Come to the 50th Anniversary of Olympia! I will be at the Olympia Expo on Friday, September 19th, and Saturday, September 20th, working at the AIM Publications booth, which features magazines like Muscle & Performance, Oxygen, MuscleMag, and Black Belt. Be sure to stop by to say hello, and get some free magazines!
Here we are at the AIM booth from the Arnold Sports Festival earlier this year:
And from last year’s Olympia:
My non-fitness friends don’t see why I get excited about attending Olympia every year. They say that it looks like the same old thing every year, and to a certain extent it is. But there is something so powerful about getting bodybuilding greats to descend upon Las Vegas that I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world. The energy in the Expo Hall is incredible, and with so many of the world’s top competitors there to compete, I pick up on that buzz and enjoy it immensely. When I attend Olympia, I bump into so many friends in the industry that it serves as a regular reunion. This year in particular is a milestone because it marks FIFTY years of Olympia. This year’s Olympia will be televised, hopefully generating more interest from the mainstream and portraying bodybuilding in a favorable light.
From Olympia 2012
The noise in the Expo hall can be deafening at times, but I love it because it is reflective of the energy that builds up. People in the industry are very bold about showing their excitement and passion. There is no restraint at the O! At the end of each Expo day, my feet are sore, my legs are tired, my forearms are cut up from the magazines I pass out to people, and my voice is hoarse, but I absolutely love it. You better believe I will be back at the O next year and for many years to come.
Burn is Royal Sport Ltd.’s thermogenic fat burner, but it also has water shedding properties thanks to cranberry, dandelion, and holy basil. This fat burner is more stripped down than others on the market, providing a cleaner option for individuals who still want the effects but with fewer ingredients. Burn contains caffeine anhydrous, bitter orange extract, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, niacinamide, cyanocobalamin, cocoa seed extract, and griffonia. The result is a capsule which provides sustained energy without jitters or increased heart rate.
I have tried a LOT of fat burners on the market. A few are notorious for producing jitters, dizziness, headaches, or nausea, but some people tolerate them quite well and prefer a wired, zingy effect. Most people, however, prefer to take a fat burner which produces a sustained boost in energy that doesn’t clobber them over the head. The best way to describe the way that Burn makes me feel is to compare it to a very smooth plane takeoff, a flight with zero turbulence, and a smooth landing on the tarmac. Even when I take a second capsule of Burn, I never run the risk of getting the jitters.
All in all, Burn is a great product for providing a boost of energy that is completely manageable and pleasant, along with a great sense of well-being and excellent focus.
Target is a supplement made by Royal Sport Ltd. which is designed to control appetite and cravings, elevate mood and promote weight loss. It contains Garcinia Cambogia, Green Coffee Bean Extract, Raspberry ketones, and Griffonia. It can be stacked with other products in the Royal Sport line for enhanced results. I have only used this product alone, and personally haven’t noticed much in the way of fat loss, but my food cravings are almost completely eliminated, which I hadn’t expected at all. I honestly think that, for me, Target would work best when stacked with other products in the Royal Sport line because my body is just acting stubborn. However, many people have reported amazing results while using Target alone, proving that what works for some people might not work for others.
I love the fact that Target is stimulant free yet offers fat loss and metabolic benefits for people who want to push themselves over the edge and reach their fitness and wellness goals. It’s certainly worth adding Target to a weight loss or fat loss regimen!
One last thing: I ADORE Royal Sport packaging! It’s low key yet distinctive, and it features my favorite color! I love the rubberized lids too.
I am a big believer in supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and silk amino acids (SAA) and have tried many brands out there. I can honestly say that I notice a pronounced difference in my post-workout recovery periods when I use Royal Sport Ltd. Charge BCAA-SAA Blend. Charge delivers 5 grams of SAA’s and 4 grams BCAA’s per scoop, and dissolves beautifully in water. Ever since I began using Charge as my BCAA-SAA, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in the amount of delayed onset muscle soreness from my workouts, especially when I engage in extremely intense leg days or delt days (I’m trying to build up my shoulders). I used to wince when walking downstairs the day after pounding legs, but these days, I don’t get that breathtaking soreness. It almost messes with me because I almost welcome that feeling of wobbly, wrecked legs!
What about the flavors? I absolutely love the Raspberry Lemonade and Fruit Punch flavors and could drink them all day without being overpowered by sweetness. I guess I am a bit of an oddball because I don’t want overly sweet flavors, especially when I am consuming something throughout the day. The Raspberry Lemonade flavor has a good balance of raspberry and lemon flavors and is really refreshing when put on ice. I also really like the Strawberry Kiwi flavor but sometimes find that this flavor gets a bit too sweet when I drink it throughout the day, so I just add more water to dilute it a bit and it’s fine. Though I like the Blood Orange flavor, it isn’t my favorite, but that’s just personal preference. I tend to get very tired of orange flavored products very quickly. Case in point: in a rare moment of soda consumption, I chose Orange Fanta Zero, and after about three sips, I was tired of the orange flavor. If you love orange flavor, then you would probably love the Blood Orange, but it’s just okay for me.
Overall, Royal Sport Charge is a superior product with great flavors!
You can find Royal Sport Ltd. products at GNC stores and through GNC.com:
Royal Sport Ltd. has a pre-workout formula in its lineup called Siege which features two forms of arginine (nitrate and HCL), citrulline and norvaline to give you a decent pump and power through a workout. I personally get great pumps from this formula and notice a definite difference when I don’t use Siege before I hit the gym. Siege gives an energy boost as well, as a result of the presence of taurine, caffeine anhydrous, bitter orange extract, and rauwolfia. When I compare the boost I get from Siege from the boost I get from other pre-workout formulas, it’s more of a sustained focus as opposed to a sudden rush or buzz. To be honest, I usually don’t like the intense zingy effect because I usually get a headache and stomach upset from those types of formulas. I don’t get a crash, nor do I get the jitters, when I use Siege, so it’s a great way to start my day. Add in an intense workout and I am set!
I love the fact that Siege is creatine free because I am one of those creatine-sensitive types who retains a bit too much water when I supplement with creatine. I respond well to beta-alanine, but I know that many people do not enjoy the tingle which it imparts. Siege contains no beta-alanine, so those of you who are sensitive to that substance will love this pre-workout formula. Most people who lead a fit lifestyle or are trying to get fit will enjoy using this product. The reason why I make this distinction is because I know there are some balls-out, monster lifters who demand the most intense pumps and who actually enjoy being wired from a pre-workout matrix. Honestly, I have seen these guys train and it is intense! That small segment of the population might not be as impressed with Siege.
As for the flavors, I LOVE Blackberry. It has a pretty faithful flavor profile, evocative of the fruit itself, and is refreshing and bright. Raspberry Lemonade is another refreshing flavor with the distinct notes of raspberry and lemon coming through. I also like the Fruit Punch flavor because it isn’t overly sweet or syrupy, and has good balance. Blood Orange is my least favorite flavor, but I am not a huge fan of orange flavoring. If you are a fan of orange flavored items, you would probably love this, but I just don’t turn to it as often as I do the other flavors.
I know people have been griping about the price of this product, but hang in there! The price should calm down over time and become more accessible. Also keep in mind that I will be passing along my Royal Sport Ltd. discount code which will give you a big discount on all products in the line!
Original post can be found here:
Creatine has been established as an important component of maximal muscle growth, strength and energy in the world of weightlifting, hence its almost ubiquitous presence in pre-workout formulations. Though creatine can be formed in the kidneys and liver from arginine, glycine and methionine, weightlifters should supplement this production, either by taking powdered creatine supplements such as creatine monohydrate, or by consuming large amounts of creatine-rich foods.
Beef is hands down the richest food source of creatine, with two grams per pound of meat. If you are opposed to the idea of eating red meat, alternative sources of creatine are found in poultry and in fish such as salmon and tuna. Those of you who are vegetarian or vegan will be hard pressed to pull sufficient creatine from foods and will have to supplement via synthetic forms such as creatine monohydrate, micronized creatine, or creatine citrate.
You may be able to consume massive amounts of meat and supply your body with the 3 to 5 grams of creatine which are considered the norm in bodybuilding circles, especially if you are adamant about obtaining all of your performance substances from whole food sources, but that would require massive dedication and a lot of meat chewing! However, if you are in a building phase, then I truly believe that you are doing yourself a disservice if you are trying to get all your extra creatine solely from food sources.
The original form of creatine which was used by bodybuilders and which is still very much in use today is creatine monohydrate. This is the cheapest form of creatine, but it is poorly absorbed, which explains its tendency to cause bloating and digestive upset. Another negative aspect of creatine monohydrate is that some people don’t respond at all to it. If this is the case for you, then you might want to explore the different forms of creatine which are out on the market. The two best forms of creatine, in my humble opinion, are:
1. Micronized creatine – The micronized form of creatine features smaller molecules, so absorption is significantly better, eliminating the issus of bloating and diarrhea which are often caused by ingesting the non-micronized form of creatine monohydrate.
2. Creatine ethyl ester – This is by far the most absorbable form of creatine, but more expensive than the monohydrate form. You can find this substance in capsule form.
Another form of creatine which is at times used in some of the more popular pre-workout formulas is creatine nitrate. The extra NO2 makes creatine water soluble and also lends a decent pump to workouts. However, when purchased alone, creatine nitrate is costly and thus is not one of my recommendations.
If you want to enhance your creatine intake, consider food sources in combination with supplement sources so that you can obtain an optimal amount which your body is able to utilize.
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