Scorching fat and going the distance with CardioTryx

zb126

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Scorching fat and going the distance with CardioTryx

Hey guys, it's been a while!

I'd like to thank Matt and the EvoMuse for being generous and providing a bottle of CardioTryx for me to log. The EvoMuse line is one of my favorites so I'm stoked to take CT for a run!

Background:
I've been training on and off for 6-7 years but honestly had been fairly inconsistent for about a year after switching jobs, moving and letting life get in the way. It's funny how quickly you can lose your hard work in the gym. So I decided it was time to turn things back around and in the past year have been working to get back into shape.

Training:
One of the things I've always hated was running-- but I always found that it helped me more than other cardiovascular exercise at cutting the fat. I do circuit training usually 3x a week and add in a few days of cardio such as running, plyometrics and cycling. I'm training for a half marathon which will be a first for me and should be rather painful :)

Starting Stats:
180lbs
10K pace: 10:24
6k pace: 9:27
RHR: 56-62bpm over the last week

Band data (from last run):
Skin temp: 86F
Heart rate: 119
Perspiration: 971 uS/cm

I'll be monitoring this periodically, depending on how I can get the data exported but my goals are to look for improvements in pace, observed energy output, body composition and general feeling of how much running sucks :)
 

zb126

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Got a nice casual run in yesterday before the Memorial day festivities and dosed CardioTryx at 6 caps ~1h 15min before. It has been getting pretty hot out up here and it was probably the warmest I've run in so far this year. Lungs are going to have to get used to that heat :)

Distance: 5.70 mi
Duration: 58:54
Pace: 10:20/mile

Skin Temp: 89.6 F
Perspiration: 1700uS / cm

Observations:
So I'm hesitant to make many observations on day one so I'll keep this brief. I've used Cordyceps a bunch in the past and can tell when that is working, but what I noticed here was not only feeling pretty hot (could be the weather, too) but also my first mile felt pretty easy. The run overall was good and if it weren't for some nagging tightness in my hip / IT band, I would have gone the rest of the final loop for the full 10k distance.

All in all, good run, legs feel really good today and I'm excited to see how this pans out. Will be trying it with plyometrics at some point, which should be fun since I always feel like jello after that :)
 
MidwestBeast

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Subd for this one, zb!
 

zb126

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Thanks guys! So far so good-- on a mini vacation but did a 5k and came in at 9:04 pace. Cardiotryx helped out a bunch I can tell since my allergies have been acting up and breathing hasn't been so hot the last few days. Going back to the regular routine on Tuesday
 

zb126

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Little delay in posting Thursday's workout but here we go:


Distance: 3.42 mi
Duration: 31:10
Pace: 9:06/mile

Skin Temp: 93.1 F
Perspiration: 1400uS / cm

Observations:
I think I'm starting to hone in on the CardioTryx feel. Its a warmer to hotter body temp (feeling at least) and more sweating but breathing and energy is lower than a typical run. It also seems like recovery is a bit quicker, possibly since I don't feel as exhausted at the end of a workout. I need to try this before lifting as well and see how that goes. All in all, I'm a huge fan of CardioTryx and unlike cordyceps which I think make breathing much more efficient / easier, this seems to effect the rest of the body. May grab another tub of Cordgyn nano powder and combine them for a run or two and see how it works together.

Looking to get a bike ride in later today so I'll report back on how it goes as well!
 

zb126

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So I did get that bike ride in, it was an awesome first ride of the summer! I tried to stick with a moderate/light pace since it was my first ride and my body isn't used to the vibrations from a road bike, so I didn't want to overdo it. This is a nice baseline as well so I'll get another few rides in and compare!Road Cycling:Distance: 12.7 miDuration: 78:35Pace: 11.1 mphObservations:Certainly can tell the difference when using CardioTryx-- it really seems to shine at boosting endurance and body heat during ant cardio activities. I sweat like crazy the whole time and also kept my pace pretty consistent the entire time. My legs didn't feel tired or sore at all, the only thing that hurt was my butt from the seat!
 
MidwestBeast

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Good stuff so far!
 

zb126

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Hey guys quick update! Weighed in this morning at 178, which is 2lbs down in two weeks.

May seem like nothing crazy but keep in mind I'm eating at maintenance and this isn't a supplement I'm taking daily. Color me impressed.

Also, my waist is getting slimmer so this is more of a recomp than strictly a cut. Really cool stuff, and there is a LOT left to go in this log so I have high hopes!

Observations
Took CT for a spin before doing dumbbell circuit training this morning and it worked well in this situation, too. I noticed that rather than feeling the burn when I was reaching the end of the sets, particularly shoulder press, that I instead felt no burn but just was running out of steam. I think Ambiggity described it well -- the perceived effort is what seems to be lowered with CardioTryx while endurance is increased.

The workout was off to a good start and I got a little over-eager and decided to do a short run afterwards... 1.05 miles in 8:15 but I thought I might collapse. So my note of caution is to be smart and make sure if you exercise on an empty stomach, don't forget you will run out of steam at some point!
 
dsade

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So I did get that bike ride in, it was an awesome first ride of the summer! I tried to stick with a moderate/light pace since it was my first ride and my body isn't used to the vibrations from a road bike, so I didn't want to overdo it. This is a nice baseline as well so I'll get another few rides in and compare!Road Cycling:Distance: 12.7 miDuration: 78:35Pace: 11.1 mphObservations:Certainly can tell the difference when using CardioTryx-- it really seems to shine at boosting endurance and body heat during ant cardio activities. I sweat like crazy the whole time and also kept my pace pretty consistent the entire time. My legs didn't feel tired or sore at all, the only thing that hurt was my butt from the seat!
Is this the seat you have?

 

zb126

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Killer run at an event this weekend -- cramped around mile 10 and it was all downhill from there. First ten stats:

Distance: 10.0 mi
Duration: 1:47:35
Pace: 10:47/mile

CT seems to be helping with recovery alongside making the pain less noticeable when running. Endurance certainly seemed to be heightened as well. Pace is only 24 seconds slower than my 10k pace, so I'm really happy with that. All in all, need more training so I don't hit the wall of cramps again on my next one.
 

zb126

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Distance: 4.30 mi
Duration: 41:08
Pace: 9:33/mile

Skin Temp: 98.3 F
Perspiration: 1900uS / cm

Observations:
Wow that was a rough run. I was exhausted and it was really hot... I was sweating like crazy and was soaked when I got back.

CardioTryx is continuing to help with endurance as my quads, calves and hamstrings feel great. After a run I barely feel any pain or tightness. Even the 10 miles last week had a shortened recovery time-- the next morning I felt 100% again. The area where I do struggle still is lung capacity. CT seems to help some but I believe it is more of a function of time training and adapting.

I think I remember Matt mentioned that cordyceps would have thrown the pricing way off since it is also a rather expensive ingredient that is hard to find in high quality. I would say it makes a great addition here as the few times I have used both I felt like a machine. It's effects plus CT makes it easy to breath less / more efficiently and the endurance aspect of CT lets me keep pushing.
 

zb126

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Distance: 2.01 mi
Duration: 18:38
Pace: 9:16/mile
Weight: 177lbs

Observations:


This run did not utilize CardioTryx. Really wasn't feeling running this morning at all. Fasted and without caffeine I was dragging for sure. As short as the run was, it sucked haha. CT really gets me in the mood for cardio thanks to the caffeine boost (but its also not over the top like a preworkout).

This coming weekend I want to test the 6 or 10K time and see the improvement. Not planning to do it in a race, just as a more zoned in run. Should be awesome to see where we end up. I feel like I should be able to have shaved 30 seconds off per mile but we will see. Crossing my fingers!
 

zb126

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Quick update -- did a new circuit training routine last night and used CT. Even in the air conditioned gym, I was soaked. The endurance was up as per usual with CT and the recovery was amazing. No soreness at all this morning. This is great stuff!
 

zb126

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Distance: 4.26 mi
Duration: 39:15
Pace: 9:13/mile
Weight: 177lbs

Observations:


Knocked two minutes off the same run from last weekend, despite it being hot as hell out there. Felt good but the heat is killer and my lungs are feeling it, too. I'll be going earlier in the morning from now on.
 

zb126

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Sorry it has been a while here, guys-- the holiday threw the last week off a bit but I did get in a few workouts

Last Wednesday I did a light run:

Distance: 2.17 miles
Time: 18:40
Pace: 8:36


Last Thursday I did crossfit:
Warm up - 10 minutes
10x Burpees
20x Jumping Jacks
10x Pushups

AMRAP 15 minutes:
10x OH 25lb Lunges
10x Pushups
12x Situps
Finished with to failure wall sits

Not a typical BB workout, no pauses or breaks. Totally kicked my ass, as I'm not used to CF training at all. I will say, however, that taking CT was a good call because while I experienced failure, the pain and effort was much less than I would have imagined. I'll know over time how well its helping with CF but the recovery and soreness benefits are easy to see every time I use it.


And Saturday morning I got a nice little bike ride in before a day of walking around the city (was a little hungover from the 4th):

Road Cycling
Distance: 7.64 mi
Time: 38:44
Speed: 11.8 mi/h
 

zb126

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Saturday's workout:

10 Sets For Time:
5x pull ups
10x push ups
12x sit ups
20x prisoner squats

Time: 19:49
Perceived Effort: 6


Sunday morning I weighed-in at 176lbs. Down 4lbs since the start of this log, however I also am down a pant size and the waist is looking much thinner. I noticed since the old pairs of pants were getting extra loose in the thighs and the the last notch on my old belt was too big, so I picked up some new ones for work. To me, it is clear that CT is working well in a recomp scenario.


Monday morning cardio:

Time: 20 minutes on the stationary bike,
Speed: ~75 RPM
Perceived Effort: 5


Both workouts had pretty quick recovery, my right knee was feeling a little weak towards the end of Saturday's circuit, so I cut the last set of squats back. The perceived effort is a lot lower than for similar workouts in the past, I'm guessing Matt designed CT to have a strong adaptogenic effect as well. Will post back tonight after CF!
 

zb126

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More crossfit yesterday with a bunch of short sets and this one-

For time:
400m run
40 squats
30 situps
20 pushups
10 pull-ups

Finished in 7:31 and was feeling great (minus the situps, been doing too many of those lately!)

Perceived effort was much less than the last few workouts, seems like a fairly quick adaptation with CT. Got another one tomorrow, will be back and logging it!
 

zb126

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Thursday night CF

Warm up: 2x 400m run w/20lb med ball overhead

AMRAP in 10 min:

-500/400/300/200m row
-20/15/10/5 push press
-10/8/6/4 pull ups

Yikes, that was a rough workout cuz I ate too soon before it. The row and pull ups destroyed my arms so I did the last sets with ring rows. All in all, pretty tough. Had a slight pain in my knee during the squatting practice so I went light on this weekend's run that I did today:

Distance: 3.07 miles
Time: 27:41
Pace: 9:01
Effort: 6-7 (it was hot!)
Weight: 176lbs

Hadn't run for distance in a week or so, so this was surprisingly good from a time standpoint (IMO).



Here's a look at what I've seen in 2 months of CT on cardio and CF days only:

Lost 4lbs and a 1 pant size. Waist and midsection feels much slimmer - Definitely put on some muscle and glycogen stores as well because while I'm leaner I also have a fuller appearance of my muscles. Probably was more of a recomp than a cut, particularly since I've been eating healthy but not calorie counting ( I lost two pounds quickly then hovered for a bit before dropping more.)

Runs with CT only (tried this with cordyceps a few times and that is an AMAZING combo): 4 mile runs have dropped 15-20 sec off my per mile pace which is about a minute off the overall time; was able to train far quicker than expected for a 10mi (seriously, this blew me away... hadn't run over a 10K ever before.)

I also feel that it not only makes the perceived effort less, but also seems to make recovery a breeze as I'm rarely sore. I actually notice a difference running without CT now, as I not only don't have the extra energy but also it seems like much more of a chore. I'd also recommend adding it into cross-training or circuit training. Oh and RHR is down to 52-55 as well!
 
dsade

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"
Runs with CT only (tried this with cordyceps a few times and that is an AMAZING combo): 4 mile runs have dropped 15-20 sec off my per mile pace which is about a minute off the overall time; was able to train far quicker than expected for a 10mi (seriously, this blew me away... hadn't run over a 10K ever before.)"

This is pretty impressive...basically a 30% increase in performance.
 

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