PitCrew - Please Sticky this for the AMA Transformation contest
Alright so this first post will be long?.sorry. Photos willbe in second post Some BIO and background on MrAvg Mid 40?s.
Trained with weights from about age 18 ? 25 steady
After that. I got married, had an instant family and 2 more children. Same oldstory really started slacking, over the years I would get into cardio for a fewweeks and crash diet for a couple of weeks.
Mid 30?s I had lower back surgery which felt good initially but left me prettyscrewed up and I became a full time couch potato. My normal body weight when Iwas in shape in my 20?s was about 190. Ate whatever I wanted but worked outconsistently so I probably sat at about 16 % body fat, no visible abs but notfat. Fast forward to May 2012. Had pretty well given up andaccepted that I was going to be that average 30 pounds out of shape overweightguy. Woke up one day and said F@#k that. The gut I could live with but couldnot stand having man boobs anymore and was ashamed of my physique Started light weights and cardio program witha calorie deficit on May 3rd, 2012. I have been running an extremelystrict calorie deficit since May 3rd, 2012. I have only had about 3cheat meals and even those were not excessive. I started weighing in at 230lbs.I made a conscious decision at that point to not weigh myself and get hung upon numbers. I can only guess my body fat was about 20 % ish. So like I said Ihaven?t weighed myself since but estimate I have lost approx. 45 lbs. My waistwas 40 inch and is now at 33. That based on pant size. I have gone from wearingXl size shirts to medium. Although I have been on a calorie deficit for 8months my strength has been maintained as well as muscle I think due in part tomy slow but steady diet and the addition of adding in creatine 3 months in andjust old fashioned newbie gains. Workout regime has morphed over the months tofull-on one blasted body part per day. 30 min cardio 3 ? 4 times per week.Initial goal was just to lose the fat and stop feeling like crap. Initial goalhas been met but know I want more. I am going for a cut look. I have never had visible abs and this hasbeen a fantasy since I was a 12 year chubby nerd. Abs are starting to come innow. Goals For this contest: 1.Lose that final stubborn fat that is hanging infront of my mid and lower ab section. This is coming along but really slowly asI had such a gut there remains a skin fold so that needs to go and gettightened up. 2.Minimize fat on the rear oblique area. Still abit flabby 3.Reduce fat from outer lower chest region wherethe pecks meet the arm pit and intercostal region. Like I said I had some goodman boobs going on, so this fat is hanging on until the end. I am pleased with my chest size overall andinner and upper pectoral regions just need to firm the outer lower peck region. 4.So with this I expect ? no demand a six pack! Iwill have a visible defined six pack at completion of the contest. So this ismy primary Goal. 5.Second and quite an important goal is to bringmy stick legs up. I need some size on my legs. I think many would agree I amalmost at the point of disproportion when it comes to upper vs lower. I wouldlike a couple lines or cuts and may have those once I get below 10% but themain focus is to put some size on the legs. I have been training legs extremely hard the last 4 months but I have along road ahead with that especially when running at a calorie deficit. 6.I am not really looking to put on ?size? otherthan my legs. I am quite comfortable in my skin as I am now. Just going forthat lean tapered Men?s Fitness magazine type of healthy look.
Are there other areas that needtweaking yes ? traps need to come up a bit and more work on my back, but thatwill come over time. The Back is a very troublesome area for me due to my lowerdisc issues so I am extremely careful and am forced not by my choice to avoidcompound movements like deadlifts and squats. My workout regime is almostexclusively isolation based and higher rep ranges as whenever I start to liftheavy I inevitably throw out my back as it cannot handle the stress. It is whatit is and I have adapted and continue work on strengthening my core. My visible results will be theonly measurement of my success as I will not be weighing myself or checkingbody fat levels. Weight will be somewhat subjective because I will shed somefat, gain some muscle and may be holding a bit of water (but I hope not). So maythat just all cancel each other out. Do I hope to come in looking heavier butbeing leaner ? Absolutely!
The plan? I have not touched aas since myearly 20?s and even that was a couple very basic short cycles no stacking.
As of Jan 6, I began a cycle to be runas follows: *AI Aromasin 6.25 g per day
* Track Blood Pressure 2-3 times per week normal baseline is approx. 128 / 79
Weeks 1 ? 14
600ml Test E divided into 2 shots per week
Weeks 1- 4
1 capsule of Super DMZ 2.0 rx twicedaily
Weeks 6 ? 16
60 - 80 mg Anavar per day ? will gauge this once I start
Weeks 15 ? 16 waiting for PCT
Weeks 17 ? 20 PCT
Nolva
Clomid
When the contest starts I will beentering week 2 of my cycle and will be just getting ramped up and will be incycle week # 11 by competition end so I should be peaking pretty good. Thermogenics
Throughout I will be rotating 140 mcg liquid clenbuterol - 2 weeks
followed by EC stack consisting of 24 g of ephedrine and 400 g of caffeinetwice daily ? 2 weeks
May try adding in Ketotifen ? still waiting on this to arrive. Other Supports or Supplements I will be running some supportsthroughout:
Himalaya Liver Care 750 g per day ? Liver support
Milk Thistle 400 g per day ? Liver Support
Cayenne capsule 470 g per day ? Blood pressure Support
Creatine ? Green Magnitude ? 5 g
Whey Isolate ? 2 shakes per day once in morning between meals and the other(casein) before bed My Diet Calorie deficit
As much protein as I can get
Medium carbs
minimize fat intake
4 - 5 meals per day supplemented by 2 Whey protein shakes. Once in themid-morning the other before bed
*no cheat days during the 10 week competition
Training schedule and Routine Sunday ? Back + 30 min cardio
Chin ups ? 6 sets super-setted with hyper extensions
Incline bench pulls (row) ? 6 sets
T bar rows ? 6 - 10 sets
Seated wide grip pull downs ? 6 sets
Thursday ? Biceps
Chinups ? 6 sets
EZ Bar Curls ? 6 sets
Seated cable preacher curls ? 6 sets
Standing cable single rope hammer curls ? 6 sets Friday ? Triceps Overhead dumbbell press ? 6 sets
Single cable rope push downs ? 6 sets
Triceps press dip machine ? 6 sets Saturday ? Legs + 30 min Cardio Machine Squats ? Body Solid Leverage Squat Machine ? 10 sets
Hip Sled ? 10 sets
Leg Extensions -10 sets
Lying Leg Curls ? 10 sets
Standing calf raises ? 10- sets
*Leg day is pretty huge and a longworkout. My reasoning for this because I try to use high volume to compensatefor not being able to go heavy because of my back issues.
Holy Crap. I obviously have no idea how to perform a lat spread. That just looks messed up. I know I do't have much for traps but they can't be that bad? Must have been how I was holding the pose - I hope....
FYI - Super DMZ 2.0 works!!!
I am on the 8th day of my DMZ / Test cycle and I have added 10 pounds to my bench. Tried another 10 lbs and just missed. Might not sound like much but I have been stuck at a plateaue for ever... All other lifts are slightly up. Reps are up as well. Only downside is that I really got into my T-bar rows yesterday and pulldown somthing really good just under my rib cage. feels like I have been punched in the ribs, couldn't sleep at all as it hurt just moving in bed. I seriously thought I was not going to even be able to press the empty bar today but I am pushing through it. Just really tender hurts just to take a deep breat - whatever.......
So day 1 went good, felt strong on my chest day all around. Except for some doms in my lats from Sundays back day I am feeling like I am 25. Gotta love gear.
Day 3
Wednesday is Shoulder Day
Workout session was great. Started with heavier weights right off the start.
Weight and reps were up on every set compared to the previous week.
Could barely lift my arms to wash my hair during my shower.
Had the chance to squeeze in an extra cardio session midday which I never usually do.
might have been a mistake. I pinned my quad with my regular Test E shot in the morning.
Did an intense cardio session and had a good burn in my legs. Couple hrs later I started to get some crazy pip.
The extra cardio Unscheduled cardio session left me starving. Needed to throw in some extra carbs for midday meal which made me feel a little full and guilty but I know I needed the extra fuel.
Day 4
Thursday is biceps day
Great workout.
Quad hurts like hell from pip. Usually I have some soreness for a couple days but I am really limping from this pip
Day 5
Friday is Triceps Day
Triceps are my absolute favourite!
Weights are up, reps are up. Pump is instant after first set.
Arms are feeling HUGE!
Ever get that feeling when your arms are so pumped that everyone must be staring at you. Ya that's how pumped they are.!
Muscles are feeling really full all the time right now.
Really starting to feel side effects of the DMZ. Nothing major just elevated blood pressure. I am just not used to that feeling so that is disconcerting and unwelcome.
I am going to add in some additional supplements to deal with the sides.
Leg workouts are a pretty epic event for me. Quite long and exhausting. I am really trying to add some substance to my legs. This is my weakest area by far.
I went in hard and stronger then ever today. Was really pleased with the weight I was throwing around. This is the first workout where I had to stop 3 sets short as my back was totally taxed from the extra weights and stress that I was throwing around on the front end of the workout. Spent most of the rest of the day on the couch resting up my back. Legs are totally wasted and doms is setting in right away.
So I made some adjustments in my Supplement schedule.
I added in some Hawthorne Berry Blood pressure and NAC for Liver support.
I also am taking out the EC stack for a few days probably for 2 weeks. When thenDMZ is finished I will bring back the ECA or Clen. I think the EC and DMZ was just too much at once. So just making an adjustment and we will see if this helps.
Back is typically my least favourite but lately I have really tried to man up and am starting to appreciate and dial in some good back workouts.
I wasn't sure what shape I would be in today because my back was pretty fried from leg day stresses. I took a couple muscle relaxants on Saturday night which help with the back and provided for a good nights sleep.
Side effects and blood pressure feel a bit better today. Good doms in my legs. Pip from Wednesday still hurts but is subsiding. Lessened learned do not pin and burn out that muscle in the same day!
Good back workout. I didn't increase weights from the week before but still got a few extra reps in.
Thought long and hard about modifying my supplement schedule again. I decided to add in some Masteron Enthanate which I just happen to have on hand. I planned on using this on my next cycle but decided to go ahead and add in 400 ml a week. If I can get lean enough I think the Masteron will really pay off and should not be too harsh. I also don't have to perform any additional pins as I am just stacking this into my Test E injection, so only difference is doing a 2 cc injection instead of a 1 cc injection. I plan on only being able to do 2 cycles per year so thought I should make the most of each cycle. Might too much too soon but Somtimes you just need to do what you need to do and I figure I am in my 40s and my body will probably just suck up all the juice. And thank me for it!
All in all things are going good.
Had some hiccups but nothing that set me back. Getting stronger is a great feeling but brings with it the risk of pushing too hard. I really need to watch this as my back will not respond well to the increased stress of heavier lifting Just need to keep it cool and my head on straight.
Diet is in check, this is consistent and not a problem for me as I have been running it for over 8 months now and has become part of my normal everyday living. If I ever decide to run a bulk I would have to mentally get around that.
Had the pip in my quad but that is just part of the deal.
Adjusting to the elevated Blood Pressure. Hopefully I have it stabilized and under control. I am keeping a close eye on this.
I am feeling slightly bloated but not big and bad bloated.
Muscles are feeling full and harder
I have noted slightly better appearance with my abs
Big increase in vascularity
General overall increase in strength
Labido is working as normal, neither decrease or increase in libido
Started out slow and wasn't pushing for any new records. Shoulders were really flaring up so I decided to not attempt any new personal best but I ended up really repping out and making great gains on my rep count. Seriously feels like I had a full shoulder workout. This happens when I start pushing hard on the flat bench. So still feeling good and strong and running at a calorie deficit . I can't even imagine the strength gains if I were bulking. I can see how people can fall in love with gear.
Did my first 2 cc injection yesterday 1 cc of Test E and 1 cc of Masteron E. Seemed to take forever injecting it all in with the 25 gauge but just wanted to keep it slow and steady. I had some PIP later in the day but seems pretty mild today, was wondering how the quad would react to 2 cc's. I know they can take 2 cc but they have been very susceptible to pip the last couple shots.
I had recently purchased new shirts as I have lost so much weight but am noticing they are starting to fit tight across the shoulders so I am defiantly filling out a bit and continue to slowly reduce body fat and holding steady at the waistline.
Still feels like it will be almost impossible to carve out the abs because the fat s just sitting there but I have come this far and just need to keep on with it! I figure by the time my abs come all in I should be pretty well ripped up everywhere else so I goes that is a benefit of the abs taking so long to come in.
BLood Pressure seems to be under control and I am adjusting to the sides. Still don't like them but am adjusting.
Upping my protein intake a bit to help fuel the growth spurt.
Day 9
Tuesday is Cardio and Free day which usually means abs
I was able to get in 2 of 30 min cardio sessions today. One at 4 am the other at noon.
I had a really good ab work out this morning. I don't usually think of abs in terms of strength but abs felt strong today. Was able to increase the rep range through all sets.
General health and well being feels much better the last couple days.
I am still feeling a slight bloating and good muscle fullness.
Ordered a personal blood pressure machine which came in today so I don't have keep making up excuses to go to the drug store. Super easy to use.
BP is in good shape!
Good workout, nothing spectacular. Focused on good slow sets for traps
Swapped out lateral raises with seated bent over dumbbell raises to focus on rear delts.
30 min cardio session
Definitely feeling like I have filled out a bit. Shoulders , arms and chest appear full and bigger. Even my legs feel "full"
Still bloated a bit.
Got my first cramp today. I have taurine on hand so I am adding that in to my supplement schedule.
Drinking as much water as possible.
Terrible awful farts the last couple days. You know it's bad when you almost gag on your own brand.
Day 11
Thursday is Biceps Day
Also did a 50 min cardio session
Good workout.
A couple months ago I started adding chin-ups to my routine. For some reason I had never done chin-ups at all in any of my routines. I do a few sets of chin-ups at the beginning of my bicep workout to get a good stretch throughout my body and I concentrate on using biceps. I think the chin-ups have really helped my bicep and back development.
Having some muscle cramps again today but feeling good otherwise, sides are no real issue today
Absolute favourite body part to workout. Today was no exception. Changed up the routine today just to keep it fresh. Went a bit heavier with the push downs as well. It was as though I could feel the muscle fibres breaking down as I was doing my push downs. What I love about triceps is when you get a good pump your arms seem friction huge!. Got to get myself a measuring tape. I haven't tracked any measurements since I was about 18 yrs old but today I think I maxed out my arm size for sure.
Blood pressure is in real good shape today. I am going to start back on my 2 week Clem / 2 week EC on Monday. Normally running that does not affect my BP but I wanted to get the BP under control so I stopped the clean a few days ago. I am not sure if it is the Hawthorne berry that is helping or stopping the clen, probably a combination so I will see after Monday if anything changes.
Only sides I am feeling at the moment are cramps usually in the afternoon. I was in an all day meeting yesterday and my hamstring sprung a cramp. I tried to hide the pain and got up and left the room for a few minutes, not sure if anyone noticed. I am hoping the taurine and increased water consumption help.
Decided to change things up a bit. Big mental challenge here!
As stated in my first log post for the past several months I have been doing high volume leg workouts but I am afraid I may be over training. So I decided to cut way back on the volume and get into my heavier working sets quicker instead of pyramiding up and back down in weight.
Ended up having a great workout and got a good pump going in my legs which is rare with legs for me. I don't feel totally exhausted today which is nice. If I have some DOMS tomorrow then that should be a good sign of wether this was as effective as I think it was.
Feeling mildly bloated nothing major.
Decided not to wait until Monday to start back on Clen started this morning.
I am Frickin' WIRED today and was running pretty hot for a few hours
Felt like a beast today. Pounded out some good lifts. Really aggressive workout.
I have been running DMZ for 3 weeks at 2 caps a day. I counted my out my remaining caps and I have enough to finish off the last week with 3 caps a day so I am going to go for it starting today.
Excellent week, good gains in size strength and vascular and minor improvement in abdominal appearance.
This week I got my sides under control for the most part. Last couple days cramps were fine but today I got a killer cramp in my hamstring.
Changes in appearance are becoming obvious. On Friday I wore a shirt to work that accentuated my physic and I got a few comments. I noticed that my neck has become thicker which is a first for me. My wife says my chest is like plastic like a Ken doll - LOL.
I am absolutely loving the vascularity
Bloating is mild
Still going to be a long road to get below 10 % body fat and a solid six pack.
Tan is coming along really good. Getting plenty of comments on that being that it is the dead of winter in the great white north.
Full on Beast mode today - absolutely legendary workout and strength. The DMZ is in full effect and the Test E has kicked in!
That is the good ppart the bad part is Imam also having legendary cramping today. Had a cramp in my hamstring while having a good set on the bench - ruined that set. Later on I was sitting and went to stand up and a cramp hit me in my very lower ab region and brought me to my knees. I think I saw my life flash before my eyes.
Now a few hours after my awesome chest workout my chest is cramping every time I reach for something as it brings the chest muscles into play. I am drinking tons of water and taking tons of Taurine, not sure what other steps to take to combat the cramps. I will soldier on......
Lowered levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium all can cause cramps. I'd suggest you drink a 1/2 strength powerade while you train to keep cramping at bay.
Day 17
Wednesday is Shoulder Day. Got in a good 45 min cardio session as well
Oh Yeah! Shoulders were like Boulders today! I don't really get that same pumped feeling in shoulders as I do other muscle groups more of an ache feeling but they were surely popping today. I had to actually hold back a bit and not get too carried away. If I push then too hard I tend to regret it in a bad way but I did bring them to the edge - nice!
Blood Pressure is under control and I can feel the difference which is nice.