BEANIES COFFEE

Coffee, the holy grail for any fitness fanatic who wants high amounts of energy with low calories. Coffee while speeding up your metabolism, promoting you to burn fat quicker at the same time suppresses your hunger so you eat less! Along side this it has been proven to even improve your performance, I would even say it is better that most pre workouts out there. Why? Well I know for a fact that if I get good quality coffee all that will be in it is 100% coffee beans while pre workouts contain alot of ingredients which your average layman will not be able to decipher. As coffee is a plant there is also nutrients and antioxidants within which help improve the health of your body preventing illness and disease. It is also proven to help with depression and keep you happy.

So with that little insight to coffee I will start my review. I am at the moment prepping towards two competitions meaning my calories and intake are fairly low. A good pick me up is coffee! As some of you may understand that food and drink is very bland with this sport and you do not really get to have many sweet things due to it messing with your insulin levels. Anything which perks you up and at the same time hits your sweet tooth is a god send with this in mind. I found Beanies while going through social media and here is the answer. What this company specialize in is flavoured coffee, the amount of flavours are unreal so listing them would take up alot of time. You may as well visit the site with the link below and look for yourself. I got the double chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut, chocolate orange and ginger bread flavours. My brother tried them and put an order in as soon as he tasted it aswell!

The coffee is 100% coffee beans with some flavouring.  There is only 2 calories per cup making them the perfect little delight. It has allowed me to have different flavours which I would not usually be allowed due to my strict diet. At the same time as picking me up and helping me through my workout it settles the craving for sweet things. The flavours are great too, very intense and bold. Its not like the other diluted brands. Obviously it doesn't taste exactly the same but it is the closest you can get for 2 calories!!! There is much more things you can do with it too for example I will experiment and make a coffee protein cake when I finish this diet and provide you with the recipie! & even if instant coffee isnt for you, they also do filter! I haven't tried this yet but if its anything like the ones I have, I will be in for a treat.

I would give this product a solid 9/10 as it does exactly what is says with providing me with different and wonderful flavours. Remember though, caffeine can be dangerous and shouldn't be abused.

Link: www.beaniesflavourco.co.uk

sorry for the poor picture, need a new camera

PRE WORKOUT: IGNITE

Well if you have seen my previous 'pre workout' post you'll know I don't really get on with them. I just feel sicky, but that is just me. I think before I get into the science bit i'll go through my personal experience with ignite.

I started taking it on a chest day. I took one scoop and I felt a difference in my performance. I wouldn't say I could lift more weight as I hate the people that say 'this supplement made me reach a pb for weight' or 'jumped up 20kg today on a certain exercise because of blah blah blah' . This is a stupid thing to say and helps no one decide what pre workout product they want. This comes from the unfocused people at the gym who probably don't push themselves everyday until they get that little push by the supplement which focuses them and allows them to push more weight. This is not a bad thing I just think they should stop saying it makes you push more weight. Months and years of continuous dieting and training allows you to push more weight.

What I will say is that this product cut my resting period significantly. This is an amazing aspect of ignite as the less time you rest the more you work your muscle. I was also able to push one more rep out which is the rep that I feel transforms your body. Obviously the more your muscles is worked and the greater stress that is put on it the stronger and larger it will become. The one scoop I took increased my energy levels and to my surprise I did not get any of the side effects which I got from 'Pulse V4' which I absolutely loved. An increase of energy and no little annoying headaches or stomach discomfort was brilliant & as my recovery time decreased so I was able to put another exercise in which means I worked my muscle more and harder than normal. How do I know I worked it harder? Well I woke up in the morning and felt I had a car resting on my chest. It was that nice post workout pain, (don't worry I haven't been in a car crash or anything).

I then proceeded to take two scoops for leg day........Wow. Just wow. I felt like this guy:

Photo by: www.churchyroll.com

At first I thought nothing was happening and then the 30 minute mark hit and got one of the best leg sessions out of it. Again, no weight was increased past what I have already done before but the intensity of the workout increased massively. After every set i'd be laying on the floor crippled and then do it all over again. I would also say that don't become dependent on the product otherwise you'll feel sluggish if you run out. What is also brilliant is it lasted my whole 2 hour workout. It wasn't a 10 minute buzz then nothing. I felt a release of energy throughout.

The price of the product is expensive. Especially for me being a student. £37.00 is very expensive for 720g, but what I love about it is the company. Icon nutrition have put every ingredient down on it, they are I feel a trustworthy company so with that in mind I feel it is worth the money if you have it. It would take me forever to explain every last ingredient but what i'll do is list them and pick the key ones out.

Picture from icon nutrition site.

Ignite will increase your metabolism through the caffeine and green tea extract. This means you will also be burning more calories and burning that fat away.

Everyone knows caffeine increases alertness, energy levels and focuses you.

Creatine turns into creatine phosphate in the body which helps produce the only from of energy your muscles use ATP (anedosine triphosphate) so this will increase the power output, for more info see my creatine post: http://mmillarnutrition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/creatine-monohydrate.html

Leucine is an amino acid. Alot of research has been put into this and has been proven to improve and stimulate protein synthesis. For those who do not know what that is it, it's the process in which makes the muscles grow. 

Beta alanine is proven to increase muscle endurance and power output. 

I'v just noticed these go into alot more detail on their website but the ones above are just a basic overview. I would suggest you read about the ingredients before buying, i'd suggest you do this with all products.

So, the company are brilliant. The delivery was incredibly quick and they provide all of the ingredients clearly. I will say these are a very promising company to buy stuff from. Ignite increases your focus, energy levels, power output and your endurance levels. It will also in the long run burn fat and WILL help you promote muscle growth. My one concerning factor is the price. This is because I am in a student mindset but this is a high quality product. 

The positives are that there are no lies and the company has not misled me in anyway with this product & ignite says what it does on the tin but it is abit pricey so my score will reflect on this:

My Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

OATS & WHEY PROTEIN BAR

Protein bars! Another thing myprotein sent me as you lot were asking about portable snacks! A sample bar costs £1.89 and it is £29.99 for 18 bars which is about £1.66 per bar. This is pretty cheap for protein bars as I have seen some in shops and gyms for £3.00!

This product is great for the busy individual. It is easily portable and a great source of protein. I got sent the chocolate peanut flavor and this has 22 grams of protein and is 316 calories. This means if you are trying to put on weight it is brilliant to get those added cals in. Myprotein state that this is the ideal choice of food to eat after exercise because of its 2:1 ratio of carbs and protein, I agree with this. I had my bar after exercise and I felt refueled but it didn't fill me up. So with this in mind you can't live of these things! They are just a temporary meal replacement. If you do eat to many protein bars can actually begin to have a laxative effect.

I don't usually like protein bars as they have that weird texture and usually don't taste too good but this protein bar was different. It tasted brilliant. I can't comment on the other flavors but the chocolate peanut hit the spot. It did taste real good but still had that weird texture. I have a sweet tooth and this was a great replacement from a chocolate bar. I bet many people have a sweet tooth and this bar is the way not to cheat on your diet!

Don't rely on these bars though! A good balanced diet is the way forward to weight loss and even weight gain, but these bars are great to settle those sweet cravings and are a great source of protein.

My Overall rating: 8 out of 10

Sorry for the bad photo I started eating it before I realized I needed a blog picture.

Here is the link to their website: myprotein.com/home.dept .

PRE WORKOUT: PULSE V4

Pulse V4 tropical storm

Recently myprotein.com got in touch with me and sent me samples to review. First of all they only sent me one sample pack so I cannot tell you about the long term benefits. So I talked to my brother as he has taken this product previously to give you the best all round review possible. This may seem like there are two sets of different opinions but we are pretty much both genetically the same. We both share the same weak points, strong points, train together and consume similar supplements to each over.

I am very skeptical about using products without at least a basic understanding of it. It has occurred to me that not enough people research into product before they buy and consume them. I have heard many storied about pre workouts containing alot of harmful and possibly illegal ingredients After researching the ingredients in this pre work out supplement I have come to the concluded that there is nothing which could affect me in a negative way in the long run which in my eyes is a very important aspect of a supplement.

If you are a beginner at the gym, or new to taking pre-work out supplements I would highly recommend only taking half servings as a start due to a high intake of caffeine and other ingredients which  your body is not use too. After I had consumed the product I felt an instant buzz. However when I had got into the gym and started to work out I experienced enhanced sweating, like crazy sweats. Like sitting in the rain sweats. It was like I had baby oiled myself. I also got light headaches after sets and reps. My brother and I both had these side effects. However after this passed we both felt more mentally focused and were able to train at a higher rate.

The long term effects of the product where my brother comes into play.  After sticking to the product he found it wasn't too bad. He started taking half servings for a week for the beginning and then upped his intake to full servings of 17g. He told me this increased his workrate significantly. His recovery time increased due to a heightened heart rate increasing circulation and speeding up the process of carbon dioxide & lactic acid removal. This increased the intensity of his workout reducing rest periods which workedhis  muscles harder and achieving overall a better work out.

There are some problems with pre workouts in general. People who I have talked to about them have become very addicted to them and feel they cannot perform in the gym without the aid of it. When in reality success comes from hard work and determination not supplements but if you are a new to the gym or someone who is easily distracted this is a way forward for you to keep yourself focused and determined.

Bare in mind though finding pre-workouts which work for you is about trial and error. For example my brother took Grenade 50 caliber which gave him many bad side effects which actually gave him a bad workout.

Keep in touch for more reviews about pre-work out supplements.

My Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Post leg day picture. Tired & run down.

This rating is because of all the side effects which happened to me and I didn't have enough of the product to carry on for a period of time so this is the most generous score I could give.  

Here is the link to their website: myprotein.com/home.dept .

CREATINE MONOHYDRATE

Sorry guys, I know it's been a while but my laptop was getting repaired.

Thought I would kick things off with this new post about creatine monohydrate (the most commonly used supplement out of the creatine products).

I bought this from myprotein.com again. They are just so cheap. My kilogram bag cost £11.29. It is a fine powder which is tasteless.

Creatine monohydrate is widely used throughout the weighlifting/bodybuilding community, it is an amino acid which makes it a natural substance. It turns into creatine phosphate in the body which helps create a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the only form of energy the muscles uses. Due to this supplement creating more ATP within the body it allows you to to have a more intense and longer work out, allowing you to get that one last rep out of an exercise.  This means this supplement will make you stronger and faster because of the increase of ATP production.

Scientific data suggests that it does in fact improve: muscular endurance and maximal strength. These data also indicate that there is an increase in anaerobic power and performance with activities such as jumping and knee extensions, so if you are wanting to improve your squat you know what to do.... It also does make you gain weight, but this is fat free mass. So it makes you gain lean muscle which is desired is any sport.

Firstly you need to go through your loading phase. This is where you take 5g four times during the day for three days. Once you have taken this 20g a day your creatine levels have spiked so the maintenance phase kicks in. This is where you maintain the level of creatine in the body. You do this by taking 5g per day until your cycle is over. Now there is a fair deal of things you will find on the internet about cycles. When I took 'Inner Armour' creatine my on cycle was two months while my off cycle was a month. However with the my protein they say to have two months on and a week off, so all I have done is split it in the middle and do two months on and two weeks off.

Now I do not take the tablet forms. This is because I feel the powder will dissolve into my body and reach my bloodstream faster. I have been told that if it does not fully dissolve in the liquid you are drinking it with you will not get the full effects. After learning this I simply just mix it with a little warm water, stir and consume.

There is alot of gossip about this supplement. It is not a steroid. Come on now think about it, they are illegal so do you think you can buy steroids off massive companies? So yes you will be natural if you take this supplement, it is just an amino acid. You can even find it in red meats.

Personally I find myself with more energy when I am on a on cycle, I seem to push out more weight and have longer workouts and I have seen a weight increase while being on but these effect have been minimal compared to the 'Inner Armour' product I used to take. My brother on the other hand found none of this applied to him, he has said every time he takes it he gets headaches. So it may not work for you but on the other hand it could, everyone is different.

You do drink a
lot of water with this also so you can get dehydrated very easily. And again, there will be no scoop in the pack if you get it of myprotein.com which is very very annoying.

My overall rating is: 6.5 out of  10

My rating applies to the product, not to creatine in general. I find myself feeling better with the 'Inner Armour' product.

COD LIVER OIL

Well, I got this supplement after I starting lifting quite heavy for joint and bone support. I got it from superdrug, can't remember the exact price but it was reasonably priced but not cheap. There are 180 tablets in the tube and I take one a day with a meal. It isn't a very large capsule making it easy to swallow and the oil is in a gelatin casing.

This supplement provides you with vitamin A + D (it's 50% RDA of vit A) & (100% RDA of vit D). Now vitamin D supports mobility by contributing to bone and muscle function which is essential if you are lifting or want to start. It is also desired in all other sporting communities as you want the most out of your muscle when performing which is obvious. As i'm from the UK I don't get much sun so the vitamin D in the supplement is a real plus. As this vitamin is helps for the absorption of calcium it keeps the bones strong, which I need due to the stress I put on them when I lift heavy weights. Vitamin A has multiple functions, it is important for growth and development and as i'm trying to build muscle it helps a great deal. 

This supplement is also a source of Omega 3 and fatty acids, such as EPA ( Eicosapentaenoic acid) & DHA ( Docosahexaenoic acid). Omega-3 cannot be synthesized by the human body meaning you need it in the diet. I know for a fact that I do not eat enough fish meaning I do not get enough in my diet which is why I have the capsules. Omega-3 is also vital for normal metabolism, I've explained metabolism in my 'MAGNESIUM' post.

I get on with this supplement, there is no bad taste, it is easy to swallow and my knees have been less achy since taking it. BUT if the capsule splits in your mouth the taste is foul so don't be tempted to chew.


My overall rating is: 8 out of 10 

MAGNESIUM

Today's supplement is magnesium!  

Well I started taking it a while ago after seeing many aesthetic bodybuilders taking it, people such as zyzz etc. Got this stuff from Wilkinsons (y'know student prices) I got 90 tabs for £3.50! TOP PRICES. The tablets are 300mg, 80% of the RDA and I take one a day. 

Now for the sciencey bit:

I'v had a brisk read on scientific journals about this supplement as I like to do a little bit of research before I start taking something. After some reading i'v come to the conclusion that it helps with energy metabolism and muscle function. Now energy metabolism is a chemical process which breaks down fats, proteins and carbohydrates to provide energy for growth, repair and physical activity!  

There are foods with high contents of magnesium shown on this website: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-magnesium.php but it will be more expensive than nipping down to the shop and getting some tablets & tabs don't go off so it's easier.  

PERSONALLY, I find myself feeling better and having a little more energy whilst on this supplement. There is no bad taste, it is easily stored and for £3.50 it'll last you near enough 3 months. There is no immediate effects so you have to take it for a while. I dunna give it a try, it probably wont be for everyone but if it is for you, you may see some effects!

Now I have also read about some side effects, like stomach cramps which I have had but that was only in the first week of taking it. DO NOT dose to high or it can cause kidney failure for people with kidney problems due to a build up of the mineral. 

 My overall rating is: 8.5 out of 10

Sorry for the poor quality photo, all I have is my ipad to take picture at the moment, and the reason you get me in it is so you you know i'm taking the supplement. SUPERMAN IN PROGRESS.

IMPACT WHEY PROTEIN

right lessss do this:
IMPACT WHEY PROTEIN

so, lets go through the pros. Firstly it is excellent value for money, comes in at around 47 pound I think for 5kg (unflavored) from www.myprotein.com so as a cheap student I naturally went for it. I'm on three a day and last time it lasted me 3 and abit months SO IT LASTS ALSO! 

My protein brag about it's 82% protein content which I think is right by them as when I do have it my recovery time definitely decreases. All dem amino acids keeping me ache free so I can push more weight out the following day.

They say a 25g serving is 98.3Kcal which is good compared to other brands but it is unflavored so there is no artificial flavorings and sugars. My protein have said flavoring will reduce the protein content by approximately 3% for most flavours, however chocolate, due to the added cocoa, will reduce it by approximately 8%. which leads me on to my last point.....

Errr negatives: Only one main one which springs to mind with the unflavoured. The taste is awful, like just plain bad, BUT I don't care, it's all about getting the protein in not what it tastes like! Another neg is not towards the supplement it's the company, THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A SCOOP. LIKE WHAT. A SCOOP. NA. WONT BE THERE. So make sure you have one before you buy. 

My overall rating is: 8 out of 10
I'll give this supplement a hard 4.5 out of 5.