Shardsofglass's Reviews

Shardsofglass

Shardsofglass's Reviews

Shardsofglass's Reviews

Product/Brand

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
BodyWell Nutrition First Order (Muscle & Strength)

Saturday, 05 April 2008


Overall rating		4.3
Alertness		5
Focus		5
Strength		4
Physical energy		4
Taste		5
Value for money		4

First Order was my first experience with a beta-alanine product so I didn't know what to expect other than the "tingling" effect that I had read so much about before trying the product. When it came time to actually try it out before my workout I was very excited. I mixed First Order into 7 ounces of cold water because the 4-6 ounce recommended range just seemed a little low.

The first thing I noticed was the amazing taste, I found it hard to believe that a high quality nutritional supplement could taste so good. I have tried all of the flavors and they all offer a very satisfying drink, not too sweet, not too bland; just right.

The product mixed very well in a shaker bottle, no clumping whatsoever and in a few shakes everything was completely mixed.

First Order delivered yet again about 10-15 minutes after I consumed it, the "tingling" sensation associated with beta-alanine was present in full force. During my training I did notice an increase in focus and mental clarity as well as endurance, which all stayed with me throughout my use of First Order. I tried using two servings per workout as BodyWell suggests, one prior to training and one either during or after and found that consuming the other during training was the best for me. This brought the tingling effect to the next level and ultimately forced me to push harder and harder while I was in the gym.

The price is reasonable considering you get 50 full servings with a tub and a truly great tasting product that delivers in the gym.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Controlled Labs Orange Triad (Health & Wellness)

Saturday, 05 April 2008


Overall rating		4.2
Physical energy		4
Immune system enhancer		5
Joint/bone support		4
Digestive aid		5
Value for money		4

I found it hard to avoid all of the hype surrounding this product and wound up giving in and purchasing a bottle to try for myself. The allure of replacing three different products with one is very appealing and cost effective.

I was interested in the joint formula that is combined with this multivitamin since my ankles, wrists and knees crack and pop excessively not only when I train but throughout the day. I must say that I didn't experience anything extraordinary as far as relief from my normal joint problems go, although there is less popping in my ankles when walking.

The product works well as a multivitamin, there is a noticeable feeling of wellness and energy that lasts throughout the day.

The immune formula worked well for me, I ended up getting sick only once while using this vitamin for about three months and in that time I have been around countless numbers of sick people.

The best aspect of this product for me is the digestion complex, it is simply amazing. I hate to say it like this but if you are having problems with regularity, give this a try you will not be disappointed.

The pills are not hard to swallow at all, and I recommend using a 2-2-2 dosing protocol with two tabs at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Extreme Labs Lean Mass XR Matrix (Meal Replacement & Protein)

Saturday, 05 April 2008


Overall rating		4.0
Muscle gain		4
Taste		5
Mixes well		5
Suppressed appetite		3
Recovery ability		4
Low side effects		5

I used this protein as my first true pre-bed blend. I'm not sure how I first came across it but I am glad I did, taste, mixability and effectiveness for this product all get high marks and it's evident that the folks at Extreme Labs know what they're doing.

There are three available flavors for the protein, I chose to go with the milk chocolate over strawberry or vanilla and I am glad I did. If I were to taste this blindfolded it would be hard to tell whether it was, in fact, a protein supplement or simply chocolate milk.

This mixed very well for me in a blender, I never tried it in a shaker bottle, however, I did attempt to mix it with a spoon and it took a few minutes before there weren't any noticeable chunks left.

I was a little disappointed as far as appetite suppression goes with this protein since it is a time released blend and I used it before bed hoping to curb any hunger pains throughout the night.

Price is another downside to this product as $33 for 20 servings is pretty steep, I ended up splitting the serving size in half which still yields about 27 grams of protein and makes the tub last that much longer.

I did notice a slight increase in lean muscle mass while using this protein which seemed to validate the higher price for me.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Dymatize Elite Whey (Meal Replacement & Protein)

Saturday, 05 April 2008


Overall rating		4.7
Taste		4
Mixes well		5
Low side effects		5
Value for money		5

I have only used Dymatize Elite Whey's Chocolate Mint flavor. I was initially turned onto the product from another review where the user said that it tasted like Andes Mints, I thought it was too good to be true and decided I had to give it a try.

My initial taste test was very disappointing, I mixed up one scoop of powder in 6-8 ounces of water as the directions indicate and was blown away by the aftertaste. I immediately thought I had just wasted $38 on a whey that only certain people seem to really like. As I began trying out different amounts of water and fat free milk the aftertaste all but vanished.

In 10 ounces of fat free milk there is barely any noticeable aftertaste and the mint flavoring is very prominent and refreshing, a nice change from the usual chocolate.

In 10 ounces of cold water the aftertaste is almost completely gone but the mint flavor is still spot on and the shake is a lot less thick as it is mixed in milk, perfect for post-workout usage when a meal is sure to follow.

Mixability is very good in a shaker bottle, in a blender you need only to pulse it a few times and it is completely mixed.

Price and ingredient profile is another good drawing point for this protein. It's hard to find a quality whey isolate that is available in 5 pound tubs for this price (usually around $38).

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
Nimbus Nutrition Swell (Energy)

Saturday, 05 April 2008


Overall rating		4.3
Physical energy		5
Endurance		5
Pump		3
Low side effects		5
Vascularity		3
Recovery ability		5
Increased appetite		4
Length of effects		5
Strength		5
Taste		4
Mixes well		5
Value for money		5

Nimbus Nutrition has a really good thing going with their energy and performance optimizer, Swell. The only downside to this product is that it failed to live up to the nitric oxide part of its label claim, even though this may be one of the lesser benefits of the formula.

I used Swell for thirty days straight, following the instructions for use exactly as Nimbus has them printed on the tubs. As I got to the third week I noticed that I still had a lot more product left in the tub, even after taking the recommended 4 level scoops per day so I bumped up the dosage to 6 level scoops per day in order to finish in the thirty days outlined by the manufacturer.

When taking Swell on an empty stomach in the morning, the beta-alanine "tingles" are very noticeable and the energy boost from the product is felt as well. I think it was this aspect that allowed for a slight increase in appetite in the mornings, nothing to complain about.

This product mixes very well, exactly as it is described to on the tub. In sixteen ounces of cold water, it usually took about thirty seconds of shaking in a shaker bottle for it to fully dissolve. I recommend letting it sit for a few minutes after mixing to allow for the air bubbles to recede so as not to encounter any indigestion.

The taste is another aspect of Swell that could be improved slightly. Upon my initial trial the taste reminded me of citrus and salt water, not a very strong flavor, but as I got used to it the taste was very bearable.

Now on to the positive aspects of this formula, as far as a performance optimizer goes, Swell did not fail to deliver in any way when it came time to training. Endurance is by far its strongest aspect, I felt it hard to leave the gym most days but had to eventually for fear of over training. I also felt a noticeable decrease in muscle fatigue during sets while using Swell, the lactic acid buildup was nearly negligible for all of my exercises.

Recovery is another strong point for Swell, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) was dramatically reduced and allowed for more training sessions during the week instead of rest days to accommodate my usually sore muscles.

The final aspect of Swell that really caught my attention were the gains in strength that I experienced while using it. Nearly all of my lifts went up and continued to do so with the help of this product. The best part is that when I stopped using it, those numbers remained at the same relative level or dropped only slightly.

If you're looking for a nitric oxide product, look elsewhere, if you want to last longer and recover faster while increasing the weight on your lifts, Swell is a good choice.

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