New Release Tuesday: Posing Edition

I don't want to say that I hate posing. Hate is such a strong word. How 'bout I say that I strongly dislike posing?

I feel awkward anytime I'm posing. I feel like I'm sticking my boobs in people's faces. I feel like I make weird faces. I feel like I'm shaking in each pose. I feel like I can't transition from one pose to another without looking down at my feet. Bottom line, I feel like a hot mess!

I've decided that I'm going to start practicing my posing with music. Most shows have music playing during finals so I figure if I can feel somewhat comfortable posing with music playing in the background now, I should do okay on show day.

I wanted a song that would make me strut a little bit. Give me a boost of self-confidence. Something that would help me present my physique in the best way possible while conveying the message that I deserve that top stop.

I found the perfect song! I would be a liar if I said I haven't been walking around singing "I'm feeling myself...cuz I'm gon' get it all"...I might just need to make this my theme song for 2014. :)

*I should warn you that if you're not a fan of profanity, you might want to skip this one.*

You Might Be In Off-Season If....

You might be in off-season if.....

1. You insist on calling it an "improvement season" versus "off-season"
2. When gorging on cookies, candy, tamales, pancakes, and carne asada fries, you calmly inform people that you are "eating to grow"

   

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3. A daily check of your abs is necessary....just to ensure that you're not "growing" too much
4. You want to roll your eyes & scream every time someone asks when your next show is
5. You only want to roll your eyes & scream because you don't know when your next show is due to number 2 on this list
6. You pee your pants a little bit each time your coach tells you to bring your competition suit & heels to your next training session so he can "see where you're at"

   

   
   

7. Your favorite hashtags are #getallthegains, #eattogrow, #beastmode, #2014istheyear, and #fatkidstatus

   

   
   

8. You will get up before the sun rises to go to the gym but getting up early for any other reason is just crazy talk

New Release Tuesday

I love this song.

It makes me smile and

makes me want to dance.

Plus, how is possible that Pharrell has not aged at all

in the past 15 years?!?!

I want to know his secret!!

Enjoy the song & shake your ass a little while you do :)

Sh!t Happens....

There have been so many times over the past few weeks where I've wanted to come in here and update you on what's going on but I can't seem to find the time. Scratch that, I couldn't seem to MAKE the time to do it. So, the Worst Blogger of November award goes to me! #bloggerfail  I apologize and will be making more of a conscious effort to schedule time to keep this thing alive, breathing, and exciting! :)

Let's start with some fun stuff that isn't workout-training-improvement season related, shall we??

Guess who is such a big boy now?!?! That's right, my nephew Jaxon turned one a couple of weeks ago! Oh my goodness, y'all. That was a fast year. He is standing up on his own, trying to talk, and Uncle Tommy taught him how to climb up stairs...lol...watch out!

Aunt T & Uncle Tommy - grown monsters :)

She's such a goober!

My sister calls him a "drool monster" so his birthday party was monster-themed and it was a lot of fun as you can tell by looking at the pictures :)

A couple of months ago, I met a female member of the my gym (shout out to Desert Sports & Fitness, the best gyms in T-town!) who was prepping for her first fitness competition. Her name is Savannah and I am envious of her abs! Anyway, she and I met a few times to work on posing and stuff. It's nice to have someone to talk to (in person) about competing, prep, hunger pains, and all that good stuff :)

I was able to go to Phoenix and watch the finals of the NPC Western Regionals in Phoenix. Funny story, this was the first time, in three years, that I was at a show as a spectator not a competitor. (#kindastrange) Savannah looked ridiculously amazing & she won her class! It was so fun to cheer her on and I'm really excited to follow her journey next competition season!

While we were in Phoenix, I took Tom to see the BYB Fitness studio. He hasn't had a chance to meet Randy in person yet or watch one of our training sessions (I'm trying to keep this from happening as long as possible! just kidding...sort of...lol) but I wanted him to see my new "home away from home".

Training wise, last month was quite the busy month! In an effort to tighten dat ass improve my weaker areas, I have been hitting the track for sprints a couple times a week. Sprints, to me, are a lot of fun and if it might help me get a booty like Carmelita Jeter....well...count me in!

I posted this pic on my Instagram...sometimes the workout sucks...

I made the trip to Phoenix to train with El Jefe a couple of times and let me tell you, I'm going through an adjustment period! There are many times during our training sessions that I feel weak and honestly, I just want to throw up my hands and walk away. It's not because El Jefe is a mean, evil coach who is trying to break me. It's because, as he has said, I've been working out not training. These are two completely different things and this is, at times, a hard lesson for me to learn. My job is to continue training on my own, hit the track a couple of times a week, and try not to break down & cry when he and I train together. I'm doing well on a couple of those and not so well on the other ;)

Lots of changes have been taking place, not only physically but mentally as well. He said the first month would be bumpy and he wasn't lying but you know what, good things things come to those who bust their ass and work for them!

Victory loves preparation

New Release Tuesday

Yes, I'm alive. The earth did not swallow me whole.

I promise to share what's been going on with me

but while I'm working on that, 

enjoy this beautiful song by John Legend.

The Time Has Come

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you  in my Revitalized post that I would be making some decisions about what the next steps in my competition journey would be. Well, decisions were made a couple of days after I published that post but I wanted to wait until November started to share what those decisions were.

Since 2010, I have competed in 10 figure competitions. I have placed in the top 5 in 7 of those shows and in my most recent show, I won my class. 2013 was the year I stepped on the national stage for the first time and while I did not do as well as I would have liked to, I discovered that I loved competing at the national level.

After Junior Nationals and the AZ Open in July, I began thinking seriously about what my next steps would/should be.How seriously did I want to compete at the national level?  Was I hungry for a pro card? Should I continue doing figure or contemplate switching to physique? 10 shows - was that number I needed to stop at?

When I met with Randy  a few weeks ago and we sat down to talk about my future & goals, he said something that really stuck with me. He said that he's seen me on stage in good shape not great shape and that I can't walk away from competing without showing up to a show in great shape and seeing how I do. I knew that there were shows that I could have used more time to train/lean out/etc but to hear someone else say it was completely different.

I walked away from my time with Randy knowing that if I was going to continue competing, I would have to make some serious changes. I went home and talked to Tom because these changes would affect not only me but him as well. I spoke from my heart and told my husband that I wanted to put myself in someone else's hands. Honestly, I was scared. Tom has been my trainer since this all started and now I was, in a way, walking away from him. I was surprised to find out that Tom felt the same way I did and agreed that it was time to let someone else take over.

November 1st, I became an official member of the BYB Fitness family and hired Randy as my new trainer/coach. The next few months are going to be spent reshaping parts of my physique and helping me get into the best off-season shape I can. This will mean traveling to & from Phoenix to train one-on-one with Randy in addition to training on my own. We've talked about the shows I would love to do next year but no concrete plans have been made. El Jefe (the nickname I've given him) has told me that I have the potential to do big things and his excitement is contagious. I'm even more excited for the remainder of this off-season and can't wait to see what I look like when I step on stage next year!

I'm ready to put in the work and make things happen!

New Release Tuesday

I rarely discuss politics on my blog. For me, it's not the forum

where I want to have certain discussions/conversations. 

With that said, I had to share this video. Immigration is a

"hot topic" in our country, especially here in Arizona.

I don't want to discuss my stance nor do I want you to share your's.

I just want you to watch the video and think about what's going on in our

country day in & day out.

Open Wide!!

Disclaimer:  I was provided with products from Designer Whey to review as part of my affiliation with FitFluential.  

As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

I think we all know that I'm a lover of food. Food makes me all warm & fuzzy inside (and that's not because it's spicy!). It makes me do my happy wiggle and sometimes even sing a little song. So when I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing a new food product, you know I practically screamed "YES!"

Designer Whey, which you may remember from the review I did of their Sustained Energy product, sent me an incredible box of their products. I was so surprised! I was excited to try everything in the box but started with their Protein 2GO product.

From my Instagram 

Protein 2GO is a post-workout recovery drink mix with 50 calories, 10g of protein, 1g of sugar, and 2g of carbs. It's gluten-free, lactose-free, and caffeine-free. Now....let me be honest....after reading the box..well...I thought to myself "this is going to taste like dirt!". I was wrong!! I added one packet of the mixed berry flavor to my water and I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle berry flavor. It mixed well with water, didn't smell funny, and didn't have a weird aftertaste!

In addition to the products in the box, Designer Whey included several coupons that I could use to purchase a new yogurt called Smari. This is a thick and creamy, organic Icelandic-style yogurt and is available in four flavors – pure, vanilla, strawberry, and blueberry. In Tucson, you can find this particular yogurt at ONE store so I made the drive (42 minutes!) during a lunch hour to pick it up.

From my Instagram 

When I made it back to library, I tore into the Vanilla flavor like a scavenger. My first taste made me stop, look at the spoon, and say "Ok...that's pretty good". I added half of a Len & Larry's Muscle Brownie to the cup, stirred, and just savored my tasty snack. I promise when I tell you that it was totally worth the long drive and fighting traffic just to get to the store - don't believe me - check my twitter account where I tweeted about the yogurt being worth the 42 minute drive :)

Smari is made in Wisconsin with organic milk from grass-fed cows that live on small family farms, organic cane sugar, fruit from Oregon with no preservatives, and uses natural tapioca starch as a thickening agent. This yogurt is so thick, you can stand your spoon in it without it falling over! It’s also gluten free and kosher!

My in-laws have a pomegranate tree in their backyard so each year, I impatiently wait for pomegranate season to arrive and the free pomegranates I know I will be receiving. On Tuesday, I got my first one and I knew exactly what I was going to eat it with! Wednesday morning, I put together this snack before heading to work. I put my spoon in the Pure flavor before adding anything to it and WHEW! It's tart!! Consider this your warning. If you don't like tart, then this flavor (by itself) is not for you. I think it's the perfect base to build upon. You could add fruit, protein powder, granola, or whatever you would like to it!

This simple snack is yogurt + pomegranate seeds (1/2 a pomegranate) + honey (to taste). I took it to work and shared it with one of my co-workers. For a second there, I thought it was going to get ugly because she liked it so much she ate more than half :)

You can win some free yogurt and have some Halloween fun at the same time! There are 100 chances to win! 1.) Click here to download & print the viking hat! 2.) Take a picture wearing your Viking hat - perfect for a Halloween costume 3.) Post it on Designer Whey's Facebook wall & share! The first 100 people to post their Viking hat #selfie will receive a FREE Smari Yogurt coupon!

Be creative & have fun with it! I can't wait to see what pictures you guys post!!

Mixin' Things Up

Sometimes I feel like I always do the same workouts for shoulders. When I look back at my workout log, I know this isn't true but still, I've been craving some new exercises. I save all of the Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines that I receive in the mail so this is where I went for some ideas on how to mix things up.

In the July/August 2010, there was a "Workout To Go" featured and the target area was delts. Umm....perfection! Some of the moves featured where ones I hadn't done in quite some time so it was nice to add them back into the rotation :)

I have been waking up at 4:00 am and leaving the house no later than 4:15 am for workouts. 4:00 am is EARLY and there are days when I just want to snuggle deeper into the covers and not leave the house but I can't! I have work to do (remember, this is my "improvement season"!) so I get my tired ass out of the bed, put my workout clothes on, and head to the gym. On this particular morning, I decided to try the N.O.-Xplode 2.0 that I received in one of my monthly Jacked-in-a-Box. Honestly, this pre-workout isn't one of my favorites but it gave me enough of an energy boost to get my workout done. I did enjoy the tingling in my lips when it started to kick in....I know....I'm strange...lol!!

As I walked out of the gym at 5:57 am, here's what I had accomplished:

Incline dumbbell press

20 x 8   25 x 8   30 x 8   35 x 8

Seated lateral raises (with dumbbells)

25 x 8 (2)  30 x 8  35 x 6

Seated iso-lateral low row

90 x 10 (2)   110 x 10 (2)   140 x 8 (2)

Front raises (with plates)

25 x 8   35 x 8  45 x 8 (2)

Bent-over row (with barbell)

95 x 8   115 x 8   135 x 8 (3)

Seated row (wide grip)

105 x 10  120 x 10  (2)  135 x 10 (2)

Has anyone tried any new exercises or workouts lately? I'm always craving variety so please share!

New Release Tuesday

Ok...this is one of those videos where every time I watch it, 

I get teary-eyed (yes, I have emotions...lol!)

This is not only an incredible powerful video which

will make you think about the power of the

words you speak, but the lyrics of the song

are just as powerful. Plus, Emeli's voice

is simply amazing.

I love this song & video. I hope you will too.

New Release Tuesday

Mario...is it wrong that I have a crush on this handsome young buck? I don't care...if it's wrong, then I don't wanna be right ;)

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my firefighter but what girl doesn't want a piece of eye candy that can also sing softly in her ear?  I know this girls does!! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

Revitalized!

photo credit

Has anyone had the chance to see Generation Iron?? When the film opened September 21, it wasn't being shown in Tucson. Tom & I were pissed! I even took to Twitter to complain about the fact that my crappy ass city wasn't showing the film (side note - Phil Heath retweeted one my tweets - eekk!!!). After pouting about the possibility of having to drive to Phoenix to see the movie, it was posted on Twitter that additional cities would be showing the film. No joke, I jumped up and down when I saw that Tucson was on the list!

It's a documentary on bodybuilding...the posed picture was necessary :)

We weren't able to see the movie when it opened here because of work schedules and other stuff so, we decided we would have a late date night on  the Wednesday night after it opened and see the last showing. We loved it!! It was amazing to get a "behind-the-scenes" look at the lives of some of the world's greatest bodybuilders. It was also fun for us to watch the Olympia coverage in the film because Tom & I were at the show & expo! Side note: I thought Phil Heath was delicious before I saw the film and after seeing it, I'm pretty sure that I might want to have his babies. *I apologize to his wife for lusting after her husband :)

I have been enjoying my time away from the stage and have been using this time, not only to rest, but re-evaluate my goals. I had made some tentative plans about what shows I would do next year and what I would do during the next few months to be ready for those shows. But the truth is, I've also thought about hangin' up my heels. Not because I no longer love the sport or have the desire to compete but because I have been thinking "Can I really be a force to be reckoned with? Can I be competitive at the national level?". To me, if the answer to those questions is no, then it's time to walk away from competing.

photo credit

In my AZ Open recap post, I mentioned a trainer that I have seen backstage at shows who I have briefly chatted with. After the show, I found his gym BYB Fitness on Facebook and sent him a message thanking him for always being so kind to me and mentioning that I would love to work out with him if we could make it work with our schedules. After several exchanges, Randy and I were able to set up a date & time for me to head to Phoenix and work out with him. Last Thursday, I made the drive north and proceeded to get my ass handed to me!

Before walking into BYB!

I'm pretty sure you guys know that I take my workshops very seriously. Very rarely do I walk out of the gym knowing that I didn't give 100%. I knew that Randy was going to put me through a hard workout but I had no idea that it was going to be such a physical and mental battle for me. There were moments of klutziness (I couldn't clear some of the jumps he had set up during my squat jumps), moments of gasping for air (I can still hear Randy yelling "Don't you dare do that, T" when I would lean over and suck wind), declarations of "I can't" (I got reprimanded for saying that!), and even tears! The workout ended and I laid in the doorway, trying not throw up. I was a broken woman.

Meet Randy!

Randy and I sat down to talk after the workout and it was an awesome conversation. He said some things to me that I needed to hear, asked me questions that are still making me think, and essentially added fuel to my fire that I realized was slowing dying. One thing he said to me that has been running through my head is that I shouldn't consider hanging up my heels until I've stepped on stage in GREAT shape (because up to this point, I've only been in GOOD shape) and see where I place. I can't walk away if I haven't really been on point and given it everything I have.

I have lots of decisions to make in the next few weeks but what I can tell you is there are some changes that will be taking place. Changes that I'm excited and nervous about. Changes that I think may shake this whole thing up. I promise to share with you soon and hope you'll join me on the next part of this journey!

The Obsession Continues!

I want boulder shoulders. I want them so bad I can taste it. My shoulders want to look like Candice's when they grow up! #realtalk

photo credit

If you think my obsession with growing my shoulders is something that just started, you would be wrong. Check out my Build, Build, Build and I Wanna Be Like Dwight posts, one is from earlier this year and the other is from last year. I'm tellin' you....the obsession is here and it's here to stay!

Shoulders post-workout!

I am hitting shoulders twice a week, one workout is "heavy" and the other I call my "burnout" workout and even though it's been a short amount of time, I'm pretty sure my shoulders are growing (or is that the photo editing filter I'm using?!?!).

I thought I would share with you the shoulder workout I did Wednesday morning and it's a good one! I'm still having difficulty lifting my arms to fasten my bra, put my mascara on, and comb my hair :)

Military press

20 x 8  25x 8  30 x 8  35 x 7  40 x 5

lateral raises

15 x 10/10   20 x 10/10   25 x 10/10   30 x 8/8   35 x 6/6

quarter lateral raises

40/40 x 8 (2)    45/45 x 8 (2)   50/50 x 8

bent over lateral raises (using bench) 

15/15 x 10 (2)    20/20 x 10 (2)   25/25 x 8

cable upright row

80 x 10  90 x 10   100 x 10   110 x 10    120 x 10

Has anyone else had a kick ass workout they want to share?? I'm always on the lookout for new ones to try! Please share them in the comments section!!!

Put It In Your Ear!

I discovered two songs this weekend that I want to share with you today!!

The first song is from Katy Perry. Now....umm...I haven't really been a fan of her music in the past. She definitely has made a few catchy songs that make you want to wiggle a little bit but I've never been like "OMG! Katy Perry's coming out with a new cd!"

I'm not going to be rushing out to buy her new cd when it comes out but I did purchase this single from itunes! The beat is sick and I'm not kidding, I attempt to twerk it and drop it like it's hot when the song is on!

This second song is from a British band called Rudimental. I was watching Black Ink Crew on VH1 and they were playing one of their songs during one of the scenes. When the show went to commercial, I hopped on Youtube to see what other songs I could "discover". The album version of this song features Emeli Sande (who is sheer perfection) so listen to both versions - I'm serious - you can thank me later!

I Heart Food!

Epic salad!

I love food. Plain & simple.

Food and I have a mad, passionate love affair going on and you know what, I don't care who knows it!

Protein pancakes...yes please!!

I joke that each time I start prep, my inner fat girl dies. She dies because she can no longer have Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, carne asada fries, apple fritters, pancakes, candy corn, should I go on??

What I have come to realize over time is that I am an emotional eater. I eat when I'm sad. I eat when I'm mad. I eat when I'm stressed. I eat when I'm bored. I eat...well....you get the idea. (I touched on this a little bit in my Face to Face With the Old Me post)

This improvement season, I am doing my best to step away from the mindless eating and eat with a purpose. I am working on feeling and dealing with my emotions versus numbing them with fried food and sweet treats. I am making a conscious effort to eat as healthy as possible and not turn to the foods that are "off-limits" during prep just because it's my "off-season" and technically I can have them. Some days, I do a really great job of this and other days, I fall flat on my face!!

Luckily, Kammie from Sensual Appeal has created a cookbook that just might help me fight the good fight. Sometimes, for one reason or another, I just need to cook for myself and I haven't quite mastered the art of cooking for one or cooking for one with just enough leftovers that will get eaten and not go to waste! :)

Kammie has recently created a delicious and healthy "Single Servings Recipe" eCookBook! I had the opportunity to preview this eCookbook and I have to tell you, there are some amazing recipes in this thing! I am excited about making the Chocolate Chip Pan-Cookie, Reese Overnight Oats, Raspberry Mint Yogurt Bites, and the S'Mores Mug Cake just to name a few!

The eCookBook is only $7.99 but Kammie has graciously offered you, my lovely readers, a discount code worth 25% off!! The code is BLOG25! Head over to her blog and order your copy today. Once you order the book and have tried a couple of the recipes, come back and share with rest of us your thoughts!

Oh...and since we're on the topic of food and eating, check out Charlotte's post from Wild Things Run Free entitled "Food Is Joyous - Treat It As So". I really like what she has to say about food and us viewing it as the enemy!

Disclaimer:

I received this product free of charge and was given no compensation for this review.

All opinions expressed are my own.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Time to blow the dust off this o' thing and post an update, don't you think?? :)

Hi everyone! How are things?? I hope you all are doing well!! I haven't had a chance to sit down and blog because a major change took place a couple of weeks ago!

I was transferred from one of our public library branches to another! I have gone from Reference Librarian to YA (Teen Librarian) in the blink of an eye!

I feel like the new kid who transfers to the school in the middle of the school year! My new co-workers are really great and have been really helpful during this transition. I miss working Reference at the Main Library but I think I'm going to love it here at Quincie :)



Acro Yoga!

During  my first week at the branch, I got to observe an Acro Yoga workshop taught by Tucson Flight School Acrobatics! Acro Yoga blends yoga, acrobatics, and performance into one. During this workshop, I (yes, me!) was able to not only be a base (person who has the most points of contact with the ground) and a flyer (person who is elevated off of the floor by the base). I was extremely nervous when it was my turn to be a flyer (I'm not a tiny, light woman) but the instructor, who served as my base, was so strong and just supported me through the whole thing. I had so much fun and I'm thinking about taking some classes when I can get away from work. It was a fun, challenging workout!

Other changes in my life include me stepping out of my comfort zone and trying out new styles/accessories when it comes to my hair! Instagram has inspired me to start wearing headwraps outside the house! I have worn them to work a couple of times and even out shopping. I'm still learning how to tie them in different ways so cross your fingers for me :)

Remember how I told you guys that my 5 inch clear heels were going to be hung up for the next 7-8 months? Well.....I lied! Not on purpose, mind you, but I lied. It turns out I will be stepping on stage about a month earlier than I originally anticipated! There will be a new NPC show in Arizona next year - it is being called the NPC Dennis James Classic. Since it's being held in Phoenix and it will be cheaper for me to compete in this particular show versus the show in California I was planning on, it's on the schedule!

Just a quick update on a few things that are going on with me. I hope you all are doing well and I will try to do a better job of posting now that I am a bit more settled!

New Release Tuesday

I'm going to admit something to you guys and 

I want you to remember this blog is

a judgment-free zone! :)

In high school, one of my favorite bands was

The Backstreet Boys! 

Yep, I'm putting it out and I have no shame in saying it.

My favorite member of the band was AJ - 

I love a boy with tattoos, what can I say?? :)

Well, guess what?? THEY'RE BACK!!!

"Backstreet's back...alright!"

*if you're a fan, you'll recognize that :)

Here's their newest single and I have to say

with the exception of seeing Nick dry humping the air,

I like it!

#SupplementSwag

As you can tell from my tweet, I love going to the gym. Over time training has become one of my favorite things to do. I love lifting hard and I love lifting heavy. To help me do both of those things, especially when prepping for shows, I will look to supplements to help me handle my business in the gym. This is where Jacked in a Box from Muscle and Fitness comes in.

*cue the choir*

I've talked about the monthly supplement sample boxes I've received in the past (see my "Muscle and Fitness Goodies Giveaway" & "It Does My Body Good" posts) and my experience with the program has been nothing but positive. I can't always use the samples right when I receive them but trust me, they do get used! I thought I would highlight some of the samples I've received over the past few months.

I was beyond excited when I opened one of my sample boxes and it contained a sample of Jack3d  in it. I have been wanting to try this particular supplement for a very long time. There had some issues in the past with this particular supplement and the end result was USP Labs changing the formula. Tom is of the opinion that the new formula is not a powerful as the original. I never tried the original formula so I can't give an opinion on it but I can say the new formula was just "meh" to me. I didn't do cartwheels over it but it gave me a slight boost of energy before my workout. I'm not eager to buy a full-size container of this stuff but if I was given another free sample, I would definitely use it.

If you're concerned that all you'll get each month is samples of pre-workout supplements and protein powders, there...there...stop worrying :) In the box pictured above, I did receive pre-workout supplements but I also received two protein bars, one of which was a Questbar. Now, if you have been living under a rock for the past year or so, Questbars are the current craze in protein bars. I know lots of competitors love them, especially after warming them up for a few seconds in the microwave. When we were in Chicago, Genie was stocking up on the free full-size samples they were giving out at Junior Nationals.

The sample I received from Muscle & Fitness was the first time I had ever tried the bar. I am not a huge fan of protein bars. They all taste artificial and chalky to me and I'm sorry to say, this one was no exception. As I sat there chewing each bite, I thought to myself "I don't get it". I'm not even sure the added step of microwaving the bar would have changed my mind. I'm just not a fan.

Now, you're probably thinking "if the sample box is so awesome, why have you only talked about what you didn't like?" Be patient...I'm gettin' to the good stuff! :)

Apparently, I expect a lot from my pre-workout supplements. Tom's theory is that I have a high tolerance for pretty much everything so something that might have a normal person bouncing off of the walls (like Jack3d) just gives me a teeny tiny boost. When I find something that gives me the physical and mental effects I'm looking for, I snatch it up. Nano Vapor from MuscleTech is on my "Get Your Grubby Hands On It" list. From the Muscletech website:

"NANO VAPOR® helps ignite the energy you need to train with extreme intensity and prime your body for rapid and massive muscle pumps, which is a key component of a true musclebuilding workout."

This stuff does exactly what it claims to do! I feel insanely focused and strong when I'm in the gym after taking Nano Vapor. I don't feel hyper or jittery but I definitely have a heightened level of energy. The taste and smell are amazing (because you guys know how I feel about taking things that smell or taste funny!). The first time I used the supplement, I had to force myself to stop my workout. I had put myself through a brutal shoulder workout and 75 minutes in, I still felt like I could keep going.

I know have a full container of Nano Vapor in my supplement cabinet and I use it on my heavy back & shoulders days (gotta grow baby!). It really helps me push myself to lift heavier and harder. I've started telling everyone that it's my #SheHulkSmash weapon :)

Before!

After!

Have any of you used Beast Sports Nutrition products? This company has some really great stuff out that you should try.  I have "discovered" many of their products through Jacked in a Box and I'm really starting to fall in love with them! Products that I have tried, liked, and have ordered include Amphetalean, Beast Mode, and Aminolytes. I like that this company creates products that they call "multi-purpose" - they want to create products that fulfill the multiple needs of the person taking them in order to save them from having to order a ridiculous amount of different products.

Other samples that I have received and have given two thumbs up to are:

MHP Iso Fast (whey isolate protein) 

BSN Hyper FX

BSN AminoX

Gaspari Superdrive

Gaspari Aminolast

I really enjoy receiving these monthly boxes because it helps satisfy my curiosity about products while helping me save money (imagine if I had purchased a full-size container of Jack3d or a box of Questbars?!?). Plus, who doesn't like getting boxes in the mail when it's not your birthday or Christmas?? :)

Disclaimer:

I received these products free of charge and was given no compensation for this review.

All opinions expressed are my own.