Don_Quijote's First PH Cycle - HaloX

Here we go people!

Sunday afternoon, received my HaloX cycle yesterday. Super excited and doing inventory on what I will need for the next 4 weeks: food, supplements, sleep, check. All looks good!

Basic Statistics:
Age: 41
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 140 lbs.

Supplements used on workout days:
• Upon arising
16 oz water with BCAA's solution

• With breakfast
25 gr of multi-blend protein shake
Multi-vitamin
Vitamin D (5000 iu)

• With mid-morning snack
3 dessicated liver tablets

• With lunch
Methylcobalamin B12 (5000 mcg)
2 RNA/DNA tablets

• With midday snack
25 gr of multi-blend protein shake

• 15 minutes before pre-workout drink
2 Kre-Alkalyn capsules (1500 mg)
500 mg of Vitamin C

• Pre-workout drink (35 to 40 minutes prior)
Gaspari's SuperPump Max - 2 scoops

• Intra-workout
Gaspari's SizeOn Max Performance - 1 scoop

• Post-workout (30 after workout)
50 gr of multi-blend protein shake

• 2 hrs before sleep
25 gr. casein protein shake.

On non-workout days:
Everything stays the same except for the pre, intra and post workout drinks of course.

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Sunday, April 15th 2012
Drank one gallon of water today.
Off day.
8 hrs. of sleep.

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This is going to be one heck of a ride!!!

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Monday, April 16th 2012
• Almost done drinking today's gallon of water, may end up drinking an additional quart since temperatures are rising.
• Got around 6 hrs. of sleep, perhaps my anticipation to start my cycle kept me up, felt fine during the day though, probably due to the extra water.
• GREAT workout! Destroyed shoulders, triceps and biceps. Today's pump was very good, one of the best I've had in months! Again, I believe this is due to the extra water intake, which just comes to show the importance of being properly hydrated.

Routine as follows:

Shoulders - Triceps - Biceps


• Now, rest and food until Thursday for the next workout: legs.

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Tuesday, April 17th 2012
• Drank a gallon of water.
• Got around 7 hrs. of sleep.
• After yesterday's workout I am not too sore, we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

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Wednesday, April 18th 2012
• Already drank half a gallon of water, won't be a problem drinking the rest.
• Got around 7 hrs. of sleep.
• After Monday's workout I am not that sore; Halo? Water intake? All the above? We'll see.

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Thursday, April 19th 2012
• Drank one gallon of water yesterday, could have drank more so my water intake is increasing.
• 6 hours of sleep.

• Workout day, routine as follows:

Legs















• Will report after my workout.

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• Post-workout:

OK so here's what went down at the gym:

As we all know, legs is the most intense workout. Prior to being properly hydrated and prior to taking Halo I would usually run out of steam before I would get to train my calves. I would feel as if I was running out of breath, a bit dizzy and at times I would have to stop for a few minutes or feel like I would pass out. Today, this feeling was there but a bit less intense. I got massive pumps in my quads, hams and even though I began to feel "depleted" by the time I got to calves I drank more water and I "forced" myself to push through the workout and man, the massive pump I got on my calves! At the end of my workout I went and crawled on an empty area of the gym and literally just rest for about 10 minutes before I could get up and walk to my car.

Two hours after my workout, as I write this update, I feel great. My calves are still pumped and I am getting a bit hungry. I just downed a 55gr Dymatize protein shot as a post-workout with a bit of fruit.

As much of a "cliché" as this may sound but I feel a little like I used to when I was in my mid 20's. Could it be the Halo kicking in? Perhaps, this is my 4th day into my cycle so my guess would be that my receptors are finally becoming active.

To quote PT: "This is going to be one heck of a ride!" True dat! And I'm liking this!

Question, is it OK to post before and after pics in this area or is there a special place in the forum for this? I ask because I think it would be more convenient if they are kept on each user's log.

Now, back to eating, resting and hydrating! Can't wait until Monday, the special of the day is: Chest!

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Hey Don,

How is every thing going?
Post pictures is up to you, however for your safety, I would block out any thing you don't want out in the general public.

pt said:

Hey Don,

How is every thing going?
Post pictures is up to you, however for your safety, I would block out any thing you don't want out in the general public.

Click to expand...

Hey PT! All is going well. Tomorrow Sunday will be my first week into the Halo cycle.

I am feeling very good in terms of general energy. Maybe this is to the fact that I am now hydrated properly. Today we hit 104 degrees already so I drank about a gallon and a half of water during the daytime alone. I will probably down another liter before I go to bed.

I was a little sore from my last leg workout but not as bad as I expected to be. While I am not noticing anything quite "dramatic" or "obvious" during the first week - and then again, this is my first PH cycle so I have no baseline to compare - I would have to think that this is quite normal given that the Halo is not as powerful as say, the Super-DMZ. I am excite to go into my second week though! Monday I will be training chest and I am looking really forward to it!

Appetite wise, since this was one of the main reason I also wanted to try a PH supp to see how it would affect me in this area, I haven't noticed anything dramatic either. But in another thread on the forum I read about someone that noticed an increase around day 10 so I may be in for a surprise just yet.

My protein intake for this week has varied from 150 to around 180 grs per day. This has been difficult for me as I am small guy and so at times I feel that I am stuffing myself. One thing that is VERY noticeable for me at this stage is that my "gas" expenditure has increased a lot (extra protein) and it is a NASTY smell! Good to clear the gym during the busy times.

I got around 9 hours of sleep, felt good to sleep in!

That is all for today; tomorrow I expect a little of the same: more water, more food and rest.

As for the pics, yeah, I may post some around week 4 - half way point - for some before and after comments. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Thanks for dropping by.

Cool deal!! you should really feel the kick in week 2 1/2 to week 3... you will start to feel the "pump".

Diet for me is one of the hardest. getting enough protein in.... Chicken breast, egg whites, fish, lean ground turkey..... I hear you with the gas.. when ever i start back up on the high protein, it take the old body a little bit to get every thing used to it again.
Be sure to stay under the pressure of the weights while you lift to avoid injury, with a PH/DS you may feel like you could lift the world

pt said:

Cool deal!! you should really feel the kick in week 2 1/2 to week 3... you will start to feel the "pump".

Diet for me is one of the hardest. getting enough protein in.... Chicken breast, egg whites, fish, lean ground turkey..... I hear you with the gas.. when ever i start back up on the high protein, it take the old body a little bit to get every thing used to it again.
Be sure to stay under the pressure of the weights while you lift to avoid injury, with a PH/DS you may feel like you could lift the world

Click to expand...

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Monday, April 23rd 2012

Well PT, that thing you mentioned about the "pump", yeah, I definitely felt it today. It was mind blowing! Even though I am taking a pre-workout supplement that works good for me (SuperPump Max) there was an "enhanced feeling" during my overall workout, especially towards the end.

Today's updates:

• My strength hasn't gone up just yet, but today I felt that it will begin to creep up in the next few weeks.
• I only got about 5 hours of sleep last night; I am adjusting to the temperature change/season in AZ. We reached 104 degrees today so at night things are a little warmer than normal. I should be able to sleep better tonight and this week.
• Water intake will probably close to 2 gallons today, drank a whole gallon by the time I finished my workout, around 5 pm and I have to replenish so more before 10 pm.
• I am going to suspend taking the MHP Dark Matter post-workout supplement for the remainder of my cycle; reason being is that it contains additional creatine and I am already consuming more than enough through other supplements. After taking this supplement I urinate way more frequently. Too much creatine in my system! Excess creatine gets converted to creatinine, which is a break down product of creatine phosphate - so creatinine is mainly excreted out of the blood by the kidneys through a process known as GFR (glomerular filtration rate), hence, pissing like a race horse after your workout when I take this shake.
• With this in mind, I would suggest to others to look at their daily intake of creatine. Who cares if product A or product B has 5 or 6 different forms of creatine, in the end your kidneys will be doing the extra work. Just find out what is the best product for you in terms of maximum absorption with little to no GI issues. I take 2 capsules of kre-alkaylin on rest days and four on workout days (2 before workout, 2 after) and this is plenty for me. Don't need any more!

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Pictures
Below are the progression pics that show physiological changes so far:

Week 1, beginning of cycle:



(Continued on next page)

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Pictures
Below are the progression pics that show physiological changes so far:

Week 2, HaloX:

Lookin buff bro!!!
I'm sure the lady's are hangin all over you!
Keep killing it in the gym!!

pt said:

Lookin buff bro!!!
I'm sure the lady's are hangin all over you!
Keep killing it in the gym!!

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Thanks bro! Working hard for sure.

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Weekly Update
Not much has changed since Monday workout day. For the most part here's the breakdown:
• Drinking an average of a gallon and a half of water per day.
• Been sleeping an average of 6 hours.
• Increasing protein intake to around 180 grs.
• Have not noticed an increase in my appetite, perhaps extra protein will do the trick?
• Was going to workout today but I have a busy day/evening. Moving workout for Saturday as I am going to workout with a friend.

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Always a nice plus working out with another person, give you that little extra push!

pt said:

Always a nice plus working out with another person, give you that little extra push!

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Agreed! I miss having a workout partner, it does indeed help keep you honest.

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Monday, April 30th 2012
• Water intake today was around 1.5 gallons before the gym. After my workout and through the rest of the evening I plan on drinking the other half.
• Got around 6 hrs. of sleep last night.
• I feel that the Halo has definitely kicked in! No lack of energy throughout the day while at work.
• Epic workout! Shoulders, triceps and biceps were toast. Today's pump was insane.
• Normally my workouts last between 30 to 45 minutes but today I was much more focused, so by the time I finished my triceps work 45 minutes had already gone by. As soon as I started to warm up the biceps and began training them I felt a "second wind" kick in. For the next 20 minutes I got such a pump that I was not able to touch my shoulders at all when flexing my arm.
• I have only gained about 2 pounds since I started my Halo but I am much more defined and my muscles look fuller and feel harder. In addition to proper hydration the Halo has made a difference with my body fat ratio. I will get my body fat checked at the end of the cycle to see where I will end up at. I didn't take a measurement at the beginning but based on my pics I calculate that I was around 10 to 12% body fat.

Today was:
Shoulders - Triceps - Biceps




• Now, rest and food until Thursday for the grueling workout - legs!

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Don Absolutely amazing lifts bro. You are taking it to another level and responding well with Halo. You are going to be ridiculous by the end.

Oh yea!! That's what I'm talking about!
Insane bro

chrisotpherm said:

Don Absolutely amazing lifts bro. You are taking it to another level and responding well with Halo. You are going to be ridiculous by the end.

Click to expand...

Looking so forward to the results of the last few weeks! Thanks for the compliments guys!

No prob bro!!!

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Saturday, May 5th 2012

Hi everyone!

Sorry for not posting sooner, life got a bit busy these past few days but I was able to get my leg workout in on Thursday as I planned. Below are my updates.

I can summarize Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (days off) below:
• Water intake was and is steady around 1.5 gallons daily, really getting used to and loving this level of hydration!
• Getting an average of 6 hrs. of sleep; hoping that my next cycle I will be able to add at least one more hour for extra recuperation.
• I feel that the Halo has kicked in a little more! Pumps are stronger and they last longer after the workout, up to 45 minutes at this point.
• I am in my third week of the cycle and I have noticed a slight increase in my appetite; not very big but this is what I was looking for. Having said that, I should be able to eat a little more and I will take advantage of this by focusing on a little more protein. I can't wait to see what it does in the last week!

Now, observations during my leg workout:















Overall, my workout was very intense! The pump that Halo produces is AMAZING! It definitely enhances the effects of a good pre/NO workout supplement. My legs were so full of blood that I had to lay down for a good 5 minutes after my session to make sure that I could walk without my legs "giving out" as you walk or in this case, waddle around.

My strength went up just a tad but not a lot. Which is OK because this experience has been about how the PH would affect me in general.

As a coincidence, I went to my endocrinologist yesterday for a follow up and got my blood work results back, I will share these with you:

Creatine levels were high - we know why this is though - and after I explained to the doc that I was taking supplements she suggested that I back down form them a bit. Which I agree because too much creatine as it converts to creatinine does tax your kidneys a bit. Rather than taking creatine every day and multiple times during the days that I workout with pre, intra and post workout supplements, I will only take my daily dosage to maintain and just the pre-workout on my workout days.

Liver enzymes: They looked great.

Blood pressure: 112 over 72 - great! BTW, here's a nice handy chart to share:

Vitamin D: Good levels.

B12 levels: Very high! But that is my own doing, I take 5000 mcg per day. I will now take one tablet once a week for maintenance.

IGF1, Testosterone and HgH: All values were at an optimal range, not low nor high.

One interesting result was that my iron content was extremely high. And this is strange because I never (and I currently do not) take any supplements that contain iron. So Monday I am going to get some more specific blood work done to find out more. The doc was concerned that I might have a strange genetic condition called hemochromatosis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001368/). This would explain why and how I have felt for the past 2 years if I indeed am storing too much iron. Well, that's a discussion for a different time though and I am not too worried about it since my liver enzymes and other results looked normal. I will do a follow up on this as I know more regarding this.

Also the time in which I finish my first 4 week cycle with Halo will coincide with me ending my 8 week "heavy" cycle before I go into a one week off period and then resume for a 6 week "pump" cycle. I think that the lighter weight, high rep sets will help even more with the PCT as I bring in more blood into capillaries and ancillary tissues for better detox and receptor re-composition through a better saturation of nutrients.

Noticing that everyone using Osta has gotten good results thus far I will introduce OstaRx at the end of my 4 week PCT. After that, I will take 4 weeks of completely from any PH supplements before I start my next PH cycle - which I will later post to see what you guys think of a few ideas on what to use and how to use. So my current cycle will look like this at the end:

Weeks 1 - 4 - HaloX
Weeks 5 - 8 - PCT
Weeks 9 - 12 - OstaRx
Weeks 13 - 16 - No PHs

That is all for now! I guess the wait was worth it. As always, your thoughts are always welcome!

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One of the best logs going.

Nice update Don,

Looking good!!!

Hey Don,

How is every thing going??

pt said:

Hey Don,

How is every thing going??

Click to expand...

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Monday, May 14th 2012

Sorry guys, was off for a few days and just a little busy; but nothing exciting to report during the days off other than rest, drink and food.

Temperatures here finally broke 100°; 104° today to be exact so yes, hotter than hell! Summer is here...

This weekend I felt a quite tired and lethargic, but this happens every year when the temps rise. My body is beginning to adapt to the heat of the desert and this usually takes a couple of days.

Now, to the interesting stuff:
• Tomorrow is the last day of my HaloX... So on Thursday I begin the next 4 weeks of PCT.
• Water intake today was around 1 gallons before the gym, another half by the time I was done training.
• Got around 7 hrs. of sleep last night.
• These first 4 weeks of Halo have made a difference for me in the following areas:

• Overall feeling of well being
• Dramatic and longer lasting pumps
• Muscular contractions were intensified so I used less weight during my workouts
• Decrease in body fat by about 1.5 to 2% (of course, I am only guessing but I can now see my abs and veins below them)
• Increased muscle tightness/hardness
• Increased vascularity
• Slight increase n my appetite
• More energy/stamina during workouts - normally I train for no more than 45 minutes; the last few weeks I have been training for about 1 hour with no sign of fatigue
• More mental focus

• Today's workout was shoulders, triceps and biceps. I thought my shoulders were literally going to go up in flames! Triceps were so swollen I thought I was growing a tumor in the back of my arm; my triceps contractions were so intense I almost suffered a muscle spasm and my biceps got so pumped I couldn't touch my swollen shoulders by bending my arm.
• I took a measurement of my arms about 45 minutes after my workout an they measured 15.75 inches! I am pretty sure they got to 16 inches at the peak of the workout.
• Given the increased intensity of my workouts I modified today's routine by taking out a few exercises, I didn't the extra volume. No need to warm up triceps since shoulders does that indirectly and for biceps I took out one exercise. Trust me, I was spent by the time I was done!

Today's madness:

Shoulders - Triceps - Biceps


Update on lab results:
Turns out that the goddam lab tech messed up my results by entering my sex as a female... Yeah, that would make a difference... So previously the doc thought I might have hemochromatosis - too much iron - not really. Ferritin levels and all came back normal. Always a good thing! So Halo didn't really affect my blood pressure, my liver enzymes and did not do a thing to my ferritin levels. Noted...

On Wednesday I start my PCT phase, can't wait to see what results I will get on this. I will post another update on Thursday, which is leg day.

On a side note, I am already planning my next cycle, here's what I plan on doing. Let me know your thoughts on this cycle:

- Cyanostane Rx Stack -

FIRST 4 WEEKS:

Week 1
Cyanostane Rx - 2 caps daily (1 cap AM / 1 cap PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

Week 2
Cyanostane Rx - 3 caps daily (1 cap AM / 1 cap midday / 1 cap PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

Week 3
Continue with cyanostane Rx - 3 caps daily (1 cap AM / 1 cap midday / 1 cap PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

Week 4
Cyanostane Rx - 4 caps daily (2 caps AM / 2 caps PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

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LAST 4 WEEKS:
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily
E-Control Rx - 3 caps daily (last 3 weeks)

4 WEEKS AFTER PCT
Osta Rx 3 caps daily - as directed.

The reason I decided to try Cyano and not a more advanced cycle of Halo (which I would highly recommend BTW) is simply to try another PH product and see what results it will bring to me. Part of the bodybuilding experience is to always challenge yourself through different strategies, products, goals, etc. in order to find out what works best on you; that is key in accruing knowledge, you will never stop learning.

Until the next update take care crew, you have been AMAZING with your support and feedback! Looking forward to this next phase; the PCT cycle.

I will post another round of photos next week - and I promise to shave in order to appreciate any vascularity and muscle definition that Halo left behind!

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Work looking good bro.

"More energy/stamina during workouts - normally I train for no more than 45 minutes; the last few weeks I have been training for about 1 hour with no sign of fatigue"

^^^Great log! I'm noticingg the above too!! I almost have to force myself to stop training b/c even when I finish I feel like I almost haven't done anything. It really is quite surreal.

dre23 said:

"More energy/stamina during workouts - normally I train for no more than 45 minutes; the last few weeks I have been training for about 1 hour with no sign of fatigue"

^^^Great log! I'm noticingg the above too!! I almost have to force myself to stop training b/c even when I finish I feel like I almost haven't done anything. It really is quite surreal.

Click to expand...

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Thanks dre23 and everyone here for your support; you guys and gals here along with the amazing products really offer a direct path to success if hard work, dedication and perseverance is part of one's plan. Oh, and let's not forget to throw in a good amount of humbleness as well.

Having said this, I just purchased my next cycle and I am officially announcing it! Enter Cyanostane!

If everyone agrees, this is how I plan on taking it:

- Cyanostane Rx Stack -

FIRST 4 WEEKS:

Week 1
Cyanostane Rx - 2 caps daily (1 cap AM / 1 cap PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

Week 2
Cyanostane Rx - 3 caps daily (1 cap AM / 1 cap midday / 1 cap PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

Week 3
Continue with cyanostane Rx - 3 caps daily (1 cap AM / 1 cap midday / 1 cap PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

Week 4
Cyanostane Rx - 4 caps daily (2 caps AM / 2 caps PM)
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily

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LAST 4 WEEKS:
Anabolic-Matrix Rx - 2 caps daily
Ultra Male Rx - 1 cap daily
Advanced Cycle Support Rx - 2 caps daily
E-Control Rx - 3 caps daily (last 3 weeks)

4 WEEKS AFTER PCT
Osta Rx 3 caps daily - as directed.

4 WEEKS AFTER Osta
Plenty of water, rich diet and no PHs.

Of course, I am not starting this until mid June to give myself plenty of time to recover from HaloX.

Your thoughts?

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Looking good don!!