Ammonia...

[Wilhelm]

I've never used ammonia while lifting, and i know it's said never do it for the first time at a meet, but... i can easily picture having a "fuck it" 3rd for deadlift at this meet, and it seems like that would be the time and the lift if i were to break that "rule"

I'm not easily able to imagine a downside.

I'd be interested to know people's thoughts on this.

[KyleSchuant]

Try it a couple of times in training first, so it's not too much of a shock when you first do it at a meet.

I can't quantify it as X kg more on the bar, but lots of people swear by it. Others get a hard whack between the shoulderblades, others have music... all sorts of stuff pumps people up.

[cgeorgiev]

I would be concerned about the effects of ammonia on epithelial cells in my nose. I remember my anatomy prof. saying that it (ammonia) kills these cells. I have no idea to what extent, but that would be a choice you have to make. I'm sure other people more educated on this board can chime in.

[mbasic]

I would be concerned about the effects of ammonia on epithelial cells in my nose. I remember my anatomy prof. saying that it (ammonia) kills these cells. I have no idea to what extent, but that would be a choice you have to make. I'm sure other people more educated on this board can chime in.

Ooooh shit, that don't sound good.
A lot of one's sense of taste is really augmented from sense of smell.

Otherwise, I like the third deadlift idea (without ever trying 'it' before hand).
IMO bench and squat take a little more "skill" and what not.

[KyleSchuant]

In other news, gripping heavy weights kills skin cells.

The body heals. Even ciliated epithelial cells. Just don't snort ammonia all day as a leisure activity.

[Wilhelm]

Otherwise, I like the third deadlift idea (without ever trying 'it' before hand).
IMO bench and squat take a little more "skill" and what not.

This is exactly what i've been thinking.

I'm more hoping my taper gives me a boost from the overcooked state i got myself to with DL a couple of weeks back, when weights i had lifted the week before wouldn't come off the floor. It's got me very much in my head about it.
Maybe my 2nd will feel good and i'll have some feel for what i can do after that.

Regardless of that, i've decided i've run the course of doing exclusively singles.
I've always said i'd do it until it didn't work, and even though i tampered with the template and forgot to dial it back at the end, i do feel it's time to give something else a try.

[Skid]

I tried a fellow competitors ammonia at a meet. I think it was on my second deadlift. I took a big snort which hit me like someone poured a cooler full of ice water on me and proceeded to pull the deadlift like it wasn't even there. My head was spinning for a few minutes after that. My advice: try it, but don't place your nose too close to the bottle, and don't breath in too deeply. Just take short snorts...

[Wilhelm]

I tried a fellow competitors ammonia at a meet. I think it was on my second deadlift. I took a big snort which hit me like someone poured a cooler full of ice water on me and proceeded to pull the deadlift like it wasn't even there. My head was spinning for a few minutes after that. My advice: try it, but don't place your nose too close to the bottle, and don't breath in too deeply. Just take short snorts...

Great info, Skid. Thanks.

I ordered a bottle of nose tork.

Lifting Large had shipping charges and it was about $15 total with a 7 to 10 day arrival time.
The way we get mail up here, i could see it arriving too late for the meet.

Ebay has a seller, $8.99 w/ free shipping, and guarateed to be here by the first. So like 5 days.
Funny thing is, the seller turns out to be Lifting Large. Didn't say so on the page, but once paypal email showed, it had them as the seller.

[Ragholmes]

I would be concerned about the effects of ammonia on epithelial cells in my nose. I remember my anatomy prof. saying that it (ammonia) kills these cells. I have no idea to what extent, but that would be a choice you have to make. I'm sure other people more educated on this board can chime in.

Have BBM ever commented or discussed ammonia use? Both Jordan and Austin have done meets, do they use ammonia?
I'm thinking its one of those a little bit is ok, but overuse might be longterm issue.
It's been used for so long there must be some study out there about health/safety

[mgil]

I would be concerned about the effects of ammonia on epithelial cells in my nose. I remember my anatomy prof. saying that it (ammonia) kills these cells. I have no idea to what extent, but that would be a choice you have to make. I'm sure other people more educated on this board can chime in.

Have BBM ever commented or discussed ammonia use? Both Jordan and Austin have done meets, do they use ammonia?
I'm thinking its one of those a little bit is ok, but overuse might be longterm issue.
It's been used for so long there must be some study out there about health/safety

I remember @MikeTuchscherer posting something a while back about it not making a difference. At least I think it was him? Could be wrong.

[mettkeks]

I would be concerned about the effects of ammonia on epithelial cells in my nose. I remember my anatomy prof. saying that it (ammonia) kills these cells. I have no idea to what extent, but that would be a choice you have to make. I'm sure other people more educated on this board can chime in.

Have BBM ever commented or discussed ammonia use? Both Jordan and Austin have done meets, do they use ammonia?
I'm thinking its one of those a little bit is ok, but overuse might be longterm issue.
It's been used for so long there must be some study out there about health/safety

I remember @MikeTuchscherer posting something a while back about it not making a difference. At least I think it was him? Could be wrong.

No wonder, he's hype-ing like a maths teacher.

[broseph]

I think you get whatever you want out of ammonia. It doesn’t get regular people all riled up when they smell- it just repulses them.

It’s like a trap slap or squeezing your earlobes or whatever. If you’re trying to get amped up from it, it I’ll help you. It’s an irritant. I don’t think it’s like caffeine where there are specific physiological effects that can enhance performance.

That said, if you’re looking for an intense and instantaneous irritant, ammonia fits the bill. And if you don’t like it, just wait a minute and you’ll be over the irritation. Always cracks me up when people hit the nose torque then spend an eternity with their deadlift set up ritual.

[Skid]

This is what ammonia does:


Start at 2:38 if the time stamp doesn't work:)

[Sumo]

I've never used ammonia while lifting, and i know it's said never do it for the first time at a meet, but... i can easily picture having a "fuck it" 3rd for deadlift at this meet, and it seems like that would be the time and the lift if i were to break that "rule"

I'm not easily able to imagine a downside.

I'd be interested to know people's thoughts on this.

So this falls into the "trying new things on meet day" bucket, it's really stupid, meet day is not the time to try something new. Whether it's food, equipment, supplement, whatever...meet day is not the day to try it.

Don't try it during the meet if you haven't used it in training and understand how you react, it will fuck you up if you don't know how to use it. You're supposed to use it right before you walk on the platform, there's no time to wait out the head-spin or whatever other reaction you might have to it.

[mouse]

Just don't snort ammonia all day as a leisure activity.

[platypus]

I find ammonia most helpful on days when I feel horrible. Running a fever, inadequate sleep, that sort of thing. It helps me wake up enough to make my planned weights.

Mostly it just sits in my gym bag and goes bad.

There's a bit of a learning curve. I'd definitely recommend using it in training before trying it at a meet. If you whiff too much you're going to be struggling to fight the pain in your head instead of getting a nice little energy rush.

[Wilhelm]

I got a bottle of Nose Tork, and have been using it for top singles.

My thought, is it gives me the signal that this is hype time, but in a predictable way.

When i pulled 200kg at my last meet, i stomped and yelled, and it was spontaneous.
But i don't feel comfortable turning that into a routine.
I also got light headed and fell back on my butt (didn't pass out) because i breathed differently than i usually do before setting up

I may still stomp and yell, if the spirit moves me, but the thing i will have as a routine is the ammonia.

Now i just need to make sure i don't lose my bottle at a meet.
In that case, there may well be more stomping and yelling.

[SeanHerbison]

I'm thinking its one of those a little bit is ok, but overuse might be longterm issue.

I could easily be wrong, but I think you'd have to really be trying to do so in order to run into long-term issues. If I had to guess, I'd say I've probably used it more than anyone else on this site, and for what's it's worth, I haven't run into any issues. I suppose Jujimufu would be the one to ask if you want an extreme example.

[simonrest]

I'm neither for or against ammonia. I do find it helps open the airways and maybe I can breath deeper, but that goes away quickly so any lift that requires a set up and start command in a competition environment I generally think the ammonia effect has worn off by then.

I also (much) prefer the snap capsules to a bottle for a competition situation

[Ragholmes]

I'm thinking its one of those a little bit is ok, but overuse might be longterm issue.

I could easily be wrong, but I think you'd have to really be trying to do so in order to run into long-term issues. If I had to guess, I'd say I've probably used it more than anyone else on this site, and for what's it's worth, I haven't run into any issues. I suppose Jujimufu would be the one to ask if you want an extreme example.

Yeah. I was meaning extreme use.
I was thinking of a pro lifter in the gym all day everyday using it every lift for multiple years could be doing some damage. Maybe some erosion of the nasal mucosa or something like that.
There are people who do use it a lot. The stuff has been around forever, so it can't be that dangerous.
Millions of people snort cocaine, some people end up with a crater in their face.... There's always someone out there willing to go way too far.
Maybe @Austin has some input. Because I honestly have no idea, I'm just some random dude on the interwebz sharing my opinion on something I really have no knowledge of.