'O' Hell Yeah! - Herc's 2nd Round with Agent O

[Hercules]

I appreciate the opportunity to test Agent O again. I was thoroughly impressed the first time with the powder. Here's a link to my first log on BB.com: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=127931183
I received a box containing two forms of Agent O: a bottle of 98 red capsules (enough for 14 doses) and a seperate bottle with a small amount of orange powder and a scoop. The pills may prove to be more convenient route on the go, but will they be as fast-acting as the powder? We'll soon see. I plan on getting started with the 2nd round of Agent O on Friday, November 12th...

[J-Dawg]

In for this Hercules. Looking forward to your feedback after tomorrow's session.

[G Diesel]

There could be some big weights moved in this thread.

Peace, G

[Hercules]

In for this Hercules. Looking forward to your feedback after tomorrow's session.

There could be some big weights moved in this thread.

Peace, G

Thank you, gentlemen. I'll try pills before training on Friday (DE upper). I plan on doing heavy deads over the weekend. I'll post the Agent O effects a soon as I finish my sessions...

[Hercules]

I tried Agent O in the pill form this afternoon. I washed the 7 pills down with a mix of EAA Nitro (grape, of course) and about 6g creatine mono about 30 minutes prior to training. The first thing I noticed (about 20 minutes after taking Agent O) was that I began to sweat. It wasn't hot in the gym but I was on fire. I did a good warm-up to get my joints loose then did some speed bench. I absolutely rocked 11 sets of 225x3 with 30 second rests (about 55% of 1RM). It felt amazing. Every rep flew up as if it were the first. Once I was finished with bench I loaded up the curl bar for some skullcrushers: 115x12, 135x8, 185x1, 185x3 (new PR). On my last two sets I did close-grips until failure once I could no longer do skulls. My triceps were spent afterwards. I did some accessory work for shoulders (lateral and front raises) then called it a day. Today was a great way to kick-off Round 2...

Agent O in the pill form was definitely much more convenient on-the-go, but I don't think it had the same initial kick like the powder. I'll try the powder tomorrow afternoon before heavy deads.

[J Wong]

Nice! 225 is 55%?! damn you have a good bench.

[Hercules]

Nice! 225 is 55%?! damn you have a good bench.

I've hit 395 raw in a meet and 405 a few times in the gym so I base it off a 410 raw bench. If I actually focused on improving it like I do my deadlift I could probably be up to the mid 400's in no time. I just don't place that much importance on bench for some reason. In due time...

[Hercules]

I used the powder form of Agent O this afternoon. Pulling deadlifts on O is fun. My sets went like this:

135x10
135x8
225x8
315x6
405x3
495x1
565x1
495x3

I did 5 sets of shrugs:
135x12
225x12
315x12
405x12
405x12

That was all. Nothing fancy. I didn't go as high as I originally wanted to on deads but I focused on the squeeze at the top. In fact, I held my last couple sets at the top for about 5-8 seconds. Great for the grip.

I mixed my Agent O about 25 minutes prior to training. I noticed that it was very citrus-y -- waaay more so than the first round. I liked the old stuff better. Yeah, the additional flavorings kill the bitter taste, but the new citrus flavor is very overwhelming. I'll mix it with more water next time and give it a shot. I felt hot inside again right as I got to the gym. I was focused on each set and felt good throughout my entire session.

[Hercules]

Did a little experimentation today...

I decided on the Agent O capsules today for the sake of convenience. I made the decision to take 10 pills instead of the recommended 7. I must say, it was a great decision on my part.

I took Agent O with some grape EAA Nitro mixed with some creatine mono 25 minutes prior to my warm-ups in the gym. I felt hot inside and ready to go about 20 minutes after O. I did some warm-up sets and hit shoulders and triceps. My training went like this:

Military press:
95x12
135x10
135x8
185, 5x5 with 60-75 sec rests (I focused on rapid contractile motion without compromising form)

Dips
3 sets of 20, bodyweight only

Bent-over reverse flyes
3 sets, 25x12

Cable pressdowns w/ rope
4 sets, each progressively heavier, 9-12 reps per set. I don't know the actual weight because the stack on the machine isn't labeled.

Agent O was truly awesome today. I was focused and ready to go from start to finish. The 10-pill dose may be the sweet-spot for me. I'm not really a huge stim junkie, but the extra pills of O gave me a serious kick in the ass. I've read some other logs that claim that the pill form wasn't working as they thought it would. I definitely suggest bumping up the dosage. Hey, we're testing this stuff, right? Let's experiment!

[Hercules]

I took the pills again today. I took 10 just to make sure yesterday's session wasn't some fluke. I did some deads with bands today, focusing on the acceleration to the lockout. I have the Pro Strength Average bands from EliteFTS (http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...=138&pid=248); when doubled up they make a HUGE difference. After a warm-up, I did:

Deadlifts
135x10
135x8
225x8
225x8 (one band)
225x5 (2 bands), 4 sets
225x15

Shrugs
225x15
315x20

I finished up by doing some sets on the glute-ham raise machine (GHRs are awesome for both flexibility and strength).

Agent O didn't hit me as hard today, but I certainly knew it was working. I honestly think I was slightly dehydrated early in the day and that may have affected the effectiveness of O. Who knows. One way or another, I was still focused and driven to really crank out the deads. Heavy upper day coming soon...

As a side note, I weighed myself before training: 246.2lbs. My bodyweight may double after Thanksgiving. ;)

[Hercules]

I just got back from my ME upper day. All I did was raw bench (time was not on my side today), but it was fun...

I did a basic warm-up and got under the bar:

135x8
225x6
315x1
315x1
410x1 (new PR)
415x0
225x24

My plan was to do some boards and triceps death after ME bench, but things didn't work out for me time-wise.

I lifted with Professor and he took video of my 410 and 415 attempts. 410 felt almost easy - probably could have hit more. After seeing the video, I must say my form was much better than I expected. I may have flared my elbows out a bit too much but I held my arch well and kept my feet and butt planted. My 415 attempt felt heavy. I got stuck about 3 inches off my chest and needed a little help. Oh well - next time. I finished with a 'punishment' set of 225 for 24 reps. That got my chest burning...

I took the Agent O powder about 20 minutes prior to my first warm-up sets. I measured out 1 heaping scoop of O and mixed it with about 8oz water. I added about 6g creatine with it. The flavor was much better with more water; it didn't taste so concentrated. I felt some tingling about 15-20 minutes after downing O so I know something was kicking in. I also felt hot inside like I usually do with the powder. I was definitely ready for anything today. Focus and determination were off the charts. Without question, I prefer Agent O in the powder form.

[Hercules]

I will be taking a family trip to Alabama for the week of Thanksgiving. I have already prearranged some gym time between hunting trips. If all goes well I may be training in a very 'special' gym (more info on that later). My Agent O pills are in my gym bag and ready to go. I am not certain if I will have internet access but I will be taking my laptop with me to at least log my training sessions.

[J Wong]

I will be taking a family trip to Alabama for the week of Thanksgiving. I have already prearranged some gym time between hunting trips. If all goes well I may be training in a very 'special' gym (more info on that later). My Agent O pills are in my gym bag and ready to go. I am not certain if I will have internet access but I will be taking my laptop with me to at least log my training sessions.

Have fun! Is this special gym a new Ballys in town?

[Hercules]

Have fun! Is this special gym a new Ballys in town?

LOL. I'm hoping I can visit a Curves while I'm there... after I'm done picking flowers, of course. ;)

You think Curves allows bands and chalk???

[Hercules]

...from vacation with the family. I had a great time overall, but only got to lift once. Because of some unexpected rain we had to push one of our morning hunts to the afternoon, taking away my gym time. Shit happens. Still had fun quail hunting, though.

Anyway, my one time hitting the gym in Alabama was decent. I was allowed to train at the Troy University athletic gym. It's nice - really nice. It has all the latest training gear including bands, chains, and some crazy expensive equipment specialized for certain sports. I ended up doing some dynamic lower stuff. They had a plyo box and a foam block perfect for some box squats. I did 6 or 7 sets, not too heavy. I did some split squats afterwards. I finished with walking lunges down the track that goes from one end of the weightroom to the other.

Agent O had me up and rockin'. I took 10 pills and it seemed to kick me into overdrive. I seemed to sweat a lot more than usual for some reason. I wanted more but no one was around for a spot (students and most athletes were home for Thanksgiving break). One of the trainers had a soft cast on his leg and had the help of a crutch to get around - probably not a great idea to ask him to spot me on squats. Regardless, it was a great session.

[Hercules]

Speed bench today. For some reason I had a hard tme getting my elbows warm. I felt as though no matter what I did my elbows and even my triceps were too tight. Weird. I did some Tate presses, French curls, and even benched just the bar with a varying grip - nothing seemed to work. I still went up to 225 and did 8 sets of 3 with 30 second rests. I did 4 sets of military presses for reps with 145 (around 12-15 reps per set, keeping the rest time low). The 4 sets of face pulls felt great; I went up to 175 for 14 on my last set. I finished with a set of flat bench, 135x40, and a couple sets of lighter tricep cable pressdowns.

Agent O really didn't kick in today like it has in the past. I had a decent day at work and my mood was great but I didn't feel the extra push like usual. My focus was there - I can assure you of that. I just didn't feel the effects of Agent O like I shoud have. Wednesday should be better...

[Hercules]

Another good day in the gym with Agent O...

I slept in 20 minutes longer this morning, had a great day at work, my nutrition was spot-on, and I was very hydrated. Everything went well today. I took 11 Agent O pills today and it paid off. I did a thorough warm-up about 25 minutes after taking O. I noticed my upper back was a bit tight today, but it got loose pretty quick. I began by pulling some deads to get ready for rack pulls:

135x10
225x6
315x6
405x5
495x1 (felt reeeeally light today; I should have repped it out)

Rack pulls:
585x3
635x1
635x1
635x1

I ended with a few sets of GHRs and 2 sets of reverse hypers.

The few guys that were in the gym bailed just before my first set of rack pulls. I got the gym all to myself. With the doors locked, headset blaring some heavy metal, and no distractions I really felt the urge to prove something to myself. My focus and determination were beyond expectations. All in all, it was a good day...

[Hercules]

I took Agent O powder today - 1 heaping scoop. I mixed it with 6g of creatine mono in about 12oz water. The taste was amazing. Nothing bitter about it. About 25 minutes later, I was warming up for some torture...

I did some light shoulder and tricep warm-ups then started on bench:

bar x 15
135x10
185x6
225x6
315x3

3-board:

405x2
435x1 (old PR)
455x1 (new PR)
455x1
465x0 (would have pushed it out if I hadn't done the previous sets)

Close-grip:

225x12
225x12

I seemed to be firing on all cylinders today. I felt great. Focus and drive were unbelievable. In addition to the PR, just holding 465 was kind of like a new record; it's the most weight I've ever held while doing any bench exercise. The downside: I have only one serving of Agent O powder left. I'm saving that for my next heavy dead day...

[Hercules]

Deads with bands went well today. I use the EliteFTS Pro Average bands for my lifts. Here's the rundown:

135x10
225x6
225x8
225x6 (one band)
225x6 (one band)
225x8 (one band)
225x5 (2 bands)
225x5 (2 bands)
275x5 (2 bands)
315x3 (2 bands)
315x3 (2 bands)
315x3 (2 bands)

My focal points were the initial acceleration of the bar off the floor and the squeeze at the top. The weight gets heavy and it's hell on the grip once the bands kick in on the lift.

I finished with a few sets of reverse hypers.

Agent O was there for me today and didn't let me down. I took 10 pills and felt the energy within about 20 minutes. Their were a few guys in the gym but they didn't affect my lifting at all. Another good day...

[Hercules]

I really didn't want to lift today. I had a mediocre day at work and I was just flat out tired. A nap would have been nice. Regardless, today was a gym day and I stuck to it. I'm glad I did...

Today, my focus was on shoulders. I had noticed a little twinge in my left shoulder this morning that made even everyday movement rather uncomfortable. Maybe I slept on it the wrong way - I don't know. I figured I'd stick with the program and do military presses anyway. After a short warm-up of front and lateral raises, arm circles, scarecrows, and Tate presses, I started off really light and worked up to get it loose:

Standing military:
bar x 15
95x12
135x10
135x8
185x6
185x6
205x5
205x5
205x5
205x5
205x5

I really dug deep to finish the 5x5 with 205. My 4th and 5th sets were just brutal. No shoulder pain at all with overhead pressing.

Close-grip bench:
135x15
225x12
275x10

Illegal wide-grip bench:
135x35

My shoulders were fried after that.

My 11 pills of Agent O kicked in during my 135lb sets of military. I woke up and really started pushing. If not for O, I may have been curled up snoring on one of the benches - well, probably not, but close to it. I needed that extra push today. Agent O didn't let me down...