Introduction

I feel kind of weird saying this, but until recently, I had never tried Dymatize products, maybe 2. Dymatize is pretty much the "other" Optimum Nutrition when it comes to whey protein. They are a very well known company, and have a reputation for making high quality products.

It's fun to try products before they are released, it almost makes you feel special in some way. So when Dymatize put their unreleased product up for review, I jumped at it. Knowing their reputation, I was pretty sure it was going to be a legit product. I was sent a VIP box that contained a cool t-shirt, a small shaker cup, and of course, their pre-workout.

Did Dymatize live up to my expectations?

Ingredient Profile

The best way I can describe this pre-workout would be "complete".

One serving gives you:
Citrulline Malate 8 g
Beta-Alanine (Carnosyn)3.2 g
Taurine 2 g
Betaine (BetaPower)1.5 g
Inositol-Stablilized Arginine Silicate (Nitrosigine) 1.5 g
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine 350 mg
Caffeine as Anhydrous 300 mg
Coconut Water Fruit Powder 200 mg
TeaCrine 125 mg

As you can see, it's a great profile. You get a great dose of citrulline malate at 8 grams, a proven dose of beta-alanine, and a solid dose of caffeine. 300mg is my max when it comes to caffeine dosing these days, so it's nice to see them stay away from 400mg, which I see many companies do these days.

I've had success with Nitrosigine, and the Theacrine is one of the highest doses I've seen in any product. I really like the addition of taurine and coconut water fruit powder, as I am kind of big on electrolytes.

Nothing I can complain about really. Some would want to see some agmatine or bioperine, but I feel those are somewhat unnecessary for this kind of product.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Dosing is perfect. One scoop dosing is good to see.

I had the cotton candy flavor, and it was not very good in all honesty. I didn't look forward to it and usually just chugged it down to get it over with. I'm going to guess it is because of the high dose of citrulline malate, but don't quote me on that.

It mixes very well, and I didn't have any issue with it at all. No clumps or anything like that. The only issue I did have was that the product seems to clump up quite bad while it is in the tub. Others have had the same problem. I had a monster clump, which even with massive amounts of shaking I couldn't get rid of. Ended up crushing it with the scooper.

Effectiveness

Well, this is the important part. To put it easily, I really enjoyed Pre-W.O. Within 15 minutes of drinking it, I had great energy that lasted throughout my workout. I never had a caffeine crash either, which was great. I'm sure the Teacrine played a part in that as well, as I have noticed pre-workouts with TeaCrine tend to make me not crash hard.

Even with the taste being subpar, I didn't have any stomach issues after taking it.

Pumps were noticeably better, which was expected, with the high dose of citrulline malate and Nitrosigine of course. Can't really comment too much on the coconut fruit, as I drink a lot of electrolytes/water as it is, so I tend to have less issues cramping these days.

When it comes down to it, you are getting a performance boost, not just an energy boost.

Overall, since the pre-workout market is flooded these days, I can only say that this is one of the higher performing products out there. Against products that are underdosed or just stimulant based(BPI 1MR for instance), this gives you an actual performance boost as opposed to the feeling that you drank coffee with blue sugar in it.

Value

For the most part, you are going to find this for around $39.95, which is a bit higher than most pre-workouts. I have seen it for $32, but the site was kind of sketchy. So I'll stick with the $39.

Yes is it high, but you are getting a complete pre-workout. This isn't flavored caffeine with a little citrulline in there. This is betaine, taurine, teacrine, caffeine, nitrosigine,.... All of the ingredients seem to be from high quality companies as well. The betaine is from BetaPower, the theacrine is TeaCrine, the beta-alanine is from Carnosyn.

I'd say it is fairly priced.

Side Effects

Depending on tolerance, you are going to get some beta-tingles. Nothing bad at all. Not even sure why I am mentioning it.

Conclusion

Dymatize has really impressed me with their pre-workout. Besides the flavor, it is a well dosed, well performing product. Yes it is slightly more expensive than some other pre-workouts out there, but for the quality ingredients you are getting, and the performance benefits you get as well, it I well worth trying at least once.

Really, the profile speaks for itself.

Introduction

Ronnie is back at it again in the fitness industry but now he's spear heading the supplement industry! He's arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time so why wouldn't the millions of fitness fanatics scramble to purchase and use anything with his stamp of approval? Well I know that I couldn't resist when I saw the opportunity to get on board to try out their carnitine supplement. I've been fairly accustomed to using pure carnitine supplements in my usual stack to improve fat metabolism and decided to see if Ronnie's brand offers any added benefits compared to the competition. So lets see how it stacks up!

Ingredient Profile

L-Carnitine (3,000mg): Considering the fact that carnitine is the main and only active ingredient within this product I find it appropriate to educate you guys on carnitine's effectiveness and usage. Carnitine is known for increasing the activity of utilizing fats for transport to be used for metabolism, basically means that your body will slightly favor fat burning more than usual is the best way that I think about it. Unfortunately though, these claims have been pretty unfounded in the younger more active population and has really only been seen clinically in the elderly. Well just because there is lack of availability of research doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't work and I being a pretty scientific individual have trouble with throwing down cash for products that still have poor research but for whatever reason it may be, I feel like carnitine does help, placebo or not. It should also be known that typical clinical dosing for carnitine is usually no greater than 2,000mg so kudos to Ronnie for going above and beyond in terms of dosing!

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I had the chance to try out the Sour Apple flavor which was indeed very sour! I typically used the cap to portion out my doses that ended up being a bit of a mess overtime since residual liquid would spill over the bottle after I closed it up. I do enjoy taking a liquid supplement like carnitine though just because it's a switch up from the usual powder or pills. I believe that Ronnie decided to make it a liquid product due to the hasty solidifying effect of carnitine powder. If you like sour flavor though and absolutely hate taking pills then I'm sure you'd love this.

Effectiveness

I generally took my serving of carnitine about 30 minutes prior to working out to better utilize fat burning for energy to fuel my lifts. It always went down pretty easy with a nice sour flavor and the only real effect I noted from its use is increased sweating during my exercise sessions and higher sensitivity to starting a sweat, other than that you really can't note much of an immediate observed effect from its usage. I did note some weight loss but this may be due in conjunction to the inclusion of other products I was taking as well as a calorie deficit that I am currently on for an upcoming NPC competition.

Value

I was able to find this product online for as cheap as $16, which pits it at just north of 50 cents a serving. Considering the dosing, I think that price is more than fair for any individual that's curious to give it a go and see if a carnitine supplement is for them!

Side Effects

Though I've read some GI discomfort issues with previous reviews, I personally had no issues from using this product in its entirety.

Conclusion

Ronnie decided to keep things nice and simple with this carnitine product and in today's supplement world simple has become increasingly rare. I commend the inclusion of a bountiful 3,000mg carnitine dosage at a very reasonable price at that! I personally love to use carnitine supplements but I think that I do better with a blend of carnitine ingredients rather than just a large dose of one type like in this product. Any fitness fanatic that is curious and wants to know what carnitine could do for them to help shed a couple extra pounds should most definitely test out Ronnie's carnitine supplement mainly due to it's low price point, so what do you got to lose other than fat and a couple bucks?! Cheers Fellas!

Introduction

I've been a fan of RCSS products over the past few years. They are always well-priced, taste good, perform fairly well, and of course, the owner is a legend. So, when RCSS put up their Carnitine for review, I thought I'd give it a shot since my current goal is cutting anyways.

I've used Carnitine in the form of acetyl-l-carnitine, which is known to perform very well, especially in terms of muscle nerve function. However, L-Carnitine on it's own isn't really known for that. It is usually marketed as a "burn fat instead of muscle" type product.

Well, since it was flavored, I raised my hand for it and gave Big Ron a chance.

Ingredient Profile

It's straight L-Carnitine. 3000mg worth of it. You can judge this by how much you like Carnitine. I had success with Acetyl-L-Carnitine in the past, but I've never used L-Carnitine on it's own before.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I had the mixed berry flavor. It was too strong for me personally on it's own. When I mixed it with some water, it actually became an enjoyable drink.

One tablespoon is a serving. I measured out a tablespoon, which filled out only half or so of the cap, so dosing exactly one tablespoon without an actually tablespoon sucked.

It is a clear liquid, so mixability isn't an issue.

Effectiveness

This is really a tough one to judge. I threw this on top of a cut, which I have been on the last month. I guess I should mention the obvious... you MUST have your diet in control to see any results at all.

One thing I noticed was slightly less fatigue throughout the day. I was taking in a lot less caffeine than usual, yet while on this, I felt as if I didn't need it. That's pretty big for me, as my caffeine addiction is pretty ridiculous at this point. I ran this while dieting, and for the first month I got down about 14-15 pounds.

I cannot give this all of the credit of course, but it did have its place. I did notice an endurance increase during cardio.

L-Carnitine is more of one of those products you take, and expect to not see any direct benefit from, yet know that there are studies that show some promise. Kind of like green tea for me. However, I have been cutting off fat faster than I thought I would, so there is no way this product did not benefit me in some way.

At the end of the day, I'd still go with ALC over this, as there are more focus benefits with that form of carnitine as well.

Value

You can get this for $16 on M&S, this is a solid deal. Other than that you find it for around $25-29. I wouldn't pay the latter personally, as there are better carnitine forms out there.

At $16 though, I wouldn't mind throwing this on top of a cutting stack.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

Not going to lie, this was a tough one to gauge. Unlike caffeine, or other thermogenic ingredients, you don't notice the effects on L-Carnitine as easily. With stimulants, I can feel the energy. With capsaicin, I can feel the burn. With carnitine... I noticed a slight boost in my fat loss with perhaps a slight energy boost, yet nothing to write home about.

If you have the extra cash, I'd say throw this in your stack, because $16 won't make or break most of you. However, if you want a fat burner you can feel, that will crush your appetite, and make you sweat... go for a proven thermogenic. I'd say this is better than Green Coffee Bean extract, yet way under Yohimbine Hcl at the end of the day.

Introduction

First and foremost I would like to thank TOREM for sending me out their product so I could try it and review it for you guys. I would also like to thank SR for providing me the opportunity and the tools so that I can share with you guys my experience.

My ultimate desire is to finally get a six pack that I can boast at the beach or by the pool. My daughter said that will never happen so I gladly said "challenge accepted". I will prove to her that if you put your mind to something, anything is possible. So with all that motivation I was thrilled to begin with Neco-Adipem and the extra diet. I was really excited and I hoped for results since the ingredient profile and previous reviews were optimistic. Did this product help me get closer to my dreams? read on.

Ingredient Profile

InnoSlim [ 250 mg ] This is the ingredient that will help you with that glucose absorption. "Increases fat burning and fat loss by activating the adiponectin
enzyme to more effectively regulate glucose metabolism andfatty acid oxidation" I have taken this from NuLiv website. The dosage in one serving is the recommended portion so if you want to loose fat you actually taking twice the amount needed.

URE Green Tea Extract [ 250 mg ] This caffeine enfused product has some studies done where it suggest that it does help with fat burning. Everything about this product shows minor effects. This is not a miracle ingredient for fat loss but a good addition nonetheless. The recommeded dosage for fat loss is 400 to 500 mg so if you take two you are in the sweet zone.

Garcina Cambogia [ 100 mg ] This ingredient supposedly should help you feel full, lower body weight, speed metabolism and lastly enhance athletic performance. The first half have no evidence while the second half have some. It is very under dosed for it to have any significance in this product.

Advantra-Z [ 50 mg ] - It's a stimulant derived from the bitter orange plant. It is something similar to what ephedra is but not quite. It can do few good things for the body like increase lipolysis (breakdown of fat), it can exert mild hunger-suppressant effects, it can help favor uptake of amino acids into muscle, and lastly increase metabolism. The recommended dosage is 100 to 120 mg spread over 3 times a day. If you take two servings to loose weight you hit the mark.

Capsimax [ 50 mg ] - This is what should help me and other with thermogenesis. This should also speed up my metabolism because it's a know fact that chillies help to naturally improve it. I try to eat a lot of spicy food for that basic reason. The suggested dosage is 100 mg so if you again want to loose weight and take two serving you hit the right amount.

-ActiGin [ 25 mg ] - I love this product for recovery purposes. Actigin has shown in studies that it can help with decreasing inflamation in muscle tissue and give a average 20% boost in endurance. I have tried this product before and it does exactly what it claims. Why it is added to this fat burner I'm not exactly sure. I guess if you going to dish out money for a fat burner you are ready to hit the gym and this will help you acclimate better to the pain. That's my guess. The dosage here is half the recommended value but if you want to loose weight and take two servings than your getting the right amount.

All the ingredients suggest that you should take two servings if you want to loose weight. So, go checkout the value to see that all these ingredients come at a price.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This supplement is in a pill format so there is nothing to taste or mix. I've been taking the recommended dosage of one packet in the morning and one packet before bed which is four pills total. I was very determined so I took these on the regular for 30 days straight didn't miss a beat.

Effectiveness

You will not feel this fat burner like other thermogenics where you feel that heat in your gut. I've been working out a lot while on this supplement and playing an extra day of soccer a week so that I could burn even more calories each day. I have completely taken alkohol from my diet so that I can see some results quicker. I've been very watchful on the intake of sugars and carbs so that my calories intake is smaller than usual. With all that and Neco-Adipem I thought that weight loss is inevitable. Regrettably the only thing that I did notice is the half an inch off my waist. My weight went up 1 pound and my body fat is .1% lower. Really nothing impressive and nothing I can boast about. I'm really heart broken because I thought this would really help me. I went even all out to help it so that I could write a positive review ... I have added pictures of my results because I feel like pictures speak a thousand words.

This product also did not help me with my munchies. When they came in the evening even after taking the evening dosage with hope that it will subdue the urges it didn't. That was also very disappointing because I knew I needed help there.

As far as additional energy etc it's was hard for me to determine since I already take a lot of other supplements to help me with that. I don't need energy since I'm not a couch potato. I need it to help me burn my fat and keep my mind off food. So even if it did provide some energy for me great, but it didn't help with the numbers.

Value

This will cost you a little. If you want to loose weight you should be taking it 2 times a day which leads you to 30 servings per box. That will cost you almost 2 dollars a day, ouch. I've been informed that there are specials that you can save on. If you dish out 264 dollars of your hard earned money you will get 6 boxes. If you want to loose weight that comes out to 1.50$ per day. Now if you just want to take one serving it will come down to 1 dollar a day if you buy one box or 75 cents if you buy their 6 box special. They also have a 3 box special where you will pay 138$. That comes out to 1.53 per serving if you want to loose weight and 76 cents if you just want to keep your fat in check. So if you buy 6 you save 10$ more than if you buy 3 and you save 42$ if you buy just one.

Side Effects

I did not experience any.

Conclusion

I was very optimistic in the beginning, but as time passed on and I got even closer to the bottom of the pretty box, my optymizm turned into despair. Completely heart broken about this one, but I'm not going to give up. I'm still continuing with my diet and doing more cardio to burn more calories. Would I recommend this product to my friends. If I have to be honest, probably no. It's just to costly and even though it my work on someone less it just didn't give me any hints that it will. Maybe it will work for you if you need to loose 70 pounds and your not doing anything currently. I just don't have anything positive to say about this product to be persuasive. I'm going to keep on looking for other fat burners. Hopefully I can find one that will give me help and together we can conquer my fat!

Introduction

I'm a competing powerlifter, currently coming back from a back injury. I train 6 days a week using an upper/lower split, and I'm hoping to compete again in November.

I just wanted to thank Dymatize for sending out this product. They also sent me a t-shirt and a shaker bottle.

Ingredient Profile

Dymatize's Pre W.O. has a lot of ingredients. We have:

Citrulline Malate (8g). This is a full dose. Many pwos skimp on the citrulline malate, so Dymatize did us good.

3.2g Beta Alanine (3.2g) (Carnosyn). This is a full dose. Beta alanine is a saturation ingredient, so you can take it any time of day. It doesn't need to be here at all, but at least you have a full dose, so you don't need to look for more elsewhere.

Taurine (2g). This is a good dose (common dose is 500mg-2g). This is an amino acid that is often put in energy drinks. When used with caffeine, taurine can help improve mental performance. It can also help with muscle contraction and hydration.

One caveat to mention, it's possible that beta-alanine and taurine can interfere with each other when it comes to absorption and that they should be taken at different times. This hasn't been tested in humans (only in mice), so they may play together just fine for us.

Betaine (1.5g) (Betapower) This is a bit light in terms of dose, but it's passable. The lowest effective dose is 500mg, but most trainees who use it, take 2.5g a day. Betaine can improve muscle oxygenation and help reduce liver damage. I think it can be taken any time of day.

Arginine Silicate (Nitrosigine) (1.5g) This is a perfect dose. Most PWOs with this ingredient only have 750mg. Here, we have arginine silicate which is arginine bonded to a silicate. Why, well because pure arginine isn't very bioavailable. People were adding it to PWOs left and right, but it wasn't actually doing anything. Bonding arginine to a silicate makes it work. Dymatize did us good.

NALT (350mg). This is a form of tyrosine, which can help with mood and concentration. I've seen people go back and forth on whether or not NALT is actually an improvement from tyrosine. Honestly, I've never noticed anything from either ingredient, so I have no hat in the debate. 350mg is a decent dose for NALT.

Caffeine (300mg). We all know what caffeine is. 300mg may be a high dose for some, but for many lifters it's just right. Caffeine helps with power output and to a certain extent more is better. For me, this would be too much for an every day PWO. It would be a good amount for a heavy squat day.

Coconut Water (200mg.) It helps with hydration. It's becoming increasingly popular for pre and intra workouts.

Theacrine (Teacrine)-125mg- Theacrine is a stimulant. It's not as heavy hitting as caffeine, but it has a much longer half life. It provides this nice, smooth energy. 125mg is a good dose. Many pwos skimp on it because it tastes very bitter, although now there is a version sold with a flavor blocker. You want at least 50mg. Less can actually have a sedative effect.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The flavor I received was cotton candy, and it tastes like cotton candy. Dymatize did a great job of masking the theacrine (which has a very bitter taste). It was a bit sour though, which I don't expect when I hear cotton candy. It also had this strange viscosity, not sure why.

Mixability could have been better. Something causes the pre-workout to clump like a rock. This was the case as soon as I opened it. A butter knife will do the trick, but it can be a bit cumbersome.

One scoop was more than enough for me. Depending on your caffeine tolerance, you could go with 4/5 of a serving and stretch out the tub.

Effectiveness

This product takes a while to kick in. Most pres say to take them 30 min pre-workout, but I usually take them right before because they hit me fast. With Pre W.O., however, it does take more like 20-25 minutes to kick in, so I take it right before I leave my house. I think it's due to the theacrine, which has a slow onset.

Once the product takes effect though, it really delivers.

I tried Pre W.O. on each training day, e.g. volume squat day, volume bench day, ohp day ... to evaluate it. Every time, I got solid energy, focus, and pumps.

I could also take the product multiple days in a row without any crash, which is an issue for me with certain stimulants. This product could either be an every day pre workout or a heavy hitter.

Value

The product is a little pricey, often selling for $40 for only 20 scoops. However, I have seen it for $34, which brings you down to $1.7/scoop, which is more in line with other top pre workouts.

To be fair, Dymatize is giving you a lot of trademarked ingredients at efficacious doses. That costs money. Also, Dymatize is a member of Informed Choice, which means you can trust them if you are a drug-tested athlete, like I am. The peace of mind that comes with that also is worth something.

Side Effects

Just itchiness from the beta-alanine. I personally could do without that ingredient.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a solid pre-workout that you can either use daily or save for the harder workout days, then give Dymatize a shot. This really is miles ahead of anything they've done before in this category.

Introduction

I am 37 years old and have been in the Army for 18 years. Over the years, I have dealt with a few injuries, most notably in my left shoulder, right ankle and left ankle. I lift weights 5 - 6 times a week, and due to the abuse I have done on my body over the years, I need a good joint supplement so I can keep hitting my gym times. I have had limited success with Fish Oil's in the past, and Animal Flex was my first complete Joint Complex I have tried.

Ingredient Profile

Animal Flex has a few vitamins, Zinc, and Magnesium in it. Most notably it has three Prop Blends for Joint Support.

Joint Construction Complex: This consists of 3g of Glucosamine, MSM, and Chondroitin Sulfate A & C. (CSA, CSC)

Glucosamine: There to aid in Joint Pain, and it is recommended to take 1.5g per day (500mg 3 times a day). Unclear if we are getting our 1500mg daily requirement, but its possible.

MSM: There is not enough evidence to prove that it aids in Joint Support, however, it is likely effective for Muscle Damage caused by exercise. 500mg - 3g per day is the daily dose of MSM you need to aid in muscle damage. More than likely we are getting a full dose here.

CSA/CSC: Possibly there to aid in osteoarthritis if you dose 800-2000mg per day, however these results are inconsistent. When combined with Glucosamine, knee pain due to osteoarthritis have lessened when used for 3-4 months.

Joint Lubrication Complex: This prop blend consists of 1g of Flaxseed Oil and a prop blend within a prop blend of Cetyl Myristoleate. Flaxseed Oil does not seem to have much effect on anything related to joints according to my research. It has been used to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis with no effect after 3 months of use. Cetyl on the other hand is possibly effective for osteoarthritis just like CSA and CSC. People with osteoarthritis have had improved range of motion in the knees when combined with Fish Oil. You want around 350mg of Cetyl up to six times daily. This prop blend does not seem to be doing a lot as it is under dosed.

The final prop blend is the Joint Support Complex which is 1g of Ginger root, Turmeric root (curcumin), boswella, quercetin, and bromelain. These all treat osteoarthritis and all in all this is a nice blend. However, we do not know how much we are getting exactly of each, so hard to say how they are dosed out, if even appropriately. For example, Ginger root is recommended at 500mg daily, and Curcumin is recommended at 80-500mg daily. Curcumin is probably the best ingredient in here, and like most of the other ingredients go great in conjunction with a Fish Oil.

Overall, there are a lot of ingredients per pill pack. It is likely under dosed in the end, and from what I understand this is probably better taken with other Animal products to reach the full benefits.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste/Mix: No Taste, pack of 8 pills. No mixing either, however, some days I found the pills hard to swallow as I just got tired of having so many.

Dosing: I took one pack of 8 each morning with breakfast. Nice and easy, Universal really makes their pill dosage easy with their packets. However, 8 pills get very old very fast, and you can likely find better benefits out there in 1-2 pills instead of this.

Effectiveness

I get torn here because I think maybe it did not work for me since my injuries are severe, but The omega-jym fish oil I took earlier this year made my joint pain go away and this did not. Its a packet of 8 pills a day that really does not do anything, so no I cannot recommend this. At the end of it all, my joints and now my wrists hurt worse than when I started. The ingredients seem to be present, but for whatever reason it did not ease my pain in the slightest. Please bear in mind, this is the supplement world, and what works or does not work for some people may work for others. Just check out the dosages (in the prop blends I know) and see if there is a certain ingredient that works well for you at a certain dose before committing to this.

Like other well being or support products, sometimes you have no idea if it was working until you finish taking it. Once I finished this, I felt no change at all. This further proves to me that this product did nothing for me, and I spent the last 44 days slamming down way too many pills. I was pretty bummed out this did not help me since it has such positive reviews here on SR (granted last one was 2 years ago) and I am thinking maybe the formula has changed or something changed over the years. Not real sure, just an observation.

Value

Good value here at least. You can get a 44 pack (44 days) supply at 22.99 from All Star Health, which comes out to 52 cents a day. Not a bad deal for an 8 pill pack. However, I do gauge value with effectiveness, so yes this is a cheap price by itself, but since it did nothing for me, it felt like a waste of 23 bucks. Since this did nothing for me, I cannot give value more than a 6, since our description for SR states a 6 at (I would only buy this again if I had extra money to burn). This feels generous to me, since I will never purchase this again.

Side Effects

I experienced none, but I did make a point to take this with breakfast each day. With so many pills I would advise you steer clear of taking this without food!

Conclusion

This product has a pretty exciting lineup of ingredients, but all in prop blends so it is likely its under dosed to truly be effective. You can get this cheaply around the internet for a 44 day supply, but this gave me no alleviation in joint pain. I would recommend you find an alternative product with less pills, that fully disclose their dosage. From what I understand about Universal products is they are meant to be stacked together, so if you were to get the Multi, Fish Oil, and Flex all together then maybe combined you would see some effects. I cannot say that is a fact since I did not nor do I intend on trying it.

Introduction

First and foremost I would like to thank Raw Iron Perfomance for sending me out their product so I could try it and review it for you guys. I would also like to thank SR for providing me the opportunity and the tools so that I can share with you guys my experience. I'm a 39 year old gym rat who goes to the gym 5 times a week and also plays soccer twice a week. In my age any boost of energy is a good thing. I also look for focus and mood additions because being this old and seeing what this world is all about ... any mood enhancers are welcome. When I noticed this pre-workout I wanted to check out one of the ingredients called Orchilean since it's been boosted as 3 times stronger than DMAA. I've been taking pre-workout with caffeine and last pre-workout I took had DMHA which was nice ...

Ingredient Profile

Citrulline Malate a vasodilator is the cornerstone of the NO production. What is means is that you will be able to pump more blood to your muscles which in return will get more nutrients so that they can perform longer. The main advantage if taking this amino acid is to reduce fatigue so that you can increase your reps. The does here is 6 grams but 8 grams is the ideal "sweet spot". I'm not sure why they didn't just add the 2 grams to make it a clinical dosage.

Beta-Alanine is almost included in all PWO's ... this is what give you the tingles on your skin. The reason why this ingredient is included because it will help you in endurance. The way beta-alanine does this by effectively buffering lactic acid build and also improving myofibrilar calcium sensitivity. The 2.5 grams dosage is under dosed compared to the recommended dosage of 3.2 grams.

Agmatine Sulfate is jack of all trades and master of none. It does multiple stuff for your body that can help you with the workout. It regulates your NO levels it, it has anti-anxiety attributes that will give you a mental edge, analgesic which means it can help you with pain. Overall a very good supplement that should be in every PWO. The dosage of 1 grams is on the sweet spot so kudos to evolve.

Theobromine is mostly found in cocoa and it is a vasodilator that will widened your vains for that pump feeling. You get only 50 grams which is very low ... The usual studies went didn't go lower than 200 mg ... So i'm not sure what effect it would have if any ... It is suggested that 350 to 500 mg is the optimal range for this to have an effect.

Beet root extract is another supplement that will help you with NO. This mainly is the source of nitrates to help relax your blood vessels for a better blood flow. There are people out there that think that only Nitrates will help with NO and everything else is just a fad. I noticed a suggestion of 500 mg so it seems that this is ideally dosed.

Orchilean is another vasodilator that should help you with endurance. It also should help you adapt with stressful challenges so the pain that you feeling should not be that severe. The dosage of 150mg meets the recommended dosage.

Choline bitatrate is used for congitive support. It could also, if you take it with L-Carnitine, help you burn that stored fat faster. Unfortunately, this PWO does not come with L-Carnitine. So, mostly this should help you with cognitive support so that you can stay focused on your tasks and remember how many reps you did :P. The dose of 1 gram is ideal because more could give you unwanted headache.

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine is another nootropic like choline to help you with your mood. It's an amino acid that will help you with producing noradrenaline and dopamine that help you feel good. It should help you with memory even though you are under stress.

Rhodiola (5% Rosavins) should help you with stress. It should give a positive jolt to your mood. The minimum suggest dosage is 200 milligrams so 125 is a bit under dosed.

Yohimbine HCL is usually used with products that help you loose fat. I personally am not a big fan of this ingredient. So when I noticed it's 1 mg which is 1/4 of the recommended minimum I was actually happy. This has some other proposed benefits especially for man ... but at 1 mg it's not even worth mentioning it.

Caffeine Anhydrous - Caffeine without water that is the main stimulant here to provide energy. At 300 mg the dosage for me is ideal and it's not overwhelming. This would be a good start for anyone.

Lastly Kegilia Africanus Extract which there is not much on it ... especially in the spelling provided. This is what I got about the compound based on one of the internet sites "Containing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this ingrediant is used for protection of inflammation of the joints, muscles, or fibours tissues of the body." I'm not sure about the dosage so I can't tell you if 75mg is good enough or not.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

This is one of the best tasting PWO's I have tasted till this day. I thought Kraken was not bad but this pre-workout completely surpasses it in taste. They only have one flavor which is raspberry lemonade. I can't stress enough that if you are tired of nasty tasting PWO's and need a break than go for this product. I've taken one scoop of this with 8oz of water and gulped it down with pleasure. I took this usually 30 minutes before my workout. The tube in the second half of usage started clumping terrible ... with that it was getting harder to mix. I actually had to eat the PWO like candy because there was just no way it was going to mix. Example pictures added to the review.

Effectiveness

This pre-workout in my opinion is ideally meant for beginners. It gave me a good amount of energy throughout the workout. Other than energy I didn't feel anything special for endurance or cognitive boost. I did not see any of my vains popping out like crazy, and I didn't feel that tunnel vision or euphoria. I felt the pre-workout but nothing overwhelming. I would like that it did one thing better than other but it did not. Actually, I should take it back because it did taste AWESOME! ... But everything after that was ok. I think this would be a great start for anyone that is about to get into pre-workout supplementation. There isn't enough Beta-Alanine to give you those massive irritating tingles and I personally didn't feel any, so that you can start with this to slowly get accustomed to them. My endurance was ok but nothing noticeable. Energy was there for a long time so I was happy about that. For example on Wednesdays I do Parallette Training and HIIT training which is hour and half total of both training. After that I do some shoulders and than go play soccer for 2 hours. The energy did stay with me trough all that time so this pre-workout did it's main job.

Value

Currently the manufacturer has cut down on the price to $31.99 per tube. That comes out to $1.28 per serving. The price isn't that bad compared to others but this an average price for an average product in my opinion. For some reason it was not available on Amazon today so I hope they clear that issue and bring it back because I'm a prime member and free shipping is always welcome.

Side Effects

None for me. No jitters and no crushes. The energy levels was very steady.

Conclusion

I have already mentioned it that this PWO would be ideal to a beginner who wants to supplement for a boost to his workout. This will give anyone a good burst of energy for a very long time. It will help with endurance and probably be more effective if the consumer is not accustomed to Beta-Alanine. This has basic cognitive support to help stay focused and determined. It's a good PWO, but other than taste it did not stand out for me.

Introduction

I am ashamed to admit but I never really looked at Dymatize supplements. I always thought that they were a bargain brand seeing them in the clearance section of my local supplement store. I took notice of them after trying a scoop of Iso-100 from a friend and the recent updated labels. So, when I heard they were coming out with a new preworkout (I took their old one years ago and was not impressed) I had to try it. Here is the review of Dymatize Pre WO.

Ingredient Profile

Each scoop Dymatize Pre WO comes to 21g and has 15 calories and less than one carbohydrate. Pre WO includes several vitamin ingredients. The first is 250 mg of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant and can aid the immune system and in recovery. The next ingredient is niacin at 30mg; one of the biggest benefits of niacin is vascularity and a potential increase in HGH production. Then there is 260 mcg of folate, which can enhance NO production. The last vitamin ingredient is vitamin b-12 at 30 mcg in the methylcobalamin form, which is the most desired form. Vitamin B-12 can aid in energy production, help the digestive system, and can boost mood.

The next section of ingredients are those you will typically find in a preworkout and they start with 8g of citrulline malate (CM). The biggest benefits of CM are increased NO production and recovery. The next ingredient is a full clinical dosage of beta-alanine using the trademarked carnosyn. Essentially what carnosyn does is it can blunt fatigue and works as an acid buffer. It traditionally works for higher rep and longer workouts (long distance runs, circuits etc.). I used to use this a lot when I would run but would stack it with baking soda for fatigue reduction. Then you have l-taurine at a 2g dose, which has benefits as an antioxidant, blood flow, and exercise capacity. It is worth noting that 2g is a clinical dosage. This is followed by 1.5g of betaine in the trademarked BetaPower form. There were some studies that showed a 30% increase in squat repetitions after 7 days of taking betaine and then a 60% after 14 days. The performance increases though are seen at 2.5g but Pre WO only includes 1.5g. The next ingredient and one I have been seeing more of lately is nitrosigine at a 1.5g dose. The major benefits to this are increased NO production leading to larger pumps. In addition, it has a cumulative affect and improves overtime while taking it. Following nitrosigine, you have N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) at a 350 mg dose. NALT is tyrosine that has been bonded to an acetyl group. This is supposed to increase bioavailability and absorption of regular tyrosine. The role of NALT is the creation of several neurotrasmitters in the brain including dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Next, we have 300 mg of caffeine anhydrous, which is a stimulant that can increase alertness and energy during a workout. Then there is 200 mg of coconut fruit powder to aid in hydration. The final ingredient is 125 mg of theacrine in the TeaCrine trademarked form. Theacrine is similar to caffeine but it does not have the same side effects as caffeine such as a buildup of dosage needing to take more. It is shown to increase mood, focus, and motivation to exercise. This does also include surcalose and Ace-K as a sweetener.

Overall, I like the ingredient profile but I do wish that there was theanine in the product to blunt the caffeine. One of the major things I noticed (will go into more detail later on) was the overall feeling of the high caffeine and theacrine dosage was harsh. I feel like if theanine was in the product it could blunt the harsh feeling of the stimulants.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Dymatize Pre WO comes in three flavors handspun cotton candy, chilled fruit fusion, and sweet cherry lime. I received the handspun cotton candy it was pretty good. The taste was on par with other cotton candy supplements I have taken and was very similar to them (PES alphamine and high volume). There was a slight bitterness to the taste due to the theacrine. However, it was nothing that was terrible. As far as mixability goes, it mixed fine but there was some clumping with the powder but shaking the container took care of it. The first time I took this I went with one full scoop and I thought that was too much. About halfway through the workout, I started to crash and headache from it and my performance was negatively impacted. I tried a full scoop the following day and same thing happened. So, I decided to split the dosage to a half a scoop with my AM cardio and the other half a scoop with my workout and/or PM cardio. This worked out much better and eliminated the side effects. As I mentioned before, if this had theanine in it to blunt the caffeine I doubt I would have had the crash/headaches. I was surprised by this as I have taken pre workouts with designer stimulants and have not had issues like this. Definitely assess your tolerance with this pre workout.

Effectiveness

Once I assessed my tolerance and went with a half scoop twice a day (one full scoop per day) at AM cardio and PM workout/cardio this became an effective product. The major things I noticed were increased energy, vascularity, endurance and reduced fatigue. For this section, I will go into the effects during the AM and then the effects for the PM dosage. For AM, cardio will usually walk stairs for about 20 minutes or I will go to the park for long distance running. The major thing I noticed for the stairs was an increase in alertness and a desire to actually do the cardio as it is easy to skip it. I also noticed that my pace quicker and I was able to increase the amount of floors I did over taking nothing for AM cardio. At the park, the biggest increase I noticed was the endurance increase and I felt like I could go farther than usual and noticed a slightly quicker pace. It was nothing huge but it was more than without taking anything. I also noticed some reduced fatigue probably due to the beta alanine. I should note I would usually just drink water and then start my AM cardio. So, the inclusion of this product aided me quite a bit.

As for my PM weight training, I found this to be a very effective product. The major thing I noticed was increased vascularity in my forearms and biceps. They were especially prominent on back and arm day. I would say that it was on par with other pre workouts and a surmise it had to do with the nitrosigine where the effect improves overtime. I did notice some increased endurance and reduced fatigue on my high rep and superset days. This was definitely noticeable on pull days were I would fatigue rather rapidly. I noticed I was able to push a little harder. The energy was good but again I still think theanine would have improved the feeling of the formula. As for PM cardio, I will usually do PM cardio after my workout and I noticed that this pre workout did last long enough for me to do 20 minutes of cardio after my workout. This usually involved the stairmaster or HIIT on the treadmill. The benefits were similar to the AM cardio. As for when I strictly did PM cardio with no weight training this lasted for entire cardio session. Again, the benefits were similar to the AM session with increased energy, endurance, and reduced fatigue. Overall, this was an effective pre workout once I assessed my tolerance.

Value

This does not seem widely available since it is very new. I have seen it retail for $39.99 making it about $2.00 per serving. However, at my dosage of a half a scoop that is a $1.00 per serving ($2.00 per day). If I were to take this, again I would stick to one-half scoop before my workout and use coffee for AM cardio. Comparing this to other preworkouts it is on the expensive side. Pre Kaged goes for $1.80 per serving and Pre Jym is $1.78 per serving. I think you get more bang for your buck with pre kaged and pre jym over Dymatize Pre WO. It may be worth a try if you are looking to take a break from Kaged or Jym.

Side Effects

At a full scoop, I had a headache about halfway through my workout followed by a significant postworkout crash. I split the dosage and this alleviated the workout headache and crash. My side effects could have been due to the combination of caffeine and theacrine, I would say my max for caffeine is 300 mg at one time. I usually stick to 200-250 mg so I could have been over stimulated with the caffeine and theacrine.

Conclusion

Dymatize Nutrition PRE WO is an effective preworkout once you assess your tolerance. I saw increased energy, endurance, vascularity, and a reduction in fatigue. I dosed a half scoop twice a day as one scoop acutely led to some side effects. It is slightly more expensive than other similar pre workouts. It is definitely worth a try as it becomes more widely available. I would like to thank Dymatize Nutrition for sending the product and the trooper program for coordinating it.

-Xcmiler

Introduction

Kaged Muscle has become one of my favorite brands and I have consistently found myself purchasing their supplements over the past year or so.

Ingredient Profile

This was not the best ingredient profile I have seen, but that did not bother me too much. If you are that strict with your calories, it could be an issue, but I do not think most people will mind the extra 30 calories or so in here opposed to other proteins. In each serving, there is 150 calories, 2.5 g of fat (coconut oil included in the ingredients), 7 g of carbs (1 g fiber, 2 g sugar), and 25 g of cold-processed micellar casein isolate protein which is the highest-quality casein protein available. Kris Gethin states that he includes coconut oil powder in the ingredients because it further slows down the digestion of the protein. This powder is predominately sweetened with Stevia which is a plus for me, although there is a little bit of Sucralose. Always a plus when a supplement uses mostly natural ingredients for me that stay away from artificial flavors, colors, and a lot of sweeteners. I am not a fan of the carrageenan because it is a questionable additive in foods.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste 10/10: This tasted great in water and almond milk. Definitely one of the best proteins I have tried to date, especially it being an isolate. Would 100% recommend this flavor and would be interested in trying the vanilla in the future.

Mixability 8/10: This one was a bit hard to rate. Initially, the powder is very tough to mix. I guess the coconut oil powder makes it a bit tougher to mix in at first. The powder stays suspended on the liquid and you have to really give it a few shakes. However, after shaking it, it was the best mixing casein I have tried. There were no clumps and it did not have that gritty texture that you find with a lot of other casein powders.

Dosing 10/10: One scoop right before bed was how I dosed it.

Effectiveness

I have incorporated casein proteins back into my supplements after not using them for a few years. I never really thought they made that much of a difference and were always out of my price range when I was younger. Now that I make a bit more money and more reputable companies are putting out high-quality caseins on the market, I have tried a couple different casein proteins the past few months. Kasein kept me full throughout the night and was like a dessert right before bed. It was always enjoyable to consume and it was a nice way to get an extra 25 g of protein in my diet. It never gave me any issues during the night as long as I did not use too much liquid.

Value

$55 seems to be the going rate for this; just remember that it only comes in a four pound jug for whatever reason and that you get about 46 scoops a container. That comes out to be about $1.20 per serving before shipping. Not the worst value for this quality, but NutraBio has a comparable protein for cheaper. I got Kasein with a coupon or something a couple months ago on Suppz I believe.

Side Effects

None. Just be sure not to use too much liquid before bed otherwise you will have to use the bathroom during the night.

Conclusion

Definitely recommend this powder if you have the extra funds to buy it. I would definitely buy this again in the future and would recommend it to anyone wanting to purchase a casein protein. Try to find this when you have a coupon ready or look for any other Kaged's promotions.

Introduction

(About yourself, 1-3 sentences maximum)
Active duty military who is always looking to take his fitness to the next level. I have been working hard on functional fitness over the last year and a half, while still throwing some traditional bodybuilding workouts in the mix. The main goal is to always crush goals, and to be harder to kill, and live everyday to the fullest.

Ingredient Profile

Leucine 2.5g
Isoleucine 1.25g
Valine 1.25g
Glycerol 1g
Taurine 1g
Choline Bitartrate 500mg
Potassium 340mg
Sodium 160mg
Caffeine Anhydrous 50mg
Dicaffeine Malate 50mg
Teobromine 50mg

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

So I bought the blueberry lemonade and shockingly for not having any coconut water or powder in it, I get a strong coconut taste. More so than blueberry or lemon which I find weird. When it comes to mixability, this product fails hard. I mix my amino's in a 32oz Nalgene bottle. This is the only Amino supplement that I have tried that simply mixes poorly. I feel like I have a better chance of dissolving sand before this. I have even tried mixing it with hot water to see if it helps, and it does not. Dosing wise I go with 1 scoop as I workout. I could take another scoop post workout, but what is the point since the first one didn't dissolve. To me its a waste of product, and money. I do give them props for using a non-proprietary label, and not adding artificial colors, because neither are needed for a product like this.

Effectiveness

Effectiveness, is hard to track. I still have muscle soreness after workouts, but then again, I go hard on my workouts. In regards to energy, again it is difficult to tell because I drink Total War as a pre-workout. The redeeming factor is I have noticed that I get a fuller muscle feeling and pump with the added Glycerol in this product, but again for the fact that there is still a lot of residue that is left over in the bottle makes me feel as though it is not as effective as it could be.

Value

So you can buy a tub off of Amazon for $35 dollars, and at 30 servings that comes out to $1.16 per serving and due to it not mixing I would say you leave at least .60 cents worth in the bottle when you are done consuming the product. YES, you can refill your bottle and potentially drink the rest, but the product should not give you this much trouble.

Side Effects

Some side effects listed could be increased heart rate and trouble sleeping given the fact that is is an energy based Amino due to it having Caffeine. for me, it is not an issue and the energy is mild compared to most pre-workout supplements. I bet a greater energy rush from Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy to be honest.

Conclusion

So I know I have beat the horse belligerent about how this stuff does not mix, and honestly does not taste great. for me these two items are potentially deal breakers because its not like you can shotgun the dose like you can with a bad tasting pre-workout. You should look forward to drinking this during your workout or want to drink it again during the day to help preserve muscles and fight soreness. For me, this product just isn't the one I wan to spend my money on. there are plenty of other products out there that taste and mix better, that essentially do the EXACT same thing as this. Plus considering that many companies are starting to go with the ingredient PEAK02, this product is going to rapidly be outdated. do yourself a favor, and if you want a caffeinated Amino product, go get Amino Energy, or Primeval Labs EAA Max energy and thank me later.

Introduction

A thanks to Idealfit for their participation here on SR.com. Today, I discuss my experiences with their BCAAs product IdealLean Bcaas. BCAAs have always been a useful staple in my supplement artillery. The versatility of BCAAs has allowed me to find use in almost all areas of training including energy for pre workout, endurance intra workout, and recovery post workout. When I entered my recomp/cutting phase sometime back, I capitalized on my opportunity to try this product since I figured something aimed at helping users to lean out while getting all the benefits of BCAAs was most attractive.

Ingredient Profile

Each serving contains zero carbs, calories, sugars, and fats. This is definitely favorable for a weight loss regime.

On to the main ingredients, IdealLean BCAAs begins with some B-vitamins and magnesium.

Following that is a proprietary blend consisting of a 310mg quantity dosing the following ingredients:

Phosphatidylserine
Green Tea Ectract
CLA
ThermoDiamine

Phosphatidylserine is most known for its ability to modulate cortisol to more favorable levels, creating a more anabolic and fat-buring capable environment. It is also known as the "brain nutrient" for its ability to enhance glucose metabolism by the brain, therefore increasing cognitive functioning and mood.

Green tea extract is a source of EGCG, which is both a potent anti-oxidant and metabolic enhancer.

CLA helps the body to better utilize fat for energy, though there are some conflicting studies that have challenged this claim.

ThermoDiamine, or evodiamine, is an extract from a genus of plant species known as tetradium. It is demonstrated to have both thermogenic and stimulatory effects. It is also suggested to have an effect on the neurotransmitter serotonin by increasing transporters and thus its reuptake.

My gripe here as you can imagine is the prop blend. At 310mg, no doubt that all of these ingredients are significantly under-dosed.

Moving further down the profile we have a 2:1:1 ratio of the BCAAs, 1g of citrulline malate, 1g of L-glutamine, and 1g of coconut water powder.

Aside of the prop blend, this is a satisfactory profile.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I chose the iced mocha latte flavor because being a New Englander who loves his iced coffee, this is the flavor that screamed out to me. I have no regrets as this was one of the tastiest flavors I've ever had in a BCAAs product. It tasted literally just like an iced mocha latte. If I made a preparation of this in a glass with a straw over some ice and gave it to you and said it was a mocha latte from dunkin donuts, you wouldn't know the difference.

The preparation mixed just fine and I had no problems with undissolved clumps or grit

Considering this product was formulated to provide some thermo and stimulatory effects, even though minor at best, I used this primarily post workout. I consumed a serving about 15 minutes pre workout. On non-training days, I took a serving about 30 minutes before breakfast.

Effectiveness

Now I know in the intro I mentioned how I use BCAAs in several areas, but when they contain some extra ingredients you have to judge for yourself where and when it would benefit you the best. So since I used this as a pre workout booster, that is what I will base my review on.

I noticed a clean, modest increase in my energy along with a noticeable thermogenic effect. The thermo effect wasn't intense, but I was sweating more and had a moderate "burn" feeling in my core during my more high intensity intervals with both cardio and weight training. I also had some increased endurance and my recovery between sets was better with less fatigue and a decrease in the amount of time I needed to regroup for the proceeding sets.

I enjoyed how the product seemed to give me benefits, even if to a moderate degree, in all areas despite only using pre workout. I would've used additional servings, but I didn't want the product to run out too quickly. If I should use this again, I will consider multiple servings, one pre, intra, and post.

Value

The lowest price I found is from Idealfit's own website at 33.99 for a 30 serving tub. That does seem a little pricey depending on how many servings you plan on using daily. Then again, that's the case with a majority of BCAAs products depending on the quantity of BCAAs the product may provide. Still, for the product's efficacy and how it is favorably formulated for those of us looking to maintain and efficient weight loss regimen, i'd say this a good value overall. Idealfit will most likely have sales and specials in the near future so i would look out for those.

Side Effects

none

Conclusion

If your looking for a great tasting and effective BCAAs product that will fit into and aid your weight loss fitness goals, Idealfit's IdealLean BCAAs is a product you'll want to give a try. I do recommend playing around with the dosage to find your ideal sweet spot and what area is does benefit you the most. The only improvement I would make to the product is getting rid of the prop blend and keeping the ingredients but increasing their dosage quantities to more favorable levels. This would probably raise the price, but I believe these adjustments would greatly enhance the product's effectiveness and therefore its value. Also, be on the lookout for sales from the website and I always conclude with, don't forget diet and training.

WARMACHINE OUT!!!

GO RED SOX!!!

Hey guys and gals. I had the pleasure of trying Fulcrum through the SR TROOPer program. Let me start by saying thanks to sr.com and Vaxxen Labs. You guys are awesome. I, like many other people, use preworkouts for the energy, pump, and mental focus they give in the gym. I also enjoy the tingles of beta alanine.I used this product at the end of a 20lb cut so I definitely needed some energy for workouts. Heck, I even took it on a non-workout day just because I needed some energy and it sure beats the heck out of them store bough energy drinks.

Ingredient Profile

It's a fully disclosed label, and for that alone I liked the product. "Energy Blends" and other proprietary blends get on my nerves because I never know exactly what I'm getting in a product. With Fulcrum that's not the case. As far as ingredients go it has some basic energy supps such as B6, and B12. Some other ingredients you may or may not know about are as follows:

Citruline Maleate- Cit Mal helps open up the blood flow. It is used by some to get an huge pump while working out because, lets face it, everyone wants a pump in the gym. A clinical dose is 6g's but this product comes with 4g's. Not bad considering some preworkouts don't have any.

Oxystorm- Now this is one I had to look up. According to my research Oxystorm is an extract of red spinach (Amaranthus dubius) - one of the richest sources of nitrate in nature. A patent-pending production process delivers the highest nitrate content ingredient from the leaves of red spinach - 9000 mg/100 g - with more than five times the amount of nitrate as beetroot powder and more than 50 times beet juice.

Alpha GPC- Alpha-GPC seems to increase a chemical in the brain called acetylcholine. This brain chemical is important for memory and learning functions.

Caffeine is at 350mg/s per scoop. If you are a stim junkie then this is no big deal to you. If you are not you might want to start with just a half scoop.

There are a few more ingredients in it. I have attached a label at the bottom for you to see what exactly is in the product.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste-I had Bombsicle. Need I say more? It was BOMB-licious. One of the few preworkouts I didn't have to choke down. One of the few that didn't have a nasty after taste.

Mixability- It mixes well. A little bit of frothiness at the top if shaken but none hardly when stirred. I will warn you though that if you shake it and don't stir it people around you may think a small bomb went off when you open it. I scared my wife the first couple of times I did it. No grittiness. Overall GREAT mixability.

Dosing- I took one scoop and drank it slowly about 30 minutes before I started working out. Not going to lie.... I tried a "BIG" scoop (filled over the top) once and it wasn't a good idea. lol.

Effectiveness

I like the effectiveness of Fulcrum. I like to drink my preworkout slow so I start sipping about 10-15 minutes before I finish the drink. Once I finish the last sip its about 15-20 more minutes before I walk into the gym. By this time I can usually tell if a preworkout is effective. Fulcrum was definitely effective within that timeframe and actually a little bit sooner. I felt the tunnel vision from the time I walked into the gym til the time I left. I was able to stay focused throughout the workouts. Energy was crazy. I felt great. The most important thing to me was that there was NO CRASH!! I hate it when I leave the gym and all I want to do is take a nap. The pump was a little better than normal pump and I attribute that to the 4g/s of Cit Mal in it.

Value

Seems like no matter where I went to look for the price it came back at $39.99 for 25 servings. Maybe this was because I could only find it at a few select sites?? This is pretty steep considering there are preworkouts out there that cost the same but give you clinical doses of key ingredients. However, I feel it's not a bad price considering what you get in the preworkout itself.

Side Effects

DO NOT TAKE ON EMPTY STOMACH!! :)

Conclusion

In conclusion, I'd recommend this to a friend. It tastes good, mixes well, and has a solid ingredient profile. I love trying different preworkouts so I can compare them with others. Fulcrum is definitely in my top 10. Once again, thanks to Sr.com and Vaxxen Labs for giving me the opportunity to give this a try. You guys ROCK!

Introduction

As I have recently graduated from my graduate program and ready to study for boards I found it easier during this time to commit to a hypertrophy program. In a period of 5-6 months I went from a weight of 193 lbs to 211lbs, some fat gain, but honestly worked my butt off for a lot of muscle gain. So as soon as I had a organized schedule I decided to get a few products that would aid in a fat loss program. Now I have gone from 210lbs to 200 lbs in about 2-3 weeks, which I contribute to fat/water loss, but I have noticed I look better in the mirror. This product in combination with a proper diet and exercise plan have really made me happy with the results so far.

Ingredient Profile

When I look for ingredients in fat loss supplements I try to avoid the stimulant packed ones. This is one reason why I chose QuadraLean as a proper supplement to my fat loss program. The ingredients are as follows:

Chromium (120 mcg) - Chromium is said to do a couple things including controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels, diminishes carb cravings, and fights body fat. For cholesterol, some studies show that chromium can help reduce triglyceride levels up to 32% with proper nutrition and exercise. There have been fewer studies on fat loss potential but some have have shown that chromium supplementation reduces fat mass, increases lean body mass and can lead to weight loss. With regards to a reduction in blood sugar, there have been results that have shown chromium can normalize blood sugar levels, improve blood sugar utilization and decrease insulin requirements. Taking chromium with carbohydrate rich foods may be an effective way to lower the glycemic index of that meal.

Innobio CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid - 750 mcg) - May be able to reduce fatty deposits in the arteries as well as improve immune function. Some other benefits may include reducing food intake, increase fat burning, and stimulating the breakdown of fat and inhibiting the production of fat.

Acetyl L-Carnitine Hydrochloride (500mcg) - Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid that is naturally produced in the body which helps the body produce energy. It also plays a role in heart and brain function, muscle movement, and many other body processes. Additionally, it helps to convert fat into energy, but much less than the regular L-Carnitine does.

Green Tea Extract 50% EGCG (250 mcg) - Primarily used to burn fat and helps you lose weight. Some studies have found green tea extract to be useful for obesity management since it induces thermogenesis ( I know you all know what this means). The ECGC portion of this ingredient is, what is known as a catechin, called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This is said to increase resting metabolism and stimulate fat-burning. Additional studies have shown that EGCG has the potential to increase fat oxidation in men more than women.

Aframomum Melegueta (25mg) - Aframomum melegueta is a herb where the seeds are mostly used as a spice to season foods. It has been traditionally used for digestive and intestinal health. Only ONE HUMAN STUDY has confirmed an increase in metabolic rate. It may be an intriguing ingredient for men, but this notion needs to be researched more effectively.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Since they were capsules there was no taste, and when swallowed I was able to take all three at the same time. For obvious reasons there was no mixability. As for dosing, the serving size was 3 capsules two times a day. The labeling suggested taking in the morning before a larger breakfast as well as before workouts. So as suggested I adhered to this.

Effectiveness

As I said in my intro I started the fat loss program with this supplement at a weight of 210 lbs, and now I am currently 200lbs. There is no way you can just take this supplement and expect to lose weight, but with the ingredient profile, if you supplement with proper nutrition and exercise it is very capable of aiding in fat loss. As I stated earlier this product is stimulant free which is one big reason I enjoyed it. I was able to go ahead and take it before workouts with a PWO, and with no stimulant it did not effect the PWO. I think one major challenge for me personally was remembering to take it first thing in the morning. For some odd reason I have trouble remembering to take supplements that are in capsule form. There really is no explanation to it I just think it is me being slightly groggy in the mornings. Now if there was a time I did forget, I would always make up for it by taking the product before lunch then before the workout. Either way I got the two servings in at some point in the day, and frankly I don't think it made a difference when I took it. Overall, I think that this is a solid product to supplement with your fat loss goals because of the ingredient profile. If any of you read my L-carnitine review a couple weeks ago I stated L-carnitine does not sit well with my digestive system. The fact that this has a different L-carnitine supplementation (acytle L-carnitine hydrochloride) did my body well. I honestly think this ingredient affected me more than the rest allowing my body to convert fat into energy instead of trying to use carbs (or the lack of carbs) in my diet. Oh wait! what do you know, this product had some effect on controlling my carb cravings. For me, carbs are my enemy, as well as sugary foods. By reducing my carb intake it allowed my body to really focus on using fat cells for energy. Along with many other areas, this product stood out in that form. It targeted my fat cells, primarily in my abdomen, shrinking my so called "gut". The reason I say this is because previous fat loss programs have resulted in reduced fat deposits in all areas BUT my abdomen, so I am happy that I found something that may solve that issue.

Value

This bottle was 50 servings with 150 capsules. On vitamin shoppe I found it for $31.99 which comes out to $.64 per serving. On bodybuilding.com it costs $24.97 which is about $.5 per serving. Right now there is a buy one get one free deal on Bodybuilding.com. I even found this on Ebay, 2 bottles for $44. It seems that this product is available almost everywhere you look. I think for the price this would be something I would consider buying again, especially with the current deals on various sites.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

Overall a good product. Since I was supplementing with other fat loss products I can't say that this was the sole supplement that really boosted my body's fat loss capabilities, but I noticed it definitely helped. As with anyone trying to lose weight, I think if you take this supplement with proper dieting as well as exercise it will work. With good ingredients and a good price for the servings (as well as specials going on right now) this can work for many people with goals to lose weight. For me, I am eating every two hours with my "snacks" being meals. I eat a low carb semi-large breakfast in the mornings, then any type of protein (chicken, steak, etc) with rice as my snack meals. This controls my cravings for sweets and carbs as well as proper supplementation. Additionally, if I did have a sweet craving I used my protein shake to combat it. So far I have lost 10 lbs, and I am trying to lose an additional 10 over the next two months. Hopefully continued supplementation with more QuaddraLean as well as other products will help me achieve this goal. Wish me luck!

Live Happy, Live Healthy
Dr. G. D.

Introduction

I apologize to RSP Nutrition for taking so long to review this. Thanks for sending ReGen out.

Ingredient Profile

8/10
ReGen BCAA contains 8.8 gram servings. 6 Grams are BCAAs at a 2:1:1 ratio (3g L-Leucine, 1.5 g L-Isoleucine and L-Valine). RSP adds 1 gram of Citrulline Malate at an undisclosed ratio, 250mg of Conconut water extract, and 5mg of Bioperine. Citrulline can help with ED and circulatory health at 1g 3x daily (1.76g 3x daily if Citrulline Malate), and can increase sports performance at 6-8g. Since this is a BCAA supplement, I assume that Citrulline is included for the purported benefits of decreased recovery time/soreness, fatigue, and increase in nitric oxide production. Clearly the amount in ReGen is too low for any of these uses although it could reasonably be used for circulatory health/ED if taken 3x daily but that would be expensive. It is likely that ReGen is designed to supplement one's citrulline existing supplementation from elsewhere (such as pre-workouts), but still there are a select few products out there that include 6g+ of citrulline. I would like to see more citrulline and for the citrulline malic acid ratio to be disclosed.

Additionally, the jury is still out on the research on coconut water's effectiveness. Personally, I prefer its inclusion but would like to see it dosed at 500mg-1g. At the very least it helps with potassium intake which I see as an added bonus. However, I tend to believe the research that shows coconut water is at least as effective as standard sports drinks (albeit without all the sugar!) at rehydration (i.e. better than pure water). Therefore, I like when it is included in BCAA/intra-workout supplements. While it is included in ReGen, I wish there was more.

Bioperine would ideally be at 10mg but I am perfectly fine with 5mg. I really value its inclusion as a nutrient absorption enhancer and could not be happier to see it in ReGen.

I have seen more impressive profiles but this is a decent run-of-the-mill BCAA supplement. Some of the ingredients are a little under-dosed but it could only help and may allow for cutting back supplementation in other areas.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

10/10
I received the Raspberry Lemonade flavor and it was delicious. I tried mixing 1-2 scoops with 12-20oz of water and at its greatest dilution the taste was still strong. It mixed up well and left little residue. The water became murky after mixing but that's of little concern.

RSP suggests using one scoop before, after, or during training and one scoop on rest days. I personally used 2 scoops at times at only felt better for it. I stuck to 1 scoop most of the time due to cost implications, however. They also suggest 8-10oz per scoop but I always experiment with serving to water ratios.

Effectiveness

8/10
ReGen produced results akin to your average BCAA supplement. I experienced shorter recovery times by about a day or two, felt a little endurance boost in the gym and stayed hydrated for longer. I'll explain each in a little more detail below.

Almost immediately I noticed that I was staying hydrated for longer. That was a shared function of increased water intake and ReGen's blend of electrolytes, and coconut water (possibly). I was refilling my water bottle about two times less (2) than on average (4) or visiting the water fountain less (on days when I forgot my water bottle). Hydration is perhaps one of the most important reasons to take an intra-workout supplement so these kinds of results are always welcome.

After 2 weeks of supplementing with ReGen I started to notice that cardio felt a little easier. For example, my 30 minute sessions felt like the 25 minute sessions had felt at the beginning. Additionally, I noticed that I didn't have to grind through my workouts as much, especially towards the end. For example, I normally do 6 movements for chest and starting around week 3 these workouts felt as easy as the days that I skipped dips (i.e. 5 movements). These are about average results for me with BCAA supplementation. At higher doses I seem to notice a stronger effects but that is to be expected. That being said, I've seen and tried products that have higher doses per [effective] serving and I feel that an 8 is fair when compared to where those products fit on the scale.

Additionally, I felt that I recovered from soreness 1-2 days early than without any BCAA supplementation. That is pretty average for BCAA supplements. I only felt a ~2 day reduction when I took 2 scoops for a few days before and after a really long and grueling workout towards week 4. Throughout the rest of my use, I felt that my recovery time was about a day faster than before in that the soreness had subsided enough to retrain. Stronger and more profound results would come from supplements like PEDs as opposed to a run-of-the-mill BCAA supplement. One would shoot for that 2 day reduction with higher BCAA doses. Therefore, I would say ReGen is a good, but not great, product in terms of effectiveness.

Also, as mentioned in the title, I tried drinking this a few times when I was hungover. Anecdotally, I felt just as good as I did with some Gatorade but I tended to drink less when drinking ReGen. I would usually make up for the difference (20oz ReGen v. 64oz Gatorade) by drinking more water or a little Gatorade. In all variations I felt about the same. I know ReGen is not marketed for this purpose so do with this anecdotal example what you will.

Value

8.5/10
50 serving containers run $29.99 and 30 serving containers run $19.99. At $0.60 a serving, this is not too bad. I'd venture to say that since this is regularly on sale over at big retailers like bodybuilding.com, that it is a good candidate for inclusion in a staple rotation due to cost reasons alone. Given the effectiveness, I would also consider any sale bringing it to $0.50 a serving to be well worth it. In fact, in those cases I would pull the trigger immediately.

Now there are better products that cost more and cheaper products that are more bare bones. Considering the average BCAA supplement would be 30 servings for $30 (i.e. $1 per serving), this is pretty good. 20 extra servings, even if slightly under-dosed is better than just 30 servings of a slightly higher dosed product.

Side Effects

10/10
I experienced no side effects with ReGen.

Conclusion

8.3/10
I got to an 8.3/10 by rounding up to a 8.2 from a 8.16 average of the Value, Effectiveness, and Ingredient Profile categories since they were most relevant here. Then I added a .1 for the lack of side effects and great taste/mixability/dosing instructions. Overall I would suggest trying this product out if it is on sale or a 50 serving container. At that point I think the value makes it worth consuming heaping scoops of a slightly under-dosed product. I don't think a 30 serving container [not on sale] would be worth it just because I'd rather pay a few bucks more and get a stronger 30 serving product. Seeing as this is commonly on sale, I'd probably suggest this a lot of times someone comes to me for supplement advice.

Introduction

Hello again, SR family! I'm back with another review. This time it's Evomuse's topical fat burner, Supernova. I've always been skeptical about the effectiveness of topical fat burners, and had this TROOP offer been from a company other than Evomuse, I would have passed on it. Why? Dsade, or Matt (his government name) runs Evomuse, and although he may be fairly new to the SR family, he is a well-respected veteran of other forums. Matt provides a plethora of knowledge with regards to exercise physiology, and his products WORK! Trust me; I've used quite a few. Needless to say, I was stoked to give Supernova a shot. Thanks again, Dsade, for supporting the TROOPs and welcome to the SR family.

Ingredient Profile

(8.5)
I normally have issues with ingredient amounts not being fully disclosed on the label. However, I'll give Supernova a pass with this. The ingredient list is quite long, and I'm not going to list and scrutinize each one. However, getsupps.com has the full ingredient listing here: http://www.getsupps.com/EvoMuse-Eviscerate-SuperNova-p/supernova.htm

Two noteworthy ingredients that Matt added are Caffeine Anhydrous and Rosehips Extract. Matt explained to me that this was because when Supernova was in its beta stage, many testers complained about the Yohimbine HCL causing water retention. The caffeine and rosehips are great diuretics and work nearly perfectly in this formula.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The label instructions state that you need to shower and exfoliate before using, and then apply a silver dollar sized amount to your midsection. It is important that you exfoliate because if you don't, Supernova will do it for you, and you'll be left with clumps of skin and Supernova all over your floor and midsection. When applied immediately after a shower, you feel a cooling/warming sensation, kind of like Icy Hot, but not as intense.

Effectiveness

(8.5)
As I stated before, I was skeptical, but I've trusted Evomuse's other products. So does it work? You bet it does! The mirror and tape measure, not the scale, tell the story. The first week was probably a bunch of water weight lost, because I was peeing like crazy and I lost 8 pounds. I actually thought that it was a digital scale typo, but as the weeks wore on, my peeing was less frequent and I gained a few of those pounds back. All in all, I lost 6 and a half pounds and a full inch off my waist. My abs popped a little more than normal, and my love handles look more like love knobs now...lol. Supernova didn't have any effects on me performance wise, meaning my lifts and energy levels stayed the same. However, it should also be noted that Supernova worked without me having to do any excess cardio or making any drastic changes to my diet.

Value

(7)
The cheapest I could find Supernova was on Ebay for 43 bucks. Elsewhere, it can be purchased from 45-50 bucks. This doesn't represent a GREAT value per se, but the price is still palatable and there are many workout fanatics (like me) who would gladly spend a few extra dollars on something that works, and Supernova DOES work...

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

Dsade is swinging for the fences with his product line. It's great to see products designed by athletes for athletes. Supernova is just one of many Evomuse products that are cutting edge and not cookie cutter. It is a little on the pricey side, but I don't mind spending a few extra dollars on a product that delivers.

Introduction

I apologize to CSA Nutrition for taking so long on this review. Thank you for letting me try Podium Gold.

Ingredient Profile

10/10
This profile is both simple and tricky to properly evaluate. It is simple in that there is 4500mg of one ingredient/blend: Carnoforge (patented B-Alanine, Creatine Monohydrate, and Creatine-B-Alanine Complex). The difficulty comes, however, in that this is a relatively unique creatine-esque product. CSA Nutrition claims that Carnoforge blends the "explosive strength specific ingredients Creatine and B-Alanine" into a more powerful ingredient, Carnoforge. Moreover, CSA claims that their ionic binding process is superior (in absorption/bioavailability and strength of results) to simply mixing Creatine and B-Alanine powders. Since both ingredients on their own contribute to improvements in strength and speed, CSA holds that Carnoforge, being superior, does so with a greater result/effect. Specifically CSA claims that Carnoforge increases "Exercise Capacity and Power Output by increasing intracellular carnosine levels in fast twitch fiber by 80%."

I hate to repeat a lot of marketing materials but I could not find anything on the Carnoforge patented form of Creatine and B-Alanine other than materials hosted by CSA. Therefore these claims must be understood along with a recognition of their [potential] bias. Still, there is a lot of research supporting the claims that Creatine and B-Alanine supplementation work synergistically to produce better (i.e. stronger) results than supplementing with just one of the ingredients. There are numerous sources in the public domain that back this up, but I decided to focus on some articles found via Google Scholar as opposed to one listed on a health/wellness store, site, or blog to reduce some possible bias in selection. I looked at "Effects of 28 days of beta-alanine and creatine supplementation on muscle carnosine, body composition and exercise performance in recreationally active females" by Kresta et al. (2014) which found no significant results from supplementing with either Creatine or B-Alanine. I also looked at "Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes" by J. Hoffman et al. (2006) which supported the claims of improved results with Creatine and B-Alanine supplementation. Finally I looked at "The Role of B-alanine Supplementation on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance" by Artioli et al. (2010) which supported claims that B-Alanine supplementation delays the onset of neuromuscular fatigue. It also summarizes other studies that found similar results. From these studies, it seems logical to me to conclude that creatine and B-alanine supplementation on their own produce desired results (strength and endurance increases) but to determine if one is better than the other or if a combination is better than either is alone may require more time than I have.

Thus, I am rating this a 10/10 because it has a patented, unique ingredient that has potential to be better than creatine or B-alanine supplementation alone. I have no way of truly fact-checking this. There seem to be few readily available studies on the unique Carnoforge blend and those that do look at Creatine+B-Alanine supplementation appear to be inconsistent. Therefore, I cannot easily conclude that the science supports or contradicts CSA's claims about Carnoforge or Creatine+B-Alanine in general.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

10/10
I received a powder form that was "mandarin orange" flavor. The powder is extremely fine and sort of grainy but not clumpy. It mixed extremely well with water. CSA suggests that people under 200lbs take 1 scoop (before or after workout) and those over 200lbs take 2 scoops (one in morning and one after workout) with water. Being under 200lbs, I took one scoop most days. I also took 2 scoops on occasion to see if there was any difference in flavor or noticeable results. CSA does not suggest a liquid amount (at least on my bottle) so I typically filled a shaker cup up with water (16-20z) and mixed it in. The flavor was stronger at 8-12oz but was still very light.

Effectiveness

8.5/10
I experienced similar results to ordinary B-alanine and creatine supplementation. I experienced modest strength and endurance capacity increases but nothing mind-blowing. I found that I could move up an extra 5lbs with dumbbell lifts or 10lbs in barbell lifts after a few weeks of use (beginning somewhere in weeks 3-4). This wasn't anything better than consistent creatine monohydrate or B-alanine supplementation in my experience. In fact, I feel like I have gotten better results from creatine gluconate supplementation. That is probably statistically false but that's how I felt.

I experienced the most notable results in respect to cardiovascular exercise. I found that in weeks 3-4, cardio became a little easier. At this time, I noticed that "the burn" that set in with cardio started to appear a little later into my workout. Instead of feeling "the burn" about 5 minutes into cardiovascular exercise, I started to feel it closer to 10 minutes in by week 4. Granted, some of this is undoubtedly the result of naturally adapting to static workloads. Still, I think Carnoforge supplementation sped up this adaption. I can't prove this definitively but based off my past experiences I would say that Carnoforge helped some - I just don't know how much. Furthermore, this may be no more impressive than B-alanine supplementation alone. I cannot really speak to that because I have not supplemented with just B-alanine enough. I can say, however, that Carnoforge supplementation seemed to add something "extra" to my standard pre-workout supplementation which usually included creatine and B-alanine.

Thus, I believe that Carnoforge supplementation helped my performance in terms of strength and endurance. I cannot definitively say that is was better than just creatine or B-alanine supplementation alone. I believe I noticed a positive difference from just creatine or B-alanine supplementation in cardiovascular exercise but merely similar effects to creatine or B-alanine supplementation in strength (lifting) workouts.

Value

7.5/10
I could only find Podium Gold for $43.99 for a (60 scoop) 60 serving tub or $29.99 for a (120ct) 60 serving bottle. At $0.74 a scoop or $0.50 a [capsule form] serving. While this is not terrible by any means, bulk creatine and B-alanine can be combined for a cheaper cost per serving. That being said, I don't know if Carnoforge is superiorly bonded, which may warrant an increased cost per serving. Therefore, I increased the rating from a 7.0 to a 7.5 to account for this unknown. I would rate this a 8/10 but I cannot be sure that supplementing with creatine and B-alanine raws produce statistically weaker results that also warrant an increase in cost per serving. As a financially conscious consumer I try to evaluate cost-benefit ratios for as much as possible and make decisions after comparing the cost-benefit ratios of different products. It can get a little tedious and in the weeds but for that reason I think a 7.5 is very reasonable. Additionally, increased retailer availability would also help the score here.

Side Effects

10/10
I did not experience the side effects that sometimes come with creatine supplementation (bloating) and B-alanine supplementation (paresthesia).

Conclusion

8.3/10
I get to a 8.3/10 after rounding up from 8.25/10. I get to 8.25/10 after averaging the scores for Value and Effectiveness as these are the most relevant sections. I added 0.25 for the high marks in the Side Effects, Taste/Mixability/Dosing, and Ingredient Profile categories. Overall, I think this product is worth trying out. I would probably not take the plunge if I needed to have a really strict budget because I feel that combined B-alanine and creatine supplementation may come close enough for cheaper. If I had a little flexibility with my supplement budget, I'd probably give this a try for convenience, novelty, and because it is light enough to be refreshing to drink intra-workout.