I read that article. The reality with supps is that they’re supplemental and, therefore, optional. The FDA doesn’t have time to test everything as if it was a pharmaceutical product so we’re left to rely on the sellers to be honest. We could be getting flavored flour and it could be coming from a highly reputable seller or some no name brand found on the clearance rack at Wal Mart.
I try to stick with brands that have survived the test of time. I’m a little thrown off by the Optimum Nutrition thing. Last time I mentioned it at Supplement Giant they informed me they were switching over to volume sales and putting their stuff in Wal Mart type stores. Typically the quality of products decreases (at least that’s what we’re told) when it starts getting sold at Wal Mart.
Supplement Giant has about the cheapest prices I’ve ever seen so if you’re ever in town then stop by and check them out. A long time ago I worked at a sport specific gym and we started selling Optimum Nutrition protein to our customers. Our cost was like $32 but we were selling it for like $70. I could go to Supplement Giant and get it for $36. They claim they barely mark up their products and that was proof to me.
The two vegan protein powders they have are pretty high in price compared to some of the whey stuff. I’ll be trying that True Nutrition stuff once my stockpile runs out. I have about 1.5 tubs of whey and 1 or 2+ tubs of casein remaining. We also have like five 2 lb tubs of vegan protein powder.
Really? I love that stuff. Almost every flavour has been pretty good. The cappuccino one was amazing, but they don’t seem to do it in the bigger packs at the minute.
I haven’t drank milk in over a year, but I also mix very heavy on protein and quite light on water. I often consume it as more of a paste or icing rather than a drink.
Yeah I started mixing it with more water and by default made me get my water in. Trainer had me doing 6 shakes a day, and if I mixed each with 24 oz of water I’d get over a gallon down
I have found that with just liquid and powder, milk is king. However, if you have your shakes like I do - 2 scoops protein, half a banana, a spoonful of natural PB (plus oatmeal after leg days), milk makes the shake too thick, and water plus 6-8 ice cubes makes it cool, smooth, and refreshing.
I’ve been wondering for a while, but not sure if I’d get a completely honest answer from a T-Nation representative - is Biotest’s protein powder really that much better than others from like Walmart or GNC or something? I’m sure there’s obviously some crap products out there but I can get it for so much cheaper there compared to Biotest.
You all seem to have found some product you’re fine with. Think it doesn’t really matter too much? (Typing that gives me an obvious answer, ha.)
I treat my supplements like anything else. I do a little research and find something that’s both affordable and reliable. I don’t buy the cheapest option but I don’t spend extra for the name brand either.
Woke at 214.0 lbs. My mom brought my annual bag of peanut m&ms last night. I still get candy for Easter. I ate the whole bag. 11 servings at 140 cals per serving.
I didn’t get my leg session in yesterday so I’ll be doing that along with back this morning. I’m doing my shorter leg workout (3x8 on squat, deads, and RDLs). I think I’m going to do SGSS for all of my leg training except for some extra quad work and Tabata finishers.
Now, for the important part of today. It’s Easter. This represents the day my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, defeated death. He lived a perfect life for 33 years. In the Old Testament people had to sacrifice innocent animals to pay for their sins. Jesus took his perfect life and gave it up for us. His death on the cross was the final sacrifice for mankind.
Romans 10:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This is all it takes to secure your future. You don’t work your way into Heaven. It’s a free gift. You just have to accept it through faith.
I invite anyone who reads this to visit my church online if you don’t have a church you call home. It’s also a great way to hear a message while you’re on the road (all services are streamed live and added to the archive).
And here’s the promotional video of the next series.
PULL UPS (1 sec hold at top)
BW x 8, 7, 6, 5, 5, 5
SQUAT (band around knees)
45 x 10 x 2 sets (no band)
155 x 10 x 3 sets Feels alright while I lift but I have a little achiness after the set. Definitely not going to push this lift.
DEADLIFT
225 x 5 x 3 sets
HANG POWER CLEAN
135 x 3
180 x 3 x 3 sets
RDLs
135 x 8 x 2 sets Still sore from Wednesday so this was meant to just loosen things up.
PENDLAY ROWS (how did I forget these!?)
135 x 10 x 4 sets
SEATED CABLE ROW
140 x 10 x 3 sets
J ROPE PULL
130 x 10
140 x 10
WENDLER SHRUG
200 x 15 + 20 sec stretch x 3 sets
Next three exercises done as a circuit.
REV CABLE FLY
20 x 30
30 x 15 x 2 sets
SA CABLE CURL
30 x 15 rev curl + 10 regular
30 x 20, 15
LEG PRES CALVES 1.5 REPS
150 x 12 x 3 sets
LEFT LEG ONLY LEG EXTENSION
40 x 30-15-8 double rest pause Ouch! But this felt much stronger than last week and I had no knee pain.
My back has been sore or achy pretty much all week. I’ve been hammering it. I actually backed off a bit by dropping some sets from rows and J Rope Pulls. It might need a bit of a break. It will definitely be getting some extra food today. This is the first time in years that I’m able to go to my in-law’s Easter gathering and I’m looking forward to it.
Woke at 215.0 lbs and felt like it. My gut was full of junk from Saturday night and yesterday. I had five pieces of dessert after lunch - strawberry pie, a coconut creme cake thing, an unknown vegan cake that looked similar to pumpkin bread, and a chocolate creme thing that tasted amazing so I had two pieces.
I was stuffed to the gills and pretty useless the rest of the day.
I have v my dreaded in-service training today and tomorrow. It should be fun training but I don’t look forward to it. We’re doing active shooter and building search training with simunitions. That means we use real guns that shoot plastic slugs full of a colored soap. It hurts when you get hit and will cut the skin.
This type of stuff usually involves a lot of adrenaline surges and it wears me out. Two days of it is a lot.
Re: vegan protein or, as I call it, vegan-tein; like someone mentioned earlier, the Orgain brand tastes good to me, especially the chocolate flavored one. If memory serves, it’s non-GMO and provides all the essential amino acids. Like @Frank_C, I like to reduce my animal product intake, partly for health reasons but largely for ethical concerns.
Re: your good therapist and stencrh imbalance discoveries - thank God, it looks like you’re finally getting some answers!! It’s good to see you doing barbell exercises again! Just be even more patient than you think, and hopefully the worst is behind you.
Re: Jesus is God’s perfect sacrifice, the Passover lamb without blemish who was slain. He did what we should - wholeheartedly obey God - but can’t, because of our fallen nature. Thank you for posting J, it’s encouraging and strengthening to see fellow believers’ faith!
OHP
45 x 10
65 x 8
85 x 6
100 x 8, 8, 7, 6, 5 Apparently this is too heavy. I’ll be dropping back to 80 or 85 next session.
LOW INCLINE DB PRESS
60 x 8 x 5 sets
INCLINE BENCH 1.5 REPS
105 x 8, 7, 5, 5
SEATED DB OHP (no back rest)
35 x 10
35 x 6F/6B
25 x 10F/8B
6 WAY DB RAISE
10 x 5
7.5 x 5
5 x 10 (after cable raises) I struggled with these today. My right shoulder felt like it was going to sublux when my arms were parallel to the ground in front of me.
LAT CABLE RAISE (drop sets)
20 x 8 + 10 x 15
20 x 10 + 10 x 15
OH ROPE EXT (350 SET)
90 x 23, 14, 11
SL LEG EXTENSION (350 SET L LEG ONLY)
50 x 30, 15, 12
I love sim training! We had a whole empty mock town for the drills, and I spotted one instructor across the road who was lighting us up but difficult to see because he was firing out of a hole in the wall. So I sprinted across the street and stuck my M4 in the window a few feet down from the hole, sideways, not aiming at all, and squeezed off rounds as fast as I could, and heard a yell and a gagging sound. Hit my instructor right in the throat from like 5 feet away with a sim round. He was pissed, and after the drill chewed me out for my uncontrolled firing of my weapon. My platoon sgt waited til he walked away and gave me a fist bump.
That’s funny. The love what you do and never work a day stuff is bullshit. I’m all for loving what you do - but to be good at it, you have to work (hard) and a lot of that work is going to suck. I don’t care what level you’re at or how much money you make - there are parts that suck. I’m in a conference room from 8-8 today doing math and deciding who gets hired and fired - and how we find new clients and blah blah (have a painting in my office that says blah blah blah - to remind folks to not take things so seriously!)
I actually don’t mind it - and I probably make about $300/hr doing it - but a bunch of it sucks - and I could get fired, fined, or even criminally charged if I do it badly.
Explore options. A tenured law enforcement guy is attractive in all sorts of roles.