I had a decent night’s sleep! It took me a while to wind down, but I went off quite quickly when I turned out the light. And I was awake ten minutes before the six-thirty alarm, which is my “go to the gym alarm”. I haven’t been since February because my sleep has been so poor and I’ve woken up shattered. Today is a gym day!

The first job after getting out of bed is to apply my Testavan to my shoulders. I need to give it enough time to dry before I put on my T shirt. In days when I am working in the office, I have to apply my T gel before I leave home – I can’t sit around topless in the office for ten or fifteen minutes while it dries!

Years ago, I felt that my programming career was going nowhere and was having a real crisis of confidence, so I sought an escape: I went on a series of courses to become a personal trainer.

In the event, I couldn’t make that career take off. I’d never earn enough to pay the mortgage, but it was a fun hobby. However, I had to quit because my husband’s illness meant that I couldn’t commit to clients. I felt a little angry and some sadness and having to give it up.

So I’m still a programmer.

But, I know how to construct a training plan.

Knowing that I haven’t done resistance training for several months, I know what I have to go steady. I decided on one set only of reasonably light weights in a circuit.

I warmed up on the cross trainer: these are good machines because they warm up the upper body as well. Treadmills and cycling only warm up the legs, and I cannot stand the rowing machine.

After, I tried doing pull-ups. In the past, I’d manage seven in a row. I only did two, the rest were negatives. A negative rep focusses only on the extension phase of a muscle. For a pull-up, that means you jump up and slowly lower yourself down. My triceps burnt after about five of these, but I got to my ten rep total.

The circuit consisted of:

• Straight leg deadlift
• Forward lunges
• Sumo squats
• Shoulder press
• Bent over row
• Press up
• Biceps curl
• Narrow chest press (focus on triceps)
• Crunches

That covers the whole body, just to start waking my body up to the demands that I intend to make on it!

Afterwards, I stretched out. The backs of my legs were a little sore, as are my shoulders and backs of my arms. This is good!

Afterwards, I wiped down the barbell and mat with some anti-bac wipes. We don’t want any three-headed babies! Seriously, the dudes at the gym probably won’t care if they get a tiny testosterone boost, and a one off transfer for a woman probably won’t make much difference, however, extra testosterone for somebody pregnant might cause problems and I have a responsibility to minimise any risk of transfer.

I’m too late starting my training to make any appreciable difference for the summer, but the primary purpose of exercise is health – and feeling good: it feels good to exercise. Improved shape will come with time – seven months of no testosterone last summer and little exercise since, hasn’t helped body confidence.

Although, since my surgery, even with the little extra weight, I still feel much better about myself than before my surgery – I really enjoy being naked now – and I do not want to lose that feeling. Hence the need to get exercising.

The cycle to work afterwards helped loosen up my legs a little.

I’ll go back to the gym on Thursday. At least, that’s my plan – relationship stress might have other plans as it affects my sleep.