Sparkss journey to recovery

[Sparkss]

I actually meant to say:

After the reunion, depending on how my workouts and diet (and body response) are doing I plan to stop everything for 4 weeks, then start up with 1 (no stack) to see if it is the epicat, ABE, or something else that is contributing to my body comp.

 

[Sparkss]

Good to see you alive and well!

Thanks Man, to you and Sparks2012 both!

For your upcoming bulk, Sarms come to mind, lets talk later about it.

I actually have some (LGD, Ostarine and Cardarine) that I picked up earlier this year. I just need to source some PCT supplies before diving in. I had hoped my current GP/Endo would help out with a (Clomid) prescription, but that hoped died with my last visit to him.

 

[Sparkss]

double posted.

 

[Sparkss]

I would add that on non-workout days my appetite is relatively "normal". Today was a "rest day" and I did not feel ravenous at all. Definitely not like the last 3 ~ 4 days. We will see what tomorrow holds.

 

[Sparkss]

7/29
*All presses are DBs

Flat Bench Press...................30/20, 40/20, 45/16, 14, 12 ,12
Incline Bench Press...............35/10, 10, (3 min pause for phone call), 14, 10, 11, 11, 10
Incline BB Pushup.................14, 11, 12, 11, 11, 10
Cavalerie Crossover..............45/20, 50*/16, 15, 15, 15, 15
Decline Pushups...................22, 16, 4*** (hit an shoulder impingement in surgery shoulder, so I stopped)
Diamond Pushups (Tris)........18, 16, 15, 14, (4 min bathroom break), 18, 16

Today's workout was interrupted twice, once by a call once by a need to pee . I focused on the big movements, and several more of each than usual, today. All in all my chest and tris felt pretty worked over when I finished.

 

[hairygrandpa]

7/29
*All presses are DBs

Flat Bench Press...................30/20, 40/20, 45/16, 14, 12 ,12
Incline Bench Press...............35/10, 10, (3 min pause for phone call), 14, 10, 11, 11, 10
Incline BB Pushup.................14, 11, 12, 11, 11, 10
Cavalerie Crossover..............45/20, 50*/16, 15, 15, 15, 15
Decline Pushups...................22, 16, 4*** (hit an shoulder impingement in surgery shoulder, so I stopped)
Diamond Pushups (Tris)........18, 16, 15, 14, (4 min bathroom break), 18, 16

Today's workout was interrupted twice, once by a call once by a need to pee . I focused on the big movements, and several more of each than usual, today. All in all my chest and tris felt pretty worked over when I finished.

With my current shoulder injury, I feel more sympathetic towards you. Now I have to find exercises to work around the issue, like you do. Well, there are plenty of movements left to do, better than sitting at home in self pity.

 

[Sparkss]

sometimes it is a simple matter of an extra couple inches wider, or closer, grip than normal that will allow me to complete an exercise. Sometimes I can tell it just isn't happening and I move on to a different movement/exercise. But you are right, there are lots of movements that are still possible.

At least you have a full gym of equipment to choose from. I envy you that. I am supposed to change work locations to an office on a pretty large campus, with a full (private, for employees only) gym (for only $10 per month dues). I am almost looking forward to that change as I am starting to loose "freshness" in my workouts with my limited equipment here. There are also some exercises that I could do on a machine but not with free weights (due to my shoulder). Tricep pushdowns come to mind. I can isolate and work my tris better on a machine than I can with my limited ROM and freeweights.

The extra commute to that office is going to suck though, so it is not all roses.

 

[sparks2012]

Sparkss I feel for you and @hairgrandpa. I'm sure you've heard my sob story of how I tore my right AC joint and couldn't press right for what felt like an eternity. Well, you both are right. There's many ways to train around an injury, sometime it's just a matter of going lighter. But the grip width, or position (i.e. Hammer grip instead of a normal horizontal grip, or even holding DB's at a 45 degree angle) helps tremendously with taking stress off the injured area just enough to benefit from the exercise and heal up reasonably quickly. Happy to hear that you'll have access to gym, but on the same token I'm sorry to hear about the commute. You don't NEED more equipment to get it done, but it sure does help

 

[hairygrandpa]

Sparkss I feel for you and @hairgrandpa. I'm sure you've heard my sob story of how I tore my right AC joint and couldn't press right for what felt like an eternity. Well, you both are right. There's many ways to train around an injury, sometime it's just a matter of going lighter. But the grip width, or position (i.e. Hammer grip instead of a normal horizontal grip, or even holding DB's at a 45 degree angle) helps tremendously with taking stress off the injured area just enough to benefit from the exercise and heal up reasonably quickly. Happy to hear that you'll have access to gym, but on the same token I'm sorry to hear about the commute. You don't NEED more equipment to get it done, but it sure does help

Will not use those equipment's if possible. I think DB's are the way to go as they give you the needed range of motion -and angle, as you mentioned.
For me it's the mind that suffers most, getting over the initial depression is crucial, accepting the new limitations.
Now I have two fugged up knees and one bad shoulder, there isn't much left who could brake, that's good news! LOL
Looking at Sparkss diligence with his limitations gives me strength! Go-go-go Sparkss !

 

[Sparkss]

Looking at Sparkss diligence with his limitations gives me strength! Go-go-go Sparkss !

You give me way too much credit, but thank you very much for the kind words and encouragement!!!

 

[hairygrandpa]

You give me way too much credit, but thank you very much for the kind words and encouragement!!!

Nope, I don't. Most people of your (our) age would be diabetic couch potatoes after an accident like this. Your welcome, brother!

 

[Sparkss]

There's many ways to train around an injury, sometime it's just a matter of going lighter. But the grip width, or position (i.e. Hammer grip instead of a normal horizontal grip, or even holding DB's at a 45 degree angle) helps tremendously with taking stress off the injured area just enough to benefit from the exercise and heal up reasonably quickly.

I wanted to echo what sparks2012 said about hammer grip and 45 degree angles. Those are methods I use in almost every exercise. All curls, raises and pull-overs are hammer grip and for presses the DBs are held at 45 degrees (on a horizontal plane) versus being perpendicular to my body (like a BB would be) -- The 45 degree press also applies to push ups.

Will not use those equipment's if possible. I think DB's are the way to go as they give you the needed range of motion -and angle, as you mentioned.

I use DBs for 2 reasons. 1. no spotter, training in a room all by myself and 2. range of motion. I don't think I could press a BB anymore with my shoulder. That locked in track of motion is not one that my shoulder allows any more.

 

[Sparkss]

Will not use those equipment's if possible.

I also wanted to add that in addition to some exercises I cannot do with free weights due to my injury, there are some that I just cannot do at all with free weights (like seated row, lat pulldown, (real) cable crossover, leg press, leg extension, leg curl, seated calf raises, etc.). I plan to continue to use free weights for as much as I can, but there will be many new exercise options available and some better alternatives to the ones I use now. . Maybe they will have a weight assist pull up machine. I think that would really help loosen up my shoulder (hurt like %^#&!@%! but end result would be improved ROM).

 

[Sparkss]

7/30

Bent Over BB Rows (Underhand grip)..........95/25, 115*/20, 20, 18, 18, 18, 17, 17, 16
Landmines.....................................................50*/24, 23, 23, 24, 24, 23, 23, 22
Incline Alternating DB curls............................25/20, 19, 16, 15, 12***
SuperSet
Back Hyper Extensions..................................10/30, 28, 25, 24, 25

* Max weight available
*** Felt an impingement in my bicep that was surgically re-attached, so I stopped

I again went after high volume on the "big" movement exercises. I really wanted to get 3 more bicep sets in, but when I feel the "twinge" in that arm I just can't take that chance.

Today was the first day taking Follidrone 2.0 and AlphaMax XT (2 caps each, immediately upon waking, about 40 mins before my workout started). I was a little delayed starting my workout this morning, hence missing the recommended "take 20 minutes before workout", but oh well. All in all it wasn't a bad workout.

I also always include the back hyper extensions, even though they are not really "big" exercises. But with my bulging discs (L4, L5, S1) I found that if I slack on those lower back exercises, that everything else starts to suffer, both in and out of my "gym".

 

[sparks2012]

Good session today man. Being in tune with your own limits will preserve the longevity of your training. Who says you can't push yourself with injuries?

 

[Sparkss]

My wife peeked in today, around the end of the 3rd set of bent over rows, and snapped a picture.

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The backlighting is a bit rough, but its all I got for now

 

[sparks2012]

My wife peeked in today, around the end of the 3rd set of bent over rows, and snapped a picture.

Invalid Link Removed

The backlighting is a bit rough, but its all I got for now

Looking lean n' mean! I know this isn't an accurate representation of your starting pics, but you can definitely tell you've shredded up and put on size in the right places.

 

[Sparkss]

Thanks. I do feel a little puffy today, been running on a surplus for weeks now. The main difference I see with ABE / Epicatechin is that if any gets stored as fat, it goes to visceral versus subcutaneous fat. Another way to put it is I can still see an outline of my abs, but my lower abdomen sticks out a little more in general.

According to the scale I am roughly 4+ pounds heavier than when I started 8 or so weeks ago. But how much is water weight or fat versus lean muscle I don't know yet. Now that I have switched to Follidrone and AlphaMax we will see if 1. the appetite subsides a little and 2. if any water weight dies up. 3. The recomp affects of this stack noted by others help get rid of any added fat (of any type).

I need to do the yardwork today, 1.5 hours of exercise . I plan to do it fasted w/ yohimbine. It has been productive when I did that in the past. I have 5 weeks before the reunion. They plan to have a pool party one of the days, so I have a target to work on my cut towards (otherwise I would keep bulking and not worry about it). Vanity is such a b**ch

 

[hairygrandpa]

Looking really GOOD! Nice little gym too! Love that futuristic looking exercise chair, right out of a sci-fi movie!

 

[Sparkss]

Looking really GOOD! Nice little gym too!

Thanks for both compliments. To stay motivated I needed to setup a small space for my equipment, and to keep it clean and organized (as much as possible, anyways). I would add more to it if I didn't already know I would have access to a "real" gym in a couple of months. So I can't justify the $$, even for more weights (at least not at this time).

Love that futuristic looking exercise chair, right out of a sci-fi movie!

That is just a recumbent elliptical. Due to my back injuries I use it for cardio. It puts significantly less strain on my back . They sell them on Amazon even (but I bought mine local).

 

[sparks2012]

Thanks. I do feel a little puffy today, been running on a surplus for weeks now. The main difference I see with ABE / Epicatechin is that if any gets stored as fat, it goes to visceral versus subcutaneous fat. Another way to put it is I can still see an outline of my abs, but my lower abdomen sticks out a little more in general.

According to the scale I am roughly 4+ pounds heavier than when I started 8 or so weeks ago. But how much is water weight or fat versus lean muscle I don't know yet. Now that I have switched to Follidrone and AlphaMax we will see if 1. the appetite subsides a little and 2. if any water weight dies up. 3. The recomp affects of this stack noted by others help get rid of any added fat (of any type).

I need to do the yardwork today, 1.5 hours of exercise . I plan to do it fasted w/ yohimbine. It has been productive when I did that in the past. I have 5 weeks before the reunion. They plan to have a pool party one of the days, so I have a target to work on my cut towards (otherwise I would keep bulking and not worry about it). Vanity is such a b**ch

Nothing wrong with a little vanity, I bet that almost anyone who lifts or exercises regularly does not do it for health benefits only...maybe at the start that's what they did but once you see what you can do to your own body, there's always a degree of vanity. How has your run with ABE been? I haven't looked into much but I see it discussed frequently. And fasted is the way to go my friend, even just walking the dog fasted does help. Hell, we did 5 miles in just over an hour the other day. Totally unplanned! Lol

 

[Sparkss]

I loved the ABE run. But it seemed like it took forever to kick in. The body comp effects were there, but the appetite kick was only noticeable, but not significant, at least not until the last week (of an 8 week run). Then I ate everything in sight. I hated stopping that run, to be honest. I have a bottle ready for after my 4 week "rest" period from it. It all will depend on how Follidrone 2.0 is treating me at that time as to whether I jump back to ABE or finish out the F2. I also will add that when I ran ABE I stacked it with Ep1c transdermal. One thing I noticed is that the GDA/Nutrient Partitioning effect was active well into the evening, even though my last dose was mid-afternoon. Especially since I found if I dosed ABE after 3 PM I could not sleep that night. Ep1c did not have the same application constraints for me, as I often applied it right after my shower, just before bedtime.

 

[Sparkss]

8/1

Deadlift.............95/20, 115*/16, 17, 17, 17, 16, 16, 16, 16
Squat.............115*/12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12
Calf Raises......50*/15, 12, 12, 12, 12, 11, 10, 10

Today was a bit lackluster, despite the volume. It hit triple digit temperatures yesterday while I was doing the yard work and I over heated. I think I am still feeling the backlash from that. Plus I take leg day a little slower as it really ramps up my heart rate. I have a slight heart mummer so I like to let my BPM come back down before I start the next set. Probably not needed, but I feel (mentally) better taking a slightly longer break between sets.

 

[Sparkss]

8/2 Shoulders / Traps

Overhead DB Press...................20/25, 30/14, 12, 12, 10, 9***
1 Arm Lateral Raise...................15/15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
Reverse Flyes (Incline Bench)...20/15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
Front Raise (Hammer Grip).......25/15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
Upright BB Row.........................65/16, 15, 14, 12, 12, 11
Shrugs......................................50*/18, 15, 12**, 15, 15, 15, 12

* Max weight available
** Grip was the limiting factor
*** Felt an impingement in my shoulder, so I stopped


Workout had a less than stellar start. I got up on time, drank my PWO and got ready to lift, but got pulled into something at work that delayed the start by almost an hour. Despite that, and shoulders being a love/hate relationship for me, it turned into a pretty good workout. I did some reading and will switch things up a little on my next shoulder day.

In more general terms I am back down "feeling" lean again (or at least not feeling "puffy"). Between losing any stored water when I succumbed to heat exhaustion on Sunday and a couple of truly robust bowel movements, my waist is back down again (sorry for the TMI ). Guess I need to get used to seeing a noticeable change between a good meal and a later bathroom visit.

My appetite is also up again today, not quite to the levels it was a week or two ago, but pretty strong. I am not ravenous, but I can just keep on eating without feeling full. The GDA effects of F2/AlphaMax is more subtle than ABE/Ep1c was, but appears to be no less effective. While I am only a couple of days into the run with them, I should be saturated with their main ingredients from my previous run (epicatechin and forksolin). But I will withhold accolades until they have had time to take affect in their own right. I will add that I had 1 (single) ABE left over (not sure how that happened), so I took it pre-lunch today. Maybe that is why my appetite picked back up? Tomorrow will tell for sure.

 

[sparks2012]

No BM's, robust or not, is TMI for this guy. The stuff we joke about at work would put us into a year-long cultural sensitivity course...lol.

Glad to hear you're not feeling puffy too! Looks like a productive shoulder workout, I hate when I take PWO and something comes up that delays me getting to the gym.

 

[Sparkss]

my diet yesterday was off the hook, eating everything in sight, but not all of it being "clean" . I went to bed @ 175 lbs, woke up this morning and weighed in @ 169 lbs. And yes, I had a discernible "baby bump" last night, even after my nightly BM . And that was with my normal nightly bedtime protein shake. I did start taking one of my AlphaMax XT doses at bedtime (IE: 20 ~ 30 minute prior) and I also have been including 500 mg agmatine in my bedtime shake (for a couple of months now), which does help lean me out. Although I did read a study that suggested not taking agmatine at the same time as whey because the protein slows down the absorption of the agmatine reducing its effectiveness. That may be true during the day (the reduction of effectiveness), but at night I think it helps stretch out the effects, since I am not taking in any more calories anyways (after the protein shake).

I also noticed I slept a lot more than normal last night. I typically do not set an alarm unless I have an early morning meeting or event. I was exhausted last night and went to bed a little early. I woke at my normal time, which put me at roughly 8.5 hours of sleep. I got up, emptied my bladder and was about to jump into my day, but I was still very fatigued. So I decided to listen to my body and went back to bed and slept for another 45 minutes. I felt more refreshed afterwards, but thought it was interesting to note.

My legs have also been so very sore. I am not sure I have worked them this hard in recent memory. The soreness started yesterday (1 day after the leg workout) and carried through still to now. Odd thing is my calves are quite sore too, and I didn't really do anything different with them during my last leg workout. I actually had been thinking of doubling up on calf exercises (IE: adding in a set of calf exercises to another workout day, to work them twice a week). But right now I can't imagine doing any calf raises LOL.

I am also considering changing up my workout routine to a modified PHAT. It will be quite a departure from my current body part split (legs, shoulders/traps, chest/tris, back/bis). I just need to change up my routine as it is starting to feel "stale" (although a lot of that is my limited exercise options making it all feel extremely repetitive)

 

[Sparkss]

8/3 Chest/Tris

Flat Bench Press...........35/20, 45/16, 16, 15, 15, 3 min break, 16, 12, 12, 11
Incline Bench Press......30/12, 12, 12, 14, 14, 10, 10, 9, 9
Incline DB Pullover........30/12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12
Incline Tri Extension......30/15, 12, 14, 11, 11, 11, 11

I wanted to do the seated overhead triceps extension, but lack the ROM in my shoulder to do it (properly). While trying the incline DB pullover exercise I discovered that I could also adapt that to an incline (overhead) triceps extension exercise and even with the limited ROM I could get a full extension and contraction on my triceps. The caveat being that if I went to failure I was sort of "stuck" with the DB hanging behind my head and moving it to the front required some shoulder mobility that was painful. I am speaking from experience (happened today). So I stopped just 1 short of failure after that. Other than that it was a pretty intense, high volume workout. We will see how my chest responds to this over the next couple of days. I also have started a trend to where no matter what I do I cannot make it through a workout without having to take a bathroom break (at least once). Luckily the bathroom is just a dozen or so steps away and I can get in and out (and wash hands after) in just a couple of minutes. But it still breaks up the flow of the workout, some days more than others.

 

[Sparkss]

I took yesterday off from lifting. I really wanted to roll up to the weekend and then take one of both weekend days off, but it just was not meant to be. My body was screaming "CNS Recovery". I slept almost 10 hours the previous night, something that I just never do, so I know that I was fatigued. So I took a queue from my body and took a day of rest.

I also had some time to think and realized that my hesitation to buy more equipment (because of soon going into a new office w/ a gym on campus) was short sighted. There will always be days that I want to work from home but still want to get a decent workout, holidays, weekends (when the gym is not open), not to mention the couple of months between now and when i will start driving in. So I am going to buy the "stage 2" set of weights, basically 20 more lbs per DB (40 total for the BB). They also have a kettlebell (called kettleblock) handle for using the Powerblocks that I am giving serious consideration to (the two combined would make a kettlebell squat moderately worthwhile and a possible alternative to the squats I muddle through now). There is a local store where I bought all of my current PB gear. I have a call into them to see if they have either (or both) in stock. I am hopeful that I can pick them up sooner than later. In the past they have been able to order parts for me, saving on shipping charges.

8/5 Back/Biceps

Underhanded BB pullup.....................15 reps
Bent Over Row (Underhand)..............115*/18, 20, 18, 18, 18, 20, 18
Underhanded BB pullup.....................12, 14, 14, 14, 14, 11 reps
Overhanded BB pullup.......................10, 11, 12 reps
High Pulldown.....................................Bk+Or/30, 30, 30, 30, 28
Back Hyper Extension..........................10/26, 25, 22, 20
...SuperSet
Lat Stiff Arm Pressdown.......................Bk/15, 14, 14, 15, 12
BB Curl.................................................35/20, 50/16, 16, 15, 15, 14

I felt my workouts were becoming stale so I tried to mix things up a bit today. I had forgtten that I have two sets of bands + handles. I believe the Black is 100 and the Orange is supposed to be 50 (lbs of resistance), but I need to look that up. i have a door jamb block that I put in the upper part of a door for the high pull and straight arm lat pressdown. The "pullup" was basically 100% reverse of a traditional pullup. I put the barbell across both benches and laying on my back under, and facing up at the bar, using a shoulder width grip pulled my upper body up to the bar. that was a motion that my shoulder could manage w/o going on strike .

I am not sure how I feel about the workout. Many of the exercises were new and I was trying to find the right form and rhythm. Tomorrow will tell the tale for how good of a workout it was .

 

[Sparkss]

I think tomorrow is going to be another rest day. It is supposed to be leg day, but my legs are still sore from the last leg day (hamstrings and calves). More sore than my other muscle groups, although my triceps are also competing for the title , but not my chest . Plus, it is the weekend, which means I need to do the yard work, and I tend to prefer not to workout on the same day that I take care of the yard. Just not a fan of mixing lifting and "cardio". If my wuss legs are still sore of Sunday, and I am lucky enough to get the extra equipment from the store tomorrow, I may take Sunday off also and start a PHAT'ish routine Monday (giving the couple of days rest as a buffer between the two types, not that it is really needed).

I did get to spend about an hour up in the attic today, helping the ATT guy run the network cable from their box on the side of the house to my office in the back. So a bit of jungle-gym exercise + some good "sweat-lodge" action. Luckily I don't sweat ammonia like Sparks2012 .

 

[sparks2012]

Lol at the ammonia comment. Hopefully that's just a phase, clearly I haven't had this many nitrates floating around my system ever, so after the PWO stack is gone in hoping my sweat will smell normal again. I like the KB idea, it really adds a different feel to most movements. For instance, with standard DB flyes, the resistance is in the front of your body and it can be harder to get a stretch at the bottom of your grip/forearms are working to stabilise the DB. With KB's, the weight is hanging behind you and it alters the resistance profile enough to notice it. Same can be said for shoulder press, with the weight behind you it puts more stress on the medial delt, not just the anterior. I also like them for tricep movements too. Very versatile, I would recommend as long as the setup doesn't compromise any physiological issues or your pocketbook

Keep us updated on the PHAT style program too. Hopefully your "cardio" this weekend will get some fresh blood to those sore areas and have you back stronger come Monday!

 

[Sparkss]

Thanks Sparks, I am hoping for a fresh push into the week as well (if not a little sooner.. already feeling a little nervous energy for not having worked out this morning, but still a bit sore LOL). To be honest I had not thought too much about the impact of the KBs other than there were a few additional exercises that would be possible. You are right though, they could change the angles and impacts from many of my existing exercises, hopefully pulling me even further outside of my *pick one*rut, comfort-zone, complacency, monotony) in so far as workouts are concerned. . They sell the KB handles as singles, I was going to buy one and see how it worked out before putting another $75 down for a second handle. The biggest advantage is that they use the same weights as my PowerBlock BD and BB handles do, so they take up almost no additional room for a set of KBs from 5lbs up to 70lbs (if I also buy that stage 2 PB set).

I was thinking that some of those "motion" KB exercises might also help my ROM for my shoulder. Although it seems that a lot of those exercises are almost considered "cross-fit", which still might fit into my overall workout strategy, especially if it helps improve my shoulder overall. Just through my normal training, where I started in January not completely coddling my shoulder when I exercise, my ROM and shoulder health in general (seems to?) have/has improved. I even focus on some exercises that purposefully force me to stretch my shoulder to perform them, like the incline DB pullover triceps movement. I am not sure what was more sore after that, my triceps or my shoulder (but both in a good way)

The store should open later this morning, so I will get to find out when I can start those additional exercises

They are more likely to have the extra weights (than the KB handles), which will allow me to up the weights on those exercises where I had to note the weights with an * (*max weight available). So that should also help. Without that I can't really start a PHAT program since for power/strength training I don't have enough weight to be in the 6 ~ 8 rep range for some exercises.

 

[Sparkss]

I wanted to ramble a little (ok, a little more than normal ) about PH/SARMs or any PEDs and how they may fit into my supplement scheme down the road. I know I have waffled a bit (maybe more than a bit) in the past about using them, not using, staying natty, and somewhere in between (is there such a place?). At first I thought I was going to end up on TRT, so I planned for a PH run using the TRT as my test base and PCT.The blood work came back and I was not a candidate. I had mixed feelings about that (was relieve and frustrated). So then I had to put the PH plans aside and focus on natty options, just to see where it would get me. The challenge is that I have only been back lifting for the last year (since the surgery a couple of years back). But I have over 2 decades of lifting experience, albeit with year or two breaks throughout. And to look at my "starting" picture from this last lifting run you would likely never guess that I ever lifted anything at all (except for a doughnut or two). I think that maybe lost me some credibility with the more experienced PH users when I was asking questions and trying to decide on a run (or not). I also may have appeared impulsive recently by stacking some new supps versus running them standalone first to assess their impact (in fact I am still doing that, a week into this current run). My main reasons for those decisions were due to target deadlines, first being while my family was out of town (in case I reacted by becoming overly-aggressive/cranky), or any other negative affects, and more recently for the family reunion coming up next month that I want to be in good shape for (since it is in south Florida and at least one day is planned around a pool deck). I weighed the cost aspects of just running both against the knowledge aspect of "which one actually helped?" and decided I could justify the additional expense if it helped guarantee the end results within the desired time frame. And so far the results have been there. I don't want anyone following this log to think I jumped in without giving each decision a significant amount of thought. I absolutely have.

Now to my recent rant about wanting to hit something hormonal (and no I am not talking about an extra evening rendezvous with my wife), I keep letting my ego drive my direction. Although thankfully I talk things through ad infinitum long before I actually act on anything. In all transparency, I was feeling good about my gains and progress so far. Then I met up with some friends for dinner out by the beach (boardwalk restaurant on the beach). Between their progress and size and a couple of guys walking around the area I felt small as f***. Then I read someones comment in the Invictus thread about just coming off a (12 or 16 week I think) run of Sup3r-1 and Sup3r-3 with 15+ lbs gains and I get frustrated all over again. I let my ego set me to compete against others, instead of where I need to focus on competing against myself (myself from last week, last month, last year).

I may still take the plunge into PHs later this year. I just need to line up the PCT supplies. I had hoped my endo would be "open" to subscribing Clomid for a low level TRT (since my blood work was on the low end, just not low enough to justify full on TRT). But that hope has long since died. I did get some recommendations for using RCs, just have not made my mind up about it all yet.

For my current stack (Follidrone 2.0 + AlphaMax XT) I am happy overall. The appetite I experienced from the ABE + Ep1C TD run seems to still be present (roughly 1 week after stopping/finishing that stack run). And the recomp benefits are still apparent, plus strength improvements are continuing. The scale does show roughly 4 ~ 5 lbs increase, and holding. This morning my elbow joints did feel a little "dry", I am guessing that is from a combination of hitting many different (new) angles in my workout yesterday, hitting a new top weight for the BB curl and the AI in AlphaMax XT. I have about another week to decide if I want to run F2 for the full 8 weeks (need to order another bottle) or not. I am leaning towards yes, but maybe only up to and through the reunion, then shelve the rest and take a break from all supps for a couple of weeks. I really want to see if I lose any muscle fullness by doing that. Whether from water, increased glycogen stores, or anything else. As much as I like the progress and my look I just want a baseline for my gains, supplement free.

Of course if I ever get too cocky or full of myself I just visit Sparks2012 log, his physique, that Lat V and arms, is humbling to say the least .

 

[hairygrandpa]

Of course if I ever get too cocky or full of myself I just visit Sparks2012 log, his physique, that Lat V and arms, is humbling to say the least .

Hell yeah! I sign this!

I can understand all what you said.
The "on" feeling on some ph's like DMZ -or the non-ph Trest, leave you crave for more. As soon as you are going off, right after PCT, you will feel weak again and gains diminish. It's kind of a spiral, sucking you in.
The end is real AAS, after the first cycle you are pretty hooked.
To get prescription TRT is easy-peasy, just take a ph for some weeks and get blood, LOL.

 

[sparks2012]

Don't worry about movements seeming too "crossfit", it's mostly the people that subscribe to that "cult" that give it a bad name. There's nothing wrong with mobility, OLY lifts, or anything of the sort, even KB's have a deserved spot in the fitness realm. I've looked at couple "WOD's" and they look extremely challenging, both a aerobically and anaerorobically. The caveat to those is performing within your known boundaries (with the exception of pushing yourself, but I'm sure that's already inferred) and performing the exercises safely. The guys that actually do well in the X-Fit games are extremely jacked and pretty strong, high levels of endurance, etc. They didn't get there by doing deads or squats looking like they're in a downward dog yoga pose at the same time, or by kipping all their exercises lmao. Anyway, back to the point at hand. KB movements are great, and one I'm fond of is the KB swing. It's a great warmup, assistance exercise, burnout, aerobic exercise, you name it and the swing could be probably fit in there somehow. I credit that to helping with more posterior chain involvement with my squat and deadlift, as well as getting those sometimes stubborn muscles to "fire" and engage correctly. I don't do them currently because there's no KB's above like 12kg in my current gym but they're a great tool. As far as PH's and AAS go, who doesn't have the strong ego-fuelled urge to hop on a beastly cycle and dominate everything in the gym? You see all these threads about people making awesome gains/losses and it makes you wanna hop on a cycle right now. If you have training experience, why not? Plus those compounds (if used safely and correctly) benefit even more with age as long as there's no underlying health issues already in play. The downside to that is that on cycle support and PCT need to be top notch and failsafe in order to return to normal hormonal production and not shut down and have you feeling like Caitlyn Jenner. If the products are good, you've done your research, and the general outcome will be positive, I don't see a reason to hold off. Take the "plunge" when you want, you obviously know how to look and where to look for info, and HG is the resident guru on this thread too Finding a baseline isn't a bad idea either, that's kinda the reason I started cutting in the first place. I didn't really know where I was sitting LBM-wise.

Also, thank you for the compliments. They mean a lot and I find myself humbled quite often. I always look at it like this: Having self confidence and knowing you're good at what you do, work for what you have/want, etc is great, but don't cross the line into arrogance or thinking you're the best. That's when you stop learning.

 

[Sparkss]

To get prescription TRT is easy-peasy, just take a ph for some weeks and get blood, LOL.

Good point. If I recall there is an issue with that going on my "permanent" medical record. It may affect insurance rates if I try to change companies.

KB movements are great, and one I'm fond of is the KB swing.

That was one of the ones I thought could help my shoulder ROM (slowly building up the weight and stretch).

The store have the "stage 2" extension, so I now have up to 70 lbs per DB and 155 for the BB. The KB handle is on order, they had it in another store in and it is being transported to my local store location. I hope to have it by the end of the week (coming up from Orlando). A couple of exercises that were limited by the weights I had, that will now benefit from the expansion: Deadlifts, Squats, Standing Calf Raises, Shrugs, Bent Over Rows, 1 Arm Db Rows, Landmines, and I am sure one or two more I have forgotten. So I am stoked about getting those weights.

Thanks to both of you for all of the advice on PHs, AAS, and the rest of it. If I could maintain my recent workout intensity, appetite and add in something hormonal, then I should be able to truly kill it for gains. The biggest hurdle I see right now is that my body is not keeping up with my drive and workouts. PH/AAS should help with that, if I interpreted the information about them correctly. But I don't want to start anything (new/unknown) before the reunion early next month, just going to stay the course with what I have. After that I am going to be taking a much harder look at my options.

On the topic of my appetite, I have noticed a correlation between the intensity of my workouts and the level of my appetite. But even with that being said I am able to eat significantly more without getting full than I ever could before. To the point where I keep waiting for the inevitable stomach ache/pain to set in after a particularly massive feast (or two), but it never does. That also brings up another embarrassing point that more likely than not my workouts, despite feeling "challenging", were lackluster in intensity, until recently (last 3 or 4 weeks). Mental? Physical? Pharmacological? Some combination thereof? I am not sure, but I am hoping that adding in the heavier weights and changing up the workout with some strength training will help sustain, or even increase, my current intensity level.

My legs are feeling less sore (can't say much more than that ), the lawn was a little wet from rain overnight, so pushing the mower took a bit more than normal, so I did get a smallish workout today (legs and chest). I am going to give a shot at a workout tomorrow morning. Will report how it goes

 

[hairygrandpa]

I used KB a lot in the past for shoulders, mainly for one armed side laterals, it's a good exercise and somehow does not strain the joints as much.
When the day comes, we all will help you setting up the cycle. It will be an awesome ride.

 

[sparks2012]

Yep, I second what HG said. I'll help with whatever I can, my knowledge on the application of various compounds is limited, aside from what I've used. Haven't touched AAS at all, not that I'm against them by any means but more so because access to them is much more controlled and I don't want to raise any red flags while in the military. The price is a setback as well but I suppose you could stock up over time. Not wise for me though, I don't think customs would appreciate "Equestrian Supplies" marked on my HHG shipment to my next location

Your appetite increasing is a good sign, despite your goals to shed some fat an increased appetite is good. The old bro science adage of "stoking the metabolic furnace" is mostly garbage, but there is some merit to it, in a way. You're increasing your body's demands for energy output and in order to meet those you need you to input more energy. Your output increases, your body will want to compensate by saying "hey a$$hole I don't have much fuel left, now's a good time to feed me" so you eat, but it's not enough because it's still trying to replenish what's been lost for weeks now, it's struggling to catch up. Unless you continue to drop cals or continuously increase your output then hunger will level off, at least without any kind of supplementation. There's multiple routes you can go with manipulation of ghrelin and other hormones that regulate satiety. As you have experienced some CNS fatigue, I don't think you'd continue to increase output unless you were on a cycle, otherwise it'd be counterproductive at some point, and eventually end up in a regressive state. Don't mess with you own head about your previous workouts. If you were hungry as hell, sore, tired afterward consider it a win for now. You're still making progress so don't dwell on things that may not even be an issue right now. I know the feeling and trying too hard to switch things up can derail progress that you were so close to seeing.

 

[Sparkss]

I used KB a lot in the past for shoulders, mainly for one armed side laterals, it's a good exercise and somehow does not strain the joints as much.

Yea, I can't wait for the KG handle to give some of those a try. Thanks for the tip on the side lateral raise using them.

When the day comes, we all will help you setting up the cycle. It will be an awesome ride.

I figure I will start stocking up on PCT supplies (to avoid stock/shipping delays when I am ready), as the core items should be the same across just about any cycle. From what I have read and my understanding of it I should have at least a SERM, AI and a test booster (also good core items to have for on cycle support). The ancillaries would be cycle dependent as well as on cycle support, so not sure how much I will stock up on those until a compound is decided upon.

I am thinking of some OTC for the AI and test boosters, from reading here on AM I am leaning towards *correction* Virtus and Dermacrine (on cycle)/Sustain Alpha (PCT). For the SERM I prefer Clomid over Nolvadex (based on some cancer research I have read about both over the last couple of months). Anyone see any issue with those products for their planned uses?

Yep, I second what HG said. I'll help with whatever I can, my knowledge on the application of various compounds is limited, aside from what I've used. Haven't touched AAS at all, not that I'm against them by any means but more so because access to them is much more controlled and I don't want to raise any red flags while in the military. The price is a setback as well but I suppose you could stock up over time. Not wise for me though, I don't think customs would appreciate "Equestrian Supplies" marked on my HHG shipment to my next location

I hear ya. I thought I read that AAS are actually cheaper to run than PHs/SARMs? Just have to deal with pinning and a few other "hassles" to using them. Which is a bit of an issue for me since I don't want to have that stuff (the AAS or injection supplies) anywhere near where my daughter might be able to get her hands on it. Not to mention being a bit of a chickensh*t about pinning myself .

Your appetite increasing is a good sign, despite your goals to shed some fat an increased appetite is good. The old bro science adage of "stoking the metabolic furnace" is mostly garbage, but there is some merit to it, in a way..

I don't mind (actually expect) a little fat gain while I bulk, so long as the lean muscle mass comes along too. But at the same time I am frustrated when I wake up and see less of my midsection then I could the day before (LOL, I am so fickle about that ). I have noticed that my body reacts differently to food now than it used to. I also tend to sweat/heat up more when doing physical labor (like mowing the grass) than I used to. It was in the low 80s yesterday, but about 120 minutes worth of yard work and I was drenched. Actually wrung sweat out of my shirt and shorts. I also can't eat greasy/heavy fried foods any more (not that I want to all the time, but every once in a while comfort food is nice). They send me running to the bathroom (and not in any sort of a good way). But I also see a positive that I seem to process food faster/better (more completely) than before. Not sure if it is my new baseline, or if the current supps are playing more of a role than my body/metabolism on their own. Will find out in a couple of weeks when I stop the supps

You're still making progress so don't dwell on things that may not even be an issue right now. I know the feeling and trying too hard to switch things up can derail progress that you were so close to seeing.

Good advice. I have been thinking about that myself. I think I will go back to my old routine, more or less, adding in the extra weights and possibly the KB exercises (when it arrives) and see where that takes me. So long as the weights keep going up/strength keeps increasing, then I should worry about it too much.

On a general note I will also add that I bought a box (more on order) of the natural quest bars (no Sucralose, which my body does not process well) and have been using them to help bridge the gap between meals when I am on the run or just can't stop to get real food. They seem to be helping to fill that role quite well. I have used them in the past, liked them, and just recently decided to add them back into my dietary options. So my cal intake has jumped a bit in the last 4 days or so because of that. And at least they are relatively clean calories .

 

[Sparkss]

8/7 Legs

Deadlift.........................85/20, 145/12, 155*/10, 10, 10
Squat.........................155*/8, 10, 10, 10
Lunges.........................15/15, 14, 14, 12
Standing Calf Raises....65/12, 70*/10, 11, 11

For the squats, since I do not have a rack to rest the bar and start at shoulder height, and cannot raise the bar up to my shoulders from the ground each time (I tried), even tried a front squat, no luck. So I use a triangle handle (same one I use for landmines) and squat with the bar between my legs, like a goblet squat. I try not to let my shoulders round out, but as you can see they round a little. the biggest thing for me is to ensure I don't feel any back strain when doing it this way, and so far so good.

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Here is a picture taken after my last squat set during my leg workout today. The first one had the overhead light on, that washes me out. The second was just with natural light, but I had to turn towards the window a little to make use of that light.

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[lifted67]

Looking awesome bro!

 

[Sparkss]

Looking awesome bro!

Thanks, as they say, it's a journey . I looked at the pictures and laughed a little because I see veinage on my shins that I would love to have on my arms

 

[lifted67]

You got a bicep vein peaking in your photo, you're good!

 

[Sparkss]

8/8 Shoulders/Traps

Warmup (need to get the shoulder mobility loosened up before I start)
Overhead Press......................20/20
Workout
Rear Delt Swing...........................40/12, 25, 28, 30
superset
Bent Over DB Lateral Raise.........20/12, 30/12, 40/10, 12
Side Lateral Raise........................20/14, 15, 15, 15
Overhead half-half-full DB Press..30/6, 6, 6, 5
Upright DB Row............................75/12, 12, 12, 10
Shrugs...........................................60/15, 70*/12, 12, 12

I received a sample rhodiola extract bulk powder from a store I do business with and added 200mg to my intra drink today. my PWO (Ragnorok) already includes an (undisclosed) amount in it, but this really seemed to make a difference. I felt stronger as my workout progressed, versus weaker/fatigued. The only other change is that I split up my PA dosage for after my PWO + Hydro Whey shake, taking the PA just a couple of minutes before I start working out (some studies suggested that whey can compete with the PA and that they should be spread out a little). I have been doing this since last week, so it is not really "new" still, only moderately so. I also may have had a bit of a mental boost for 2 reasons. First was the additional weight I purchased over the weekend giving me more resistance and helping with the feeling of stagnation that I was battling with and secondly I tried a new workout and focused on weight over volume. I sweat less than I have in past workouts, and finished almost 30 minutes sooner, but also feel more muscle fatigue and a little soreness (already), but mainly just a tightness/pump at a level that I normally don't achieve.

 

[Sparkss]

for those that are dealing with a shoulder injury and not convinced about taking it easy versus trying to "push through it", I am squarely in the court of "taking it easy". Here is what will happen if you injure it worse and require surgery.

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Notice the missing meat/muscle in the surgery spots. This was arthroscopic, so the wounds could have been worse.

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There were 9 total, but now I can only find 6 of them (several are on the back side and some not nearly as pronounced an indentation as these on the front.

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[sparks2012]

for those that are dealing with a shoulder injury and not convinced about taking it easy versus trying to "push through it", I am squarely in the court of "taking it easy". Here is what will happen if you injure it worse and require surgery.

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Notice the missing meat/muscle in the surgery spots. This was arthroscopic, so the wounds could have been worse.

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There were 9 total, but now I can only find 6 of them (several are on the back side and some not nearly as pronounced an indentation as these on the front.

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*cough hairygrandpa cough*
How's everything feeling, HG? I know you mentioned something about switching NSAID's, was your rehab work more productive this time around?

Sparkss awesome that you're still pushing through with your training despite the previous setbacks. Looks like you've got some good striations going on in the delts through! Some veins in there too, you've been putting in work!

 

[Sparkss]

Sparkss awesome that you're still pushing through with your training despite the previous setbacks. Looks like you've got some good striations going on in the delts through! Some veins in there too, you've been putting in work!

Thanks, my favorite thing to mumble to myself when I am lacking motivation to start a set is "C'mon, these weights won't lift themselves!". I am also loving the powerblock expansion set. The additional weights are already getting put to good use! I am rather sore from yesterday's and a little from today's workout. Tomorrow is chest and triceps, but I had not exceeded my previous weight capability for those exercises yet, so the new weights won'
t have an impact on tomorrows workout.

I have noticed more veins, but to be honest the progress for new veins or more distinct existing ones seems to have slowed to a crawl. I can see them visible under the skin all across my chest and up through my shoulders to my arms. On my left bicep and both forearms I have veins popping out, but not on my right (surgery) bicep. I wonder if it is some artifact of the trauma and subsequent surgery? They did have to severe the top of the bicep long head and re-attach it behind my shoulder blade. Maybe something got pinched or restricted during the procedure or the healing afterwards.

 

[Sparkss]

Don't know what the hell happened today but I felt like a monster in the gym. Weight was moving, contractions were felt, pump was great. Didn't change much as far as PWO nutrition goes.

I think there were solar flares or something. I had one of the best workouts in a while, even hit a PR (at least for "recorded history" since I have been back post-surgery). I went up in all of my weights across all exercises today. I just kept going.

8/9 Chest/Triceps

Flat Bench Press...................................40/20, 50/12, 11, 12
Incline Bench Press..............................40/11, 11, 10, 10
Incline DB Pull Over..............................35/15, 40/12, 12, 12
Cavalerie Crossover..............................55/10, 12, 12, 12
Incline DB Tricep Extensions.................35/15, 40/10, 10, 7 RP 3
Diamond Grip Pushups..........................11, 11, 12, 14

My wife came in and took some pictures while I was working out. Some really show the impact of reduced shoulder mobility. I will try to get those posted later today. Other than that it was a great workout. I felt that I could keep going, but had work to get to and also did not want to get over-zealous and injure myself. Feeling invincible and being invincible are two very different conditions with different outcomes (I speak from experience on that).

 

[sparks2012]

Tomorrow is chest and triceps, but I had not exceeded my previous weight capability for those exercises yet, so the new weights won'
t have an impact on tomorrows workout.

Ha! Weights going up all around! I think you underestimated yourself there, and maybe there was some kind of subconscious mental block that manifested when you still only had the PB's without the additional weight, something that was telling you that you can't get stronger and max out your only weights, after that your workouts will become less than fruitful. With the addition of the extra weights, you blew that mindset out of the water!

Just a hypothesis, but the mind is a crazy thing when it comes to physical output and "plateaus". My progress for veins has also slowed down, they're far more prominent on my right arm. That was also the shoulder that I had an AC separation in, but I am also left handed. My hypothesis for the reduced visible vascularity in my left arm is: A.) When the AC joint separated it did something internally that inadvertently led to more circulation on that side or B.) I'm left handed, therefore that side is used to doing a lot more work and it is far more dense than my right arm, making it so that the left side has to work "harder" to get them to appear.

I could be totally wrong with both ideas, but that's just a thought I was having about that especially once you brought up your shoulder injury and having your bicep reattached. Good workout though! You crushed it today!

 

[Sparkss]

To add to the vascularity topic, my right arm (with less vascularity) is also my dominant arm. So like you, my non-dominant arm has visibly more veins popping out.

I also agree on the mental aspect of the additional weights. It seems that all of my workouts have improved since buying them, whether I actually use them in an exercise or not. My PR for flat bench of 50 lbs DBs did not use any of the new weights, but it was no longer the "maximum" weight I had, so perhaps mentally I did not view it as "too heavy" any more. For a while now the green (50lb marker) weight had a sort of ominous feel to it. It was the "big weight" that I had to overcome. Now it is just another weight in the set. I also had been doing high volume (lower weights) workouts for the last couple of weeks. I finally switched to heavier weights, shorted sets, which was also a mental shift. With my injuries I would hit a sticking point that I was afraid to push through, or I would hit a spot in an exercise where there as just "nothing", no gas, no energy, not necessarily any pain, just nothing left to contract. But I thankfully have moved past that. I think that the large sets for the last couple of weeks have helped push through that plateau, along with the mental aspect of the weights.

Either way I feel good with the recent workouts. Pushing new weights almost across the board. Some 5lbs more than last week, some up to 20lbs more. Either way it is progress and I am all for that

 

[Sparkss]

Ok, more "this is why you want to take care of your shoulder" pictures

The exercise was a basic close "grip" pushup (using a diamond hand position). Intended to focus on the triceps (well, that was the idea anyways)

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The lack of scapular mobility makes it almost painful to watch from the back. Here is a picture taken on the downward motion, with the elbows starting to bend.

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This is at the top of the push, with the elbows extended (about as much as they could). It looks a little more even, but even with that you can tell the shoulders are "off" from each other.

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EDIT: On the upside, the angle of the photo makes my waist look like sparks2012 's waist!