Adding Mass With ActivaTe Xtreme, But Keeping It Lean Xtreme...

[livinonlava]

Well, I'm a new, old face in these parts...

Several months ago, Designer Supplements selected me keep a sponsored log of my use of the new ActivaTe Xtreme. I was in the early stages of a cut that led to my first-ever stage competition in November. I was very pleased with the positive mood and energy levels that I experienced while supplementing. I also made some excellent body composition changes, maintaining a fair amount of muscle while dropping the fat.

Well, now that I'm in the "off season" I wanted to revisit AX to see the results while hyper-caloric. I also wanted to try an increased dosing protocol as I stuck to the bottle-recommended two servings per day at the time. The DS reps suggested that persons over 220lb would benefit from the extra daily dose. Though I'm definitely trying to add mass, I'd like to keep it as lean as possible, because honestly, cutting is just no fun So, I'm combining AX with Lean Xtreme -- a product I've never used before. My hopes are to maintain an optimal hormonal environment for lean mass gains. This should be accomplished by the free-testosterone promoting ActivaTe Xtreme and the cortisol-controlling Lean Xtreme.

About Me
Age: 30
Sex: Male
Height: 6'2
Weight: 215
Training Experience: 12+ years
Long-Term Goal: Add mass for next competition in November 2008
Log Goal: Gain 10 (mostly lean mass) pounds in 6 weeks

Starting Stats
Chest: 45"
Arm: 16.5"
Waist: 34"
Thigh: 24"
Calf: 16.25"

Starting Progress Pics







Current Training Protocol

I've completely redesigned my split. For at least the last few years, I have utilized a pretty general split that hit each muscle group just once per week. After a bit of reading and some reflection on past experiences, I've decided to shake things up and combine some body-parts in an effort to train more frequently -- while also allowing for more frequent rests. In addition, I'm once again using a progressive, periodized approach that should maximize my growth potential. In this system, I'll be starting with lighter weights and higher repetitions. Every two weeks, I'll increase the load and slightly reduce the reps performed. Approximately every four weeks, I'll add an additional working set to maintain a fairly constant training volume (which would otherwise be reduced as I cut the number of reps performed in each set). If this doesn't make any sense, perhaps you'll see what I'm saying as I go. The routine generally is as follows:

Day 1
Chest/Tri's/Shoulders

Day 2
Back/Bi's/Traps

Day 3
Rest/Abs/Cardio

Day 4
Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

The cycle is then repeated. Basically, I will rest every two days. This will allow for a different combination for each of the two "on" days every time. For each muscle group, I will be performing 8 or 9 working sets in 2 - 3 different movements. I will focus on compound movements, but don't be surprised to see some isolation work in there depending on how rested/recovered I feel. Due to the above structure, there will be 4 or 5 days between attacks on a particular muscle, so my intensity may fluctuate a little to match that rhythm. My rep range started at sets of 12 and will be altered as explained previously with 2 weeks at 10 and 8 and 6 and then 5. I plan to force myself to take a complete rest week after each 10 week cycle. I plan on doing low-intensity cardio (incline TM walking or stepmill) every day. I'll perform 20 minutes after each workout, and 40-45 minutes on my rest days. I want to rev my metabolism through the roof and build some endurance for very intense training.

Diet

Given that I'm just coming off 16 painful weeks of cutting, I'm just not crazy about counting calories yet. Rather, I'm going to focus on fairly clean eating and close monitoring of the scale. I will follow a very loose carb cycle. By this, I mean that I will be doing low/no carb days during each of my rest periods (every 3rd day). I will eat till satisfied, but limit my choices to lean proteins and healthy fats. Each leg day (every 4th or 5th day, depending) will be a no-holds-barred eating fest. I will probably make this my pizza day All other days will be fairly balanced, though I will try to keep the bulk of my carb consumption at breakfast, immediately pre and post workout, and then in my post-post workout meal. We'll see how this works for me.

I'll be listing my meals, but I won't be calculating macros unless someone wants to see a sample of what the numbers would be for a given day.

Supplementation

In addition to DS ActivaTe Xtreme and Lean Xtreme, I will be continuing my use of the following supplements.

Dymatize ISO-100 Whey Isolate
Rose Acre Farms Dried Egg Whites
Multivitamin
Natrol Bio-Beads
Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM
MAN Clout
AST R-ALA
Ergopharm AMP (occasional cardio boost/mood enhancement)
MuscleTech GAKIC (occasional leg or back days)

I have at least 3 months of experience with each of the above products, so the ActivaTe and LX will be the only variable in terms of supplementation.

Log Focus Points

As I have already noted some of the effects of ActivaTe Xtreme in my last logging effort, my interest in this log is primarily related to body composition. I'm working on getting body-fat measurements, but I'm unsure if I'll be able to get them regularly. I'll have to rely on measurements and visual cues. I'll update body statistics weekly in this log and in my bodyspace.

Though everything above has been so methodical and business-like, I hope to have some fun in here as well

[livinonlava]

Workout (Quads/Hamstrings/Calves)

Barbell Squat
275 x 10
275 x 10
275 x 10

Leg Extensions
220 x 10
220 x 10
240 x 9

Stationary Barbell Lunges
90 x 10/10
100 x 10/10

Hamtractor (Seated Hamstring Curls)
130 x 12
140 x 10
140 x 10

Leg Press (High, Wide Foot Placement - Hamstring Emphasis)
540 x 10
540 x 10
540 x 10

Prone Single Leg Curl
50 x 10/10
60 x 10/10

Rotary Calf Press (Toes In)
290 x 12
310 x 10
310 x 10
310 x 10

Standing Calf Raise
250 x 10
250 x 10
250 x 10

Cardio (Incline Treadmill Walking)
20 minutes, level 20, 3.8 mph

Notes

In my experience, the mood/energy benefits of AX take about 8-10 days to kick in. I don't expect to "feel" anything with LX. Generally, this was a good, if unspectacular, leg workout. Legs are my mission in the coming year, so I'm really trying to train them intensely. However, I'm really emphasizing strict form, so my numbers may not be very impressive.

I'll post nutrition information on a "day-after" basis...

[uhockey]

First in

[nni]

awesome, in again!

[ForceLineBacker]

DUDE!!! At a glance you look exactly like a young Arnold!!!!!!!!
In!

[|ceman]

subbed.

[Rodzilla]

DUDE!!! At a glance you look exactly like a young Arnold!!!!!!!!
In!

I thought the same thing..5th in

[livinonlava]

First in

Glad to see you here. Any dosing optimizations or tweaks you can offer along the way will be appreciated. I'm currently planning to take AX(2 caps) + LX(1 cap) on waking with the second serving of each with lunch. I'm a little uncertain about the last doses, but I'm going to start by taking them with dinner (2nd to last meal of the day)

awesome, in again!

Cool... For what it's worth, I took second place in my show (in the novice light-heavy class) -- just in case you remember the setup from my last log.

DUDE!!! At a glance you look exactly like a young Arnold!!!!!!!!
In!

Eh? I'll take that as a compliment -- sadly, I think the only thing we have in common is the big gap in our front teeth. However, just for a laugh...

subbed.

Thanks for joining.

I thought the same thing..5th in

LOL! I'll be at the Arnold Classic -- I wonder if I can trick any unsuspecting ladies into believing I'm him...

[nni]

i remember seeing, congrats, you worked your ass off.

[Musclefever]

subbed

[dmangiarelli]

Subbed! Nice to see another local guy on here ...

[livinonlava]

i remember seeing, congrats, you worked your ass off.

Thanks. It was a good time. I'm looking forward to bringing a better effort this year.

subbed

Welcome

Subbed! Nice to see another local guy on here ...

Cool. There are a few of us running around here. I've been on island about 8 years now. I'm not original, but I still consider myself local...

[livinonlava]

Nutrition & Supplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 Bio-Bead
1 R-ALA
Vitamins
Waffles (1 cup Coaches oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup egg whites)
Peanut Butter

Meal 2
Grilled pork chops

Meal 3
2 AX
1 LX
1 R-ALA
Muffins (3/4 cup Coaches oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 lemon)
Peanut Butter

* Workout *

Meal 4
1 R-ALA
1 Clout
1/2 cup Coaches Oats
1.5 serving whey

Meal 5
2 AX
1 LX
Pizza (1.5 cups WW flour, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp honey, 1 cup grated LF mozzerella, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1 grilled pork chop)

Meal 6
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 serving whey
2 Tbsp dried egg whites

[dmangiarelli]

Thanks. It was a good time. I'm looking forward to bringing a better effort this year.



Welcome



Cool. There are a few of us running around here. I've been on island about 8 years now. I'm not original, but I still consider myself local...

Which Island are you on? Pics look like Maui or BI ... I've been here 15 years now and married a local girl. I think local fits the bill!

[livinonlava]

Which Island are you on? Pics look like Maui or BI ... I've been here 15 years now and married a local girl. I think local fits the bill!

Nope -- they're all on Oahu (North Shore mostly, some from out on the east side). I'm still working on marrying the local girl

[livinonlava]

Off (Abs/Cardio)

Kneeling Cable Crunch w/Twist
110 x 20
120 x 12
120 x 12

Knee Tucks
+10 x 15
+10 x 15
+10 x 15

Cardio (Incline Treadmill Walking)
20 minutes, level 20, 3.8 mph
20 minutes, level 20, 4.0 mph

Nutrition & Suplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 BioBead
Multivitamin
6 Egg whites
6 Slices Canadian bacon

Meal 2
Grilled pork
1/4 cup cashews

Meal 3
2 AX
1 LX
Grilled pork
1/4 cup cashews

* Workout *

Meal 4
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 serving whey
2 Tbsp dried egg whites
1 tsp psyllium husk

Meal 5
2 AX
1 LX
7 oz Ground turkey
1 wedge LF swiss spread

Meal 6
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 serving whey
2 Tbsp dried egg whites

Notes

This is your first example of my "rest" days. The cardio portion isn't interesting, but my diet rotation might be -- just protein and fat today. The calories also drop significantly as a result. Like I described in the beginning, this is intended to be a very loose carb cycle aimed at improving insulin sensitivity and making the most of a lean mass gain. We'll see how that works with the AX and LX.

A small note on the supplement front: though it seems awfully early (the second day) I would say I felt "warmer" yesterday with an odd increase in sweating while working at my desk. I could have been having menopausal hot flashes... but I'm curious if this is an effect of LX. I'll keep monitoring.

[riseboi]

All aboard!

[livinonlava]

Workout (Chest/Tri's/Shoulders)

Flat DB Press
110's x 10
115's x 8
115's x 8

Biangular Incline Chest Press
150 x 10
160 x 8
165 x 8

Pec Deck
240 x 8
240 x 8
240 x 8

Straight Bar Cable Pressdown
130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 8

Tricep Extension Machine (Neutral Grip)
150 x 10
160 x 8
160 x 8

Skull Crushers (Flat bench, EZ Bar)
115 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8

Cable Lateral Raise
45 x 8/8
45 x 8/8
45 x 8/8

Cable Front Raise
85 x 10
90 x 8
90 x 8

Rear Fly (Pec Deck)
160 x 8
160 x 8
160 x 8

Nutrition & Supplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 BioBead
1 R-ALA
Multivitamins
Waffles (1 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup sliced blueberries)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

Meal 2
8 oz ground turkey
1 wedge LF swiss spread

Meal 3
Blueberry Muffins (3/4 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup FF yogurt, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup whole blueberries)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

* Workout *

Meal 4
2 AX
1 LX
1 R-ALA
1 Serving Clout
1/2 cup Coaches Oats
1.5 servings whey

Meal 5
OK, the rest of the day was just full of gluttony... Lots of disappointing bowl games, but plenty of SPAM Musubi, shoyu chicken, mochi, chilli and rice, and some killer curry. I had to be rolled to my car...

Oh yeah, I took my 2 AX and 1 LX when I got home... I don't think all the fatloss products in American could save me from the pigout...

Notes
The workout was decent. Again, I haven't really noticed much in the way of supplementation except that I would say my libido is on the rise (so to speak...) Of course I'm feeling like I'm retaining a cubic butt-ton of water today as a result of all the crap I ate...

[livinonlava]

All aboard!

Thanks for sticking your head in. I don't think there will be a lot of flash in this log -- I'm a pretty get-to-business guy. I still hope it's entertaining and perhaps informative.

[dmangiarelli]

A small note on the supplement front: though it seems awfully early (the second day) I would say I felt "warmer" yesterday with an odd increase in sweating while working at my desk. I could have been having menopausal hot flashes... but I'm curious if this is an effect of LX. I'll keep monitoring.

Being 42 I have named these Manopause

OK, the rest of the day was just full of gluttony... Lots of disappointing bowl games, but plenty of SPAM Musubi, shoyu chicken, mochi, chilli and rice, and some killer curry. I had to be rolled to my car...

Oh for the love of local food! Sounds like what my daughter pounds down for lunch! THe worst disappointement was the Sugar Bowl...

[livinonlava]

Being 42 I have named these Manopause

LOL!

Oh for the love of local food! Sounds like what my daughter pounds down for lunch! THe worst disappointement was the Sugar Bowl...

We really just don't want to talk about that... I choose to focus on what a fantastic season it was -- we just weren't ready for a team of that caliber.

[Big_Tom(tk)]

How the F@#$ did I miss this one!

Well, Im here now.. Better late then never..

As usual, everything looks awesome..

[uhockey]

I don't know if the casual mention of menopause, the renaming of manopause, or the cubic butt-ton of water was funniest, but this log is great both in info, depth, and humor.

[dmangiarelli]

LOL!



We really just don't want to talk about that... I choose to focus on what a fantastic season it was -- we just weren't ready for a team of that caliber.

Amen to that. If the O-line would have showed up it would have been interesting ... I think they owe Colt a month in Jamaica! I am a USC fan but I have been a bandwagon UH fan now for the last 5 or so years. They sure are exciting to watch and when the run and shoot works it's a great offense! I still think Colt has a chance to play on Sundays, a much better than average chance. We'll see in April ...

Where do you live on Oahu? I am in Kailua...

I don't know if the casual mention of menopause, the renaming of manopause, or the cubic butt-ton of water was funniest, but this log is great both in info, depth, and humor.

Hahahahahaha!

[livinonlava]

How the F@#$ did I miss this one!

Well, Im here now.. Better late then never..

As usual, everything looks awesome..

I was wondering if you'd stop by since I noticed you're now an official DS guy -- Congrats! We're just getting started, so don't worry about being late. I'm just one week in to what should be 6 weeks of serious mass-building. I plan on adding 10lbs...

I don't know if the casual mention of menopause, the renaming of manopause, or the cubic butt-ton of water was funniest, but this log is great both in info, depth, and humor.

I aim to please... I believe the real payout will be in seeing the results, because that's what I'm all about!

Amen to that. If the O-line would have showed up it would have been interesting ... I think they owe Colt a month in Jamaica! I am a USC fan but I have been a bandwagon UH fan now for the last 5 or so years. They sure are exciting to watch and when the run and shoot works it's a great offense! I still think Colt has a chance to play on Sundays, a much better than average chance. We'll see in April ...

Seriously! My big fear was that the defense would collapse under a fast running attack (which they did) but I never saw the complete lack of effort by the O-line coming. I thought GA was going to take Colt's head off with that one sack at the goalline.

Sadly, I disagree about Colt's prospects for the NFL. He's just not a big, physical quarterback like you seem to need to be these days. He's got a cannon, but I think he lacks the presence in the pocket. We'll see...

Where do you live on Oahu? I am in Kailua...

Central Oahu, Mililani to be precise -- that's like a 3 day journey from your side... LOL! Favorite beach is Lanikai, but I hardly make it over there anymore.

[livinonlava]

Sorry folks. I got a little sidelined with work, but don't worry -- I was still keeping my schedule. My weight has been fairly consistent so far, so I'm going to be upping calories. I'll update measurements today or tomorrow.

************************************************** *******

Workout (Back/Bi's/Traps)

Lat Pulldown
240 x 10
250 x 8
250 x 8

T-Bar Row
160 x 8
160 x 8
160 x 8

Stiff-arm Pulldown
100 x 8
100 x 10
110 x 8

Standing Barbell Curl (EZ Bar)
115 x 10
125 x 8
125 x 8

Seated DB Hammer Curl (Isolation)
45's x 8/8
45's x 8/8
45's x 8/8

Hammer Strength Front Shrug
450 x 10
500 x 8
500 x 8
500 x 8

Hammer Strength Rear Shrug
500 x 8
500 x 8
500 x 8
500 x 7

Nutrition & Supplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 BioBead
1 R-ALA
Multivitamins
Waffles (1 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup chopped apple)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

Meal 2
8 oz ground turkey
1 slice LF swiss

Meal 3
2 AX
1 LX
1 R-ALA
2 grilled chicken breasts

Meal 4
Blueberry Muffins (3/4 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup FF yogurt, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup whole blueberries)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

* Workout *

Meal 5
1 serving Clout
1 R-ALA
1/2 cup Coaches Oats
1.5 servings whey

Meal 6
2 AX
1 LX
8 oz ground turkey
1/4 cup cashews

Meal 7
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 serving whey
2 Tbsp dried egg whites

Notes

Forgot to post this up... Nothing really significant to add...

************************************************** *******

Off (Abs/Cardio)

Ab Crunch Machine
140 x 15
140 x 15
140 x 15

Hip Raises (Incline Bench)
BW x 25
BW x 25
BW x 20

Cardio (Incline Treadmill Walking)
15 minutes, level 20, 3.8 mph
25 minutes, level 20, 4.0 mph

Nutrition & Suplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 BioBead
Multivitamin
6 Egg whites
6 oz ground turkey
1/4 cup salsa

Meal 2
1 Grilled chicken breast
1/4 cup cashews

Meal 3
2 AX
1 LX
8 oz ground turkey
1/4 cup cashews

Meal 4
1 grilled chicken breast

* Workout *

Meal 5
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 serving whey
2 Tbsp dried egg whites
1 tsp psyllium husk

Meal 6
2 AX
1 LX
2 grilled chicken breast
1 dill pickle

Notes

Lovin' the no carb days...

************************************************** *******

Workout (Quads/Hamstrings/Calves)

Leg Press (Low, Narrow Foot Placement)
720 x 10
810 x 8
810 x 8
810 x 8

Hack Squat (Plate-loaded Sled, Wide Stance)
360 x 8
360 x 8
380 x 8

DB Walking Lunges
60's x 16 paces
60's x 16 paces
60's x 16 paces

Barbell SLDL
205 x 10
225 x 8
225 x 8

Prone Leg Curl
130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 8

Seated Calf Raise (Plate-loaded)
200 x 10
200 x 10
225 x 8
225 x 8

Standing Donkey Calf
360 x 10
380 x 8
380 x 8

Nutrition & Supplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 BioBead
1 R-ALA
Multivitamins
Waffles (1 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 6 egg whites, 1/2 chopped apple)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

Meal 2
6 oz ground turkey
1 slice LF swiss

Meal 3
2 AX
1 LX
VPX Zero Impact Bar... No time to make food

Meal 4
1 R-ALA
Blueberry Muffins (3/4 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup yorgurt, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup whole blueberries)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

* Workout *

Meal 5
1 serving Clout
1 R-ALA
1/2 cup Coaches Oats
1.5 serving whey

Meal 6 ( Outback )
BBQ chicken breast
Baked potato
Plenty o' bread
1 Chocolate Thunder From Down Under... Yes, I ate the whole thing

Notes

My legs were fried! A very good workout. Repeat after me: my thighs will grow, my thighs will grow, my thighs will grow...

[uhockey]

Love the recipes, had to look up what a Chocolate Thunder was, and was impressed as always by your lifting numbers.

[Big_Tom(tk)]

Love the recipes, had to look up what a Chocolate Thunder was, and was impressed as always by your lifting numbers.

I remember the recipes from the original actX log..

Lifting numbers/routine looks awesome!

[livinonlava]

Love the recipes, had to look up what a Chocolate Thunder was, and was impressed as always by your lifting numbers.

Thanks Mike. Yes, the Chocolate Thunder is way more anabolic than any ordinary dessert... I figured that my weight has been fairly steady for a week, I can bump the calories with some fun food

I remember the recipes from the original actX log..

Lifting numbers/routine looks awesome!

Thank you Tom. I do eat well; there's no doubt about that. After 13 years of doing this crap, I finally figured out the secrets to gaining and losing weight (HINT FOR YOUNG LIFTERS: It's not a supplement...) Now I'm trying to decide which supps can help optimize that process. I'm very curious how the AX/LX will stack up.

[livinonlava]

Workout (Chest/Tri's/Shoulders)

Flat Bench Press
275 x 10
285 x 8
285 x 8

Incline DB Press
100's x 8
100's x 8
100's x 8

Flat DB Flies
65's x 8
70's x 8
70's x 8

Reverse Grip Cable Pressdown
90 x 10
100 x 8
100 x 8

Skull Crushers (Incline bench, EZ Bar)
135 x 10
145 x 8
145 x 8

DB Kickbacks
30's x 10/10
35's x 8/8
35's x 8/8

Bent DB Rear Flies
30's x 10
30's x 10
35's x 8
35's x 8

Seated Lateral Raise (Machine)
120 x 8
120 x 8
120 x 8

Alternating Cable Front Raise
45 x 8/8
45 x 8/8

Incline Treadmill Walking
20 minutes, hill setting, level 20, 4.0 mph

Nutrition & Supplementation

Meal 1
2 AX
1 LX
1 BioBead
1 R-ALA
Multivitamins
Waffles (1 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 6 egg whites, 1/2 chopped apple)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

Meal 2
VPX Zero Impact Bar

Meal 3
1 R-ALA
Blueberry Muffins (3/4 cup Coaches Oats, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup yorgurt, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup whole blueberries)
1 Tbsp peanut butter

* Workout *

Meal 4
2 AX
1 LX
1 R-ALA
1 serving Clout
1/2 cup Coaches Oats
1.5 servings whey

Meal 5
Pizza (1.5 cups WW flour, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp honey, 1/4 cup sauce, 1 cup LF mozzerella, 1 grilled chicken breast)

Meal 6
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 serving whey
2 Tbsp dried egg whites

Notes

The chest work felt strong, but some nagging elbow pain seemed to hold me back during the triceps and shoulder portion. Oddly, the most pain came from the front raises...

On the supplement front, at about a week in, I've started to notice the increase in acne on my chest that I noticed the last time I used AX. This would seem to indicate a shift in hormone levels, and that shouldn't be a bad thing. Libido is through the roof, and it's pissing me off at the moment...

Final thought: I was riding today, and I happened to glance at my arm as I was changing lanes. I have some new stretch marks on my biceps I doubt this has anything to do with supplements, but I'm excited to be growing again.