Product Review: Bulk Powders® Complete Pre-Workout™ and Complete Recovery™
Good Tuesday to you all,
Over the past few years I’ve tried an array of protein powders across many brands and had to deal with different levels of mixability, that time in my life I decided to be vegan and also mix and matching powders to get that ‘complete package’ for maximum gains. And although most of them did the job, to some degree, I’ve never been as happy with a protein powder as I am with Bulk Powder® Complete Recovery™. I bought mine in mixed berry, alongside some apple & raspberry Complete Pre-Workout™ whilst there was a special offer on. It meant I got something like 30% off and a free shaker.
You’ll quickly learn I have little to no will-power whenever I see offers that include the word ‘free’.
30 servings of Complete Pre-Workout™ will set you back £23.99 whereas 25 servings of Complete Recovery™ is £34.99 full price. I believe for the quality of product the pricing is pretty fair, and I’ve actually adjusted my serving sizes and gotten a lot more out of it.
Starting with the Complete Pre-Workout™ …this was a venture a little into the unknown, as I’d never tried a ‘pre-workout’ apart from coffee. As I was also starting to focus on running I thought it might help me break the 6:00min/km slump I was in, alongside testing out rumours it would make lifting easier.
This stuff is not for the feint hearted. It suggests 1.5 scoops but I actually tend to use 1 scoop, which keeps my brain working at 150% until about lunch time if I use it in the morning. I used it before an afternoon workout once and couldn’t sleep, so I wouldn’t recommend that. For the first trial I ended up running a 5km PB (slump officially crushed). When taken before weights I noticed the most difference in my squats, which certainly felt less laboured. The powder mixes perfectly with just water and although very sweet I actually enjoy the flavour.
Bulk Powders® assure all their products are free from banned substances. This is what drew me to them. I fully support the 100% Me campaign currently running through the UK, which highlights that some supplements are banned so it’s important to check. Because of this I actually used the Complete Pre-Workout™ more over regattas; I mixed half a scoop in with water as a way to make sure my body was prepped and I found recovery between heats/semis/finals much smoother than before. Although it’s not part of my daily routine, I certainly appreciate having Complete Pre-Workout™ in my cupboard.
Now, something that is part of my daily routine is my Complete Recovery™. Once again I’ve thrown caution to the wind and ignored the serving suggestion. I understand this means I get less per shake, but I found 3 scoops did not mix well at all. I usually add between 1.5-2 scoops per shake. Water is added slowly (I first mix with a spoon as sometimes powder clumps at the bottom of my shaker), then I just shake it all up. Flavour again is really nice, especially if you have a sweet tooth. I’m having a protein shake for breakfast every morning now (post-training) and finding myself recover a lot better in time for the evening session. If I have a hard session in the evening I’ll also have one after that.
It’s possible that with a better shaker then the powder would mix fine without the need of a spoon, but I like to be sure. It's not like without a spoon there are clumps, it's just that some product can get 'stuck' to the bottom of the shaker and get left out of the protein-party. Another nice thing to note is if I accidentally leave my shaker in the sink for a day it doesn’t smell like the devils armpit - which is quite common amongst protein powders.
Overall, I couldn’t recommend both of these products enough. If I was to ride or die one of them, it would be the Bulk Powders® Complete Recovery™. I can’t wait to try more of the ‘Complete’ range from Bulk Powders® because I think they offer a great, straight forward answer to most athletes supplement needs.
Bulk Powders® Complete Pre-Workout™
Price = 9/10
Taste = 8/10
Mixability = 8/10
Efficacy = 8/10
Overall = 8.25/10
Bulk Powders® Complete Recovery™
Price = 9/10
Taste = 10/10
Mixability = 7/10
Efficacy = 9/10
Overall = 8.75/10
Natalie x
