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[Omegasquash]

Loading is pretty much BS. Creatine isn't something noticed it's first week, either. Takes saturation so 4-6 weeks is par for the course - loading will just lead to you pissing (literally) money away.

Also, Creatine doesn't work for everyone which is why it's generally not recommended for beginners since you won't know if the Creatine is working or its just noob gains. You'll be throwing money away if you are a non-responder as it will be hard to tell early on.

I waited about 6 months until I was deep in a groove with diet and program so I can monitor better.

Thanks (honestly) for your input. It actually makes me consider stopping it for awhile to see if there's noticeable reduction.

Chest day, complete. Bench, dips, chins (lol). Did a few sets of DB flyes but my rotator cuff told me to fuck off. Finished with a bunch of tricep pushdowns and one arm cable rows.

All told, not bad. I hit a good number on my last set for bench which, upon calculation, put my working max at 10 lbs higher than my tested max from a few weeks back. It's starting to make sense how this plan works.

 

[ShadowgeistX]

Placebo effect or not, the best thing about creatine is that it's dirt cheap when compared to almost every other supplement out there. There's way worse things you can burn money on, though ideally I guess you don't want to be wasting money on anything lol.

 

[Granadier]

It really is. I bought a kg from bulk supplements for ~$18.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with a kilo of fine white powder...

 

[Jacksinthe]

Placebo effect or not, the best thing about creatine is that it's dirt cheap when compared to almost every other supplement out there. There's way worse things you can burn money on, though ideally I guess you don't want to be wasting money on anything lol.

It really is. I bought a kg from bulk supplements for ~$18.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with a kilo of fine white powder...

This, too.

And BulkSupplements is the best deal there is, IMO. I buy their Creatine, Citrulline Malate and Beta Alanine.

 

[Omegasquash]

Amazon Prime has that hookup.

 

[mdsfx]

This, too.

And BulkSupplements is the best deal there is, IMO. I buy their Creatine, Citrulline Malate and Beta Alanine.

This.

Although I gave up citrulline bc you have to take so much of it. F*ck that lemon powder.

 

[Two Words]

I bought creatine in pill-form. It was about $25 for 75 days worth of 5g daily creatine. I'm guessing I'm spending more that way, but man. It sure is convenient to just pop a few pills instead of mixing and chugging.

 

[Psychotext]

This.

Although I gave up citrulline bc you have to take so much of it. F*ck that lemon powder.

 

[Granadier]

This, too.

And BulkSupplements is the best deal there is, IMO. I buy their Creatine, Citrulline Malate and Beta Alanine.

Based on LabDoor they are always at the top for purity and accuracy too.
Only downside is their shit packaging in my opinion.

I bought creatine in pill-form. It was about $25 for 75 days worth of 5g daily creatine. I'm guessing I'm spending more that way, but man. It sure is convenient to just pop a few pills instead of mixing and chugging.

It is super convenient to have the pill form. A lot more expensive though. $18 of powder will last 200 days. With this bulk supp stuff at least it mixes so well and has no flavor, so you can just drink a normal sized glass of water and be done.

All personal preference though.

 

[Faiz]

I had two people politely "arguing" over fats vs sugar in the break room today. I was trying to stay out of it and mind my own business at the microwave. Then I was asked directly...

They weren't prepared to learn how many whole eggs, cooked in butter or coconut oil, with cheese I eat in a week. Nor the peanut butter. I'm not sure they actually believed me.

 

[Two Words]

Based on LabDoor they are always at the top for purity and accuracy too.
Only downside is their shit packaging in my opinion.



It is super convenient to have the pill form. A lot more expensive though. $18 of powder will last 200 days. With this bulk supp stuff at least it mixes so well and has no flavor, so you can just drink a normal sized glass of water and be done.

All personal preference though.

I think next time I'll try to just get a flavorless one. The first tub of creatine I bought was fruit punch flavor, but it tasted like shitty kool-aid.

 

[Granadier]

I had two people politely "arguing" over fats vs sugar in the break room today. I was trying to stay out of it and mind my own business at the microwave. Then I was asked directly...

They weren't prepared to learn how many whole eggs, cooked in butter or coconut oil, with cheese I eat in a week. Nor the peanut butter. I'm not sure they actually believed me.

Ha.
"Yeah, I had about 2100 calories for breakfast. Should get me by until lunch."

I think next time I'll try to just get a flavorless one. The first tub of creatine I bought was fruit punch flavor, but it tasted like shitty kool-aid.

My friend did the same with his first creatine tub. The only reason I went flavorless was because of his recommendation. Glad I took the advice now.

 

[Jacksinthe]

Based on LabDoor they are always at the top for purity and accuracy too.
Only downside is their shit packaging in my opinion.

Yup! Impossible to zip back up when powder gets in the zip groove. I bought some cheap plastic containers with a rubber seal I keep them in. It has a squeeze top thingy that loosens/tightens the rubber seal. Not bad. Stackable, too.

I had two people politely "arguing" over fats vs sugar in the break room today. I was trying to stay out of it and mind my own business at the microwave. Then I was asked directly...

They weren't prepared to learn how many whole eggs, cooked in butter or coconut oil, with cheese I eat in a week. Nor the peanut butter. I'm not sure they actually believed me.

Dude, Amen!

 

[Granadier]

Yup! Impossible to zip back up when powder gets in the zip groove. I bought some cheap plastic containers with a rubber seal I keep them in. It has a squeeze top thingy that loosens/tightens the rubber seal. Not bad. Stackable, too.

Which containers did you pick up? I had an unexpectedly tough time finding decent ones that would hold all the powder.

 

[SeanR1221]

Started waking up this week to veins fucking everywhere, especially on my legs now (mostly calves and upper quads near my waist). Yasssss!

I'm not stopping until my veins have veins!

Nice man. Being that vascular is pretty bad ass

 

[Jacksinthe]

Which containers did you pick up? I had an unexpectedly tough time finding decent ones that would hold all the powder.

I forget the brand but I got them at Target. They are smoked plastic cubes with a squeeze thingy in top. They hold 1 kilo no problem.

 

[sphinx]

I had two people politely "arguing" over fats vs sugar in the break room today. I was trying to stay out of it and mind my own business at the microwave. Then I was asked directly...

They weren't prepared to learn how many whole eggs, cooked in butter or coconut oil, with cheese I eat in a week. Nor the peanut butter. I'm not sure they actually believed me.

ah yes, I remember when I had a roommate, we'd eat dinner together, he was a bit taller and way bulkier than me and he'd often stare at my plate and say. "If I'd eat like you like, i'd be a whale lol",

it was basically eggs though, not sure what was so surprising about it. Some people are terrified of more than 2 eggs in a pan

 

[Granadier]

I forget the brand but I got them at Target. They are smoked plastic cubes with a squeeze thingy in top. They hold 1 kilo no problem.

Awesome, I'll have to go searching for them.

 

[Fox318]

Cocoa covered almonds are great but I need to portion them a little better.

 

[Faiz]

ah yes, I remember when I had a roommate, we'd eat dinner together, he was a bit taller and way bulkier than me and he'd often stare at my plate and say. "If I'd eat like you like, i'd be a whale lol",

it was basically eggs though, not sure what was so surprising about it. Some people are terrified of more than 2 eggs in a pan

It's this strange ongoing fear of dietary fats. Dietitians and mid-80s food "science" did a number on us.

 

[Jacksinthe]

It's this strange ongoing fear of dietary fats. Dietitians and mid-80s food "science" did a number on us.

Yup. Fats are important and play an important role for me in controlling my vitamin D levels. Since I am deficient in D and they are fat soluble - i consider fats a staple of my diet.

 

[ShadowgeistX]

This, too.

And BulkSupplements is the best deal there is, IMO. I buy their Creatine, Citrulline Malate and Beta Alanine.

I wish we had a decent Canadian equivalent. I'd stock up on sucralose and stevia for easier cuts. As much as I'd like to order from BulkSupplements our exchange rate makes me sad.

 

[JoeNut]

Screw any supplement with a flavouring, they all taste like shit. Creatine and beta alanine are great cos they're flavourless and cheap.

 

[Granadier]

I wish we had a decent Canadian equivalent. I'd stock up on sucralose and stevia for easier cuts. As much as I'd like to order from BulkSupplements our exchange rate makes me sad.

MyProtein is another option that has very pure and accurate supplements. Not much on Amazon though.

 

[ILoveBish]

Creatine bloat phase is over. Can see my abs again under the right light. We're having a cheat weekend due to the long weekend, starting Saturday night till Monday night. After that, strict till the wedding for her and I'll try to get back to my fasting as well.

Lifts feel good but past 2 days only 5 or so hours of sleep. Really affecting my recovery.

 

[ShadowgeistX]

MyProtein is another option that has very pure and accurate supplements. Not much on Amazon though.

I checked out MyProtein, it's not bad. Still, BulkSupplements has a staggering amount of stuff compared to almost every other site. Even has pure sucralose/stevia/other artificial sweeteners.

Seeing all of that reminded me to have another attempt at some sort of protein cheesecake, so that's what I did tonight.

 

[y2dvd]

The prior night, I got around 5 1/2 hrs of sleep. I woke up at 6am, got home around 6:30pm and crashed. Woke up from the "nap" at 10pm and plan to wake up at 6am again. Can I still work out or will it energize me too much to sleep again at a proper time?

 

[MrToughPants]

I'm used to swelling on my collar bone from front squats but this time it's sticking out over an inch and is a solid ball.

Did 315/325/335x2

 

[Faiz]

Yup. Fats are important and play an important role for me in controlling my vitamin D levels. Since I am deficient in D and they are fat soluble - i consider fats a staple of my diet.

*high five*

Last time I was struggling to find full fat Greek yogurt ... Oh the disbelief I got from store workers when I inquired

My mom is vitamin D deficient and I really believe a lot of that came from her years of insistence on drinking skim milk.

Edit: it might be more accurate to say she WAS deficient. I don't know if her uptake was permanently affected - haven't talked to her about it in a while.

 

[Jacksinthe]

*high five*

Last time I was struggling to find full fat Greek yogurt ... Oh the disbelief I got from store workers when I inquired

My mom is vitamin D deficient and I really believe a lot of that came from her years of insistence on drinking skim milk.

Edit: it might be more accurate to say she WAS deficient. I don't know if her uptake was permanently affected - haven't talked to her about it in a while.

Full fat Greek yogurt is the GOAT.

I cut the need for D supplementation down by half when I got my fats in check. I still take 14k IU each week but I down all of them once per week since they are fat soluble. My thyroid endo (I see 2 different endos for diabetes/Hashimotos) was impressed. She's a huge proponent of proper fats and a fitness buff, too, so we always yap about our progress. I'm lucky to have 2 different docs on board with my goals. They make it so much easier to discuss and plan ahead for my goals.

Has your mom been taking D supps?

 

[Psychotext]

I do these days. Shitty British weather.

2,000 IU a day.

 

[Dead Prince]

oh god. Overwatch has consumed me after work. i think i went to the gym once this week #RIP

 

[Faiz]

Full fat Greek yogurt is the GOAT.

I cut the need for D supplementation down by half when I got my fats in check. I still take 14k IU each week but I down all of them once per week since they are fat soluble. My thyroid endo (I see 2 different endos for diabetes/Hashimotos) was impressed. She's a huge proponent of proper fats and a fitness buff, too, so we always yap about our progress. I'm lucky to have 2 different docs on board with my goals. They make it so much easier to discuss and plan ahead for my goals.

Has your mom been taking D supps?

She was on a very high dose supplement a few years ago. No idea what she is on now.

 

[JoeNut]

oh god. Overwatch has consumed me after work. i think i went to the gym once this week #RIP

That good? i am tempted

 

[Dead Prince]

That good? i am tempted

ha. i was addicted on TF2 when i didn't have a job. put in a good 500+ hours then.

have the same feel with this game so far. hopefully i can play, gym, and work at the same time lol

 

[Faiz]

She was on a very high dose supplement a few years ago. No idea what she is on now.

Checked in with her - she was on 50k IU in the beginning, she's down to 2k IU D3 now.

 

[Shy Fingers]

oh god. Overwatch has consumed me after work. i think i went to the gym once this week #RIP

I feel ya there. Whole time I'm at the gym this week has been waiting to get back to that game.

Like you said, I was huge into TF2 back in the day, and it is great to have that feeling back in a game.

 

[Teggy]

#carbday is trending on Twitter. I was sad to learn it is some dumb Indy 500 thing and not an excuse to cheat on my diet.

 

[BumRush]

I'm used to swelling on my collar bone from front squats but this time it's sticking out over an inch and is a solid ball.

Did 315/325/335x2

No mice allowed up there!

(Too many traps)

 

[Psychotext]

#carbday is trending on Twitter. I was sad to learn it is some dumb Indy 500 thing and not an excuse to cheat on my diet.

Was can make it that instead if you like.

#carbday

 

[Jacksinthe]

Checked in with her - she was on 50k IU in the beginning, she's down to 2k IU D3 now.

Oh dude that's great! Massive difference!

 

[Two Words]

Deadlift question. Is it better to put the weight down to the ground on each rep or bring it to the point that it is nearly touching the ground?

 

[Psychotext]

Deadlift question. Is it better to put the weight down to the ground on each rep or bring it to the point that it is nearly touching the ground?

It's a "dead"lift. The weight is supposed to be on the floor when you do the second rep.

 

[Two Words]

Heh, I guess I never made that association with the name.

 

[Faiz]

If anyone is using th Wendler Log app on iOS I discovered a bug, and thankfully also a work around. If you don't you can safely ignore the rest of the post! Haha

I realized that it wasn't rounding properly when cycles changed and where I was expecting a 5 lb increase on a lift, it didn't go up at all.

I turned off the rounding and sure enough, instead of rounding up it had rounded down. Instead of 164.2 rounding up to 165' it went down to 160. I looked in the plate calculator - it had ignored my 5 lb plates, even though it was using them in the set right before. For some reason it thought all I could do was a 45, a 10, and a 2.5 on each side.

So I played around with the available plates settings and found that if you set the 2.5 lb plates to maximum (20), the plate calculator started using my 5lb plates correctly again, making the lift properly round to 165.

So yah, if you use the app, specifically the weight rounding to available plates, may want to check that.

 

[Two Words]

My form still hasn't improved on my squats. I still lean forward a lot. I've been trying to stretch a lot, but I'm not really feeling a difference. If it isn't a flexibility issue, what should I try next? Squatting is really the only exercise that I do where I feel that I cannot get the form right.


As far as depth goes, I can go ATG with the weights I'm working on, but I still bend forward a lot.

 

[Psychotext]

Next step would be recording it and posting here.

 

[Jacksinthe]

What Psycho said.

Also, you might want to try a goblet squat. Holding the weight in front of you can help with extension through your thoracic. If you lean forward too far, you will fall on your face.

Edit: Shit.. top of page.

ALL OF YOU ARE AMAZING - THUMBS UP - GOOD WORK - KEEP GOING - OGOGOG

 

[Two Words]

Next step would be recording it and posting here.

I did that. People said I bend forward too much. I dropped the weights down a bit and I can go ATG with it at that weight. My legs feel worked still. Like, I can barely walk up stairs atm. But I cannot help myself from folding forward so much. It isn't giving me any pai , but I can only expect this could be a real issue if I tried to squat heavy and my back is put under bad stress with this improper form. I guess when I feel like I try to stop myself bending forward, I feel unbalanced.

 

[Two Words]

What Psycho said.

Also, you might want to try a goblet squat. Holding the weight in front of you can help with extension through your thoracic. If you lean forward too far, you will fall on your face.

Edit: Shit.. top of page.

ALL OF YOU ARE AMAZING - THUMBS UP - GOOD WORK - KEEP GOING - OGOGOG

I'll look into that. I don't mind slow progress as long as progress is happening. Do you think if I keep at it, whatever supporting muscles that are too weak to keep form will get stronger as I keep it going? The same thing happened to me when I started bench pressing. I could barely get any depth on it, my legs kept kicking, my back would arch a lot, etc. I just kept doing light weight bench presses until my form started getting better.