Quick Summary

A multi-vitamin missing a few key vitamins and some are under-dosed. A few of the vitamins used cheap forms, but the price is right on this product. If you are not overly concerned with some of the dosing, then give this a shot. A few extra's here truly bring this multi together nicely.

Introduction

38 years old and lift four days a week, while still recovering to total reconstructive surgery to my left ankle. I saw Muscletech's platinum multi-vitamin on the bounty list, and I have not tried a Muscletech supplement in over a decade, so I figured why not. I read up on the ingredient profile and it looked safe and interesting enough, so I decided to grab it up and do a review. Let us see what this new and improved muscletech has in store for us, at least multi-vitamin wise.

Ingredient Profile

I will not do my usual and define all the vitamins I find essential. That probably is way too long and I doubt people read it. However, I will discuss the important vitamins I look for in a multi-vitamin and their dosing, as well as the form of the vitamin on a few key vitamins. Here we have a completely transparent label, which is pretty awesome, and it does contain quite a few extra's in this, so that is always a nice perk to have.

The vitamins I find most essential in a multi are Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, Folic Acid, Calcium, Zinc, and Chromium. Some extra's I personally prefer to have are Iron, Magnesium, and Boron.

Vitamin A: Here we get 10,000 IU which is a healthy dose as 3,000 IU is the RDA. Muscletech uses Retinyl Acetate and Beta-Carotene as the forms. Beta-Carotene is what you want to see, while Retinyl Acetate may have some toxicity to it, so not a good thing to have here. Muscletech took the cheap route here.

Vitamin B6/B12: Good dose of B6 at 10mg with RDA being 1.3mg. B12 has 100mcg with an RDA of 2.4mcg however it uses the cheap version called Cyancobalmin. I would like to see the methyl form here. Unfortunately most multi's use this cheap version, but it could be better.

Vitamin C/E/Calcium: 135m of Vitamin C with RDA being at 60mg, 90IU of Vitamin E and you only want a maximum of 1500 IU daily here, so thats a nice safe dose. The forms of Vitamin E are dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate which is what you want to see. We get 175mg of Calcium with an RDA of 1,000-2,500mcg RDA.

Now we have some under-dosed ingredients here. Vitamin D is only dosed at 400IU while you want at least 600IU daily, Folic Acid is only at 300mcg with an RDA of 400mcg, and Zinc is only 9.5mg with an RDA of 11mg. These dosages are not severely under-dosed but definitely should be increased.

We are missing Vitamin K and Chromium from this multi, so thats no good. We only get 145mg of Magnesium with an RDA of 420mg, but we have a very healthy dose of Boron at 10mg which is the highest I have seen in a multi-vitamin yet.

Now lets discuss the extra's:

Amino Support Matrix (865mg): A small dosing of some key Amino's but still not a bad thing to have here. This blend nets us Glycine (806mg), ALA (49mg), Methionine (2.5mg), Citrulline Malate (2.5mg), Arginine HCI (2.5mg), and Cysteine (2.5mg).

Herbal Matrix (536mg): Way too many to list out, but a small dosing of some greens and reds for you. This was helpful to me as I switched my diet to all protein so I will take any added boost in this department. Do not rely on this to meet your daily requirements though, just a small boost.

Enzyme Complex (50mg): This was more helpful than I realized. This is 25mg of Amylase and 25mg of Papain. While taking this, this kept my gut healthy while doing this carnivore diet, and I had some issues develop once I ran out. So this is my favorite of all the extra's included, and is great to have.

Mineral Support Complex (29mg): A mixture of Inositol (10mg), Boron (10mg), and Choline (9mg).

I feel this profile is a bit of a mixed bag. We are missing some key vitamins that I like to see, and a few are under-dosed. Those issues definitely need to be addressed before this multi can be the best in my eyes. I do like some of the extra's included here.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Taste/Mixability: No taste, pill form. Easy to swallow and no weird taste or smell.

Dosing: Directions call for one dose (3 pills) daily with water. I took them with my first meal of the day. Easy as it gets.

Effectiveness

I gauge a multi-vitamin on if I got sick or not during my run and just my overall well being. I did not get sick at all during this run, and felt fine so it did its job at the end of the day. The biggest factor here are the missing and under-dosed ingredients. The dosing is truly what sets one multi-vitamin apart from another. As I discussed above, the Enzyme complex aided me in digesting an all protein diet, and that was the biggest drop off I had after I ran out of this. It got my attention when I switched vitamins (with no enzyme support) and my stomach was twisted in a knot, it needed that extra help in digestion. Its not a bad vitamin if you are not concerned with Vitamin K or chromium and take a separate Vitamin D as I do. However, a multi should have all the key ingredients and you should not have to take any other pills to get your RDA. I say this is average at best.

Value

Here is the biggest shining point of the product. I grabbed this from Amazon for $10.74 (free shipping with Prime) for a 30 day supply (90 capsules). That is 36 cents a day which is a very good deal. Sure, they use the cheap version of B12 and have some flaws, but if you are looking for just the basic vitamins each day then this price is an amazing deal. Due to its dosing on my preferences though I can only say this is an average deal, but I have no regrets paying this price to try it out.

You can also find this on special a lot, currently via Priceplow Muscle & Strength has a BOGO for $13.97. https://www.priceplow.com/muscletech/platinum-multivitamin

Side Effects

No weird colored pee or anything like that.

Conclusion

If this vitamin included Vitamin K and chromium and upped the dosing a bit on Vitamin D, Folic Acid, and Zinc then this would be stellar. Some people do not like Vitamin K in their multi's so that may or may not be an issue for you. Either way it has some nice extra's to it, the price is right, so I can safely recommend this. Just understand whats missing and under-dosed and you will do fine on it. End of the day, I never fell ill or anything during this run, so yes it does its job.

Introduction

I want to thank Nature Restore for giving me the opportunity to test this fantastic product. I don't always take sleep aide products, but there are times when my sleep schedule is completely out of whack and I need something to help fall sleep and stay asleep at times, so I usually just take some melatonin, but I decided to try out SleepBoost which has melatonin as well as a bunch of other natural ingredients to help with sleep.

Ingredient Profile

3mg Melatonin is the perfect dose for me, some people like more or some like less, but i think it's right on the dot for most. It's a hormone naturally produced in your body that rises at night in order to induce sleepiness.

50mg L-Theanine is an amino acid that has shown anti-anxiety effects via the induction of alpha brain waves and also improves sleep quality.

200mg Magnesium Glycinate helps your body and brain relax in order to help fall asleep and stay asleep

50mg 5-HTP helps the body to produce more serotonin which helps with positive mood as well as promotes restful sleep

5mg of vitamin b6 works alongside magnesium in order to help regulate sleep wake cycle

200mg Reishi is shown to significantly decrease sleep latency, increase sleeping time, non-REM sleep time and light sleep time in animal studies.

200mg Zizyphus jujuba Numerous research on jujube has shown it can exert a sedative effect on the central nervous system.

200mg Valeriana officinalis has sedative effect and also improve the effects of other sleep inducing aids such as melatonin

500mg Xylaria nigripes exerts a sedative effect and enhances GABA activity.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

dosing is simple, just take 3 caps 1 hour before bed and don't exceed 12 caps in one day. I would sometimes take 2 or sometimes take 4 depending on how I was feeling

Effectiveness

9/10
definitely helped me fall asleep at night, unless I took pre workout past 6pm lol but that's normal. Not only did it help me fall asleep, but it helped me stay asleep and not wake up in the middle of the night as I sometimes do when taking other sleep aids. Did wakeup with slight grogginess when taking 4 caps, but nothing major or to turn you away. Now I'm already a heavy sleeper, but this helped me be an even heavier sleeper lol my girl would try and push me to my side of the bed if i was taking too much up and I would not wake up, so on work days where I had to wakeup very early I would try to stick to just 2 caps and maybe take another if I needed to.

Value

7.5/10
Im just putting the value at 7.5 because for 30 servings it's $15 on amazon when you can get 120 servings of 3mg of melatonin for $9. But you do get more
"sleepboosting" ingredients and I think this does help better than just straight melatonin

Side Effects

slight grogginess at higher doses

Conclusion

SleepBoost is a fantastic solution to those who just need that extra boost to help fall asleep and stay asleep at night.

Quick Summary

The newest version of Amino1 has not become a staple of mine but whenever I find it on sale I make sure to add it to my arsenal.

Introduction

A 30-year-old male that does double days more often than not while trying to build my second business as quickly as possible. I am vegetarian so supplementation is fairly essential with the way I train and if I am not getting enough of something my body makes it very clear. Although this is marketed as a post workout I have used it as an intra with notable success.

Ingredient Profile

Lots of aminos indeed. I actually really like the spread on this though I do wish they included more BCAAs and with regard to a few of the ingredients (taurine and glutamine specifically) I am already getting plenty. The profile includes

3g Arginine AKG to aid in nutrient delivery to muscle tissue via NO production.
1g Taurine which helps to maintain proper hydration and electrolyte balance. This is a solid dose especially since just about every decent PWO adds 1 to 2gs these days.
3g of a BCAA blend in a 3:1:2 ratio which is a dosed a little low.
1g of L-Glutamine which aids in muscle tissue repair and is critical to the immune system. 1g is fine considering this should only be holding you over just until your post workout meal which will have plenty.
1g of L-Alanine which has been shown to prevent and used in the glucose energy conversion process.
1g of L-Glycine which has been shown to aid in avoiding inflammation and encourage muscle and joint tissue repair among other functions. 1g is an acceptable dose.
200mg of coconut water to further aid with hydration and electrolyte balance.

I'm not huge on the artificial flavors and AceK especially because it already tastes mediocre at best.

Taste

I do not like fruit punch anything but it seems to be the flavor I always find on sale. As far as fruit punch goes, this one is alright in that it is a more subtle flavor with no bitter after taste.

Mixability

Mixes well with no issues. I usually mix it with about 16oz of water and begin sipping on it halfway through my routines while occasionally filling my bottle back up. This continuously dilutes the flavor and spreads out the dose though consequently it is front end heavy with this method.

Effectiveness

Kind of like protein I really look for what I don't experience. I do not ever get muscle cramps with this, soreness is kept to a minimum, I never get that cottonmouth from too much time training and I never bloat like I do occasionally when I go between dehydrated and hydrated states. I would say this product does everything it is designed to do.

Muscle Pharm does include some ingredients to help with protein synthesis and nitric oxide production but I am not able to see any measurable difference in my gains due to this alone. The fact that it seems to help keep my muscles from ever really breaking down to the point where I have to take an extra recovery day is plenty.

Value

I got my tubs for $11 each so at this price the value is off the charts. Most often however I see the average price is around $22 or so. Considering the lower dose of BCAAs and the likelihood that when using this as an intra/post product you may be dosing some aminos that were already covered in your pre-workout I would say the value is average. Although, if you are taking things such as Taurine and Glutamine separately this is an even more beneficial product and a heck of a lot more convenient than worrying about popping capsules or mixing in more powders.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

Recovery products like these are always hard for me to get excited about. They could be the most well-designed products in the entire world and then. Nothing happens. But I suppose that's as good as it gets. No soreness, no cramping, no exhaustion and no dehydration. I would not go out of my way to spend money on this product at full retail as most of the potentially beneficial ingredients are already covered for me in other products. I have not noticed any significant improvement in recovery or gains by adding this product to my routine. That said I have been pushing my body harder these past few months than I ever have before while on a diet where it is significantly harder for me to get the levels of protein I was once accustomed to. All the while, I haven't slowed down a bit.

Quick Summary

This product will help you focus but wears off fast.

Introduction

I have never tried a product from black lion research but was always interested in the brand. When I saw they were offering a nootropic I thought it would be a great product. I can sometimes have problems with focusing but not too often.

Ingredient Profile

Proprietary Blend: 1000 mg
Brain Factor 7, Centella Asiatica extract, Salidroside 10%, Caffeine, Tyrosol.

Brain Factor 7: Known as purified silk fibroin Brain Factor-7, this protein has been shown to help enhance memory, attention, and mathematical ability in normal persons while acting as a neuroprotectant helping to increase cerebral circulation, improve attention and cognitive flexibility.

Centella Asiatica Extract: A medicinal herb widely used in parts of Asia this ingredient has been shown to help improve cognition, reduce oxidative stress in the brain and defend against glutamate. It additionally helps to balance acetylcholine levels and boost both dopamine and serotonin levels.

Salidroside: Helps to balance neurotransmitter levels in the body.

Caffeine: Helps to boost energy and focus as well as caffeine helps to boost the effectiveness of other nootropics.

Tyrosol: Essentially a stronger version of Salidroside, Tyrosol helps to stimulate dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the central nervous system.

These ingredients seem promising. I do not have any experience with these ingredients other than caffeine. Based off what I read about them I had high hopes for this product and thought this would be one of the better nootropics I've tried. I think if they added noopept it could've been better.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Capsules so no taste or mixability.
I would take 1 capsule in the morning and another after I got back from the gym or after lunch on days I didnt workout.

Effectiveness

I was expecting a lot from this product at first. When I first took it I did not feel anything until an hour later when I was heading to the gym. I was more focused on my workouts and got a slight energy boost from the caffeine but not energy like it was a preworkout or energy drink. I would look at something and be focused on what I was looking at and not on anything else. My gym partner would sometimes tell me it's my turn because I would be too focused on something like my phone. During the workout I would be really focused on my set. When I got home I would take the second capsule and that would usually kick in faster than the first. In 30 minutes I would be super focused on tv or a video game. My skills at the games would not be too much better but my friends noticed I was doing slightly better and asked if I was practicing. I was more alert and had faster reaction times in the games I played. The effects would wear off after 3 - 4 hours and I would go back to usual with everything. I was angry at everything on the second day but other than that nothing bad happened from this. I'm almost positive the anger was from this and nothing else because I had the same diet, taking the same supplements, and nothing bad happened in my life.

Value

You can find this for $36 at strongsupplements.com. That is $1.20 a day for this or $0.60 a capsule. I think that is a fair price considering how good this worked but I would wait for a discount. I personally would not pay more than $30 or $25 for this.

Side Effects

Anger on second day

Conclusion

I think this is a great product for those looking for a new nootropic to buy. It is definitely one of the better ones I've tried but not the best. I would recommend this to someone looking for something new or who does not want to pay more than $40 for a nootropic.

Quick Summary

CTD Noxivol is a good product. Overall, the ingredient profile is not as appealing as the actual product it self but, I had some good workouts with it. In the review Ill go over what I liked, disliked and how it worked for me. I can say it is an interesting product but will I use it again? Give me some constructive criticism after please!

Introduction

Hello, my name is Richard and Im reviewing the CTD Sports Noxivol. First, reason I tried the product was because, many were have told me so many good things about the Noxivol tabs. I don't want to take 6 tabs a day especially when they are quite large, so I took the powder. Noxivol is known for great muscular pumps and holding the pump for an extended period of time. This is a big positive for me because my training regimen includes moderate frequency and high volume. I believe in muscle hyperemia and cell swelling to optimize hypertrophy. My main objective while training is putting as much blood in the muscle as possible! So pump products are a big help and great to incorporate in my supplement regimen.

Ingredient Profile

So ingredient profile includes L-Arginine which is a precursor to N.O and helps blood vessels open. A.K.G can enhance peak performance by getting rid of ammonia in the body. Beta Alanine is used to create carnosyn which enhances muscle contraction and muscular endurance. Ornithine, Histadine, Norvaline to create more N.O. in the body and muscular endurance. Cissus Quadrangularis, is used to easy the aches in joints and mood enhancement.
Alpha Gpc is a nootropic and cognitive enhancer, Rutaecarpine is an anti inflammatory, Vanadyl sulfate can help with growth and insulin sensitivity, and Bioperine for absorption.

All these ingredients are great, and do include good N.O. precursors/ inhibitors, they also have a great pump and endurance effect. And the ingredient combo is very special, because not companies put these ingredients in a normal pump product. However, the fact that it is a proprietary blend, so the dosage of each ingredient is not clear. In my opinion really brings down the trust of the products but some proprietary blends are good and some not so good.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Green apple tastes really good, and all other flavors i haven't tried, There is a fruit pinch and pineapple flavor though. Mixability is good, there will still be a little small amount of graininess on the bottom of the shaker but not bad. I use a shaker cup fill it with 10 oz water shake it up and drink it quickly. I like it to be very solute so that is why i use 10+ oz of water, and the green apple flavor still tastes good. As far as dosing goes I did half scoops for the longest time and It worked very well for me. If you like really concentrated tastes go with the full scoop in no more then 10 oz water. Full scoop is recommended for most but I felt good on half a scoop. Reason i used half scoops was the fact that nootropics can some times give me a light headed or dizzy feeling. A single scoop is 7.1 grams and 45 scoops in a container. Most of you aren't going to measure it but try using no more than one scoop, its not like pre workout the more you use the more you get used to it, especially when you have rutaecarpine in it decreasing acclimation to the product, and it has no caffeine.

Effectiveness

In effectiveness, ill give it a 7.5 out of 10 it works great and flavor is spot on. I like that I can get a good pump and have it last for the whole workout. It also gets me sweating a lot easier and a little more. Heavy sweating can happen with good pump boosters because the increased oxygen intake allows more energy to be use in the muscle so more energy used more heat meaning more heat. Overall, I feel I had better workouts with the product. Will it be like that all the time? No, id say 85% of my workouts were enhanced from this product. Not every workout can be good many factors go into having a good work out and the product can't control all of them. I have used it for all body part training, and the best days to see its effect is on an arm day or a chest and back day. If you are expecting for a vein popping pump or a muscle busting effect do keep in mind that it will help but don't get your hopes up. For an optimal pump we have to be in a good physiological state. Be hydrated, minerals have to be balanced, cells have to be receptive. I suggest to drink some water before and take a full scoop in a decent amount of water. I still use half to three quarters of a scoop but thats just me.

Value

Where i get it is $33.99 for 45 scoops so i think i get it at a good price! Plus i bargain shop, so Im trying to save any way possible! I usually get my supplements from a local store that price matches and usually has equal or lower prices than online. But for anyone out there interested in buying it, look online and really look for a good price. And if your local store has it ask if they can price match or bargain, most mom and pop shops can bargain but stores like GNC and VitaminShoppe can't. I myself wont be buying it every 45 days because my workouts should not revolve around if the product is working for me at the time of my workout. I also like to try new things... as well Im cheap and wont always be able to squeeze it in the budget and buy it.

Side Effects

No side effect except for increased sweating and crazy pumps.

Conclusion

So conclusion, if you can get it or some how get a sample of it, do try it. I like it fairly well, it might be under estimated because its a proprietary blend but if you like pump products, I can say it is worth the try. It has a special ingredient panel which is cool, not many companies use these ingredients in a typical pump booster. However, the only thing I don't like is it's a proprietary blend so you don't know how much of what you are getting and that can be a real mystery. Hopefully, it is all it says it is and not some fake placebo pump booster. Besides that I can approve of it. I may not buy it all the time but ill buy it time to time again. I like to try new things so I will try to circulate back to is some time in the near future. This is my first product review and wont be my last product review. Thanks everyone hope you can get some info from this and let me know if you have tried CTD Noxivol Powder!!

Introduction

Thank you SR troops and TBN Labs for the opportunity to give this mass gainer a try! We all know that for some of us hard gainers no matter how many calories you put in etc it never seems to help or some of us simply cannot eat enough to make up the calories to make those gains. I am one of those people that struggle with eating all my calories in a day.

Ingredient Profile

To be honest, What stood out the most to me was the fact that they use Stevia to sweeten it! But other than that.... 120,000mg total mass blend (whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, glutamine peptide, waxy maize, sweet potato powder, wild yam extract, brown rice powder, maltodextrin, and multi grains powder). 25g of protein, 93g of carbs, 4G of sugar, .

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

The scoop on this bad boy was absolutely insane. It was tough at times to scoop a full scoop without taking some out so it doesnt tip back over in there. But other than that. I mixed one scoop with about 12fl oz of almond milk. Mixed it with my shaker and rarely had clumps. Sometimes it would be gritty but I think that was due to me not mixing enough milk at times. Oh forgot to mention. I got cookies and cream and mine had legit chunks of cookies in there!

Effectiveness

During my time of taking this product I felt my muscle a little bit fuller and overall felt great because this did not upset my stomach etc. I did gain a good 2-3 lbs and I feel like taking this mass gainer helped me out a good amount. The gainer helped me get a good night "meal" in before bedtime and it did help me with recovery a bit more as well as I did not feel as sore as before and my intensity was the same. Well actually a bit higher than normal because like I said before I was feeling real good. haha

Value

5lb 19 servings at $44.75
60 servings $84.75
Both prices come straight from their website.

Side Effects

None to report usually with gainers you experience some stomach discomfort etc but not with this!

Conclusion

If you are looking for a good gainer that is not artificially sweetened. Please look into this product and you will not regret it. We are all trying to make those gains when bulking and I am sure most struggle with calories. This definitely has all you need in one with an amazing taste to go along with it!

---Quick Summary---

Decent BCAA with the average ingredient profile that claims to get you ripped while taking it. To me, it was no different than any other BCAA drinks I've had. Just a little more expensive.

---Introduction---

What's up SR.com folks. 37y/o male with roughly 7 years of working out and taking supplement experience. I am here today to review the BCCA product "BCAA Ripped" by Beast Sports Nutrition. I like to sip on BCAA's during my workouts, pickup basketball games, and sometimes during the day when drinking water starts to suck. When I saw this I thought I'd give it a shot to see how it tasted and to see if it could help with my workouts and recovery.

Ingredient Profile

The ingredient profile is simple with a twist.

L-Leucine 2500 mg
L-Isoleucine 1250 mg
L-Valine 1250 mg

BCAA Ripped also says it has 3,000mg's of mixed-chain triglycerides,. I had to look this up on the good old Google to see what these are supposed to do and according to them it is used by athletes to help build more lean muscle as well as weight control. Some of the other benefits I read about seem to include possibly lowering fat from the body and lowering cholesterol. If this is true I think this is great and it should be in more products. The final ingredient that's supposed to help get you "Ripped" is 250mg's of CLA. We all know, at that dose, you aren't getting any help from CLA.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Dosing - 1 scoop with 6-12oz of water is the way I rolled.

Mixability - This product mixed fine. No issues

Taste - I received the coconut crme flavor. Didn't taste bad at all in small amounts. I tried to put a few servings in my water jug one day and I eventually got tired of drinking it and wanted plain water back.

Effectiveness

I just never noticed anything at all with this product. I definitely didn't lose any body weight. But, that wasn't necessarily the goal. It's always hard for me to judge a BCAA drink. I put em in the same category as protein shakes. It's just to hard to tell if they are working at the specific time you are drinking them or after. You just drink them and hope for the best. I didn't get my cholesterol tested before I started taking it so I'm not sure if that was lowered or not. However, I don't have any issues with that to begin with. I never expected to see anything from the amount of CLA in the product either.

Value

A1 Supps is carrying the product for $26.95 plus shipping & tax for just 20 servings. Definitely cannot justify spending that kind of money on a BCAA product that doesn't have a way of letting you know it is working. at over $1 a serving it's to expensive for me. There are plenty of BCAA drinks on the market to help you through your workout for cheaper per serving.

Side Effects

No Side Effects

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's just average. It's no different than any other BCAA product on the market. The taste was just OK. The price is to expensive. It mixes well. I didn't notice any side effects and I guess it could have lowered my already low cholesterol. Who knows? I will say though, I want to thank Beast Sports Nutrition for still giving us sr.com TROOPer's the opportunity to at least give it a shot. I appreciate that. Some products just aren't for everybody. Take care.

Quick Summary

This product helps block against the build up of estrogen and costirol and give you more energy. Also you will look leaner and your skin will look more dryer. The only issues you may deal with are dry achy joints.

Introduction

First off I want to thank VMI Sports for letting us troopers have the chance to give this product a try. I have never really been much into using products like this and it had been a couple years since I used a product like this. After checking out some of the reviews on here and seeing that it was getting some pretty good reviews I thought I would give this try. My one concern with this that I was reading was a lot of people got really dry achy joints and that kept me from trying it sooner because I have had this issue at times and know how miserable it can be to deal with. I thought if this starts to happen and it's to much I will back off.

Ingredient Profile

I like that they fully disclose everything that is in this. The ingredients they use in this are rather potent and effective at blocking the build up of estrogen and cortisol.

Calcium-D-Glucarate helps the body get rid of excess estrogen by inhibiting beta-glucaronidase not allowing it to be reabsorbed into the body.

Indole-3-Carbinol is a powerful anti-estrogen compound found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. I3C is regularly used to balance hormone levels, support optimal liver and intestine function, and enhance immune system functioning.

Diindolylmethane is the active component of I3C. Basically, think of DIM as a more "refined" form of I3C that optimizes hormone levels and puts a stop to estrogen proliferation.

Chrysin a bioflavonoid found in significant amounts of bee pollen and honey. Chrysin is a well known natural testosterone booster, which encourages greater testosterone production and inhibits the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.

Astragin is included to help bioavailability of this

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

No taste since these come in pill form and nothing to mix.
Take 2 pills daily prior to food/meal, on an empty stomach

Effectiveness

This will be my first time using any kind of estrogen blocker in at least 2 years. After reading the reviews on here and hearing what good results people were getting from this I was rather excited to give this a try. I will start off by saying that this stuff works and works really well. The ingredients they use in this are rather potent so they are effective.

I noticed that this took me about 10 days or so before I started to really notice anything from this. The biggest things I noticed from this was how much leaner I started to get. Also my skin started to look a lot more dryer and seemed to be a lot more thinner like. I was noticing a lot more cuts in my muscles and any vascularity I got was a lot more noticeable. I did notice a slight drop in my body weight but only by a couple pounds or so. Also I noticed that while I was on this my appetite seemed to be a little less than it normal was. Not sure if this was causing that but I am guessing it was since I was leaning up a little more and had the slight drop in body weight. My overall strength gains from this were not to much and feel this did not to much to help that.

I do think this does a good job at helping you have a nice boost in your libido. It's was nothing crazy like but it was noticeable. Also I feel this does a good job at controlling your cortisol better. The results I was noticing from all these areas I mentioned I thought was really good and very impressed with how it was helping me but there was one main issue I had with this which I did not like. I know on other reviews people were talking about getting dry achy joints from this and this happened to me badly. I tend to have issues real bad at times with achy joints. After being on this for a few weeks. I really started to notice more pain in my elbows and forearms and even a little bit into my wrists. It was to the point at times I had to back off a bit on some of the stuff I was doing because it was bothering me to much. This is the one thing about this product that frustrated me and really wish I could avoid. I heard that some people started taking fish oils to help with the dry joints and I started doing that also and feel it helped some but not a real lot. Since I have stopped taking this I feel my joints are starting to feel a little better but still having some issues.

Value

The cheapest I could find this was on allstarhealth.com and they want $24.19 for 30 servings. For a product like this and being so effective I really think this is a pretty good value for this.

Side Effects

Real dry achy joints

Conclusion

Overall I feel this is a very solid and effective product. What this product does and the results you will get from this are amazing. I would have to say this is one of the better estrogen blocker and cortisol controller you can find. For value I think this is more than worth trying. The big issue for me was the dry achy joint this caused me. Even with this issue I still really enjoyed this product a lot. I think this product is more than worth giving a try. I know not everyone had issues with their joints so maybe you will be just fine. I would say make sure you are taking fish oils with this just to be safe. Again I want to give a big shout out to VMI Sports for making this product and letting me have the chance to give it a try.

Quick Summary

Nothing flashy, just L-Carnitine.

Introduction

First and foremost I would like to thank VMI Sports 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 love to try products that can help me burn that unwanted fat. Carnitine has been in the market for a while now and has a lot of studies done already. I thought why not add Carnitine to my arsenal of fat fighting supplements and see where it takes me.

Ingredient Profile

Very simple profile of three different type of Carnitine ... Carnitine simply put helps the body produce energy. It plays a crucial role in the production of energy by transporting fatty acids into your cells' mitochondria. The mitochondria act as engines within your cells, burning these fats to create usable energy.

L-Carnitine 1.5 g - This is the standard form that is not bound with any other molecules. This supposedly is what you would want if you wanted help with energy increase.

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate 750 mg - This is another form of Carnitine that turns into Carnitine Tartrate within the body. I'm not sure what mix the two into this forumal. Carnitine and Carnitine Tartrate could be considered the same.

Acetyl L-Carnitine 750 mg - Now this guys is a little different from the other two since it's actually found mostly in the brain. Carntine Tartrate is found mostly in the muscles ... This form of Carntine should actually help you with cognitive functions. It has the ability to penetrate blood brain barrier which allows it to stay in the central nervous system, where its main effects actually take place. While in the nervous system the main attributes in contributes is
provide energy for brain cells thru its fat transport mechanism, also it becomes a substrate for production of acetylcholine, one of the main neurotransmitters of the human body.

Good stuff overall.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Pretty good tasting tablespoon of liquid. I didn't mind the taste at all. It does have a little of the chemical taste but nothing that would make me shiver.

Effectiveness

I'm a big believer in Carnitine but the effects are very subtle. I didn't notice any cognitive advantage while using this product like described by others. I think I could say that I had a better well being but that could just be me in my head. As for as the fat burning capabilities that I would say was noticeable. I did not loose that much weight but my waist line has slimmed tremendously ... A lot of it I contribute to my good diet and the cardio I've been subjugating myself to. I do feel like when doing cardio on Carnitine my body fat has been attacked more efficiently than with out it. I don't think I have ever gotten so skinny in my waist line that I'm actually going to buy another belt. I realize that the diet has the real affect on this outcome but again I think that the outcome is so much more effective because of this product. No, let me rephrase ... I don't think my outcome would be that effective without the main ingredient called L-Carnitine ... I did not feel any thermogenics (increased heat) while on this product but it did initiate more sweating while doing cardio.

Value

This is not going to be easy because there are similar product out there. If you want to get Carnitine by itself in a powder form that would be the cheapest ... It would cost your for 3g about .30 cents per serving. If you purchased this product it would cost you .64 cents per serving. That is pretty much doubled. Now you have to consider that you are paying for the ease of access to consume the product. You paying for the bottle, the liquid and the flavor pretty much. Personally that's pretty expensive to ask for that much just because you added Acetyl L-Carnitine ... that actually costs the same amount in the powder form.

Side Effects

None that I have experienced.

Conclusion

Would I personally buy this product ... Only if it was buy one get one free. I'm sorry but personally I'm just too frugal to go ahead and double up the price when I know there is a powder form that is half cheaper. But, that's just me. If you don't want to bother with powder by looking for things to mix it with ... than this product is actually for you. Very easy to consume and very enjoyable. I'm a big fan of Carnitine so I would recommend this product to the rich and lazy ;). I thank you for reading this review and wish you a wonderful day.

Quick Summary

Mostly bought this product to compare different EAA products. Used Redcon1 Grunt before and was quite happy. Fellow troopers pointed out other EAA products and decided to give them a try. Primeval Labs EAA Max outdid Grunt period. Watch out for deals, the regular price is a little too steep

Introduction

I always use BCAA's as a staple. They seem to work good to reduce doms and increased recovery speed. Some brands recently came out with products containing EAA's as well. I read some interesting stuff about EAA's and tried Redcon1 Grunt at first. I was keen to find out if the addition of EAA's would provide some benefit. I read an article that stated that just using BCAA's is just like playing baseball with just an pitcher andwell not a complete team. Since a am from Europe and nobody plays baseball here the metaphor was mostly lost on me, but the bottom line was that EAA's are a superb addition and I decided to give it a try. Grunt worked well for me, but I got some suggestions from fellow Troopers that there are perhaps better EAA product out there (Think is was Smashley, so thanks). Currently running mTor from Myokem. Never got around to writing my review on Primeval Labs EAA Max, which I used in between, so here it is.

Ingredient Profile

1 scoop is 12 grams. 9.5g of which (5,5g BCAA and 0,825g EAA). I am not sure how much EAA's would be ideal. This seems a small dose, but can't be sure. I haven't found any info or research on the ideal amount of EAA's. The amount of BCAA's is in the medium range of BCAA products. Some contain more.

BCAA
L-Leucine: 2,5g
L-Valine: 1.5g
L-Isoleucine: 1.5g

EAA
L-Lysine (300mg)
L-Threonine (225mg)
L-Phenylalanine (200mg)
L-Tryptophan (50mg)
L-Histidine (25mg)
L-Methionine (25mg)

That's almost the same profile regarding the amino acids as Grunt with minor differences (0,5g less Leucine, 25mg less Threonine, 50mg less L-Phenylalanine ). But in addition, EAA Max contains

Electrolytes
Magnesium 17mg, Sodium 39mg , Potassium 52 mg

Cluster Dextrin, 2g
Cluster Dextrin, sometimes known as Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin (HBCD), is a new advanced breed of maltodextrin. Cluster Dextrin passes through your stomach faster than other carbohydrate supplements, making it more readily available for your body to burn as energy. For some extra energy during workouts, focussed on the intra workout part.

D-Ribose, 500mg
D-ribose is a pentose sugar that plays a role in the production of energy intermediates, aimed at ATP regeneration.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

EAA Max is not only winning in the ingredient department, the mixability is far better than Redcon1's Grunt. Where Grunt leaves some residue (hard suger like residue), EAA max mixes perfectly. I tried two different flavors. The cherry lemonade and Orange Sherbert are both ok. Not amazing but a solid 7. The cherry lemonade mixes nicely with different types of pre workout flavors. I usually drink my pre workout for before workout and toss an intra and some water in for during my workout.

Effectiveness

Primeval Labs EAA Max is meant for recovery, but maybe more for intra workout considering the electrolytes and cluster dextrin.. As for effectiveness I was really satisfied. Dom's definitely were less while EAA MAX. I was perfectly satisfied with Grunt, but the electrolytes and cluster dextrin in EAA Max are an extra bonus and make EAA Max a very good intra workout. Eletrolytes are definitely felt when it comes to hydration.

Value

The normal price is $29,99 for 30 servings. $1 a serving can be a bit much for a Amino product. I think a little bit too much. There seems to be a sale going on somewhere at all times. I got two tubs for $45 at a limited time price cut, which is a very good price point.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

My purchase of EAA Max was mostly meant to compare different EAA products. I definitely feel products that contain EAA next to BCAA's provide a benefit. I did enjoy Grunt and believe it really assisted in recovery. I feel EAA Max from primeval is a little better. It basically packs the the same ingredients with some added bonuses. For now Primeval labs EAA Max is my favourite and tops the EAA game. Watch out for deals though, the regular price is a bit steep.

Quick Summary

Vanaphase is trying to bring back a supplement that had a little bit of fame back years ago. While giving this some really big claims they had some big shoes to fill right out the door.
- Dramatic strength increases within 1-2 weeks
- Absurd inter-workout pumps
- Rock hard muscles throughout the day
- Improved workout endurance
- Enhanced recovery times
- A tighter, leaner physique
So how does this supplement differ than what was out in the 90's , and if it really does work this well , why did it disappear?

Introduction

41 year old male looking for any extra edge I can get to help fight of the aging process or at least the visual part of it .

Ingredient Profile

Vanadium: 10mg- Vanadium
Vanadium is used for treating prediabetes and diabetes, low blood sugar, high cholesterol, heart disease, tuberculosis, syphilis, a form of "tired blood" (anemia), and water retention ; for improving athletic performance in weight training; and for preventing cancer.
How does it work?
There is some evidence that vanadium might act like insulin, or help to increase the effects of insulin.
This is taken from webmd

Vanadium is LIKELY SAFE in adults, if less than 1.8 mg per day is taken. At higher doses, such as those used to treat diabetes, vanadium frequently causes unwanted side effects including abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, and gas. It can also cause a greenish tongue, loss of energy, and problems with the nervous system.
Vanadium is UNSAFE when used in large amounts and for a long time. This increases the risk of serious side effects including kidney damage.
Vanadium might lower blood sugar. People with diabetes should check their blood sugar carefully and watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

They are tasteless.
I took one with every meal. Pretty simple but kind of annoying at the same time.

Effectiveness

I had zero effects from this. Good or bad. I was looking for even slight changes but the ones I did have I can not credit it for this. I was on a slightly different diet than normal so I was already starting to lean out some then kinda hit a wall , which was when I started to take this. So with all these claims I thought it would help put me back on track. I did keep my hopes up but I never did see anything or feel any extra boost in the gym. I was at least hoping for the added water pumps it promised but I can not say they was increased at all either. I was starting to feel like I got scammed or even got a placebo product. My strength was going up on this but I feel It was more of the different training program and the better diet than this.

Value

36.99 for 90 count which is 30 day supply . For what I got from this. No way.

Side Effects

zero. Good or bad

Conclusion

As mentioned in my title. I think some things should just be left behind and not messed with again. Sorry it took so long to get this review up.

Quick Summary

Excellent product with premium patented ingredients at a premium price that delivers premium results. Torem doesn't mess around. If you are willing to pay the price you can actually get results. I'll choose this over over-hyped non effective stimmed up fat burners every day. Solid stuff

Introduction

36 years old financial auditor trying to balance life with three kids and a busy job. Trying to get in some quality time at the gym in the meantime. When I manage to squeeze in some gym time I can use all the supplement help that's out there.
Been looking to lose some unwanted fat, mostly around the midsection. Nice time to experiment with some of the abundant fatburners out there. I have tried some before, with different results. The main thing It made me understand is not to expect too much from a fat burner.

Most Troop supps are not available in Europe. After contact with Torem they had no issue at all sending it out to Europe after a slight contribution to the shipping cost. Much thanks to Torem and the Troops program!

Ingredient Profile

Inno SlimTM (250mg
InnoSlim regulates glucose, fat cells, and muscle cell metabolisms. Regulates glucose absorption and helps the body overall when it comes to nutrition absorption. 250mg is the advised dose.

Advantra Z (50 mg)
Advantra Z is a fully trademarked product that has been shown to increase athletic performance and fat burning capabilities. Made from bitter orange. I was unknown with this ingredient before and did some research. Results look promising, I found that it may (in rare instances) cause an increased heart rate among healthy people. I did not experience this at all. For effects, the recommended dosage is 100mg a day. Since Neco Adipem should be used twice a day this amounts up to exactly 100mg.

Garcinia Cambogia (100mg)
Tropical fruit rich in hydroxycitric acid. Not a fat burner, but many studies do report subjective appetite decrease

Green Tea Extract (250 mg)
Studies have shown green tea to increase metabolism. Fat burning effects are highly synergistic, almost dependent, on not consuming caffeine habitually. Well, for me this doesn't work out that well. I simply need my coffee. Nonetheless, Green tea extract is one of my favourite ingredients when it comes to fat loss. After trying several fat burning supplements I know It works for me personally, even with my daily coffee.
Significant effects in humans are noted only at high doses, such as 400-500mg EGCG equivalent per day. Beware when you purchase green tea extract, the amount of EGCG is crucial. Neco Adipem delivers 70% which is really potent. Next to the weight loss, green tea extract has many other (bonus) benefits, lower blood pressure, cancer prevention and many more.

Actigin (25 mg)
ActiGin is improve exercise performance by clearing out aged, non-dividing cells,
mitigating exercise-induced inflammation, as well as improving glycogen storage and usage by muscle tissue. My guess is Actigin is added for the glycogen storage capabilities.

Capsimax (50 mg)
Is a concentrated highly-active, natural capsicum extract from red hot chili peppers Capsimax delivers effective levels of capsaicinoids without the gastric burning sensation of unprotected red hot peppers. 50mg is a good and standard dose.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Neco Adipem comes in a cool package. Doses are divided in pouches that contain 2 pills. One pouch before breakfast and one pouch before dinner. Easy dosing and easy to swallow pills.

Effectiveness

You absolutely get what you pay for here. Compared to other fat burning supplements I have tried this one is hands down the best. I usually have some food cravings two hours after dinner. Those completely disappeared.
During the course of taking this product my abdominal section got way more defined. It was nice to see some abs in the mirror again. The first week I did not notice that much. Week 2 and three things really kicked off and I could wait to step on my scale in the morning because the effects were measurable too. I lost 3 kg, that's 6,5 lbs in your weird American non-metric system My fat percentage dropped almost 1,5% point, and I actually reached a two year low just under 17%. Still not satisfied with that but I have had to work a lot harder to drop some fat before the introduction of Neco Adipem. This all considering no change in diet or exercise routine.
That being said, this product is almost stim free (undecided on the Advantra Z). You can easily stack this with what you want. Fat burners that pack some stim are hard to combine with a PWO, with Neco-adipem this is no issue at all.

Value

It sells for 95! Dollars at amazon.com, but at the time of writing this review is on sale at their own site for 48 dollars. The regular price at the site is 57 dollars. Quite the difference.
Of course Neco Adipem is not cheap. Even at the sale price of 48 dollars this is quite an amount of money for a supplement.
Consider however the price of other fat burning supplements -and more important the results-. If you are serious about losing weight/fat I believe you are better off investing some money in a product that actually works. There are so many fat burning products out there with shady stim ingredients, immense claims, and with a total lack of any results. You can either go that route and hope you stumble across an affordable product that works or go for a sure, but costly, option. I would go for the latter.
That being said, the price on Amazon is ridiculous A real punch in the gut. Not sure why it is that much higher there. Even for the mentioned results, 95 dollars is just too much.

Side Effects

None at all

Conclusion

A premium product that is expensive but delivers. Stacking the effectiveness against other fat burners I tried before this is definitely a winner. If you have the money and want a fat burner that actually works don't be afraid to spend it on Neco Adipem.

Quick Summary

Unknown with barbender nutrition. Overall a pleasant surprise. A very solid pre workout with an amazing taste. No exotic or new ingredients, straight up decent oldcsool profile.

Introduction

36 years old financial auditor trying to balance life with three kids and a busy job. Trying to get in some quality time at the gym in the meantime. When I manage to squeeze in some gym time I can use all the supplement help that's out there. I always use a pre workout. Not a fan of most exotic stimulants, but no fan of underdosed pre workouts either.

Most Troop supps are not available in Europe. After contact with Barbender and a the payment of (part of) the shipping costs I received a bottle of Torque. Much thanks to Barbender and the Troops program!

Ingredient Profile

The ingredient profile is decent, the ingredients are alle well known culprits for a pre workout.
3g of Beta Alanine
Increases muscle endurance. Large doses of beta-alanine may cause a tingling feeling called paresthesia. Never experienced this personally before. Harmless anyway, some find it annoying. Recommended dosage is 2-5g. 3g is a fair dose.

3g of L-AAKG
Should increase nitric oxide activity / blood flow in the body. Evidence is mixed, but added to many pre workouts. Recommended is 2-5 g. 3g is a fair dose.

3g of L Citrulline Malate
One of my favourite ingredients in a pre workout. Benefits are abundant. Increases energy, Nitric Oxide production. Buffers lactic acid accumulation and raises Growth Hormone (GH) levels post workout. The recommended dosage is 6-8 g. Most pre workouts stay below this amount. Some do include 8g, but not that many. I would like to see the Citrulline malate to be dosed at at least 5g. 3g does the job but could be better.

500mg of N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine
The best absorbed form of L-Tyrosine. Increases dopamine levels. Basically makes you feel euphoric and focused. 500mg is a fair dose.

280mg of Caffeine
Personally around my sweet spot. Less just doesn't work for me, more can cause jitters. Especially for people that like their coffee during the day, more than 300mg is a bit much. Happy with this amount of caffeine. A higher dose can cause a crashing feeling for me personally after my workouts.

1.25g of Betaine Anhydrous
Betaine (trimethylglycineis a component of beetroot. A single dose of betaine reduces homocysteine levels and is shown to increase power output. promotes cellular hydration, much like creatine does. 1.25mg is a fair and standard amount.

5mg of Bioperine
Standard dose of absorption agent. The ability to increase the bioavailability of nutritional compounds. 5mg is a dose commonly used.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Torque really shines in the taste department. The powder is really fine and mixes excellent. I had the watermelon flavour which actually tasted like watermelon. Watermelon flavour tends to be a bit sweet but Barbender nutrition really outdid competitors on the flavour department. The right amount of sweet and sour. Definitely watermelon, great taste.

Effectiveness

I wasn't sure what to expect since I am not familiar with barbender nutrition. The ingredient profile looks goods without any exotic stimulants. Just fairly dosed on the most common and proven ingredients. It turned out to be a nice surprise. Energy levels were good without that cranked up feeling. The pump section was good and the focus level was also good. I specifically use the word Good as I had better; energy wise, pump wise and focus wise. This was however with different types of pre workouts. Torque does a good job in all departments, so a good overall pre workout. I would like to see the amount of citrulline malate upped just a little. One downside of Torque is the longtitude of the energy which waned a bit during workout. My workouts aren't that long, but for people used to longer training sessions this could be a downfall.

Value

Torque isn't widely available. You can get it through the Barbender website and on amazon. For 30 dollars a tub this comes down to 1 dollar a serving which is a fait price for a pre workout considering the ingredient profile.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

A decent standard pre workout without to many extra's or new ingredients. A combination of proven ingredients at a good dosage turns out to work just fine. Where this product really shines is in the flavour department.

Quick Summary

I got the chocolate fudge cookie. It tasted like a chocolate fudge pop to me, and the stevia wasn't overpowering. It made good mug cakes, but the shakes were a bit too foamy. I recommend it if you want a naturally flavored product. Else, stick w/ the regular VMI Protolyte.

Introduction

I'm a competing powerlifter, currently cutting some vanity pounds before I bulk in the winter. I'm lifting 4 days a week using Brian Alrushe's Powerbuilding Program and I'm running 3 days a week in preparation for a 10k race in October.

I really enjoyed VMI's Protolyte, so when I saw they had a natural version in the Troops Program, I had to try it. I've had a few natural protein powders before and they never tasted good. I hoped VMI would do better than the rest.

Ingredient Profile

One scoop (27.6g) gives you 21g protein, >1g fat, 1g carbs (0g sugar), and is 105 calories. There are also 10.5g EAAs per scoop, added electrolytes, and VMI gives us the amino profile on the tub.

In terms of ingredients, VMI uses non-GMO cold processed whey protein isolate, cocoa powder, natural flavors, xanthan gum, stevia, and an enzyme blend.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

I thought it tasted pretty good for a natural protein (8/10). There was a clear chocolate flavor. There was no bitterness. In my experience, natural proteins usually bitter from the stevia. My one critique would be that it tasted more like a fudge pop than actual fudge. This product, though, did not taste as good as the regular Protolyte.

Mixability (6/10) This is where the product started to falter. I don't know what happened (guessing VMI had too much xanthan gum in the product) but my shakes were excessively foamy. They didn't look as bad as some of the pictures I saw of the vanilla cake batter, but I would say 20-30% of my shaker cup was foam.

The xanthan gum, however, did come in handy when I made mug cakes in the microwave. They came out great every time. The product also mixed well with yogurt.

Dose- I had a scoop at a time.

Effectiveness

For me, this product was pretty effective. I usually drank it (or ate it) post workout, and my recovery has been pretty solid over the past month. (I had been concerned that my running would affect my lifting, but so far my legs are doing fine)

Protolyte Naturals digested easily, and it was very easy to fit into my macros.

On its own, it was not very satiating, but I would not expect that for 105 calories and almost no fat.

With milk, however, the satiety was better, and it was best, when I mixed it with greek yogurt.

Value

The lowest price I saw was $40 for a tub, which is $1.6/serving. This is a bit expensive to me. I can usually get a whey isolate for $1.1-$1.3/serving. That being said, I think the price is fair. One, those other products may not give me the amino profile or have added electrolyte and enzymes (all of which add value).

Also, when I looked up the costs of some other natural protein powders, they were $2/serving.

Side Effects

None

Conclusion

VMI gave us a pretty solid natural protein option (they just need to fix the foaming issue). If you don't care about natural sweeteners vs. artificial ones, go one to regular Protolyte.

Thanks for letting me try it.

Quick Summary

An overly simple, but effective, test booster that either needs an additional ingredient or a cheaper price point.

Introduction

In the midst of a very beneficial and positive run of VMI's Arimidrol, I started shopping around for a natural test booster that I could start taking immediately after finishing the AI. I wanted to experiment with leveraging a low-estrogen environment in my body with a test booster to see if I could maintain the same type of effects and progress I was receiving directly from the AI.

Ingredient Profile

I ultimately decided to pick up Black Lion's Viron for this cycle as it was a super basic booster. I didn't want a "kitchen sink" product with a variety of untested, unproven extracts and ingredients. Viron has one core ingredient - Eurycoma Longifolia Extract AKA Longjack AKA Tongkat Ali. This is an extremely common supplement with a host of research supporting its aphrodisiac, anti-estrogen, and testosterone boosting qualities. Yes, some of this research is questionable and lacks proper citations, but the popularity of Longjack in natural test boosting supplements is testament to how it is regarded in the supplementation community.

Viron's one other ingredient is 20mg of Boron Citrate which is another needs-more-research ingredient purported to have a positive effect on test production. Again, very common and found in many other test boosters.

The standard dosage of Eurycoma Longifolia is 200-300mg of a 100:1 extract taken in 1-2 doses daily. Viron hits you with a solid 500mg dose daily, with each bottle containing enough pills for a 30 day cycle.

Taste/Mixability/Dosing

Per the instructions, I split my two pill dose and took one in the AM on an empty stomach and the other in the PM, usually with a meal. Very easy to swallow caps with no aftertaste, indigestion, or other side effects.

Effectiveness

It's worth noting that I've historically responded well to boosters with Longjack at their core, thus I had a pretty good sense of what to expect from Viron. Unfortunately I think my experiment might have backfired in the sense I had already reached my natural peak with respect to body composition and hormonal state. If you read my Arimidrol review, you'll note I experienced a marked uptick in libido and sex drive, as well as a leaner, harder physique.

Once I transitioned to Viron, I did not continue to experience the aforementioned effects to the same degree. As usually happens when I come off an AI my libido dropped slightly and I felt like I was retaining more water. Nothing dramatic of course - I don't have any issues with low test or anything along those lines, however my hopes of maintaining that optimal physical/hormonal state through my run of Viron were unfounded.

This is not to say Viron is a bad product - not at all - only that I may not have given this product an optimal opportunity to showcase its effectiveness. For most of the bottle I didn't notice any of the traditional effects that I normally get from a test-booster. Not until towards the end of week three and into week four that is, when I did start to feel more aggressive, had a heightened sex drive, and could tell the aphrodisiac qualities of the Longjack were starting to hit me. In the end the product came through, but this is probably better either stacked directly with an AI and/or other products and not run after the fact.

Value

Test boosters run a wide cost range. The more robust products like Animal Stak, TEST1FY, and Rise run between $35-$50 for a month's supply. Supplementing straight Longjack extract can be done for cheaper, with Amazon having a number of products available for under $25 for a month supply at the same dose as Viron.

Most of Black Lion's products are not widely available. The best I could find Viron was $40 for a month's supply on suppz.com. This isn't a terrible pricepoint, but it's not particularly competitive. You could effectively build your own version of Viron with NOW's product line and save around $10 for a month run (at a dose of 600mg of Longjack daily). If you had some other ingredients included in Viron e.g. DAA or Fenugreek, then I'd be OK with the value here. Same if the overall cost was dropped to $30 a month which is on par with most AI's and other, simpler test boosters.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

While I appreciate the disclosure and simplicity of Viron, I feel it needs at least one or two more proven ingredients to be considered a top-tier natural test booster. As it stands now this is a two-ingredient product with a high price point. If you respond well to Longjack and can somehow find this on sale, go for it, but I think there are too many other quality options for Viron to be a true contender right now.

Introduction

Hi guys, I'd firstly like to say thank you to supplementreviews.com and VMI for this opportunity to try out Major mass via the trooper program! I was on the look out for major mass for sometime, it's been getting rave reviews and the flavoring sounded great, being off-season really allowed me to utilize it correctly.

Ingredient Profile

Serving size 2 scoops
Servings per container: 30
Amount per serving

Calories 250
Calories from Fat 45
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 58 mg
Sodium 125 mg
Potassium 187 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 10 g
Protein 20 g

Ingredients: Other Ingredients: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Whole Milk Powder, Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate), Carb Blend (Maltodextrin, Legume-based starch derived from pisum sativum (peas) (as Carb10), Dextrose), Cocoa, Fat Blend (Coconut Oil Powder, and MCT Powder), Natural Flavors, Sucralose, and Enzyme Blend (Protease I, Protease II, Amylases, Lipase, and Lactase

A really impressive array of carbs/healthy fats and a few sources of protein. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the addition of dextrose I'd prefer to see something else instead maybe oat flour as it's a lower gi choice and could add an improved texture and thickness - as I used primarily as a meal replacement or a pre workout meal but I guess that's the only flaw if there was one, because it worked and the profile is really on the premium end.

Taste

Marshmallow charms
9/10

A really brilliant flavor, it has a cereal milk flavor which is a nice blend of sweet and tart as such, the real marshmallow bits are a real treat and they were pleasantly soft in water/milk which I was surprised as I was expecting hard bits. Overall they nailed the flavoring. In milk or in water the flavoring wasn't that much different which was great. It is a lot more watery than expected but I didn't mind too much although I suppose 4 scoops would be a better consistency.

Mixability

Surprisingly enough mixibility was so good, I didn't use a sieve due to the bits I wanted but after a vigorous shake there was basically no residue or chunks other than the marshmallow bits.

Dosing

2 scoops in 300ml of milk or water suited me just fine.

Effectiveness

As noted this was utilized in my offseason, where not too much consideration is needed with with goes in. I have learned to take it easy but that being said i found major mass to be really versatile, I didn't do the full 4 scoops being that I'm pretty happy with the macros at 2 scoops but if one is an ectomorph I can totally see a full serving being the way to better mass gainzzz.

This was a meal replacement for me, so it was effective for me in these regards:

Lean mass gains: it totally did what the label said about mass, now at 2 scoops there was still noticeable gains or the common areas such as arms and shoulders, but it's hand in hand with my training regime where I targeted those specific points. I gained about 3/5kgs during my usage of this but I really enjoyed that it never contributed to fat gains especially since my stomach and sides are targets that have a habit of gaining unwanted adipose.

Recovery: overall I felt that this somewhat assisted in a better recovery and I'm saying this as I'm comparing my overall experience to that before I had major mass. Better recovery always equals better gainz and that I appreciate, I can only assume a full serving would be the holy grail of the above.

Versatility: although I did use this primarily as a pre workout meal, I found this to be a good on the go meal especially in the mornings or on the road. I appreciate this aspect the most as you can still add creatine etc if you wanted to use this as a post workout shake.

Hunger buster: lol I can't forget this, a real fulfilling shake, it kept hunger at bay for a long time. Even in water I really wouldn't feel hungry which makes it great if your day is busy and hitting a real solid meal is hard or you just don't feel like a solid meal, hey it happens lol.

I mean I am rating this as a meal replacement and as a meal replacement it's pretty spot on and made my lifting and days a lot easier and I really can't fault this. I have to add i had no digestive issues at all which is fantastic because I normally bloat or have stomach issues. Overall a pretty phenomenal lean mass gainer.

Value

The cheapest I could find major mass is at campus protein for around $40, and $40 for 30 servings (well for me as I used only 2 scoops) is really awesome value for money and as a meal replacement it's ideal and makes the most financial and nutritional sense to me. Now I have seen a suggestion that you can hit 8 scoops in a day which is pretty heavy lol especially since that tub would be empty in a little over a week lmao. But it all depends on your goals and how much your willing to spend. If I was an ectomorph I'd use a lot more than what I did but then expect value to suffer dramatically. But $40 for a month was really legit and for what I get in a tub - I wouldn't mind seeing the addition of greens and reds in this or a total different product that is an actual meal replacement.

Side Effects

None.

Conclusion

I am super impressed by VMI, major mass is really an awesome product that tastes phenomenal and at 2 scoops it's very affordable and worth the money. I loved the additions of their healthy fats and their carb blend - it's definitely a premium product and not your run of the mill whey concentrate, taurine, creatine mono and dextrose blend lol. This definitely topples the competition as it can be anything you want it to be. Again a very big thank you to Supplementreviews.com and VMI for this amazing opportunity that I hold dear to my heart as this is definitely one of my favorite supplements.

Peace

Fridge