Pre workout?

[xTroy]

Had a question about my pre workout supplement status. Right now I'm on N.O. Xplode and Cellmass, but I've grown a tolerance to the Xplode and Cellmass I really don't think is worth the money. I think I'm going to transition to NO Shotgun because I hear great things about it, and as for my creatine I was looking into kre alkalyn.

Questions:

1. Has anyone taken kre alkalyn, if so, how is it?
2. You're supposed to take kre alkalyn before a workout, but same with NO Shotgun.. Would it be right to take both before a workout like that?

Thanks for anyone's help.

[weasel]

for creatine buy pure creatine mono. it's dirt cheap. (take 5g a day)

as for your N.O tollerance just switching like that may not help your tollerance you may need to kinda cycle it back off of it and dont take for a couple weeks or so then start again and see if that works.

[xTroy]

I did try cycling it, but that only worked for about a couple days then was worthless again.

[WillNoble]

Why not just drink a couple redbulls, sip on coffee while you train, then EAT.

All those supplements are doing nothing man, get a good protein, some multi's, fish-oil and ZMA. If you have to have creatine knock yourself out, but the NO is really a waste, esp. given its price

[xTroy]

I know the NO products are a waste, but I was receiving them extremely cheap ($25 for 90 serving tub of cellmass) because I had a buddy who worked at GNC and would "somehow" get my supplements for cheap. But I found a site for NO Shotgun for about $35, and $20 for the creatine, and the protein is a definite to always have... so $55 isn't too expensive if you ask me. But like I said, I'm probably gonna be done with BSN supplements after this, definitely not worth the buck.

[Tom Mutaffis]

The ingredient that has the most impact on your training from those NO products is almost always caffeine, which ironically is also probably the least expensive component. That is also why you eventually build a tolerance to the products - as with any other stimulant.

Kre Alkalyn, CEE, etc. were all products that were formulated to capitolize on the success of a tried and true supplement, Creaitne Monohydrate. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine_ethyl_ester)

So not only is CEE much more expensive than monohydrate, but it is also less effective. It was designed to clear the system faster to avoid water retention, but flushing water to the muscles is one of the mechanisms that makes creatine monohydrate effective. I have tried probably 15 different creatine products and simple monohydrate is what I use as a part of my daily routine.

You can purchase caffeine for about $5 for (100) 200 mg caps. ProLab is a popular one.

I assume that you are looking for overall mass / strength gains based on your product selections, and for that I would say that a product called "Results" will be your best bet. You can find more information here (http://atlargenutrition.com/nutrition_detail.php?products_id=23).

Results contains the following:
- Creapure Creatine Monohydrate (regarded as the best creatine mono)
- Beta Alanine (a non-essential amino acid which lowers pH in your muscle and subsequently allows you to use more ATP while slowing lactic acid buildup).
- HMB (used to help improve immune function and recovery from intense training)
- Dextrose (to support uptake of the above compounds and simple sugars to fuel training)

I would take Results about 30 minutes prior to training, or with breakfast on non-training days.

If you want "pump" then you can purchase some AAKG powder or a vasodialotor like Yohimbine - but these will not do much at all for strength or muscle gains.

[xTroy]

So Results would basically take the spot of my current creatine? And that Kre Alkalyn is not expensive.. It's $20 for about a months supply or so.

[jp2]

I hate NO Xplode try White Flood. White Flood gives me good pumps plus it has beta alanine in it to help with lactic acid build up. I've heard good things about NO shotgun, but haven't tried it yet.

[Skalami]

adding supplements is a tricky thing and really shouldnt be done without serious thought. A big thing is the placebo effect, because when you quit its going to feel like your workouts are a lot less effective. A little like playing a video game.. say Halo and finding a code that makes your guns bullets more effective then after a few levels the code goes away. The game would seem a lot harder and you might quit especially if you were playing not because it was fun but to progress.

did that analogy make sense at all?

im wrestling with adding a supplement myself right now, im still trying to find something its really hard to break through all this false advertising.

[xTroy]

Skalami, I agree with you 100%. Between the placebo effect and false advertising its pretty hard to find a supplement that actually does what it says it should. I'm fairly confident though that it's not a mental thing, and Xplode really doesn't work for me anymore. So I am planning on using NO Shotgun pretty soon, so I'll let you know how it works out jp2. But due to the fact that I'm a pretty good definition of an ectomorph, I'm not too sure how good creatine in general has been working for me, so I'm getting off cellmass too and will find some sort of strict creatine mono, namely kre alkalyn for the moment.

[Tom Mutaffis]

Skalami, I agree with you 100%. Between the placebo effect and false advertising its pretty hard to find a supplement that actually does what it says it should. I'm fairly confident though that it's not a mental thing, and Xplode really doesn't work for me anymore. So I am planning on using NO Shotgun pretty soon, so I'll let you know how it works out jp2. But due to the fact that I'm a pretty good definition of an ectomorph, I'm not too sure how good creatine in general has been working for me, so I'm getting off cellmass too and will find some sort of strict creatine mono, namely kre alkalyn for the moment.

NOShotgun and NO-Explode are comperable products. A lot of the VPX supplements do have some pretty strong stimulants so that may be the difference, but for many people this causes stomach discomfort. Both of these are also creatine products so taking a second creatine on top of it in many cases can be a waste - although NOShotgun does not use creatine monohydrate, just a bunch of other forms.

Body type does not have a lot to do with how effective supplements will be. Sometimes dosing is different for a person with more muscle mass but a lot of how well you respond to various compounds will be genetic. A 120 lbs "skinny" guy could gain 10 lbs from creatine/protein combo and a 180 lbs "muscular" guy could see very little results - it has a lot more to do with your specific deficiencies and body chemistry.

Kre alkalyn is not creatine monohydrate. It is marketed as a "pH correct creatine". If you are looking for a simple and effective creatine product then I would pick up creapure creatine (Sold by ProLab, Optimum, ISS, and AtLarge Nutrition).

[Skalami]

try Hersheys cocoa powder before a workout mixed in some coffee. Cocoa powder has a nice NO like effect.

"Studies have shown that there are several potential benefits to daily intake of cocoa as it can improve the human cardiovascular system by lowering cholesterol. The epicatechin, a primary flavonoid of cocoa, helps circulate nitric oxide throughout the body as well as other circulation benefits pertaining to the cardiovascular system. Studies have also shown that cocoa have high levels of antioxidants and can reduce high blood pressure levels."

[xTroy]

Kre alkalyn is not creatine monohydrate. It is marketed as a "pH correct creatine". If you are looking for a simple and effective creatine product then I would pick up creapure creatine (Sold by ProLab, Optimum, ISS, and AtLarge Nutrition).

I think I might give the kre alkalyn a try simply because its around the price of a creatine mono, and I tried creatine mono in powder and pill form [amplified creatine 189] and the results weren't anything too crazy. But whatever we'll see.

[Tom Mutaffis]

I think I might give the kre alkalyn a try simply because its around the price of a creatine mono, and I tried creatine mono in powder and pill form [amplified creatine 189] and the results weren't anything too crazy. But whatever we'll see.

From what I have seen on here (have never tried it) a lot of people have been disappointed with "amplified creatine 189" - probably because it is a relatively low dose of creatine in capsule form. I would get a good creapure powder if you have not tried it yet. From what I have seen Kre-alkalyn may just be another fad creatine like CEE, Creatine Liquid Serum, Con-crete, etc.

It seems like you are going from similar product to similar product and expecting different results: NO-Explode to NO-Shotgun, and CellMass to Kre-Alkalyn.

I would maybe try something that you don't see in 'Flex Magazine' and see if you can achieve some different results. There are quite a few good supplement companies out there who do not base most of their business on marketing and hype.

[ironwill727]

The ingredient that has the most impact on your training from those NO products is almost always caffeine, which ironically is also probably the least expensive component. That is also why you eventually build a tolerance to the products - as with any other stimulant.

Kre Alkalyn, CEE, etc. were all products that were formulated to capitolize on the success of a tried and true supplement, Creaitne Monohydrate.

So not only is CEE much more expensive than monohydrate, but it is also less effective. It was designed to clear the system faster to avoid water retention, but flushing water to the muscles is one of the mechanisms that makes creatine monohydrate effective. I have tried probably 15 different creatine products and simple monohydrate is what I use as a part of my daily routine.

You can purchase caffeine for about $5 for (100) 200 mg caps. ProLab is a popular one.

I assume that you are looking for overall mass / strength gains based on your product selections, and for that I would say that a product called "Results" will be your best bet. You can find more information

Results contains the following:
- Creapure Creatine Monohydrate (regarded as the best creatine mono)
- Beta Alanine (a non-essential amino acid which lowers pH in your muscle and subsequently allows you to use more ATP while slowing lactic acid buildup).
- HMB (used to help improve immune function and recovery from intense training)
- Dextrose (to support uptake of the above compounds and simple sugars to fuel training)

I would take Results about 30 minutes prior to training, or with breakfast on non-training days.

If you want "pump" then you can purchase some AAKG powder or a vasodialotor like Yohimbine - but these will not do much at all for strength or muscle gains.

I agree 100% with Tom. The caffiene is dirt cheap and very effective if you do not drink coffee like myself. I have used the AAKG powder before and I found it much more effective than NO-Xplode and much much cheaper.

[joey54]

If you want a product like NO xplode or NO Shotgun go to trueprotein and get some Buzzsaw. It is half the price of those. If you want a great all around supplement which you take pre-workout, get results from at large.

[grantd123]

I've only taken one product which was Black Powder for Pre work outs. Don't get it if your going to complain about being nausious though. But it does give what you want. Also gives a gittery feeling.