twoheadedboy's Lemon Slayed log

[twoheadedboy]

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the lateness of this, unfortunately "life got in the way" as they say. I finished up one training cycle right before Thanksgiving, took a 4 day break, then got sick for 2 weeks, then my grandma was diagnosed with cancer and had a stroke, so I'm just now able to get back into the gym. I'm going to compare the new Rage XL to the other Universal stims I have in my possession, including: Cuts, Shock Therapy, Rage pills, and original formula Rage powder. The only stims I've had since the day before Thanksgiving have been some coffee or tea and maybe an energy drink or two, so I should be fairly receptive and ready to go.

Today: Cuts

1 hr elliptical, 635 calories burned
3x12 seated rows, 3x11+1 machine assisted dips, 3x10 machine assisted chins

Started out light and easy today. Tomorrow I'm going to squat (though still light) and press, Friday I'm going to dead (very light) and bench. I'm not sure what my workout schedule will look like next week yet but I'm going to try to work out almost every day other than Christmas, when I don't think any of my gyms are open.

[twoheadedboy]

Today: Shock Therapy (1 scoop)

Same workout as last time

Wow. December's been a shit show. First I was on a self-imposed 4-day break, then I was sick with severe bronchitis for 2 weeks, then my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, then later that week she had a stroke, then my girlfriend got sick (pneumonia, which probably means I had it too but I never went to the doctor), then it snowed nearly a foot while I was up there, then Christmas happened, all the while I'm dealing with my company getting acquired and a possible eviction situation at my apartment (that is thankfully nearly resolved). Really disappointing as I feel my gains from Smolov last month are wasted, and I want to put this new Rage through trials.

The reformulated Shock has been my overall favorite pre-workout, ever. Not quite enough caffeine for my taste (I have a pretty huge tolerance), so usually a full scoop of Shock and a half scoop of original Rage is exactly what the doctor ordered. There's more crossover between the two now, so I think that will be less necessary, plus I'm one of those creatine non-responders so I try to minimize the amount I take (usually only take IF I'm using Shock and some form of Torrent). Next up is Original Rage, then the new stuff next week and from then on out until the can is empty.

[J-Dawg]

Wow--when it rains it pours! But glad to hear that things are starting to get back in line for ya. Stay focused in the coming weeks/months and you'll get the strength back plus some!

[twoheadedboy]

Thanks man.

Today: Original Rage (orange, from sample), same workout

Was up at 4am today and had a cup of strong coffee before, so was a little jittery for the first 30 minutes of my workout. Cardio is getting a little stronger, workouts are going well. Going to start strength training again 1/2 (which will be my first XL dose) and going to try to ramp up the volume as much as possible over the next couple of weeks to then start a Test/Stak cycle that will take me right up to the Arnold.

[J-Dawg]

Thanks man.

Today: Original Rage (orange, from sample), same workout

Was up at 4am today and had a cup of strong coffee before, so was a little jittery for the first 30 minutes of my workout. Cardio is getting a little stronger, workouts are going well. Going to start strength training again 1/2 (which will be my first XL dose) and going to try to ramp up the volume as much as possible over the next couple of weeks to then start a Test/Stak cycle that will take me right up to the Arnold.

Nice! A good strength cycle up to the Arnold.

[twoheadedboy]

Pre: Rage XL, 1 scoop

Today:

5 min cardio
EXTENSIVE warmups
Press: worked up to 105x3
Pause Squats: 95x5x2, 115x4x2, 135x3

Back on the horse, taking it slow and light this week but lifting every day. First experience with Rage XL today...the kick is not as intense as original Rage, but equal to or greater than that of Shock Therapy. The pumps, on the other hand, were insane...much much more than Shock Therapy or Animal Pump. The taste reminded me of the lemon Shock as well, so for me this was like a concentrated blast of Shock Therapy. Previously I had mixed a full scoop of Shock with a half scoop of Rage on my most intense days, and I'm thinking 2 scoops of Rage XL will be equivalent to this effect. I will find out Friday.

Thus far, here are my rankings on a scale of 1 - 5 for Energy/Pump (as a huge caffeine addict)

Cuts: 3/0
Animal Pump: 1/4
Original Rage: 5/2
New formula Shock Therapy: 3/4
Rage XL: 3.5/5

I will reserve final judgment for now, but at the moment I really would prefer the old formula, or a new one that didn't include creatine (which can be added to any preworkout very cheaply, e.g. SportPharma Just-Creatine; I know that this has a more advanced creatine formula but the jury's out on the effectiveness vs. plain ol' Creapure). It is a great one-stop-shop if you are looking for energy and pumps in one scoop, and would prefer to shoot it straight instead of mixing it with water, which is a necessity with Shock Therapy due to the quantity of powder. I guess what I'm saying it's really great at filling a niche I personally didn't need filled, but that doesn't take away from the quality of the product overall - just its suitability for me.

I will definitely be giving my can its reps and tomorrow I will try 1.5 scoops and Friday 2.0 scoops to see how far I can take it.

[twoheadedboy]

Pre: Rage XL 1.5 scoops

Today:

5 min cardio
Slightly less extensive warmups than yesterday
Cambered Bar Bench: Worked up to 135x3
Squats: 95x5x2, 125x4x2, 155x3 , some reps paused

4 hrs sleep for a total of 8 hrs the past 2 days and serious DOMS made this a hard slog. The increased amount of Rage vs. yesterday was able to get me going a bit. My heavier/later squat sets actually felt better than the light ones, which is common for me when I am sore. Shoulders particularly were sore so I widened my grip on the bar to accommodate this.

Tomorrow will be only squats and my warmup routine, then cardio and arms Saturday morning.

[twoheadedboy]

This morning - Cuts

1 hr Elliptical
3 sets of 12 seated cable rows, 3x11 machine assisted dips, 3x10 m.a. chins

Posterior chain was too ripped up to squat a 3rd day in a row, but will be squatting tomorrow morning - on 2 scoops.

[twoheadedboy]

Saturday: Rage XL 2.0 scoops

Full warm-up routine
Hang Cleans: 45x10, 65x10
Squats: 95x5, 115x5, 135x4, 155x4, 175x3

Everything's good. Going to use the next 3 squat sessions (Tue morning/Wed night/Fri morning) to work up to 225x3, then start programming from there.

[twoheadedboy]

Today: Rage XL 2.0 scoops

Lots of warmup
OHP: 45x10x2, 65x8, 85x5, 100x5
Squat: 95x10, 135x8, 165x5, 195x3

OHP was decently easy. Squats were brutal 135+. I've determined after doing it twice now that 2 scoops of Rage XL just makes me sweat more, it doesn't give me any more energy or focus than one scoop. I bowled last night, first time in months, and as a result my lower body joints were all sore, but especially my left knee. That said, the warmups allowed me to squat pain free, but I was running on 6 hrs sleep with no breakfast (large late dinner the night before, on purpose to carry me through).

Based on the difficulty, I'm going to switch back to a Tue/Thur/Sat schedule this week for squatting; originally I was going to do Tue AM/Wed PM/Fri AM, but my goal is 225x3 by the end of the week so I want to allow adequate recovery time to make that happen.

[twoheadedboy]

Yesterday: 1.0 scoops of Rage XL

Warmups
Cambered Bar Bench w/Fat Gripz: 85x10x2, 125x5x2
Squats: 95x10, 135x8, 175x5, 210x3

Liking the Fat Gripz (original blue ones). I actually didn't find it that much more difficult despite my girlishly small hands...for whatever reason, my grip strength has always exceeded everything else, I have never lost a deadlift at the top because of grip for instance. I have been experiencing a little bit of wrist pain on the top of my wrists, and after I completed bench and did a couple sets with the bar on OHP pre-squats, my wrists felt 100% better. Smoked all my squats despite a lack of sleep the last few days, and Tuesday's session at 15 lbs lighter was very hard...all the reps were hard actually.

Today: No pre, 1 hr elliptical, rows/dips/chins

Tomorrow I attempt 225x3 on squat and OHP, then hopefully start adding some variety next week.

[twoheadedboy]

Saturday: 1.0 scoops of Rage XL (after breakfast w/quite a bit of coffee)

Warmups
OHP w/Fat Grips: worked up to 105x3
Squats: 95x10, 135x8, 165x5, 195x2, 225x1

Started getting sick Friday night and felt pretty shitty this day. Thus, I didn't reach my goal of 225x3 after 2 weeks, but was pretty darn close. On a better day I probably would have had it. Tweaked my back a teeny bit, no mobility restrictions or pain really, just a little tight through range of motion the days following.

Today:

Kettlebell swings: 300 (10 reps x 30 sets in 20 minutes)

Still felt sick as of this morning but wanted to get a workout in. These made my back feel great.

I have my girlfriend doing Pavel's Program Minimum for the 6 weeks leading up to the Arnold even though she's not going, while I simultaneously work on my lifts to get myself to the best strength and weight that I can.

[twoheadedboy]

Those swings were with a 16kg/35lb bell, BTW

Today: (1.0 scoops Rage XL)

OHP w/Fat Gripz: 45x10, 65x8, 85x5x2, 95x6x5, 95x4, 95x3

This kills the Batman, err, shoulders. Seriously, I felt like John McCain after that.

Squats: 95x5x2, 135x8, 175x5

Back still feels a little tight and sore from Saturday so kept it light. Going to go heavier Friday.

[twoheadedboy]

Today:

Warmup
Flat Bench (cambered bar, Fat Gripz): 45x10, 85x8, 115x6, 135x5x4, 1 set x5 reps @ 135 normal bar
Squat: 95x10, 140x8, 185x5, 225x3

Not sure why, but was feeling FANTASTIC today. SMOKED all of those squats. 1 week to the ABC, 5 weeks to the Arnold...going to be sweet.

[Jay]

Thanks man.

Today: Original Rage (orange, from sample), same workout

Was up at 4am today and had a cup of strong coffee before, so was a little jittery for the first 30 minutes of my workout. Cardio is getting a little stronger, workouts are going well. Going to start strength training again 1/2 (which will be my first XL dose) and going to try to ramp up the volume as much as possible over the next couple of weeks to then start a Test/Stak cycle that will take me right up to the Arnold.

Ahh.. Orange Rage. Just found a sample at my house. SO what you think, original Rage, or XL

[twoheadedboy]

Ahh.. Orange Rage. Just found a sample at my house. SO what you think, original Rage, or XL

I think Rage XL is a good all-in-one product, like an amped-up Shock Therapy, and the quantity is nice so I can shoot the powder straight with just a mouthful of water chaser; ST is way too much powder to do this with. I have an extremely high tolerance to caffeine, so compared to the original Rage I find it lacking, and taking 1.5 or 2 scoops IS effective but makes it very cost prohibitive per serving. My favorite is still the ORIGINAL original Orange Rage, which had an extremely strong flavor but I felt that was a feature not a bug, and the non-XL Rage would still be my preference if I could get it, because creatine is trivial to add to a stack and it had a stronger kick per serving.

[twoheadedboy]

This morning: Animal Test @ breakfast, 1.0 scoops of Rage XL pre-workout, Uni-Vite w/meal post (new Stak will be before bed, D-AA will be first thing in the morning)

Typical warmups
Bench: A lot of triples w/cambered bar and fat gripz, up to 145, 1 set straight up reg bar 135x5
Squats: 95x10, 140x8, 185x5x3

Wanted to do more squats but ran out of time due to various weather-related difficulties this morning. Everything still feels great. Benched with the Slingshot Gangsta's for the first time today, wow are those insane, especially for my wrists which are smaller than most people's. I can really dial in the amount of resistance I want and they are supremely well made.

Going to go light/high reps on Squat Thursday and then try to max out at the ABC Saturday with my wraps. I'm not going to get a lifetime PR (275) but if I could get 250 or better, that would be a post-injury PR. I would consider it a "real" PR anyway, because my form is so much different (better) than ever before, and I am definitely going deeper than when I hit that 275 2 years ago.

[twoheadedboy]

Tonight: 1 scoop XL (because, despite it being night, shit wasn't getting done w/o it)

LA Fatness of Waukegan since it has the latest hours out of gyms of which I'm a member, though that ended up not mattering.

Abbreviated warmup
OHP w/Fat Grips: worked up to 105x3, 100x3, 95x3, 85x6, no grips on the last set and speed
High Pulls: 45x10, 65x10, 85x6, 85x4
Squats: 95x5x2, 135x8

Shitty workout, long shitty day, long shitty week, long shitty month. I'm dealing with the reality of switching from a company that is incredibly well run with a simple product that is expertly executed, to one that is run terribly, with a complex product that is poorly executed, and yet they're roughly equally successful in profit terms (the latter almost despite itself). I'm not trying to be arrogant here, but everyone is stupid from the top on down including the customers and it makes me feel like an idiot for being apart of the whole mess.

I don't know what was up with the bars at this gym. They're thicker than normal bars, thinner than true fat bars, but seemingly still 45 lbs with typical flex, silver not black. I have a hard time adjusting to unfamiliar gyms as it is (EXTREME creature of habit when it comes to lifting, unlike most other areas of my life where it's "ordered chaos") and this bar was just weird. I felt my focus start to drift during that last set of squats, which is really just a warmup, so I bailed since I will be lifting heavy Saturday morning at the ABC. I'm happy that I went but that workout left a lot to be desired.

I tried the high pulls on a lark because I wanted to get more barbell bicep work in, but I don't really like rows or curls, and cleans aren't really important to me. I liked these, they gave a good pump, and I think they will be beneficial to forearms and grip once I start doing them more and adding weight.

[twoheadedboy]

Chicago ABC-North, attendance: 1 (me)
Pre-pre: 4 eggs, 3 bakey, 2 toast, 1 giant chocolate chip pancake w/cherry topping and butter; black coffee; D-Aspartic Acid
Pre: Animal Test, Rage XL 1.0 scoops

Warmup
Bench: 45x10, 95x8, 135x5
then
Cambered Bar Bench w/Fat Gripz and wrist wraps: 135x5, 145x4, 140x3, 140x3
then back to reg bar/no gripz/no wraps: 135x5 w/speed

Squats: 95x10, 135x8, 175x5, 215x2x2
then
Static Holds: 255, 285, 315

Static Holds top of deadlift: 135x5, 185x1

I've been feeling like my upper back has been the weak point in my squats, rounding over in the hole with heavy weight, and I haven't been doing deads to focus more on squats therefore I've had no grip work...enter static holds for both. I think I'm going to like these a lot, may even try some isometric ones as well.

[twoheadedboy]

Today: 1.0 scoops Rage XL

Warmups
OHP w/Fat Gripz: 45x10, 65x8, 85x5, 105x5, 100x5, 95x5x3, take FG off, 95x5
Squats: 95x5x2, 135x4x2, 175x3x2, 215x3

Good day. Kept the volume low because I'm lifting 4 days in a row.