Stevie T’s Top Ten Supplements

Greetings, Howdy, Well Hello There!

Over the past twelve months I have reviewed four brands and a standalone product while at the time eating only real food.  Because of my daily life and past business I get asked everyday about what supplements to take to help do this or that with their physique, performance or both, so I am going to preface this blog by stating the definition and a few words about the word ~ Supplement; something that completes or enhances something else when added to it.  So to me that indicates that you must first start with something, you cannot complete or enhance a non-existent object, am I correct?

Supplements are to be taken in addition to, you still have to do work on a daily basis, supplements will not accelerate any results if you are not putting the work in while training, fueling your body with real food, getting adequate rest and so on.  A great friend once said to me ” You Can’t Polish a Turd” And I relate that statement to people who expect to take a pill or powder, not do any work , and yet expect to see results from said product(s), you must have a solid base and then build on it from there before any supplement will complete or enhance your physique or performance while helping you reach a short or long-term goal.

Enough about that, you get the picture & I am going to move on to this and do my best to keep it to a blog and not a novel. I reviewed, kept notes and posted blogs about the four different brands I used and a somewhat detailed description of the product, the results I got from it and anything else I felt needed to be addressed. I will provide a link to each company and if you want to look into them or a certain product you can do that for yourself but I am only going to list the product name a few additional words.

The four brands I used were – Muscle Fortress – BPI Sports – Ronnie Coleman Signature Series – Muscle Elements & the standalone was from Isatori  with the exception of Isatori of course I took a pre workout, intra workout, thermogenic and protein from all but Muscle Elements due to them not making a protein until the release of the Truth in October. The following were my favorites and what category they fall into in chronological order of the brand used.

Muscle Fortress – The muscle stack pack, a great multi vitamin pack with many extras, the Dragon test which is a natural testosterone booster and can be used by its self or as a post cycle therapy product & also the Muscle Grub protein powder, They have a great variety of flavors and I haven’t had one that didnt’ taste great,

Bpi Sports – Pump HD, a very potent pre workout, I got some of the craziest pumps while testing it, their A-HD & Solid stack was great also and helped with muscle gains and strength while staying dry and not all puffy.

Ronnie Coleman Signature Series – MyoBlitz Xs, great pre workout with instant and extended energy, the stacked NO made every workout a shirt stretcher and one of my favorites of the year.. Resurrect PM, a night-time sleep and recovery aid that proved to be invaluable thanks to my long days and very early mornings

Muscle Elements – AmiNO Flow,, Let me say it again AmiNO Flow! One of my all time favorites is amino/bcaa powders & Muscle Elements upped the ante by adding in Nitric Oxide, I used 3-4 scoops a day.  I also really liked their non stimulant metabolic optimizer LeanWorks (basically helps with appetite control, water balance and helps you burn) without the addition of any caffeine or other stimulants.

Isatori – So I decided to try out Bio Grow, which you need to look up, read about and watch the videos posted, not because I am being lazy but I cannot  justify explaining this product & you will understand it much better coming from them.  I used Bio Grow during breaks I would take between brands and while I wasn’t using any supplements and relied only on whole foods to allow my system a break before starting up again….  I won’t go to far into detail but, Bio Grow is the real thing, my strength and size were both effected in a positive way while using it as recommended for my body weight, training level and from the advice I received from them through their website.

The Next 6 months are looking bright, My goals and set and the vision is on laser mode, I want to thank everyone who has been there with me since day one along with all of you who read, follow, comment and contact me daily.  Thanks to my family for supporting me, my awesome wife and my daily partner in crime at the training facility who doubles up as an amazing friend and photographer Robert Mitchell… The fact that I get to do what I do everyday is amazing to me and I owe it to you all..

Cheers

Stevie T 

A current and a throwback, In the next 12 I will achieve the in-between

Throwback

**always consult with your physician before starting or changing a current workout routine , nutrition program or supplement.  The advice and programs that are talked about on this site are not recommended for use by any individuals with any medical condition(s) that might be compromised by intense exercise or resistance training.  If you feel any abnormal pain, nausea or dizziness please discontinue training and consult your health care professional immediately **

Final review of the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series Supplement Line

Hello and Good Day.

It was back in this blog from the end of February that I first Introduced you to the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series line of supplements.  http://stevietfitness.com/2014/02/24/charging-into-spring-with-the-ronnie-coleman-signature-series/

I just completed twelve solid weeks of multiple training plans, consistent real life eating and using only RCSS & today I capped it off with a short photo shoot to use for reference and to demonstrated that the life that I live will give you the opportunity to live life-like 99% of the population does (with a spouse, children, a job or career and social life) and still maintain above average an above average and very functional physique, But that will be in another blog coming soon.

Today Is about my experience using RCSS and a quick review of the products that I took and how I used them.

 

Ronnie Coleman Signature Series

Pro Antium – A very well thought out blend of proteins packing a major one scoop punch with 30 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates, added creatine and betaine all in a long-lasting  fifty serving container.  I used both the vanilla wafer crisp and the double chocolate cookie, both flavors tasted great and Pro Antium was a perfect addition to my routine both for in between meals and for a 2nd post workout meal.

IsoTropic Max – A Easy to mix, very palatable, zero carb whey protein isolate, I went with the toasted almond flavor for both containers that I ordered. What separates this isolate from many of the others on the market is the addition of AstraGin which is an ingredient that increases the absorption rate of key ingredients and nutrients, in this case it takes the bio-availability (the rate and effectiveness of absorption of a given substance) of the amino acids and protein content and raises it high above most other powders which means your body can utilize more and waste less.  I took the IsoTropic Max post workout and also used it in my coffee a few times in which the toasted almond added a nice texture and flavor to.

Resurrect-PM – What to say about Resurrect-PM, well I start out by saying this is one of the better supplements that I have ever used and over the fifteen years of being a trainer and decade of owning and working in a supplement store I have used my fair share of products.  Resurrect-PM is a product that you take prior to retiring for the day, It helps you maintain a normal sleep cycle and doesn’t leave you feeling “sleeping pill” hung over when you wake up. For me it was a godsend, my schedule involves getting out of bed by 430 every morning and often by the time I get home from work, eat and attend to my online clients It’s 1030 p.m.  Resurrect helped get me to sleep and gave me four to six hours of quality sleep which enabled me to stay fresh and motivated every day, I put it at the top as one the key supplements to add to any routine….without recovery you have nothing!  I used it Sunday evening through Thursday evening over the course of the entire review and absolutely love and recommend this product.

MyoBlitz-XS – Pre-Workout formulas are everywhere you look, unfortunately along with that there are a good amount of brands who just throw a ton of stimulants and other ingredients into a container that makes you get all tingley and amped up so you think that it is working.  Myo-Blitz XS provided me with a good energy increase but never left me feeling jittery or like my hair was standing on the top of my head, it is full of proven ingredients, tastes good, never made me run to the toilet like many in the past have and proved to be a good addition to my program, I took it between 45-60 minutes before most training sessions.

Stacked-NO – Stacked NO is was a sleeper product for me, I’ve used tons of Nitric Oxide products previously and many left me doubting their effectiveness so for that reason I didn’t start with Stacked NO until the final 6 weeks. I experienced massive pumps from the first dose, and after researching the ingredient list due to the immediate effectiveness of it I realized that it had to be the addition of Agmatine and again AstraGin. I took 3 caps first thing in the morning to start the day off with increased blood flow and to help with nutrient delivery from the get go, I then took 3 more caps an hour before training and also included 3 caps in a intra-workout cocktail that I sipped on during every session the final six weeks.

Testogen-XR – Testogen XR is available in both a powder and tablet form, the primary goal of taking this product is to increase natural testosterone levels which leads to an increase in strength and naturally due to higher test levels an improved libido.  I started with the powder and used it for a month, then cycled off for a month before hitting the tablets for the last 4 weeks.  With both forms I could feel it kicking in at about the 8th or 9th day, what I noticed first was definitely the libido increase and slight strength gains followed soon after.  I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for that extra kick in the bedroom and in the gym and wants to stay away from pro hormones or other non-natural ways of increasing testosterone.

Amino-Tone – There are endless choices when it comes to amino acid and branched chain amino acid powders on the market, Amino-Tone stepped the bar up with the addition of a stimulant free fat loss support system and once again showing their dedication to perfection they added AstraGin to aid in the effectiveness of the impressive ingredient list. If you are doing everything else correctly in your pursuit for physique and performance goals you probably will not feel anything from this category of supplement, but don’t think because of that, that they aren’t necessary.  It never hurts to have these types of powders around for intra workout use and or just to add to a large water bottle to sip on throughout the day to prevent any chance of muscle breakdown,  I personally used it with Stacked NO during my training sessions and enjoyed the pleasant flavor it has.

Beta-Stim – This is RCSS’s thermogenic product, I held off on using this until the final 4 weeks when I figured that it would help me the most.  Beta-Stim delivers a big increase in energy with a one pill serving, in addition I noticed it shedding water from me and also a slight loss of appetite.  I used one pill first thing in the morning on a empty stomach and then took a second dose around noon or early afternoon.  Overall I am impressed with this thermogenic, it addresses and covers all the bases that I look for when shopping for a fat burner.  In addition the price per serving is very reasonable especially when you factor in everything it does for you and eliminates the need to buy a water loss product when you are looking to get that skin tight look.

Progress picture 6/6/14 after the 12 weeks on RCSS *photo credit Robert Mitchell/Sleepless Art*

So there you have the run down on their line and how I utilized them in my routine, I will conclude this review with saying that the entire organization at RCSS lives the fitness life and you can tell that their standards for quality is at the very top of the priority list with each product, they were there for me the entire time to answer any questions I had and offer insight on how to make the products most effective. I will without a doubt add Ronnie Coleman Signature Series products to my list of trusted supplement brands and recommend that you put their products to the test for yourself, they can be found at many retail outlets nation and worldwide along with all the major online sites such as:

Bodybuilding.com

MuscleandStrength.com

TigerFitness.com

LockoutSupplements.com

FitRx.com

SupplementWarehouse.com

RCSS has a very cool apparel line as well, here I am wearing the “Everybody wanna be a bodybuilder T”  check out the entire line from the link below

http://ronniecolemanstore.net/apparel.html

I am going to take a few weeks off from all supplements, let my body rest a bit, do a little more mountain biking, hiking and enjoying the great outdoor activities that my home state of Colorado has to offer and then I will be back in July to Introduce the next brand I will review.

Stevie T.

**always consult with your physician before starting or changing a current workout routine , nutrition program or supplement.  The advice and programs that are talked about on this site are not recommended for use by any individuals with any medical condition(s) that might be compromised by intense exercise or resistance training.  If you feel any abnormal pain, nausea or dizziness please discontinue training and consult your health care professional immediately **

 

 

 

Whirlwind weekend at the Europa Games – Dallas with Team RCSS

Good evening my friends!

As you recall from the last post about training and fueling on the road I mentioned that I was going to Dallas to help out at the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series booth for the Europa Games.  The original plan was to fly out of Colorado Springs early Friday morning and work both days but the weather in Dallas on Thursday combined with the American Airlines cancelling my flight and another one to Dallas Friday morning kind of threw a monkey wrench into the itinerary.  Long story short I was on hold with them basically all night (10pm to the wee hours of Friday am) trying to make other arrangements that never materialized so I went to the airport at 430am to actually speak to someone in person and figure out how I was going to get down there.  It ended up that all the planes and shuttles to Denver were full, no other flights were going out of Colorado Springs and they told me the earliest I would get there would be after 10 pm that night.  I was so irritated and frustrated at this point and decided to come back to the house and look into all my options myself both from CSprings and Denver, but first I made a stop at Dutch Brothers for some coffee, ate some breakfast and threw down a serving of Myo-Blitz XS before I headed off to the gym to take out my aggression on the weights.

Picking up Heavy Shit, spent 2 hours just killing a unplanned workout before heading back home to figure out the plan. If you are interested in the routine hit me up and I’ll send it over to you

After the training session I got on the computer and found a couple flights that I was not told about and went back to the airport to get on one, the first had 13 people in front of me on standby, the second had 4 in front of me.  So I posted up on a leather couch and spent 4 hours writing workout and meal plans for my clients before someone pulled some strings for me and I got on a 4:40 flight.

Our room was up high at the Hyatt Regency

I got checked into the room and waited for the guys to get done with Friday’s show expo, ate some dinner and then hit the sack around 1230 am.

Caught the sun peaking up early Saturday morning from our Baller view room of downtown

We had to get up early, tossed back a great breakfast buffet that the hotel had prepared for the “fitness” crowd before heading over to the venue to get it ready for a busy Saturday

great crowd all day and a huge line at the booth for when Ronnie showed up to give a seminar, take pictures and sign autographs

They put me in charge of the new clothing Line, many that carry famous sayings from Ronnie’s career and Them Texas Boys tank tops were a HOT Item as you can imagine with the pride Texans carry, All the clothing is/will be available on line at ronniecoleman.net

Me and the 8 time Mr. Olympia.

After a long and fun day at the expo, which by the time we got packed up and out of there was over 12 hours, it was time to retreat back to the room and get cleaned up for the night.. A surprise 50th birthday party for Ronnie himself.

American Airlines Arena where the Dallas Stars and Mavericks play. Also the center where the Birthday Party was

Havana Social Club. Super rad place.

Hand rolled Cigars anyone? Super cool watching him work his craft

The Kings Birthday Cake!

We got back to the room after 1:30 Sunday morning and I had to be up before 5 to catch my flight home…which was on time thank goodness!!!

So there you have the weekend, It was full of stress before getting there, It lacked any significant amount of rest ( about 8 total hours from the time I woke up Thursday morning until I went to bed Sunday night, but it was an amazing time while in Dallas, and it was great to spend time with some industry friends and was awesome working for such a great company, Thanks Ronnie, Brendan, Lee, Derek and Justin for having me!

Weekends like this get you all fired up and wanting more, which is exactly what I am going to be bringing to the table in the very near future,  Big things are on the horizon for the whole Stevie T Fitness Empire and I appreciate the constant support and encouragement that you all give me so stay tuned for much much more!

Cheers!

 

My routine + Bigger Muscle Pumps & Better Nutrient Uptake = Stacked N O !!

Hello!! first off I want to thank my faithful readers for the continued support and constant feedback.

I’m going to start off today by answering the question that I get asked the most. & then tell you about the newest product that I have added into my arsenal that has been blowing my mind – Stacked NO

1.What exactly is your training schedule?

So here we go, I will start off with the training schedule and the explanation of why I never write exactly what my routine is, I haven’t done this for the fact that it is MY routine & I don’t mean that in an arrogant or offensive way, however my routine is based completely around what goals I have for myself and the sports I participate in.  You see as a trainer/coach I have to be able to walk the walk in the gym and have a certain physical look to me, on the flip side I also have to be able to ride a mountain bike at a relatively high performance level, so unless you have the exact same goals as I do, my exact routine will not be the best for YOU.  I will outline what I do and if you choose to take bits and pieces or add in your own outside activities that is great.

Day 1. 10 minutes of Tabata’s followed by 48 non stop minutes of sports specific conditioning that includes tons of Leg and Core work, and then 10 minutes of cardio HIIT’s to finish off the session

Day 2. Hill sprinting and Mountain bike training total training time is generally over 2 hours total

Day 3. 10 minutes of Tabata’s followed by 20 sets each of Chest and Back (super-sets, tri-sets, quad-sets) with minimal rest and then 10 minutes of cardio HIIT’s to finish off the session

Day 4. Interval training on the Mountain bike or a trail run – 90 minutes

Day 5. 10 minutes of Tabata’s followed by Shoulders, Traps and Core (tri-sets done with zero rest – 45 sets total) and then 10 minutes of cardio HIIT’s to finish off the session

Day 6. Long Mountain bike ride with steady state and cardio intervals – 3 hours

Day 7. REST DAY –

Day 8. 10 minutes of Tabata’s followed by Tricep and Bicep’s (super-sets done with zero rest – 28 sets total) and then 10 minutes of cardio HIIT’s to finish off the session

Day 9. 1000-1500 rep full body circuit training – 90 minutes or less with minimal rest

Day 10.  Active recovery day – 1 hour of easy movement which depends on how sore I am and where.

Day 11. Repeat the cycle

— For all body parts trained at the gym I employ both heavy weights and low reps (5) plus lighter weights and high reps (20-25)

On to the addition of Stacked NO!  Early last week I decided to throw this product into my pre-workout stack, the first day I took the six capsules 1 hour before my training session was on shoulder and trap day, I noticed quite a bit more vascularity and a great pump, but nothing over the top.  I continued to take it as recommended and then day 9 rolled around and it was time to hit the arms from every angle with both high and low rep antagonist super-sets, within the first ten minutes I could tell that the pump I was going to get would be one to remember and by the finishing sets there was so much blood in my upper arms you couldn’t see any defenition of muscle and had I not been looking in the mirror I wouldn’t of been able to tell I was actually moving the weight around because I couldn’t feel my arms!  It. Was. Amazing.

There is a lot more to this product than just a mind blowing pump though, with the increase in NO production you also get the benefits of increased nutrient delivery, better recovery, increased endurance & all day long muscle fullness.  I have taken my fair share of NO products over the years and this one ranks in the top three of all time, looking at the ingredient list what sets it apart must be the addition of the Agmatine and the trademarked ingredient Astragin which has been shown to improve the absorption of numerous critical nutrients.  Regardless of the scientific stats surrounding it,  this product works in real life, plain and simple!

Pre Workout Stack

That’s All I have for you today – Hope that answers some questions and please keep them coming!

Stevie T

**always consult with your physician before starting or changing a current workout routine , nutrition program or supplement.  The advice and programs that are talked about on this site are not recommended for use by any individuals with any medical condition(s) that might be compromised by intense exercise or resistance training.  If you feel any abnormal pain, nausea or dizziness please discontinue training and consult your health care professional immediately **

Building up, for the summer shred down!

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve had any extra time to do some writing but I’ve been thinking about what to pass along everyday along the way.

I’ll start off with how impressed I am with the Ronnie Coleman Signature Series line of products, I’m now five weeks in, up 2 lbs of the scale and down 3% body fat and getting ready to add in a couple of products for the final six weeks.  I just re-ordered all of the products I started out with and after taking a break from stimulants for a while I’m adding in BetaStim in the morning, Myo-Blitz XS  pre workout and after trying a couple of sample packets… my new favorite product I’ve taken in a long time Resurrect PM at night prior to bed!  If you have a schedule like mine or just have a tough time getting a good nights rest, I recommend getting your hands on the Resurrect PM, it is flat-out amazing and you don’t wake up with the OTC sleeping pill hangover!

Training has been good, and I just started a new routine that I’m calling the 50 days of Fury – what it basically boils down to is me putting in ultimate intensity during every session.  It varies day-to-day but I am including HIIT cardio, Tabata’s, hill and track sprinting along with a rotation of heavy lifting and non stop tri-sets days where the reps never stop and the pump gets so big it hurts!  I’ve been brainstorming about a routine like this for quite a while and it finally all came together this week, that being said, prior to this week I really thought that I knew what intensity was, however I apparently have been lying to myself the whole time and am super excited to see what the next 47 days brings to my conditioning.

On the coaching front I have been getting tons of validation/gratitude from my clients and athletes, to see first hand the results of my programs put to use in the athletic arena and to hear the changes both mentally and physically others are getting from my direction is what makes me strive to keep learning, innovating and progressing my ability to get the most out of every single person I come in contact with.

That’s all I have for you today.. I will leave you with a little tidbit, If you are taking any supplement in powder form that contains multiple ingredients – do yourself a favor and every couple of days grab the scoop out of it and give it a good shake to mix up the contents and give you consistent dosing with each scoop.

Cheers

Stevie T.