com BCAA 2:1:1 (Branched Chain Amino Acids) - BCAAs Amino acids - BCAA Pre Workout - Vegan Pre Workout - Intra Workout Supplement - Amino Acids Supplement (250 Grams - 8.8 oz)

In short: Wanted something simple, proven and I could readily mix with Gatorade, Powerade or other liquids. Goals with the product are to see testable performance gains over time, which I will. Long Story: Been weight lifting in some capacity since I was 16. I'm almost 40 and have been doing Crossfit for the last 3 years exclusively. I look like I workout but also have enough of a dad's bod not to be intimidating. You know the shape that someone says "oh they workout, but they also don't turn down taco's either." The current Male Champion at the Crossfit Games had some good advice in a recent movie about the CF Games. He said " buy products that have no hype or special blends. Simpler is better!" Been focusing on training & improving my diet over the last couple years so now is a good time to add supplements to shore up weak areas. Went with BCAA, Glutamine, Creatine Monohydrate because they have proven track record IMO and are as old as dirt in the supplement realm. Stumbled across Bulk Supplements on Amazon while doing some research. Seemed like a no-nonsense product with packaging and definitely NO HYPE marketing screaming " I'm the best so buy me." I mean it's basically white powder in a nice sealable white bag. So I ordered from them. The packages came as described. No scoops provided which is fine. Simple fine thread resealable bags (though I wish they went with the double seal method like zip lock does to help ensure freshness), though no trouble sealing bags so far. The taste mixed with just water is not very specific, not enjoyable either but very very and easily MASKABLE TASTE with any flavored liquid (simple go-to is chocolate milk). Product mixtures seem to dissolve clear with no clumps at all with little effort of stirring. Nice thing about CrossFit is that it constantly gives you measurable means & methods on your performance. I don't think these supplements will make or break me, but realistically give me a 2% gain. While that might not sound like a lot the compounding effects over months, days and years add up and that's what I am in for. I can already tell I can push myself just a little harder than I use to after about a month of using these supplements. The quantity should last me a few months and at the price point can't be beaten for quality. WIN-WIN in my book. Update: 12/4/2009. Love the products still and stand by them. I definitely can tell when I have been on them for longer than a week. Use them when trying to trim up and ready for competitions (local crossfit events) or other highly physically challenging situations. When I'm on glutamine, creatine, and BCAA (in order from most helpful to least helpful for me) I notice some bigger improvements than off when I'm off and just adjusting my diet. The biggest changes occur naturally when I clean up my diet for a while and add in supplementation. So even if "placebo is an effect" this stuff makes me feel better and allow myself to push harder during workouts. That's what I want and willing to pay for.

Preliminary review Performance: I have yet to notice much of a difference while taking this. I will do some more testing on it to see if there is any sort of added performance intra lift, and any hasted recovery. Side effects: The product no doubt, when taken at 5g per serving, 3-5 times a day, makes me nauseous, crampy, and gurgly, among other things that need not be mentioned, with EVERY dose. I have taken other BCAA's, including ON's amino Energy which has 5g eper serving (I take 2.5 pre workout... that means 12.5 g BCAA), and I have never experienced this. I have put all sorts of things in my stomach, and not very many things have EVER made my stomach do this. Mixability: It doesn't mix whatsoever in ANY freestanding liquid. However, I suppose if you were to mix it in say, a shake of some sort, you'd be fine, but then your shake would taste bad. Mixing it with water, juice, or anything that doesn't have substantial substance, is quite disappointing. Plus, it doesn't taste that great. In conclusion: Based off of what I've experienced thus far, there is no way that I would buy this again. BCAA's are not supposed to make you sick. I bought them, so I will continue to use them, but once the bag is gone, no more from Bulk Supplements. update: 1/17/15 After trying this product out further, and REALLY wanting it work, I am needing to drop the rating even further (*** to *). Taking BCAA at anything less than 5g per serving is kind of a waste of time. They should be taken at 5g pre, intra, post, and at least 2 other times throughout the day. If I were to attempt this, I would be sick all day. The effect that I get while training is such that it detracts greatly from my lifting experience, because I am constantly feeling nauseous, and constantly burping. Depending on how much I have left, I will likely mix it in with my protein powder and pray to God that is doesn't eff it up. There is no way I will be buying this again from this company. And, it in fact makes me ponder the quality of the rest of their products. Also, as with every other powder they have, they measuring chart is wildly incorrect. I suggest that you get yourself a scale that weighs down to 1/100 of a gram. You will be surprised at how inaccurate their measurements are. Take my review as a grain of salt, as most others seem to have great luck with it. But for some reason, my body does not like it.

I really like this company and all their products I tried so far, and I have tried quite a few! Great quality in a non-flashy, sturdy bag that has a zip-lock. All products have very little or no smell from I could tell and more importantly, they all mixed really well with my drinks. The one that smelled kinda bad was Agmatine. Now, back to BCAA. I didn't know anything about this product but after buying some of their other products they sent me an e-mail asking me to pick a product to receive as a free sample (free shipping too) and all they asked was a review of it! How cool is that? So, after some browsing the list of their products and some online research, I decided on trying the BCAA. They sent me a 100gr bag! First week I didn't get a chance to consume it properly, then started using the suggested 1500mg but once a day. I felt slightly better after workouts but nothing significant. Then I wised up and started using 2-3 times a day, at least one 30-45 minutes before workouts and one about an hour after. Wow, even after only 2 workouts the result was impressive. On non-workout days, I still consume at least one dose but ideally and normally 2 doses. I will increase it to 3 on workout days as suggested on the package. It is, after all, what you are supposed to do, experiment on your own, but, prudently! The smarter and safer way is to start your dose on the small side. For instance, if recommended dosage is 1000mg (1gr) 3 times a day, start with 250mg or 500mg once or twice a day and observe your body's reaction for a few days and see if you notice the expected/anticipated changes or not. If not or very small, then increase the dosage and times, simple as that. I was so impressed with the product that I just ordered another 250g bag. I typically order bigger amounts so I can have a stash of the same supplements at home as well as at work (I hit the Gym right after work) which ensures that I get to take them at the suggested intervals. Along with Glutamine and AAKG, BCAA become a must for me. I have no post-workout soreness and I noticed I can last quite a bit longer in the gym just by taking the above 3. I am 43 and after a solid 60-90 minute workout, I have no problem riding my motorcycle back home. I still feel energetic and alert. Even if I get less than ideal hours of sleep, I noticed I was feeling peppier, sharper, and I am far from a morning person! Remember to consult your doctor beforehand if you have any doubts, or if you experience any issues after taking any kind of supplement. So far, no issues with any of the supplements from this vendor, very impressed with the company, their prices, their customer service and of course, their products. Highly recommended! My pre-workout stack (occasionally changing as it is an ongoing discovery): 1500mg L-Glutamine 1500mg AAKG 1500mg BCAA 500mg-750mg Beta Alanine 2000mg L-Arginine 2000mg L-Carnitine 1000mg-2000mg Creatine + occasionally: 750mg Agmatine - currently experimenting with I don't really lift heavy or push myself like I did when I was in my 20s but once in a blue moon, if I feel like pushing the old muscles a bit further, then I increase the AAKG, Beta Alanine, Creatine by 1000mg-1500mg more, and also add 1000mg L-Citrulline Malate plus 25mg-30mg of Dendrobium, which I got for testing. Post workout: 1500mg-3000mg L-Glutamine 1500mg AAKG 1500mg BCAA The only issues I encounter were: Once by accident, I took about 2000mg of Beta Alanine with the rest of the list. It was late in the afternoon and I turned into Hulk, yes I had way more power and felt good but I was a little too wired and made it very hard to fall asleep. Creatine may cause slight bloating or stomach discomfort, especially if taking with water on an empty stomach. too much of it can actually cause bowel movement in some cases but nothing sudden or extreme. I always mix Creatine with a low carb drink and eat a non-citrus fruit like a banana right before. I also take Acetyl L-Carnitine which actually does everything regular L-Carnitine does but it also hits the brain so it is awesome in the mornings, before breakfast but not so wise to take it later in the day. Anyhow, I yapped a bit too much and perhaps digress a tad too, if indeed so, please forgive me! Cheers, SMA

First off, I am not a young muscle bound guy writing this review. I’m a 50+ man who got the crazy idea to dedicate less time to pounding my body running, and more time trying to stay fit with strength training. Notice, strength training, not body building, I’m told there is a difference. Also, my AFTER picture probably looks like most BEFORE pictures, but I’m not complaining. The reason I decided to use Amino Acids was a recommendation from a trainer when the soreness from Squats, Deadlifts and lunges become intense. Not, “oh, I’m a little sore”, but “oh crap, I can’t even bend down to pick up my dog’s business each and every walk” soreness. Day changing pain and soreness on an old body and muscles. I bounced around a little on products, and I’m happy to say I settled here on this brand. No, it is not a pretty color, no it does not fizz when you shake it, or promise ridiculous energy or stamina. It does not taste like a cross between cotton candy, bubble gum and a unicorn’s horn. It tastes like a medicinal powder. Not sure how else to put it. I tried to add some powdered drink mix to make it a little better tasting, and then laughed at myself. What am I, 12? Do I need St. Joseph’s, pink like cotton candy, chewable aspirin? No, now I just mix the powder in water, and drink it before I eat something or drink something else. Not sure what our obsession is with taste on things like this and protein shakes. I asked at my gym if I could speak to somebody who knew a lot about protein, and I was directed to a man with a beautiful physique who spent 20 minutes explaining to me which protein tasted the best. Not a word about what an old man should be taking to help him gain strength, but try this one it really does taste like a strawberry shake. My results? Love how this has made me feel. There is a noticeable difference in my level of soreness and recovery time. When I take it, as recommended, my workouts are better and my amount of stretching time before and after is reduced. That is a big deal to me because I’m still of the mindset that stretching is something a first baseman does on a close play. I can push hard in the gym without fear of having to alter my lifestyle outside of the gym due to soreness. Has it given my chiseled abs nope, broad shoulders and buns of steel, not really, but I’m getting there. I will continue to use this product, and I am considering trying a few others from this company, and I have recommended it to people who have asked or I know are looking for supplement options.

After researching the different sides to the "do I need BCAAs if I'm already using a post-workout protein powder" argument, I went ahead and purchased a 250g bag of this stuff to try it out. I was curious to see if these free-form BCAAs getting absorbed into my system quicker would yield any real benefit during my workouts. I wasn't interested in trying any of those canisters with weird fonts, exclamation marks, references to explosive devices, or various synonyms of "big" or "extreme" slapped on the front.... most of those things are packed with "proprietary blends" of a bunch of junk that you just don't need. I wanted something clean and basic. I've only been adding this BCAA powder to my routine for a week now, which isn't too long. But in my past five workouts since using it I've definitely noticed a difference with how my muscles responded to the high-intensity workouts. There's a few different suggested ways to take this stuff, but I just add the recommended amount to a bottle of water that I begin to sip while on my way to the gym and then drink throughout my workout. After the workout I take my regular protein powder shake (which does have BCAAs in it). The main difference that I noticed was that my muscles seemed to fatigue slower than usual. When I used to just take a pre-workout powder packed with caffeine and other stuff, I felt that I had tons of energy even when my muscles didn't have the endurance to keep going. Basically, my muscles would fatigue before I would. Over the past week, though, my workouts have gone up a little in intensity and I've been able to get more sets in before my muscles start to tell me enough is enough. Like I said, I've only been adding this stuff to my diet for a week, which is way too soon to see any results... but it wasn't too soon for me to feel a difference. Oh, and people talk about it being bitter, and it is, but only a little. Not enough that you can't add it to regular water and drink it just fine. Besides, anyone that's more concerned about flavor than getting a quality, clean product would be better off with one of those cannisters full of artificial flavor and who knows what else. EDIT 6/24/2015 Bulk Supplements is awesome. I did end up buying a bigger bag. These BCAAs have been inexpensive and helped me out enormously in my workout goals. Order from these guys and you can't go wrong.