NO2

vipers07,

I think it is great that you are motivated and determined to be the best you can be, but you are way to young to worry about taking supplements like NO2. I want you to understand that being an upcoming sophomore, you have PLENTY of time to increase strength and power. Right now, you should be concentrating on eating properly and training smart.

Believe me, I was once in your shoes and I didn't realize just how good I had it. At 14 or 15 years old, your body will be FLOWING with testosterone (naturally) and you will put on muscle very quickly. I mean VERY QUICKLY. The key is ensure that you are training the RIGHT WAY so that you can maximize your strength gains in this period of time.

But, since you asked about NO2, I'll tell you my thoughts on it. It is basically a compound amino-acid known as arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (sp??) To put it in a nutshell, it claims to increase blood flow to muscles which will in-turn, increase the pump and shuttle nutrients into the muscles. I have never used this product and in NO WAY recommend it. I have known people who have taken it and got very little to no results whatsoever.

I can't comment on it firsthand, but I DO know that it is very overpriced and that you would be MUCH better off spending your money on being a teenager (you know...girls, CD's, movies, etc.) and at the same time, read this site and learn how you need to train and eat.

Bottom line, forget about the NO2 and go train. After that, go eat...after that go train...after that go eat...etc. etc. etc.

Let me know if I can help...

Jimbo Hale

Vipers, I totally agree with annihl8tor on this. At such a young age you really don't need much in the form of supplements. Focus your attention on creating good eating habits (6-8 smaller meals spread throughout the day), and avoid as much "man-made food" as possible. Try getting your foods from the closest source you can to how nature provided the tree. Nature doesn't make mistakes in food production! Some supplements that you might want to look into could include a multivitamin, anti-oxidants (vitamins E & C), a protein supplement (Casein/Whey mix would be my choice), creatine, and some essential fatty acids (Omega 6 and Omega 3 blends: Flax oil or Hemp Oil). Beyond this list, your body doesn't really need much more. Your natural horomone levels at your age are great at packing on lean, quality muscle! Take advantage of what's going on inside your body right now! At your age, I got caught up in the supplement ad lure of the "fitness" magazines and bought quite a few of the "miracle" supplements. Sure I gained some muscle, but in retrospect, it wasn't the supplements that I bought that helped me pack on that muscle, it was my body's natural state of puberty! On a side note, I didn't grow any taller once I started taking the "miracle" supplements that were supposed to increase my testosterone and growth horomone. Both of my brothers are over 6-1, and I'm at 5-9. I attribute my lack of vertical height to trying to look for the next best supplement out there and not focusing my attention to proper nutrition. You have a great attitude, but you just need to redirect that attitude into the right place. Good luck with your training and have fun getting stronger!