ANS Ritual + Dilate pre-workout log

[MidwestBeast]

Okay, so I've used both of these before, but I got them in what I thought would be tastier flavors. Well, they are, but I'm also lazy and don't want to mix up a bajillion different drinks before the gym LOL.

So I recently got the Fruit Fusion flavor of both Dilate and Ritual. This morning was my first go 'round with them.

I have just started training first thing in the morning, before work, fasted, for about 2 months now. I did it once to make sure I got a workout in with an evening obligation and have since found that I really like it. So my current morning routine has looked like this:

05:00 AM: wake up (weigh myself)
05:10 AM: 1 scoop Amino-HP and 500mg agmatine, 200mcg Hup-A, levothyroxine (Rx)
05:30 AM: 1 scoop PJE + 3g citrulline malate
05:45 AM: Lift (could be closer to 6)


Only thing different today was swapping out the PJE and cit mal for 1 scoop of Dilate and Ritual combined in a shaker with some crushed ice. It was really good! I haven't tried each individually to see if there's any subtle differences, but there were no noticeable differences in combining both in one shaker (which was exactly what I was hoping for).

I really love the profile on all 3 of these products individually, but the combination is crazy good (particularly since I'm doing this fasted, now).

Had a high volume back session today and this is what I ended up with:

FreeMotion lat pulldowns (solo ring pulleys on each side): 120x20 for 7 sets/ 80x20 for 1 set
FreeMotion lat pull-ins (solo pulleys used on the fly station): 120x25 for 3 sets*
Seated Rows (wide/neutral grip from low pulley): 105x25 for 4 sets
Standing lat bar pushdowns: 55x25 for 4 sets

*this is where I pull at about a 150* angle and engage my lats to do the pulling almost like a row; totally short ROM, but it feels really good

Aside from those, which were just added back in, the others were actually all increases on either weight, sets or reps from the last time I did this workout (which was a month ago the way my split works). Coolest part about that is I'm down over 15 pounds from that day, so increasing my workout capacity is huge.


Mixability is on point; no problems or complaints at all; no floaters or chunks or anything.

Flavor is way better than I expected. It was early so I wasn't judging all that well for notes lol, but I'll have more details incoming. I just usually don't care for fruit punch type flavors anymore after all the early years of that being the only (and poorly done at that) option. This was very good.

Energy, pump, and focus were all on point. I was in the zone today. Workouts are kind of a time of worship for me, too -- I either go with rock or hip hop, but I listen to a lot of Christian artists and have a lot of time where I'm really focused on praise and positive thinking while working out. Today was hip hop and it was awesome.

The energy carried well beyond the gym and had me feeling great all the way into work. I just now started in on some more caffeine, 6 hours after the fact (which was my usual amount of time difference when I worked out in the afternoons).

I'll get some photos and more notes. If you have questions, ask away!

 

[halfwit]

Hey, I've been experimenting with Ritual lately as it's sugar-free. Green apple was pretty good, but the blue one I think may have made me sick. I'm taking a few days off it to see if that was the cause, or something else.

I'd put them on par with a good C4 alternative.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Hey, I've been experimenting with Ritual lately as it's sugar-free. Green apple was pretty good, but the blue one I think may have made me sick. I'm taking a few days off it to see if that was the cause, or something else.

I'd put them on par with a good C4 alternative.

I'm super picky about my pre-workout these days lol. So Ritual has a nice profile, but the pump aspects of Dilate combined just looked awesome.

I'll pay better attention when I use it next on Thursday morning, but the flavor was very good. And I do have another flavor, but haven't used it in a bit and can't remember which one I grabbed lol -- so I'll look at that and let you know.

I'm just lazy and wanted to be able to toss both in the shaker together.

Loved the energy today

 

[halfwit]

I'm super picky about my pre-workout these days lol. So Ritual has a nice profile, but the pump aspects of Dilate combined just looked awesome.

I'll pay better attention when I use it next on Thursday morning, but the flavor was very good. And I do have another flavor, but haven't used it in a bit and can't remember which one I grabbed lol -- so I'll look at that and let you know.

I'm just lazy and wanted to be able to toss both in the shaker together.

Loved the energy today

Yeah, they definitely do have a nice even pick up without a harsh crash - which is always nice. As I'm cutting, I typically have to forego my PWO as they often contain a lot of sugar, it was nice to find a PWO that's sugar free and still tastes pretty good.

I thought about the dilate, but I'm already on enough NO boosting products as-is, it felt like a waste.

 

[hurricane187]

so you a early morning lifter ! i cant do it lol.. i will be following buddy.

you are down 15 pounds? how about bf%? do you feel you have lost all fat or some muscle as well due to the fasting?

 

[MidwestBeast]

Yeah, they definitely do have a nice even pick up without a harsh crash - which is always nice. As I'm cutting, I typically have to forego my PWO as they often contain a lot of sugar, it was nice to find a PWO that's sugar free and still tastes pretty good.

I thought about the dilate, but I'm already on enough NO boosting products as-is, it felt like a waste.

For sure. And I don't really NEED it, but I like it. I take 500mg agmatine daily anyway, but what really sells me is the extra 1.5g citrulline that adds up to 3g total between the two. The AmentoPump is nice for endurance, also (and pairs with the Amino-HP's).

so you a early morning lifter ! i cant do it lol.. i will be following buddy.

you are down 15 pounds? how about bf%? do you feel you have lost all fat or some muscle as well due to the fasting?

I have never been a morning lifter, let alone fasted. I honestly don't know where it came from, but I love it. Has me on a closer schedule with my wife, too, which is a plus. Gets me home for dinner on the nights I don't have obligations and usually she'll cook for me if that's the case

I'm down 20+ lbs. from the start of September. Haven't done any bf% measurements, but definitely leaning up nicely. I've been doing weekly progress photos (from the front and side; standing in the same position/location in the bathroom at home each time for accuracy). I can see huge differences from the start to now and even subtle differences week to week (more pronounced now even with less fat lost as the cuts are coming in more).

I'm sure I've lost some muscle; no doubt about it. But the way I look at it is if my lifts haven't gone down at all and may have even gone up in some areas, I'm not too worried about it. This is where I normally would have an emotional/mental yo-yo and freak out and want to get my size back, but I'm pushing forward and "trusting the process" to steal a term used in sports all the time. I know I want to be at a lower bf% and I'll appear bigger even if I'm really not. Also gives me more flexibility in clothing options LOL.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Okay, so things have been crazy busy since my last post, but I haven't missed any workouts (lol).

Since the 3rd, I have done the following:

11/5 - heavy arm session*
11/7 - 70% heavy delts/traps session
11/9 - heavy chest session
11/11 - heavy back session

On tap for tonight: High Intensity arm session


*I managed to pinch a nerve in my neck/upper right trap when racking the 130's near the end of my arm session. I had a stupid infected hangnail on my left pinky finger and because of it, when it would have pressure against my ring finger or against the bar, it was horrible pain, so I had to lift with it basically extended out and curled on top of the nail of my ring finger. Surprisingly, this didn't ruin my lifts on curls (although it mad them awkward), but because I had to hold it differently, I managed to strain myself when leaning forward to rack my weights. After that, I finished up but had to skip reverse cable ring curls because I literally couldn't squeeze my hand around the ring to pull it down from the pulley.

Of all things, heavy legs were the next day and I wasn't about to step under a bar with that, so I had to take the day off. Felt sore but improved on Saturday so tried delts and traps but just didn't go near as heavy as what I normally would for fear of making it worse. But I did want to at least get some sort of lift in; and it went well. I had flag football after that and basketball on Sunday and by Monday I was back to normal.

The energy from this combo is on point. I still can't put my finger on describing the flavor of the fruit fusion, but it's definitely not fruit punch. For what it's worth, I'm not someone who can go wine tasting and start listing the different hints of things that are in it -- I just know it tastes good or bad, sweet or not, etc. But this stuff tastes good, the pump is on point, and the energy is clean and long-lasting -- that's the best part for me.

We'll see how it holds up to my circuit training style of intensity lifting with little rest in about an hour or so. I was going to go this morning, but my alarm went off and my body craved more sleep, so I listened to it.

I'll update tomorrow hopefully with results from the workout, but I anticipate it will be more of the same.

Weight is still slowly going down and just Monday I hit 227.0 lbs.