AntM's Lean Bulk and Everything Else This Summer Log

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews Cellucor Alpha Amino

Profile

-10g of Aminos and Hydration Compounds per Scoop
-5g 3:1:1 BCAAs per scoop
-Includes Concentrated 3x LeucineTM, a combination of Micronized L-Leucine, Leucine Nitrate and Leucine Peptides
-5g Aminos and Hydration Compounds per scoop
-Glutamine, Citrulline addtl. premium Aminos
-Hydrate Formula includes Coconut Water, Chia and Electrolytes (including Potassium)
-Alpha-BCAA Matrix 5000mg
-Alpha-Amino Complex 2500mg
-Alpha-Hydration Formula 2500mg

Alpha Amino has a 3:1:1 ratio. As far as I have read, any product with a higher ratio of leucine does not provide any added benefits. It also makes it harder to flavor the product and mixability sucks with the higher ratio. It has leucine nitrates and peptides which is a plus. The hydration complex makes this product versatile and can be used for any athlete. The only complaint about the profile I have is the blends are not fully disclosed, other than that, it would be perfect. I just have a thing against blends. 9/10

Mixability

For both samples, I used 20 oz of water. The mixability was perfect, no extra leucine particles floating around. No clumps either and this was without the wire ball in my shaker. 10/10

Taste

Lemon Lime was just like one of those yellow generic lollipops one gets as a kid at the bank or doctor. You know, the one where there is just a see through wrapper with nothing on it. More lemon than lime. 9/10

Recovery

It is hard to rate this after only two servings, so I am not going to give it a rating. However, my DOMS are where they would normally be. I use BCAA's for all my workouts, so it is unchanged as to the other product I was using prior.

Overall

Alpha Amino is a pretty good value for what one gets in the product. The taste is great, there are no particles, and the profile is solid. 9/10

 

[AntM1564]

June 19, 2015
Pull Hypertrophy

Taking Alphadex and Magnitropin pre bed has made for amazing sleep. Got a package from BPI today, so be on the lookout for several reviews regarding those products. Nothing much today, just work, trained, and ran some errands. Fill out a few teaching applications as well. I am so excited for legs tomorrow!

Training

Pulldowns 60 - 90 second rest

107.5x8,8,8,8,8,9*

This week calls for 6x8 with the last set being AMRAP.

T 60 - 90 Bar Rowsec rest

80x10,10,11

This week calls for 3 sets of 10 with the last set being AMRAP. Done with a barbell in the landmine, not the hammer strength machine.

Wide Neutral Grip Pulldown 60 - 90 sec rest

100x10,10,10

Machine Rows

85x11,11,11

Chest support machine with various grips, I used the underhand grip

High Row 60 - 90 sec rest

40x11,11,11

Reverse Pec Deck 60 - 90 sec rest

75x11,10,10

Nutrition

Moderate Carb

Cals - 2,300
Carbs - 195g

• Fiber - 47g

Protein - 218g
Fat - 77g

• Sat. - 17g
• Poly. - 12g
• Mono. - 29g

 

[choccyswag]

Nice product reviews and I like your w/o intensity! 60-90 secs is wicked.

Alphadex and Magnitropin sounds really good! I'll have to look into it. who doesnt want amazing sleep, right?

 

[AntM1564]

I got a nice little package from TheSolution today. Be on the lookout for several reviews over the next few days and also today's training session!

Nice product reviews and I like your w/o intensity! 60-90 secs is wicked.

Alphadex and Magnitropin sounds really good! I'll have to look into it. who doesnt want amazing sleep, right?

Sleep is probably the most underrated part to this game! I hate going over 2 minutes. I start getting really bored lol. When I had a training partner, it was cool cause we could talk and catch up, but solo it blows!

This is also my first tun of -Epi, I'm curious to see if it lives up to the hype.

 

[AntM1564]

Ah I see. That makes a big difference when you're adding weight each set. I'm just lazy and like doing my sets at the same weight ha

I think that straight sets are harder than pyramiding whether it is strength based training or hypertrophy.

 

[iThrow]

lookin good in here ant! back workout looked phenomenal

 

[AntM1564]

June 20, 2015
Lower Power

Overall, I did a lot less sets than I would normally do on my power leg days, however, this was very tough. I was spent by the end. One thing I noticed was the little ache in the back of my knee was there slightly on a few reps of squats. It did not bother me on Roman Deadlifts, but once I did lying leg curls, I could feel the tightness. Probably due to my leg being almost locked out. It did not hurt, but was there. I did not feel anything yesterday so I thought I was good to go. I don't see this as a set back though, I'll be fine.

My triceps are still a little sore, surprisingly, from Thursday, hopefully they do not get in the way tomorrow.

So I got a lot of samples in the past two days, so be on the lookout for a lot of reviews. I still have plenty of samples from my old stash to try as well. I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, I will keep you updated with that.

Training

Back Squat 2-3 min rest

215x5x5x5
220x5,6*

This week calls for 5x5 with the last set being AMRAP. I originally wrote I was going to do my sets at 205 pounds, but decided to go with 215. After the third set, I pictured Boone being next to me saying stop being a little girl and go a little heavier. I went with 220 and it proved to be a good weight since I didn't kill the last set with a bunch of reps. I would have done 225 if I was resting 3-5 minutes.

Roman Deadlift 60-90 sec rest

235x5,5
240x6*

This week calls for 3 sets of 5 with the last set being AMRAP. Went heavier due to the same mindset on the squats. I perform these dead on the ground. I make sure I keep my lower back flat with the ground and pull the weight up. I keep a slight bend in my knees.

Leg Extensions 60 - 90 sec rest

160x8,7,7

Lying Leg Curl 60 - 90 sec rest

90x8
95x6,6

Seated Calf Machine 45 - 60 sec rest

135x8,8,8
140x6,6

Standing Calf 45 - 60 sec rest

230x7
215x7,6,6,6

Went lighter because I did not think I could get quality reps at 230

Nutrition

Moderate Carb

Cals - 2,300
Carbs - 195g

• Fiber - 47g

Protein - 219g
Fat - 77g

• Sat. - 23g
• Poly. - 8g
• Mono. - 22g

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews BPI Iso HD Vanilla Cookie

First, I would like to say thank you to TheFugitive for sending me a copious amount of samples and allowing me to review them. I also want to apologize for not having a picture, I took one, but do not know why it didn't save.

Taste - Vanilla Cookie i not all that descriptive. I would say this tasted more like a vanilla cream more than a vanilla cookie. It was a very heavy tasting flavor. There was also a slight odd after taste, was it bad, no, but it wasn't mind blowing either. If I had to compare it to something, imagine take the cream from a cream puff and just eat that, without the pastry.8/10

Profile - Very good. One scoop is 32g and provides 120 cals, 25g of protein, 2 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fat. It also does not contain any taurine/glycine. Anyone can fit this powder into their daily diet. 10/10

Mixability - Perfect. I do not drink shakes. I bake with protein or in this case, for a test/review, combine the powder with non fat plain Greek yogurt and make a pudding. The mixability this way was perfect. Not clumps when just mixing it with a spoon and the powder did not stick to the sides of the bowl. A little thicker than I thought it would mix, but to me, the thicker the better. 10/10

Overall - I would highly suggest this product to anyone looking for an isolate powder. Are isolate powders necessary, not really, however, if one is lactose intolerant, I would definitely give this a shot. The name of the flavor is open to interpretation. I was expecting something light, almost like a vanilla waffer. The taste, to me, is more like a heavy vanilla cream. There is a slight odd after taste, but it is barely noticeable. One suggestion I would make to make the flavor true to its name is to add real vanilla cookie pieces. I think that would give it some texture and more of a vanilla cookie presence. 9/10

AntM Reviews AI Sports Recover Pro

Taste - So I had a sample of the lemon and decided to try it out. The lemon flavor was very subtle and had absolutely no sweetness, I was expecting it to be sweet. However, it tasted like really watered down lemonade. 5/10

Price - A tub of 125 servings can be found for $40-$45. That is a very good value. However, just know, you are only get BCAA, there are no additives. It is just flavored bulk BCAA essentially. But the price is on point. 10/10

Profile - 6 grams of BCAA per serving, not bad at all for the price, but it is a 4:1:1 ratio which makes the mixability a little off as you can see in my picture. Due to the leucine, there were many particles floating at the top of my shaker. 8/10

Overall - If you are in the market for bulk BCAA, then this is an option. However, do not expect a product that is flavored well. I would rather buy bulk BCAA and add my own flavor packet or drops to flavor it. 7/10

AntM Reviews Stimholic

Taste - I had the red apple flavor. The flavor was very flat. It was not bad, but it wasn't red apple. To make it more like a red apple, there needed to be more tartness/sweetness. It was not bad, but I didn't feel a refreshing feeling while drinking it that I would get from an apple. 7/10

Focus - Focus was top notch. I would say just under the range of tunnel vision like. I was able to focus on my training session without a problem.. 9/10

Energy - One serving, one scoop, gave me enough of a kick to get through my training session. I would not call it "stimholic energy" but it was subtle and I did not crash after at any point.8/10

Overall - The flavor does not live up to the name, but it is a pre workout product. That being said, I would much rather have a product that delivers results than has an amazing taste. Pre workouts are only consumed to aid me in my training session, I do not look for enjoyment out of the flavors as I do in protein powders. The name is a little misleading. At one scoop, there is enough energy and focus, but nothing off the chart. I was expecting one serving to give me the same energy and focus that most products do at two servings. However, I felt as though it affected me the same way most other products do at one scoop, maybe one and a quarter. It is still a solid product though. 8/10

 

[booneman77]

Nice reviews! I was pretty excited about the vanilla cookie but know I might leave it for later ha.

Glad I managed to help motivate you through telepathy just remember, every week you should try to bump the weight or the reps. Strength days are all about progression.

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews BPI Best Protein Chocolate Fudge

View attachment 120577

I must say, I was really disappointed with this flavor. A better name would have been chocolate or milk chocolate. When I think of a chocolate brownie, especially with the picture on the label, I think of something thick, rich, and decadent. This was the complete opposite. It was just like a regular milk chocolate with nothing special about it. It was not sweet, bitter, or anything of the sort. This flavor pretty much fell flat on its face in my opinion. Yes, I did use Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt, but I always have my protein like this and I used the same amount of yogurt I normally do. So it was overpowered by the yogurt.

 

[AntM1564]

June 21, 2015
Push Hypertrophy

Weight - 146

Weighed in lighter than last week by .6 pounds. I am going to increase cals by 50 on high carb days, in the form of carbs. My cal total for those days will not be 2600.

Despite the decrease in weight, my strength is better, as you will see by my numbers today compared to last week. I look a lot leaner too. This stack so far is pretty good, here are my findings one week in. Hunger is a little higher than normal, I look leaner, strength seems to be going up, sleep is amazing, and libido is really high.

Training

Seated Smith Shoulder Press 60 - 90 sec rest

75x6,6,6,6,6,6,8

This week calls for 7x6 with the last set being AMRAP.

Incline Smith Bench Press 90 sec rest

95x8,8,9*

This week calls for 3x8 with the last set being AMRAP.

Seated Machine Side Laterals 60 sec rest

60x12,11,11

Flat DB Bench Press 90 sec rest

50x12,11,10

Cable Rope Tricep Pressdown 45 - 60 sec rest

19x12
20.5x11,10

Straight Bar Cable Tricep Pressdown 45 - 60 sec rest

35.5x12
37.5x10,10

Nutrition

Low Carb Day

Cals - 2,050
Carbs - 79g

• Fiber - 36g

Protein - 219g
Fat - 104g

• Sat. - 32g
• Poly. - 8g
• Mono. - 25g

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews BPI Best BCAA

Taste - So I had a sample of the Grape flavor. It was perfect, it tasted like a grape flavor lollipop. It was not overly sweet and the taste was strong, even in 24 ounces of water. 10/10

Price - I have seen it for around $23 for 30 servings. This seems pricey, and it is for only 5 grams of BCAA, but I will address this in the next section. 6/10

Profile - 5 grams of BCAA per serving and a CLA Matrix for fat loss highlight Best BCAA. Honestly, I do not by the fat loss properties and think the product could do without this. Also, the price is high because Best BCAA uses "OLIGOPEPTIDES" which is "The oligiopeptide-based branched chain amino acids may act as a better transport vehicle, allowing for more efficient metabolization, greater bio-activity, enhanced onset time, and a generally improved BCAA model. And, the scientific minds at BPI Sports didn't stop here ..." and then the ad talks about how new scientific research has shown this model is the best, etc. However, there are no references to these scientific findings. Maybe I'm being over critical here, but if a product is going to state scientific research, it should be referenced. Personally, I do not buy into this, maybe someone has literature that will change my mind. Just talking into account the profile minus this new BCAA model, it is average. 7/10

Overall - The one flavor I had was spectacular. there are absolutely no complaints there. However, I think the product is oerpriced for what is in it. If the product was cheaper, then I would recommend it. Maybe if I see something more concrete about this new BCAA model, my mind would change. Also, I do not think the CLA matrix is needed. 7/10

AntM Reviews BPI Iso HD Banana Cream

When I first opened the packet, I was given the sweet smell of bananas. The smell was great, it was an aroma just like bananas that are just about to go brown, when they really give off that banana scent. I mixed it again with plain fat free Greek yogurt. Upon tasting it, I was given a nice banana flavor. A little weak for my liking, but it was noticeable. After I ingested it though, there was a pretty noticeable artificial after taste. This has been consistent with the three samples I have tried so far. Once again, disappointing. The banana flavoring is good, but the after taste absolutely killed it. I do not know if all of the flavors are like this if mixed with Greek yogurt, which would be odd. I have never had this problem with so many powders before. Maybe it is something BPI does with the flavoring that does not agree with Greek yogurt. We will see how the Vanilla Swirl is. I also have the Cutler Total Protein left too.

 

[booneman77]

Was looking forward to the banana too.. Very bummed in the bpi proteins so far. The flavored pre's/bcaas/etc were amazing but the pro's flat suck.

 

[AntM1564]

I woke up early this morning for whatever reason. I don't feel tired, so I guess even though I only got 7 hours of sleep, it was enough.

Anyways, decided to take two pictures of my quad since I had a little vascularity upon waking and after a low carb day. First has a flash, second does not and shows the vascularity better.

 

[AntM1564]

June 22, 2015
Pull Power

Faxed my application and other materials in for that state teaching job. I found out that the woman that will be training me for the summer school position works in the human resources office where I faxed everything to. I have to butter her up when I see her next Monday! I decided to take my car in since I heard some noise from the rear brakes. There goes $320, but better to get it done now than wait for it to be 10 other things. Training went very well today. Weight and or reps increased on everything. I was surprised how smooth deadlifts went since my legs were still a little sore yesterday! Also got another sample pack in the mail, this one from ALLMAX. Be on the lookout for those reviews.

Training

Deadlift 2-3 min rest

285x4x4x4x4x4,6*

This week calls for 6x4 with the last set being AMRAP. I was only going to do 275, but felt a little daring.

Weighted Wide Grip Pullups 60 - 90 sec rest

10x3,3,3,3,4*

This week calls for 5 sets of 3 with the last set being AMRAP.

V Attachment Cable Row 60 - 90 sec rest

120x8,7,7

V Attachment Lat Pulldown 60 - 90 sec rest

120x7,7,6

Machine Row 60 - 90 sec rest

105x7,6,6

This is a seated chest supported machine with several different handles. I used a regular overhand grip, about shoulder width.

Reverse Fly 60 - 90 sec rest

100x7,7,6

Nutrition

High Carb

Cals - 2,600
Carbs - 319g

• Fiber - 47g

Protein - 218g
Fat - 49g

• Sat. - 15g
• Poly. - 3g
• Mono. - 9g

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews Cellucor Alpha Amino

View attachment 120647

Profile

-10g of Aminos and Hydration Compounds per Scoop
-5g 3:1:1 BCAAs per scoop
-Includes Concentrated 3x LeucineTM, a combination of Micronized L-Leucine, Leucine Nitrate and Leucine Peptides
-5g Aminos and Hydration Compounds per scoop
-Glutamine, Citrulline addtl. premium Aminos
-Hydrate Formula includes Coconut Water, Chia and Electrolytes (including Potassium)
-Alpha-BCAA Matrix 5000mg
-Alpha-Amino Complex 2500mg
-Alpha-Hydration Formula 2500mg

Alpha Amino has a 3:1:1 ratio. As far as I have read, any product with a higher ratio of leucine does not provide any added benefits. It also makes it harder to flavor the product and mixability sucks with the higher ratio. It has leucine nitrates and peptides which is a plus. The hydration complex makes this product versatile and can be used for any athlete. The only complaint about the profile I have is the blends are not fully disclosed, other than that, it would be perfect. I just have a thing against blends. 9/10

Mixability

For both samples, I used 20 oz of water. The mixability was perfect, no extra leucine particles floating around. No clumps either and this was without the wire ball in my shaker. 10/10

Taste

Fruit Punch was good. I know I said in past reviews that Fruit Punch is usually average, but this was a little sweet. Not as sweet as Hawiaan Puch, but sweeter than the C4 Gen 3 Fruit Punch I had. 8/10

Recovery

It is hard to rate this after only two servings, so I am not going to give it a rating. However, my DOMS are where they would normally be. I use BCAA's for all my workouts, so it is unchanged as to the other product I was using prior.

Overall

Alpha Amino is a pretty good value for what one gets in the product. The taste is great, there are no particles, and the profile is solid. 9/10

AntM Reviews BPI Vanilla Caramel Whey HD

View attachment 120646

I had a sample of this lying around from a previous order and decided to give it a go. If you're looking for a heavy caramel taste, you will not get that, but there are hints of it. It mixed thick and immediately reminded me on one thing; eating vanilla cake frosting right out of the container. Yes, when it was that thick it had that exact taste. Whey HD can be great as a frosting for baked items. It is a solid powder and I did not have an artificial after taste. It also tasted more true to the name f the product, although, barely. I would give this is shot.

 

[AntM1564]

June 23, 2015
Legs Hypertrophy

I will have an interview at the Vitamin Shoppe next week some time. I told the GM how I wouldn't be able to start until August since I am doing summer school and working at BJ's still. Apparently, the lady I would be replacing is transferring to a store in Florida since that is where she is moving, but she won't be leaving until the beginning of August. That works out perfectly. Ideally, I would have a full time teaching job for September and would begin the third week in August, but it would be nice to have the two jobs for the two or three weeks prior. Again, this is if I get a full time teaching job.

Applied to two more school districts in my state today. There is a third, however, their direct site does not say they have a social studies opening, but the site where the districts post openings does. I'm also going to start applying for substitute positions as a fall back. I am going to look for normal full time jobs as well, just in case. I would much rather sub though since I would be gaining experience.

My hips, lower back, and glutes were so sore today, but I still pushed through. All lifts either went up in weight, reps, or both.

Training

Front Squat 60 - 90 second rest

125x6,6,6,6,6,6,7*

This week calls for 7x6 with the last set being AMRAP.

Leg Press 60 - 90 sec rest

270x8, 8, 10

This week calls for 3 sets of 8 with the last set being AMRAP.

Seated Hamstring Curl 60 sec rest

100x12
1005x10,10

Leg Extensions 60 sec rest

105x12, 10, 10

Standing Machine Calf Raise 45 - 60 sec rest

150x12
155x11,11,11,10

Seated Hammerstrength Calf Raise 45 - 60 sec rest

95x11,11,11,10,10

Nutrition

Moderate Carb

Cals - 2,300
Carbs - 195g

• Fiber - 47g

Protein - 219g
Fat - 79g

• Sat. - 20g
• Poly. - 12g
• Mono. - 29g

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews Cellucor Alpha Amino

View attachment 120690
Pointless to look at everything, since it is above. This was the watermelon flavor. It was a nice light flavor, barely any sweetness to it. This was probably because it was a half serving. Even at a full serving, I think this flavor would be more refreshing and light than sweet. It tasted like a generic watermelon, nothing more or less.

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews BPI Best Protein Vanilla Swirl

The aroma was a light vanilla. However, when I tried it for my first tasting, I had the same experience as the others in this thread concerning the Vanilla Swirl. It was almost flavorless. I love vanilla, it is my favorite generic flavor, but this would be at the very bottom of all the vanilla protein powders I have tried. Very disappointed overall with this flavor and the line as a whole. Out of the BPI flavors, I would go

vanilla cookie>banana>vanilla swirl>chocolate fudge. I am trying the Cutler protein on Thursday, I think.

 

[choccyswag]

Good luck with getting the jobs you want, AntM1564;

Fellow leg dayer checking in

How do you find the leg extensions btw? some trainers say not to do them because they are bad for knees?

 

[iThrow]

yea a lot of my AT/Kinesiology courses say not to do it.. however if you do them, do not *******, or really even com close to locking out,keep your leg bent at like a 150 degree angle but keep constant tension don't let the weights hit the rack and point yoru toes either inward or outward. actually does wonders for the lateralis and medalis of the quad ive found

jelly of that vascularity ant... soon Ill be there. at least im hoping so. I remember a time I had a few quad/calf veins poppin out at 200lbs

 

[AntM1564]

Good luck with getting the jobs you want, AntM1564;

Fellow leg dayer checking in

How do you find the leg extensions btw? some trainers say not to do them because they are bad for knees?

I love them. I will never stop doing them. Just like iThrow stated, do not lock out. Any leg exercise can be a knee killer if you're locking out with a load on them. Also, make sure you control the load.

yea a lot of my AT/Kinesiology courses say not to do it.. however if you do them, do not *******, or really even com close to locking out,keep your leg bent at like a 150 degree angle but keep constant tension don't let the weights hit the rack and point yoru toes either inward or outward. actually does wonders for the lateralis and medalis of the quad ive found

jelly of that vascularity ant... soon Ill be there. at least im hoping so. I remember a time I had a few quad/calf veins poppin out at 200lbs

And that was with no water, food, etc in me, just waking up. Veins are crazy when I'm pumped.

 

[iThrow]

I love them. I will never stop doing them. Just like iThrow stated, do not lock out. Any leg exercise can be a knee killer if you're locking out with a load on them. Also, make sure you control the load.



And that was with no water, food, etc in me, just waking up. Veins are crazy when I'm pumped.

Im jelly man, hoping I can bring that kinda conditioning at about 215lbs

 

[AntM1564]

Im jelly man, hoping I can bring that kinda conditioning at about 215lbs

Hoping I can keep it at 175 lol

 

[AntM1564]

June 24, 2015
Off Day

Off day today. Just hit abs and some mobility work.

Nutrition

Low Carb

Cals - 2,050
Carbs - 78g

• Fiber - 40g

Protein - 219g
Fat - 107g

• Sat. - 36g
• Poly. - 6g
• Mono. - 23g

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews Cellucor Alpha Amino

This was the Icy Blue Razz flavor. It was a nice light flavor. The sweetness was on point, even with the half serving. One thing I wish this flavor had was more tartness. When I think of raspberries, I think of a nice tart fruit. That was the one thing that this flavor lacked. Overall, it was very good and enjoyable.

AntM Reviews EVL BCAA Energy

Profile - Per serving, there is 5 grams of BCAA and 110 mg of caffeine. This is a nice small stim product for someone who does not tolerant stims well or is looking for a coffee replacement.

Taste - This flavor was the Orange Dream flavor. I am not a big fan of orange tasting liquids, although I do like oranges. However, this is not an fruit orange taste. Instead, it is exactly like an Orange Creamsicle on a stick that you might have ate as a kid! It has a nice creamy orange taste and everything about it is perfect!

 

[AntM1564]

June 25, 2015
Pull Power

Went heavier than anticipated today so I wouldn't be so high on the AMRAP sets. Towards the middle/end of my training session, my right calf started to feel really tight for some reason. I gave it some time and it became painful, I could barely walk on it. Went to the walk in clinic and the doctor there said it was a really bad muscle cramp that was right on the head of my calf. I never had a muscle cramp before. I had no idea they could be this painful. She prescribed a muscle relaxer for me that I am going to pick up soon. I have heat on it now and it seems to be loosening with a spasm here and there. I am hoping it is fine by Saturday since that is supposed to be my next leg day, heavy day at that. I would imagine the cramp would go away tomorrow. She said no leg day until Tuesday.

How long do really bad cramps usually last?

Training

Flat Bench 2-3 min rest

165x4,4,4,4,4,5*

This week calls for 6x4 with the last set being AMRAP. So I went up 15 pounds from last week and rested significantly shorter. The last set I rested a little more than 3 minutes, maybe 3.5, but this went very well. I pushed myself.

Military Press 1.5-2 min rest

105x3,3,3,3,4*

This week calls for 5 sets of 3 with the last set being AMRAP.

Incline Bench 90 sec rest

125x7,6,6

Seated Smith Behind the Neck Shoulder Press 60 - 90 sec rest

50x8,8
60x6

Weighted Dips 60 - 90 sec rest

30x7,6,6

Incline Skull Crusher 60 - 90 sec rest

70x8,7,6

Nutrition

High Carb

Cals - 2,600
Carbs - 319g

• Fiber - 45g

Protein - 218g
Fat - 51g

• Sat. - 11g
• Poly. - 7g
• Mono. - 15g

 

[RegisterJr]

You've never had a cramp wake you up at night? Those are crazy painful.

Some Gatorade and potassium should help. Not surprised the doc jumped straight for pain pills.

 

[booneman77]

Cramps themselves don't usually last more than a day but sometimes the pain can linger for a week or more depending how nasty of a cramp it was. It'll feel like a bruise.

 

[AntM1564]

You've never had a cramp wake you up at night? Those are crazy painful.

Some Gatorade and potassium should help. Not surprised the doc jumped straight for pain pills.

Cramps themselves don't usually last more than a day but sometimes the pain can linger for a week or more depending how nasty of a cramp it was. It'll feel like a bruise.

I'm really on the fence if it is a strain or cramp. It is localized, the pain/discomfort. I can put weight on it although it is not the best feeling thing to do, I can flex it, and it is just hard. Almost feels like my muscle is contracted. If it was a strain or pull, I think it would feel normal, not hard like a rock. I'm going to ge Pedialyte tomorrow if it isn't better. It has been warmer, so I'm sweating more and I wear hoodies/sweatshirts in the gym. I have been drinking a lot of water though.

 

[AntM1564]

Here is a picture for reference. It is the right leg. Outside upper part of the calf. It looks swollen, I don't think swelling is associated with cramping.

 

[booneman77]

Huh you're right it does look a bit swollen. Did they check you for a dvt?

 

[AntM1564]

AntM Reviews Cellucor C4 G4

View attachment 120808

View attachment 120809

So, what the hell is the difference?!?!?! Cellucor's Fourth Generation C4 is the next level of innovation and refinement. Its formula is now more dialed in, more potent, and includes the breakthrough ingredient, TeaCor™, for improved energy that comes on quickly and lasts longer.*

The flavors were also revamped and improved.

Mixability - Perfect, see the two pictures. A tiny bit of foam, but nothing extreme. No clumps and I did not use a whisk or anything else in the shaker. 10/10

Profile - Creatine Nitrate and Beta Alanine are dosed well, at two scoops which I used. Not overly stimulated either at one or two scoops. One scoop provides 150 mg of caffeine which is nice for someone looking for an average stim option. Someone like me with a naturally high tolerance needs two scoops, but the affects of two scoops are there. 10/10

Energy - Pretty good. At two scoops, I did not feel over stimulated and did feel like I had some extra energy. I cannot assess this on if I was not coming off a stim break. I can only assume it would not have affected me too much if I have been using stims. However, using it when I did, I had a nice flow of energy that carried me through my training sessions with no crash afterwards. It was clean with no jitters too. In comparison to the version prior, energy is slightly higher than its predecessor. It is not an extreme amount higher, but definitely noticeable with no crash after. 9/10

Focus - Focus was pretty good. Nothing laser like, but I was focused throughout my entire workout. Once again, as I used it was good, but I don't know how this aspect would have been if I have been using stims. Same thing here. Ficus is a little better with this generation the the previous. 10/10

Taste - Both flavors were pretty good. The watermelon was amazing. I tasted just like a liquid version of a watermelon Jolly Rancher. It had the perfect balance of sweetness. It was not overally sweet, but sweet enough to remind you of that Jolly Rancher you used to suck on as a kid. The fruit punch was the second flavor I had. Honestly, it was better than the previous version. The previous version was very bland, nothing made it The G4 fruit punch on the other hand had some sweetness to it, unlike the previous version. I still wouldn't say it was the best fruit punch I had, but think of a light Juicy Juice boxed juice.

Watermelon - 10/10
Fruit Punch - 8/10

Overall - If you are looking for a pre workout that isn't stim heavy, I would definitely check Cellucor C4 out. It is worth the purchase and trying. I have only had these two flavors and would go with the apple over the fruit punch. If you are looking for a little extra kick in the gym with some extra focus, go with this. It is a solid formula that provides solid effects. Cellucor makes awesome products so you know you're getting something solid and not trash. Sometimes when a company promotes a new technology or delivery system, it is BS. However, I found that to be false in all of the samples I used. C4 G4 delivers on its claims and is a great improvement to an already great pre workout.

Watermelon - 10/10
Fruit Punch - 9/10

AntM Reviews MAN Sports Iso Amino

I had the Sour Batch Kids flavor. Upon tasting, I found myself a little confused. It was like I took a pack of sour patch kids and got one of every flavor. I had several different fruity flavors dancing around in my mouth at once! It was great. What I like about it was that it was not sour. I was afraid it might be. I'm not a fan of sour items. Maybe with a full serving it would be more sour, but I doubt it. I can't even imagine how my taste buds would have been dancing with a full serving.

On the other hand, this is not anything special. It is essentially bulk BCAA, 5 grams, with an amazing flavoring system. There are no additives. With that said, if you can find a really good sale, go for it. If not, one is better off buying bulk BCAA and adding a flavoring packet or drops to it.

AntM Reviews Cutler Total Protein Chocolate Brownie

Out of all of the samples I got from BPI, this was by far the best. And that is coming from a person not that fond of chocolate. This powder reminded me of a fresh fudge brownie. The taste was very rich and did not have that generic, boring milk chocolate flavor. I could see myself suing that flavor and not really get sick of it. If you are looking for a dark tasting chocolate protein, look no further.It is extremely thick too, which I liked.

 

[AntM1564]

Huh you're right it does look a bit swollen. Did they check you for a dvt?

Deep vein thrombosis? No, why would they?

If it isn't better tomorrow, I found a walk in orthopedic clinic. I will call them and see if they accept my insurance. Will go there if it isn;t better.

 

[booneman77]

Deep vein thrombosis? No, why would they?

If it isn't better tomorrow, I found a walk in orthopedic clinic. I will call them and see if they accept my insurance. Will go there if it isn;t better.

Yes, basically just a clot. It can cause swelling and is very common in calves. My mom actually had one about a year ago.

 

[AntM1564]

**** me. I woke up this morning and was able to walk on it unlike yesterday. I went to the gym and did my pull day. It was still tight, but I could walk on it without a limp. I figured I would try to loosen it up with some treadmill walking. After the gym, I had to run some errands. Now, my walking is back to how it was yeterday although the pain is not there today. I have a bruise now too on the calf. Nothing too big and not too dark. Tomorrow is supposed to be legs, but I get tightness when I try to do a body weight squat. Here is my course of action:

Take tomorrow off from everything. Go back on my routine Sunday, but do legs and just run my program like normal except no rest day this week. Tomorrow will be a low carb day as well. I'm hoping it is just a grade 1 strain and I can do my legs on Sunday. I probably won't do any calf work for a week or two though.

It just blows my mind, I can't think of anything I did that would have caused this.

 

[RegisterJr]

Sometimes **** just doesn't feel right...

 

[YouBet33]

**** me. I woke up this morning and was able to walk on it unlike yesterday. I went to the gym and did my pull day. It was still tight, but I could walk on it without a limp. I figured I would try to loosen it up with some treadmill walking. After the gym, I had to run some errands. Now, my walking is back to how it was yeterday although the pain is not there today. I have a bruise now too on the calf. Nothing too big and not too dark. Tomorrow is supposed to be legs, but I get tightness when I try to do a body weight squat. Here is my course of action:

Take tomorrow off from everything. Go back on my routine Sunday, but do legs and just run my program like normal except no rest day this week. Tomorrow will be a low carb day as well. I'm hoping it is just a grade 1 strain and I can do my legs on Sunday. I probably won't do any calf work for a week or two though.

It just blows my mind, I can't think of anything I did that would have caused this.

Injuries suck! Have to change up my training for A week or so, can't get my lower back to loosen up. Can't stand missing workouts

 

[iThrow]

im here to provide some comfort ant

So I had the same thing last summer when I was actually logging on here. was doing some RDL's finished and sat down to take my shoes off. when I went to stand up I grabbed on to the rack and put my feet close together like a super narrow squat and stood up. I felt like my right calf cramped for about 3 seconds followed by a pain like I was stabbed in my outter right calf.

Figured it was a minor strain of the soleus so luckily being a slow twitch muscle it affected walking a bit but lifting wasn't too bad. after a week of light stretching, heat, and rolling on a lacrosse ball, I was able to squat. at about 90% of my max.

depending on if its more the gastroc or soleus will depend on how much time you take off, after working in the AT field for a while and being around in the kinesiology department for 5 years, ive learned the calf is a weird muscle it can withstand a 15 foot fall unharmed but standing up can cause a tear!

weird eh? rest and relaxation and some light work will help heal it up. Before your workout I would go on an elliptical for 5 minutes. wear long tights if possible to keep it warm. do some body weight squats and like 3-4 singles at 135 to get a real light stretch. then start your warm ups before your normal sets. as funny as it may sound the heavier I went, the better it ended up feeling, it was the light bodyweight stuff that bothered it. maybe because I was forcing it into proper placement and stretch at heavier weight. basically test your waters bud!

 

[AntM1564]

im here to provide some comfort ant

So I had the same thing last summer when I was actually logging on here. was doing some RDL's finished and sat down to take my shoes off. when I went to stand up I grabbed on to the rack and put my feet close together like a super narrow squat and stood up. I felt like my right calf cramped for about 3 seconds followed by a pain like I was stabbed in my outter right calf.

Figured it was a minor strain of the soleus so luckily being a slow twitch muscle it affected walking a bit but lifting wasn't too bad. after a week of light stretching, heat, and rolling on a lacrosse ball, I was able to squat. at about 90% of my max.

depending on if its more the gastroc or soleus will depend on how much time you take off, after working in the AT field for a while and being around in the kinesiology department for 5 years, ive learned the calf is a weird muscle it can withstand a 15 foot fall unharmed but standing up can cause a tear!

weird eh? rest and relaxation and some light work will help heal it up. Before your workout I would go on an elliptical for 5 minutes. wear long tights if possible to keep it warm. do some body weight squats and like 3-4 singles at 135 to get a real light stretch. then start your warm ups before your normal sets. as funny as it may sound the heavier I went, the better it ended up feeling, it was the light bodyweight stuff that bothered it. maybe because I was forcing it into proper placement and stretch at heavier weight. basically test your waters bud!

I tried the eliptical before going on the treadmill today and that was a no go.

It is definitely the gastroc. I was able to walk pretty fine this morning, but as the day went on, forget about it. Now if I need to walk, I am walking on my toes, keeping my heel elevated. I have it wrapped and elevated. I'm hoping worst case scenario is I take tomorrow off and my two leg days next week off. It just sucks because leg days are my favorite.

I may have to drop deadlifts during that time too. I can still do upper body work, but still. I was so amped with this new routine and all.

It just sucks because it was a freak occurence and to make things worse, I was feeling so much better this morning and then it started aching like hell again. The muscle relaxers probably wore off. I'm done with those. I don't want a false sense that I'm healing and then push myself and have a complete tear.

 

[AntM1564]

Went to another doctor today. He sent me to get an ultrasound Because of.my medical history. He wants to make sure it isn't a DVT. i'm in the er now. Will report back when I know more

 

[iThrow]

hoping for the best man!

 

[booneman77]

Went to another doctor today. He sent me to get an ultrasound Because of.my medical history. He wants to make sure it isn't a DVT. i'm in the er now. Will report back when I know more

Booneman77: the eDoctor

 

[AntM1564]

Alright, I'm back. Grade II calf strain.

I have a note saying I can be excused from work tomorrow, I would be on my feet all day. Part of me wants to go into work since it is time and a half and the other part of me just wants to take advantage of the note and rest up so I can train legs again sometime soon. What would you all do?

In terms of training, I think I am going to modify my routine for this week. No deadlifts or leg work. I have to wait and see how it feels, plus, I don't want to aggravate the injury.

 

[AntM1564]

June 26, 2015

Pull Hypertrophy

This was yesterday's session. I forgot to follow the set plan for the second exercise, so I did it for the third instead.

Training

Pulldowns 60 - 90 second rest

120x6,6,6,6,6,6,7*

This week calls for 7x6 with the last set being AMRAP.

T Bar Row 60 - 90 sec rest

80x11,10
85x10.

Wide Neutral Grip Pulldown 60 - 90 sec rest

107.5x8,8,9*

This week calls for 3 sets of 8 with the last set being AMRAP.

Machine Rows 60 - 90 sec rest

90x11,11,11

Meadows Row 60 - 90 sec rest

25x11,11,10

Reverse Pec Deck 60 - 90 sec rest

75x12,11,10

Nutrition

Moderate Carb

Cals - 2,300
Carbs - 195g

• Fiber - 49g

Protein - 2189g
Fat - 80g

• Sat. - 16g
• Poly. - 13g
• Mono. - 34g

 

[choccyswag]

Hope your calves heal soon! Time rested is not time wasted though. At least you can still train but just other areas

 

[AntM1564]

June 28, 2015
Push Hypertrophy

Weight - 148.4

Weighed in 2.4 pounds heavier than last week. Who knows why. It could have been my lack of activity since Thursday. Yesterday, I had all my meals and water late in the evening, so maybe that is why.

My leg is still swollen, down to my ankle. However, I am able to actually walk now as opposed to before I was walking on my toes for the injured leg. My ankle may be swollen because I applied heat last night. No more heat, just wrapping the leg and seeing what happens.

I may deadlift tomorrow. I just have tightness on the *******. I will see how it feels tomorrow. I may just do rack pulls so I don't have to travel as far. I may just do something completely different. Today, I tried to do the leg press, before starting my session to humor myself. There was no pain. I may be able to get legs in on Tuesday. I may not front squat, but use machines so my calf doesn't have to stabilize as much. I was thinking about doing some light cardio post workout, but decided against it. I may start walking on the treadmill at slow pace starting tomorrow. I would start with a quarter mile and work my way up. We;ll see though. I think tonight I an going to foam roll my leg very lightly.

I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and picked up some athletic tape, kisneology tape, and a pair of compression socks. I am going to wear the socks tomorrow when I go for the summer school training. I will also wear them during my training session so we'll see how that goes.

My front delts were fried right after the training session. My chest is so sore now too. It was overall a good session.

Training

Seated Smith Shoulder Press 60 - 90 sec rest

80x6,6,6,6,6,6,6,7*

This week calls for 8x6 with the last set being AMRAP.

Incline Smith Bench Press 90 sec rest

100x6,6,7*

This week calls for 3x6 with the last set being AMRAP.

Seated Machine Side Laterals 60 sec rest

65x12
70x10,10

Flat DB Bench Press 90 sec rest

55x10,10,6+3+2*

Since last week I hit 50 for 12,11,10, I decided to increase the weight. However, I was so drained at that point, I should have done 50 for the first set or two. On the last set, I got 6 reps, rested and got three, rested and got 2 more.

Cable Rope Tricep Pressdown 45 - 60 sec rest

20.5x12
22.5x10,10

Straight Bar Cable Tricep Pressdown 45 - 60 sec rest

37.5x12
42.5x10,10

Nutrition

Low Carb Day

Cals - 2,050
Carbs - 77g

• Fiber - 38g

Protein - 222g
Fat - 108g

• Sat. - 36g
• Poly. - 7g
• Mono. - 27g

 

[AntM1564]

June 29, 2015
Pull Power

Injury update. I woke up and my calf felt the same and looked the same. Maybe the swelling went down a little. I have a little more definition, but I am still swollen from the calf to the ankle. Walking was better though. Also, I was able to do heavy deadlifts without an issue on the *******! Being completely erect was straining before, but with weight, it felt fine. I am able to stand with my feet side by side straight up. I am also gaining the ability to keep the injured leg in back of the good one. Finally, I did 10 minutes of cardio on the eliptical post workout. I had a twinge here and there, but it felt great. Right now, I'm icing it for 20 minutes then I will wrap it before going to bed.

Tomorrow is supposed to be hypertrophy leg day. I am going to do it. I will probably skip all calf work for at least this week. I will update tomorrow.

Training

Deadlift 2-3 min rest

305x3x3x3x3x3,3,4*

This week calls for 7x3 with the last set being AMRAP. This was the weight I was aiming for pre injury so I'm glad I got it. I think I used my back a little too much due to being nervous. Also, I felt like I was going to puke on almost every rep. I had a small meal about 2.5 hours prior to this, but I have gotten used to deadlifting on an empty stomach.

Weighted Wide Grip Pullups 60 - 90 sec rest

15x2,2,2,2,2,3*

This week calls for 6 sets of 2 with the last set being AMRAP.

V Attachment Cable Row 60 - 90 sec rest

125x7,6,6

V Attachment Lat Pulldown 60 - 90 sec rest

120x8
125x6,6

Machine Row 60 - 90 sec rest

105x7,7,6

This is a seated chest supported machine with several different handles. I used a regular overhand grip, about shoulder width.

Reverse Fly 60 - 90 sec rest

100x8,7,7

Nutrition

High Carb

Cals - 2,600
Carbs - 319g

• Fiber - 48g

Protein - 221g
Fat - 53g

• Sat. - 14g
• Poly. - 5g
• Mono. - 9g

 

[booneman77]

Love that machine row. If it's the same one I'm thinking I use it to finish off my upper back every week

 

[choccyswag]

Love that machine row. If it's the same one I'm thinking I use it to finish off my upper back every week

Totally agree with that, machine rows are the best! Use all different grips on it and go all amrap.