PES Summer Shred! --- AnaBeta Elite/Erase Pro/AlphaT2/DAA --- w/extras!
- Thread starter Natestreo
- Start date
Celorza
Well-known member
Yo Kentucky! Keep it up bro! You are getting there and this week is NOTHING compared to what you will achieve next! Enjoy cali , the gyms and the girls! From your log , i know you will get diet back to normal and training twice as intense! I'm sure of it! Keep it up man, I trust you and know you will have chiseled abs by the end of this cut!
Natestreo
Active member
Celorza said:
Thanks man! You better believe I'm ready to go insane with my training and diet again. Nothing beats hard work and dedication, and I'll be sure of it that I am not getting in my own way of achieving my goals. There isn't any excuse foot it!
And Lol at my nickname..."Kentucky" ....I'm from Ohio, we prefer not to be associated with Kentucky =P
I'll let it slide since I go to EKU. HAha
Celorza
Well-known member
I thought u were from Kentucky University oO location says Richmond Kentucky haha
Celorza
Well-known member
Ok Ok , so...Glee Kid? Haha jk my exgf used to watch the show and I remember it was in Ohio...I think...
, But yeah bro , you get what I mean , beast it out! You'll get there!
Natestreo
Active member
Celorza said:Ok Ok , so...Glee Kid? Haha jk my exgf used to watch the show and I remember it was in Ohio...I think...
I appreciate the continued support!
Sounds like your bulk is going well?
Everyone who might be reading this should hop over and follow this dude's log. Good example of hard work and diet being combined with proper training. Great way to get results!
Celorza
Well-known member
Thanks buddy , much appreciated actually , for all the support you have been giving me on this log and bulk!.
CPennington
New member
If you dont get them abs this summer as hard as i know you work, you need to just hang it up man haha
Natestreo
Active member
Weighed in this morning at 190.5 with clothes on. Sweatpants again, so this is up just a bit from normal weigh ins a few weeks ago. Regardless of the clothing differential, weight is still up almost 8-10lbs from where I feel like it should be. Worked out, used the sauna, then took pics. After using the sauna I was weighing 186.5 without clothes on. After dressing I weighed in at 189.5 . Looks like im slowly dropping some water, but im afraid I may have actually gained some fat somewhere in the last week and a half. Pictures look terrible, not at all hapy with them. Definition is still down everywhere.
Hopefully I can continue to utilize the sauna after my normal workouts and drop more water. Eventually I will drop as much water as i'm going to drop and I will see whether or not I gained fat. Im VERY susceptible to gaining weight. My entire family is overweight and many of them have diabetes and other disorders that promote weight gain and make it harder to lose weight. It's in my genetics, losing weight is always an uphill battle. This could be partially to explain why I gain weight so easily, especially to those of you who may be on the other end of the spectrum and have trouble gaining weight.
I wont be deterred. An uphill battle is still a battle that i'm willing to fight. And I dont plan on losing. Motivation is sky high right now, im the only person who is in control of my success or failure in this cut, I wont let myself down.
Here are the pics. Does it seem like to everyone else that I have gained some fat and am also holding water? Feel free to give your comments, dont hold back! Im not happy when I compare to where I was a little earlier in the log.
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Hopefully I can continue to utilize the sauna after my normal workouts and drop more water. Eventually I will drop as much water as i'm going to drop and I will see whether or not I gained fat. Im VERY susceptible to gaining weight. My entire family is overweight and many of them have diabetes and other disorders that promote weight gain and make it harder to lose weight. It's in my genetics, losing weight is always an uphill battle. This could be partially to explain why I gain weight so easily, especially to those of you who may be on the other end of the spectrum and have trouble gaining weight.
I wont be deterred. An uphill battle is still a battle that i'm willing to fight. And I dont plan on losing. Motivation is sky high right now, im the only person who is in control of my success or failure in this cut, I wont let myself down.
Here are the pics. Does it seem like to everyone else that I have gained some fat and am also holding water? Feel free to give your comments, dont hold back! Im not happy when I compare to where I was a little earlier in the log.
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Natestreo
Active member
I'll post up my diet and training once my day of eating is complete. Had a decent workout today, nothing spectacular. I was sweating like a banshee while doing cardio, a lot more than usual. This usually happens when im holding more water than I am accustomed to, another reason why I feel like im holding water, outside of the terrible bloated feeling and poor definition.
I hope to finish this log somehere around 177-180 solid, low bodyfat percentage. I want strong definition everywhere, especially in my abdominal region. Got a ways to go, especially after the setbacks, but were gonna get there!
I hope to finish this log somehere around 177-180 solid, low bodyfat percentage. I want strong definition everywhere, especially in my abdominal region. Got a ways to go, especially after the setbacks, but were gonna get there!
Celorza
Well-known member
I don't see any fat at all bro , I can tell fat pretty good comparing to your other pics , thats merely water bloat , and you still look pretty cut up man, you still have the abs!! It will all sweat away in this week , and lucky for you you have a sauna haha I would kill for one atm , sweat out all my worries xD!! Keep it bro! Alpha T2 will shed away that water u got!
Natestreo
Active member
Okay everyone...time to update for todays diet and training. As mentioned earlier, I weighed in at 190 today. This is still holding a bit of water, but im suspicious if I havent gained a bit of fat as well, no more than 1lb if I gained any. Regardless, i'm trying not to get too hung up on the scale this week. Im just going to continue away with my diet and training, I know that I will get good results if I stay the course.
Training was chest. Wasnt an overwhelmingly god workout, but it wasnt terrible. This was my first time using the weights at my new gym in SoCal...very different types of equipment. Of course, the normal things are here, but the designs are a lot different. In particular, the barbell bench setup was weird. The "cage" as i call it, or the frame, whatever, only had 2 hook type things to rack a barbell on. One of which was way to high for me and the other might as well have been sitting on my throat. VERY poorly designed. As a result, I had trouble reracking weights and had trouble getting the weight off the rack in the first place. My shoulders were in a position that made it very hard to move the bar, especially at any type of weight. I did very little bench press because of this. It seems that my emphasis on dumbbells at the beginning of this log was a blessing in disquise, as my bench press experience wont be good this summer. I might expirement with using the smith machine and bench pressing that way, not sure yet. Anyone have some ideas? Also, I added cable crossover to my normal routine. I found myself adding it in often, anyways, because I respond well to it. It really lets me pump a lot of blood into my chest.
Incline DB Press: 40x12, 50x10, 60x8, 70x8
Decline DB Press: 40x12, 50x10, 60x8,
Flat DB Press: 50x12, 60x10, 70x8, 70x8
Barbell Bench: 135x12, 205x5, 135x10
Barbell Bench (Wide Grip): 135x12
DB Fly: 30x12, 35x10, 40x8
Cable Crossover: 30x25, 45x15, 60x15
Dips (failure): 30
Pushups (Failure): N/A
Cardio: 300 calories, stairmaster
I felt a little weak today, as I expected. Taking a week of training has my body feeling a bit stiff and cold, hopefully this clears up in the coming days. This might also have to do with my efforts to aggressively lose water weight. Either way, it wasnt a terrible workout. I didnt get overly pumped, either. Im gonna have to step the chest workouts up a bit to get more blood flowing. Without doing bench press at heavier weights I dont feel like my workouts have been as effective towards my chest. I could be underestimating the DB effectiveness, though.
Diet:
Meal 1 (60%): 2 scoops protein powder, 8oz skim milk, 1 medium banana, 2 slices ezekiel bread, 2tbsp natural peanut butter, 7oz salmon,
Calories: 1151, Carb: 84, Fat: 38, Protein: 121
Meal 2 (20%): Clif Builders Bar (Chocolate Mint), 8oz Greek Yogurt
Calories: 410, Carb: 40, Fat: 8, Protein: 42
Meal 3 (20%): Protein Dip (1 scoop protein powder, 8z Greek Yogurt, 1tbsp natural peanut butter), 5 stalks celery
Calories: 387, Carb 20, Fat 10, Protein 50
Daily Totals: Calories: 1948, Carb: 144, Fat: 56, Protein 213
Pretty much nailed the diet today. My only complaint is that I am having to utilize whey protein powder more than I would like to. Unfortunately, because of the cost of groceries in SoCal this will become common. I cant believe im saying this, but the cost of protein powder is really attractive when it comes to the other sources of protein I could purchase. I did stock up on some fresh fish (salmon and rockfish) recently, so this was a portion of my grocery bill. In general, the foods that I can purchase at an effective price will start showing up very frequently in my diet. Not a lot of variety for the next 3 months. Suggestions appreciated for cheap foods that will help me hit my macros! Also, the whole foods market here in SoCal is a fantastic place to get healthy foods, ive found, but it can also be pricey. I will likely spend some time here and some time in other places when buying groceries, to save money.
Conclusion: This is exactly what I wanted to see from my diet. I want to be absolutely nailing my daily goals from here on out, I cant afford anymore setbacks! Training for next week on chest will be better, hopefully. I find that in cutting fat most of my progress will come from my diet and training comes in second, so I am not upset with today at all. Always looking to improve, though.
It is worth mentioning that I DO NOT calculate my portions of food at the end of the day to make them appear close to my daily goals. I calculate everything BEFORE I eat it to make sure it is going to work. This takes some extra time, but it allows me to hit the nail on the head on days like today. I thought I would mention this in case anyone gets suspicious....because I plan on nailing my diet for the next 3 months. No excuses.
Training was chest. Wasnt an overwhelmingly god workout, but it wasnt terrible. This was my first time using the weights at my new gym in SoCal...very different types of equipment. Of course, the normal things are here, but the designs are a lot different. In particular, the barbell bench setup was weird. The "cage" as i call it, or the frame, whatever, only had 2 hook type things to rack a barbell on. One of which was way to high for me and the other might as well have been sitting on my throat. VERY poorly designed. As a result, I had trouble reracking weights and had trouble getting the weight off the rack in the first place. My shoulders were in a position that made it very hard to move the bar, especially at any type of weight. I did very little bench press because of this. It seems that my emphasis on dumbbells at the beginning of this log was a blessing in disquise, as my bench press experience wont be good this summer. I might expirement with using the smith machine and bench pressing that way, not sure yet. Anyone have some ideas? Also, I added cable crossover to my normal routine. I found myself adding it in often, anyways, because I respond well to it. It really lets me pump a lot of blood into my chest.
Incline DB Press: 40x12, 50x10, 60x8, 70x8
Decline DB Press: 40x12, 50x10, 60x8,
Flat DB Press: 50x12, 60x10, 70x8, 70x8
Barbell Bench: 135x12, 205x5, 135x10
Barbell Bench (Wide Grip): 135x12
DB Fly: 30x12, 35x10, 40x8
Cable Crossover: 30x25, 45x15, 60x15
Dips (failure): 30
Pushups (Failure): N/A
Cardio: 300 calories, stairmaster
I felt a little weak today, as I expected. Taking a week of training has my body feeling a bit stiff and cold, hopefully this clears up in the coming days. This might also have to do with my efforts to aggressively lose water weight. Either way, it wasnt a terrible workout. I didnt get overly pumped, either. Im gonna have to step the chest workouts up a bit to get more blood flowing. Without doing bench press at heavier weights I dont feel like my workouts have been as effective towards my chest. I could be underestimating the DB effectiveness, though.
Diet:
Meal 1 (60%): 2 scoops protein powder, 8oz skim milk, 1 medium banana, 2 slices ezekiel bread, 2tbsp natural peanut butter, 7oz salmon,
Calories: 1151, Carb: 84, Fat: 38, Protein: 121
Meal 2 (20%): Clif Builders Bar (Chocolate Mint), 8oz Greek Yogurt
Calories: 410, Carb: 40, Fat: 8, Protein: 42
Meal 3 (20%): Protein Dip (1 scoop protein powder, 8z Greek Yogurt, 1tbsp natural peanut butter), 5 stalks celery
Calories: 387, Carb 20, Fat 10, Protein 50
Daily Totals: Calories: 1948, Carb: 144, Fat: 56, Protein 213
Pretty much nailed the diet today. My only complaint is that I am having to utilize whey protein powder more than I would like to. Unfortunately, because of the cost of groceries in SoCal this will become common. I cant believe im saying this, but the cost of protein powder is really attractive when it comes to the other sources of protein I could purchase. I did stock up on some fresh fish (salmon and rockfish) recently, so this was a portion of my grocery bill. In general, the foods that I can purchase at an effective price will start showing up very frequently in my diet. Not a lot of variety for the next 3 months. Suggestions appreciated for cheap foods that will help me hit my macros! Also, the whole foods market here in SoCal is a fantastic place to get healthy foods, ive found, but it can also be pricey. I will likely spend some time here and some time in other places when buying groceries, to save money.
Conclusion: This is exactly what I wanted to see from my diet. I want to be absolutely nailing my daily goals from here on out, I cant afford anymore setbacks! Training for next week on chest will be better, hopefully. I find that in cutting fat most of my progress will come from my diet and training comes in second, so I am not upset with today at all. Always looking to improve, though.
It is worth mentioning that I DO NOT calculate my portions of food at the end of the day to make them appear close to my daily goals. I calculate everything BEFORE I eat it to make sure it is going to work. This takes some extra time, but it allows me to hit the nail on the head on days like today. I thought I would mention this in case anyone gets suspicious....because I plan on nailing my diet for the next 3 months. No excuses.
Jim2542
Banned
I've been considering getting AE because of how much everyone here likes it. The U.S. doesn't pay me very much so I like to know a lot about something before I try to put my hard earned dollars towards it, but I think it's safe to say that PES is a fairly trustworthy company (I say fairly because you can never fully trust someone who wants your money) and I feel that I could definitely benefit from using their products!
Natestreo
Active member
PES is a company that I have learned to trust. I understand your skepticism and concern for money. I too am concerned with making sure my money is spent where it is most efficient. You won't be disappointed. Consider visiting the three letter supplement store...can't say it's name or it gets blocked...and get some AE or EP. You can always return it, because of their policies. That's a safe way to try a product with regard to your money. I feel confident you won't be returning it, though!
For what it's worth....EP is my favorite PES product. I like AE, but I "feel" EP more. For some reason this alays makes me more confident in a product when I feel it quickly and every time I use it. Look into EP as well!
Natestreo
Active member
rome32 said:
I'll be coming back to Ohio at the end of the summer, when I start school again. Th drive from EKU to Cincinnati isn't far, we'll have to get lunch sometime!
I'm only here in SoCal for the summer, as part of my college curriculum (internship). I could choose to come back to SoCal, or go elsewhere in the country, next year and for the following several years until I graduate.
CPennington
New member
Natestreo said:
Take notes boys, THIS is what a detailed log looks like!
CPennington
New member
Thanks, bro! Did you notice it didn't include any "snacks" of chocolate? Haha[/QUOTE]
Hopefully because they didn't exist not bc you just "forgot" about them lol
Hopefully because they didn't exist not bc you just "forgot" about them lol
Natestreo
Active member
Just waking up this morning... First thing I notice is that my chest is pretty sore. Definitely a good thing, I guess I'm hitting it harder than it feels during the workout. Also, I feel much harder and more solid this morning. I'm not ready to say my weight is back to normal, but I expect to weigh in at a reduced weight, probably.
Time to get the pre workout down the hatch and head to the gym!
Time to get the pre workout down the hatch and head to the gym!
Natestreo
Active member
I did not mention in yesterday's log, but when I got to the gym, approximately 45 minutes after taking 2AE, 2AT2 and 1 serving C4.... My stomach was quite upset. I'm waiting to see if this continues today or if it was a fluke incident. So far it's okay and it's been about 20 minutes.
My new gym is walking distance! Gonna take advantage of the beautiful weather in SoCal and walk to the gym this morning. Why not?
My new gym is walking distance! Gonna take advantage of the beautiful weather in SoCal and walk to the gym this morning. Why not?
Natestreo
Active member
Im very excited to report that my feelings of hardness and drying up were indeed correct when I got to the gym. Weighed in at 188.5 ..... which is down from where I began the week, but still higher than it should be. I worked out and then hit the sauna, but a little more briefly today. After showering and getting dressed I weighed in at 187. Im feeling better and better each day as my body adjusts to my normal routine and eating habits. Its amazing what the difference in how your body feels depending on what you eat. Anyways, my weight might still be up from holding a bit of water still, im still sweating profously and shedding water like a banshee in the sauna, but the weight differential from before the week of travel and now is looking more and more like it might have been almost entirely water. Im pumed about that, I did not want to find out that I had taken steps backward! I snapped a pic to update everyone on where I am at now, my abs are much more visible, especially the sidelines of the abs.
AnaBeta Elite has helped me dry up quite a bit. Muscle hardness and fullness have been good the last couple days, but especially today. Even though I'm basically trying to dehydrate myself to shed water, im still maintaining muscle fullness. Great effect that im noticing from AE. Although it is worth mentioning, the dryness and fullness are not as pronounced with AE as they are from EP, at least for me.
Here is the pic, weighed at 187 when taking this. Thoughts, everyone? Im getting excited to have the rest of the water come off so I can see as much definition as possible!
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AnaBeta Elite has helped me dry up quite a bit. Muscle hardness and fullness have been good the last couple days, but especially today. Even though I'm basically trying to dehydrate myself to shed water, im still maintaining muscle fullness. Great effect that im noticing from AE. Although it is worth mentioning, the dryness and fullness are not as pronounced with AE as they are from EP, at least for me.
Here is the pic, weighed at 187 when taking this. Thoughts, everyone? Im getting excited to have the rest of the water come off so I can see as much definition as possible!
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Celorza
Well-known member
Told yah it was water! Looking beast man!
Celorza
Well-known member
How's the strength coming along? All that water has got to help at least , noticing it remain the same or gone up?
Natestreo
Active member
I actually meant to comment on this, glad you reminded me.
My strength has been slowly, very slowly, declining as I get further into this stack. I am, for the most part, keeping the same amount of weight on most lifts and am progressing on some of my newer lifts, but the same amount of reps on exercises I have experience in is getting a little tougher to push out.
With that being said, my strength is being maintained much better than in the past when I have cut weight. In the past I have noticed drastic strength decreases, especially at the level of calories im consuming. Considering my body weight and the amount of calories im consuming, its quite a testimony to AE and its effects on strength that I am not drastically losing strength.
Celorza
Well-known member
Man that is sweet! As long as you are holding on to it , thats a gain in my books! Most of my friends lose about 10-15lbs on most of their lifts while they are cutting out , oddly enough , they gain reps for chins and dips haha but it must be because they are shedding out the fat and weight xD!
Good to know strength is still there buddy , and that really is proof ABE is one of the best supps out there!
Natestreo
Active member
Yeah, this is turning out to be one of the best cuts ive had. Ive learned from my past experiences with keto diets, extremely low calorie diets, overtraining during cutting...blah blah blah. As a result, im having the best cutting cycle ive ever had. Retaining WAY WAY WAY more muscle mass, i've lost basically none, and still dropping fat. PES products are DEFF helping. There isnt any replacement for a quality diet though, as I know that you know!
djbombsquad
Board Sponsor
BPjohn123 said:
Cool. Nice concret wrist band
Natestreo
Active member
Thanks! I picked that up at the 2012 Arnold Classic at the Con-Cret booth.
I like the wrist band more than I like the Con-Cret, though. Haha
Natestreo
Active member
Time to update for today! Lots of good things to report. I posted a pic earlier that reflects how I am dropping the water I gained during travel, also posted my weigh ins for earlier today with that pic. As the day has progressed I continue to harden up, my cuts are getting deep on my arms everywhere, tris, bis and forearms. Definitely feeling a lot better! Even though the weight will take at least a couple more days to completely come off, I no longer feel crappy, so all is good! :boobies:
Training:
Today was a shoulders day. Not normally a workout that i'm super excited for, but after taking a week off training I was eager to do anything that involved moving weight!
Military Press: 35'sx12, 70'sx10, 70'sx8, 70'sx5
Leverage Shoulder Press (neutral grip): 30x12, 40x10, 80x10, 100x10
Cable Rope Rear Delt Rows: 30, 40, 60, 70 x 15
Smith Machine Upright Row: Barx12, 50x10, 50x8, 50x8, 50x8
DB Front Raise (Burnout): 20x43
DB Side Raise: N/A
Cardio: 150 calories, stairmaster intervals
Training went great today. The two exercises that are new to me (leverage shoulder press, cable rope rear delt rows) really lit me up today. I didnt have a good experience doing the leverage shoulder press last time, but this time I had no shoulder pain and benefitted from quite a pump as a result of doing it. Definitely liking that paricular exercise, seems to isolate my shoulders well. The Cable rope rear delt rows feel FANTASTIC to your upper back/traps area. Easy way to pump the heck outta that area. Due to the motion of the exercise its hard to use a lot of weight, so I opt for higher reps instead and focus on squeezing hard during the motion. If youve never tried it before, DO IT! Other than that the weight workout was solid. My legs were completely spent today when doing cardio, I didnt push it too hard and only did 150 calories of the stairmaster. I think umping right back into intense interval training on the stairmaster after a week off is taking a toll on my legs, they could use a bit of rest. Again, good workout today. Had a good pump, thats always a good feeling.
Diet:
Meal 1 (60%): 2 scoops protein, 1/2 cup oats, 16oz milk, 1 apple, 1 banana, 5 stalks celery, 8oz chicken breast, 1/4tbsp EVOO
Calories: 1070, Carb: 120, Fat: 11, Protein: 117
Meal 2 (20%): 1 banana, 8oz chicken breast
Calories: 340, Carb: 29, Fat: 2g, Protein: 47g
Meal 3 (20%): 1 scoop protein, 8oz greek yogurt, 1/2 cup oats .... (all mixed together = yum)
Calories: 410, Carb: 39, Fat: 5, Protein: 50
Daily Total:
Calories: 1820, Carb: 188, Fat: 18, Protein: 214
Diet was really good today, very pleased. Carbs are about 20g higher than planned, but fat was reduced quite a bit. I felt really good today, I might start to do things this way more often (more carbs, less fat). Most of the fat that I get in my diet comes from peanut butter. I trim anything that I can off of my meats that would have fat, skin etc. So, this wouldnt be hard to maintain. Although, I bought a large jar of peanut butter when I arrived in SoCal and I hate to waste food. Just gonna see how it goes, id rather throw away half a jar of peanut butter at some point and get better results than eat the peanut butter and slow my results. Other than that its worth noting that I finished all of my eating at 3:40pm pacific time, despite my fast being from 7pm-11am. I mentioned once before that I listen to my body and feed when needed, but usually not this early. I have essentially made my fast last a few hours longer than it was scheduled for whenever I do this, which makes the hunger start to become an issue at times. I made sure to consume casein type protein (greek yogurt) as the last meal with the idea that it would keep me full for longer, since I started my fast a bit early today. Maybe this will be a good time to see how the appetite suppression of AT2 will work for me?
Conclusion: A good day, definitely. Had a good workout and nailed my diet goals. Im not going to say that I hope this continues, im going to say that it WILL continue....because ultimately I have control over my diet and what I put into my body, no excuses! Eager to see how much water weight continues to drop the next few days, mentioned above my thoughts on this.
Extra:
I thought that I would give my thoughts on each of the products that I am currently using. These thoughts are likely to change as time goes on, but these are my thoughts this far into the log...
AnaBeta Elite: I've been using this for quite a while now. When it's all said and done I will have used it for 4 weeks, took a week break, then used it for another 4 weeks. Not quite the 8 straight weeks that I wanted, but I did not want to waste the product for a week when my eating and training were not going to be possible. So a little asterisk in this area for AE. Otherwise I have noticed: increased vascularity, muscle fullness, muscle hardness/slight drying up effect, very occasional hunger increases, maintained strength during diet, good muscle pumps. The hunger increases is not something that I use this product for, im not disappointed that I dont get these effects very often from it. In approximately 5 weeks using AE I have only experienced the increased hunger about 4 times. The increased muscle pumps seem to be sporatic, on some days my legs are so pumped after doing cardio that its painful, other days its just a normal pump. All of the other effects began to show up after about a week on the product and have maintained on a consistent basis.
OEP: Only used this for the first 2 weeks of the log, but worth giving a word about. I love this product, always had great results from it. Definitely saddens me with whats going on between the FDA and supplement companies regarding DMAA, as this will be a product that will be affected in that way. I notice very, very strong appetite suppression from this product and also notice that I sweat quite a lot more. Definitely what I would want in a thermogenic product.
Con-Cret: Not at all impressed by this product. I used it first as an ingredient in MusclePharm Assault, a pre-workout that I enjoyed because of its increased recovery times. I thought perhaps that the increased recovery could have something to do, at least in part, to the Con-Cret since this is something it advertises. Unfortunately, the product is not quite as good as it is hyped amongst the available forms of creatine out there. I would definitely rank this below SciFit Krealkalyn 1500 pills, my personal favorite creatine. I received about 5 sample size tubs of Con-Cret which is why I am using it. Each tub had approximately 24 servings, I believe. The product isnt terrible, im sure I might notice more of its effects if I used an increased dosage (currently use 2 scoops), but it just isnt worth doing when the price and serving quantity of the roduct is evaluated. Just my opinion.
Bulk Modern BCAA: Not a terrible product, not a fantastic one, either. I notice increased recovery times with this. Not as good as the actual USP Modern BCAA, I can tell a bit of a difference in recovery. The way that I judge this is by how sore I get on days following a workout, conidering also the workout load and my diet at the time. I have used about 3 tubs of the USP Modern BCAA, couple tube of Xtend (old formula), and I tested a BCAA product for the three letter store we all know of. With USP Modern BCAA in particular, I never once was sore after a workout. The other products prevented soreness about 85-90% of the time. This product probably prevents soreness somewhere from 75-80%, not a huge difference I suppose. I would rank this product somewhere among the bottom of the list when it comes to recovery, compared to the other recovery products that I have experience with. I am very in touch with my body and feel that this is an accurate representation of its strength, although I am sure some people will argue that it is the same thing as the USP Modern BCAA. However, you absolutely cannot beat the price to serving ratio of this product. For this reason I am likely to continue purchasing the Bulk Modern BCAA. I will expirement with increased serving sizes to see if that promotes a little better recovery.
Alpha T2: I havent used this product long enough to give it a fair evaluation. I can say that during the short time i've used it I can tell that is is stronger than the old formula (I have used a bottle of the old formula). I think that I am experiencing a slight appetite supression from the AT2, but it is still too early to be for certain.
Cellucor C4: This has been a solid pre workout. One of the better ones I have used, and I assure you that I have used almost everything once or twice. I would rank this right up near the top of the list of preworkouts, in the same class as Jack3d. Strength is solid with this product. I notice the increased pumps more than anything. Taste is good, something that I will mention but nothing that is relevant to my thoughts of a dietary supplement.
I cant think of any other products of interest that I am using in this log so far, correct me if I forgot something. Remember, the first page of this log has my entire supplement schedule listed as a graphic. Very easy to observe!
I want to give a shout out to everyone who has been following along. I really enjoy doing this, its quite a lot of fun to lo and interact with the community of AM.com. The participation on the thread is what continues to make this fun. I hope that anyone who might be on the fence about any of the products I am using, might be wondering about the leangains style of dieting, or might need training thoughts, will learn something from my experiences. I feel strongly that self experience is one of the best ways to evaluate something. I also hope to learn from others through this log. I have already learned from a few guys that chimed in about refeeding and how I could improve my methods, I am grateful for this. I hope to continue to learn! Keep it up, everyone!
Training:
Today was a shoulders day. Not normally a workout that i'm super excited for, but after taking a week off training I was eager to do anything that involved moving weight!
Military Press: 35'sx12, 70'sx10, 70'sx8, 70'sx5
Leverage Shoulder Press (neutral grip): 30x12, 40x10, 80x10, 100x10
Cable Rope Rear Delt Rows: 30, 40, 60, 70 x 15
Smith Machine Upright Row: Barx12, 50x10, 50x8, 50x8, 50x8
DB Front Raise (Burnout): 20x43
DB Side Raise: N/A
Cardio: 150 calories, stairmaster intervals
Training went great today. The two exercises that are new to me (leverage shoulder press, cable rope rear delt rows) really lit me up today. I didnt have a good experience doing the leverage shoulder press last time, but this time I had no shoulder pain and benefitted from quite a pump as a result of doing it. Definitely liking that paricular exercise, seems to isolate my shoulders well. The Cable rope rear delt rows feel FANTASTIC to your upper back/traps area. Easy way to pump the heck outta that area. Due to the motion of the exercise its hard to use a lot of weight, so I opt for higher reps instead and focus on squeezing hard during the motion. If youve never tried it before, DO IT! Other than that the weight workout was solid. My legs were completely spent today when doing cardio, I didnt push it too hard and only did 150 calories of the stairmaster. I think umping right back into intense interval training on the stairmaster after a week off is taking a toll on my legs, they could use a bit of rest. Again, good workout today. Had a good pump, thats always a good feeling.
Diet:
Meal 1 (60%): 2 scoops protein, 1/2 cup oats, 16oz milk, 1 apple, 1 banana, 5 stalks celery, 8oz chicken breast, 1/4tbsp EVOO
Calories: 1070, Carb: 120, Fat: 11, Protein: 117
Meal 2 (20%): 1 banana, 8oz chicken breast
Calories: 340, Carb: 29, Fat: 2g, Protein: 47g
Meal 3 (20%): 1 scoop protein, 8oz greek yogurt, 1/2 cup oats .... (all mixed together = yum)
Calories: 410, Carb: 39, Fat: 5, Protein: 50
Daily Total:
Calories: 1820, Carb: 188, Fat: 18, Protein: 214
Diet was really good today, very pleased. Carbs are about 20g higher than planned, but fat was reduced quite a bit. I felt really good today, I might start to do things this way more often (more carbs, less fat). Most of the fat that I get in my diet comes from peanut butter. I trim anything that I can off of my meats that would have fat, skin etc. So, this wouldnt be hard to maintain. Although, I bought a large jar of peanut butter when I arrived in SoCal and I hate to waste food. Just gonna see how it goes, id rather throw away half a jar of peanut butter at some point and get better results than eat the peanut butter and slow my results. Other than that its worth noting that I finished all of my eating at 3:40pm pacific time, despite my fast being from 7pm-11am. I mentioned once before that I listen to my body and feed when needed, but usually not this early. I have essentially made my fast last a few hours longer than it was scheduled for whenever I do this, which makes the hunger start to become an issue at times. I made sure to consume casein type protein (greek yogurt) as the last meal with the idea that it would keep me full for longer, since I started my fast a bit early today. Maybe this will be a good time to see how the appetite suppression of AT2 will work for me?
Conclusion: A good day, definitely. Had a good workout and nailed my diet goals. Im not going to say that I hope this continues, im going to say that it WILL continue....because ultimately I have control over my diet and what I put into my body, no excuses! Eager to see how much water weight continues to drop the next few days, mentioned above my thoughts on this.
Extra:
I thought that I would give my thoughts on each of the products that I am currently using. These thoughts are likely to change as time goes on, but these are my thoughts this far into the log...
AnaBeta Elite: I've been using this for quite a while now. When it's all said and done I will have used it for 4 weeks, took a week break, then used it for another 4 weeks. Not quite the 8 straight weeks that I wanted, but I did not want to waste the product for a week when my eating and training were not going to be possible. So a little asterisk in this area for AE. Otherwise I have noticed: increased vascularity, muscle fullness, muscle hardness/slight drying up effect, very occasional hunger increases, maintained strength during diet, good muscle pumps. The hunger increases is not something that I use this product for, im not disappointed that I dont get these effects very often from it. In approximately 5 weeks using AE I have only experienced the increased hunger about 4 times. The increased muscle pumps seem to be sporatic, on some days my legs are so pumped after doing cardio that its painful, other days its just a normal pump. All of the other effects began to show up after about a week on the product and have maintained on a consistent basis.
OEP: Only used this for the first 2 weeks of the log, but worth giving a word about. I love this product, always had great results from it. Definitely saddens me with whats going on between the FDA and supplement companies regarding DMAA, as this will be a product that will be affected in that way. I notice very, very strong appetite suppression from this product and also notice that I sweat quite a lot more. Definitely what I would want in a thermogenic product.
Con-Cret: Not at all impressed by this product. I used it first as an ingredient in MusclePharm Assault, a pre-workout that I enjoyed because of its increased recovery times. I thought perhaps that the increased recovery could have something to do, at least in part, to the Con-Cret since this is something it advertises. Unfortunately, the product is not quite as good as it is hyped amongst the available forms of creatine out there. I would definitely rank this below SciFit Krealkalyn 1500 pills, my personal favorite creatine. I received about 5 sample size tubs of Con-Cret which is why I am using it. Each tub had approximately 24 servings, I believe. The product isnt terrible, im sure I might notice more of its effects if I used an increased dosage (currently use 2 scoops), but it just isnt worth doing when the price and serving quantity of the roduct is evaluated. Just my opinion.
Bulk Modern BCAA: Not a terrible product, not a fantastic one, either. I notice increased recovery times with this. Not as good as the actual USP Modern BCAA, I can tell a bit of a difference in recovery. The way that I judge this is by how sore I get on days following a workout, conidering also the workout load and my diet at the time. I have used about 3 tubs of the USP Modern BCAA, couple tube of Xtend (old formula), and I tested a BCAA product for the three letter store we all know of. With USP Modern BCAA in particular, I never once was sore after a workout. The other products prevented soreness about 85-90% of the time. This product probably prevents soreness somewhere from 75-80%, not a huge difference I suppose. I would rank this product somewhere among the bottom of the list when it comes to recovery, compared to the other recovery products that I have experience with. I am very in touch with my body and feel that this is an accurate representation of its strength, although I am sure some people will argue that it is the same thing as the USP Modern BCAA. However, you absolutely cannot beat the price to serving ratio of this product. For this reason I am likely to continue purchasing the Bulk Modern BCAA. I will expirement with increased serving sizes to see if that promotes a little better recovery.
Alpha T2: I havent used this product long enough to give it a fair evaluation. I can say that during the short time i've used it I can tell that is is stronger than the old formula (I have used a bottle of the old formula). I think that I am experiencing a slight appetite supression from the AT2, but it is still too early to be for certain.
Cellucor C4: This has been a solid pre workout. One of the better ones I have used, and I assure you that I have used almost everything once or twice. I would rank this right up near the top of the list of preworkouts, in the same class as Jack3d. Strength is solid with this product. I notice the increased pumps more than anything. Taste is good, something that I will mention but nothing that is relevant to my thoughts of a dietary supplement.
I cant think of any other products of interest that I am using in this log so far, correct me if I forgot something. Remember, the first page of this log has my entire supplement schedule listed as a graphic. Very easy to observe!
I want to give a shout out to everyone who has been following along. I really enjoy doing this, its quite a lot of fun to lo and interact with the community of AM.com. The participation on the thread is what continues to make this fun. I hope that anyone who might be on the fence about any of the products I am using, might be wondering about the leangains style of dieting, or might need training thoughts, will learn something from my experiences. I feel strongly that self experience is one of the best ways to evaluate something. I also hope to learn from others through this log. I have already learned from a few guys that chimed in about refeeding and how I could improve my methods, I am grateful for this. I hope to continue to learn! Keep it up, everyone!
Last edited:
CPennington
New member
Natestreo said:
Look at this guy! You're gonna be able to make a novel out of this thing by the time you're done brother! Haha
Natestreo
Active member
I Forgot to mention earlier in my training notes...
I'm going to begin training my abs hard, again. I have not done this in a while. I was concentrating on reducing my body fat as much as possible rather than doing a ton of ab work. Now that I feel I'm getting closer to my goals, I think its time to start doing hardcore ab work again.
I found a machine that isolated my abs very well, didn't let other muscles dominate the movement. I like this machine A LOT. I will start doing this as well as some other ab work every day immediately after weight training and before cardio. I won't log the ab exercises, though. I will try to mention that I did them, though.
I'm going to begin training my abs hard, again. I have not done this in a while. I was concentrating on reducing my body fat as much as possible rather than doing a ton of ab work. Now that I feel I'm getting closer to my goals, I think its time to start doing hardcore ab work again.
I found a machine that isolated my abs very well, didn't let other muscles dominate the movement. I like this machine A LOT. I will start doing this as well as some other ab work every day immediately after weight training and before cardio. I won't log the ab exercises, though. I will try to mention that I did them, though.
Natestreo
Active member
Well....I knew it was going to be tough. Nothing worth having comes easy. The only free thing in this world is Gods grace. This is where it becomes hard, it's 10pm and your stomach is being torn to pieces. This is where you find out how much you want it, how strong you really are. This is where true strength is developed, not from the iron.
I'm not giving in. I'm getting stronger. I will overcome the hardship and I will succeed. I want this.
No excuses.
I'm not giving in. I'm getting stronger. I will overcome the hardship and I will succeed. I want this.
No excuses.
Natestreo
Active member
Woke up this morning sore as heck. I could tell that I have dropped a lot of my water by looking in the mirror this morning. Off to the gym I went, sore and fatigued. No rest for me!
Weighed in at 187 with clothes on. Left the gym weighing 184 naked. I consider this being back to where I was at before traveling. No more urgency to drop water right now.
Dare I say that AlphaT2 is showing signs of working already!? My abs are visually more defined now than they were at 182lbs a couple weeks ago. Goes to show that the scale isn't always the best indicator of progress. I'm going to try and find a way to accurately measure my bf % here in Cali, I'm sure there is a reliable machine somewhere.
I'm getting really excited about how I'm looking. My body is hating me, though. I think a refeed will happen on either Friday or Sunday to help my body recover. Also, I added some extra fats today in my diet to see if that helps recovery, might be a lower carb day than usual. I tried the low fat for a couple days and I'm noticing that I'm very sore. I'm gonna manipulate it the other way just a touch and see what happens.
Weighed in at 187 with clothes on. Left the gym weighing 184 naked. I consider this being back to where I was at before traveling. No more urgency to drop water right now.
Dare I say that AlphaT2 is showing signs of working already!? My abs are visually more defined now than they were at 182lbs a couple weeks ago. Goes to show that the scale isn't always the best indicator of progress. I'm going to try and find a way to accurately measure my bf % here in Cali, I'm sure there is a reliable machine somewhere.
I'm getting really excited about how I'm looking. My body is hating me, though. I think a refeed will happen on either Friday or Sunday to help my body recover. Also, I added some extra fats today in my diet to see if that helps recovery, might be a lower carb day than usual. I tried the low fat for a couple days and I'm noticing that I'm very sore. I'm gonna manipulate it the other way just a touch and see what happens.
Natestreo
Active member
Okay, today has turned into my refeed day that I was contemplating on having on Friday or Sunday. I'm okay with this since today was a back day and my body definitely says it is ready.
I dose my AE 2 pre workout and 2 post workout. I took my first 2 upon walking along with my AT2 and went to the gym. I came back from the gym near the time My fast was supposed to End, so I popped my other 2 AE for post workout BEFORE I started eating. Taking 4 AE into my system before eating anything has made the hunger kick in for me one other time, and it did this time as well. I'm not gonna fight it, gonna utilize it for the refeed.
Interesting that I found my dosing to make the hunger kick in! I'm gonna have to remember this when it comes time to add mass in the winter!
Anyways, my diet that is being posted at the end of the day will reflect a refeed. I'm not going balls to the wall and eating just to eat, like I used to. And I'm also restricting fats as I was advised. Focusing on carbs and protein. I will eat until I am satisfied, just listening to my body.
I dose my AE 2 pre workout and 2 post workout. I took my first 2 upon walking along with my AT2 and went to the gym. I came back from the gym near the time My fast was supposed to End, so I popped my other 2 AE for post workout BEFORE I started eating. Taking 4 AE into my system before eating anything has made the hunger kick in for me one other time, and it did this time as well. I'm not gonna fight it, gonna utilize it for the refeed.
Interesting that I found my dosing to make the hunger kick in! I'm gonna have to remember this when it comes time to add mass in the winter!
Anyways, my diet that is being posted at the end of the day will reflect a refeed. I'm not going balls to the wall and eating just to eat, like I used to. And I'm also restricting fats as I was advised. Focusing on carbs and protein. I will eat until I am satisfied, just listening to my body.