My Review of ARO Black Series & GIVEAWAY

I received an incredible opportunity to try the New ARO Black Series by Vitacost.  I have been testing them for a while, and today for FITNESS FRIDAY I am really excited to share my thoughts with you!

*After reading my review, enter to win a $25 Gift Card below*

ARO stands for Attack - Recover - Optimize

First I want to just say, only because I used to think this way.  If you think performance and recovery enhancement is just for guys, you'd be wrong!

I'm not talking about bulk up enhancers, to me those things are pretty much a guy thing.  (Well I guess to be fair I should exclude the women who enter body building competitions:)
If you think about it any athlete can benefit from them, especially if they use the correct supplements that are most pertinent for the exercise intensity and recovery to them!

I am a woman, and I am not into body building.  But I am an endurance athlete, who is generally pretty into hardcore distance running.  I get the micro muscle tears, fatigue and strains familiar to most athletes.  If you read my blog on a regular basis, you already know I have been going through a rough ankle injury that has kept me from running for several months.  So unfortunately I wasn't able to review the products while I ran, which is a bit of a bummer!  However, just because I can't run right now doesn't mean I am not into a few other things to keep me going.  I do some strength training, arm & ab work and more recently some swimming to keep the up cardio.

The first product I want to tell you about is the AMINO PLUS BCAA RATIO which I had in the Lemon Lime flavor.  As for the taste, pretty good!  To me it tasted exactly like lemon lime should and I didn't notice an after taste with this one!  I will say when I mixed it exactly per the instructions it was a little on the pucker side, so I added another ounce or two of water to tone it down.  Everyone's lime tastes are different:)
Let me tell you what I liked about this product.  In my mind I think of this one as vitamins.  Not just any type of vitamins but a great combination of workout recovery vitamins.
For instance:
160 mg. of Potassium - Which to put it simple is a little more than half of banana.
7,000 mg BCAA's - Which are branched chain amino acids that aid in performance during exercise and muscle recovery after.  They also help promote LEAN muscle mass and protect against muscle tissue breakdown.
I recommend using this supplement if you do workouts that push your muscles and break them down (next day soreness and fatigue.)

PRE-WORKOUT CONCENTRATE in the Pink Lemonade flavor.  I enjoyed this flavor, it tasted delicious.  I don't want to lie, I did experience a small little after taste with this one.  But it didn't linger, and wasn't something that turned me off from it.  Maybe because the Pink Lemonade natural flavor was pretty good!
This is a great product, I can see myself using this one as a definite in the future!  We all have those days, where we are just lacking in energy and we need just a little extra to get us going.  Or if we have energy, and we need to maintain it for a long workout, sometimes a little Amino & Herbal Supplement can help! (Ginkgo,  Ginseng, Guarana, Green Tea, Green Coffee Bean & Yerba Mate.  Additionally, Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 & Potassium.
When I first took this, in my mind I was thinking all the caffeine would make me jittery.  But it didn't, it actually worked pretty great.  Gave me energy that lasted beyond my workout.  Since I can't be running, some days I find it hard to muster the energy to get out and do something else.  This is a great energy booster!  Plus, I didn't experience any downer effect after.  (Like some caffeine products on the market do.)
I really liked this product, and this one gets my recommend!!!

CASEIN Natural Chocolate Flavor.  Okay, so some of you may know I am one of the weirdest people on this planet I don't care for chocolate.  However, with that said, I felt because I had this opportunity I needed at least try it.  (After all, when camping I do enjoy hot chocolate even if I water it down and add more cream than one could imagine:)
So to be honest with you, I tried this but I added a little more than half a cup more water than the directions mentioned dilute the chocolate down to what I wanted.  (In fairness, the companies suggested use does say "Adjust liquid to desired thickness and taste".  With that said, it wasn't a bad shake!
But for the rest of the 99% of the world, I had a couple other athlete friends/family members who love chocolate try this to get a true accurate opinion.  They liked it, one said he loved the taste.  So since my brother-in-law loved it so much and I know he already puts a lot of protein in his diet and he has tried other protein supplements in the past.  (Which is What Casein is, a protein from dairy milk, FYI: high in Calcium.) I asked him to try it out before workouts and give his thoughts.  He loved it, and asked me if he could keep it.  He was full on muscle mass building frame of mind thinking!  He also said he noticed a difference in recovery time after lifting weights, and recommended it highly for that!

WHEY PROTEIN COMPLEX Chocolate Peanut Butter Flavor.  Additionally, I did try this chocolate one myself.  Its funny, you don't expect a drink you mix with water to be so creamy and shake like.  But this one is.  My brother-in-law had a good idea, to mix it and blend in a banana.  I knew it was a good idea to ask him to help me test out the Chocolate Supplements:)  He loved this shake!
A lot of runners eat peanut butter for protein after a run to help recover, so this drink makes perfect sense for me or any endurance athlete!  This drink also has 4 grams of Fiber in it, which I think is why you feel pretty full after drinking it.
Additionally it is stocked full of a bunch of other vitamins the body needs daily Click Here to See Supplement Facts.  I even noticed it has Biotin in it, and that is great for us women because Biotin promotes healthy hair and nails:) (Sorry just a side note:)  My brother-in-law loved this supplement for workouts as well.  But I didn't let him keep this one, I gave him the website and told him where he could buy it:)  I found this product to be good for me, lean muscle mass and sports recovery is exactly what I need and I absolutely love all the vitamins it contains!  I hope to start running again soon, and am am exited to continue to use this to help me get back into it again after a long layoff!

CREATINE in Natural Blue Razz Flavor.  This is another favorite on the flavor scale!!!  I was expecting to mix it and see blue:)  But it's not, its almost white in color.  Like all the others it mixes quick and great!
For men they can take more of this a day.  But for women who are not interested in bulking just 1 drink a day helps enhance muscle performance during endurance and high intensity workouts.  Mentioned earlier that I have been swimming.  Swimming kicks my butt, however I did notice a difference on the days I took this and the other supplements versus the days I did not. (Yes I tried both, I had to know if I could actually tell a difference.)  I am pleased to say, I did notice a difference.  I am a believer in this and the other supplements as to how you feel during and after a workout.  Felt like I had quite a bit more energy, and the day after soreness and fatigue wasn't as noticeable.

Last is one of the flavors that I found to be my favorite of all!!!  GLUTAMINE Fruit Punch Flavor.  This product, and all of them mix quite simply.  It's a power, there is a scoop in the container to help measure the exact amount.  Mix with water, stir and ready to go.  Pretty simple and only takes seconds to make!
So what is Glutamine good for?  It helps defend your body against stress and muscle fatigue.  Which for me I think will be perfect for when I get into the higher distance miles running again.  But while I tested it, worked pretty darn good with swimming...  Because like I said swimming kicks my butt!

Overall I recommend these products to both men and women.  Certain supplements can help those in training, who are in a rut or who need help with recovery.  Or just individuals who aren't getting enough of these specific vitamins and supplements through a normal diet.  I compiled a list of a few more specifics to consider in trying out the ARO Black Series Supplements.

*  A great way to help get in your daily water intake (with flavor and low calories.)
*  They are all Gluten Free (Which is important to a lot of people these days.)
*  All ingredients are declared, nothing is hidden.
*  Pricing is quite reasonable, starting at $7.
*  They taste great - Natural Flavors!
*  Whether you want the extra supplements, or get into a fitness rut and need some extra help to get you moving a long again.  These are great product, with reasonable prices!

More information on the ARO Black Series HERE

You can view their You Tube Video HERE

I don't believe all supplements are great for everyone.  I believe you should do the research, read the facts and reviews and test out the ones that are most applicable for you.  I also believe if you are on any medications or have any medical conditions, you should consult your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet.

With that said, I have a GIVEAWAY.  

Vitacost has been generous to offer 1 lucky individual a $25 gift card to Vitacost!   Which let me tell you, with products prices starting at $7 this gift card gives a lot of choices!

There are no exclusions on this giveaway, this is open INTERNATIONALLY

If your interested, enter in the Rafflecopter form below.  

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Disclaimer: Vitacost provided me with the supplement products for my review.  I was NOT required to give a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions above are my own.