2nd run review
The workouts:
I really appreciated the EDT blocks and there continuously increasing intensity throughout feast. Makes me sweated like crazy and pumped! Statics holds were also new to me. I did like doing them but I also hurt myself on rack pull, a bit of inexperience and wrist straps failure combined. The positive side is that I found osteopathic threatment, more on that later. The 10% solution was not a favourite loading pattern to me: it took to long to really have an overloading. Also, 61 days of feast was a bit to long. I started felling plateau around days 50 or 52 --> learning!
The diet:
First I do believe I over evaluate my maintenance calories at first: I did my calculation on a 3000 calories for my 100% maintenance, again --> learning! I now re-evaluate this to somewhere between 2700 and 2800. So, on the first 4 weeks, I continuously gain weight, both muscle and fat. When I started the 100% maintenance (being a little too much as noted) on training days and 80% on non-training days, weight was fluctuating and regressing but bodyfat stop accumulating. I ended being a little bit leaner at the end of this run. The fun part of 100%-80% is that the formula gives me the exact 20% difference for workout days so I could eat almost the same thing days after days which is easier to follow.
The supplements:
I took a lot of supplements during this run so it's difficult to make clear statements. So I will only talk of those I believed I know there effects or lack of.
I tried two different BCAA product with the formula: MassPro Amino and Modern BCAA (USP labs). I prefer MassPro Amino because it's tasteless and recovery effects was slightly more pronounced. But modern BCAA is a bit cheaper so overall effectiveness vs price is a tie.
MassPro whey is definitely a superior whey product than every other I had. I haven't been sick during to whole program and I think this protein is the cause of this healthiness. My girlfriend, family and co-worker all got cold or flu during winter but not me! Maybe there is a synergy effect with multilife and alkaplex?
I don't think thermolife Ecdysten was worth it. I took 3 caps per day every morning with breakfast and kre-anabolyn before and after workout or with lunch and dinner. I believe I should have taken 3 kre-anabolyn per day instead.
Adaptogen N is a really good recovery product. Looking back at my log, My recovery speed for weight training started decreasing shortly after I ended my adaptogen N and switch to test freak. But test freak beginning coincided with bodyfat lowering. So each of these test booster have there benefits.
I started Gaba late, during cruise before bed time. I noticed that it makes me dream, which I hasn't noticed in a while. Real, intense, weird dreams in facts! Sometimes pleasant, sometimes not but worth the experience in my book. Beats drug and alcohol highs anytime.
The results:
Overall a 3lbs increase on the scale with a little bit of fat decrease. Overall I would say a ~5 lbs of lean muscle mass increase. I have been weight training for 11+ years and I usually put 5 lbs / year, muscle and fat combined. So very please with the results!!! Also, mirror is telling me that I am at my biggest ever, girlfriend confirmed that. Never felt so tight in an XL t-shrit and I ripped apart 2 pairs of jeans because my thighs have grown really big. I now have a really hard time finding jeans and boxers that fit my thighs and butt (not really a bad thing
)
Osteopathic treatment:
WOW! simply WOW! The guy realign my head and spine in two treatments then on the 3rd, he did something to my skull saying: "you will fall asleep easier and feel more restful in the morning" and he was right! No more pain in my back or trapeze and no more waking in the middle of the night with a itching arm and fingers. Very good investment in overall health and future fitness. It's not pleasant to have a nerve getting un-stocked from the rib cage by a guy with pogo like fingers but after that you feel so much better.
What's next?
3rd run starting today: April 11 2011 --> see my other thread for more details. I now want to show off all those muscle hidden beneath my fat.
I will be please to answer all your questions regarding this run, here or on PM.
Sheers!
BigPelo
