ICJLM is on the patch !!!! -- Melatonin+GABA log (AgeForce sponsored)

[ICJLM]

So I recently found out that I was selected to do a log of AgeForce's Melatonin Patch! The log will be right here on AM for your reading pleasure. Gotta give a thanks to AgeForce, and especially to mattrag for running the promo! This is gunna be a neat experience, and will probably change the way I think of this transdermal delivery stuff, be it for better or for worse.

Let's do this!

Here is the application I filled in, just so you get a better idea of where I'm coming from with this log:

What patch would you like to log?-

I am really interested in trying out the melatonin patch because I think it could help me immensely. I am in the second day of the new semester and I am somehow feeling burnt out already haha. My classes start earlier than they have during previous semesters, and I am paying the price already. There is no way I will be getting my desired 9 hours of rest every night, so hopefully this can help optimize my sleepy time

What is your goal with this patch?-

I don't just wanna SLEEP every night, I wanna go into HIBERNATION!!!! I am hoping to get the most restful sleep possible each and every night, so that I wake up ready to CRUSH each and every day. If I don't get enough sleep, I just don't feel as mentally sharp as usual; which is not like me.

Also, I am in the midst of recovering from an injury that occurred while training on Dec. 12 of 2011. I was simply training ballz to the wall for too long a period. Maybe this deep sleep can help with the tissue repair.

In addition, I tend to have many blemishes on my face more often than not. This issue is typically exacerbated by a lack of quality rest. When I don't sleep well, my face will fight back by breaking out! So, I am hoping this can help with my skin. I love the inclusion of GABA, because this could assist in a greater GH release. This would certainly help with any skin issues.

...I kinda hope this gives me crazyass dreams too. There is just something about strange dreams that really makes sleeping that much more enjoyable

Why should we let you log this?-

Because you will most likely make a repeat customer out of me! When I first heard about AgeForce and the whole transdermal delivery concept, I thought it sounded like complete garbage. My skepticism soon turned to intrigue, especially once I heard the multiple appearances by Steve Lapidus on Super Human Radio. If Carl Lanore (the host of the podcast) was endorsing these patches, then I knew they were legit. From this point on, AgeForce products have really piqued my interest. The sleep patch was definitely the first one on my list of AgeForce products to try... and now is the chance!

Able to update 3-4x a week?-

No problemo! I usually like to include before and after pics too, but idk if that would really be necessary for this product. Maybe I can do headshots that will potentially show the improvement in my skin's health?

Current other supplements?-

Lately I haven't been taking a whole lot. Haha I am not used to this, it feel so weird! I have just been taking 3-7 fish oil softgels a day (NOW Omega-3) and half a tablet of my multi (NOW ADAM). Some days I will take extra Vit D or some extra Zinc, but that is about it.

Links to any other logs or reviews?-

My most recent log here on AM was a sponsored run of CL's product Blue GrowtH. I guess this product is kind of similar in some ways, and I am hoping to see some noticeable effects!

Like I said, I am recuperating from an injury I got back in mid-December... so don't expect the insane training that is typical of me. But I will definitely still benefit from this product just as much as anyone else. I had to take a full three weeks off of weight training entirely after getting hurt. I have eased my way back into it and am now performing just about every exercise, but none at the level I was at before. I feel like my muscular endurance has gone down the tubes like crazy, but I know it will come back quickly. Also, t is almost as though my kinesthetic awareness has been affected due to the lack of use of certain muscles. I find myself jittering on certain exercises, haha it's like being a noob again. Since returning, I have not put more than 315 on the bar for squats or deads, or more than 205 for bench.

As of now, I will be training each muscle once every six days. It will probably be something like this:
1 chest/bis
2 legs
3 delts/tris
4 core/cardio
5 back(including traps, and will deadlift most days)
6 rest

Today I did some core and a little bit of cardio. I just did an ab circuit sort of thing followed by 20 minutes on the stepmill. I had never used the stepmill before but always wanted to.... and holy $hit; that was the longest 20 mins of my life. I varied the pace throughout, but probably averaged about 80 steps/min. I was sweating like crazy, but I felt great afterwards. I haven't sweat like that since before I hurt myself back on December 12. Oh, and I also decided to do a bit of calves afterwards just for the hell of it.

Stay tuned for more updates, and I may just wait til I start using the Melatonin Patch to give more frequent training updates. I just wanted to get the log up and running to see if anyone had any particular suggestions as to how to use the product. I have never used a "patch" product, or any other supplement that utilizes a transdermal delivery system. From what I have read, putting it on the top of the foot is a good place to start, so that is likely what I will do.

If anyone has any suggestion at all, please feel free to voice them. Not just opinions about how to best use the product (like timing,placement,etc.), but also opinions about what to include in the log. Thanks for stopping by!

[enhanced]

First in!! Good luck w/ it bro!!

[SuppJunkie]

Subbed bro, good luck..SJ

[taman6886]

subbed

[AaronJP1]

Get ya t shirt yet?

[mattrag]

subbed

[ICJLM]

Thanks for joinin' the party, broskis. We're gunna have some fun up in hurrr

Get ya t shirt yet?

Nope! Not just yet. Really looking forward to getting it though!

[kaikara]

Subbed!

[ICJLM]

I have been working to get my strength back to where it was pre-injury, in addition to my body weight. At one point I was down to 185 after having been 200 before the injury. I am back at a consistent 190 lbs, which is a little better, but certainly not where I want to be. The pitiful part is that I am definitely not any leaner now than I was at 200 lbs.....

I benched on Monday and ended up putting 225 on the bar. It was my second true chest workout since the injury, and 225 felt alright. It of course felt heavier than it used to, but I was still able to get 5 unassisted reps. I feel as though I still can move the weight with the same velocity as before for the first couple reps, but there is a huge difference with how quickly I fatigue compared to my pre-injured self.

Then on Tuesday I squatted. I worked up to 275 and did a couple sets of 5 reps. Again, the weight felt a little heavier off the rack, but I still had no problem moving it for the first couple reps. It is simply a matter of hitting a fatigue threshold much sooner than before. The rest of the leg workout actually went really well. I was able to do all of my other weights on exercises like extensions and leg presses, which was nice. Although it could be because I did not squat as intensely in the beginning of the workout as I ordinarily would. Normally I would do 5+ sets at a weight of 315+, so I usually don't have as much energy in the tank after squats.

DOMS are down significantly from last week, seeing as that was my first week actually being able to hit every muscle group. My chest was absolutely destroyed after last week's chest workout, yet I am not even sore from Monday's despite using heavier weights.


As for my sleep, I have been sleeping fine as usual, but I am not getting as many hours of rest as I would like to. This has been leading to a lot of midday fatigue, certainly more than I am used to experiencing. I'm only averaging about 7.5 hours of sleep per night, so I hope this patch can help maximize my time between the sheets !! Can't wait for the product to come in!

Stay tuned, peeps!

[kaikara]

so I hope this patch can help maximize my time between the sheets !!

I think there's a different product for that.

[ICJLM]

Dammit, I knew that would be misinterpreted!

[FL3X MAGNUM]

Hello

[ICJLM]

I see many people have received their patches. I have not yet, but I'm sure I will probably get it tomorrow. I cannot wait. I usually always sleep really well, other than the fact that I get up probably 1-4 times to piss every night... But last night, I slept like absolute sh*t for the first time in a while. It was really bizarre. I kept waking up, and when I fell back asleep soon after it felt as though I was in a really light sleep. Last night was definitely an exception for me, but still, I cannot wait for this patch regardless.

A couple questions though:
If I know I am not able to commit nine hours to sleep since I have an alarm that will go off, should I apply the patch earlier on in the evening before getting ready for bed?
Also, is it critical that it is applied to freshly cleaned skin?

[mattrag]

You can apply it 30-45mins before bed I think. I usually use an alcohol wipe or something when I apply the patch on the tops of my feet.

[kaikara]

I don't think you need to commit 9 hours to sleep. The instructions say to leave it on for a continuous 6-8 hours. I don't think they're suggesting you wake up 6 hours into your sleep, take it off, then go back to sleep.

[ICJLM]

Well it is 11:37 pm... Just applied my first patch! I just got out of the shower a few minutes ago, so my body is thoroughly cleaned. I put it on my left foot. I should hopefully be asleep within an hour. It is not a matter of me being able to fall asleep, but the fact that I have to study for a physiology quiz tomorrow. My alarm will be going off at 7:30 am tomorrow, so I will likely be getting ~7 hours of sleep. I will report back tomorrow to see how I feel!

Stay tuned, gents!

[ICJLM]

As stated in the last post, I put the patch on at about 11:37 pm before studying (Good news: I got a 100 on my physiology quiz!). I think I was asleep just a couple minutes after 12:30 am. Right when I settled into bed for the night I glanced at the clock and read 12:30 before falling right to sleep shortly after. This, I do not think is due to the patch. Rather, I usually always fall right asleep.

My alarm was set for 7:30, but I got up to pee at 7:00 (along with a couple previous times in the night I woke to pee as well). When I laid back down at 7:01 or so, I felt like I could get out of bed earlier than planned, but I usually do feel this way when I wake up shortly before my alarm... but like anyone, I wanted to sleep as long as possible before my alarm! So in all, this felt like a normal night's sleep for me. I did not (and still have not) experienced any sort of general fatigue today. This is also typical, because I do not always get that lousy midday feeling, although it does certainly happen from time to time.

The only thing unusual to note about my sleep last night is that I was definitely doing a lot of dreaming. I usually tend to have dreams that I can recall just about every night, but they rarely stand out too much so I kind of forget about them... But last night I had a dream about snakes, which is one of my few recurring dreams (although I have not had this dream in a long time). Basically the way it goes is: I will be doing something outdooors like sunbathing or playing sports or something else of that sort. I will then soon notice that there are snakes EVERYWHERE. Snakes of all sizes and colors will basically cover the ground/grass wherever I look.

The bad part about this is that I f*cking HATE snakes. I wouldn't necessarily call this dream a nightmare when I have it, rather I just find it to be very unpleasant. We will see how things go for the next 29 days. Tonight I will probably put the patch on my foot again. Stay tuned!

[enhanced]

[mattrag]

I notice much better dreaming on the melatonin patches. Like WAY better. Haha.
Glad you are getting those effects as well.

[ICJLM]

Seriously, it is a lot like that... minus the plane. I actually had that movie in mind, but didn't mention it; haha but I'm glad you did.