Dre23's HALO EXTREME Log

[dre23]

Hey guys and gals,

Been lurking here for a little bit and I started a Halo log over on another site, and was asked to log it over here with IML. It's a great little community we've got started here, and I'm glad to join you guys.

The first few days I will just copy/paste from over there, and then I"ll continue to keep everything updated for my 4 week run with HALO.

Thanks for following and enjoy!

[dre23]

Hey guys and gals,

I have been REALLY impressed with reviews and feedback that I have read about all IML products, so thought I'd throw my hat into the mix and start a log detailing my 4 week run with HALO EXTREME.

First a little bit about myself.

I am a 30 year old former professional powerlifter who trained and competed at Westside Barbell for 4 years. I have been weight training since I was 10 years old, so I have been at this for most of my life. As a powerlifter, I competed as a superheavyweight (308+lbs) and my weight got all the way up to 491lbs (at least that's the highest I ever weighed myself...it could have been higher!). While I was very strong having lifts of a squat of 1005lbs, a 635lb. bench, and a 735lb deadlift, after realizing that this was not a healthy state for me to be in, I hired a contest prep coach (Jason Theobald) and began dieting and bodybuilding training in September of 2011.

From that time I have gone from 491lbs at 48% bodyfat (Yes, 48%...I'm probably the only person on the internet who admits to ever having been above 12%BF right?! LOL). I am currently sitting at 360lbs, and my eventual goal is to get down to right around 300lbs by the end of the year where I should be right around 10% BF. I feel that this will be a healthy walking around weight for me.

During this time I have not taken any of IML's anabolic products as I thought that any more muscle mass would only be lost in all the fat that I still had. But having already lost over 130lbs. I'm now ready to throw the HALO into the mix. I must note that during my 31 week recomp dieting, I have been using IML's LEANFUEL EXTREME before my fasted morning cardio. These cardio sessions can last up to 100 minutes at one time!! and this product has given me the endurance, energy, and mental focus to put in these cardio sessions each day. In fact, I have NEVER missed a single cardio session or gone less than my allotted time during my entire prep. While a lot of this is due to my tenacity, I have to give the LEANFUEL EXTREME its due credit for giving me that needed extra boost many mornings.



Ok, so onto the HALO...I will run this for 4 weeks total at 3 caps per day in divided doses for the first two weeks, and then if I'm feeling well will bump it up to 4 caps per day in divided doses for the final two weeks. I am on prescribed HRT so a PCT will not be necessary for me. I will also be running LIV52 for its additional health benefits.

My goal for the HALO is just to keep/maintain my current muscle mass while doing up to 130 minutes of cardio daily on top of my 5day per week weight training sessions, as well as eating a diet where my carbs are only at 60 grams per day (I do get a weekly carb refeed of up to 800grams carbs). So basically I'm looking for a nice recomp effect and hardening of my muscles along with increased vasularity. I already have tons of muslce so not really looking for anything dramatic there, but more so a body composition change as I work my way down to 300lbs. Hopefully be the time that I finish this log I will be in the 340's....we shall see...

So here we go!!!

[heavyiron]

Very cool to have you posting your log here brother. Your experience is a huge asset to the forum.

Thanks!

[dre23]

For those of you who aren't familiar with me and my story and health trials since I was a kid feel free to check out my training and fat loss journal here...

http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthrea...mation-Journey


I thought that I would include some "Before" and "After" pics so you all could see where I started and where I'm at now. Yeah, I'm still fat, but I'm starting to look like an offseason bodybuilder as oppossed to an obese superheavyweight powerlifter!

BEFORE: 491lbs

[dre23]

AFTER: 375-360lbs.


375lbs.


370lbs. Veins in quads


365lbs. (4-31-12)


361lbs. (Today...05/10/12) Starting to get some shape!

[dre23]

Day 1 - 05/10/12

Ok, so now that you all know where I've come from (with the help of LEANFUEL EXTREME ), and where I'm at now, NOW we can see where the HALO EXTREME can take me for the next four weeks.

So today is Day 1, and I consumed 3 caps, one a time throughout the day:

Meal 1 - 8AM
Meal 3 - 1PM
Meal 6 - 7PM

I performed fast LISS cardio for 70 minutes this morning and then I trained chest and bicpes and had a very good workout. Even on my low carbs, my body has seemed to have adapted and pumps are good, so I'm REALLY excited to see how the pumps will be with the addition of the HALO. I have one more 30 minute cardio session before bed and that's it.

Any diet, cardio, training questions that you guys have, or about the HALO product (or suggestions from those that have already run it), please feel free to ask as I don't mind talking (I bet that's pretty obvious, lol).

[dre23]

Day 2 - 05/11/12

Just finished my morning fasted cardio and did all 100 minutes in one shot. Got through it relatively pain free thanks in part to IML's LEANFUEL EXTREME tab taken beforehand. Of course 100 minutes of cardio is a lot no matter what, but the energy and focus that I get from the LFE does help make it less torturtous. Hey guys, if y'all are having trouble doing cardio, if my big ass can get through it with the help of Leanfuel, then don't nobody have any excuses to skimp on their cardio.

Dry weight in undies was 362lbs. this morning.

Will hit hamstrings and calves this afternoon, and I have my weekly carb load/refeed tonight which will consist of 700grams carbs from pancakes, syrup, and iced tea.

I am a computer nerd, so I am going to not only be posting daily updates on how I'm doing with the HALO, but will most likely be posting multiple times throughout the day. So this will likely/hopefully be the most detailed log of HALO that anyone has seen to date.

Alright, gotta go eat and throw down some chicken breasts and almonds (along with my first HALO cap!!), but will check in with you muscleheads later on!

[dre23]

Day 2 - 05/11/12 - Continued

So I trained hams and calves this evening. No, it isn't a glamorous bodypart, but it must be done. Nothing too exciting to report quite yet, but I did notice already an increase in stamina and endurance. I train high volume with moderate weights and short rests (45-60seconds), but tonight I just flew through all my sets without batting an eye. The more sets I did the better pump I got, and felt almost just as fresh on my last set as I did starting off.

Here's what I did...

Lying Leg Curls: (45 second rest)

1 x70 x15
5 x90 x12
4 x110 x10

(only last set taken to failure)

Seated Leg Curls: (45 second rest)

2 x100 x15
2 x120 x12
2 x140 x10

Cybex Adductor Machine (60 second rest)

3 x200(stack) x50 reps all sets...BRUTAL!

Seated Cybex Calf/Toe Press:

1 x110 x100 (change foot postion every 25reps)
1 x130 x100
2 x170 x50, x50

Seated Calf Raises:

1 x1plate x50
3 x1plate & 1 quarter x50 reps all sets

An hour later my hams and especially calves were still pumped...almost painfully. As a special note, by this time of the week having dieted on sub 70grams of carbs daily, I am somewhat dragging in the gym. Tonight I initially was dragging, but once I started going I had a really nice mental 'buzz'. I did not take any stims before weight training either. If this is just a taste to come then I am antipating some good things.

Alright, well had my pancake refeed tonight, and I feel that carb coma coming over me, so I'm going to hit the hay. I train delts/traps, and tris tomorrow, so I'll have something a little more exciting for you guys besides leg curls, lol.

Oh, and I took my HALO doses with meals at 8AM, 3PM, and 8AM.

[dre23]

Day 3 - 05/12/12

Ok, so I performed 100 minutes of LISS cardio at 6AM and it went well.

Went to the gym at 3PM and trained delts, traps, and tris. Here's what went down

Delts:

Hammer Strength Shoulder Press: (1 minute rest btwn sets)

1 x1plate per side x21
1 x2pps x15
1 x2pps & 1 quarter x12
3 x3pps x10, x10, 9 last set drop to x2pps x9 --1pps x20

WHOO...awesome pump, strong, and very energized

Standing Side Lateral Raises: (1 minute rest)

1 x35 x12
4 x40 x12, x12, x12, x10

Reverse Pec Dec Rear Delts:

1 x130 x15
1 x160 x12
3 x190 x10, x10, x10 last set drop to 110lbs x20reps

Cybex Standing Machine Side Raises (30 sec rest)

*Performed "7's" per FST/Hany Rambod style

7 x120 x12, x12, x12, 12, x12, x10 ,x9

Standing Front Barbell Raises (30 sec rest)

3 x65 x12 all sets



Traps:

Standing Dumbbell Shrugs:

3 x185 x20, x27, x20


Triceps:

Rope Pressdowns: (45 sec rest)

4 x100 x20 (last two sets I failed before 20, so rest pause for a few seconds and keep going until I get 20 reps)

Seated Machine Extensions: (45 sec)

1 x110 x15
1 x130 x12
1 x150 x12
1 x170 x10

Cybex Machine Dips: (30 sec)

4 x120 x12, x15, x15, x12



Overall, very good workout. Not training for strength, but strength was good. Stamina and recovery between sets was AWESOME. I ended the workout and didn't even feel like I had trained. This is going to be an exciting 4 weeks I can tell already...

[dre23]

Halo commercial

Here's a little "commericial" I filmed today during one of my shrug sets for HALO EXTREME. I may have taken a few poetic liberties about how quickly the HALO quicks in, but it was all in good fun and hopefully y'all get a chuckle out of it.

Enjoy!