Customer Reviews

Universal Nutrition Real Gains Chocolate 6.85 lbs

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The vanilla tastes really good. Price per serving, Real Gains is one of the cheapest weight gainers out there, especially when you note the fact that its carbs don't come mainly from sugar. It has 52g of protein and 88g of carbs, which is good for immediately after a nice hard workout to replenish your glycogen stores. I like the fact that it also contains inulin, which has been shown to increase calcium absorption(albeit, a benefit they don't mention or 'brag' about).

The things I don't particularly like about it(and the only reasons I gave it a 4) are that it contains acesulfame potassium, and isn't too easy to mix. I stir all my powders with a spoon, and ON Gold Standard has the best mixability of them all, but I have a little trick I do with stubborn powders. After you've been mixing for a while stop stiring and let the "chunks" float to the top. Use your spoon and squish the chunks agains the side of the cup and rub it back and forth to break it up and get the rest to mix in. After you think you've got them all, or atleast the biggest ones, stir it again for a while. Now there should only be tiny pieces left, if not 100% dispersion. Using this method I can, more often than not, get 100% mixability with this protein although it is a bit time consuming.

Real Gains has the healthiest and most beneficial formula on the market in my opinion. It is not perfect but the cons are superficial compared to the health benefits.

PROS: Price. This item can be found at around half the price of comparable sugar-laden products with unhealthy formulas.
Protein profile. Contains BOTH whey protein(quickly absorbed by the body) & micellar casein protein(slow absorbtion)for muscle feeding during sleep. Also, whey is ultra filtered and not harsh method of ion exchanged.
Low sugar. By comparison, Pro labs N Large II has 6x the sugar per serving(30g) than Real Gains(5g). No fructose in this product which is easily converted to fat.
52 g of protein and 600 calories per full serving with no fillers.

CONS: Mixability. Despite the label's claim of blender-free ease, I often swallow clumps of formula. I use a cheap shaker, however and a superior mixer may remedy this(perhaps the whisk-ball shaker cup)Mixing 2 half servings instead of 1 full serv. will help.
Taste. Doesn't taste bad it's just that the choco ice cream flavor isn't chocolaty at all. It's almost a vanilla. I have solved this problem by swapping white milk with a low fat chocolate milk like over the moon brand(very chocolaty) or a choco soy milk like Silk.

As stated, the cons are outweighed by the benefits which are more than I have even stated here. Throw in superior potassium content, amino acid profile and inulin (a prebiotic)for absorbtion and digestion and you have a very reasonably priced superior product.

**MUST CLARIFY** Poor mixability when mixed with MILK. Also, the whisk ball shaker cup helps greatly.

I had to choose between BSN True Mass or Real Gains since those were the popular gainers. I decided to get Real Gains since I want to get some more bulk onto me and not just lean mass. I've used this for only a week and it's awesome. I don't know how people can say the mixability is bad because it mixes just fine with my Blender Bottle. It's either using to much powder and less liquid or people just doing it manually with a spoon. The only negative, which I think is completely minor, is trying to open the bucket. It's on tight, which I like so it doesn't bust open in my gym bag but it's only for opening it the first time. Great product and now I'm at 266 from being 259 week ago. Recommend it greatly!!!

Got it today from Amazon.com and
added 16 onces of water and 3.5 scoops and mixed in
a Hamilton Beach Classic DrinkMaster Drink Mixer.
taste great like real chocolate ice cream.

so far no runs :-)
now only time will tell about the weight gain.

I would highly recommend this product. Real Gains provides more carbs and protein than the average weight gainer relative to the serving size and is a lot cheaper.
I bought the Strawberry Ice Cream which tastes really good, but after only a few times you get sick of strawberry, which is why I rated it a 4.
The product mixes really well with water, all 3 1/2 scoops, but not so well with milk, unless you use a blender.