VMI Sports Vasogen Xt Pump-Activating Vasodilator in Mali-Blueberry Breeze

 

Against my better judgement, Hubby wanted to try out a new supplement for pre-workouts, and while the ingredient list looked promising, the flavor was such that we might not know whether this mix is good or works well. So, here we go again with Hubby taking over the reins.

When one goes into a new pre-workout mix, the very first thing you want to look at is the ingredient list and research if the ingredients they claim are in there work.  So after much Google-Fu, I found that most of the ingredients in VMI Sports’ Vasogen Xt looked promising. There’s some sucralose, maltodexterin, and artificial flavors, but most of your bigger supplement companies will include these now a days. The smell upon opening wasn’t too off-putting, but the flavor…that flavor. VMI Sports sent me “Mali-Blu Berry Breeze”, and as a general rule I tend to avoid “blu”‘s or “berry”‘s because they’re usually super sweet. This one is tooth-achingly sweet. I tried watering it down, but the last thing you want before a workout is pounding 18 ounces of water to be sloshing around in your gut. Okay, new product, maybe I just have to get used to it. The next day I’m dreading it. The day after, I can’t finish it. By day four, I’m back to my old pre-workout because I can’t stomach this stuff. I tried contacting VMI Sports to see if I could exchange the flavor they sent for one of the other two (Tiger’s Blood, Hawaiian Pump), but I got no response. I tried once more but was met with crickets, so I’m not sure if they don’t care or know and don’t want to hear it. Whatever the case is, I couldn’t use enough of the product for a long enough period to tell if it works well or not. It might be good, it might be a bunch of sugars and a pinch of their proprietary ingredients. But for $37.03 for 30 servings, I’ll stick to the companies that address a customer’s concern and don’t make me sick to my stomach with artificial sugars.

VMI Sports did include quite a few samples, including one each of the other flavors of the Vasogen XT, which to their credit were much better flavors, so it might have been the luck of the draw for me. But I can’t rate the one I got very highly, because frankly, the flavor is disgusting. There’s a lot to like about this product, and the company, like being made in the USA and using some quality ingredients that have proven research, but if the flavor is so off-putting you can’t drink it, and the lack of response from the company make me pass on this product.

Poor guy. He can’t win for losing. So while VMI Sports Vasogen XT seemed promising, the company’s handling of a customer concern and flavor issues is enough for me to knock a few stars off. Oh well.

Connect with VMI Sports:

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from VMI Sports. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Nature’s Nectar L-Arginine Supplement

Hubby has been taking L-Arginine supplements for a circulation problem in his foot for years, and it’s been extremely helpful in that regard. It’s also been a regular staple in his pre-workout powders and regimen for quite a few years as well, so we’re always on the lookout for a newer, better product.

And while it’s a decent supplement, it’s about on par with other’s he’s tried in the past, no better, no worse. It’s also contains some minimal amounts or L-Orinthine and L-Glutamine amino acids as well, they’re not at levels sufficient to have any beneficial effect to your workouts. Taken with his preworkout powder, it’s a nice little boost but the effects don’t last, and there’s even some emerging research that the effects of L-Arginine are purely placebo. I’ll leave that debate for another day and simply state that Hubby had nothing bad to say about this supplement, but at $10.95 for a thirty day supply, it’s a little on the high side for regular supplementation vs. say, a powder.

Nature’s Nectar offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so if you try it and don’t see any benefit, you can get a full refund via Amazon’s return process. So it’s kind of a risk-free situation to try an L-Arginine supplement and see if it takes your workout to the next level!

Connect with Nature’s Nectar:

• Online
• On Amazon
• Get your 30 day supply here!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Nature’s Nectar. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

Research Verified NO2 Booster Preworkout Supplement

So here’s the return of Hubby with a dietary supplement that, against his better judgement, he decided to try. So, take it away, Hubby:

Sometimes, you’re looking for a little edge in the gym. Sometimes, after a long day, you need a little extra pep. NO2 boosters are generally a good way to power through those last sets, and keep your form and those last few reps. But sometimes, all the hype and fancy packaging doesn’t help when a product fails to perform. Such is the case with this Research Verified NO2 Booster. There was quite literally no effect for me at all.

I take arginine supplements to help aid in a circulatory issue a have in my leg, and for a little extra bonus in the gym. After my old preworkout mix changed formulations, I’ve been looking for a new mix, and thought I’d found one missing a couple of ingredients in the old stack, so why not pick up a could of supplements to supplement the mix, right? But right from jump I got nothing from this pill. I thought at first to wait a couple of weeks and see if perhaps it was a case of expecting too much too soon. I added it to my regular preworkout stack, and after a couple of weeks, when I wasn’t feeling what I expected, I stopped them. No reason to tax my liver with some pills that don’t have any benefit. Maybe I’m used to a higher potency of arginine product, maybe I got a bad bottle, but whatever the case, I got no benefit whatsoever from this NO2 Booster.

In the end, I should have stuck to my guns about testing these type of supplements, because most of the time I’m disappointed. There’s only a couple of companies I truly trust, and from here on out it’s them or the highway. I’ve learned my lesson. No more testing and reviewing exercise supplements.

Okay, I won’t say “I told you so”, but I totally did. Proprietary mixes are the devil, and threre’s no way of knowing what you’re really getting unless you trust the company. We’ve really yet to find more than a handful of these companies that deliver on their promises, and we should really learn to stick with them religiously.

Connect with Research Verified:

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• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Research Verified.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Beldt Labs, Inc. PULSS Premium Nitric Oxide Load

Part 2 of Hubby’s Experience with Beldt Labs, Inc.’s offerings is below, this time with a “pre-workout” supplement, PULSS. Seems like we have another winner on our hands. Take it away, Hubby:

 

So, last time we talked about a supplement that is generally taken post-workout. This time we cover a supplement that is generally taken prior to your workout, and PULSS has plenty of a version of this supplement, arginine.

Used for bigger “pumps”, or the enhanced muscular definition and vascularity one sees after an intense workout, the jury is still out as to whether there are proven benefits from this particular supplement. I, for one, have been using it for better circulation, and a little extra “oomph” during my workouts. What I wasn’t expecting was the increased vascularity and definition I got. Even the wife noticed the difference, which was marked. Containing primarily A-AKG (Arginine-alphaketoglutarate), and a token amount of ornithine and glutamine for good measure, I substituted this for my regular L-Arginine supplement I use to boost my regular pre-workout drink. No adverse effects, so stomach upset, no jitters.

Made in the USA in a GMP-certified facility, backed with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, the only thing really stopping me from saying “Buy it. Buy it now”, again, is the price. You can supplement your pre-workout routine for considerably less than the almost $26 price tag for a 30-day supply. So your mileage may vary with results and value, but the Money-Back Guarantee means the most you’ll be out is return shipping if it doesn’t work for you.

 

Okay, 2 for 2 with Beldt Labs. Maybe we’ll consider some other supplements in the future, but I think we’ll probably end on a high note here. Many thanks to Bedlt Labs, Inc. for the opportunity.

Connect with Beldt Labs, Inc. :

• Online
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Beldt Labs, Inc..  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Nutura Formulas BCAA Capsules

Poor hubby. He’s back again with a workout supplement review, and as so many of these before, there’s some serious questions asked, including that I take a sabbatical from workout supplements after this next batch has been reviewed. So, off to the races, dear readers! Here’s Hubby:

There’s an accepted holy trinity of workout supplements, and they are Protein, Creatine, BCAA’s. Today I’m going over one of that trinity, and that’s Natura’s BCCA Capsules. I’ve taken amino acid supplements in one form or another for almost 20 years, off and on. We’ve covered a BCAA supplement here before, with Diet Standard’s version, I’m afraid for very simple reasons I can’t recommend these capsules from Natura as highly.

To start, BCAA’s are three essential amino acids: l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine. Usually taken in a 2:1:1 (2 parts of one to one and one of the others) stack to help promote lean muscle growth and retain lean muscle mass during a calorie deficient diet and workout routine, these are some of the most researched and proven workout supplements on the market. They are plentiful and inexpensive, and used the world over safely.

 

My problem is fairly simple: I’m currently using a very popular and well known brand of BCAA caspsules from Optimum Nutrition.

They are considered in many circles the industry standard, trusted and tested to be exactly what they say they are, and their serving size is shown as 1000mg for 2 capsules. I only mention this because Natura’s capsules are purported to be 1600mg’s, and they’re smaller. That’s a huge red flag to me. Aside from the sheer physics of it, it makes me cast a very critical eye at the product. For $17.77, they are almost triple the cost of the same count from Optimum Nutrition. For what should be the exact same supplement. The supplement market is completely saturated with products and companies, so for the life of me I can’t see why one would pay 3 times as much for the same thing, and that’s not even considering that there are less expensive brands than ON on the market. Let me stress again that the capsules are smaller to boot. Both are made in the USA, too. Natura has a guarantee that reads: “GET RESULTS OR YOUR MONEY BACK – You are protected by our 100% Money Back Guarantee. If, for whatever reason, you are not satisfied with your purchase from Natura Formulas, just return the empty bottles for a full refund! WE STAND BEHIND OUR PRODUCTS WITH A RISK FREE GUARANTEE. That’s the Natura Formulas Guarantee”. That’s bold, but really, results from a workout supplement are dependent on the work you put in, not the boasts of being the “most potent on Amazon”, which are laughable. Same with the  questionable boasts of “building muscle faster” “alter your bodies metabolism”, “instantaneous results” and “burn fat faster”. Again, you get from a workout what you put into it, so you can pop a million pills but if you don’t put in the sweat equity, you’re wasting your time and money. I didn’t notice any difference, results wise, from my current BCAA capsules, either. I can’t make a very high recommendation for these, because A) the price, and B) the size problem. Sorry, Natura.

Okay, so you can see why he’s asked for a break on supplements after we finish this next batch. Once again, disappointment. There’s talk of the FDA finally getting serious about supplement (and cosmetics) regulation, and it con’t really come quick enough in this girl’s opinion. I absolutely hate being down on products that I try fro free from companies that are trying to get their foot in the door, but I would also hate to be up on a product I had serious reservations about and make it seem like I just love something because it’s free. Like Hubby said: Sorry, Natura, but we can’t recommend this product.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Natura Formulas.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Max Potency – Maximum Strength Testosterone Booster Review

Our resident supplement guru and favorite guinea pig, Hubby, makes another guest appearance today after trying out the latest offering from Vitality Max Labs, Max Potency – Maximum Strength Testosterone Booster. So here’s hubby with his review for WOM-derful. Take it away, hubby!

~♥~

I’m no stranger to workout supplements, and use them frequently. When you want to maximize your effort, every little bit of boost can help, especially after a long day. When my better half mentioned a “testosterone booster” supplement I was wary, to say the least. A testosterone boost would mean significant gains in lean muscle mass, an increase in energy and output, and strength gains. Most reputable studies have shown that very few, if any, OTC supplements will truly boost the body’s testosterone. I’m sad to report that Vitality Max Labs “Maximum Potency” Testosterone Booster did bupkis. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. 3 weeks of moderately intense exercise and not even a modest increase in any results at all. A quick read of the “active” ingredients shows why. 200IU Vitamin D. 2mg of B6. 10mg of b12. And then 608mg of a “proprietary blend” of roots and seeds that have been boasted about since the 70’s and shown time and time and time again to do nothing to boost testosterone. Fenugreek seed (Nope.), tribulus terrestris (Nuh-uh.), muria puana (Not really.), chrysin (Again, no.), siberian ginseng (Still nothing.) cordyceps sinensis (unproven to do anything, really) and zinc oxide. A lot of exotic sounding stuff, roots and barks and whatnot, and then a clear gelcap of white powder. Interesting to say the least. The Amazon listing initially failed to even list the ingredients. And while I know the industry standard is to put heaping helpings of “proprietary blends” (which may as well be sand, really), I don’t have to like it. And I don’t here either.

Further reading showed me that the main purpose of this supplement was help in the bedroom. I highly doubt, from my reading on the ingredients, that anyone will see any benefit there, either. Vitality Max Labs, the company behind this product, has the distributor listed on the bottle as “EyeFive, Inc.”, who is changing their name to “ShipOffers”,a curious choice to say the least. And confusing as heck. Hard to trace the provenance of a product when you’re not even sure who’s who. At $34.99 for a 30 day supply, that’s some pretty expensive, and questionable, powder to boot. I can’t recommend this product for any reason whatsoever. There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence out there about stuff to boost testosterone (most pretty dubious and will fall apart under even modest medical scrutiny), and to boost bedroom performance (see previously mentioned caveat, only much more so), and almost none of that stuff is in these pills. There should really be a lot more oversight in the supplement industry, and for the FDA to just throw up their hands and say that “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease” and say that’s good enough, is pathetic and best, negligent at worst.

I don’t like being negative or down on a product sent for free by a company trying to get it’s foot in the door, but sometimes it’s warranted. Sometimes, to play with the big boys, the little guy needs to try harder. And these guys aren’t trying at all. I would avoid this product, because I don’t see how it could help anywhere.

 

~♥~

Ouch. Poor guy. I may have to give him a break with supplement testing before he sprouts a third ear or a tail! Sometimes, you find solace in taking one for the team so other people don’t end up spending hard-earned money on products with fantastical claims and nothing to back them up.

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Vitality Max Labs. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

GreenForce Labs No2 PreWorkout Supplement Review #GreenForce

I’ve passed off workout supplements to hubby before, and this one is no different, but thankfully for him, this one was much better than the last. I don’t think he could take another horrible product to be my crash test dummy for. So, without further adieu, here’s hubby:

I’ve been using pre-workout supplements for years now. Some tasted good and did bupkis for me. Some tasted horrible, and did bupkis for me. Some tasted tolerable and worked out well. I have yet to find one that wasn’t overly sweet, loaded with sugars, artificial colors and flavors, or ingredients that I’d rather not ingest. I think, however, I’ve found one in Greenforce Labs No2 Preworkout that hits every metric I want.

Some background on what I consider essential preworkout primers. One is a bit of caffeine. It really helps get my butt up and moving. Next are some B-vitamins to keep it moving. A little arginine to keep the blood vessels wide open. Everything else for me is gravy. Greenforce No2 Preworkout ups the ante by adding l-ornithine and l-citrulline to combat muscle fatigue, and a new one for me, beet root extract, which aids in greater output, lowers fatigue, and possibly greater strength. Hey now, I’m in. And for me, this product worked. I matched my exercise output and results from my powdered product, at half the cost. I’m happy to alternate between this and my usual.

After making sure I cleared my system of my previous preworkout powder, which I consider seriously flawed due to being obnoxiously sweet. I can happily report that Greenforce No2 Preworkout has no added sugars, natural OR artificial, a major failing of almost every single preworkout on the market. You can easily tailor your intake to your needs or workout. With a 4 capsule serving, that’s simple to say “Okay, it’s late, I’m only taking half tonight”. Also, this is an all-natural product made in the USA, NFW and GMP certified. You get a month’s worth for $21.95 with 120 capsules per bottle.

Now for the best part. This product is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. From the first capsule to the last. Greenforce Labs stands behind this product, no questions, full stop. I had a minor issue with shipping and Greenforce Labs bent over backwards to make sure I was a satisfied customer. Above and beyond. Show me a supplement company that does that. I’ve had dealings with some of the biggest, and it’s all finger-pointing and no guarantees. I’m happy to report there none of that nonsense with Greenforce Labs. I’m happy to support them and look forward to see what they bring to market next.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Greenforce Labs.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Dalvia Wellness Labs: L-Arginine Amino Acid Complex Powder #Review #DalviaLArginine

Hubby is no stranger to supplements. In fact, since I have known him, he’s always had a tub or bottle of something that he took in the morning, took before workouts, after workouts, before bed…You get the point. So when I got the chance to try out a pre-workout powder from Dalvia Wellness Labs L-Arginine Amino Acid Complex Powder (and when I say “I” tried it, I really mean HE tried it), I said “You betcha”.

Unfortunately it was all downhill from there. From here on out, you’ll be hearing from Hubby. Have at it, Hubby:

I’m no stranger to powder drink mixes for preworkout or post. I’ve tried many different flavors and blends from all the top companies. This is NOT one of those. While I could definitely choke it down, I saw no benefits from the endeavor. No added energy, no extra pump, no “umpf” to crank out that last set after a long day. I’m coming from a tried and true pre-workout mix named after a certain plastic explosive. It’s worked very well, for a long time. I took 2 weeks off my previous mix to reset my body, then tried this Dalvia L-Arginine powder for 2 more weeks. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. To start, my god was it sweet. While the label says it contains 0g of sugar, the ingredient list has an artificial sweetener, sucralose. Along with FD&C blue #1, red #40. I think they’re grossly overstating the “premium quality ingredients” on the Amazon order page. The taste is horrible to boot. A horrible, bitter aftertaste. Yuck. 12g per serving, and no scoop. When I let the company know the taste was off, their response was “Use less”. Alllllrighty then. The container also claims to be a “best selling amino acid formula”. Uh…based on what metric? I’ve never heard of this product before, and a quick google search only gives you one place to buy it: Amazon. There’s just so much wrong with this product. Look, I appreciate getting to try it for free. I wanted to like it. I add l-arginine to my pre-workout mix periodically. But there are no positives for this product. For me, it just didn’t work.  Your $36 is better spent almost anywhere on just about any other reputable product.

Not for nothing, but my test for this product happened to coincide with routine blood work ordered by my doctor. I have never had issues with my thyroid, but my T3 levels were spiked, indicating hyperthyroidism. I had no other symptoms. After stopping this product, my T3 levels were back to normal. I can’t say for certain this product had anything to do with this irregular result, but why take chances? I would recommend avoiding this product.

 

Price Point: $36.00 for a 12.7 ounce container via Amazon and comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Ouch. The ref takes a point away! Hubby is not the kind to bury a company or product this way, but I will say that one wet fingertip was all I could bear, and I spit it out. It was terrible tasting, and turned my finger reddish. He’s got a much stronger stomach than I do. I couldn’t have done 2 weeks of that. I guess they can’t all be home runs.

Connect with Dalvia Wellness Labs:

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Dalvia Wellness Labs.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

 

REBOOTizer: My 30-Day #Review and my #Results

I did a review of REBOOTizer at the end of December 2013 (located here http://wp.me/p2B5Rd-Aw) and touched bases with the company because I wanted to try it for a longer period for better results. Fast forward to April 2014, this girl has been on it for 30 days!

Quick recap- Rebootizer is a drink that is packed with ingredients that aid in eliminating free radicals and toxins. Known as the Anti-Aging Antioxdant drink.  This is what you get with some of the REBOOTizer ingredients:

• Dandelion– A diuretic and antioxidant. I have taken teas in the past that contain this “weed” and I’m familiar with it’s benefits. Dandelion has many health benefits from being a digestive aid to removing toxins. It’s classified as a “super-food” and studies have shown improvements with liver and kidney function to boosting the immune system.

• Licorice– Helps with protecting the liver and also classified as an antioxidant. Licorice is used for many ailments from digestive issues, sore throats, to eczema.

• Angelica– A plant that has been used in the past from the roots, to the leaves and the stem, to the fruit. The plant has been proven to help with arthritis to the digestive system. Classified as a anti-spasmodic and a gastric stimulant.

• Artichoke– More than just a dip, the artichoke has many health benefits and is also filled with antioxidants, so much so that it ranks on the top 10 foods to eat if you seek such benefit. Artichoke is also good for your liver and encouraged for those that suffer from irritable bowel to gallbladder conditions.

• Lemon– With the lemon infused water craze, we are all very familiar with the power this citrus provides. Helps the immune system, antioxidants, to aiding with weight loss and clearing up your skin.

• Lemon Balm– Considered to belong to the mint family, Lemon balm is a calming herb. You will see benefits with insomnia, anxiety to being used as a digestive aid.

• Acerola– Is rich in Vitamin C and many times sold in powder form. Also, another antioxidant and has been used for it’s medicinal properties, like preventing hardening of the arteries to blood clots. Athletes have also used Acerola to increase endurance.

As you see, the REBOOTizer is a complete system that helps eliminate the “bad stuff” and encourages the “better stuff” to stay, plus adds more “good stuff” to your body. Think of it as a system restart after hitting +Ctrl+Alt+Delete. I did see improvements in my skin and sleep after week three and the latter helped with waking up and finally feeling clear headed. My endurance did increase and I just felt overall better. I see it as a daily maintenance drink that helps eliminate the bad things I can’t always avoid, like free-radicals. I love that it is filled with antioxidants and that helps with inflammation, something that in the past has effected me.

If you want a boost or just a way to help your system with the everyday stress, I recommend REBOOTizer. The company changed the delivery system (improved), so I thankfully did not get bathed by the drink even though I’m sure my skin benefited from it. Every package opened as it should with no surprises!

Get your own REBOOTizer at:

• On-line– http://rebootizer.com/
• Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/RebootizerUSA
• Twitter– https://twitter.com/rebootizerusa
• Instagram– http://instagram.com/rebootizerusa
• Pinterest– http://www.pinterest.com/rebootizerusa/

I received the above product free of charge from REBOOTizer.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.