The last couple of posts I did where about energy drinks. I have found a great blog that has been putting out
Great Energy Drink Reviews. The only reason I reviewed any energy drinks was because on occassion I ran out of juice before a workout and I would have to stop at a GNC or gas station to get an energy drink. Well instead of me waisting my time reviewing all these energy drinks, I will continue with more fitness related articels. However on occassion I will update you when new energy drinks are reviewed.
So check out this site for
Great Energy Drink Reviews
Vault Energy Drink Review
The vault energy drink from the Coca-Cola Company was the last energy drink I used before a workout. Let me tell you one thing about Vault Energy Drink, it is carbonated and it does not sit well before a workout. It is fine for a mid-day pick me up or coffee replacement but by all means avoid drinking Vault Energy Drink before you workout.
Vault Energy Drink: Taste Well if Coca-Cola is trying to compete with Mountain Dew they are doing a good job in the taste category because Vault Energy Drink tastes very similar to Mountain Dew. If you remember the old Surge brand from Coca-Cola, you should like Vault as it tastes similar and has more total kick (caffeine).
Vault Energy Drink: Kick You get a whopping 70.5 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce serving with Vault Energy Drink. Compare this to Mountain Dew's 55 mg per 12 ounce serving and Red Bull's 80 mg per 8 ounce serving and you get a nice kick.
Ingredients:carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, concentrated orange juice, sodium benzoate, erythorbic acid and EDTA (to protect taste), caffeine, potassium citrate, yellow 5, carob bean gum
Nutrition:serving size: 8 fl oz; calories 120; total fat 0g; sodium 30mg; total carb 32g; sugars 32g; protein 0g
Cons:Not the greatest drink prior to a workout as this beverage is carbonated.
Pros:Great kick for the price. You can find this drink for about $1.00 at grocery stores and convenience stores everywhere.
Final Judgment:* Tastes good if you like citrus flavored beverages like Mountain Dew
* Don't recommend taking before a workout
* Good price, also comes in Vault Zero – a diet version of the regular
Other Energy Drink Reviews:Rocket Shot Energy Drink ReviewNOS Energy Drink Review
Rocket Shot Energy Drink Review
As I stated in my earlier post
NOS Energy Drinks, I like to have energy to spare when I am working out. Normally I get this from a well planned meal about an hour to an hour and a half before I workout. If I don’t get that meal I like to have an energy drink instead. So to get that quick burst of energy before my workout I ventured to the local vitamin store. There was quite a large selection but I finally settled on a small little guy called the Rocket Shot Energy Drink and here is what I think of it.
Small Size – Average FlavorThis 1.8-ounce drink known as the Rocket Shot Energy Drink can pack one heck of a quick burst of energy. Compared to the
NOS Energy Drink that I reviewed early last week the flavor was not all that bad. As I mentioned before I am not a huge citrus fan, and that is what most energy drinks pick as their main flavor. Fortunately for me I was able to find the Rocket Shot Energy Drink in berry flavor. The Rocket Shot Energy drink also comes in the traditional citrus flavor which called orange mango.
Ingredients The Rocket Shot Energy Drink’s main ingredients are "a special blend of B-Vitamins, L-taurine, Caffeine and inosistol." With the energy drink usually comes a bunch of empty calories, but with the Rocket Shot Energy Drink I only consumed an extra 30 calories. That is only another 2 minutes on the treadmill! Another thing about the Rocket Shot Energy Drink is that it packs all that punch with only 7 grams of sugar.
ConsWhat I did not like about the drink was that the package was kind of a hassle to open. There were two different seals that had to be opened before I could slam the drink. Also, remember to shake the drink, if you don’t there will be some unmixed powder at the bottom that will catch you by surprise.
Final JudgementOverall, I would give it about 4.5 out of 5. The taste was a little better than the
NOS Energy Drink, there were less calories and you did not feel full after slamming it which means you could consume it right before a workout. The small size was good but they should work on the package so it is not so hard to open. The price was $1.49, which seems a little steep for 1.8 ounces, but is average when it comes to an energy drink, and is actually not that bad consider it does pack a pretty decent punch.
Five or Six Small Meals a Day Diet
Have you ever thought to your self: Why should you I eat even more meals than I am eating now? Why would a five or six small meals a day diet work? Most people think that eating less often will bring the results that they are looking for. In fact you might actually be gaining weight and losing muscle if you are either starving yourself or are only eating two or three large meals a day. By following the five or six small meals a day diet and exercising properly you should see better results than starving your self or over eating.
Every ones metabolism is different but if you eat only two or three large meals a day then you are not making your metabolism work as hard as it should. You might feel tired and you might just spend the time in between the two or three large meals snacking. If you are always hungry and shy away from eating when you should you are probably not helping out your body. Instead of burning fat, by not eating enough during the day your body is actually storing fat and eating away at your stored protein. Along with this your body will not have the energy it needs. So when you make it to the gym you don’t really feel like exercising or you end up only workout for a short time.
Following the five or six small meals a day diet and combining this with the proper exercise which could include a
cardio workout, a
lower body workout, and an
upper body workout should help you to maintain a healthy body.
So instead of eating two large meals a day or starving yourself think about following the five or six small meals a day. Spread these meals out and use portion control. Each meal should consist of at least one portion of protein, one portion of carbohydrates, and a small portion of fat. Each portion should be no larger than your heart (Your heart being about the same size as your hand making a fist). Spreading your meals out will keep your metabolism working. It will not overload it like when you only eat two or three meals a day. You will have energy to spare, unlike when you starve yourself.
How can I get in that many meals in one day you might be asking? Well when following the five or six small meals a day diet I originally had the same question. This would either cost a lot of money to eat out, or it would take forever to prepare these meals. Well if you have to eat out follow the post I wrote about
Eating Healthy a Fast Food Nutrition Guide. Or take one or two days during the week and cook all your meals. That way whenever you are hungry you have a meal already made. If you don’t like to cook, look for healthy TV dinners by Healthy Choice or Smart Ones. If this is still to slow look into
Meal Replacement Shakes and Bars. These can be great time savers and they are the cheapest alternative.
Treadmills vs Elipticals
Yesterday I blogged about
Cardio Health Benefits; well today I figured I would pit two staples of the cardio world against each other. Treadmills vs Elipticals, which one is better for you?
Treadmills vs Elipticals can be a simple preference. However, when broken down treadmills vs elipticals can become quite a heated argument. Both machines will help you to burn fat and lose weight but ultimately the best machine may be in the eyes of the scale.
Treadmills – Pros
* Adjustable settings – speed and incline
* More natural feeling workout
* Realistic running experience
* Burns more calories per hour than the eliptical
Eliptical – Pros
* Low Impact Workout – better on hips, back, joints
* Total Body Workout – Upper and lower body workout
* Lower perceived rate of exertion – longer workout?
* Forward and Reverse Motion – Backwards motion adds flavor the treadmill can’t produce
When it comes down to it the battle of treadmills vs elipticals might go on forever. The treadmill has been the king for a while, but will the low impact workout of the elipticals take over? Remember no matter which one you choose, they both give you a
good cardio workout. Just remember to at least pick one!
Cardio Health Benefits
Are the benefits a slimmer you? A six pack? Stonger muscles or a leaner body? What cardio health benefits do you currently enjoy? Better yet, what cardio health benefits could you be enjoying?
Besides the aforementioned cardio health benefits, there are various diseases and conditions you can avoid by exercising for 20-60 minutes a day three to five days a week.
1) Improved heart function
2) Reduce risk of heart disease
3) Lower cholesterol
4) Build lean muscles mass
5) Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
6) Reduced stress
7) Better Sleep
8) Setting an example for your children
If the cardio health benefits listed above are not enough to get you to start exercising what about the general health and psychological benefits that come from exercising? Exercising daily has helped me to maintain a high energy level throughout the day and it will do the same for you. If you have ever felt tired when waking in the morning, then don’t fret. Exercise can get you out of that rut. I blogged about my start into the exercise world with
Eating Healthy & Exercising Doesn’t Come Easy.
Cardio health benefits also include psychological benefits like increased confidence. It seems shallow to say this but looking your best and having confidence can leave you to lead a healthier and more productive lifestyle. By feeling more comfortable with your body you can become more comfortable with common everyday situations. When I was overweight not only did I feel sluggish and tired I was also less likely to get involved in certain activities. Swimming or anything involving taking my shirt off was something that I dreaded. Watching my friends have fun why I sat on the side because I was not comfortable with my body was becoming more and more of a problem.
Cardio health benefits not only include improving your health in general and your social life, they can also help you improve your performance at work. If you are always tired than think about
picking out the right gym or fitness center to improve your cardio health benefits. This can
increase your energy, in turn helping you stay on the ball at work.
If you can think of anything else that you gain from exercising feel free to post a comment. If you want me to cover some of the basics of cardio exercises let me know. I will tell you what worked for me.
NOS Energy Drink Review
Well it turns out every once in a while you need a little boost before a workout. I know everyone can relate. After a long day of work who wants to go workout with no energy? Well if you don’t have enough energy from your previous meal there is always the energy drink option which is why I decided to write this NOS energy drink review. Most people have tried the more popular energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster. I have to admit they do taste pretty good but they do not offer a long lasting punch that will get me through my workout. I decided to try something new. This is my NOS energy drink review.
NOS Energy Drink Review - FlavorFirst off as I previously stated I wrote this NOS energy drink review because the more popular drinks like Red Bull and Monster tasted good, they never seemed to get me through my workout. As far as I can tell NOS energy drinks come in one flavor to date, which is sort of passion fruit with a bit of tang added. The result is different than the average energy drink as NOS comes off more on the sweeter side. Not the best tasting energy drink out there but it was actually quite pleasant to have an energy drink that did not taste like all the rest. Besides the real measurement of a energy drink comes from the punch it packs.
NOS Energy Drink Review – Punch?As I stated earlier energy drinks are useful to me when I have had a long day, or I do not have enough energy left over from my previous meal to get in a good workout. Let me tell you that NOS does the same for humans as it does for cars. The first NOS energy drink I had was the regular kind (with sugar). This gave me more than enough energy to get in a hard lower body workout. In fact it packed more of a punch than I needed as it made me cramp up at the end of my workout. This just means I was not hydrated enough or it was too much sugar for my body to handle. Not wanting to give up on NOS energy drinks I decided to try the 16 oz sugar free version that only has 20 calories. It was perfect. It tasted better than the original because it was not as sweet (less sugar) and it still packed a big punch that helped me finish my workout.
NOS Energy Drink Review – Overall ValueI would give this energy drink four out of five. I liked the fact that it packed a punch. I also liked that it came in sugar free since I tend to cramp up when I consume too much sugar. I didn’t like the fact that they only had one flavor. Although it was not a bad taste, the regular (sugar added) drink was way too sweet for my taste. The sugar free was not as sweet but it would be nice to have at least one more flavor to try. The only other thing I did not like was that it came in 16 ounces. This could be why it packed such a punch, but I would recommend drinking it at least a half hour to an hour before working out, other wise you will feel full. There will still be enough energy left over for you to make it through your workout even if you drink it an hour before.
