PES Summer Shred! --- AnaBeta Elite/Erase Pro/AlphaT2/DAA --- w/extras!

[Natestreo]

Natestreo Summer Shred! --- Clen/T3/Keto/Helladrol/AnaBeta Elite/Erase Pro/AT2

Intro: Okay everyone, this is my first ever log. I am eager to do this for a multitude of reasons. I am still relatively new to the AM community but have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent here thus far. I am looking forward to receiving feedback and support as I undergo this process. I will try to pictures along the way to keep progress up to date, and will post starting pictures. Lets get it started!

Background: I am a 20 year old college student at Eastern Kentucky University. I am a PGA PGM Major, otherwise referred to as professional golf management. I am not your stereotypical golfer, quite the opposite! As part of my major, I wil be traveling to Santa Barbara, California to spend the summer as an intern at a local golf course. While in California I will join a gym and continue to workout, although my time will also be shared with work. I have always been a "fat kid" so to speak and was never comfortable in my own skin until I took the time to do something about it. Over the past couple years I have dedicated a lot of my time and energy towards improving my physique to something that was acceptable to me and made me feel better about myself. I began my journey at 258lbs and God only knows what percentage of bodyfat. Currently I am 5'9" 186.5lbs and between 9.5-10% bodyfat (last official measurement on BodPod was 10.2, but i've lost some fat since then). My lowest weight since beginning my body transformation was 175lbs on the number, before I spent the past winter bulking up and replacing the muscle that I had lost oer long periods of time cutting. I have extensive knowledge on supplementing. Currently I have a ton of different supplements that I have obtained one way or the other over time. In addition, I have used a large amount of different supplements in the past and know how my body responds to each. If anyone has questions as to what similar products I have used or anything of that sort, please ask. I would be happy to draw any comparisons that I am able.

Goals: I am working to drop bodyfat percentage further in an effort to acquire the allusive 6pack. I am not sure what weight or bodyfat percentage this will be for me, just going to play it by the mirror! Also, I do not want to lose muscle mass as I lose fat mass. Weight loss will be slow and methodical to prevent muscle loss, as I do not enjoy bulking and dont want to replace lost muscle again. Lesson learned from losing weight too quickly once before. For sake of measurement, lets say I want to be 7% bodyfat approximately at the conclusion of this log.

Supplements: As mentioned in the title, I will be using several PES products. AnaBeta Elite, Erase Pro, Alpha T-2. Also, I will be using bulk DAA powder from Nutraplanet. In addition, I will use a small amount of OEP at the beginning of this log and will finish the log with Clen. I am attaching an excel spreadsheet that has everything mapped out over time for easy viewing. Please download/view the file and give me feedback. Also, I would like for everyone to see how I have the supplements laid out over time so any followers will have better understanding of my plans

Diet:I currently follow a LeanGains protocol, somewhat. I do not eat over maintenance calories at any point during the diet, as leangains is meant to be based on my own understanding. I track each thing I eat every day on my iPhone using an app that has proven to be very accurate (about.com calorie counter, I think). Training days I will have 1900 calories and rest days will be 1500 calories. My maintenance calorie level is about 2900 calories. As long as I am not losing muscle mass I will push the limit of calorie restriction to maximize fat loss. Attached is a picture of my daily diet that I printed out to keep in my wallet. This shows my normal meal timing as well as macros.

Training: I currently train 5 days per week with 2 days rest. Rest days are subject to change based on my schedule, but usually come before and after leg day. One rest day will always be used on Sunday, as I believe this is meant to be a day of rest. I follow a training regimine that I have designed myself. I usually like to workout as early in the morning as possible, as this allows my first meal of the day to be my post workout meal. Training of this type will be fasted, as the leangains protocol. Depending on my schedule, workout times may vary. I will also be doing cardio each day after weight training. I will track my reps and weight for each exercise every day.

Sunday/Friday - REST (subject to change)

I will also be doing cardio after each weight training session. I usually like to do some type of interval training until I reach 300 calories expenditure. This usually is about 18-20 minutes of cardio.

Conclusion I hope to reach my goals, obviously. But also, I hope to encourage others and learn from others along the way. Great community on AM.com! If anyone would like for me to add anything, let me know! I would be happy to track anything else in addition to what I am already recording!


EDIT: As of 5/22/12 I will begin a Carb Cycling program that will be exactly like or very similar to the image posted below. This change is coming in the middle of the AE/AT2/MS portion of the stack due to scheduling conflicts being created by work.

 

[kevinhy]

IN!

 

[Geoforce]

Lotta supplements, and I like the other aspects. I think this will be a successful cut. In MY experience I have had good experiences with the occasional re-feed when going as low calorie as you are. Something to consider...I know the "fear" is that one will go too far (doesn't mean you should spend the day eating pizza and snickers), but if well thought out it can work well.

 

[Natestreo]

Here are my starting pictures. Taken today on an empty stomach, before training. I always liked to do an ab workout before taking pics, it makes your abs look much better. But for better comparisons I will not do this!


I had a terrible time taking a picture of my back/bicep. This crappy pic will have to do, haha. Let me know if anyone would like to see a different pose or anything! Im having trouble managing these pics, also. Sorry for the repeats and poor organization.

 

[Natestreo]

Finally got everything organized and just added a screenshot of my excel spreadsheet that lays out my supplement plan. Wasnt able to upload the excel spreadsheet itself, this was the next best thing.

Thanks for following, Kevinhy! And Geoforce, I have managed to lose about 4lbs of fat while gaining muscle mass during the past few months. I posted BodPod results of this showing the body composition changes. Those results were done with this exact training and diet to only one exception, I was consuming a diet of 2200/1800 instead of 1900/1500. I reduced the calories to speed up the fat loss.

 

[Natestreo]

Okay everyone. I had originally intended on starting this log yesterday but did not get time to do so. However, I still have all of my logged information ready to input, just a day late! I am currently at the "week 1" phase as of right now. It is worth mentioning, I have used OEP in the past and LOVE it. I have about a half of a bottle, just enough to run 2 a day for 2 weeks, sitting on my counter. Thus the reasoning in using OEP for 2 weeks with AnaBeta Elite. Also, the 2 weeks of AnaBeta right off the bat are the last 2 weeks remaining in my bottle that I have been using for the past 2 weeks. So by the time I have used all of the AnaBeta Elite that I plan to use during this log, I will have used it for 8 weeks total (not necessarily straight because of the week off for traveling). Anyways, heres my information from Monday!

Weighed in at 187.4lbs this morning. Managed to get to the gym at about 6am. I love not having classes start until 10am! Workouts are posted in the order I completed them. Im focusing on developing other areas of my chest and using more dumbbells than I have ever done in the past, so I started off on dumbbells and didnt get to bench press until a little later into the workout.

Incline DB Press: 40lb x 12, 50lb x 8, 60lb x 8, 70lb x 8
Decline DB Press: 50lb x 12, 60lb x 8, 70lb x 8, 80lb x 8
Flat DB Press: 70lb x 8, 80lb x 8, 90lb x 8
Bench Press: 135lb x 15, 205lb x 8
DB Fly: 30lb x 12, 40lb x 8, 40lb x 8
Dips: 15, 12
Cardio: 18 minutes, 300 calories, stairmaster intervals.

Chest was super pumed after the first three DB exercises. Im really liking hitting my chest from a little bit different angle/method than normal. I hope to develop it more evenly, as I feel the middle of my chest is much thicker than the top and bottom. Chest was absolutely wrecked by the time I got to bench press, but thats what we want!

Diet:
Meal 1 60% (postworkout) - Large Bagel, 4x Turkey Burger (2 of which were on the bagel for a sandwich), 3x cup raw broccolli, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 2 slices swiss cheese. 1400 calories, 95g Carbs, 46g Fat, 158g Protein

Meal 2 20% - 2 slices of Ezekiel Bread, 4oz Tilapia. 288 Calories, 30g Carbs, 3g Fat, 32g Protein

Meal 3 20% - 2 slices of Ezekiel Bread, 4oz Tilapia. 288 Calories, 30g Carbs, 3g Fat, 32g Protein

Snacks: 1x Intense Dark Twilight 72% cacao (Ghiradelli), 1x Rice Krispie Treat (homeade). 150 calories, 21g Carbs, 6g Fat, 1g Protein

Total: 1826 Calories, 146g Carbs, 55g Fat, 191g Protein.

I wasnt really good with my diet today. Had a rice Krispie treat that was guilted upon me (long story). I will regulary have one cube of chocolate, though. This will be a common treat to curb my appettite for sweets. At only 50 calories, its not at all bad and I calculate it into my daily intake when I have it. I dont usually cheat on my diet. Meals are kept clean and healthy, your only cheating yourself when you cheat, right?

 

[Natestreo]

Time to update training and diet for today! I certainly hope that at least a small group of people will follow this!

4/24/12

Training: Today was arms day. On Tuesday and Thursday I have an 8am class that usually prevents me from getting to the gym at 6am. I got to the gym at about 11 today, which set me back an hour on my daily eating schedule. No big deal, just roll with it! Weighed in at 186.5lbs today, down slightly from yesterday. I have been very dry as of the past couple weeks. Definitely something I have noticed from AnaBeta Elite.

Seated MILT Press: 25's x 12, 35's x 10, 70's x 10, 70's x 10 (Performed on a smith machine. 25's = 25lbs on each side. 70's = 70lbs each side)
Front Fly: 25lb x 12, 35lb x 8, 50lb x 8
90 Lat Fly: 20lb x 10, 20lb x 10
Rear Fly: Substituted this exercise for a cable exercise. Will update once I know what the exercise is called exactly, I know what it works and why I use it but do not know what everyone would commonly refer to it as.
DB Shrug: 75lb x 15, 75lb x 15
Cardio: 19mins stairmaster intervals, 300cal

Training had my shoulders pumped nicely. I love seeing the vascularity in my upper shoulders when doing a shoulder workout. Especially vascular when doing shrugs, love seeing that people stop what they are doing to watch me do something! Maybe I just have a big head at times, haha. Good workout today. You will notice the longer you follow, sometimes I stop at 2 sets of a particular exercise and sometimes I would do much more. Also, I will fluctuate on lifting heavy or lifting for extra reps, I listen to my body and try to exhaust the muscle I am working one way or another. Since my primary goal is not to be gaining muscle, I will not be super strict on what rep range and weight I am doing. However, for the most part I like to lift heavy and go for about 4 sets.

Diet: Another day that I went over my calories, although barely. I am unable to buy more groceries for my dorm due to moving out at the end of this week, so I am limited in my selection. Specifically, my protein intake is taking a hit because of the lack of meat availability in my dorm. As long as my calories stay within 100 calories give or take for the next week, I wont complain too much. But definitely do not like it when my diet is not almost exactly what I had layed out for a day. Argh!

Meal 1 60% (postworkout) - Large Bagel, 5oz Roast Beef, 3 Cups Raw Broccoli, 2 tblspoon Peanut Butter, 1 Slice Swiss Cheese, 1 cup skim milk, 2 scoops protein powder. 1305 calories, 116g carbs, 35g fat, 125g protein

Meal 2 20% - 1/3 Cup Brown Rice, 1 tblspoon Natural Peanut Butter, 4oz Tilapia. 319 Calories, 24g Carbs, 9g fat, 30g Protein

Meal 3 20% - 1 Slice Ezekiel Bread, 1tblspoon Natural Peanut Butter, 1 scoop protein powder. 340 Calories, 22g Carbs, 13g Fat, 32g Protein

Total: 1960 Calories, 162g Carbs, 57g Fat, 187g Protein.

If you cant tell, i'm trying to use the jar of peanut butter that I have before I move out of my dorm. I hate wasting food, would like to use what I have already puchased. Also, I had been doing well for a long time about not having to use protein powder to supplement my protein intake. However, in an effort to not purchase additional protein sources I am using protein powder to increase my intake slightly. Calories are being dominated by way too much fat, due to trying to use the peanut butter. However, still close to the daily goal of calories each day; although, with a decreased protein intake.

Also, if anyone is paying really close attention they would notice that I am posting a completed day of training and diet before my last meal of the day was suposed to have been scheduled. At times I will consume my meals a little bit ahead of schedule, if I am hungry, but I do stay strict to not taking in any calories after 7pm, when my fast begins. This is a good example of not overthinking it, as I believe many people do when trying to do LeanGains.

 

[Rodja]

Subbing along and thank you for posting pics.

 

[Natestreo]

Subbing along and thank you for posting pics.

Glad to have ya!

 

[Natestreo]

Thinking I'm going to pause this log unless more people become interested. I don't really want to take the time to do this if nobody is following it.

 

[hvactech]

i see you like the talapia, i also love fish ecspecially on a cut

 

[Natestreo]

i see you like the talapia, i also love fish ecspecially on a cut

Great food nutritionally and also happens to be one of few foods I can easily prepare in my dorm

 

[Natestreo]

Guess I'll give this one more day to see if anyone wants to follow along! Keeping my fingers crossed, maybe there is something I can do to enhance this log and add interest to someone/group of people?

I weighed in today at 185.5lbs, down a pound from yesterday. I know im not losing water weight because I am currently very dry and have been doing weight training/diet for an extended period of time, no reason the weight loss would be water all of a sudden. So, seems like the AnaBeta Elite is much stronger at fat loss than I expected. Of course, I am taking a thermogenic with it. But my results in the past with OEP have not yielded a sudden drop in weight the first day taking it. Thus, I think its safe to attribute the weight loss to AnaBeta Elite.

Training:
Lat Pulldown: 120 x 12, 160 x 8, 180 x 12, 200 x 12
CG LPD: 140 x 12, 160 x 8, 180 x 8, 180 x 8
Low Row: 160 x 12, 200 x 8, 220 x 8
DB Row: 100 x 10, 100 x 10
UH BB Row: 70 x 12, 70 x 12, 70 x 12
Deadlift: 135 x 15, 225 x 8, 305 x 8
Cardio: 175 calories, 10 minutes, Stairmaster interval

Back workout had me exhausted today. Keeping this log has made me stay accountable to the routine and has me doing every set. I dont wanna look like a slacker! As a result, my body gave out early on cardio. Due to the low calorie level, I wasnt willing to push it too hard and risk losing muscle due to overtraining. Keep in mind, this is fasted training!

Diet: Due to my weight being lower than normal today and my energy levels seeming to plummet, I decided to do a refeed day and give my body a chance to recover from the extended period of time under low calories. I ate mostly clean food, to the exception of a small piece of chocolate cake. I ate a crap ton of calories today, though, and dont feel like typing each thing I ate individually. Instead, i'll all my daily totals. Fat content is mostly made up of peanut butter, felt like I added it to everything today. Carbs were mainly ezekiel bread and fruits. Protein came from whole foods almost entirely, minus about 75g.

Total: 5608 Calories, 611g Carbs, 184g Fat, 390g Protein

Its worth mentioning, I can be a bottomless pit when it comes to eating. I'll always be "fat kid" at heart, despite how low my bodyfat percentage may ever reach! However, I couldnt ever consume this many calories and not feel bloated and full of water, before. AnaBeta Elite definitely allows me to feel that I am staying dry and hard, despite the high calorie intake during this refeed. Good stuff, especially for those who may want to do a lean bulk, or any bulk, for that matter.

 

[Natestreo]

Updated the Log info in a couple areas.

1. Diet had a small error. Had my Meal #1 total calories listed as 1300 instead of 1100 as they should have been. All other information on diet is accurate, I recalculated all of it today to make sure.

2. Updated my training routine. I sat down a few hours ago and adjusted my routine. The routine that I had been using is a routine I made up several months ago. I wanted to change the routine to keep my body guessing and figured that at the beginning of this log, minus two days, it was a good opportunity to do so. Sorry for throwing anyone off that may have been looking at lift progressions! Also, I tried to add more compound movements in some areas.

 

[Natestreo]

Woke up this morning feeling soreeeee! Can't want to get this one class over with this morning and go shred these arms!

 

[Rodja]

That is an hell of a lot of protein for someone your size.

 

[Natestreo]

That is an hell of a lot of protein for someone your size.

Definitely. Not something I would shoot for on a daily basis, and not something I was shooting for during yesterday's refeed. I usually just eat however much of any clean food that I want during a refeed day. Just so happened to come out to that much!

Meat > other food.

Haha

 

[Natestreo]

That is an hell of a lot of protein for someone your size.

Definitely. Not something I would shoot for on a daily basis, and not something I was shooting for during yesterday's refeed. I usually just eat however much of any clean food that I want during a refeed day. Just so happened to come out to that much!

Meat > other food.

Haha

 

[Celorza]

Subbed!! Looks like a well planned stack! Bit excecive for my taste ;p I did the same with just OEP/ERASE/ALPHAT2/C20 hehe , but I definetly agree with the choices! Including anabeta elite and DAA!! Good luck!

 

[Natestreo]

Subbed!! Looks like a well planned stack! Bit excecive for my taste ;p I did the same with just OEP/ERASE/ALPHAT2/C20 hehe , but I definetly agree with the choices! Including anabeta elite and DAA!! Good luck!

Glad to have ya, bro! How did your stack treat ya?

 

[Natestreo]

Can't wait to update my training from today! Had a killer workout after switching up my routine and following the refeed day. Sitting here typing this with a monstrous pump in my biceps nearly an hour and a half after my workout!

Just gotta finish my eating for the day and I'll update!

 

[Celorza]

Glad to have ya, bro! How did your stack treat ya?

Well I got my ABs popping thanks to it and finally went below 9% bf (Bod pod result showed around 8.1% but 3 weeks ago, I'm still on it for 2 more weeks , and i'm loving it , around 7-7.5% bf!! and every day more definition and vascularity !! ) , and also the drying effects of erase are marvelous , appetite supression is amazing thanks to at2 and oep , making my lean gains diet SO much easier hehe...You are gonna end up shredded as hell with your stack! Amazing dude , and really well planned!! Keep going bro and make every rep count in your workouts!

 

[Natestreo]

Well I got my ABs popping thanks to it and finally went below 9% bf (Bod pod result showed around 8.1% but 3 weeks ago, I'm still on it for 2 more weeks , and i'm loving it , around 7-7.5% bf!! and every day more definition and vascularity !! ) , and also the drying effects of erase are marvelous , appetite supression is amazing thanks to at2 and oep , making my lean gains diet SO much easier hehe...You are gonna end up shredded as hell with your stack! Amazing dude , and really well planned!! Keep going bro and make every rep count in your workouts!

Thanks for the encouragement! Hearing about your stack has me especially pumped! Since I'm starting my log at ~9.5% percent I would hope to get down to 7% or a little less just as you have!

 

[Celorza]

Thanks for the encouragement! Hearing about your stack has me especially pumped! Since I'm starting my log at ~9.5% percent I would hope to get down to 7% or a little less just as you have!

You definetly can bro! I kinda went crazy on the cardio for a while, but just keep your diet in checked as planned and you'll make it!! , I wish I had as much lbm as u dude haha , I'll start a lean bulk this monday most likely , keeping it around 2000 (or 2200) on w.o. days and around 1300-1550 kCals on rest days with lean gains! I need the mass hehe...

 

[thestein1016]

Guess I'll give this one more day to see if anyone wants to follow along! Keeping my fingers crossed, maybe there is something I can do to enhance this log and add interest to someone/group of people?

I weighed in today at 185.5lbs, down a pound from yesterday. I know im not losing water weight because I am currently very dry and have been doing weight training/diet for an extended period of time, no reason the weight loss would be water all of a sudden. So, seems like the AnaBeta Elite is much stronger at fat loss than I expected. Of course, I am taking a thermogenic with it. But my results in the past with OEP have not yielded a sudden drop in weight the first day taking it. Thus, I think its safe to attribute the weight loss to AnaBeta Elite.

Training:
Lat Pulldown: 120 x 12, 160 x 8, 180 x 12, 200 x 12
CG LPD: 140 x 12, 160 x 8, 180 x 8, 180 x 8
Low Row: 160 x 12, 200 x 8, 220 x 8
DB Row: 100 x 10, 100 x 10
UH BB Row: 70 x 12, 70 x 12, 70 x 12
Deadlift: 135 x 15, 225 x 8, 305 x 8
Cardio: 175 calories, 10 minutes, Stairmaster interval

Back workout had me exhausted today. Keeping this log has made me stay accountable to the routine and has me doing every set. I dont wanna look like a slacker! As a result, my body gave out early on cardio. Due to the low calorie level, I wasnt willing to push it too hard and risk losing muscle due to overtraining. Keep in mind, this is fasted training!

Diet: Due to my weight being lower than normal today and my energy levels seeming to plummet, I decided to do a refeed day and give my body a chance to recover from the extended period of time under low calories. I ate mostly clean food, to the exception of a small piece of chocolate cake. I ate a crap ton of calories today, though, and dont feel like typing each thing I ate individually. Instead, i'll all my daily totals. Fat content is mostly made up of peanut butter, felt like I added it to everything today. Carbs were mainly ezekiel bread and fruits. Protein came from whole foods almost entirely, minus about 75g.

Total: 5608 Calories, 611g Carbs, 184g Fat, 390g Protein

Its worth mentioning, I can be a bottomless pit when it comes to eating. I'll always be "fat kid" at heart, despite how low my bodyfat percentage may ever reach! However, I couldnt ever consume this many calories and not feel bloated and full of water, before. AnaBeta Elite definitely allows me to feel that I am staying dry and hard, despite the high calorie intake during this refeed. Good stuff, especially for those who may want to do a lean bulk, or any bulk, for that matter.

On refeeds drop the fat to as low as possible while amping up carbs. No need to increase protein unless you need extra cals.
Just my opinion and what worked great for me.
Good luck and excited to see the end results

 

[Natestreo]

I might have to start planning the refeeds more carefully. As of now I just eat as much as I want of clean foods, I make sure to record everything, but I don't have a plan as to what I'm eating ahead of time. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks for the kind words bro! I've worked hard for my lbm! Although it comes easier to me because of genetics, still takes a lot of work. Good luck on your lean bulk!

 

[Celorza]

I might have to start planning the refeeds more carefully. As of now I just eat as much as I want of clean foods, I make sure to record everything, but I don't have a plan as to what I'm eating ahead of time. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks for the kind words bro! I've worked hard for my lbm! Although it comes easier to me because of genetics, still takes a lot of work. Good luck on your lean bulk!

Thanks bro! keep it up , and never lose sight of your goals!! Motivation is the key dude!

 

[kevinhy]

On refeeds drop the fat to as low as possible while amping up carbs. No need to increase protein unless you need extra cals.
Just my opinion and what worked great for me.
Good luck and excited to see the end results

This is my approach too.

 

[alfredm005]

subbed! Plan on doing this stack in June. Good to learn from you and Rome32, thanks for sharing your experience

 

[Natestreo]

subbed! Plan on doing this stack in June. Good to learn from you and Rome32, thanks for sharing your experience

Glad to have ya! Rome32 has a sick log going on right now. Partially my motivation to do this one!

 

[Natestreo]

Okay, i've been excited to post todays info all day. Had a 2 hour drive home from college to spend the weekend at home, delayed my posting just a bit! Weighed in at 187.5 today, +2lbs from yesterday. This is as a result of yesterdays refeed and the water I am holding (I am very susceptible to holding water). Im not holding nearly as much water as normal following a refeed, though. I wonder if this has anything to do with AnaBeta Elite? Definitely could feel that my strength was up today and my body had responded well to the refeed. Amazing how listening to your body usually works in your favor! I expect to have this extra few pounds of water shed off in the next couple days. Nothing to worry about!

Training:
EZ-Bar Curls: 70x12, 70x10, 80x8, 80x8, 100x3
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press: 65x12, 95x10, 115x8, 135x8, 185x5
Incline DB Curl: 20x12, 20x10 30x8, 30x6, 20x8
Skull-Crushers: 60x12, 70x10, 80x8, 90x8, 90x6
Hammer Curl: 12.5x12, 20x10, 30x8, 30x8, 15x10
Dips: 26 (failure)
Chin-Ups: 12 (failure)
Cardio: 300 calories, stairmaster intervals, 18minutes

Training was awesome today. Definitely glad that I went ahead and changed up my routine when a good opportunity had arised. The extra volume and addition of some exercises that are more compound than what I had been doing was awesome. I hate doing routines that are based on a ton of isolated movements, the workout I was doing wasnt as well designed as this one is, IMO. This was my first time ever doing close grip bench press, I started off pretty light to give myself a chance to feel it out, quickly realized that this this is a lift I can go pretty heavy on and will have lots of room for progression.

One of the things I loved about the orignial AnaBeta was the increased vascularity. It was so noticeable that someone asked me in the gym what gear I was on, not even asking whether or not I was on gear, just wanting to know what kind. They said they could tell I was on gear because my vascularity was insane. This was the highest compliment i've ever had in the gym, because of course, I was not on gear! My vascularity is every bit as good on AnaBeta Elite as it was on the orignial AnaBeta. Definitely liking that! I'll try to post a pic I took during the arm workout today! And did I mention the pumps on this stuff are crazy?! I usually always get a pump due to my training. However, the difference in my pumps with and without AnaBeta Elite is the amount of time the pump lasts. My pump is gone 20 minutes later without AnaBeta Elite, I was pumped an hour and a half later with it! Definitely an awesome feeling.

Diet:
Meal 1 (60%): Bagel, 2 Chicken Breast, Summer Squash w/ Zucchini (mixed veggies), Banana, 1 cup of Broccoli, 2tbsp natural peanut butter. Calories: 1296, Carbs 118g, Fat 29g, Protein 130g

Meal 2 (20%): Banana, Chicken Breast, Summer Squash
Calories: 377, Carbs 36g, Fat 5g, Protein 45g

Meal 3 (20%): 3/4 Cup Chili Con Carne, 1 Cup Cottage Cheese (lowfat)
Calories: 341, Carbs 22g, Fat 9g, Protein 38g

Daily Total: Calories: 2014, Carbs 176g, Fat 43g, Protein 213g

I'm not overly happy with my diet during the past few days (not referring to the intentional refeed). Due to moving out of my dorm very soon and being unable to make my own food, my selection is limited to what the EKU cafeteria has made for a given day. Some days they have food that is decent, others they seem to have nothing. I wasnt happy eating cottage cheese and chili for a meal today, although it fits into my macro's decently, it also has a ton of sodium. I will likely have a harder time shedding off the 2lbs of water I was already holding due to this meal. Also, i've consistently been over my daily calories and not hitting my macros as I would like, due to the limited selection. I could always undereat, but I am already on a very low calorie level for my size and do not want to risk losing muscle mass, especially since I do leangains and fast as well as undergo fasted training. I dont set specific macro levels and specific calorie levels for my own amusement, I expect to follow them very strictly! Although 100 calories above or below is not the biggest deal in the world, it still aggravates me. At least the overture of calories today was due to the slightly higher than planned protein level.

Conclusion: Good day of training. Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day. As i'm spending the weekend at home with my bros I'll be watching the NFL Draft and playing TONS of Madden 12. My boys and I have had an offline franchise we've played in the most up to date madden every year since Madden 10. We usually play through 8-10 seasons before the next madden is released, we have no lives!

Since tomorrow is a rest day that also means the calorie count for tomorrow is much different. As the leangains protocol calls for, I will have carbohydrates cycled down and fats increased with total calories lower. 1500 calories tomorrow. Definitely a struggle for me! Discipline is key!

How does everyone else spend their rest day?

 

[Natestreo]

Just saw that my package I had ordered from Nutraplanet came while I was at school. Got my Bulk BCAA, DAA and new tub of MGN Cinnamon Roll Protein.

I had been finishing the last 2 servings of my old formula Xtend before I got this Bulk Modern BCAA. I actually did not have any BCAA's during my workout today, used the last serving yesterday. Eager to try this Bulk BCAA out. First thing I notice, though, is that there isnt a scooper. Anyone have an idea how to accurately dose the BCAA's without a 10g (I believe is the dosage) scooper?

Also, I cannot wait to try this cinnamon roll protein! Had another brand's cinnamon roll protein at the arnold classic this spring and fell in love. Was so excited to see that cinnamon roll was an option when I purchased a new tub!

 

[Natestreo]

This is my approach too.

Do either of you have a recommendation as to what ratio I could shoot for during a refeed? It's obvious from your feedback and from looking at my macros from the last refeed that I havent put enough planning into them. Eating whatever I wanted just because I knew the food was "clean" isnt a good approach. Especially since I put so much time and effort into planning everything else out. Seems like i'm holding myself back this way! Thanks for the advice!

Maybe a 60/20/20 ratio of carbs/protein/fat?

Also wondering how many total calories I should shoot for and how often I should schedule a refeed? As of now I only take a refeed day whenever my body feels like it really needs it. Ive never planned a refeed, sorry for all the questions!

 

[BPjohn123]

I'm in, good luck

 

[Natestreo]

I'm in, good luck

Glad to have ya!

 

[Natestreo]

Made some protein pancakes this morning as part of my meal 1 (60%)....delicious and healthy! If you havent taken the time to make these, do it!

1 cup egg whites, 1/2 cup oats, 2tblspoon peanut butter, 1 scoop protein powder

Mix and cook as you would pancake batter!

 

[Natestreo]

Protein pizza. I'll post nutrition later! Good stuff!

 

[murk01]

Subbed. Detailed log G. Gotta go home and get my reading glasses for this one. Nice stack. I might give it a shot.

 

[Natestreo]

Subbed. Detailed log G. Gotta go home and get my reading glasses for this one. Nice stack. I might give it a shot.

Glad to have you!

 

[thestein1016]

Do either of you have a recommendation as to what ratio I could shoot for during a refeed? It's obvious from your feedback and from looking at my macros from the last refeed that I havent put enough planning into them. Eating whatever I wanted just because I knew the food was "clean" isnt a good approach. Especially since I put so much time and effort into planning everything else out. Seems like i'm holding myself back this way! Thanks for the advice!

Maybe a 60/20/20 ratio of carbs/protein/fat?

Also wondering how many total calories I should shoot for and how often I should schedule a refeed? As of now I only take a refeed day whenever my body feels like it really needs it. Ive never planned a refeed, sorry for all the questions!

Planning your re-feed is important. The times I dont, it ends up being a all you can eat sushi type day. 12 rolls and 16 muscles later im asking myself if i need the last 8 rolls and 8 muscles, lol. Not to mention the tempura ice cream 0_0

Just experiment with your ratios to see what suites you the best. You dont need a lot of carbs to refill glycogen storage so you dont need 500+ carbs (IMO)
My "low" carb days are: P-300g C-115-130 F-100 with refeed being P-300g C-300g F<30. Ill run 3-4 days "low" then re-feed, then 3-4 days "low" and repeat, etc. Im using that as of right now and will most likely bump up my carb intake on "low" carb days when my body adjusts and i gain some more muscle mass.
Log it, analyze it, then adjust.

BTW, i treat re-feed days and "cheat" days separately. With my cheat meals, I just eat my typical day macros, but dont count the calories for the cheat meal. IMO, the boost in cals tricks the body and keeps me mentally sane.

 

[Natestreo]

I hope everyone is having a nice Friday! It's a beautiful day here in southern Ohio, hope everyone else is enjoying the same weather! Since today is an off day, i've been playing Madden 12 for the past few hours. Only took a break long enough to cook for myself!

Diet
Meal 1 (60%): Protein Pancakes (homemade recipe), 1 cup skim milk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 cup greek yogurt. Calories: 988, Carbs 66, Fat 3, Protein 115g

Meal 2 (20%): Protein Pizza (homemade recipe). Calories: 320, Carb 8g, Fat 12g, Protein 47g

Meal 3 (20%): Pita Bread, 21g Peanut Butter. Calories: 187, Carb 8g, Fat 12g, Protein 10g

Snack: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. Calories: 65, Carb 10g, Fat 2g, Protein 1g

Daily Total: Calories, 1560, Carb 95g, Fat 56g, Protein 175g

Diet was pretty good today. Managed to stay really close to my daily calories. Would have nailed it if it wasnt for the oatmeal raisin cookie, but I dont regret it, cookie was melty and good! Still had more carbs than I wanted today, but the carb cycling was still effective when compared to a training day.

Protein Pizza: Pita Bread (60 calories), 1/4 cup tomato sauce, oregano, garlic powder, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 chicken breast.
- Bake the pita bread until its slightly crispy
- Mix tomato sauce and the dry spices
- Cook chicken breast. Shred once cooked
- Spread sauce on the lightly crispy pita bread, pile shredded chicken on sauce, cover with cheese
- Put pizza back in oven to crisp and let cheese become fully melted.

Gotta try the pizza sometime!

 

[Natestreo]

Planning your re-feed is important. The times I dont, it ends up being a all you can eat sushi type day. 12 rolls and 16 muscles later im asking myself if i need the last 8 rolls and 8 muscles, lol. Not to mention the tempura ice cream 0_0

Just experiment with your ratios to see what suites you the best. You dont need a lot of carbs to refill glycogen storage so you dont need 500+ carbs (IMO)
My "low" carb days are: P-300g C-115-130 F-100 with refeed being P-300g C-300g F<30. Ill run 3-4 days "low" then re-feed, then 3-4 days "low" and repeat, etc. Im using that as of right now and will most likely bump up my carb intake on "low" carb days when my body adjusts and i gain some more muscle mass.
Log it, analyze it, then adjust.

BTW, i treat re-feed days and "cheat" days separately. With my cheat meals, I just eat my typical day macros, but dont count the calories for the cheat meal. IMO, the boost in cals tricks the body and keeps me mentally sane.

Good advice here. I'll expirement with the macros next time I do a refeed. As of now, I dont want to have frequent refeeds. Maybe once every week and a half or two weeks. Maybe not even that often, just listening to my body. When the time comes, I'll know to limit the fat next time, though!

I read some good articles on leptin and refeeding yesterday. Cleared a lot of this up for me, from a leangains perspective even.

I see lots of sweet potatoes and chicken in my next refeed ..... *looks at calendar*

 

[thestein1016]

Good advice here. I'll expirement with the macros next time I do a refeed. As of now, I dont want to have frequent refeeds. Maybe once every week and a half or two weeks. Maybe not even that often, just listening to my body. When the time comes, I'll know to limit the fat next time, though!

I read some good articles on leptin and refeeding yesterday. Cleared a lot of this up for me, from a leangains perspective even.

I see lots of sweet potatoes and chicken in my next refeed ..... *looks at calendar*

Good deal. Just be sure not to go too long without a re-feed. That was my mistake when I first started. Definitely re-feed when you see your workouts slowing down.
Good luck!

 

[Natestreo]

Ahhhh, gave in and had a protein shake about a half an hour ago. I could foresee that I was not going to maintain my fast or my sanity if I did not eat. 1500 calories is a pain in the butt!

I wanted to post this to keep things as accurate as possible. And to keep me accountable. Not worried about this hindering results by any means. But still aggravating to not be accomplishing what I had set my diet up to be.

Just gotta keep trying hard to maintain the diet as it was planned. It will get easier with time. Definitely been hard since decreasing from 2200/1800 to 1900/1500.

Daily total: 1950 calorie, 124 carbs, 60g fat, 233g protein.

 

[BPjohn123]

Ahhhh, gave in and had a protein shake about a half an hour ago. I could foresee that I was not going to maintain my fast or my sanity if I did not eat. 1500 calories is a pain in the butt!

I wanted to post this to keep things as accurate as possible. And to keep me accountable. Not worried about this hindering results by any means. But still aggravating to not be accomplishing what I had set my diet up to be.

Just gotta keep trying hard to maintain the diet as it was planned. It will get easier with time. Definitely been hard since decreasing from 2200/1800 to 1900/1500.

Daily total: 1950 calorie, 124 carbs, 60g fat, 233g protein.

I fight with myself sometimes at night not to eat, especially because my wife will eat.

 

[Natestreo]

I fight with myself sometimes at night not to eat, especially because my wife will eat.

Do you IF as well?

The biggest dietary problem that I have is sugar. I'll walk by a bag of peanut M&M's and eat 2 of em. Once I've had a taste I grab 1 each time I walk by. Amazing how strong of an effect that sugar has on insulin and the corresponding effects insulin has on hunger and mood. Even in minute amounts of sugar, like a few M&M's (for me at least)

 

[Natestreo]

I wanted to post some pics that I took this morning at the gym. One angle shows a little bit of progress, even only after about a week of doing this log (not even a full week yet). Another is simply a better angle of my back early on in the log for better future reference (thanks mommy *blushes*)

It's pretty obvious, at least to me, that I SUCK at posing. The angle on my bicep flex is terrible, haha. But anyways, I think a little progress, just a shade, can be see from this "twist" angle.

I'll be back on later to post my training and diet for today after I consume my last meal! Stay tuned!

 

[Celorza]

Nice progress brah! Keep it up, and make every rep count!

 

[Natestreo]

Nice progress brah! Keep it up, and make every rep count!

Thanks, bro!

 

[Natestreo]

Last meal is down the hatch and my fingers are well stretched out...time to update!

Today was a leg training day. As mentioned at the beginning of my log, I usually have my 2 rest days on the days before and after leg training. Im a bit of a baby when it comes to leg training, but ya gotta do it! Weighed in at 185lbs today, I seem to have lost the water I was holding after my refeed earlier in the week. Despite losing at least the majority of the water, I still feel as if I am holding a bit. 185lbs today feels a little bit leaner than the 185lbs on Wednesday.

Training:
Squats: 135x12, 205x10, 225x8, 275x5, 135x10
DP Split Squats: 25x12, 0lbx10, 20x8
Leg Press: N/A
Lying Leg Curls: (Seated) 70x12, 70x10, 90x8, 90x8
Leg Extensions: 70x12, 70x10, 90x8, 90x8
Standing DB Calf Raise: N/A
Cardio: N/A

Okay, a few things to note about todays training:

This was my first time doing free squats in a long, long time. Over the past year or more I have done squats primarily on the smith machine. I feel like this allows me to train heavier on a consistent basis, because I usually train alone, and dont feel comfortable exceeding 300lbs when by myself. However, I want to start doing free squats again so that I have a better motion and will have to utilize my staibilizing muscles more. It was clear that I had not used my stabilizing muscles in a long time, they were on fire even from the start of my first set. I had an experienced lifter whom I trust double check my form, and even video'd my form, just to double check that I was doing everything correctly. After all, it's been a long time. Pride heals a lot easier than a messed up hamstring or back! Anyways, free squats went pretty rough. I maintained good form, almost as if I had never stopped doing free squats (hey, if ya got it, ya got it! :dance. Despite the good form, my abductor muscles were shot and my stabilization was shaky, at best, after the completion of my squats. Also, it is worth mentioning that I make sure to go very deep into my squat so as to maximize my hamstring involvement. I feel as if my quads dominate my hamstrings, when I go extra deep I feel like i get the entire second half of my squat and the movement from the bottom back to halfway utilizing my hamstrings rather than my quads.

Secondly, this was my first time ever doing the DP Split Squats. This is an exercise I found online and read several good things about. I thought I would give it a shot. This exercise is HARD! I could barely maintain my balance when doing this. Keep in mind, my stabilizing muscles were already shot and this was not helping, but regardless, this motion was not easy. You will notice on my training that I began the exercise with weight and then progressed to using no weight on the second set to practice form. The exercise seems to be more reliant on the motion than weight, anyways. I noticed during this second set where no weight was used, I got an extremely good contraction from my quads. Very nice quad exercise, but clear that it will take some time to get used to.

The gym that I was at today does not have a leg press maching. Pretty stupid, right? Everyone here thinks so, too. Sadly, I was unable to do any leg press today because of this. I really like leg press as one of the primary hamstring exercises in my workouts. Argh.

On a more embarassing/painful note...Standing DB Calf Raise rocked my world earlier. I was using a small box to stand on while doing the calf raises, dumbbells in my hands, and the box flipped backwards! I propelled forward, not about to let go of my dumbbells, and smashed my left hand between the dumbell in my right hand and the ground. Needless to say, it didnt feel very good. My hand is pretty swollen as I type this. I was in enough pain that I could not hold the dumbbells after the accident, so the calves did not get worked today. Pretty crappy turn of events!

Cardio: I usually will not do cardio after a lef workout. Just too much fatigue on the legs, I dont recover from this very well.

In summary, I got my butt kicked by half of my workout, it felt like. I got a very nice pump in my legs and got quite a bit out of a workout that otherwise seemed pretty awful, considering the circumstances and turn of events.

Diet:

Meal 1 (60%): 3 Turkey Burgers, 3 Pita Breads, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup greek non-fat plain yogurt (should have mentioned that all the greek yogurt I consume is non-fat and plain), 1 medium banana. Calories: 1202, Carb 104g, Fat 29g Protein 144g

Meal 2 (20%): 1 medium banana, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt, 4oz tilapia, 2tbl spoon ovacado. Calories: 445, Carb 36g, Fat 9g, Protein 49g

Meal 3 (20%): 1 scoop protein powder, 8oz skim milk

Snack: 1 small oatmeal raisin cookie. Calories: 65, Carb 10g, Fat 2g, Protein 1g

Daily Total: Calories: 1923, Carb 166, Fat 42g, Protein 225g

I feel like I nailed my diet today, even with the small oatmeal raisin cookie. This is quite a relief, after the past few days of not acheiving this. I expect to do this on a regular basis, nothing to get overly excited about.

Conclusion:

The gym kicked my butt in multiple ways today. Has anyone else had a "gym fail" they would care to share? This is my second one this year! Last time my shoulder gave out while doing decline bench press, I attempted to throw the bar over my head to prevent it from smashing me in the face, in doing so I smashed my hand between the rack and the barbell! Ouch! Broke 3 fingers with that accident earlier in the year, haha.

I posted a couple pics with descriptions earlier. I plan to post a couple more that I took from my phone shortly. I had intentions of posting a couple other pics, but my phone and the AM.com app dont always like eachother. We'll see if it'll work or not!