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ULTIMA: The Hunt for a Stim-Free Pre-WO solution (Sponsored)

I didn't get where I'm at (or was at) in the Military by not being aggressive, both mentally and physically. ;)
HooaH!

I've never had the aggressive side. I think it's mostly nurture though; my dad worked pretty much all day, and that leaves me with my 2 sisters and mom. On the upside I can make small-talk with random girls about anything without any hesitation, so it has its perks I suppose.

I've been out of the house since 8 today, need to get a bit of studying done before I hit the anatomy museum tomorrow morning, so I'll update you tomorrow.

Coles Notes: 53 mins elliptical, 1060 cals. Oats, Class, Ultima, Workout: Cleans 8x8, Pulldowns 3x10 Shrugs 3x10. Sweaty, Tired, Volunteering, Run Last Lecture Event etc.
 
I've never had the aggressive side. I think it's mostly nurture though; my dad worked pretty much all day, and that leaves me with my 2 sisters and mom. On the upside I can make small-talk with random girls about anything without any hesitation, so it has its perks I suppose.
my situation is similar seeing as my family is composed of mostly women but i attained my aggression and what not from my being gang related. however, my aggression and short fuse have gotten me into much trouble and I'm fortunate to say i was able to get first-hand experience of what the streets down here are like but i never got close enough to fall into the hands of the beast, so to speak.

I've always thought of myself as someone who got along better with guys just because that's what gravitated towards me. i used to hang out with big groups of girl in my earlier school years but at any point in time i would be dating or have a little something something with one of the girls. i was "the guy friend" at many points but i also made sure that's all i wasn't to every girl. lol

by the same token, i always had my set of guy friends and for the most part, i got along with guys though. it's very beneficial to know be able to sit in on girls' conversations regarding specific guys or guys in general. it's good to be one step ahead of the competition :laugh: but in all honesty, I've made it a point to hang out with more with the guys. one thing I've never done is let my time with the guys be eaten into by a chick. generally speaking, chicks come by the dozen but loyalty is hard to come by so if I come across someone who possess that and the other important qualities i look for in a good friend, you better believe as soon as the current lady starts making attempts to pull me away from the boys, the necessary steps will be taken to set the record straight and avoid another occurrence :)

:hijacked: sorry steve LOL! great log though, boss! I'm definitely going to be looking into Ultima in the near future.
 
Thursday April 2nd: Cleans & Shrugs

Cardio: Nada, None, Zilch, Nicho

Workout:
Cleans: 135x6,8,8,8,10,8,9,8,8 Somehow did 9 sets. From about 4 onwards I did 6, 10s rest, 2 more. I do these from the ground, not hanging at the knees.
2a) Shrugs: 185x10,10,10 Should have gone heavier, expected to be more tired
2b) Lat Pulldown Machine, Pullups 3x10 - Back didn't get sore from Tues enough

Dosing: ~0.9 Scoops, 10 Minutes Before, stacked with 10mins of sunlight and pump-up music
- I forgot to take my ULTIMA lol, so I went for the solar boost. I also used PW instead of IntraAid, and accidentally chucked some under my tongue before realizing what it was (All my powder travel in the same type of ziploc containers).

Comments:
The delayed dosing didn't seem to have any negative consequences. ( *!&@, my q button is now breaking! First g, now this! ) For caffeinated products, its easier to feel when it is kicking in because I can feel the increased CNS stimulation and increased alertness quite distincly, ULTIMA is much more subtle.

Resolve made a good point how the Cleans is almost like HIIT. By the end of the 9 sets, I was sweating a fair bit. From past experience, whenever I go crazy on the Cleans like today, I will work up a significant sweat so I can't attribute much of it to Ultima. By the end my gripstrength was failing on me, and I had to use straps for the shrugs/pulldowns. The focus was decent; I found myself returning to the bar sometimes after doing 6, then 2, then doing 1, then another 1.

After much reflection, I decided to not use JP8 on Saturday, but rather go without anything at all. I'll just take my usual Beta-Alanine, BCAA's, and creatine mono like an off day and see how it goes.

Friday: Rest Day
- rainy, wet, tired (didn't sleep too well)

Article of note: Here is a great study done on cortisol that discusses how it works, and also gives plenty of additional reading if you're interested. Invalid Link Removed

Weight: I was 175 on Thursday after my Porridge and 1.5L of water post-cardio, right before hitting the weights. I was sitting at about 172-173 for a few days, so this was from having a full meal & water in me. The abs aren't coming is as quickly as I would like, and part of the reason is the PB Cup protein; it's too damn addicting. I've been eating it straight, like 1/3sc. when I want something tasty. So as of this post, I'm taping it up and burying it in my closet :( I'll try and limit the pre-bed coconut oil snacking as well. I'd like to have a decent 4-pack before late April when I plan on starting the 1-T Tren.
 
Soliciting Opinions
A while back we had all our caps in baggies. After feedback, Sam decided to switch to more professional bottles since some people were surprised to receive baggies and not bottled products. I talked with him a while ago about bringing back bulk caps, but haven't followed up on it in a while. He relies on the board reps to get a feel for the customer's needs, and I wanted to know what you guys think of bottles vs bags? Obviously the bags would be slightly cheaper. I say this because I want us to have as competitive prices as possible; I know many of you are fantastic loyal customers, but I want to make sure we are offering as competitive prices as possible.

We had some requests for ATW bagged protein, and I looked into that and it was doable so we're making that an option for you. I also had some guys ask me for Stevia instead of Sucralose, and we were able to do that for the same price for Cinnamon Bun (I don't think this has been released publicly yet, but no reason to keep it a secret). The sales figures will tell the tale, but I told Sam/Darren that the Stevia would sell decently, any feedback on that?

I'm shooting a long email to Sam about a few things on Monday, like the First Class Shipping option to our Australian/Kiwis (I really do feel for them and the high shipping costs), and wanted to make the email as comprehensive as possible.

[Coles Notes: This is not directly related to the Ultima Log]
Feel free to reply below, or PM me your thoughts/opinions. Thanks in advance guys; I do this all to make NutraPlanet the best place for you to shop so let me know how we can improve :thumbsup:
 
Soliciting Opinions
A while back we had all our caps in baggies. After feedback, Sam decided to switch to more professional bottles since some people were surprised to receive baggies and not bottled products. I talked with him a while ago about bringing back bulk caps, but haven't followed up on it in a while. He relies on the board reps to get a feel for the customer's needs, and I wanted to know what you guys think of bottles vs bags? Obviously the bags would be slightly cheaper. I say this because I want us to have as competitive prices as possible; I know many of you are fantastic loyal customers, but I want to make sure we are offering as competitive prices as possible.
Competitive prices, or pushing the other companies products to the side?

And for the record, I hate the whole baggy thing. It's not professional.

Ultima question: Why aren't you using a full scoop?
 
Competitive prices, or pushing the other companies products to the side?

And for the record, I hate the whole baggy thing. It's not professional.

Ultima question: Why aren't you using a full scoop?

Thanks for the feedback! Just competitive pricing; it was slightly lower before the bottles and I've had a fair number of people raise that issue. The NutraPlanet line is basically just a single ingredient at a competitive price, whereas other companies' products are specific combinations of formulas/innovate ingredients that we aren't trying to match.

Also I typo'ed that, I meant 0.9 . I put a full scoop in the container, and reserve a tiny bit for when I hit the gym if I need it, but since this dose was so close I definitely didn't feel the need.

Edit: After reading Iron Lungz' post in his log
"Ultima has eliminated the burn for me. I no longer feel a crippling burn, or a great sense of fatigue. I will have to admit, my shoulders will burn like fire; however, the constant motion and the muscles involved are under a great deal of stress. The burn isn’t to a point that I cannot go on; simply an indication that although lactic acid is present, it is being eradicated quickly to recover and continue onward. Another plus for the creatine doing it’s job by transferring a phosphate to ADP, creating ATP."


My thoughts: That's a really interesting observation about the lactic acid. I don't recall too much burning on my cleans, just forearm soreness. However the shrugs really did burn when I held them at the end, and doing the pull ups and slowly letting the weight up really hurt, although that is from trying to prevent the extension and not from lactic acid.


Also Resolve noted decreased DOMS; I've gotten some pretty wicked DOMS from my squat days. Also the cleans & shrugs gave me some pretty strong ham/upper back & trap DOMS, however this may be due to me poor sleep last night. I have been getting DOMS pretty consistently while on ULTIMA though.
 
Soliciting Opinions
A while back we had all our caps in baggies. After feedback, Sam decided to switch to more professional bottles since some people were surprised to receive baggies and not bottled products. I talked with him a while ago about bringing back bulk caps, but haven't followed up on it in a while. He relies on the board reps to get a feel for the customer's needs, and I wanted to know what you guys think of bottles vs bags? Obviously the bags would be slightly cheaper. I say this because I want us to have as competitive prices as possible; I know many of you are fantastic loyal customers, but I want to make sure we are offering as competitive prices as possible.

We had some requests for ATW bagged protein, and I looked into that and it was doable so we're making that an option for you.
I dump my proteins in a half gallon flour decanters that sits on my counter for convenient serving. I could very well live without the bottles. Their only full 1/2-2/3 anyway.

Bulk caps in a bag are my preference. I always break down my bulk capsules into additional bottles for a stash at work. I have plenty of empty bottles for my bulk powder capping projects.

I can live without superfluous packaging.
 
Thursday April 2nd: Cleans & Shrugs

Dosing: ~0.9 Scoops, 10 Minutes Before, stacked with 10mins of sunlight and pump-up music
- I forgot to take my ULTIMA lol, so I went for the solar boost.
content in bold: what I'm confused about.:boggled: i think i missed something...lol
 
Soliciting Opinions
A while back we had all our caps in baggies. After feedback, Sam decided to switch to more professional bottles since some people were surprised to receive baggies and not bottled products. I talked with him a while ago about bringing back bulk caps, but haven't followed up on it in a while. He relies on the board reps to get a feel for the customer's needs, and I wanted to know what you guys think of bottles vs bags? Obviously the bags would be slightly cheaper. I say this because I want us to have as competitive prices as possible; I know many of you are fantastic loyal customers, but I want to make sure we are offering as competitive prices as possible.

We had some requests for ATW bagged protein, and I looked into that and it was doable so we're making that an option for you. I also had some guys ask me for Stevia instead of Sucralose, and we were able to do that for the same price for Cinnamon Bun (I don't think this has been released publicly yet, but no reason to keep it a secret). The sales figures will tell the tale, but I told Sam/Darren that the Stevia would sell decently, any feedback on that?

I'm shooting a long email to Sam about a few things on Monday, like the First Class Shipping option to our Australian/Kiwis (I really do feel for them and the high shipping costs), and wanted to make the email as comprehensive as possible.

[Coles Notes: This is not directly related to the Ultima Log]
Feel free to reply below, or PM me your thoughts/opinions. Thanks in advance guys; I do this all to make NutraPlanet the best place for you to shop so let me know how we can improve :thumbsup:

If this is directed at as many current and potential NutraPlanet users as possible, then your log might not give it the exposure it needs to make a definitive recommendation to Sam. A thread might be better. That apart, I do not mind using bags, as long as the half capsules do not end up as powder on arrival. In otherwords, if the capsules in the bags are protected during shipping, I am fine with them. If you prefer bottles, they should just be functional, nothing fancy.
 
I guess my opinon of using bag's comes from tearing a bag and dumping every ounce of my ATW Ptrotein in the sink. That has tainted my approval of bags. :(
 
content in bold: what I'm confused about.:boggled: i think i missed something...lol

Well I was a bit late on dosing, and I wanted an extra boost of energy; it was a very nice day on Thursday so I decided to sit out in the sun for 10 mins and let it wake me up/give me some extra energy. :)
If this is directed at as many current and potential NutraPlanet users as possible, then your log might not give it the exposure it needs to make a definitive recommendation to Sam. A thread might be better. That apart, I do not mind using bags, as long as the half capsules do not end up as powder on arrival. In otherwords, if the capsules in the bags are protected during shipping, I am fine with them. If you prefer bottles, they should just be functional, nothing fancy.

I agree; however Sam didn't want me to make a thread about it when I asked him, so I figured I would get a small sampling from you readers atleast.



I guess my opinon of using bag's comes from tearing a bag and dumping every ounce of my ATW Ptrotein in the sink. That has tainted my approval of bags. :(

Ouch, that would put a damper on my approval of bags as well I image. I'll make sure the ATW Protein at NutraPlanet that comes in bags is going to be heavy duty, and not their regular bags. Sound good? :thumbsup:
 
Sounds good to me. If it happened over my counter or floor, I would have salvaged most, if not all of the powder. But once something is in my sink, it's gone. I keep a very clean house (OCD). ;)
 
Now clear, Steveoph! ;)
 
I dump my proteins in a half gallon flour decanters that sits on my counter for convenient serving. I could very well live without the bottles. Their only full 1/2-2/3 anyway.

Bulk caps in a bag are my preference. I always break down my bulk capsules into additional bottles for a stash at work. I have plenty of empty bottles for my bulk powder capping projects.

I can live without superfluous packaging.

I do the same thing with proteins and caps, baggies work great for me.
 
I am fine with bags and would love some stevia based protein as long as it uses the newest extract (truvia etc.) that has no aftertaste.
 
Saturday April 4th: Chest/Back

Cardio: 10 mins PWO cooldown

Workout:
1a) DB Incl 75x9,6,7,8 - Heavy but getting easier
1b) Pulldown Machine, Pullups 3x12
2a) DB Decl 65x8,8,8,8 (up 5, might bump up again next week)
2b) T-Bar Rows 4x10
3a) DB Flat 65x8,8,8,8 - Rarely do these, stabilizers were weak
3b) BW Rows 3xHold ~40s
4a) DB Fly's 25x12,12,12 Did 30's last week, shoulder was tired, didn't want to strain
5a) Dips 2x5 Wayyy to fatigued for these lol
5b) Rear FLy's 90x8,8

Dosing: None

Comments:
So I decided to go without the JP8 and just have a plain WO. It was back to Jan/Feb when I was doing almost all my workouts without any stims, just BA, Creatine and BCAA's. Performance in the gym was good with steady progression on all my lifts (Went light on fly's, but increased the reps). There was lots of volume and didn't feel like slowing down; I was going to do HIIT after for 10 mins, but right when I got on the elliptical some girl I didn't know "recognized " me and chatted for a whole 10 minutes (It turns out a few months back I told her she was one of the few girls doing proper BB Split & Hack squats, but it took me 24+ hours to recall that lol).

Anyways I think it was a good idea to get a feel for a normal workout. Tomorrow will be legs, going to bump it up to 185, ~8x8 ideally. Moderate DOMS in the chest, still some trap soreness, the wide part of the lats didn't get as sore as the rest of me. I'll remember to do some chin-ups next week to hit them.
 
Sunday April 5th: Legs

Cardio: 8 mins cooldown PWO

Workout:
1) ATG Squats 175x7,6,5,6,5,5 Wow this felt heavy. Going to do this weight again next time
2) Hamkillers 3x8 (See Vid below)
3) BB Lunges 135x6,6,6 (Was a bit sore, did a few split squats in here as well)
3b) Calf Presses 3x8
4a) Leg Extension 4x10
4b) Leg Curl 4x8

Dosing: 0.75 Sc. Ultima 30 mins Pre , 0.25 Right at gym

Comments:
OK lots of little anecdotes today. I woke up at 0720, felt pretty awake so got out of bed, but got progressively tireder. Also I had a larger than normal bowl of oats & berries to give me energy for the leg workout, but it wasn't digesting quickly/sitting well after 1.75hrs. And to boot I was feeling slightly hypo, somehow it felt like the caps got more than their fair share of corosolic acid. Anyways I took ~12g of carbs from some Anabolic Halo sample which is pretty much all sugar, and mixed my IntraAid (Which I didn't drink much during my workout b/c I was feeling full still).

Sorry for the preamble. Anyways got to the gym, and was feeling kind of tired; hit the squats and the weights were heavy too. Not a good start. Anyways I managed to push through my workout, but it definitely wasn't as intense as my previous leg workouts. Managed to get some decent muscle soreness, but overall a poor workout. Also I was completely exhausted after my PWO meal; I feel asleep on my bed with the lights on and the sun right on my face. I thought it might have been the ALCAR, but then I remember I dumped it in with the IntraAid & Poseidon to not mess with the ULTIMA. However the last time I crashed like this, on my 2nd dose, was when I used ALCAR near the workout. Perhaps they don't get along?


Ham Video (Saw this in another log, will edit this to give credit)
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjqHgRNBams&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - IFBB Pro Derik Farnsworth hamstring training[/ame]
 
Sunday April 5th: Legs

Cardio: 8 mins cooldown PWO

Workout:
1) ATG Squats 175x7,6,5,6,5,5 Wow this felt heavy. Going to do this weight again next time
2) Hamkillers 3x8 (See Vid below)
3) BB Lunges 135x6,6,6 (Was a bit sore, did a few split squats in here as well)
3b) Calf Presses 3x8
4a) Leg Extension 4x10
4b) Leg Curl 4x8

Dosing: 0.75 Sc. Ultima 30 mins Pre , 0.25 Right at gym

Comments:
OK lots of little anecdotes today. I woke up at 0720, felt pretty awake so got out of bed, but got progressively tireder. Also I had a larger than normal bowl of oats & berries to give me energy for the leg workout, but it wasn't digesting quickly/sitting well after 1.75hrs. And to boot I was feeling slightly hypo, somehow it felt like the caps got more than their fair share of corosolic acid. Anyways I took ~12g of carbs from some Anabolic Halo sample which is pretty much all sugar, and mixed my IntraAid (Which I didn't drink much during my workout b/c I was feeling full still).

Sorry for the preamble. Anyways got to the gym, and was feeling kind of tired; hit the squats and the weights were heavy too. Not a good start. Anyways I managed to push through my workout, but it definitely wasn't as intense as my previous leg workouts. Managed to get some decent muscle soreness, but overall a poor workout. Also I was completely exhausted after my PWO meal; I feel asleep on my bed with the lights on and the sun right on my face. I thought it might have been the ALCAR, but then I remember I dumped it in with the IntraAid & Poseidon to not mess with the ULTIMA. However the last time I crashed like this, on my 2nd dose, was when I used ALCAR near the workout. Perhaps they don't get along?


Ham Video (Saw this in another log, will edit this to give credit)
Invalid Link Removed

I'll link Shawn to your post to comment about ALCAR.
 
Mon April 6th:

Cardio: 50 Mins, 1020 Cals, slightly lower pace.

Workout: None

Comments:
The cardio went decently . However I realized how sore my legs actually were, and I haven't been taking enough rest time off, so instead of hitting the gym I went for a 1hr nap instead. Hopefully I'll be focused and ready tomorrow; will probably do cleans/deads if my legs are recovered, otherwise it will be the shoulders/obliques/bi's/tris.
 
Tues April 7th:

Cardio: HIIT Sprints x 8

Dosing: 0.8 Sc. ULTIMA 15 mins PreWO

Workout:
Dips +25 3x8 First time doing weighted since tearing the left pec back in the fall, will go up on these
BB Press: 115x6,5,6,6
DB Obliques 70x10,10,10 +5 lbs
Leg Raises & Ab Crunches, 3 sets
Zottman Curls 3x10
Skullcrushers 3x10

Comments:
Today was exactly what I was hoping to get from ULTIMA. I had way too much on my mind last night, so despite getting to bed around 2245, I didn't have quality sleep and woke up around 0900 slightly sleepy. Had my porridge, waited 75 minutes, took my ULTIMA and in 10 minutes I was feeling away, no light throbbing from being tired, felt rejuvenated. So off I went to the gym. Was focused all the way through; I vividly remembering glaring I was focused so hard during my HIIT sprints, and went so hard I gave myself some side cramps. Excellent workout :thumbsup:
 
Wed April 8th:

Cardio: 30 Mins - wasn't feeling HIIT mentally, and I needed Low-intensity to catch up on the Economist :D

Dosing: 0.75 Sc. 15min PreWO

Workout:
Deadlifts 275x3,3,3,3,3 Was expecting a much better showing , but haven't been doing DLs regularly
"Power Cleans" 135x7,7,5,7 Videod this for form

Comments:
PM workout, since I had my Anatomy Bellringer from 1-2 pm. Deadlifts didn't go as well as I hoped, but I haven't been doing them very consistently and I should be getting back up to 315x8 sometime soon I hope :) Also I wasn't feeling the energy ; I think it was a mix of the cold/snow, and not feeling like listening to my workout music today.

The cardio was much more relaxing that some crazy intense sprints, and I needed a bit of a mental break. I did start sweating very heavily, for such little exercise; Deadlifts & cleans tend to make me sweaty, but it could have also been some thermogenic effect from the Ultima.

Also like I said, I videod my Power Cleans, because I have to admit after reading Starting Strength again very carefully, my Power Cleans aren't close to what he describes. I probably spent about 20 minutes trying to get the jump part down, but it just doesn't seem to work. I'll see if Volcom can help me out here. Youtube video coming soon.

Invalid Link Removed
 
Hey Steveo, one of the prime reasons the bar isn't coming up "straight" is because you're pulling it toward you at the bottom of the lift. To say you're performing a slight reverse curl would still be exaggerating that motion I'm seeing, but you have a tendency to pull the bar toward you, perhaps as a very internally focused way to make contact with your hips.

Your elbows do bend in this movement, but only upward, never toward you, like the partial, partial, partial row I'm seeing.

High elbows toward the ceiling, just remember this cue, "The Scarecrow." I have athlete's scarecrow as an exercise of its own. It follows the exact same form as a beginning clean or snatch, only the ending movement leaves you looking like a scarecrow, just like a high upright row, only you start from the ground and you do utilize the hip contact/extension.

B]


You're bending your elbows between frames 2 and 3, which again, is a common instinct when you all you know is that there is suppose to be hip contact at some point. You bring your hips to the bar, not the bar to your hips. That contact with the bar & hips is suppose naturally intersect with the hip extension and if there is any "dragging" of the bar toward you, it should be down by the shoulders, with the elbows still straight, no elbow flexion at all.

I hope that helped a little.

I need to clarify, I wrote earlier you never pull the weight toward you with an elbow flexion, and you dont, but frame 6 looks like a pull, that's actually a bad shot, the elbows should be a bit higher then displayed in frame 6 and that bend represents the transition point right before full extension over head or into a catch for a clean, he's not pulling it, or at least he'd better not be or I'm gonna hire a new model.
 
Oh, yeah, you also expressed a sense of "lack of power." It involves that same problem of pulling the bar toward you. Rather then a linear motion from ground up, the obstructed linear travel by that initial pull toward you is diffusing a lot of that sense of power.

Your hips boost the weight upward in conjunction with it's natural upward momentum, think of swatting a tether ball, when the ball is revolving and you smack it with your hand as it passes by, your only adding to the momentum. However, with that initial pull toward you, it's like ALL of your power is beginning at the point. True, MOST of your power will be from that explosive hip extension, but that's only true when it acts as an augmentation to existing linear momentum, not when it's the ground zero launch pad. The situation I'm seeing is not as bad as I'm contrasting, but its the imagery I wanted you to catch.

Fix that pull toward you and it'll solve all the problems you described to me.
 
There is a high amount of synergy and potency given a pathway I am nearly ready to reveal. This can not be understated. So when adding other nootropics the doses have to be cut back on both ultima and the said nootropics. It simply is too much. It is the essence of more not being better. Nootropics are an odd bird in that everyone reacts differently. Many boards have wildly different stacks from person to person. Neurochemistry is different in everyone. You need to add one nootropic at a time, start with a lower dose, and as stated cut the ultima back a bit. Also try not timing them simultaneously, its not necessary and is overkill.

Some people got this effect from Ultima itself when dosing all at once and not experienced with noots. This isn't underpowered mislabeled crap...its the real deal that fully doses with insane synergy by exploiting a pathway and hitting each substrate in that path.
 
There is a high amount of synergy and potency given a pathway I am nearly ready to reveal. This can not be understated. So when adding other nootropics the doses have to be cut back on both ultima and the said nootropics. It simply is too much. It is the essence of more not being better. Nootropics are an odd bird in that everyone reacts differently. Many boards have wildly different stacks from person to person. Neurochemistry is different in everyone. You need to add one nootropic at a time, start with a lower dose, and as stated cut the ultima back a bit. Also try not timing them simultaneously, its not necessary and is overkill.

Some people got this effect from Ultima itself when dosing all at once and not experienced with noots. This isn't underpowered mislabeled crap...its the real deal that fully doses with insane synergy by exploiting a pathway and hitting each substrate in that path.

Agreed. I tried ULTIMA again on Tuesday with 1.2~g of ALCAR, and was completely fine that time, actually a very good workout. Not sure if it just needs to be ramped up; anyways I didn't take it yesterday b/c of timing constraints, and today I took my ALCAR upon waking, and not PreWO. Tomorrow the gym is closed :( So I'll try again ~1.2g PreWO w/ my ULTIMA Saturday and see how it goes.
 
Agreed. I tried ULTIMA again on Tuesday with 1.2~g of ALCAR, and was completely fine that time, actually a very good workout. Not sure if it just needs to be ramped up; anyways I didn't take it yesterday b/c of timing constraints, and today I took my ALCAR upon waking, and not PreWO. Tomorrow the gym is closed :( So I'll try again ~1.2g PreWO w/ my ULTIMA Saturday and see how it goes.

Awesome. Good to hear.
 
Agreed. I tried ULTIMA again on Tuesday with 1.2~g of ALCAR, and was completely fine that time, actually a very good workout. Not sure if it just needs to be ramped up; anyways I didn't take it yesterday b/c of timing constraints, and today I took my ALCAR upon waking, and not PreWO. Tomorrow the gym is closed :( So I'll try again ~1.2g PreWO w/ my ULTIMA Saturday and see how it goes.

Sounds good man. Gym closed for Good Friday??
 
Tell me about it. :D My day stats at 3:50am and ends at 10:00pm if I'm lucky.

Mine started a long while ago, and has not ended yet! :drillsergeant:
 
Tell me about it. :D My day stats at 3:50am and ends at 10:00pm if I'm lucky.

Mine started a long while ago, and has not ended yet! :drillsergeant:

For once I'm actually pretty thankful to be in exam-mode. No classes; I wake up when my body has enough sleep (Around 0830 lately), eat, hit the gym, study and then go out in the evening for a bit. I love having a consistent routine like this; it helps with the quality of my sleep and energy. I really should go to the library to study though; the computer is too much of a distraction :(
 
For once I'm actually pretty thankful to be in exam-mode. No classes; I wake up when my body has enough sleep (Around 0830 lately), eat, hit the gym, study and then go out in the evening for a bit. I love having a consistent routine like this; it helps with the quality of my sleep and energy. I really should go to the library to study though; the computer is too much of a distraction :(

Tell me about it !

:laugh:

If I'm studying, I'll study for a little and tell myself I'll go check Anabolic Minds real quick... real quick turns into an hour :(
 
...

If I'm studying, I'll study for a little and tell myself I'll go check Anabolic Minds real quick... real quick turns into an hour :(

And an hour turns into ....... :)
 
Yeah. Addiction is a motherf$cker. :D

... 2 hours later. Where did the time go! I really shouldn't try and get into twitter, that's just asking for it lol. Updates, updates...

Good Friday: Rest Day

A rest day is always good for the body, and like I admitted I tend to undergo the recovery aspect. Now that I'm in exam-mode, I am alot less physically active though, so under-recovering is less of a concern. My bigger concern is keeping the weight loss up: Yesterday I weighed in at 179, I'll check again tomorrow. Overall a great day though; my PP and NP orders shipped, and went out an saw Man of La Mancha. Now I'm itching to kill my legs tomorrow :D

Saturday April 11th: Legs

Cardio: 15mins PWO, cooldown

Workout:
1) ATG Squats 175x8,8,9,8,8,8,7,6 Felt light at the start, towards the end my form was going and I could feel it in my back b/c I was bending too far forward
2) Ham Killer 3x10
3a) 1-Leg Press 3 Plates 2x10, pause, 2x10 (So L,R,L,R pause, repeat. Low weight but if it burns, it's working it)
3b) DB Split Squat 30s': 2x10 (Foot on bench, just to further fatigue the muscle)
4a) Leg Extension 4x12
4b) Leg Curl 4x 12,10,8,6 * No breaks*

Dosing: 0.75 ULTIMA 20 mins pre, 0.25 ULTIMA upon hitting the gym
- I dosed my ALCAR pre-breakfast, and no fatigue issues but I think it was just an adaptation thing, and I'll try it 1g upon waking and 1g w/ the ULTIMA pre-gym tomorrow

Comments:
Weight was 182 :eek: Going to restart morning cardio on Monday morning, will do 3-4x/week. Weigh-in is when I hit the gym, after breakfast, so the porridge, but no extra liquids. And using the oblique-pinch test, some of it is definitely fat :( I guess that's what I get for going through 5lbs of PB Cup in 8 days.... And I just ordered 10lbs more, going to have to practice some better self control :spank:

Today was a very good workout; had some great focus. The day off definitely helped mentally. I was only going to do 4 or 5 sets, but it was feeling good so I decided to go for the 8x8. Worked up a nice sweat, although my form wasn't what I wanted. I'll stick at this weight for next time, but 185 is getting close. Could have been a slight increase in sweat, but there is alot of variability in the temperature of my gym (And with summer coming, underground, & no A/C, it's going to get hot and sweaty!) Was in the zone today for sure though; was really focused during the squats, and the leg ext/curl finisher was non-stop.


Getting low on Ultima, I think another 2 workouts or so. I also missed calves today, but I'll hit them tomorrow and they did get some work during my squats. Tomorrow will be shoulders/arms/abs, and then the hams should be rested for Deads/Power Cleans on Monday.

Hindsight: Wow I should have split that up, that's a mini-essay right there!
 
I'm at a loss for words Steve, lol.

I'm trying to improve. I just ordered 10lbs, and the goal is to make it last over a month ;) But seriously, I think that was the wrench in my fat-loss. I was at 185 PreWO yesterday, today I was at 181 fasted, so ~183-184 PreWO i'd guess. Also I have yesterday and todays final 2 updates, I've just been swamped with PMs, exam, etc. Trying to get it all done; should get the updates up this evening, and final review done tomorrow.
 
Sunday April 12th: Shoulders/Arms

Cardio:9 HIIT Sprints Elliptical
- you know it's going well when the machine feels like it's breaking

Workout:
1a) Weighted Dips +30 x9,8,8,7 Conservatively getting back into these
1b) Incline Ab Crunches 4xFail - Sore from yesterday, squats work the core!
2a)BB Shoulder Press 115x6,5,5,5 - No real improvement, although I did behind the neck for several reps for a new burn
2b) DB Obliques 70 4x10 - Ugh, can feel the fat on my obliques again :(
3a) Skullcrushers 4x12
3b) EZ Curls 4x12
4) Delt Trisets DB Lat & Front Raises, DB Seated Press
5) Latbar "Pullups" 3xFailure Forearms getting weak

Dosing: 0.75 Ultima PreWO, (Saved the last bit for tomorrow)

Comments
Most striking thing about this workout was the burn; my delts starting burning with the weighted dips and never stopped. Sign of a good workout I suppose, just it was elevated enough to be noted.

Focus was very good today; I was really pumping the HIIT sprints at the end of a long workout and got some serious side cramps on the 9th sprints which means I was cranking it. The workout went pretty well; it's not so much an amped/energized feel, as a calm but clear focus. It did manage to remove my sleepiness a few days ago, so it can help you forget about tiredness, but it doesn't seem to hyperstimulate me. Total workout time was about 65 minutes, so the tempo was pretty quick as well.

Scale weight PreWO was 185, which is way up from where I wanted to be; I can feel it on the obliques and stomach again; about back to where I was when I started so it's back to the 50mins fasted cardio. Tom. I'll update w/ Mondays cardio & deadlifts, and do a final review/wrap up. Lost alot of time to FML , neat site lol.
 
Looking forward to your final update.
 
Monday April 13th: Deadlifts

Cardio: 50 Mins Elliptical, Fasted

Workout:
Deadlifts 275x5,6,5,5,5,4 (Only planned 5 sets, had some crazy notion to do more!)
Shrugs 205x8,8,8 w/ Straps b/c fatigued

Dosing: 0.75 Sc. , 20 mins PreWO

Comments:
I'm getting back into the fasted training after the weight jump. The hamstrings get pretty burned out after the elliptical session, so I was a bit worried how they would hold out, but it went just fine. For the 3-5th set I would get 4 reps, pause for 5s, then pull another rep out. The 5th set 5th rep was practically slow motion, kind of cool watching myself in the mirror inching my way to the lock-out. I was very zoned in and focused for the deadlifts, great feeling. I know my form could have been a bit better, but I wanted to get min. 5 reps on the sets, so I'll keep it at this weight. My body was totally exhausted after the shrugs though; I was going to try something else but I got into a power cleans discussion (I still can't do it properly, but I can help correct them thanks to Rippetoe!).

I really will miss the ULTIMA sublingual dosing; quite enjoyable taste wise, and results/effects wise. I will be picking up another tub when it arrives at NP, but I'll cover this in the final review. I have started it, and have a pretty long point-form list, but it's not complete yet and I want to do the product/log justice with a complete and thorough look back, so keep an eye out tomorrow.
 
Monday April 13th: Deadlifts

Cardio: 50 Mins Elliptical, Fasted

Workout:
Deadlifts 275x5,6,5,5,5,4 (Only planned 5 sets, had some crazy notion to do more!)
Shrugs 205x8,8,8 w/ Straps b/c fatigued

Dosing: 0.75 Sc. , 20 mins PreWO

Comments:
I'm getting back into the fasted training after the weight jump. The hamstrings get pretty burned out after the elliptical session, so I was a bit worried how they would hold out, but it went just fine. For the 3-5th set I would get 4 reps, pause for 5s, then pull another rep out. The 5th set 5th rep was practically slow motion, kind of cool watching myself in the mirror inching my way to the lock-out. I was very zoned in and focused for the deadlifts, great feeling. I know my form could have been a bit better, but I wanted to get min. 5 reps on the sets, so I'll keep it at this weight. My body was totally exhausted after the shrugs though; I was going to try something else but I got into a power cleans discussion (I still can't do it properly, but I can help correct them thanks to Rippetoe!).

I really will miss the ULTIMA sublingual dosing; quite enjoyable taste wise, and results/effects wise. I will be picking up another tub when it arrives at NP, but I'll cover this in the final review. I have started it, and have a pretty long point-form list, but it's not complete yet and I want to do the product/log justice with a complete and thorough look back, so keep an eye out tomorrow.

Could you do half of the fasted cardio before the workout and save the other half for afterwards.. or if you're like me the next day ? :P j/k

You could try that so you have more energy for the workout.
 
Could you do half of the fasted cardio before the workout and save the other half for afterwards.. or if you're like me the next day ? :P j/k

You could try that so you have more energy for the workout.

I actually do the cardio, have my oats, then wait 90 minutes before doing the legs :) I think I outlined it more explicitly in some of the earlier posts; since nothing changed, I sort of got lackadaisical with posting the exact timing of my workouts/meals.
 
I really will miss the ULTIMA sublingual dosing; quite enjoyable taste wise, and results/effects wise. I will be picking up another tub when it arrives at NP, but I'll cover this in the final review. I have started it, and have a pretty long point-form list, but it's not complete yet and I want to do the product/log justice with a complete and thorough look back, so keep an eye out tomorrow.

Sounds good man.
 
Final Review: Ultima

See Invalid Link Removed for background/intro.

As mentioned previously, I was looking to Ultima to help reduce my intake of caffeine, esp. in PreWO supplements. Part of the reason Ultima looked to be a superior choice over other formulations was the sheer quality of the ingredients; everything is provided in the best form, in very generous doses (15mg of Methyl-B12!) , and cGMP compliant.

I chose to dose the ULTIMA Sublingually; the taste is amazing, and so this was quite enjoyable. It also allowed the ULTIMA to kick in quite fast; often within 5-10 minutes I would feel it. The focus was quite pronounced; I found myself staring down the DB/BB, and sometimes zoned out while during my rest. However when I did hit the weights, it was with some nice focus/determination.

As for the performance-enhacing aspects of ULTIMA, I would say that it helped me continual my steady progression in weights. My goal was to cut/recomp which went well until I hit my 8-day protein powder binge, but overall I had constant strength increase. It was in line with what I normally see during a recomp. I also think it is very important to point out that I had been supplementing with Creatine and Beta-Alanine for a substantial time up-until starting ULTIMA; a person that had not been taking these two supplements would have experienced much more marked performance boosts.

I did notice a marked benefit in sleep; the effect may have worn off after a few weeks, or perhaps I grew accustomed to the improved sleep. I was unable to notice an increase in sweating/thermogenesis that some others noted, but I find this to be very hard to judge without bias.

Another important aspect I was looking for was an energy boost; I was hoping the Cognifive Blend would provide a significant energy boost without the use of caffeine. In one case (April 7th), I was tired and after dosing ULTIMA I felt quite refreshed and energized. However, I never felt a very significant "energy boost". On two memorable occasions I added in some ALCAR without lowering the dose, and it proved to be too much, so consider starting very low with other nootropics, as per their instructions. On one occasion I tried some SlimXtreme + Ultima, and the workout was phenomenal. I actually picked up some SX and was planning on trying it again with my own purchase of Ultima, however it was announced that the final version of Ultima will be enhanced in the stim department, so this many not be necessary.

In conclusion, I will most definitely be purchasing the final release version of Ultima to see how the stimulant aspect is improved. I will update this thread at that point with my thoughts. However, even if I find the final product to be not as centrally stimulating as I would like, I know that the addition of a mild stim will make for a mind-blowing workout. Also I can't stress enough how impressed I am with the ingredient profile; no corners were cut, and this is worth it's price alone just for the vitamins. I feel it will lead to a variety of benefits that aren't easily perceived, but help to prime my body for optimal workouts and growth. As for my recommendation, it would be try the beta Utima and add a stim if necessary, and expect greatness from the final.

Finally: Thank you to Ultima for allowing me to Beta test this product, and give my feedback. If anybody has any further questions/comments/clarifications please feel free to post/PM me at any time in the future. I tried to be as thorough as possible, but sometimes I overlook/skim over certain aspects. Until next time :cheers:
 
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