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var's neovar log |
Bulk Nutrition Forums > Journals |
| Posted by: var May 13 2008, 02:57 PM |
| stats as of 5/13: age 22, 6'1, 185lbs, ~14%BF (measured daily with a tanita scale). goal: cutting 5-10 lbs or as much as it takes to tone up some more. i have a small pouch below my belly button to lose. retaining lean mass while increasing strength and endurance. eventually getting to single digit BF. some background info: i've been working out for about two years. after high school, like many people, i managed to somehow completely let myself go and gained almost 100 lbs. after two years of carrying that around i spent a year lifting, doing hiit, and generally busting my ass to drop all the weight. i used zero supplements and basically just ran my ass off without knowing what to do. it almost worked. i plateaued around 205, and nothing i could do would make the rest come off. so, exhausted and uninspired, i slowly started to slack off in the gym and pay less attention to my diet, and one day i caught myself weighing in at 221 at feeling like crap. this was november of 07. so i went back to the gym. only this time, i had a hard regimented plan carved out for myself and i was determined to go the entire distance. by march, i was at 187 and i was beginning to see some ab definition. progress has slowed since then, but is steadily continuing. my diet nov-march was my own low carb concoction designed to leave as little glycemic footprint as possible. the only substantial carbs i would eat all day was a half-cup of steel cut irish oats in the morning and a half-cup post workout with a pear or an apple on resistance training days. i lifted 3 days straight, and on the fourth day did only cardio. i now eat complex carbs more often, but still avoid them within six hours of going to bed. during this second attempt i did use an array of supplements. my stack included two gnc men multivitamins, post-workout gnc creatine monohydrate, 2-3 scoops of optimum nutrition 100% whey spread out in the first 2/3 of the day, and a teaspoon of flax seed oil at lunch. i did two cycles of thermogenics, giving myself a 4 week break in between. the first was vpx redline, and the second was hitech stimerex es w/ ephedrine (note: not ephedra extract). i later added 6g of gnc cla, but lowered the dosage to 4g, and 1g of gnc cod [PLINK=6237]liver oil[/PLINK]. my generic gnc creatine ran out two weeks ago, and i've been doing some research on what other kinds are out there and how they could prove a better investment than the gnc stuff i had previously. when i saw the special BN was running on neovar, and read some good information about the product, i knew i would love to give it a try. the following log will document 30 days of progress with neovar and hopefully will be a useful tool for potential customers who would like to evaluate the successfulness of the creatine without first becoming guinea pigs themselves. the stack i will be using in conjunction with neovar: 4g cla, taken in two separate doses 1g fish body oil in the morning 1 multivitamin in the morning 1 green tea cap in the morning 2 scoops whey in the morning 2 scoops whey pwo rough workout regimen: day 1: biceps, shoulders; cardio day 2: triceps, forearms; cardio day 3: chest, legs, abs; cardio day 4: abs; hiit my creatine will be delivered this week, so stay tuned for daily updates. wish me luck guys. |
| Posted by: yeashescool May 13 2008, 09:07 PM |
| good luck, will be interesting to see what type of gains this product can produce and i think the only benefits from CLA is when its does roughly 6 garms or higher a day |
| Posted by: var May 14 2008, 08:06 AM |
| people disagree on what amount you should take. i think gnc recommends only 2-3 grams, while people i know personally take 6-7 grams. after taking 6 grams for a few weeks, i just felt i should drop it down a notch, and after i did i noticed some slight changes. so i think it's the right dosage for me. |
| Posted by: Big_Ben May 21 2008, 03:11 PM |
| Have you started the NeoVar yet var? What dosage you running and what times of day will you be taking it? |
| Posted by: var May 22 2008, 04:13 PM |
| unfortunately i have not started it yet. still waiting on my order, if you can believe it. |
| Posted by: var May 23 2008, 08:52 AM |
| daily food intake is usually about the same for me, although i'll shake up which meat i eat every day between salmon, orange roughy, tuna, strip steak, and grilled chicken breast. outline: meal 1: apple, kashi tlc bar meal 2: 2 scoops whey meal 3: 1 cup grape nuts and skim milk meal 4: spinach and chicken salad w/ grape tomatoes or bacos and 1tsp of olive oil vinaigrette (~30 cals). meal 5: pwo 2 scoops whey, 1/2tsp orange blossom honey, 1/2 cup steel cut irish oats, banana meal 6: some kind of lean meat and green vegetable (zucchini, spinach, romaine lettuce, fresh green beans, brussel sprouts). meal 7: i can't go to sleep without some kind of small dessert an hour or two before, so i'll eat under 200 cals of something, maybe a kashi bar or some lite applesauce. ends up being about 2000 cals, and 150-200g of protein. |
| Posted by: var May 23 2008, 08:55 AM |
| okay, the stuff came today. first impression: nicely packaged with a cool label. can't wait to try it. one thing that bothered me was the vague instructions though. granted, most people will know how to take creatine monohydrate, but there were no instructions for the loading phase. i also am used to calculating how much to take based on grams per lb of body weight, but the label just gives a recommended number of pills per dosage. easy enough to figure out based on the nutrient label i guess, but just noting things that bothered me a little. not that it affects me terribly, because i'm already loaded on the gnc mono. will be taking 2 caps at lunchtime, and 3 post-workout. |
| Posted by: var May 23 2008, 08:58 AM |
| today is where i do most of my legs, chest, and back. 3x12 squats (to the floor) @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell calf raises @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell front raises @ 80 lbs 2x8 bench press @ 160 lbs 1x12 chest fly @ 30 lbs 2x12 upright rows @ 80 lbs 1x30 dumbbell pullover @ 30 lbs 2x10 pushups w/ one-arm dumbbell row @ 30 lbs i don't do more for back (particularly deadlifts) normally because i already have back issues. i don't do more for chest because i don't feel i need to add much to mine. i'm sure i'll step it up in the future, but for right now that is it. my legs are hands-down my best feature if i do say so myself, and i definitely don't want them bigger. running and biking have toned them up enough. this is where i'm at strength-wise currently. not too impressive, but that's why i'm trying a different creatine. i also have to admit i haven't really pushed myself to put up higher numbers because i've been getting such good results with this. also trying a new thing with cardio: actually paying attention to the whole "target heart rate fat burning zone" idea for once. 45 mins of moderate-to-fast cardio, aiming at a consistent pulse of 160, and 5 mins of tabata jump roping. took the dosage as specified in the post above. first with lunch, second after weights but before cardio. |
| Posted by: var May 24 2008, 09:43 AM |
| today was hiit day, and i finished it off with some regular aerobic cardio too. hiit day is usually some combination of random calisthenic routines and sprints. today: kettle bell swings x30 burpees x10 jump rope 30s fast elevated pushups x10 bear crawls and crab walks 30 paces x5 each weighted punches x25 each hand jumping jacks x50 x3 no rest. did 5 dragon flags, then 20 mins running on the treadmill. had to skip my lunch today, too busy at work, but had the regular 4 scoops of whey. dosage of neovar the same as yesterday. |
| Posted by: var May 24 2008, 12:01 PM |
| almost forgot to put up some proof: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rsvarr/DSC00234.jpg |
| Posted by: Cdubya May 25 2008, 04:55 PM |
Nice log var...I was just curious as to if it's safe for that red headed kid to go into the water?  |
| Posted by: var May 27 2008, 01:14 PM |
| according to the plain dealer yeah, it is. |
| Posted by: Big_Ben May 28 2008, 08:40 AM |
| No need to load NeoVar, haven't gotten ahold of one of the new labelled ones so keep up with instructions and make sure to eat your carbs 15 minutes after consumption. I try to get around 50g's, but probably more with my protein/carb shakes and fruit. |
| Posted by: var May 28 2008, 02:26 PM |
| so it's not even worth updating about this weekend. i was out of town so i couldn't really work out, and i ate complete shit. a lot of it. for example, two steaks that looked like that must've had about 50g of saturated fat each, pizza, almond cranberry oatmeal with whole milk, an entire bottle of sake, two pina coladas, deep-fried sweet potato fries... the list goes on. it was a disaster. the only exercise i got was a 4 mile hike at a reasonable pace in a hilly area, and a drunken late night swim. tuesday i get back and my abs basically look to me like a pudgy one pack. busting my ass this week to make up for that. bicep day is my favorite day. modified it a little after an unusual 4 day break. 3x10 concentration curls @ 30lbs (getting too easy, stepping it up next time) 4x12 wrist curls (i do them with a barbell behind the back, standing) @ 120 lbs 2x10 ez bar curls @ 65 lbs 2x20 upright rows @ 80 lbs 20 pullups. 1x10 overhead press @ 80 lbs 45 mins of moderate cardio, sweater on because i'm just that hot (literally). dosage the same, as usual. |
| Posted by: Will109090 May 28 2008, 04:28 PM |
| Are you taking this for the purpose of cutting, bulking, or strength purposes? What kind of results have you seen thus far? |
| Posted by: var May 28 2008, 04:45 PM |
read the first post bro  i'm cutting and trying to maintain strength. i measure myself daily but i'll only be posting average results weekly. so, we'll see in a week. however before this shitty weekend i was down 1-3 lbs every day after starting the neovar cycle, and i imagine we'll see a more clear result by the end of this weekend. as far as strength gains, haven't noticed any yet - before starting the neovar i felt like i was actually losing some. i have to say, i'm giving it some time before i start wondering where my results are. |
| Posted by: Will109090 May 28 2008, 11:33 PM |
| Good stuff man. I'll be following this log, I may try this supplement in the future. |
| Posted by: var May 29 2008, 05:21 PM |
| good to hear dude. today was a better day than yesterday as far as diet goes. back on track. also, triceps etc. i've also been on the supp for a week now, although i skipped my workout a couple of days on the weekend as you probably read. so, i expect to start seeing some effects pretty soon. i'll keep you posted. 1x12 front raises @ 60lbs 2x10 dumbbell flies @ 30lbs 3x10 reverse curls @ 70lbs 2x10 hammer curls @ 30 lbs 2x10 tricep kickbacks @ 30lbs 2x8 tricep extensions @ 70lbs i also did some lat pulldowns but i did them with a 30lb dumbbell (3x15) while lying down, sort of in the tri extension position but without bending the elbows and a farther range of motion. definitely felt the burn in my abs but not so much in my back. i'm fine with that though. anyway, don't know what that maneuver's called off the top of my head. back up to 2 scoops whey in the morning and 2 pwo... had been having less, past few days. neovar as usual! started the cycle at ~185 average. on the first day i took it i was 186, the day after i weighed in 183, 13%BF. today, 7 days later, i'm at 189 and approximately 15%BF according to the scale, but i think my average over the week was really no change. so bottom line, first week: no change. |
| Posted by: var May 30 2008, 06:57 PM |
| today: 3x12 squats (to the floor) @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell calf raises @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell front raises @ 80 lbs 2x8 bench press @ 160 lbs 2x12 upright rows @ 80 lbs 2x10 pushups w/ one-arm dumbbell row @ 30 lbs 3x15 dragon flags 2x10 russian twists with 30lb dumbbell 25 mins of moderate cardio with a thermal on. got a real sweat going... more than usual. ate a shitload today but it was almost all good. included a bowl of hot and sour soup with about 12 jumbo shrimp and bean sprouts covered in sriracha, 2 bowls of grapenuts, two massive spinach salads with 2 tsp of 0 cal dressing, red onion, cucumber slices, and grape tomatoes. one had ostrich and the other halibut. ostrich is fucking good btw: 160 cals, 1.5g fat, 38g protein. topped if off with a couple kashi bars, an apple, and two p-shakes. still not falling below 189... i think the creatine has definitely added some water weight, but that's to be expected i guess. hoping that'll flush out this week. i also have decided that it's high time to start cycling back on my ecy stack, so from this weekend on this log will detail any synergistic effects between my fat burner and neovar. |
| Posted by: var May 31 2008, 10:15 AM |
| hiit day. 10x pullups 10x burpees 25x weighted punches each hand 30x medicine ball slams 50x jumping jacks 15 second pushup holds 5x dips x3, fast as possible, no rest. did about 10 mins of jump rope, and 25 on the treadmill. took the ecy when i woke up with twice the amount of green tea extract as usual, also only 1 scoop of whey + half a cup of black coffee for brunch. down to 186 this morning and bf% is down 3%, so maybe the water weight is finally flushing out. |
| Posted by: Will109090 Jun 1 2008, 02:45 AM |
| I really like your HIIT day. Instead of doing cardio, you do a lot of random shit, sounds pretty cool. I may try something like that. |
| Posted by: var Jun 1 2008, 02:53 PM |
| yeah calisthenics and plyometrics are a lot more effective for interval training than just straight cardio. you can basically convert any bodyweight exercise into hiit too, and anything with kettlebells or a medicine ball. the next day you really feel it too. look into some real hiit stuff like crossfit. it's all about pushing yourself beyond your endurance limit. i used to do more of it, and i'll start back up eventually. it's good shit but it's draining. took it relatively easy today, just did the regular weight training and 20 mins on the treadmill. 3x12 concentration curls @ 30lbs (wasn't able to step up the weight because i worked out at home and only have 30lb dumbbells there, but increased reps) 4x12 wrist curls (i do them with a barbell behind the back, standing) @ 120 lbs 2x10 ez bar curls @ 65 lbs (wide motion to hit the entire long head of the muscle... so hard after the concentration curls today) 2x20 upright rows @ 80 lbs 5x5 pullups. 1x10 overhead press @ 80 lbs 2x20 explosive jumps (tucking legs, as high as i can jump) |
| Posted by: var Jun 2 2008, 03:39 PM |
| looking so cut up today, and my biceps are still sore from yesterday. spoiled myself with 2 boddington's ales last night watching the faber vs pulver fight, but the extra carbs didn't seem to affect anything. 1x12 front raises @ 60lbs 2x10 dumbbell flies @ 30lbs 2x10 reverse curls @ 70lbs 2x10 hammer curls @ 30 lbs 2x12 tricep kickbacks @ 30lbs 2x10 tricep extensions @ 70lbs 30 elevated pushups. 10 reverse handed pullups. 2x30 crunches. 25 mins treadmill. noticed some serious strength gains today. didn't take any ephedrine and i was still pumped and ready. everything was so easy but i still felt a burn. overall an excellent day at the gym. i think it has a lot to do with the neovar i'm taking. afterward treated myself to a buffalo burger (>50g protein, 1.5g fat, 360 cals). |
| Posted by: var Jun 3 2008, 09:23 AM |
| 3x12 squats (to the floor) @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell calf raises @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell front raises @ 80 lbs 2x8 bench press @ 160 lbs 2x12 upright rows @ 80 lbs 2x10 pushups w/ one-arm dumbbell row @ 30 lbs 3x10 dragon flags 2x20 russian twists with 30lb dumbbell 20 mins on treadmill. some noticeable growth in my biceps. tris are killing me from yesterday. seems like recovery is worse but results are better while on this creatine. |
| Posted by: var Jun 4 2008, 08:15 AM |
| 10x burpees 10x kettle bell swings 30x medicine ball slams 5x bear crawls + crab walks (pushed/dragged 30lb dumbbells in each hand) 5x5 weighted punches each hand 10x squat-jumps 30x weighted side bends 50 jumping jacks x3. stair runs, 10 mins jump rope. brief rest. 25 mins on the treadmill. i think i need a day off tomorrow. we'll see. had some good energy earlier on but felt exhausted before my workout. pulled through somewhow and i'm noticing solid strength gains, for real. i attribute it to the creatine. this stuff seems to work a lot better than the gnc powder i was using before. also i guess i should mention... i don't know how else to put this... i've been shitting a lot more than normal this week. almost the kind you take if you've ever chased a meal with a carb blocker, which i find really strange. my diet really hasn't changed and i haven't been eating any more of anything. this wasn't a side effect of any creatine i've taken before and i'm definitely not sick. not a big deal, but weirding me out some. |
| Posted by: var Jun 6 2008, 07:27 AM |
| took a light day yesterday because i was aching all over. only did about 40 mins of cardio and some jump roping. yesterday and today i'm just feeling pretty fat and weak. skipped my e dosage yesterday as well as the neovar creatine. back on both today. 2x10 concentration curls @ 30lbs 1x10 hammer curls @ 30 lbs 2x10 combo curls @ 30 lbs 4x12 wrist curls @ 120 lbs 2x10 ez bar curls @ 65 lbs 2x20 upright rows @ 80 lbs 5x5 pullups. 1x10 front press @ 90 lbs 2x10 back press @ 90 lbs 1x10 deadlifts @ 180 lbs 45 mins cardio. |
| Posted by: var Jun 7 2008, 08:01 AM |
| tri day... feeling pretty deflated and i have no idea. my biceps seem smaller than usual, and less vascularity. pissed about that. wtf. upped my dosage of neovar to 6 tabs daily, from the 5 i was taking before. battered myself today to compensate for the blunted feeling. 2x12 front raises @ 70lbs 2x10 dumbbell flies @ 30lbs 3x10 reverse barbell curls @ 70lbs (these got so hard to do) 2x8 combo curls @ 30 lbs. 2x12 tricep kickbacks @ 30lbs 2x10 barbell tricep extensions @ 70lbs 4x5 pullups. 3x10 elevated pushups. 10 reverse handed pullups. 3x30 crunches. 20 bodyweight squats. 20 burpees. 20 elevated pushups. 10 one-armed dumbbell rows + pushups. 10 bear crawls + crab walks. 100 jumping jacks. 30 dragon flags. 2x10 concentration curls @ 30lbs. ran up a flight of stairs 20 times. 20 mins treadmill. my legs feel torn up. had that tingly, sleepy zma feeling in two fingers on my right hand today... couldn't shake it. what's that about? none of the supps i take cause that. i didn't even down any thermos today. |
| Posted by: var Jun 8 2008, 09:27 AM |
| ate a shitload yesterday, and not all of it was good for me. slept about 10 hours. when i woke up, i felt amazing and i looked shredded. heavy workout + cheat day = results. today my lower body is pretty sore so it's a good thing it's a light day. i also feel strong today. hoping it has to do with the increase in creatine. 2x10 squats (to the floor) @ 120 lbs 2x10 barbell calf raises @ 120 lbs 2x10 bench press @ 160 lbs 3x10 dragon flags 2x20 russian twists with 30lb dumbbell 3x20 bob & weaves with 30lb dumbbell (something i made up, you put your hands up like you're covering up for a barrage of punches, and hold the dumbbell in between both hands so the bar is horizontal, then make like you're bobbing and weaving. works obliques like russian twists do but less stressful on the lumbar and you do it standing) 30 mins on treadmill. |
| Posted by: var Jun 9 2008, 12:21 PM |
| hiit day. woke up and my abs were clearly visible, so i know i'm getting close to my goal. not really sore considering how much i battered myself the past two days. happy about that. i believe the creatine is to be credited for it. 10x burpees 30x kettle bell swings 30x medicine ball slams 10x bear crawls + crab walks 10x situps w/ punches 5x5 weighted punches each hand 50x jumping jacks x3, fast as possible, no rest. 40 mins treadmill, slow pace. can't really get lower than 185 on the scale ever but trace fat DOES seem to be disappearing from everywhere except the pouch below my belly button (that i've been targetting forever). however i really noticed today that my arms are getting sickly thin. i've lost quite a bit of mass on them. my hope was that the neovar would slow this process, but it doesn't seem to have had much of an effect on size - only recovery and strength. after this cut i'm going to have to work seriously hard to gain some mass back on my upper body, arms in particular. maybe this is all why my biceps are weak and flat lately: there's just significantly less muscle left. |
| Posted by: var Jun 10 2008, 10:49 AM |
| nothing new to report. progress continues. 2x10 concentration curls @ 30lbs 4x12 wrist curls @ 120 lbs 2x10 ez bar curls @ 65 lbs 2x20 upright rows @ 80 lbs 5x5 pullups. 1x10 front press @ 90 lbs 2x10 back press @ 90 lbs 3x10 elevated pushups. 40 mins cardio. |
| Posted by: Big_Ben Jun 10 2008, 03:06 PM |
| Yo Var, how many grams of carbs are you eating after you take the NeoVar? Sorry bro, been busy in the Product Testors and forgot you had a Journal's section going. If strength is going up, you are going to notice increased soreness I'm sure cutting helps prolong it since you are restricting and not feeding the machine! Drive would help with muscle wasting while cutting, Forskolin has some great properties that help stop it, also I can't remember if you are supplementing any BCAA's but on a cut its a must. Also keep the Fish Oil high! |
| Posted by: var Jun 11 2008, 08:16 AM |
| i usually have one or two pieces of fruit like an apple and a peach immediately after working out, and before i do cardio. usually some oats and sometimes a package of raisins mixed in with my shake, too. so i'm guessing about 50-70g of carbs pwo. then i usually follow it up with two slices of ezekial whole grain bread in the next meal, an hour after cardio. i don't think my strength is going up anymore. it was last week but it has sort of plateaued. my point is that i'm not losing any strength. my pumps yesterday and today weren't bad though. really only on sunday+monday. so it's possible i'm not losing as much size as i thought. i take at least 3 scoops of ON whey every day, and 2 scoops is 100% minimum bcaa. i also take a gnc fish oil cap in the morning and eat 5-6 oz of red fish every other day at the very least. good tips though and thanks for stopping by. i'll look into drive, i've heard good things. is it a PH exactly or what? edit: sorry misread your question about carbs. i take 2 neovar in the morning right after a big bowl of grapenuts and before 2 oz of simply orange juice (in a shake). i take 2 again pwo with the carbs i mentioned above, and i increased my afternoon intake from 1 to 2 caps with another piece of fruit. i've almost abandoned the whole low carb thing i was doing a few months ago, and now i just concentrate on which carbs i eat, and when. but the weird thing is i think i was maintaining size better WITHOUT the carbs. maybe i'm just one of those people who gets slowed down by carbs, or maybe i'm overtraining a little, not sure. |
| Posted by: var Jun 11 2008, 11:34 AM |
| 2x10 front raises @ 70lbs 2x10 reverse curls @ 70lbs 2x10 hammer curls @ 30 lbs 2x12 tricep kickbacks @ 30lbs 2x10 tricep extensions @ 70lbs 15 reverse handed pullups. 2x30 crunches. 25 dragon flags. (ouch) 3x12 dips. 25 mins treadmill. doing okay today i guess. kinda waiting to see how it pans out by the weekend. |
| Posted by: var Jun 12 2008, 08:54 AM |
| good day, cut seems to still be working and my arms are still pumped from the past two workouts. maybe i'm in the clear? 3x10 squats (to the floor) @ 120 lbs 1x30 barbell calf raises @ 120 lbs 3x10 bench press @ 180 lbs 8x10 pushups 8x10 pullups 3x10 elevated pushups 2x10 pushups w/ one-arm dumbbell row @ 30 lbs (god these are still hard as hell) 4x15 dragon flags 3x15 dumbbell pullovers 2x10 deadlift @ 160lbs 25 mins on treadmill, fast, medium incline. had some great ideas for hiit day tomorrow, but i don't plan on taking any ephedrine, so we'll see if i can work up the motivation to try them all. |
| Posted by: MoVin_Weight Jun 12 2008, 01:26 PM |
| how long have you been cutting? When i used the original neovar on a cut i noticed an increase in strength through the first few weeks, but then the lower carbs/cals caught up with me and i started to flatten out a bit and strength plateued and then started to drop Neovar is solid stuff but after a month of low calories it's not going to be magic... You might considering carbing up for a week or so just to let your body recoup, and then continue with your cut |
| Posted by: var Jun 12 2008, 01:34 PM |
| like i said in my first post i've been on a cut for a LONG while now (since nov... i was pretty fat when i started) with only a few weeks' break in march. loss has been steady (from 20% BF to maybe 12%) but very slow in the past two months. the only real flattening i've experienced was earlier this week, but today and yesterday have been fine. i probably just overtrained last week. but good points, and if i notice another drop in strength or size i'll do what you suggested. |
| Posted by: Big_Ben Jun 12 2008, 01:48 PM |
| Always take your NeoVar and then 15mins later eat/drink a nice carb meal. It works like a carb metabolizer, basically pushes more glycogen to your muscles and the creatine rides it in as well. Could be why it started feeling like you weren't as full as before when restricting carbs or adding in the carbs but not after the NeoVar. Don't remember if you put down how much water you are drinking, but I'm on day 3 of NeoVar and getting a slight headache and I think its cause of my water intake, I gotta increase it. Dang a reduced diet since Nov......you're my hero bro! I don't think I could do it that long! |
| Posted by: var Jun 12 2008, 01:54 PM |
| yeah it's been tough. extremely low carbs until like mid march was the hardest thing. since then i've added in cereal and bread and i'm not sure i could ever cut those out again even if i wanted to. think i've been doing the right thing as far as taking carbs with the neovar but i've been paying particular attention to it since you said something, and since then it's been all $$$. coincidence? doubt it. so thanks for good advice.  and before i forget, about .8 gallons on most days. i try for a gallon but don't always get it. never less than 96oz (.75 gallons). |
| Posted by: var Jun 13 2008, 01:27 PM |
| my run of bad luck has turned into goodness over the course of this week. it's nice going from feeling flat as shit on tuesday to seeing veins popping out of my biceps without even having lifted on friday. i was sore as hell today, mostly in my quads. i really nailed em good with the squats + deadlifts i think, and i plan on incorporating deadlift into my regular leg day routine (finally). because of the soreness, really couldn't work as hard as i wanted to. no hiit really, but got some good ab work done. i hate having sore legs more than anything... i can push through the sore arms, sore core, sore back, whatever... but i can't with legs. 60 situps with punches. 40 weighted side bends. 50 bob and weaves. 20 russian twists. 25 weighted punches, both hands (mostly hooks). 30 pushups. 30 second plank. 30 elevated pushups. 20 pullups. 20 reverse handed pullups. 5 mins shadow boxing. 2x10 upright rows. 2x10 of those overhead curl things i never know what to call. 20 mins on the treadmill, low running speed, very high incline. took my neovar and then washed it down 15 mins later with a big bowl of grapenuts, skim milk, half a teaspoon of honey, and a banana. ate a kashi bar after that... i can't get enough of those. this morning i also tried a little of that special k protein plus cereal... taste is not so good and there's a small amount of corn syrup in it but the rest of the nutritional stats are legit and it's a small boost in protein compared to what you'd normally get from cereal: 10g as opposed to 1-3 per serving. so decent to cap off my breakfast shake which is ~30g itself. |
| Posted by: var Jun 14 2008, 05:37 PM |
| ended up skipping hiit day again because my quads are even more sore today than yesterday. did day 1 instead. bumped up the weights today too. 1x10 concentration curls @ 30lbs 4x15 wrist curls @ 120 lbs 2x10 ez bar curls @ 90 lbs 2x20 upright rows @ 100 lbs 5x5 pullups. 2x10 front press @ 100 lbs 2x10 back press @ 100 lbs 3x20 elevated pushups. 30 mins cardio. chased the neovar with two apples, a whey shake, and half a cup of oats. pwo meal was some gigantic shrimp and a whole zucchini. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/rsvarr/DSC00249.jpg yum. i've decided to almost completely cut out cereal after this weekend. i love it too much and eat it too often. i'm also going to count calories more carefully. i want to finish this cut by july. also, i know i mentioned i stepped up to 6 caps per day of the neovar from 5 about a week ago, but not sure if i clarified when i take these. 2 before lunchtime, i usually have grapenuts and a piece of fruit after. 2 after immediately resistance training, followed by a banana and some oats or something similar. 2 late afternoon, with the last carbs of the day (usually whole grain bread or sweet potatoes). |
| Posted by: var Jun 16 2008, 07:37 PM |
| 2x10 front raises @ 80lbs 2x10 reverse curls @ 90lbs 2x12 hammer curls @ 30 lbs 2x10 tricep kickbacks @ 30lbs 2x10 tricep extensions @ 90lbs 15 reverse handed pullups. 15 pullups. 300 crunches. 2x20 chest flies @ 25lbs 2x side planks (20 seconds) 3x12 dips. 30 pushups. 1x30 dumbbell pullovers 35 mins sprinting intervals: 1 min sprint, 1 min jog. neovar followed by oats, a banana, and honey. took a day off yesterday. basically pigged out on meat off the grill and got wasted with my dad (4 chicken kabobs, 2 steaks - a 12oz filet mignon and a 22oz porterhouse, 1 1/2 salmon burgers, and then an angus kabob about an hour later). fun times. i'm regularly weighing in at 187 now and my bodyfat has dropped by 1 percentage. think i packed on a few pounds of muscle in the last week or two, somehow. kind of puzzled. |
| Posted by: Big_Ben Jun 17 2008, 12:37 PM |
Good to hear things are turning around!  |
| Posted by: var Jun 17 2008, 03:31 PM |
| def. 3x10 squats (to the floor) @ 120 lbs 2x25 barbell calf raises @ 120 lbs 2x10 bench press @ 180 lbs 8x10 pullups 3x10 elevated pushups 2x10 pushups w/ one-arm dumbbell row @ 30 lbs (god these are still hard as hell) 2x15 dragon flags 2x30 oblique crunches 2x15 oblique leg raises while holding barbell 2x10 chest flies @ 30lbs 2x12 deadlift @ 180lbs 40 mins intervals on the treadmill, same as yesterday. way less to eat today than usual. neovar followed by a raw corn cob, a protein shake, and an apple. |
| Posted by: var Jun 18 2008, 10:06 AM |
| i'm sore all over from my workout yesterday. even the pullups have my biceps aching. but it's not debilitating. i still got to do hiit today for the first time in a while. 30x kettlebell swings 10x burpees 10x wall climbs 5x backpack crawls (3 50lb plates) 5x backpack crabwalks (same weight) 10x bodyweight squats 10x explosive jumps 12x pushups 5x lunges @ 60lbs 50x jumping jacks 30x medicine ball slams x3. 20 mins fast paced walk at high incline on the treadmill with the 150+ lb backpack strapped on. 2 neovar + 2 slices of whole grain bread and kashi bar. 2 neovar + a banana and 1/2 cup grapenuts pwo. 2 neovar + fruit smoothie and 1 slice of whole grain toast. much more than that and i'll be over my low carb budget. yes if i haven't mentioned i'm back on low carb, trying it for a while. my arms feel juiced up this week. when i flex they feel like they're so tight they're going to burst. pretty cool. however i was supposed to be cutting, and i have made little to no progress on that. |
| Posted by: var Jun 19 2008, 06:54 AM |
| fucking pummeled from yesterday. my glutes, quads, lats, and traps are all killing me. woke up this morning looking ripped more or less and i hope to stay on track. too sore for a real workout today, so just did extensive cardio. stair runs, jump roping, 3 mile run, 15 mins on a stationary bike. no ecy (getting ready for the weekend... can't be strung out and exhausted). next week is supposed to be sunny so i'm taking the hiit outdoors. prepare for sledgehammer tire-bashing and shuttle runs on a track. i think the change of scenery will revitalize my efforts. order is a little different today because of schedule changes: neovar with a slice of whole grain bread, kashi bar, and a protein shake for breakfast. neovar with one sweet potato baked into chips (just sea salt) at lunch. neovar with a slice of watermelon pwo. |
| Posted by: var Jun 20 2008, 08:18 AM |
| took it easy today. 20 min run, 200 crunches, 3x10 flags, 200 jump rope turns. same dosage order as yesterday, with oats, bread, and grapefruit, in that order. i plan on taking a break this weekend, so i'll be back with the log on tues. btw it's been almost 30 days since i started this product! i weighed 187 today, only slight reduction in bodyfat. so i've definitely gained a couple pounds of muscle, but it's safe to say the cut failed. maybe it's just time to give up and take six months off from cutting... i'll spend it lean-gaining instead. i'll give my full conclusion next week. |
| Posted by: var Jun 24 2008, 11:19 AM |
| all right, well, this was my first attempt at a log but i did my best. i started neovar may 23rd, and it is now june 24th, so 30 days have elapsed. like i said in the last post, i couldn't help but gain strength and even a little size despite being on a restricted diet. the increase in muscle helped tone me up and suck in some skin, so i look much better than i did this time last month. however i failed to significantly lower my body fat percentage. i started at 14% and still weigh between 13.5-14%, but since i'm almost 5 pounds heavier, i guess i did cut some fat if you do the math. so, bottom line: i didn't cut very well but gained 5 lbs of muscle without trying. my muscles seem bigger in circumference too, but unfortunately i didn't start this log with pics or measurements. my chest in particular looks amazing compared to how it did before, and my arms are a close second. it's easy to tell what i've been neglecting now (back) because my other groups have changed so drastically in only 30 days. would i buy again? absolutely. this is the creatine i have been looking for since i started lifting. i've also recommended the product to everyone i know. i was very impressed with the pumps, gains, and basically the way neovar makes you feel. my body never felt exhausted or plateaued, and i experienced none of the bloating i got with my previous monohydrate (gnc stock). would i use on another cut? i think yes. i am unconvinced it was neovar's fault my cut didn't work out. i plan on keeping with it for another month or so until it's time to cycle off. overall, fantastic creatine. in fact i have no real negatives whatsoever to write about. and trust me, i'd love to be critical if there was anything. just a great product. thanks AN. end stats: age 22, 6'1, 189lbs, ~13.5%BF. +1month, +4lbs, -0.5%BF. i hope to continue this journal as long as i'm on the neovar. |
| Posted by: Will109090 Jun 24 2008, 11:30 AM |
| Good log bro. I may have to give this product a run one day. One question, had you used creatine before using Neovar? |
| Posted by: var Jun 24 2008, 04:50 PM |
| thanks man. and yeah, i mentioned a couple times i used the gnc kind before this. did nothing compared to this. world of difference. |
| Posted by: var Jul 6 2008, 03:47 PM |
| a quick update. still haven't heard from vitruvian... (come on dude!) down a few pounds (183-185) after lowering the dosage to 4 caps a day, rather than 6. muscles aren't as full as before but that's the way it goes. trying to find a good balance here. i'll be going overseas next week for some serious hiking and backpacking and want to be off the creatine for that. after i come back, i'll go right back on a new bottle of neovar (if vitru responds by then ) and try to put on some lean mass. |
| Posted by: var Aug 5 2008, 11:00 AM |
back from the trip... fun as hell. ate nothing but the local fare, which consisted mainly of game meat and fried foods. came back weighing in about the same as when i left (182). glad about not fattening up much, but i'm feeling weak and tired, probably from vitamin deficiency. ordered a new multi and hoping to start my new bottle of neovar recomped, if any of the reps send it to me.  |
| Posted by: Will109090 Aug 5 2008, 12:01 PM |
| Which vitamin(s) did you choose? |
| Posted by: Big_Ben Aug 5 2008, 12:48 PM |
| Let me know if you haven't gotten it. |
| Posted by: var Aug 6 2008, 10:19 AM |
| went with a bottle of adam instead of the gnc ones. doubt it'll make a huge difference but why not try. |
| Posted by: var Aug 8 2008, 06:06 PM |
| a little weak still from the trip. the same workouts i was doing before i left have left my muscles devastated. i can hardly walk today but i pushed myself to not think about it and ran a few miles. also did some situps and punch-outs. freakin exhausted. the good news is i'm back in the same shape i was before i left, and improving. lost a little muscle but definitely lost more fat, weighing at all this week at 181. resting this weekend and by next week i should have some of that creatine to help me out. |