VolcomX311
Legend
- Awards
- 2
30 Days of Blue GENE
Thank you Controlled Labs for the opportunity and the confidence to test your product, Blue GENE. A special thanks to everyone who frequented my log and kept it encouraging, fun, informational and on many occasions completely random.
First and foremost, I’ll address those who have a heightened inclination toward scrutiny and skepticism, which is perfectly okay. I can clarify some logistical concerns to pre-empt scrutiny, but I can’t do anything to defy skepticism, I’ll just hope you take my assertions to be integral and valid.
I wanted to test Blue GENE’S ability to effect gym performance, as performance is one of the product’s mission statements. Improved gym performance can have a correlation with an improved physique, therefore, I thought it a worthy cause to assess. A week prior to beginning my Blue GENE run, I assessed my muscle endurance with a “heavy” endurance bout, and by heavy, I mean I used a weight where my repetitions can exceed 15, but in no way would I be able to achieve 30. I chose the 100lbs Dumbbells.
Furthermore, I performed a strength assessment the week prior to my Blue GENE run. For strength, I performed the 295lbs Flat Bench Press. A good strength building range consists of using a weight that can be pushed 4-6 times, upwards of 7-8.
I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and therefore, I am aware of the many mediating variables that may effect the outcome of my performance assessments. Therefore, I wanted to pre-empt some logistical scrutiny involving my assessments. I realize that a manipulation of diet alone, could produce a significant influence over my performance-ability over the span of a month. Therefore, I did not alter my diet in any specific fashion. My dietary habits and macro intake remained unchanged from the month prior to my Blue GENE experience and the month during my Blue GENE experience. If there were any alterations to my diet, it would have been an alteration that would have been more so detrimental, as there was a week and a half where I had virtually no appetite, as a result of some life stressors. Reality happens.
Also, training style would have a truly significant impact on performance-ability. Had I focused on strength lifting and CNS stimulating routines, my strength results would inevitably increase. Had I focused on exciting a muscular endurance response, my endurance would inevitably increase. If the customer base were predominantly athletes, this might have been a valid approach. However, most of us here are bodybuilders and for the most part, our aim is ultimately hypertrophy. Therefore, I geared my workouts toward the acclamation of the masses, moderately heavy weight, fairly high in volume, just like I would and anyone of us would do, for the most part, when maximal hypertrophy is the primary goal.
I wanted my experience to reflect how Blue GENE would effect the average joe, per se, and how Blue GENE may have an influence over strength and endurance throughout the course of the average lifter, and by average, I mean those of us who body build, not strength train or endurance train.
I want to reiterate that I did not train or eat in a fashion that would inherently result in the improved performance of my assessments. There was no specificity toward strength lifting, or endurance building. I was first and foremost a bodybuilder this month, as I am most of the months throughout the year.
Personal Assessment of Blue GENE.
1. What was most notable in terms of gym performance was muscle endurance and general stamina. My workout partner, who is virtually a mirror image of myself performance wise, except a bit stronger (but our strength comparisons can teeter totter), was a good indicator of the positive effects I was experiencing on Blue GENE. Around week two, I began to outperform him in both strength and endurance, meaning, I was lifting more weight then he was and in occasions where the weights that we were lifting were even in load, I could pull off more reps. Had this been a single occasion, or even a back & forth phenomenon, I would have considered it part of our cycle. Sometimes I perform better in the gym and sometimes he performs better in the gym. However, my superior performance was consistently so and the degree at which I was excelling beyond him was growing and growing in margin.
By week three, my superior performance was so prevalent and impressive, that I actually ordered my own bottle from Nutraplanet to continue Blue GENE once my official 30 day sponsorship ended.
2. The second most notable aspect about my Blue GENE experience was an insane boost in my libido. I actually had never experienced such a libido boost on anything I’ve ever taken. However, this libido boost reached a pinnacle by the end of week two and my libido began to diminish until I reached normalcy again.
3. Thirdly, I experienced sporadic instances of Stim like focus. This did not occur every time, but the times it did, the best way I can describe it is when you’re on a Stim and you’re eyes seem to be pulled open and everywhere you look, it feels as though you are staring very intently. It was a Stim like focus, but without the Stim sensations. My general focus was consistently increased, but I did not attain this Stim like level focus every time. Perhaps 10-15 times to this degree in my 30 day experience.
Something worth noting:
- In my experience, Blue GENE did not perpetuate any pre-gym symptoms. I was not pre-amped to go into the gym, no acute boost of energy, nor did the focus set in “pre-gym.” For me, Blue GENE required some waking up. Once the blood got moving, all the symptoms would manifest and manifest in multitudes. You can feel it “turn on” once you’ve warmed up and then you can feel it setting in quite overwhelmingly.
Video Assessment
As mentioned above. I performed a pre-cycle muscle endurance and muscle strength assessment and at the end of the cycle, I performed a post-cycle muscle endurance and muscle strength assessment.
Important Note: During my pre-cycle assessments, I weighed 214lbs-216lbs. During my post-cycle assessments, I weighed 211lbs. Factors that could have effected my weight loss could be my extended workouts. As my run progressed, my muscle endurance and general stamina continued to be enhanced, which lead to longer and even more intense workouts, which I will post beneath.
Pre-Blue GENE Muscle Endurance Assessment
- Body weight: 214lbs-216lbs
- 100lbs Dumbbells x 17 reps
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ1k3DeWd4o"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]
Post-Blue GENE Muscle Endurance Assessment
- Body weight: 211lbs
- 100lbs Dumbbells x 22 reps
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q75axL4ZmK4"]YouTube - 100lbs Dumbbells x 22 reps[/ame]
Pre-Blue GENE Muscle Strength Assessment
- Body weight: 214lbs-216lbs
- 295lbs x 7 reps
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GG1ThgpZlQ"]YouTube - Benchpress[/ame]
Post-Blue GENE Muscle Strength Assessment
- Body weight: 211lbs
- 295lb x 6 1/2 reps
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYf9CfivT9w"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]
As you were able to observe, I had a significant improvement in muscle endurance, however, my muscle strength suffered by 1 rep. Initially, I was a little disappointed, however, to bring these results into perspective, my muscle endurance and general stamina reflected in my workouts in a much more significant manner then an increase in strength. I will post three progressive chest workout days, where you can observe my increasing ability to push more and push harder, which ultimately, is the greater factor in muscle hypertrophy. Please take note that I did not intend on doing this three day comparison from the beginning, otherwise, obviously, I could have intentionally set it up to cater to signs of progression.
Week 1
Flat Bench
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
275lbs x 5 reps [1375]
275lbs x 5 reps [1375] = {7250lbs}, {30 reps}
Incline Bench
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 10 reps [2050]
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 8 reps [1960] = {8110lbs}, {48 reps}
Smith, Flat Bench
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 10 reps [2450]
275lbs x 7 reps [1925] = {6625lbs}, {27 reps}
Dips
BW x 15 reps [3210]
BW x 12 reps [2568]
BW x 10 reps [2140] = = {7918lbs}, {37 reps}
Total Load Performed: 29,903lbs
Total Reps Performed: 142
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15
Avg Load: 210lbs
Avg Reps: 10.1
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 5 reps
Week 1.5
Flat Bench, Free
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 10 reps [2450]
275lbs x 6 reps [1650]
275lbs x 6 reps [1650] = {8000lbs}, {32 reps}
Incline Bench, Free
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
205lbs x 7 reps [1435] = {4925lbs}, {25 reps}
Db Flat Press
100lbs x 8 reps [800]
95lbs x 8 reps [760]
90lbs x 10 reps [900] = {2460lbs}, {26 reps}
Incline Bench, Smith
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640] = {5130lbs}
Flat Bench, Smith
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
205lbs x 7 reps [1435] = {4925lbs], {25 reps}
Total Load Performed: 25,440lbs
Total Reps Performed: 108 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 10 reps
Avg Load: 235.5lbs
Avg Reps: 6.75 reps
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 6 reps
Week 2
Flat Bench, Free
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 10 reps [2450]
275lbs x 8 reps [2200]
225lbs x 10 reps [2250] = {9150}, {38 reps}
Incline Bench, Free
185lbs x 8 reps [1480]
185lbs x 8 reps [1480]
185lbs x 8 reps [1480] = {4440}, {24 reps}
Incline Bench, Smith
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
195lbs x 10 reps [1950]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
195lbs x 10 reps [1950]
185lbs x 10 reps [1850] = {9240}, {48 reps}
Body weight (214lbs) Dips
BW x 15 reps [3210]
BW x 12 reps [2568]
BW x 10 reps [2140] = {7918}, {37 reps}
Pec Flies
190lbs x 12 reps [2280]
190lbs x 10 reps [1900]
190lbs x 10 reps [1900] = {6080}, {32 reps}
Total Load Performed: 36,828lbs
Total Reps Performed: 179 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15 reps
Avg Load: 205lbs
Avg Reps: 10 reps (9.94)
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 8 reps
IN SUMMARY
Week 1
Total Load Performed: 29,903lbs
Total Reps Performed: 142
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15
Avg Load: 210lbs
Avg Reps: 10.1
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 5 reps
Week 1.5
Total Load Performed: 25,440lbs
Total Reps Performed: 108 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 10 reps
Avg Load: 235.5lbs
Avg Reps: 6.75 reps
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 6 reps
Week 2
Total Load Performed: 36,828lbs
Total Reps Performed: 179 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15 reps
Avg Load: 205lbs
Avg Reps: 10 reps (9.94)
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 8 reps
Most predominantly, notice the increase in my general stamina and muscle endurance, which was reflected by total reps performed. Also, Greatest Free Weight Effort went up, which is a direct implication of strength increase. However, that strength increase did not translate when I used 295lbs, as oppose to my normal peak weight of 275lbs.
Most sponsored loggers seem to carry an obligatory closing statement, that states the users enjoyment and willingness to use the product in the future. I took it a step further and bought my own bottle of Blue GENE for continued use, following my official log. I hope that carries some weight as to the testament of my enjoyment of this product.
For those of you already following my log, I will continue my log with the Blue GENE & Blue UP Stack. I appreciate your guys inputs and personalities and I welcome anyone else. Thank you, Controlled Labs.
-Samuel
http://anabolicminds.com/forum/supplement-reviews-logs/101842-volcom-s-controlled-39.html
Thank you Controlled Labs for the opportunity and the confidence to test your product, Blue GENE. A special thanks to everyone who frequented my log and kept it encouraging, fun, informational and on many occasions completely random.
First and foremost, I’ll address those who have a heightened inclination toward scrutiny and skepticism, which is perfectly okay. I can clarify some logistical concerns to pre-empt scrutiny, but I can’t do anything to defy skepticism, I’ll just hope you take my assertions to be integral and valid.
I wanted to test Blue GENE’S ability to effect gym performance, as performance is one of the product’s mission statements. Improved gym performance can have a correlation with an improved physique, therefore, I thought it a worthy cause to assess. A week prior to beginning my Blue GENE run, I assessed my muscle endurance with a “heavy” endurance bout, and by heavy, I mean I used a weight where my repetitions can exceed 15, but in no way would I be able to achieve 30. I chose the 100lbs Dumbbells.
Furthermore, I performed a strength assessment the week prior to my Blue GENE run. For strength, I performed the 295lbs Flat Bench Press. A good strength building range consists of using a weight that can be pushed 4-6 times, upwards of 7-8.
I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and therefore, I am aware of the many mediating variables that may effect the outcome of my performance assessments. Therefore, I wanted to pre-empt some logistical scrutiny involving my assessments. I realize that a manipulation of diet alone, could produce a significant influence over my performance-ability over the span of a month. Therefore, I did not alter my diet in any specific fashion. My dietary habits and macro intake remained unchanged from the month prior to my Blue GENE experience and the month during my Blue GENE experience. If there were any alterations to my diet, it would have been an alteration that would have been more so detrimental, as there was a week and a half where I had virtually no appetite, as a result of some life stressors. Reality happens.
Also, training style would have a truly significant impact on performance-ability. Had I focused on strength lifting and CNS stimulating routines, my strength results would inevitably increase. Had I focused on exciting a muscular endurance response, my endurance would inevitably increase. If the customer base were predominantly athletes, this might have been a valid approach. However, most of us here are bodybuilders and for the most part, our aim is ultimately hypertrophy. Therefore, I geared my workouts toward the acclamation of the masses, moderately heavy weight, fairly high in volume, just like I would and anyone of us would do, for the most part, when maximal hypertrophy is the primary goal.
I wanted my experience to reflect how Blue GENE would effect the average joe, per se, and how Blue GENE may have an influence over strength and endurance throughout the course of the average lifter, and by average, I mean those of us who body build, not strength train or endurance train.
I want to reiterate that I did not train or eat in a fashion that would inherently result in the improved performance of my assessments. There was no specificity toward strength lifting, or endurance building. I was first and foremost a bodybuilder this month, as I am most of the months throughout the year.
Personal Assessment of Blue GENE.
1. What was most notable in terms of gym performance was muscle endurance and general stamina. My workout partner, who is virtually a mirror image of myself performance wise, except a bit stronger (but our strength comparisons can teeter totter), was a good indicator of the positive effects I was experiencing on Blue GENE. Around week two, I began to outperform him in both strength and endurance, meaning, I was lifting more weight then he was and in occasions where the weights that we were lifting were even in load, I could pull off more reps. Had this been a single occasion, or even a back & forth phenomenon, I would have considered it part of our cycle. Sometimes I perform better in the gym and sometimes he performs better in the gym. However, my superior performance was consistently so and the degree at which I was excelling beyond him was growing and growing in margin.
By week three, my superior performance was so prevalent and impressive, that I actually ordered my own bottle from Nutraplanet to continue Blue GENE once my official 30 day sponsorship ended.
2. The second most notable aspect about my Blue GENE experience was an insane boost in my libido. I actually had never experienced such a libido boost on anything I’ve ever taken. However, this libido boost reached a pinnacle by the end of week two and my libido began to diminish until I reached normalcy again.
3. Thirdly, I experienced sporadic instances of Stim like focus. This did not occur every time, but the times it did, the best way I can describe it is when you’re on a Stim and you’re eyes seem to be pulled open and everywhere you look, it feels as though you are staring very intently. It was a Stim like focus, but without the Stim sensations. My general focus was consistently increased, but I did not attain this Stim like level focus every time. Perhaps 10-15 times to this degree in my 30 day experience.
Something worth noting:
- In my experience, Blue GENE did not perpetuate any pre-gym symptoms. I was not pre-amped to go into the gym, no acute boost of energy, nor did the focus set in “pre-gym.” For me, Blue GENE required some waking up. Once the blood got moving, all the symptoms would manifest and manifest in multitudes. You can feel it “turn on” once you’ve warmed up and then you can feel it setting in quite overwhelmingly.
Video Assessment
As mentioned above. I performed a pre-cycle muscle endurance and muscle strength assessment and at the end of the cycle, I performed a post-cycle muscle endurance and muscle strength assessment.
Important Note: During my pre-cycle assessments, I weighed 214lbs-216lbs. During my post-cycle assessments, I weighed 211lbs. Factors that could have effected my weight loss could be my extended workouts. As my run progressed, my muscle endurance and general stamina continued to be enhanced, which lead to longer and even more intense workouts, which I will post beneath.
Pre-Blue GENE Muscle Endurance Assessment
- Body weight: 214lbs-216lbs
- 100lbs Dumbbells x 17 reps
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ1k3DeWd4o"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]
Post-Blue GENE Muscle Endurance Assessment
- Body weight: 211lbs
- 100lbs Dumbbells x 22 reps
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q75axL4ZmK4"]YouTube - 100lbs Dumbbells x 22 reps[/ame]
Pre-Blue GENE Muscle Strength Assessment
- Body weight: 214lbs-216lbs
- 295lbs x 7 reps
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GG1ThgpZlQ"]YouTube - Benchpress[/ame]
Post-Blue GENE Muscle Strength Assessment
- Body weight: 211lbs
- 295lb x 6 1/2 reps
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYf9CfivT9w"]YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]
As you were able to observe, I had a significant improvement in muscle endurance, however, my muscle strength suffered by 1 rep. Initially, I was a little disappointed, however, to bring these results into perspective, my muscle endurance and general stamina reflected in my workouts in a much more significant manner then an increase in strength. I will post three progressive chest workout days, where you can observe my increasing ability to push more and push harder, which ultimately, is the greater factor in muscle hypertrophy. Please take note that I did not intend on doing this three day comparison from the beginning, otherwise, obviously, I could have intentionally set it up to cater to signs of progression.
Week 1
Flat Bench
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
275lbs x 5 reps [1375]
275lbs x 5 reps [1375] = {7250lbs}, {30 reps}
Incline Bench
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 10 reps [2050]
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 8 reps [1960] = {8110lbs}, {48 reps}
Smith, Flat Bench
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 10 reps [2450]
275lbs x 7 reps [1925] = {6625lbs}, {27 reps}
Dips
BW x 15 reps [3210]
BW x 12 reps [2568]
BW x 10 reps [2140] = = {7918lbs}, {37 reps}
Total Load Performed: 29,903lbs
Total Reps Performed: 142
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15
Avg Load: 210lbs
Avg Reps: 10.1
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 5 reps
Week 1.5
Flat Bench, Free
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 10 reps [2450]
275lbs x 6 reps [1650]
275lbs x 6 reps [1650] = {8000lbs}, {32 reps}
Incline Bench, Free
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
205lbs x 7 reps [1435] = {4925lbs}, {25 reps}
Db Flat Press
100lbs x 8 reps [800]
95lbs x 8 reps [760]
90lbs x 10 reps [900] = {2460lbs}, {26 reps}
Incline Bench, Smith
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640] = {5130lbs}
Flat Bench, Smith
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
205lbs x 7 reps [1435] = {4925lbs], {25 reps}
Total Load Performed: 25,440lbs
Total Reps Performed: 108 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 10 reps
Avg Load: 235.5lbs
Avg Reps: 6.75 reps
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 6 reps
Week 2
Flat Bench, Free
225lbs x 10 reps [2250]
245lbs x 10 reps [2450]
275lbs x 8 reps [2200]
225lbs x 10 reps [2250] = {9150}, {38 reps}
Incline Bench, Free
185lbs x 8 reps [1480]
185lbs x 8 reps [1480]
185lbs x 8 reps [1480] = {4440}, {24 reps}
Incline Bench, Smith
185lbs x 10 reps [1850]
195lbs x 10 reps [1950]
205lbs x 8 reps [1640]
195lbs x 10 reps [1950]
185lbs x 10 reps [1850] = {9240}, {48 reps}
Body weight (214lbs) Dips
BW x 15 reps [3210]
BW x 12 reps [2568]
BW x 10 reps [2140] = {7918}, {37 reps}
Pec Flies
190lbs x 12 reps [2280]
190lbs x 10 reps [1900]
190lbs x 10 reps [1900] = {6080}, {32 reps}
Total Load Performed: 36,828lbs
Total Reps Performed: 179 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15 reps
Avg Load: 205lbs
Avg Reps: 10 reps (9.94)
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 8 reps
IN SUMMARY
Week 1
Total Load Performed: 29,903lbs
Total Reps Performed: 142
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15
Avg Load: 210lbs
Avg Reps: 10.1
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 5 reps
Week 1.5
Total Load Performed: 25,440lbs
Total Reps Performed: 108 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 10 reps
Avg Load: 235.5lbs
Avg Reps: 6.75 reps
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 6 reps
Week 2
Total Load Performed: 36,828lbs
Total Reps Performed: 179 reps
Peak Load: 275lbs
Peak Reps: 15 reps
Avg Load: 205lbs
Avg Reps: 10 reps (9.94)
Greatest Free Weight Effort: 275lbs x 8 reps
Most predominantly, notice the increase in my general stamina and muscle endurance, which was reflected by total reps performed. Also, Greatest Free Weight Effort went up, which is a direct implication of strength increase. However, that strength increase did not translate when I used 295lbs, as oppose to my normal peak weight of 275lbs.
Most sponsored loggers seem to carry an obligatory closing statement, that states the users enjoyment and willingness to use the product in the future. I took it a step further and bought my own bottle of Blue GENE for continued use, following my official log. I hope that carries some weight as to the testament of my enjoyment of this product.
For those of you already following my log, I will continue my log with the Blue GENE & Blue UP Stack. I appreciate your guys inputs and personalities and I welcome anyone else. Thank you, Controlled Labs.
-Samuel
http://anabolicminds.com/forum/supplement-reviews-logs/101842-volcom-s-controlled-39.html
Last edited:
As in, it wouldn't go away.
