Steroid use in the UK

I know this isn't a product review, however it is a subject related to the fitness industry and, sort of, supplementation.

I was on the way to work this morning listening to my usual radio station when I heard a news story about the use of steroids in the UK.

It quoted that nearly a million people within the UK are using steroids as a shortcut to "get ripped".

I found this news quite shocking.

Having watched endless documentaries on the side effects of using steroids, and seeing interviews with people who have used them previously, I thought people would know that the abuse of such substances can cause serious health problems.

I know that there is a divide as some people believe if you cycle them correctly you can have positive results without having side effects, but how can you guarantee that in the long term?

It also quoted that children as young as 13 were using the substance to "get ripped quick" and this really did cause concern from myself.

As a nation should we not educate our children to what effects the use of such substances can cause? And at such a young age how do these children manage to get their hands on them?

I believe it is stories such as these that should catch the attention of parents, carers, and even the government in order to better educate younger generations when it comes to such serious topics.

If you want to be ripped, then there is no shortcut, it takes dedication, hard work and perseverance in order to achieve great results. Shortcuts or the use of substances can cause serious Heath problems in later life, as proven by previous users.

Thank you for reading,

Josh

Maximuscle Cyclone - The First Taste

Good evening,

For a change in my supplementation, I've decided to try out Maximuscle's Cyclone weight gainer.

Maximuscle are now known as MaxiNutrition.

This one seems to have a good combination of complex carbohydrates and a large amount of protein. It also contains 10g of Creatine Monohydrate per 2 servings.

As for the taste, well, you can't have everything. It isn't a horrible taste, however I find it overly sweet and a little hard to stomach, but I'm fussy like that.

I'll be back to fill you in on how I go with this product and what results I find, until then, thank you for reading!

Josh

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey

I've been using this product for the last few months and have found it to be one of my favourites. It has a good taste and consistency, and always mixes easily.

The flavour is exactly as described on the bag, and is pretty easy going. This is in comparison to other products I've tried such as Matrix Nutrition's whey protein powder, which has a very strong flavour and isn't as easy to consume.

I tend to lean towards the chocolate flavour as I have a love of chocolate, but I have also tried the vanilla and the strawberry flavours of this powder and they all taste spot on in my opinion.

The effectiveness of this product all depends on whether or not you follow the suggested supplementation pattern, which I believe is to use it 1-3 times daily, pre and post-workout mixed with either water or milk.

I personally prefer to mix it with low fat milk as it adds a little bit more of a milk shake consistency to the shake.

The product has all the key components for building lean muscle while using it along side a good weight training routine as well as having a balanced healthy diet. It has a low fat and carbohydrate content with only 1g of fat, 1g of sugar and 3g of carbohydrates.

It also contains 5.5g of BCAA's. These Branch chain amino acids make up 35% of our muscle mass and need to be present for the development of said muscles. They aid in the repair of the muscle tissue after exercise, so 5.5g per shake is a good amount to help you recover faster.

Below is the product label so you can see the content for yourself.

I used this product for around 2 months before Christmas and managed to gain around 1.5kg in weight while using it. This may be due to the fact that I have only trained properly for around a year and a half to two years.

I believe this product to be an all round good product from taste to effectiveness and for this reason I would give it a solid 8/10, due to it being quite a pricey product in the first place.

I tend to buy this product either off of Amazon, or Discount Supplements, due to these being fast with postage and have a relatively low price for this product in comparison to other websites.

The newest limited edition flavour, caramel frappe, for this protein is next level, it tastes amazing!
I'd recommend getting yourself a tub before they stop doing it!