Over the past twelve months I’ve used several varieties with very similar results, reviews of these will follow in later posts. However, the fat burner I’ve read the most positive and negative reviews for has been BSN’s Atro-Phex. I’m a big fan of BSN supplements; No-Xplode, Cellmass and Syntha 6 are regulars in my supplement cupboard so I was very intrigued to try out Atro-Phex for myself.

Most supplement companies now allow you to buy sample packs where you can try at a small cost, rather than paying out for a full pack to find either your stomach can’t tolerate it or you body has other reactions…headaches etc.

Regarding Atro-Phex I don’t think you can class the seven tablet sample pack as a good grasp of what the supplement will deliver, rather it gives you a chance to test your bodies tolerance and from that you can descided wether you would like to purchase a months’ supply.

Below I’ve listed the notes I initially made in my training journal on my sample/tolerance test of BSN’s Atro-Phex…

Day One:

• 7:00 – Just taken 1 x Atro-Phex on an empty stomach…let’s see what the hype is all about then.
• 7:30 – No crazy effects yet, got some odd flavour (Rasberry Keytones?) hic-ups going on though…fruity???
• 8:00 – Had a couple of pieces of dry brown toast and some water, a few odd noises in the stomach region to start with but all gone now. For the second batch of the day I think I’ll try the double dose…
• 10:30 – Protein shake with 5grms of creatine.
• 12:30 – Atro-phex x 2
• 13:oo – Wholemeal pasta, tuna, broccoli, peas.
• 16:30 – More bloody wholemeal pasta, tuna, brocolli, peas.
• 19:15  – Chicken fajitas, *no cheese or cream.
• 23:30 – Off to bed (tell a lie, after typing fell asleep on sofa…1:30am finally in bed, bloody hate it when that happens)
  Note: 5 litres of water consumed throughout today

Day Two:

• 8:00 – 2 x Atro-Phex on empty stomach.
• 8:20 – Got the thermo feeling in the stomach and feelin slightly twitchy.
• 8:45 – Protein shake, 5grms creatine, two slices of brown toast.
• 9:30 – Feeling a little mischievous, not hyper…odd feeling, kind of cool though.
• 11:20 – 2 x Atro-Phex on an empty stomach.
• 12:00 – 300grm cottage cheese and a apple.
• 15:00 – Protein shake with 5grms creatine & banana.
• 16:45 – Still got that odd mischievous feeling going on.
• 17:00 – Chicken breast, steamed broccoli, jacket potato
• 19:30 – Feeling very tired even though I haven’t trained today.
• 23:45 – Off to bed.
  Note: 5 litres of water consumed throughout today

As I mentioned earlier, you really don’t get a good sense of this particular product through a seven tablet sample pack. However you do get a good chance to test your own tolerance without spending out on a whole month’s supply. The results I felt during this two day test has given me enough to warrant testing the product further, so stay tuned for a more updates.

It’s worth noting here that one of the points that was constantly raised throughout numerous reviews I read for Atro-Phex is need to consume at least 3.5 litres of water a day. Many of the negative reports I’ve read have been based on the fact that this hasn’t been done. A key element of Atro-Phex is that fact that it acts as a diuretic which will dehydrate you very quickly if you don’t keep the water coming in through your system.

* A diuretic is any drug that elevates the rate of urination and thus provides a means of forced diuresis – explanation courtesy of Wiki.
* The results listed here and in further follow-up posts are based on my own individual experiences with Atro-Phex and should not be the basis of trying the supplement for yourself. Do you own research, make up your own mind and ALWAYS read product labels in full…basically use your head…

As a kid I was always interested in fitness, my sports of choice where Skateboarding and BMX. When I was introduced to the Rocky films by an older brother at the age of eleven, I knew then I had to find out more about this man, Sylvester Stallone and how he made his body look so amazing.

Having grown up in a family of Boxing fans, it was always part of our family discussions. My mum used to recount stories of the great Cassius Clay, whilst my brother Chris would always tell me about the great battles of Sugar Ray, the mighty Hearns and one of my all time favourites the Marvelous Marvin Haglar. For my twelfth birthday my parents got me my very own set of weights and I started straight away trying to emulate the amazing training montage that became a trade mark of any Rocky film. This then followed soon after with my own weight bench, speedball and punch bag…my bedroom had become a shrine to all things iron. Whilst all my friends had posters of A-Ha, Duran Duran and other bands of the day on their bedroom walls, mine had become adorned with pictures and news clippings of  Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Sylvester Stallone, Mr T, Arnie and other great men that had pushed themselves mentally and physically to the max.

Unfortunately, as is the story of most young men at this period in their life, puberty was just around the corner and the inevitable distraction of girls became more and more of a priority. This soon passed and by the age of fifteen I was back on track and training. I was never 100% committed to the iron but it always played a part in training, whether it was cardio for surfing or leg work for riding.

By the age of seventeen I was living to skateboard and surf whenever it was possible. My nights where spent in the city until the early hours and my weekends where spent mostly on the west coast of England hunting and hoping for a wave or two. This as before became the routine for many years to come, life was skating, surfing and a girlfriend…in that order.

Time went on and marriage, children, mortgages became an ever increasing factor; so recreational activities took a back seat. Unfortunately at the same time I suffered a back injury which heavily restricted my movement and ability to train for quite some time…after being so active growing up this didn’t sit well. As is life’s great way of dealing you a hand every now and then, this was timed perfectly with the death of my brother Chris, the inevitable bad habits started to appear…drinking alcohol, smoking, and other recreational substances being some of the worst.

The weight soon started to hang around and bad timing being what it is once again, I went from a very active job to sitting behind a desk. Before I knew it I was several stone overweight, my cardio had fallen through the floor and age was becoming an ever increasing issue…

…enter Fatdads

I don’t know about you, but being thirty-seven and out of shape is bad enough. Having kids and trying to explain to them that they should eat healthy and be active…just makes me personally feel like a fraud. I’ve always been a believer in ‘leading by example’, whether it was managing a design team, playing a team sport or just trying to be the best you can be…put your money where your mouth is, no matter what.

Having spent the last ten years as a web designer I have learnt first hand the power of the Internet when used correctly. Now with Social Networking site like Facebook and Twitter helping people interact on a more personal level, it became obvious to me that a like-minded project dedicated to encouraging and supporting fathers in a similar position as I found myself a eighteen months ago had to be a good idea.

So over the past couple of years I’ve developed training and lifestyle principles specifically aimed at the middle aged father. Using myself as instructor, student and general Guinea Pig I’ve found what works and what doesn’t…what is realistically achievable with a family and a full time job, and what is just bloody ridiculous to undertake.

Fatdads is due to roll out in 2010 after becoming a trade mark product of Room 13…if we can encourage and support each other to become the best we can, leading positive and healthy lifestyles as a parent and father, this liberating approach to life will have no choice but to filter down to our children and encourage them to do the same…

…LEADING BY EXAMPLE!!!

Everyone at Room 13 would like to wish you all a happy Christmas and a peaceful, healthy New Year…

I must admit, I was exactly the same when I was told about NO-Xplode by BSN, and if it hadn’t come from a trusted source I may well of never tried the supplement for myself. However, I started doing some of my own research and saw common thread throughout…this stuff actually works! People where admitting to amazing focus and getting dialed into there workout straight away, not having any energy dips and being able to blast through their training.

So, I had a look on the BSN website to see if this wonder supplement was available in this country and where I could get it from.  I found that the UK distributor of BSN products is a company called Trio Nutrition. On their website you’ll find a complete range of the BSN products, along with the now infamous NO-Xplode.

Now a large tub of NO-Xplode will set you back £34.99, which is by no means cheap, especially if you’re on a limited budget like most of us are. On top of this the last thing you want to do is spend that money on a product and all its hype to find that it either doesn’t live up to its legendary status or for some reason its a little to potent for your stomach…which can often be the case with these cutting edge supplements. So, thinking outside the box, the clever guys and gals at Tri Nutrion have made a sample pack available which gives you a chance to try some of their products without the cost. At £4.99 this is a great way to try out not only NO-Xplode, but a whole range of BSN products.

Needless to say I gave it a go and ordered my sample pack…

A few days later I had a delivery of a fat Jiffy envelope full of BSN goodies, ranging from the hefty ‘Hy – Pro’ bars to some awesome peanut cookies, Cellmass and the long awaited No -Xplode.

First impressions are a little daunting when you read on the back of the sample pack instructions on testing your tolerance. So, I wanted to leave testing this until I had a typical training day…which was today.

Depending on my work rota, I like to work out first thing in the morning if possible, which doesn’t give room for gathering energy from a breakfast or shake and I always tend to flat spot about 15 minutes into a workout and the remaining session becomes just a case of punching out the reps and going home for some much needed protein.

Well I followed the instructions and tested my tolerance accordingly, and all seemed to be fine. However, I wasn’t to pleased with the flavour; orange had a very medicinal tang going on, but I have it on good authority that raspberry is a good flavour to go with. After reading everything about NO-Xplode I wasn’t to sure what to expect, had a few gurgles from the stomach, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Its recommended that you take NO-Xplode 45 -60 minutes before your workout, and so after doing this I was standing around thinking “suckered once again, same old talk”…how wrong could I of been.

Its hard to explain the feeling you get once you start shifting the weights around, the pump in your muscles is just amazing. I was working triceps, notoriously one of the weakest parts of my body and a workout I never look forward to. Today it was a whole new story, I was focused and into it so hard that I really had to force myself to ease up before I go heavier then I should and injure something. It’s a struggle to put it into words the results the feeling you get from this stuff…so much so now that I’ve built it up in writing this piece only to stumble on closing…

…the bottom line was I felt stronger, lifted heavier and didn’t get the massive energy flat spot I normally get when doing weights first thing on an empty stomach. I became extremely focused at the job in had along with an energy I had never really had that early in the morning.

If you fancy giving NO-Xplode a try, why not get yourself a sample pack, I’ve listed some useful links below.

• Tri Nutrition (BSN Distributers in the UK)
• BSN Supplment samples
• NO-Xplode

Why not come back and let us know your results…