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

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

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

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

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

First Impressions:

no3 overload tabs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Product Claims:

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

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

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

Real World Results:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life

- Fit Jerk

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

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.

Anyways back to my point, you DO need to eat frequently because it works – and it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to gain weight or lose weight. What you eat in each of those meals along with the type of training that you do is what will have a direct impact on your success. But since we’re all busy as HELL these days, we barely have enough time to cook & prepare our 5-6 daily meals (I should know, I’m constantly over worked… I’m always telling this person to do that, that person to do this and pointing fingers and shit – gets exhausting). So what to do? Enter super-convenient protein and energy bars.

They’re jam packed with nutrients, minerals and vitamins and come in a million different flavors and in a million different types. Some are meant for recovery and are full of protein, some are meant for pre-workout and are carb heavy, some are meant to help you lose weight, and on and on. I think today, “bars” can adhere to almost ANY need that you may have when it comes to nutrition… BUT, are they really as “healthy” and “nutritious” as they claim to be?

Well let’s find out. Before deciding on what brand to buy or what ingredient content to look for, you need to pick your GOAL because we have so many freakin’ choices, there is no ONE energy or protein bar that will do everything for you. It’s all been specialized… Gone are the days when you could use the same ol’ PowerBar® for pre and post workout. As far as I’m concerned, here are the categories that you need to consider:

• Pre workout (Bars that have just enough carbs to fuel your workouts)
• Pre workout energy (I’ve seen bars that now contain ingredients similar to those found in energy drinks… So maybe you need a pick-me-up?)
• Post workout (No time to mix up a protein shake? Running late? A high-protein post-workout bar may be for you)
• Meal Replacement (Working long hours and need to replace a meal with a nice light snack? You might want to look into these)

Now, don’t go all hay-wire and be like: “I need to fulfill ALL those categories”. That’s bullshit – you’re telling me that every meal in your day is going to be a convenience food packed inside a wrapper? Something’s wrong with you. If 3 jobs are getting in the way of you bettering your health… Then quit one of your fucking jobs! You’ll survive, I promise. So my suggestion is to pick ONE of those categories and set out on a quest to find your perfect bar.

What makes a good bar? Well here are a few of FJ’s rules of thumb to follow when picking out a protein or energy bar:

• Watch the saturated fat content. I saw an Atkin’s Advantage Chocolate bar which had 8g of saturated fat. That’s the same amount you get in a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger. Haha… So much for the “advantage”.

• SUGAR! Some protein bars have so much sugar to mask their disgusting taste that you might as well eat an OhHenry (I’m dead serious). Find ones that have around 4-5g or less per bar. If you come across ones that are sweetened with Splenda… It’s not a bad choice. Even though I’m not a huge fan of sugar substitutes (except Stevia), Splenda (sucralose) has shown to be quite safe. I’m still keeping my eyes open on that stuff though.

• Carbs. Ok so you want a bar to fuel your workout, that doesn’t mean you need to do a carb-overload! A bar that as a moderate amount of carbs (20-25g) will be MUCH better for you than ones that have very HIGH amount of carbs. Only serious athletes such as bodybuilders or long distance runners need the high-carb bars as far as I’m concerned.

• Fiber – Something you should look for if you’re into meal replacement. A bar with 5-7g of fiber will ensure that you’ve had your 1/3 of the recommended fiber serving for that day. Not too shabby. Also remember that fiber helps keep you feeling “fuller” for longer AND a high fiber diet has shown to help your body absorb FEWER calories at the end of the day.

• Overall calories. With the exception of post-workout bars you should look for ones that have no more than 350 calories per bar. 200 if you’re looking for a nice mid-day snack.

• It doesn’t matter what bar you eat… Remember to drink at least a FULL GLASS of water along with them. 99% of the bars are extremely nutrient dense and you need to make it easier for your body to digest and absorb everything. Otherwise… You’ll shit it out and you’ve just wasted your money.

So what about taste? Well I won’t lie… finding one that taste’s good while meeting all the “healthy” criteria is a bitch, so you’re just going to have to take a few chances. A lot of the times high fibre bars have boat loads of sugar to mask their taste. Or sometimes low sugar bars will end up having artery-clogging levels of saturated fat. I doubt you’ll ever find a perfect bar, but there are ones out there that are GOOD ENOUGH.

These will get you by… But remember that NOTHING replaces whole foods. These are for convenience purposes only, so don’t become some energy bar addict. In the end, an energy or protein bar is USUALLY better for you than junk food, and because you have so many options I’d say it can be a healthy choice as long as you know what to look for. Eat up!

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life!

- Fit Jerk

P.S – Oh and a side note – to lessen your chances of wasting tonnes of cash going through every bar possible, check back here often as I will be putting quite a few protein bars to the test in the near future. This will be a Bronze/Gold member exclusive so make sure you’re a member! It’s FREE; just sign up by pressing the “register” button in the login box to your left.

QQ (Quick Question) – Do you eat protein/energy bars? If so what brand and what kind… post below!

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© 2009, 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: Black Powder
Company: MRI
MSRP: $33.99 [Click Here To Find Lower Prices For: MRI Black Powder, 20 Servings, Fruit Explosion]

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

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

–First Impressions–

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Product Claims:

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

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

The Science: Driving Performance and Size to New Levels!

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

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

Real World Results:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

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

-FitJerk

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

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

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: Musclespeed
Company: Accelerative Nutraceuticals
MSRP: $49.99 [Click For Great Prices On MuscleSpeed!]
Availability: Medium (Online)
Servings: 45

Pre-workout supplements… There is always a lot of hype surrounding them and most of the time they are a complete waste of cash. The reason is simple, all they give you is a big caffeine rush which you could haven gotten from a cup of coffee or even a can of RedBull. But I have hope; enter Musclespeed from Accelerative Nutraceuticals. Let me start off by saying that I was very reluctant on reviewing this product for two main reasons:

• It’s made by a relatively new company and therefore I have no clue as to what their credibility is like. This can be a good or bad thing; they have the chance to start off on the right foot, but could also fail miserably. Oh the excitement!

• Which brings me to my second point… Because it’s so new, I’m sure that one man’s passionate vision led him to invest his life savings into something he believes in, and his credibility is now put on the line. See, if BSN releases a shitty product… No big deal, they can release another one next month because they got the capital. But if I don’t like Musclespeed, most people won’t buy it, the company will go to the shitter and I’ve just tanked one man’s future. Luckily I don’t really care about that… And therefore It’s time to put this supplement through it’s paces and see what we have on our hands.

First Impression:

First off, the black bottle with the chrome lettering is very sexy indeed. I had a few people look at it and instantly say “oooh what’s that?” And I also love the bright red-pills. It’s a nice touch. (For those of you who’ve been living under a rock… The red pill is what Neo took in The Matrix to find out “how deep the rabbit hole really went”) Love it!

Another thing I should mention is that the product website is VERY well referenced. Just check this out: http://www.musclespeed.net/Speed-Supplement-Science.htm. Every ingredient is backed by referencing adequate and real-world studies. BIG points go to Accelerative Nutraceuticals for this. You won’t believe how many of the “big guys” will avoid you if you say “Hey, can you provide me with some studies to prove that your product or the ingredient in your product actually works”.

So far so good, now before getting down to the nitty gritty, it’s time to hear what the company has to say about it’s own product. Marketing info always sounds so exciting doesn’t it?

Product Claims:

What Is MUSCLESPEED^TM?

MUSCLESPEED^TM is a cognitive and neuromuscular accelerator, taken pre-workout, by fighters and extreme sport athletes. It’s the only natural source supplement that helps you activate the most muscle fiber with a single dose. Take MUSCLESPEED^TM 30min before training or competition and unleash unprecedented power and speed. Experience a smooth rush of energy, and mental focus, coming on 15 minutes of the first dose and up to 4-5 hours at a time!

By facilitating the production and release of two ‘wonder’ neurotransmitters known as Adrenaline and Acetylcholine, your muscles respond with more contractile intensity.

Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced a physical ‘rush’ when norepinephrine (adrenaline) has been secreted into the blood stream. This action taps into our bodies own evolutionary defense mechanism to “fight or flight” producing a sudden rise in power and strength. The effects of norepinephrine, as released naturally or through the influence of Methylxanthines, are well-established and have been the focus of numerous studies:

Real World Results:

So Musclespeed has got quite a few claims to live up to then? Let’s begin. I tested this product out for a FULL 8 days (technically 7 because of one off day), and tested it out against three of my top activities: weight lifting, power tumbling and heavy bag training. This pretty much encompasses it’s target market.

The bottle recommends two servings daily, and says that over a period of time the effects will actually be enhanced. But because each dose (2 capsules) contains 200mg of caffeine, I took one serving for days: 1-3, then jumped to 2 servings for day 4 & 5, followed by a break on day 6, then back to 2 servings for day 7 & 8.

Day 1: I took my first dose 40 minutes prior to weight training and boy… Did it KICK me in the face. Started off by feeling more alert, everything seemed more “crisp”. After another 5-10 minutes I got this “warm” feeling. This high lasted about 15 minutes in total… After which I experienced a steady stream of energy. I would be lying if I told you my workouts weren’t in high gear, because they rocked! However, the effects only lasted 2 hours (unlike the 3-4 claimed) and I did experience a slight “crash” after. It may have been because I pushed myself or because it was my first dose, I wasn’t sure at this point.

Day 2: Took one dose 40 minutes prior to power tumbling. This time it didn’t come on so fast, but I could definitely feel the intense “crisp” sensation. It’s  hard to describe this feeling… It’s as if the contrast ratio is increased and all the colours you see are sharper. Powertumbling is done on an 84 feet long, bright blue power rod floor and the colour just JUMPS. This was good because while throwing a double twisting back layout, I felt more confident and could clearly see the landing. This training took place after a intense 3 hour coaching session with my athletes and my usual dip in energy was nonexistent. Felt it working for a total of 2.5 hours but this time with no crash after. So far so good.

Day 3: Took one dose in the morning on an empty stomach 40 minutes prior to letting loose on my heavy bag. I quickly realized that taking this supplement on an empty stomach SUCKS. At first I thought “this was it… Just like other stimulants it pussied out after the 3rd dose!” … Not so. Take it with a bowl of oatmeal and you’re in for a wild ride… As I soon fond out.

Day 4: Disappointed with the day 3 results, I yet again took a dose in the morning for another heavy bag kicking session (this time with a bowl of oatmeal with flax seeds, crushed almonds & some brown sugar) and was in happy land again. Great rush after 35 minutes, the warm feeling was back and was better than ever (Musclespeed is said to be mildly thermogenic so this makes sense… ).

The colour sharpness wasn’t as intense as before, but it was still there. This was the first time I felt the energy last for 3 hours and then slowly taper off. No crash. Ballin’! I also tested to see if I could kick any faster than before: Clearly with the extra energy, my kicks made quite an indent in the 100lbs vinyl heavy bag, but as for raw speed, it only made a slight difference. Took another dose in the evening before body-weight training and it was as intense as ever. No crash, but this time I felt as if it tapered off after about 2.5 hours. Again, not a huge deal since I only need about an hour in the gym, but the claim was said to be 3-4 hours, so that’s the benchmark I’m looking for.

Day 5: I had another power tumbling/coaching session coming up and the total time that I’d be actively doing physically demanding work was 4.5 hours. I decided to see how long one dose would truly last this time. Overall… The exact time that I felt Musclespeed work was 3 hours and 16 minutes. So it fell short of my 4.5 hour session, but I couldn’t complain. I still managed to get through my training because of the absence of a “crash”. I was also going out that evening, so I decided to take one dose before heading off to a friends birthday party. No complaints here, I had a good time and partied all night long. No one in their right might is going to take this as a pre-party supplement but I figured what the hell… I’ll be thorough.

Day 6: Took the day off. Reason was simple… I wanted to see if taking a small break would result in me feeling the RUSH that I got when I took my very first dose. It really doesn’t matter which stimulant you take, if it has caffeine in it, you are bound to become resistant to it at one point or another.

Day 7: I was excited to start off my day with a bang, would taking a “break” really help? Well as I found out, not really. Took a morning dose, felt great, but couldn’t recreate the feeling that I got on the very first dose. This isn’t exactly a bad thing since edging towards “jittery” territory can hinder performance rather than help it. My punches and kicks were crisp, sharp and powerful. For those that train kick boxing, you know very well that once exhaustion hits you can’t aim as well, but I could still put the kick where I wanted it. Bravo. Evening workout session was also a pleasure.

Day 8: No workout took place on this day, but just wanted to see how it performs as a normal “pick me up”… And if it can compete with my beloved cup of coffee. As far as the “kick” goes, it was obviously superior, and a heck of a lot more convenient, but I still don’t see the red pill replacing my cup of Joe.  Took one dose at lunch-time and one dose at 10pm to see if Musclespeed would keep me up while I researched and wrote about it. It’s weird, because if you take it without doing any physical activity, it only tends to last a hair under 2 hours.

I also gave a dose to a friend of mine who is a competitive gymnast… Just to see if the results were consistent across the board. Here’s a summary of her experience:

• Kicked in 30 minutes after taking one dose
• Gave great energy, and improved her focus
• Lasted throughout her 4 hour training session
• Experienced no crash

As you can see it fared slightly better for her, but keep in mind that although she is an elite athlete and trains ridiculous hours every week, she is not a regular supplement user. So your results may vary but I have no doubt it will work for you.

Finally, a review wouldn’t be complete without listing the cons. Here are some of the issues I have:

• The lasting of the energy isn’t consistent. At times you will feel it working for beyond 3 hours, and other times it will underperform by lasting for only 1.5 – 2. It seems there are certain factors which need to be present for Musclespeed to really shine.

• I strongly believe that this supplement can benefit from proper cycling. Taking it constantly will surely decrease it’s effectiveness, and instead of trail and error, I’d like to see the dosage instructions on the bottle be more specific.

• I’m not sure if it was just me, but another thing I’d like to see is the mention of taking this WITH food. On the label it just tells you how much to take. Taking it on an empty stomach barely did anything for me, so this needs to be addressed. I doubt every Musclespeed user will be able to find this review.

Conclusion:

So overall, I was actually pretty friggin’ impressed. It has already managed to out-last most other stimulants that I’ve tested and for about $1.11 per serving, I believe MuscleSpeed would be a great addition to a martial artist’s or weight trainer’s supplement arsenal. Gymnasts and Power tumblers are also in for a real treat because your aerial awareness is heightened. On top of this, if you stack it with creatine… you will be a gym machine.

As you’ve noticed, I haven’t bothered to list the ingredient research and theory behind them because frankly… You can find everything you need on their science page. This gave me more time to put the product where their mouth is.

Another thing you need to remember is that this supplement is new and so is the company, it is common sense that their blend will only improve and become more potent over time (if it doesn’t… you can bet I’ll be all over their ass!)

Totally recommended!

Order MuscleSpeed at 23% OFF! (Limited Time Offer For FJ’s Readers)

[UPDATE: 06/01/09] So the CEO of Accelerative Nutraceuticals got back to me about the review and we talked about a few of the concerns which I had… here’s what he had to say:

On The Issue of labeling & product cycling: “There are certain label requirements by the FDA and only so much verbiage we can fit onto the label. We tried to cram as much as possible of the most important information. Cycling the product is mentioned on the website:  http://www.musclespeed.net/FAQ.htm#Product_Use”

On The Issue Of Empty Vs Full Stomach:“Most people respond better on an empty stomach. However, for most first time users I typically recommend they have some light to eat before. Some people have insulin sensitivity problems and MS contains ALA. It can lower blood sugar for these type of individuals. Low blood sugar can lead to low energy. There is not enough ALA to be a any real concern, but for liability reasons, it’s best to err on the side of caution.”

> Kudos to Accelerative for clearing things up. This is how you communicate with customers & the community!

To Being Fit & Sexy 4 Life!

-Fit Jerk

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

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.