## YouTube Summary Subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@Dark.Rebuild if you prefer video format. ::youtube[{"videoId":"MzZQ8r7ol64"}] ## Current Stats - **Week 27 Weight:** 253.6 lbs - **Weekly Change:** +0.8 lbs (BUT lost 1.6 lbs fat, gained 1.8 lbs muscle) - **Total Progress:** -83.0 lbs - **Retatrutide:** 12mg weekly (single dose Monday) - **HGH:** 5iu daily (single IM injection at night) - **BACK IN** - **Testosterone Cypionate:** 150mg weekly (2x 75mg IM Monday/Thursday) - **GHK-Cu:** 2mg daily - **Telmisartan:** 40mg daily (AM before gym) ::gallery[{"images":["https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/3a7ef4bf-a7b5-4097-8746-3556ada5f674.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/7f651f79-4d8c-47bb-98e1-194213ab78b2.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/ee7b3cf7-7ff2-414d-b8a3-2687a84d05f7.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/f73d3c33-eeb1-4afd-9a15-2b2c5235c6cd.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/61e9d6ff-e5d3-47f1-8ed3-4927214d0c9a.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/15719a76-d1f4-4746-ba99-b353760018f9.png","https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/a836cf88-3c36-4f65-8388-caed33256dc5.png"],"captions":["","","","","","",""]}] This week is a perfect example of why the scale alone doesn't tell the story. I gained 0.8 lbs on the scale, but I lost 1.6 lbs of fat and gained 1.8 lbs of muscle. My waist dropped 0.75 inches. Body fat percentage dropped from 25.2% to 24.5%. This is textbook recomposition: the scale went up, but I got smaller in the waist and leaner in the tissue. Let me break down what happened and why this is actually a massive win. ## The Tale of the Tape: Week 26 vs Week 27 **Week 27 vs Week 26 changes:** - Weight: 253.6 lbs (up from 252.8 lbs, **+0.8 lbs**) - Body Fat Mass: 62.2 lbs (down from 63.8 lbs, **-1.6 lbs fat**) - Muscle Mass: 178.4 lbs (up from 176.6 lbs, **+1.8 lbs muscle**) - Body Water: 140.2 lbs (up from 138.6 lbs, **+1.6 lbs water**) - Body Fat %: 24.5% (down from 25.2%, **-0.7% drop**) - Waist Measurement: 38.14" (down from 38.89", **-0.75 inches**) - Waist-to-Hip Ratio: 0.89 (down from 0.93, **-0.04**) **Note on waist measurement:** I measure consistently at the same spot every week: about 2 inches above my belly button. Not where I wear my pants (on the hips), but at a consistent anatomical landmark for reliable week-to-week tracking. ## The 3 Key Takeaways: Why This Week Was a Win ### 1. I Swapped Lard for Gunpowder I physically burned off **1.6 lbs of fat** this week. I replaced it almost exactly with **1.8 lbs of lean tissue**. **The result:** I am heavier on the scale, but that weight is functional muscle tissue, not dead weight. The scale went up, but my body got better. ### 2. The "Water" is the Muscle Look at the math: - Gained 1.8 lbs of muscle - Gained 1.6 lbs of water They are the same thing. The creatine and glycogen (from the white rice I've been eating with breakfast) pulled that water **inside the muscle belly**. This is why I felt strong enough to full-stack the row machine this week. The water isn't bloat. It's stored inside muscle tissue, making the muscle fuller and more functional. ### 3. The Waist Shrinkage is Real The most impressive number here is the waist-to-hip ratio dropping from **0.93 to 0.89**. Even though the scale went up, my midsection got smaller by 0.75 inches. This proves the fat loss came primarily from my trunk/belly, while the muscle gain went to my limbs and back. **The verdict:** I didn't fail to lose weight. I successfully built a better body structure. I'm carrying more armor and less cargo. ## Blood Donation: Precautionary Move for High Hematocrit I donated blood this week as a precautionary measure for the high BP from last week. Even before I started TRT, I had a high hematocrit - just over the baseline for being considered high. On my last labs, it was actually down a few points but still considered high. **Why donate blood?** When you're on testosterone and HGH, hematocrit (the percentage of red blood cells in your blood) tends to climb. Higher hematocrit = thicker blood = higher blood pressure and increased risk of clotting issues. Donating blood is a simple way to bring hematocrit back down and reduce cardiovascular stress. **How it went:** I scheduled the donation after work last week. No adverse effects. I saw a slight drop in BP but no fatigue or lack of energy. I felt normal - not even weak the next morning at the gym. **HRV and resting heart rate:** Both metrics are looking good. Even with the addition of BP meds and high hematocrit, I don't think I'm at risk of a stroke or cardiac event. But I'm monitoring closely and taking proactive steps like blood donation to keep everything in check. This is smart risk management, not panic. ## HGH Back In: 5iu Daily at Night Now that the water retention from last week is stripped off my midsection and the BP meds are in play, I've added HGH back in this week. But I also increased the dosage from **4iu daily to 5iu daily**. **Why 5iu?** Main reasoning: I have 15iu vials, so the dosing works better per vial. It's less of a pain in the ass to dose 5iu per day than split 4iu across multiple injections. **New injection protocol:** I'm doing a single injection at night directly after my evening shower. I'm using a shallow intramuscular (IM) injection instead of subcutaneous. It seems to peak a lot harder and actually makes me tired, which helps with sleep. **The main difference I've seen:** At this full 5iu dosage at night vs the 2iu I was doing before, I'm seeing a **higher fasted glucose reading** in the mornings. - **Previous fasted glucose:** Low to mid 80s - **Current fasted glucose:** High 90s, even 100 I'm eating no carbs except white rice with breakfast post-gym, so this tells me that this dosage is **mobilizing fat better at night** for me. The liver is converting stored fat into glucose overnight, which is exactly what I'm after: recovery and fat mobilization. Higher fasted glucose when carbs are low = fat burning signal. This is working. ## Gym Performance: Stronger Every Week Gym performance has been great. I keep getting stronger on just about all movements. It's still my favorite part of the day. It feels so good to work hard for myself and see improvement in weight and body composition. ### New Wrist Straps: Game Changer for Back Movements I just bought some new [wrist straps](https://amzn.to/4pyrsDN) to take my grip limitation off of all my back movements. ![51ea+s4CNbL._AC_SL1000_.jpg](https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/3c3ed12b-cff5-4faf-aa97-c4cea34ca626.jpg) I've already added these into my lifts and man, I have to say it really is a big difference. **Example: Single arm bent over rows** I would usually stop at 70 lbs on the stack because my grip would give out. Taking my grip out of it, I can easily pull the **full stack for 12 reps, 4 sets**. I expect this will have a big impact on improving all back movements I do. Really looking forward to seeing what I can do now that grip isn't the limiting factor. ### Current Finisher: Triceps + Abs Superset I finish every lift with a superset close-out: 1. Cable tricep rope pushdowns 2. Kneeling weighted cable crunches **Current numbers:** - Tricep pushdowns: 70 lbs, 10 reps - Cable crunches: Full stack, 30 reps - 4 sets of this superset ### Adding Ab Wheel: Home Finisher To add some more challenge to my workout, I ordered an [ab wheel](https://amzn.to/49h0D2c). I'll do this as soon as I get home: **4 sets to failure before I eat breakfast**. ![71Yq4+5OAjL._AC_SL1500_.jpg](https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/3c3a46f3-bb26-446c-8ab2-80ba41e484c9.jpg) This will be in addition to the cable crunches I'm already doing at the gym 6 days a week. Direct ab work every single day. ## DEXA Scan Scheduled: February 14th I scheduled my next DEXA scan and paid for it: **$159, 2 hours away, February 14th (Valentine's Day) at 7:30am**. I should be home before lunch. **What I'm bringing:** - My [RENPHO scale](https://amzn.to/4rMH6Ok) to take that week's report at the same location and time as the DEXA scan - A camera to capture some of the process (as much as I can - not sure how much I can film yet) This will be the ultimate body composition validation. The DEXA scan will tell me exactly how much fat I've lost, how much muscle I've gained, and whether these bioimpedance scale numbers are even close to accurate. Looking forward to seeing the data. ## RENPHO Scale Report: Week 27 Body Composition ![report (26)-1-fotor-20260110113537.png](https://retatrutidelog.com/uploads/1f17f134-065b-4314-9faa-a68325b5af29.png) The [RENPHO smart scale](https://amzn.to/4rMH6Ok) shows textbook recomposition this week. **Key metrics Week 27:** - Weight: 253.6 lbs - Body Fat Mass: 62.2 lbs (24.5%) - Muscle Mass: 178.4 lbs - Skeletal Muscle: 111.4 lbs - Body Water: 140.2 lbs - Visceral Fat: 11 - BMI: 32.5 Body fat percentage at 24.5% puts me solidly on track toward the goal of body fat in the teens. The fat loss rate of 1.5-1.6 lbs per week is sustainable and healthy while adding muscle at the same time. Visceral fat holding steady at 11 - still trending in the right direction for long-term health. ## YouTube Growth: 291 Subscribers Subscriber count continues to grow. The channel is at **291 subscribers** at the time of writing this. **Daily content continues** in the vlog style with gym footage when possible. The magnetic phone mount has been great for capturing workouts without bothering anyone at the gym. I'm continuing this format: **5 daily uploads (Monday-Friday) + 1 Saturday weekly summary** that gets embedded into the weekly blog post. If you want to follow along with the daily updates, subscribe at [@Dark.Rebuild](https://www.youtube.com/@Dark.Rebuild). ## StepUp Challenge: Week 27 Update - 12 Members! We gained **another member** this week! The group is now at **12 members**.
Group Name retatrutidelog
Number of current members 12
Date Range 2026-01-02 to 2026-01-09
Sum of total steps of all members 779,597 steps
Avg daily steps of all members 8,293 steps/day
Total distance covered by group 354.36 miles [570.29 kms]
Weekly Wrap-up: 779K+ steps and 354+ miles covered with 12 members. Average daily steps: 8,293/day. Welcome to the newest member!
If you'd like to join our group, you can use the [direct group invite](https://join.thestepupapp.com/zW07S5) or read about [why I started this challenge](https://retatrutidelog.com/posts/my-step-count-is-trash-started-a-group-to-fix-it). ## The Recomp Strategy: Why I'm Happy With This Week At my current calorie intake and lifting schedule (6 days a week), I think I'll continue with these recomp check-ins. I'll be happy as long as I keep looking better in the mirror and the fat mass keeps trending down each week. **The data shows:** - Fat loss: 1.5-1.6 lbs per week - Muscle gain: Steady increase week over week - Waist measurement: Consistent reduction - Strength: Increasing on all lifts If the scale stays stable or even goes up slightly while I'm losing fat and gaining muscle, that's a win. The scale weight is just one data point. The body composition changes tell the real story. I'm building a better body structure, not just chasing a number on the scale. ::sourceguide[{ "headline": "Need a source? ", "description": "Quick access to my supplier's contact info.", "buttonText": "Get Contact Info", "variant": "gradient" }] --- **Disclaimer:** The information provided on this site is for **educational and informational purposes only** and reflects my **personal experiences and opinions**. It is **not** intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Retatrutide is an **investigational drug** that is **not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration** for any use outside of clinical trials. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making any decisions regarding medications, supplements, or medical treatments. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site may be affiliate links.