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Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT

Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Amino Acids, Muscle Recovery, VMI Sports

VMI Sports Aminogex Review

Aminogex Full Review[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”10″ overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column centered_text=”true” column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRmZpdG5lc3NpbmZvcm1hbnQuY29tJTJGcmVjb21tZW5kcyUyRmFtaW5vZ2V4LWExJTJGJTIyJTIwcmVsJTNEJTIybm9mb2xsb3clMjIlMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMm15QnV0dG9uJTIyJTNFQ0xJQ0slMjBIRVJFJTBBJTIwRk9SJTIwTE9XRVNUJTIwUFJJQ0UlMjAlM0UlM0UlM0MlMkZhJTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text=”See Our Retailer Price Comparison Table” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center|color:%23f96566″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”url:%23table|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Overview of VMI Sports Aminogex” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]

VMI Sports may be on of the greatest sports nutrition companies on the planet when it comes to flavors in their portfolio. They nailed it with and pre-workout. Anytime we get a chance to review a new product of theirs we get excited.

is a BCAA product that is available in a wide variety of VMI flavors. They do a great job again on flavoring. Looking past taste, Aminogex packs in 7g of 2:1:1 BCAA per serving and the patent TRAACS system for hydration. Overall, this is a solid BCAA product, with great flavor and available at a good price. If you’re looking for an amino (BCAA) product, this one will provide you enough 2:1:1 BCAA per serving plus the addition of a hydration matrix.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/LsUt2G4zpFw” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” bg_color=”#2e2e2e” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”padding-5-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_color_hover=”#ffffff” background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”medium_depth” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_color=”#000000″ column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-arrow-right” color=”Accent-Color”]

Why You Should Trust Our Reviews

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  • EXPERT REVIEW PANEL
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[/fancy-ul][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Testing Results and Ratings” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]We reviewed VMI Sports Aminogex on five categories. We first start by looking at it’s ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the amount of aminos used, as well as the kind of aminos, the ratio and other ingredients involved in the making of this BCAA powder.

We then look at effectiveness. A high BCAA product will be effective. This is generally an extension of the profile section. The higher quality ingredients used at proper dosages, the more effective that product will be.

Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out the following flavors: Tropical Mango.

Mixability refers to how well the powder mixes in 12oz of water. We use the shaker bottle test. This would be your typical Blender Bottle with the spiral chrome ball.

Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and mixability in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of BCAA products on the market; both with and without caffeine.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Ingredients Profile

(8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Many recent studies have been released that state BCAA’s alone is not sufficient to aid in protein synthesis and muscle recovery. In fact, some of these studies actually state the BCAA’s by themselves can actually slow the muscle-building process. There are studies upon studies, and we are a firm believer of EAA’s are the route to go, we needed to evaluate this product based on the BCAA category.

With that said, 7g of 2:1:1 BCAAs is solid. You will find 7g to be the magic number across many different products offered today. It used to be 5g, but supplement companies decided 7g was better (we agree). There is no indication on the label or the website that these are fermented BCAAs (from vegan sources) so we do need to keep that in-mind during this review.

After the 7g of BCAAs, we get 1.25g of Betaine. This actually aids in strength output and exercise performance. The typical dosage of Betaine that we see is 1.5-2.5g. We’d expect to see this in a pre-workout, but rarely, if ever, in a BCAA product. Solid addition.

VMI tosses in 400mg of Magnesium Glycinate Glutamine Chelate. What the hell is that? Great question, we’re glad you asked! We’ve all heard of Glutamine by itself where we would like to see it dosed at 5g to help with gut health. Glutamine in an amino acid chelate molecule allows for it to be more stable. Long story short, this is a better, stable form of Glutamine. A nice addition.

Then we get a variety of ingredients that aid in hydration backed by the patent TRAACs system. We are not going to get into TRAACs here, it’s too scientific, and honestly, that’s not what most of you care about. If you want to read more about TRAACs, knock yourself out by clicking here. These are higher quality forms of the ingredients. These ingredients, dosed at 50mg, are Magnesium Glycinate, Potassium Glycinate and Calcium Glycinate. VMI also tossed in 50mg of Sodium Chloride. These will all help with hydration.

Overall, a very nice profile. We’d like to see clear distinction on the sources of the BCAAs, other than that, nice work VMI.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][image_with_animation image_url=”4960″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Effectiveness

(8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Effectiveness of a BCAA product really comes down to the ingredients, ratio and dosing of the product. As you read the profile section you became aware that this is a quality BCAA product.

Hydration was the biggest thing I noticed from it. I would use a Blender Bottle at the gym, and it would be gone before my lift was done. Why? It quenches your thirst and helps contribute to exercise performance (thanks Betaine).

Regarding delaying or alleviating DOMS, the book is still out on that. I will say that I did not suffer a lot of DOMS, but I am also a seasoned vet in the gym and lactic acid isn’t really an issue anymore.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Taste

Tropical Mango: (8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]I am a HUGE fan of anything orange, mango or tropical flavor. I am a sucker for it. Tropical Mango was a good, solid flavor from VMI. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the company. I would not say it is the best flavor ever, but I believe it is a flavor everyone can and will enjoy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Mixability

(10/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]This may be the best amino product I have ever had in terms of mixability. I never got any traces of undissolved particles in any drink. There wasn’t anything floating or sitting at the bottom of the cup like you find with some amino products.

I would mix one scoop of Aminogex with 20oz of water (Blender Bottle). See video for mixability test.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Value

(8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]There are EAA products (BCAAs are EAAs) on the market that include the 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs for $30 for 30-servings. This retails for around $29-$30 for 30-servings. It is not a bad value at all. It packs a good profile, a nice taste and great mixability. It would be worth your money.

We did not give it a perfect score because we are believers in the EAA system, and therefore if you can get 30-servings of EAAs for the same price, it would bring this rating down a point.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Available at these Fitness Informant approved retailers:” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”|||” el_id=”table”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][tabbed_section style=”default” alignment=”left” spacing=”default” tab_color=”Accent-Color”][tab icon_family=”none” title=”30-SERVINGS” id=”1509114502646-0d67c-c5b0″ tab_id=”1510193254965-0″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509130110995{padding-top: 12px !important;padding-bottom: 12px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509116724210{background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]  PRICE COMPARISON:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/tab][/tabbed_section][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]A1Supplements Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

A1 Supplements

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$28.95

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Amazon

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See Price

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGYW16bi50byUyRjJvVTIzSmklMjIlMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMm15QnV0dG9uJTIyJTIwcmVsJTNEJTIybm9mb2xsb3clMjIlM0VHTyUyMFRPJTIwU1RPUkUlMjAlM0UlM0UlM0MlMkZhJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Fitness Articles

7 Ways Sleep Can Affect Bodybuilding

7 ways sleep affects bodybuilding[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4952″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][vc_column_text]Packing on muscle is a process that demands consistency and attention-to-detail. Any bodybuilder should know that making those muscles pop is more than just putting in the hours at the gym. After you pump iron, consider achieving optimum sleep on a nightly basis because a lack of it does more damage than you might think.

Sleep Loss Affects Performance

Your body is a machine that functions smoothly when the circumstances are ideal. When you are lacking sleep, you won’t be able to exert maximum effort during your workouts because your body will be unfit for the task at hand. A post from Building Muscle Guide notes that without proper sleep, you become weaker and less efficient during your training. Sure, you can train, but it’s a watered down version of what it ought to be. A common scenario among sleep-deprived athletes is opting for lighter resistance or even cutting down on the number of repetitions and sets for the workout. Moreover, you don’t push your physical threshold and instead allow yourself to plateau.

Sleep Loss Compromises Your Body’s Muscle Building Hormones

Integral hormones that contribute to muscle building are directly affected when you run low on sleep. The same post from Building Muscle Guide explains that one of them is cortisol, which aids in fat storage and muscle tissue breakdown for the purposes of energy use. When this stress hormone increases, getting ripped becomes more of a challenge for your system. Another important chemical is the growth hormone, which plays a key role in repairing muscle tissue and preserving muscle mass. Sleep loss results in low growth hormone production leading to weaker and smaller muscles.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Sleep Loss Jogs Your Memory

Many of us are familiar with that level of fatigue where association and recall become difficult. Apart from losing your mental edge, Leesa emphasizes that being sleep deprived hinders your memory from retaining information. In the study featured in the article, subjects were asked to remember as many words as possible on a list. Those who were sleep deprived performed 40 percent worse at recalling them. The very same principle applies to your workouts. Building muscle requires a lot of learning, from adopting new workouts and techniques to adjusting to nutrition plans. When you find yourself tired most of the time due to inadequate sleep, you’ll face the uphill battle of establishing muscle memory and managing the steep learning curve that comes with these changes. Without good sleep you may find yourself constantly falling back to easier exercises.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4953″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4954″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][vc_column_text]Sleep Loss May Take Away Your Drive to Stay Fit

When you run low on sleep, you may not be thinking clearly as your cognitive edge is diminished. Sleepiness becomes a real problem for body builders who have strict fitness schedule to keep. Carrying this groggy state into the gym may not only bring you closer to injury, but may even be the cause for skipping training days entirely. Putting yourself in situations that remove you from your routine are certainly not ideal for individuals whose success rely on maintaining a regimen.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Sleep Loss Wreaks Havoc on Your Mood

Feelings of positivity and optimism are found less in individuals who sleep less. Bodybuilding takes a toll on you mentally as well as physically, so it is important to be able to function with a positive outlook at all times. In order to be in the best physical shape, every part of your life needs to be positively focused on achieving your goals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Sleep Loss Messes Affects Your Metabolism

A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains that sleeping less may result in the weight gain of a pound just inside of two weeks. While it may not seem like much, the excess pounds may pile up if you don’t make the necessary adjustments right away. Moreover, the study also found that those who were sleeping less were actually eating more – a 300-calorie increase in their daily nutrition. Bodybuilders must value sleep as it contributes to achieving the best physique possible. The more you sleep, the less chances you have of ruining your diet.

Sleep Loss Can Make You Sick

Health Guidance underscores that insufficient sleep threatens your body’s condition by weakening your immune system and even raising the chances of other health issues that include diabetes, heart attack, and even depression. All of these are factors that may rob you from your time at the gym. As nurturing your muscles requires following a strict workout schedule, having a compromised immune system due to lack of sleep makes achieving this harder to realize.[/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”4955″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Blackstone Labs, Pre-Workout

Blackstone Labs Dust v2 Review

Blackstone Labs Dust v2 Full Review[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column centered_text=”true” column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

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[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”See Our Retailer Price Comparison Table” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center|color:%23f96566″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”url:%23table|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Overview of Blackstone Labs Dust v2″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Blackstone Labs will have the extremely difficult task of producing any pre-workouts that were as effective as Dust Extreme. Everything the company makes now will seem to be pitted against the king of the pre-workout category (once upon a time). Although Dust v2 isn’t a reformulation of Dust Extreme, we will still always have the memory of Dust Extreme in our minds whenever we try a Blackstone pre-workout.

Dust v2 is going to be a let down for those of you who loved Dust Extreme. That’s not necessarily Blackstone’s fault, with the government coming down on DMAA and DMHA you have to find a new way to create highly effective products. I was let down that Blackstone decided to try to do it via prop blend. Overall, Dust v2 is OK, but it doesn’t rank in our top 5.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjnQrBKuN6o”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” bg_color=”#2e2e2e” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”padding-5-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_color_hover=”#ffffff” background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”medium_depth” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_color=”#000000″ column_border_style=”solid”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-arrow-right” color=”Accent-Color”]

Why You Should Trust Our Reviews

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  • EXPERT REVIEW PANEL
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[/fancy-ul][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Testing Results and Ratings” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]We reviewed Blackstone Labs Dust v2 on five categories. We first start by looking at it’s ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the different ingredients used in the pre-workout, what their intention is and how effectively dosed are each ingredient.

We then look at effectiveness. An effective pre-workout will use high quality, proven ingredients, at clinically backed dosages.  This is generally an extension of the profile section. The higher quality ingredients used at proper dosages, the more effective that product will be.

Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out the following flavors: Cotton Candy.

Mixability refers to how well the powder mixes in 12oz of water. We use the shaker bottle test. This would be your typical Blender Bottle with the spiral chrome ball.

Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and mixability in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of pre-workout products on the market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Ingredients Profile

(6/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]As we mentioned earlier, Dust v2 uses a prop blend containing 10g (8.2g active ingredients) containing 13 active ingredients.

The first ingredient listed is Beta Alanine. The clinically accepted dosage here is 3.2g. We are unsure that is what we are getting with Dust v2. Beta Alanine provides the “itchy” feeling but also prolongs endurance and strength output. If this was dosed at 3.2g that would leave 5.1g left for the rest of the ingredients…not likely.

Next we get L-Taurine. L-Taurine is typically dosed 1-2g. L-Taurine helps with strength output. Then we get L-Carnitine-L-Tartrate. This is used a lot in weight loss supplements and increases oxidation to the brain. I have seen this dosed anywhere from 500mg-3,000mg.

Citrulline Malate is next. This is for your pumps. The clinically accepted dosage is 6g. It is safe to say we are not getting enough L-Citrulline. Then we get N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, a cognitive enhancing ingredient. I have seen this dosed from 500mg-1,000mg.

Betaine Anhydrous is next. This helps with endurance and strength. This has been dosed at 1.5-2.5g. Where it is listed on the label, it is safe to say we’re not getting the full dosage. Agmatine Sulfate is another pump ingredient. I see this dosed at 500mg to 1000mg. This helps your pain receptors so you can get another rep out. L-Norvaline is another pump ingredient. L-Norvaline works by inhibiting arginase, allowing you to achieve longer, stronger pumps that give more power and recovery ability. This is typically dosed at 100-200mg.

Di-Caffeine Malate and Caffeine Anhydrous are next. Collectively we’d like to see these around 300mg, but due to the prop blend, we’re not sure. Hordenine is listed next and aids in fat loss. This is used a lot in fat loss ingredients. There has not been sufficient studies on what the proper dosage should be. N-Methyl Tyramine is used next. This is used for weight loss. There are no sufficient studies on this for dosage either. Lastly, MaxxEndureXT(Stearoyl vanillylamide) is used. This is similar to Capsaicin without the burning and irritation.

Overall, there are a couple energy ingredients, a couple pump ingredients and several weight loss ingredients. The issue is we don’t know what we are getting of each. If each serving is 8.3g, we know it is going to be under dosed, which is evident in the effectiveness section.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4942″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Effectiveness

(7/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Dust v2 was semi-effective. One thing right away is we didn’t get the tingly feeling from it like we do with others with Beta Alanine, which leads me to believe it is under dosed.

We had a nice increase in overall energy and focus (the caffeine also contributed to the focus with the L-Tyrosine). Energy lasted a good 40-50 minutes. We expected this with the use of two different types of caffeine. Endurance was average as well (better than not taking anything).

The pump was something we were disappointed with. They were average, at best. We realize there is Norvaline, Agmatine and Citrulline, but just not sure they are dosed sufficiently to be effective.

In terms of fat loss or increase in body temp. we did notice we sweat quite a bit more on this, so this could be a good pre-workout to help you shed some of that water weight.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Taste

Cotton Candy: (8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Cotton Candy was spot on. It tasted just like you’d think Cotton Candy would taste like. For us, it is a bit too tart and sweet. If you’ve ever had cotton candy flavored anything from Hi Tech you’ve probably already tasted this.

Overall, it tastes just like it says it does, but it’s a little too “candy” like for us.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Mixability

(9/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]One nice thing about a small serving size is that it typically mixes well with water. Since this is a 10g serving, you can expect it to mix well, and it did. I didn’t have any issues with it mixing using a Blender Bottle and 6oz of water.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Value

(7/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]A fully dosed pre-workout now days retails for about $40 for 20-servings. Dust v2, although under dosed, is 25-servings for $34. So there is value there. You can also double up on serving size too to ensure you might be getting the right dosages, but you need to be careful when using products that contain certain ingredients.

I would much rather have this be a fully transparent label, then I could vouch if this is a better value for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Available at these Fitness Informant approved retailers:” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”|||” el_id=”table”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_style=”solid”][tabbed_section style=”default” alignment=”left”][tab title=”25-SERVINGS” id=”1509114502646-00fc8-496c” tab_id=”1510512996012-3″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509130110995{padding-top: 12px !important;padding-bottom: 12px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-tag” color=”Accent-Color”]FITNESS INFORMANT’S EXCLUSIVE “BLACKSTONE LABS DUST V2” DEALS[/text-with-icon][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Suppz Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Suppz

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$33.99

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Suppz

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$33.99

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$34.99

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Supplement Warehouse logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

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Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Food & Drink, FREEZINda

FREEZINda Review

FREEZINda full review[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”10″ overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column centered_text=”true” column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGYW16bi50byUyRjJHeTRPYW4lMjIlMjByZWwlM0QlMjJub2ZvbGxvdyUyMiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIybXlCdXR0b24lMjIlM0VDTElDSyUyMEhFUkUlMEElMjBGT1IlMjBMT1dFU1QlMjBQUklDRSUyMCUzRSUzRSUzQyUyRmElM0U=[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text=”See Our Retailer Price Comparison Table” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center|color:%23f96566″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”url:%23table|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Overview of FREEZINda” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! This is what FREEZINda saw as an opportunity in the sports nutrition market. Not known for anything else, FREEZINda is a whey protein powder additive to turn your favorite protein powder flavors into ice cream.

Many of us could just freeze protein powder, but we know when we do this that the ice cream we get is hard, and it takes quite a bit of time to thaw. FREEZINda removes that. This liquid and dry packet additive adds sweetness to your ice cream and texture that you look for when you consumer ice cream. However, there is a syrup-y taste to it that could turn some people off.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7IR5ii2cTg” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” bg_color=”#2e2e2e” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”padding-5-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_color_hover=”#ffffff” background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”medium_depth” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_color=”#000000″ column_border_style=”solid”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-arrow-right” color=”Accent-Color”]

Why You Should Trust Our Reviews

[/text-with-icon][fancy-ul icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-ok” color=”Accent-Color” alignment=”left”]
  • EXPERT REVIEW PANEL
    Our review panel is made up of individuals with many years of experience in the sports nutrition industry, dating back to the early 2000’s. Their tenure gives them knowledge on brands, supplements, ingredients, dosages and more.
  • FULL CONTAINER REVIEWS
    Unlike the majority of “review” sites on the internet, Fitness Informant reviews every supplement on a full-container basis. What does this mean? It means that a review is not written or recorded until the last serving of that product has been finished. We’ve all had products that were great for the first couple of days, but then lost their effectiveness shortly after. We want to ensure you are getting a full review based on a full product.
  • INGREDIENT EDUCATION
    We breakdown each ingredient in our reviews to educate you on exactly what the ingredients do, and what is the proper dosage of each ingredient to effectively do what they are intended to do.
  • 100% HONEST – NO B.S. REVIEWS
    Our number #1 priority is to inform you proper supplement selection through honest reviews. The majority of “review” sites on the internet will push you to buy a certain product based on the commissions they received. Not us. We want you to purchase the highest quality supplements at the best value. We put your health and wellness first. To achieve your goals we want you to use only the best supplements that you can afford. We do this by being honest.
[/fancy-ul][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Testing Results and Ratings” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]We reviewed FREEZINda on four categories. We first start by looking at it’s ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the ingredients used, amounts included and their intended purposes, as well as other ingredients used. We also look at the macro-nutrients.

Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out the non-flavored FREEZINda.

We look at texture on this as well. We want to make sure it is edible/drinkable.

Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and texture in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of this available on the market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Ingredients Profile

(7/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]FREEZINda is essentially a sweetener and softener packet. FREEZINda first starts with Vegetable Glycerol. Vegetable Glycerol is a softener, actually used in hand lotions, but also has a sweet taste to it. 

Next, we get Erythritol. Erythritol is one of the most prominent natural zero calorie sweeteners that have become so popular, and seemingly less problematic than the controversial aspartame. This is a sugar alcohol.

Then comes sugar. There has to be some in this, right?

Baking Powder is used to add volume to the dish. This is the “fluffy” you want.

Guar Gum is used to “thicken” the ice cream. Finally it uses Xanthan Gum, a thickening agent.

The macros are pretty simple:

Calories: 50
Fats: 0g
Carbs: 18g
Protein: 0g

Overall, it’s not terrible, but it is an additive with items used on hand lotions, other weird products, all to make whey protein edible in the form of ice cream. It seems to work.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4859″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Taste

[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]N/A – Flavorless[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Texture

(6/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]The actual ice cream itself comes out edible and tastes just like the protein powder being used. I have two issues with texture. The first is that I still end up getting little “ice” chunks in mine. Where it feels like I am eating more of a slushy at times, instead of ice cream.

The other issue is the “syrup” texture FREEZINda give the ice cream. This is most likely from the Vegetable Glycerin. I was not a big fan of it and neither was my wife. If they could find a way to get that removed, I could live with the small ice chunks.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Value

(8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]This is going to be a debate. First off, you get (5) packets for $15. That is $3/serving. Yes, you can go to Costco and get a 4-pack of Halo Top for $12, which is also $3/serving without any mixing.

Here are the benefits to FREEZINda:

  • Pick your own flavor (you use your whey)
  • More protein
  • Less fat
  • Less carbs
  • Bigger portion size

I do think these are handy to have around. I would prefer the “syrup” texture be removed somehow, and then the value of this would be much higher. All-in-all, worth the $3 a packet to be able to eat clean for desert![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][heading]Available at these Fitness Informant approved retailers:[/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_style=”solid”][tabbed_section style=”default” alignment=”left”][tab title=”ALL SIZES” id=”1509114502646-02e98-c050″ tab_id=”1510418192887-8″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509116724210{background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]  PRICE COMPARISON:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/tab][/tabbed_section][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Amazon Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Amazon

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See Price

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGYW16bi50byUyRjJHeTRPYW4lMjIlMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMm15QnV0dG9uJTIyJTIwcmVsJTNEJTIybm9mb2xsb3clMjIlM0VHTyUyMFRPJTIwU1RPUkUlMjAlM0UlM0UlM0MlMkZhJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Food & Drink, Muscle Mac

Muscle Mac Review

Muscle Mac full review[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”10″ overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column centered_text=”true” column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tJTJGZ3AlMkZzZWFyY2glMkZyZWYlM0Rhc19saV9xZl9zcF9zcl9pbF90bCUzRmllJTNEVVRGOCUyNnRhZyUzRGZpdG5laW5mb3ItMjAlMjZrZXl3b3JkcyUzRG11c2NsZSUyMG1hYyUyNmluZGV4JTNEYXBzJTI2Y2FtcCUzRDE3ODklMjZjcmVhdGl2ZSUzRDkzMjUlMjZsaW5rQ29kZSUzRHhtMiUyNmxpbmtJZCUzRGUzMTg5ZjU4NDYzZjIzMmE0OGM3ZjEzODIyZDI5OWNkJTIyJTIwcmVsJTNEJTIybm9mb2xsb3clMjIlMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMm15QnV0dG9uJTIyJTNFQ0xJQ0slMjBIRVJFJTBBJTIwRk9SJTIwTE9XRVNUJTIwUFJJQ0UlMjAlM0UlM0UlM0MlMkZhJTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text=”See Our Retailer Price Comparison Table” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center|color:%23f96566″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”url:%23table|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Overview of Muscle Mac” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]As kids we all loved Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I was a spiral kind of guy. But we knew it wasn’t good for us. Loaded with fake cheese, a bunch of butter and unnecessary carbs. This is were Muscle Mac comes into play.

Muscle Mac is high protein mac and cheese aimed at the health enthusiast. Is it better for you than Kraft? Yes. But how much better is the real question? The real answer is it’s better but not much better. The use of pea protein in the actual pasta gives you 20g of protein, but more protein doesn’t always mean it’s healthy. If you have a Kraft kick, then I suggest replacing it with this, or find a better, healthier alternative.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSJmN4i5Zw” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” bg_color=”#2e2e2e” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”padding-5-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_color_hover=”#ffffff” background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”medium_depth” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_color=”#000000″ column_border_style=”solid”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-arrow-right” color=”Accent-Color”]

Why You Should Trust Our Reviews

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  • EXPERT REVIEW PANEL
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    Unlike the majority of “review” sites on the internet, Fitness Informant reviews every supplement on a full-container basis. What does this mean? It means that a review is not written or recorded until the last serving of that product has been finished. We’ve all had products that were great for the first couple of days, but then lost their effectiveness shortly after. We want to ensure you are getting a full review based on a full product.
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[/fancy-ul][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Testing Results and Ratings” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]We reviewed Muscle Mac on four categories. We first start by looking at it’s ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the ingredients used, amounts included and their intended purposes, as well as other ingredients used. We also look at the macro-nutrients.

Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out regular Mac & Cheese and Aged White Cheddar.

We look at texture on this as well. We want to make sure it is edible/drinkable.

Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and texture in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of this available on the market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Ingredients Profile

(5/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Muscle Mac comes in various types. You can buy it in a box, this is similar to your typical Kraft Mac & Cheese. You can buy it in shells, this is similar to Velveeta. Or you can get it in a microwavable bowl to-go.

We were able to try two versions. The shells and the to-go.

The shells macros are:

Serving Size: 4.4oz
Calories: 400
Fats: 14g
Carbs: 48g
Protein: 20g

Here’s Velveeta Shells macros:
Serving Size: 4oz
Calories: 360
Fats: 12g
Carbs: 49g
Protein: 13g

The biggest difference is the protein content between the two. The pasta is also derived from different sources.

The pasta is the same across any type of Muscle Mac. It is derived from Durum Wheat Semolina and Pea Protein Isolate. Sure, a little better with the added pea protein isolate, but you’re still getting that cheese.

With the shell version, the cheese is just like Velveeta. There’s just something about melted cheese in a packet that gets me.

Let’s take a look at the to-go cups:

Serving Size: 3.6oz
Calories: 420
Fats: 13g
Carbs: 60g
Protein: 20g

Here’s Kraft Mac & Cheese to-go cup:
Serving Size: 58g = 2.04oz (less)
Calories: 220
Fats: 4g
Carbs: 40g
Protein: 6g

If you do the math to make these equal, the biggest different, again, is the protein content only.

The cheese packets on these are powdered. The actual units have an anti-boil powder in them as well to ensure the water doesn’t boil over in the microwave.

In all honesty, these are not great macros. These are a lot of calories for little food. There are a lot of carbs, which is to be expected with a pasta.

This profile would have been leaps and bounds better had they used a chick pea base for the pasta versus Durum Wheat Semolina.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4941″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Taste

Original Cheddar: (8/10) White Cheddar: (8/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]If you like the taste of Kraft Mac & Cheese you will love Muscle Mac. It is essentially exactly the same. The good thing about this is you don’t have to add butter or milk.

Aged White Cheddar is unique. This is why I really liked it. Don’t get me wrong, ain’t nothin’ betta’ than chedda’ but aged white cheddar did a heck of a job of hanging in there with the main event.

I preferred the taste of Cheddar on the to-go cups versus the Shells. This is because I am not a fan of the cheese sauce used in the shells. Grosses me out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Texture

(9/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]These are noodled heated up via stove-top or microwave. The texture should be what you expect.

For the to-go cups, you microwave for 3:30 minutes, stir in the cheese powder and dig in. For the shells, you boil on stove-top for 10-12 minutes, add the cheese sauce and dig in.

The only way to screw up the texture would be the under cook or over cook the shells.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Value

(4/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Muscle Mac is expensive. For (6) to-go cups, it can run you almost $25 on websites. That is over $4 per cup. For me, that is expensive, only because it is not incrementally better than other mac and cheeses on the market.

Annies is an organic mac and cheese available online that retails for cheaper. The biggest difference is the 20g of protein. They add pea protein isolate to the noodles. If the noodles were chick pea, I would have been a bigger fan. I cannot justify $4 a cup or $3.50 for the shells. You still have to eat that cheese…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][heading]Available at these Fitness Informant approved retailers:[/heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_style=”solid”][tabbed_section style=”default” alignment=”left”][tab title=”ALL SIZES” id=”1509114502646-02e98-c050″ tab_id=”1510418192887-8″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509116724210{background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]  PRICE COMPARISON:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/tab][/tabbed_section][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Amazon Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]

Amazon

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See Price

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tJTJGZ3AlMkZzZWFyY2glMkZyZWYlM0Rhc19saV9xZl9zcF9zcl9pbF90bCUzRmllJTNEVVRGOCUyNnRhZyUzRGZpdG5laW5mb3ItMjAlMjZrZXl3b3JkcyUzRG11c2NsZSUyMG1hYyUyNmluZGV4JTNEYXBzJTI2Y2FtcCUzRDE3ODklMjZjcmVhdGl2ZSUzRDkzMjUlMjZsaW5rQ29kZSUzRHhtMiUyNmxpbmtJZCUzRGUzMTg5ZjU4NDYzZjIzMmE0OGM3ZjEzODIyZDI5OWNkJTIyJTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJteUJ1dHRvbiUyMiUyMHJlbCUzRCUyMm5vZm9sbG93JTIyJTNFR08lMjBUTyUyMFNUT1JFJTIwJTNFJTNFJTNDJTJGYSUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Fitness Articles

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) CFT Overview

ISSA CFT Overview[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4926″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][vc_column_text]The world of personal training can be a lucrative way to live your life if you know what you’re talking about and you look the part. Who wouldn’t want to work in a gym all-day and help change the lives of their clients? This is what we created Fitness Informant for, to change the lives of others.

Each day, personal trainers across the world are changing the lives of others. Their journey on how they got to be a personal trainer varies from trainer to trainer. Some maybe attended a 4-year university where they majored in exercise science. Others went above and beyond and obtained their master’s degree in sports training and exercise science. However, the majority of personal trainers today obtained their certified personal training certificate through a training course they took online.

When you get the idea that you want to become a personal trainer, you first do your research. For most of us, this means turning to Google and searching, “Personal Training Programs,” or a variation of that search term. I am not going to lie, that’s exactly what I did.

Google quickly spits out 15,000,000 results in less than one second. Overwhelmed? I would say. There are many certification programs to choose from. This is where I wanted to help. How is someone supposed to know which program to enroll in? The online reviews were few and far between…and not very good. I wanted to help you all make a better decision when it came to your education on becoming a certified personal trainer.

I combed through many of the pages of results from Google. My research showed that there were 7 major online personal training certification courses to choose from:

  • ACE – American Council on Exercise
  • NCSF – National Council on Strength & Fitness
  • NASM – National Academy of Sports Medicine
  • ACSM – American College of Sports Medicine
  • NSCA – National Strength and Conditioning Association
  • NCCPT – National Council for Certified Personal Trainers
  • ISSA – International Sports Sciences Association

There was not any good articles indicating in-depth reviews of each program, or how they were different or which one was better. So, what better way to attest to the validity of the program by enrolling in them? I decided to take the leap and enroll into the ISSA – International Sports Sciences Association.

The ISSA CFT Program

The ISSA CFT program is different from other online programs in that it only offers one package. Some other programs offer three to five different packages, depending on how much help and content you want. The ISSA includes all of their resources in one package for $599. Other programs range from $499 to $1,599.

The ISSA CFT Program is 100% online based. With that said, you are given an allotted amount of time to complete the course materials in order to obtain your certification program. The ISSA give you 10 full weeks to complete the course material to obtain your CFT.

Accreditation

The ISSA CFT program is accredited by DEAC – Distance Education Accrediting Commission. This is one of the negatives of the program as it does not have the the accreditation from National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA accreditation is generally held as the standard for the field—certifying bodies must undergo comprehensive evaluation and regular renewals to keep this accreditation.

There are some fitness franchises that will not accept your ISSA certification if you’re not accredited by the NCCA. With that being said, I am a firm believer if you look the part and you know your stuff, you can get a job anywhere in this industry. The best thing about the ISSA is that they set you up to run your own business and not work for someone else.

Corporate Partners

We all worry about whether or not we will get a job post-degree. The ISSA partners with the following fitness franchises to help you get placement once you complete your certification program:

  • Snap Fitness
  • LA Fitness
  • 24 Hour Fitness
  • Powerhouse Gyme
  • Ballys
  • Curves
  • Urban Active Fitness
  • Eqinox

There are also other resources for placement post-certification for companies that are not listed above.

Materials Included

As mentioned earlier, the ISSA includes EVERYTHING in this one package. The ISSA wants to ensure you are successful during this certification program, but also post-program for your own personal training business. The materials included are:[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][fancy-ul icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-ok-circle” color=”Accent-Color” alignment=”left”]

  • Hardcopy and Online Main Course Text
    The hardcopy text will be mailed to you after you register online. The online version is a bit hard to follow, in all honesty. I used the hardcopy for the entire program. This is your copy to keep – feel free to highlight or mark it up. The hardcopy is 759 pages of course content.
  • Study Guide and Workbook
    I used this the whole time. The study guide and workbook is great to prepare you for your weekly quizzes and the final exam. The best way to approach this, in my opinion, is to fill out the workbook as you read the chapters. The questions asked in the workbook are both important as they are the same questions you will find on the quizzes and final exam, but also because they reiterate important course concepts and terms.
  • Marketing and Business Guide
    This is where ISSA separates themselves from the other online programs; the marketing and business guide teaches us how to run our personal training business. It’s one thing to know how to design periodized training programs, diets and adjustments based on lifestyles, but if you cannot run your business you won’t have any lives to transform.
  • Exercise Reference Guide DVD
    We all have access to YouTube now, and many of us no longer have DVD drives, but the idea behind this DVD is a good one. There are so many exercises on the DVD that will help you design programs and show your clients proper form. The one thing about the DVD that is helpful is it lists the exercises and doesn’t require you to search for them as you would have to on YouTube. My recommendation to ISSA would be to move this to a digital format.
  • Practice Examination and Section Quizzes
    Outside of the course text, these are the most helpful things you can complete to be success in this program. Each section has a quiz that you are required to take and pass. Once all quizzes have been passed, you then can unlock the final exam. You can re-take the quizzes if you do poorly until you’re happy with your score.The practice final exam is awesome. You will find A LOT of the same questions on the final that you find on the practice final exam. Do this. Don’t even question it. Do it. It will be good for you, your training and your final exam.
  • Online and Home Study Exam
    The final exam can be taken one of two ways: online or take home. What I did was I printed out the take home final, completed it and then submitted my answers online for a quick response. I submitted my answers on a Sunday, I got my test results back the following Wednesday.
  • Online Student Forum
    I can honestly say that I never used this, but it is a great tool for you to communicate with your “classmates” on course topics and questions you may have. The ISSA education staff also interacts with the students and answers questions.
  • Online Exercise Lab (250 animated exercises!)
    This is another area that I never used, but it would be helpful to reiterate course concepts that you are having trouble with.
  • Free Professional Website
    This is such a HUGE asset that the ISSA provides you. Most of us don’t know how to build a professionally looking website (I do, hence why I didn’t use this feature), so the ISSA gives you nine designs to choose from to make your own website (note: a website can cost over $3,000 – $599 for the course – remember that).
  • Unlimited Educational Support
    You always have access to the ISSA faculty to ensure you can complete the course successfully.
[/fancy-ul][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4927″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][image_with_animation image_url=”4928″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][image_with_animation image_url=”4929″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][image_with_animation image_url=”4930″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

Guided Study

The ISSA gives you a 10-week layout they term “guided study.” This is very helpful for those that have a hard time with procrastination. If you procrastinate long enough, the end of the 10-weeks will be here before you know it![/vc_column_text][image_with_animation image_url=”4931″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]The guided study is broken down into the full 10-weeks. The purpose of this is to essentially tell you what you need to complete that week in order to complete the program in the allotted time of 10-weeks.

Each week starts with the reading assignment for the week. This reading assignment will be coordinated with all other sections of the weekly guided study. At times, this may only be one unit, others it can be 4-5 units. Keep in mind, there are a total of 31 units, which would be roughly three units per week.

There are also audio lectures and powerpoint lectures available each week. I did not utilize these UNLESS I was struggling with course concepts. The lectures essentially take the full unit and break it down into a shorter, easy-to-understand presentation. This reminded me a lot of college lectures and worked just the same.

Most weeks include a final exam prep. Do these. They give you a list of 4-6 questions that are short-answer. These questions WILL re-appear on the final exam. By doing them now, you can just copy and paste them into your final and not have to spend time on these sections. Each question asked should pertain to a subject in that week’s reading assignment and lecture.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][image_with_animation image_url=”4932″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Lastly, each week will include a unit quiz. Keep in mind, there may be more than one quiz to complete in any given week. If the reading assignment covers four units, you will have four corresponding quizzes. The quizzes must be completed and passed in-order to unlock the final exam. The quizzes themselves are not that difficult, and it is all open-book.

Difficulty

As we just mentioned, the course is completely, 100% open-book. That means that each quiz, each final exam prep question and even the final exam itself is open-book. There are people who are going to hate on this. I think it is a good thing. Think about when you are out in your field, you should always have access to the information needed, and not just memorization and regurgitation.

I have rated the following main categories on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of difficulty. This should help you.

  • Reading Assignments – 5
    I am not a huge fan of reading. Some of the reading assignments are multiple units long. Depending on your everyday schedule, this can be difficult to complete in a timely matter. In fact, I got caught up with the website transition that I had to ask for an extension (I never needed to use it as I still completed the certification within the 10-weeks). Just take your time with the readings, highlight and take notes.In terms of the actual content, I love fitness so it wasn’t too difficult for me. My brain does not work the best when it comes to sciences (i.e. human anatomy) so this was more difficult for me. Understanding all the bones, muscles and joints, because there are so many of them, took me some time, but you always have access to your book.
  • Weekly Quizzes – 2
    Honestly, the worst score I got on any one quiz was an 80% and that was only because I rushed to get through it. You can re-take the quizzes until you get 100%.
  • Final Exam Prep Questions – 5
    They give you 4-6 choices, some are harder than others, some are more interesting than others. I choose questions that were interesting to me. You have to write a minimum of 250 words, but it goes by pretty quick. Just be sure to incorporate course concepts.
  • Study Guide / Workbook – 2
    The images and questions come directly out of the readings
  • Final Exam – will answer this in the next session.

The Final Exam

The final exam is broken into five parts. They are:

  • Multiple Choice
  • True/False
  • Picture Descriptors
  • Final Exam Prep Questions
  • Training Programs Design

The following sections will talk about each and give them a difficulty rating.

Multiple Choice – 3

These questions are very similar to the weekly quiz multiple choice questions. In fact, you will find that a lot of them are reused during this section. Take your time when you complete to make sure you don’t rush through. Read the full question and answer with what you think is the best answer. I flew through this section, hence the easy difficultly level.

True/False – 2

This is again similar to the weekly quiz questions. Some of the quiz questions are true/false. I actually found this section easier than the multiple choice. If you are prepared from your readings and workbook, you will fly through these.

Picture Descriptors – 2

This section will show you a photo of an exercise. Then there will be four multiple choice questions with each photo. It will ask the following:

  • What is the name of the exercise?
  • What muscle is being worked?
  • What is another exercise that would work the same muscle?
  • What is the origin point of the exercise?

These are directly out of your course text. Find the exercise and answer the questions.

Final Exam Prep Questions – 5

If you completed the guided study, and followed it, you would have already completed these. You would just copy and paste your answers here. The rating above reflects the original rating from before.

Training Program Designs – 7

You are given two different clients with different lifestyles and different goals. Your job is to design a 12-week periodized program that will help them reach their goals. The only reason I scored this as higher difficulty is because the course text, in my opinion, doesn’t do a great job with program design. That said, every client is different, so this is a not a cookie cutter approach by any means.

The course text does describe periodization. This is what you need to follow. This was more beneficial for me than the sample programs they included in the text. They only included several sample programs so it is natural to get nervous here.

The main thing here is do not overthink the program. If someone’s goal is to lose weight, you know what to do in terms of diet, exercise and tests. Follow your instincts and your knowledge.

The most important part is to showcase your knowledge. Use course concepts. Use what you’ve learned to provide an in-depth 12-week program that you know in your heart is correct. If you are confident, you will do just fine.

You also need to discuss any type of testing you want to perform with your client. Tests the course talks about are VO2 Max, Resting Heart Rate, 1RM, Body Fat Percentage, etc. Make sure to include specific tests and why you think they are important.

You need to discuss diet as well. The 12-week program is not just training. We all know that abs are made in the kitchen. Make sure you use common sense when talking about how you want your client to eat to obtain their goals.

Grading

Getting your score from your final exam takes up to three business days. It is rather quick. If you think about it, the multiple choice, true/false and picture descriptors go quick. ISSA has to personally read your final exam prep questions and your training program designs. I got my score back in two days. I passed with a 93%.

Post Final Exam

ISSA requires you to pass your final exam and your CPR/First Aid certification in order to be CFT Certified. ISSA now provides an online course for CPR/First Aid. Their online course is cheaper than the in-person course. However, I will say, from experience, it is not as in-depth or detailed. It’s almost an easier way out. I would recommend going to an in-person course to feel more confident.

ISSA does a great job post certification helping you out. They provide you with client intake forms,  business cards, a business website and help with job placement (if needed). You also still have access to the educational instructors. Also, you have your copy of Fiscal Fitness to help you run your own business.

Final Takeaway

The ISSA CFT Program was a great experience for me. Since I started lifting and eating right, I have always been in pretty good shape. It was by luck, maybe, that it worked out for me that way. I always had a sense I was doing things correctly in terms of lifting for size or cutting. Online articles can go a long way. However, the ISSA program did teach me a lot more than any online blog article.

I learned a lot about the human anatomy and how it works. I learned about muscle groups, and what types of exercises target each. I learned how to work with kids with disabilities or ladies who are pregnant. These are things the internet did not teach me.

Even after completing my ISSA CFT I wouldn’t say I am an expert. Each unit in the course only touches the surface of the topic. For example, Muscular Skeleton could be an entire semester, but in this program it is only one unit.

You have to be OK with the fact that you are not getting all the details with each unit. That’s what they designed 4-year degrees for. The purpose of the ISSA CFT is to give you basic understanding of the human body, how it works and how to manipulate it with exercise and diet to achieve a goal.

The burden still falls on you to continue educating yourself post-ISSA CFT. The certification is good for 2 years. To extend it, you must complete continuing education courses. You should always be learning anyways if you truly want to become the best in the business.

I enjoyed the ISSA CFT program. I like the open book concept. Not because it made the exam easier, but because we always have access to information. It shouldn’t be about memorizations and regurgitation, but about what we’ve learned.

I would recommend the ISSA CFT program for those looking for an online personal training certification program. It is affordable, gives you everything you need and educates yo to be a better trainer. The only downfalls are that their accreditation isn’t accepted everywhere and that there is some bias in the book (towards PowerBlocks and others). All-in-all, a solid CFT program.[/vc_column_text][heading]

Final Review: 7.5 / 10.0

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Ryan Bucki, ISSA-CFT
In Merica Labz, Pump Supplements

Merica Labz Stars ‘N Pipes Review

Merica Labs Stars 'N Pipes Full Review[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”10″ overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column centered_text=”true” column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRmZpdG5lc3NpbmZvcm1hbnQuY29tJTJGcmVjb21tZW5kcyUyRnN0YXJzLW4tcGlwZXMtc3VwcHolMkYlMjIlMjByZWwlM0QlMjJub2ZvbGxvdyUyMiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIybXlCdXR0b24lMjIlM0VDTElDSyUyMEhFUkUlMEElMjBGT1IlMjBMT1dFU1QlMjBQUklDRSUyMCUzRSUzRSUzQyUyRmElM0U=[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text=”See Our Retailer Price Comparison Table” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center|color:%23f96566″ google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”url:%23table|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Overview of Merica Labz Stars ‘N Pipes” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Merica Labz is a newer brand of 2016/2017. They make everything from protein to a pump product. Yes, we are getting to that product here shortly. With clever marketing and eye-catching packaging, we were ready to put their products to the test. The first being Stars ‘N Pipes.

We’ve heard nothing but good things about , and rightfully so. Stars ‘N Pipes is a simple non-stimulant pump product that uses huge dosages for you to succeed in accomplishing a massive pump. Don’t let the price tag and servings fool you, you can split the serving size and get the most for your dollar.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” bg_color=”#2e2e2e” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”padding-5-percent” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_color_hover=”#ffffff” background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”medium_depth” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_color=”#000000″ column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-arrow-right” color=”Accent-Color”]

Why You Should Trust Our Reviews

[/text-with-icon][fancy-ul icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-ok” color=”Accent-Color” alignment=”left”]
  • EXPERT REVIEW PANEL
    Our review panel is made up of individuals with many years of experience in the sports nutrition industry, dating back to the early 2000’s. Their tenure gives them knowledge on brands, supplements, ingredients, dosages and more.
  • FULL CONTAINER REVIEWS
    Unlike the majority of “review” sites on the internet, Fitness Informant reviews every supplement on a full-container basis. What does this mean? It means that a review is not written or recorded until the last serving of that product has been finished. We’ve all had products that were great for the first couple of days, but then lost their effectiveness shortly after. We want to ensure you are getting a full review based on a full product.
  • INGREDIENT EDUCATION
    We breakdown each ingredient in our reviews to educate you on exactly what the ingredients do, and what is the proper dosage of each ingredient to effectively do what they are intended to do.
  • 100% HONEST – NO B.S. REVIEWS
    Our number #1 priority is to inform you proper supplement selection through honest reviews. The majority of “review” sites on the internet will push you to buy a certain product based on the commissions they received. Not us. We want you to purchase the highest quality supplements at the best value. We put your health and wellness first. To achieve your goals we want you to use only the best supplements that you can afford. We do this by being honest.
[/fancy-ul][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Testing Results and Ratings” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]We reviewed Merica Labz Stars ‘N Pipes on five categories. We first start by looking at it’s ingredient profile. This portion of the review looks at the different ingredients used in the pump supplement, what their intention is and how effectively dosed are each ingredient.

We then look at effectiveness. An effective pre-workout will use high quality, proven ingredients, at clinically backed dosages.  This is generally an extension of the profile section. The higher quality ingredients used at proper dosages, the more effective that product will be.

Then we move into the taste of the different flavors we’ve tried. We grade each flavor separately and average the scores for their overall taste rating. We were able to test out the following flavors: Freedom.

Mixability refers to how well the powder mixes in 12oz of water. We use the shaker bottle test. This would be your typical Blender Bottle with the spiral chrome ball.

Finally, we talk about value. Value is the combination of profile, effectiveness, taste and mixability in relation to cost. Another part of value are the competitors and other versions of pump products on the market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Ingredients Profile

(9/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Stars ‘N Pipes from Merica Labz doesn’t mess around with fancy named ingredients, you know, the ones you cannot pronounce. In fact, they use only three ingredients at dosages that you can drool about.

Stars ‘N Pipes starts with 6g of pure L-Cittruline. L-Cittruline promotes blood flow into the muscles (through a conversion process to L-Arginine in the body which promotes NO production). Now, this L-Cittruline isn’t fermented like some are now days, but 6g nonetheless. At 6g, L-Cittruline is clinically dosed…in a PUMP PRODUCT! I would say that a vast majority of our pre-workouts we are going to take are going to have 3-4g of L-Cittruline. Check your pre-workout, if it does have 3-4g, then you may not need a full scoop of Stars ‘N Pipes.

We then get 5g of Hydromax (Glycerol Powder). I love HydroMax. It works well for me. Some people react better to Nitrosigine. I respond better to HydroMax. Glycerol Powder brings more liquid to your cells, causing the pump.

There is a new version of glycerol powder on the market (GlycerPump) which is said to be better quality, and it is in one of our top rated pump product, but at 5g the standard proven HydroMax is golden. Most pump products are going to have, at most, 3g of HydroMax per serving.

Lastly, you get 5g of Betaine Anhydrous. This is also found in a lot of pre-workout powders. Betaine promotes cell hydration and strength output. Thus, your muscles fill with liquid and give you that swole look. The clinical dosage of Betaine is around 2.5g. We are coming in at 5g. Solid dosages.

Overall, the profile is on-point using three simple ingredients that work. There are not any new unique ingredients like Vaso6 or GlycerPump, but this product uses proven ingredients.

Note: this product does use artificial flavoring which is preventing it from receiving a perfect score.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/2″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][image_with_animation image_url=”4853″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Effectiveness

(9/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]When you combine 6g of L-Cittruline with 5g of HydroMax and 5g Betaine Anhydrous you can bet your ass it is going to work. Now, if your pre-workout contains any one of these three ingredients (it will almost definitely contain L-Cittruline and Betaine) you can cut back on the dosage.

I did not get extremely vascular from this product, but I have yet to try a product in which I do.

Overall, this product is effective, especially at a full dose.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Taste

Freedom: (10/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]We tried the flavor “Freedom.” Not sure exactly what it is, honestly, but it is delicious. We have taken it alone and mixed with our pre-workout. It is sweet, but not too sweet. The taste does not overbear the taste of our pre-workout we used with it (we used a Guava flavored pre).

Overall, solid taste that we really enjoyed![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Mixability

(7/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]The serving size of Stars ‘N Pipes is massive. Like really massive. It comes in at 20.6 grams. This is by far the largest pump product serving size we’ve ever had. With that, you are going to have to work a little more to get it to fully dissolve into liquid.

After vigorously shaking the product, you can still see some powder floating in the liquid and eventually to the bottom of the shaker cup.

We used a blender bottle with a ball and about 10 ounces of water.

See video above for full mixibility.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Value

(8.5/10)[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]Stars ‘N Pipes is one of the more expensive pump products on the market at $35 for 20-servings. But there is justification for it. The serving size is 20.6 grams. This is huge. What that means, and if you’ve read this review, you can get by with 1/2 of a scoop, especially if your pre-workout contains L-Cittruline and Betaine.

If you do split servings, you would get 40-servings for $35 which is in-line with some of the more effective pump products on the market. Honestly, give this a shot. If you can get it on-sale, even better! Make sure to check out our top rated pump supplement guide here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_custom_heading text=”Available at these Fitness Informant approved retailers:” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:22px|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” link=”|||” el_id=”table”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color=”#efefef” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”2px” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][tabbed_section style=”default” alignment=”left” spacing=”default” tab_color=”Accent-Color”][tab icon_family=”none” title=”20-SERVINGS” id=”1509114502646-0ccc5-e689″ tab_id=”1509801657824-5″][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509130110995{padding-top: 12px !important;padding-bottom: 12px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][text-with-icon icon_type=”font_icon” icon=”icon-tag” color=”Accent-Color”]FITNESS INFORMANT’S EXCLUSIVE “MERICA LABZ STARS ‘N PIPES” DEALS[/text-with-icon][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Suppz Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Suppz

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$34.99

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GO TO STORE >>
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 Save 5% on your entire order with coupon code INFORMANT

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” top_padding=”10″ bottom_padding=”10″ text_align=”left” css=”.vc_custom_1509116724210{background-color: #2e2e2e !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]  PRICE COMPARISON:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/tab][/tabbed_section][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Suppz Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Suppz

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$34.99

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GO TO STORE >>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”extra-color-3″][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]Amazon Logo[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” centered_text=”true” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

Amazon

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See Price

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