T Nation

Bringing Back the ECA

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

thinking about getting some primatene (ephedrine hcl) 200mg caffine tablets and fuck it I’ll throw some asprin in there too just to be old school about it.

I used it back in the day when I had no idea how to diet or even create a decent lifting program. so my results were absolute dog shit.

I’ve dropped from 252ish to 217 from Feb til now. the goal has been slow and steady and long term since I have no real time limit or show to prep for

I’m still somewhere between 15-18% bodyfat, probably closer to 18 than 15. (my avatar I think I was about 223ish, now im 217) oh and my personal goal is really 12%ish i have no real desire to be single digit for now I’ve been dieting for a long time and I’m ready to start getting back into gaining asap

anyone think I should wait until I’m lower bodyfat, like definitely under 15%?

or does anyone think it will be useless because I’m at such a small deficiet and losing at such a slow and steady rate?

any advice for me if I do decide to use it?

#2

drop the A, it doesn’t help all that much and can burn a big hole in your stomach

#3

Shelby’s thoughts regarding dieting come to mind (just change “zero carb approach” to “ECA”)

"Why go straight to the big guns? You always want to have something “up your sleeve” to implement when your dieting progress plateaus. If you jump right into a zero carb approach you’ll surely make great progress and very quickly, but where will you go when you plateau? Your only option will be to lower calories further and/or increase cardio ? both of which can eat up precious muscle when dieting.

Granted, you may have to do that stuff eventually anyway, but always start with simple changes first. With 16 weeks to diet, you have a long time to play around with things. You may not need to go zero carb until 6-8 weeks out, if at all.

The only time I’d recommend going keto right from the start would be if you have a significant amount of fat to lose and not much time to do it ? like if you were 15% body fat and 9 weeks out."

But of course the ECA stack will help no matter what bf % you are at.

#4

[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
Shelby’s thoughts regarding dieting come to mind (just change “zero carb approach” to “ECA”)

"Why go straight to the big guns? You always want to have something “up your sleeve” to implement when your dieting progress plateaus. If you jump right into a zero carb approach you’ll surely make great progress and very quickly, but where will you go when you plateau? Your only option will be to lower calories further and/or increase cardio ? both of which can eat up precious muscle when dieting.

Granted, you may have to do that stuff eventually anyway, but always start with simple changes first. With 16 weeks to diet, you have a long time to play around with things. You may not need to go zero carb until 6-8 weeks out, if at all.

The only time I’d recommend going keto right from the start would be if you have a significant amount of fat to lose and not much time to do it ? like if you were 15% body fat and 9 weeks out."

But of course the ECA stack will help no matter what bf % you are at.[/quote]

lol I like how that was all about going low carb. I feels you though with the last statement of eca will help not matter what bf you’re at

#5

def drop the A, unless someone can explain it non-bro sciency, as far as I know ephedra and caffeine are very strong, and relatively potent supps. Meaning, idk if Aspirin will help them at all, they both cross the blood brain barrier with ease and little limitation in the body.

Should you use it? sure, but as mentioned above, if you need it to drop below 15%, what comes next? are you trying to get really lean? sub 10%? if yes, Id say cycle it on then off for a few months, like 1:3 or 1:5, or dont use it until you get below 10%.

#6

def drop the A, unless someone can explain it non-bro sciency, as far as I know ephedra and caffeine are very strong, and relatively potent supps. Meaning, idk if Aspirin will help them at all, they both cross the blood brain barrier with ease and little limitation in the body.

Should you use it? sure, but as mentioned above, if you need it to drop below 15%, what comes next? are you trying to get really lean? sub 10%? if yes, Id say cycle it on then off for a few months, like 1:3 or 1:5, or dont use it until you get below 10%.

#7

Hello my friend. I have been bodybuilding for year’s and have taken pre-workout suppliments.I found them some more than others to be speedy. I tried the e/c stack.no aspirin. My dose was 3-pills 24mg’s and a large coffee. I was doing bench press.My strength was high as was my intensity.I was starting after 10min’s feeling like i was getting high/stoned and as my set’s progressed so did that uncomfortable feeling.As i did a set of 1x2 with a heavy weight,as i got up i almost passwed out.I was unsteady on my feet and felt like i might have a seizure. The next workout i took 8mg’s The same bad feeling. I didn’t think the eca stack was anything to worry about,I was wrong,this combination and my chemistry is dangerious.For me!! IT’s different for other people,most can handle the e/c i can’t goodluck john