Follidrone and Vector Log

[Lordjop]

Hello Everyone,
I have been lurking this forum for the last few weeks and decided to start this log. The last time i worked out was about 17 years ago. At that time i worked out consistently 4 times a week for two years, but had to stop because i started my current job and the hours are just ridiculous (i work a minimum of 10 hours a day). I started working out because high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol run rampant in my family and i don't want to end up a statistic. So here i go:

42 Years old
Current Weight 180 pounds
Body fat is about 24% (i have one of those electronic scales where you stand barefoot)
No prescription medication
Never used PH's or AAS

I try to eat as clean as possible avoiding fast food and soda. Breakfast is almost always two packs of oatmeal, a banana and a protein shake. If i get tired i mix it up with two bowls of raisin bran instead of oatmeal. My other meals consist of lean steak (filets) or grilled chicken and rice, broccoli and potatoes. My metabolism is pretty fast so when my wife and i go out to eat i'll grab a bigger cut of steak (outback, Benihana) burger, or some BBQ ribs or BBQ chicken. My average calories per day hover around 2500 - 2700. Before bed i guzzle a protein shake and maybe a bowl of raisin bran depending on how hungry i am.


I started the BLR "stack" about 4 days ago and have been consistently hitting the gym since i signed up mid-March. I'll post my workout next.

Thanks!

 

[Lordjop]

So my workout are broken down like this:

Day 1 - Chest and Biceps
Day 2 - Legs
Day 3 - Back
Day 4 - Shoulders and triceps

When i was a young twenty something year old days one and two were back to back, followed by a day of rest, then days three and four, followed by two days rest. So i worked out my whole body over a week. As a 42 year old guy getting back into the gym, my recovery is no longer like Wolverine - so i'll take an extra day or two between ANY of my workouts so i can be fresh and hit the gym as intense as possible. I used to feel really guilty "missing" a workout but now i rest my body, then hit the gym when i feel 100%.

I focus on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses) as much as possible and perform a few warm up sets before i go heavy. Heavy for ME is 10 - 12 reps lower body and 6 - 8 upper body. I go to failure on my working sets and use a slow and controlled rep cadence for concentric and eccentric. I don't swing the weights around and don't really care to impress people with how much weight i lift. I'm a "zombie" when i go into the gym - i work out solo, hit the weights and go home.

Like i said earlier i've been working out for about a month and slowly gaining my strength from when i used to hit the gym. Muscle memory is coming along nicely (as an example - when i FIRST did back i was struggling with 135 for deadlifts as my grip kept giving out). Today was "day 3" of my workout split. I woke up and ate two packs of oatmeal and a banana, along with 2 Vector and 1 Follidrone.

Back

Lat Pull Downs (close grip, palms up) I get a good stretch on these and use a 2 down, 2 up cadence with a pause at the contracted position)
50 LBS - 20x
70 LBS - 15x
115 LBS - 10x

Seated Hammer Rows (new exercise for me as i wanted to experiment with the difference between parallel rowing and horizontal pulling movements)
45 LBS Each Side - 10x
45 LBS Each Side - 7x (i used a higher grip on the lever and got a TREMENDOUS pump and stretch. I'll remember this for next time)

Bent over Barbell Row (double underhand grip as i feel a better stretch as opposed to double overhand)
65 LBS - 10x
135 LBS - 10x (this was impressive as the week before i only did 6 reps and never did seated hammer rows)

Deadlifts (Once i pull off the floor i bring the bar to my shins and pull back up for each rep)
135 LBS - 12x
155 LBS - 8x
185 LBS - 8x

That's it. In and out in 40 - 45 minutes. I felt really strong with the deadlifts compared to last time i did back (which was 9 days ago). I am getting stronger but so far i am attributing this to muscle memory. The MOST i ever deadlifted was about 225 - 250 for 6 - 8 reps. I absolutely loved the Hammer Strength seated row machine and got an amazing stretch and pump in my back and lats. I am tempted to drop the barbell rows all together as i think i'm overdoing it with the pulldowns and Hammer rows. I'm open to suggestions.

Eventually as i get stronger i might add some shrugs and rear delt work. I was never one for marathon workouts and try to keep my sessions as intense (for ME) as possible with about 1-2 minutes of rest between sets. It helps that i am new to the area and don't socialize when i work out. I used to tell my training partner from back home "the ONLY words out of your mouth i want to hear are the numbers 1 through 10".

Tonight i'll be going over my mother in laws house. My next training session is Day 4 - shoulders and triceps and it will either be tomorrow (depends on when i get back from mom in law) or Monday.

When i got home after the gym i felt REALLY pumped - unlike my prior workouts. When it was time to log my progress i had a hard time gripping the pen. It's too early to tell if Vector + Follidrone is having an effect but i will say that i have VERY high hopes for this stack.

I'll keep you all posted !

 

[justhere4comm]

Subscribed!

 

[TheMovement]

In for the resurrection.

 

[LeanEngineer]

Sweet. I'll get in on this!

 

[love2liftkat]

In! Are you planning on posting any pics? You’re going to make some killer progress, I’m sure! I’d love to see it!

 

[nicksox15]

Nice detail here so far, joining in on the ride!

 

[Lordjop]

Ok guys. Update time. Let me begin by saying that I last finished a back workout this past Sunday. The day after (yesterday) I felt REALLY sore - from my traps to my lower back. My lats felt equally sore from around my armpits to my mid back as well. It felt great. This was all Monday and i took the day off from the gym to just recover and relax.

I will add that i have been sleeping VERY well since i started the BLR Follidrone + Vector stack. Deep and vivid dreams, and I've been waking up feeling very refreshed. I average about 7 - 9 hours a night. I attribute my great sleep to this stack - plain and simple.

Today i woke up and had a protein shake and a banana, then left mom in law for the hour and a half drive back home. Once i got home i had two packs of oatmeal and 2 Follidrone and 1 Vector, then hit the gym 15 minutes after. Today (Tuesday) was Shoulders and Triceps. I last worked out shoulders and triceps 12 days ago (April 20th).

Shoulders
Front Lateral Raises (I alternate between front and side as a warm up)
15 LBS - 20x
20 LBS - 12x
Side Lateral Raises
15 LBS - 20x
20 LBS - 6x (felt really weak. Not sure what was going on)

Standing Barbell Press
40 LBS - 12x
70 LBS - 9x (very strong. I struggled with this weight last workout and barely got 7 reps at that time)

Nautilus Press (i use this machine as a final exercise to concentrate on my delts)
80 LBS - 12x (last time i barely cranked out 11 reps. This set was easy so i upped the weight)
90 LBS - 7x (i was happy to add 10 lbs and bang out 7 reps. Next time i'll go straight to 90 LBS)

Triceps
Standing Pressdowns (I go to the station with the back support so i stay upright and don't lean forward. Elbows locked in TIGHT)
40 LBS - 20x
50 LBS - 12x (2 more reps than last time. I felt a TREMENDOUS pump in my triceps!)

Seated Hammer Dips (There is no dipping station in my gym and this is the closest thing)
160 LBS - 12x (Blasted out these reps with damn near zero effort. Last time i was struggling to get 8 with this weight)
180 LBS - 10x (This equates to two plates on each side of the machine and i have to be honest - i was a little intimidated. Once i got set up i
pulled my arms back and pressed down. Super easy effort. Took my breath away. Super impressed with myself)

Lying Skull Crusher (Had a little gas in the tank and added these to add variety to my triceps workout. Never did these prior)
30 LB Barbell - 10x (easy. Wanted to try a higher weight)
50 LB Barbell - 8x (felt like a good weight. I made sure my elbows were angled past my ears and i pressed up over my head)

Overall this was a great workout. I felt an incredible pump in my shoulders and triceps. Looking at this current post i want to repeat that i last did this workout 12 days ago. It sounds like a long time but please understand that in between i worked out chest and biceps and did legs another day. I am concentrating on resting, eating and hitting the gym harder the next time i workout, whenever that is and whenever i feel 100%. Looks like i'm doing good so far as i'm getting stronger.

I am going to take the next two days off and then my next workout will be Chest and Biceps. In the last few weeks I rested enough between shoulders and triceps to hit my chest 100%. Today my back feels 100% recovered and that's saying alot. I attribute that to the BLR Follidrone and Vector stack - it feels like it's helping me recover quicker, ie better sleep also. I will gauge how i feel these next two days and MAYBE I'll hit chest a little earlier. I want to reiterate that i want to workout at 100% and don't want to rush my next workout for the sake of "i have to complete my whole body within 7 days".

Thanks to everyone subscribing. It is motivating me to hit the gym and stay consistent. I want to shout out TheMovement for calling this a "resurrection" - you have no idea how much that has motivated me, lol ! I will try to post up pics as well to keep my track of my progress.

In closing out today's post i want to say these BLR guys are onto something. Seriously. My sleep and recovery have improved and the day after my back workout i felt pumped and "tight". My appetite is also SLOWLY increasing. My wife and I are off from work today and i'm going to celebrate this awesome workout at Benihana - the Benihana Trio is calling my name !

See you guys in a few days !!

 

[toddmuelheim]

Ok guys. Update time. Let me begin by saying that I last finished a back workout this past Sunday. The day after (yesterday) I felt REALLY sore - from my traps to my lower back. My lats felt equally sore from around my armpits to my mid back as well. It felt great. This was all Monday and i took the day off from the gym to just recover and relax.

I will add that i have been sleeping VERY well since i started the BLR Follidrone + Vector stack. Deep and vivid dreams, and I've been waking up feeling very refreshed. I average about 7 - 9 hours a night. I attribute my great sleep to this stack - plain and simple.

Today i woke up and had a protein shake and a banana, then left mom in law for the hour and a half drive back home. Once i got home i had two packs of oatmeal and 2 Follidrone and 1 Vector, then hit the gym 15 minutes after. Today (Tuesday) was Shoulders and Triceps. I last worked out shoulders and triceps 12 days ago (April 20th).

Shoulders
Front Lateral Raises (I alternate between front and side as a warm up)
15 LBS - 20x
20 LBS - 12x
Side Lateral Raises
15 LBS - 20x
20 LBS - 6x (felt really weak. Not sure what was going on)

Standing Barbell Press
40 LBS - 12x
70 LBS - 9x (very strong. I struggled with this weight last workout and barely got 7 reps at that time)

Nautilus Press (i use this machine as a final exercise to concentrate on my delts)
80 LBS - 12x (last time i barely cranked out 11 reps. This set was easy so i upped the weight)
90 LBS - 7x (i was happy to add 10 lbs and bang out 7 reps. Next time i'll go straight to 90 LBS)

Triceps
Standing Pressdowns (I go to the station with the back support so i stay upright and don't lean forward. Elbows locked in TIGHT)
40 LBS - 20x
50 LBS - 12x (2 more reps than last time. I felt a TREMENDOUS pump in my triceps!)

Seated Hammer Dips (There is no dipping station in my gym and this is the closest thing)
160 LBS - 12x (Blasted out these reps with damn near zero effort. Last time i was struggling to get 8 with this weight)
180 LBS - 10x (This equates to two plates on each side of the machine and i have to be honest - i was a little intimidated. Once i got set up i
pulled my arms back and pressed down. Super easy effort. Took my breath away. Super impressed with myself)

Lying Skull Crusher (Had a little gas in the tank and added these to add variety to my triceps workout. Never did these prior)
30 LB Barbell - 10x (easy. Wanted to try a higher weight)
50 LB Barbell - 8x (felt like a good weight. I made sure my elbows were angled past my ears and i pressed up over my head)

Overall this was a great workout. I felt an incredible pump in my shoulders and triceps. Looking at this current post i want to repeat that i last did this workout 12 days ago. It sounds like a long time but please understand that in between i worked out chest and biceps and did legs another day. I am concentrating on resting, eating and hitting the gym harder the next time i workout, whenever that is and whenever i feel 100%. Looks like i'm doing good so far as i'm getting stronger.

I am going to take the next two days off and then my next workout will be Chest and Biceps. In the last few weeks I rested enough between shoulders and triceps to hit my chest 100%. Today my back feels 100% recovered and that's saying alot. I attribute that to the BLR Follidrone and Vector stack - it feels like it's helping me recover quicker, ie better sleep also. I will gauge how i feel these next two days and MAYBE I'll hit chest a little earlier. I want to reiterate that i want to workout at 100% and don't want to rush my next workout for the sake of "i have to complete my whole body within 7 days".

Thanks to everyone subscribing. It is motivating me to hit the gym and stay consistent. I want to shout out TheMovement for calling this a "resurrection" - you have no idea how much that has motivated me, lol ! I will try to post up pics as well to keep my track of my progress.

In closing out today's post i want to say these BLR guys are onto something. Seriously. My sleep and recovery have improved and the day after my back workout i felt pumped and "tight". My appetite is also SLOWLY increasing. My wife and I are off from work today and i'm going to celebrate this awesome workout at Benihana - the Benihana Trio is calling my name !

See you guys in a few days !!

Awesome progress man. Enjoy Benihana, you earned it!

 

[GrizzleB]

Subbed

 

[Wobmarvel]

In... Waiting for my vector to arrive.

 

[bigsmall]

sub

 

[Lordjop]

Update time. I have been super busy with work and haven't had a chance to catch up with this log HOWEVER I have been hitting the weights hard and consistently, and I've been taking my Follidrone 2 pills in the morning or pre workout and the 3rd pill in the evening and Vector 2 pills 3 x per day. The last time I posted i did a back workout and rested two days.

I worked out my chest and biceps on the morning of May 4th. I woke up, ate two packs of oatmeal and a banana and took 2 Folidrone and 2 Vector.

I got to the gym and warmed up - I always warm up my shoulders prior to any chest or direct shoulder workout with one set of front dumbbell raises and another set of side laterals using 20 LB dumbbells.

Pec Deck Machine (I warm up my chest further with these. I set the pin so the handles are as far back as possible to get a nice stretch and contraction)
40 LBS - 20x
60 LBS - 12x
70 LBS - 10x

Hammer Lying Flat Bench Press (Normal Barbell Presses have always killed my shoulders and I wanted to experiment with this machine to see how close it is to flat barbell pressing. I usually use dumbbells on flat presses so I might switch it up every now and again)
50 LBS - 15x
90 LBS - 10x
140 LBS - 6x (this weight felt a little light so I stopped at 6 reps and decided to go heavier the next set)
160 LBS - 6x (great pump and strong contraction at the top. I will use this weight next time)

Hammer Seated Incline Press
160 LBS - 7x

Biceps

Standing Barbell Curl
30 LBS - 20x
40 LBS - 12x

Standing EZ Curl (there were a BUNCH of missing barbells from the rack and i didn't feel like going on a scavenger hunt for the straight bar 60 LB)
65 LBS - 10x (I got a crazy pump to the point that my sleeves were stretching and riding up my armpits)

Lying Incline Curl
25 LBS - 10x (I start with both arms fully extended downwards and do one arm at a time)

Nautilus Preacher Curl
70 LBS - 9x

That's it. Over with in about 45 minutes. It was a great workout overall and i felt very strong and pumped. The rest of the day I felt very pumped and tight as well.

 

[Lordjop]

Update. Sorry for posting back to back but i wanted to keep the log going and accurate. Today, Sunday May 6th I worked out legs. Usually i try to do legs the day after chest and biceps but yesterday i had a 15 hour work day and didn't have the time or energy. So i skipped a day, rested, and hit the gym fresh.

Legs

Nautilus Leg Extensions (I warm up my quads and hamstrings before squatting. I do enough to get a good burn and pump)
40 LBS - 20x
55 LBS - 12x
70 LBS - 10x

Seated Hammer Leg Curls (Almost every time i work legs someone's on the lying leg curl machine and i hate to ask to work in)
45 LBS - 12x
80 LBS - 8x

Squats (I do these free weight and in a power rack. Going slightly below parallel)
95 LBS - 15x
135 LBS - 8x
155 LBS - 12x

Leg Press (I put the seat as low to the ground as possible and place my feet shoulder width apart toes pointed slightly outward)
230 LBS - 10x

Hammer Seated Calf Raise
70 LBS - 12x , 10x

This was a fantastic leg workout considering i was in a rush to get to work. My wife thought she had a flat tire so i had to jack up the car and inspect it, which took time away from the workout but i had to handle that for her. My squat went up 3 reps compared to last time and i felt really tight and strong. The last time i squatted i went for one last rep and felt as if i tweaked my lower back a little. This time around i felt much stronger and stable and once i hit ten reps i took a few deep breaths and banged out two more good reps. The leg press was just as awesome. The last time i banged out 220 LBS for 10 reps. I threw on another ten pounds this time around and shot for 8 good, low and tight reps. As with the squats i cranked out my eight, then took a few more deep breaths and banged out another 2 reps. I had to pull myself out of the seat as my legs were toast afterwards and i seriously considered taking the elevator to the first floor as i felt i'd fall down the stairs.

To put in bluntly my calves are garbage - small and high muscles. I wanted to add some calf raises on the leg press machine but i was short on time. For sure next workout will include some "extended leg" calf raises on the leg press (as opposed to seated raises).

I'll try to post up some pics when i'm off the middle of this week as well. I'm taking off from the gym for the next two days then hit back on my first day back (no pun intended).

 

[jgntyce]

Subbed. Great and informational log so far!

 

[Lordjop]

Update Time. I worked my back out on Thursday May 10th. I woke up, took 2 Follidrone and 2 Vector with 2 packs of oatmeal and a banana.

Lat Pulldowns
50 LBS – 20x (These felt as if I had zero weight on the stack)
85 LBS – 15x (skipped 70 LBS and went straight to this for my second set)
115 LBS – 10x (great pump on upper lats. Felt very strong)
115 LBS – 6x (Had some gas in the tank so I went with wide grip for variety)

Hammer Seated Rows
45 LBS Each Side – 10x (these felt super light so I upped the weight)
65 LBS each side – 10x (I could’ve added 25’s on these I felt THAT strong)

Deadlift (I was super pumped physically and mentally as I was aiming to pull 200 LBS)
95 LBS – 15X
135 LBS – 10X
155 LBS – 6X
185 LBS – 4X (I felt really strong and stopped short. Wanted to try 200 LBS)
205 LBS – 6x (Felt awesome. Great pulls and just felt really powerful)

The whole workout took about 45 minutes. I felt like an absolute beast and very strong. I weighed myself and the scale showed 182.8 LBS with 24.2 % bodyfat. On March 30th I (which is the first day I signed up for the gym and weighed myself) I was at 179.8 LBS and 24.9 % bodyfat. Honestly I am not hyped about that because these scales aren’t super accurate, but taken at face value it shows a lean gain of about 3 pounds. Now…that is NOT all attributed to Vector and Follidrone. To be FAIR I started this stack April 25th and have been working out consistently a month PRIOR. It can be also be attributed to “muscle memory”. HOWEVER – I am getting stronger and stronger each workout and on my off days I feel full and pumped. My muscles feel solid. This stack seems to be accelerating my journey back to what I used to lift and look like.

Now comes the bad part. As I finished my last set of deadlifts I rested a few minutes to catch my breath. I started taking off the plates and returning them and WHAM instant back spasms! I mean, debilitating, bringing me to my knees pain. I didn’t understand what happened. I knelt down for a few more minutes then slowly got up. My back was killing me. I phoned my chiropractor buddy and went in for a full exam. No herniations or anything serious – just plain old deep muscle spasms. He told me the same thing happened to him a few months ago when he was brushing his teeth and he turned the wrong way. It happens he said. I had a hard time explaining this to my wife and insisted it had NOTHING to do with my training session. I’m pretty bummed as today (Saturday) I am still feeling the same. Nonetheless this won’t deter me from my training – I have shoulders and triceps next. I’m taking a few days to rest and I have off next Wednesday and Thursday so hopefully I can hit the gym by then.

So to recap Follidrone and Vector have been pretty good to me so far regarding strength increases and muscle fullness and pumps. I’ll be posting some pics I took next.

 

[Lordjop]

 

[justhere4comm]

Great work so far!

 

[Lordjop]

Update time. Back is feeling a little better but I'm not 100% yet. I felt good enough on the 15th which was this past Tuesday to hit shoulders and triceps. I woke up, took two Follidrone and two Vector, along with two packs of oatmeal then hit the gym.

Shoulders
Standing Dumbbell Front Laterals
15 LBS - 20x
20 LBS - 14x

Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals
15 LBS - 20x
17.5 LBS - 14x (didn't even know there was a separate rack of "fractional" dumbbells in my gym)

Standing Olympic Bar Presses
45 LBS - 12x (this was just the bar and I felt pretty great)
70 LBS - 6x (good set but was afraid to "push" myself for fear or aggravating my lower back)

Nautilus Seated OverHead Press
80 LBS - 12x (I backed down again here fearing my lower back would hurt, but I was pretty strong on these)
90 LBS - 8x (very strong and I banged out another rep vs last time. I could've squeezed out another one or two but held back fearing lower back spasms)

Triceps
Pushdowns
40 LBS - 15x
50 LBS - 6x

Hammer Seated Dips
180 LBS - 11x

Lying Skull Crushers (EZ Bar)
55 LBS - 8x (the 50 LB barbell was MIA, and the EZ bar was better for my tiny wrists)

All in all it was a great workout considering my slight back "injury". Regarding the shoulder presses - I went to the "powerlifting" area of the gym (where very few people go) and used an Olympic Bar set on pins within a power rack. Previously I did my shoulder presses by placing a barbell on the floor, then cleaning it and pressing it up for reps. This time around, with my lower back still spazzing out, I didn't want to risk lifting the barbell off the floor. I liked this method better and will continue to use it in the future. Also this area had a full compliment of dumbbells including "fractional" weights so I can now slowly progress with my laterals and not feel like I have to "jump" 5 LBS if I feel strong but then fall short and only bang out 5-6 reps. I had an INCREDIBLE pump in my shoulders and triceps and my shirt was actually fitting tight around my upper body. It felt good.

I wanted to note that since I have been on this Follidrone and Vector stack I have not had any Red Bull drinks as my energy levels have been pretty good. In the past I'd start my drive to work with an 8.4 ounce sugar free Red Bull but I now have a whole case in my garage sitting there. Sleep has also been fantastic. I have never slept this good in a very long time - I mean YEARS. If I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom I fall right back to sleep no problems.

I went to the chiropractor right after this workout and he was a little surprised I even went to the gym with my back the way it is. Obviously he doesn't understand the importance of this log and the "resurrection". He told me to take it easy the next few days and stop in again next week. My next workout is chest and biceps which doesn't involve too much lower back. As I type this (Thursday) my triceps and shoulders are pretty sore so I want to wait until tomorrow or Saturday to hit my chest with 100% effort.

So far this stack has provided me with deeper and longer sleep, massive pumps and some strength, as well as muscle fullness. I am very impressed so far. My long term goal is to stay at the weight I started at, about 180, but with 15% body fat. This is a pretty big challenge as I would have to LOSE 18-20 pounds of fat, then GAIN the same amount in muscle. I'm giving myself a year to do it. Stay tuned for the journey.

 

[justhere4comm]

My man, we are on the same gain loss train! Keep it up.