Introduction

Bought the Nike Romaleo 2 (pictured) over a year ago to help improve my squat. They have since released the Romaleo 3s, but you may still be able to find the 2s online somewhere.

Durability

I have used these for over a year and there is not really any sign of wear on them. I probably have used these only an average of two times a week, but I never wear them outside. I normally wear running sneakers to the gym and then change into these once I get inside. The soles have never worn on them so far; the only thing that has shown some wear on them are the threads. A few of the threads have come undone, but I will just take a pair of nail clippers to clip them. Has not affected the sneaker in anyway.

Appearance

In my opinion, these are the most appealing powerlifting shoe. I may be a bit biased because I love Nike, but I would take these over the Adipowers all day. I think the new Romaleo 3s are not bad looking, but I just prefer the 2s. The 2s have two straps and a very wide sole to help with floor contact and stability. The heel is raised 0.75 inches off of the floor, which is designed to help mobility for those who cannot hit depth properly with a low bar squat. These are pretty heavy though; and they make take some time to get used to. The 3s supposedly are a lot lighter and better for those who do crossfit. I wear a 10.5 Nike running sneaker and my Romaleo 2s are a 10.5 and they fit fine.

They had a few different colorways to choose from. I chose the black with the white nike sign because I like black sneakers and I do not really like standing out. They have a few highlighter colors and some reds and blues and so on, but they are hard to match and like I said, I prefer black.

Effectiveness

I originally bought these because I could not properly hit depth while low-bar squatting. I prefer low-bar squat because I feel you are able to use more hips and glutes in the lift as opposed to a high-bar squat. I still do both, but use low-bar when I am going for power. I was able to increase my squat very quickly while using these along with using a program designed for strength. I had a log and videos in the journal section of the site to show my progress along the way.

I have also used these for some olympic lifts such as cleans and power cleans. These allow you to get into a better starting position. Unless you are super flexible, it is almost impossible to get into the correct starting position on power cleans/cleans using a non-elevated shoe. I attempted to use these on bench press as I have heard of some lifters preferring a raised heel while benching. I did not like the raised heel while benching, so I went back to wearing Converse for bench.

Value

I think I bought these for $180 last year which may seem like a lot, but Nikes in general are just expensive. You go to a Foot Locker or Champs and basically all the new Air Maxes are $150+ now. I think the Romaleos are worth the $180 to help build strength and they are a well-made, durable sneaker. Looks like there are still some select colors and sizes for the 2s going for about $160 now, but options look extremely limited. Sucks, because I liked these so much; looks like the 3s are going for $200 now.

Conclusion

If you are into powerlifting or olympic lifting, I would definitely recommend looking into the Romaleos. Normally for powerlifters, if you squat with a narrow stance, an elevated heeled shoe would benefit you. If you have a wider stance, you should be fine with Converses or a wrestling shoe. I love mine and have recommended them to a few other people over the past year who like them as well. They may be on the pricey side and may take a bit to get used to the weight and/or the elevated heel, but they should improve your squat once you get used to them. I may look into buying the 3s eventually to get a different color and to see which model I like better.

It's no secret EvoMuse arrived to Supplement Reviews "Guns Blazing"! They've been on the scene for a minute, and most people swear by their products. I've never used a Topical Fat-Burner before, so of course I was intrigued by this one. Big thanks to EvoMuse for bringing so much to the table, and HUGE apologies on my behalf for taking so long to get this review posted!

PROFILE- 6
Prop-Blends are a nuisance here at SR, but if the product is to be rubbed on your body, is it still a problem not knowing what the doses are? Serious question actually, since I do not know the answer! But it is a prop-blend, and a kitchen-sink one at that! I won't get into every ingredient listed on the label, but just imaging every fat burner on the market and toss those ingredients into a bottle (including caffeine)! All the Heavy-Hitter TRoopers did a great write-up on the ingredients panel, so I won't waste your time here. A major issue I had was that the label doesn't list a serving size is, and also doesn't say how many total servings are in each container! Do I have a weeks' worth? A month? I don't even know.

The instructions say to shake very well, and apply a "silver dollar" amount on your midsection. I vaguely remember what a silver dollar even looks like. The liquid came out a dark "orangish-brown" and was very gooey and sticky. It had some small little clear "gummy bear" bits floating around. And smelled like spicy Sriracha chili mixed with Vicks! It felt a lot like Icy Hot at first, eventually settling into a warm feeling around the midsection.

EFFECTIVENESS- 6.8
Well, after a few weeks I broke from my long-standing plateau of 240lbs and dropped down to 236! This hasn't happened in years. My waist did shrink maybe an inch and half, but I didn't see as much detail in my stomach as I wanted. Strangely, this worked more like an oral fat-burner meaning I lost total bodyweight, and the slimming mid-section was just a byproduct of that. I did sweat while taking this, and I mean a LOT! No changes in energy, or workout intensity from taking this. Towards week 3, I noticed a stall in weight loss. This leads me to believe this has strong diuretic properties. Actually, I'm sure of it; based on the frequency of urination and leg cramps. Towards about week-5 is when the bottle ran out, and I didn't see much difference at that point.

SIDE EFFECTS-4.5
Now for the bad; towards the middle of week-3 I developed a painful rash around my naval area. It would actually sting, and I'd skip application every couple of days. This may be the reason for the stall in weight loss. This stuff smells like a hot-wing challenge! There's no hiding the fact you have this on. It's MESSY!!! It's a sticky Orange liquid you rub all over your stomach. It sticks to your clothes but luckily it doesn't stain. Also, frequent Urination and leg cramps.

VALUE-4.5
50$ and up, is what I found this for. Like I said, the amount of servings is a mystery to me. Maybe I didn't dose it right, maybe it has a lot. This product is very expensive if you get a months' worth out of it. I got more, but I'm unsure if I dosed it correctly. At this price I would only consider this if I had a summer vacation cruise, or Vegas pool party in my future.

OVERALL- 5.8
For me, this product worked great as a short-term "quick results" product. But in my case, the price, side effects, and inconvenience make it a tough sell for me. I will say this; for someone who already has low bodyfat, I have no doubt this would get them stage ready in short time!

Introduction

Hey guys! This is my first supplement review as an SR Troop. Want to say Thank you to SR.com for hooking me up with this opportunity to sample products i might not every buy on my own either because of price or another reason.

Ingredient Profile

Nutrex did an excellent job by clinically dosing all of the ingredients with no "prop" blend. With 3.2g of beta-alanine i get just enough tingle to "feel" that is working. 8g of citrulline malate really gets my muscles pumping. The 350mg of caffeine citrate & anydrous combined with 50mg of teacrine hits the spot with the energy. I want to say this was my first time trying a supplement with Teacrine and i can definitely tell the difference. It helps to extend the energy to last during my full 1.5hr workout. My favorite part is the 750mg of N-ACETYL-L-Tyrosine because it allows me to really focus on my workout to keep the pump going and sweat flowing. it also has 2.5g of betaine anhydrous to help with the blood flow to muscles and 2g of creatine magnapower which is supposed to create a higher level of absorption than regular mono.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Serving size is 1 scoop and not to exceed more than 1-scoop per day. I started out with taking a 1/2 dose for the first few days then bumped up to the full dose. I would recommend the same for others. It states to drink 30-45 minutes prior to working out. Typically things hit me a little quicker (15 min) but this was pretty spot on with the 30 min.
Mixability was great! I only had to swirl my cup around a few times to get it to dissolve before it was ready to drink with no chunks or leftover powder.
Now to the taste, this is one of the best parts. I had the fruit candy, and let me tell you, it taste just like candy.

Effectiveness

Outlift Amped was effective in all areas of my workout. Energy/Endurance/Pumps/Strength. I workout on average for 1.5 hrs and it last my entire workout. I was able to keep the same energy throughout the full 1.5 hrs and it helped me knock out a few more reps than normal. It gave me just enough pump to see and feel the fullness without the cramping and cutting my reps too short. As for strength, i showed an increase in strength and i could really tell this by the end of my workout. Going up in weight and/or knocking out more reps.

Value

This is the only issue i have with this product. I did not buy this product so i looked up the prices. $40 for 20 servings, that is just too much money for me to spend personally. I like to stay around $1-$1.50 per serving. So at $2 a serving, I would not purchase unless their was a good discount offered or if i had some extra money to burn.

Side Effects

As for side effects, I only had one and it was hit and miss. I workout in the morning at 4am, so with nothing on my stomach I had to hit the bathroom a sometimes. No nausea, just would make me have to go.

Conclusion

In conclusion, i found Nutrex Outlift Amped to be a great product and I would recommend this too others as long as they do not mind spending the money. This has everything you would want in a pre and at clinical doses it would be one of my top picks. Just wish it was a little cheaper so i could take on regular basis.

Introduction

After having a good experience with VITAL 4U multivitamin, I wanted to give their ready to drink (RTD) energy supplement a try. I am always looking to try different products especially RTD ones such as this. Here is the review.

Ingredient Profile

Each package of Screamin Energy Ultra comes in 12 ready to drink (RTD) pouches. Each pouch is a single serving. I will note that this product does contain 13g of carbohydrates from sucrose. I originally missed that it had the sucrose but after tasting it, I noticed a sugary aftertaste and saw it on the ingredient panel. So, just be aware of it, those 13g of carbohydrates equate to 50 calories. The first vitamin ingredient is thiamin at a 1.5 mg dosage, which is 100% daily value. Thiamine can help with metabolism, immunity, and cardiovascular support. The next vitamin is niacin at 10 mg, which is 50% daily value. Niacin can aid in ED, skin health, brain function and improve cholesterol levels. The next ingredient is vitamin b6 at 2 mg dosage, which is 100% daily value. Vitamin B6 can improve mood, support the brain and eye health, and help with high blood pressure. The last vitamin ingredient is vitamin b-12 in the cyanocobalamin form at 24 mcg, which is 400% daily value. The main benefit to vitamin b-12 is increased energy levels, mood boost, and digestion aid. The vitamin ingredients in this product were pretty well dosed.

After the vitamin ingredients, you have alpha-GPC at a 25 mg dose. This particular ingredient can aid power output, an acute increase in growth hormone, and reduction in cognitive decline. The main issue here is that the 25 mg dose is way below effective dosages. The most common dosages used are 300-600 mg with 1200 mg being used for cognitive decline. I have to doubt that this will be much at a 25 mg dosage. The proprietary "Ultra Power Blend" follows this ingredient at a 551 mg dose. This consists of taurine, caffeine, L-Arginine AKG 2:1 and yohimbine HCL. The main issue with the proprietary blend is half of it is underdosed. There is 185 mg of caffeine in the product, which leave 366 mg left in the proprietary blend. At 366 mg the only other ingredient that could be close to clinical dosage is yohimbine HCL. As for the taurine and l-arginine AKG 2:1, they are much underdosed and will not have much benefit at this dosage. Overall, the ingredient profile is underwhelming but that was rather expected for RTD products. Most RTD products especially energy ones are underdosed in comparison to powdered versions.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Screamin Energy ULTRA comes in French caramel coffee as its only flavor. The flavor was honestly just okay. It definitely had a coffee flavor but I did not get much caramel. When you first take it, you are hit with a coffee flavor that dissipates into this odd sugary chemical type taste. I rather expected this based on similar packaged products I had. Overall, I did not look forward to taking this but the taste was bearable. Mixability does not come into play with this product but I will mention that it comes in 12 RTD pouches. As far as dosing goes, I really used one pouch as a coffee alternative and a boost before hiking or running at the park.

Effectiveness

For an RTD energy product, I found this to be effective. It was a good coffee replacement that I felt had versatile uses. As I mentioned in previous reviews I do a lot of running at a park and this was perfect for that. I would usually take this on the way to the park or when I got there. It would kick in rather quickly (on empty stomach) and would last for the duration of my run. I noticed that I was able to run a little faster and I was not out of breath as quickly with just coffee. The energy would last through the entire run and would continue for about two hours after. I did try this before a weight-training workout and I thought it was just okay. I would not use this as a preworkout replacement but if you are only using coffee this could be a step up.

There was another way I found this to be effective and that was the convenience of the product. I was able to have an energy boost without the need for water or a bottle. I went camping overnight and this product came in handy without needing to heat water for coffee. I also had a spur of the moment workout where this came in handy. This honestly is one of those products to have on hand when you need convenient energy but the price is high.

Value

The cheapest that I could find this was from Vital4U website where it retails for $21.00 with free shipping. This comes to $1.75 per pouch. This is on the expensive side. To put it into perspective I pay $.43 for coffee pods and $.80 for espresso pods. For a few cents more, you can get Pre Kaged ($1.80) or Pre Jym ($1.78). However, all of these you would need water to mix. The value comes down to whether or not you want to convenience of the RTD pouch. Personally, I could see myself having a case that I would take if I were going camping or long hikes.

Side Effects

I had no side effects while taking this product.

Conclusion

Screaming Energy Ultra is an effective energy boosting product that is very convenient. As far as performance goes it is more effective than coffee. However, it comes at a high price that could potentially be worth it if you want the convenience of the RTD pouch. I would like to thank Vital4U for sending the product and the Trooper Program for coordinating it.

-Xcmiler

Introduction

I'm a competing powerlifter, who for some reason is trying to run her first 5k in October. I lift in the mornings and am doing C25K in the evenings (3 days a week).

I'm also cutting right now and I'm lighter than I've been since high school.

Ingredient Profile

Reload is an electrolyte supplement from Micronamin. Unlike many electrolyte products that are just overpriced sugar packets, we have a nice mix of different electrolytes here:

Calcium - 326 mg
Magnesium - 150 mg
Potassium - 200 mg
Phosphorus - 250 mg
Sodium chloride - 667 mg

Electrolytes are important because they help keep the body hydrated. When we drink water, it tends to sit outside of our cells. We need electrolytes to bring some of that water into the cells and stay hydrated/balanced.

Most of the major electrolytes are in this product. The only one missing is bicarbonate, but you don't need all seven of them at once. In my opinion, it's nice to have at least three different ones.

We also have other ingredients in this product.

Vitamin C - 500 mg-
Sulphate - 10 mg-
Vanadium - 3 mg- Unsure of what this does in the body.
Zinc - 10 mg- an essential mineral that does a slew of different things in the body.
Trace mineral blend - 100 mg

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I got the lemon lime flavor, and I did not like it. It had this weird multi-vitamin like taste to it, like I was eating Flintstones tablets or something like that. Electrolytes are usually pretty easy to flavor. They are just salts after all, so I'm surprised the taste wasn't better.

I add my flavored leucine to this (I drink it intra workout) which helps, but the lemon lime was a miss for me 5/10.

The mixability was pretty decent. Sometimes, there was a bit of grit at the bottom, but for the most part, Reload mixed fine, 8/10.

The dosing is easy. Just rip open a packet and drop it into your water. I've had electrolyte supplements that were droplets, which made it hard to dose it consistently. I've also just gotten a big bag which tends to get clumpy, as the electrolytes are hydrophilic, so this product was one of the more convenient ones I have used.

Effectiveness

I really think that electrolyte supplements are underrated in general. Sure they're not as flashy as BCAAs or pre-workouts, but if you find yourself dehydrated during a lifting session or a run, you will not have a good time, and it could lead to something dangerous like heat stroke.

Unfortunately, most electrolyte supplements are just sugary water and don't do much to improve hydration. Studies indicate that most of them do not hydrate you any better than plain water.

This product, however, was very well formulated, and I found that it was quite helpful in terms of staying hydrated at the gym or when I was out running. Right now, it's summer. It's hot and I'm lifting in a field house with no AC or running in a park with little shade.

I've been dehydrated before, and I know the signs: dry mouth, headache, dizziness. I've had none of this with Reload.

Value

This product is reasonably priced considering that it is in individual packets, which is more convenient than a scoop or a dropper. I found Reload for $30 and that's 50 servings, or $.60/serving.

Most products like this, for example Gatorade, will be $1/packet, and will have a crap profile.

Still, if you want the cheapest electrolyte option, you would get something like BulkPowders electrolyte powder which can be had for $.07/serving and flavor it yourself.

Yeah, there's a big difference in price between flavored electrolyte products in individual packets and unflavored products that you have to scoop out, but that's the market for you.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

This was my first product from Micronamin, and it was an effective one. I wouldn't get the lemon lime, but I would be up for trying the other flavors.

Introduction

If you have read my other Fish Oil reviews you will remember that I am 37 years old, lift 5 days a week, and have been in the Army for 18 years, and suffered 6 TBI's in the course of time. I say this so you see just how serious I take Fish Oil when it comes to supplements. Some doc's in the Army call Fish Oil the miracle pill because of all of its benefits, so I like to try different brands to see which ones are truly the best. I saw Omega 3 by BioScience Nutrition being sold on Amazon for a cheap deal, so thought I would give it a shot since it is a brand I have never heard of, hoping this was a diamond in the rough.

Ingredient Profile

Pretty standard profile here with 1200mg EPA, 900mg DHA, and 150mg Other Omega 3 fatty acids giving you a total of 2,250mg of Omega 3's. EPA helps lessen inflammation in the body, while DHA is essential for brain health and function. Though this is a common thing, I do not like when companies only list the rest of the Omega-3's as Other and do not explain what fatty acids they truly are. In a world of transparent labels I feel companies should get better at this. Not a dealbreaker as this is fairly common for Fish Oil, just my personal preference. Bottom line here is the dosages of Omega 3's in this product are good.

One thing that really bothers me here though is the fact that on the product page in Amazon it states it is third party tested and those tests can be found on their website. I have scoured the BioScience web site and have not found any third party testing. Their website really reminds me of a cheap company, but that could just be my perception.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

As you would expect these are pills, so no real taste to them. Dosing is just 3 pills per day, which I usually took with breakfast. Easy to swallow, nothing else to really state here.

Effectiveness

This is where the product went wrong for me, and what got me paranoid about their website look and the fact I could not find a Third Party Test. I use a Fitbit Blaze and it keeps track of my resting heart rate. When I switched from Intelligent Labs Omega 3 to this, I noticed within two weeeks that my resting heart rate increased from 64 (I know, not great) to 74. It stayed around the 74 level the whole time I took this Fish Oil. I do have high blood pressure, so I know what it feels like when it gets to the "highish" levels, and at no point during this run did I feel this helped to lower my blood pressure. If anything it either did nothing or made it worse.

The other issue is the memory. If I don't take Fish Oil then my memory sucks and I forget simple words. For example if I want to say I put the dishes in the Dishwasher, sometimes I would say I put the dishes in the washing machine. Simple little things, but this is what happens when you get hit in the head too many times. However, my memory is a lot better when I take a quality fish oil, so another good reason I take this supplement so serious. At no point on my run of BioScience did I feel any memory improvement and like my blood pressure it felt worse.

Cannot say much about joint pain here, since I am also taking a Joint Pain supplement, but given how it did not aid me in blood pressure or memory, this did nothing for me in general.

Value

I picked this up on Amazon for $21.95 for a 40 day supply. The only places this is offered is through their website or Amazon and its the same price. The price was good coming out to 55 cents a day, hence why I wanted to give it a shot. However, I couple value with effectiveness and essentially I felt I paid 22 dollars for nothing. Yes it is cheap, but you get what you pay for here!!

Side Effects

If you do not take this with food you will have the fishy burps, pretty standard for any Fish Oil I have ever taken. Nothing else that stands out.

Conclusion

This was a great deal on Amazon so I thought I would give it a shot even though I have never heard of this company, nor could I find it here on SR. In the end this product did absolutely nothing for me, and likely hurt me in the end. I would not suggest this for anyone, and I am very skeptical of this company in general at this point, and perhaps an investigation into their credibility needs to be in order, because they have a whole lot of products in their line. I could not find any third party testing, so really we do not know what we are getting here.

Introduction
Like the review title says, I'm 39 and I'm starting to feel myself going down instead of up. Everyone keeps telling me that I need a testosterone boost or shot. The shots were too expensive so I decided to try the pills. The cover of the tub states that it will boost testosterone as soon as 7 days! The question I have is, would this testosterone pill help me?

Ingredient Profile
The first section the Anticatabolic Complex which consists of Rhodiola Extract at 386 mg and Ginkgo Extract at 2.7 mg. Rhodiola is a perennial flowering plant. It grows naturally in wild Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Rhodiola a traditional Chinese medicine herb which is to promote physical/cognitive vitality. It claims to cut fatigue and exhaustion. Rhodiola is also neuroprotective (which affects the nerves) and has been known to help longevity. Ginkgo is a large tree with fan-shaped leaves. Ginkgo is found in Asia and grown in Europe and the United States. Ginko is one of the most used herbs because of it for memory disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Used for conditions that seem to cut blood flow in the brain, especially in older people. These conditions include memory loss, headache, ringing in the ears, vertigo, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and hearing disorders. Some people use it for other problems related to poor blood flow in the body, including leg pain when walking and Raynaud's syndrome (a painful response to cold, especially in the fingers and toes).

The second section is the Free (Active) Testosterone Stimulator which consists of Boron Citrate at 100 mg and Supplying 5mg Of Active Boron. Boron is a dietary mineral which is to increase testosterone when supplemented at doses higher than from food. Boron is found less in the food we consume due to the farmers growing different products that fail to use Boron. After a 10 day test done on subjects that were taking Boron, the scientists compared their subjects blood results to other subjects that were not taking Boron and found out that: free testosterone levels had increased by 28%, free estrogen levels had decreased by -39%, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels rose by 10%.

Other than ginkgo, I question the ingredients. As most testosterone or boosters supplements, they usually contain questionable products from Asia. Little to no evidence to prove that these Asian herbs will produce what they claim to. As far as the ginkgo, it seems a good supplement and is easily found in pill form. I am not sure that the ginkgo is going to help with testosterone.

There's good amount of scientific evidence speaking for the health benefits of boron. The ability to increase testosterone levels in healthy human men. That is, why people recommend taking a boron testosterone supplement. A dose range that can increase testosterone levels (without becoming toxic) falls in between 3-25 mg/day. The question here is that this testosterone booster is at 100mg so, is this product becoming toxic? The boron only pills I found online are in the 3-25 mg. Boron is a good product but other options available that can help boost testosterone.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing
No taste as because of a pill. Instructions say to take 4 pills a day (2 in the morning and 2 at night). The tubs come with 30 servings (a serving was 2 pills) so it would last 15 days.

Effectiveness
This is the problem part. At no time did I feel that the testosterone booster helped. I know that it takes a while for testosterone to change and despite what the logo says on the tub (as quick as 7 days to feel the boost) I tried it for a while. I was actively taking it as prescribed and I tried it for 2 months. After 2 months of taking it, I decided to stop because nothing was working. I have tried some different testosterone boosters since trying this one and most of them have at least given me a boost (not for sure if that was due to the caffeine in it or not). The only thing for me to try to help is trying the shot. I would not recommend this to have effectiveness.

Value
The cost was $10 per tub and one tub would get you 15 days so you would spend $20 for a month supply. Testosterone pills or shots can get high (some I have found start at $100 for a month supply or shot). So, for the cost, cheap but if ineffective, a waste of money.

Side Effects
No side effects noticed.

Conclusion
I have recently had blood work done and the testosterone level is in the middle range of having enough and getting lower. I do feel that I need to have a boost in testosterone to keep my goals. Multiple micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that give to testosterone synthesis, such as vitamins A, C, D, K2, zinc, magnesium, iodine, calcium, etcThese items are not found in the Six Star Testosterone Booster. The Six Star Testosterone Booster only has 1 ingredient (Boron) that seems to help with Testosterone Boost. The problem with the Boron in Six Star Testosterone is that is at such a high level, hurting more than helping. Boron is a proven product to help with testosterone increase, but a lot more options to help. The research I have seen a list of 5-10 ingredients that can help with testosterone boost but Six Star Testorenoe Boost only has one. A person can have a testosterone boost without "feeling" the boost. I would not recommend Six Star Testorenoe boost because I did not feel that it helping, especially with feeling younger, more energy, and sex drive. Find a testosterone boost that has more nutrients and more testosterone ingredients.

Introduction

I've been including BCAA supplements into my daily stack for as long as I can remember and for good reason! BCAA's are a vital component to helping our bodies hold onto our hard-earned muscle especially during a cutting phase or calorie deficit! Being on the final weeks of my competition prep, I've had to tighten up my eating habits and have had to up my use of BCAAs to ensure I keep my physique up till I step onto stage. Hydra Focus's seemingly excellent ingredient profile was more than enough to get me on board to test it out during my final push to stage-readiness! Let's see how it stacks up against the competition!

Ingredient Profile

Citrulline Malate (4g): Holy crap! 4 grams of CM in one serving for a BCAA supplement is pretty much unheard of in the supplement industry, mainly due to the high price that the ingredient demands but somehow Mind Muscle Nutrition was able to make it work! Adding nitric oxide boosters into an intra-workout supplement is rather genius because it can help keep the vascular pumps running following use of a preworkout to easily complete a full lift session with skin bursting bloodflow throughout. Very few BCAA products if any would ever dare to put this kind of dosing in their products without at least asking for an arm and a leg so I really have to commend Mind Muscle for keeping the item affordable.

BCAA Blend (2:1:1) (7g): A rather generous BCAA portion compared to the industry standard which usually hovers between 5-6g. Since this is primarily a BCAA product I'll also take the time to educate on the purpose for using BCAAs in general. When we workout at the gym our bodies uses energy from 3 main sources (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) and typically when we are running certain diets that utilize low fats or low carbs it in turn increases the amount of protein your body uses for energy and unfortunately our muscles are an excellent source for the protein energy. Thankfully for BCAAs they are pretty much broken down protein molecules so when you ingest them and workout hard your bodies recognizes that you've got broken down protein molecules floating around and will more likely not resort to breaking down muscle since it's available in a simpler form elsewhere. This is pretty much the bare-bones explanation of BCAA usage and hopefully I helped out a person or 2 with realizing why so many gym rats spend cash on them :]

Choline Bitartrate (500mg): Fairly common mild nootropic ingredient that is likely the reason for the "Focus" in the supplements name (and from the N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine as well :P). It has been fairly well-studied and has shown to improve general neurological function from ingestion.

Raw Coconut Water Concentrate (500mg): Excellent source of electrolyte replenishment!

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I've had the opportunity to try out the Orange Smarty flavor and I must say that it hits the nail right on the head if they were literally going for the taste of the "orange smarties" candies flavor. I personally love citrus-y flavors and this one absolutely delivers. Anyone that isn't really aware of the "smarties" flavor could possibly compare it to Tang from childhood. It mixes fairly well and I'll have to give kudos for Mind Muscle doing away with any dye coloring. The scooper however is fairly large and possibly the largest BCAA scooper I've ever seen likely due to the larger BCAA dose and CM dose. Overall though awesome flavor!

Effectiveness

I typically took Hydra Focus during my daily workouts following the use of various preworkout supplements. It's hard to really notice the citrulline effect from the product since most preworkouts contain it already but it definitely does well to keep the great vascular pumps running throughout the workout with ease. Since most preworkouts usually skimp on lower than clinical dosing on citrulline this product can actually help cover lacking doses. I did notice that during my workouts I had a reduced incidence of cramping as well which may be due to the electrolyte blend included in Hydra Focus. Though I haven't had any professional testing on my lean body mass measurements I do honestly believe that I have been able to maintain more muscle during my cutting phase while using this product compared to if I didn't. I think BCAAs are a dark horse supplement that aren't really talked or hyped up about very much since they usually lack crazy stimulants or pump ingredients but that's what preworkouts are for I guess, it is nice to see a product like Hydra Focus act a little bit as a hybrid product to slightly blur the line between pre-intra workout supplement though.

Value

I was able to find Hydra Focus on the company's website for $35 which brings us to a fairly affordable $1.17 per serving. It is quite a bit more pricey than your average BCAA product but it contains a high quality ingredient profile that I believe warrants the asking price.

Side Effects

I personally experienced no significant negative effects while using Hydra Focus.

Conclusion

As far as enhanced intra/BCAA-workout supplements are concerned I believe that Hydra Focus sets a new gold standard for the category. Mind Muscle Nutrition made a bold choice to add citrulline malate to the blend but unfortunately have had to demand a significantly higher price point in return but I do believe it was a great overall decision especially being an intra-workout product. The inclusion of the nootropic, electrolytes, and pumped up BCAA blend are great additions to make Hydra Focus into an excellent overall product. Though Hydra Focus may not be super attractive to thrifty gym rats I do believe that those that can afford the upgrade from a basic BCAA blend should most definitely make the jump over and they will not be disappointed with a product that works to further enhance lifts beyond the capabilities of the usual formula. Cheers Fellas!

Introduction

Hello ladies and gentlemen. I bought this preworkout because i liked the ingredients profile and because it contains no dyes.

Ingredient Profile

Strength/Vascularity/Pumps
Citrulline DL-Malate 6000mg
AAKG 2000mg
Creapure Creatine Monohydrate 2000mg
Betaine HCL 1500mg

You got a clinical dose of Citruline Malate for Strength/Vascularity/Pumps along with AAKG which is great because i used to have good pumps with Arginine (old memories). Creapure and Betaine seems to be underdosed but they make a pretty good combo along with other strength ingredients like Citrulline, AAKG and BCAA's. They chose Betaine HCL (not Anhydrous) to help with digestion (temporarily) of this massive list of ingredients. Just make sure when you consume HCL you got some food on your stomach.

Strength/Endurance
BCAA 8:1:1 5000mg
Leucine 4000mg
Isoleucine 500mg
Valine 500mg
Beta Alanine 2000mg

Nice quantity of BCAA's on a 8:1:1 to help you with strength and endurance. Beta Alanine for endurance and cardio which is bit underdosed (clinical dose is 3.2 g).

Focus
L-Tyrosine 1000mg
Choline Bipatarte 500mg
Huperzine A 100mcg

Good quantity of Tyrosine (tends to be take in doses 500mg-2000mg) for Cognition, Stress, Subjective Well-Being and Focus. If you have a hyperactive thyroid you should be wary and avoid this just in case. They chose to play safe and instead of using DMAE they chose Choline which is a bit weaker than DMAE but possibly safer. Choline Bipatarte is for cognitive boosting properties which is a bit underdosed (1-2g is typically used) but i understand this because big doses may give the user a headache. Huperzine A is a acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and acetylcholine is known as the learning neurotransmitter on a good dosage (tends to be in the range of 50-200mcg daily). Overall nice dosages.

Energy
Caffeine Anhydrous 250mg
L-Carnitine Tartate 2000mg
Capsicum Annum Extract 1000mg
Synephrine 30mg

With 250mg of Caffeine some people would like more, some would like less but for me is pretty good quantity (i tend to avoid large dosages of Caffeine due to tolerance). Netherless for most this is a high quantity and if you are stim tolerant start with half scoop. I like the fact that they didn't just mop up this pre with Caffeine and other stims like most preworkouts on the market but they preferred the hard way and added some thermo effect ingredients on good dosages like Carnitine, Capsicum and Synephrine to increase heat and fat loss which they will give you some extra energy on your workout.

Anti-Cramping/Electrolytes
Taurine 1000mg
Sodium 250mg
Potassium 150mg

Taurine mostly reduces cramping caused by fat burners (see above) which is a good pick. Some electrolytes so you don't product way too much heat thanks to the thermo effect.

Lastly i like that this pre-workout doesn't contain any dyes but they prefer to have natural colors like Chlorophyll and Curcumin which is great! I would like more companies choose this way.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Pre Builds come only on one flavor which is Blue Raspberry (what a big surprise hehe). Don't try this on "bro" scoop it is too bitter and you will mostly throw up and don't take this on a completely empty stomach (eat some crackers lol). On a 500ml quantity of water it tastes pretty good, a bit bitter but i kinda like that bitterness and it gets addicting after some time. I have tried some really bad flavors so this is pretty good.

Now for the bad news and the reason for the title. Mixability is decent but no matter how much you shake this you will have some sediment on the bottom. When you drink this and reach the bottom (50ml remaining) ALWAYS and i mean ALWAYS add some water or else you will throw up due to the excessive bitterness.

Dosing was two scoops (one serving) before 15-20 minutes of working out.

Effectiveness

Strength (9.7/10)
By far compared to other pre-workout i have tried. Simply amazing strength and i am not even kidding. Not only i noticed a moderate to big increase in weight but also an increase in reps by 2-4 which is pretty good. Consistent every time and not once disappointed me. Consistency is pretty important on strength and i believe this truly helped me.

Focus (9.5/10)
The Focus which i like! Motivation to go to Gym, laser focus and not thinking anything else other than weights and cardio! When you lift everything else disappears and the only that exist in the room is you and the weights and nothing else! I wasn't fond of talking to others and i just wanted to lift.

Energy (9/10)
A bit inconsistent but overall pretty good. For example most of the days energy would be intense, wanting to smash the weights and do some cardio and some days it would be a bit less intense more like clean, calm energy but definitely still there to help you. Both types of energy were consistent during my workout and i liked both. The most consistent thing is the intense heat and you will sweat like a pig every time (too too too much sweat) when you workout and especially on cardio in the beginning which i don't like a lot but hey i got some great energy. After 30-40 minutes you won't sweat so much at least. I think in terms of fat loss it worked because i look somewhat more leaner and with better definition on the mirror and many people told me that i looked pretty jacked lol. Despite using this for over a month i don't think i got a big increase in tolerance.

Endurance (8/10)
Good endurance overall. Same recovery times between sets but don't forget that i raised the bar a lot on weights and reps so i think it did some work there. Also moderately better endurance on cardio. I just would like something more than that. Adding 1.5 g of Beta Alanine raised the score to 9/10. If they had included the clinical dosage of Beta Alanine this preworkout would be perfect for me.

Vascularity (9/10)
Substantially more and bigger veins almost all the times working out which is great. Citrulline and AKKG did it's job superbly.

Pumps (8.5/10)
I don't look for pumps in a workout at all (are you crazy? hm.....) but i included this for people that like them. Muscle fullness was on point after about 30-40 minutes of working out, i could feel my muscles fuller to the last minute of my workout and looking bigger. Good pumps most of the times but nothing that it will blow your socks off. This pre doesn't promise pumps so don't look out for the great pumps that will astonish you.

Value

I bought this on a offer. 20 servings for 20 Euros plus 450g of Lean Whey Protein you simply can't beat that. Amazing value for such an effective product so i bought 2 more containers.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a well rounded pwo this will do the trick. I got some Great Strength, Intense Focus, Increased Energy along with Thermo Effect, Good Endurance and Vascularity and an Amazing Value. This is my favorite pre-workout so far and it definitely worth it's money.

Introduction

First off I want to thank UXO Supplements for letting us troopers have the chance to try this product. This will be my first time ever using any UXO products. This is a little different than your normal Whey protein because in this you are getting 7 different kinds of proteins. I like to do blended proteins once in awhile to change things up and figured this would be great to have for in the mornings to help me on my recovery and help to fuel me up more.

Ingredient Profile

In this you get 7 different proteins Whey Concentrate, Whey Isolate, Milk Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Egg Whites, and Whey Hydrolysate.

Medium release proteins you get is Egg Protein and Milk Protein Isolate fuels your body with amino acids for 1 hours (90 minutes).

Extended Release protein you get is Micellar Casein and Calcium Caseinate take much longer to digest. You get a full 4 hour release of amino acids. This makes these proteins ideal for appetite control.

Immediate Release Proteins you get is Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Concentrate & Glutamine Peptides are absorbed within 30 minutes after you consume them.

You get 24g of timed released proteins, Over 5g of BCAAs from protein to increase protein synthesis and improve lean muscle mass and enhance muscle recovery, Includes necessary vitamins to increase metabolic functions and increase energy, CLA to promote fat loss, and 5g of Dietary Fibers to support healthy digestion.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This comes in two flavors Strawberry milkshake and Frozen Cappuccino. Since I can't stand anything coffee flavored I had to go with the strawberry milkshake. I thought it tasted pretty good. Had a nice light strawberry taste to it. If you happen to use to much water it really gave it a bit more of that water down taste to it which I did not like. This is not real heavy on taste but has more of a lighter strawberry milkshake taste to it. You should have no issues at all wanting to drink this. Also there was no weird after taste to this.

Had no issues with it mixing at all. There were no left over chunks or anything that stuck to the bottom of my shaker bottle. Everything seem to fully mix up very nicely. Since this has your slow medium and fast digesting proteins in this it can be taken at other times besides just post workout. For me I used this in the morning to help fuel me up and give me a little more recovery. It's says on the label that two scoops in one serving size.

Effectiveness

Since this was a blend protein product I decided I would use this in the mornings before work and then do my regular protein after my workout. Since I don't eat much in the mornings for breakfast I figured this would be good for me to take to help fuel me up a little more and give me some more energy. After taking this in the mornings I felt a little more full like to where I felt like I had something in me to help fuel my body and get me going. Also I felt like I got some good energy from this to help get me going more. It was nice having the different release time proteins in this so they could hit me at different times though out the morning and help keep me going until lunch time.

Also it was nice getting these extra proteins in me to help me with any recovery I needed from my workout the day before. After I started to use this I started to feel a lot better in my body. I know my recovery seemed to be a lot better and I felt a lot less sore and my DOMs were way less. Never had any gut issues when taking this. This seemed to be very good on my stomach and never did I get any upset stomach from this. I know this has some dietary fibers in this to help with healthy digestion and I feel they helped with this. Had no unwanted bathroom issues while taking this. While I was on this I noticed I not feeling as bloated. My stomach seemed to feel and look a little more flatter which was nice.

Also I notice they do have some CLA in this to help with fat loss. I feel I did trim up a little more while I was on this and was able to gain a little more muscle mass instead of feeling and looking all bloated like. Normally my weight likes to stay around the same weight all the time (195lbs) and will maybe go up or down a few pounds and that's it. I would like to increase my weight some and put more muscle mass on but for me that is hard to do that because then I start to get a lot more bloated and that I don't always like. I guess to put on more weight it's hard to do without feeling all bloated like.

Value

Right now UXO products are only available through their website. On UXO website they want $49.99 for 30 servings. I think the price is way too high for a smaller size container like this. I would really like to see some other sites start carrying this product like because it would really help to lower the price a bit. I know this is a blended protein and they usually cost more but this is just to high for me. This comes out to about $1.66 per serving.

Side Effects

Nothing I noticed.

Conclusion

I don't normally use blended proteins but they are nice to have once in awhile. I was rather pleased with this and how it worked for me. I feel this has a good solid profile and it works. I would really like to see some other sites start carrying this product line and plus it would help to lower the prices a bit. If your looking to try something a little different in protein blends I would recommend giving this a try. I know this would be a product I would try again if I am in the need of this kind of protein again but first the price would have to drop a bit. Again I want to give a big shout out to UXO Supplements for making this product and letting me try it.

Introduction

EvoMuse is a pretty solid company. AlphaBurn is great, DCP is great, GutHealth is alright... then.. they have their line of topical creams. Now, SuperNova has gotten mixed reviews. Some say it's great, some have said it did next to nothing for them.

Ingredient Profile

You get a lot of cool sounding ingredients in here. Problem is, with 30 ingredients, you have no idea how much of each you'll be getting or even absorbing. Some of the ingredients actually have some studies behind them. Yohimbine is probably the best example. Some of the other ingredients have some science behind them, but without knowing how much is in here, it is impossible to know if you are getting a good amount of anything.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

One thing that all reviewers seem to have in common is that we would like a better way of dosing SuperNova than "a silver dollar". A pump would be the easiest way to keep us all happy. Sometimes I felt I was putting too little on, then sometimes I felt that I would just have way too much of this brown liquid on me.

It's more of a slightly thicker liquid than anything. Def. not a cream or a gel consistency. Make sure you shake it first, or else you are just going to have straight liquid pour out.

This part needs some work for sure.

Effectiveness

Really, when you first put it on, you get a nice cooling effect. It actually feels pretty good for the first few minutes before it started to fade away. After that I personally almost forgot I was putting it on. Now some may say they got some sort of sweating effect, I personally did not get this that often. If I took it before a morning cardio session, I may have noticed a slight bit a sweat, but nothing that made me remember that I was actually taking it.

I ran this along with AlphaBurn. With Alphaburn, I did notice the yohimbine effects. With SuperNova, I really couldn't tell if it was doing anything for me or not. Since I ran it alongside another product, and got results, I can't say this did not help in any single way. I just feel that I got more out of alphaburn than supernova. It is as simple as that.

I am not against creams and such for fat loss, but it really all comes down to diet, which I had nailed down during the time I took this. So, since I am sure alphaburn was doing its part, I didn't really see a need to throw this on top(especially for the price!) to see no real extra results.

Value

This stuff is expensive. This runs a little over $50. I could get 3 different proven fat burning products on their own for less than that amount(Ephedrine, caffeine pills, thryotwin).

This is a big reason why I am giving this a thumbs down. It is simply not worth the money.

Side Effects

Besides a nice cooling sensation, I would like to warn any user that you should wear a shirt to bed if you take this before going to bed. I made the mistake of not doing that one night, and woke up to a bed that looked like I left a giant skidmark on it.

Also, the gel sometimes leaves these gross little gel-like clumps everywhere.

Conclusion

While I am not against creams and gels for fat burning, Supernova is just too expensive for me to consider buying. Since I feel as if all I got was a slight cooling sensation along with maybe a slight bit of sweat every once in a while, I can't recommend someone else buying this.

Supernova is kind of a pain to use(putting gel on yourself isn't as easy as taking a pill), and confusing to measure out. Way too expensive to become a staple as well.

If you have the money to buy Supernova... don't. Buy 2 bottles of Alphaburn instead.

Introduction

Hey SR, here today to review EvoMuse's Gut Health, a pro/prebiotic supplement for digestion and immune health. Ever since my ACL reconstruction about 7 months ago, I have been doing the Carb Nite Protocol, a Keto type diet for cutting. It has worked extremely well as at the time of my surgery I was 195 lbs and I am sitting now at 160 lbs. That being said, Keto diet can be pretty rough on your gut as with lots of meat, cheese, etc. you can get pretty backed up and bowel movements can become irregular and painful. I always try to get some fiber in and a multi with some digestion aids, but sometimes that's not enough. I was eager to try this to see if it would help. Review below.

Ingredient Profile

Attached the supplement facts, and I feel this is a great well rounded profile that is an uptick on your basic probiotic supplement. GutHealth provides 12 billion CFUs with different strains of probiotics that help in digestion, inflammation, and protein synthesis. 12 billion is a good number, more than you find in good multis but maybe less than some of the elite standalone probiotics like NOW. EvoMuse then adds 100 mg of a prebiotic, 200 mg apple peel polyphenols and 100 mg zinc carnosine. These ingredients are aimed directly at bowl inflammation and immune system defense which nobody should complain about having added in. Overall, it looks like a premium digestion aid.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No taste, easy to swallow caps. It states to take 2 caps per day for the first 5 days, and then you can cut back to just one a day. Doesn't state to take with/without food or time of day, so I usually took with my protein shake in the morning. Easy protocol.

Effectiveness

So bottom line how did it work? Being on a Keto diet eating mostly meat and eating a lot less than normal being n a caloric deficit as well, sometimes it might be 3-4 days without a bowel movement and not easy ones. While taking this I never went more than a day without a bowel movement and the movement was noticeably easier to pass. This being the case I knew my body was digesting the food better, meaning I was getting more protein and nutrients from it and the waste was being eliminated much more quickly throughout my body which is a huge benefit. Sometimes while strict dieting it's very easy to get sick as well, but I was in perfect health throughout my 2 month+ run of this product. After my carb nite cheat day I was noticeably less bloated than usual. Overall, I think GutHealth delivered on all of it's claims and I was very happy.

Value

Seems very expensive at first, but I think the value is fair. You can find this for about $28 which gives you 75 caps. If you follow the protocol, that gives you a little over two months which is very nice. If you want to compare to something say like NOW probiotic 25 billion, that costs $15 for 50 days. A little more probiotic, none of the extras of Gut Health, and about two weeks less supply than Gut Health at 50 caps. I think with what they are giving you and the amount Gut Health is a good buy.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

I think this is a great option for someone doing low carb keto diets. If you are doing a regular routine, you could probably get by with standalone probiotic but if you're looking for that extra benefit this is a good option.