Volcom's Slim Xtreme Mini Log

[VolcomX311]

Novel Experiment

Firstly, I fell asleep at 8:30am and I woke back up with my mind racing with ideas at 10:16pm. I figured the only way I'll be able to alleviate my brain activity is to release these thoughts now.

What I want to do is take the next three days to take three separate products. Two are fat loss stims, one is a pre-workout. I'll leave the Company and Product names anonymous out of respect, as my goal is not to do a head to head to head to head comparison. What I want to distinguish, is the mood factor. I've raved about the uniqueness of SX's revolutionary mood enhancing effects to a maddening extent, therefore, I want to experience these three other supplements in order to determine whether,

#1. I'm merely experiencing energy associated euphoria, which is very commonplace.
#2. In which ways, if any, are the mood effects different, better or worse, and though better or worse are subjective, I will try to be as detailed as possible and allow you to make that judgement.

Those are my two primary concerns, though I may find more interesting elements to note or I may not.

I am not comparing the product's Stim Effects. I can say right now that in terms of Clean Burning AND Half-Life duration, SX is so far into a league of its own, that I actually can't think of anything to say to express its superiority in this category. However, as far as Stim Intensity, all three products are head & shoulders above SX. Matter of fact, of the three, I know in terms of intensity how they would be ranked.

I will list the product ingredients to each supplement and if you figure out what it is, I'd prefer if you kept your admirable knowledge of supplements to yourself out of respect for the companies. Each one of these products have been selected with intent, in regards to the subject matter of mood.

First Product
- Vitamin B-1
- Vitamin B-3
- Calcium Carbonate
- [product name] proprietary blend
- Sesame Seed Oil
- Aurantium
- Caffeine
- L-Tyrosine
- AKG
- Rasberry Ketones
- Advantra Z (Citrus Aurantium)
- Cayenne
- Yohimbe PE
- Paprika Extract
- Ginger Root Extract
- Coleus Forskholi
- Tea
- Bioprene
- Vinpocetine

Rationale. This product has the greatest physical stim effect and this may help affirm or contrast the phenomenon of the stim associated euphoria.

Second Product
- [product name] proprietary matrix
- N-Acetyl Tyrosine
- Icariin
- Caffeine
- Dimethylamine
- N-Methyl-Beta Methylphenyethylamine HCL
- Methylsynephrine

Rationale: My experience with this product is that it seems to provide a greater mental stim, then a physical stim. Which is liken unto the effects of SX. This may also help to distinguish whether my mood experiences on SX can be experienced on another mental stim like supplement and if I am possibly, merely exaggerating the effects I'm experiencing on SX.

Third Product
- Potassium
- Folate
- Selenium
- Arginine AKG
- Ornithine AKG
- Beta Alanine
- Inosine
- Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)
- Glucuronolactone
- Natural Caffiene
- Potassium Gluconate
- Cocoa Bean
- Evodia
- Rutacarpa
- L-Norvaline
- Sugar Cane
- Coenzyme Q10
- Vinpocetine
- Alpha-Carotene
- Zeaxanthin
- Cryptoxanthin
- Lutein
- Folic Acid
- Selenium
- Huperzia Seratta

Rationale: A stimulant with nootropics. I often times call this supplement the LSD of Stims due to the mental activity I've experienced on this. I will contrast this product with SX and see whether I'm reporting enthusiastic placebo effects, or if SX is as revolutionary as I have been reporting in terms of the mood effects that I cannot say enough about.

I really want to reiterate, I am not doing this for the sake of whole product comparison. My desire and only desire, is to contrast this mood phenomenon, because I rant about SX's mood effects so much and with such enthusiasm, that I often question my own subjective contamination within my own reviews. I understand that at the end of the day, all of this is subjective, but there are preferential subjective elements and there are placebo, it actually does not exist, and the reviewer is over-contaminated with enthusiasm, subjective elements, you see the difference?

I don't normally interrupt my logs with mad scientist ideas, but SX is truly extraordinary and has me awestruck.

P.S. I can already guess who will be able to name the products by the ingredients listing, but let's keep that on the DL out of respect and thank you for flying Jet Blue.

 

[VolcomX311]

Sam, you're a man after me own heart. If you don't push yourself though, who will? Of course there are limits, but you can't define them if you haven't tested them.

It may sound contradictory on the surface, but why is it so hard to accept that when everything is stacked against you, you perform at your best? Isn't stress an incentive for improvement? Exercise is a destructive physical act, but the results yield a positive reward (endurance, strength.) Our spiritual and mental health work in a analogous fashion. Some guys falsely believe that they need everything just right before they are confident to perform, but you have trained yourself to function at a high level regardless of your circumstances. That is something not all men can claim and certainly to your credit IMO. When I am fasting, sleep deprived, hungry, etc.. basically self-neglect or anti-selfish, I often experience the most rewarding results. This paradox doesn't seem ironic to me anymore. It's an adaptive response to adversity and fairly predictable. What does not kill you changes you. The polarity of that change is based on your intent to a great degree IMO, so healthy motives are paramount.

There is no supplement or meal replacement shake that can truly replace food or sleep. I get nauseated too when I don't get enough sleep, no cure but get more sleep. Depleted neurotransmitters are often the cause of suboptimal mental performance when sleep is neglected. Inefficient fat utilization resulting from sudden calorie deprivation can cause symptoms from destabilized blood sugar. Increased physical stress like extra hours at work or pushing new levels in the gym can compromise redox balance (over oxidation) resulting in chronic fatigue and generally poor health. SX seems to cover all these bases, plus it has nootropics to address the bad mood issues that kill the finer points of most otherwise good fat burners out there.

You have experienced some impressive accomplishments the last few days! Great long too. I pray you meet all your goals and continue to experience success my friend.

I do appreciate your encouragements, kindness and wisdom and the quality of intelligence you bring to this log, good sir.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Concerning your letters to your teachers.... there is something I find very interesting and profound happening here. For some reason you felt compelled to show appreciation, which is a noble and humble act. By being humble and showing gratitude you were able to reach out and share your "positive energy" with your teacher. When he received this honest and positive message he humbly returned your gesture with a positive message of his own... thus completing the postitive exchange. Think about it, how you made him feel and how in turn made you feel. You call it a strange letter... well if we were all a bit more strange the world will be a lot better place. Don't ever get trapped into thinking that normal is a good thing. Funny it all starts with humility and with that our self worth and that of those around us is enhanced.

This eludes to something Dr D. said about being able to dig deep and come up with some of our best efforts when we are tired. Well I have a theory about that too... When we are tired our false self, or ego is weaker. This is the self we create to hide our real selves from those who might harm us, something we use to replace a lack of self worth. Some have stronger egos than others... they are less fortunate. When the ego is weak...who we really are has the opportunity to come forth and that is always a positive thing no matter who you are. We'll never be any better than anyone else or any worse for that matter, and deep down we are all very important and special. It's those of us that can tap into that, that can prosper.

I am not talking financial success or anything worldly, in the long run that is very insignificant. I am talking inner peace and contentment... worth more than anything you can attain monetarily. Look at it this way the most enlightened and happiest person you will ever know could be the one washing your office toilets or doing dishes at the restaurant around the corner.

 

[snagency]

DW -- deep man..

 

[DreamWeaver]

DW -- deep man..

Lifes taught me some hard lessons... :scared:

 

[VolcomX311]

Firstly, I fell asleep at 8:30am and I woke back up with my mind racing with ideas at 10:16pm. I figured the only way I'll be able to alleviate my brain activity is to release these thoughts now.

What I want to do is take the next three days to take three separate products. Two are fat loss stims, one is a pre-workout. I'll leave the Company and Product names anonymous out of respect, as my goal is not to do a head to head to head to head comparison. What I want to distinguish, is the mood factor. I've raved about the uniqueness of SX's revolutionary mood enhancing effects to a maddening extent, therefore, I want to experience these three other supplements in order to determine whether,

#1. I'm merely experiencing energy associated euphoria, which is very commonplace.
#2. In which ways, if any, are the mood effects different, better or worse, and though better or worse are subjective, I will try to be as detailed as possible and allow you to make that judgement.

Those are my two primary concerns, though I may find more interesting elements to note or I may not.

I am not comparing the product's Stim Effects. I can say right now that in terms of Clean Burning AND Half-Life duration, SX is so far into a league of its own, that I actually can't think of anything to say to express its superiority in this category. However, as far as Stim Intensity, all three products are head & shoulders above SX. Matter of fact, of the three, I know in terms of intensity how they would be ranked.

I will list the product ingredients to each supplement and if you figure out what it is, I'd prefer if you kept your admirable knowledge of supplements to yourself out of respect for the companies. Each one of these products have been selected with intent, in regards to the subject matter of mood.

First Product
- Vitamin B-1
- Vitamin B-3
- Calcium Carbonate
- [product name] proprietary blend
- Sesame Seed Oil
- Aurantium
- Caffeine
- L-Tyrosine
- AKG
- Rasberry Ketones
- Advantra Z (Citrus Aurantium)
- Cayenne
- Yohimbe PE
- Paprika Extract
- Ginger Root Extract
- Coleus Forskholi
- Tea
- Bioprene
- Vinpocetine

Rationale. This product has the greatest physical stim effect and this may help affirm or contrast the phenomenon of the stim associated euphoria.

Second Product
- [product name] proprietary matrix
- N-Acetyl Tyrosine
- Icariin
- Caffeine
- Dimethylamine
- N-Methyl-Beta Methylphenyethylamine HCL
- Methylsynephrine

Rationale: My experience with this product is that it seems to provide a greater mental stim, then a physical stim. Which is liken unto the effects of SX. This may also help to distinguish whether my mood experiences on SX can be experienced on another mental stim like supplement and if I am possibly, merely exaggerating the effects I'm experiencing on SX.

Third Product
- Potassium
- Folate
- Selenium
- Arginine AKG
- Ornithine AKG
- Beta Alanine
- Inosine
- Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)
- Glucuronolactone
- Natural Caffiene
- Potassium Gluconate
- Cocoa Bean
- Evodia
- Rutacarpa
- L-Norvaline
- Sugar Cane
- Coenzyme Q10
- Vinpocetine
- Alpha-Carotene
- Zeaxanthin
- Cryptoxanthin
- Lutein
- Folic Acid
- Selenium
- Huperzia Seratta

Rationale: A stimulant with nootropics. I often times call this supplement the LSD of Stims due to the mental activity I've experienced on this. I will contrast this product with SX and see whether I'm reporting enthusiastic placebo effects, or if SX is as revolutionary as I have been reporting in terms of the mood effects that I cannot say enough about.

I really want to reiterate, I am not doing this for the sake of whole product comparison. My desire and only desire, is to contrast this mood phenomenon, because I rant about SX's mood effects so much and with such enthusiasm, that I often question my own subjective contamination within my own reviews. I understand that at the end of the day, all of this is subjective, but there are preferential subjective elements and there are placebo, it actually does not exist, and the reviewer is over-contaminated with enthusiasm, subjective elements, you see the difference?

I don't normally interrupt my logs with mad scientist ideas, but SX is truly extraordinary and has me awestruck.

P.S. I can already guess who will be able to name the products by the ingredients listing, but let's keep that on the DL out of respect and thank you for flying Jet Blue.

Now that the SX has completely worn off, I'm not so sure this is a needed idea. Apart from or perhaps in conjunction with the heightened mood, there's something to be said about the mental activation.

The night where I was unable to sleep was not a result of feeling wired. My body was tired and my mind seemed neutral, as in my eyes were not being pulled open by a stim effect, my mind was just racing at a thousand miles per hour with thoughts. There is a difference from being mentally wired as a result of CNS over-stimulation and being kept up by an abundance and incessant thinking.

I may or may not do this little test that I feel was once again, an SX inspired effect. I did take 1 cap this morning and perhaps when it kicks in I'll find this a novel idea again.

I believe the premise of my doing this was to undergo some form of self audit and test the integrity of my reports, as it pertains to mood. To generalize SX effects with an umbrella statement, "Increased sense of well being," is like explaining a rainbow spectrum to someone with just the word, "color." My desire was to try and find, concoct and/or really go the extra mile to justify my mood experience with SX.

That being said, I realized that @1 cap, you may not experience something that would have sufficed all my ramblings. My experience w@1 cap was okay, but far from exceptional. @2 caps, I did feel quite amazing and perhaps someone may experience a satisfactory level of mood augmentation that would equate to my seemingly questionable enthusiasm. @3 caps is like a drug. The mood did more then highlight my existing positives, it literally, wait-wait, we have to say it like the English, it Lit-trally reversed my mood, from quite bad to uncharacteristically good and confident.

In conclusion, I'm holding off on this little experiment. While my mind is driving at the speed limit, it seems, I don't know, "why? I mean, really" However, when my Spock from startreck, alien mind powers come back or if they do to that degree with only a single cap. I may revisit this idea and find it fascinating again.

One last thing I'd like to mention, I touched briefly on the sense of confidence, which I was exuding from every pour yesterday. I'm not suggesting SX created a manifestation of confidence, but whenever you cut down to a satisfactory BF%, you do feel good about yourself, and I think that feeling is amplified when you lit-trally go from chunky to thin. There's quite the aesthetic transformation in that process. It's probably a much lesser sense of transformation if you leaned down from a six pack to an eight pack, because the aesthetics of that transformation is probably much less visible with a shirt on, back to my point. The confidence was merely highlighted and forced itself to the surface as a result of the heightened, "sense of well being."

I only detail these explanations because I want to be as accurately enthusiastic about conveying my personal experience on SX, but without perpetuating misleading concepts. Thanks guys.

 

[VolcomX311]

Concerning your letters to your teachers.... there is something I find very interesting and profound happening here. For some reason you felt compelled to show appreciation, which is a noble and humble act. By being humble and showing gratitude you were able to reach out and share your "positive energy" with your teacher. When he received this honest and positive message he humbly returned your gesture with a positive message of his own... thus completing the postitive exchange. Think about it, how you made him feel and how in turn made you feel. You call it a strange letter... well if we were all a bit more strange the world will be a lot better place. Don't ever get trapped into thinking that normal is a good thing. Funny it all starts with humility and with that our self worth and that of those around us is enhanced.

This eludes to something Dr D. said about being able to dig deep and come up with some of our best efforts when we are tired. Well I have a theory about that too... When we are tired our false self, or ego is weaker. This is the self we create to hide our real selves from those who might harm us, something we use to replace a lack of self worth. Some have stronger egos than others... they are less fortunate. When the ego is weak...who we really are has the opportunity to come forth and that is always a positive thing no matter who you are. We'll never be any better than anyone else or any worse for that matter, and deep down we are all very important and special. It's those of us that can tap into that, that can prosper.

I am not talking financial success or anything worldly, in the long run that is very insignificant. I am talking inner peace and contentment... worth more than anything you can attain monetarily. Look at it this way the most enlightened and happiest person you will ever know could be the one washing your office toilets or doing dishes at the restaurant around the corner.

Thanks for your insightful post DW. I enjoy the wisdom and the depth you're able to bring. In my subjective definition of a quality log, it is both informational pertaining to the product and is multifaceted. I always appreciate the compliments when you guys give me credit for the impetus of an active, fast growing log, and whether or not that statement holds any water, I've always felt that the credit goes out to the members who post and bring their individual & interesting personalities & perspectives to the table.

 

[VolcomX311]

insomnia. for college students, it hits about the same week every term. starts on a saturday, ends on a friday. oh the joy of falling asleep on friday night.

that being said, slim extreme sample will be my stim of choice for studying all day tmrw. possibly into friday morning.

used one cap this morning about 8am or so. and i still feel a bit productive despite the fatigue that is setting in from the cold/sore throat that has gotten progressively worse throughout the day.

/end rambling.

off to have a gram of vit c and some echnacea. and a toast to snag, sam, and ic, cuz i think i picked up that little mix from them.

SX ramblings from anyone are more then welcomed and completely relevant to this log. I don't need to be the star of the show, I'm no Log Diva.

 

[VolcomX311]

Glad you're still there, V! :bandit:

[:cop:]

But next time, if 1 is good, and 2 is too much, don't immediately take 3, k? :stick:

[/:cop:]

Get some rest, bro.

Agreed, agreed, and agreed.

 

[VolcomX311]

Talk about "cutting" your losses bro.

"In other news tonight"
"A multicultural, strong azz, intellignet, positive and temporary insomniac raves about new stimulant by AX." "Is there gold and REM's at the end of the rainbow... Well find out at 5am, back to you tom." :spam:

Speaking of which. Here was last night's sleep situation in case anyone was wondering.

I slept or I should say napped, from 8:30pm-10:15pm. I woke up with my mind racing with thoughts, ideas and calculations about worm holes and string theories, which forced me to alleviate some of my Jedi mind powers with that Supplement Contrast Championship I posted a few posts back.

Then from 11:30'ish, I slept until 7:30am. I did wake up a bit groggy and I'm still somewhat clouded now. I don't think the 1 cap I took this morning will do much to help, but I'm going to maintain at 1 cap until tomorrow. Perhaps it'll be safe to move to 2 caps by Day 5. I should go back and re-read that dose guide the AX rep so helpfully posted.

 

[VolcomX311]

Weight

I weighed 186lbs this morning, down from 191lbs-194lbs base. I must be dry as beef jerky. That should give you an idea of yesterday's challenges. I drank an entire liter of water within my morning Triple Crown, I probably just didn't eat enough.

 

[Emerge]

Damn! What does the mirror tell you?

 

[Resolve]

Speaking of which. Here was last night's sleep situation in case anyone was wondering.

I slept or I should say napped, from 8:30pm-10:15pm. I woke up with my mind racing with thoughts, ideas and calculations about worm holes and string theories, which forced me to alleviate some of my Jedi mind powers with that Supplement Contrast Championship I posted a few posts back.

Then from 11:30'ish, I slept until 7:30am. I did wake up a bit groggy and I'm still somewhat clouded now. I don't think the 1 cap I took this morning will do much to help, but I'm going to maintain at 1 cap until tomorrow. Perhaps it'll be safe to move to 2 caps by Day 5. I should go back and re-read that dose guide the AX rep so helpfully posted.

Dude, if any supplement kept me up all night at a given, there's no way in hell I'd use that dose again!

Be cautious - you need your sleep

 

[shaddow]

I weighed 186lbs this morning, down from 191lbs-194lbs base. I must be dry as beef jerky. That should give you an idea of yesterday's challenges. I drank an entire liter of water within my morning Triple Crown, I probably just didn't eat enough.

Holy ****, V. You're my weight.... Only you lift like 3x as much. :sad2:

LOL. Cheers on the weight loss, bro. :cheers:

 

[BigSmith]

SLEEP.....glad you got some

 

[VolcomX311]

Not Fat Loss

I appreciate the applause guys, but it's not fat loss. I was 194lbs on up until yesterday and after yesterday's shenanigans, I weighed 186lbs this morning. It's water loss, depleted glycogen I'm sure, I ate less food yesterday, as I only made it to 4 meals, as oppose to my 5 or 6, and the food I ate was lesser in weight. They were dense in calories, but quantitatively lesser in mass. For example, my food choices yesterday were mostly omega-3's and proteins, I only had 30g complex carbs derived from 2 slices of Ezekiel Bread. Realistically, a loss of 8 pounds in adipose is highly improbable, but thanks anyway guys.

 

[VolcomX311]

Dude, if any supplement kept me up all night at a given, there's no way in hell I'd use that dose again!

Be cautious - you need your sleep

Very, very true. They say, and who's "they?" I don't know, but they say that the most detrimental symptoms of sleep deprivation are experienced the day after and not the immediate, following morning. I'll have to agree with "they" today.

I do need my sleep. I'm not discounting the idea of dosing 2 caps again, but I will hold off for now.

 

[VolcomX311]

This is just how can I word this....hhmmmmm.....AWESOME observations... Very detailed man...Good Job and hope you have an excellent night of sleep my friend.... :Thinkingof_: >>>>> Sleep

Thanks BeBig. Did you intentionally line up the pondering smiley to form a line underneath the bolded words? If you did you're damn clever, if not, it's still pretty cool the way it came out like that.

 

[theshaman]

this is a great log V. I am truly impressed with the time you have put in here...sleep was well deserved!

 

[VolcomX311]

Damn! What does the mirror tell you?

It tells me that it was just water, glycogen loss and a lack of food mass in my system. Had I weighed 190lbs, I might have gotten excited, because that's quite realistic, but an 8lbs loss of adipose overnight isn't possible at my state, with the exception of lipo suction or losing an extremity.

 

[Steveoph]

Sleep aids can help to a certain degree, but it's like trying to fight an uphill battle if you're still too stimmed from the SX. Play around with the dosage; the simplest KO supp for sleep I usually go with is Melatonin and GABA but hopefully you don't need to resort to them.

 

[VolcomX311]

this is a great log V. I am truly impressed with the time you have put in here...sleep was well deserved!

Thank you, and as I've expressed on numerous occasions, I was truly impressed by the AX team support in here.

 

[VolcomX311]

Sleep aids can help to a certain degree, but it's like trying to fight an uphill battle if you're still too stimmed from the SX. Play around with the dosage; the simplest KO supp for sleep I usually go with is Melatonin and GABA but hopefully you don't need to resort to them.

I don't have time to make a GABA order and wait a week for it to arrive, but are there any GABA'esque supplements I could purchase at...G-G, wait I'm having a hard time saying it. G - N - C-C-C CEEE, God help us all.

No but seriously, is there anything you could recommend? I've already come to terms of paying the 400% mark up. Well, maybe not, I didn't have trouble sleeping off of 1 cap from my 1st Day and I intend on dosing at this 1 cap for a little while, but just in case...

 

[theshaman]

Thank you, and as I've expressed on numerous occasions, I was truly impressed by the AX team support in here.

We pride in customer service, and someone has said before who can resist a good log, and yours has been nothing short of phenomenal. Im here til your done!

 

[rolandajoint]

I don't have time to make a GABA order and wait a week for it to arrive, but are there any GABA'esque supplements I could purchase at...G-G, wait I'm having a hard time saying it. G - N - C-C-C CEEE, God help us all.

No but seriously, is there anything you could recommend? I've already come to terms of paying the 400% mark up. Well, maybe not, I didn't have trouble sleeping off of 1 cap from my 1st Day and I intend on dosing at this 1 cap for a little while, but just in case...

hit up vitshop or vitamin city over by active. im positive you kind find something at either/both of those places. and not too far from you.

 

[shaddow]

I don't have time to make a GABA order and wait a week for it to arrive, but are there any GABA'esque supplements I could purchase at...G-G, wait I'm having a hard time saying it. G - N - C-C-C CEEE, God help us all.

No but seriously, is there anything you could recommend? I've already come to terms of paying the 400% mark up. Well, maybe not, I didn't have trouble sleeping off of 1 cap from my 1st Day and I intend on dosing at this 1 cap for a little while, but just in case...

I know this isn't helping you right now, however, GBL/GHB is BY FAR the best sleeping aid ever. I have not had a sleepless night in years; ever since I purchased a bottle. A moderate dose will have me snoring in 20 minutes. I don't take it all the time. But when I need it, it WORKS, and it works FAST.

Legality may be an issue for some, but I don't generally worry about stuff like that.


Edit: ****, my bad. I just realized there were links to purchase stuff on the link I posted, so I took it down.

 

[VolcomX311]

I was answering an inquiry over at NattyT's log and I found the information that shared was useful enough to be shared here, in case there are any athletes are generally inquisitive minds.

I actually have a question. I don't know how many of ya'll have heard of joe defranco but his nickname is the "pro maker" he's one of the top football strength and conditioning coaches in the country.

He doesn't believe in power cleans. He thinks they're more about form, and less about actual strength.

Notable football players he's trained since highschool in this years draft, Brian Cushing Lb, USC, Tony Fiametta Fb Syracuse, Greg Isdander G West Virginia.

Here's his site http://www.defrancostraining.com/index.php
and vid's on youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/joedefranco
he's got several training programs on his site.

I guess my question is to vol and Dr.D and anyone else who wants to jump in, What do ya'll think about this?

What I can't do, is challenge his achievements and personal accolades, what I can do, is paint a bigger picture. But before I get to that, lets bring about some clarification.

Firstly, Strength and Power are two separate concepts. You can be strong, but not powerful and you can be powerful, but not necessarily that strong. If Joe DeFranco made the statement, "I do not believe in Power Cleans for Strength purposes" I would concur, because Power Cleans, Snatches, or anything involving the exertion of the hip extensors at a high velocity is not an expression of strength, but of power.

The biomechanical equation for Power is Mass/Time, which indicates that Power entails velocity. Strength is determined by the quantity of mass you are able to move, whereas, Power is determined by the velocity of which you can move that mass.

What is the significance of performing POWER MOVEMENTS? I don't want to get into all the details because I'll lose you along the way, but I'll bring it to a succinct summation.

#1. Power movements improve explosive hip extension, which is imperative for power athletes. Football players are a prime example.

#2. Catch what I'm about to say. Motor units innervate muscle fibers, meaning they are connected to various muscles and the motor units control the various actions and activities of the muscle fiber they innervate. One of the key components to athletic performance that the motor innervates, are the Golgi Tendon Organ. Now pay close attention. ACTIVATION of the Golgi Tendon Organ, creates an INHIBITORY response from the muscle. The Golgi Tendon Organ reads pressure within the muscle and it is an autonomic response, meaning you can't make a conscious decision to relax or excite the GTO.

In short, the GTO needs to be trained to increase it's pressure threshold, so that when it is excited in high velocity situations, it does not inhibit muscle contractions. Therefore, limiting optimal power.

Nothing outside of power movements will have an effect over improving the explosiveness of the hip extensors, which directly equates to greater power or improve the Golgi Tendon Organ threshold.

Joe DeFranco is one S&C coach of thousands that implement power movements. I have not read or watched any of the links, but the science behind my posts would not change either way.

I won't discredit his methods or his success, but as far as the two prime components pertaining to power, such as explosive hip extensors and the golgi tendon organ, he has to do velocity movements. Perhaps he uses kettle bells or something, but you won't get around these two elements of power-athletic performance, with any strength building exercises.

Furthermore, in case someone thought I forgot. The Stretch Shortening Cycle is also an imperative element to optimal power, but this is trained through plyometrics.

I posted the macro effects of power movements, but here are some of the micro which are also imperative for optimal power.

#1. Increased neuron firing.
#2. Increased motor unit firing of muscle fibers per contraction [this actually can be improved by strength movements]
#4. Coordinated motor unit firing
#5. Decreased co-contraction

and so on.

 

[shaddow]

Great read there, V!

 

[VolcomX311]

Thanks Shaddow,

However, on another note, I won't be cutting & pasting anymore of our conversation in this regard from Natty-T's log, because that just seems too narcissistic, but he's asked some great questions and it turned out very informational

 

[natty texan]

Thanks Shaddow,

However, on another note, I won't be cutting & pasting anymore of our conversation in this regard from Natty-T's log, because that just seems too narcissistic, but he's asked some great questions and it turned out very informational

doesn't bother me any.

 

[snagency]

I could be wrong on this, but something rang a bell and I thought I'd bring it up. Doesn't sleep deprivation heavily elevate leptin? For those who are confused on what leptin is or does (and I could very well be one of them), leptin is a hormone that regulates appetite, ¿verdad?

No, not quite bro..
Lack of sleep raises levels of ghrelin, which actually lowers leptin levels.

Wikipedia explains this hormone pretty well:

Leptin

Molecular function: • hormone activity
• protein binding
• growth factor activity

Cellular component: • extracellular region
• extracellular space

Biological process: • glucose metabolic process
• energy reserve metabolic process
• lipid metabolic process
• signal transduction
• cell-cell signaling
• bile acid metabolic process
• adult feeding behavior
• regulation of cholesterol absorption
• negative regulation of appetite
• eating behavior
• positive regulation of myeloid cell differentiation


Leptin (Greek leptos meaning thin) is a 16 kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. Leptin is one of the most important adipose derived hormones.[1] The Ob(Lep) gene (Ob for obese, Lep for leptin) is located on chromosome 7 in humans.[2]

Discovery
The effects of leptin were observed by studying mutant obese mice that arose at random within a mouse colony at the Jackson Laboratory in 1950.[3] These mice were massively obese and excessively voracious. Leptin itself was discovered in 1994 by Jeffrey M. Friedman and colleagues at the Rockefeller University through the study of such mice.[4]


Synthesis
In addition to white adipose tissue - the major source of leptin - it can also be produced by brown adipose tissue, placenta (syncytiotrophoblasts), ovaries, skeletal muscle, stomach (lower part of fundic glands), mammary epithelial cells, bone marrow, pituitary and liver.[5]


Function
In addition to being a biomarker for body fat, serum leptin levels also reflect individual energy balance. Several studies have shown that fasting or following a very low calorie diet (VLCD) lowers leptin levels.[6] It might be that on short term leptin is an indicator of energy balance. This system is more sensitive to starvation than to overfeeding,[7] i.e. leptin levels do not rise extensively after overfeeding. It might be that the dynamics of leptin due to an acute change in energy balance are related to appetite and eventually to food intake. Although this is a new hypothesis, there are already some data that support it.[8][9]

There is some controversy regarding the regulation of leptin by melatonin during the night. One research group suggested that increased levels of melatonin caused a downregulation of leptin.[10] However, in 2004, Brazilian researchers found that in the presence of insulin, "melatonin interacts with insulin and upregulates insulin-stimulated leptin expression", therefore causing a decrease in appetite whilst sleeping.[11]

Professor Cappuccio of the University of Warwick has recently discovered that short sleep duration may lead to obesity through an increase of appetite via hormonal changes. Lack of sleep produces higher than normal levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite by lowering leptin levels.

Adiposity signal
To date, only leptin and insulin are known to act as an adiposity signal. In general,

Leptin circulates at levels proportional to body fat.
It enters the central nervous system (CNS) in proportion to its plasma concentration.
Its receptors are found in brain neurons involved in regulating energy intake and expenditure.
Controls food intake and energy expenditure by acting on receptors in the mediobasal hypothalamus[12]

Satiety: appetite control
Leptin binds to the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, known as the "appetite center." Leptin signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat, or satiety. A very small group of humans possess homozygous (same on both pair of chromosome) mutations for the leptin gene which leads to a constant desire for food, resulting in severe obesity. This condition can be treated successfully by the administration of recombinant human leptin.[13]

Thus, circulating leptin levels give the brain input regarding energy storage so it can regulate appetite and metabolism. Leptin works by inhibiting the activity of neurons that contain neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP), and by increasing the activity of neurons expressing α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). The NPY neurons are a key element in the regulation of appetite; small doses of NPY injected into the brains of experimental animals stimulates feeding, while selective destruction of the NPY neurons in mice causes them to become anorexic. Conversely, α-MSH is an important mediator of satiety, and differences in the gene for the receptor at which α-MSH acts in the brain are linked to obesity in humans.


Circulatory system
The role of Leptin/Leptin receptors in modulation of T cell activity in immune system was shown in experimentation with mice. It modulates the immune response to atherosclerosis, which is a predisposing factor in patients with obesity. [14]

Leptin is also strongly linked with angiogenesis, increasing Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels.


Lung surfactant activity
In fetal lung leptin is induced in the alveolar interstitial fibroblasts ("lipofibroblasts") by the action of PTHrP secreted by formative alveolar epithelium (endoderm) under moderate stretch. The leptin from the mesenchyme in turn acts back on the epithelium at the leptin receptor carried in the alveolar type II pneumocytes and induces surfactant expression which is one of the main functions of these type II pneumocytes.[15]


Reproduction
In mice, leptin is also required for male and female fertility. In mammals such as humans puberty in females is linked to a critical level of body fat. When fat levels fall below this threshold (as in anorexia), the ovarian cycle stops and females stop menstruating.

The body's fat cells, under normal conditions, are responsible for the constant production and release of leptin. This can also be produced by the placenta.[16] Leptin levels rise during pregnancy and fall after parturition (childbirth). Leptin is also expressed in fetal membranes and the uterine tissue. Uterine contractions are inhibited by leptin.[17]

There is also evidence that leptin plays a role in hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness),[18] in polycystic ovary syndrome[19] and a 2007 research suggests that hypothalamic leptin is implicated in bone growth.[20]


Leptin resistance and obesity
Although leptin is a circulating signal that reduces appetite, in general, obese people have an unusually high circulating concentration of leptin.[21] These people are said to be resistant to the effects of leptin, in much the same way that people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to the effects of insulin. The high sustained concentrations of leptin from the enlarged adipose stores result in leptin desensitization. The pathway of leptin control in obese people might be flawed at some point so the body doesn't adequately receive the satiety feeling subsequent to eating.


Fructose and leptin resistance
A study published recently suggests that the consumption of high amounts of fructose causes leptin resistance and elevated triglycerides in rats. The high fructose diet rats subsequently ate more and gained more weight than controls when fed a high fat, high calorie diet.[22][23][24]


Mechanism of action
Leptin interacts with six types of receptors (Ob-Ra–Ob-Rf, or LepRa-LepRf) which in turn are encoded by a single gene, LEPR.[25] Ob-Rb is the only receptor isoform that can signal intracellularly via the Jak-Stat and MAPK signal transduction pathways,[26] and is present in hypothalamic nuclei.[27]

It is unknown whether leptin can cross the blood-brain barrier to access receptor neurons, because the blood-brain barrier is somewhat absent in the area of the median eminence, close to where the NPY neurons of the arcuate nucleus are. It is generally thought that leptin might enter the brain at the choroid plexus, where there is intense expression of a form of leptin receptor molecule that could act as a transport mechanism.

Once leptin has bound to the Ob-Rb receptor, it activates the stat3, which is phosphorylated and travels to the nucleus to, presumably, effect changes in gene expression. One of the main effects on gene expression is the down-regulation of the expression of endocannabinoids, responsible for increasing appetite. There are other intracellular pathways activated by leptin, but less is known about how they function in this system. In response to leptin, receptor neurons have been shown to remodel themselves, changing the number and types of synapses that fire onto them.

There is some recognition that leptin action is more decentralized than previously assumed. In addition to its endocrine action at a distance (from adipose tissue to brain), leptin also acts as a paracrine mediator.[5]

 

[VolcomX311]

Good thing I prefaced my post with a, "I could be wrong" statement. I don't know what the process is or if it's just me, but historically, when I'm sleep deprived, my appetite increases.

Something else worth noting and it won't be a proverbial stab in the dark. I took a nap :woohoo:

I was going to give today a break by not hitting the gym, but I'll see how much this nap helped.

 

[Resolve]

Ok, Sam and Snag - you guys just made my day! Two effing outstanding posts on the same page!:18:

Power is an un-neglectible aspect of athletic training for the mast majority of sports, but especially contact sports like football and rugby. I'm no CSCS, but I no full well that explosivity can make or break a defensive line or scrum.

As for Leptin, it's one of my favorite hormones academically, right up there with oxytocin (gotta love a hormone that is released by tactile "mammary" stimulation)

 

[VolcomX311]

Question

I'm sort of in a dilemma and I'm wondering if this would be a good idea.

For me, SX @1 cap is not quite enough, but 2 caps was a bit much. I would really like my AM lifting or AM cardio sessions to be fueled with the energy & amazing mood I experienced on 2 caps.

The conclusion I came to that would meet my desired scenario, would be to get the SX Booster. Would 1 cap SX Booster be equivalent to 1 cap SX, but at a fraction of the duration? I'd like to achieve the same benefits of 2 caps of SX, but without the long reaching effects that 2 caps of SX provides, so I suppose my question is. Would taking 1 SX Booster and 1 SX be equivalent to taking 2 SX caps, in that taking 1 SX Booster & 1 SX would mimic the energy/mood effects of taking 2 SX caps? but the compounded 2 cap effect would only last 3-4 hours? Or are the effects of SX Booster not quite that close in equivalence to SX?

 

[VolcomX311]

Ok, Sam and Snag - you guys just made my day! Two effing outstanding posts on the same page!:18:

Power is an un-neglectible aspect of athletic training for the mast majority of sports, but especially contact sports like football and rugby. I'm no CSCS, but I no full well that explosivity can make or break a defensive line or scrum.

As for Leptin, it's one of my favorite hormones academically, right up there with oxytocin (gotta love a hormone that is released by tactile "mammary" stimulation)

Awesome! I love it when members run across an interesting post.

 

[BigSmith]

Not really 1 SX + 1 booster is like taking 1SX + 1 booster. I know not a lot of help right? Its hard to describe until you try it.

Honestly your perfect dose is 2 caps. Your going to need to let your body adjust for a day or two and your sleep won't be an issue. Most people has this same issue when they go to two caps.....100% of the time it normalizes in just a couple of days.

 

[VolcomX311]

Not really 1 SX + 1 booster is like taking 1SX + 1 booster. I know not a lot of help right? Its hard to describe until you try it.

Honestly your perfect dose is 2 caps. Your going to need to let your body adjust for a day or two and your sleep won't be an issue. Most people has this same issue when they go to two caps.....100% of the time it normalizes in just a couple of days.

Thanks for the response, and that does answer my question, the bottom line answer to my question is a "no." Ultimately, that was what I was asking.

My body does adjust to "regular" stims frustratingly fast. I suppose your suggestion is the only way to go.

However, I am still curious to experience the SX Booster because you say its not like taking 2 caps SX. SX has been so oddly unique and I wonder if the SX Booster has any unique surprises. I'll be pondering this awhile.

Thanks again for the quick response. You guys have been really committed here.

 

[BigSmith]

Send me an email and Ill get you out a bottle of boosters on the house (include name, address, phone, etc)

kevin at anabolicx

 

[BB12]

That's customer service right there!

Still really impressed with the detail log. Have to say the best I've ever seen.

 

[VolcomX311]

Send me an email and Ill get you out a bottle of boosters on the house (include name, address, phone, etc)

kevin at anabolicx

Oh damn, thanks!

 

[natty texan]

hey dumb question.

is this stuff alright for a 19 year old?

 

[natty texan]

i have another dumb question.
that's dan decker on the sx page on the anabolx website right?


(my bodybuilding hero)

 

[BigSmith]

hey dumb question.

is this stuff alright for a 19 year old?

Yes sir.

 

[VolcomX311]

Interesting Observations, Day 4

I'm happy to report that I gathered the strength to workout tonight and it turned out much better then I expected. This is the brief over-view.

DELTS

- Behind The Neck Shoulder Press x 4 sets, 155lbs

- Front Side Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 185lbs
[I don't normally do this, perform front side presses after behind the neck, this was sort of unplanned. I only intended on testing the waters because I hadn't done front side shoulder press in months due to a serious strain along my upper pecs. Even when my upper pec strain healed enough so that I could perform bench presses again, the front side shoulder press would still aggravate the strain. Therefore, my testing the waters translated into working sets when I felt that I was pain free.]

- Hammer Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 140lbs

- Machine, Behind The Neck Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 195lbs

- Barbell Upright Rows x 3 sets, 155lbs

What's with all the compound movements and lack of isolation? I wanted to take it a little bit easy on my body. Of course compounds are taxing as far as amount of muscle stimulated and amount of force produced, but isolated Db work seems to take more out of me.

Interesting Observations.

First and foremost, who remembers The Thundercats?

Today, Day 4.

- I decided on a 1 cap dosing.

- My energy levels seemed slightly higher then baseline, but much higher then it should have been consideration my situation. I did sleep last night, but it wasn't enough. I woke up groggy & foggy and that did not change much throughout the remainder of the day.

- Today's experience was very reminiscent of Day 1's, 1 cap experience, only diminished as a result of my fatigued state. My energy was okay and my mood was fine, but nothing worth mentioning.

This is the interesting part.

- When I arrived at the gym, I was still a bit on the zombie side. Or so I thought. I was anticipating my standard gym behavior of, avoid eye contact to avoid communication, I'm here to lift with my headphones, I am an island.

- To my unsuspecting surprise, I was once again very welcoming of conversation. Most of the time, if I see someone I know at the gym, I won't say anything to him or her unless or paths cross as a result of our routine, but I actually walked to the person today and we briefly conversed.

- I started to notice an extremely familiar sensation that i felt yesterday morning, as far as talkative and content.

- Furthermore, I had a second wind of heightened energy once I got moving. Yes its true that activity in of itself will create a sense of improved energy, increased HR, increased respiration, increased blood circulation, the warming of the muscles, each one of those aspects have their influence on a sense of improved bodily energy. However, what I felt was a seemingly dormant stim sensation increase in conjunction with the awakening of the body. That said, I was burnt out by the upright rows. Whatever kicked in was more then my body could sustain in its current state of fatigue.

- The degree of the second wind stim wasn't all that intense, really, but it was enough to reinvigorate me temporarily. As far as this second wind energy concept, I've experienced it before with other stims, but not 10 hours post ingestion, and accompanied with such a mood augmenting effect that I am by far the most fascinated by.

 

[BigSmith]

i have another dumb question.
that's dan decker on the sx page on the anabolx website right?


(my bodybuilding hero)

Constantinos Demetriou

 

[natty texan]

Constantinos Demetriou

he has a new fan.




and i rarely give fandom out. google doesn't have enough images of him

 

[VolcomX311]

hit up vitshop or vitamin city over by active. im positive you kind find something at either/both of those places. and not too far from you.

That's where I used to go to buy my protein. They used to have Designer Whey for as low as $16. I'll check it out. That Chinese owner guy used to be in really good shape, now it looks like he bulks, but without doing any of the lifting part.

 

[rolandajoint]

That's where I used to go to buy my protein. They used to have Designer Whey for as low as $16. I'll check it out. That Chinese owner guy used to be in really good shape, now it looks like he bulks, but without doing any of the lifting part.

i havent been in there for a while. the only reason ive gone in there in the last year is to buy emergency protein or muscle milk oats.

i would say hit up vit shop or even that new one next to LV LAFITNESS.

and yeah. although i would say im very very close to that bulking style right now. legs 2x a week. thats my program right now haha.

btw, huge props on the cut. 186? geez! if youre interested in a keto diet, let me know. ive got some books in pdf i could send you. lyle mcdonald and dipasquales books to be more specific.

k. back to circuit analysis :1zhelp:

 

[theshaman]

I'm happy to report that I gathered the strength to workout tonight and it turned out much better then I expected. This is the brief over-view.

DELTS

- Behind The Neck Shoulder Press x 4 sets, 155lbs

- Front Side Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 185lbs
[I don't normally do this, perform front side presses after behind the neck, this was sort of unplanned. I only intended on testing the waters because I hadn't done front side shoulder press in months due to a serious strain along my upper pecs. Even when my upper pec strain healed enough so that I could perform bench presses again, the front side shoulder press would still aggravate the strain. Therefore, my testing the waters translated into working sets when I felt that I was pain free.]

- Hammer Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 140lbs

- Machine, Behind The Neck Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 195lbs

- Barbell Upright Rows x 3 sets, 155lbs

What's with all the compound movements and lack of isolation? I wanted to take it a little bit easy on my body. Of course compounds are taxing as far as amount of muscle stimulated and amount of force produced, but isolated Db work seems to take more out of me.

Interesting Observations.

First and foremost, who remembers The Thundercats?

Today, Day 4.

- I decided on a 1 cap dosing.

- My energy levels seemed slightly higher then baseline, but much higher then it should have been consideration my situation. I did sleep last night, but it wasn't enough. I woke up groggy & foggy and that did not change much throughout the remainder of the day.

- Today's experience was very reminiscent of Day 1's, 1 cap experience, only diminished as a result of my fatigued state. My energy was okay and my mood was fine, but nothing worth mentioning.

This is the interesting part.

- When I arrived at the gym, I was still a bit on the zombie side. Or so I thought. I was anticipating my standard gym behavior of, avoid eye contact to avoid communication, I'm here to lift with my headphones, I am an island.

- To my unsuspecting surprise, I was once again very welcoming of conversation. Most of the time, if I see someone I know at the gym, I won't say anything to him or her unless or paths cross as a result of our routine, but I actually walked to the person today and we briefly conversed.

- I started to notice an extremely familiar sensation that i felt yesterday morning, as far as talkative and content.

- Furthermore, I had a second wind of heightened energy once I got moving. Yes its true that activity in of itself will create a sense of improved energy, increased HR, increased respiration, increased blood circulation, the warming of the muscles, each one of those aspects have their influence on a sense of improved bodily energy. However, what I felt was a seemingly dormant stim sensation increase in conjunction with the awakening of the body. That said, I was burnt out by the upright rows. Whatever kicked in was more then my body could sustain in its current state of fatigue.

- The degree of the second wind stim wasn't all that intense, really, but it was enough to reinvigorate me temporarily. As far as this second wind energy concept, I've experienced it before with other stims, but not 10 hours post ingestion, and accompanied with such a mood augmenting effect that I am by far the most fascinated by.

Great that you were able to pull through another workout. The mood augmenting is definitely noticeable, esp if you are out talking to people when normally your in the zone.
Yeah I remember Thundercats!

 

[BeBig]

I'm happy to report that I gathered the strength to workout tonight and it turned out much better then I expected. This is the brief over-view.

DELTS

- Behind The Neck Shoulder Press x 4 sets, 155lbs

- Front Side Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 185lbs
[I don't normally do this, perform front side presses after behind the neck, this was sort of unplanned. I only intended on testing the waters because I hadn't done front side shoulder press in months due to a serious strain along my upper pecs. Even when my upper pec strain healed enough so that I could perform bench presses again, the front side shoulder press would still aggravate the strain. Therefore, my testing the waters translated into working sets when I felt that I was pain free.]

- Hammer Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 140lbs

- Machine, Behind The Neck Shoulder Press x 3 sets, 195lbs

- Barbell Upright Rows x 3 sets, 155lbs

What's with all the compound movements and lack of isolation? I wanted to take it a little bit easy on my body. Of course compounds are taxing as far as amount of muscle stimulated and amount of force produced, but isolated Db work seems to take more out of me.

Interesting Observations.

First and foremost, who remembers The Thundercats?

Today, Day 4.

- I decided on a 1 cap dosing.

- My energy levels seemed slightly higher then baseline, but much higher then it should have been consideration my situation. I did sleep last night, but it wasn't enough. I woke up groggy & foggy and that did not change much throughout the remainder of the day.

- Today's experience was very reminiscent of Day 1's, 1 cap experience, only diminished as a result of my fatigued state. My energy was okay and my mood was fine, but nothing worth mentioning.

This is the interesting part.

- When I arrived at the gym, I was still a bit on the zombie side. Or so I thought. I was anticipating my standard gym behavior of, avoid eye contact to avoid communication, I'm here to lift with my headphones, I am an island.

- To my unsuspecting surprise, I was once again very welcoming of conversation. Most of the time, if I see someone I know at the gym, I won't say anything to him or her unless or paths cross as a result of our routine, but I actually walked to the person today and we briefly conversed.

- I started to notice an extremely familiar sensation that i felt yesterday morning, as far as talkative and content.

- Furthermore, I had a second wind of heightened energy once I got moving. Yes its true that activity in of itself will create a sense of improved energy, increased HR, increased respiration, increased blood circulation, the warming of the muscles, each one of those aspects have their influence on a sense of improved bodily energy. However, what I felt was a seemingly dormant stim sensation increase in conjunction with the awakening of the body. That said, I was burnt out by the upright rows. Whatever kicked in was more then my body could sustain in its current state of fatigue.

- The degree of the second wind stim wasn't all that intense, really, but it was enough to reinvigorate me temporarily. As far as this second wind energy concept, I've experienced it before with other stims, but not 10 hours post ingestion, and accompanied with such a mood augmenting effect that I am by far the most fascinated by.

Nice brother very thorough again...:burnout: