It seems protein mixes and shakes are becoming more and more popular, even in a small Midwest town. On countless occasions, I have seen men and women with big containers of protein mixes in their shopping carts.

Anyhow, in early October I was sent a 12 lbs bag of Super Mass Gainer: Chocolate Cake Batter from DYMATIZE Nutrition. The 12 lb bag retails for $51.44 on Amazon.com. It's also available in 6 lb bags, and a several different flavors (chocolate mint, cookie & cream, rich chocolate, sugar cookie, vanilla, gourmet vanilla, and strawberry.).

Each serving (2 heaping scoops) contains 1,900 calories, 83 grams of protein, 17 grams of BCAAs, and 7.7 grams of Leucine. You can either mix it with 24 to 32 ounces of water or milk.

It's basically meant to be a meal replacement, but you can decrease the serving amount to one scoop if the 1,900 calories are too much for you.

The ARIMA-XD is a 30-Day Cycle anti-estrogen/cortisol inhibitor, so basically it's meant to lower estrodial levels for men.

For us males, as we get older, our estrogen levels increase, which will cause or testosterone levels to drop. This will cause weight gain, loss of muscle, decrease in energy, and a decrease in libido.

The label recommends taking 1 to 2 tablets per day, so I took one tablet for the first week and then I started taking two tablets last week. It's supposed to increase libido, lower cortisol and inhibit Aromatase enzymes.

Does it work?

It's always difficult to see if a supplement is actually working or not. Sometimes it takes several weeks for it to kick into your system, while others may or may not be working at all, but you're just not seeing any physical results.

I had reviewed two other products from VMI SPORTS during the summer, and along with those products, they sent along several free samples, including one-serving samples of CAFFINITY.

Anything that resembles the world "caffeine" in it's title gets my full attention, so naturally I wanted to review a full bottle (60 caps).

CAFFINITY is all day energy boost, but without the unwanted crash that comes with drinking several cups of coffee.

One serving (one cap), contains 290mg of a CAFFINITY Super Blend which has a mixture of 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, Infinergy and L-theanine.

How much actual caffeine is in one serving?

Around 200mg of caffeine, which is almost the same amount in two cups of coffee.

Whether your bodybuilding, training for an athletic event, or if your just trying to get into shape, herbal supplements can come in handy, especially the ones that can help decrease recovery time and aid in muscle building.

Recently, I was sent a 7.25oz container of VasogenXT Powder from VMI Sports (retails at $38.99). It's currently available in three flavors: Tigers Blood, Hawaiian Pump, and Mali-Blu Berry Breeze.

Unlike other vasodilator products, VasogenXT doesn't contain Arginine, but instead it has clinically studied herbal compounds. It's meant to hydrate your muscles, give a Nitric Oxide boost, and make your muscles swell while you're pumping iron. It will also increase blood flow and increase strength and endurance.


Each serving (30 servings per container) contains:

• Carbohydrates 1g

• Vitamin B3 10mg

• Chloride 61mg

• Sodium 39mg

• L-Taurine 2g

• Vasogen Swell Matrix Blend 1.15g

• Hawthrone Berry Powder
• Schizandra Berry Powder
• AgmaPure (Argmatine Sulfate) 
• Pine Bark Extract
• ViNitrox

One of the reasons why people quit exercising is because there body just gets too sore from their workouts. What is happening is that they aren't giving their body the proper length of time for their muscles to heal before they exercise again. There are some dietary supplements that can reduce your recovery time.

Last month, I was sent a container of BCAA Powder from Vitality Max Labs to test out and review. The retail price for one #BCAAPOWDER container costs $99, but it is currently listed for $26.99 on Amazon.com. Each 5.6oz container contains 30 servings (1 scoop).


The ingredients include:

L-Leucine - a dietary amino acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis.

L-IsoLeucine -  an amino acid that only works when it is combined with L-Leucine or L-Valine.

L-Valine - an essential amino acid.