rizoN vs X-Factor (round 2)

[rizoN17]

MOLECULAR NUTRITION
X-FACTOR

About me
This is my second 50 day cycle of XF. My first cycle I feel I did not get the full effect of due to a poor diet and excessive drinking. So, I decided to give it another try. I've been lifting for just over a year now, and currently starting a bulk. Here are some stats:
-Age: 18
-Height: 5'9"
-Weight: 171.5lbs
-BF%: 15-16% (estimation)
-Bodytype: Endo

Goals
My goals are to simply gain lean muscle mass and, if possible, drop or maintain my current bodyfat. Strength is not of importance to me really, but obviously it will be greatly increased as well.

Dosing/Other supps
I'm going to do the standard 50 day cycle, at 1000mg a day. One softgel will be taken upon wakening, two before workout, and one in the evening.

Other supplements I'm taking include:
-Controlled Labs Green MAGnitude
-AST Multipro 32/NOW Ecogreen (I switch between them)
-Scivation Xtend
-ON 100% Whey

Workout plan
I lift 4 days a week and do cardio 2 times a week. I'll post each day of lifting in my daily journal.

Diet
My diet ranges between 3000-3500kcal, however I do not count calories and plan to have fairly often cheat meals (c'mon, I'm in college). I however will not be drinking while taking this supplement. My water intake is between 1-1.5 gallons a day.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!

[rizoN17]

Week 1 pictures
Included some week 1 pictures. Enjoy.

[Dr.L]

I'll be following your log closely, good luck !!

[BuckeyeMuscle]

good luck bro....no drinking this time!!

[bongd]

Glad to see that you're hitting this up, man. *subbed*

[rizoN17]

DAY 1 - 3/11/07

Workout: Chest/Biceps
Incline DB press - 75x8, 70x7, 70x6
Chest dips - 35x8, 35x7, 35x6
BB curls - 60x8, 60x7, 60x6
DB flys - 40x8, 40x7, 40x6
Hammer curls - 35x8, 35x5, 30x4, 20x7

Pump: 2/10
I felt no special pump today. Infact, it was below normal even though I had a serving of Green MAG pre-workout.

Soreness: 0/10
So far, no DOMS from the XF.

Notes
Today was my first day of XF. I felt no difference in the gym because of it, but of course it was the first day so the XF hasn't kicked in yet. My last exercise (hammer curls) was very strange. I felt extreme pressure on my delts and they got extremely fatigued. I also did an extra set because I didn't acheive my targeted rep range.

[kylemmmmhoyt]

good luck with this man, i'll be lookin out for you at the gym

[rizoN17]

DAY 2 - 3/12/07

Workout: None

Soreness: 0/10

Notes
Due to exams all morning and lack of sleep, I decided not to lift today. Instead I'll take a nice nap, and do some more studying. I'm under a lot of stress right now so it's best to just take it easy.

[rizoN17]

DAY 3 - 3/13/07

Workout: Legs
Squats - 185x12, 195x10, 205x5
DB lunges (combined weight) - 80x10, 90x16
Standing calf raises - 250x10, 270x8, 290x7
Leg press - 250x10, 270x8, 270x6
Seated calf raises - 140x12, 150x10, 150x8

Pump: 0/10
I felt no pump today, but I never really feel a pump in my lowerbody.

Soreness: 0/10
I felt no soreness after my last workout. I haven't hit my legs good in awhile, so I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Notes
My skin is a lot more oily then normal. My acne is getting worse too, and I feel this is from the XF. Other than that, no DOMS yet... but I can't wait until it gets here!

[bongd]

Any muscular strength or endurance yet?

I find that I'm squeezing out another few reps by this time. Can't wait till it starts kicking in!

[rizoN17]

DAY 4 - 3/14/07

Workout: Triceps/Delts
BB military press - 115x8, 115x5, 105x6
Close-grip bench press - 155x8, 155x6, 135x8
One-arm cable reverse flys - 25x8, 25x6, 20x8
Skullcrushers (no bar weight) - 50x10, 60x6, 50x7
Standing DB lateral raises (weight of each DB) - 30x8, 30x6, 20x8
Cable pushdowns - 50x12, 70x8, 65x7

Pump: 6/10
Today's pump wasn't bad. Felt a lot of pressure in the delts and the triceps were a bit swolen up too. This is pretty much average though, so no XF pumps yet.

Soreness: 7/10
My quads are killing me! My calves/hams are doing okay, but yesterday's leg workout really pumped my legs to the limit. My quads haven't been hit so hard for a long time!

Notes
Today I had a KILLER headache all day. I was debating whether going to the gym or not, but I decided too since I knew I couldn't lift tomorrow. This workout was less than satisfactory due to my extreme headache. I also had a headache a few days ago, so I'm thinking this may be XF related since I never had headaches before.

Browndustin- Yes, I do feel a bit more endurance and strength, especially in my skullcrushers. I also did feel a wierd pain in my elbow joints I've never noticed before. I don't think this is because of the XF though.

[rizoN17]

DAY 5 - 3/15/07

Workout: None
Today I had to travel home from Ohio, so there was no time for cardio.

Soreness: 7/10
I'm still feeling a lot of burn in my quads, and a little in my calves and hams. It's getting better, but I had a small limp in my walk, and stairs are now my enemy.

On the other hand, my triceps/delts are completely fine. Absolutely no DOMS in them.

Notes
Because of the hectic schedules, I have been cheating like mad the past two days. Pizza, Wendy's, yeah... it's been bad. I'm hoping to start cleaning up today even though tonight's pizza for dinner and Panera for lunch. My acne is REALLY bad right now, and my skin is very oily.

[BuckeyeMuscle]

DAY 5 - 3/15/07

Workout: None
Today I had to travel home from Ohio, so there was no time for cardio.

Soreness: 7/10
I'm still feeling a lot of burn in my quads, and a little in my calves and hams. It's getting better, but I had a small limp in my walk, and stairs are now my enemy.

On the other hand, my triceps/delts are completely fine. Absolutely no DOMS in them.

Notes
Because of the hectic schedules, I have been cheating like mad the past two days. Pizza, Wendy's, yeah... it's been bad. I'm hoping to start cleaning up today even though tonight's pizza for dinner and Panera for lunch. My acne is REALLY bad right now, and my skin is very oily.

Have a good spring break man

[kylemmmmhoyt]

Notes
My acne is REALLY bad right now, and my skin is very oily.

The acne is probably from exam stress. I broken out a little bit this week and I've even gone on accutane before.

[rizoN17]

The acne is probably from exam stress. I broken out a little bit this week and I've even gone on accutane before.

Good point, never really thought of that. I don't get that stressful around exams though, well at least I don't notice too much... but it's a possibility for sure.

[kylemmmmhoyt]

hope exams went well, enjoy your break

[rizoN17]

DAY 6 - 3/16/07

Workout: None
Today was supposed to be back/traps day... however things have been really hectic and I wasn't able to get to the gym.

Soreness: 6/10
Soreness in my quads are still pretty bad, however its slowly starting to wear off.

Notes
I was upset that I didn't get to the gym, but my friends are only in town for this weekend so I figure I'll be with them because I won't see them for another three months. My diet has been decent, but not what it should be. My acne is still getting worse, it might be worse now than it ever has been before.

[rizoN17]

DAY 7 - 3/17/07

Workout: None
Once again, I was planning on going in for some back/traps, but due to not having a car I wasn't able to get to the gym.

Soreness: 4/10
Although I can still feel it, it's pretty much going to be gone within the next day or two.

Notes
Tonight I will be having a small serving of alcohol due to St. Patty's day, however it will be the only I'll have for the rest of the cycle. I want to have fun with my friends as much as possible before they leave and go back to school.

On another note, despite my frequent cheating and the alcohol, my body fat is pretty stable.

[mele421]

My acne is still getting worse, it might be worse now than it ever has been before.

You should give Zinc and B5 for the acne. It's been a week since I started using Zinc, and a couple of days on B5 as well; and my acne is "a lot" better.

[rizoN17]

DAY 8 - 3/18/07

Workout: Chest/Biceps
Incline DB press - 75x8, 75x6, 65x8
Barbell curls - 20x10, 22.5x6, 15x8
Decline bench press - 55x10, 60x7, 50x8
Alternate DB curls - 30x10, 30x6, 25x5
Pec-dec flys - 150x8, 150x6, 125x8
Cable curls - 80x10, 80x8, 50x10
Weight is measure of one dumbell or one side of the barbell, barbell weight no included.

Pump: 7/10
Today's pump was great. In the gym I looked a lot bigger/leaner than normal. I can definitely feel the XF kicking in. I was able to go more reps/weight than normal.

Soreness: 0/10
Today I felt no soreness at all. Tomorrow I suppose I might feel some in my chest/biceps though.

Notes
Today was a great pickup back into a decent diet and workout. It felt great being in the gym, the pump was great and it really boosted my motivation. Tomorrow is legs, and I hope I'll get the same pump in that workout too.

Mele- thanks for the advice. I'll look into using those, I'm going to give my skin another week to see if it will chill out a little, some of it might be from exam stress.

[rizoN17]

DAY 9 - 3/19/07

Workout: Legs
Squats - 70x15, 70x12, 70x8
Seated calves - 70x10, 70x10, 70x7
Leg press - 80x12, 80x10, 80x8
Standing calves - 200x10, 200x10, 200x8
Hamstring curls - 90x12, 90x10, 90x8
Weight is measure of one dumbell or one side of the barbell, barbell weight no included.

Pump: 8/10
The pump was pretty intense, my legs were a bit tingley/shakey, afterwards I tried to piss but found great difficulty standing still!

Soreness: 4/10
Chest is a bit sore from yesterday, biceps are a little sore too. Nothing too bad.

Notes
Today was one of the best leg workouts I've had for awhile. Walking afterwards was terribly difficult

[rizoN17]

DAY 10 - 3/20/07

Workout: None

Soreness: 7/10
My legs are KILLING me from yesterday! My hamstrings are terribly sore, those ham curls really hit them hard.

Notes
Although today is supposed to be a cardio day, I took the day off to see my friends before I leave at the end of the week.

[bongd]

DAY 9 - 3/19/07

Workout: Legs
Squats - 70x15, 70x12, 70x8
Seated calves - 70x10, 70x10, 70x7
Leg press - 80x12, 80x10, 80x8
Standing calves - 200x10, 200x10, 200x8
Hamstring curls - 90x12, 90x10, 90x8
Weight is measure of one dumbell or one side of the barbell, barbell weight no included.

Pump: 8/10
The pump was pretty intense, my legs were a bit tingley/shakey, afterwards I tried to piss but found great difficulty standing still!

Soreness: 4/10
Chest is a bit sore from yesterday, biceps are a little sore too. Nothing too bad.

Notes
Today was one of the best leg workouts I've had for awhile. Walking afterwards was terribly difficult

DAY 10 - 3/20/07

Workout: None

Soreness: 7/10
My legs are KILLING me from yesterday! My hamstrings are terribly sore, those ham curls really hit them hard.

Notes
Although today is supposed to be a cardio day, I took the day off to see my friends before I leave at the end of the week.

Hehe. It's not a leg workout if your legs are working afterwards.

I love pounding away at the wheels and hitting up some low intensity cardio the day after. If you can get warmed up enough to run, it really helps with the DOMS. Feels great to tear through DOMS, and I find that puts the most muscle mass on my calves.

You should also try taking 500mg of NAC after your leg session and before cardio (I take mine in the morning). I feel that it really helps with recovery and especially shin splints. I feel great running after a blood and guts leg workout. You should try it out, man!

[rizoN17]

DAY 11 - 3/21/07

Workout: Delts/Triceps
DB delt press - 55x10, 55x8, 55x6
Close-grip bench press - 55x10, 55x8, 55x6
Seated reverse DB flys - 20x8, 20x7, 20x6 (didn't like these, bad ROM)
Overhead DB extensions - 55x10, 60x8, 60x6
Standing DB lateral raises - 30x10, 30x8, 30x6
Cable rope pushdowns - 80x15, 110x8, 110x6
Weight is measure of one dumbell or one side of the barbell, barbell weight no included.

Pump: 4/10
I was disappointed by the pump today, I even got told I'm looking pretty "soft" while I was in the gym. My shoulders usually get a pretty good pump, and my triceps usually swell up, but not today. Maybe it was because I was tired?

Soreness: 7/10
Legs are still killing from Monday.

Notes
Today was a decent workout, but I felt very tired due to bad sleep, and that could be the reason why my pump was off. My face acne is still very bad, and after seeing the dermatologist he put me on some medication (amoxicillin). I hope this won't mess with the XF.

[rizoN17]

DAY 12 - 3/22/07

Workout: None

Soreness: 5/10
Legs are still sore, but getting better!

Notes
Right now because I'm home, I've been having a lot of cheat meals. Nevertheless, I'm still getting decent amounts of protein/carbs, so I'm not too off balance.

[rizoN17]

DAY 13 - 3/23/07

Workout: None
I'm getting a bit sick and decided to take it easy and not put any more stress on my body.

Soreness: 0/10
Soreness is completely gone!

Notes
I feel a sickness coming on and feel that lifting may anger it. Hopefully it's nothing too serious.

[rizoN17]

DAY 14 - 3/24/07

Workout: None
Once again, I'm sick and taking it easy.

Soreness: 0/10

Notes
Being sick sucks, but what can you do. I really hope this doesn't turn out to be mono... again.

[rizoN17]

DAY 15 - 3/25/07

Workout: None
Today I feel better, but was traveling back to school. Three hours of sleep plus an eight hour car ride... yeah I won't have energy for the gym today.

Soreness: 0/10

Notes
I'm going back to school and therefore back to a better schedule and diet. My acne still is pretty bad, it hasn't gotten too much better. I'm currently on an acne plan prescribed by my dermatologist. It requires me to be on ammoxicillin, so I hope this doesn't interfere with XF.

[rizoN17]

DAY 16 - 3/26/07

Workout: Back/Traps
SLDLs - 90x10, 90x4, 80x8, 80x5
BB front shrugs - 90x7, 80x6, 80x4, 45x10 (NEED STRAPS!)
WG pullups - 8, 6, 4, 2
DB shrugs - 85x8, 85x6, 80x7
Long bar rows - 70x8, 70x7, 70x6 (did not like these at all)
Cable rows - 100x8, 100x6, 80x8
Weight is measure of one dumbell or one side of the barbell, barbell weight no included.

Soreness: 6/10
Deadlifts really killed my back in the gym. I felt tight/sore the whole workout, it was intense.

Notes
Today's workout was iffy because I was experimenting with a couple new exercises, as well as adding another set. Normally I don't do back on Mondays, but due to the sickness/moving, I had to readjust my schedule.

A side note, I'm going to look into purchasing wrist straps for shrugs/deadlifts, and also add an extra day in there to really hit my forearms and abs.

Also, sorry for the lack of updates. I wasn't able to login to BB.com a lot for the past few days, and the times I was able to login I didn't post any updates. Back on track now though!

[rizoN17]

DAY 17 - 3/27/07

Workout: None
Today I was extremely sore/tired, and therefore I didn't workout. I planned on cardio in the evening, but I was exhausted from a long day.

Soreness: 8/10
Man oh man, has the XF kicked in! My traps and lower back were KILLING me today! My shoulders, biceps, and lats/middle back were pretty sore too.

Notes
It seems the XF has really kicked in. I was incredibly sore and felt I couldn't lift today. Cardio would've been good, but I'd rather rest than stress my body even more!