Anabolic Designs - Matador

[VasQueler]

Hi everyone,

Haven't been on bodybuilding forums for a while due to work and personal commitments, but really wanted to post a review on Matador from Anabolic Designs, and will also be posting a full log in a week or so for Anabolic Design's Taurotest. Joe Binley the owner and CEO of Anabolic Designs has released some really cutting edge supplements recently and i wanted to put some through their paces and see what all the fuss was about. Joe is a really cool guy and keen to engage with 'fans' of the brand and actively promotes feedback, something not common in the supplement industry.

I love this type of supplement and have been keeping a keen eye on the release, and thanks to the guys at Cardiff Sports Nutrition i got my Matador on its first day of release, these guys were super quick and gave awesome service, it was my first time using them and i was very impressed. This gave me about 2 weeks of use before any of the other supplement sites were making Matador available, so now i have run a whole tub for around 24 days (some days didnt have two doses).

I'm not going to copy the entire Product Description , if you want to see it go to the Anabolic Design website (i cant post links yet, dont have enough posts)

The key points to Matador are:
Lower Fat storage
Improve Muscle Nutrient Uptake
Improve Insulin Sensitivity
Increase uptake of creatine and amino acids
Stabilise blood sugar and reduce insulin spikes

I have had good results in the past with Glycobol, and have also done research into Insulin response and extensive personal experimentation with different types of ALA and carb sources. These supplements are often called 'Glucose Disposal Agents' (GDA), Insulin mimickers, and insulin potentiators...but to put in in simple terms the ingredient profile is designed to balance blood sugar, increase insulin sensitity, and promote glucagon storage in the muscle. I personally like to refer to the as recomp supplements. As a natural bodybuilder i need all the help i get in gaining lean muscle and especially when cutting, which is why i love this type of supplement because its a double edged sword, perfect for cutting or bulking...win win!

Glycobol has the following profile:
Na-R-ALA 250mg
Glycobol Complex TM 750mg
Trigonella Seed Isolate (standardized to 10% 4-hydroxyisoleucine),
Phellodendron extract (standardized to 90% berberine),
Cinnamon Bark 20:1 extract (standardized for 16% flavonoids),
BMOV (Bis-Malto-Oxovanadium)

Matador has the following profile:
Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 300mg
Vitamin D3 5mcg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCL) 5mg
Copper (as citrate) 2mg
Chromium (as polynicotinate) 500mg
D-Biotin 500mcg
Insudrive Blend 500mg
- R-isomer Alpha Lipoic Acid, Gymnema Sylvestre 4:1
Glycoform Blend 550mg
- Cinnamon bark, Fenugreek, Bitter Melon, Prickly Pear, Banaba, 4-HydroxyIsoleucine

With ALA and Cinnamon Bark (both well known to assist with blood sugar irregularity) as the common and 'main' ingredients. I particularly like the inclusion of Fenugreek in Matador, i am a huge fan of fenugreek...and cinnamon. Prickly pair is also an interesting one, any of you who have holidayed in places like Cyprus will have seen these growing in abundance all around, and even as an ice cream flavour or eaten as normal fruit (after removing the spikes and skin). Gymnema Sylvestre is also a very nice inclusion, and in the past i have had some great results with fat burners containing this.

Ok so i started Matador after a 'cutting phase' i went down from my annual bodyfat of 10% to 8%, and what i wanted to do was to try and gain some lean muscle tissue whilst on a calorie surplus. First i need to point out i am very lucky, i have a very good metabolism, which i attribute to years of physical activity.(my parents got me started on Judo and Gymnastics at 5years old and i havent been able to sit still for long ever since). I do however suffer from the typical hormonal 'love handle' syndrome even at low bodyfat, something generally associated with Insulin and high carb intake. I have been 6% bodyfat with paper thin skin and still visible love handles......very annoying!!!

These are what i consider to be the best ways to use this, i personally believe in eating my simple carb sources around periods of insulin sensitivity, i.e breakfast (after fasting for 8hours etc), pre workout (when i know the carbs wont be stored as fat, although i prefer complex carbs preworkout in general), and especially and most importantly post workout (i'm an ecto-meso body type and post workout nutrition for me is the most important factor in maintaining muscle mass and shape). Okay to the 'tips' on getting the most out of Matador:

1) Dont think Matador is an excuse to eat crap and not gain weight, this works with carb sources, and much more so with complex carbs....if your eating clean you will get the best results from this.....oats, rice, quinoa etc thats where this will keep you ripped and vascular even when dieting / cutting. If your eating greasy fatty food dont expect Matador to 'mop it up'...get yourself some chitosan
2) It is advised to take Matador around training, however as mentioned above i prefer using Matador around my largest carb based meals which for me is usually lunch and dinner. I believe i am sufficiently insulin sensitive post workout that nutrients will be shuttled from my dextrose/vit c/ and EAA shake, however i would use with my actual post workout meal which comes an hour after my post workout shake.
3) If you want to use this for assisting on cheat days or with sugary cheat meals the best protocol is to take a serving around 30mins before the simple carbs , as it will drop/balance blood sugar and be more proactive is dealing with simple carbs in that period, taking alongside simple carb sources in my experience is nowhere near as effective

Ok so in summary i managed to stay at 8% bodyfat, and gained 4lbs of lean muscle over the 24 day period...which for me as a natty is bloody fantastic...very happy and would recommend Matador to anyone! I would attribute the 4lb gain to the glucagon supercompensation which Matador really excels at.

Keep your eyes peeled for my Tauro Test log which will be a comprehensive day by day log , and will include pics, training, and nutrition.

[Mickfootie]

Thankyou Hierbi for the Feedback. Very much appreciated.

To all - this is a review done by a guy via our ******** page. He is in the UK but the Matador will be available in the US in approximatley 4 weeks.
Anyone wanting a little more info on this product then follow the link or ask me directly - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=146299873

[mcann90]

I'm afraid i have to a slightly different report to share....

Having previously had great results with anabolic designs products, naturally I was very excited to try Matador which is designed to allowing me to eat MORE CARBS and supposedly store more glycogen in the muscle cells.

Just to give some background, my current bodyfat is relatively low (around 10% possibly under) and my diet is generally quite low carb for the most part (100-200g) I find that adding more than this leaves me with a watery doughy physique for days.

Matadors promise of bigger pumps, more vascularity and fuller, harder muscles was obviously something that appealed to me, after seeing some fantastic reviews I decided to jump on the band wagon and give this a shot. I upped my daily carb intake by around 100-150g. After my first dose of matador and carbs I waited thinking 'Bring on the veins!' - sadly none came. I went to the gym thinking 'Bring on the pump!' - it was nothing out of the ordinary. After my post workout meal and second dose i decided I was been too hasty and needed to give it time. Time has gone by now and my tub is empty and I'm sad to say that for the first time ever, anabolic designs has not delivered (for me anyway).

I guess all the positive hype could just be coming from people getting a placebo effect or my negative results are due to my low BF% and lack of ability to deal with carbs. Either way though, I was unfortunately disappointed.

[VasQueler]

I'm afraid i have to a slightly different report to share....

Having previously had great results with anabolic designs products, naturally I was very excited to try Matador which is designed to allowing me to eat MORE CARBS and supposedly store more glycogen in the muscle cells.

Just to give some background, my current bodyfat is relatively low (around 10% possibly under) and my diet is generally quite low carb for the most part (100-200g) I find that adding more than this leaves me with a watery doughy physique for days.

Matadors promise of bigger pumps, more vascularity and fuller, harder muscles was obviously something that appealed to me, after seeing some fantastic reviews I decided to jump on the band wagon and give this a shot. I upped my daily carb intake by around 100-150g. After my first dose of matador and carbs I waited thinking 'Bring on the veins!' - sadly none came. I went to the gym thinking 'Bring on the pump!' - it was nothing out of the ordinary. After my post workout meal and second dose i decided I was been too hasty and needed to give it time. Time has gone by now and my tub is empty and I'm sad to say that for the first time ever, anabolic designs has not delivered (for me anyway).

I guess all the positive hype could just be coming from people getting a placebo effect or my negative results are due to my low BF% and lack of ability to deal with carbs. Either way though, I was unfortunately disappointed.

Hi,

Firstly i am really surprised by your experience with Matador, since running my tub i have spoken to loads of people who have had very good results with Matador and are using it for contest prep/carbing up with great success. I didnt use my matador pre or post workout, i used it for my heavy carbs meals outside of the 'anabolic window'. I can also say i am low bodyfat and also have been training many years and do not get 'placebo'effect from supplements as i know my body very well and how i respond etc. Perhaps this is a case of high expectations that sadly coudnt be fulfilled?...i have already ordered my next bottle of matador and am looking forward to using it as soon as possible. Have you used similar products in the past...glycobol..slin sane etc? How was the response with those? I am a carb monster and always have been in order to maintain my muscle mass, i dont do well on low carbs. Sorry to hear your not impressed though, it is honestly the first negative feedback i have heard from speaking to seasoned bodybuilders and recreational bodybuilders alike.

[mcann90]

Hi,

Firstly i am really surprised by your experience with Matador, since running my tub i have spoken to loads of people who have had very good results with Matador and are using it for contest prep/carbing up with great success. I didnt use my matador pre or post workout, i used it for my heavy carbs meals outside of the 'anabolic window'. I can also say i am low bodyfat and also have been training many years and do not get 'placebo'effect from supplements as i know my body very well and how i respond etc. Perhaps this is a case of high expectations that sadly coudnt be fulfilled?...i have already ordered my next bottle of matador and am looking forward to using it as soon as possible. Have you used similar products in the past...glycobol..slin sane etc? How was the response with those? I am a carb monster and always have been in order to maintain my muscle mass, i dont do well on low carbs. Sorry to hear your not impressed though, it is honestly the first negative feedback i have heard from speaking to seasoned bodybuilders and recreational bodybuilders alike.

I was surprised as well after reading such positive reviews. I'm a big fan of anabolic designs products and of joe himself, i think he's a fantastic guy doing a great job with his company so by no means to I want to portray the company in a negative light. I'm simply sharing my experience.

Initially i was using matador pre and post workout however after reading some advice on the AD ******** page I also switched to using the product around my high carb meals. Still the same. It may be possibly that my expectations were too high as i have not used a GDA product before. Having said this, i really experienced zero effects at all which surprised me.

I understand that I am in the minority here and I'm aware that my body reacts strangely to carbs, i couldnt even carb up for my first show as it completely smoothed and flattened my physique. The only option was to deplete like crazy and compete in a depleted state, luckily it payed off for me. That was 4 months ago now so i have had my brief rebound and brought my conditioning back into a good state, my goal was to use matador to simply help me maintain muscle fullness, possibly bring out some vascularity and of course allow me to eat some extra carbs to help keep me sane. After such rave reviews i really didnt think i was expecting too much.

[VasQueler]

I was surprised as well after reading such positive reviews. I'm a big fan of anabolic designs products and of joe himself, i think he's a fantastic guy doing a great job with his company so by no means to I want to portray the company in a negative light. I'm simply sharing my experience.

Initially i was using matador pre and post workout however after reading some advice on the AD ******** page I also switched to using the product around my high carb meals. Still the same. It may be possibly that my expectations were too high as i have not used a GDA product before. Having said this, i really experienced zero effects at all which surprised me.

I understand that I am in the minority here and I'm aware that my body reacts strangely to carbs, i couldnt even carb up for my first show as it completely smoothed and flattened my physique. The only option was to deplete like crazy and compete in a depleted state, luckily it payed off for me. That was 4 months ago now so i have had my brief rebound and brought my conditioning back into a good state, my goal was to use matador to simply help me maintain muscle fullness, possibly bring out some vascularity and of course allow me to eat some extra carbs to help keep me sane. After such rave reviews i really didnt think i was expecting too much.

Just a thought but have you tried using something like Green Vibrance, oximega greens or even Ravenous. I have noticed in the past that alkalinity/acidity level in the body can affect the utilisation and digestion of carbs. I have personally noticed a big difference with how my body 'deals' with my carb monster nature since starting to use Green Vibrance. I used to hold water like crazy, i'd wake up in the morning looking ripped and vascular and by early afternoon i'd be really smooth, but hardly get that at all now.

[mcann90]

Just a thought but have you tried using something like Green Vibrance, oximega greens or even Ravenous. I have noticed in the past that alkalinity/acidity level in the body can affect the utilisation and digestion of carbs. I have personally noticed a big difference with how my body 'deals' with my carb monster nature since starting to use Green Vibrance. I used to hold water like crazy, i'd wake up in the morning looking ripped and vascular and by early afternoon i'd be really smooth, but hardly get that at all now.

Havent tried any of those products specifically however i do take the time to alkalise my body in the mornings with a wheatgrass shake and keep it that way throughout the day with green tea, spinach and lemon water. I even bought and used some digestive enzymes during the last week of my matador run in an attempt to enhance the results.

I do retain a lot of water in generally and can only seem to bring out good vascularity and the true nature of my physique in the gym, with a pump or else sometimes if im exceptionally warm. It's something im aware of and i've had people comment on it a few times, but i guess thats just the nature of the body ive been given.

[VasQueler]

Havent tried any of those products specifically however i do take the time to alkalise my body in the mornings with a wheatgrass shake and keep it that way throughout the day with green tea, spinach and lemon water. I even bought and used some digestive enzymes during the last week of my matador run in an attempt to enhance the results.

I do retain a lot of water in generally and can only seem to bring out good vascularity and the true nature of my physique in the gym, with a pump or else sometimes if im exceptionally warm. It's something im aware of and i've had people comment on it a few times, but i guess thats just the nature of the body ive been given.

Was worth a mention but you seem to be doing everything you can to improve the situation anyway m8. For me using a 'superfood' / digestive aid supplement the difference with water retention was like night and day.

[abicronin]

Can someone tell me why Matador is so widely out of stock?

[Mickfootie]

Can someone tell me why Matador is so widely out of stock?

I can only think that its because it is a big seller at the moment. They are gaining momentum within the US market to at present BUT if you look around I'm sure you will be able to get hold of some.

[JamesSwift19888]

I have recently bought Matador in hopes it will help me lose another 8 kg

I am 6 ft and currently weigh 88kg go to the gym three times a week strength training and have an active job 5 days a week with HIIT sprinting tossed in sometimes on rest days.

I have been dieting since last May and dropped from 107-88kg and have been eating around 2200 cals a day with bouts of binge eating (which is now under control) I am confused as to the use of Matador should I be using it only if the carb in a "meal" is over 40g or whenever I eat anything with carbs? so I have 37g in one meal is it pointless using it then otherwise I would be using more than two a day.
thank you sorry to open up an old thread.