[Mini] Review of APS Nutrition's Mesomorph (Tropical Punch flavour)

Mesomorph has been getting a lot of attention, mostly because of the Creatine Nitrate in its ingredient profile. It is definitely a product that Sean has been interested in trying for a long time, and eventually I just got him a tub. A tub that sat in the cupboard (he was using it) until Monday before I used a scoop. Yes, I was not tempted to use it, despite the great feedback I've seen on it and Sean's raving on about how much he loves it. Honestly, since I started using Assault at the start of the year, I have had NO interest in trying any other preworkout product, because Assault meets my needs, especially since I do NOT have to stack myriad stimulants alongside it for daily function (which I have had to do in the past). However, I finally agreed to use a SINGLE SCOOP of Mesomorph as a favour to someone, so that I can say I have used it and comment on my experience with it.


What is it?



* No upset stomach or bloating!
* Alpha-Male aggression.
* Endless endurance.
* Most comprehensive Thermo-energy matrix ever put in a pre-workout powder.
* Skin-splitting vascularity and insane pumps!
* Maximize Strength, Stamina, & Recovery!
* Eliminate Lactic Acid & Toxins!
* Boost Immunity & Eliminate Free Radicals with Optimal Antioxidant Delivery!

For more information on the product, please review APS :: Mesomorph.


Smell: Tropical Punch flavoured Mesomorph smells fruity, but with a hint of something else.

Taste: I did NOT like the taste at all. Unpleasant, but not the worst tasting supplement I have used. Nothing like Tropical Punch - the taste was actually a shock to me, and I drank it FAST.

Solubility: On shaking there was no trace of the powder and no clumps or excess was left in the water or on the bottom of the shaker.

Texture: Like fruit juice diluted with water.

Aggression: Actually, my aggression was not as high as the week before, where I was easily aggravated and training only served to bring it out more instead of calm me. During training I was relatively relaxed, if tired. I went through a full spectrum of emotion on the day I used Mesomorph, though, pre AND post-training.

Endurance and Stamina: After the weekend and the way my body was feeling, I was dreading training on Monday. However, once I started training, my body responded and got me through. My HIIT was explosive, after the lacklustre HIIT of the week prior. Endurance throughout training was back to being great.

Thermogenesis: This was no different than usual.

Vascularity: This was excellent, and definitely more noticeable now that I have a tan.

Pumps: I had excellent pumps, which is normal anyways, since I did a Full-Body session.

Strength: The resistance session I did after using Mesomorph was NOT about strength.

Recovery: I was still sore from Saturday when I started my resistance training. Legs were suffering a little, but by the end of my session I was ok and the pain was not as noticeable. Energy lasted throughout the day, which was interesting, considering I have been faltering after my training over the last week.

Immune System: I can't really comment here.

Other Effects: ~10 minutes after dosing Mesomorph I started shaking, like shivering when I am extremely cold, which was odd, a reaction likely caused by the stimulants in it, given that I have not used anything more than the 150-300mg of caffeine a day (from Assault usage) since the start of the year. The shakes lasted for ~20-30 minutes. The only other effect I experienced was strong Beta-Alanine tingles. No bloating or upset stomach either (the stomach issues I have been experiencing over the last two days I have been dealing with on and off for the last few months and has nothing to do with Mesomorph).

Overall: I only used a single scoop of Mesomorph once, which is not enough to give an overall score, and I would need to have used it for a prolonged period of time to give a real evaluation on it. However, I WILL note something interesting - the day that I used Mesomorph I was great re energy, but on Tuesday I had barely any energy, and this went into Wednesday. On Tuesday I actually cut my training short because of the way I was feeling, something very rare for me to do, and as I mentioned on Tuesday, "I feel like I used to feel if I hadn't been using stimulants for a day or so back when I was heavily dependent on them to function, almost like I have CRASHED BIG time, and I don't understand it!" and I wonder if this was an effect from having used Mesomorph, the Geranium in it, if it did not possibly affect me until later. Like I said, interesting - and something that would need prolonged use to determine if because of Mesomorph or not.

Would I use again? No - however, that is not because of the formula or that the product is ineffective, but for personal reasons. Using the one scoop that I did was only as a favour for those who have been wanting me to use Mesomorph, and I actually dragged my feet to do this, since using Assault and having that work for me, I have been reluctant to use anything that has strong stimulants in it, because I have an addictive personality, and with my stimulant abuse history, know how easy it would be for me to go back to that, and I don't want to.

Would I recommend? Mesomorph's formula is solid. It's either a product you will love or hate, use or not use, depending on your goals and needs and other individual factors (like with me).

Review of Genomyx's Eviscerate Smolder

I was one of those who used the very FIRST Eviscerate Smolder betas, and I had two small tubes of it . . .


What is it?



* Burn Fat, but without the "Burning" Sensation
* Reduce Stubborn Fat Deposits
* Reduce The Appearance of Cellulite
* Enhance Definition
* Shed Excess Water
* Increase Vascularity

For more information on the product, please review Genomyx: Eviscerate Smolder


Smell: 8/10. Smells the same as Eviscerate - strongly like coffee.

Feel: 9/10. This is where Eviscerate Smolder shines over the original Eviscerate. On application, there was an icy wind across my skin where I applied the Eviscerate Smolder, and later a faint icy burn/smolder, and then nothing. When I got warm or hot, I could feel that faint smolder - otherwise I felt nothing, which was GREAT. The second bottle/tube of Eviscerate Smolder had the same icy feeling blow on the application areas as the first one did, but there was NO smolder or burn with it.

Spreadability: 10/10. Eviscerate Smolder spread over my skin quite well. There was no residue after application. I used four pumps - one for the front of my midsection, one for the back of my core, and one for each thigh. My first tube lasted me ~2 weeks, after which I got better at applying the minimal amount to cover the greatest area, and the second tube lasted me TWICE as long (which technically makes it using LESS Eviscerate Smolder during the second tube) - the Eviscerate Smolder in the second bottle was also more runny than it was in the first, which makes a difference in how much each pump spread.

Body Composition: 8/10. To understand how good my body composition effects actually were, you have to see what my training was like over the time using Eviscerate Smolder (since it is my training and not my nutrition that predominantly determines my leanness): 1. The week post-competition I did two resistance sessions and four cardio sessions; 2. The second week post-competition I did Maintenance training; 3. The third week post-competition I did four resistance sessions and six cardio sessions; 4. The fourth week post-competition I did Maintenance training; 5. The fifth week post-competition I did four resistance sessions and six cardio sessions; 6. The sixth week post competition I did Maintenance training. When I started Eviscerate Smolder, I had just been dieting for a week, training for several weeks at levels well over Maintenance training - which is why I used my body statistics at the end of the first week post-competition as my 'baseline' to go from. 'Baseline' was 111.4 pounds at 9% bodyfat. For two weeks my scale weight and body composition increased, coming out at 122.4 pounds and 10.1% bodyfat at the end of my third week post-competition. The next two weeks saw a body composition decrease, coming out at 115 pounds and 9.5% bodyfat. The last two weeks on Eviscerate Smolder saw a gradual increase again in body composition, bringing me out at 9.9% bodyfat at 119 pounds, leaving me with a final gain of pounds at a ratio of 3 to 1 increase in lean mass (+ 5.845 pounds) and bodyfat (+ 1.755 pounds) respectively, making for a reasonable recomp with not much fat gain . . . My girths did not change at all, with my clothes fitting BETTER, which is interesting . . . Please note that for the first four weeks of using Eviscerate Smolder, I was also using Triazole, and the last three weeks, I was using Erase, so not all of my results can be attributed solely to the Eviscerate Smolder . . .

Diuretic Effects: 9/10. Eviscerate Smolder definitely exerts a diuretic effect, and unlike the original Eviscerate, there was minimal to NO water retention while I was using it, despite my very high carbohydrate consumption during the majority of my time using it.

Vascularity: 5/10. As with the original Eviscerate, Eviscerate Smolder did not make a difference to my vascularity, and did not increase it either on application or during exercise - NOT an issue though, since I did not use Eviscerate Smolder for this purpose.

Other Effects: 10/10. I used Eviscerate Smolder with the Flawless/Flawless: IRDT (once my original Flawless had run out). When I started using the Eviscerate Smolder/Flawless combination, I had quite bad burn marks on my stomach from using a scalding hot wheatie almost daily for a couple of months prior (due to my painful and upset stomach during that time). After 11 days, the burn marks had lightened considerably, fading them almost to nothing in two weeks, and after 5-6 weeks of applying this combination once daily, the burn marks were GONE!

Overall: 9/10. The period in which I used Eviscerate Smolder was very UNcharacteristic of me, and I was UNcommonly inconsistent, with my training and nutrition unusual and all over the place - Maintenance one week and barely anything the next re training and eating well one week and terribly the next re nutrition. NOTHING went as planned and everything was readjusted and readjusted again over that period from what my goals, etc. were at the start of my usage of Eviscerate Smolder. Although I do not feel that I gave Eviscerate Smolder a fair trial, those six weeks that I used it have allowed me to see what effects it has in an IMperfect situation, and re body composition - which is the predominant reason for using Eviscerate Smolder - show that the product DOES indeed work, and that, in a PERFECT environment re training and nutritional control, it would give even better results, withOUT the unwanted effects (even though they only lasted whilst using the product and went away within a few days of stopping it) that the original Eviscerate had . . .

Would I use again? Yes. No hesitation. With the original DermaTherm no longer being available, Eviscerate Smolder is the best "fat loss" topical on the market, IMO - not only does it provide the effects of Eviscerate (which I considered the best topical on the market once the original DermaTherm was no longer available), but it does not burn and have the other effects such as water retention that the original Eviscerate did.

Would I recommend? Generally I would NOT recommend a topical fat loss product for those looking at "cutting" (unless one is relatively lean to begin with and just wants to lose that last 1-2% BF, then I wouldn't recommend at all) - I would recommend making sure that their NUTRITION was targeted at fat loss, with their TRAINING structured appropriately, before considering a fat loss supplement/product. In saying that, if diet and exercise were right, then just that little something extra could be recommended . . . As also shown with my results, I would recommend Eviscerate Smolder to anyone looking at RECOMPING or minimizing fat gain during a "bulk" . . .

Comparison to the original Eviscerate. Eviscerate Smolder is a lighter colour than Eviscerate. Goes on just as easily as Eviscerate, albeit a little runnier (i.e. without as much thickness/body). Unlike Eviscerate, it left an ICY wind across the skin where it was applied, with a faint icy burn and that is it - no extreme burning and feeling like I want to roll around naked outside in the snow like there was with the original Eviscerate (from my second tube on - there was NO burn with my FIRST tube and experience of it, which is interesting).

Review of Driven Sports' Triazole

I have two more days of Triazole left, but am going to do my review now, since two days should not make too much of a difference re results . . .

So, here is my first experience with - and the first female perspective of - Driven Sports' Triazole . . .


What is it?



* Reduce estrogen
* Boost Testosterone
* More muscle mass
* Anti-catabolic
* Improve in-gym performance
* Antioxidant capacity to help reduce oxidative stress and help recovery
* Anti-inflammatory
* Strengthen the immune system
* Fortify libido
* Anti-depressant effects

For more information, please review Driven Sports - Triazole.


Estrogen Levels: N/A. Although I would have liked to see the changes in my Estrogen levels from pre to post-Triazole, I did not have bloods done. However, I WILL note that I experienced a rare (I say rare, because I usually do not bleed) menstrual cycle during my use of Triazole - whether this is from an increase in Estrogen, or because I have not been training as intensely or with as much volume as I usually do, I do not know.

Testosterone levels: N/A. Although I would have liked to see the changes in my Testosterone (total and free) levels from pre to post-Triazole, I did not have bloods done.

Body Composition: 7/10. Body composition over my time with Triazole was interesting - not because of the product as much, but because of my training, and one must be aware of what my training was like: The week post-competition I did two resistance sessions and four cardio sessions; the second week post-competition I did Maintenance training; the third week post-competition I did four resistance sessions and six cardio sessions; the fourth week post-competition I did Maintenance training; and this last week I did four resistance sessions and six cardio sessions. When I started Triazole, I had just been dieting for a week, training for several weeks at levels well over Maintenance training - which is why I used my body statistics at the end of the first week post-competition as my 'baseline' to go from. 'Baseline' was 111.4 pounds at 9% bodyfat. For two weeks my scale weight and body composition increased, coming out at 122.4 pounds and 10.1% bodyfat at the end of my third week post-competition. The last two weeks of Triazole, both my scale weight and body composition decreased again, finishing with a recomp at 115 pounds and 9.5% bodyfat, leaving me with a final gain of 3.6 pounds at a ratio of 3 to 1 increase in lean mass (+2.7 pounds) and bodyfat (+0.9 pounds) respectively. The lean mass gains, surprisingly, have been made in my shoulders. Interestingly enough, if anyone else had had the lack of training and overabundance of calories that I have had in the last five weeks, they would have gained a LOT more bodyfat than I did, so at least Triazole contributed in minimizing the damage inflicted.

Strength: N/A. My training over the last five weeks has not been about making strength gains. Also note that I started back on creatine just over three weeks into Triazole, after having not used it for ~5 weeks (so my muscle creatine levels were back at baseline), and increasing creatine levels would have helped contribute to any strength gains made from then on.

Recovery: 5/10. Like training, recovery has been all over the place - great some days and other days the training from the day before taking more out of me than it should have.

Joints: 7/10. Knees and elbows noticed this the most. Knees started feeling mechanical after a couple of weeks, and after three weeks my left elbow especially clicked during almost every resistance session that required elbow flexion. Left wrist ached a bit during resistance training sometimes as well, but that occurred BEFORE starting Triazole and will continue after stopping it. There was no pain in my [other] joints - they were just dry.

Libido: 9/10. Libido has been pretty high over the course of my use of Triazole, only fading in the last week because my stomach was in so much pain that I could barely concentrate on anything else. Until then, though, my body was very responsive and sometimes its wants were actually TOO much for what it could handle.

Immune System: 9/10. Everyone else around me has been getting or been sick whilst I've been using Triazole. Add to that the changes in weather with it getting colder and crisper, and the fact that when I decrease my training volume and intensity, that's the time I will get sick if I am going to, I SHOULD have gotten sick. However, despite all that, I have been fine, only having a sniffle for all of a couple of days.

Mood: 5/10. My mood has been highly INconsistent the entire time I have been using Triazole, and my aggression more than anything has been heightened because of circumstances, stress, not training as I want to and feel that I should be, nutrition, etc.

Other Effects: 7/10. I did not lose my breasts, and if anything, they are fuller than they were before I started using Triazole. I did not get acne. I did not grow facial hair. I did not start looking like a male. All indicators that Triazole is very much ok for female use - for those who questioned and thought that I shouldn't be using such a product . . . On a more serious note, I noticed a difference between when I did and did not dose Triazole pre-bed - when I was only using two caps daily, I did not dose pre-bed, and sometimes when I was dosing three caps daily, I passed out before the time planned for my 'pre-bed' supplement doses. Dosing pre-bed meant no water retention the next day from that day's food consumption, often looking drier in the morning and midsection not bloated or puffy, which is great, considering that most often, my largest meal of the day was pre-bed (also note that I was started using Shred Matrix pre-bed as well though, so this effect would have been a combination result of both products) . . . Another effect I have noticed is that my vascularity has been pretty strong throughout my use of Triazole, especially through my anterior deltoids and biceps (why couldn't it have been like this for competition?!) . . .

Overall: The last five weeks have been very UNcharacteristic of me, and I have been UNcommonly inconsistent, with my training and nutrition unusual and all over the place. NOTHING has gone as planned and everything has been readjusted and readjusted again over this period from what my goals, etc. were at the start. Because of this, I do not feel that I gave Triazole a fair trial, and therefore cannot assign it an "overall" score.

Would I use again? Yes. Because of how things have been over the last five weeks, I feel and know that I did not really give Triazole a decent chance at showing me what it was capable of doing, and I want to do this, because Triazole has a brilliant formulator, an interesting ingredient profile, and bloodwork/data that undisputedly backs it up. I would also dose Triazole at 4 caps daily, instead of 2-3 caps daily.

Would I recommend? The science, bloodwork, and others' results would give me cause to recommend Triazole if it was relevant. I would probably also recommend stacking it with something like Activate Xtreme and/or Lean Xtreme. Otherwise, I would need to give it a fair trial before I could recommend it from a personal perspective.

Initial Impressions: CreaPure

CreaPure

Smell: 10/10. CreaPure has no smell.

Taste: 10/10. CreaPure is tasteless.

Solubility: 9/10. On shaking (albeit only a few seconds) there were some faint flecks of powder left swirling in the water.

Texture: 10/10. Like water.

Other Effects: 10/10. No water retention. No bloating. No nausea. CreaPure is straight creatine monohydrate, so I didn't expect anything different.

Initial Impressions: EndoAmp Max and Organic VitaBerry

EndoAmp Max

Smell: 2/10. EndoAmp Max smells like a chemical - hard to put my finger on, but almost like nail polish or varnish.

Taste: 2/10. Nasty. Worse than it smells. As bad as Vitamin B5 powder.

Solubility: 10/10. On shaking there was no trace of the powder and no clumps or excess was left in the water or on the bottom of the shaker.

Texture: 10/10. Like fruit juice diluted with water.

Other Effects: N/A. Even though it smells and tastes like a$$, the taste will lessen as I get used to it to the point I will no longer notice it, and the product is highly beneficial and useful to me for cortisol control, so I am going to continue using it regardless.

Organic VitaBerry

Smell: 10/10. Like Heaven: A fusion of raspberry, cranberry, and strawberry. It's a bit like MaliBobu - I could smell it all day! Absolute perfection!

Taste: 10/10. Exactly like it smells. Seriously the BEST tasting supplement product I have ever tried - and I've used quite a few products that have tasted great.

Solubility: 10/10. On shaking there was no trace of the powder and no clumps or excess was left in the water or on the bottom of the shaker.

Texture: 10/10. Like fruit juice diluted with water. The surprise was the berry seeds that were scattered throughout the solution - made me feel like I was drinking a drink of berries that I'd put in the blender! Added that extra touch that made me like, mmmm.

Other Effects: N/A. But let me tell you, I am going to look FORWARD to using VitaBerry EVERY day!