Napalms sponsored iForce Intimidate log

[napalm]

Well boys, it starts today, keep your arms and hands inside the car at all times!

Thanks again to Vaughn and everyone at iForce for giving me this opportunity to beta-test their new product.

I'm laying it all out here, I plan on tracking my diet, training, sleep, daily motivation levels, libido and anything else I can think of for the next month. I'm calling it straight down the middle, no bs. By the end of this, you all will know more about me than you prolly bargained for. I plan on including vids as well as a youtube review at the end.

A little back story:

47 yrs old, been training my entire adult life - training correctly though for about the past 4-5 yrs. By correctly I mean concentrating more on form than the weight on the bar. I was bitten by the powerlifting bug about two years ago, and it's literally and figuratively all I think about. This will be a powerlifting log - high reps to me means 6. It will be all barbell all the time - with the exception of a couple assistance exercises. I squat, bench and deadlift: any assistance exercise I do is meant to improve my big 3. Apologies in advance to the guys at iForce - they sent us a training template to use, but I'm 6 weeks out from a APF meet I'm competing in Jan 21. I think it would be silly for me to shake up my training that much so close to a meet. I hope they understand.

I had major shoulder surgery this past April, and my second in 18 months. Two full thickness RC tears and a torn labrum on the left in April, and a full thickness RC tear on the right May of 2010. I've had 5 shoulder repairs - and I'm pretty sure I have a torn labrum on the right that I'll have fixed sometime after the APF meet. I'm going to see the surgeon next Weds. That said, my left shoulder feels better than it has in years, but I'm struggling a bit with the right at this time. The surgeon turned me loose to start training in Sept, and I started with the Jan meet in mind. I literally started my lifts with the bar only in Sept.

Currently, my 1 rm's are 310/200/360. Past gym bests are 345/290/380. My goal for the meet in Jan are ~325/215/370 and I think this is realistic. If I get in the neighborhood of 900, I'll be happy. Not bad for an old geezer 7 months post shoulder repair. My bench sucks, and it will continue to, so I have to increase my squat and dead lift to get decent numbers. Squats will be of legal depth - no half squats here.

iForce also sent us a diet template, and this I will be using. Probably unlike the other loggers, I'm going to try to cut a little. I'm currently at 186, and plan on competing at 181 in Jan. However, If I can get in the neighborhood of 173-174 in the next month, I might try to get down to 165 and compete there. My bf is prolly around 17-18% now, and although I don't care, I could stand to lose a little. So we'll give it a go. Calories will be in the neighborhood of 2500-2600, with macros of 40/35/25.

That's enough about me...let's get this party started...

Today was overhead presses and pull ups. I'm have a little problem with the OHP's, but I'm not going F.ck my right shoulder any worse than it is, so I do them anyway. The left feels pretty good doing these.

OHP's

Warmup - Bar x 10 x 2 (reps, sets)

70x6x2
80x6x2
90x5x2

Pullups - I'm not really good at these, I just started doing them a couple months ago

6 sets of 5 reps - next week I plan on upping the reps to 6

Hanging leg raises

5 sets of 12 reps - need to work on my abs to help coming out of the hole in my squat

That's it - in and out of the gym in 45 minutes

Enjoy the ride...

Steve

 

[jaycuda]

Good luck, I think you're the first to start their log so far.:cheers: Don't forget to include your link in your signature.
I'm starting mine sometime on Monday.

 

[natandrb]

Definitely gonna be following along. I'll be interested to see how it helps in the strength department. I've got a bad shoulder to. Has a tendency to dislocate posteriorly at the most inopportune times, so my bench sucks big time as well. All the more reason for you to kill it on the squat and deadlift! I'll be cutting/recomping as well.

 

[napalm]

sig test, whew, i'm not retarded...

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Nice start to the log bubba!

 

[VaughnTrue]

awesome!!! Im in!

 

[FL3X MAGNUM]

In it

 

[napalm]

txs guys, i'll be subbing your logs.

diet today:

breakfast:

2 slices wheat bread, 1 can tuna, tbsp of mayo, hard boiled egg = ~410 cals, 26 gms c/32 gms p/18 gms f

mid morning protein shake w 2 cups 2% milk = 420 cals = 24 gms c/42 gms p/10 gms f

lunch

1 cup white rice (can't be helped, wife is filipino), 2 chicken thighs = ~620 cals = 53 gms c/48 gms p/26 gms f

pwo protein shake = 420 cals, 24 gms c/42 gms p/10 gms f

dinner

2 small redskin potatoes, 2 chicken thighs = 610 cals = 52 gms c/44 gms p/26 gms f

totals, i have no idea how this is gonna turn out:

whew: 2480 cals, 179 gms c/211 gms p/90 gms f

macros = 29% c/34 %p/33% f I don't know where the other 4 % is

this isnt exact, but it's pretty close and is a pain in the ass - gonna get fitday for tomorrow

macros aren't where I want them to be, gotta work on this immediately

 

[napalm]

In it

FL3X, where are you in michigan?

i'm in dearborn

 

[FL3X MAGNUM]

FL3X, where are you in michigan?

i'm in dearborn

Saginaw/Midland area. Represent!

 

[mattrag]

subbed man! Looking good

 

[Sourdough]

in on this man! nice to see that your a strength athlete AND not going for weight gain per say.... will show whether this is able to shine in multiple applications...

 

[baldwanus]

in

 

[napalm]

I'm a fan already! I slept like a freakin rock last night. The weird thing is I had some vivid dreams that I actually remembered-which is very unusual.

I also remember waking up with wood - not once but twice!

Everyone pray for mrs napalm

Posts will be short today until I get home due to me being on my phone

I picked up a calorie counter app, so I have that taken care of

 

[napalm]

Training felt pretty good today. I mixed up the max and hemovol and tossed it down on the way to the gym. I've never taken a pre-wo before and let me tell you, I felt a little jacked!

Deadlifts:

Warmup:

135x5x2
185x5x2
225x5x2

work sets:

255x3
285x3
325x3 here's the vid:
http://www.youtube.com/user/napalm5264?feature=mhee#p/u/0/-mKtqpJXdkI

This set felt pretty good, sorry about the gay straps, I'm nursing a ring finger strain on the right. another couple weeks until no straps.

I was feeling pretty good so I tossed on 345x1, here's the vid:
http://www.youtube.com/user/napalm5264?feature=mhee#p/u/1/OLzyY94Xkag

After watching the vids, form looked pretty decent

Pendlay rows:

150x5x3

I really felt good about these, really explosive, even more so than usual. Maybe the max and hemovol?

Barbell shrugs

185x10
225x8x2
275x6x2
305x4

I've been home about a half hour now and I'm still feeling a little hyper!

Mrs Napalm just surprised me by coming home from work - she works afternoons. A little family time then I'll post today's diet.

All in all a pretty good day!

 

[Sourdough]

Nice deads bro... I think I may have stained a finger recently too... its sore on the inside of the second digit knuckle/joint on my left middle finger, really only hurts to touch though, I can make a fist fine and assume my grip strength is still 100% but might hurt a lil under a load...

Whats yours feel like?

I need to get some straps though... Meh... Chalk first..

 

[FL3X MAGNUM]

Nice deads bro... I think I may have stained a finger recently too...

Stained...? I don't even want to know lol

 

[criticalbench]

I'm a fan already! I slept like a freakin rock last night. The weird thing is I had some vivid dreams that I actually remembered-which is very unusual.

I also remember waking up with wood - not once but twice!

Everyone pray for mrs napalm

Posts will be short today until I get home due to me being on my phone

I picked up a calorie counter app, so I have that taken care of

lmao, I hate morning wood.. peeing is such a damn challenge!!! No intimidate for me

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Stained...? I don't even want to know lol

 

[napalm]

Nice deads bro... I think I may have stained a finger recently too... its sore on the inside of the second digit knuckle/joint on my left middle finger, really only hurts to touch though, I can make a fist fine and assume my grip strength is still 100% but might hurt a lil under a load...

Whats yours feel like?

I need to get some straps though... Meh... Chalk first..

txs bro, the deads felt good today. my finger has been f'd up for about a month. a buddy of mine is a rehab doc and he said it was a stretch injury from guess what?

deads

mine hurts when it's pressed towards my palm, it's getting better though. just gotta work through it.

Stained...? I don't even want to know lol

lol

lmao, I hate morning wood.. peeing is such a damn challenge!!! No intimidate for me

timing is key here...

View attachment 49009

again lol...

diet today was pretty much the same as yesterday. i don't have a problem eating the same thing everyday. you'll see a lot of chicken and rice in this here log.

cals were 2590, macros are still a little off at 34/30/36. the culprit is the chicken thighs, i'm picking up some boneless breasts tomorrow.

i loves my baked chicken skin, but it's screwing up my macros

 

[JN230]

im in!! lets roll baby!

 

[AZMIDLYF]

My meal plan is the same most days except for my weekends...cheat days here! My wife just shakes her head and always says: Don't you ever get bored of the same thing? Not when there is a reason.

 

[Tomahawk88]

Subbing for the fun and it is awesome to see deadlifts being done.

 

[natandrb]

That 345 went up waaay to easy. Judging from the velocity you lifted that, you could easy add on another 20+ pounds. Push yourself to failure and beyond and you'll find out just what you're capable of.

 

[napalm]

Subbing for the fun and it is awesome to see deadlifts being done.

txs man, i'm looking forward to yours as well. we're all in this together!

That 345 went up waaay to easy. Judging from the velocity you lifted that, you could easy add on another 20+ pounds. Push yourself to failure and beyond and you'll find out just what you're capable of.

txs bro, keep in mind i had straps on, that figures in there. i do think i had that easily w/o straps though. in another couple weeks when hopefully my ring finger is better, i'll be doing my last work set w/o straps. i'm shooting for 370 at my pl meet in Jan. no plans on going to failure though, saving that for the meet.

another good nights sleep last night. it almost seems like a different type of sleep - i'm out like a light, but kind of feel like i'm floating. it's really weird. woke up feeling refreshed. this is a scheduled off day from the gym - my daughter bowls in the morning and we bowl this evening. no beer for me, i've swore it off for the entire beta-test. i want the full effect of the product, and a cleaned up diet.

traps are a little sore this morning from the pendlay's and the shrugs, this = awesome.

just had a protein shake, and will eat a couple hard boiled eggs as soon as mrs and daughter napalm wake up. the weekends will be the challenge diet wise. i'm quite sure the wife will want to eat out tonight.

i'll check back in later...

 

[AZMIDLYF]

I relax the diet a little on weekends if I was strict during the week. Sort of a reward I guess. Helps the metabolism not get stagnant too.

 

[JN230]

that 345 looked damn easy! id say 365 should be no problem for you next week

 

[napalm]

that 345 looked damn easy! id say 365 should be no problem for you next week

thanks dude, i'll prolly give 360 a run next week. unfortuately, i'm gonna have to use straps for another week or so. then if 350 goes ok w/o straps, i know i'll have 370-375 in me for my meet

today was a pretty good day, rolled a 575, but bowling isn't as much fun when everyone is drunk but you!

just took my 3rd dose of the product. i can't wait for another 4-5 days or so when it starts kicking in!

have a great evening guys!

 

[jaycuda]

Yeah, 345 went up way to easy. Definitely need to go up next time.

 

[napalm]

i just got done running some hills and i NEVER do cardio

i blame intimidate...

 

[LiveToLift]

FL3X, where are you in michigan?

i'm in dearborn

Dearborn huh? I'm in Toledo now but Flex and I grew up in the Mt. Pleasant area, we went to school 5 mins away from each other. Small world, actually worked at the same restaurant in our last years of high school.

 

[LiveToLift]

btw, little late but IN!

 

[StackedCop]

i just got done running some hills and i NEVER do cardio

i blame intimidate...

Lol that's not a bad thing!

 

[napalm]

Dearborn huh? I'm in Toledo now but Flex and I grew up in the Mt. Pleasant area, we went to school 5 mins away from each other. Small world, actually worked at the same restaurant in our last years of high school.

sweet, you're only about 40 or so minutes from me. we used to go camping at the KOA in Monroe

welcome to the show

Lol that's not a bad thing!

yeah, but it's quite a shock to the system running hills in ~25 degree weather!

man, if i'm running hills 4 days into this, imagine what i'm gonna be doing in a couple weeks

:shock:

 

[GHO5T]

good looking log so far..... ill for sure be in on this.

If you have any questions at all please ask. cant wait to see your experience

 

[napalm]

next week is supposed to be a deload week, but i usually use these to get a gauge as to where i am

tomorrow is squat day, i think i'm gonna go for 315 - a pr

details to follow...

 

[RJW719]

Im late but, subbed!

 

[napalm]

today was kind of a strange day. i woke up feeling a little off, and it stayed with me all day. i went to bed yesterday feeling pretty jacked about going for 315 today and thought it was going to be a foregone conclusion. it didn't turn out that way. missed it about 2 inches high.

here's the vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKn-z_Rj7E0&context=C2b03eADOEgsToPDskLzOPZN-NWMv3CvxLyRWInG


this was my second attempt at it today, the first one of my spotters assisted the bar up and i was a little pissed. i told them to let me grind it out. either way, after looking at the vid of the first attempt, it was a little high too. i really had to grind the second attempt out, and i was seeing stars for a minute or so after the attempt. it turned out to be an ugly good-morningish attempt that i'm not at all happy with.

i'm shooting for 325 at my meet next month, and based on my performance today, i might have to rethink it. i'm going to go back to my training template which is calling for 80-95% over the next 3 weeks. what i think i'm gonna do is try 315 again my next scheduled de-load week and re-assess. if i can hit depth with 315, then i'll give 325 a run at the meet.

this is what i did today:

warmup:

bar x 12

135x5

185x5

225x3

260x1

315x1 - miss

315x1 - miss

good mornings

150x5x3

hanging leg lifts

12x5

i was feeling a little pissed so that was it for today

hopefully tomorrow will be better...

EDIT: for those wrestling fans out there, you can see rhino walking out of frame at the end. he was helping to spot me and trains at my gym...really nice guy...

 

[napalm]

Man, what a difference a day makes. Got a great nights sleep and jumped out of bed like I was shot out of a cannon! I don't know WTF happened yesterday, but I can already tell today is gonna be awesome!

 

[mattrag]

Man, what a difference a day makes. Got a great nights sleep and jumped out of bed like I was shot out of a cannon! I don't know WTF happened yesterday, but I can already tell today is gonna be awesome!

Thats a good nights rest right there!

 

[VaughnTrue]

Glad to see you're doing better! Go smash those weights!

 

[napalm]

training felt pretty good today - maybe a little too good as i might have tweaked a tricep. i don't think it's a big deal, but i'm taking tomorrow off just in case.

bench

bar x 12 x 2

95x8x2

135x6x2

work sets

165x3x2

175x3x2

185x3x2

v-bar cable push downs - this is where i think i tweaked the tricep

45x25 warmup

80x8x2

85x8x2

90x8x2

pull ups

5 sets of 6

hanging leg raises

5 sets of 12

i'm pretty happy with how the bench is coming seeing how i'm only 7 months post op. actually, my left arm (the repaired one) is stronger than the right as of now. the right arm is just kind of along for the ride, not contributing much. i may even give 225 a run at the meet if i can stay healthy. i'm seeing the surgeon about the right shoulder tomorrow. i'll lay 5:1 odds i have another torn labrum.

today was an awesome day, just like i thought it was going to be when i woke up. i was really focused at work today and got a lot of crap done. i'm now 5 days into intimidate, so i think it's just starting to kick in.

one of the things i'm still trying to get used to is the Max/Hemavol combo i drink on the way to the gym. i swear to god i feel like i'm flying after i drink it, and can feel it's effects right up until bed. this is my first exposure to a pre, so i don't have anything to compare to. 25 years ago i might have snorted this stuff

i'll post the diet after i eat dinner

all in all, a good day...

 

[mattrag]

training felt pretty good today - maybe a little too good as i might have tweaked a tricep. i don't think it's a big deal, but i'm taking tomorrow off just in case.

bench

bar x 12 x 2

95x8x2

135x6x2

work sets

165x3x2

175x3x2

185x3x2

v-bar cable push downs - this is where i think i tweaked the tricep

45x25 warmup

80x8x2

85x8x2

90x8x2

pull ups

5 sets of 6

hanging leg raises

5 sets of 12

i'm pretty happy with how the bench is coming seeing how i'm only 7 months post op. actually, my left arm (the repaired one) is stronger than the right as of now. the right arm is just kind of along for the ride, not contributing much. i may even give 225 a run at the meet if i can stay healthy. i'm seeing the surgeon about the right shoulder tomorrow. i'll lay 5:1 odds i have another torn labrum.

today was an awesome day, just like i thought it was going to be when i woke up. i was really focused at work today and got a lot of crap done. i'm now 5 days into intimidate, so i think it's just starting to kick in.

one of the things i'm still trying to get used to is the Max/Hemavol combo i drink on the way to the gym. i swear to god i feel like i'm flying after i drink it, and can feel it's effects right up until bed. this is my first exposure to a pre, so i don't have anything to compare to. 25 years ago i might have snorted this stuff

i'll post the diet after i eat dinner

all in all, a good day...

LMAO!!

Can't wait to give that combo a try!

 

[Sourdough]

its pretty strong stuff... I wound up taking my second of two packets of Maximize in 1/3's cause it was so stimmy.... lol... where they left out on Hemavol they made up for it in Maximize.....

Either way it works very well.

I cant wait to see the long term effects of the intimidate though, especially with that good of sleep... usually shows great recovery and that could mean loads for building muscle and strength.

 

[napalm]

its pretty strong stuff... I wound up taking my second of two packets of Maximize in 1/3's cause it was so stimmy.... lol... where they left out on Hemavol they made up for it in Maximize.....

Either way it works very well.

I cant wait to see the long term effects of the intimidate though, especially with that good of sleep... usually shows great recovery and that could mean loads for building muscle and strength.

that's the important part

diet was pretty clean, tuna, bread, rice and chicken breast/thigh and a couple protein shakes with milk

macros were 42/30/28 - right where i want them...

 

[napalm]

day 8

well, i'm now officially a week into this and weighed myself for the first time since last week: 188, a gain of 2 pounds

i'm a little surprised at this seeing how my calories have been just a little above maintenance - averaging about 2450 per day.

mood/focus has been good; libido = about the same (i'm a horny ol' bastard); sleep has been great and i haven't been hungry even though i'm a couple hundred calories below what i was previously eating. training volume and intensity hasn't increased that much either. i think i was the first to start taking intimidate, so i'm not sure if anyone else has a week behind them yet. has anyone else noticed a weight gain?

this really has me perplexed - and a little concerned about making 181 next month. i don't feel or look like i've gained any fat. interestingly, since i started last week, i kind of feel full all the time - and because it's really the only addition to my diet (with the exception of the intimidate) i'm attributing this to the Max/Hemavol combo. i don't snack between meals or before bed, so i'm not sure what else to attribute it to. anyone else experiencing anything like this? i'm not complaining, if i gained a couple pounds of muscle in a week (it can't be all muscle) while decreasing calories, this stuff is awesome! that however, is unlikely. i'm at the age where my body would prefer to turn my diet and training into ear hair rather than muscle so all this has me really confused. water intake has been about the same as well.

it also could be variance. if anyone has any insight to this, i'm all ears.

ohp's:

warmup = bar x 12 x 2

75x5

85x5

95x5

pull ups:

5 sets of 6

machine preachers - i haven't trained biceps directly in about a month

85x6

95x6

115x6

hanging leg raises

5 sets of 12

everything felt good today, my tricep isn't going to be an issue i don't think. i may just bench next week and skip the pushdowns just in case. i did see the surgeon yesterday, and he thinks it may be another slap lesion. i'm having an MRI-arthrogram in a couple weeks, that'll be definitive.

steve

 

[VaughnTrue]

weight going up while eating under or at maintenance? Sounds like someone is building some serious LBM!!!

 

[RJW719]

weight going up while eating under or at maintenance? Sounds like someone is building some serious LBM!!!

^^^This is what was thinking.


This makes me excited. I am cutting while on intimidate and would be very happy to see any strength gains while eating below maintenance. I am only 3 days in though so we shall see.

 

[allieninja]

following.

 

[mattrag]

If this thing IS almost as good as some mild PH's then you could be experiencing some minor recomp. Perhaps the extra test could also be contributing to better glycogen uptake. Aside from that, it could be that you had lower test and your body will just "naturally" lean up due to the favorable swing to muscle retention via hormone optimization that DAA brings. The burning fat/building muscle theory is really based off of really high level people. Whose either at genetic max or past it. If you are still "within limits" then you could definitely be recomping (gaining muscle while losing fat) now. Use the mirror and just pinch yourself around the hip bone to see how much fat you get. If it's going up with the weight then we might have to look at diet changes.