[BigDongedHoe]

With all of the different workouts and supplements out there I wanted a poll of the best supplement you personally have used.

I successfully completed the body-for-life challenge and it took amazing amounts of discipline. It did a great job of cutting me up (my abs are the best they've ever been) but not a good job of bulking. With that said I've switched things up and think I'm starting to see better results by working out and just eating a protein rich diet. I started at 6'1 180 at the beginning of the challenge and ended up 6'1 176, I did however have about a year and half of all fast food eating and laying around which I worked off so I do look 30 times better than I previously did.

With that being said I've also been taking a supplement I had not previously taken. In the past I've taken a couple supplements and I'll review them here as well as the length I took them:

8 Months Oct 2002-May 2003 GNC Creatine Monohydrate: This was the first supplement I took and I would of called it a success while I was on it my senior year but afterwards and looking back on it now it absolutely was not. Approx. 2 weeks after I got on it I increased my bench max by 15 lbs. and looked much bulkier but I noticed I had extremely high water retention which was making it difficult to get a nice cut look. My abs were big but not cut and same with most of the muscles in my body. I also noticed that after getting off of Monohydrate not only did my muscle size decrease greatly but I actually lost 4-5 lbs. which leads me to believe this stuff did nothing but add on extra water weight.

1 Month Oct. 2003 - Nov. 2003 Ripped Fuel: I must add in that I did not lift in between May of 2003 and October of 2003 so getting on this stuff was horrid as i am already a slender built guy. It made me lose 4 lbs. or so of muscle that I didn't really have and made me a twig, would not reccomend unless you're a bulkier guy already looking to get cut and I mean real cut.

1 Cycle (approx.40 Days) September 2005 - October 2005 N02: I have to add again that i really took nearly a 2 year break from lifting and started this stuff when I got back into it. NO2 works there is no doubt about it but was still not worth the money. At approximately $110 for a 40 day cycle it is definitely not worth the money. NO2 gives your muscles a very hard feeling almost like rock but did not really bulk me up or give me the extra duration in my lifts I expected. Maybe it was because I was also just getting back into it but I was unimpressed for the money spent and would not do it again.

On my 2cnd cycle now November 2005-Current NOEXPLODE: This is by far the best suppplement I've ever taken, not only does it give me extra bulk and water rentention is not super high but taking pre-workout as prescribed really gets you pumped to lift and a heigtened sense of well-being and focus. Its fairly expensive ($50 for a can that will last you a month and a half or so) but well worth the money for the energy it gives you alone. I am really impressed with it and don't think I would ever train without it. I've also been taking Muscle Milk after my workouts (approx. 20 min. after) and feel like this is the best protein on the market. Really works well and I've seen better gains in the last 2 months than I have with other things in a long time. I'm up to almost 180 now of all lean muscle which is 4 lbs in 2 months and I'm really happy with that.

I want to add that in my first long cycle of working out (8 months my senior year) I lifted 4-5 times a week and would do a 3-day split which was biceps and back one day, chest, tri's, and shoulders the next, and then legs the next then a day off and throw in abs whenever. Currently I am working out legs once a week, and my whole upper body twice a week (usually on monday and friday) and then ridiing a stationary bike for 25 min. 3 times a week on off days. I feel like this is the by far a better workout than what I did my senior year and I spend less time in the gym. I cannot stress enough how important I feel rest is in lifiting weights. Probably the most underrated part of working out is rest IMO. I didn't know how you all felt but I feel twice as good and am actually feeling more muscular now then when I was a typical "gym rat".

Feel free to share any supplements you've had success with or lack of for that matter and any workouts you feel might be better than what I'm doing now as I'm always looking for new ideas. Also if any of you had any advice on Nitrix that would be great as I've never heard anything but great things about it.