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+ 32 My Comeback Story – From 7 Herniated Discs to Back Under the Bar

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A lot of you guys know bits and pieces of my story, but I figured I’d put everything in one place.
About two years ago my life got flipped upside down.
Within six months, I was rear-ended in two separate car accidents. The first one left me with 2 herniated discs in my neck and 5 in my lower back. Before I could even recover, I was sitting at a complete stop when I got slammed by a school bus.
That second accident was the final nail in the coffin.
At the time of my first accident I was in the best shape of my life. I was lifting hard, running Tren, and honestly felt unstoppable. Overnight that all disappeared.
I could barely get out of bed.
Walking hurt.
Sleeping was almost impossible because I couldn’t get comfortable.
I had numbness running down my arms and legs, constant nerve pain, and my neck was so stiff I couldn’t even turn my head normally.
For someone whose entire identity revolved around training, it absolutely crushed me.

The Mental Battle
The physical injuries were brutal, but the mental side was even worse.
I fell into a deep depression.
I refused to touch pain medication because I’m a recovering addict and haven’t taken opiates in 18 years. That wasn’t something I was willing to throw away.
Going from feeling and looking my best to being completely unable to train was devastating. I honestly became suicidal at times. Stopping Tren cold turkey while dealing with all of that definitely didn’t help either.
Food became my comfort.
My weight climbed all the way to 265 lbs.
Looking back now, I barely recognize that version of myself.

Physical Therapy Wasn’t Enough
I spent almost a full year in physical therapy with very little progress.
Eventually I started researching peptides and decided to experiment with BPC-157 and TB-500.
That ended up being the turning point.
For me, I didn’t notice much until I pushed the dose above 1 mg twice daily, but once I found what worked, the inflammation started calming down and physical therapy finally became productive.
Instead of constantly feeling like I was moving backward, I was finally moving forward.

Losing the Weight
Even though I was improving, my doctor still wouldn’t clear me for the gym.
He wanted me doing only the stretches and rehab exercises he prescribed.
So instead of lifting…
I walked.
Every single day.
At the same time I started Retatrutide at 0.5 mg/week, increasing by 0.5 mg each month until I reached 3 mg/week.
Over the next 9 months, doing nothing more than walking and sticking to my nutrition, I went from:
265 lbs → 195 lbs
No crazy cardio.
No lifting.
Just consistency.

Finally Back in the Gym
About three months ago I finally got cleared to lift again.
I’ll be honest…
The first thing I wanted to do was jump back into a huge cycle and make up for lost time.
I actually came on this forum asking exactly that.
A lot of you guys roasted me.
At the time my ego didn’t love hearing it, but looking back, you were right.
Instead of doing something stupid, I kept things simple:
● 150 mg/week Testosterone Cypionate
● 3 IU HGH daily
● 4 mg/week Retatrutide
I focused on training hard, eating right, and earning everything back.
Since then I’ve dropped more body fat while adding 7 pounds of lean bodyweight.
Slow…
But sustainable.

Current Protocol
PEDs / Recovery
● Testosterone Cypionate – 25 mg daily
● Masteron Enanthate – 25 mg daily
● HGH – 5 IU nightly (about 2 hours before bed)
● Retatrutide – 6 mg/week (2 mg Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
● KLOW – 2.6 mg nightly (maintenance)

Current Diet
Calories: ~2,200/day
Macros: Approximately 40% protein / 25% carbs / 35% fat
I’ve found my body responds much better to slightly higher fats and lower carbs.
Protein
● Eggs
● Ground turkey
● Lean ground beef
● Grilled chicken
● Fish
Carbohydrates
● Fruit
● Oats
● Rice
● Quinoa
● Sweet potatoes
Fats
● Nuts
● Olive oil
● Avocados
● Cheese
● Seeds

Where I’m At Now
The first picture was taken about six months after my first accident, right after the second one happened. I was bruised up, broken, overweight, and honestly didn’t think I’d ever get back to where I wanted to be.
Today I’m sitting around 205 lbs.
Still not where I want to be.
Still a work in progress.
But damn… it feels good to be under the bar again.

Thank You
One thing I’ve learned through all of this is that progress isn’t always linear.
Sometimes your biggest PR is simply getting out of bed.
I also want to thank everyone on this forum.
A lot of you called me out when I needed it. You kept my ego in check, stopped me from making dumb decisions, and reminded me that there aren’t any shortcuts worth taking.
I’ve made some genuine friends here, learned a ton, and honestly don’t think I’d be where I am today without this community.
So thank you to everyone who’s answered my questions, challenged me when I needed it, and had a hand in this comeback.
The journey isn’t over yet.
I’m just getting started.

Looking at putting together my next cycle and wanted to get some opinions before I commit.

Proposed Cycle (16 Weeks)

  • Sustanon 400 mg/week
  • NPP 200 mg/week
  • Masteron Enanthate 200 mg/week
  • Primobolan Enanthate 100 mg/week

Everything will be pinned as daily micro-injections to keep blood levels as stable as possible.

Goal

The goal isn’t to run a huge blast—it’s a lean, quality growth/recomp cycle while continuing to recover from my back injuries and keep side effects under control.

Why Mast + Primo Together?

I know a lot of people will ask why I’m running both.

The Masteron and Primobolan aren’t there because I’m expecting some crazy anabolic synergy. I’m mainly using them because they tend to have anti-estrogenic effects for some users. My hope is that they help keep estrogen-related side effects manageable while still allowing me to run 400 mg of Sustanon without needing an AI unless bloodwork or symptoms say otherwise.

The way I look at it:

  • Masteron (200 mg): Primarily for libido, hardness, overall well-being, and some estrogen symptom management.
  • Primobolan (100 mg): Mainly to add another mild anabolic while potentially helping keep estradiol in a comfortable range.

I’m not expecting Mast or Primo to replace an aromatase inhibitor if my estradiol gets too high. I’ll be monitoring with bloodwork and adjusting based on labs and symptoms rather than chasing numbers. I have rythym health coming this week to see where I stand with all my levels.

Also I plan to up my calories as I progress probably to around 2,600 let me know what you guys think I’m looking for any feedback I can get again thank you in advance

Just wanted to add a special thanks to @teamroids because during all these accidents I was limited at work or not working at all so money was super tight and they had run some very generous promos where I was able to get the peptides as a part of them and they really are the reason I’m still here today and grinding like a mofo so TR yall the fucking GOAT thank you

WinstonBud's picture

Let’s go!!! It’s all about overcoming obstacles. I don’t think there is a more powerful motivation than proving to yourself that you can improve, especially after an injury.

I have two titanium femurs and lots of holes in my abdomen and I’ll be damned if that’s going to stop me so I feel ya.

BTW, that’s my next blast, or very similar, in late winter.

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shredski's picture

God damn you’re the “enhanced” bionic man. Good for you for overcoming all that, that shit had to be brutal. And I can’t wait to see your result from the same blast my guy!

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Steeltoad777's picture

Id have taken the PKers. Youre a better man than me! Thats an inspiring come back story Shred!
Love the cycle. Love the conservative doses. Cant wait to see how far you go, I know youre gonna keep imporving!

What do you do for all that wool? I bet ya im hairier than ya! Do you shave with a straight razor or clippers? Or both?

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shredski's picture

Thanks homie and I had to buzz that shit down and then rubbed myself with nair it was a process but relatively quick and easy

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bamboo2112's picture

Broken is a state of mind. If you don't mind it don't matter. Lately the world has come a long way with replacement discs for the Ritch
Nobody will ever understand what obstacles your daily routine entails. Just keep going and never look back.

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shredski's picture

Thanks, Homie and yeah, nobody knows what everybody goes through so it’s always good to share it so people can identify and pull some kind of hope cause that victim mindset ain’t gonna fly at one point when I was really beaten down just couldn’t stop thinking why is this all happening to me? What did I do wrong when you start thinking like that it spirals now I just look at everything that’s why not me what can I learn here? How can I grow?

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Gotem69's picture

Shit is no joke bro keep grinding!

Keep up the good work!

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shredski's picture

Thanks for the encouraging words, big dog

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TeaBody's picture

Damn bro, you cut a shit ton of fat. Now it’s time to turn that softness into iron.

LETS FUCKING GO!!!

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shredski's picture

Relax guy weren’t you the one who was like? Make sure you spend time dial in your dose lol believe me I want these gainz I miss my Boulder shoulders.

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LieutenantDan's picture

Shredski is the GOAT

shredski's picture

Awww staaahp your gonna make me ink haha

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press1's picture

This all must of been absolutely horrendous mate - especially when none of it was your fault. I would of felt so utterly pissed off that my training had ended because of someone else's actions, its bad enough when you have caused it yourself lol Its remarkable how well those peptides have worked on you. After my surgery I may try 1mg per day of the BPC to see if its any more effective although I probs won't be able to really tell anyway with it being locked in place. Its amazing that you managed to recover with no surgery either and just PT. Never had any back issues so far but I can imagine that when you do and its to do with a number of disks its absolutely debilitating. Well Done Mate!! Good Yes 3

shredski's picture

Yeah, dude, it absolutely sucked the worst part about it was the first guy who hit me had shitty insurance so when I sued his insurance company, I only got 10 K then when the school bus hit me obviously they have a huge insurance policy but when I sued them, I only got 10 K because of the prior accident if it happened in reverse, I would’ve gotten about half a million so that was a kick in the dick as well

And as far as the BPC and TB, I can say that split daily injections a.m. and p.m. along with high doses of 1 mg or a little more with consistency over eight weeks that’s when it really builds up and makes the improvements

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No08's picture

I love a good comeback story! Mad respect and I hope you keep the upward progress going well.

shredski's picture

Thanks, Homie just gotta keep on this fucking grind not stopping for. No one also being smart about it and not pushing to the point of injury, which is probably the hardest part of all of this because telling me a slow down feels abusive.

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Trisolaris's picture

Hell yeah brother that’s the shit we like to see!! Good job having that self control to not blast immediately, it’s like the ring in LOTR constantly whispering to you lmao.
Can’t wait to see the progress in another two years

shredski's picture

Hahaha dude, you ain’t kidding having patience has been a struggle. Only thing that’s helped was getting in on a promo so I decided on a whole new cycle and I haven’t received the pack yet so that’s held me and check.lol

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Rumple's picture

"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials." - Seneca

Keep on your grind bro. We are all proud of you.

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shredski's picture

Appreciate that big dog that’s a dope quote. One of my favorites is

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times. And hard times create strong men.”

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TeamNoSleep's picture

Shout out to you for not giving up (or giving in to pain meds.. I know, opiates are a helluva drug). Inspiring to say the least.

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shredski's picture

They’re the fucking devil man once they got a grip it’s not easy to walk away. Thank you

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Teeeethreee's picture

Nice man. Thank god you ditched the body hair too that adds like 5% leanness. Let’s get a nice summer tan on you bro!

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shredski's picture

Lmao but absolute facts my wife was like holy shit are those abs poking out, like ya that’s why I wanted to get rid of it hahaha. She thought I was getting rid of the hair to cheat on her I’m like no baby this for you, these woman man

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sheva's picture

Good stuff. Looking awesome.

shredski's picture

Thank you sir!

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BigCoachKen's picture

Love reading comeback stories like this. And especially that youre being smart about the return to lifting, gear, etc. Im going through a nerve injury where ive lost all strength in my left arm, leading to severe atrophy, so I 100% get the mental struggles you went through. Its so hard going from being a fucking beast on the daily, to not being able to work out at all. But we do what we can, and glad to see youve got your head about you, and a plan in place.

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shredski's picture

Dude it wasn’t easy to do it the “smart” way I came back on here proposed a cycle and got blasted about it (with reason) I’m all for the “tough love” I want people to call me out on my bullshit because when it’s just me myself and I, I can do some dumb shit and hope all is getting better with your arm man that has to be decimating to your mental man

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Khandum's picture

Brother man congratulation on that massive come back! It's hard as fuck to do what you did, 7 herniated disks is insane and very painful. I've only had to deal with 1 myself and I felt like that was a struggle, but 7 is top tier shit. Idk if I would even be able to rebound from that.

I'm glad to hear the positive news though and it inspires me to have a even better arm day today then I already was going to have. I am now going to slam 50mg of TNE straight into my right quad and get a gnarly fucking pump in your honor. Makes me think about how we all need to appreciate what we have right now while we got it. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the negatives within your life.

Your cycle is looking good as well bro, I don't see any issues with it, and is looking solid as fuck. Based on your history I know you got nutrition and training down pat, but for the love of god, don't enter the gym feeling invincible and get under a bar of heavy weight to squat.

Cheers to your future cycle success, peak performance, and long-term health!

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shredski's picture

Absolutely man I was driving to pick up ice for a party happy as hell looking and feeling my best stopped at a red light and some dude in a civic hit me so hard he accordioned his car into my truck go through all the PT doc said I was a week or two from being cleared for the gym and stopped at traffic and school bus 45 into me like wtf bruhhhhh

You never know what could happen I’m just lucky to be breathing and able to make this progress and watch my kids grow

Let’s fucking get it!!!

TNE=helfphase

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Khandum's picture

For what it's worth I'm glad your all good bro, only on the up and up from here on out.

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shredski's picture

Thanks dude you and me both:.. the sky is the limit

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press1's picture

I must admit I remember when I first added you on here and that was some years back now - then you didn't come on for years after that so I assume this was all that period up until about 6 months ago maybe?

I always remember the Skeletor avatar as I loved He-man as a kid LMAO

shredski's picture

Absolutely you helped me tons back in the day and glad skeletor is a symbol of your childhood the simple days man. And you are correct it was a dark time but glad I made it back here and back to a better me

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BertAK-47's picture

You’re killin it bro!

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shredski's picture

Thanks homie we out here grinding it’s a monduckin family affair

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Massa Ron's picture

Great work man. Very motivational.

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shredski's picture

Thank you man I appreciate it

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HogCranker3000's picture

Maintaining your sobriety by denying yourself pain meds IS METAL AS FUCK. +1 for that alone big dawg.

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shredski's picture

Not fucking easy either I had the green light for whatever the fuck I wanted my doc was like I don’t give these out anymore but you should take them told him if I take them I’ll be stealing is rolex our next appointment lol

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KaiGreene’sGrapefruit's picture

Damn right. And help him look for it after ya steal it lol

shredski's picture

This guy knows

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OscarWildwood's picture

Amazing progress brother! It feels great to set your mind to something and then see the results of your hard work. You should be very proud!

Also shaving that Chewbacca belly did you some good too lmao! Looking good brother!

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shredski's picture

Thanks homie and absolutely, even though in the day to day it’s hard to see the improvement that’s why progress pics are crucial wish I had some better pics of the fat shit I was I had to scroll through camera roll to find that I avoided cameras as a fatty lol

And yeah the hair loss was easily 5% body fat hahaha

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KaiGreene’sGrapefruit's picture

Def needed to read this today. I blew out my elbow last month and damn it’s aggravating. Went from super healthy and dialed in to feeling like a weak bitch lately. My occupational therapist is fuckin awesome so I’m grateful for that. It’s insane how much muscle atrophies. I have an extremely physical career and being out for 6 weeks, while also not being able to lift, and not being very hungry due to activity…it’s been super detrimental. The mental part is far worse than the physical. I’ve been off opioids for 10 years so I was proud I was able to refuse any pain meds at the ER. I’m finally getting blood work done this week since my OT gave me the green light to get in the gym and work everything I can (besides my injured elbow). But yeah man it easily turns into a war against oneself. Thanks for the inspiration

shredski's picture

Absolutely man battling the demons in our heads is the ultimate fight that if not kept in check could result in the ultimate end. And I know the green light feels good but trust me take it slow I’ve been so focused on full range of motion and perfect form and slowly increasing weight I’m not trying to reinjure anything

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Codeman253's picture

Good shit bro, this stuff is hard enough without dealing with injuries.

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shredski's picture

Thanks big dawg and you ain’t lying injuries make me work 10times harder but honestly it’s prob better this way I have a way of really putting all my effort in when things are completely fucked I just need to remind myself when things get better to keep that same energy

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SimonM84's picture

Good work

shredski's picture

Thank you sir

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