Exercise Supplements: do they work?

I've been trying several different exercise supplements over the past few months. I'm a big believer in better living through chemistry. I like to try out different things see how they work and if there is any credence in their abilities. I have tried two pre-workout supplements and one thermogenic fat burner.

I've tried Jack3d and N.O.-Xplode 2.0 as pre-workout powders and Animal Cuts as the thermogenic fat burner.  A pre-workout supplement isn't for everyone but I train 4-5 times a week and use various weights and body cardio workouts. Getting that little extra boost at 6 am, while not completely necessary, is appreciated. Most supplements are caffeine based and if you can't handle caffeine I would never recommend taking any of these products. I feel like I should add the disclaimer, consult your doctor before using these products. I know no one does that but still, you've been warned.

I'll start out with me biggest disappointment, I'm big on the idea of fat burning weight-loss pills. Who doesn't want to find that magic pill that will just "melt away the pounds". I've steadily been losing weight for the better part of a year. I've dropped around 20 kilos/44 lbs since April of 2011. I'm hoping to be down to a solid 50 lbs loss by the first of April. My goal is 86 kilos/189 lbs, so anything that help me drop 5-10 lbs will have me taking a curious look.

My daily caloric intake is between 2000-2200 calories a day. I don't eat sugar, complex carbohydrates or flour during the week. I have a cheat day once a week on Saturday where I drink beer, eat pizza and have other bad things. During the week it's grilled or roasted meats, salads, lots of veggies and beans or lentils.

Animal Cuts has good reviews overall. I had some hope trying it out.
The Pros: It gives you energy.

The Cons: You better like taking pills, each pill pack is 9 pills. You take two packs a day, 18 pills a day!
Horrible crashes. At the end of the day, I was falling asleep by 9 pm. It was rough. After I got off the pills, my evening energy increased.

This is a three weeks on, one week off system. It comes with just enough pills to cover the three weeks so you can't over do it. Of the 9 pills per pack, one is the fat burner and two are diuretics. You'll need to drink a lot of water and be prepared to pee quite often. A lot of people reported sweating like crazy but I never had that. I didn't get jittery or edgy while taking the pills either. Over the three weeks, I lost 1 kilo/2.2 lbs and 2 cm off my waist. I can't say that I saw any difference between using that product and not using it. I wouldn't recommend this product.

I'm taking two weeks off then I'm going to try Phenorex. It's gotten some good press and only require two pills a day but is more expensive. So if it works, hopefully I'll have something good to report.

N.O.-Xplode 2.0
If you've tried N.O.-Xplode in the past and didn't like it, now might be the time to try it again. This is another product that is well respected and has gotten good reviews. It's a good product but not a great product. This wouldn't be my first choice but as a second choice you could do worse. Like all pre-workout supplements, you need to wait 30-45 min before you begin your exercise routine.

The Pros: Good clean energy, no crash, increased focus and increase weight stamina.

The Cons: Not the best taste, bloating and big doses.

N.O.-Xplode 2.0 is highly fizzy and dissolves in water. Because of this, you will probably be bloated on the days you take it as the air being released from the power completes the chemical reaction in your system. It's not horrible but if you are trying to look lean, this won't be your friend.

I don't know if you consider this pro or a con but N.O.-Xplode 2.0 has a strong laxative effect. This is another reason you'll want to wait to at least 30 minutes before you workout. If you're like me, the idea of taking a break in the middle of your workout while you are sweating like a pig to drop a deuce is less than ideal.

I finished the entire bottle of N.O.-Xplode but switched back to Jack3d halfway through and would take occasionally. I would go back to this after I tried a couple of other pre-workout supplements first.

Jack3d
I've been using Jack3d for probably 6 months now and love it. It tastes great, gives lots of energy and doesn't have any energy drops. I really like this product. It give me energy but doesn't over do it. I can't say I've had any adverse side effect to it.

The Pros: Low price, lots of servings, tastes good, no crash, strength gain and great endurance

The Cons: None really

Some people complain about crawling skin, which means you should probably cut back on your scoops. If you are caffeine sensitive, take it easy at first to get used to it. I'm at two scoops a time but the packaging says you can go up to 3 scoops. I'm sure I would be fine with three but just haven't tried. This also has a mild laxative effect but it's not nearly the level of N.O.-Xplode 2.0.

All of these products have high caffeine levels, roughly 2 cups of coffee per serving. Don't take it close to bed time unless you just want to stay up all night. I recommend taking them 30-45 min before you begin your workout. You'll be fine. None of these are for the casual gym goer. If you are going to the gym on a regular cycle and want to get a boost, you'll want to try these out.

In Sweden, Jack3d is going to be banned as it could test positive in some drug tests for sporting events. I don't compete and have no plans to compete in sporting events on a professional level so I don't care about that.

There you go, a little review of some exercise supplements. I really recommend Jack3d if you can find it. I would skip Animal Cuts but it's gotten good write ups. It just didn't work for me at all. Maybe it if I did more than one cycle on it I would see different results but after three weeks, I should have seen some results.

I'll update after I try Phenorex. After that I'll try something called intermediate fasting.This is an interesting idea where you just don't eat for 24 hours. So you eat your last meal at dinner and then don't eat again until the following dinner. I've done it once or twice and I seem some issues but need to do some more research on it.

Spartacus workout

I started a new exercise routine this week and the first two days were rough. I have 10 exercises in a row within 10 reps of each. After the first round, I break for up to 2 minutes then do it 2 more times breaks between rounds. I'm starting with 6 kg weights to just get the movements down then I'll slowly up the weights.

I found this routine on Men's Health and it's the program that Liam McIntyre used to get in shape for the lead role in Spartacus: Vengeance. On Monday I did the first five exercises and on Tuesday I did the next five. On Wednesday I was incredibly sore and didn't want to move. The plan is to do this routine three times a week for six weeks and then change it up again.

Today I'm at 97.4 kg. I've lost 3 kilos in 4 weeks, which is 6 lbs. I have to lose 24 lbs or another 11 kgs.


1. DUMBBELL SQUAT TO ALTERNATING SHOULDER PRESS AND TWIST



Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells next to your shoulders, elbows bent, palms facing in [A]. Push your hips back and squat deeply [B]. Push back up, rotating your torso to the right and pivoting on your left foot as you press the dumbbell in your left hand above your shoulder [C]. Lower the weight and rotate back to center. Repeat, rotating to the left and pressing up the dumbbell in your right hand.

2. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER AND PUSHUP



Assume a pushup position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles [A]. Without allowing your lower-back posture to change, lift your left foot off the floor and move your left knee toward your chest [B]. Return to the starting position, and repeat with your right leg. That's a mountain climber. Now do a pushup [C].

3. DUMBBELL SIDE LUNGE AND CURL



Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length at your sides [A]. Take a big step to your left and lower your body by pushing your hips back and bending your left knee. As you lower your body, bend forward at your hips and try to touch the dumbbells to the floor [B]. (Note: Go only as low as you can without rounding your lower back.) Then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as you can. Perform arm curls [C]. Alternate back and forth, doing a lunge to your left and then a lunge to your right.

4. PLANK WALKUP WITH DUMBBELL DRAG



Start in a pushup position with a dumbbell on the floor next to your right hand. Lower your body into a plank so you're resting your weight on your forearms instead of your palms [A]. "Walk" back up to a pushup position [B]. Without leaving this position, grasp the dumbbell with your left hand [C] and drag it underneath your chest until it rests on your left side [D]. Repeat, this time dragging the weight with your right hand.

5. DUMBBELL STEPOVER



Stand holding dumbbells at your sides [A]. Step forward with your left foot and lower your body until your front knee is bent 90 degrees [B]. In one motion, push back up and take a long step back with your left foot into a reverse lunge [C]. Keep shifting between forward and backward lunges with the same leg for 20 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.

6. DUMBBELL SINGLE-ARM ALTERNATING CLEAN



Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell between your feet on the floor. Push your hips back, squat, and grab the dumbbell with one hand [A]. Pull the dumbbell up and "catch" it at shoulder height as you rise to a standing position; keep your knees slightly bent [B]. Pause, lower the dumbbell to the floor, grab it with your other hand [C], and repeat on the other side [D].

7. PUSHUP-POSITION ROW AND SQUAT THRUST



Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor and assume a pushup position with your hands on the dumbbells [A]. Pull the right dumbbell up to the side of your chest [B]. Pause, and then lower the dumbbell; repeat the move with your left arm [C]. While holding the dumbbells, quickly bring your legs toward your torso [D], and then jump up [E]. Once you land, squat and kick your legs back into a pushup.

8. GOBLET SQUAT AND ALTERNATING REVERSE LUNGE



Hold a dumbbell vertically in front of your chest, cupping one end of the dumbbell with both hands [A]. Keep your elbows pointed toward the floor and perform a squat [B]. Then push back up to the starting position [C]. Now step back with one leg—into a reverse lunge—and lower your body until your front knee is bent 90 degrees [D]. Pause, and then push up quickly. Alternate your lunging leg with each rep.

9. DUMBBELL RUSSIAN TWIST



Sit holding a dumbbell in front of your chest. Lean your torso back slightly and raise your feet off the floor [A]. Without moving your torso, rotate the weight to your left [B] and then to your right [C]. Move back and forth quickly.

10. DUMBBELL STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFT AND ROW



Stand with your knees slightly bent and hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length in front of your thighs [A]. Without rounding your lower back or changing the bend in your knees, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor [B]. Without moving your torso, pull the dumbbells up to the sides of your chest [C]. Pause, and then lower the dumbbells. Raise your torso back to the starting position.

Want more Spartacus? The Complete 2012 Spartacus Workout is available on Men’s Health Personal Trainer. There you’ll find the complete four-week plan with exclusive exercise videos, and have access to our customizable nutrition program—which will help you create the best diet for your goals, lifestyle, and preferences.

Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/skinny-spartacus/page/4?cm_mmc=PTNL-_-780132-_-01172012-_-body#ixzz1lpCkZxe8