Showing posts with label bodyfat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bodyfat. Show all posts

October 4, 2010

Review of Performance Enhancing Supplements' Alpha-T2

I've been using Alpha-T2 for nine weeks now. I've gone through two bottles and are currently on my third, and it's time to give a review on my experience . . . I want to thank Josh for giving me this opportunity and for supporting me in my US debut competition preparation (and yes, you got a mention in my Bio that they read at Finals)


What is it?



* Targets fat loss
* Increases fat burning and decrease fat storage
* Increases metabolism
* Optimizes thyroid activity
* No jitters or unwanted side effects

For the product write-up, please review Performance Enhancing Supplements: Alpha-T2.


Body Composition: 7/10. Pre-Alpha-T2 I was 118.2lb at 12.1% bodyfat. Post-Alpha-T2 I am 107lb at 8% bodyfat. So a loss of 11.2lb and 4.1% bodyfat. My rate of loss was just 5.7lb of fat and 5.4lb of lean body mass - most of that lean mass being food and water in the last week pre-competition when I actually DID diet strictly. However, there was a small amount of muscle loss - from my arms, which I am NOT happy about, given how hard I worked to gain that only a few months ago . . . Re girths, I lost two inches from my waist, hips and thighs, taking me back to my usual size re waist and about an inch bigger than usual everywhere else (and this will be back to normal in 1-2 weeks as well!), and 1-2 inches from all other areas of my body.

Fat Loss: 8/10. I lost 4.1% bodyfat, which averages out at a loss of ~0.5% bodyfat per week - this is the safe and recommended rate of fat loss, and considering the fact that I only dieted during the ninth week, is actually quite impressive. For more, see comments under "Body Composition" above.

Metabolism: N/A. Considering my caloric intake and activity level, I generally have a reasonable - most people say fast - metabolism. It did not change a lot using Alpha-T2, but since this is only a feeling and not fact, I cannot give a specific answer for sure. Let me tell you though, that my high calories did not seem to have much impact at all on my fat loss (i.e. I was able to effectively and successfully lose fat even at ~4,300 calories daily - except for the week-pre-competition).

Thyroid: N/A. Although I would have liked to see the changes in my Thyroid Hormone levels from pre to post-Alpha-T2, I did not have bloods done.

Stimulant Effects: 10/10. No unwanted "stimulant" effects such as jitters, crash, etc. were experienced, even though Alpha-T2 helped a little with the energy and focus, etc. of a stimulant.

Other Effects: 8/10. I was constantly thirsty and feeling like I was living inside a furnace for the majority of the time that I was on Alpha-T2.

Overall: 8/10. For the first seven weeks of my usage of Alpha-T2 I stacked it with Shred Matrix and DermaTherm (it definitely stacks with anything!), so therefore my results cannot be solely attributed to the Alpha-T2 alone. However, Alpha-T2 definitely made a difference to my progress - everything plays a part in the whole. To be honest, the change in diet over the last week (the only week that my calories did not average out at ~4,300 calories daily) did not make too much of a difference in the effectiveness of Alpha-T2 - it worked regardless of calorie/carbohydrate consumption. I was also very happy that Alpha-T2 worked WITH my body and not against it, like all the other thyroid boosting fat burners I have tried in the past. For a brand new company, Performance Enhancing Supplements have produced a winner that is going to be a staple in my future fat loss stacks!

Would I use again? Yes. I was originally going to use only ONE bottle, and I am on my THIRD! I am also going to be stacking this in the future with Erase, to see how that goes.

Would I recommend? Yes. Not all thyroid boosting products work for everyone. I am one of the rare few for whom Mitotropin does NOT work - it actually has the OPPOSITE effects with me than intended. Therefore, for those who want to use a "thyroid boosting fat burner", then I highly recommend using Alpha-T2. Alpha-T2 is like my IGF-2 (the only Growth Hormone booster that works with my body instead of against it), but for thyroid boosting fat burners.

October 1, 2010

Day 273: The Seventh and Final Circle of Hell has been Reached

Training

HIIT Cardio:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec effort/40 sec recovery
c. 4 min jogging

Stretch 7 min.

Gym - Shoulders/Arms/Abs (30 sec recovery between trisets):
Triset A -
1. BB Military Press 4 x 12-15
2. DB Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15
3. Bent Over DB Rear Raises 4 x 12
Triset B -
4. V-Bar Tricep Push-Downs 4 x 12
5. DB Concentration Curls 4 x 12 per side
6. Alternate DB Hammer Curls 4 x 12 per side
Triset C -
7. Rope Crunch 4 x 12-15
8. Reverse Curls (on bench) 4 x 12-15
9. Plank 4 x 1 min

Post-Weights Cardio - Stepper:
20 min @ 11 floors/min

Posing/T-Walk Practice 10 min.

Stretch 13 min.

PM Posing Practice 10 min.

Comments

Mood/Aggression: Towards competition, it has been positive. Towards circumstances, up and down.

Energy: I've now been on less than 25g of carbohydrates and far lower calories than I use even to cut for SIX days now, and I have yet to collapse or fall over, and I'm still going after barely any sleep this morning!

Mental Focus and Clarity: I am anal about detail.

Stress: Some stress is GOOD.

Endurance: Awesome.

Pump: This session is what I need to get the pump I want pre-competition - that and some chocolate prior to pumping up.

Vascularity: Came out great through delts and arms - just the way I want it to tomorrow.

Quality of Training: HIIT was good, although I covered less distance with each successive effort . . . Resistance training was nearly an hour, but didn't feel like it; time went fast . . . Was a bit wobbly and off-balance and lightheaded during Posing Practice . . .

Recovery: Considering this week, I'd say this is SOLID.

Body Composition and Look: Midsection continuing to look better and flatten up day-by-day. Delts and arms looking the best they ever have. Looking tight and hard in the morning - just want to be leaner, tighter and harder, with more definition and vascularity tomorrow! On target for 8% bodyfat.

Other Effects: Have been having a few heart palpitations, which is unusual for me - just put it down to the intense training and extreme diet.

Other Notes: Late last night I applied Bikini Bite for the first time, just to see if it would actually hold my posing suit bottom in place. It did. And it gave me some small peace of mind, knowing that my posing suit is actually NOT too small, but that I just wasn't wearing it with everything I should have been . . . My polygraph test was early this afternoon. Went well . . . Doing my final tanning before the last Dreamtan coat tomorrow . . . The support I have been getting over the last week or so has been truly amazing, and blown me away, to be honest. I am not used to having support behind me with my sport or competition endeavours and goals, and I am humbled and blessed to have so many great people who believe in me, and encourage and motivate me to be all that I can be and MORE. I am told I have a very good chance at winning the Overall Figure title - which I want - and I am going to go out there tomorrow and show a completely different side of this former tomboy . . .

September 25, 2010

Day 267: The Third Circle of Hell is a Shock

Training

Gym - "Pump" (1 min recovery between rounds):
2 rounds -
1. Clean and Press x 10
2. Lateral Raises x 10
3. Bent Over Rear Raises x 10
4. Push-Ups (feet and hands on floor) x 10
5. Bent Over Rows x 10
6. Bicep Curls x 10
7. Zottoman Curls x 10
8. Alternate Hammer Curls x 10 per side

Posing Practice 10 min.

Comments

Sleep - Time and Quality: Done.

Mood/Aggression: Started out positive and ok . . . Until I tried on my posing suit. Damnit, I am too fat, and the bottom doesn't fit - I need to lose another 1-2 (ideally ~2) inches from my hips (more notes under "Body Composition and Look")!

Energy: I am here, there, and everywhere, moving around like a whirlwind, wanting to just keep on going - yeah, I have energy.

Mental Focus and Clarity: Study some today.

Metabolism: Great.

Stress: After this morning, my stress has SKYROCKETED!

Pump: Not as good as it has been - needs to get a lot better this time NEXT week.

Vascularity: Have to work more on getting it to come out - nutrition is the key, because it didn't happen today.

Quality of Training: Wasn't really training today - just trying to figure something out for my "pump up" next Saturday.

Recovery: Good.

Body Composition and Look: 110.4 pounds at 9.1% bodyfat. I only lost 0.4% bodyfat this week - WITH perfect nutrition, hard and intense and high volume training, and sleep every night! Seriously; that just guts me! All that effort and discipline and for what?! I have to lose 1.1% bodyfat by next Saturday! . . . I look ok in clothes, back down to my usual size 0, but the posing suit bottoms are too small and I still have a tyre that gets cut into by my posing suit . . . FCUK! . . .

Other Notes: Only a couple more things left to do and get for next Saturday - doing tonight/tomorrow . . . After the revelations today, I've decided since there are six weeks after this competition until Worlds, every other week until Worlds is going to run as a week-pre-competition week, with nutrition and training kept strict on the other weeks . . . Tomorrow starts my week-pre-competition. I am going to have to add in some pm cardio a few days, and make resistance sessions even TOUGHER. SOMEthing has to happen to get me to competition shape! . . . Going to try and relax the rest of today. I need to work on more study assessments. Also get to travel a little and meet someone that's been a long time in coming . . .

September 19, 2010

Day 261: Seven Weeks of Alpha-T2 Down

Training

None - Day OFF.

Posing Practice 10 min.

Comments

Stimulant Effects: Still nothing - Alpha-T2 is mild when it comes to this.

Metabolism: Working great - the 2-4 apples a day I've been having seems to be helping as well.

Body Composition and Look: 9.5% bodyfat, so only a loss of 0.1% bodyfat this week - seems to be making a pattern of 0.1% a day loss for two weeks and then a 0.1% loss for a week, and so on (???) I LOOK a lot leaner than last week though, despite the minimal loss, which is something. Definition in midsection and legs is really starting to become more noticeable, and I can see four 'bricks' without effort. Arms are also leaning up. So 1-2 weeks to 8% bodyfat. I don't know if I will get to 7% bodyfat for THIS competition, but I will TRY - and if I don't, well, I'll get as close as I can to it for Worlds definitely!

Other Effects: Thirst has not been as paramount as it was, albeit for the first few days this week I was consuming ~2 galleons of water - has subsided back to a galleon over the last few days . . . Body not feeling as hot as it was . . .

Other Notes: Last day of DermaTherm today. I'm also stopping use of all other topicals until after this competition . . . Tomorrow starts my pre-competition week practice run-through week . . .

September 5, 2010

Day 248: No More 'Getting Away With It'

Training

Day OFF.

Posing Practice 10 min.

Comments

Stimulant Effects: Alpha-T2 does not feel like a stimulant.

Metabolism: The high calorie/carbohydrate meals continued over the last week, and my body dealt with them reasonably ok.

Body Composition and Look: 10.1% bodyfat. So, instead of the 0.1% bodyfat loss per day of the last couple of weeks, it was 0.1% bodyfat loss over the entire WEEK! SHOCKING. And completely UNacceptable. Christine is right - there is no time left for doing anything BUT what I HAVE to do!

Other Effects: Haven't been as hot as I was, but still thirsty all the time.

Other Notes: From now on, there will be no more 'getting away with it because I usually can'; it's 'all or nothing' now - so it's going to be straight up RIGID DIET AND EVEN HARDER TRAINING!