multivitamin, B-Complex, Ashwhaghanda, Creatine Monohydrate, Curcumin, Vitmain D, Omega-3, Magnesium Bisglycinate