Showing posts with label optimum nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label optimum nutrition. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Weight Gainer Protein Review

If you're trying to put on size, in terms of lean mass while minimizing the amount of fat and bloat you gain as well, then Pro Complex Gainer by ON is for you! While the majority of my clients all see me because they're trying to lose weight, I do have a very select few, both men and women looking to add a little size onto their frames. Now the generic rule of thumb if you're trying to lose weight you eat less, and conversely if you are trying to gain weight you eat more; now with either one you have to be careful. Eating too less of an amount of food can halt weight loss, whereas eating too much can make you put on too much excessive fat.








One thing people don't realize though when it comes to gaining weight, especially for those who are ectomorphs or "hardgainers" like my clients, is not only do you have to train the proper way for adding size, you also have to eat a ton. This is where ON's Pro Complex Gainer comes into play. It makes it easy to get in those crucial extra calories, but it's specially formulated with the right amount of ingredients and macronutrients so that you don't blow up into a chubby, bloated person that you don't recognize in the mirror every morning. With Pro Complex Gainer you'll put on lean mass with minimal fat gain as long as you are dieting the right way, and giving yourself proper rest and recovery time. I just finished my first tub in efforts to help me try and put on clean, lean, mass. I had 2-3 servings a day, each one being around 600 calories, on top of eating loads of food, and getting 8 hours of sleep every night, and training hard for strength and muscular hypertrophy. I put on 10lbs in a month! Not saying that it was solid muscle, I'm not even saying it was solid mass; if I had to guess at least 5lbs of that weight had to be water and food I was holding in my intestines. If 1-2lbs of that weight though could be muscle then that is still an amazing gain for someone in my shoes in just a time span of a month. Not only that I actually had clients telling me I was looking a lot bigger!

I had the chocolate flavor, it tasted great! Not too expensive at my gym at all, the only downside is each tub only has 14 servings or so they say... The scooper in these things is huge it looks like an old school laundry detergent scoop! I feel like mine lasted a lot longer then just 14 servings though so that's good. I usually had a serving after breakfast and before lunch, after a workout, and before bed every night. I'd definitely 100% recommend this product to anyone looking for some extra help in adding clean mass... Take a look at some of the pictures to learn a little more about it.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

The Power of Supplementing with Aminos and The Recovery Benefits You'll Receive!

So you all have read the reviews of mine on various amino drinks, Amino Energy and Aminolast and know that I do like them, but if you were to ever ask me what the exact purpose of each and every amino acid was, and what roll they played in the body I wouldn't be able to tell you... What I would be able to tell you from my own experience though is that without a doubt supplementing with amino acids will help you recovery a lot faster! For about 2-3 months I was taking various amino drinks (the one's I've reviewed on here) before, after, and always during my workouts, but it wasn't until I stopped taking them that I truly realized their benefits and their power.

Sure if someone asked me why I would take them or why they were good I would tell them because they help aid in recovery, to prevent the breaking down of muscle tissue, and in the case of Optimum Nutrition's Amino Energy, for an extra boost due to the caffeine in it. Like I said though I didn't really think much of them other then as a tasty way to flavor my water with possible benefits to help recovery and they are cheap, win win... Well it has been about 6 weeks since I've taken any amino supplements, but it hasn't been until recently that I noticed ever since I stopped taking them that not only has my workout intensity dropped somewhat, but more importantly that I'm getting sore after workouts now. Especially when I train legs heavy, I'll be sore for 3-4 days after.

I never really thought anything of it, or saw the possible correlation between taking aminos and being sore until a couple of days ago I had two different clients tell me that when they don't take their Amino Energy they notice that they get sore for the next couple of days after a workout! Not only that but they also said they feel like they just don't have the same intensity when they're working out either, coincidence? I think not! So because of this I decided to try supping with amino acids again to see if taking them was what was preventing me from getting as sore after my workouts. I bought some Amino Capsules from Optimum Nutrition, the same maker of the great Amino Energy because sometimes I don't want to have to make a drink with the powder; with the caps you can just pop them before and after you workout! I have yet to try them, I'm waiting for my leg day to come up before I start using them again, but without a doubt I definitely think I'm going to find that I'm not as sore afterwards; I'll keep you all posted...

Now for those of you interested more about amino acids and their functions I found a great article by Ben Green, which goes on to explain exactly what they do without being boring and making you want to fall asleep while you're reading... Definitely take a look!

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2011/04/do-amino-acids-really-help-you-exercise-or-are-nutrition-supplement-companies-pulling-a-fast-one-on-you-part-1/