Whey Review: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (Banana Cream)

Here's the review of the supplement which has set the benchmark for whey protein in the industry for years - Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard 100% Whey. Most people who start off lifting weights would have started with this protein due to Optimum's reputation as one of the leading companies in the market. Word of mouth recommending this product is simply crazy. Just ask any lifter in the gym about ON's Gold Standard and I reckon (a conservative estimate) about a good 70% of them would have good things to say about it. It is also the reason why this product has had the Award of Excellence presented by BodyBuilding.com for 8 years now.

That said, after sticking to the "safer" flavours like chocolate for a long time now, I decided to give other more "exotic" flavours a try. Acne has been a problem for me while using protein, so I thought of experimenting with non-chocolate flavours to see if it helped. So here's the review for the Banana Cream flavour.

You guys know how the ON Gold Standard 100% Whey looks like. No need for more photos of that. Note that the serving size and calorie content differs for different flavours.

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (31g)
Servings per Container: 73
Calories: 120
Protein: 24g


Effectiveness
As with the Dymatize Elite Whey review, there are far too many factors that may affect the effectiveness of the product. Hence, I feel it is not fair to comment in this section besides the fact that I do feel a difference in growth and performance compared to when I am off whey protein.


Taste & Mix-ability
This is where Optimum Nutrition traditionally gets good reviews compared to the other brands in the market. Taste and mix-ability are top notch. Absolutely no complains here.

Anti-clockwise from top left: 10oz skim milk, 1 scoop of banana cream, 1.5 scoops of banana cream unshaken

For this review, I used skim milk as I wanted a thicker, denser shake instead of the usual 8oz of water I use for the same 1.5 scoops. The banana cream whey is tends to be thinner and milder than other flavours such as "Extreme Milk Chocolate". As such, I would advise using less water for your shake or use milk if you desire a thicker and frothier shake.The smell of both the whey powder and shake is awesome and absolutely fragrant. 

Mix-ability was practically perfect as there were no sediments or clumps even when using a regular shaker bottle. Mix-ability was the same in both skim milk and plain water.

From left: 1.5 scoops of banana cream in skim milk (unshaken), finished product.

Value
The cost of SGD$79 may be a slight put off for the more budget-conscious. However, I personally feel that the price is well worth for this quality product. Me myself, I like to alternate between a 5lb tub of ON whey and a more budget-friendly 5lb tub of whey to save cost.

For those for have extra space at home, there is also the larger 10lb bag at a slightly lower cost than 2 tubs of 5lb ON Whey.


Overall
The product I my opinion, brings to the table everything it promises. The "Gold Standard" in the product name is well-deserved. With so many people swearing by the Gold Standard 100% Whey, there is no harm trying it out if you haven't done so already. Coming from a reputable company like Optimum Nutrition, I feel assured of the quality and safety of the product, unlike some supplement firms that falsely report the ingredient list and all. This is the extra premium I am willing to pay for peace of mind, since whey unlike pre-workouts is taken multiple times daily.

Pre-Workout Review: Gaspari Nutrition Vasotropin

So after going through a few tubs of different pre-workouts, I wanted to try something new. Something along the lines of nitric oxide. Seeing all the different nitric oxide supplements on the market, each promising vein-popping and sleeve-ripping pumps, I was sold on trying it out for myself.

Doing some homework, I found that most nitric oxide supplements were best used continuously on both training and non-training days. They were also best consumed on an empty stomach. Both "pre-requisites" brought about various problems for me. First, consuming nitric oxide daily would be rather costly and I wasn't sure if it would be worth it in the end. Secondly, as I mentioned before in earlier reviews, being an ectomorph I can't really afford to skip or postpone my meals to fulfill the empty-stomach criteria.

Having said that, Vasotropin fits the bill perfectly as a pump-inducing agent which does not require daily consumption or consumption on an empty stomach.

Serving Size: 3 Tablets
Servings Per Container: 40


Effectiveness
Truth be told, I had high hopes for Vasotropin and all other nitric oxide supplements. I mean how can anyone not be convinced these products work when they are being marketed and raved about by insanely vascular 300 pound behemoths with 20 inch arms? Adding the fact that Vasotropin was manufactured by Gaspari Nutrition, I expected a top-notch no-nonsense product.

Here's how I used Vasotropin. Since I usually workout in the mornings directly after a light breakfast of oats and some fruits, I would take 3 to 6 tablets of Vasotropin together with my pre-workout supplement. This produced less than desirable results. Put plainly, it was downright disappointing. The pumps were no more noticeable than usual and  vascularity was sub-par as well.

After a week or so of less than satisfactory workouts with Vasotropin, I did even more research on Vasotropin and found that it was best used in conjunction with quick carbs. Tried this theory out (with 20g of dextrose) and the pumps were alot better. Shoulder and bicep pumps were more intense than usual but vascularity was not as pronounced.

Then again, I'm pretty new with pump products so I'm not too sure what to expect from them. As such my expectations may be a tad unrealistic due to the crazy marketing in the industry.


Taste & Mix-ability
As with the ON ZMA review, this section is not exactly applicable. But it's probably good to note that the tablets have a pretty weird smell to it but are easy to swallow. It wasn't really an issue trying to down 2 servings of Vasotropin at a go with water.

Left to right: Front profile and one sample serving size.

Value
Can't really remember how much I got this for but it was on sale so I think it was a pretty good deal. I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't on sale since it's not really a part of my core supplement stack.

I've seen Vasotropin go on a "1 for 1" promo on an online store for afew months now. This works out to be about USD$17.50 per bottle before shipping. Pretty affordable in my opinion, especially if you share a bottle with a friend.


Overall
I would have to say the product gives pretty decent results when used correctly. Otherwise, it's an utter waste of money. If you happen to see it on sale or have spare cash to spend, you could probably grab a bottle or two to see if it works for you. I've heard good reviews from my friends on this product, intense chest and lat pumps and all. However, it doesn't seem to work all that good for me.

On the side note, I kind of like how Vasotropin is free of caffeine and stimulants (I think?). This allows me to use it for late afternoon and night workouts without worrying about it screwing up my sleep cycle. Also, this lets provides me with a slight boost when I'm off my usual pre-workouts which contain stimulants.

Supplement Review: Optimum Nutrition ZMA (90 capsules)

This review is about 2 months late but still - better late than never.

Have been having trouble sleeping for awhile now, was deciding between ZMA or melatonin as a sleep aid. Was initially contemplating between melatonin and ZMA but finally went ahead with ZMA as one of my gym buddy's told me about his terrible experience with melatonin. ZMA despite the "google-able" side effects which mainly consist of vivid dreams was one of my only more cost-effective options left.

As for the brand, Optimum Nutrition provided the best bang for my buck (active ingredients per serving), plus it's one of the most reputable companies in the industry at them moment so yeah thats pretty much a win-win situation. Do note I have never tried any overnight recovery or sleep aid products besides the RCSS Resurrect-P.M.

Do note that this is the supplement fact for the 180 capsule bottle. The 90 capsule bottle provides only 30 servings.

Serving Size: 30 capsules
Servings Per Container: 30 for men/ 90 for women


Effectiveness
I typically use 3 capsules about 1 hour or more before going to bed then have a protein shake or a light late night meal 30 minutes later to tide me through the night. Being a ectomorph, there is no way I can skip the last meal of the day and go to bed on an empty stomach. The rationale behind the 30 minutes as I found online is to allow the ZMA to be absorbed fully into the body before having your meal. I guess those of you who can go without the last meal can probably get away with popping the 3 capsules and going to bed on an empty stomach.

The first time I tried the ON ZMA, slept well throughout the night and woke up feeling refreshed. Subsequently, I did get a reduced "refreshed" feeling in the morning. However, I did get 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep. I judge this on the basis that, I usually wake up to use the toilet about 2-3 times at night due to the high volume of water (2-3 gallons) I consume daily. With the ZMA I can get quality sleep throughout the night without any disruptions which is awesome!

Anti-clockwise from left: Sealed bottle, freshness seal upon uncapping, cotton wool inside and sample serving size.

Taste & Mix-ability

Not really applicable here but the serving size of 3 capsules is pretty easy to swallow and doesn't have any weird aftertaste whatsoever.

Value

You could probably get this for like SGD$38 for 180 capsules from a local online retailer which in my opinion is pretty good value since it lasts for 3 months. Personally, I bought the 90 capsule bottle both times I used the product as the 180 capsule one's were out of stock and I was pretty desperate for some quality sleep. Got it for like SGD$23 so yeah, you could probably do the math there.

Overall

I would say that Optimum Nutrition ZMA does aid with sleeping and does the job pretty well at that. That said, based on my own personal experience it works best on an empty stomach and even better if you do not consume anything else before after use. I would definitely recommend this product to those of you out there who have problems sleeping.

As for the side effect of vivid dreams, throughout my 2 months use of the product, I experienced vivid dreams maybe once or twice at most and they were pretty tolerable and not that freaky and all. Upon stoppage of use, I still manage pretty decent quality sleep. However, I am not certain if this has anything to do with my change in lifestyle or diet.

(Sample) Pre-Workout Review: RCSS Myo-Blitz

Got a complementary sachet of Myo-Blitz together with the Resurrect-P.M. and ON Whey Gold Meal (look out for a review on this soon!) awhile back.

Was off any sort of pre-workout formulas for a good 3 weeks (after a 4 week "on-cycle") before trying out this sample sachet, so I would suppose that I would experience close to the full effect of the Myo-Blitz.

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (8g)
Servings per Container: 30
Calories: 8


Effectiveness
I did not exactly follow the instructions on the sachet when they said to consume on an empty stomach 30 minutes before workout. I usually have breakfast before heading to the gym, so yeah I' was not about to change up my diet plan. Need to get in the carbs before hitting the weights. But I did give a 30 minute buffer period before starting my workout though.

Could feel the energy boost from the 200mg of caffeine during my workout, as well as added endurance compared to when I'm off pre-workout supplements. The pump from Myo-Blitz was slightly better then usual but nothing mind-blowing here. I could also focus better on my sets but then again it's not anything to shout about. Definitely had a better workout than days I was off pre-workout supplements, but not the best workout I've had though.

As with side effects, I did not experience any crash, jitters or tingling sensation during or after my workout.


Taste & Mix-ability
The Fruit Punch Fusion flavour indeed had the taste of fruit punch, the sort we usually have at catered buffets. Some sort of fruit punch cordial syrup. However, it was coupled with a medicinal taste and the SensaCool flavour technology as with the Resurrect P.M. The concoction of the 3 together gave a funky taste which I did not particularly enjoy. Again, like the Resurrect P.M. the SensaCool flavour lasted even after the drink. So yeah, that was pretty cool again (no pun intended.)

Mixed the powder in 6oz of cold water and shook it up real good for more than 20 seconds just to be sure. Didn't want to encounter the same issue as with the Resurrect P.M. The powder mixed pretty well with no sediments leftover. There was quite alot of frothing that made the drink seem pink at first but it settled after awhile to become a red cough syrup kind of solution.

Anti-Clockwise from top: Sample sachet, unshaken product with water,  shaken product with foam, shaken product after leaving to stand for awhile

Value
A single sachet will set you back SGD$2.50 but a tub of 30 servings will cost you SGD$45 which works out to be SGD$1.50 per serving. That's pretty decent pricing but not exactly awesome.


Overall
If you need a pre-workout that gives you added energy and endurance, this could be the one for you. Also, good for those who dislike drinking a large amount of liquid before working out. Since it's a concentrated formula it mixes up well in just a small amount of water due to the lower weight per serving.

Personally though, I find nothing too outstanding about the Myo-Blitz unlike the Resurrect-P.M. I would definitely still go with Amino Energy as a pre-workout supplement if my budget allows for it.

Teaser: New reviews on the way!

Have been really caught up with school and some other stuff recently, but I still got some draft reviews saved on the blog. Just need to do some touching up before posting them up. Do watch out for them around June!

Debate: Alcohol and the aspiring fitness buff

I guess most of us regular lads and aspiring fitness buffs from the late teens all the way to the adults face this same common dilemma - alcohol. I mean we all know it kind of screws us over in terms of our fitness progression and gains, but at the same time it is a semi-essential part of socialising and when consumed responsibly can be abit of fun (for some of us at least). 

What prompted me to "pen" (well, not exactly pen per se but yeah) this post was a series of events over the past couple of months. 

My birthday last year was spent with a whole lot of hard liquor. It just so happened that my birthday coincided with the end of the exams. As such, my classmates decided to celebrate both occasions concurrently at a Thai Disco. For those of you not too familiar with Singapore, a Thai Disco is like a night club with sing and dance performances by resident artistes. Being the birthday boy at such venues is never a good thing for your liver, as you might have predicted the sequence of events following. Ended up downing way more alcohol than your average "social drinking" session. Felt like crap over the entire weekend thereafter.

After that session, I decided to go easy on the alcohol. Another event that really got me thinking was another session over at another Thai Disco. This time I tried to avoid the liquor and beer as much as possible without coming off as being rude socially. But as you guys might have guessed, trying to dodge drinks intentionally makes you kind of an "social-outcast" and particularly "unsporting" while also being a wet blanket. The night was plain awkward (for me at least), so I bolted as soon as I got the chance. I mean what was I suppose to do when the boys were playing drinking games with the ladies? 

The point I want to make is that I understand alcohol does has it's upsides and downsides but ultimately it lies within ourselves, how we choose to make use of it. It could be used responsibly to network with others and potentially get you a better job or clinch that multi-million dollar deal with a big client. At the very same time, it could waste the hell out of you, turning you into a puking machine with horrible social etiquette and judgement. That said, it is essential to pick and balance how you consume your alcohol without being the wet blanket of the party. If you're not prepared to drink during a huge party where you know the people around are big time drinkers, it'll probably be a good choice to stay away from that outing. If it's a night out with the homies just chilling and stuff, you could probably go ahead with it and not worry about getting wasted if the boys got your back.

I realised that it's our very own personal responsibility to weigh and prioritise such events in our life. We definitely do not want to neglect our best friends in order to achieve our fitness goals. I personally feel that there's more to life than hitting a 600 pound deadlift PR or running 2.4km under 9 minutes. However, all of us have our own views and perspectives. The point here is to make a informed and deliberate choice and not regretting it in the future.

PS: Drew up this impromptu entry quickly without drafting anything out. Might revisit this issue again in future entries. In the mean time, look out for more product review entries. Cheers!

(Sample) Night Recovery Review: RCSS Resurrect-P.M.

Managed to get my hands on a complementary sachet, so here's a review of the RCSS Resurrect-P.M.!

Decided to use the RCSS Resurrect-P.M. sample after leg day since it's the most taxing workout. I was slightly worried about the magnesium content initially since I have read that it could give weird lucid dreams. After doing abit of research, I finally decided that the magnesium content was low enough for me to give it a go.

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (8g)
Servings per Container: 25
Calories: 4


Effectiveness
Followed the instructions pretty strictly, using the product a good 1 hour after my protein shake and 30 minutes before going off to bed. Managed to squeeze in around 8 hours of sleep as well since the next day was Saturday.

Woke up the next morning feeling totally refreshed and raring to go to the gym again. You know the feeling whereby you have enough good quality sleep for the night and your eyes are wide open about 15 minutes upon waking up? That was the exact feeling I had. Was totally recharged and refreshed mentally from the night's rest. Felt really good to have a good rest after leg day. Not sure if it was a psychological thing but I also felt that I was less sore than usual. A bonus and added relief was that I didn't experience any weird dreams of any sort. In fact, I had such sound sleep that I did not have any dreams at all.

Taste & Mix-ability
Blue Razz Dream. That's the flavour I had for the sample sachet. From the name of it, I was kind of expecting it to taste like blueberry or raspberry. I mean that's a totally valid assumption considering the name right?

Unfortunately, it did not taste anything like either of the two. It had medicinal taste despite being pretty sweet, kind of like a cough syrup. The SensaCool flavour technology used in the product can be tasted both during and after that drink. The novelty of the minty and cooling sensation distracts you abit from the medicinal taste but not by much. I particularly liked the sensation after the drink where it feels as if you have brushed your teeth when you exhale through your mouth. Just found it pretty interesting for a supplement to have this feature. But come to think of it, most of us are going to brush our teeth for real after slugging the drink before retiring to bed anyway.

Mix-abilty was not the best and leaves much to be desired. The white powder did not mix up too good in the 5oz of cold water that I used while shaken in a shaker bottle. Sediments settled at the bottom of the bottle and suspended particles were present in the shake. The problems I encountered with mix-ability might have been fault on my part as I did not shake up the drink properly since I am used to shakes having near perfect solubility. So yeah, maybe if I shake it up good enough, there would be fewer issues with the mix-ability.

Anti-clockwise from top: Sample sachet, unshaken powder with added water, shaken product.

Value
Got the sample for free so I guess it's good value for a awesome night's sleep!

On a more serious note, a tub of RCSS Resurrect-P.M. costs about SGD$45 for 25 servings. That works out to be exactly SGD$1.80 per serving. Can't really comment on the value considering I have only used a single dose of the product. But it seems slightly on the steep side. If I do buy this in the future, I'll probably only use it on workout days or on really heavy days only.

8x Mr Olympia Mr Coleman looking absolutely SWOLE!

Overall
Besides the magnesium content concern, the RCSS Resurrect-P.M. gave me a pretty good vibe from the start as it's endorsed by the 8-time Mr Olympia (Yes, I'm swayed easily by good marketing.) Come on, who doesn't want to believe that using what Mr Coleman himself uses will get you results right?

Opening the sachet, there was a pretty pleasant smell from the white powder. Upon mixing, the bright neon blue solution (picture on top was slightly darker than in real life) got me feeling slightly perplexed. On one hand, it was interesting to have a workout supplement with this sort of colour but then again on the other hand it did not look like something that anyone would drink. The colour was unnatural and looked like in belonged in the  sign boards that lit the streets of Las Vegas. The taste was questionable as well. The results and efficacy of the product however, was a whole different story. I enjoyed a good night's rest and woke up with good energy and a bounce in my step. Felt really good upon waking up.

The results far outweigh the solubility and taste issue since most of us are more concerned with the results of the product. Also, the RCSS Resurrect-P.M.is recommended to be taken "5 days on and 2 days off" at night and mixes in a small amount of water so the taste and solubility is not that big a issue as with whey supplements which many of us consume multiple times daily.

This being said, I am now more open to overnight supplements and I would not rule out purchasing a tub of RCSS Resurrect-P.M. in the near future. Then again, I think I would probably try out some slightly cheaper supplements first before coming back for a full review.