BSN NO-Xplode Testing

Bulk Nutrition Forums > Product Testers


Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 15 2004, 05:08 PM
Testing will not begin until mid to late next week, but I wanted to begin this thread early to field any questions regarding my training, nutrition, person, and supplementation. All questions will be answered promptly and to the best of my ability, so fire away.

Mike McCandless and David Tolson are kindly providing me with the opportunity to evaluate BSN's new be-all-end-all pre-workout supplement, NO-Xplode.

Age: 21

Sex: Male

Weight: 167

Bodyfat: 9.8% (Fitness 2000 Calipers)

Training experience: 2.5 years of lifting, 1.5 years following a bodybuilding lifestyle

Current supplements:
  • ON 100% Whey Cookies and Cream - 2 scoops post workout, additional 3-4 scoops/day added to cereal, oatmeal
  • LMR Sports Redzone - 2.5cc - 4cc (preworkout on legs, chest, and occasionally back day)
  • Bulk Nuntrition ALA - 1200 mg/day taken post workout and after high-carb meals
  • BSL Custom Preworkout Blend (EAAs, BCAAs, Taurine) - 20-25 grams pre/during workout
  • Gatorade powder (usually I use dextrose) - 0.75 scoops (15 grams of carbs) pre/during workout
  • Optimum Opti-Men Multivitamin - 1/day
  • Vitamin C - 1000 mg/day preworkout
  • Legal Gear LipoBurn - 4 squirts/twice daily
Present goals: Lean bulk at ~ 300 calorie/day surplus

Prescription/Recreational drugs: None

Training Schedule/Protocol: I train with extreme intensity every time I enter the gym (I ritualize my pre-workout tradition of stimulants + energetic/angry music + positive visualization) and finish all of my workouts in under 60 minutes. With the exception of some arm exercises and my set of 20 rep squats, all rep ranges are between 6 and 9. I will be monitoring all lifts but will gauge strength increases primarily on the major lift for each bodypart: flat bench press (chest), squats (legs), dumbell shoulder press (shoulders), skull crushers (triceps), and barbell curl (biceps). I recently began using a superset routine on arms day, but aside from this change, my routine has been nearly constant for the past 8 months. For those of you who are quick to say that change is necessary to ellicit growth, I am still making gains in both size and strength.

user posted image

HIIT cardio usually consists of 12 to 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. I was a long distance runner for 8 years before I began lifting (yes, I started running seriously when I was 11), and my joints tend to ache if I try to do too much HIIT on the treadmill. I currently structure my HIIT sessions twice a week, typically on legs day or the day after, and again 2 days later.

Current lifts:
  • Flat Bench: 205 x 6
  • Squats: 200 x 23 (I generally use my 20 rep set as my strength indicator for squats)
  • Dumbell Shoulder Press: 70 x 6
  • Bent Over Rows: 170 x 9
  • Weighted Dips: 70 x 6
Supplement history: I have long been a proponent of pre-workout cocktails. During the schoolyear, I lift first thing in the morning at 6 am and I found that a blend of creatine, EAAs, BCAAs, high GI carbs, and stimulants made my workouts far more effective. I respond fairly poorly to typical creatine monohydrate, and in the past I have tried San V12, Swole V.2, BSL Kreataine Ultra, and VPX CEX. The prospect of using a single supplement that has many of the ingredients that I typically use pre-mixed greatly interests me. I feel that, due to my history of using ergogenic/anabolic pre-workout supplements, I will be able to provide a detailed analysis of NO-Xplode.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 15 2004, 05:10 PM
user posted image

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 15 2004, 05:11 PM
Diet

Rather than count every calorie that enters my system, I use the scale and the mirror to evaluate my progress. If I am gaining or losing weight faster than I would like, I adjust my macronutrient ratios and add/remove food from my diet accordingly. I eat clean throughout the year with the majority of my intake consisting of

Protein sources (35%): tuna, lean ground turkey, chicken breast, protein blend, whey protein, milk

Carbohydrate sources (50%): yams, low GI cereal, oats, vegetables, brown rice, whole grain bread

Fat sources (15%): fish oil caps, olive oil, natural peanut butter

When I feel that I am adding fat mass to quickly, I drop my carbohydrates and increase my proteins.

Posted by: youngvet1 Aug 15 2004, 05:31 PM
Looking forward to yor review. I didnt get picked, but lookin forward to see how you like this product.

Posted by: Derrek Space Aug 16 2004, 12:06 PM
Looking forward to this as well, GFK

~sawastea

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 16 2004, 09:13 PM
8-16-04 Legs (pre NO-Xplode)

Solid legs day today. My lower back was hurting me something fierce the past two days from driving down to school, moving furniture, and sleeping on couches, so I was worried that my workout would be low quality. Just to be sure, I stayed away from heavy SLDLs and prone hamstring curls as both aggravated my back more than I would have liked.
  • Squats: 205*20, 225*9, 225*8, 185*17
  • SLDLs: 185*12, 185*12
  • Seated hamstring curl: 160*12, 160*12, 160*12
  • Seated leg extension: 150*12, 160*10 drop 110*7 drop 70*8 hold

This was the first time I have been able to squat 205 for 20, so I was very satisfied. I was training with a beast of a friend whom I hadn't seen all summer and made sure to go even deeper than usual in an attempt to match his deep-as-it-gets style. I ultimately had the last laugh after he ran to the bathroom after set 2 to empty the contents of his stomach. Calves will be performed tonight or tomorrow.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 16 2004, 09:15 PM
QUOTE
Looking forward to yor review. I didnt get picked, but lookin forward to see how you like this product.


QUOTE
Looking forward to this as well, GFK

~sawastea

Good to see some of my BB.com brothers here. This is a growing forum and has some good information and a crew of extremely knowledgeable mods.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 17 2004, 04:32 PM
8-17-04 Arms (pre NO-Xplode)

The past two weeks I have been supersetting tris and bis on arms day. Exercises are the same, but rather than performing all tricep exercises followed by all bicep exercises, I pair an exercise from each and go all out. For lack of a better phrase, my arms were pumped like Reeboks today. I think I will need to train forearms more seriously if I want to continue this lifting plan, as they are recruited for both bis and tris. I have also begun to focus more on form and squeeze and less on weight. As explained earlier, this is the only recent change to my routine, and by the time I begin NO-Xplode, I will be on my third workout using this routine.
  • Skull Crushers: 100x12, 100x9, 100x8
    ~s.set close grip: 100x10, 100x8, 100x6
    ~s.set EZ-bar curl: 80x12, 80x10, 80x8
  • Weighted Dips: 55x10, 55x8, 45x10
    ~s.set Preacher Curl (Hammer): 45x15, 55x12, 55x12
  • Cable Tricep Pressdown: 120x15, 125x12
    ~s.set cable Hammer Curls: 40x12, 40x10
Cardio: 12 minutes HIIT on recumbant bicycle

My BSN NO-Xplode came in the mail today (again, thanks Mike and David), but I will wait until my next lifting cycle begins (Monday, legs day).

Posted by: WardrobeMalfunction Aug 17 2004, 06:52 PM
GhostfaceKillah writes GREAT reviews. Very detailed. Has the gift of journalism.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 18 2004, 12:25 PM
QUOTE (WardrobeMalfunction @ Aug 17 2004, 06:52 PM)
GhostfaceKillah writes GREAT reviews. Very detailed. Has the gift of journalism.

Thank you. That compliment means a lot to me.

8-18-04 Shoulders (pre NO-Xplode)

Not a very good workout today. I was up late and had a few beers but managed to wiggle my way out of going downtown with the crew (who ended up getting completely stinky). Whenever I come back to the gym at school, my dumbell lifts all seem to drop by 5 lbs. I find this very odd, but it has happened on 4 occassions. Maybe it's the Blacksburg air.
  • DBell shoulder press: 65x10, 65x8, 65x7
  • Arnolds: 50x8, 50x8
  • Side lateral raises: (25x12 drop 15x8 drop 10x8)x2
  • Front raises: 30x8, 30x8
  • Standing calf raises: 3 sets

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 19 2004, 08:20 AM
I received one bottle of NO-Xplode (40 scoops). Unless David tells me otherwise, I will utilize the following dosing scheme:

2 scoops pre-workout (lifting days)
1 scoop mid-morning (off days)

40 scoops/(5 days/week*2 scoops/day + 2 days/week*1 scoop/day) = 40/12 = 3.33 weeks

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 19 2004, 01:37 PM
8-18-04 Back (pre NO-Xplode)

Decent back workout despite having no one to push me. I'm missing the intensity of my old workout partner who goes to George Mason University, 3 hours away; we would feed off eachother's energy and always had great workouts. This morning my roommates were still hurting from their nocturnal shenanigans, so I left for the gym without them. I went a little lighter than usual and upped the reps as I am still rehabing the lower back. I was especially cautious with bent over rows, avoiding bouncing.
  • Deadlifts: 225x12
  • Bent over rows: 165x12, 165x9, 165x7
  • Lat pulldown w/wide handles: 150x12, 160x10, 160x10
  • Hammer row: 140x12, 160x12, 160x10
  • Hyperextensions: 15x15, 15x15 (not part of my normal back workout)
  • Abs: 4 sets

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 20 2004, 01:21 PM
8-20-04 Chest (pre NO-Xplode)

Stood up by two workout partners today. Whatever, all I need is me.
  • Flat bench press: 205x7, 195x8, 195x4
  • Incline Dbell press: 80x9, 80x5, 75x8
  • Decline bench press: 165x8, 170x6, 170x5
  • Incline Dbell flyes: 35x15, 35x12
  • Forearms: 4 sets

Posted by: HOVER Aug 21 2004, 08:09 PM
Have any of you guys tried MRI's NO2? I've tried it and haven't seen any real benefits. I'm thinking about giving NO-Xplode a try, do you think it's worth the shot?

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 22 2004, 08:15 AM
QUOTE (HOVER @ Aug 21 2004, 08:09 PM)
Have any of you guys tried MRI's NO2? I've tried it and haven't seen any real benefits. I'm thinking about giving NO-Xplode a try, do you think it's worth the shot?

I haven't tried any NO products aside from Syntrax Nitrous stacked with a few other things. As for whether NO-Xplode is worth a try, that's what I am hoping to determine.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 22 2004, 08:17 AM
8-21-04 Legs (1st NO-Xplode workout)

I was due for an off day, but I felt mentally prepared for a legs workout, so I decided to hit the gym. I started with a low dose of NO-Xplode (1.5 scoops) to assess tolerance. My morning nutrition/supplementation was as follows:

8:45 am - 3/4 cup oats, cooked and cooled + 1 scoop whey + 1 cup coffee
9:35 am - 1.5 scoops BSN NO-Xplode
10:15 am - begin sipping 1 scoop Gatorade + 25 grams EAAs/BCAAs

Taste/Mixing
I mixed one and a half scoops in 16 ounces of water using a shaker bottle but no agitator. Mixing was excellent and taste was somewhere between decent and moderately good. The Fruit Punch Freeze definitely has a strong taste, but no hideous aftertaste or undertones. It also has an effervescent feel to it, which explains why taking it with food would be a very bad idea (read: bubble guts). I will have to increase the amount of water I use when I up the scoops to 2, as I feel that 8 oz/scoop would be on the strong side.

Sides
Immediately before leaving for the gym I experienced bowel discomort and had to make an additional bathroom trip. Fortunately, this feeling passed and did not affect my workout. I did feel mildly jittery, but not nearly like I feel after a cup of coffee and 3 cc of Redzone. The real jitters hit me, to my surprise, around 4 pm when I expected to be crashing. My heart was racing like crazy. Three hours later I crashed pretty gard, but I am unsure if it was from sleep deprivation, boredom, coming down off of stimulants, or a combination of the above. I also felt ridiculously dehydrated throughout the day and was constantly pounding water.

The Workout
Amazing. No way the placebo effect could have offset everything that was working against me: poor nutrition the day before, depression, waking up at 3:30 am to drunk roommates and a party downstairs, and lifting legs on 4 days rest. I was prepared for a terrible workout, but I needed to be in the gym to get my mind off things, and no better way to do that than to lift legs. I have copied over my previous legs workout (which at the time was a great workout in itself) to facilitate comparison:

Previous legs workout
  • Squats: 205*20, 225*9, 225*8, 185*17
  • SLDLs: 185*12, 185*12
  • Seated hamstring curl: 160*12, 160*12, 160*12
  • Seated leg extension: 150*12, 160*10 drop 110*7 drop 70*8 hold

1st NO-Xplode legs workout
  • Squats: 210*22, 230*8, 230*6, 185*20 (last 5 from below parallel)
  • SLDLs: 205*10, 205*8
  • Seated hamstring curl: 160*12, 170*10, 170*10
  • Seated leg extension: 160*12, 160*8 drop 110*8 drop 60*12 hold
  • Calves: 5 sets

The 210 for 22 reps blew me away. My endurance was excellent. I didn't really feel as focused as I hoped, but this is probably due to lack of a workout partner to charge me up. No pump or vascularity changes to note.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 23 2004, 10:35 AM
I used 2 scoops of NO-Xplode pre-workout, and despite waking up too late to have my usual cup of coffee, I am uber-jittery. To quote DSade:

"my heart would rebel and hack it's way out of my chest in order to proclaim the power of its beat to the world...right before torching itself."

This is about how I feel right now. I really wish I knew exactly what secrets this proprietary blend holds regarding caffeine content.

More updates on my workout later.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 24 2004, 05:36 PM
8-23-04 Arms
  • Skull Crushers: 100x12, 105x8, 100x9
    ~s.set close grip: 100x10, 105x8, 100x8
    ~s.set EZ-bar curl: 85x10, 85x9, 80x8
  • Weighted Dips: 55x11, 55x9, 55x7
    ~s.set Preacher Curl (Hammer): 60x12, 65x10, 55x12
  • Cable Tricep Pressdown: 125x15, 130x12
    ~s.set cable Hammer Curls: 40x12, 40x12
  • Abs: 4 sets

My upper arms were so volumized by my workout that the act of putting my hands behind my head to do ab work actually cut bloodflow to my hands, making them feel numb. Intense workout, able to maintain speed and strength until the very end. Aside from feeling like I was on amphetamines, I love this stuff.


8-24-04 Shoulders + cardio
  • DBell shoulder press: 65x11, 70x7, 65x9
  • Arnolds: 55x8, 55x8
  • Side lateral raises: (25x12 drop 15x8 drop 12x8)x2
  • Front raises: 30x9, 30x8, 30x8
  • HIIT on elliptical: 10 minutes

Strength increased. Poor diet this morning (read: barely any food) as I am still trying to figure out how to fit my workouts into my school schedule. I sipped my NO-Xplode during class just to wake me up. It worked, and fortunately I didn't feel like I just took 20 mg of Adderall to the face. Stomach problems have susbided, most likely because I am avoiding food anywhere near the time of NO-Xplode ingestion.

Posted by: steveEray Aug 26 2004, 03:46 AM
Im in an endourance type of sport,,in our openion would this product be something to look into too,,,,my power is awesome but my endourance is way lacking,,,any help would be great. Im on other suppliments natural/unatural as well,,,my training is excellant as well as body fat ect. Its just that my endourance is very bad,,thank you for your help

Posted by: HOVER Aug 26 2004, 06:15 PM
If you're looking for endurance, I strongly suggest that you take a look at "Body Octane". Just check it out, it can't hurt. It's worked good for me so far...

I'm taking NO-Xplode at the moment as well and like you, I haven't experienced any "pumps". I'll keep you updated in the days to come.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 26 2004, 08:00 PM
QUOTE (HOVER @ Aug 26 2004, 06:15 PM)
If you're looking for endurance, I strongly suggest that you take a look at "Body Octane". Just check it out, it can't hurt. It's worked good for me so far...

MAN Body Octane also has my unqualified recommendation for endurance.

Posted by: dwm230000 Aug 27 2004, 11:56 AM
Hover's right. I've been using Body Octane and it is great for endurance.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 28 2004, 12:01 PM
8-26-04 Chest

My chest workout today a bit impulsive. I was scheduled for an off-day, but I had so much on my mind that I needed to hit the gym. The gym was packed to capacity when we got there around 8, 12 hours from my usual workout time. Unfortunately, I cannot use the crowded conditions as an excuse for my performance, as I was miraculously able to get benches and weights with no waiting. Strength was down a little but energy was good, as was the pump that I generated.

I have been sleeping very little the past two weeks, particularly the past five days. I find myself waking up every two hours or so.
  • Flat bench press: 205x5, 195x8, 185x8
  • Incline Dbell press: 80x9, 80x5, 75x6
  • Decline Dbell press: 70x11, 70x8, 70x10
  • Incline Dbell flyes: 40x12, 40x10, 40x8

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 28 2004, 12:05 PM
8-27-04 Legs

Excellent legs day after a traumatic night and ~1 hour of sleep.
  • Squats: 210x21, 230x8, 230x8, 190x20
  • SLDLs: 205x10, 205x8
  • Leg Extension: 160x12, 170x8 drop 120x8 drop 70x12
  • Hamstring curl: 170x12, 180x10
  • Calves: 1 seated + 2 standing/seated supersets

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 29 2004, 09:43 PM
8-22-04 Off

8-23-04 Arms
  • Skull Crushers: 105x11, 105x9, 100x9
    ~s.set close grip: 105x12, 105x10, 100x8
    ~s.set EZ-bar curl: 90x10, 90x8, 90x8
  • Weighted Dips: 55x10, 55x9, 45x9
    ~s.set Preacher Curl (Hammer): 65x12, 65x12, 60x12
  • Cable Tricep Pressdown: 130x12, 130x12
    ~s.set cable Hammer Curls: 40x12, 40x12
  • Cardio: 12 minutes HIIT on bike

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 29 2004, 09:50 PM
8-29-04 (Again) Back

I'm not sure how my schedule will play out this week; things are still in limbo. Hence, I worked out in the PM as well. It also looks like I failed to post last week's back workout. Suffice to say I improved quite a bit, especially after having hit arms 9 hours earlier. I will post more qualitative feedback when time permits.
  • Deadlifts: 245x9, 255x5
  • Bent over rows: 170x10, 170x8, 165x9
  • Lat pulldown: 160x12, 160x10, 160x10
  • Hammer row: 160x12, 180x10, 180x8
  • Cardio: 12 minutes HIIT on elliptical

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Aug 30 2004, 06:06 AM
Looks like taking a second dose of NO-Xplode (1.5 scoops) at 8 pm was an eggregious mistake. I was unable to fall asleep until 3 am. I didn't feel ultra jittery but I laid in bed wide awake and restless for 2 hours before finally passing out.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Sep 4 2004, 12:47 PM
Big update.

8-30-04 Shoulders
  • DBell shoulder press: 70x7, 65x10, 65x8
  • Arnolds: 60x8, 60x7
  • Seated side laterals: 15x12, 20x8 drop 12x10, 20x10 drop 12x8
  • Front raises: 30x9, 30x8, 30x8
  • Forearmsx4
(Completely killed from arms + back the day before. Fortunately I had a training partner today who pushed me. I still ended up with a satisfying workout.)

9-1-04 Chest AM
  • Flat bench press: 200x7, 195x7, 190x6
  • Incline Dbell press: 80x9, 80x7, 75x9
  • Decline bench press: 175x7, 165x7, 165x7
  • Incline Dbell flyes: 40x12, 40x11
(Good improvement in incline today; overall, a solid workout)

9-1-04 Legs PM
  • Squats: 215x19, 235x5, 225x8, 185x20
  • SLDLs: 205x10, 215x7, 215x6
  • Leg Extension: 160x12, 170x8 drop 120x7 drop 70x12, 140x9 drop 70x12
  • Hamstring curl: 180x12, 190x7, 180x7, 170x10
  • Calves: 2 sets standing
(I had the choice of lifting legs this evening or the following day at 6 AM; I chose the evening. I really wanted that 20th rep on the first set of squats but I had no spotter and just couldnt get myself to attempt one more. That set destroyed me, as the rest of my sets of squats suffered considerably. Nonetheless, I improved on all other lifts. I had a total of 4 scoops of NO-Xplode today (2 at 5 PM), so sleep was definitely affected. Not that I have much faith in my ability to sleep anymore even if I went stim-free.)

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Sep 4 2004, 12:55 PM
So far I have been quite pleased with NO-Xplode. It definitely works well as a pre-workout stimulant; that cannot be denied. I do feel that my strength and endurance have both increased during the course of my supplementation. Recovery does not seem to have been affected one way or another. I notice myself getting thirstier after consuming NO-Xplode, particularly during the 2 hours proceeding ingestion. I get the feeling of being dehydrated, regardless of how much water I had consumed earlier in the day. Pump is still improved during workout sessions but I have not noticed any significant perpetual effect.

Posted by: Muscle_Strain Sep 7 2004, 06:20 PM
GhostfaceKillah, thanks for the log on your NO-Xplode useage. Keep up the posts!

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Sep 7 2004, 06:42 PM
QUOTE (Muscle_Strain @ Sep 7 2004, 06:20 PM)
GhostfaceKillah, thanks for the log on your NO-Xplode useage. Keep up the posts!

Glad you have found it to be a helpful resource. More updates coming tonight.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Sep 7 2004, 07:02 PM
I somehow failed to record the numbers for my arms workout this past week. I recall having a fantastic workout despite going to the gym late at night. Arm vascularity has improved during the course of supplementation as well. I recall looking vainly in the mirror while doing cable hammer curls and thinking, "Wow, your arms look SICK." I was quickly humbled when my gigantic roommate/training partner came over to chat.

9-3-04 Back
  • Deadlifts: 225x12, 245x9, 245x7, 225x8
  • Bent over rows: 165x10, 165x8
  • Lat pulldown: 160x10, 150x10, 160x9 drop 120x7 drop 100x6
  • Hammer row: 160x12, 180x8
  • Absx5
Lifted with my roommate again; his best bodypart is his back, so he pushed me to the limit. Four sets of deadlifts was crucial, negatively impacting my bent over rows by a significant amount. The last set of lat pulldowns intense. It is worth noting that my back is still sore four days after this workout. I almost never experience that much DOMS aside from legs. Great workout.

9-4-04 Shoulders
  • DBell shoulder press: 70x9, 70x6, 65x9
  • Arnolds*: 45x9, 45x8
  • Seated side laterals: 20x12 drop 15x7 drop 10x8, 20x10 drop 15x6 drop 10x8
  • Front raises: 35x6, 30x8, 30x8
  • Forearmsx4
Post-party night lifting. Still had a great workout. *I changed my form on Arnolds, keeping the dumbells around forehead level (as opposed to chin level) at the bottom of the motion and tilting my pinky fingers to the ceiling at the top of the motion; this seemed to increased difficulty, hence the reduction in weight.

9-5-04 Off

9-6-04 Chest
  • Flat bench press: 200x6, 195x7, 185x7
  • Incline Dbell press: 85x7, 80x7, 75x10
  • Decline bench press: 175x8, 175x6, 175x6
  • Incline Dbell flyes: 40x12, 40x10, 40x10
Flat bench struggled but my other lifts increased a fair amount. I usually have good success psyching myself up for chest day (right behind legs in my level of mental preparedness), but social issues have really sapped my motivation and alacrity. Friends change, but a 45 pound plate is always a 45 pound plate.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Sep 10 2004, 07:11 PM
9-7-04 Legs

[To be added]

9-8-04 Arms

[To be added]

9-9-04 Shoulders
  • DBell shoulder press: 70x10, 70x8, 70x6
  • Arnolds*: 45x9, 45x8
  • Seated side laterals: 25x10 drop 15x8, 20x12 drop 15x8, 20x10 drop 15x7
  • Front raises (standing): 20x12, 25x12, 20x12 (all reps done slowly, pausing at top)

Insanely intense workout. I was pushed beyond what I thought were the limits of my body by my training partner. I was surprised that I was able to sustain such a high level of focus and intensity throughout the workout, especially as we worked out late at night.
  • Lat Pulldown: 170x8, 160x10, 160x8, 150x10 drop 130x8 drop 100x8
  • Dumbell row: 65x12, 75x12, 75x10
  • Deadlifts: 225x8, 225x7, 205x10
  • T-Bar row: 70x12, 70x10 drop 45x8

This was a far different back workout than I was used to, but I decided to give it a try since the guy I was working out with has the best back I have seen. By the time I hit deadlifts I was completely killed; my lifts were far below my expectations, which frustrated me. I had to remind myself that the exercises and order of exercises was different than what I have been used to. Still, I feel like I had a great workout. Intensity wasn't as high today despite my attempts to get fired up. Decent pump in biceps but not as pronounced as prior back days.

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Sep 15 2004, 03:38 PM
Final Update

I used the last of my NO-Xplode today for back. I will post my impressions in detail later. For now, here are the last few days of lifting while supplementing with NO-X:


9-11-04 Chest
  • Flat bench press: 200x8, 195x7, 190x7
  • Incline Dbell press: 85x6, 80x7, 75x9
  • Decline bench press: 180x6, 175x6, 175x6
  • Incline Dbell flyes: 40x12, 40x10, 40x10
  • Abs: 5 sets
Today's workout was done around 9 pm after 4 hours of studying for the GREs. Mentally, I was shot, but I felt the need to go to the gym. Fortunately, it was the night after a football game, so most of the usual gym patrons were passed out drunk and I had no problem getting equipment. Two scoops of NO-Xplode plus a D&E Supercap (ephedra) made me feel like Superman. I was extremely happy and energetic; this was the first time I had used ephedra in several months as I had forgotten about my extra Supercap stash. I had a 2 rep increase in my first set of bench and a 5 pound increase on the last set. Other than that, strength was fairly constant. I had a huge pump going the entire time. On incline my first set I strained so hard I pulled something in my glutes. I guess I literally "strained my ass off."

9-13-04 Legs
  • Squats: 215x12, 235x6, 225x8, 195x20
  • Hammer leg press: 180x15, 250x15, 180x20
  • Leg Extension: 170x12, 170x8 drop 120x8 drop 80x8, 150x8 drop 100x8 drop 60x12
  • Hamstring curl: 190x12, 190x10 drop 120x12, 180x10 drop 120x12
  • Calves: 3 sets standing
215 for 20, 195 for 20 last set. I'm happy.

9-14-04 Arms
  • Skull Crushers: 110x10, 110x8, 110x6
    ~s.set close grip: 110x12, 110x10, 110x10
    ~s.set straight bar curl: 75x12, 75x9, 75x8
  • Weighted Dips: 60x9, 60x8, 50x7
    ~s.set Preacher Curl (Hammer): 70x13, 70x10, 60x12
  • Cable Tricep Pressdown: 130x12, 135x12
    ~s.set cable Hammer Curls: 45x12, 45x10, 40x10 drop 30x10
  • Abs: 3 sets
My arms were so pumped at the end of this workout that I was unable to put my arms behind my head to do crunches. Cable hammer curls are no joke. I am surprised that I am still generating such a noticeable pump 3 weeks into supplementation - every other product I have used that promises cell volumization seemed to die out after 2 weeks.

9-15-04 Back
  • Deadlifts: 225x12, 245x9, 255x6
  • Lat pulldown: 170x9, 160x10, 160x10 drop 110x8 drop 80x12
  • Bent over rows: 135x12, 155x12, 165x10
  • Hammer row: 180x12, 200x8
My back was murdered after deads and the final set of lat pulldowns. I also had to rush my workout so I could get my workout partner home in time for baseball. Definitely an intense workout; energy was high the entire time (and still is, motivating me to update my log!)

Look for an overall review sometime soon.

Posted by: swollmode Mar 23 2005, 12:33 PM
this is definatly a random question.. does consistant smoking of chronic/kush effect the effects of noxplode?

Posted by: GhostfaceKillah Mar 23 2005, 01:11 PM
QUOTE (swollmode @ Mar 23 2005, 12:33 PM)
this is definatly a random question.. does consistant smoking of chronic/kush effect the effects of noxplode?

No idea, although I would think that the lifestyle you mention would not lend itself to clean eating and consistent, intense workouts.

Posted by: swollmode Mar 23 2005, 03:45 PM
what type of effects does noxplode have on cardio work such as running?

Posted by: 0311 Mar 23 2005, 05:51 PM
QUOTE (swollmode @ Mar 23 2005, 03:45 PM)
what type of effects does noxplode have on cardio work such as running?

I'm sure it wouldn't be good considering it has caffeine in it.

Posted by: mikeg313 Mar 24 2005, 11:03 PM
i experienced relativly the exact same effects from my NOxplode cylce a couple months back... i think its great as a pre workout drink and really gives you that feeling you can push harder and stay focused , and i was able to go extra pounds on pretty much everything i did.. my chest workouts where amazing but by the time i made it to the end i was so pumped i couldnt reach my face with a water bottle or really get any more sets in that i mentally thought i could handle. ill use this product again as a motivational supplement but as far as getting size gains that stick around that still has to be done the hard way.

Posted by: Rascal Apr 2 2005, 07:03 PM
QUOTE (mikeg313 @ Mar 24 2005, 11:03 PM)
i experienced relativly the exact same effects from my NOxplode cylce a couple months back... i think its great as a pre workout drink and really gives you that feeling you can push harder and stay focused , and i was able to go extra pounds on pretty much everything i did.. my chest workouts where amazing but by the time i made it to the end i was so pumped i couldnt reach my face with a water bottle or really get any more sets in that i mentally thought i could handle. ill use this product again as a motivational supplement but as far as getting size gains that stick around that still has to be done the hard way.

I agree No-Explode is great pre workout but a total waste of money after workout or on non workout days infact you actually build a tolerance to it faster by taking it days you dont have to and a waste.
I take no explode here and there 3 scoops. first bottle I had worked well but I got used to it and it stopped working but after not taking it for awhile it works again.
I workout before work so wouldnt take it if I worked out at night because wouldnt get any sleep.
Its not a bad product but overated and IMO Total waste of money to take it for anything but pre workout. I take it now like once a week pre workout just for the extra energy and better pump on shoulder,leg day.

Posted by: Steve2323 May 14 2006, 05:16 PM
I had taken 2 bottles of BSN no-xplode for a couple months, around 3 months ago, with excellent results, Bench increased significantly. i stopped taking the product for a month, the first day i got back on it i took my usual 3 scoops before my workout, i had a intense workout lifting much heavier then usual, i went to down for my post workout shake and walked home as usual.. 4 hours later i experienced elavted heartrate that turned into intense palpitation that last 2 hours.. the people i was with made me go to the hospital because i was having trouble breathing, and my heart was pounding through my chest.. by the time i saw the doctor it was 5 hours later (waiting in the hospital) and the pouding had subsided i had tests done proving my heart was fine.. which made me realise it was the no-xplode that caused the intense palpitations.. i had taken 3 scoops nefore a workout before for 2 months straight, i think that the no-xplode has different dosages with each bottle you get therefore making your tolerance different..

id love to know what people think of this and if anyone has had a simlar experience??

I am 6'5 200 pounds desperately wanting to put on muscle.. i have a high knowledge of weight lifting and nutrition, but am looking for a supplement to give me the high energy xplode used to give me, any suggestions?!?

Posted by: Pxboarder Jun 12 2006, 02:53 PM
well it sounds like the no-xplode still worked for you as you say you had a good workout but then it got to be to much....so why dont you try 2 scoops not 3 and work out and the bottle will last longer too. im sure your tollerance just droped alot.