Chappy and Tchan

💪 2025 BWG Year in Review! 📊 (for Chappy at least 😅)

I’ve tracked over 40,000 sets across my ~8-year lifting career – every single PR and step on the scale included 🤓

Nerding out over the data is half the fun… and 2025 was stacked!

This year was basically: best bulk ever, a really strong/healthy cut, then ~4 months gaintaining around ~212 to roll into 2026 replenished 😮‍💨

**💥 Bulking Szn 2025 – I was BACK**

Wrapped up my 7th career bulk, and it was the wildest one yet:

- 22 PRs – my most in 5 years (see PR graph 📈)
- After a 13-month stretch with only two PRs… this felt amazing 😅
- Biggest wins: Bench +25 lbs (+6.0%) and Squat +24 lbs (+4.8%)
- Agg PRs ended 60+ lbs above trendline – basically two years of progress in one season

Peaked at 223.4 lbs and pushed me to within ~6% of my lifetime strength peak 😤

**✂️ Cutting Szn 2025 – practice run for a real show cut**

Then I ran my 2nd biggest cut ever: 225 → 197 in ~20w 📉

First time under 200 in 2+ years and it felt GREAT 🤩

Key change vs my brutal 2022 cut: more sustainable (~2100 cals, balanced macros, healthier mindset). Result: flat bench 1RMe stayed 430+ – and even hit a few PRs somehow 🤯

DEXA at the end:

- Down 25.5 lbs, ~16.5 lbs fat (~67% efficiency)
- 10.6% BF, 0 visceral fat ✅
- 25.3 FFMI 😤

**📊 2025 baseline nerd stats**

- 273 workouts
- 7.72M lbs total volume
- 6.27k sets
- 11.3 days spent training (~about 4% of my waking hours LOL)

**🧠 Hardest part of the year**

It wasn’t injury recovery, heavy PR attempts, or the cut.

It was realizing that if I want to compete again in *good form*, I probably need to accept 12+ months of sacrificing strength PRs. To do a legit show cut, I’ll likely need to get below ~190, and I’m not doing another soul-crushing prep.

So the tradeoff: cap winter weight around ~212 (even though it kills my inner PR goblin 😅) and make the path back to stage weight realistic.

**🚀 What’s the focus for 2026?**

Giving competing one last serious go.

I’ve already mapped out the plan for the next 20+ weeks and I’ll be posting the details in the coming days.

More nerdy updates soon!!