Wrkt Tuesday was terrific. Just felt fantastic.
Eating is still going well and dialed in per Blueprint recommendations. Will post more after 3rd workout, given Feast results usually hit HARD by the 2nd or 3rd workout.
Rob's Blueprint Run #2 - Starting Monday 7/13
2nd wrkt this AM. Just had to post..
The fullness/increased leverage hit earlier than expected and it's very noticeable. I've already recovered all weight lost during the famine and rapidly gaining. This is a strength focused protocol but I have a feeling due to the squats the size gains are going to be substantial this time around.
I'm shooting for every other day sessions for both SQ and BP w/stretch position movements. Without KA this go-around I'm maximizing BCAA loading protocol #2 at the higher levels recommended in The Blueprint as I'm going to need them. I did feel fully recovered from wrkt #1 so this was a good sign.
Resting heart rate is still elevated which was a suprise. Protein excretion on the multistix is dropping, which wasn't.
The fullness/increased leverage hit earlier than expected and it's very noticeable. I've already recovered all weight lost during the famine and rapidly gaining. This is a strength focused protocol but I have a feeling due to the squats the size gains are going to be substantial this time around.
I'm shooting for every other day sessions for both SQ and BP w/stretch position movements. Without KA this go-around I'm maximizing BCAA loading protocol #2 at the higher levels recommended in The Blueprint as I'm going to need them. I did feel fully recovered from wrkt #1 so this was a good sign.
Resting heart rate is still elevated which was a suprise. Protein excretion on the multistix is dropping, which wasn't.
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BrainSquirt
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
Correct. I'm just cleaning house on some older supp inventory.BrainSquirt wrote:Rob, You may have mentioned it and I missed it but - why no KA this cycle? Thanks.
I'm running Adaptogen N every other night at a light dose (2 caps), some bulk Fenugreek for the 4-hydroxyisoleucine and of course, lots of BCAA's peri-workout.
Should make a nice comparison to KA, which I ran last time around.
Sat 7/25 - Third workout
Settling into a nice groove now and feeling pretty good. Having some trouble with consistent sleep patterns though. Adaptogen nights are 9hrs plus but I only manage 6-7 on other nights. I think I either need to run it 5 on 2 off or every night to get the most out of it. I do feel it though, so 2 caps every other night is noticeable, just not as much so as 3/night on a more consistent basis.
Protein excretion is much lower now. Bodyweight from Famine has been recovered and I'm moving into the positive side of that equation. It's not quite the rebound my last run delivered (same point in time) but recall that was with Kre-anabolyn vs Adaptogen and the loading pattern was more hypertrophy related on that one.
More to follow..
Settling into a nice groove now and feeling pretty good. Having some trouble with consistent sleep patterns though. Adaptogen nights are 9hrs plus but I only manage 6-7 on other nights. I think I either need to run it 5 on 2 off or every night to get the most out of it. I do feel it though, so 2 caps every other night is noticeable, just not as much so as 3/night on a more consistent basis.
Protein excretion is much lower now. Bodyweight from Famine has been recovered and I'm moving into the positive side of that equation. It's not quite the rebound my last run delivered (same point in time) but recall that was with Kre-anabolyn vs Adaptogen and the loading pattern was more hypertrophy related on that one.
More to follow..
Thursday 7/30..
Apologize for not posting lately but I'm just back from New Orleans on business...
I had the opportunity to check out a few gyms walking around. Only briefly, but here are my observations;
- It's hot as hell
- Looked to be a young crowd
I did work some alligator meat into some Feast meals and man was it good! More detailed notes forthcoming this weekend. I am thriving on focusing on two lifts vs. one... didn't expect that!
Apologize for not posting lately but I'm just back from New Orleans on business...
I had the opportunity to check out a few gyms walking around. Only briefly, but here are my observations;
- It's hot as hell
- Looked to be a young crowd
I did work some alligator meat into some Feast meals and man was it good! More detailed notes forthcoming this weekend. I am thriving on focusing on two lifts vs. one... didn't expect that!
Saturday 8/1:
OK here's the deal. I've been on the road the past week but managed to adhere to both BP dietary/training Feast guideline. Because of that, I've re-gained all of the weight size from the Famine setup and then some. Specifically, about 4 net new lbs with no increase in waist size.
The big difference this time around is that I have less fullness in the muscle bellies (no KA this run) but a more androgenic feel during the workout, likely from the light dosed adaptogen.
I was fully expecting to replicate some of the fullness given a high, high dose Fenugreek protocol, leveraging insulin. Not sure why but it's not there. Could be the lack of creatine, not as strong a dose of 4-hydroxy isoleucine OR the workout protocol, given it's neural based vs. hypertrophy last time around.
Multistix show less nitrogen excretion, although not as profound as when running KA with the same diet. AN has NOT improved this measurement, although to be fair I'm running it at a minimal dose every other night. This likely has also contributed to the slower overall bodyweight gains this time around. On the plus side, I'm regularly exceeding my failure tests that are a built in progress measurement in the bench protocol I'm using.
More to follow..
OK here's the deal. I've been on the road the past week but managed to adhere to both BP dietary/training Feast guideline. Because of that, I've re-gained all of the weight size from the Famine setup and then some. Specifically, about 4 net new lbs with no increase in waist size.
The big difference this time around is that I have less fullness in the muscle bellies (no KA this run) but a more androgenic feel during the workout, likely from the light dosed adaptogen.
I was fully expecting to replicate some of the fullness given a high, high dose Fenugreek protocol, leveraging insulin. Not sure why but it's not there. Could be the lack of creatine, not as strong a dose of 4-hydroxy isoleucine OR the workout protocol, given it's neural based vs. hypertrophy last time around.
Multistix show less nitrogen excretion, although not as profound as when running KA with the same diet. AN has NOT improved this measurement, although to be fair I'm running it at a minimal dose every other night. This likely has also contributed to the slower overall bodyweight gains this time around. On the plus side, I'm regularly exceeding my failure tests that are a built in progress measurement in the bench protocol I'm using.
More to follow..
Tuesday 8/4:
Really rolling now and the traction in this Feast phase is well underway. A few key observations:
- Focus on 2 major lifts has sharpened my focus, not diminished it
Normally, I focus on improving one major lift during a feast. This time around, I'm focusing on both squats and bench press and it's working out well. Leads to slightly higher volume of course but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The key is pairing the correct 2 loading patterns
In this case, the Powerbuilding Bench Program and Soviet Strength program I link earlier in this thread are very complimentary. Highly recommended.
- Minimalist supplementation still has its benefits
I'm running Adaptogen N at 2 caps every other night, heavy BCAA's peri-workout and some bulk fenugreek
This combination is delivering some measurable contribution, just not the dramatic feeling running full dose AN/KA etc.. If the pattern holds its implications are twofold;
- Bodyweight gains won't be quite what they are when using AN/KA daily-max dose
- Recovery from workout to workout isn't quite as complete
Difficult to explain but you don't feel as "fresh" going into each workout. Still, progress occurs... just not as quickly. Exactly what you'd expect.
I'm sitting at 234-235lbs right now and have somewhat leveled off in the past week. This is a net gain of 4lbs or so this cycle a quite satisfactory provided lifts continue to increase. Will be interesting to see how much is retained during the maintenance phase. More to come..
Really rolling now and the traction in this Feast phase is well underway. A few key observations:
- Focus on 2 major lifts has sharpened my focus, not diminished it
Normally, I focus on improving one major lift during a feast. This time around, I'm focusing on both squats and bench press and it's working out well. Leads to slightly higher volume of course but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The key is pairing the correct 2 loading patterns
In this case, the Powerbuilding Bench Program and Soviet Strength program I link earlier in this thread are very complimentary. Highly recommended.
- Minimalist supplementation still has its benefits
I'm running Adaptogen N at 2 caps every other night, heavy BCAA's peri-workout and some bulk fenugreek
This combination is delivering some measurable contribution, just not the dramatic feeling running full dose AN/KA etc.. If the pattern holds its implications are twofold;
- Bodyweight gains won't be quite what they are when using AN/KA daily-max dose
- Recovery from workout to workout isn't quite as complete
Difficult to explain but you don't feel as "fresh" going into each workout. Still, progress occurs... just not as quickly. Exactly what you'd expect.
I'm sitting at 234-235lbs right now and have somewhat leveled off in the past week. This is a net gain of 4lbs or so this cycle a quite satisfactory provided lifts continue to increase. Will be interesting to see how much is retained during the maintenance phase. More to come..
Wed August 5th.
Not much to report today. Road trip to Princeton, NJ for work. They were kind enough to schedule a 10AM meeting and it's a 4+ hour drive from where I live.
Didn't stop the feast from happening though and I just moved my sled dragging up to 4AM. 6 trips of 120 feet forward/backward with 220lbs.
In terms of life getting in the way of your diet I'll tell you what...You can't control many things in this world but you can control what goes in your mouth.
I suppose that goes for what comes out of it to.
Not much to report today. Road trip to Princeton, NJ for work. They were kind enough to schedule a 10AM meeting and it's a 4+ hour drive from where I live.
Didn't stop the feast from happening though and I just moved my sled dragging up to 4AM. 6 trips of 120 feet forward/backward with 220lbs.
In terms of life getting in the way of your diet I'll tell you what...You can't control many things in this world but you can control what goes in your mouth.
I suppose that goes for what comes out of it to.
Thursday August 6th.
Thought I'd drop a note with an interesting finding: blood pressure
I was pleasantly surprised just now with an average 110/65 reading (average of 3 readings). Never have I weighed 235+ and had this kind of excellent blood pressure. Medline states 120/80 or lower is normal.
I've got to credit the sled dragging. It doesn't take all that long, builds work capacity and increases loading without tearing you down. Highly recommended.
Thought I'd drop a note with an interesting finding: blood pressure
I was pleasantly surprised just now with an average 110/65 reading (average of 3 readings). Never have I weighed 235+ and had this kind of excellent blood pressure. Medline states 120/80 or lower is normal.
I've got to credit the sled dragging. It doesn't take all that long, builds work capacity and increases loading without tearing you down. Highly recommended.
Bodyweight has leveled off at 236lbs this week. This is about a net 5lb gain this cycle and it's not over yet. General observations:
- The focus on two main lifts during the feast with a different loading pattern for each has gone fantastically well. I don't know if I've hit on something here or just the pairing (Muscle Media 2000 Add 50lbs to your bench program and the Soviet Strength program) but something is going on. For the record, it's the bench press and hip belt squat
- Strength is through the roof. Lean body mass gains aren't as dramatic as when using Kre-Anabolyn but that's to be expected.
- I am retaining more nitrogen per the urinary testing strips, but less so than when using Kre-Anabolyn. I can tell you that Adaptogen N is allowing me to feel "fresh" given the high frequency of the workouts. The one difference between AN and KA is that when running AN solo every other night, you start the workout feeling fresh but finish up feeling pretty drained. I suspect this is from the increased androgens and just going all out early. With KA or especially the KA/AN stack, you just start and finish up strong with a feeling of still having gas left in the tank.
I've heard from a few KA/AN users who said the same. Difficult to describe.
- I have added significant volume to this phase via sled dragging (off days) and have found it to be very beneficial. For one, it has improved my intra-set recovery. I am finishing workouts faster. Second, it has lowered my blood pressure while gaining weight quickly. This is a must at my age.
- The sodium twist I recommend in The Blueprint is key. I've used it every other or every third day during this phase as an experiment and the results have been noticeable. Stick with what I recommend in The Blueprint.
- In looking back at my transition from Famine to Feast, it was much easier this time. I have to give Brain credit here: the 3 wrkt Famine protocol works well and the use of lecithin granuals/anti-ox during this time may have played a role. I'll keep tinkering with it. I only wish I could measure the CNS impact Famine delivers via some other mechanism than waking heart rate. I have a feeling the the lecithin makes it easier on the brain. If so, that's huge because the goal of the famine is to activate anti-catabolism in the muscle, not fry the CNS.
Big workout tomorrow AM.
- The focus on two main lifts during the feast with a different loading pattern for each has gone fantastically well. I don't know if I've hit on something here or just the pairing (Muscle Media 2000 Add 50lbs to your bench program and the Soviet Strength program) but something is going on. For the record, it's the bench press and hip belt squat
- Strength is through the roof. Lean body mass gains aren't as dramatic as when using Kre-Anabolyn but that's to be expected.
- I am retaining more nitrogen per the urinary testing strips, but less so than when using Kre-Anabolyn. I can tell you that Adaptogen N is allowing me to feel "fresh" given the high frequency of the workouts. The one difference between AN and KA is that when running AN solo every other night, you start the workout feeling fresh but finish up feeling pretty drained. I suspect this is from the increased androgens and just going all out early. With KA or especially the KA/AN stack, you just start and finish up strong with a feeling of still having gas left in the tank.
I've heard from a few KA/AN users who said the same. Difficult to describe.
- I have added significant volume to this phase via sled dragging (off days) and have found it to be very beneficial. For one, it has improved my intra-set recovery. I am finishing workouts faster. Second, it has lowered my blood pressure while gaining weight quickly. This is a must at my age.
- The sodium twist I recommend in The Blueprint is key. I've used it every other or every third day during this phase as an experiment and the results have been noticeable. Stick with what I recommend in The Blueprint.
- In looking back at my transition from Famine to Feast, it was much easier this time. I have to give Brain credit here: the 3 wrkt Famine protocol works well and the use of lecithin granuals/anti-ox during this time may have played a role. I'll keep tinkering with it. I only wish I could measure the CNS impact Famine delivers via some other mechanism than waking heart rate. I have a feeling the the lecithin makes it easier on the brain. If so, that's huge because the goal of the famine is to activate anti-catabolism in the muscle, not fry the CNS.
Big workout tomorrow AM.
Sunday 8/9
Incredible workout this morning. Just phenomenal. I blew away my failure tests and easily handled every rep of every set with target weights specified. You know that feeling of being in control of the weight? Like where you have the strength to stop it at any point in the movement and re-start it? Like that. Just blew my mind..
I've timed this perfectly and this run has exceeded my expectations. The ONE area where I haven't eclipsed my previous run is in bodyweight... have "only" gained about 5lbs and sort of flatlined vs. my 9+ last go around. Likely due to no Kre-Anabolyn and a SHARP de-load/taper toward the end of these programs I'm using.
Fantastic for strength though, if you're so interested. I'll have a complete wrap up when this phase is done, with take-aways you can use in your own future Blueprint cycles. I'm coming down the home stretch and barring any mis-calculations on my part, this is going to be one of the best strength oriented phases to date.
Incredible workout this morning. Just phenomenal. I blew away my failure tests and easily handled every rep of every set with target weights specified. You know that feeling of being in control of the weight? Like where you have the strength to stop it at any point in the movement and re-start it? Like that. Just blew my mind..
I've timed this perfectly and this run has exceeded my expectations. The ONE area where I haven't eclipsed my previous run is in bodyweight... have "only" gained about 5lbs and sort of flatlined vs. my 9+ last go around. Likely due to no Kre-Anabolyn and a SHARP de-load/taper toward the end of these programs I'm using.
Fantastic for strength though, if you're so interested. I'll have a complete wrap up when this phase is done, with take-aways you can use in your own future Blueprint cycles. I'm coming down the home stretch and barring any mis-calculations on my part, this is going to be one of the best strength oriented phases to date.
BIG miscalculation on my part.
I included incline stretch position EZ curl pullovers last session, and I went heavy. I hadn't done these in some time. Despite heavy BCAA loading etc, I ended up SORE going into my session this morning and missed a few reps with weights I should have easily gotten. Needless to say, DON'T do this if you're on a strength oriented program.
While these pullovers delivered one hell of a boost in fullness/appearance and probably ultimately muscle growth... they caused me to miss weights. Consequently, I have to figure out now whether to pick up where I left off or come up with something else. Whether or not this would have happened while taking KA, I don't know. I tend to think it still would have given the magnitude of the soreness I'm experiencing.
Lesson learned.
I included incline stretch position EZ curl pullovers last session, and I went heavy. I hadn't done these in some time. Despite heavy BCAA loading etc, I ended up SORE going into my session this morning and missed a few reps with weights I should have easily gotten. Needless to say, DON'T do this if you're on a strength oriented program.
While these pullovers delivered one hell of a boost in fullness/appearance and probably ultimately muscle growth... they caused me to miss weights. Consequently, I have to figure out now whether to pick up where I left off or come up with something else. Whether or not this would have happened while taking KA, I don't know. I tend to think it still would have given the magnitude of the soreness I'm experiencing.
Lesson learned.