Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

Sparks' Never Ending Training Log

HGP, have you tried arginase inhibitors to aid in your pump product effectiveness? Norvaline, Ornithine, resveratrol all come to mind.
Not separately but I bet it's in a lot of PWO's already. I had good experience with NOS Ether from Diesel but this product is lacking any compounds you mentioned. I wonder if mixing them with NOS would do any good.
 
Please do tell, I haven't heard much about arginase inhibitors.

Not separately but I bet it's in a lot of PWO's already. I had good experience with NOS Ether from Diesel but this product is lacking any compounds you mentioned. I wonder if mixing them with NOS would do any good.

Only pre I have seen with an arginine inhibitor is removal by I force. This product also uses epithelium extract which is a pde5 inhibitor.

So, hopefully I explain this in a simple way that isn't incorrect. Arginine increases NO which gives pumps, but the enzyme arginase starts breaking down arginine once this cycle starts. Inhibitors of arginase should prevent the breakdown of arginine and allow for longer lasting and possible more powerful vasodilation from NO. So if I were taking Cit Mal and Augustine and arginine, an arginase inhibitor should allow the arginine effects to be more pronounced and longer lasting. Ornithine, norvaline, and resveratrol are all arginase inhibitors.

PDE5 inhibition is how Viagra works. Horny goat weed (epimedium) has Icarin, which is a pde5 inhibitor. Forskolin, cinnamon, quercetin are also pde5 inhibitors to some degree. Epimedium with high icarin standardization seems to be strongest.

This is how hemovol does the job, and I would think it effective....not seeing it in a lot of pump products though.

As a side note, arginase inhibition has recently been studied as a means of reversing Alzheimer's and shown some promise.
 
HGP, have you tried arginase inhibitors to aid in your pump product effectiveness? Norvaline, Ornithine, resveratrol all come to mind.
I don't want to turn this into a supplement discussion thread, but I recall Cooper really not liking norvaline:
So the verdict on Norvaline?


Low doses won't do anything, high doses may be detrimental to health, and medium doses co-ingested with arginine may increase arginine's bioavailability.

The story changes completely if you have endothelial dysfunction.
The most bogus supplement that I see forum members fall for is L-norvaline
I do like ornithine as a supplement though.
 
I don't want to turn this into a supplement discussion thread, but I recall Cooper really not liking norvaline:


I do like ornithine as a supplement though.

Well, arginase inhibitors should lower blood pressure due to vasodilation, which can cause light headedness, dizziness, etc. Norvaline also has some GDA properties out of this group...so perhaps lower bp and a blood sugar drop from one product isn't ideal in all situations. But it is worth playing with. Not sure why Cooper didn't like it specifically.

Cooper was a big fan of nitrates for pumps.
 
Well, arginase inhibitors should lower blood pressure due to vasodilation, which can cause light headedness, dizziness, etc. Norvaline also has some GDA properties out of this group...so perhaps lower bp and a blood sugar drop from one product isn't ideal in all situations. But it is worth playing with. Not sure why Cooper didn't like it specifically.

Cooper was a big fan of nitrates for pumps.
He did a write-up on norvaline:
Invalid Link Removed
 
Ahh, yes, I remember reading that. Not qualified to argue too much with coop, but his theory is that all the studies that show arginine inhibition are using unhealthy subjects with arginase over expression, and since there is no evidence that it has this effect in healthy adults, it must not work in healthy adults. Unless I missed something, it may be a true and reasonable logical jump, but it seems like it could be equally wrong based on no evidence either way.

Having said that, in people with arginase over expression, norvaline certainly works. And, not taking a knock at HGP ...but if he isn't getting g good pumps, maybe it is due to over expression of arginase. I wouldn't mega dose, but up to 300 mg is probably worth a shot.
 
I don't want to turn this into a supplement discussion thread, but I recall Cooper really not liking norvaline:


I do like ornithine as a supplement though.

Don't worry, I welcome more discussion in here. People might see something they know more about while scrolling through the timeline and chime in. Feedback and input, to me, is the best way to learn.
 
As a side note, arginase inhibition has recently been studied as a means of reversing Alzheimer's and shown some promise.

Were you discussing this with HG sometime back? I think I remember seeing some back and forth about Alzheimer's in his thread. Interesting stuff, I read through it some time ago and it's amazing how supplementation can have a much larger impact than anyone originally intended.
 
Were you discussing this with HG sometime back? I think I remember seeing some back and forth about Alzheimer's in his thread.

Are you implying that HG has Alzheimer's? Or just acts like it?

Ok, so that was extremely politically incorrect. AH is a horrible disease and I am not trying to be insensitive to it's impact (only insensitive to HG's impact :D). J/K HG :)
 
Are you implying that HG has Alzheimer's? Or just acts like it?

Ok, so that was extremely politically incorrect. AH is a horrible disease and I am not trying to be insensitive to it's impact (only insensitive to HG's impact :D). J/K HG :)

Shots fired! LOL
 
Were you discussing this with HG sometime back? I think I remember seeing some back and forth about Alzheimer's in his thread. Interesting stuff, I read through it some time ago and it's amazing how supplementation can have a much larger impact than anyone originally intended.

I didn't know about this thread until you mentioned me a page or so ago, so it wasn't me talking about it, but I may have discussed it in another thread. It is amazing to me because I just read the coop's corner that was posted (again) and it basically talks about how endothelial disease can be caused by the over expression of arginase and Norvaline can help correct that. What's interesting is that AD has been studied and found to have some underlying cardiovascular causes and another study has directly linked arginine deficiency to AD. Agmatine, Norvaline and Resveratrol are all items that I would try if I had some signs of AD. I am sure I'm not outsmarting any pharmaceutical companies, but I may be "outsmarting" some doctors who have their hands tied because there are no approved treatments for this path and these paths can be activated through these natural compounds that are readily available.

Are you implying that HG has Alzheimer's? Or just acts like it?

Ok, so that was extremely politically incorrect. AH is a horrible disease and I am not trying to be insensitive to it's impact (only insensitive to HG's impact :D). J/K HG :)

I wasn't implying that, but I was implying that it is conceivable that people who have trouble getting a pump (myself included) may have over expression of arginase, which may lead to lots of health issues that we don't even realize yet. As far as being PC, I have a family friend with AD and I am very concerned for him, and try to learn anything that might even help a little - but I am very un-pc about it.

Shots fired! LOL

Do you even remember what we are talking about HGP?
 
Do you even remember what we are talking about HGP?

We were talking? Who are you? - And where am I?
LOL

It was about pump, I bought bulk Ornithine and bulk Citrulline Malate to try them separately -and together to assess synergy.
As I'm still injured, the test will begin in a few weeks.
 
12AUG16

Legs:

Smith Squat - Feet Far Forward:
20 X 1 PPS
12 X 2 PPS
12 X 2 PPS
12 X 2 PPS
BB Back Squat - Close Stance:
8 X 225
4 X 295
4 X 295
3 (+1 RP) X 295
BB Front Squat:
5 X 185
5 X 185
5 X 185
5 X 185
5 X 185
BB Back Squat - Box Squat, Normal Bench Used:
10 X 185
10 X 205
9 X 205
-Thank god squats are done, fresh sunburn is killing my traps and shoulders
Sled Press - Hypertrophy Style, Constant Tension:
20 X 2 PPS
18 X 4 PPS
13 X 6 PPS
12 X 6 PPS
12 (+6 Partials) X 6 PPS
Single Leg DB SLDL's SS w/ Lying Hamstring Curl:
12 ea. X 50/15 x 90
22 ea. X 40/15 X 90
30 ea. X 30/30 X 50 - Varying ROM w/ Curls On Last Set
Tri-Set -
Leg Extensions, Sled Press - Heels Only Part Of Foot On Platform, Drive Thru Heels For Max Ham Tension, Sled Calf Press:
25 X 110, 15 X 2 PPS, 20 X 2 PPS
15.5 X 110/12 X 2 PPS/15 X 2 PPS

80 Mins = Done

20 Mins on Treadmill - 15% Incline @ 4MPH w/ 32lb Sack


Pump wasn't the greatest today, as expected though. I had eaten recently so I still had a decent amount of food in my stomach but I wanted to get in there quick. I was also probably a tad dehydrated from being out in the sun pressure washing the driveway today. Spent about 5 hours in the sun, I guess I didn't drink quite enough water. Performance didn't seem to suffer much, but the pump conditions weren't optimal. Overall a great session. I really wanted to just destroy everything today, which I felt I had done by the end of the session. I would've done more regular squats but the rack was taken when I got in there. Not much else to note. Throwing up s couple pictures of how burnt I am after being in the deceptive England sun lolInvalid Link RemovedInvalid Link Removed

Also, weighed in after the workout. Down to 187, not a huge loss since the last weigh in but the mirror is more important than the numbers on the scale. The scale just helps a bit when you don't see much change.
 
HIT4ME I believe it was HG's thread I saw the discussion in, should've been more clear on that. Either way, the studies are nothing short of interesting.
Sparkss this is a PC free zone! I get enough of that BS on daily basis at work. There's a time and place for it, but every facet of life isn't one of them. I'm not offended, I'll joke with the rest of them till the sun comes up. I've had many family members with various illnesses, some serious, some not so serious, but I can still joke about it. I feel that the military has desensitised me...whether that's good or bad I've yet to find out!
 
We were talking? Who are you? - And where am I?
LOL

It was about pump, I bought bulk Ornithine and bulk Citrulline Malate to try them separately -and together to assess synergy.
As I'm still injured, the test will begin in a few weeks.

Hurry up and get better my man. Where is the box?

12AUG16

Legs:

Smith Squat - Feet Far Forward:
20 X 1 PPS
12 X 2 PPS
12 X 2 PPS
12 X 2 PPS
BB Back Squat - Close Stance:
8 X 225
4 X 295
4 X 295
3 (+1 RP) X 295
BB Front Squat:
5 X 185
5 X 185
5 X 185
5 X 185
5 X 185
BB Back Squat - Box Squat, Normal Bench Used:
10 X 185
10 X 205
9 X 205
-Thank god squats are done, fresh sunburn is killing my traps and shoulders
Sled Press - Hypertrophy Style, Constant Tension:
20 X 2 PPS
18 X 4 PPS
13 X 6 PPS
12 X 6 PPS
12 (+6 Partials) X 6 PPS
Single Leg DB SLDL's SS w/ Lying Hamstring Curl:
12 ea. X 50/15 x 90
22 ea. X 40/15 X 90
30 ea. X 30/30 X 50 - Varying ROM w/ Curls On Last Set
Tri-Set -
Leg Extensions, Sled Press - Heels Only Part Of Foot On Platform, Drive Thru Heels For Max Ham Tension, Sled Calf Press:
25 X 110, 15 X 2 PPS, 20 X 2 PPS
15.5 X 110/12 X 2 PPS/15 X 2 PPS

80 Mins = Done

20 Mins on Treadmill - 15% Incline @ 4MPH w/ 32lb Sack


Pump wasn't the greatest today, as expected though. I had eaten recently so I still had a decent amount of food in my stomach but I wanted to get in there quick. I was also probably a tad dehydrated from being out in the sun pressure washing the driveway today. Spent about 5 hours in the sun, I guess I didn't drink quite enough water. Performance didn't seem to suffer much, but the pump conditions weren't optimal. Overall a great session. I really wanted to just destroy everything today, which I felt I had done by the end of the session. I would've done more regular squats but the rack was taken when I got in there. Not much else to note. Throwing up s couple pictures of how burnt I am after being in the deceptive England sun lolInvalid Link RemovedInvalid Link Removed

My man, that is a lot of work. I get tired reading the workout and have trouble finishing haha. Looks like it is paying off though.


HIT4ME I believe it was HG's thread I saw the discussion in, should've been more clear on that. Either way, the studies are nothing short of interesting.
Sparkss this is a PC free zone! I get enough of that BS on daily basis at work. There's a time and place for it, but every facet of life isn't one of them. I'm not offended, I'll joke with the rest of them till the sun comes up. I've had many family members with various illnesses, some serious, some not so serious, but I can still joke about it. I feel that the military has desensitised me...whether that's good or bad I've yet to find out!

Yeah, HGP did mention some stuff and Nicollet in his thread. I think the arginine aspect has a lot going for it. A five minute pubmed search shows so many links between arginine and AD. It is very interesting and I have a friend with AD so I am constantly studying what I can.

As far as the PC stuff....i like your take.
 
Hurry up and get better my man. Where is the box?



My man, that is a lot of work. I get tired reading the workout and have trouble finishing haha. Looks like it is paying off though.




Yeah, HGP did mention some stuff and Nicollet in his thread. I think the arginine aspect has a lot going for it. A five minute pubmed search shows so many links between arginine and AD. It is very interesting and I have a friend with AD so I am constantly studying what I can.

As far as the PC stuff....i like your take.

Thanks bro, I was really trying to exhaust everything today. Normally, I don't do nearly as much for legs and I'm done in less than 60 minutes. I just felt the need to push the envelope today. I feel my approach of doing more with less rest has been working, but it will eventually lead to diminished returns. In the meantime I'll continue to use this kind of setup until my body can't continue with training everything 2x week with no scheduled rest days. With my nutrition dialled in for the most part it hasn't been an issue but I've taken time off work since the 18th of last month. I start back on Monday so we'll see how the added "stress" works out. As far as the PC stuff goes, I try to not step on any toes but if you do, well that's just life. Can't please everyone.
 
No gym today. Finished pressure washing on the rear patio and cooked up some steaks with the wife. Went and saw a movie tonight too. I was feeling a little beat up, but I can already tell that the "active" rest I had today is going to benefit me. Finished out today on a bit of surplus as well. I like to eat a little more on rest days to take advantage of the recovery process. So far, even while cutting, I have noticed good benefits from that. Mostly just extra protein and fats from the steak, so it was "clean". Better than eating Dunkin' again lol.
 
14AUG16

Delts/Arms:

V-Bar Tri Pushdown SS w/ Reverse Pec Deck:
30 X 60/30 X 40
25 X 100/18 X 70
15 X 140/15 X 85
10 X 170/10 X 100
Seated DB Ahrens Press SS w/ Standing DB Curls:
15 X 40's/12 X 30's
8 X 50's/10 X 35's
3 X 65's/8 X 45's
10 X 40's/10 X 30's
Press Burnout: 10 (+7 RP) X 30's
CYBEX Rear Delt Machine SS w/ Single Arm DH OH Tri Extension:
20 X 30/12 X 30
17 X 50/12 X 30
12 X 70/12 X 30
10 X 90/Tri Ext Dropset - 30,25,20,15:
Left - 15/11/10/9
Right - 15/10/9/9
Machine Preacher Curl SS w/ Cable Upright Rows:
20 X 85/20 x 80
10 X 115/20 X 110
7 X 115/16 X 140
13 X 70/20 X 90
Underhand Cambered Bar Pushdown SS w/ DB Front Raises:
20 X 70/15 X 20's
17 X 90/15 X 20's
12 X 110/15 X 20's


Sorry for the late post. Got home last night and had to prep my lunches for the week, back to to daily grind but I work during the day now, so getting up and prepping my meals for the day is out of the question unless I want to get up at 0330 every day. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the switch. This puts the wife and on the same schedule, and now I can push her to come to the gym as well as get up for fasted cardio with me. Which, we did today. Up at 0430, only 20 minutes as we had a kinda late start but the plan in 30 mins minimum 3 times a week. Drinking that hot a$$ black coffee beforehand helps a lot. Can't wait to see what kinds of crazy I'll be feeling whenever I get my hands on that Burn Extreme. Overall, this new schedule should help keep me more accountable. I have meals prepped, I'm running on a "normal" schedule, everything is in sync now. Placed another order today, hairygrandpa I picked up another "pump" product, and saw a few more that I need to add to the list. I was gonna get PES High Volume but the price for only 20 servings was a bit high. I'll get to that one later. I have high hopes for this one, over the past month or two I've had no complaints with Controlled Labs products, hopefully this is the same.

Anyway, last nights workout was good. Didn't try and go crazy on anything, just a normal run-of-the-mill delt/arm session. Still noticing that I'm getting leaner, happy about that. A few more days at 1900 and we'll see where I'm at. I don't want to be in this much of a deficit for too long, I'll just have to play it by feel. Overall had a good workout and had fun in there too. Always good to have those days every once in a while.
 
14AUG16

Delts/Arms:

V-Bar Tri Pushdown SS w/ Reverse Pec Deck:
30 X 60/30 X 40
25 X 100/18 X 70
15 X 140/15 X 85
10 X 170/10 X 100
Seated DB Ahrens Press SS w/ Standing DB Curls:
15 X 40's/12 X 30's
8 X 50's/10 X 35's
3 X 65's/8 X 45's
10 X 40's/10 X 30's
Press Burnout: 10 (+7 RP) X 30's
CYBEX Rear Delt Machine SS w/ Single Arm DH OH Tri Extension:
20 X 30/12 X 30
17 X 50/12 X 30
12 X 70/12 X 30
10 X 90/Tri Ext Dropset - 30,25,20,15:
Left - 15/11/10/9
Right - 15/10/9/9
Machine Preacher Curl SS w/ Cable Upright Rows:
20 X 85/20 x 80
10 X 115/20 X 110
7 X 115/16 X 140
13 X 70/20 X 90
Underhand Cambered Bar Pushdown SS w/ DB Front Raises:
20 X 70/15 X 20's
17 X 90/15 X 20's
12 X 110/15 X 20's


Sorry for the late post. Got home last night and had to prep my lunches for the week, back to to daily grind but I work during the day now, so getting up and prepping my meals for the day is out of the question unless I want to get up at 0330 every day. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with the switch. This puts the wife and on the same schedule, and now I can push her to come to the gym as well as get up for fasted cardio with me. Which, we did today. Up at 0430, only 20 minutes as we had a kinda late start but the plan in 30 mins minimum 3 times a week. Drinking that hot a$$ black coffee beforehand helps a lot. Can't wait to see what kinds of crazy I'll be feeling whenever I get my hands on that Burn Extreme. Overall, this new schedule should help keep me more accountable. I have meals prepped, I'm running on a "normal" schedule, everything is in sync now. Placed another order today, hairygrandpa I picked up another "pump" product, and saw a few more that I need to add to the list. I was gonna get PES High Volume but the price for only 20 servings was a bit high. I'll get to that one later. I have high hopes for this one, over the past month or two I've had no complaints with Controlled Labs products, hopefully this is the same.

Anyway, last nights workout was good. Didn't try and go crazy on anything, just a normal run-of-the-mill delt/arm session. Still noticing that I'm getting leaner, happy about that. A few more days at 1900 and we'll see where I'm at. I don't want to be in this much of a deficit for too long, I'll just have to play it by feel. Overall had a good workout and had fun in there too. Always good to have those days every once in a while.

My man, that is a lot of work all compressed together. Are you going to failure on those sets? Or just trying to get the reps in? Just curious...both have a place.

High Volume is good, but I never really go for "pumps" either so ...I notice very little in that regard. I actually have only ever tried a few Pre-Workouts and now that HGP has been asking I'm interested in experimenting more. That is, deep down, really the reason I buy most supplements...just like to experiment. Deep down I know that most of them have such a small impact, if any.

IForce Hemovol and Hemovol 2 both look really promising and get some good feedback.
 
My man, that is a lot of work all compressed together. Are you going to failure on those sets? Or just trying to get the reps in? Just curious...both have a place.

High Volume is good, but I never really go for "pumps" either so ...I notice very little in that regard. I actually have only ever tried a few Pre-Workouts and now that HGP has been asking I'm interested in experimenting more. That is, deep down, really the reason I buy most supplements...just like to experiment. Deep down I know that most of them have such a small impact, if any.

IForce Hemovol and Hemovol 2 both look really promising and get some good feedback.

I don't go to failure on everything, as much as I'd like to believe that it is the hardcore and best thing to do, it just wouldn't make sense with how many sets in doing. I'll take 1 - 2 sets per exercise to failure, or where I can't lift the concentric phase anymore. Sometimes I won't take any except a burnout or dropset to failure. If it's something I really want to improve on I might throw in a dropset or rest pauses at the end of the movements for that exercise. I train, for the most part, especially with smaller muscle groups like the shoulders and arms with max tension and recruitment in mind so that's why I'll sometimes stay at certain weight and use it for 12-18 reps, other times I'll keep going up. Days like last night are heavily influenced by how my body reacts set after set. With larger and stronger groups, I will keep going up in weight, or attempt the same amount of reps for each set afterwards. As far as supplementation goes I only believe a few things work consistently. That's partly why I have so few supps that I use on a daily basis. I try new things all the time, but I really only use a multi, apple cider vinegar, and some days I don't even use protein. The other stuff is just a "novelty" if you will, to test it and see if it really has an impact. I'm a bit wiser now than when I first started using supplements so I really only watch for a few brands and the occasional outlier here and there that turns out good. I loved the original Hemavol, the flavor and perceived effects were great. I haven't tried V2 yet so I can't speak on behalf of it, but iFN is one of those brands that I trust and use. I totally rely on whole foods more than ever now, and have seen more progress than ever too. Supps to me are just little tiny building blocks or steps to help bridge some areas or make an area a bit stronger rather than build a whole foundation that's not really anything wholesome.
 
I don't go to failure on everything, as much as I'd like to believe that it is the hardcore and best thing to do, it just wouldn't make sense with how many sets in doing. I'll take 1 - 2 sets per exercise to failure, or where I can't lift the concentric phase anymore. Sometimes I won't take any except a burnout or dropset to failure. If it's something I really want to improve on I might throw in a dropset or rest pauses at the end of the movements for that exercise. I train, for the most part, especially with smaller muscle groups like the shoulders and arms with max tension and recruitment in mind so that's why I'll sometimes stay at certain weight and use it for 12-18 reps, other times I'll keep going up. Days like last night are heavily influenced by how my body reacts set after set. With larger and stronger groups, I will keep going up in weight, or attempt the same amount of reps for each set afterwards. As far as supplementation goes I only believe a few things work consistently. That's partly why I have so few supps that I use on a daily basis. I try new things all the time, but I really only use a multi, apple cider vinegar, and some days I don't even use protein. The other stuff is just a "novelty" if you will, to test it and see if it really has an impact. I'm a bit wiser now than when I first started using supplements so I really only watch for a few brands and the occasional outlier here and there that turns out good. I loved the original Hemavol, the flavor and perceived effects were great. I haven't tried V2 yet so I can't speak on behalf of it, but iFN is one of those brands that I trust and use. I totally rely on whole foods more than ever now, and have seen more progress than ever too. Supps to me are just little tiny building blocks or steps to help bridge some areas or make an area a bit stronger rather than build a whole foundation that's not really anything wholesome.

Great post. I couldn't agree more on supplements. They are a novelty. Hard training and food/diet are the biggest thing. I use a ton of stuff, but it's all just novelty and I'm not even sure that a multi is necessary when you are eating right. Even fish oil, which has a ton of data, I sometimes question why I'm taking it.

As for the training - I agree with your approach. With that much volume, I don't think failure is a positive thing. You are creating a large metabolic stress on the muscles, and keeping things a little lighter will keep you away from CNS fatigue and this is where volume/frequency can be increased. Once you stop responding, you can always jump to heavier weights and reduce your volume dramatically, but why do that if you are seeing progress with lighter weights/higher reps.

This is what gets my attention about HST - it seems to be a nice hybrid between a bunch of different theories - lower volume, not quite as intense, more frequency. The entire chronic vs. acute stress thing is something I've always thought about. Not sure which program, Mentzer or HST is over simplifying it, but maybe both are.
 
15AUG16

Chest/Back:

Incline BB Press SS w/ Close Grip Lat Pulldown:
20 X Bar/20 X 100
15 X 135/16 X 140
5 X 205/12 X 180
4 X 205/Douche Took Machine
Flat DB Press SS w/ Hammer Strength Seated Row:
10 X 90's/18 X 2 PPS
7 X 105's/14 X 3 PPS
5 X 105's/8 (+3 RP) X 4 PPS
T-Bar Rows SS w/ Decline BB Press:
15 X 75 on End Of Bar/9 X 205
12 X 100 on EOB/8 X 205
11 X 125 on EOB/25 X 135
Incline DB Hex Press SS w/ Incline DB Rows:
8 X 45's/8 X 100
10 X 50's/8 X 100
Straight Arm Pulldowns SS w/ Dips - Focus On Pec Minor:
20 X 35kg?/10 X BW
12 X 50kg?/9.5 X BW

So, different pace today. Little bit slower since the wife is now joining me since we are on the same schedule. No biggie, I'm glad I get to help her and it helps keep me accountable too. That and changing gyms again slowed things up a bit. Decided to start going to the main gym again, in all fairness it is the best gym on base but there's always so many a$$hats in there, case in point the dude who just goes up and takes a machine you're using. I digress. Since I was slowed down, I took advantage of the extra rest to go after some heavier weights today. These DB's go up to 150 so that's a plus too. Wanted to hit some pulls today but time wasn't on our side. I figure I'll hit a couple SLDL/RDL movements tomorrow for legs to keep the posterior chain firing like it should, although the T-Bar rows helped with that today too. Fresh perspective with the "new" gym and a lot more variety in exercise selection. Had a good pump today, nothing crazy but it got better as the session went on. Fixed up some chicken, boiled and shredded 2.3lbs when I got home. Easy to throw a cup in with anything else I'm eating and throw it down the hatch. Added a packet of low sodium taco seasoning when I packed it into a container and gave it a good shake, should have some nice flavor come tomorrow. Also excited that I was chosen to log a cutting stack from LG Sciences, so today is a win all around. I'm pretty beat now, been up since 0430 this morning. Time to hit the hay and recharge for tomorrow!
 
Great post. I couldn't agree more on supplements. They are a novelty. Hard training and food/diet are the biggest thing. I use a ton of stuff, but it's all just novelty and I'm not even sure that a multi is necessary when you are eating right. Even fish oil, which has a ton of data, I sometimes question why I'm taking it.

As for the training - I agree with your approach. With that much volume, I don't think failure is a positive thing. You are creating a large metabolic stress on the muscles, and keeping things a little lighter will keep you away from CNS fatigue and this is where volume/frequency can be increased. Once you stop responding, you can always jump to heavier weights and reduce your volume dramatically, but why do that if you are seeing progress with lighter weights/higher reps.

This is what gets my attention about HST - it seems to be a nice hybrid between a bunch of different theories - lower volume, not quite as intense, more frequency. The entire chronic vs. acute stress thing is something I've always thought about. Not sure which program, Mentzer or HST is over simplifying it, but maybe both are.

We will continue this discussion tomorrow, my friend. I'd like to delve deeper into this conversation now but I am beat!
 
Congrats Sparks2012!!!!

Thanks buddy! Can't wait to see you in the log once I get it!
smith_69 have you had anyone log Burn while running some PH's?? If you'd like, I can run a separate log for that at the same time to see if there's any other noteworthy effects. Sounds like I'll finally have it shipped to me soon, I do apologise greatly for the wait, I just hope you don't think that I took you or your company's kindness for granted!
 
If you are still up, they are running a 50% off deal on CU, but it end tomorrow (just not sure if that means 12:01 AM tonight/tomorrow or what). They have a new formula and are pimping it out :)

Invalid Link Removed

I know you said you were thinking of trying out CU, so I wanted to pass this along.
 
Thanks buddy! Can't wait to see you in the log once I get it!
smith_69 have you had anyone log Burn while running some PH's?? If you'd like, I can run a separate log for that at the same time to see if there's any other noteworthy effects. Sounds like I'll finally have it shipped to me soon, I do apologise greatly for the wait, I just hope you don't think that I took you or your company's kindness for granted!

run it and log it and glad its on its way
 
Haven't seen a post from you in a while smith_69. Long time no chat. I must have drifted out of the forums and threads that you frequent. How's life treating you these days? Do you have a new log thread running?
 
We will continue this discussion tomorrow, my friend. I'd like to delve deeper into this conversation now but I am beat!

Always up for discussing training. I need to learn!
 
Haven't seen a post from you in a while smith_69. Long time no chat. I must have drifted out of the forums and threads that you frequent. How's life treating you these days? Do you have a new log thread running?

well did some posting on the company promo's NI 250.00 football challenge (get your guess in for a chance to win a 250.00 gift card)

not running any logs at the moment. we finished our move to the new house last week, so just going thru some boxes to see what we missed, getting the other stuff finished. we leave for vacation next week and have a friend staying at the house, so we had to finish the guest bedroom this weekend. we have a semi finished basement, so the kids have another play area downstairs so I was setting that up; bookshelves and bringing stuff downstairs etc.

changing the closest in the kids room, painting and changing lights. electrician coming this weekend so I can hang the tv over the fireplace.

as I mentioned several other places on this forum, I cant even remember, this move has been going on since june 10th. packing up the florida house, moving everything back to nj and storing that. close on the new house mid july, un pack 2 moving trucks and then we had to move the rest of other stuff from the old house in nj before the first of august. we are renting that house out.

we were supposed to move to fl, but that job didn't pan out (lucky it worked the way it did) so next weeks vacation is much needed. when I come back I will be running something before we leave for aruba in November.

needless to say, I don't want to see cardboard, tape or a truck for a long time

how you been
 
well did some posting on the company promo's NI 250.00 football challenge (get your guess in for a chance to win a 250.00 gift card)

not running any logs at the moment. we finished our move to the new house last week, so just going thru some boxes to see what we missed, getting the other stuff finished. we leave for vacation next week and have a friend staying at the house, so we had to finish the guest bedroom this weekend. we have a semi finished basement, so the kids have another play area downstairs so I was setting that up; bookshelves and bringing stuff downstairs etc.

changing the closest in the kids room, painting and changing lights. electrician coming this weekend so I can hang the tv over the fireplace.

as I mentioned several other places on this forum, I cant even remember, this move has been going on since june 10th. packing up the florida house, moving everything back to nj and storing that. close on the new house mid july, un pack 2 moving trucks and then we had to move the rest of other stuff from the old house in nj before the first of august. we are renting that house out.

we were supposed to move to fl, but that job didn't pan out (lucky it worked the way it did) so next weeks vacation is much needed. when I come back I will be running something before we leave for aruba in November.

needless to say, I don't want to see cardboard, tape or a truck for a long time

how you been

Been good, I went AWOL from AM for almost 2 months myself, due to RL getting in the way (so inconsiderate :)). I am just getting back into the swing of things. Luckily I was still able to maintain my workouts during that "outage". Aside from moving efforts have you been able to continue working out? Or are you getting your exercise moving out/moving in?
 
Been good, I went AWOL from AM for almost 2 months myself, due to RL getting in the way (so inconsiderate :)). I am just getting back into the swing of things. Luckily I was still able to maintain my workouts during that "outage". Aside from moving efforts have you been able to continue working out? Or are you getting your exercise moving out/moving in?

the past 4 weekends was none stop, so my w/o were on the weekdays, 1 body part and focused on lighter wgt and higher reps. nothing crazy

I do this thing called the 26 by 6 every 2 to 3 months to really shock the crap out of the muscles

-you pick a body part
-5 exercises
start with a wgt that you can do for 26 reps- not some cheap up and down 1 lb crap, but enough that after 26 you got a good burn
add on more wgt, 5-10 lbs and reduce the reps by 6 and keep repeating until you get to 6 reps- take no more than 1 min -to 1 min 30 between sets and if you must complete the full set. so if you have to do 12 and only get 9, you wait 15 seconds and bang out the rest.

do this for each exercise and stick to one body part only. make sure the reps are clean, no jerky stuff.
this is a shock to the muscle and makes you either say f this or go for it. when you get done with the 5 exercise, youll be pretty swoll! make sure you have some bcaa with this and/or Gatorade- electrolytes needed.

just read up on your log and doing good, just remember don't get down on yourself. only time to do that is when you stop going completely
 
the past 4 weekends was none stop, so my w/o were on the weekdays, 1 body part and focused on lighter wgt and higher reps. nothing crazy

I do this thing called the 26 by 6 every 2 to 3 months to really shock the crap out of the muscles

-you pick a body part
-5 exercises
start with a wgt that you can do for 26 reps- not some cheap up and down 1 lb crap, but enough that after 26 you got a good burn
add on more wgt, 5-10 lbs and reduce the reps by 6 and keep repeating until you get to 6 reps- take no more than 1 min -to 1 min 30 between sets and if you must complete the full set. so if you have to do 12 and only get 9, you wait 15 seconds and bang out the rest.

do this for each exercise and stick to one body part only. make sure the reps are clean, no jerky stuff.
this is a shock to the muscle and makes you either say f this or go for it. when you get done with the 5 exercise, youll be pretty swoll! make sure you have some bcaa with this and/or Gatorade- electrolytes needed.

just read up on your log and doing good, just remember don't get down on yourself. only time to do that is when you stop going completely

Sounds like a workout I would enjoy! It's about an 8 on the masochism's scale when a 10 involves blood 'n guts.
 
16AUG16

Legs:

Sled Press - Slightly Higher Foot Placement for More Ham Activation:
20 X 2 PPS
18 X 4 PPS
14 X 6 PPS
10 X 8 PPS
3 X 10 PPS - 1 Short of Failure
20 X 4 PPS
BB Back Squat SS w/ Single Leg SLDL's:
12 X 135/12 ea. X 40
7 X 225/12 ea. X 40
7 X 225/12 ea. X 40
7 X 225/12 ea. X 40
BB Front Squats:
8 X 135
6 X 155
4 X 175
Standing Hamstring Curls - Unilateral:
17.5 ea. X 60
11 ea. X 90
7 ea. X 110
Leg Extensions - Burnout Set:
25 X 50

Decent session, pump not nearly as much there as it was last time. I felt like death today, or least my energy levels felt like it. Coffee has been my friend, and I see my relationship with it growing even stronger. I was impressed with my leg press, but I guess you could say I went too hard on that one exercise and it left everything else feeling lacklustre. Don't get me wrong, it was a good workout and I pushed myself but I'm guessing that this big deficit is finally getting to me. Almost 1k cals under maintenance level, probably cannot sustain this intensity/volume of training for long while doing that. Also, one of my bosses at work got into head about this deficit too, he's a big guy, more into PL/Stongman type stuff. He was with us in the desert and that's the last time he cut, he told me he was still eating 4,000 cals a day but they were clean cals and he lost like 45lbs. Granted he started at like 270+ and that definitely has a lot to do with it, and the fact it was 140+ outside every day too. But still, he was telling me it was too low and I'm pretty much catabolic even though I'm hitting good macro totals (equal to or more than 1g/lb protein and 60% of macros are carbs/fats). I think that got into my head a bit and messed me up. Can't let that happen again lol. I've also noticed that the added abdominal training has taken a huge load off my lower back, and squats feel better. I've also been sure to try and not activate the back at all during SLDL's and solely focus on glute/hamstring. Been doing at least 4 sets of 15 sec vacuums daily, although I forgot to put those in the past couple posts.

Also, still smoothing out the bumps of having the wife train with me again. After her being out of commission from her broken foot for so long I was geared up for solo training at my pace, so performance may suffer for a few more days.
 
Sounds like a workout I would enjoy! It's about an 8 on the masochism's scale when a 10 involves blood 'n guts.

yea especially when you get to day 5! DOMS there is no cure lol
 
If you are still up, they are running a 50% off deal on CU, but it end tomorrow (just not sure if that means 12:01 AM tonight/tomorrow or what). They have a new formula and are pimping it out :)

Invalid Link Removed

I know you said you were thinking of trying out CU, so I wanted to pass this along.

No, I was totally asleep by then lol! I'll keep an eye out for future promos, they seem to run fairly often but if not I don't mind paying for a product that is genuine. Also, I know you dose protein differently than most others as far as your intra shakes go, but if you're in the mood for an actual shake rather than a bar or something, check out MTS Whey. They have a ton of flavors that aren't your typical bland selections on protein. I'll probably try that next time I need a tub, it seems to have great reviews. Also some good flavors for cooking with protein too if you ever want to try that.
 
No, I was totally asleep by then lol! I'll keep an eye out for future promos, they seem to run fairly often but if not I don't mind paying for a product that is genuine. Also, I know you dose protein differently than most others as far as your intra shakes go, but if you're in the mood for an actual shake rather than a bar or something, check out MTS Whey. They have a ton of flavors that aren't your typical bland selections on protein. I'll probably try that next time I need a tub, it seems to have great reviews. Also some good flavors for cooking with protein too if you ever want to try that.

Whenver Nutriverse has a 20% OL sale you can get the CU for almost the same price. That promo ended a little over 10 hours ago and was $23.99 per tub, from NV w/ 20% off (a sale they run often) it comes in at $27.99 (if I recall). Bear in mind that a single tub only has 20 servings, so factor that in. The one advantage to that promo was that it came w/ 10 sample packs of Hydro3 (pump supp) with each CU tub ordered. It also was for the new CU, with a more pure J. Regina extract. Not sure if NV still has the old version stock to clear out. A little birdie told me that Hydro3 was being discontinued due to IP issues with one of its ingredients. One of the main ingredients, their proprietary HydroMax, is still in CU, which helps with the pump. :)

I will give MTS Whey a look-see. I normally stick with either bulk (unflavored) whey (isolate, hydro and casein) or ON Natural Whey (no artificial sweeteners) *That I mix in with my bulk powders to give them flavor :). I am sensitive to sucralose (as some are) and since they don't list the amounts I typically avoid anything with it, or any artificial sweeteners, in them.
 
Whenver Nutriverse has a 20% OL sale you can get the CU for almost the same price. That promo ended a little over 10 hours ago and was $23.99 per tub, from NV w/ 20% off (a sale they run often) it comes in at $27.99 (if I recall). Bear in mind that a single tub only has 20 servings, so factor that in. The one advantage to that promo was that it came w/ 10 sample packs of Hydro3 (pump supp) with each CU tub ordered. It also was for the new CU, with a more pure J. Regina extract. Not sure if NV still has the old version stock to clear out. A little birdie told me that Hydro3 was being discontinued due to IP issues with one of its ingredients. One of the main ingredients, their proprietary HydroMax, is still in CU, which helps with the pump. :)

I will give MTS Whey a look-see. I normally stick with either bulk (unflavored) whey (isolate, hydro and casein) or ON Natural Whey (no artificial sweeteners) *That I mix in with my bulk powders to give them flavor :). I am sensitive to sucralose (as some are) and since they don't list the amounts I typically avoid anything with it, or any artificial sweeteners, in them.

correct about OL- heard they will have a bogo sale at some point to finish off the remaining supply.
 
Whenver Nutriverse has a 20% OL sale you can get the CU for almost the same price. That promo ended a little over 10 hours ago and was $23.99 per tub, from NV w/ 20% off (a sale they run often) it comes in at $27.99 (if I recall). Bear in mind that a single tub only has 20 servings, so factor that in. The one advantage to that promo was that it came w/ 10 sample packs of Hydro3 (pump supp) with each CU tub ordered. It also was for the new CU, with a more pure J. Regina extract. Not sure if NV still has the old version stock to clear out. A little birdie told me that Hydro3 was being discontinued due to IP issues with one of its ingredients. One of the main ingredients, their proprietary HydroMax, is still in CU, which helps with the pump. :)

I will give MTS Whey a look-see. I normally stick with either bulk (unflavored) whey (isolate, hydro and casein) or ON Natural Whey (no artificial sweeteners) *That I mix in with my bulk powders to give them flavor :). I am sensitive to sucralose (as some are) and since they don't list the amounts I typically avoid anything with it, or any artificial sweeteners, in them.

correct about OL- heard they will have a bogo sale at some point to finish off the remaining supply.

Awesome news, I won't need another order of PWO for a bit but who can resist a good deal?
Sparkss I did forget for a moment that sucralose is an issue for you and I didn't check the ingredients closely enough to see if it is used or not. If not, I think it'd be worth a shot. My bother has tried Marc Lobliner's (guy behind MTS products) PWO's and they didn't do anything for him, but he could've been non-responsive to them as well. However, he still uses other products that don't do anything for me and he loves them, so take it for what you will.
 
Awesome news, I won't need another order of PWO for a bit but who can resist a good deal?

If you are talking about the OL BOGO that smith_69 mentioned, I think that was for the Hydro3. The new CU is already being sold directly from the OL site, none of the "old" left. Although Nutriverse (or otheres) may do something to clear out their old stock. The main (only) difference is the use of J.Regina from a different, more pure/potent, source. Same ingredient profile and list on the label, just a bit stronger stim-wise. This also means that the non-stim version is not affected.

Sparkss I did forget for a moment that sucralose is an issue for you and I didn't check the ingredients closely enough to see if it is used or not. If not, I think it'd be worth a shot. My bother has tried Marc Lobliner's (guy behind MTS products) PWO's and they didn't do anything for him, but he could've been non-responsive to them as well. However, he still uses other products that don't do anything for me and he loves them, so take it for what you will.

I occassionally try a product with Surcalose, if 1. I mess up and don't pay enough attention to the label, and am too cheap to not use it after paying for it (LOL). 2. It is something I really want to try/use and Sucralose is low, or better last, on the ingredients list (since we know the list is in order of amount included). But when I do, I make sure to use it no more than once a day, no other products with Sucralose that day either, and added/extra probiotics that day.

One example are the Kill Carb Grenade bars. They actually are great tasting and in general have an excellent profile. I do like them better than the Quest, but the Quest bars I use are the "natural" ones only (think there are 6 total that fall into that category). So far I have been OK with the Killa Carb bars, but it is hard to tell if my bathroom habits are mildly different because of the bars or anything else throughout the day (I am invariably eating something I shouldn't :)). I also use ON Tricelle Casein in my nighttime shake, and it has sucralose, but I use only a little of it mixed in with my bulk casein powders, and seem to handle that small amount well enough. I just wish they would list actual amounts of those ingredients so that I could determine my daily intake threshold for it. *sigh* :)
 
17AUG16

Delts/Arms:

Rope Face Pulls SS w/ Incline EZ-Bar Skullcrushers:
30 X 25kg/20 X 25kg
25 X 50kg/18 X 30kg
18 X 72.5kg/13 X 35kg
13 X 80kg/8 X 40kg
Seated DB Press SS w/ DB Curls:
15 X 45's/10 X 30's
10 X 55's/10 X 30's
3 X 70's/10 X 30's
6 X 60's/10 X 30's
Hammer Strength Shrugs SS w/ DB Side Laterals:
15 X 2 PPS/12 X 20's
12 X 3 PPS/12 X 20's
8 X 4 PPS/12 X 20's
7 X 4 PPS/12 X 20's
Underhand Pushdowns - Cambered Bar SS w/ Behind The Neck Press - Standing, Straight Bar:
15 X 30kg/15 X 30kg
13 X 42.5kg/12 X 35kg
10 X 57.5kg/7 X 40kg
DB Front Raises - To Failure SS w/ Cross Body Curls:
16 X 20's/12 ea. X 30
15 X 20's/9 ea. X 30
Rope Pushdowns SS w/ Standing Calf Raises:
20 X 35kg/15 X 115
17 X 42.5kg/12 X 145
10 X 50kg/9 X 190
25 X 25kg/20 X 85
Hammer Strength Bicep Curl - Burnout:
18 ea. X 70


Short-ish session today. Energy is still lacking, strength is wavering, but I feel I'm still making some progress. This super deficit tunnel I'm in is almost over, I don't see myself being able to sustain this and not "lose" anything for an extended period of time. Especially with adding cardio back in as a regular thing, I needs me some energy. Saturday is a going away dinner, I'll hold out until then and use it as a refeed to kickstart to recovery from this hell of diet. To be honest, I didn't see too drastic of a change going from 2300 to 1900, except for possible negative effects. I should do just fine at 2300-2500 (300-500 under maintenance level, most likely net cals will be less with cardio factored in) and still see measurable, and retainable, progress. Just some thoughts. If anyone has any ideas or pointers for a diet, or if this 1900 cals thing is good or completely awful, feel free to speak up. I'm always down to learn.
 
About to hit chest and back. Dosed 27g of carbs from an instant oats pack, I've been really low carb the past week or so, less than 100g/day. We'll see if there's a marked increase in performance with the PWO carbs.
 
About to hit chest and back. Dosed 27g of carbs from an instant oats pack, I've been really low carb the past week or so, less than 100g/day. We'll see if there's a marked increase in performance with the PWO carbs.

What is your PWO? Does it have any gda/partitioner (like agmatine)? That will make a huge difference combined with the PWO carbs.
 
What is your PWO? Does it have any gda/partitioner (like agmatine)? That will make a huge difference combined with the PWO carbs.

Condense by Purus Labs. No Agmatine or any other partitioners by the looks of it. I've tried Partition-MD by Prime Nutrition, but I was definitely still too high of a BF% and overloaded on carbs when I tried it. I'll take some before my "refeed" meal this weekend, and let you know how it is. Also any effects it may have.
 
18AUG16

Chest/Back:

Flat DB Press SS w/ Pull-ups:
15 X 50's/15 X BW
10 X 90's/13 X BW
6.5 X 110's - Failure/10 X BW - Slower Negs
5 X 110's/9 X BW -Slower Negs
Incline DB Flyes SS w/ Incline Bench DB Rows - Lying Prone On Bench, Simultaneous Row:
12 X 25's - Deep Stretch/15 X 40's
12 X 30's/12 X 55's
9 (+6 Partials) x 35's/12 X 65's
Decline BB Press - AMRAP X 205 SS w/ Straight Arm Pulldowns:
12 X 205/20 X 35kg
10 X 205/15 X 50kg
9 X 205/10 (+5 Partials) X 50kg
Deficit Deads SS w/ Seated Calf Raises:
12 X 135/20 X 2 Plates
5 X 225/20 X 2 Plates
3 X 315/20 X 2 Plates
3 X 315/20 X 2 Plates
3 X 315/20 X 2 Plates

Short session again, I don't like being crunched for time...the wife is keeping us from getting there at 7. They close at 9, we've been getting there at around 8. I like having the peace of mind of having more time than I need rather than rush through. Still an overall great session, pulls felt really good after not doing them for a week or so, hams are lighting up on the deficit work so that's a good sign. I wanted to hit more back work today as far as pull-ups/pulldowns/rows but I still felt good by the end of the session. Really liking having DB's that are heavier than 100's, makes it more challenging.
 
Back
Top