dk5bdubs RedCon1 Big Noise Log

[dk5bdubs]

I'll be running a log of RedCon1's Big Noise in the Watermelon flavor. As of today, this flavor isn't in the bb.com store.

Big Noise is stimulant-free pre-workout supplement that helps expand blood vessels & circulate nutrients for faster gains and recovery. One thing that sets apart this product from other pump products are the added focus ingredients for improved focus and memory support. These are items that I have rarely seen in other pump products so this will provide a new dimension for using this supplement.

I'll be taking 1 scoop of Big Noise before each of my workouts. I'll do a little mixing up of how I use this as I'll try adding it in with my current pre-workout formula as well as taking it as a stand-alone.

Here is a little background information on what my training will be like over this next month. About 2 months ago, my wife and I had our 3rd son, so in order to keep my gym routine in my life, I had to build a little home gym in my basement and my workouts are now taking place there instead of a commercial gym. Certainly not ideal, but I have enough equipment/weights to get the job done. And I'd much rather be making this small sacrifice vs. not being able to go at all.

I train all 7 days per week and my workouts take place first thing each morning....usually around 5-5:30am. I would say that most sessions run from 90-120 minutes for me depending on what I am working that day. As a general statement, I don't necessarily lift with the intention of making huge strides in strength or size. For me, I simply enjoy challenging myself mentally and physically and most of my workouts are then higher volume in nature. I do like throwing in techniques like drop sets, super sets, giant sets.....just new ways to keep things fresh from set to set and from day to day. I train each "major" bodypart a day, so an example week for me would look like this:

Monday - Legs
Tuesday - Back/triceps
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders/biceps
Friday - Legs
Saturday - Chest/triceps
Sunday - Legs

As you can see, I'm doing legs every other day. Over-doing it perhaps? Maybe, but my body has responded so well to the frequency and it has helped me to get in what I would consider the best physical shape of my life thus far. I am constantly researching new exercises, so no two workouts are ever the same. And I feel like I have a great arsenal of exercises to choose from so I can always hit my legs with new movements and rep ranges.

My diet is really strict and you won't find me having cheat meals ever. I stick with as many whole-food protein sources as possible and I love to load up on green veggies with each meal. I'll also accompany my meals with some healthy fats too. Is my diet perfect? Certainly not, but what I've been doing thus far has been working to keep my lean all year round and also helping to make sure I have enough energy for each training session that I go through.

I'm really looking forward to using what I consider a "different" stimulant-free pump product to assess how this stacks up with other ones that I have used in the past.

[Cheftepesh]

Great start to the log. Looking forward to what you will achieve.

[Anthony21]

Looking forward to your journey and progress with this log.

Congrats on your 3rd child. I'd contemplated a 3rd but then get reminded with my 2 girls I have that a third might be a bad idea lol.

I miss my home gym as it was my pride and joy. I had to sell it all unfortunately but if I get a new place down the line i'll rebuild it back up.

[dk5bdubs]

Looking forward to your journey and progress with this log.

Congrats on your 3rd child. I'd contemplated a 3rd but then get reminded with my 2 girls I have that a third might be a bad idea lol.

I miss my home gym as it was my pride and joy. I had to sell it all unfortunately but if I get a new place down the line i'll rebuild it back up.

As someone trying to add some bits & pieces to my home gym, what items did you have in yours that you really liked? Anything that you thought was invaluable?

[Anthony21]

As someone trying to add some bits & pieces to my home gym, what items did you have in yours that you really liked? Anything that you thought was invaluable?

I had stuff more catered towards powerlifting. It was simple things but good equipment.

I had a Rogue Ohio Power Bar, Rogue Monster Utility bench with a Thompson Fat Pad, power rack, trap bar, dip/pull up station, several dumbbells. It was simple but was enough for what I needed.

Problem with a home gym is you're always wanting more and more equipment lol.

[dk5bdubs]

So here was my morning workout for today. It was leg day for me which is quite frequent as you'll see.

I sort of just go by whatever I feel like doing for my routine as I'm in the midst of everything. I never have a set plan for my routines but I will keep a certain few exercises in each time. For other movements, it all sort of depends on how my body is feeling that day and if I'm really dragging or anything like that.

For today's workout, I felt like doing a little "back and forth" action. So I did the following combinations:

5 sets
Lying hamstring curls on a Bowflex followed by barbell free weight squats
20 reps of the curls followed by 15 reps of squats
50lb resistance on the curls, 185 pounds on the squats

5 sets
Seated leg extensions on the Bowflex followed by barbell free weight squats
20 reps of the extensions followed by 15 reps of squats
105lb resistance on the extensions, 205 pounds on the squats

5 sets
Barbell free weight squats followed by dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts
14/13/12/11/10 reps of the squats followed by 12 reps of the deadlifts
225lbs on the squats, 65 pounds each dumbbell on the deadlifts

5 sets
Seated calf raises using free weights on an EZ curl bar
25 reps each set
105 pounds on each side of the curl bar

5 sets
EZ curl bar hack squats followed by standing dumbbell calf raises
10 reps of the hack squats, 25 reps of the calf raises
60 pounds on each side of the curl bar, 65 pound dumbbells for the raises

As you can see, I'm a volume kind of guy and love pushing out higher reps workouts.

So now to the point of why I am doing this log.....the effects of Big Noise. I took my scoop on its own so that I could see how it mixed/tasted but it was in combination with a stimulant-based pre-workout which I consumed right before. I've been using my current pre-workout long enough to know how it hits me each morning. Adding the Big Noise was noticeable because I knew how different my body/mind would feel. And just like I had hoped, Big Noise really brought the pumps and focus to a new level. The pumps were amplified during my training and since I do a lot of volume, it was really easy to get a super strong pump going. The focus was what was really impressive to me though. Training first thing each morning isn't always easy but getting locked into the zone made a world of difference in how quickly I could get out of the gate. On some leg days, it'll take me a bit of time to get warmed up and feeling like I'm ready to tackle everything. For today's workout, it seemed like that time to get ready was cut down as my mind was already in the right spot.

[Anthony21]

That's a chit ton of volume for sure. I would definitely think the pump was strong with that volume and Big Noise added to the mix.

Good stuk Dk.

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

Great log so far.
How do you like the Bowflex?

[dk5bdubs]

Great log so far.
How do you like the Bowflex?

To be honest, it's not fantastic but it does the job. What I do really like it for though are leg extension and lying hamstring curls. These two movements feel really smooth on the Bowflex. Ideally, I'd like to get a cable station of some sorts to add to my home gym. Something like this is a perfect world but the funds just aren't going to be there.

[dk5bdubs]

Probably with a home gym is you're always wanting more and more equipment lol.

You couldn't have said that any better!!! I find myself searching for used stuff on Craigslist every single day.

[Anthony21]

You couldn't have said that any better!!! I find myself searching for used stuff on Craigslist every single day.

You might know some of this stuff but here's a link to an article to help search for stuff on Craigslist.

http://garagegymlab.com/10-craigslis...gym-equipment/

[NoCarbsNoSugar]

Yeah... I wouldn’t spend the money on a Bowflex, nor do I have the space for it, but it certainly is better than nothing, and would provide some exercise variety occasionally.

I think I saw a used one on CL a while ago, in good shape for like $200. If I had the space, I would have bought it.

[Cheftepesh]

Yeah... I wouldn’t spend the money on a Bowflex, nor do I have the space for it, but it certainly is better than nothing, and would provide some exercise variety occasionally.

I think I saw a used one on CL a while ago, in good shape for like $200. If I had the space, I would have bought it.

Bowflex is not really going to give massive amounts of gainz. Its more the home gym cheap way out, but not cheap.

[dk5bdubs]

You might know some of this stuff but here's a link to an article to help search for stuff on Craigslist.

http://garagegymlab.com/10-craigslis...gym-equipment/

Thanks man. I really appreciate that!!

[dk5bdubs]

Bowflex is not really going to give massive amounts of gainz. Its more the home gym cheap way out, but not cheap.

Right and well said. It really just gives me a handful of exercises that are a little more difficult to perform without either a specific machine or can be tricky with free weights. Sometimes the resistance hits just right but for a lot of exercises, it's just okay at best and I'd still prefer free weights for sure.

[dk5bdubs]

This morning's training session was chest, triceps and abs. As I really enjoy more of the higher-volume workouts, sometimes I find myself hitting set after set for a particular exercise. Other times, I will do maybe 3 sets and then bounce on to something else. As there are lots of different exercises/angles to use, sometimes this latter approach helps to keep things fresh. That is how I felt going into today's workout.

3 sets
Bowflex mid-chest presses
12 reps
65lb resistance on each side

3 sets
Dumbbell flyes. I saw this particular variation from Julian Michael Smith on Instagram. You do a rep of a mid-chest flye followed by a rep of a higher angle where you raise your arms above your head followed by a rep of a lower angle where you bring your arms down towards your side and then back up.
7 reps of each angle for a total of 21 reps per set
25lb dumbbells

3 sets
Barbell landmine presses to focus on the inner chest (performed kneeling)
15 reps
60lbs of free weights on the barbell

3 sets
Bowflex decline chest presses
12 reps
65lbs resistance on each side

3 sets
Dumbbell mid-chest flyes lying flat on ground and not on a bench
20 reps
25lb dumbbells

5 sets
Overhead triceps extensions on Bowflex followed by triceps pressdowns on the Bowflex
20 reps each exercise
35lb resistance on each side

5 sets
Close grip barbell bench presses followed by bench dips with a plate resting on my lap
12 reps for the presses & 15 reps for the dips
35lbs on each side of the barbell for presses & a 45 and 25lb plate on my lap for the dips

5 sets
Dumbbell triceps kick-backs with a drop set
15 reps each set
25lb dumbbells for the first part and 15lb dumbbells for the second part

And now for the details on Big Noise. Focus again was really crisp and a nice improvement from taking my stimulant-based pre-workout on its own. The Big Noise just seems to amplify the effects and really puts my mind into a great place. I don't feel overly focused when I am combining the two as it doesn't make my brain feel like it's working too hard. I also don't feel that the combination is making my mind or my body feel out of whack. Instead, the combination just feels "right" as the two are complimenting each other quite nice. I again took each of them separately so that I could continue to judge the taste of the watermelon Big Noise. I've used a few other watermelon flavored supplements in the past.....some good, others not so much. Big Noise is right up there though with some of the better tasting ones. While watermelon flavored powders don't really taste like actual watermelon (if that makes sense), it is very distinguishable and is very pleasant overall. With cold water, it makes for a pretty refreshing drink before my workouts.

[Cheftepesh]

This morning's training session was chest, triceps and abs. As I really enjoy more of the higher-volume workouts, sometimes I find myself hitting set after set for a particular exercise. Other times, I will do maybe 3 sets and then bounce on to something else. As there are lots of different exercises/angles to use, sometimes this latter approach helps to keep things fresh. That is how I felt going into today's workout.

3 sets
Bowflex mid-chest presses
12 reps
65lb resistance on each side

3 sets
Dumbbell flyes. I saw this particular variation from Julian Michael Smith on Instagram. You do a rep of a mid-chest flye followed by a rep of a higher angle where you raise your arms above your head followed by a rep of a lower angle where you bring your arms down towards your side and then back up.
7 reps of each angle for a total of 21 reps per set
25lb dumbbells

3 sets
Barbell landmine presses to focus on the inner chest (performed kneeling)
15 reps
60lbs of free weights on the barbell

3 sets
Bowflex decline chest presses
12 reps
65lbs resistance on each side

3 sets
Dumbbell mid-chest flyes lying flat on ground and not on a bench
20 reps
25lb dumbbells

5 sets
Overhead triceps extensions on Bowflex followed by triceps pressdowns on the Bowflex
20 reps each exercise
35lb resistance on each side

5 sets
Close grip barbell bench presses followed by bench dips with a plate resting on my lap
12 reps for the presses & 15 reps for the dips
35lbs on each side of the barbell for presses & a 45 and 25lb plate on my lap for the dips

5 sets
Dumbbell triceps kick-backs with a drop set
15 reps each set
25lb dumbbells for the first part and 15lb dumbbells for the second part

And now for the details on Big Noise. Focus again was really crisp and a nice improvement from taking my stimulant-based pre-workout on its own. The Big Noise just seems to amplify the effects and really puts my mind into a great place. I don't feel overly focused when I am combining the two as it doesn't make my brain feel like it's working too hard. I also don't feel that the combination is making my mind or my body feel out of whack. Instead, the combination just feels "right" as the two are complimenting each other quite nice. I again took each of them separately so that I could continue to judge the taste of the watermelon Big Noise. I've used a few other watermelon flavored supplements in the past.....some good, others not so much. Big Noise is right up there though with some of the better tasting ones. While watermelon flavored powders don't really taste like actual watermelon (if that makes sense), it is very distinguishable and is very pleasant overall. With cold water, it makes for a pretty refreshing drink before my workouts.

I'm glad this is working so well for you. I find with cold water or on the rocks almost all these drinks can taste better.

[dk5bdubs]

I wanted to wait and do this post on a day where I wasn't training legs. Since I'm doing legs every other day, a lot of exercises might look similar to what I did just the other day, so I'm posting this after this morning's shoulder & triceps day.

5 sets
Standing overhead barbell presses followed by elastic band face pulls
15 reps for the overhead presses, 20 reps for the face pulls
75lbs (including the bar) on presses

5 sets
Lying side lateral raises using the Bowflex followed by bent-over rear-delt dumbbell flyes
20 reps for side raises, 20 reps for rear-delt flyes
20lb resistance for side raises, 15lb dumbbells for flyes

5 sets
Front delt raises on Bowflex followed by barbell upright rows with a wide grip
15 reps for front delt raises, 10 reps for upright rows
20lb resistance for front raises, 85lb (including barbell) for upright rows

For triceps, it was just a complete mishmash of different exercises. I saw a few new videos online showing some new exercise variations, so I just tried to remember all that I could and threw in one set of each. I did each set to failure and then went on to another exercise.

So after using Big Noise for a few days now, it's clear that this is standing out from other pump supplements that I have used. The pumps are really good but what is absolutely doing it for me is the added focus I get from it. It is making my early AM workouts that much better and much more enjoyable because I feel more locked in than I ever have before. Big Noise is changing the way I look at pump products because a supplement that can enhance your pump is great, but one that can do that AND get your mind into a better place.....definitely a game changer!!

[Cheftepesh]

I wanted to wait and do this post on a day where I wasn't training legs. Since I'm doing legs every other day, a lot of exercises might look similar to what I did just the other day, so I'm posting this after this morning's shoulder & triceps day.

5 sets
Standing overhead barbell presses followed by elastic band face pulls
15 reps for the overhead presses, 20 reps for the face pulls
75lbs (including the bar) on presses

5 sets
Lying side lateral raises using the Bowflex followed by bent-over rear-delt dumbbell flyes
20 reps for side raises, 20 reps for rear-delt flyes
20lb resistance for side raises, 15lb dumbbells for flyes

5 sets
Front delt raises on Bowflex followed by barbell upright rows with a wide grip
15 reps for front delt raises, 10 reps for upright rows
20lb resistance for front raises, 85lb (including barbell) for upright rows

For triceps, it was just a complete mishmash of different exercises. I saw a few new videos online showing some new exercise variations, so I just tried to remember all that I could and threw in one set of each. I did each set to failure and then went on to another exercise.

So after using Big Noise for a few days now, it's clear that this is standing out from other pump supplements that I have used. The pumps are really good but what is absolutely doing it for me is the added focus I get from it. It is making my early AM workouts that much better and much more enjoyable because I feel more locked in than I ever have before. Big Noise is changing the way I look at pump products because a supplement that can enhance your pump is great, but one that can do that AND get your mind into a better place.....definitely a game changer!!

Awesome that you are enjoying this product so much. I enjoyed the pump and focus as well.

[Anthony21]

That added focus you get from the Nootropics is definietly a thing that sets it apart from other pump specific products.

I'm enjoying that aspect, especially when paired with a stim based product.

[Cheftepesh]

That added focus you get from the Nootropics is definietly a thing that sets it apart from other pump specific products.

I'm enjoying that aspect, especially when paired with a stim based product.

When formulating these formulas they wanted to make the different and set themselves apart.

[Anthony21]

When formulating these formulas they wanted to make the different and set themselves apart.

That can definitely be appreciated in my book. I'm all about innovation.

[dk5bdubs]

Shoulders and biceps for me this morning. Shoulders are probably my favorite upper body part to train. I feel like some really well-capped shoulders can make your physique look stellar. For this workout, not as many sets per exercise like I did last time. This go around, I did all back-to-back sets but only 3 sets for each combination.

I don't want anyone to think I'm just breezing through what my workout was today, but I'll explain why it would be difficult to write out the exercises that I performed. Just a few days ago, I saw a video on the Athlean-X youtube page where the founder of this program showed all sorts of new variations for shoulder exercises. They are all movements that I had never performed before and ones that I had never really contemplated in the past, but what they did do is hit the various heads of the delts from a lot of different angles. As I mentioned before, all of the movements were very unique and not ones that I had ever even seen others perform in the gym. I could feel them all almost instantly though as I was performing them and I wouldn't doubt that my shoulders will be quite sore tomorrow. I was really able to develop my mind/muscle connection on these exercises though because of the added focus component of Big Noise. And that is what I am finding for workout after workout.....I am really able to dial in and feel the muscles working much better than I was able to before. Big Noise has the focus ingredients in it that I had not used before in the past and it is obvious that the combination of them all is doing great things in my brain. Throw in the pump factor and it's not hard to see that Big Noise is top of the line for sure!

[Cheftepesh]

Shoulders and biceps for me this morning. Shoulders are probably my favorite upper body part to train. I feel like some really well-capped shoulders can make your physique look stellar. For this workout, not as many sets per exercise like I did last time. This go around, I did all back-to-back sets but only 3 sets for each combination.

I don't want anyone to think I'm just breezing through what my workout was today, but I'll explain why it would be difficult to write out the exercises that I performed. Just a few days ago, I saw a video on the Athlean-X youtube page where the founder of this program showed all sorts of new variations for shoulder exercises. They are all movements that I had never performed before and ones that I had never really contemplated in the past, but what they did do is hit the various heads of the delts from a lot of different angles. As I mentioned before, all of the movements were very unique and not ones that I had ever even seen others perform in the gym. I could feel them all almost instantly though as I was performing them and I wouldn't doubt that my shoulders will be quite sore tomorrow. I was really able to develop my mind/muscle connection on these exercises though because of the added focus component of Big Noise. And that is what I am finding for workout after workout.....I am really able to dial in and feel the muscles working much better than I was able to before. Big Noise has the focus ingredients in it that I had not used before in the past and it is obvious that the combination of them all is doing great things in my brain. Throw in the pump factor and it's not hard to see that Big Noise is top of the line for sure!

Pump products on the whole can be hit or miss with people. This one hits perfectly.

[dk5bdubs]

Leg session for me this morning.

Instead of jumping right into things today with squats, I elected to hammer my hamstrings before hitting squats. I had to drop the weight just ever so slightly for my squats, but my legs were already warmed up and it felt really good on my lower back.

5 sets
Lying hamstring curls on the Bowflex followed by stiff-leg dumbbell deadlifts
20 reps for the curls, 10 reps for the deadlifts
50lb resistance for the curls, 65lbs each dumbbell for the deadlifts

5 sets
Barbell squats followed by walking dumbbell lunges
15 reps for squats, 10 alternating strides for each leg for lunges
205lbs for squats, 65lbs each dumbbell for lunges

5 sets
Barbell squats with a slightly higher weight followed by seated leg extensions on the Bowflex
12 reps for squats, 15 reps for leg extensions
225lbs for squats, 105lbs resistance for extensions

5 sets
Barbell squats with a slight higher weight followed by dumbbell deadlifts followed by single leg calf extensions holding the dumbbell
10 reps for squats, 10 reps for deadlifts, 15 reps each leg for calf extensions
235lbs for squats, 65lbs for deadlifts, 65lbs held in one hand for calf extensions

With the dumbbells and free weights that I have, 65lbs unfortunately tops out the amount of weight that I can put on either end and still have the clips keep the weight in place. So with that being the max at the moment, I try to make sure I am either getting more reps or keeping the rest time as minimal as possible

When I take Big Noise with a stimulant pre-workout that has some focus ingredients of its own in the mix, the focus is totally insane!!! If that is the case, my brain feels so locked in that no matter what is happening around me, you wouldn't be able to get me out of the zone!

[Cheftepesh]

Leg session for me this morning.

Instead of jumping right into things today with squats, I elected to hammer my hamstrings before hitting squats. I had to drop the weight just ever so slightly for my squats, but my legs were already warmed up and it felt really good on my lower back.

5 sets
Lying hamstring curls on the Bowflex followed by stiff-leg dumbbell deadlifts
20 reps for the curls, 10 reps for the deadlifts
50lb resistance for the curls, 65lbs each dumbbell for the deadlifts

5 sets
Barbell squats followed by walking dumbbell lunges
15 reps for squats, 10 alternating strides for each leg for lunges
205lbs for squats, 65lbs each dumbbell for lunges

5 sets
Barbell squats with a slightly higher weight followed by seated leg extensions on the Bowflex
12 reps for squats, 15 reps for leg extensions
225lbs for squats, 105lbs resistance for extensions

5 sets
Barbell squats with a slight higher weight followed by dumbbell deadlifts followed by single leg calf extensions holding the dumbbell
10 reps for squats, 10 reps for deadlifts, 15 reps each leg for calf extensions
235lbs for squats, 65lbs for deadlifts, 65lbs held in one hand for calf extensions

With the dumbbells and free weights that I have, 65lbs unfortunately tops out the amount of weight that I can put on either end and still have the clips keep the weight in place. So with that being the max at the moment, I try to make sure I am either getting more reps or keeping the rest time as minimal as possible

When I take Big Noise with a stimulant pre-workout that has some focus ingredients of its own in the mix, the focus is totally insane!!! If that is the case, my brain feels so locked in that no matter what is happening around me, you wouldn't be able to get me out of the zone!

Great that you are having such laser focus running this. Personally when in the gym that and a good pump is the best thing.

[dk5bdubs]

Another leg day for me today. I did the reverse of my normal protocol and did all of my isolation movements first today to pre-exhaust my quads and my very last exercise of the day was my squats. My legs were really tired at that point, but the thing about it is, my mind still felt sharp and was still going strong to focus on a heavier, compound movement like this. It was very encouraging to see and know that Big Noise lasts for my entire workout and is still working strong enough at the end to make sure my mind doesn't wander off when performing my toughest exercise of the day. I'm absolutely sold on this stuff!!!!

[Cheftepesh]

Another leg day for me today. I did the reverse of my normal protocol and did all of my isolation movements first today to pre-exhaust my quads and my very last exercise of the day was my squats. My legs were really tired at that point, but the thing about it is, my mind still felt sharp and was still going strong to focus on a heavier, compound movement like this. It was very encouraging to see and know that Big Noise lasts for my entire workout and is still working strong enough at the end to make sure my mind doesn't wander off when performing my toughest exercise of the day. I'm absolutely sold on this stuff!!!!

This is one of the true tests of a product is if can last the whole workout.

[dk5bdubs]

I had unfortunately pulled a back muscle about 2 days ago. It was in an all-too-familiar spot in my left lat. I say all-too-familiar as it seems I continue to have this same issue once every few months but in the exact same spot. So to be honest, it left me feeling a little deflated. Whenever this happens, I obviously feel like I'm not able to really go out there with 100% intensity as I have to be careful about what exercises I do and in my movements. But here is where the silver lining comes in.....knowing that I really needed to focus on each and every single rep that I performed so that I didn't injure myself worse, I felt that with taking a scoop of Big Noise that I could do exactly that. And for the entire leg workout that I performed, my mind was razor sharp from the second I started until my very last rep. It was that extra focus that really helped me to put the injury aside and train like I know I needed to. And just when I thought this product couldn't get any better!!!

[Cheftepesh]

I had unfortunately pulled a back muscle about 2 days ago. It was in an all-too-familiar spot in my left lat. I say all-too-familiar as it seems I continue to have this same issue once every few months but in the exact same spot. So to be honest, it left me feeling a little deflated. Whenever this happens, I obviously feel like I'm not able to really go out there with 100% intensity as I have to be careful about what exercises I do and in my movements. But here is where the silver lining comes in.....knowing that I really needed to focus on each and every single rep that I performed so that I didn't injure myself worse, I felt that with taking a scoop of Big Noise that I could do exactly that. And for the entire leg workout that I performed, my mind was razor sharp from the second I started until my very last rep. It was that extra focus that really helped me to put the injury aside and train like I know I needed to. And just when I thought this product couldn't get any better!!!

Sorry to hear about your injury. These can take us out of the game for a while. Be careful my friend.