If there is one supplement that you should be sure about, it’s whey protein. It’s been tested, it’s been proven and it’s a solid performer. Whey is a complete protein source and contains all the BCAA’s that you need, so there is no need to supplement with BCAA’s by themselves. Anyone that convinces you otherwise is basically trying to push their supplement on your ass for no reason, in which case you should slap them.

So why am I testing a product that we all KNOW works? Why am I bothering with a supplement that everyone uses anyway? Because the whey protein product that I’m talking about today is something most of you haven’t experienced yet! When I usually talk about whey protein, most people think powders or bars. We health conscious folks take a few scoops, throw it together with some water, some milk and maybe some fruit and chug that shit back.

But what if you don’t have time to do that? What if all you have is… 3 seconds? Can you take your current protein shake in 3 seconds flat? Hmm… Didn’t think so. Enter Liquid Whey 42 from IDS sports. What IDS has done isn’t re-invent the wheel here, instead they took the wheel and refined it, polished it… And made it a stellar performer. It’s like riding on performance rims vs standard wheels. The average person won’t notice a difference but on the track… The extra rigidity and lightweight construction will give you that handling edge you need.

Aight, enough with the car metaphors, let’s move on to the official word from IDS…

Product Claims:

“Introducing the most convenient delivery of protein ever conceived! NEW WHEY liquid protein from IDS is revolutionizing protein supplementation! NEW WHEY delivers 25 grams of pure protein with no carbs or fat in a 2.9 ounce serving!
Perfectly conceived convenience, consumed in as little as three seconds!

With its patent pending virtually indestructible packaging, NEW WHEY can be taken anywhere conveniently and easily. No messy mixing of powders, & no messy clean up. NEW WHEY contains NO unnecessary calories seen in “Protein Bars”!
NEW WHEY is the ideal protein supplement for people on the go!”

First Impressions:

The box looks pretty attractive and I like the way the flap opens and tucks in neatly as a display. This was CLEARLY made to be sold as an “extra item” you pickup at the counter right before checking out at the grocery or health-food store. And for that purpose I have no doubts that it will do very well. In fact, it should kill it! I’m piss-tired of seeing those stupid 8hour energy shots and what not, this would be a much more attractive option, SPECIALLY in convenience stores within a 1km radius of a gym (You listening 7/11?!).

Then we have the actual vials themselves, which are made of a hard plastic that’s supposed to be “virtually” indestructible. A quick look under the vial reveals the recycle symbol of 5. Bravo IDS! 5 isn’t the best kind but any plastics that have the #5 are known to be safe and don’t leech harmful chemicals into the food or beverage. So… That’s pretty reassuring!

I really like these vials. They stand on their own, they’re super convenient and can be re-used as little pill bottles that you can carry around in your bag. I also tested their “indestructible” properties and what do you know… They are pretty fucking tough. It took a few shot from my air gun to finally crack this thing but even then, it was extremely minor. If you don’t think that’s impressive, consider that the gun fires a pointed lead pellet at 495feet/second. Yup… Tough shit.

Alright, shenanigans aside, it’s time to look at the substance itself. I got the Acai berry flavor and here are some stats:

Now at this point I usually go through all the ingredients and break down the ridiculous proprietary blends in extreme detail… but because this is just a whey supplement, the blend is just a mix of 3 different proteins.

IDS Proprietary Blend:

• Collagen Isolate: This is a poor choice as a protein source because it doesn’t contain all the essential amino acids that are required by the human body. It’s not a “complete” source of protein.

• Whey Isolate: This is the proven good stuff and I’m stoked that it’s included… Not much else to say.

• Casein Isolate: There are mixed feelings about this stuff. It’s good because it’s “slow releasing”… so having a mixture of whey isolate (very fast absorbing) and casein can be beneficial, but I personally don’t like casein. The human body is just not equipped to effectively deal with it. Casein is present in cow’s milk and only the 4-stomach system of a cow is able to effectively handle casein, not humans. Oh and as a side note, casein is also one of the main ingredients in some of the strongest types of wood-working glues because of it’s sticky and gooey properties. Imagine that shit in your stomach… Not good in excessive amounts.

Real World Results:

I gave the vial a good shake and unscrewed that sucker. The very first thing I did was take a good wiff… And I was treated to aromatic ecstasy. Well… Almost. It’s really fruity on the nose and makes you want to chug it back instantly, so that’s exactly what I did. Being an experienced hard-liquor shot master, I threw one vial back in about 2 seconds… BAM 42g protein baby!

For those who haven’t had acai stuff in the past, this will taste a bit sour. Even if it’s not sour to you, the INTENSITY of it is undeniable. If you want a similar experience, try drinking grape juice concentrate, but without a much water… That’s how intense it is. The IDS Whey liquid is thick, but contrary to what is stated on the vial (“Contains milk”)… It’s not milky at all. I found this refreshing. I’ve never really had protein that was so fruity before. Nice!

I also threw a few vials in the fridge and consumed one pre and one post workout the very next day. This was an even BETTER experience. Seriously, if you can take this liquid protein cold, do it. It reduces the sour-ness while boosting the overall taste. Win-Win.

So at this point it’s easy to sum up the Liquid Whey 42 as a purely awesome supplement. I mean it’s convenient, tastes good, smells good, has a decent amount of protein with a liveable proprietary blend. What’s not to love? Might as well go out and buy yourself 50 cases right?!

Uh… Hang on there you vial chugging champ. While this product is no doubt fantastic, there is one crucial factor that’s slightly holding it back and that’s the price. See at $37.99 it works out to be about $3.16 per serving. Now that’s a bit painful. But fear not, I think I’ve worked it all out.

See there is NO WAY that this stuff can ever replace our regular sub $1 per serving protein powders. They deliver quite the bang for our buck and can be mixed with other supplements, therefore you need to keep buying what you’ve bought in the past. However, there are times when taking protein with you can be very inconvenient. I found that over the 1 week of testing, slipping the vials in your pockets can put quite the smile on your face since it’s just so damn convenient.

I chose to test out the product during a really busy week and suffice to say, it saved my behind on more than one occasion. Like, there were times when I needed to step out in a hurry and a vial of Liquid Whey, Banana and a Natural Trail Mix bar made for a PERFECT snack. It kept my caloric (and more importantly, my protein) intake exactly where it needed to be.

So what about normal, not-so-busy weeks? Is it still use-able? Well that’s why you buy a case and you LEAVE IT ALONE. When the time comes, (and it will…) you’ll remember just what to grab and then be on your merry way… Knowing that in the next 3 seconds you will have downed 42 grams of delicious protein. This is the proper way to use the slightly more expensive liquid protein.

Conclusion:

It’s simple, If you care about your eating habits and hitting your daily nutritional goals… Then you cannot afford to have missed meals or protein shakes. Therefore Liquid Whey 42 can be an invaluable tool in your arsenal. I mean… Yeah its $3 but so is a burger, and how many of those do you end up buying during the week?

On the other hand, if you are very lax about your nutrition and only use protein as an ingredient in meal replacement shakes than the IDS Liquid Whey 42 might not be your cup of tea. As for me, I think I’ll be picking up a case and letting it sit until the inevitable time arrives where I need to pickup something in a rush…

- FitJerk
Flawless Fitness Book

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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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: Kashi GoLean Roll Bars
Company: Kashi
MSRP: $18.49 / 12pack Click To Save 15% On Kashi Roll Bars!
Availability: High (Online stores, retail outlets & Health Food Stores)

Fellow bar loves and health geeks who want something on the go, I have an announcement to make. Your long days of searching for the perfect protein/health bars will probably never come to an end. So… keep searching. But in the mean time, Kashi’s line of GoLean bars have a “roll” version and it’s something that might command a second look from you.

A while back I reviewed their “chewy” version of Kashi’s GoLean bars and was thoroughly disappointed. It was too high in sugar and the taste made it hard to eat the whole bar in one sitting. Kashi gave me the silent treatment after that review, I guess the truth hurts. And… it’s not like I didn’t try and help them improve their own product. But anyways, I don’t live in the fucking past, so let’s try out this other version and see what’s up.

Product Claims:

Designed to help you stay satisfied. All natural. Contains 12g protein and 6g fiber. A chewy peanut butter center is surrounded by smooth chocolate and then rolled in roasted peanuts, crunchy soy crisps and whole grains. Optimized Glycemic response: GoLean Roll is specially designed for an Optimized Glycemic Response to help balance your body sugar. The Glycemic Response is optimized by the type of carbohydrates and unique combination of protein and fiber.

Slow release carbs: GoLean Roll contains whole grains, nuts and low glycemic carbs to deliver a steady stream of energy, helping you avoid sugar spikes and crashes. Protein 12g: GoLean is high in protein. Protein helps give you a lasting feeling of satisfaction and is essential for muscle development. Fiber 6g: GoLean Roll is an excellent source of fiber, which promotes a lower glycemic response and helps you feel full longer.

First Impressions:

Right off the bat, these looked a helluva lot more appetizing than the chewy bars. Kashi sent me two flavors: Fudge Sundae and Oatmeal Walnut. At 55 grams, they seem to be a decent size for a snack and can easily be consumed in between meals without being too heavy.

Now let’s take a look at the nutritional facts *crosses fingers*.

We have 1.5g of saturated fat, and 0g of trans fat (good). Then we have sodium… 250mg (ouch). I don’t know why there is such a fascination with adding a ridiculous amount of sodium in foods today. There is no reason a 55g bar should have 250mg of fucking sodium in it. NONE! Lets move on to carbohydrates, of which there are 27g. This can easily make this bar a decent post-workout contender. After that we have 6g of fiber (Good), 12g of protein (Not bad) and 13g of sugar (Meh).

Let’s take about the protein first. 12g isn’t bad, in fact for most people this is a good amount, specially since I can see these bars being eaten as a mid-day snack. What I have problem with is the TYPE of protein. Soy isolate. Soy is slow releasing but as a man, I wouldn’t bother with it. There is some whey isolate in there as well, but judging from it’s position in the ingredient list, there are only trace amounts of it. This won’t make much of a difference.

Now let’s talk sugar. This one ingredient completely killed the validity of the Chewy bars from Kashi. Well at 13g, the roll bars have about 2x the amount I’d recommend but it’s also the usual average that I’ve found in most health bars (with the exception of those that are made with sugar substitutes).  Anything around 10-15g is usually the average for such bars. The only place where you will find 5g of sugar or less, is in bars that are focused on muscle building or just plain heavy on protein. I’m sure there are exceptions as the amount of bars out on the market is pretty insane, and it’s safe to say I haven’t seen them all.

Real World Results:

The bars are covered with a special blend of nuts and other good “stuff”. For the Fudge Sundae bar, I’m guessing it was covered in peanuts, while the Oatmeal Walnut flavor was covered in (from what I could visually tell) Almonds, Peanuts, Oats & Walnuts. Good stuff.

After staring at this thing for a few seconds, I took a giant bite. It has a decent combination of crunchy and chewy-ness to it. In fact, Id go ahead and say that it’s quite satisfying. The overall feel is still quite dry so again, I’d strongly recommend that you drink a full glass of water… or the top of your mouth will feel like the surface of Sahara.

Here’s where things get interesting… although it’s got 13g of sugar, you really can’t taste it. The sweetness is quite mild and it tastes like bar that probably only has 5-6g. I like that. I think the culprit here is the caramel. You see, in the center of the bar is a protein roll, and you know what those taste like right? Dry and chewy. This roll is covered in a layer of caramel and then dipped in the nutty stuff. Now, why couldn’t they NOT do that and replace the caramel with dark chocolate? Less sugar and everything would still stick.

Then we have the after-taste… Which isn’t bad on the Fudge Sundae bar, but is quite unpleasing on the Oatmeal Walnut bar. It starts off tasting good and leaves behind a taste that could only be replicated by a product that was super stale. Worse, is that this after-taste decides to set up camp and hang around your taste buds for a while. The fucking thing just won’t go away! I found an easy work-around for this problem though… COFFEE!

Conclusion:

First, let me start off by saying that this bar is a HUGE improvement over their chewy type. It’s got a decent taste to it (Hey! I was able to finish the whole bar in one sitting this time!), the stats aren’t too shabby and at $1.50 its a pretty good deal. Keep in mind that I was only able to try the 2 flavors out of the available 5 (Chocolate Peanut, Chocolate Turtle, Caramel Peanut, Fudge Sundae, Oatmeal Walnut) so that after-taste problem can probably be avoided.

Now, should you try these? This is where I gota sit and scratch my head. Its really fucking confusing because on one hand, it’s not a bad choice as a post-workout bar for people who are really active (like me, for example). I can handle the 13g of sugar, the 27g of carbs while obliterating the 12g of protein, so once in a while I’d eat it over the very-sugary PowerBars. Plus its a LOT cheaper.

But on the other hand, I would be hard pressed to give it to someone who goes for a light jog only 3 times a week and already has a off-balance eating lifestyle. Then there is the soy protein (which is great for women, but less than ideal for a manly man!)

Hmm… (fast forward 15 minutes)

OK! I got it. This bar would be great for the highly active woman with a busy lifestyle. For the rest of us though, it can be a “once in a while” type thing (because eating a snack such as this is better than missing a meal). As for the rating,  I’d give the Fudge Sundae bar a 3/5 while the Oatmeal Walnut gets a 2/5 for having a horrid after taste… but because I can’t do half stars and because I’d personally never buy a crappy flavor I’m going to award the Go Lean Roll bar a final score of 3. Respectable, but there is an obvious room for improvement.

In the end, the search for the perfect bar is still on!

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life

-FitJerk

FlawlessFitnessBook

P.S- There is one more GoLean bar that is left to be reviewed, and that’s the “Crunchy” type. Stay tuned for that review.

Random Question: If money was no object, what would your dream health bar look like? List the stats and let the creative juices (You do have some right?) flow…

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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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

There are a few really good reasons why you should own a pair of workout gloves. First is the fact that they provide a superior grip in contrast to bare skin against metal. Then there is the reduced number of calluses your hands will incur (though men don’t really give a shit about this one) and finally we have hygiene. The amount of people that touch weights with unwashed hands is probably staggering. In fact I don’t even wanan know… But the reality does exist, so let’s suck it up and deal with it.

Now this begs the question, what kind of workout gloves should you get? I mean god damn… There are a plethora of choices. Some have wrist support, some have finger support, some are padded, some have hooks, others provide the bare minimum. I myself own like 2 pairs for different reasons… But now I own three. Enter Gripads.

Not only do they address the above mentioned problems, they also take care of a few others… Sweat and odor. I know a few of you out there suffer from nasty sweaty hand syndrome and these might be a god-send for you.

Upon a closer look you’ll realize that these aren’t really “gloves” (as the name rightfully suggests). No, these are weight lifting pads, and this means they are much easier to carry, put on, take off and hey… Maybe even share (as long as your buddy doesn’t get sweaty hands).

Let’s take a look at the official word from Gripad about their product.

Product Claims:

Say goodbye to hot, sweaty palms and hello to callus free hands to match your sculpted body! Thanks to GRIPAD®, you no longer have to deal with your hands breaking sweat as you try to maintain a firm grip while working out!

GRIPAD® provide minimal coverage of your hands while maximizing protection! The cushioning grips are secured to the palm of the hand with finger bands that stretch to fit every individual. Made of neoprene, GRIPAD® provides a firm and comfortable grip while at the same time preventing calluses, heat, and odor usually associated with regular workout gloves.

First Impressions:

Gripad sent me two pairs; one black and one pink so big props to them for that. For the sake of the review I will OBVIOUSLY be focusing on the appropriate color… PINK! Life’s good when you can do whatever you want isn’t it?

It came in this plastic packaging which has a little button so you can re-seal your pads and carry them around with a waterproof type protection. A nice touch. The overall presentation isn’t classy but at $15.99 I wasn’t expecting something super fancy anyways. Luckily for Gripad, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to use these and so the lack of a manual is understandable. There are these printed instructions on the back of the cardboard picture. Functionality at it’s best I guess.

For those that have never seen workout pads before, let me start off by saying that they are nothing new. Weight lifting pads have been around for a while, but they are usually these blocks of foam which contort to your grip. This is where Gripad differs because it’s got these three finger loops. So it’s ALMOST like a glove but not really. It’s brilliant.

In fact, the very first thing I said when I put them on was “What the fuck… Why didn’t I think of this? It’s genius”. Yep, I kid you not, Gripad’s sheer simplicity is its major strength.

Next is the material itself. Gripads are made from neoprene and have some top-notch stitching around the edges to ensure that they will last you for a looong time to come. The actual “gripping” part of the pads (where it makes contact with the weights) is has a nice non-slip patter along with a very non-slip type feel to it. It’s also very soft and has the right amount of thickness… This is a major plus.

For shits and giggles I tried them out in different situations… The first being my feet. They don’t really fit but if they did, they would make awesome toe pads cuz they’re really comfy. Everyone makes those stupid heel cushions, but I think there’s money in toe cushions! Now there’s a million dollar business idea from FJ.

Next is typing, for which they are completely useless. Moving on…

Then we have driving, for which they aren’t too shabby. Actually they are TOO grippy. If you drive with your hands in the 9 and 3 position the entire time (you freakin’ dork) then I guess they’ll work. But from time to time I like to palm the wheel or change positions and for those tasks it just sticks like glue to the wheel. So bottom line… Don’t bother driving with em.

And finally we have sign language. Since the only time I use sign language is when I’m pissed off, I decided to test drive it. Hey what do you know… It works brilliantly! You can be safe knowing that if there ever comes a time where you need to express your anger at someone who won’t get off the squat rack… You can give them the finger. Perfect.

Real World Results:

Alright, enough dilly dally, let’s get right down to it. I’ll be going through a bunch of exercises for which I used the Gripads for and will try to sum up the experience in one paragraph or less. Maybe…

Pull ups: Just flawless. The bars at my gym are too thin for my liking and end up putting my fingers through some serious pain. Because of this, I’m never able to perform the amount of pull ups I can at my gymnastics gym. With Gripads though, I was able to crank out 3 extra reps because it made everything so much more comfortable. Nice.

Curls (Preacher or Dumbbell): Another great exercise where the Gripads shine through. They provide the fingers with an adequate amount of cushion, this can help some people lift more than they’re usually able to. Over the years I’ve noticed that thickness of the bar or handle makes a huge difference. If it’s too small or too big, you won’t be able to lift your maximum amount of weight, and because FJ wants peak efficiency, I try and make sure the grip is just right.

Press (Bench, Shoulder): This exercise brings out the little kink in Gripad’s otherwise flawless armor. See, when you put on the Gripad, you’ll notice that around the thumb area it’s coverage is pretty weak. What this mean is that when you perform a bench press with proper form (keeping your wrists straight) the bar is half touching the pads and half resting on the abductor and flexor pollicis brevis (the thumb muscles).

I don’t have to tell you what an awkward and uncomfortable feeling this is. If you have a bad habit and tend to bend your wrist while doing the bench press, the Gripads might work for you. Overall I found the edges of the pads were digging into my hand because of the immense pressure that was being laid upon them. The fix for this problem would be pretty easy > just make the pads are slightly longer and wider… Making sure to cover the thumb muscles. For those of you with smaller hands though, you should have no problems here.

Dead Lifts: Now were back to happy land. Not sure if it was the pads or my recovery (probably a combination of both) but I was able to easily add 10lbs to my max dead lift. What more can I say? It put a smile on my face.

Squats: Meh, they don’t really make a difference here since all you’re doing is stabilizing the bar and holding it in one place… but I guess it’s nice to have a thicker grip to prevent it from falling off.

Push-ups: Just like the bench press, the lack of coverage of the thumb muscles means its completely in-effective for push-ups. If you want to get picky, you COULD say that they take some pressure off the fingers… but that’s insignificant. Luckily, most people don’t need workout gloves to do push-ups anyways, so it’s not a huge deal breaker since the Gripads easily slip off.

So overall, not too shabby huh? I thought so. In fact I was quite happy with them. Let’s wrap this up.

Conclusion:

I can’t possibly list EVERY single weight lifting exercise because my fingers will fall off from typing like a damn maniac, which is why I’ve written about a few key ones to give you a fair idea of what to expect from Gripads.

I must say that they are excellent at preventing odors and do soak up any from of sweatiness that you could possibly experience in the gym. The grip is fucking superb, and this gives you the confidence to push your limits and pack on a few extra pounds to whatever lift you happen to be doing. Yes, they aren’t great for bench presses but so what? Gripads are easy to take off and at $15.99 they can pretty much out-perform most of the other weight lifting gloves or pads available today.

One aspect where I failed to see any information on was the warranty. Personally, I’m pretty damn confident that the Gripads will last you for years to come, but most people like to have piece of mind and know that their ass is covered should anything happen. I will be contacting them about this so expect an update soon.

Here’s something really cool though: Gripad will custom print any logo/picture that you like on the pads (for a different price). This can end up being an excellent branding tool for any business or professional trainers. It’s a sexy touch of marketing by Gripad, and I applaud them for that.

Now the question arises… Should you get these? I think so. There are literally thousands of different weight lifting exercises for which the Gripads won’t fail you. I tried the Gripads with my resistance bands today (a few hours before publishing this review) and it was all honey and rainbows. Unless your entire workout revolves around the bench press, I think these are a great little addition to anyone’s gym bag, for this reason the Gripad gets…

-Fit Jerk
Flawless Fitness Book

Question: What did you think of the pads? Could they could replace your current workout gloves? Speak your mind and show me you exist for crying out loud.

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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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: PRO
Company: prohands
MSRP: $21.95
Availability: Medium (Online & Maybe Some Stores)

Just about two weeks back, I squeezed the shit out of the Gripmaster and fell in love. Giving out 5 stars for a product is quite rare for me because it means perfection, and let’s face it… Perfection is hard to come by. There are many products I tend to LIKE… But they just aren’t perfect. So can Prohands improve on perfection? Well that’s what were about to find out. Enter the “PRO” series by prohands. This model is meant for the “hardcore” crowd with bigger hands that can generate vice-like grip. So that would be me.

If you read the previous review, you’ll recall that although the Gripmaster fit nicely in my hands, but it could have been slightly bigger. By no means was it uncomfortable though. This is the prime reason I was so excited to give the PRO series a whirl. It fits perfectly in my hands and this particular product came with the heavy tension springs, each of which require 9lbs of pressure to depress. Since this thing’s got 7, we have a total of 63lbs of pressure needed to squeeze the whole thing. It’s things like these that excite the hell outa me.

Before we begin, a few words from prohands about their PRO series hand exercisers…

Product Claims:

The PRO is our most advanced hand exerciser. It’s ideal for professional athletes and motivated individuals seeking maximum performance. The PRO expands on the ingenious design of Gripmaster providing serious athletes with the most advanced technical hand exerciser in the world.

Heavy Tension – For those requiring exceptional grasping power from the finest exerciser available for martial arts, climbing or weapon retention.

Extra Heavy Tension – Our highest resistance exerciser. Not recommended for the average or above average male hand. Appropriate only for individuals requiring extreme and extraordinary grasping power.

First Impressions:

Obviously the very first thing you notice about this is the size, and as I previously mentioned, I like it. But that’s not to say that you’ll like it, if you’re hands are average size than this might be a little big for you. Kind of like the original Xbox controller… the DUKE! If there are any gamers up in here they’ll know what I’m talking about. The rest of you, not to worry… I’ll explain it to ya. “The Duke” was a controller developed for the American market, and was ridiculed for being over-sized for most people’s hands. Whining dinglemunchers… I thought it was perfect!

Anyways, back to the PRO series. After the size, we have the superbly constructed springs. They have a chrome finish and give un-paralleled feedback when depressed. Prohands also decided to add some cushioning to the top of the pistons so that the squeezing is a more comfortable experience… A valiant effort but it’s execution isn’t that great. More on that in a bit.

Another thing I like is how the tips of the pistons are now curved in shape unlike the Gripmaster, which means the middle finger gets the tallest one while the pinkie gets the smallest. This cuvaciousness isn’t hugely noticeable at first… But it’s all about the details baby. FJ likes attention to detail.

Real World Results:

While the initial impression was all dandy and good, I found that the rest of the unit isn’t up to part with its younger brother. The way I see it, products are supposed to improve down the line (specially when you’re charging more $$), but in my opinion the PRO series has taken a few steps BACK. Argh! You might be wondering why I’m getting my panties in a bunch. Well let me show ya!

The very first thing is the quality of the plastic. The Gripmaster felt like it was made of a higher quality plastic because of its rigidity and smoothness of the finish. The PRO series has this matte finish on the plastic (who the hell authorized this?!) but beyond that… It has a “cheaper” feel to it. Sort of like the dollar store toys, but probably with better density.

This makes the whole unit creek and freak when you press it. If you take the Gripmaster, put it to your ear and give it 5 quick squeezes, it goes like this: “Wiff, wiff, wiff…”  All you hear is the sound of the springs and the pistons moving. No odd creeks, no weird crunches… Just world class construction quality. When you do the same with the PRO model, it’s all like “crickle, crackle, creek”. I’m guessing it’s probably because the PRO series does not have a metal band which goes around the middle, holding everything in place. Too bad.

Next up is the exclusion of the “lip”. Ugh… WHY?! The Gripmaster’s rubber comfort grip had a little lip at the end so that it hugged the muscle between your thumb and index finger (the dorsal interosseous if I’m not mistaken). It also allowed you to do the finger pinch exercise without the unit “slipping” and flying off your fingers in the instance you end up being a sweaty beast. Well it seems that the hardcore users of the PRO series are supposed to live without it. Stupid.

Then we have those padded pistons. I liked their slightly curvaceous shape when looking at the unit head on, but why in the world did they exclude yet ANOTHER design feature? The finger grooves! When you wanted to do a full-hand wrap & squeeze with the Gripmaster, the grooves allowed your fingers to naturally roll on to the pistons, but in the PRO’s case, the elimination of these means that the halfway point of your fingers rest against a protruding piece of plastic. At first this is no big deal, but after 7 reps of it grinding against your finger… Shit gets slightly uncomfortable.

One last thing. The pistons in the Gripmaster tend to move up and down perfectly, and in the PRO model they tend to do so as well… For the most part. There are times when they rub against each other, providing you with an awkward “clicking” sound when you depress each finger individually. Here’s a close up of the piston touching the other on the way up… You can see why it clicks.

As far as the exercises go though, I was able to perform all 11 that are available on their site. The manual that came with it was again useless… Only telling you about a few of the exercises that you can perform. The PRO itself was very effective, specially with it’s heavy tension springs. The only issue was that uncomfortable friction between the finger and head of the piston, but when doing exercises which require you to place your finger tips on top of the pistons, the PRO is all aces. Those cushions do make a bit of difference versus the plastic top of the Gripmaster.

Overall it was great to workout with… The creeks and crackles really have no meaning when you are doing a serious finger workout. Those were just some minor build quality issues that I would like to see fixed, but as since they don’t actually hinder the workout experience, I won’t hold it against prohands too harshly.

Conclusion:

So after all this bitchin’ and negativity, it is easy to conclude that the PRO series is un pleasant and useless. But the fact of the matter is that it’s so fucking NOT. You see, I’m comparing it to the one product that even had half a chance of competing with this thing, and that was the Gripmaster. Is the PRO hands better than 99% of those stupid v-grip hand squeezers? Yes. Is it’s construction and design better than 99% of most other hand exercisers – even ones that are built of metal? Yes. Is it portable? Hell yes…. But the only problem is that it stands alone, overshadowed by it’s younger brother which I had the pleasure of reviewing before it. That’s all.

Oh wait, and the higher price point also plays a strike against it. Still… If you have bigger hands and really need something that can provide optimal resistance for grip strength, check out the PRO series because it can go up to the Extra Heavy tensions levels (11lbs per finger). But for the rest of you… The fact that the Gripmaster exists, and is available for sale means that your decision is set up to be a no-brainer.

To Being Fit & Sexy For Life!

- FitJerk

Flawless Fitness Book

P.S- For those that don’t know yet. I’m doing a give away for my old pair of V-Shaped grip trainers since I don’t have a need for em. They’re still in prime time condition. Details will surface soon but one thing is for sure, it’ll be open to Bronze Members only… so become one for FREE on your left. Press “register” and check back real soon.

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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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: Portable Power Jumper
Company: Lifeline USA
MSRP: $49.95
Availability: Medium (Online & Maybe Some Stores)

Plyometrics… the type of workout which can kick the living snot out of anyone from the average dingleberry to the highly advanced pro athlete. It is one of the quickest ways to burn a massive amount of calories in record time, while simultaneously boosting your vertical jump and overall “speediness”. For this reason, I am SUPER excited to review the Portable Power Jumper from Lifeline USA… The same great folks that brought us the all awesome PowerWheel. Let’s hope that they can keep things rolling because I have seriously high hopes for this product. Yes, the damn pun was intended!

If you’ve read my previous articles then you know that I have two awesome Plyometrics Routines available on this blog and they both involve tried and true exercises and techniques that give you some serious results. So you might be wondering “Why the hell do we need this?”. Well, that’s a good questions, and one that I intend to find an answer to. First let’s find out what LifeLine has to say about it’s Portable Power Jumper.

Product Claims:

“An increased vertical jump means more blocks, rebounds, catches and saves. Jump training is a key part of competitive sports training. The Lifeline® Portable Power Jumper works your core and back at the same time and is the fastest way to stack on a lot of inches to your vertical leap. It works great with all levels of athletes-from beginners to experts. Just ask World Champion Dunker Jamillian Mormon. The Portable Power Jumper helped him add an incredible 13 inches to his vertical jump!

Use it with a jump rope and your cardio, strength training and jump training can all happen at the same time.

Key feature: Unlike platform or weight based jump trainers, the Portable Power Jumper does not accelerate your impact with the ground which saves your knees!”

First Impressions:

So there we have it, the prime reason you might want to consider the Portable Power Jumper [PPJ] over traditional plyometrics routines… Minimize impact! I cannot deny the fact that while you perform a normal plyo routine (specially with weights if you’re used to some resistance like me) then the impact of landing can/might do some damage to the knees. Usually you should be ok… But what if you have knee problems to BEGIN with, yet you still feel motivated as fuck to reach astronomical levels of height through jumping? This is when the bands in the PPJ can come save your ass.

Let’s get down to business. Upon embracing the whole unit at first, I was excited and slightly confused. All the bands and stuff just lying there make it look so complicated, but it’s really not. The build quality was exceptional (something I’m just expecting from Lifeline from now on) and the fact that they threw in an extra pair of heavier resistance bands made me get all giddy in my pants (usually the extra pair of heavier-resistance bands is $19.95 with included foam straps). One of the details that LifeLine USA seems to have missed is the “Portable” part. If you wind up the bands and squish the ankle pads together, you still end up with a package that is a foot long and 7 inches wide, and this is without the extra bands. If you want to carry the whole package, forget it. You could use this as the “Bagable Power Jumper”, but don’t expect to carry anything else in there.

It came with their usual brochure that mentions all of their other products like the PowerWheel etc. And also an instructional manual that gives a brief description of the unit along with plenty of exercises to fancy your pantsy. But I did have a few problems with this “manual”

1. It doesn’t clearly state in which position the leg attachment should go on. Here’s the quote from the manual: “…with padded cable over the back of your neck and handles on your feet.” Now OBVIOUSLY this isn’t that hard to understand but let me tell you LifeLine… There is a race going on between companies trying to make idiot proof products and the world producing more idiots. Right now the world is winning by a mile.

They need to put in diagrams that show you how to securely fasten this shit down. The main problem, like I mentioned was that I didn’t know which way the pad should face, front or back? After trial and error I found it much better to have the pad resting up on the calves instead of on the shins. Your experience will obviously differ.

2. The great thing about the PPJ is the interchange able bands so you can get the PERFECT amount of resistance that’s just right for you. But they never show you how to change these bands at all. The danger here is that I can just see someone trying to “stuff” the bigger, redder tube into the tiny crevasse and fucking it all up. What you need to do is pull about 6 inches of the band as much as you can, this way it’s width decreases. Then you slip it in and slowly release it back into it’s original shape. Pull into the position so the stopper is at the tip and viola! Now, most of you who read my shit are quite bright individuals (thank god), but I’ve met some real rubber mallets in my time, and I wouldn’t count on them figuring anything out.

3. Then there’s the… Uh…  shit. I actually got nothing else.

Let’s get more in depth with the bangin’ build quality I was touting on about. The bands (or as Lifeline like to call them, cables) are superior to anything else on the market and if you can outstretch these then you need to stay the fuck away from me. You beast you. On top of that, every band comes with a built in padded strap that makes it easier for it to rest on the back of your neck/trapezius area.

Then there’s the construction of the ankle strap. It was built with tough material and the stitching is top notch. I yanked, pulled, bit and tried to tear it with my manly hands… But to no avail. These pads can withstand some serious abuse and should last you for quite a while. If they don’t however, Lifeline backs the PPJ up with a lifetime warranty. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Real World Results:

Now comes the $49.95 question – Does this thing actually work? Well in short… hell yeah. It’s sensational! The PPJ can be used bare foot or with shoes. Let’s talk about the resistance. It’s not what you think it is, it’s kinda different but in a pleasant way. Kind of like being spanked by a random cute girl. At first you’re sorta taken off-guard and it stings, but then you really like it. That’s exactly how it is with the PPJ, minus the sting. It forces your whole body to compress into a tiny fetus. When you walk around with the PPJ on, the resistance from the bands make you look like a poor fob who took a massive diarrhetic shit in his pants.

I made my buddy (Josh) wear it inside, this way he’d have to walk out onto the grass and put it through it’s paces. Let’s say the initial impression that he projected was nothing short of hilarious. (Not hard feelings bro… It was for the greater good).

The exercises that you do are pretty standard, they can easily be performed with ankle weights or with dumbbells in your hands but there are a few places where the PPJ shines. One is when you hit the floor – Once you’re airborne, the bands want to re-contract from top to bottom, this means when you land, you can be in the optimal position to absorb the impact. It also forces you to bend your knees which I believe will be a lifesaver for most people.

The second aspect where the PPJ shines is the fact that you can wear the bands around your waist and hook up the ankle hoops to a stationary object. You can now do some sprinting and jumping drills that can get quite sport-specific. This type of variability is invaluable. If you’re a runner or sprinter, I have no doubts that using the PPJ can help shave off a second or more off your final time. Hands down!

So what about me personally? Most of you already know that my plyo is pretty awesome, did the PPJ help? Yup, it gave me an extra 3 inches! This is a SIGNIFICANT  improvement for someone who’s vertical jumping is usually at it’s peak. What I had to do to achieve this was incorporate the PPJ into my normal plyo routines… And I had to use one red and one maroon band for some extra jump juice.

I have some reservations about the insane 13 inch improvement Jamillian Mormon got from the PPJ, specially considering he’s a pro athlete. But I have no doubts that folks who have a weak vertical due to lack of training plyometrics should see an average increase of somewhere around 10 inches hands down… like no problem what-so-ever.

While testing, I did come across another slight problem with the PPJ… Young adolescents and midgets cannot effectively use it. They are too short for the bands, so there is no resistive feedback to provide a proper plyometric workout. But the good thing is that young adolescents will eventually grow, so it’s the midgets that are missing out. Oh well… Sorry. You little people can stick to my plyo routine, its height proof!

Conclusion:

The bottom line is that I can breathe out a sigh of relief. I try not to pre-judge products when I review but the Portable Power Jumper just seemed “gimmicky”  to me. One of those cool gadgets that would have no real merit, but thank god I was wrong. I’m not even gona lie, this thing kicked my ass… straight up. Everyone I gave it to loved the PPJ also, even if it made them look outlandishly awkward at first.

BONUS TIP FROM FJ

Here’s something kick-ass that I came up with. After finishing one of my plyo routines with the PPJ, I looked at my plan and had biceps scheduled in as the next muscle group. Instead of busting  out my normal Aylio resistance bands, I had a light bulb moment. I realized that you can step through the ankle loops of the PPJ, and grab the foam neck strap thing on each end, allowing you to perform standing barbell curls! How awesome is that!? Yes I’m a genius I know.

So let’s wrap this up along with a final score.

PPJ PROS:

• Works as advertised
• Resistance is adjustable for individual needs
• Can be used anywhere
• Excellent build quality – can withstand abuse
• Lifetime warranty!
• Well designed with vertical and horizontal uses
• Can use it to do standing barbell curls!

PPJ CONS:

• Manual needs to be revised with better instructions
• Young adolescents and midgets cannot use it effectively
• Not really convinced about it’s “portability”

…And now we get down to the FINAL aspect of the PPJ – The PRICE. Is it worth paying $49.95 for, specially when you do have cheaper alternatives available and the economy is a bit tight? Well I thought long and hard about this and I came to a conclusion. YES, as long as it’s needed.

See if I ever train anyone, I ALWAYS incorporate a plyometrics routine because like I stated at the start of this review, its an awesome calorie burner. On top of that it gives you FUNCTIONAL gains in leg strength, speed and endurance. If you play ANY type of sport, this piece of equipment should come in VERY handy because you’ll be doing plyo anyways… And the PPJ will give you fool proof protection from shitty landings. I’d also be surprised if you cannot find alternate uses for the excellent quality bands. Then there’s the LIFETIME warranty. This is the icing on the cake which made me say hell yes.

So because of its great design, awesome back-end support from LifeLine USA and super effectiveness across the board, the Portable Power Jumper gets 4/5 stars, but it’s also going to receive:

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life!

-FitJerk

Flawless Fitness Book

P.S – Have you tried my plyometrics routine? Have you done plyometrics at all? Let’s hear your thoughts on the science of jump training. Post some comments below and let me know you have an opinion!

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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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: GRIPMASTER
Company: prohands
MSRP: $15.95
Availability: Medium (Online & Maybe Some Stores)

When I’m introduced to a new soul, do you know the one thing that turns me off more than ANYTHING in the world? A weak pussy-like handshake. Seriously, man or woman… I don’t give a shit, if you’re gona shake my hand, let me at least know that you’re alive. If you give me a limp noodle to hold on to, I’ll squeeze it into the shape of a bow-tie.

I’ve actually done this. If people go to shake my hand, and I feel like I’m holding on to a squeeze toy… Guess what I tend to do? You got it. Their facial expression followed by the self massaging of their hands to address damage control just cracks me up. Oh and it’s not only me… If you’re up for an interview and give some limp handshake, trust me, its OVER.

So what if you don’t have a natural vice-like grip? What if you can’t muster up a squeeze to let people know of your existence… Are you doomed? Well, not if prohands can help it. Today were going to be looking at a little device called the GRIPMASTER – it’s designed to help athletes (or normal folks) improve their grip to improve performance in sports such as tennis, baseball, hockey, sport shooting etc. Basically, anything that requires you to hold on to something with a good grip and giver’! (Masturbation isn’t a sport gentlemen)

Before I put this thing through my abusive test, let’s see what prohands has to say about their product…

Product Claims:

“The GRIPMASTER is our signature model. It’s ideal for any athlete wanting to develop hand strength. Available in four different color-coded models of graduated resistance, GRIPMASTER offers both men and women an opportunity to dramatically increase hand, wrist, and forearm strength.”

First Impressions:

The unit comes with a little brochure that is, for the lack of a better word… Useless. I mean it gives you the warnings, the recommendations and also tells you about their other products such as the VIA (targeted for women) and their PRO series (Which will be reviewed in the future). But the whole point of this thing is to workout your hands, and it only shows you 2 exercises out of the available 11 that they have. Where are the others you ask? Well you need to go to prohands.net to view them. Ridiculous. Do they really think that everyone has 24/7 access to the Internet? Common sense can sometimes go a LONG way!

On the other hand, I will admit this: the animations of the exercises on the website have top-notch production quality and I guess I can kinda see why they point you over there… but I don’t see any reason why they can’t print all 11 on the brochure coupled with helpful pictures. If I’m confused and need to watch animations for further clarification, I will do so on my own. I do have a god damn brain you know.

Moving on to the unit itself… I have to say I am very surprised. For 15 bucks this thing has a glossy finish to it, the springs are attractive in chrome, each individual “piston” depresses smoothly without any quirks and the black grip portion which wrests on your palm is comfortable as fuck. I also like how the black portion has a “lip” to it so that hugs the muscle between your thumb and index finger. Class… Pure class!

gripmaster_comfortlip

The pistons are also slightly “grooved” so that your finger tips can rest on them without slipping off.

gripmaster_finger_groove

Another great bit is how you can, if you chose to do so, hold this thing upside down since either way it will contour to your hands. This my friends is perfection. I’m really not kidding here…  You have to hold this sucker in your hand to realize the top-notch build quality that they managed to pull off for a mere $15 bucks!

Gripmaster_upsidedown

Real World Results:

So it’s well built and attractive, but is it actually USEFUL? Well to answer this question, I put it through a variety of tests, along with a little workout routine comprised from the 11 exercises which prohands mention on their site.

I do have to say, the tension on the unit I got was a little easy for my tastes… But this isn’t prohands fault. I have the unit which is stated at medium tension, if you’re a male that is 15 years of age or older, go for the heavy tension model. Actually, if you’re 15… WTF are you doing here? Don’t let your mommy catch you reading my obnoxious content.

Anyways, back to the testing. Now, I’ve got big hands *wink*… The distance from the tip of my thumb to the tip of my pinky finger is 9inches and the GRIPMASTER was a pleasure to hold on to, but if I had a choice, I would have liked it to be the size of the PRO series. That unit is the PERFECT size for my hand. To see how this thing fairs in smaller hands, I had to test it out personally… But I wasn’t about to shrink my fingers. So I gave it to the one woman on this planet who has the privilege of bossing me around – Grandma!

gripmaster_grandma

She loved this thing! It fit in her hand perfectly, and to my surprise, got in a decent amount of reps with a few minor struggles. Not bad for someone who’s 70 huh? I hope she doesn’t read this… She’ll kick my ass for revealing her age to the general population.

Let’s get to the exercises. The first one I performed was the full hand squeeze. There’s nothing to this one, just hold on to the GRIPMASTER and squeeze it as hard as you can. Wash, rinse, repeat. Works well. The good thing about this product over the traditional grip/hand exercisers is the ability to have individual pistons for each finger. You can instantly see how much weaker the grip on your pinky is versus, say… The middle finger. It brings out your weakness – A very good thing.

Gripmaster_fullsqueeze

Next up was the individual finger press downs. This one can be challenging since you now have to place the tip of each finger into the grooves and squeeze. A great exercise for guitar players. Again, it instantly brings out the weakness of your pinky and ring finger. Oddly enough, the strongest finger for me was the index, not the middle finger. I think it’s because I like to poke people, then point and tell them what to do… It’s the only possible explanation I have.

gripmaster_fingerpress

Then we have the finger & thumb pinch, and thanks to the lip on the black portion of the GRIPMASTER, it won’t slip or fly out of your hands while performing this exercise. Though I was wondering… where exactly would you need to have the ability to do a strong-ass pinch? I guess it can help you work the TV remote with pin-point accuracy, and maybe even help scrawny video game nerds press their controller buttons with ease… because we all know how challenging a Playstation controller can be. Pfft…

Gripmaster_pinch

Moving on, we have the tricep press down. This was an interesting one, and was surprisingly effective… But I don’t see why you wouldn’t just perform triangle push ups. I guess if you spend most of your time in an office environment seated all day long, you can perform this right on the table and get in a half-decent triceps workout. The only thing that I recommend if you chose this route is the heavy tension GRIPMASTER. The medium tension requires wayyyy too many reps before you start to feel a burn.

Gripmaster_tricepsexercise

I also invented an awesome one called “gun control”. This can be used by law enforcement officers or people who like to do sport shooting. Basically you hold the grip master vertically and while pretending to hold on to a gun, depress and hold the pistons under your middle, ring and pinkie finger.

gripmaster_gunaim

Now aim it as if you were about to shoot and rapidly depress the piston under the index finger… Simulating a trigger. I own an airgun, and after spending one week doing the “gun control” exercise with the GRIPMASTER, I noticed that my gun stability improved by a fair margin. Shots were accurate and I was finally able to hit a quarter sized target from 50 feet without the aid of a scope. Bang on!

Those are the main exercises which I found useful, to view the rest, make sure you visit their website.

Conclusion:

Well folks, there really isn’t much else left to say. I mean common… Its built like a fucking brick but has the smooth finish of a fancy gadget, its a pleasure to use, is inexpensive, very functional, reliable, works as advertised and best of all… Is grandma approved! What more can you possibly ask for? I’m trying obnoxiously hard here, but I really can’t find anything to complain about. I even threw it down the stairs, hoping to find a flaw in the build quality but I had no such luck in achieving this goal.

As far as I’m concerned, the GRIPMASTER is pretty much completely without fault. Like… trust me, it’s really THAT good. You’d be crazy not to pick this up. Because of this, the GRIPMASTER will be the first product to receive:

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life!

-FitJerk

Flawless Fitness Book

handgrip_vs_gripmaster

P.S – I have no use left for my old pair of hand grip exercisers and as such, I will be doing a little “give away” for you guys. Details on how to win this give away will surface soon, but one thing is for sure… It’s only open to Bronze members. If you aren’t a Bronze member, make sure you sign up. It’s FREE!

P.P.S- What did you think? Do hand strengthening exercises tickle your fancy? Will you be picking up the GRIPMASTER to crush your boss’s hands? Let me know you’re alive and post a few comments below…

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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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: Vitargo S2
Company: GENR8 Speed
MSRP: $36.99 [Click For Great Prices On GENR8 Vitargo S2]

Availability: Medium (Some Stores & Online)
Servings: 10 or 20 (Depends on individual needs)

Hype & Bullshit… 2 of the biggest concepts that power the supplement industry to profit-soaring success. GENR8′s website mentions that only 1 supplement out of a 1000 has any type of scientific innovation, and to be honest I don’t see any reason to doubt this. I mean see for yourself, contact a supplement company and inquire about their product, then ask em’ to SHOW you the studies which PROVE the effectiveness of the supplement which they are selling. Then I want you to notice… how 99% of them ignore your ass and pretend you don’t exist.

But GENR8 on the other hand, is a little bit different. Not only do they reference studies… But they reference studies done on their actual product – Vitargo S2. On top of that, the President of GENR8 happily made the .pdf versions of these studies available to me. I’m SO not used to this… Most of the time I have to bother the corporate dingtards until they either ignore me (happens 95% of the time) or just give me some lame ass response which basically says: “Ok, you got me, I can’t prove shit…”

So what is Vitargo S2 and who is it for? Well it’s is a carbohydrate drink with a focus on refuelling muscle glycogen stores and improving overall recovery times. Id say its for anyone that trains at an intensity of medium-high all the way to extremely high. If you’re just some light jogger and/or your idea of a workout is to do a few push ups and crunches here and there… I can tell you right now that Vitargo S2 isn’t for you.

Vitargo Tub

For those that know and understand why an insulin spike is important post workout, prepare to rejoice. Vitargo S2 has shown to be superior at spiking your insulin levels over the old time favorite carb powder – maltodextrin.

Ok so lets see, the company has nothing to hide and the 3 studies that were done on it seem sound…

• The 1st one shows how Vitargo S2 has better gastric emptying rate than normal maltodextrin (this means it leaves the stomach faster resulting in a better absorption rate).

• The 2nd notes the glycogen re-synthesis rate in humans while using Vitargo S2 vs Maltodextrin & Simple sugars.

• The 3rd shows how the ingestion of Vitargo S2 post-workout improves performance during a bout of cycling. Basically proving that you can replace your glycogen stores faster than by taking maltodextrin + simple sugars.

You can read these studies in greater detail by going to: http://www.genr8speed.com/press

Great, now it’s time for FJ to take it for a spin…

First Impressions:

It comes in a mini-tub which contains 1.7lbs of the product. Inside you’ll find a scoop with a ridiculously long handle… Which I grew to like since you don’t have to dump your hand all the way inside when the product starts to run low. Also big ups to GENR8 for sending me not 1, but 2 tubs (an unflavoured version and the tropical fruit one).

Long-Ass Scoop Handle... Nice!

Now if you use the product as recommended – before workouts, after workouts and during, with the suggested serving of 2 scoops, you’ll be left with a mere 10 servings per container. This works out to **drum roll** $3.69/serving. OUCH! I think I heard my wallet squirm.

However, if you’re a smaller dude or you don’t happen to train with extreme intensity, then you can get away with 1 scoop… Which leaves you with $1.85 per serving. That’s more reasonable… But considering maltodextrin can run you about $0.50/serving, Vitargo S2 better kick some serious ass in my real world tests.

The packaging is decent enough with clear and sufficient information. Because of it’s high molecular weight, there are some seriously specific instructions on how you should mix your drink. Be advised that if you choose to ignore these instructions… You’ll end up with a lump of GOO. However if you do follow what’s on the label, you’ll have a Gatorade-like drink ready to go!

I also like the fact that there isn’t too much “hype talk” on the product container itself. It does boast about the studies but nothing crazy unlike some other supplement companies. When I’m browsing products I’m not looking to be dazzled by a marketing story; I’m looking for proof, facts, results & nothing more.

Real World Results:

Like I said previously, if you follow the instructions then Vitargo S2 mixes flawlessly into a very drinkable and clump-free drink. The tropical fruit stuff has a very mild flavor, which I like. It tastes like a sports drink… And that isn’t too far from the truth. I did (on purpose) try mixing it with a spoon and again without the recommended amounts of water when I first got my hands on it… And this is how I found out that you end up with goo.

Another thing I want to mention is the texture of the goo. It’s not like the clump you get if you don’t mix your whey protein properly. It’s very slimy and slippery – for the kinky ones out there, you might want to get creative with this stuff… or not, your choice.

So moving on to the unflavoured stuff. Let me just be straight up here – there is a night and day difference between the taste of the unflavoured Vitargo S2 and the tropical fruit version. It is my contention that the unflavoured Vitargo S2 is to be used as a piggy back with your protein shake, fruit juice, vegetable juice, pimp juice… Or whatever else you drink. If you drink the unflavoured version with water alone, you’ll find the taste to be extremely puke-inducing. Even if you REALLY dilute it… There is just this awkwardness which makes you think: “water shouldn’t taste this way”.

Ok so on to see if it works as advertised. I put Vitargo S2 through 3 tests that I designed myself.

>>First test: This test was created to see how well Vitargo S2 could help my muscles recover within a 24 hour period.

The execution was simple… Pick a muscle group (Triceps), then pick an exercise (Skull Crushers), pick the weight that’s slightly lighter than normal (60lbs) and then go at it until I’m toast. After this workout, take 2 scoops of Vitargo S2 unflavoured along with whey protein and then one more scoop before bed time. The next day (day 2), I would take another scoop right before doing the exact same workout and see how well my muscles performed in relation to day 1. Here’s how it went down:

Ok, I was actually very impressed with this. Usually I don’t do more than 3-4 sets on skull crushers but the fact that I was able to pull off 9 sets before finally having to worry about the safety of my forehead is crazy. It was also funny because there was this creepy ass dude at the gym and he was wandering aimlessly near my vicinity while I was doing the skull crushes. My guess was that he either wanted to jump my sweaty, sexy ass or he just wanted the 60 pounder W bar. I’m guessing the latter.

Anyways, after all the awkward hovering around the gym and personally watching me go through 4 sets, he finally gets the balls to come up and ask: “Hey man, are you like almost done with that?”

Im like: “I duno dude, my plan is to keep doing these till my arms fall off. But you can sneak in a few sets while I’m resting if you want”. Mr. Creepo didn’t take me up on my offer and said he’ll be back. Great.

So, after the grueling workout I took my Vitargo S2 and the drive home too longer than usual. Amazing how much of a BITCH it is to turn the wheel when your arms feel like death. My triceps were freakin’ exploding! Let me also mention that adding this stuff to your protein shake really changes it’s texture and gives it a smooth finish. It’s like drinking liquid silk… If it ever existed.

Next day I wake up and unsurprisingly, my triceps were sore – but not at the level which I would have expected them to be after 9 fucking sets! I usually NEVER work my triceps the day before I’m planning on doing a serious chest routine for obvious reasons. This time however, I made the exception. I hit up the gym after downing a scoop of Tropical Fruit Vitargo S2 and not only did I pull off that 8 set miracle that you see above… But I was able to do a 4 set push-up routine after a 5 minute rest. Well I’ll be damned!

>> Second Test: In this test, I took one scoop of Vitargo S2 20 mins before a workout and then evenly sipped on another scoop DURING my workout. The purpose was to see how well it kept me hydrated as well as how well it helped me push my limits.

The execution is obvious but here are a few more details…

Muscle Group Worked: Biceps

Exercise: Preacher Curls

Weight: 80lbs

If I want to train hypertrophy, then I lift 70lbs on preacher curls for a maximum of 9-10 reps. However, I wanted to see what would happen if I added 10lbs for the same type of training routine. The results were O-K. My average reps dropped by about 4, something I wasn’t too impressed with especially since I was having some of this stuff DURING my workouts and the glycogen refuelling concept was something I looking forward to. I was taking less drinks of water though, so the hydration angle of this stuff was definitely working in my opinion.

After about 1 week, I re-trained my biceps by stacking Creatine Monohydrate & MuscleSpeed and my average drop in reps was now roughly 3 or sometimes even 2. You COULD say that I recovered and got stronger, which I won’t leave out as a possibility, but the fact is that I just felt “ON” and the mind-body connection was intense.

Overall, as a “during workout” supplement, I wasn’t too impressed. Maybe marathon runners will get more use out of it, but for general fitness and even weight training/bodybuilding it looks like Vitargo S2 better shines as a post-workout puppy.

>> Third Test: My favourite test of them all – Gymnastics and Power Tumbling.

There is no beating around the bush on this one… It worked beautifully. One hour session on trampoline, half an hour session on running tumbling and the other half an hour session on standing tumbling, and by the end of it all I felt as alive as ever. I usually feel sore, my calves ache and start to pulse because of the high impact of this sport… But those symptoms were totally diminished. I-is-one-happy-mofo.

Another point I need to bring forth is that when I took Vitargo S2 pre-workout… I landed my standing full with consistency. (Could be a coincidence of training this move off and on… But whatever). For those that don’t know, a standing full is a back flip while doing a 360 twist. This move is USUALLY done out of a pass – which means you have lots of momentum from the initial run and round off. Doing a full from standing… Out of NOTHING… Is an insane endeavour.

Supplement Facts

Conclusion:

It’s slimy if you mix it wrong, expensive if you take too much and tastes funny if you have the unflavoured version with water… But it’s also an excellent hydration formula, the BEST post-workout supplement that exists, the tropical fruit flavour tastes like Gatorade and if the unflavored stuff is piggy-backed properly, it makes ANY protein shake smooth as silk.

The point I’m trying to make here is that Vitargo S2 isn’t for everyone. The average Joe that is trying to lose some weight or just wants to get in decent shape is much better off with some whey protein along with a little bit of maltodextrin after his workout. Although Vitargo S2 is superior… The cost – benefit ratio just doesn’t make any sense for this type of person. Unless Mr. Average Joe has money to burn… then by all means.

BUT… If you’re either a:

• Professional Athlete
• Serious Athlete
• Gym Rat
• Bodybuilder
• Person that likes intensive workouts
• A trainer
• Or you just take your fitness seriously…

Then I have no trouble recommending Vitargo S2. On top of this, if the cost is spanking your ass a little too hard, be smart about it… Use it only when it’s most effective for YOU. Personally… I’ll be buying some of this stuff without any hesitation, but you’ll only see me taking it POST workout and possibly before a hardcore tumbling session.

You have to realize that what we have here is something extraordinary… Which is why I’m giving it 4/5 stars, but it’s also something that has pushed the boundaries in terms of innovation and effectiveness – for which it get’s my Quality Supplement Award!

What do you think about this stuff? Have you taken it before? Does it itch your curiosity? Well then post some comments below. All hail carbohydrates!

-Fit Jerk

———–
© 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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: SuperPump 250
Company: Gaspari Nutrition
MSRP: $49.00
Availability: High (Stores & Online)
Servings: 40

Ah the “pump”… The single best feeling that drives most men into the gym so they can work their ass off and pound the weights like no man has pounded them before. Truth be told, we would not go around pounding this way if it wasn’t for that awesome feeling. If at this point you are confused whether I’m talking about working out or making sweet love then its ok… So was Arnold. If you recall his famous quote “It’s [the pump] as satisfying to me as cumming is…”

So today we have another pre-workout supplement that not only promises a pump… Oh no… But a SUPERPUMP, and not just one, 250 of them! Ok so maybe I’m picking on the marketing name a little, but with a name like that, it’s got some serious hype to live up to. On top of that SuperPump 250 is becoming just as popular as BSN’s N.O Xplode… And so naturally, FJ had to investigate.

Was this purely because of awesome marketing or does this stuff actually have some merit? That’s what I wanted to find out. On a side note I will say this… I’ve heard that quite a few people had problems stomaching this stuff. Because of this it earned itself the following nick-name: SuperDump 250. lol

So… If you’re considering this stuff, just be forewarned that you might want to go through a couple sample packs to see how your tummy handles it. In my personal experience, there were no super dumps that took place. Those only used to occur when I was in love with Taco Bell many many moons ago.

First Impressions:

Packaging seems adequate, and the fact that you get 40 servings out of one jar equates to about $1.22 per serving. This isn’t bad, but could be better. Were living in a recession and this means budgets are tighter and smart consumers know that pre-workout supplements should be a commodity… Not a necessity. It’s the POST workout supplement which should get priority. But whatever, let’s move on and dissect it’s guts.

First up is the Anabolic Signalling Complex^TM (unknown amount). It contains: A Glucose Polymer (sugar), Creatine Monohydrate (YES! Good stuff… But we don’t know exactly HOW much… Which is a major bummer and a down side if its 3g or less), NO2 complex (basically a bunch of different forms of Arginine… Which is basically CRAP as far as helping with nitric oxide goes), Guanidinopropionic Acid (Meant to spike insulin levels without having to ingest simple carbohydrates and is supposed to help the body absorb more creatine… Sounds good but couldn’t find hard evidence to backup those claims. Needs to be studied more IMO), Salicyclic Acid (basically aspirin… Guessing its used to reduce pain but truthfully, it’s not needed here)

Next is the Xtreme Focus Agent^TM (unknown amount). It contains: 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), Caffeine (A proven stimulant that drives up focus, energy and also overall power output & strength. Always a good addition), NAC ( NAC is a natural sulfur-containing amino acid derivative found naturally in foods and is a powerful antioxidant), Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract ( Supposed to increase mental performance and reduce fatigue by optimizing serotonin and dopamine levels… Hard evidence on this is fuzzy but looks promising), Ginko Biloba (Supposed to be a nootropic and a concentration enhancer but studies have found it to be ineffective so far… therefore as of now, I’d say its a bust and a waste of space in the 20g scoop).

Then we have the Myogenic Transcription Factor^TM (unknown amount). It contains: Taurine (supposed to give you energy, but it hasn’t been proven. You’ll find this stuff in energy drinks), L-Leucine (Good stuff, shown to be THE branched chain amino acid responsible for the majority of protein synthesis that takes place in your body. Without it you are limiting your success factors so glad to see it in here but its more of a post workout ingredient IMO), L-Glutamine ( Some people say it’s useless depending on which studies they have read but I’m all for it since I use it and have noticed that I recover faster. Bottom line is that I’m glad to see it in this mixture), L-Valine & L-Isoleucine (BCAA’s… Enough said), L-Citruline (Is transformed in the kidneys to L-Arginine which in turn is supposed to help up regulate your nitric oxide levels… Right? WRONG. This is a waste), Choline Bitartrate (Supposed to increase neurotransmitter levels. In rats it showed an increase in mental performance but this same effect could NOT be duplicated in humans… Therefore it’s useless ingredient in a workout supplement)

Finally we have the Insulin Secretagogue Complex^TM… And instead of boring you with details on this one I’m going to tell you the OBVIOUS reason it exists. To SPIKE your insulin levels in order to shuttle the compounds into your muscles. Plain and simple.

Real World Results:

Alright so I cracked open the Raspberry Lemonade packet and give it a slight wiff… Not bad. Threw it in the shaker cup along with some cold water, gave it a vigorous shake for about 10 seconds and what do you know, it mixed! Not only did it mix, it left zero clumps behind.

Then came the taste… Holy FUCK. It tastes SO damn good. I’m not exaggerating here, this stuff was as close to fruit punch as you can possibly get from a supplement. I’m not sure if its because I’ve tried a SHIT load of supplements in my time and I finally found one that tastes good, but this stuff was exceptional. On that same note, the grape flavour is something you might want to avoid though. It’s not bad, but it’s no raspberry lemonade.

Ok so it mixes like a dream and tastes like heaven, so what happens AFTER you take it? Well this is when the happy moonshines, unicorn rainbows and even the slightest glimmer of potential start to disappear.

10 minutes after taking it… Nothing.

20 minutes after taking it… Still nothing.

30 minutes in… I’m thinking I should have just drank less expensive fruit punch.

Started working out, had no noticeable gain in pumps, no increase in energy and no noticeable gain in focus either. I was seriously tripping out. What the hell was going on here?

I mean bad supplements are one thing, but I didn’t even get a caffeine kick… My morning coffee does a better job of waking me up than this stuff. NOT impressed!

But since I had 6 packets I figured what the hell, maybe it’s just me? Maybe I got a bad batch? I tried the grape flavor and still nothing. But, I was determined to see it produce SOME kind of result in a human being!

So I told Steven, a good buddy of mine (a retired national level gymnast) to try a serving. Now this guy barely takes supplements, and on top of that he’s a vegetarian so if there is anyone out there with highly responsive, virgin receptors, it’s him. I even made sure this substance was anonymous to him. I just mixed the powder in with some water, told him to drink it before we hit up the gym and asked him to jot down or remember anything “out of the ordinary” that he feels as a result of taking LamePump 250.

So what were the shocking results? Well in short… NOTHING YET AGAIN. Steven was very confused, he asked me if I had just given him some fruit juice and played a prank on his ass because he felt absolutely nothing. If anyone is playing a prank here, it’s Gaspari Nutrition. I won’t dis their entire product line based on one crappy supplement but wtf is this? April fools is OVER god damn it!

Conclusion:

At $1.22 per serving I guess it COULD replace Gatorade or some other lame sports drinks as your during-workout cocktail, but that’s NOT what it’s been advertised as. Therefore, since SuperPump250 tastes AWESOME but lives up to NONE of it’s claims, I’m gona give it 1 star.

But where I see failure I also see opportunity. Gaspari… Remove the useless ingredients, put some REAL god damn caffeine in the product & drop the price by about $15 bucks. Then market it as a during-workout drink. It’s sure to be a winner… But as for providing SUPER pumps and INCREASED lean mass and all that bullshit, this stuff is pathetic. Please move along.

Now if you’ll excuse me, Im going to have my last packet of Raspberry lemonade with a grilled chicken salad.

-FitJerk

———–
© 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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

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

———–
© 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.

Only LOSERS have nothing to say or discuss. Put your thoughts, comments or general rants in the comment section below. FJ does not use censorship but obvious racial slurs and over-the-top stupidity will be deleted.

Product Name: Whey Protein Crisps
Company: Bodybuilding Provisional Technologies
MSRP: ~$38.00
Availability: Medium (Most online stores)
Servings: 34

Ok, I haven’t been this excited about trying out a new supplement since the original “Nitric Oxide” bullshit hype machine was released a few years back. But unlike the disappointing results I found with those products, this one felt like it was going to kick some serious booty. Why? For 2 good reasons…

1. It’s based off whey protein – which if you don’t know by now is one of THE most important supplements that you can have in your arsenal. It’s tried, tested & true.

1. It was going to be tasteless – This means I could use it in ANY way I wanted. My mind was racing a million miles an hour with insane food ideas.

So which supplement am I talking about exactly? Enter Whey Crisps by Bodybuilding Provisional Technologies! Whey crisps are supposed to replace regular old why protein powder for times you need a quick snack or want to turn ordinary foods into high-protein meals. It’s in granule form, dry & flavourless which makes it easier to handle. This means an easier cleanup because there will be no sticky mess in the kitchen! (men… Insert sexual connotation here).

First Impressions:

The container itself is quite attractive with the whole “grungy” feel to it. I opened it up and upon sniffing… You get this milky/vanilla-ish type smell, not bad. Now I know the description says this stuff is “crunchy” but I was expecting a weak type of crunch, kind of like what you’d get if you bit into a Kit-Kat that’s been sitting in your pocket on a hot sunny day… But GOD DAMN. This stuff is TIGHT! The granules are VERY crunchy and are practically tasteless.

whey crisps

I actually felt like the pigeon sitting out side my window because it reminded me of bird food. I wonder if that pigeon would have liked to try some… But I didn’t feel like having the loonballs from PETA on my ass so I figured I hog all the Whey Crisps to myself. Moving on…

After eating this stuff “bare” you DO get this milky/dusty after taste. Sort of like when you ate a piece of chalk in grade 3 then took a sip of milk soon after. (Don’t lie… I know you’ve all done that at some point!)

So I got this piece of paper that explains exactly what the product is, along with a few recipes that you can make. Before we get to that, let’s hear some official words from the company about Whey Crisps…

Product Claims:

Whey Protein Crisps is our most recent discovery of muscle growing food technology. It provides you with a high quality source of whey protein that is ready to eat. Whey Crisps are the same exact product as a whey protein powder but in solid crisp form, so it is a lot easier and more convenient to consume than powder and it is perfect when you want to make high protein foods such as bars, cereal, cookies, pudding, and anything else you can think of.

Nothing but the best whey protein in our Whey crisps. Our whey crisps are made from using microfiltration/ultrafiltraion whey protein isolate. Whey protein isolate is the best form of whey protein because it contains the highest amount of protein per gram. Because we use whey isolate, our whey crisps have a very high amount of BCAA’s and glutamine. Next, we chose a whey protein isolate that was cold-filtered to preserve the delicate protein subfractions and peptides, like lactoferrin and insulin-like growth factors. A combination of high BCAA’s and protein subfractions make our Whey Crisps your #1 choice for a muscle-building food source.

Real World Results:

pudding crisp

First let me say that I won’t be going into the whole “scrutinizing each ingredient” like I regularly do because this stuff is just protein. There is no need. Now let’s address the whole “value” issue – In one 3lbs container you get a 40g scoop. Looking at the supplement facts, you get 34 servings out of each container and 28g of protein per scoop. This means each scoop is 70% protein… Which is a bit disappointing and quite surprising to hear, because Whey Crisps are made from Whey Protein Isolate. This is the highest grade that you can possibly buy and in powder from Isolate yields up to 97% protein per scoop. So I don’t see why a granule version can’t (at the minimum) yield 85%.

If we break this down price wise then you are basically paying $1.11 per 28g of whey protein – compare that with an average price of $0.50 – $0.70 per 25g serving of whey isolate powder and it’s clear that this stuff can get slightly pricey. Still, you ARE getting convenience and a HEAP loads of different possibilities available to you, so it’s no where near a deal breaker. But as far as a whey protein powder replacement? – I think not.

Here’s what I DO recommend though, get the best of both worlds! After a workout you want the liquid form of protein, and maybe even for breakfast if you need to chug down a smoothie, but for times when you want something with substance that has a mighty crunch which you can just BITE into… You cannot go wrong with Whey Crisps. In fact, I think I might start making this a regular ingredient in my supplement cupboard.

So what about the uses? Well there are SHIT loads. Here are a few recipes that I’ve tried over the past week:

• Bowl of oatmeal with a scoop of Whey Crisps in it
• Throw in a scoop of Whey Crisps in with your morning cereal
• Have some chocolate pudding with a scoop of Whey Crisps (FRIGGIN DELICIOUS!)
• Make some toast, spread peanut butter on top – then sprinkle Whey Crisps over it.
• Make Whey Crispies! (Easy on the marshmallows there tubby!)
• Instead of croutons, toss some Whey Crisps with your salad.
• Throwing the granules at your friends (They hurt if you throw them hard… Or so I’m told)

oatmeal

Needless to say, they all turned out insanely awesome. You can also cook/bake with this stuff but I didn’t have the time to make muffins this week. Once I do though, I’ll throw in the update so you can see how it all turned out. Overall I was friggin’ impressed! I love this stuff… I’m only half way through the container right now and once it’s gone, I’m seriously going to miss it. This means I’ll have to go out and buy some. Damn you BPT – you sneaky bastards!

Conclusion:

Although you’ll pay a slight premium over most whey protein powders, I’d say its well worth it. It won’t replace the powder as I said before, but its a welcomed addition to anyone’s supplement cupboard. Shit, half of your are still wasting your cash on those lame “pre workout pump” products anyways… Why don’t you drop that junk, pickup a bottle of Whey Crisps and save yourself some capital in the process? Can you say win-win? I think so.

Also keep in mind that the recipes I mentioned above were ones that I came up with off the top of my head – some of you whacked out creative individuals will no doubt come up with unique ways to eat this stuff… And if you do, post the recipes in the comment section below.

Overall… I WAS going to give this 4.3/5 and leave it at that… but the fact that BPT pushed the bar, released an innovative product and smashed some boundaries deserves some justification, so I present it with the:

As time passes on, I’m sure you’ll see the price drop as few “copy cats” start to pop up. Until then, stop slacking, kick some ass in your workouts and build some lean muscle tissue… One crunchy bite at a time.

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life

-Fit Jerk

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