20 Workouts with NO-Beta

[ddouble]

First off, thanks to Double T Sports for the opportunity to try a bottle of NO-Beta on the house!

A little about me -

I'm not the type to embed youtube, flashy graphics and whatnot. I'll tell you what I felt and thought about the product and workout.

Finished a successful bulk to 220 pounds and I've added in two days of HIIT cardio to stay lean.

Starting measurements:

Arms: 18.25"
Thighs: 27"
Calves: 16.5"
Waist: 32.5"

I use a four day, upper/lower split with Wednesdays and the weekends off. Monday and Tuesday's workouts are around 5:30PM and Thursday and Friday workouts are around 7:45AM, so I'm testing this out under a variety of conditions.

And with that, let's go!!!

[ballinfrogs]

good luck man, u try NO product before?

[ddouble]

My computer access was limited last week, so I'm recording the results of workout one now.

Woke up at 6:15 and had 1 scoop of whey in 8 oz of Lactaid. Took 6 tabs of NO-Beta around 7:30 on the way to the gym. Why 6? Because I've used Beta Alanine in the past and felt confident that I could handle it. I felt the tingles start around 7:40. The sensation was mainly in my ears and lips.


Thursday - Upper Body 7:45AM

I eased into my workout since I only got 5.5 hours sleep.

Incline Bench: 155 x 15, 225 x 8, 235 x 6

Felt strong on my two working sets. I normally rep out 8-10, but a poor night's sleep wasn't going to make it happen. Chest felt full, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Close Grip Cable Rows: 150 x 10, 170 x 10, 190 x 10

Willed my way through my two working sets; I'm curious to compare to next week's morning upper body workout (when I get more sleep!).

Straight Arm Pulldowns: 100 x 15, 110 x 15, 120 x 15

The pump kicks in halfway through the first set. I have used these weights before, but my upper lats are extremely pumped, causing me to have to make my last set a rest pause.

Hammer Strength Behind the Neck Press: 180 x 10, 200 x 10, Drop Set (210 - 4, 120 - 4, 90 -4)

My shoulders are so tight, it feels uncomfortable to do the reps, so I settle on a drop set for set three. The pump in my shoulders, back and chest is very noticeable.

Machine Preacher Curls: 110 x 10, 130 x 10

I wanted to do set three, but I could feel my range of motion dropping.

Cable Pressdown/Cable Curl Superset

Pressdowns: 130 x 20, 140 x 15, 150 x 10
Cable Curls: 110 x 12, 120 x 10, 120 x10

Added in the cable curls to finish up the bicep work I couldn't knock out on the curl machine. Pump in triceps and biceps is limiting range of motion. Set three of pressdowns is brutal. Was difficult to take off workout shirt (cotton t-shirt that's the right size - LOL) after workout. Was pleasantly surprised at the results considers a poor night's sleep.

[ddouble]

Originally Posted by ballinfrogs

good luck man, u try NO product before?

I've used NO products in the past.

[ddouble]

Woke up at 6:15 and had a scoop of whey and 8 oz. Lactaid. Another sub-par night of rest, but the reasons I had to stay up are taken care of now!

Popped 6 tabs around 7:30 and decided to dose as follows for the remainder of the bottle:

3 tabs in morning and 6 pre-workout on Monday and Tuesday
6 pre-workout and 3 tabs around 6PM on Thursday and Friday


Friday - Lower Body 7:50AM

Leg Press: 180 x 30

Didn't feel like waiting on the leg extension and leg curl machines to warm up.

Squats: 225 x 10, 245 x 10, 265 x 10

Felt dialed in on first set. Contractions in quads were very intense and this sensation stayed in my quads for the rest of the day.

Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 135 x 10, 185 x 10, 185 x 10

Felt very strong on these and got a lower back pump earlier than planned while working the SLDs. Will monitor how NO-Beta effects my deadlifts as I go.

Calf Press: 330 x 15, 350 x 15, 360 x 15

Shins tightened - I normally do 20 reps. This is another exercise where I have to monitor how NO-Beta affects it. Not ready to give up on dosing 6 tabs yet.

Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets, 12 reps bodyweight (~217 lbs.)
Weighted Crunches: 3 sets, 10 reps bodyweight + 45 lbs.

I could really feel my abs firing by the time I got to the weighted crunches. The lower body/ab pump on NO-Beta feels different than on any other product I've used.

Planning to use Dicreatine Malate on non-workout days to maintain creatine supplementation.

Feel free to ask questions if you feel like there are some blanks you want to see me fill in.

[longhorns_p]

I'm following man, workouts look great...awesome numbers! How long have you been lifting?

[ddouble]

Originally Posted by longhorns_p

I'm following man, workouts look great...awesome numbers! How long have you been lifting?

11 years. Started out at ~120 lbs. But that's a story for another time...

[ddouble]

Took 3 NO-Beta tabs at 7AM

Pre-workout meal - 3PM
3 XL boiled eggs
2/3 cup oatmeal with 1/8 cup raisins

Took 6 NO-Beta at 5PM. No tingles this time. I'll play with the timing of my pre-workout meal to see if it impacted absorption.

Monday 5:20PM Upper Body

Incline Bench: 135 x 15, 225 x 10, 245 x 10, Drop & Rest/Pause Set (275 x 8, 225 x 6, 225 x 3)

After the warm up set, I felt very strong today. I was surprised at how easy the reps at 275 went up. I took a 15 second pauses between each portion of the set. I felt like I left at least one rep in the tank, so that's good.

Close Grip Cable Rows: 150 x 10, 160 x 10, 170 x 10

I used two D-handles instead of the close grip attachment. This let me squeeze another 2-3 inches out of the pull and I felt the extra contraction.

Straight Arm Pulldowns: 100 x 15, 120 x 15, 125 x 14

Even though my outer lats were pumped after set one, I was able to finish my remaining sets with power and good form. Entire upper body has a noticeable pump.

Hammer Behind the Neck Press: 190 x 10, 200 x 10, 210 x 10

Power was good, even after incline. Shoulders were pumped, but not in the painful way from last Thursday.

Pressdown/Cable Curl Superset

Pressdown: 130 x 20, 150 x 20, 155 x 20
Cable Curl: 110 x 15, 120 x 15, 130 x15

Triceps were numb from all the blood in my arms, but my power & endurance were good. Bicep power was good and I could still feel them contract, even as the range of motion became limited.

This was a very good workout for me. My vascularity is still the same during the workout, but it is staying prominent much longer after the workout than usual. Arm measurement Tuesday morning was 18.5".

[ddouble]

Took 3 NO-Beta at 7AM and had breakfast an hour later. No tingles.

Pre-workout meal 3PM - 2/3 cup oats, 1/8 cup raisins, 1 scoop of whey

I like to mix in my whey after 2-3 minutes of cooking the oats.

Took 6 NO-Beta around 5PM. No tingles. It was a crappy day in the office, so my energy was a bit low.

Tuesday 5:30PM Lower Body

Leg Press: 180 x 50

There were too many people just milling around the gym floor and my mood already wasn't the best, so I decided to warm up with light leg press instead of waiting for the extension and curl machines. Felt no burn or fatigue; could've knocked out another 50 reps with no problem.

Squats: 225 x15, 275 x 15, 295 x 8, 225 x 15

Aside - Starting Strength (volume 1 or 2) is an excellent book for learning proper squat form. It is the reason I can perform full squats with good form and a healthy back.

I like high rep squatting, but I have training partners that cannot handle it on a regular basis from a recovery or form standpoint. But one session a week, I make them do some high rep work. The first set with 225 felt good - I could have done 20, but them I would have scared my training partners. The 275 set was more challenging, but I had power to drive out of the bottom position on each rep. The 295 would've been a widowmaker set if I had gone for 15+ reps, so I left 1-2 reps in the hole. Finished off with another high rep set. Quads were full, but no more pump than usual. Heavy, high rep leg press tends to pump my quads, so I'll do some Friday morning and see how NO-Beta affects that.

Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 155 x 10, 165 x10, 215 x 10

Got a nice stretch in my hammies on all sets. The 215 set felt challenging, but I could have done 2-3 more reps. No lower back fatigue either. I think NO-Beta helped in both areas.

Hanging Leg Raises: 4 sets, 12-15 reps

Did nice controlled reps, holding the contraction at the top for a 2 count.

HIIT Cardio - LifeCycle 20 mins.

My legs were fatigued after the workout, but I finished my intervals without the prolonged lactic acid burn that usually kicks in around interval 4.

Is NO-Beta in the BB.com store yet?

[ddouble]

Had 1 scoop of whey and 8 oz Lactaid (sound familiar?) at 6:15AM.

Took 6 NO-Beta around 7:30AM

Traffic is getting worse by the day. Felt the tingles strongly. I think the heavier pre-workout meal I have before evening workouts is slowing down the NO-Beta getting into my system. I still feel the effects of it, but it takes about 15-20 minutes longer. I'll play with my dose timing for the evening workouts.

Thursday 7:55AM Upper Body

Hammer Strength Chest Press: 150 x 15, 240 x 10, 280 x 10, Rest/Pause Set (310 x 6, 220 x 5, 220 x 3)

My morning rest breaks are 30-45 seconds, compared to 60-90 seconds for my evening workouts. Even with the reduced rest, I was able to meet my target reps. I already have a nice chest and tricep pump at this point.

Cable Rows: 150 x 10, 170 x 10, 190 x 10

I'm starting to pull these with the same power I have in my evening workouts, so this is a good sign.

Stiff Arm Pulldowns: 110 x 15, 125 x 10, 125 x 10

My outer lats are rock hard at this point.

Pull Ups: 2 sets, 5 reps Bodyweight

I should have done these first. The pump in my lats restricted my range so much that I cut the sets short. I normally knock out at 10 reps a set easily.

Hammer Behind the Neck Press: 180 x 10, 190 x 8, 200 x 8

Shoulder pump from last week is back. The upside of my lats being so pumped is that it is easier to maintain proper body positioning for the presses.

Cable Curls/Overhead Cable Extensions/Pressdowns Giant Set

Cable Curls: 120 x 10, 130 x 10, 130 x 10
Overhead Cable Extensions: 90 x 10, 100 x 10, 100 x 10
Pressdowns: 130 x 15, 140 x 10, 140 x 10

I had increased vascularity in the biceps/forearms and the separation between my triceps and shoulders was more noticeable than usual.

Took 3 No-Beta at 5PM and got slight tingles on the drive home.

[longhorns_p]

looking huge on these workouts man, GJ.......I've been wanting the Starting Strength book but I just bought the Arnold Bodybuilding Encyclopedia A good lesson in squat form would probably help me out a lot since I'm taller its hard to get down low somedays. When you first started squatting did you lower back tire out pretty quickly? When I try to go heavy my back is just dead tired at the end of the sets

btw, NO-Beta is in the bb.com store now.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/do...ts/nobeta.html

[jordansrt]

For anybody who entered the bicep contest we need the form maxrx sent to your email. Everyone check those emails and get them back to us. i also listed the form in the bicep contest thread for you guys who cant check your email

[ddouble]

Originally Posted by longhorns_p

looking huge on these workouts man, GJ.......I've been wanting the Starting Strength book but I just bought the Arnold Bodybuilding Encyclopedia A good lesson in squat form would probably help me out a lot since I'm taller its hard to get down low somedays. When you first started squatting did you lower back tire out pretty quickly? When I try to go heavy my back is just dead tired at the end of the sets

btw, NO-Beta is in the bb.com store now.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/do...ts/nobeta.html

Thanks, I saw it in the store yesterday.

I used to do "parallel" squats and had gotten up to 600 lbs for 5 reps and was doing 20 rep sets with 405. My lower back usually stayed strong, but after a couple of bouts with sciatica, I cut out squats for a couple of years, (falsely) thinking I could no longer do them. Once I found Starting Strength (and checked my ego at the door), I fixed all of my form issues. Not a bit of back pain from squatting in the last three years. I also learned how to deadlift correctly as well.

Get the book, read the squat section twice before your next leg day and apply the principle with light weight. Work your way back up with 5-10 lbs increases per session if you are still maintaining good form.

[ddouble]

6:15 AM 1.5 scoop whey and 8 oz. Lactaid

6 NO-Beta at 7:40. Traffic sucks today and the rain doesn't help. Tingles kick in with 15 minutes. Finally made it to gym at 8:15.

Friday Lower Body
Since I'm super late, I decided to cut my rest breaks to 30-45 seconds.

Leg Press: 180 x 30, 450 x 15, 540 x 15, 630 x 15, 720 x 15, 810 x 15

I'm noticing that on leg days, NO-Beta seems to make the muscles contract harder. The leg press did pump my legs more than the squats Tuesday. Around set 3, the mind-muscle connection was locked in.

Seated Leg Curl/Calf Press Superset

SLC: 110 x 10, 130 x 10, 135 x 8, 140 x 5
Calf Press: 330 x 15, 350 x 15, 355 x 15, 360 x 15

My hammies are firing hard, especially since I make a concerted effort to keep my feet straight on the contraction. The leg curls also serve as a pre-exhaust for the calf press. No lactic acid burn on these supersets.

Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets, 10 reps
Weighted Crunches: 3 sets 45 lbs + Bodyweight

My abs are contracting harder than usual on every set. I think NO-Beta makes my muscles fire harder. I'm not sure what in the mode of action of the ingredients could do that, but it's becoming consistent. I have some research to do!


Will take 3 tabs around 4-5 PM today.

If I'm not a lazy bum this weekend, I'll take some pictures and put them up by mid-week.