Product Name: NO3 Overload MMT5
Company: CMi
MSRP: $64.99 Click For Cheapest Prices For NO3 Overload

Availability: Medium (Online… Seems discontinued in some places)
Servings: 30

Yellow… The official color that reps Cmi, and a color which instantly grabbed my attention like a hot female body in a bikini. So I figured what the hell, let’s give these kats at CMI a chance. Their motto is “forget the math, do the science”. Ha… alright I guess we’ll see about that. Just so you know, when a company says something like this I fully expect them to reference every ingredient and/or product that is on their website, so when I took at look at one of their most popular products.. NO3 Overload… I found no such documentation anywhere. Fail!

But let’s not jump the gun here, we gotta see if NO3 is a worthy competitor to the overly popular N.O Xplode… Or the kick-ass underdog Musclespeed.

First Impressions:

no3 overload tabs

Like I said, unlike most pre-workout supplements, this one comes in tablet form. I like pills and tablets because they are easier to take, and more convenient, but in the case of NO3… Shit gets weird. You see, although the tablets are portable, they are just so damn big — and the fact that you have to take 4 (or 6 if you’re hardcore) means you need porn star like swallowing skills… Bleh!

Anyways, like a champ I decided to throw them back. Now let’s take a look at the ingredients and see what type of compounds we will find inside.

The first proprietary blend is the NO3 OVERLOAD Energy & Volumizing Matrix (6.4g) which contains:

• AAKG (L-Arginine Alpha Keto-Gluterate) which we know is pretty useless, especially in such small doses.
• Creatine Ethyl Ester (Still don’t know why this crap is being used when creatine monohydrate has proven to be better performing and better absorbing. On top of that… Ethyl Ester costs more, so this is a big thumbs down)
• Citrulline Malate (In theory it’s supposed to give you more energy and reduce muscle fatigue. Studies done on rats found that it increased their muscle performance when suffering from asthenia. There WAS a human study done where they found that taking 6g of citrulline malate a day reduced some muscle fatigue and increased ATP production by 34%… But that study had no placebo group, nor was it double-blind. So the bottom line is that it remains unproven and there doesn’t seem to be enough in this blend to make much of a difference. But I’m going to be positive and say it’s worth a shot. Ref: 1. Bendahan, D., Mattei, J.P., Ghattas, B., Confort-Gouny, S., Le Guern, M.E., & Cozzone, P.J. (2002). Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 36, 282-289)

Second blend is the NO3 Vascular Expander & Definition Matrix. Doesn’t say how much in g’s but here’s the break down:

• Red Wine Extract 20% (Unlike L-Arginine, I know for a fact that red wine and/or grape juice have been promising in increasing nitric oxide levels and thus increasing blood flow somewhat. Red wine also helps dialate the brachial artery – the one that runs down your biceps! So this is promising to see. Ref: Folts JD. “Potential health benefits from the flavonoids in grape products on vascular disease.” Adv Exp Med Biol 2002;505:95-111.) I also give you an awesome red-wine recipe in my FREE fitness-mini course. If you don’t have it… What the hell are you waiting for?
• Grape Skin Extract 95%. (Not sure what the use of this is for, probably the same reason red wine extract was used. But this stuff has been known to have an anti-inflammatory effect)
• Pomegranate Extract 40% ( Protects Nitric Oxide against Oxidation. Ref: Nitric Oxide. 2006 Apr 18; Ignarro LJ, Byrns RE, Sumi D, de Nigris F, Napoli C. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.)

Third blend is the Energy Fuel & Volumizing Matrix. Contains:

• Caffeine Anhydrous 199mg (Good stuff, will give you a nice kick in the ass and is proven to increase your muscle strength. No complaints here)
• Thiamine Disulfide (Supposed to enhance nervous system to help you crank out extra reps and increase carbohydrate metabolism. You need to take at least 400mg before your workout to notice any significant results, but since we don’t know how much is in this blend, we’ll assume neutral territory)
• Cocoa Extract (supposed to increase serotonin levels which will increase your mood and I presume make you more “willing” while working out. The hard evidence isn’t there so this stuff is yet to be proven in my opinion)
• L-Tyrosine (A non-essential amino acid that is a pre-cursor to neurotransmitters. Basically it’s supposed to drive up mental alertness and stimulation.  May decrease appetite but there needs to be more research done on this)
• L-Taurine (Supposed to give you energy, is found in energy drinks but is still unproven and not enough hard evidence is available)
• Yerba Mate (The benefits of caffeine without the crash? I’ll take it)

Overall, I’d say that NO3 actually seems pretty promising. CMI have used quite a few ingredients that are known to work, and then there are some which they have taken a bargain on… So it’s time to see what happens when we use it in the real world. But before we do that, let’s hear the claims made for this product straight from the horse’s mouth…

Product Claims:

A Rapid, Non-Stop, and Total NO3 OVERLOAD of Mind Blowing Vascularity and 100% Energy Release. Each and every serving delivers a non-stop vascular pump of Creatine Ethyl Ester Malate spelling nothing but pure muscle. Energy that hits you like a ton of bricks inside minutes of taking it. Energy and complete clarity that makes every workout your best ever. Every workout your strongest. Every workout worthy of NO3 OVERLOAD.

At CMI, we rely on science, not rumor. Fact, not fiction. With every NO3 OVERLOAD wake up call, your body will never stop ringing. You will turn one more rep into 3. Rest will no longer be an option. Your vessels will ignite, your muscles will inflate, and your abs will tear. Your body of old will fall, while an entirely new unrecognizable physique will begin to unfold. No more 3 year old products with outdated formulas. Imagine if you will the ability to send your muscles a signal that they are training even when you are not in the gym.

Never let anyone mislead you again. Genetics were not made to be inherited. They were made to be altered.

Real World Results:

Right, time to get down to business and see if it’s got the chops. Directions said to take 4 tablets with 8oz of water 30 mins prior to exercise if you’re normal, or 6 if you’re a hardcore body builder… 4 tablets it is.

First dose: For some reason I didn’t quite get the kick that I was hoping for from the 199mg of caffeine, but I definitely felt more awake. Standard vascularity was non-existent… But that all changed when I started to do some back and biceps. After 2 sets, my overall pump was much better then when I train naturally… Impressive. This was the first time that a product lived up to it’s “increase pump” claims. I guess I should have seen this coming because I know that red wine by itself blended with a certain other ingredient can give you awesome pumps.

I was also keen to see if I had any “mood changes”… But I didn’t. Maybe that’s because I’m generally a happy mofo, so if you’re depressed, do me a favor and take some NO3 Overload. Then post in the comments below if the Cocoa Extract  had any effect on you. The only downside to all of it’s awesomeness was that it went away in 30 minutes. Like… 30 minutes on the fucking dot! This left me hugely disappointed since a decent workout of mine lasts anywhere between 45-60 mins, and for about $2 per serving, there is no reason for it to pussy out at 30 minutes in. Whatever, maybe it’ll be better next time.

Second dose: Take all the initial effects of the first dose and reduce by 25%. That’s basically what I went through the second time I took NO3. What a shame.

Third dose: Similar to the second time I took NO3.

Fourth dose: I decided to step it up and take all 6 this time since 4 tabs weren’t doing what they initially did. The results were almost the same as the first time I took NO3. Kinda nice… But at 6 tabs, the price per serving shoots up to $3.24 – and that’s just ridiculous.

Conclusion:

There’s no need to beat around the bush when it comes to NO3 Overload. I’ll give props to CMI for using partially effective ingredients but the fact at a 140lbs male at 6% body fat needs to take 6 tabs to MAINTAIN effectiveness is just stupid. You also have to remember that I only had 4 doses to deal with… I presume that by the 10th or the 20th you won’t feel much accept the 199mg of caffeine. This is a shame really because it means you need to take 6 tabs after the first couple doses… And at $3.24 a serving it’s just not worth it.

So, if you have cash to burn then buy a bottle and give it a try… But my suggestion? Drink a strong ass cup of coffee, throw back an espresso shot, or even take my REAL red-wine mixture that I recommend in the fitness mini course. You’ll be better off as far as results & the cash in your wallet are concerned.

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life

- Fit Jerk

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© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

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Product Name: Black Powder
Company: MRI
MSRP: $33.99 [Click Here To Find Lower Prices For: MRI Black Powder, 20 Servings, Fruit Explosion]

Availability: High (Online & Stores)
Servings: 20 Serving Sticks

Today we’ll be trying out another pre-workout supplement that instantly makes you think about gun powder. It’s supposed to “increase pumps” and give you energy, focus & blah blah blah – Basically get you through your workout with maximum intensity. I think the IDEA of a pre-workout supplement is great, but the execution of such supplements have been lack-luster at BEST. Let’s see if this stuff can live up to the explosive mental images I have popping up in my head…

–First Impressions–

Let me just say that the idea of having these “serving sticks” is brilliant. Simple, but brilliant. This allows you to slip a few sticks into your gym bag and either mix it when you get to the gym or have a few piled up for times when you can’t go home and make your supplement. Convenience at it’s best.

Making my way over to the ingredient list, their first blend is “Blend for size & recovery”. Basically 3g of L-Arginine… Which by now you should know (if you’re an avid reader here) is basically a BUST of a supplement. You need extremely high doses for L-arginine to do anything and at those doses your stomach will implode. Even more so, I think this is the first time I’ve seen L-arginine marketed as a supplement that promotes “size”. Hmm..

Next blend is their strength an power blend (2g total). This 2g is divided by 5 ingredients. Disodium Phosphate (basically salt), Potassium Aspartate (supports nerve & heart function), Dicalcium Phosphate (basically calcium supplement as far as I know), Creatine Anhydrous (creatine without water molecule) & Creatine Ethyl Ester (thumbs up for creatine but CEE is just stupid… Its more expensive and doesn’t even absorb as well as good ol’ monohydrate! Bad decision here)

Then we have the Stamina & Endurance Blend (1.1g). Includes Potassium Bicarbonate (regulates pH & causes foaming in drinks), Sodium Bicarbonate (just baking soda. Meant to buffer the pH of blood during exercise… But it’s not THAT promising) & Beta-Alanine (increases concentration of carnosine in the muscle tissue resulting in less fatigue and greater muscular work done. But I doubt there’s enough in this blend to make a huge difference. We’ll see)

The Muscle Energy Metabolism Blend (972mg) has: Magnesium Oxide (magnesium is good stuff, helps in the absorption of proteins), Potassium (ok), Vitamin B complex (vit B blends are awesome, too bad I don’t know exactly the amounts in this blend),

Their Neuro-Modulator and Focus Blend has: Caffeine (We all know it’s well good shit!), Green Tea Extract (Shown promise for fat loss) & Betaine Anhydrous (not too familiar with this. Supposed to be lipotropic but I’ll need to do more research)

The Insulin Sensitizer Blend is basically 500mg of Taurine (supposed to give you energy, but it hasn’t been proven. You’ll find this stuff in energy drinks)

Ok, so the ingredient list is a mix of good, ok and down right useless. Before I ingest some of this, let’s see what MRI has to say about it…

Product Claims:

Black Powder^TM is the first and only pre-training formula to employ the powerful Nos up-regulating whey “peptide fraction” Actinos2^TM, delivered with MRI’s “Instant Release” (IR) technology. You get the over-whelming advantage of an instant surge of more nitric oxide (N.O.’s upper limit), combined with potent pre-workout compounds – delivered in ratios measured to precise gram-molecular specification.

• Strength
• Intensity
• Stamina
• Energy
• Size
• Recovery
• Focus
• Pumps
• Power

The Science: Driving Performance and Size to New Levels!

Nitric oxide forms the basis for both performance and size. Nitric oxide dilates the blood channels that deliver vital training and recovery nutrients to your muscle cells. In addition, nitric oxide is the molecule that “signals” and regulates muscle growth, muscle contraction, and metabolic adaptation to training. Until now, nitric oxide had a “pre-set” limit. Not any longer. Thanks to MRI’s innovative Actinos2 IR^TM (Instant Release) technology, Black Powder creates an immediate surge in nitric oxide levels. In an instant, Black Powder’s performance/size nutrient complex, measured with gram-molecular precision, floods your muscle cells in volumes never believed possible.

Your body’s performance and growth signals amplify in both frequency, and duration. Suddenly, size and training target sites light up! Your strength, intensity, and focus hit levels they’ve never known. Your recovery, now at an entirely new level, starts before you even leave the gym. Growth “signals” bombard your muscle cells with greater intensity, starting at your first set! That’s why with Black Powder, you’ll get the most outrageously intense workout, and you’ll have the super-dilated skin-ripping pumps to prove it!

Real World Results:

So, I grabbed my shaker, poured in the required amount of water along with Black Powder and gave it a good shake. Mixed really well, no clumps to report. The mixture had sort of a “fizzy” sound to it, almost as if you put your ear next to a glass of pop that’s been freshly poured.

The taste wasn’t out of this world, but it was GOOD. It was more than drinkable and I was quite surprised. I think it would be pretty ballin’ if instead of having “flavours” they had this supplement in “grape” or “licorice” flavours so they could use some DARK purple colour. Now THAT would give “black powder” a whole new meaning.

So moving on, after drinking it… I set off to the gym. After 20 minutes it hit… And boy did it hit hard. Focus was good, intensity was good, I was ready to do it up… Until everything went SOUTH. The rush  you get from Black Powder isn’t the “alert” feeling that you’re looking for, its more of a “jittery” feeling and that is un-acceptable! Instead of trying to focus on one workout, my mind was racing at a million miles an hour.

Anyways, after barrelling through my first 3 sets, I decided to see if I had those “skin-ripping” pumps. Nope. I mean I had a very nice pump, but I know my body well enough to conclude that these pumps were the natural ones I usually get from a workout, NOT because of the supplement. If a supplement were to give me an “extra” pumps I’d be able to tell easily. At 6% body fat you can pick out even the tiniest details in vasodilatation.

After about 30 minutes it all went away. No jitters, no energy, no focus & definitely no pumps. “Typical”… I grunted. “A quick 30min caffeine rush and then it pussies away like a little b*tch”. Little did I know that this was the “calm before the storm”.

After about 35 minutes, I experienced the WORST crash of my life. I mean, some energy drinks give you a crash where you’re like ahhh man, it ran out, I feel sleepy now. This thing though… I wanted to drop dead. BRUTAL. This blew serious projectile chunks! And you know when FJ can’t finish his workout, he gets PISSED. Nothing more to be said here… Thumbs down.

Conclusion:

The convenience is good, the mixability is good, and even the taste is good! But, DO-NOT be fooled by the initial “rush” feeling that you get from Black-Powder. The first minute that it hits, it seems very promising, but then it just drops the 20lbs medicine ball on your foot. I’ve looked around the web, and for some f*cked up reason, Black-Powder has some pretty “good” ratings from sites that are all about user reviews. I can’t help but think that MRI paid off a lot of people to go and give it’s product a nice little bump. I even saw this video of some douchebag kid who’s supposedly “reviewing” the product.

Here was his conclusion: “…in my opinion the single greatest thing, pre-workout supplement… It’ll get you SO jacked! Uhm, uh… what it is, is, nitric oxide, mixed with creatine, mixed with uh buch of other amino acids…”

In my opinion he’s the single greatest MORON! Anyways, I’m not bitter, just grossly disappointed (surprise – surprise).

-FitJerk

Also, be sure to check out the brand new Social Fitness Site called Fitmarker!

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© 2009 – 2010, By FitJerk. FitJerk.com is a division of Flawless Fitness Media – All Rights Reserved – No part of this post is to be republished without author consent under any forms of media (including print, internet, video or audio transcription). Doing so is a violation against copyright law and should be punishable by a punch to the face. All images are copyright of their respective owners.

Tired Of Looking Ordinary? Click Here And Get FJ To Design A Fitness Plan Just For You! FREE Initial Consultation.