Supplements Advisor

MuscleTech ThermoGain Review

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 06:12:24 +0000

MuscleTech Thermogain is one of the newest fat burners on the market that touts itself as a fat burner and muscle builder at the same time. Compared to most fat burners, it has some extra ingredients that help you preserve your mass and actually build more.

To start I am going to go into "fat burners in general" and then get into the differences with Thermogain.

Fat Burners Breakdown

Almost every fatburner "formula" is composed of a combination of 3 main ingredients. They are Ephedrine, Caffeine, and Aspirin. Ephedrine was banned by the FDA so their are other thermogenic compounds inserted in it's place to try and achieve the same effect. This combination of thermogenic ingredients was originally called the ECA stack (Ephedrine, Caffein, Aspirin) and for years and years was the best fat burning compound on the market.

Today's fat burning supplements are not much different at all. Most have almost the same ingredients and are based on the ECA stack with "herbal equivalents" of the original in most instances. For example, "White Willow Bark" is the herbal equivalent of Aspirin. Guarana is the herbal equivalent of Caffeine. Yerba Mate or "Mate" is another form of caffeine. Give me 10 bottles of different fat burners and you can bunch almost every one into an ephedrine, caffeine, or aspirin equivalent category.

Other ingredients in todays fat burners outside of the ECA's or ECA equivalent are typically for appetite suppression or fillers. When I buy a fat burner I compare the amounts of each that would fit in the ECA groups and then go by which one is the most cost effective. In almost every instance I have ever seen, STACKER (Stacker 2 or Stacker 3) gives you the best bang for the buck because each capsule is a serving where as with almost all the others you have to take 2 or 3 pills. You literally get about 3x as much for the money with as much or more of the ECA groups.

Now on to MuscleTech Thermogain

This product is different because of the muscle building ingredients added in addition to the standard fat burning compounts (the ECA groups). What are the additional ingredients that make it as they describe "The Only Muscle Building Fat Burner".... well it's Creatine. But, it includes the newer versions of creatine that do not require pre-loading and their is no weight gain. I personally LOVE the ne creatine's which are typically named Di-Creatine or Tri-Creatine Maleate. You may also see "Creatine Ethyl Ester" which is another similar form. They all perform about the same in my opinion and they are hands down better than the original Creatine Monohydrate.

What's it like when you take it?

I personally LOVE this stuff. If I could only take one supplement it would be NO-Explode by BSN... but if I could take two... this would be my second supplement. I think their is definitely a synergistic effect when you combine caffeine products and creatine products together. Before I realized that this stuff had the new creatine in it I had no idea why I was making such significant gains in the gym. I was getting noticeably better "pumps" when working out and my strength was going up at a point when I thought I was at a peak.

Is Thermogain worth the money?

I think if you are taking a fat burner and a creatine supplement that it's definitely worth it to replace those two with this one product which would save you money. Compared to just creating or just a fat burner, this costs a bit more but the combined effect without having to take a separate supplement for creatine or fat burning is definitely worth the extra.

Thermogain compared to other fat burners

Compared to other fat burners, Thermogain is even in terms of energy and fat burning power (if you want to call it that) but it definitely pulls ahead with the extra ingredients. If you wanted separate fat burning and creatine supplements then go with Stacker and something like NO Explode or BSN Cell Mass.

My "best pump" ever in the gym

My best pump in the gym, period, hands down was the first time I took 2 Thermogain (serving is 2 to 3) and 2 Scoops of NO-Explode. At one point I actually thought there was something wrong with me becuase it was so noticeable of a change. After my first set in every muscle group I already had a major pump. As the sets went on I just stayed at a full pump until probably 2hrs after my workout was over. I usually don't take both together on a regular basis but when I do, I can reproduce the same pump and workout. You have to try it :)

Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein Gold Standard

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 03:09:09 +0000

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard protein powder is in my opinion, one of if not the best protein powder on the market. I'm not going to bore you with every little detail of what is in the stuff, percentages of this and that, I'm just going to tell you why I like it so much and why it's the one that frequents my blender the most.

What Is In Optimum Protein Whey Protein Gold?
It's all Whey Protein all the time. One thing I LOVE about this powder is that their is no extra "stuff" in it which usually is either filler or some made up "formula" that the supplement companies use to sell you on their product. It has more glutamine (4grams) than any other powder (per serving) that I know of and it's loaded with BCAA's. This is great for protein synthesis and repair.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Taste

It is definitely one of the best tasting protein powders on the market. I actually think it is THE best if you take out all the versions with a ton of fat and sugar added. If you said best "low carb and extra crap powder" then I would definitely say this tastes the best. Muscle Milk for example tastes really good and a little better than gold standard but it also has a ton of carbs and fat which isn't what I want in my every day powder.

My favorite flavor: Chocolate Mint

Why: It reminds me of eating "thin mint" girl scout cookies which I can eat by the box so my protein shake almost becomes a "treat" instead of part of my daily regimen.

Other Flavors: Rocky Road (good), Cookies N Cream (pretty good), Chocolate (best besides chocolate mint in my opinion).

Blendability Of Whey Protein Gold
It rivals Designer Protein as the easiest protein powder to blend without a problem and without funky chunks or a thickness that you can't choke down (can anyone say Myoplex).

Price Of Whey Protein Gold
To top off all my comments above, it's darn near the least expensive powder you can get. With 20+ grams of protein per scoop (compared to less than 20g for other brands) and for about $30 for a 5lb tub... it's darn near impossible to beat.

My Favorite Shake Recipe With Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Gold
This is basically my favorite shake. I throw down one of these after every workout and most of my other recipe's are just variations of this one with other flavors and brands of powders (I'm always trying new ones).

2 Scoops Whey Protein Gold (Mint Chocolate)
1 Heaping Teaspoon Of Hersheys Cocoa (if you have not done this... you gotta try it)
1 Cup or so of "Enhance" soy milk (I just like the stuff). I ususally fill liquid about 3/4ths the level of the ice.
1 Teaspoon of honey (or a quick squirt or so of Mr. Bear)
2 Packs of Stevia powder (I like to stay low carb and I hate artificial sweetener. Try stevia powser instead)

Blend until think and smooth. You may have to shake the blender or use a spoon to keep it mixing after the big chunks of ice are broken up but after a minute or two it will blend smooth.

This is the "base" shake which is very low carb. Take out the honey and you are less than 15 grams for a 48G protein shake that is sweet, super chocolaty, really darn good for you.

If you want to spice it up, try adding any of these:
Handful of chopped nuts (I love almonds and walnuts in any shake)
Peanut Butter: A heaping teaspoon helps smooth out a shake and helps it "stick"
Flax Seed: Good for you, fiber, and plenty Omega 3's
Bananna: Great for smoothing out shake too.
Berries: A chocolate shake with fresh raspberries is AWESOME.

Summary
If you have never tried it, go pickup a 2lb tub (about $15) at the local supplement shop or online and try the Chocolate Mint. My bet is that you will never go back.

What's your Body Mass Index?

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 08:31:42 +0000

Do you know how to measure body mass index'

Do you even know what body mass index is'

For some, the need to lose weight is clear. Those whose body weight places them into the obese or morbidly obese categories are well aware that they are carrying too many pounds.

But what about those who are only slightly overweight' Is that ten pounds over the ideal weight raising your risk of health complications' Are you just 'big-boned'' How do you decide if you really need to lose weight - and how much weight do you really need to lose'

Doctors have a number of different ways to measure the need to lose weight. Long gone are the years when they relied on an insurance company chart of 'ideal weights'. The most commonly used measure is the Body Mass Index or BMI. The BMI measures your weight relative to your height.

Body mass index is generally an accurate representation of muscle-to-fat ratio, though there are some limitations. First of all, body mass index calculation may overestimate the BMI of an athletic person, because muscle is denser and weighs more than fat. Likewise, body mass index calculation may underestimate the BMI of an older person, or others who have low muscle mass.

It is easy to find a free bmi calculator. A free bmi calculator can be found online by simply typing in "free bmi calculator" into your favorite search engine. (Or, you could simply use the free bmi calculator located here: http://www.weight-loss-power-package.com/body_mass_index.htm.) A bmi calculator simply allows you to quickly and easily check your own BMI. The table for determining risk factors associated with obesity is:

Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 - 24.9 - Normal 25.0 - 29.9 - Overweight 30.0 and up - Obese

If your body mass index is above 25.0, your doctor or other medical professional can advise you on the best weight loss plan for you. You should know that there are great benefits to losing even a moderate amount of weight. Some of those include:

* Lowering your risk of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, a weight loss of as little as 10 pounds can decrease the chances of pre-diabetes developing into diabetes by 58%.

* Lower your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association states that coronary problems are directly correlated to weight. By losing weight to bring your BMI to within normal ranges, you significantly lower your risk of developing heart problems.

* Reduce your risk of arthritis and pain from arthritis. A number of forms of arthritis are related to weight. Losing weight substantially decreases the strain that additional weight places you your knees, hips, back and ankles.

Are you motivated to get started' Now that you know how to calculate bmi, here are three tips on how to reduce body mass index so you can start losing weight today:

1. Get active.

If you do nothing different in your life but exercise for one half hour daily, you will lose 5-7% of your body weight per year.

2. Cut out white breads and sugars.

Substitute whole grains for refined flours and sugars, and you'll automatically reduce the number of calories that you consume daily.

3. Eat more fresh vegetables.

Fresh vegetables, especially raw, are a significant source of many of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs daily. They're high in nutrition, while low in calories. By increasing the amount of fresh vegetables that you eat and reducing the amount of processed, refined foods, you'll cut calories and carbohydrates significantly.

Get started today by going to top of this page and using the free bmi calculator!

About the Author

Adam Waxler publishes the Weight-Loss-Power-Package...a collection of six weight loss ebooks guaranteed to help you lose weight. Check out the complete package here: http://www.weight-loss-power-package.com and check out his blog for free weight loss tips here: http://www.weight-loss-machine.com/blog

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