MusclePharm Essentials Creatine Monohydrate Powder, Pre Workout Muscle Builder & Post Workout Muscle Recovery Supplement, Ultra-Pure 100% Monohydrate Creatine Powder, 60 Servings, Unflavored

I've used a decent range of creatine powders, ranging from cheap, Walmart-brand stuff to way over-priced GNC-sold supplements, and have never noticed any real difference in the gains in both strength and size I get. That is, until I discovered MP creatine. I first used this product about 6 months ago, and the first month I used it, I gained a legitimate 15 pounds of muscle, which was amazing for a naturally-slender guy. I used it for 3 more months in a row, each month garnering me at least 8 pounds of muscle growth. After the first 4 months, I decided to try a new product that was being raved about (not gonna mention which one, no negative publicity here) and what do you know? I only gained 4 pounds all month. Half of what I was getting with MP's product. Now, in month 6, I'm using the product again, and immediately notice an improvement in strength and definition, with some solid size gains in there as well. If you are thinking of using a different product, don't. The price, # of servings, incredible blending ability (barely grainy at all, very manageable), and most importantly, gains I get from this product, are one-of-a-kind, and hold true to MP's tradition of putting incredible fitness into the hands of people like me (college kid, not like I have a ton of spare cash), and need quality products for a cut-rate price. I love it.

I have been using this creatine supplement for three weeks and I am very pleased with the results. My reps have increased at a steady rate and I feel this creatine gives me that little bit of extra strength and energy needed to complete additional reps and sets which really contribute to muscle growth.There is no loading phase with this creatine, which is great, and it has no real taste. Three small scoops in a cold glass of water before your workouts and you're set. I have done plenty of research and I would suggest taking this roughly one hour before your workouts. I used to take another creatine supplement directly after my routine, and there is a noticeable advantage taking it before.For the price and the results I believe this stuff has an excellent value.

It's pure creatine, if you're looking at this product most likely you know what it is and what it does. It works just fine for me, works as expected like creatine from any other brand. My "but..." comes mostly from an error on my end. I purchased this product which is relatively the same price as most other micronized creatine on amazon (I've tried four brands), they're all pretty much the same ingredient and result wise; the problem I have with this brand is that despite it being the same price as the others, I only get half the volume at 300grams. Again, it's my fault for not noticing 300grams instead of 600grams but I do want to point out that the other three brands were all 600grams for $11-$12. I'm essentially paying the same amount for half of the exact same product and haven't seen a single distinction from this brand, ingredients, or results than any other. All said and done, good product, but you can get twice as much from other brands for the same price.

Let's face the facts: Creatine is basically Creatine, no matter who sells it. It's like protien: You're not shopping for quality whey protien as much as a taste you can live with and maybe some nice balance elements included. This review is not about the effects of creatine, it's about the little things that, to me, set this product above the others.First off, the container. It's a low profile size that has a nice wide mouth that you can get your fingers in, so there's no struggling with getting your powder out. It fits in your cabinet nicely, you can stack other suppliments on top of it, and in general is just a pleasent change of pace from most other glutamine suppliers.Second, it comes with a scoop. Wonder of wonders, the scoop is actually sized to be a whole serving AND be used by a normal person. I always get angry with a manufacturer who gives you this tiny little scoop and says "3 scoops per serving!". It makes me feel like some group of suits is quietly chuckling whilst looking at videos of muscle bound men trying to use their dainty little scoop. This scoop is actually big enough that you can use it without sticking out your pinky! You are left with the impression that the people at Muscle Pharm actually CARE about the end user experience in a way OTHER than the results of the product.Lastly, it's very fine powder, but not so fine that you end up with a mess trying to scoop it. It feeds into the scoop with ease, pours into your drink without issue, and mixes very well into almost any liquid you might care to try it with. I will warn people new to creatine: I say that it mixes well, but I mean that it mixes well "for creatine". So far, I haven't found a creatine powder that disapears into liquid without a grainy aftertaste. This product mixes better than most, but you'll still feel it on your teeth. It's the price of admission when using certain suppliments, and there's no getting around it.All in all, the product is well worth the small objection I raised above. I can't stress enough how nice the packaging is, and I know people may look at this review and wonder why I carry on and on about something so unimportant, but here's the bottom line.When you add up all the factors, this creatine is no better or worse than others. It's not going to pump your muscles faster, it's not going to repair damage better, and it's not any cheaper than other perfectly good products on the marketplace, regardless of the hype and advertising. So if you can't get better product, the only thing left to consider is the packaging, and in this aspect, Muscle Pharm has won my loyalty by paying attention to details other companies have forgotten or disregarded.