ome time ago, a new company reared its head on the market. Ergopharm. Initially they advertised aggressively by posting messages plugging their products and website on message boards just like ours, and their website then, as it is now, offers little to no information on the products. Combined with some reports and testimonials that led me to fell a judgment of the company as a "backwater" operator. Wrongfully so it seems since I recently clashed with Patrick Arnold, part owner of Ergopharm and president of LPJ research, the leading prohormone distributor worldwide. Since then Ergopharm has dug its way out of the trenches and is advertising in magazines like a real company, and Patrick corrected me on several areas where I was misinformed. He was also kind enough to resolve some other misconceptions I had. I have kind of grown to like the guy. But that didn't settle our dispute.
His latest invention is a product called 1AD. I thought it was a bit fishy that there was suddenly a prohormone with no estrogenic formation, ensured almost total lean mass accrual, promised 700 percent more effective gains and hardened you up as well. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time companies take a ride with us. (Like Ecdysterone is really stronger than Dianabol?) Pat called me on it and showed me a few studies showing the efficacy of the target hormone, 1-testosterone, which is indeed 700 percent more anabolic than test. But I mean, testosterone is one of the most anabolic things in the world, yet its precursor androstenedione is basically baldness in a bottle with a few zits thrown in. And with very little gains forthcoming. (Read my article on prohormones to find out which ones actually do work.) So where exactly is the proof that 1AD works? Well there is none. A few case studies conducted by LPJ and a couple of Internet testimonials. But no hard science. So he says one thing, I say another - but with lack of evidence, who is right?
Enter the case study. There is one way of knowing for sure if something works. Test it yourself. And what better test than the product's greatest skeptic - Me. I wanted to state clearly, before I even begin preparing for this case study, that Ergopharm in no way had anything to do with this. My 1AD comes from Bodybuilding.com (which offers the lowest prices on this, guaranteed) and will set me back some 300 dollars, so I have nothing to gain and everything to lose if this goes wrong. And if the gains suck, I won't sugar-coat it. After all, no gains for over 300 bucks is a bit steep.
Goals:
The goal of the case study is to compare 1AD and its efficacy against a control group. In this case we are using 4 people. The first being myself, testing the 1AD. The other three being placebo groups who will be using the same diet and training schedule as myself in order to make an accurate comparison. One of them will be my training partner and will be staying over several nights a week so I can monitor his sleeping pattern as well. Measurements and bodyweight will be measured on a weekly basis and kept track of meticulously. I have contacted a fifth person to do the measuring, just so I don't get carried away.
Another goal is to see how 1AD is used in a stack. What the second product would be has not yet been decided. It could be 4-diol which would definitely be potent in a stack and resolve the decrease of libido often reported from 1AD. It would also strongly increase the risk of androgenic effects such as hair loss and acne. Another option is Nor-diol, which would be great since it's preferably stacked with a non-androgen. Of course that would have a reverse effect on libido, breaking it down further. What the product will be, or the delivery method, has not been set yet. We don't even know if we'll be testing for this because that would warrant that one of the comparison groups use the second product as well to show the difference it makes in my progress compared to the two placebo groups.
Setup:
As said, 5 people are involved: one testing the product in question, then three placebo groups and one researcher for the sake of independent measuring. All 4 subjects will train on the same caloric regimen (4500 calories) and train for a similar amount of sets at the same time of day. Only the rep-range will be adapted to the needs of the individual, ICE-style, to make sure that no one has an advantage because of a strict rep range. The only difference will be that I will be using the 1AD.
Measurements will be taken the Saturday of each week beginning the Saturday prior to use (we start on a Monday) and leading up to the Saturday three weeks after finishing the stack, in order to get an accurate measure of what was gained and how much of it was retained after testosterone levels were brought back to normal. Other measurements will include size increase in following body-parts: chest, arms, waist, legs and calves. The percentage of Body-fat increase (or decrease) will also be kept track of. During the week, each of the two groups of training partners will be responsible for measuring their training partner's strength increases on the bench press and squat, curl and shoulder dumbbell press.
All data will be accumulated and formatted into a well-written and clear document, which I will represent for the approval of all Bodybuilding.com visitors, the week after completion.
Other Data:
This is data that may change as the date of actual testing nears, but as of now the plan is to have all four of us taking one post-workout shake containing 22 grams of whey, 2-3 raw egg whites, a liter of milk and a dash of sugar. Two days on and two days off, this regimen will be accompanied by two bananas for extra fructose and potassium. Next to this we will eat 4-5 solid meals and take one serving of a weight gainer prior to bed. We will all consume a multi-vitamin after breakfast and take ZMA the last three days of my stack and three weeks after to ensure that the ZMA does not effect the outcome of my gains.
Specs:
I will be working closely together with Mr. Ryan DeLuca, CEO of Bodybuilding.com, to whom I will report my progress weekly. At the end of the study all conclusions will be placed on the Bodybuilding.com website.
Thank your for your interest in this experiment, I hope you will check back often for new updates.
THE STUDY BEGINS!
Click the week to read the results.
Week #1 - A very interesting beginning!
Weeks 2, 3, and 4. - More results.
Check back weekly for updates!
raven1008@yahoo.com
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Some time ago, a new company reared its head on the market. 
