Diesel Test, Green Bulge, White Blood

[andrew_k]

I'm not a member of the bb.com forums but do occasionally browse there. As a result of what I read I thought I would try a range of supplements for 8 weeks, starting today. These are:

Diesel Test

Controlled Labs Green Bulge

Controlled Labs White Blood

The above are all links which will take you to the product information pages. In brief, Diesel Test is a testosterone boosting formula, Green Bulge is a creatine product, White Blood an NO2 supp.

There is an official Controlled Labs review summary thread on bb.com here.

I was originally intending on stacking the Diesel Test with Diesel Trib Test but I have one container of Isatori Isatest left over from last year so will stack it initially with this.

During December I looked into the possibility of distributing Controlled Labs products in New Zealand. However after checking things out with Customs and the NZFSA I got in touch with a few retailers and gyms. It appears the NZ market has changed over the last 2 years, with the only real consistent seller being protein powder. The general consensus was the serious and regular supplement users buy online at US websites. There would have been a 7% duty imposed on the supplements when they landed, shipping and insurance costs, markup (retailers and distributors) plus 12.5% GST, hence we couldn't have competed. I decided to not pursue this any further.

Anyway, I was left with the Controlled Labs samples I had purchased to take into Customs so thought I may as well use them(!). The Diesel products I purchased from Nutra Planet, which is at least as cheap as bb.com but with none of the hassle.

Rather than create a daily log (which can get a bit long winded) I thought I would just post any highlights/disappointments I experienced over the course of the 8 weeks.

[andrew_k]

Starting Point:

After a slightly stressful Christmas/New Year period and no training I weigh 96.9kg. Arms are down to 16 1/4", thighs 25 7/8". I have trained gently the past week to break myself in again, back into it all today.

[deegee]

I will be interested to see how you go here, I have used GB myself and found it to be a worthwhile supp.

[Pseudonym]

This promises to be a good review. I'll await developments with interest!

[2guns]

the links for those products sure talk it up alot just like the la muscle site for norateen heavyweight 2 which does shit all. will be interesting to hear bout how it goes

[andrew_k]

I took the first dose of all the supps (excluding the Isatest which I will add in late next week) today as per the directions. Worked quads at the gym. This being day one I didn't anticipate any change from usual however my quads definitely felt more pumped. This could just be some sort of placebo effect of course, will have to see what happens over the coming few weeks.

[2guns]

starting a new product like yrs or wateva it is for me is sometimes just a mental thing as much as its helping me phsically

[andrew_k]

the links for those products sure talk it up alot just like the la muscle site for norateen heavyweight 2 which does shit all. will be interesting to hear bout how it goes

I agree. I have wasted money in the past on supps that did absolutely nothing . However most of the the ingredients in these supplements are backed by double blind, placebo controlled, peer reviewed research published in reputable scientific/medical journals. As well the user reports from bb.com are generally pretty positive. Having blown dollars in the past I will only use supps these days that have both solid research and positive anecdotal evidence suggesting they actually do work for the majority of people.

[andrew_k]

I have a 6 day training cycle:

Day 1: Quads

Day 2: Chest/Delts/Triceps

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Back/Biceps

Day 5: Hamstrings/Calves/Abs

Day 6: Rest

I like this approach as it means if I feel I need an extra day off I can throw it in there. Anyway, today was day 5. Nothing out of the ordinary to report so far, though my weight was up a kilo compared to day 1. I would expect this to be water weight but will see what happens on the second time through the above training cycle. Most Diesel Test logs from bb.com reported the supp "kicked in" around day 5 to 10. If it is going to do anything for me I would expect to see or feel something over the next few days.

[deegee]

Good to see the update, I have found most of these type of supps take a week to kick in I have tried ergo's Amp which was immediate but nothing else.

[ama]

the links for those products sure talk it up alot just like the la muscle site for norateen heavyweight 2 which does shit all. will be interesting to hear bout how it goes

would have to strongly disagree with you there about norateen heavyweight.

Worked 4 me....put on some considerable mass and gained considerable strength while using it. Would recommend it actually.....

[deegee]

the links for those products sure talk it up alot just like the la muscle site for norateen heavyweight 2 which does shit all. will be interesting to hear bout how it goes

would have to strongly disagree with you there about norateen heavyweight.

Worked 4 me....put on some considerable mass and gained considerable strength while using it. Would recommend it actually.....

What kind of gains did you get, I never read any real logs on this stuff and always thought it looked pricey, I think I heard they were going to ban it in australia though if I remember there is nothing in it that would warrant such a move ( I did read that on a la muscle site so it could have been hype)

[2guns]

interesting coz all the ppl ive talked to about it said they thought it was crap (norateen)

[ama]

the links for those products sure talk it up alot just like the la muscle site for norateen heavyweight 2 which does shit all. will be interesting to hear bout how it goes

would have to strongly disagree with you there about norateen heavyweight.

Worked 4 me....put on some considerable mass and gained considerable strength while using it. Would recommend it actually.....

What kind of gains did you get, I never read any real logs on this stuff and always thought it looked pricey, I think I heard they were going to ban it in australia though if I remember there is nothing in it that would warrant such a move ( I did read that on a la muscle site so it could have been hype)

Strength gains mostly....

After about 2 weeks into it I found myself considerably stronger than usual. Wasn't really a gradual strength increase. Pretty much like bang...i could lift about 10 to 20 kgs heavier than 3 or 4 days before.

Take for example my leg day.... This is from my train log.....

18/12/05

Leg Extensions

1 x 30 @ 12kgs

3 x 15 @ 15kgs

Barbell Squats

1 x 10 @ 60kgs

9 x 10 @ 90kgs

Leg Press

2 x 50 @ 100kgs

and then fours or so days later

22/12/05

Leg Extensions

1 x 30 @ 12kgs

3 x 15 @ 15kgs

Barbell Squats

1 x 10 @ 60kgs

9 x 10 @ 110kgs

Leg Press

2 x 50 @ 120kgs

Quite a big jump in weight IMO.

[andrew_k]

Today is day 9. I have only just started my "full" training program. That is, I was doing less sets both total and to failure up to day 7. I would expect more results now that I have broken in fully. Yesterday I started the Isatest, taking 4 tabs 60 minutes prior to my workout. Anyway, changes noted so far...

Positives:

Weight is up 2 kg, but still a little below what I was before Christmas. I do appear to be leaner though, which is nice. Arms are 16 1/2", thighs 26 1/2".

Negatives:

I guess I expected to feel more. I was hoping to feel more aggressive in the gym as a result of the Diesel Test and more in the way of enhanced pumps from the White Blood. The latter says to take 3 tabs 30 to 45 minutes prior to working out, upping the dose to 4 if you weigh in excess of 225 pounds. Even though I weigh around 98 kg at the moment (~ 215 lbs) I decided to take 4 tabs anyway right from day 1. However I can't really say if it is having much effect pump-wise.

[deegee]

At least you feel you are getting some positives from it, though things may kick up a notch yet. good luck

[andrew_k]

Thanks deegee. I am hoping I will see more progress in coming weeks now that I am back training normally again.

[andrew_k]

2 weeks in and bodyweight is up 4kg, arms 16 5/8" (well right arm, my left is 16 7/8" despite my being right handed??), thighs 26 7/8". The pumps have improved plus I'm feeling more aggressive in the gym. Have switched from the 5 per day, one day per week off Diesel Test protocol to 6 per day, one day every 6 days off (one per training cycle). I take 7 Green Bulge, 4 White Blood and 4 Isatest tabs one hour prior to working out (feel like some sort of pill junkie!). On both rest days I take 5 Green Bulge tabs, on one of them I continue with the Diesel Test.

Strength is up. For instance on my first leg workout I did leg extensions (one leg at a time) 8 x 91 (kgs) to failure. Last workout I got 6 x 105 + 10 kg plate (PR). First back workout I did seated cable rows for 8 x 77kgs. Last workout 6 x 98kgs. All in all I can't complain, however I am impatient for more progress as this really only puts me back where I was before Christmas. Plus due to having quite long arms they only measure just over 15" hanging at my side. Currently then I really don't even look like I go to a gym and this is something I would obviously like to rectify(!).

[Growth]

Wow sounds like its working really well for you mate, cant wait to see the end results! :grin:

[Varven]

whats your diet looking like mate.. just a macro break down ?

[andrew_k]

whats your diet looking like mate.. just a macro break down ?

I don't specifically measure protein, fat, carbs or calories. In actual fact all I do is ensure I go to bed feeling a bit bloated(!). I know if I do this I will probably gain weight. Not very sophisticated I realise...! Anyway a typical day is:

Meal 1: Protein shake made with a couple of scoops of powder, non-fat milk and maybe a little bit of Milo

Meal 2: Large serving of rolled oats, made and served with milk and a little bit of brown sugar. One standard size bag of rolled oats lasts about 4 or 5 days.

[Workout]

Meal 3: PWO shake

Meal 4: (30 minutes later) Omelette made with 4 or 5 egg whites and one whole egg, a couple of pieces of Vogels toast.

Meal 5: Tin of tuna with a banana/protein shake and a banana

Meal 6: Chicken breast or thighs, veges

Meal 7: Maybe some more chicken and vege, or toast with a shake.

I also eat a few snack bars on occasion, drink a bit of straight milk or have an extra banana or 2 (etc.)

[Pseudonym]

Are you taking before/after photos, or just relying on the numbers to gauge your progress?

[ExpensiveUrine]

Starting Point:

After a slightly stressful Christmas/New Year period and no training I weigh 96.9kg.

Andrew, can you tell us a bit about your previous training experience. More specifically prior to Christmas/New Year, in detail.

Also, will you be using bodyfat measurements to track your progress or other methods? (Pseudonym's post)

Without knowing your previous training history, more or less, the stuff you did before you went to try these supplements it'll be a pain in the ass when trying to make sense of it in the end.

Example: A guy who trained for a while, then got an injury and quit lifting for a while, let's say 4-5 months. His diet went retarded after that. Lost some size, blah blah blah.

Then decided to throw supplement X,Y,Z together to see if it'll make a difference in his quest for hyooooogeness.

He started training again, cleaned up his diet, got a little hungry from training so he upped his calories. And what do you know, he gained weight (water/glycogen, ect), got a little stronger (mostly neural/getting back to the previous weight lifted in the past). Does this mean that supplement X,Y,Z are makin' him hyoooooge?!?!?!

Analyzing untrained individuals is even harder, because they grow reasonably well, assuming that their training/diet isnt all that retarded.

Don't get me started on steroid users.

Not being negative about this per se, just need clarification! :grin:

[andrew_k]

I have been training for about 24 years (I'm 41). However there are been long periods where I was running plus involved in other fitness activities which meant I lost a lot of the weight I had gained via bodybuilding. When I first got into it at High School I was a fan of Mike Mentzers HIT approach (I bought all his books!) but this has been tempered a little over the years as I got to know my body better. I think I posted about this somewhere else, but while I still believe intensity is the key my body needs more volume than that advocated by Mentzer.

For most of my thirties I was training reasonably hard but, as Jono noted, was one of those people too scared of putting on a little bodyfat to really eat well. However about 2 years ago with no changes in lifestyle I started putting on a small amount of bodyfat. Had little love handles for the first time!! This was no doubt due to hormone changes associated with aging (great!).

Anyway as a result of this in 2004 I threw caution to the wind (heck I had put on a bit of bodyfat anyway!) and started bulking seriously. Over the course of 2004 I went from 84kg to around 97 kg. Note that I had bulked up to around 91 kg in the past. I continued training in 2005 but a combination of a couple of minor injuries plus several rounds with bad stomach bugs and colds meant that by July 2005 I was down to 89 - 90 kg. Hugely discouraging. Anyway I went to London for 3 months (work) from the end of July to the end of October where I managed to get back to 93 kg. I was staying with my brother and his wife over there who were semi-vegetarian plus loved eating out. Despite taking large amounts of whey protein my gains were not as great as I had hoped plus I was definitely fatter than I should have been at that weight upon my return here. Once home again I managed to bulk up to just under 100kg by Christmas when my training and diet were disrupted again (!) as I noted previously.

Though I haven't got the body to reflect it I do consider myself quite an "experienced" trainer. As well I used to read all the bodybuilding magazines (those bastions of all that is true in bodybuilding!) plus of course have the Physical Education degree. For the Exercise Physiology papers in the last 2 years we had to do a personal study. Mine was called "Physiological and Biochemical Changes as a Result of Progressive Resistance Exercise". It was basically just a review of the literature at the time but does mean I have a reasonably good understanding of the internal processes involved.

Anyway, I am well past any neural adaptation and you also won't be seeing any newbie gains. I have never used aas. Good posts though guys, my apologies for not providing this information right from the start.

[andrew_k]

Are you taking before/after photos, or just relying on the numbers to gauge your progress?

I actually don't own a camera (I seem to have an aversion to them - mind you, the feeling appears to be mutual!) so no photos. I'll be using the mirror, scales, tape measure and weights lifted at the gym to gauge my progress.