Signature Series Review: Multi, BCAA, Pre, Creatine, & Protien Bar

[jeshelton]

BB.com somehow knew that I was in need of new supplements, as dj924s asked if I would be interested in maintaining and improving my already impeccable physique with some new Signature products from their line.

I was graciously offered the chance to take a peek at their products and give an honest review. I'll try to post the remainder of the item reviews in follow ups so I can edit some pictures in when I get time.

Here is the stack that showed up at my door just two days after pulling the trigger on the flavors:



There were also a couple male and female magazines included, a bill of shipped material, and a sampler of ON Gold Standard protein powder. Everything was packed well and no damage could be seen inside or outside of the box.

[jeshelton]

Signature Series Protein Crunch Bar - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:



https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/b...SABEgKOdvD_BwE

Taste: 10/10

I like this thing a lot. Cookie dough flavor is just about right, chocolate outer, and has a crisp snap when you bite into it. Usually a Costco/Kirkland turd-looking protein bar kind of guy due to the price and availability since I am buying at least groceries there every couple weeks.

Cost: 8/10

These are competitively priced and just a bit more than regular run of the mill boring protein bars.

Macros: 8/10

230 Cal 20P 20C 9F

These are a tad high on fats for my current training block recomp allowance, but perfect on protein and carbs for any other time frame. I will also stash these in my lunch box in case I am on the road and want to avoid missing a meal. I eat about five-six whole food meals a day, and sometimes getting too hungry from skipping a meal in a rush screws up the rest of my day.

Notes/Other:

This product has 3g of Sugar Alcohol in it. I remember LOVING the taste of older bulking protein bars that were loaded up with lots more than 3g Sugar Alcohol, until about 10 minutes after when my gut started going crazy. I'm susceptible to this and try to avoid it at all costs these days, but this product did not really bother me. I've had two bars so far over a few days with no issues.

Overall: 9/10

[nics1246]

Great review so far man.

[jeshelton]

Signature Series Pre Workout - Cherry Limeade:



^^^ Photo from BB.com, different flavor.

https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/b...SABEgKscfD_BwE

Taste: 8/10

This mix tastes pretty good, as much as could be expected from a PWO mix. Kind of like Crystal Light, same variation of -yeah this mix of chemicals tastes pretty much like what the name says- kinda deal. I've had bad tasting PWOs, this is not one of them.

Cost: 9/10

One scoop is a little less than $0.99 a serving. I've been on and off PWOs for a while, sometimes just coffee, sometimes a Bang Energy. As far as PWOs go, this line is competitively priced.

Mixability: 9/10

I mixed 3/4 of a full scoop to start in 1 cup of water in a mason jar and plasic lid, so the chemical taste doesn't bleed into my shakers if I leave them too long. I found that a simple drop in and shake left a little residual foam/floaters, which another shake about 10 seconds later eliminated about 98%.

Notes:

I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine these days, and I start slow on new items to assess how hard they hit. A full serving is 200mg of caffeine, and my working arousal limit is around 150mg so I put in about 3/4 scoop. The included scoop is a decent size. This PWO did not give me a heavy, stimmed out, can't control your thoughts feeling. There's some beta alanine in this too, but not enough for the typical face or body tingles. I did not feel flushed out or an insane vascular pump like something with nitric oxide, but rather a smooth controlled workout with a little kick and that music flow feeling when you get into a workout. I don't load up caffeine/servings, so this may change for other people.

Overall: 8/10

[ForumNature]

Cool! I can't wait to see what you think about the other products!!
BTW, great tip about the Masson jar shaker! I've never thought of that!

^This, I never thought of using a jar. Solid review!

[jeshelton]

Signature Series Multi Vitamin:



https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/b...tivitamin.html

Taste: 0/10

It's a vitamin, and not the chew-able kind. Didn't try to find this out the hard way.

Cost: 10/10

Currently taking almost the same cost/ea unit in some Source Naturals Life Force One vitamins, but you have to take about (4) of the vitamins to equal one of the BB Signature units. These are more effectively priced than what I've been taking for about a year.

Size/Looks: 8/10

Aesthetic single serve oval, no chips or powder, a bit larger than the gel caps I am taking now. Not really a big deal.

Notes:

Most western adults are told to take a daily multi to cover all of the bases their diverse diets may leave out. When I lined up both of the vitamins I am currently taking and this line, much of the crossover is up on some things and down on others. I do like the included values of Vitamin C, B6, B12, Zinc, Iodine, Magnesium, and Folate as I feel supplementing these items helps in some of the food vitamin/mineral deficiency that I may not get 100% daily. Not having a background in nutrition, there may be a vitamin combination out there that can be taken in multiple quantities to reach optimum levels for each individual. I feel like this is a good baseline for a single tablet daily, especially for the price it costs.

Overall: 9/10

[jeshelton]

Signature Series Creatine Monohydrate:



https://www.bodybuilding.com/store/b...SABEgKHcfD_BwE

Taste: 0/10

This thing doesn't taste like anything, which is a good thing.

Cost: 10/10

About a dime a serving, this is one of the best supplements for most people starting with bodybuilding or powerlifting due to it's documented studies - at least far more studies out there than the rest of the supplement combinations out there.

Size/Looks: 8/10

White powdery substance, dissolves slowly into water and turns clear after a while.

Notes:

Creatine is one of the supplement staples for many athletes, at this cost it's less than a 10th of most energy drinks or half the cost of a pre workout. Creatine is meant to be taken daily like a multivitamin, and it's a results-over-time supplement that can be taken on and off as money permits. I've noticed a slight increase in my bigger movements strength wise, 5-10lbs on the bar as opposed to not running this in a stack. Pretty cheap gains with zero side effects make it an easy choice.

Overall: 10/10