Based on many positive reviews on AM, I decided to purchase 2 bottles of Licogenix and log my experiences unsponsored.
My reason for purchasing Licogenix was to continue on the road to losing weight and improving my health. I lost 30 lbs before I started Licogenix in about 3 months. No drastic changes. Just steady 2-3 lbs a week. I used Erase Pro with various supplements and really liked the leaning effect it provided. I took a short layoff and was ready to run Erase Pro again when I started reading about Licogenix. People were reporting similar results as Erase Pro and Licogenix was about half the price based on which store you go to. Hmmm, similar results at 1/2 the price ? I am in ! It also helped that many Licogenix reviewers were people who are respected in this AM community.
Why did I decide to run this solo ? Some one made a valid constructive criticism on one of my earlier logs. If I run so many supplements, how do I know which one was responsible for the result ? It was a good point. I needed to know if Licogenix was for real. So goes the story and my log that followed.
Quick summary of my plan
Weight training style: Compound exercise with volume
Cardio style: 60-70 minutes on elliptical 3-4 times a week
Sports: Currently playing Volleyball (1 night per week - 2 hours), Tennis (varies), Softball (1 game per week)
Job: Office job where I rarely move out of my seat.
Diet:
Calorie deficit weekdays at 10% below BMR.
Calorie maintenance or surplus of no more than 10% above BMR.
2 cheat meals per week based on type of food like (mexican food, pasta,...etc) (No pigging out)
Supplement:
Licogenix (Athletix) at max dosage of 2 capsules with each of 3 main meals.
Duration:
40 days
FINAL RESULTS
Weight
Starting weight = 235.0 lbs, End weight = 228.2 lbs, Change =
-6.8 lbs
Comment(s): This is slightly over -1.1 lbs per week. While I would like to have seen more weight loss, I definitely noticed a recomposition effect. I am happy with this result.
Muscle separation
Saw visible increase in size and definition of chest, shoulders and upper back. Decrease in size of love handles and upper abs.
Comments: I am not sure the pictures do it justice. I see noticeable change in definition and in some areas, definitely less bulk and bloat. I hear comments from many who think I have made a huge change so far. Comments related to being leaner and certain muscles being swole. I even have others in their 20s come up to me at the dungeon asking me how long it took to get that big. I do look pretty lean and mean with a muscle shirt on covering the soft underbelly ! LOL.
Vascularity
Veins appear at resting state on my hands, inner and outer forearms.
Veins appear when flexing on left shoulder and both biceps. They are not huge yet, but they are out.
Comments: I want that long vein going down my biceps. For the first time, it looks to be a possibility. Maybe in another 6 months of dedicated lifting and dieting and Licogenix cycled somewhere along the way, they will appear at resting state. I am not a vein guy per se as I was always the "fullback" or the "nose tackle" and I was always lifting and eating for strength for that purpose. Then I stopped lifting regularly about 10 years ago. It's been a long road back and now I want that leaner look with veins. For some reason, seeing those veins pumps me up psychologically.
Strength
Base-lined 2 lifts. Strength increase measured in number of reps.
Hammer Strength Incline Chest Press @360 lbs - Start = 4 reps, End = 7 reps, Change =
+ 3 reps
Life Fitness Shoulder Press @200 lbs - Start = 6 reps, End = 14 reps, Change =
+ 8 reps
Comments: At my gym, these are the max weights you can load on these machines. So the only way to measure strength increase was to measure how many reps I could do. Sort of like the NFL combine. The strength for Chest Press increased early then stabilized. I am happy with the 3 rep gain. Sometimes there are plateaus you have to conquer and it maybe 8 reps for this lift. Shoulder press when up 8 reps. I am ecstatic about this as each day I felt getting stringer on this lift. Throughout, I added weight subtly on various lifts with success. No baseline to compare it to so I am not using the numbers to validate. I will add a comment that as each day passed, I felt much stronger and each lift seem to get easier.
Workout Energy
Licogenix is not a pre-workout supplement, however I noticed a huge increase in aerobic capacity with most workouts easily lasting +2 hours.
Comments: I could literally stay on the elliptical for hours at max resistance. One hour was easy, so I had to add HIIT. One and 1/2 hours seems to be a good length, but sometimes I did not want to stay that long nor did I have the time. I sweated like crazy and loved the lean feeling after I get off. Muscle endurance has improved significantly as well. I kept adding sets on back and leg days. I try not to go heavy due to past back issues and I always try to be careful with my knees. So instead of adding weight, I overloaded by adding sets. It ended up at 12 sets for 15 reps on Leg Press and 24 sets for 8 reps on Back Rows. This gave me a good cardio effect which I am starting to love - lifting for cardio. Workouts are a joy due to excess energy I had each time i went into the gym.
Normal Energy
Whether I had little sleep or 8 hours of sleep, I felt great 90% of the time the next day. Most days, I had excess energy at alpha state and abundance of confidence.
Comments: Not much else to add other than what I wrote above. Just a happy and confident SOB at work these days.
Libido
Libido was high for about 5 weeks before it started to tail off slightly to normal state.
Comments: Always up and rock hard as it has ever been since my twenties. Performance success everytime and little things trigger reaction which I had to watch when at work. When I take T-boosters, libido increases for about 2 weeks and then tail off significantly to below average. I have abused PH in the past and it probably F'd up my system. With Licogenix, it lasted 4 weeks. It tailed off a little, but not to a state where I have issues. It's at a level just about average now.
Joint Pains
Not a single instance of joint pain anywhere that I could attribute to Licogenix.
Comments: As advertised. Nothing noticed in this category. FYI - I also did not have issues with erase Pro.
Skin
My skin, especially on my face, was oily on most days during this run. I had to make a point to goto the bathroom 3-4 times a day to wash my face.
Comments: This was a pain to deal with. Skin was always oily and I had to wash my face before meetings. It did not bother my confidence, but why turn off the ladies ? : ) Oily skin - probably a sign of increased T-level. I did not have any water related bloating, but I don't know if Licogenix really helped me stay dry.
Final Thoughts
I think Athletix has a winner here. It's a winner for me at least. I saw measurable strength increase and weight loss. I also feel much leaner and there is definitely signs of recomposition. My gains were more like when I took T-boosters in the past without the bloat that I usually get. (DAA makes me bloated and hold water)
Big surprise for me was the energy increase. Maybe it's because I don't use PWO regularly ? unexplanable but very happy with it none the less. Some subjective comments - good mood, confidence, alpha feeling, high day to day energy and increase in libido.
What more can you want from a natty supplement ???
If your expectations are realistic, I think you will be more than happy with your results. I certainly am.
I can't think of anything negative other than my 2 bottles are out and I have to wait 2 months to get back on this.
I already purchased a stash to cover rest of this year. Thank you Nutraplanet Memorial day sale !
I want to thank everyone who stopped by to lend support and give encouragement. It was my pleasure logging this product.
Before/After Pictures
