Im one INTIMIDATING dude!......biatch!!

[TheHardOne]

Okay okay, im not that intimidating.....im a nice guy! But ill be logging Intimidate in my current growing phase!

Get ready for a log full of beneficial info, day to day results, not to mention my awesome red text!

*Goal
-Keep growing
-Keep getting stronger
-Lean down
-Feel good! (honestly this is so important but gets overlooked by most trainees)

*Nutrition
-Calorie surplus everyday
-Protein is around my bodyweight (sometimes more sometimes less)
-Carbs are around 350-500 on off days, 500-700 on training days
-Healthy Fats- (healthy fat sources with 4 out of my 5 meals) (around 8-15g fish oil a day)
-Protein sources are everything from beef, eggs, fish, nuts.....you get the idea. Basics.
-Carb sources are white rice, white/red potatoes, fruit, sugars/karbolyn(during workout)
-Fat Sources are from your typical peanut butters, various nuts, avocado's, eggs, fish oils, etc....

*Cheat Meals
-Honestly I can handle cheat meals(junk food) everyday if I wanted to without gaining fat, but im literally just sick of fast foods/junk food lol, so majority of the time everything will be relatively clean, if I do have a cheat meal of some sort, my favorites are Italian food, ice cream, and....hmmm I think thats all. McDonalds, BurgerKind, and Tacobell I have no passion for anymore.

*Supplements
-Stoked (test booster)
-Prime (nutrient partioner)
-Compound 20 (GDA / epicness )
-Fish Oils
-Magnesium (in various forms for Nervous System function, endocrine, adrenal support, digestive fuction)
-Simple Carbs
-Intimidate
-Herbal Tea's (green tea for example for a detox effect, but may stop because im somewhat concerned if it will hinder Prime/C20's effect, if someone could clear that up for me that would be awesome)
-BCAA/Creatine/NO/Amino mix (my typical intra/post workout recovery ****tail)
-Pre Workout mix is Maximize Intense+Hemavol at the moment

*Training
Basically ill go through a cns warm up, then progressively overload with my compound movements, nothing special, just intensity, and consistency! And super dupa heavy!

-HIIT cardio (atleast 2x a week, no more than 3) (I feel this cardio is ideal for body recomposition, here ill list the benefits of HIIT cardio)(below)
#Insulin Sensitivity enhanced
#Metabolism ramped up anywhere from 20-48 hours
#GH secretion enhanced
#Sleep enhanced (deeper, GH secretion much greater)
#Overall hormonal benefit (protein synthesis, insulin sensitivty enhancement is huge, as bodybuilders we want to make our bodies as "receptive" to nutrients as possible)

*Other Notes
-I eat white carbs because they do not cause any digestive issues with me, plus going through stressfull physical activity on a daily basis via weight training or high intensity cardio I do not have to worry about being "insulin resistant" or any fat gains from simply eating white carbs. I feel low GI carbs are great for your typical American that doesn't do any kind of stressful physical activity, plus adding in protein/fats to your higher GI carbs will drastically lower the GI anyways, as bodybuilders we want the nutrients ready to go within 1-2 hours after digestion, not 5-10 hours!!! Yikes!......Oh and if your eating foods that tamper with your digestion(bloating,discomfort) your just creating excess inflammation in your body which will result in a higher cortisol output than if you were to eat foods that don't tamper with your digestion.

 

[TheHardOne]

What are my expectations for this product?

-The reviews I see on this are pretty damn good! Seems like everyone gains a solid 5 pounds within every cycle on this, im excited!
-Keep up the growth via increased testosterone / igf-1 levels!
-Continue slowly shredding up via increase test / igf-1 levels / gh levels
-Enhance my sleep!

Im in the phase of my growing season when the gains Sky Rocket, im super excited!

Thanks to Vaugn/CriticalBench/Iforce for this opportunity! The shirts rocks!

(ill try to stay consistent with the Tip of the days! I want to give you guys quality, remember that!

 

[TheHardOne]

Tip of the day from 4/21/12

*Carbs will make you fat! Or will they?

The trend / theory in the fitness industry is that, eating carbs in general will automatically make you fat, carbs are demonized in this industry, no carbs past 6 pm, low carbs to stay lean, never eat high glycemic carbs! Im sure you have heard it all, most of those theories do have a place don't get me wrong, a typical person isn't that active at night, lower carbs can keep you lean, and if your insulin sensitivity is as low as an obese person, High GI carbs will most likely be stored as fat.

What will carbs do for you?
-Energy
-ATP during training
-Keep your muscles full / dense
-Taking in an adequate amount of carbs will keep your body more "anabolic" (protein sparing)
-Enhance your Thyroid for fat loss / muscle building benefits (insulin sensitivity / amount of carbs each day / cycled obviously has to be in check)

All carbs convert to glucose, high GI or low GI, it all turns into glucose, if your insulin sensitivity is on point, taking in carbs no matter if its a high GI or low GI carb will go towards your physical goals(obviously amount will be varried from person to person), and yes taking in high GI carbs will slightly lower insulin sensitivty when taken at a time when your body doesn't necessarily need carbs, for example before bed. Im going to list all the ways/techniques to use to increase your "insulin sensitivity". But first!! Lets see the negative impact on a low carb diet!

Low carb diet negative impacts (and yes AAS users will obviously be more anabolic than a natural would, so a AAS user could get away with a low carb diet, only slightly though!)
-Catabolism
-Flat muscles
-Low thyroid
-Testosterone levels will NOT be as high as they could be
-Low energy levels
-Lack of or poor pumps in the gym
-Moodiness
-Fat loss may seem rapid at first, but once your thyroid / testosterone starts plummeting, say goodbye to your muscles, and your fat loss goals will plateau (there is a place for "low carbs" of course! Best used when your using more of a specific diet, like a carb cycling diet)

Alright, scary isn't it? Heres what you can do to improve your "insulin sensitivity"!
-HIIT cardio
-Daily exercise in general!
-Intense weight training
-Lemon water! (so easy and results are outstanding, you should feel a instant burst of energy after drinking this! love it!)
-Keeping stress low!
-Fish oils
-Kril oils
-GDA's
-Green Tea
-Zinc / Magnesium
-BCAA's!
-Getting in a adequate amount of sleep everynight

Those are some pretty simple ways to improve the way your body uses insulin if you ask me!

 

[TheHardOne]

UNLEASH ALL OUT WAR ON YOUR HPTA
THE DRIVING FORCE OF INTIMIDATE!

N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid (NMDA) is an amino acid derivative capable of causing an intensely anabolic response from NMDA receptors found within our bodies. NMDA receptors are designed to accept only certain compounds to connect to them, the most potent being NMDA. When NMDA binds to an NMDA receptor our HPTA (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis) is sent into overdrive and released a potent combination of testosterone, growth hormone, IGF-1, and IGF-2.

INTIMIDATE IS THE ONLY PRODUCT WITH 99.9% PURE NMDA!
The active ingredient in INTIMIDATE has been proven to be 100x stronger than D-Aspartic Acid! Until now, the only way to activate the NMDA receptors is by using a relatively weak NMDA receptor activator, D-Aspartic Acid. D-Aspartic Acid drew national attention when people realized it could raise their testosterone by 42% in as little as 12 days. While that may sound impressive, it has been clinically proven that while D-Aspartic Acid can activate the NMDA receptor, pure NMDA can activate the NMDA receptor more than 100x (10,000%) more effectively! So if D-Aspartic Acid is a popular testosterone booster, imagine what something can do that is literally 100x more potent?!? That means 100x the testosterone production of DAA, 100x the IGF-1 production of DAA, and 100x the IGF-2 production of DAA! Why settle for weak when you can INTIMIDATE your HPTA into hormonal explosion?

INTIMIDATE contains a whopping 30mg of pure NMDA that will all reach NMDA will be delivered straight to NMDA receptors that can then unleash all out hormonal warfare! Despite other products claiming to contain NMDA, not a single other product offers 99.9% pure NMDA, and no other product offers to disclose the dosage per serving!
INTIMIDATE SUPPLEMENT FACTS
Serving Size: 1 Capsule Servings Per Container: 30

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value
99% Pure N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid:
30mg

*
*Percentage Daily Value not established

Enhanced sleep:
Sleep is the one time of day that our body can recover, repair, and grow. By getting more restful sleep, your body will be able to repair and grow your muscles more efficiently than before.

Increased Testosterone:
Testosterone is the ultimate muscle building hormone. The more testosterone our body produces, the more anabolic we become. When in an anabolic state our body is capable of breaking down protein we eat, converting it into amino acids, and then rebuilding those amino acids into new muscle fibers. Simply put, the higher your testosterone, the easier it is to build muscle!

Increased Libido:
One of the quickest signs that your testosterone is on the rise is with a sharp increase in your libido, or sexual appetite. The higher your testosterone levels, the higher your libido will be!

Increased IGF-1 & IGF-2:
Increasing levels of incredibly anabolic and potent hormones IGF-1 & IGF-2 can result in significantly enhanced anabolism and therefor muscle growth. Similar in structure to the most potent hormone known to man(insulin), IGF-1 and IGF-2 can help spark new muscle cell growth in as little as a few days!

Mood Elevation:
Activating NMDA receptors may help increase “feel good” chemicals in our bodies. Compounds such as Pregnenolone help us feel great throughout the day. Pregnenolone greatly increases in the presence of intense NMDA receptor activation.

Long Term Memory:
We each have both short term and long term memory we pull from. Short term memory is for things like remembering that cute girls name you met 20 minutes ago. Your brain allows you to store memories for a short time period, and then it discards them unless you activate certain receptors to initiate long term storage. These receptors just so happen to be NMDA receptors. When we activate our NMDA receptors, our brains are primed to convert short term memory into long term memory, which means things should be easier to remember, and easier to recall when needed!

When it comes to the discovery of dietary supplements, iForce Nutrition has always pushed the boundaries and created the most unique and effective ingredients ever released. INTIMIDATE will push your body’s natural limits to new heights as you get bigger, stronger, faster, and leaner all at the same time. Don’t fall for the DAA hype, and use only the most pure and effective NMDA receptor activator on the planet…INTIMIDATE!

 

[TheHardOne]

*Update*

-Last night was my first dose and couldn't really fall asleep, but thats normal for me lol, sleep is something I struggle with, really for the last 3 years....my bed....well actually I dont even have a bed, its a mattress stacked on some furniture haha #hardtimes. So its hard for me to find a comfortable spot to sleep in every night, on top of that even with the window open / fan on, I get extremely hot most nights aswell, so yeah its hell for me everynight, hopefully when Intimidate kicks in, this can really help. I was thinking of dosing this pre workout....

 

[criticalbench]

If your sleep issue is any way related to intimidate, most people resolve that in a few days. In for this, can't wait to see how you like it and glad we could get this going together! Hit me up with any questions!

Mike

 

[TheHardOne]

If your sleep issue is any way related to intimidate, most people resolve that in a few days. In for this, can't wait to see how you like it and glad we could get this going together! Hit me up with any questions!

Mike

Thanks again man!!!

Does this really need to be taken before sleeping to enhance its effects, I would think like any other test boosting agent, taken when ever testosterone levels rise would a good idea, yes before sleeping is great, but what about pre workout? Or does the nmdaa cause drowsiness when taken?

 

[GHO5T]

Damn nice set up in here. Will be following along to see how it goes for you.

 

[allnatural923]

it's recommended that NMDA be taken before bed since its interactions with the receptor in the brain tend to help promote slow-wave deep sleep, and that helps with the recovery process (also with test production, gh and igf production/secretion). however, if you take it pre-workout it's fine, just optimal to take it before bed; we've only had a few people use it pre-workout since they couldn't resolve sleep issues on it.

looking forward to this log, considering how great your max intense and hemavol one was

 

[MrMarc]

Am sub for this one log haa your logging everywhere!

 

[TheHardOne]

it's recommended that NMDA be taken before bed since its interactions with the receptor in the brain tend to help promote slow-wave deep sleep, and that helps with the recovery process (also with test production, gh and igf production/secretion). however, if you take it pre-workout it's fine, just optimal to take it before bed; we've only had a few people use it pre-workout since they couldn't resolve sleep issues on it.

looking forward to this log, considering how great your max intense and hemavol one was

Thanks for the input brother! Oh I didn't know it would help promote slow-wave deep sleep, on that note I suppose ill keep taking it before sleep, but if I don't resolve my sleep issues I may try the pre workout dose, I bought a new pillow today, so hopefully that can be my savior haha!

And I got that Hemavol review coming soon! I just need to wipe my tears off my face, its a sad feeling running out of hemavol!!

 

[TheHardOne]

Am sub for this one log haa your logging everywhere!

Thanks bro!

Its growing time!
#FreakStatus

 

[MrMarc]

Thanks for the input brother! Oh I didn't know it would help promote slow-wave deep sleep, on that note I suppose ill keep taking it before sleep, but if I don't resolve my sleep issues I may try the pre workout dose, I bought a new pillow today, so hopefully that can be my savior haha!

And I got that Hemavol review coming soon! I just need to wipe my tears off my face, its a sad feeling running out of hemavol!!

I swear pillows are the problem a good pillow makes a different, I could deal with a bed as long as its not to soft. Is it a Feather pillow?

 

[SXIPro]

Some people never get past the crappy sleep issue that Intimidate may cause in some individuals.....like me. BUT...I take it first thing in the morning, pre-workout, and my results have been nothing short of phenomenal.

 

[SXIPro]

I swear pillows are the problem a good pillow makes a different, I could deal with a bed as long as its not to soft. Is it a Feather pillow?

Firm pillow=deep sleep. I travel a lot and bring my own tempurpedic pillow with me. Hotel pillows, foam or feather, have zero support. I am in a Hyatt right now and will sleep like a baby, since I have my own pillow, which weighs as much as a full grown German Shepherd.

 

[MrMarc]

Firm pillow=deep sleep. I travel a lot and bring my own tempurpedic pillow with me. Hotel pillows, foam or feather, have zero support. I am in a Hyatt right now and will sleep like a baby, since I have my own pillow, which weighs as much as a full grown German Shepherd.

Ive tried frim ehh not for me unless it's that memory foam one

 

[TheHardOne]

I swear pillows are the problem a good pillow makes a different, I could deal with a bed as long as its not to soft. Is it a Feather pillow?

Man if pillows were the problem all along im going to feel silly I didn't change my pillow years ago, ive changed my mattress, blankets, etc.....except my pillow!

 

[TheHardOne]

Some people never get past the crappy sleep issue that Intimidate may cause in some individuals.....like me. BUT...I take it first thing in the morning, pre-workout, and my results have been nothing short of phenomenal.

If you don't mind me asking, what did you notice while you were using Intimidate? Im so excited for this to kick in!

 

[StackedCop]

In for the epic ride!

 

[criticalbench]

it's recommended that NMDA be taken before bed since its interactions with the receptor in the brain tend to help promote slow-wave deep sleep, and that helps with the recovery process (also with test production, gh and igf production/secretion). however, if you take it pre-workout it's fine, just optimal to take it before bed; we've only had a few people use it pre-workout since they couldn't resolve sleep issues on it.

looking forward to this log, considering how great your max intense and hemavol one was

Would have to agree here.. and op.. you owe me big time for this.. don't forget that!

Your a good guy.. appreciate what you are doing here.

Mike

 

[TheHardOne]

4/25/12 Chest / Triceps

CNS Warm up-
-barbell flat bench press 4x2-6 (no where near failure)

Chest-
-Dumbbell Pullovers 2x12
-Dumbbell Flat Bench Press 2x12
-Wide Grip Dips 2x12
-Cable Flys 2x12
-Incline DB Press 2x12 (varried elbow positions, activating your upper pecs is a workout itself....)
-Incline DB Fly Extreme Stretch 3x30 seconds

Triceps-
V-Bar Pushdowns 2x10
Upright Dips 2x8
One Arm DB Ext 2x10

*Notes*
-Activating your pecs is a must for developing pecs, obviously! But people don't realise how difficult it is, you CANNOT train with super heavy weights!
-Pump was ok, was extreme in the beginning, then kind of over stretched on my barbell warm up presses, and overstretched the dips a bit too much when warming up, which kind of ruined my pump, chest is the one bodypart I hate training because its a "thought process" workout.
-Im sure I set PR's, I did exercises I usually didn;t do, while keeping constant tension on my pecs
-Just one of those workouts when mentally...."Just wasnt there"......
-Will try barbell presses for my incline range of motion next week, anyone with the knowledge of biomachanics as far as learning the fully lenthened and fully shortened of your muscles will tell you its still VERY difficult training "chest".
-No sleep last night
-Took my intimidate pre workout
-Successfull workout for the future I suppose, gotta stay positive.

 

[StackedCop]

What time of the day do you train?

 

[TheHardOne]

4/26/12 Mixture of Low Intensity and High Intensity Cardio

-45 mins
-Getting hardly any sleep every night is really the only thing that really sets me back in my growing phase, sad because this has been going on for years now and have tried just about every method, even doing to the Doctor didn't do anything.....
-Gonna take my Intimidate before bed instead of pre workout

 

[TheHardOne]

4/27/12 Rest Day

*Updates / Notes*
-Took intimidate 15 mins before bed, I did seem to feel more drowzy than normal.....still another night of tossing and turning, its really a confortable issue, which my bed ain't! Can't afford a new bed / mattress for awhile.
-Going to have to take some days off from training / cardio because a freakin' calus/blister swolled up on the bottom of my right foot, I can't even walk without limping with very short steps, its cool, been making a ton of gains lately, these couple days of rest are well needed, and just enough time for intimidate to fully kick in!
-Weighed in at a whopping 227 today lol, grow time indeed.
-NBA Playoffs start Saturday morning.....who you guys got to win in the first round?
-Hemavol review coming soon don't worry!

 

[allnatural923]

hope the sleep issue gets resolved bro, once that's squared away your recovery should definitely improve

 

[TheHardOne]

hope the sleep issue gets resolved bro, once that's squared away your recovery should definitely improve

Its weird its been going on now for about 2 years, energy / recovery has never really been an issue with me, but I do agree, once my sleep gets back to its optimal level, my overall life should improve!

 

[TheHardOne]

4/27/12 Tip of the Day! (ill do these atleast every couple of days, remember quality is what I want to give you guys!)

*Want the BEST possible pump every training session?

The pump?! What benefits does a pump even offer?! I thought its pointless!!!

*Pump benefits*
-Increase Protein Synthesis
-Increase Glycogen Synthesis
-Glut 4 benefits
-Growth Hormone secretion
-Fascia Stretch (for long term hypertrophy)
-VEGF benefits (vascular endothilial growth factor) (basically the veign creating hormone)
-The pump feels damn good! Arnold was right, the pump feels just as good as shootin' your load! haha!

How can you increase your chances of getting a maximum pump? Here's a couple simple steps!

1)Stay Anabolic (if your natural, take a rest day before and after every session, if you can take 2 days off before and after every session in my that would mentally drive people insane, but it would literally set every workout out to ensure you are fully recovered before going back in the gym, keeping your endocrine system / cns / adrenal glands in check is one of my keys for maximum hypertrophy!) (ensure your body has the proper amount of protein/carbs/fats) (getting enough sleep) (keeping stress under control, remember....CORTISOL IS A PUMP KILLER!!)

2)Increase your potassium/sodium/water intake! (cell volumization benefits in thsi department BIG TIME!)

Heres my Pre workout protocol to maximize your pump!

*1.5 hours Pre
-Lean Protein Source of your choice
-Large White or Red Potato
-Large Green Salad
-1 avocado
-1 banana
-multivitamin
-GDA / Nutrient Partioner of your choice

*10 mins Pre
-Agmatine based supplement
-BCAA's
-Fast Carb (gatorade / karbolyn....etc...)
-Beta Alanine
-Ensure your body is saturated with creatine already
-Glutamine
-Alpha Lipoic Acid

I mean who doesn't love an arm pump?

 

[criticalbench]

Nice post man.. i like your little tips of the day!

Mike

4/27/12 Tip of the Day! (ill do these atleast every couple of days, remember quality is what I want to give you guys!)

*Want the BEST possible pump every training session?

The pump?! What benefits does a pump even offer?! I thought its pointless!!!

*Pump benefits*
-Increase Protein Synthesis
-Increase Glycogen Synthesis
-Glut 4 benefits
-Growth Hormone secretion
-Fascia Stretch (for long term hypertrophy)
-VEGF benefits (vascular endothilial growth factor) (basically the veign creating hormone)
-The pump feels damn good! Arnold was right, the pump feels just as good as shootin' your load! haha!

How can you increase your chances of getting a maximum pump? Here's a couple simple steps!

1)Stay Anabolic (if your natural, take a rest day before and after every session, if you can take 2 days off before and after every session in my that would mentally drive people insane, but it would literally set every workout out to ensure you are fully recovered before going back in the gym, keeping your endocrine system / cns / adrenal glands in check is one of my keys for maximum hypertrophy!) (ensure your body has the proper amount of protein/carbs/fats) (getting enough sleep) (keeping stress under control, remember....CORTISOL IS A PUMP KILLER!!)

2)Increase your potassium/sodium/water intake! (cell volumization benefits in thsi department BIG TIME!)

Heres my Pre workout protocol to maximize your pump!

*1.5 hours Pre
-Lean Protein Source of your choice
-Large White or Red Potato
-Large Green Salad
-1 avocado
-1 banana
-multivitamin
-GDA / Nutrient Partioner of your choice

*10 mins Pre
-Agmatine based supplement
-BCAA's
-Fast Carb (gatorade / karbolyn....etc...)
-Beta Alanine
-Ensure your body is saturated with creatine already
-Glutamine
-Alpha Lipoic Acid

I mean who doesn't love an arm pump?

 

[TheHardOne]

Still resting my foot, its healing up so thats good news!

*Update
-So im days into Intimidate, falling asleep / staying asleep is now improving!

 

[StackedCop]

4/27/12 Tip of the Day! (ill do these atleast every couple of days, remember quality is what I want to give you guys!)

*Want the BEST possible pump every training session?

The pump?! What benefits does a pump even offer?! I thought its pointless!!!

*Pump benefits*
-Increase Protein Synthesis
-Increase Glycogen Synthesis
-Glut 4 benefits
-Growth Hormone secretion
-Fascia Stretch (for long term hypertrophy)
-VEGF benefits (vascular endothilial growth factor) (basically the veign creating hormone)
-The pump feels damn good! Arnold was right, the pump feels just as good as shootin' your load! haha!

How can you increase your chances of getting a maximum pump? Here's a couple simple steps!

1)Stay Anabolic (if your natural, take a rest day before and after every session, if you can take 2 days off before and after every session in my that would mentally drive people insane, but it would literally set every workout out to ensure you are fully recovered before going back in the gym, keeping your endocrine system / cns / adrenal glands in check is one of my keys for maximum hypertrophy!) (ensure your body has the proper amount of protein/carbs/fats) (getting enough sleep) (keeping stress under control, remember....CORTISOL IS A PUMP KILLER!!)

2)Increase your potassium/sodium/water intake! (cell volumization benefits in thsi department BIG TIME!)

Heres my Pre workout protocol to maximize your pump!

*1.5 hours Pre
-Lean Protein Source of your choice
-Large White or Red Potato
-Large Green Salad
-1 avocado
-1 banana
-multivitamin
-GDA / Nutrient Partioner of your choice

*10 mins Pre
-Agmatine based supplement
-BCAA's
-Fast Carb (gatorade / karbolyn....etc...)
-Beta Alanine
-Ensure your body is saturated with creatine already
-Glutamine
-Alpha Lipoic Acid

I mean who doesn't love an arm pump?

Why not use rala? I can't handle the burning in my throat from ala!!

 

[TheHardOne]

Why not use rala? I can't handle the burning in my throat from ala!!

Rala is better, im just poor....lol.

 

[TheHardOne]

5/1/12 Im back....with a vengeance!

-Upper body-

-Warm up (lunges / presses / clean and presses, get heart rate up)

-Flat Barbell Bench Press
-Rack Deadlifts
-Overhand / Underhand / Hammer Grip Chins
-DB Seated Shoulder Press
-Upright Rows
-Ab work

*Notes*
-PR'S ON EVERYTHING
-Chasing performance instead of chasing fatigue is how I utilize my volume, pretty much 2 working sets for each exercise is enough to overload the muscle while keeping high intensity / performance, usually by that 3rd working set im starting to fatigue rapidly which is pretty much has no benefits in the hypertrophy / strength department. Reps are always around the 8-12 range, once I start getting under that 8 range, its time to move on.
-Intimidate is surprisingly aiding in me falling and staying alseep....honestly I was very skeptical on this product......its working like a charm!
-Brutal workout!
-Intensity maintained until I reached my ab work, so thats when I left the gym, once intensity starts dropping even by a little bit, LEAVE THE GYM!
-Arm isolation work will most likely be done with lower body
-My whole body is taxed....im feelin' it big time haha!
-Pump was good!
-Gotta control myself at the beginning of the workout....for example for my bench presses, I could of went and done a few more sets just to fulfill my ego, performance was about to drop, so I moved on.....close call. (yes im that specific when im on a mission!)
-Intensity, Overload, Maintain High Performance, Drop ego, leave, recover, repeat.

 

[TheHardOne]

Tip of the day! Errr....lets start calling this "Mini Article of the day"! 5/2/12

*HERE are the top 5 reasons why your efforts are not rewarding you.

1)Your execution is horrible, yeah your going all the way and all the way down, full range of motion, that means thats perfect form!!! ERRRR!! WRONG!!! Your going to have to find that sweet spot on every exercise so you can feel the muscle constantly being stretched and contracted, that means NOT USING A FULL RANGE OF MOTION, stop utilizing a full contraction / full stretch where the joint is being compromised(WHEN GOING HEAVY!, you can use a full contraction / full stretch when going light without any possible future injuries, but honestly their are not any "major" benefits of utilizing a full contraction, plus going light isn't gonna do jack crack for ya!. We want tension on the muscle with no extra joint/tendon grinding.

2)Your most likely doing too many isolation low motor unit exercisers or doing too many sets(volume), if your having trouble adding muscle, stick to high motor unit firing exercises, such as free weight decline presses / barbell rows / squats / dips / chins...etc...

3)Ensure your adrenal glands / endocrine system / central nervous system are always firing optimally for your hypertrophy / strength goals, so structure your frequency by taking a day off between each workout(this will vary person to person obviously), shop for supplements that aid in adrenal health, make sure your mag / vitamin b's intake are on point every day.

4)Stop following "programs", all these cookie cutter programs are all the same ****, just with a different theme, the maker of the program will do his best to hype it up, obviously its his "so called" creation, he has to back it up! Look muscle growth happens via myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasm hypertropy, a quick google search and you'll know what that is.

5)Only supplements you should worry about is the follow (below)

-magnesium (not in oxide form)
-zinc (not in oxide)
-vitamin b's
-GDA supp (ai nutrition's glycobol is a great choice!)
-Nutrient Partioner (usp labs prime is a great choice)
-creatine mono (other forms are gimmicks, creatine mono works just as good)
-herbal tea's to constantly give your body / liver a detox effect, which will aid in endothielial health and your endocrine system / cns aswell

Improve daily, learn something new everyday, the day you start thinking "you know everything", thats the day you stop growing!

 

[StackedCop]

Massive update! I disagree with the "other forms of creatine ate gimmicks". I've used both MCC and CN. MCC was great for strength and I even added some size while on it. CN is great for pumps. But u do agree that the best form of creatine is mono.

 

[criticalbench]

Massive update! I disagree with the "other forms of creatine ate gimmicks". I've used both MCC and CN. MCC was great for strength and I even added some size while on it. CN is great for pumps. But u do agree that the best form of creatine is mono.

def.. mono is all I will use now.

Mike

 

[allnatural923]

awesome updates, and glad to see the sleep is improving bro, log seems to be going great.

and loving your little tips of the day/min-articles, always seem to talk about interesting topics lol

 

[TheHardOne]

5/3/12 Arms

-Top Portion Bench Press 1x6 + drop set
-Rope Pushdowns 1x8 + drop set
-One Arm Ext 1x8
-Dips 1x8

-DB Hammer Curls (cross body) 1x6 + drop set
-High Cable Curls 1x8 + drop set
-One Arm Preacher Curls 1x8
-DB Curls 1x8 + drop set

*Notes*
-Been slacking on my fuel intake.....
-Ok pump I suppose...
-Great Intensity
-Need my foot to get better so I can start doing my cardio again, body is starting to hold too much water
-Crap day, foot get better please, HIIT cardio misses me!
-Great sleep! F yeah! This intimidate is really something special!

 

[TheHardOne]

5/5/12

*1 week Review*

-Sleep and me don't get along......intimidate has made me and sleep become "bed buddies"! haha get it? But really, ive tried melatonin / valerian root / other herbal sleep mixes / sleeping techniques, cutting out light after 8 pm, warm milk, meditate, nothing ever worked! Intimidate is somehow....making me fall asleep, which honestly changes my life, I feel so much better, my family even notices how much of a better mood im in, this is huge!

-Alpha Male effect via higher testosterone levels, my intensity in the gym has been taken through a new level, well I should say my "tunnel vision", as nothing bothers me in the gym anymore, we all know that feeling when someone bigger and badder is working out and you can't get your mind off that person via jealousy/ego, common fellas you know what im talking about.

-Body composition (come see the 3 week review as I feel thats long enough to judge this effect, plus my foot problem is preventing me from doing my cardio! Yikes!)

 

[TheHardOne]

I popped the huge bubble blister on my foot, nasty, but it feels alot better.

 

[TheHardOne]

Letting my foot heal up, still has a nasty scar.

My birthday is next month! On the 5th of June! Hmmm what shall I do.....if anyone has any kickass ideas, shoot em to me!

 

[TheHardOne]

Epic sleep last night! Got in around 6-7 hours, epic dreams....love it!

 

[StackedCop]

5/5/12

*1 week Review*

-Sleep and me don't get along......intimidate has made me and sleep become "bed buddies"! haha get it? But really, ive tried melatonin / valerian root / other herbal sleep mixes / sleeping techniques, cutting out light after 8 pm, warm milk, meditate, nothing ever worked! Intimidate is somehow....making me fall asleep, which honestly changes my life, I feel so much better, my family even notices how much of a better mood im in, this is huge!

-Alpha Male effect via higher testosterone levels, my intensity in the gym has been taken through a new level, well I should say my "tunnel vision", as nothing bothers me in the gym anymore, we all know that feeling when someone bigger and badder is working out and you can't get your mind off that person via jealousy/ego, common fellas you know what im talking about.

-Body composition (come see the 3 week review as I feel thats long enough to judge this effect, plus my foot problem is preventing me from doing my cardio! Yikes!)

I really miss the deep sleep from intimidate

 

[TheHardOne]

5 Benefits for your Physical Goals (5/7/12)

1)Balance your electrolytes! Electrolytes are responsible for muscle contraction, preventing cramps,

increasing overall athletic performance, which doesn't sound big, but when you take care of the little

things, it makes the big picture that much bigger!

What can you do to increase / balance your electrolytes?

-Eat plenty of Raw veggies, Potatoes, Bananas!
-Make your carbohydrate sources from various types of Potatoes, carb sources like rice / bread / pasta

are great, but various types of Potatoes like sweet, red, and white potatoes are filled with vitamins

and minerals unlike rice/bread/pasta.
-Balance your potassium and sodium!
-Supplement with Zinc and Magnesieum, unless your eating Organic foods on a daily basis, your most

likely VERY deficient with these 2 minerals, they are also a must if you want to aid your testosterone

and igf-1, which are 2 very anabolic hormones that will aid in fat loss and muscle growth. Easy basic

techniques, will aid in getting great results.

For you bodybuilders, increasing / balancing your electrolytes will aid in your muscle pumps,

strength, and will you a "full" appearance! (full meaning a slightly pumped appearance)


2)Increase your healthy fat intake! Increasing your omega 3-6-9 intake will aid in the following.

-testosterone levels
-growth hormone levels
-joint health
-mood
-sleep
-libido
-insulin sensitivity

What are some great sources for healthy fats?

-Omega 3 fish or krill Oils
-Natural Peanut Butter
-Whole Eggs
-Avocado

3)Boost your "Insulin Sensitivty"! If your body is more "insulin resistant" you will be a fat storing

machine, your carbohydrates will most likely NOT go towards your goals, instead they will be stored as

fat instead of muscle glycogen and energy, which would mean you are more "insulin sensitive".

What are some simple steps to making you more "Insulin Sensitive"?

-HIIT
-Balanced Omega 3-6-9's
-Fish Oils
-Greens (green leafy veggies, Green Tea)
-Intense Weight Training
-Fasted Training

4)Detox Daily! Utilizing detoxing techniques will aid in the following

-Increase Nutrient Partioning (basically making you more receptive to nutrients)
-Mood benefits
-Sexual Performance
-Pumps in the gym (less toxins in your body will aid in numerous benefits)
-Burn fat faster
-Better Sleep (this comes down to healthy Adrenal Glands, detoxing will aid your adrenals)
-Insulin Sensitivty
-Protein synthesis

What basic Detoxing techniques can you do on a daily basis?

-Green Tea
-Green Leafy Veggies
-Greens Supplements (Spirulina, Alfalfa, kelp just to name some...)
-Magnesieum (not in Oxide form)
-Increase Water Intake
-Organic Lemon Water

Simple and effective right? Majority of your typical trainees around the world overlook the most basic

fundamentals....Thats what makes them "typical" right?

Stay tuned for future articles, looks like the next one in line is for our Adrenal Glands.

 

[TheHardOne]

Hemavol review will be posted 2morrow, this forum is getting a update or something, some post arn't appearing or got deleted?

 

[criticalbench]

Hemavol review will be posted 2morrow, this forum is getting a update or something, some post arn't appearing or got deleted?

No clue what is going on with this forum.. but im clicking on threads, and it is taking me to completely different threads haha. Looking forward to hemavol review bro!

 

[allnatural923]

yea, they were updating something, couldn't get on either.

but in4 epic hemavol review

and I agree about the epic dreams bro, normally never get interesting dreams like that, but that definitely changed with Intimidate lol

 

[criticalbench]

yea, they were updating something, couldn't get on either.

but in4 epic hemavol review

and I agree about the epic dreams bro, normally never get interesting dreams like that, but that definitely changed with Intimidate lol

Im really missing the deep sleep!!

 

[TheHardOne]

Quads 5/9/12

-Barbell Squats 5 sets of 8-12 (60 sec rest periods)
-Leg Extensions 5 sets of 8-12 (40 sec rest periods)

*Notes*
-Wtf....I got weaker....Had to go like 100 pounds lighter on my squats today?!?! WOA....
-Right knee was weak so that had to be the problem, I did some HIIT cardio with flat footed shoes a couple days ago and it was alot of knee tension, and I accidently warmed up with heavy lunges instead of starting out light....
-Weight dropped like 10 pounds since last week.....and that ain't fat.
-See HardOne...that what happens when you don't stay consistent with your diet, not utilizing a proper warm up, and not staying consistent with your training!
-Sleep was great last night, im assuming this is Intimidate's greatest effect, so I can say its doing its job.
-Had to "force" intensity today, felt very stressed out, devestated by how much lighter I had to train, I mean I don't have a "Ego" by any means, but when you have to go about 100 pounds lighter than your previous workout......thats f'ing devestating.
-Only positive effects of the workout today were I was able to handle higher volume, short rest periods, so endurance is surpringly increased....try doing 5 working sets of squats with 60-90 sec rest periods and tell me how you feel. And the lighter weight ensure my targeted muscles were doing all the work instead of my glutes dominating the movement.
-Was thinking my last chest workout was responsible for this, because my last chest workout I used drop sets, forced negatives, really going to failure.....funny, I just read 2 studies how training to failure with drop sets, rest pause, forced negatives wrecks havok on the central nervous system, endocrine system, that can last up to a few days.....hmmm oh no wonder why something negative always happens when I up the intensity! Silly HardOne, keep it basic!

 

[allnatural923]

Quads 5/9/12

-Barbell Squats 5 sets of 8-12 (60 sec rest periods)
-Leg Extensions 5 sets of 8-12 (40 sec rest periods)

*Notes*
-Wtf....I got weaker....Had to go like 100 pounds lighter on my squats today?!?! WOA....
-Right knee was weak so that had to be the problem, I did some HIIT cardio with flat footed shoes a couple days ago and it was alot of knee tension, and I accidently warmed up with heavy lunges instead of starting out light....
-Weight dropped like 10 pounds since last week.....and that ain't fat.
-See HardOne...that what happens when you don't stay consistent with your diet, not utilizing a proper warm up, and not staying consistent with your training!
-Sleep was great last night, im assuming this is Intimidate's greatest effect, so I can say its doing its job.
-Had to "force" intensity today, felt very stressed out, devestated by how much lighter I had to train, I mean I don't have a "Ego" by any means, but when you have to go about 100 pounds lighter than your previous workout......thats f'ing devestating.
-Only positive effects of the workout today were I was able to handle higher volume, short rest periods, so endurance is surpringly increased....try doing 5 working sets of squats with 60-90 sec rest periods and tell me how you feel. And the lighter weight ensure my targeted muscles were doing all the work instead of my glutes dominating the movement.
-Was thinking my last chest workout was responsible for this, because my last chest workout I used drop sets, forced negatives, really going to failure.....funny, I just read 2 studies how training to failure with drop sets, rest pause, forced negatives wrecks havok on the central nervous system, endocrine system, that can last up to a few days.....hmmm oh no wonder why something negative always happens when I up the intensity! Silly HardOne, keep it basic!

i've read some similar things about the lasting effects on the nervous system from intense workouts (ex. using drop sets, blast training, forced negatives, etc.) so don't worry too much about the strength seeming down. Also the knee acting up likely contributed a lot since that wrecks your stabilization abilities and overall force output on the one side, so I'd say it was just a bad series of factors contributing to 1 off session. glad to see the sleep is nice and deep though. you're doing great so far bro, keep it up

 

[TheHardOne]

**The basic guide to understanding how to reach your physical goals** By TheHardOne

*This is for anyone in general looking to add muscle or lose fat at the same time. But more so on the side of someone looking to drop fat and retain muscle. For example my goal right now is to maximize my muscular gains and have minimal fat loss. Why not maximize both at the highest levels? You can, but everything has to be perfect, your nutrition, sleep, supplementation has to be spot on. Even then....in my opinion drug use has to be present in order for rapid muscle growth and rapid fat loss to happen at the same time. Ill do my best to keep this simple/easy to read.

Protein- Your body needs protein to live. Protein is broken down into amino acids for body functions, muscle growth, metabolism, fat loss. Every amino acid has a different function. Without having a your daily requirements for protein on a daily basis, your muscle growing efforts in the gym are most likely to be wasted, and if your trying to get shredded(cut) your body will use your hard earned muscle as fuel without a ample amount of protein/amino acids. Not good! Keep it basic, when bulking stick with 1x (2x if your enhanced) your lean body mass for protein and 1.5x your lean body mass while cutting up. Why not count bodyweight? Because im feeding my muscles / body functions, not my porkchoppy ewwy bodyfat!

Carbs- Ill keep this one simple. Your muscles carry "muscle glycogen", it doesnt take that much carbs to maintain a full saturated muscle, take in excess amount of carbs, meaning when your body doesnt need them or when glycogen levels are full, it has nothing else to do but store it as fat, unless your metabolism is sky rocketed then you may "need" more carbohydrates than someone like me, which I keep my metabolism at a healthy level, not too high so my body doesnt use my nutrients as energy instead of muscle growth. Understand? This is simple stuff common! (for example if I did HIIT cardio 5x a week my metabolism would be sky rocketed that my body would be bughing through almost everything I eat! Not what im looking for while im bulking!

*When to spike insulin*

1)20-30 mins into a intense workout (to spike insulin)
2)1-5 hours after your workout (your "post workout window" last typically around 4 hours, so
your carbohydrates will go towards your goals instead of stored as fat, remember though, anything in excess will just be converted to fat, stay tuned for a Glute4 / Fasted article soon! (the amounts will vary person to person, if you need a general guideline, email me! Honestly everyone's insulin sensitivity and metabolism will be different, thats why its a person to person thing.

The hormone Insulin- Remember, your body releases insulin whenever you eat carbohydrates, depending on the (GI) Glycemic Index your insulin may sky rocket or be slowly released, typically you want to keep your insulin levels low throughout the day except, 20-30 mins into your workout and your post workout meal when trying to cut up and retain if not gain a little bit of muscle mass. When bulking, you may have more freedom, but im just going to keep the theme more so around shredding(dropping bodyfat / retaining muscle). Spiking insulin levels through the roof when its not necessary will just cause your body to store fat.
(for all you serious meatheads looking to take advantage of insulin, look into the "Backloading" diet! its f'ing awesome!)

Your body can be sensitive to insulin which is what you want, meaning you have a greater chance of your insulin shuttling your carbohydrates into muscle cells instead of just being stored as fat. Or you can be insulin resistant, which basically means your carbs are not going for your goals, your storing fat, constantly getting inflammed. How do you keep your insulin sensitivity at optimal levels?

1)Alpha Lipoic Acid
2)Chroimium
3)Grape Seed Extract
4)Green Tea Extract
5)fish Oils / Omega 3's
6)High Levels of Vitamin D
7)Cardiovascular exercise / weight training
8)Green veggies / Greens Products (like alfalfa / spirulina / kelp)
9)GDA / nutrient partioner supplements

Also excess carbs will just result in inflammation, in simple terms, a healthy-less inflammed body will result in a body that runs at its optimal levels. Meaning your fat loss, muscle growth goals will come at a faster pace. (elevated cortisol levels may be present when the body has bad inflammation)

Fats- Your body needs fats for overall health, mood, muscle growth and even fat loss. Fats are very calorie dense which is a benefit for what ever your goals are. Espeically omega 3 fatty acids, omega 3's are very beneficial for lowering inflammation, muscle growth, fat loss, increase in insulin sensitivty and mood.

Vitamins- You have water soulable vitamins like C, B's and fat soluable vitamins like a, e, d, k. Your water soluable vitamins need to be replaced every few hours to get the great benefits from these vitamins. Heres a short and simple guide to which vitamins you need to enhance your fat loss / muscle growing goals.

1)Vitamin C (lowers cortisol levels, antioxidant, fights off free radicals)
2)B complex (protein/carb/fat metabolism, energy, insulin sensitvity, hormone levels)
3)Vitamin D (testosterone levels, bones, insulin sensitivity, overall health)
4)Vitamins A, E, K, are important aswell, antioxidant functions, overall health

Minerals- Atheletes are always getting their minerals depleted through intense exercise, espeically Zinc, magnesium. These are crucial for maintaining/raising hormone levels like testosterone, GH, IGF-1 which is crucial for anyone's goals. Magnesium helps with cramps, muscular contractions, and over 300 body functions, very important. (im trying to keep this simple, remember!)

Heres your doses for your vitamins and a sample balanced meal plan designed to drop bodyfat, retain muscle. The grams / macro's will vary like I stated earlier, the sources of amino acids should come from chicken / fish / grass fed beef, carb sources from gluten free sources such as sweet potatoes and brown rice, fat sources from various nuts, omega 3 fish/krill oils, avocados, and eggs.

(first thing in the morning)
Lemon water (this will help alkalize your body, meaning your body will run much better when your body is more alkaline than acidic).
2 glasses of water
1 cup of Green Tea

Meal 1) (10 mins after your lemon water)
Protein Source (protein shake or chicken or eggs or fish or beef, your choice)
Fat Source (fish oil or olive oil)
Green Veggies or Green Product
500mg Vitamin C
25mg B complex

Meal 2) (3 hours after meal 1)
Protein Source
Fat Source
Green Veggies or Green Product
25mg B complex
3000IU Vitamin D

Meal 3) (2-3 hours after meal 2)
Protein Source
Fat Source
500mg Vitamin C

Meal 4) (typically pre workout)
Protein Source
Fat Source
50mg B complex

Pre-Workout
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (uses fatty acids as energy)

20-30 mins into workout
40 grams of Quick Carbs/electrolytes (gatorade) (only if exercise is intense!)
5-10g Bcaa's

Meal 5 (when you get home from the gym)
Protein source (get a faster digesting protein source like egg whites or chicken/protein shake)
Carbhydrate Source (white rice / sweet potato / white potato / brown rice) (NO WHEAT / GLUTEN SOURCES, those result in inflammation to your gut, brain damage and lowers insulin sensitivity)
500mg Vitamin C
25mg B complex

Meal 6 (1-2 hours before bed)
Cottage Cheese or Casein Protein (which is a slow digesting protein) (added with fat will be in your bloodstream for 6-10 hours, meaning your body will have a constant supply of amino acids during sleep)
Fat Source

Right Before Bed
Zinc (20-30mg) (not in oxide form)
Magnesium (400mg) (not in oxide form)

Other notes:
Drink as much water as possible every day, id prescribe a certain amount for everything but everyday no matter what its going to be different, do your best.

Theirs so much I could of added to this but I just wanted to make this SIMPLE!

Everytime you eat, your bodies natural reaction to that is to-----
-slightly Raise metabolism
-Lowers Cortisol
*Is it necessary to eat multiple meals when bulking? Not really, its all about macro intake, even when cutting its all about macro intake, its just if you cram all your nutrients into 3-4 meals you will most likely experience bloating / making your body really inflamed. Making your body a fat storing, muscle burning machine.

I designed this diet / supplementation plan to make your bodies metabolism sky rocketed, protein synthesis acitvated more often so in simple terms, your body will be shredding fat and adding muscle mass at the same time. Fat loss will come rapid, the muscle growth will be minimal-medium rate.

Cardio Plan-
5-6 times a week HIIT cardio
HIIT (high intensity interval cardio) has been shown to ramp up your metabolism for 24-48 hours after the session, make your muscles/body more metabolic, your body will be using your nutrients to your goals instead of agaisnt them.

The weight training will vary on someone's specific goals, ill have a training article posted soon so you guys can understand neuro adaptivity, central nervous system fire up, and activating different muscle fiber types depending on your specific goals.

Fat Loss at rapid speed? Check.

What to expect---

1)Greater Mood
2)Deeper Sleep
3)Shredded Body
4)Lean muscle mass
5)Better digestion

And Thanks to Purus Labs Nutrition, Iforce, USP Labs, Anabolic Innovations for the supplements / help from the last couple months!