Contest Preparation with Applied Neutriceuticals
Hiya, my name is Rosie. First let me tell you that this is going to be so much MORE than JUST a 'Supplement Log'. It's going to be following my preparation for my first Figure competition* in 2008 (and my first since I retired from cycling and decided to concentrate on bodybuilding for SERIOUS). Think of this first log as the 'Reference Log' if you will, since I am putting in my Meal/Supplement and Training Schedules (See further down), as I will refer to them in future logs. It will also be a LONG log, since it's the first!
CURRENT STATISTICS:
Height - 156.6cm - i.e. 5'2"
Body mass - 48kg - i.e. 105.6 pounds
Bodyfat - 8.7%
Height won't change at all. Body mass I DON'T want to get any LOWER, as it will mean that I have lost lean body mass if it does; but don't mind this getting HIGHER. Bodyfat percentage is what I will be looking at mostly, since this is the important thing here.
Currently I am 11 weeks out from the competition. Technically this is the time when competitors are following cutting diets and including practices like restricting calories, eliminating carbohydrates (CHO), and doing heaps of cardio (maybe a generalization, but you get the idea). However, because I am ALREADY lean, I'm not too concerned with losing that last 2-3% bodyfat (I have set my competition bodyfat goal at 6%. I don't know whether it is genetically possible for me to actually get that low, so really, the aim is to GET AS LOW AS I CAN, WHATEVER it may be!) until about about 4-6 weeks out from the competition. Instead I will be focussing on trying to GAIN some muscle in my upper body for a few weeks, in my lats and delts especially, whilst trying to MAINTAIN closer to ~8% bodyfat (YES, it IS possible to GAIN muscle whilst being that lean, although it IS a SLOW process, and will be VERY HARD being a FEMALE; which is fine, since I am not looking to gain excessive size). Crazy and completely unorthodox, I know, but I have never been one to stand in with the crowd!
Since I believe that supplements are NOT the most important part of any health and fitness regime, and should only be used to fill a NEED (or, in the case of a Figure/Fitness/Physique competitor whose diet and training are ALREADY designed to give them maximum results and who need that little 'extra edge'), and because, as an elite athlete I was always very careful about what I allowed into my body (a habit I kept, amongst others), I have, for the last 3 years, only used the basic minimum of a creatine product, protein powder, flaxseed oil, and a multivitamin (I also take a calcium supplement, since I do not eat a lot of dairy, and a vitamin C supplement). However, over the next 10 weeks I shall be adding several different supplements to my training/diet regime.
The supplements (kindly sponsored by Applied Neutriceuticals - See [url]http://www.appnut.com/[/url]) that I will be using are:
1. DRIVE - I want to increase my muscle mass. However, even though when lifting heavy I still use fairly short (1-2 minutes maximum) recovery between sets, so that even if my resistance sessions aren't all high intensity, they are ALL HIGH DENSITY. DRIVE boosts stamina and endurance, increases muscle strength and speed; and promotes dense, permanent, lean muscle growth. It also reduces recovery time, as well as improving mood and stimulating motivation.
2. RPM - I am a very busy person (aren't we all?) with a hectic schedule, and for the last few months I have been 'crashing' between 1300-1600 most days, so I require something that will give me the alertness and energy that I need to keep going (this is especially important when I start back at full-time study in a few weeks). RPM provides clear, focussed energy, along with greater aggression towards training, to help increase strength, whilst also giving improved muscle hardness, pump, and vascularity. It also has a lipolytic effect on the body, which will help me maintain my leanness whilst adding size.
3. NEOVAR - It will replace the NFS Kre-Alkalyn that I have been using up until now. NEOVAR is a creatine ethyl ester that promotes increase in muscle cell volume, which means more intense pumps and hypertrophy. Creatine is also important for recovery, and recovery is ESSENTIAL for growth. (Please Note that because NEOVAR works most effectively when taken with ~50g CHO, my daily intake of CHO will INCREASE - usually pre-competition female competitors almost drastically DECREASE their CHO).
4. Lipotrophin-PM (L-PM) - Despite going to bed reasonably early, it usually takes me 2-3 hours to get to sleep, and when I DO eventually sleep, it is often broken and of poor quality, unless I am extremely shattered from hard training that day, and even then it is a black nothingness! I rarely sleep MORE than 4-5 hours in total, and sometimes due to study not at all (that's going to STOP this year; NOT good for recovery!), so that even after the sleep that I DO get, I often wake feeling completely fatigued, especially after a hard day's training the day before. L-PM promotes a deeper and more restful sleep, as well as eliminating drowsiness upon waking. It also eliminates cravings, which will make the 'dieting' closer to competition easier.
(Please Note that for the first week of this log I will also be using IGF-2 [since I have a small sample bottle]. IGF-2 promotes increases in muscle strength and size).
Although there are a few logs out there written by males on [some of] the Applied Neutriceuticals supplement products (in particular the DRIVE/RPM stack), I have only seen ONE by a female. And since males and females are physiologically different, I thought that it would be good to add another log by a FEMALE. This log will follow a complete DRIVE/RPM stack cycle of 12 weeks - 10 weeks on (the 10 weeks before I start my contest diet), and 2 weeks off (the week of my contest diet, and the week AFTER the competition, in which I shall have a COMPLETE week OFF resistance training altogether).
Each day that I log I will be making notes/comments on the following:
Sleep - Time and Quality,
Mental Alertness,
Energy,
Motivation,
Mood,
Endurance,
Pump and Vascularity,
Strength,
Quality of Training,
any changes in Body Composition and Look, and
an Overall Sense of Feeling.
MEAL/SUPPLEMENT SCHEDULE
(Please Note that all doses and how they have been timed have been recommended by Dirk at Applied Neutriceuticals in order to get the maximum benefit from each supplement).
GYM DAYS
0315: Wake
0330: DRIVE (2)
0430: 20 min Run
0500: Drive (2) + RPM (2)
0600: Resistance Session
0645: NEOVAR (3)
0715: Breakfast + Multivitamin + Calcium
0930: Protein Shake
1200: NEOVAR (3)
1230: Lunch
1500: Protein Shake
1700: Dinner + Vitamin C 1000mg
1915: L-PM (1)
2000: Bed
NON-GYM DAYS
0315: Wake
0330: DRIVE (2) + RPM (1)
0430: 20 min Run (EXCLUDES Sunday)
0645: NEOVAR (3)
0715: Breakfast + Multivitamin + Calcium
0930: Protein Shake
1130: NEOVAR (3)
1200: Lunch
1400: DRIVE (2)
1500: Protein Shake
1700: Dinner + Vitamin C 1000mg
1915: L-PM (1)
2000: Bed
TRAINING SCHEDULE (4 February - 2 March 2008)
This will be my training schedule for the next 4 weeks. Changes/tweaks will be made on a weekly basis in the gym in order to continue making progress, or as I see a need. From March I shall begin doing 2-3 fitness boxing sessions a week for cardio, as a change and instead of running so much; and my resistance training programme will change again (depending upon my development and weaknesses).
Monday: 20 min HIIT Run + 20-30 min Stretch + Quads/Shoulders/Abs
Tuesday: 5.5km Run + 20-30 min Stretch + Triceps/Biceps
Wednesday: 20 min HIIT Run + 20-30 min Stretch
Thursday: 5.5km Run + 20-30 min Stretch + Hams/Glutes/Back
Friday: 20 min HIIT Run + 20-30 min Stretch + Chest/Abs/Calves
Saturday: 5.5km Run
Sunday: DAY OFF
GYM PROGRAMMES
(Please Note that these have been written specifically for ME, for my weaknesses. Recovery time between each set is 30-60 seconds).
Quads/Shoulders/Abs:
1. Barbell Front Squat (BB FS) 4 x 10-12
2. Barbell Shoulder Press (BB SP) 4 x 10-12
3. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise (DB LR) 3-4 x 10-12
4. Incline Lying Dumbbell Rear Raise (Inc DB RR) 3-4 x 10-12
5. Abs - ~100 reps (i.e. 3-4 exercises @ 3 x 10-15 reps per exercise)
Triceps/Biceps:
1. Dips 4 x 10-12
2. Tricep Pushdown (TP/D) 4 x 10-12
3. Ezy-Bar Preacher Curls (PC) 4 x 10-12
4. Incline Dumbbell Concentration Curls (Inc DB CC) 4 x 10-12
5. Cable Rope Superset Triceps/Biceps (i.e. down/up) 4 x 10-12
Hams/Glutes/Back:
1. Barbell Romanian Deadlifts (BB RD) 4 x 10
2. Alternate Leg Barbell Lunges forward onto a box (BBL) 4 x 12
3. Wide-Grip Lat Pull-Down (WG LPD) 4 x 10-12
4. Close-Grip Seated Row (CG SR) 4 x 10-12
5. Close-Grip T-Bar Row (GC TR) 4 x 10-12
6. Rope Pulldown 3-4 x 10-12 (stand further back, so using BACK NOT triceps)
Chest/Abs/Calves:
1. Flat Barbell Bench Press (BB BP) 6 x 6-8
2. Incline Barbell/Dumbbell Bench Press (Inc BB/DB BP) 6 x 6-8
3. Flat/Incline Dumbbell Flyes (DBF) 4 x 10-12
4. Abs - ~100 reps (i.e. 3-4 exercises @ 3 x 10-15 reps per exercise)
5. Standing Calf Raise (SCR) 4 x 6-10
* The competition is the NZFBB Wellington Championships (19 April, 2008). For those of you who are not familiar with the NZFBB classes, their 'Figure' is NOT the equivalent of 'Fitness Model', as it in the WNBF, but is like a bodybuilding class (but withOUT the HUGE musce mass required by a 'Physique' competitor) with 3 rounds (quarter turns, compulsory posing, and a 60-second routine). It will be my 'warm-up' for the year, and be great for giving me an opportunity to practice my compulsory poses and routine for the WNBF 'Ms Fitbody' class (equivalent to NZFBB 'Figure'), which I am looking at competing in during October/November later this year (along with their 'Figure' class, since it is currently their only class that I can win a PRO card in).
Before I start, I want to thank Jammie and Applied Neutriceuticals for the opportunity to 'experiment' with their products to see if they support my needs. I have heard good things about Applied Neutriceuticals so far, and am keen to see what happens!
Day 1 - DRIVE (4), RPM (2), NEOVAR (6), IGF-2 (6), L-PM (1)
Right, so my new training programme began today. A complete rewrite of my resistance sessions, and back to doing only 4 days a week, and not the 5 I have done for the last 3 weeks. Today, however, is my 4th day in a row in the gym (did 3 of last week's days Friday to Sunday), so my body really hasn't had a proper chance to recover. However, unlike last week, when after EVERY session I got home tired and sore, today, I have yet to feel any physical fatigue or DOMS (it will come later, though, no doubt!). Since my sessions are VERY different to what I have been doing, it is hard to say whether or not any changes today are because of the change in programme, the better and longer sleep I had last night (I will come to that a bit later), the huge amount of CHO that I had last week (thanks to 6 days of binging), or the new supplements that I have started taking. At the end of the week, it shall become a little more clearer, as my body 'settles' into the new routine, and diet and sleep patterns return to 'normal' (well, normal for ME).
When I've posted this I go will back and add to my 'Reference Log' what my gym sessions are, so that I can just refer to them.
So, as for training today:
0430 - HIIT Run:
4 minute warm-up (i.e. easy jogging), then 24 x 20 seconds sprint efforts [work]/10 seconds easy (i.e. just jogging at a pathetic pace), before finishing with 4 minutes easy jogging (or whatever my body decides to plod along at after all those sprints!). The sprints did not seem to take as long today - i.e. the 20 seconds was OVER before I realized for most of them, and sometimes I ended up doing 23-28 seconds instead of 20, which meant shorter recovery times, but my body handled it well! Also, my last sprints were just as 'strong' as my first, which is always a good sign :)
0600 - Quads/Shoulders/Abs:
With the BB FS - I increased the weight here, and found it to be easy (despite having only done them yesterday), so I will be going up again next week. It's been a while since I've done BB SP, having used DB for the last few months. I was surprised to find that I could lift almost TWICE as much as I could since last time I did them. For DB LR and Inc DB RR I could lift 2-3kg MORE [per side] than I could last week (maybe because I was only doing 3 sets and not 12-16! Every gym session for the last 3 weeks I have been doing DB LR supersetted with almost EVERY set in 4 of my 5 sessions. Yes, crazy; no comment).
I will probably end up writing these logs at the end of the day, since, even though I have done all my training by 0700, I have only had DRIVE (4), RPM (2), NEOVAR (3) and IGF-2 (3) so far, with the rest later...But these are my comments so far:
Sleep - Time and Quality: Slept for 6 hours last night, and DIDN'T wake once, which is pretty UNusual for me. Last week left me pretty shattered training-wise, and the bad diet didn't help. But hey, this is GOOD. Will be interesting to see what happens when I start taking L-PM tonight.
Mental Alertness: Good, especially when training. No dizziness today.
Energy: Well, I wasn't bouncing around like an energizer bunny, but I wasn't dragging my feet either. So far, I have not felt fatigued; lets's see what happens come 1300-1600.
Motivation: Being able to lift heavier during my gym session made me look forward to tomorrow! :)
Mood: Definitely in a good mood. Quietly 'happy' with how things have gone so far.
Endurance: Same as usual. I always manage. Maybe this has more to do with the fact that I will push myself to complete whatever it is that I have decided I am going to do that day, regardless?
Pump and Vascularity: Arms looked really good, for some reason. Usually I have quite high vascularity in the gym (probably because I am lean and also because it gets hot!), but today it was extreme, especially in my forearms and hands, and stayed that way, and still is now, even though today is not particularly warm at all.
Strength: Felt strong. Like I could have done way more sets than I did. But let's not get TOO excited!
Quality of Training: High. Loved it. Very happy with BOTH sessions today!
Body Composition and Look: Looking a little bloated from 6 days of binging, but you can still see my abs and my arms are looking the 'thickest' and 'fullest' that they have been.
Overall Sense of Feeling: Great.
On another note, another way I will 'record' my progress is through my bloods, which I get done weekly. The reason: I have alpha thalassaemia trait (2 gene deletion). Alpha thalassaemia trait is a genetic blood disorder that affects the body's ability to create red blood cells (RBC). Oxygen is transported through the blood via haemoglobin (Hb). With alpha thalassaemia trait (2 gene deletion) there is a cis deletion of 2 alpha loci on some chromosomes, which means that instead of having 4 alpha globin on the Hb chain, I only have 2. Alpha thalassaemia trait (2 gene deletion) permits nearly normal erythropoiesis, but I will always have a mild microcytic hypochromatic anaemia. I am, however, NOT iron deficient, although I often have the symptoms of anaemia. Regular bloods allows me to see any effects that training (or lack of) and diet are having on my body. And besides, it's interesting to see how they change on a weekly basis.
Currently my blood statistics (that I will follow in this log) are:
RBC: 5.7 x 10E12/L (Normal range 3.9-5.5)
Hb: 117 g/L (Normal range 115-155)
My Hb levels are usually between 102-112 g/L. Training, however, INCREASES them, but only if I am doing 5 or more days a week (includes all types of training, but most probably cardio). However, this means that my RBC goes ABOVE normal levels, to compensate for the increase in Hb.
The other thing that I will also use to 'track' my progress (and this is probably more to do with my endurance/cardio) is my resting heart rate, which I take every morning. Currently it is 36 beats per minute (bpm). It doesn't take long to go down, and by the competition, it should be back down between 28-32 bpm.
Ok, so another long log. It won't be happening when I start back at study, LOL.
Day 2 - DRIVE (4), RPM (2), NEOVAR (6), IGF-2 (6), L-PM (1)
Right, so looks like I will be logging twice a day until I start back at study. Which is ok, since at the moment I'm working nights. And that means I have ALL day (great chance to recover!) to fill in for a couple more weeks...
0430 - 5.5km Run:
It was cold and wet and windy (strong SE, and started off into the headwind) this morning. Started off well, and finished well. I do a 5.5km loop (round the block pretty much). Average was 4.2 min/km, which is better than last week's averages of 4.5-4.7 min/km over the same distance. Not very fast, I know, but hey, I'm not training for running. I would like to be getting down to around 3.8 min/km by comp time, though, seeing as I used to do that as a 10-year-old! Cadence was fast, with small strides, which is a bit of a change from the usual 'loping' along that I do. I felt a bit wired, actually, so maybe that's why. So, a good run.
0600 - Triceps/Biceps:
I changed the TP/D to DB French Press (DB FP), since I'd prefer to stick to more 'compound' exercises, and am not really a fan of cables, unless I really need to. Besides my cable superset included them. Please Note that Inc DB CC was actually supposed to be DB Bicep Curls (Inc DB BC); my bad. Right, so, for Dips, since I actually had a rep range, and wasn't just doing 6 x as many reps as possible, like I have been doing for the last month or so, I added some weight, which was more of a challenge trying to HOLD on to than doing the dips themselves (I will have to use a belt or something and hang a plate from it next time, instead of trying to grip a DB between my feet). Again, for all exercises, weights used were heavier than I have been lifting. Everything just seemed so effortless. My forearms DID 'hurt' though, during and after the cable superset.
Sleep - Time and Quality: I 'woke up' at ~1700 yesterday afternoon. Took my L-PM at 1915. Didn't start to get tired again until just before 2130. And didn't get to sleep until ~2230! However, sleep was unbroken last night. Woke up at 0308, feeling great. So, ~4.5 hours of deep sleep.
Mental Alertness: Wired since I had my first dose of Drive at 0330.
Energy: Full of energy today...So far...
Motivation: Having to move to heavier weights in the gym was extremely motivating. I kept gritting my teeth and pushing for more!
Mood: VERY GOOD. It always is after a great gym session!
Endurance: Always good.
Pump and Vascularity: Incredible pump in the gym, especially in my triceps and forearms, more my forearms than anything. Didn't feel much in my biceps though; need to concentrate on the mind-muscle connection more there. Forearms felt rock solid when I'd finished, and still do. Vascularity was even better than yesterday! The veins were really popping out, and could see both my brachial and cephalic veins coming down my biceps as well, and not JUST in my lower arms and hands.
Strength: Increase in weight lifted says it all.
Quality of Training: Good. Both in run and gym session. Very pleased, especially with the gym.
Body Composition and Look: No longer bloated. My arms are definitely BIGGER than last week, and NOT from fat, surprisingly enough, despite last week's binging, as my flexed girth is greater, while my relaxed is the same. Arms look and feel fuller and are starting to look HARDER. Starting to see the separation in my anterior deltoids. My left side is WAY BETTER than my right though, as far as seeing definition.
Overall Sense of Feeling: Good. I'm beginning to feel comfortable again (clean eating just feels soooo much better than cheating, although the cheating tastes great at the time).
Have noticed that my libido has also been elevated, but usually it has been when I am my most 'tired'. Not like I have anyone to play with anyways, LOL.
Day 3 - DRIVE (4), RPM (1), NEOVAR (6), IGF-2 (6), L-PM (1)
0430 - HIIT Run:
4 minute warm-up, then 24 x 20 seconds work/10 seconds easy, before finishing with 4 minutes easy jogging. SE wind again. It was nippy to start with, but I warmed up once I began my work efforts. Maybe it's just running in the dark (or not), but I felt like I was flying today (got to love that!). All bar one of my sprints were AWESOME and I felt strong and fast. During the last 3 sprints there was a sharp pain in my right anterior shoulder, but it went once I eased into my 'cool-down' jog.
Sleep - Time and Quality: I started to get a little 'tired' around 2130, but did not get to sleep until~2330! Got ~3.5 hours sleep, but it was unbroken and deep, and I awoke alert.
Mental Alertness: Very alert. But then again, it's only 0530! :)
Energy: Got loads at the moment. Even my sprinting didn't seem to take that much out of me!
Motivation: High. Feeling great after yesterday and resisting the urge to binge!
Mood: High. Today could be one of those days when I am in a 'silly, happy' mood.
Endurance: High.
Pump and Vascularity: Still have unbelievable vascularity in forearms/lower arms. Calves (not surprising after a run) have visible veins too.
Strength: N/A really.
Quality of Training: Very good. My 10th sprint ended after 16 seconds, but then again, quite a few were 23-28 seconds so...
Body Composition and Look: Upper body is looking leaner, as well as around my 'Adonis Belt'.
Overall Sense of Feeling: Feeling pretty good right now. My anterior deltoids I could feel as I was running (from Shoulders on Monday in the gym?), but apart from that I have no other muscular aches or DOMS (yet).
Note: I have changed some of my early morning meal/supplement times on NON-GYM days, to look like this:
0530: NEOVAR (3)
0600: Breakfast + Multivitamin + Calcium supplements
0900: Protein Shake
Because waiting 2 hours after I've finished my run is just STUPID (since glucose uptake into the muscle is at its peak during the first 60 minutes after exercise). Plus, it means less time waiting until I can eat!