**This is a long one, so I made a short list of how I am feeling at the bottom of the post**
OK since my last post I have had three workouts: a lighter leg workout, a pulling workout, and a pushing workout. So far, I am still not quite sure what to make of Test Powder. I don't really feel any different in my day-to-day life (no aggression, no alpha male feeling, no mood enhancement, etc.). I also have not had better sleep on it, as some have mentioned. My weight is not moving much in either direction, as I was 84KG again the last time I checked. I think that the increased hunger I mentioned was just a coincidence. I haven't been noticing any significant increases in hunger since then. None of this is super disappointing, as the main effects of Test Powder should be strength-related, so how is that going?
Well, I am not getting the giant gains that I would like, but realistically, I didn't expect that. So what has been happening? Well, first of all, I have been enjoying my time at the gym quite a bit the past few weeks. Is that the TP fueling me? Is it the agmatine pumping me up and keeping my muscles fresher? Is it just the effect of having something to work towards? I can't say one way or the other, but I have been enjoying my lifting quite a bit more than I was before I was taking the TP. I haven't been half-assing it in the gym at all, and I am making every workout count. I also mentioned getting 90lb dumbbells up on the flat bench, which I was just barely unable to do before running the TP (I did it on my last Anabeta run, but after my hernia scare forced me to take it easy for a few weeks, the 90s seemed just a tiny bit too heavy). How impressive is that? Well, if I had to guess what I could have done before the TP, I would guess that I would have gotten 89lb dumbbells up if they existed. I missed the 90s, but by the slightest margin imaginable. So is that really an accomplishment? The answer is: of course! Any progress is good. Even if I had already done it a few months earlier, getting them up again is still a gain, and, more than anything else, motivated the hell out of me.
During my last pushing workout, I failed to get the 95s up (my only goal for this short run). They felt impossibly heavy just holding them, but I still tried my best and missed the mark by a smaller margin than I ever have before (I tried 95s previously; this is the closest I felt like I came to getting them). I also got 90s up for 2 reps instead of 1, so that is technically a personal record. I still have 30% of this run left before my honeymoon, and I plan on getting those 95s up!
Now some notes on body composition/appearance.
1. Compared to the beginning of this run, I look leaner. It is hard to say if the TP has had anything to do with that. At the beginning of this run, I had just had a wedding, stopped lifting while my family was here, and had the NYE drink-a-thon. Basically, that whole week left me feeling and looking a bit bloated and out of shape. I have cleaned up my diet quite a bit, so it makes sense that I would look a bit better after two weeks. Is any fat loss due to the Test Powder? Really not sure, but hey, at least it didn't hurt.
2. I am looking full and slightly more vascular and pumped throughout the day and especially in the gym. What is causing that? Well, the obvious answer is the fact that I am consuming a freakin gram of agmatine ED in the Test Powder. It's great to like how you look in the mirror, but unless you are getting results, it is more of a parlor trick than anything else. So, is it more than just the agmatine? I wish I could say for sure, but i have never supplemented with high-dose agmatine before (not worth the price tag IMO), so I can't be certain. However, I do suspect that the DAA and also the DCM that I have added (about 3.5 g/day) do have something to do with it. I noticed looking larger in ways that seem to go beyond what agmatine does for most people. My arms and chest seem to have a bit more of a full, defined appearance. The most noticeable change is in my shoulders. They look rounder and it is noticeable even when wearing loose clothes. Is it temporary? Probably, but I still really like it, and, as much as I hate to admit it, it will make me feel cooler when I am laying on the beach during my honeymoon.
Now for the weirdest thing I have noticed. I have gotten significantly more muscle soreness since starting TP. The last time I had a pushing workout, my shoulders were sore from the previous day's pulling workout. I have never felt sore shoulders after a back workout before, and it didn't make sense, but it happened. My DOMS seems to hit me significantly harder on this run than usual. Why is that so weird? I don't know much about USP's bundle of unorthodox ingredients/extracts in here, but there are three or four ingredients I have been consuming that are supposed to help muscle soreness: DAA, LCT, Creatine (I added it; it didn't come in the original formula), and I believe that agmatine is supposed to help soreness via increased blood flow, but I don't know if this is an effect that people report often. My guess for this is that, although they all reportedly help recovery, these ingredients are having a greater impact on my endurance in the gym. I have been feeling great later in my workouts and I recover very well in between sets. If this is a result of those ingredients, than it makes sense that I am getting sore after these workouts, as my muscles are able to work harder in the latter part of the workouts. The only thing is that I can't believe that the LCT isn't helping more with the soreness and recovery in between workouts. I have heard nothing but great things on this ingredient's effects on recovery. This leads me to speculate that this ingredient is *possibly* under-dosed. Of all of the standard, well-known and often-used ingredients in Test Powder, the LCT is the only one that is hidden in a prop blend. I applaud USP for disclosing the exact dosages of DAA, agmatine, and Mucuna Pruriens, but I wish they disclosed the amount of LCT in there. Distilled Water, if you can get that information, please let me know.
So to sum up, so far:
-improved pump from the agmatine
-improved muscle fullness (possibly from the agmatine, but it seems like more than that)
-slightly improved endurance towards the end of my workouts
-new PR on flat dumbbell bench (90 x 2, up from 90 x 1...not much, but it's something)
-increased DOMS
-no change in mood, sleep, hunger, or thirst
-5 more days to go
Best,
Tyler
How far along are you with the Test Powder Tyler? It usually takes me around 12+ days before I start seeing the full effects from DAA. However, with TP I noticed good pumps (Agmatine) early on and improved mood/sleep (Mucuna Pruriens/L-dopa) in the second week (maybe a little sooner). The muscle fullness you're seeing could be from the Agmatine as well. Hopefully you're not too far off from feeling the full effects. Good luck with the rest of your run Tyler!
