Habajaba's journey from geek to giant

habajaba

habajaba

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Habajaba's journey from geek to GIANT

Hello everyone! I've been logging Epidrone (http://anabolicminds.com/forum/supplement-reviews-logs/284797-habajabas-first-drone.html) for the last month and have enjoyed the camaraderie and support from everyone here on AM. Because of this, I've decided to open an ongoing training log as an opportunity to share my ongoing progress and continue the discussion after my Epidrone log is done.

A little about me... I'm 36, 6'2", 210lb. The goal is for a substantial recomp. I'd like to get to the point where weight gain is a good thing. But I'm not there yet! Ideally I'd like to be at 200-205 and fit into some size 33 shorts I have sitting here waiting for me :).

I've struggled with weight all my life. My metabolism fights against me. Couple that with bad food choices and I'm in trouble. In april 2008, I was at my peak of 275lb.

139678d1472564690-habajabas-first-drone-img_0494[1].jpg


Unhealthy and unhappy with myself for letting it get so bad. My brother told me his friend lost a ton of weight on Power90. I was desperate enough to give it a shot, even though working out to a DVD sounded cheesy and weird. Over the course of a year, my wife, dad, and myself all completed Power90, Power90 Master Series, and P90X. I did a couple more rounds of P90X and got down to 189lb. Even with all that work, I didn't have "big" muscles just a lean and tone physique. Hard gainer.

p90xprogress_side.jpg


In late 2009, I was at 189lb and realized my skin wasn't coming back. Doing pushups, my gut skin would hit the floor. After a lot of thought, I decided to have the skin surgically removed. Figured I had a long life ahead of me and I didn't want to be self conscious about it for the rest of my life. I didn't have any lipo done, figured it's up to me to lose it the right way. So the fat remained over my abs, just a little lower than it used to be. Turns out maybe I should have taken what I thought was the cheater way out, because unfortunately if there IS fat there, it looks a little weird becuse it's kinda lower than normal and shaped kinda like a tire. Most people wouldn't notice, but I do. I mention this so other people know it's a real option for those of us who lose a lot of weight and aren't happy with what's left. Also as a cautionary tale about letting the fat stay :).

For a couple years, I maintained a weight from 190-205 with other Beachbody workouts like Insanity and Tony Horton One on One.

In 2012, we were rear ended and I began having serious issues with my neck and low back. This is when the wheels came off. I hurt so bad I couldn't work out. And because I couldn't work out, my back got worse. And because I had given up, I just started eating whatever I wanted. By Jan 2015, I was back up to 240lb. Through a lot of pain injections and medication, I began to manage the pain to a level I could begin working out again.

In Jan 2015, I started doing the new Power90 DVD program. It's aimed at beginners, but has 3 levels of difficulty. This was a great onramp back into fitness, and I've managed to supplement with additional moves/intensity to keep it challenging. The biggest attraction for me was 1 hour lift days and 25 minute cardio, alternated 6 days a week. Easy to fit into a busy schedule. I typically burn ~400cal on cardio and ~800-1000 on lift days.

Throughout 2015 and early 2016, I began trying out different supplements to see what I could gain from each. I locked down my staple PWO, BCAA, protein, and multi. Then I remembered signing up for AM back in 2008 when I started this journey. So I hopped on here and started looking for what I could do to kick it up a notch. I started with a few 8 week cycles of Ultimate T. Not bad. Then tried cutting some fat with MST Shred. Killer! Then Epidrone dropped on the scene. Thankfully, FireTitan and BPS hooked me up with a log opp and the rest is history!

Looking forward to sharing advice and support all who care to share! Tagging a few guys from my Epidrone log to get this party started. Hope you all will join me on the journey!

FireTitan, lifted67, Alpha1agreda, Brandinooooo, SFreed, bighulksmash, smith_69, hairygrandpa, lukehayd, Allhealsonme, thebigt, HIT4ME, BEAST73, thorsdad31, Burnfire, MySTeek, justhere4comm
 
justhere4comm

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bighulksmash

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Definitely in here !!!! Add rob bailey & hustle standard to ya fakkin pandora
 
habajaba

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Finished my first bottle of Epidrone yesterday.

Weighed in this morning at 210.8. All time low! Going to grab measurements and pics for the Epidrone log/review later today.

Also went and had my bloods done. Looking forward to seeing where things stand after a month on Epidrone. Sadly, I'm an idiot and didn't think to have any done prior. So we'll have to wait for a baseline until I'm done with PCT and rebounded. Planning to get bloods done again in a few weeks to see Sup3r-4 effects, then again as soon as I begin PCT, and finally sometime around 60 days after PCT so we'll eventually have all the numbers.

Today begins my 4 weeks of Epidrone + Sup3r-4. I've been in absolute awe of what Epidrone has helped me accomplish in just one month. Especially when you consider I was on vacation for a week! But now it's time to turn things up to ELEVEN! Dose #1 is in the books.

aqSl7Dw5HTojK.gif


Just guzzled some Cordygen-NanO2 + RagNOrok (thanks for the samples jalfrey) along with a BronkAid. About time to do work!
 
hairygrandpa

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Awesome and inspiring transformation!
Subbed to see you get jacked!
 
thorsdad31

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In way to go man !!!!
 
smith_69

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very impressive and incredible work bro-

great job
 
thebigt

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habajaba is getting hubbabubba!!!

I have no idea what that means but it sounds cool, lol.:laugh2:


nice transformation, so far!!!
 
jalfrey

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Great job on the loss thus far. Former Fat Kid Krew checking in!
 
habajaba

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Thanks for subbing guys! Appreciate the support of you all!

FYI Cordygen-NanO2 + RagNOrok is a legit combo. I felt like a beast today. RagNOrok flavoring is on point as well. One of the best tasting PWO I've had. Might have just dethroned MaxREPS+ as my new fave.

Crazy awesome lift day! Added some reps today. Same workout as Monday when I felt like a beast. Monday was 57:11 today was 55:32. As a reference, just last week (and as far as I can remember) this workout was taking me 1:00 - 1:15. Screw breaks. Typical 30 second breaks became closer to 5 and I was ready to get back to killin' it. I used RagNOrok Monday for the first time. So I think the cordyceps does me right.

It really seems like week 4 is when Epidrone hit full steam for me. Looking forward to what happens on bottle #2 + Sup3r-4 this month.
 
habajaba

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habajaba is getting hubbabubba!!!

I have no idea what that means but it sounds cool, lol.:laugh2:


nice transformation, so far!!!
Nice! :)


Great job on the loss thus far. Former Fat Kid Krew checking in!
Thanks! Love it! I wore husky pants from the time I was 9 or 10. It's been a long, uphill battle!
 
HIT4ME

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Amazing man. You and I share a lot of the same history, you have put in a lot of hard work and made a huge transformation that very few are capable of. Impressed.
 
lukehayd

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I'll join in for this. Killer work so far!
 
ryane87

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I'm in! Nice transformation! I am also 6'2, 36, but not on epidrone...haha really nice job!
 
habajaba

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Amazing man. You and I share a lot of the same history, you have put in a lot of hard work and made a huge transformation that very few are capable of. Impressed.
Thank you sir. I'm impressed with how far you've come as well. The struggle is real!

I'll join in for this. Killer work so far!
Thankful you all have my back. I keep pushing because I'm accountable to my AM homies!

I'm in! Nice transformation! I am also 6'2, 36, but not on epidrone...haha really nice job!
Thanks! Working hard to get my 6'2" frame to look more like yours. In due time... Oh, and EVERYONE should be on Epidrone. No excuses! :)
 
ryane87

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Tell me if you notice any shedding. And you can look like whatever you work hard to do. I am trying to get to 200 like you, but from the other way...lol
 
lukehayd

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I am trying to get to 200 like you, but from the other way...lol
I'm in that club as well! I'm planning on doing a rather large bulk this winter so maybe I can get close.
 
habajaba

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Tell me if you notice any shedding. And you can look like whatever you work hard to do. I am trying to get to 200 like you, but from the other way...lol
Haha! Thanks, man. It's been a long journey, but I totally agree. It's all up to what you're willing to do to get there. Not if, but when. To get as lean as I was at 189, but the muscle I have now, I'm betting that's my 200. So I know it's doable.

I wouldn't mind body hair shedding. The older I get, the more my razor has to work! :) To answer your question, I haven't had any shedding yet. Probably the only good gene I got was hair. MPB isn't an issue in my family. But I'm an open book, so you'll definitely see a post here if I do...
 
ryane87

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I have been 200 a couple of times in my life in almost the same shape I am in now. I NEED to get back. The wife was like "yeah you looked huge when we lived in Indiana" she didn't mean it in a mean way, but it is just one more coal on the fire....lol
 
bighulksmash

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NEED to come over and hit this bbq pulled pork !!!!
 
habajaba

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Yesterday was another solid diet day.

Took in 1258, burned 2828. Better be seeing the scale move when I weigh in Sunday!

I've been playing with different macros to see what happens, but overall shooting for 40/30/30. Had salmon and avocado tonight and it pushed me up to 30/30/40.

Overall, I've settled on a schedule that seems to be effective for my body. Turns out, it's awfully close to the warrior diet. It has been very helpful in keeping my intake low. And once I adjusted to the schedule, hunger hasn't been an issue. A typical day looks like this -

Morning
Black coffee

12 pm
PWO

1pm Workout
BCAA supp

2:30pm Post Workout
Protein shake

5pm
Shakeology (blast of nutrients, balanced, low calories)
Piece of fruit

7pm
8-10oz protein
Big mixed greens salad with some light dressing

9pm
9 Cheddar cheese cubes (3oz)
9 Slices of turkey
Why 9? Because I'm OCD and it's 9pm :)
 
SFreed

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Late, but in to be inspired! Awesome job so far man
 
Alpha1a

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Son, you were third tagged in the OP.

I actually cried a little when I tagged you and you didn't sub.

:disappointed:
Oh sh1t!! My bad bro I never got a mention and didn't even see the tags at all when I first read it
 
FireTitan

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WTF? How did I NOT get a damn notification on this? I apologize my brother, but I am in here and ready to watch your continued progress!
 
habajaba

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You bunch of slackers! Apparently my tagging was no good. Dunno what's up with that.

Glad to have ya in here buddy!
 
habajaba

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Took me a while to write this up, but thought it would be worthwhile to give you all an idea of what my P90 lift days look like. They have their own names sometimes and unique modifications of typical moves, so I tried to add descriptions as needed. I've never actually worked out in a gym, so forgive me if there are better ways/names for explaining them!

The only equipment used is a set of bands on my door and a set of selecttech dumbbells. Breaks in between rounds are 30sec I believe. But if you've been following along, I have been cutting those shorter and shorter lately. In the bonus rounds, I give myself as much time as I want in between exercises.The bonus rounds are not part of P90, just moves I've chosen to add into the mix to keep progressing forward.

Here's the breakdown along with my numbers from Wednesday.

Round 1
Punch Pushup (40s) - 18
Hero Row L/R (band) - 60x8
-Pull band down across body w/one hand, twist into it
Hop Squat - 16
-Frog hops, front and backward
Arch Press - 40x16
-Press DB from side of shoulder, up then down to other shoulder, in arch shape
Preacher Curl - 45x9
F16 Hammer Kickback L/R - 40x12
-Arms point outward at extension, like an F16
Sweeping Crescent Lunge L/R - 8/8
-Yoga crescent pose, lean forward, sweep straight arms down and back horiz to floor, then back up to cresent

Round 2
4 Point Pushup (60 sec) - 26
-Pushup, walk hands/feet 1/4 turn, repeat. Reverse every 4
Press Backs (band) - 60x16
-Kneel, w/straight arm push band down and slightly beyond knee
Lateral Squat Jump - 16
-Squat, leap to other side, repeat
One Leg Arch Press - 40x16
-Same as above, on one leg
Lying Supine Curl (band) - 60x16
Back Stabber - 40x16
-Lying DB tricep ext, but hand finishes toward center of body
Warrior 3 Lunges - 16
-Yoga warrior 1 to warrior 3, repeat

Round 3
Bird Dog Crunch Pushup - 16
-Pushup, at top extend hand and opp leg, crunch elbow to opp knee, back down, repeat
Balance Row L/R Leg (band) - 60x8x2
-High row on one leg, alternate regular and reverse grip
The Rockette L/R - 8/8
-Lift one foot off floor, squat with other leg and touch outside toe with opp hand, then come up and extend opp arm up and leg straight out.
Diving Dolphin - 16
-In plank, bring feet in, raise butt in air, then dive down and extend shoulders over wrist, then reverse back up. Like dive bomber pushup
Eccentric Combo Curl (alt. Regular/Hammer) - 50x8
Eccentric Tricep Ext - 40x9
Warrior 2 - Half Moon - 16
-Yoga warrior 2 to half moon, repeat

Bonus Round
Wide Pushup - 18
Pike Press - 8
Hammer Curl - 55x8
Overhead Tricep Ext (single DB) - 55x16
Calf Raise L/R - 55x20x2
Forearm Twist - 25x16
Forearm Reverse Grip Curl - 25x16
Forearm Curl - 25x16
Face Pull (band) - 60x16
Wall Squat - 1:30

Bonus Bonus Round
Diamond Pushup - 16
Drop Set Curl - 45x10
 
habajaba

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Wow! Thats a lot of work
The actual workout (rounds 1-3) is only 42 minutes, including 4:30 warmup and 2:00 cooldown. It's pretty fast paced. I like that it keeps the heart rate up for leaning out. It also doesn't feel like that much work because there's little time to think. It's designed so that you do 16 reps of everything, but I modify and go as heavy as I can to get 8-12 reps on most moves.

I also let myself take however long I want on the bonus round. I'm already a bit wasted by then so I figure taking a minute to reset lets me lift as heavy as possible still.

When I first started, I was struggling to catch my breath in round 2. Those 4 point pushups are brutal, had me gasping after 16. As I got more fit, I added the bonus round and began taking 1:20 to complete. Now, I work ahead of their pace and broke under an hour and finished in 57 and 55min this week.

All in all, I like what I can get done in an hour, at home, with almost no equipment. Could probably get bigger if I had a real setup and lifted heaver, but as long as I'm getting results with this, I'm pretty happy.
 
habajaba

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Yesterday, took in ~1275 (didn't log, but basically same meals), burned 2636. Hoping this deficit incinerates the fat rather than killing my metabolism. We'll know in a few days!

Looking forward to Sunday's re-feed.
 
justhere4comm

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Yesterday, took in ~1275 (didn't log, but basically same meals), burned 2636. Hoping this deficit incinerates the fat rather than killing my metabolism. We'll know in a few days!

Looking forward to Sunday's re-feed.
Nice. Hope the same for you! Sunday is my refeed day too.
 
jalfrey

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Yesterday, took in ~1275 (didn't log, but basically same meals), burned 2636. Hoping this deficit incinerates the fat rather than killing my metabolism. We'll know in a few days!

Looking forward to Sunday's re-feed.
In my experience, as long as you do have a calorie bump once or twice a week, your metabolism should stay good. I will "zig-zag" my calories at times while cutting too. If my goal is 1800 cals a day, I might do like this: M--1800, T-1600, W-2000, Tr-1400, F-1800, Sa-2200, Su-1800. I feel like it keeps the body guessing and helps a bit mentally.
 
habajaba

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In my experience, as long as you do have a calorie bump once or twice a week, your metabolism should stay good. I will "zig-zag" my calories at times while cutting too. If my goal is 1800 cals a day, I might do like this: M--1800, T-1600, W-2000, Tr-1400, F-1800, Sa-2200, Su-1800. I feel like it keeps the body guessing and helps a bit mentally.
That's good stuff! I basically have been doing the zig zag with a goal on average of 1800. I would eat chickfila or other crap with the family once or twice a week for convenience sake. And I would have my Sunday lunch cheat meal, since it's our family's after church ritual. I will say that has been effective for the typical slow and steady weight loss.

This is the first time I've taken them down below 1800 though. I adjusted to the IF style diet and then just figured out how little I could eat to feel satisfied and keep my macros good. And that's how I hit the 1250-1275. Gotta do what I can to keep up with HIT4ME! ;)
 
ryane87

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HTF you guys keep your calories that low is beyond me...lol I would be hangry all the time....haha
 
habajaba

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HTF you guys keep your calories that low is beyond me...lol I would be hangry all the time....haha
Back in the day on P90X, I was eating 3000 or so and leaned out as the pics attest. This time around I'm trying a different approach. My workouts are a little less demanding, so my body requires less. I've just progressively lowered intake and I just got it down to this level recently. I did it a little prior to vacation and then really dedicated myself to it this week. The fasting gets easier the more I do it. I'm a little hungry on and off in the morning thanks to only having coffee. But then I take my PWO+bronkaid and the hunger subsides. Post workout I'm not hungry for another few hours easily. Probably a combination of the workout and the bronkaid...

I also just keep in mind that once I get to defined abs, then I can reward myself and maintain. But I don't have them yet, so this is just part of the process to get there. With my goal in mind, it's easier to live with...
 
ryane87

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I started shoveling in 3400+ this week and all I got was the same reading all week. Which is kind of a positive for me here lately
 
habajaba

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Lift day. Stomach was a little off to start. Also started to fade in bonus round. Managed to add a rep here and there but mostly just tried to match Wednesday. Even with the fade, I still matched at minimum. 55:32 Weds, 55:20 today. Still pushing forward even on weak days. Clearly Epidrone is still in high gear. Not feeling much from adding Sup3r-4 yet.

Today I dosed Caffeinated RagNOrok + Cordygen-NanO2 + BronkAid 1 hr before. Weds, I used non-caff and dosed 200mg caffeine at start of workout. Might be better for avoiding the fade.
 
ryane87

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Doin work!
 

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