Supplement Guide: Hydroxy-Citric Acid (HCA)

Product Review: Gaspari Real Mass

I've always been a fan of gainers. Being a young hardgainer Asian kid made me rather impervious to calories even with the crazy fare that is our local food.

But enough chatter. I broke away from the usual tag team duo of Real Gains and Muscle Juice that I've been used to for a change.

Gaspari Real Mass. I had a look at the nutrition fact and felt that it was worth a shot. Packing about 620 calories in 3 scoops, the profile wasn't as simple as other gainers.

The protein blend incorporated egg albumin together with the usual whey isolate and concentrate. That oughta give the taste a boost, not to mention the biological value of the protein dose.

Real Mass uses a complex carbohydrate mix and throws in some healthy fats in the form of sunflower and flaxseed oils to make up a pretty rich profile. Most notably is the inclusion of Hydroxyisoleucine which is touted to be a mimic of the powerful anabolic hormone, insulin.

Taste-wise... it was very different from most. Wasn't a straightforward feel to the vanilla. Somehow it tastes very herbal and the initial smell of the powder is a dead giveaway of this. Well, I kinda like it though it does feel quite sweet despite the 14grams of sugar per serving.

Lastly, for those with lactose intolerance, the good news is that this product contains the GaspariZyme complex, a series of digestive enzymes to help with well... digestion.

Supplement Guide: Huperzine A

Supplement Guide: Humanofort

Supplement Guide: Hoodia

Supplement Guide: HMB

Product Review: Levrone Formula

Here are some kind words from the IFBB Hall of Famer himself, Kevin Levrone...



In a world full of marketing gimmicks fuelled by the undying flames of consumerism, we sometimes find ourselves face to face with products that we don't understand, yet expect them to deliver on expectations.

Pre-workouts, needless to say often fall prey to this situation. It's simple really. Pre-workouts stimulate for a better workout by enhancing focus, strength and energy. Just getting the skin-bursting pumped up feeling is enough motivation for any gym rat to chug a serving down. And with the stiff competition in sports nutrition, some companies try to create a blend or cocktail of ingredients hoping to cover a broader spectrum of physiological effects when some may actually be unnecessary or are not clinically proven yet.

This is where Levrone Formula is different. It's designed by Kevin himself and has no colourings, no artificial flavours and absolutely no sweeteners for starts. It only gets better by containing just what you need to get you going.

• 8 grams combination of arginine and citrulline malate. I last read that citrulline is the better bet to get sick pumps compared to simply arginine alone.
• 250mgs of ATP and 5mgs of NADH. So little NADH? Well, I remember back in the labs of schooling days that this stuff is fucking expensive. It's a coenzyme that's involved in the energy pathways of the human body.
• 2grams of L-tyrosine and 1gram of Yerba Mate for that mental focus. Instead of the ol' caffeine trick, Levrone instead goes a little herbal. Yerba Mate does contain xanthines but it seems the effects are more profound for muscular tissue rather than the central nervous system.
• The rest of the product build are vitamins B3, C and some lactic acid buffers. Mighty useful if you ask me.

So how does the product fare? I had a shot of LF before my workout on night. The beauty of the product is that it is quite stimulant free so I can stack it with a fat burner or use it in the evenings. Unfortunately, the immediate downside of the product will hit you the moment you take a gulp. Yes, it doesn't exactly taste like Jack3d or Bullnox Androrush but I suppose that's the tradeoff for not using artificial flavours or sweeteners. It's brutal but it works.

If you're the kind of person to appreciate organic food and know that what tastes good isn't necessarily the best thing for your body, then Levrone Formula is for you. Conversely, if you're a mama's boy who loves his candy and refuses to work with something that doesn't go down easy, then skip Levrone's idea of a pre-workout.

Supplement Guide: Gymnema Sylvestre

Supplement Guide: Guggulsterones

Supplement Guide: Guarana

Supplement Guide: Green Tea Extract

Product Review: Scivation Quake 10.0

Behold... Scivation's latest pre-workout incarnate. Quake 10.0 replaces the super-potent VasoCharge that kept me revved up till 3am after a badminton game one starry night. What a buzz that was!

I approached this one with caution, but after having a look at the ingredients, it seems that Scivation's taking a different approach to pre-workout supplementation. Simplicity always having been the cornerstone of all their products, Quake 10.0 doesn't seem to feature any arginine at all. So won't be expecting much if not any heightened pumps at all during my workout.

It does however cover all the basics. There's creatine and beta alanine to keep you going while a combination of tyrosine, caffeine and vitamins C & E keeps you mentally focused and promotes energy levels. Very natural stuff.

Taste wise is fine by me I suppose. A berry mix which reminded me just a little bit about Nutrabolics DecaStack.

Product Review: Infinite Labs MassPort

I took a shot of this after a workout one fine day. MassPort from Infinite Labs, a recovery drink along the likes of Xtend. It does take the usual formula to greater heights with the inclusion of some complex carbs and salts.

So I've got BCAAs, glutamine, some creatines, the carbs and salt in a shaker....

and flavoured Fruit Punch. It's the all too familiar cherry taste once again but I found it alright. Not overdone and felt a little like Torrent's Cherry Berry Blast. The inclusion of maltodextrin and other complex carbs was immediately apparent as I took a swig. Kinda gives it a smooth and thicker texture.

I think its important for recovery drinks to taste reasonably good since we all look to reward ourselves after a grueling workout. In this case, MassPort gets the thumbs up.

Product Review: Gaspari Superpump 250

I had a shot of Gaspari's Superpump 250 that night when I worked out my shoulders. The IFBB Hall of Famer's nutrition line has been gaining popularity of late.

Grape was the flavour of choice and I must say, it tastes exactly like Fanta or F&N minus the fizz. But where the tasts fizzles out with the carbonated drink, it just keeps going with Superpump. This can be a good thing if you're one who's really into the synthetic taste of grape juice but honestly, I thought that it'll be better off a little milder.

The choice of ingredients are impressive to say the least. With a proprietary blend deserving of such a prestigious brand, it boasts of everything you would expect in a pre-workout: creatines, arginines, taurine, citrulline and the usual salts. Interestingly, Superpump also has a bit of BCAAs though I don't know how much. But surely every little bit helps.

Personally, I felt the effects were a little subdued but perhaps this was because I had some evening snack prior to the serving. Should try it with an empty stomach next time. Furthermore, it is advertised as having a cumulative effect with increasing potency as you continually use it.

Product Review: Nutrex Maxxplosion

This is one product that got me a little confused.

I initally thought that it is the equivalent for UN's Torrent, a post-workout composite but Nutrex has designed Mass XXplosion as an intra-workout.

This is evident by the arginines in the formula.

Everything else is quite similar to Torrent. There's a good dose of BCAAs, same amount albeit two different types of creatine, some complex carbs but less protein.

In a nutshell, the product boasts of more advanced ingredients. These components work synegistically to infuse your body with the above-mentioned for growth during a workout. It's simple: BCAAs for anti-catabolism, creatines for energy and volumisation, complex carbs for loading and nutrient shuttling and protein for muscle.

The unique feature is that each serving comes packed in individual sachets for ease of use. This is surely convenient for gym goers as lugging around a tub is no fun at all. For those who pre-pack their supps in shakers or containers, we all know how it's like when the containers aren't dry enough and you get a cake by the time you hit the gym.

I wasn't too big on the taste of the Fruit Punch flavour. As usual, it is the cherry tinge but I felt that it wasn't strong enough like that of Torrent.

Anyway, taste = to each his own.

Product Review: Muscle Juice Revolution 2600

It was only a matter of time before I tried this new and improved version of Muscle Juice, having had a couple of tubs of the last variety.

So what's different?

A new protein blend christened OCTO-Pro (8 types of protein), a whole lot less sugar (18 grams), added healthy fats, glutamine and a time-release carbohydrate complex.

Sure upped the ante from the old Muscle Juice which is quite simple in composition really.

Best of all, the folks at Ultimate managed to jam pack 11.1 lbs into the same sized tub thus providing the same 20 servings given 4-scoops per serve. Value for money is still on the cards for this product.

Taste? Honestly, not much difference from before and that's a good thing. Though it is rather puzzling how with 71% less sugar, the Revolution 2600 doesn't stray too far from the original.

Two thumbs up!

Product Review: Chef Jay's Lite Bites

Have you ever had that sudden urge to binge in the evenings or late at night? Like you just wanna munch on some crackers or chips?

BUT, you're a gym rat or fitness junkie and you know damn well what junkfood will do to you. Just the thought of trans fat and our 1 gram daily limit is enough to turn you off and make you rather suffer the pangs of hunger.

Its a bleak picture I'm painting but it's true because it is a description of my own experience. If you feel me then this is going to be some good news to you. If you don't, hell... don't lie to yourself. Either that or you need to get your fat ass off the couch.

Anyway, the remedy for the aforementioned situation is this product: Chef Jay's Lite Bites and I'm not going to go all informercial on it.

Simply put, it's cookies with a healthy twist. High in protein and low in fat and sugar. Best of all, it tastes absolutely delicious.

Yes, that's the ultimate truth. Face it, we're all suckers for taste. Health products usually have the drawback that they taste like cardboard or chalk. But not this one and I ain't sugar coatin'.

Think about 14-18 grams of protein per serve and it's also certified Halal so that's some Halal protein source for those of the Muslim faith.

Supplement Guide: Glycocyamine

Ultimate Nutrition Horse Power Ad

One of the few pre-workouts that use Kre-Alkalyn creatine.

Product Review: Nutrabolics Iso-MRP

Tried Iso-MRP from the little known Nutrabolics. Quite a good brand really and coming from Canada, their products do feel a little different from the usual American stuff.

So I approached this one without any expectations. It's their answer to an MRP in the likes of Uni-Syn and Myoplex. However, the product is packaged in tubs instead of individual sachets. Perhaps there's better economy this way.


The powder's very fine and smells pretty good. That's a good indication of the taste that's to follow. Mixability, needless to say was easy and quick.


Check out my dandy MixMagic bottle!

OK, first impressions: It tastes exactly like VICO. Not Milo... but VICO, if you can tell the difference. Pleasant I must say and it made me want to take another gulp after downing one.

In terms of function as an MRP... I felt that it wasn't really satiating. Kinda felt more like a protein albeit a rich one. But with 36 grams of protein, complex organic carbs, EFAs, fibre and CLA, I ain't complaining. This is a pretty good supplement for a lean physique while staving off hunger and regulating appetite.