One of the best decisions I have made for improving my weight training has been to read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. In the book, he breaks down proper technique for all the major compound lifts.

Learn to lift with proper form, and you will become more efficient, allowing you to lift more weight and reduce the chance of hurting yourself.

I recently discovered that Rippetoe has a vimeo channel with some 75 quality packed videos. In the video below, he talks about performing the front squat. I like to work in the front squat when my lower back is hurting and the back squat is not gonna happen.

Rip Teaches The Front Squat

Cliff Notes

• Front squats are essential for Olympic weightlifters, but not necessary for the average joe. They can be used for an accessory exercise when you don’t want to back squat.
• Front squats are not as effective for building mass because they don’t use as much total muscle to perform the exercise.
• For grip, place your hands as if you were going to do the clean. Place the bar on the meat of the deltoids. Elbows are up, in front of the bar resting on the shoulder.
• Stand far enough away from the weight rack that it allows you enough distance to drop the bar if needed.
• Chest and elbows up! Keep back vertical. Think as if you are doing squats against a wall.
• At the bottom of the movement (hole), lead up with the chest. This differs from the back squat which leads with hips.
• The weight stays over the middle of the foot.
• Don’t lead up out of the hole with the chin/dead, instead the chest.

Notice the vertical angle of the back in the front squat compared to the back squat

Take Home Points

The front squat involves a vertical back angle, more closed knee angle, more open hip angle, and less hamstring involvement than the back squat. Stick to the back squat in less you really think you need to incorporate the front squat.

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For the past 6 months I have been following the lean gains diet. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a version of intermittent fasting (IF). More and more research is coming out showing the benefits of IF. I love it and have gotten great results.

I train in the mornings and the lean gains diet calls for BCAA’s pre workout while I am in a fasted state. Therefore, I am always on the lookout for new BCAA supplements, even though they are all pretty much the same.

About a month ago, I purchased both Xtend and Amino X. There share similar ingredient profiles (I think, more on that later) and are priced within a $1 of each other so I decided to try both out.

The Bad Of Amino X

The only issue I have with Amino X is that BSN does not give the exact amounts of each ingredient. Instead, they have a 10g proprietary blend.

check out the 10g proprietory blend

[rant] I just think its retarded that companies still use proprietary blends. Just tell us what and how much is in the product. [/rant]

I like the ingredient profile, with the leucine listed first (most abundant) and then the other 2 BCAAs.

The Good of Amino X

This stuff tastes awesome. I got the fruit punch and definitely recommend you start with that flavor if you’re usually a fan of fruit punch supplements. I got the Lemon Lime Sour Xtend and it was ok, nothing special.

Effectiveness

I will not bs you and say that I added 10lbs of muscle from one tub. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary while on it. However, note that I have been training for 6 years now and it takes a lot for me to add new muscle mass. Strength gains were as expected.

Knowing that most of the popular BCAA supplements are pretty much the same thing, I will purchase based on taste. And as of now, Amino X has been my favorite.

The Survey Says

At $20 per 30 servings, it’ll not break the bank. Even though I am not thrilled that BSN has decided to use a proprietary blend, the taste of this stuff is amazing. It also mixes easily in water. No clumping or anything like that. I will ordering more after I finish the Xtend.

You can read more about Amino X here

Video Review

(not me, I’m better looking)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSrMM3H3S-M

Related posts:

1. BSN True Mass Review

The results are in! Bodybuilding.com announced their annual supplement award winners at the Mr. Olympia a few weeks ago. Here are the best bodybuilding supplements of 2011 as voted by people like you (real supplement users without financial interest).

Brand of the Year: Optimum Nutrition

No argument from me here. I’m a huge fan of everything optimum nutrition. If I’m gonna try a new supplement, I always check first to see if ON makes it.

Supplement of the Year: Gold Standard 100% Whey

100% Whey has earned several awards over the years. Definitely a quality supplement. My favorite flavor is the Mocha Cappuccino. Over the past year though, I have moved on to the all natural formula. Just know that it does not taste as well as the non natural version.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfpJZym8uG8

Breakout Brand (Most Improved) Of The Year: BPI Sports & MusclePharm

I have not tried anything from BPI Sports or MusclePharm. Apparently I need to get on the band wagon.

New Supplement of the Year: MusclePharm Assault

As a said above, I have yet to try this product. I will give it a shot after my finish up my tub of jack3d. My friends have said good things about Assault. Bodybuilding.com is offering a $8 trial size, so if you’re on the fence and want to try it, there’s an option for you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bwEx379Di4

Muscle Building Supplement of the Year: Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrobuilder

So what makes Hydrobuilder different that the regular ol’ 100% Whey? Well, it has creatine in the form of creapure, casein protein, and other ingredients that make Hydrobuilder a good option to take post workout or between meals.

If you had to choose between Hydrobuilder and Hydrowhey (Optimum Nutrition’s other premium supplement), I’d go with the Hydrobuilder and just get %100 whey original version for your every day whey protein needs and save the Hydrobuilder for post workout.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LE-Wy-O3fM

Pre-Workout Supplement of the Year: USPLabs Jack3d

This is the pre workout I have taken for the past year. It is simply the best pre workout supplement I have taken to date. Be aware that Jack3d does contain 1, 3-DIMETHYLAMYLAMINE, which is banned by some sports organizations. So if you are an athlete check the banned substances list before you give Jack3d a go.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV73zF4KrAg

Fat Loss Supplement of the Year: USPLabs OxyElite Pro

I have taken OxyElite and would take it again. Saw good results without the cracked out feeling some fat burners have. Be aware that OxyElite does have 1, 3-DIMETHYLAMYLAMINE in it too. You can read my OxyElite Pro log here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4acAMTIShY

Creatine Supplement of the Year: BSN Cell Mass

I took cell mass back in the day and saw decent results. My suggestion is just to go with regular creatine monohydrate if you are on a budget. I saw no significant difference between Cell mass and mixing in 5g of creatine powder into my protein shakes.

BCAA Supplement of the Year: SciVation Xtend

About a month ago, I bought Xtend and BSN’s new amino acid supplement Aminox. They have similar ingredient profiles and cost nearly the same. The major difference between the two was the taste. The fruit punch Aminox tastes 10x better than the Lemon Lime Sour Xtend did.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA47bKsawGQ

Those are most of this year’s awards. You can find the rest of them at Bodybuilding.com 2011 Awards Page.

What’s your favorite supplement of the year???

Related posts:

1. What is Whey Protein? Answered
2. On A Budget? Make Your Own Pre Workout Supplement

What is HMB?

HMB is short for beta-hydroxybeta-methylbutyrate and is a metabolite of the branch chain amino acid leucine. After leucine is ingested, it is partly (dependent of dosage) broken down into a-ketoisocaproate (KIC). After leucine is metabolized to KIC, KIC is either metabolized into isovaleryl-CoA in the mitochondria, or into beta-hydroxybeta-methylbutyrate (HMB) in the cytosol.

The majority of KIC is converted into isovaleryl-CoA, while under normal conditions; approximately 5% of leucine is metabolized into HMB. Assuming the average recommended dosage of HMB is 3g, 60g of leucine would need to be consumed under regular conditions to provide 3 g HMB to the body.

Studies have suggested the HMB has anti-catabolic and anabolic effects. These benefits have made HMB a popular supplement for both bodybuilders and powerlifters. However, studies have had conflicting results on the actual benefits seen from supplementing with HMB.

Studies Supporting HMB Supplementation

Untrained Athletes

In 1996, Nissen et al. (1) examined the effects of HMB on muscle metabolism and performance during resistance exercise in two experiments in healthy untrained males. Participants in the first experiment ingested 0g, 1.5g, or 3 g of HMB daily, while weight lifting 3 days per week for 3 weeks. Two dosages of HMB of 0g or 3g were used in the second experiment  with weight training occurring 2–3 hours daily for 7 weeks.

Results from the first experiment found that HMB decreased plasma markers of muscle damage degradation in a dose dependent response with a range of 20–60%. Total weight lifted also increased in a dose dependent manner . Finally, lean body mass (LBM) increased with each increment increase in HMB ingestion.

In the second experiment, LBM was significantly increased with the HMB supplemented participants compared to the non-supplemented participants at weeks 2 and 4–6 with no further differences seen during the final week (week 7). Diminished improvements in LBM during the final week of training may be due to accommodation of the participants to the training stimulus. Participants ingesting HMB increased their 1 repetition maximum bench press by an average of 15 pounds, compared
to a 5-pound increase in the non-supplemented group.

In 2001, Jowko et al. (2) investigated whether creatine and HMB act by similar or different mechanisms. Participants resistance trained and consumed creatine, HMB, or combination of both for a total of 3 weeks. Results found that HMB, creatine, and the combination group gained .39, .92, and 1.54 kg of LBM above the placebo. The total amount of weight lifted increased above the placebo on all exercises combined was 37.5, 39.1, and 51.9 kg for HMB, creatine, and the combination group. Both HMB-supplemented conditions showed decreased creatine kinase, urine urea nitrogen (indicating less protein breakdown), and plasma urea, while creatine supplementation alone did not decrease these markers. The apparent additive effects of these supplements indicate that creatine and HMB operate through separate mechanisms and can have a synergistic effect when taken together.

Trained Athletes

Nissen et al. (3) investigated HMB supplementation on strength and body composition in trained and untrained males coupled with intense resistance training. Greater decreases in body fat and increases in LBM were found with HMB supplementation regardless of training status. There was also an overall 55% greater increase in bench press performance.

Similarly, Panton et al. (4) examined the effects of HMB supplementation during resistance training in 36 women and 39 men, 20 to 40 years of age, with varying levels of training experience for 4 weeks. The HMB group decreased body fat to a greater extent, experienced greater increases in upper body strength. and greater LBM increases than the placebo group, independent of training experience.

HMB supplementation also has benefits for endurance athletes. Vukovich and Adams (5) found that 2 weeks of HMB supplementation in experienced cyclists increased both peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) and the time to reach VO2 peak, while supplementation with leucine or a placebo did not change these measurements.

Studies Not Supporting HMB Supplementation

Kreider et al. (6) used 40 experienced resistance trained athletes who averaged 7 hours of training per week for 28 days, while supplementing with 0g, 3g, or 6 g of HMB daily. Participants were not monitored, but were instructed to maintain their normal training programs during the experiment and record their training volume before and after the experiment in a log. No differences were found in training volume performed before and after supplementation with HMB. Kreider found no significant decrease in markers of muscle damage, fat mass, increased LBM or 1 RM performance in any of the lifts measured in the placebo or HMB supplemented groups.

Slater et al. (7) had experienced resistance trained males consume 3g of HMB or a placebo for 6 weeks while performing 2–3 sessions weekly of compound movements, for a total of 24–32 sets, at a training intensity of 4–6 reps. The assigned training significantly increased LBM and total strength gains, but did not increase any of the individual lifts. HMB supplementation had no significant effect on LBM or strength or biochemical markers of muscle damage.

Possible Reasons For Varying Results

There will always be variability among humans both physiologically and participants mental states (i.e. motivation). A way to combat this is to have large sample sizes, however, this is often difficult with these types of studies.

Another possible explanation for conflicting results seen in experienced athletes consists of methodologies which contain a lack of specificity between training and testing conditions. For example Slater and Jenkins suggested that:

“It may be that for highly trained individuals, 4 weeks of HMB supplementation is an inadequate time frame to allow adaptations unique to HMB supplementation to be identified. Studies involving longer periods of supplementation, as used in some of the trials with untrained volunteers, are needed to address this issue.”

Is HMB Worth It?

With the current available research I would say yes, especially if you are a new trainee where any weight lifting will cause large amounts of muscle damage.  For athletes with years of training experience, longer cycles may be necessary to fully benefit from HMB. In a later post, I will focus on the side effects of HMB and the proper dosing protocol.

Which HMB Supplement Do I Recommend?

I am a huge fan of Optimum Nutrition for their quality and reasonable prices. They have a HMB product that should fit your needs.

Optimum Nutrition's HMB Supplement

Video Review

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv8PD66uht0

Resources

1. Nissen SR, Sharp M, Ray JA, Rathmacher D, Rice JC, Fuller Jr, Connelly AS, Abumrad N: Effect of leucine metabolite beta -hydroxy-beta -methylbutyrate on muscle metabolism during resistance-exercise training. J Appl Physiol 1996,81:2095-2104.

2. Jowko E, Ostaszewski P, Jank M, Sacharuk J, Zieniewicz A, Wilczak J, Nissen S: Creatine and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) additively increase lean body mass and muscle strength during a weight-training program. Nutr 2001, 17:558-566.

3. Nissen SL, Panton L, Wilhelm R, Fuller JC: Effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on strength and body composition of trained and untrained males undergoing intense resistance training. FASEB J 1996, 10:287.

4.Panton LB, Rathmacher JA, Baier S, Nissen S: Nutritional supplementation of the leucine metabolite beta-hydroxy-betamethylbutyrate (hmb) during resistance training. Nutr 2000, 16(9):734-9.

5. Vukovich Matthew D, Adams GD: Effect of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on vo2peak and maximal lactate in endurance trained cyclists. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 1997, 29(5):252.

6. Kreider RB, Ferreira M, Wilson M, Almada AL: Effects of calcium β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation during resistance-training on markers of catabolism, body composition and strength. Int J Sports Med 1999, 20(8):503-9.

7. Slater G, Jenkins D, Logan P, Lee H, Vukovich M, Rathmacher JA, Hahn AG: Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation does not affect changes in strength or body composition during resistance training in trained men. Int J Sport
Nutr Exerc Metab 2001, 11(3):384-96.

No related posts.

It’s that time of the year again. The 2011 Mr. Olympia Competition is being held September 15-18 in Las Vegas. You can watch the live stream of the Mr. O at Bodybuilding.com Friday and Saturday night.

Click Here To Watch the 2011 Mr. Olympia

Webcast Schedule

The exclusive webcast coverage will begin at 6:30pm Pacific Time (9:30 ET) on both Friday and Saturday night live from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. On Friday, September 16th the webcast kicks-off with the ladies, featuring the Ms. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Bikini Olympia, followed by the Men’s Open Prejudging. Plus, the top three 2011 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award winners will be announced.

On Saturday, September 17th the webcast coverage will include the Mr. Olympia Finals as reigning champion Jay Cutler battles to reclaim his 5th consecutive Mr. Olympia title. The Saturday coverage will also include the Figure Olympia and the Men’s Under 202 Showdown.

Recent Videos Of the Key Players

Phil Heath trains Chest 9 days before Mr.Olympia 2011

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rvLTpJVbTQ

Jay Cutler trains shoulders 11 days out

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpmPmxydEks

Branch Warren trains Delts 5 weeks out

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysaCcDr3oUg

Who You Got Winning The Mr. O?

I wanna see Phil Heath win it. Who you got? Leave a comment below

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I Have Accumulated The Best Bodybuilding.com Coupons And Deals Here On This Site To Help Save You Money On Your Supplement Needs. To Take Advantage Of These Exclusive Savings :

Click Here For The Bodybuilding.com Coupons

1. Click the link above
2. Select your coupon and use during checkout (check out the picture below if you don’t know where to apply the coupon)
3. Apply your coupon and save!

Bodybuilding.com is one of the largest online supplement and health super stores. They offer over 8500 supplements and apparel at the lowest prices on the net. They have the fastest shipping I have seen when ordering supplements online and even over free shipping from time to time. My order usually arrives no more than 3 days after the order date and not to mention at cheap shipping rates. I consistently order items totaling $200 or $300 and shipping costs less than $6.00. Not only do they offer all the supplements and fitness gear you need to get into top shape, they have over 125,000 pages of bodybuilding information, their own social network, and an active forum. I have shopped at all the top fitness and supplement online stores and they are absolutely the best I have dealt with. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Picture of the checkout cart

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What ZMA Supplements Claim To Do

In 2000, a study performed by Brilla and Conte found that semiprofessional athletes who supplemented with ZMA experienced an increase of plasma testosterone levels up to 30% and improved muscle strength compared to the control athletes.

Until the above study was published, studies had only linked zinc supplementation to increased testosterone levels in individuals that were zinc deficient.

So is the study valid? Here’s the truth behind it (taken from a post on Bodybuilding.com):

ZMA was created by Victor Conte, owner of Balco Labs. Victor Conte is not a scientist. He spent about 15 years playing bass in various rock bands (including Tower of Power), and when money started running out he opened up a holistic health center with wife. He shut this center down after a year and then opened up BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative). At a sports medicine conference in 1997, Conte met Brilla and asked her to conduct a study on SNAC’s zinc-magnesium supplement. In November 1998, Brilla and Conte presented their findings on a poster board at a meeting of the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, in Las Vegas. There were made the claims that ZMA produced 250% greater strength gains compared to placebo, that it created “hormonal increase” on the subjects and that it was the only natural supplement that was clinically proven to increase testosterone.

What the press release didn’t say was that Conte owned SNAC and it was simply an affiliate of BALCO. Nor did it reveal that Conte’s SNAC had helped pay for the study or that Brilla had been aided by Jim Valente and Dr. Brian Goldman, BALCO’s vice president and medical director, respectively. It also didn’t report that of the 57 Western Washington University football players who signed up for the study, 30 quit. By the end, only a dozen players were using ZMA while 15 took a placebo.(1) Furthermore, Brilla had in the past conducted studies on magnesium and it’s effect on testosterone and strength in athletes and football players in particular. The ZMA study demonstrated results painfully close to the ones of the magnesium-only study she herself had conducted a few years earlier(4). Brilla was simply asked to repeat the study, using this time along with the magnesium some zinc and surprisingly the same good results came out.

I think it’s safe to say that Conte had some financial interest in ZMA supplements selling well.

The Truth About ZMA

In 2009, Koehler and colleagues looked at the effectiveness of ZMA in young healthy individuals with normal zinc levels to determine if ZMA led to tesosterone increases.

The Results

The addition of the ZMA supplement did not show significant effects on serum testosterone concentrations in the subjects. Consequently, urine markers of testosterone and its metabolism were also not altered by the use of ZMA.

Conclusion

Taken from the study, “In summary, it can be concluded that even if zinc supplementation may reverse lowered testosterone levels and restore disturbed testosterone metabolism in cases of mild or severe zinc deficiency, it is not capable of further increasing serum testosterone when sufficient zinc is provided by the regular diet.”

Some Commentary

So in less you have chronically low zinc levels, you are wasting your money with ZMA.

Another benefit of ZMA I have discussed before is its ability to improve sleep. I can say honestly that ZMA did improve the quality of my sleep. However, I have since switched from ZMA to melatonin. I am very satisfied with the results I get from melatonin and will not be going back to ZMA anytime soon. If you want to give melatonin a go, I suggest Optimum Nutritions.

References

Pubmed Abstract (the abstract is not found on the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition website)

Questions? Feedback? Leave a Comment Below…..

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Whey protein is the most popular bodybuilding supplement and for good reason. It is digested quickly, making it a perfect pre and post workout protein source. More on that in a bit. Read on.

What’s Whey Protein?

Whey is a constituent of cow’s milk, and makes up for approximately 20% of its protein content. Most whey is produced as a byproduct of the production of cheese manufacturing.

Whey is considered a fast digesting protein causes a rapid increase in amino acids in the blood stream. Studies have shown that blood amino acid levels peak approximately 60-90 minutes after ingestion (1). This peak is short lived and is not sustained for than a few hours. The graph below depicts the difference in amino acid absorption rates between whey and casein (the other protein contained with cow’s milk).

Whey protein is absorbed quicker, but amino acid levels decrease rapidly

The rapid increase in blood amino acids level caused by whey protein is what makes whey the best choice for your post workout shake.

Types of Whey Protein

The are different forms of whey protein available. Here is a short description on the popular types.

Whey Protein Concentrate

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) is the least processed form available. Because of the this, less pure protein is separated out and typical WPC powders contain 70-85% protein by weight. The remaining components of WPC include fats and carbohydrates particularly lactose. So for those that are lactose intolerant, WPC probably is not your best choice.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey proetin also comes in the form of a more purified isolate created through the processes of ion exchange or membrane filtration. These processes produce a whey protein isolate (WPI) powder that is at least 90% protein by weight. Unlike WPC, WPI has much less fat and carbohydrates, typically accounting for 1% by weight. Due to the advanced technology used to manufacture WPI, it usually costs more than WPC. WPI is also easier to flavor, so if flavor is high on the totem poll, consider whey protein isolate based powders.

Whey Protein Hydrolysate

Whey protein hydolysate (WPH) is an isolated whey protein that has been partially predigested. With some of the amino acid bonds broken apart, the protein will contain smaller peptides. In this case, smaller is better. The smaller peptides means its easier to digest and is absorbed into the blood stream faster than both WPC and WPI. The constituents of WPH is similar to that of WPI, containing approximately 90% protein by weight. WPH is usually the most expensive form of whey protein and only added in small amounts to powders because of its bitter taste.

What’s the Best Protein Powder?

I believe that Optimum Nutritions %100 Whey Protein is your best choice. 100% Whey is top quality and comes in over 10 flavors, Mocha Cappuccino being my favorite.  I have been taking this supplement for almost 5 years now and have never had a bad experience with it or any other of Optimum Nutrition’s products.

100% Whey contains all the protein forms described above:

• Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolates
• Ion-Exchange Whey Protein Isolates
• Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Concentrate
• HydroWhey Hydrolyzed Whey Peptides

Another factor to consider when choosing a protein supplement is the price and Optimum Nutrition does not disappoint. For the quality, you will not get better value for the price.

Learn more about Optimum Nutrition’s %100 Whey Protein

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It’s that time of the year again to vote for your favorite supplements on Bodybuilding.com. As an incentive to cast your votes, Bodybuilding.com is offering a 10% discount on your next purchase.

Where to Vote

You can cast your votes here : 2011 Supplement Awards

How Long does it Take?

I just went through the survey and it took only a few minutes. Plan 3-5 minutes.

How do I get my 10% Off Discount?

At the end of the survey, you will be prompted to fill in your name, email address, and your DOB. Bodybuilding.com then will send you an email with the discount.

Use that coupon in the checkout cart of Bodybuilding.com

That’s it. Now go vote and save cash on your next order!

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I recently picked up bottles of Driven Sport’s Activate Xtreme and Lean Xtreme. I am normally not a huge fan of testosterone boosters for people my age, 23,  but a thread on Bodybuilding.com convinced me to give it a try. The thread had a poster that gave pre and post testosterone levels after a cycle of Activate Xtreme.

And guess what? The dude’s test levels actually did rise. I don’t know what his age was, but his starting test levels were within the average range of a healthy young male.

However, it could all be bullshit as there’s no way to verify that it was true. But, what the hell? I will give it a shot.

Along with the Activate, I am going to take Lean Xtreme. Reason I chose LX was because it was non stim. I get enough stims from other sources aka jack3d.

I plan on posting updates as much as possible. I’ll include what I did for training and whether I feel any affects from the Driven Sports supplements.

For diet, I will be following a LeanGains style IF. About 6 months ago, I started with the Warrior diet and recently switched to the LeanGains. So far so good.

The cycle will start Monday or Tuesday. This weekend I am going to a bachelor party in Tahoe so Monday may not be happening.

Wish me luck. Let me know if you have any questions

Update  July 27

Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been busy with summer school and getting ready to move to San Diego.

I have been taking 3 pills a day of the Activate and 3 pills a day of the Lean spaced throughout the day. I am a little over 3 weeks into the cycle and have about another week left.

As far as the Activate goes, I have not noticed anything spectacular. Strength is not significantly up. A lot of people say that you need to take 2 cycles of Activate to really see results, but I am going to stick to one. Before I started the cycle, I was not a fan of testosterone boosters, especially for males in my age group. The lack of results just reaffirms my thoughts on test boosters.

Lean extreme is a different story. I have lost 5 pounds in the last 3 weeks without an alteration in my diet or cardio regimen. The only side effect is increased sweating. Nothing ridiculous though. Got no jitters and stimulant buzz.

I should also mention that I have seen increased vascularity. Not sure which supplement to attribute this to.

I will make a final update in another week once the cycle is completed.

Video Reviews

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUFImrNDU70

Update 2 8/5

So I finished both cycles of Activate and Lean Xtreme.

Here are my final conclusions of both supplements:

Activate Xtreme: I have not noticed much. Nothing out of the ordinary in strength gains.  As of now, I cannot recommend this supplement. If you have had good experiences with it, leave a comment below and let me know.

Lean Xtreme: I am pro lean extreme. A quality thermogenic that does not cause jitters or any bad side effects. I lost a total of 6 pounds during the 4 week cycle. I followed the lean gains diet protocol and suggest those whom have not tried intermittent fasting do so. It’s awesome…….

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