NO-Xplode: Counter Productive?

[MisterMammon]

Back again after a long hiatus; I had grand ambitions last summer, but a torn muscle in my belly short-circuited my schemes.

All better now, and in reasonably decent shape, all things considered. I'm 6'4, 230 as of this morning's weigh-in, but I'm going for a full-blown trim-down until August 15 to see what muscle I've got to work with under the flubber.

Here's my current quandary. Two summers ago I started out in May weighing 274, and a four-month regimen got me down to 229. I went light on the lifting, heavy on the HIIT (mostly on an elliptical machine, but I did a little running, rowing, and stair-stepping to mix things up). Though I was feeling fitter and friskier at the end of the season, I recalled being tapped out by the end of Wednesday's workout each week; it took a whole lot of willpower to drag myself in to the gym on Thursday and Friday.

This summer I'm taking a more holistic approach, balancing more weightlifting with a HIIT cardio schedule that's still pretty aggressive. Because I read a number of positive reviews about NO-Xplode, particularly in terms of improved energy levels and concentration, I thought I might mix it into my regimen as a pre-workout drink every morning. I know it's a muscle-builder, technically, but I've been using it to fuel both lifting and cardio.

The past week has been the first week of the new regimen, and each time I start out I go through an "induction" phase: I do my normal lifting and HIIT sessions, but I trim back my caloric intake to the bare minimum. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I stayed under 1300 calories, with an uptick to 1700 on Wednesday. I know it's not the healthiest process in the world, but that five-day semi-fast usually gives me a little instant encouragement, gets me to recalibrate my appetite, and helps me muster my willpower for the next ten weeks.

NO-Xplode has worked like a beaut--I've had none of the side effects that some people have experienced, and my energy levels have been great from start to finish all week despite the rock-bottom calories. However--at long last--here's my concern: during the first two days of the changeover my weight gradually descended, as it normally does. Since Wednesday, however (despite calorie counts of 1660/1255/1205 for Wed/Thur/Fri), my bodyweight has crept upward by 1.5 pounds.

Aside from going from age 37 to 38, the addition of NO-Xplode (and the deletion of a coffee between my workout and lunch, which was a staple of my first summer) is the only variable that's changed in my regimen. I know that NO-Xplode is not supposed to cause water retention, so could anybody help me to understand why/how I'm picking up weight despite this bare-bones diet?

Thanks,
MM

[HammerTech]

What is the rest of this "regimen" you're on? What does your lifting program look like, what about specifics of your diet and what you're eating and when? It's hard to answer the question without a few more facts in hand...

[MisterMammon]

Originally Posted by HammerTech

What is the rest of this "regimen" you're on? What does your lifting program look like, what about specifics of your diet and what you're eating and when? It's hard to answer the question without a few more facts in hand...

I think the low-calorie question in itself probably obtains without much detail--a rise in overall bodyweight when calories are stripped down to the minimum strikes me as counterintuitive, no matter the regimen--but I'll fill in the blanks as best I can.

My diet for the week was as follows:
Pre-workout (6:00AM): one serving NO-Xplode/metamucil (75 cal)
Post-workout (8:15): one serving Champion Ultramet (280 cal, 41p/23c/3f)
Lunch (noon): omelette burrito (440 cal, 26p/56c/6f)
Dinner (5:00pm): mushroom pasta scramble (430 cal, 32p, 44c, 13f)

That amounts to 1225 total calories on a typical induction day, about 100 grams or protein, 150 carbs (including the metamucil's fiber), and 25 grams of fat.

The only radical departure from that daily plan was Friday's menu, for which I subbed in a six-inch Subway turkey sub (turkey, honey mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle) for lunch and dinner.

On Wednesday I went up to 1700 calories or so by adding an afternoon snack of trail mix (peanuts, almonds, raisins, M&Ms--420 calories).

In terms of lifting, I do a five-day bodypart split, with HIIT cardio each day (I bought the NO-Xplode specifically to support the cardio):

Mon: Chest, 9-12 sets (incline dumbbell presses, dips, machine presses, flyes); 40 minutes HIIT cardio

Tues: Shoulders, 7-10 sets (seated dumbbell presses, machine presses, laterals, upright rows); 40 minutes HIIT cardio

Wed: Legs, 12 sets (machine squats, leg presses, quad extensions, hamstring curls); 40 minutes easy cardio (heart rate around 135-140)

Thurs: Biceps/Triceps, 16-18 total sets (various curls, various extensions); 40 minutes HIIT cardio

Friday: Back, 9-12 sets (assisted chins, seated rows, pulldowns, etc.); 40 minutes HIIT cardio

I mix in abs on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

My lifting usually consists of 3-4 exercises for 3-4 descending sets, heavy enough to go for 12-16 reps on the first set and 4-8 on the last. My version of HIIT cardio involves 2-3 minute intervals of steady output (135-140 bpm) with cycles of more intense exertion (getting me up to 160-170 bpm) mixed in.

I hope that helps.

[maddbomber]

1200 calories is crazy for your weight.....i wouldnt go under 1600

[HammerTech]

It's my opinion only that for your size and weight you are way under on protiens and you're way too far down on calories. What you do eat, your body is trying to store as fat because you're not eating enough. I know - sounds like an oddity, but it's true. I'm a similar size to you (6'1" 230's), and even while "cutting" I'm taking in 2200 or so calories on average (some days less, some slightly more) over about 6 meals a day and my protein intake is close to 275g on average.

Just some thoughts.

[MisterMammon]

Thanks to you both for the feedback. The induction period represents nothing more than a short term body-shock shift for me, one that I'll edge out of in the coming weeks.

I know that the body will flip into "starvation mode" if it feels that food is scarce (which is why Wednesdays and Saturdays I usually increase my caloric intake to make it think the famine is over), but it's never happened to me in the space of five days. The NO-Xplode is the only new variable in the equation, but I can't figure out how it could have this kind of impact, either.

It seems odd that weight was pretty much falling off me during my first summer in Michigan (when I would drink lattes almost daily and eat ice cream once every ten days or so), but the jump-start process this time around has been so sluggish when the only material change has been mixing in the NO-Xplode.

Maybe I need to be mixing in more post-workout coffee.

[kovalaybolt17]

maybe eat breakfast at least to.. your working out in the morning without anything to eat but no-explode before hand? thats retarded, no wonder you are sluggish. even some yogurt and nuts would help. and instead of eating 3 times a day eat like 6 or 7 times a day in small portions. the other guys were right.. at that calorie intake you are just spinning your wheels.. you will hang onto all your fat and have the muscle of a pre pubecent girl.

and where the sh!t is your basic barbell movements? no bb squats, bench, deadlifts, bb rows, seated bb press? id get on that if i were you.

[MisterMammon]

Originally Posted by kovalaybolt17

maybe eat breakfast at least to.. your working out in the morning without anything to eat but no-explode before hand? thats retarded, no wonder you are sluggish. even some yogurt and nuts would help. and instead of eating 3 times a day eat like 6 or 7 times a day in small portions. the other guys were right.. at that calorie intake you are just spinning your wheels.. you will hang onto all your fat and have the muscle of a pre pubecent girl.

and where the sh!t is your basic barbell movements? no bb squats, bench, deadlifts, bb rows, seated bb press? id get on that if i were you.

Per the original post, I actually have some specific goals for this summer in mind. I think you might have conflated my recollection of the summer of 2007 with my current situation.

There's no sluggishness in the gym at all; I feel fantastic, and I'm lifting pretty heavy (especially given the short rest intervals I allow myself during this stretch). The ultra-low calorie diet phase is a kick-start, not a long-term plan. I'll mix in new meals in week three and week six; I just didn't think they had a bearing on the question I posed regarding week one.

During the summer I work out in our university "fitness gym," which has a better selection of cardio equipment. In the fall I'll head over to the gym our football players use, when I'll return to compound movements. Again, I'm dialing in on a certain set of goals, not abandoning weightlifting wisdom. I'm just interested to see if other folks have used NO-Xplode for comparable purposes (for energy, focus) and experienced comparable effects, or if I need to attribute those effects to something else.

[kovalaybolt17]

Originally Posted by MisterMammon

Per the original post, I actually have some specific goals for this summer in mind. I think you might have conflated my recollection of the summer of 2007 with my current situation.

There's no sluggishness in the gym at all; I feel fantastic, and I'm lifting pretty heavy (especially given the short rest intervals I allow myself during this stretch). The ultra-low calorie diet phase is a kick-start, not a long-term plan. I'll mix in new meals in week three and week six; I just didn't think they had a bearing on the question I posed regarding week one.

During the summer I work out in our university "fitness gym," which has a better selection of cardio equipment. In the fall I'll head over to the gym our football players use, when I'll return to compound movements. Again, I'm dialing in on a certain set of goals, not abandoning weightlifting wisdom. I'm just interested to see if other folks have used NO-Xplode for comparable purposes (for energy, focus) and experienced comparable effects, or if I need to attribute those effects to something else.

ok i hear you. ya with any NO product thats loaded with caffeine thats all youll really get is the same effects as drinking coffee. ive used it before and by the end of the bottle i was starting to pump up better but its not really worth the price.

[arielgreyssan]

A warm greeting to everybody! Hello to all,i am a new member of this forum and hope to have a good experience here

[MisterMammon]

I thought it would be worthwhile to post a short update, since I don't want NO-Xplode to get a bad rap because I was using it for an odd purpose.

As it turns out, it's a mighty fine product for the purposes I describe in the first post: even though I've been focusing on bodyfat loss this summer, the NO-Xplode has helped me keep my strength levels constant, similar to those I would approach in a maintenance or even building mode.

I'm about five weeks in, and I've lost just over 10 pounds. I could lose (and have lost) at a much faster clip, but I think NO-Xplode is helping me to keep strong and preserve lean tissue.

I fit comfortably into some old jeans I haven't been able to squeeze into in years, at any rate, and the mirror gets a bit kinder every day. I'm eager to try NO-Xplode in a building phase later in the year, but I'm pretty pleased with this experimental cycle.

[joemomma]

Just a couple things I noticed....I don't think you're getting enough protein for someone your size. What are your thoughts on your intake once you get past the "kick start" phase? I think you're on the right track with the refeeds on Wed/Sat, should keep you from going all starvation mode.
Also, as mentioned, I don't see much in the way of compound movements. You don't have to be trying to bulk or whatever to incorporate those movements - they should be a staple of ANY routine, regardless of goal. I see lots of accessory work. I think you'd get more for your time focusing more on compound movements.
Also, you give bis and tris more focus than any other group (based on sets). Am I the only one that noticed this?

Regardless, grats on the weightloss so far, and keep us posted.

[MisterMammon]

Originally Posted by joemomma

Just a couple things I noticed....I don't think you're getting enough protein for someone your size. What are your thoughts on your intake once you get past the "kick start" phase? I think you're on the right track with the refeeds on Wed/Sat, should keep you from going all starvation mode.
Also, as mentioned, I don't see much in the way of compound movements. You don't have to be trying to bulk or whatever to incorporate those movements - they should be a staple of ANY routine, regardless of goal. I see lots of accessory work. I think you'd get more for your time focusing more on compound movements.
Also, you give bis and tris more focus than any other group (based on sets). Am I the only one that noticed this?

Regardless, grats on the weightloss so far, and keep us posted.

Thanks for the feedback. This summer's regimen involves a variety of complications, but I'm pleased with the way it's played out thus far.

I've increased my caloric intake and protein consumption over the past few weeks, although the one usually dictates the pace of the other. I'm probably at about 60% the amount of protein I would use in a building phase; going much higher would involve more calories and/or prepared foods than I'm willing to wolf down. I'd also rather not blow out my large intestine.

The compound movements really are limited. The gym I use during the summer, as I describe above, is basically a university "fitness" gym; the gym the football players use is open all day during the semester, but over the summer it's only open for a couple of hours a day in the afternoon. There are no barbells, and the dumbbells are on the light side. That just translates into higher rep sets with whatever movements I can improvise.

[NiteHawk]

Forgive me for not taking the time to read thru all the posts but as I skimmed and saw you are not eating anything for breakfast, I stopped reading.

Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, outside of your post workout meal regardless whether you are cutting or bulking.

[STRATEGY]

Originally Posted by NiteHawk

Forgive me for not taking the time to read thru all the posts but as I skimmed and saw you are not eating anything for breakfast, I stopped reading.

Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, outside of your post workout meal regardless whether you are cutting or bulking.

ohhhh snap

[MisterMammon]

Originally Posted by NiteHawk

Forgive me for not taking the time to read thru all the posts but as I skimmed and saw you are not eating anything for breakfast, I stopped reading.

Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, outside of your post workout meal regardless whether you are cutting or bulking.

I appreciate the perspective, and I know what conventional bodybuilding wisdom suggests. I think opinions about eating before workouts are pretty evenly split, however, especially when efforts to trim down are concerned.

At present, all questions regarding my diet and workout regimen aside, I'm as strong as I've ever been, as light as I've ever been, and as hard and defined as I've ever been. Were circumstances different I would certainly do things differently, but at seven weeks I'm extremely pleased with my progress. I'll tinker with other prospects for diet and exercise when this particular cycle's at an end. I don't see much reason to modify it now.

[mitchcumstein]

You seem like one of those types thats overly obsessive about the whole process. You workout way too much and you cut your calories way too much. If you had a good diet you would be able to do 1/4 of the work you do and still lose weight at a good pace. Also, while theres nothing wrong with doing some empty stomach cardio first thing in the morning, you need to eat a good breakfast afterwards. But youre not getting nearly enough calories or protein throoughout the day for the amount of activity you do.


If you continue on the way you are i guarantee you stall out long before you reach your goal. Youre body will either shut down and start storing everything you eat as fat or youll just simply get burnt out and quit. You need to make some changes, starting with eating more food.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by mitchcumstein

you seem like one of those types thats overly obsessive about the whole process. You workout way too much and you cut your calories way too much. If you had a good diet you would be able to do 1/4 of the work you do and still lose weight at a good pace. Also, while theres nothing wrong with doing some empty stomach cardio first thing in the morning, you need to eat a good breakfast afterwards. But youre not getting nearly enough calories or protein throoughout the day for the amount of activity you do.


If you continue on the way you are i guarantee you stall out long before you reach your goal. Youre body will either shut down and start storing everything you eat as fat or youll just simply get burnt out and quit. You need to make some changes, starting with eating more food.

+1



.

[joemomma]

Originally Posted by mitchcumstein

You seem like one of those types thats overly obsessive about the whole process. You workout way too much and you cut your calories way too much. If you had a good diet you would be able to do 1/4 of the work you do and still lose weight at a good pace. Also, while theres nothing wrong with doing some empty stomach cardio first thing in the morning, you need to eat a good breakfast afterwards. But youre not getting nearly enough calories or protein throoughout the day for the amount of activity you do.


If you continue on the way you are i guarantee you stall out long before you reach your goal. Youre body will either shut down and start storing everything you eat as fat or youll just simply get burnt out and quit. You need to make some changes, starting with eating more food.

Yeppers, +1. Your body will fight back at some point, and two things will happen as mitch said. 9/10 times, most folks quit because they stall out. Most folks that start a fitness routine quit after two months or so, don't be one of those folks. Heed the advice given here and you'll continue well on your way to meeting your goals.

[MisterMammon]

Thanks to all for the subsequent feedback--I'm sorry I missed the last few posts. I'm going up for tenure and promotion in the fall semester, which means I spent every waking hour in the month of July pushing paper back and forth across various desks.

I appreciate all the concern; I am indeed fairly obsessive about everything I do. I should emphasize, however, that this summer program is exactly that--a summer program, ten weeks long. I'll have to reshuffle the deck and figure out how I want to approach the fall pretty soon, but I knew my habits and resolve fairly well going in. There were a couple days during the induction week when I wanted to gnaw off my own head, but as my food intake increased and my appetite diminished, things evened out pretty smoothly.

Next week will be dicey, since the gym will be closed for its annual deep cleaning and I'll have to get a series of day passes at one of the other local gyms. My program, however, has just about realized what I hoped to achieve, and hopefully I won't implode in the coming week. I'll pester y'all for input again soon enough, but I wanted you to know I didn't go mad or resort to cannibalism in the interim.