Testing MTN OPS Yeti Pre-workout

[Eagle]

Yeti Day 5/Tye Abell (Eagle)

Same story as the other days this week, up at 4:45, but only got 6 hours of sleep last night with a resting heart rate only down to 50, mixed the yeti and drank as quickly as I could. Generally by the end of the week, I struggle to get up and going, but the last two days I've had no issues with waking up and starting my morning routine. Not sure if the yeti has played a part in that or not, but in general, especially after a night of only 6 hours sleep, I would be dragging.

Arrived at the gym and completed the usual warm-up before moving on to the main lift for today, back squats. Working sets were at 255 for 3 sets of 5 with 25 butterfly situps inbetween each set. Strength was normal. After that, the accessory lift for today was 4 sets of 20 walking lunges with 70lb dumbbells in each hand with a 1 minute plank hold after each set of lunges. Strength was as before normal. Cool down was also the same as all the other days this week. Heart rate averaged 92 for the workout and peaked at 148 on the bike.

Energy today has been steady, which is great to feel at the end of a long week. The real test for me will be to see how the yeti helps me tomorrow as I hit my farm in Tennessee to work on clearing some new plots and getting a couple others ready for planting and seeded. Should be a long day of work after the two hour drive to the farm, and the drive back is likely where the yeti will either help, or not. Interested to see how it goes.

 

[robby denning]

I really like reading these. Seems everyone agrees that there is sustained energy rest of day and other "pick-me-ups" aren't really needed. As long as someone doesn't go blind or grow a third arm, seems like no question this stuff is great. A few more days to go and some other guys to hear from . Looks like elkyinzer will have to do a solo test after were done as we muffed his order so he'll start Monday when you're all done.Thanks

 

[Casey Gepford]

Bummer I missed out on this. I work out 6-7 days a week lifting and riding the bike every night since the beginning of Dec. And I am using absolutely no supplements. So would have been fun to try. Looks like its doing well for other though. Keep up the good fight.

 

[jrnorton4]

Day 4 Yeti - Norton

Day 4 Yeti Trial
Drank my potion as soon as I woke up again, and met jwatts at the gym. We did the 5x5 Stronglifts, 3.31 miles on the elliptical, then headed after turkeys again.
We got on some hard gobbling birds, and wound up walking another 3.7 miles on the hunt.
Even after doing all of that by 9 a.m., I wasn't tired. I went to work, and felt good all day. I drank a cup of coffee when I wanted it, but not because I needed it.
If the last 4 days are any indication of continuing effects, this stuff is pretty awesome. I have plenty of energy through the day, even now at the end of five days that I have put over 21 miles on the elliptical, not counting the miles done hunting three mornings. Last week at this time I could barely drag myself to the bed, much less get in it. This trial has already shown me what a good supplement can do for overall well-being.

 

[Eagle]

Yeti Day 6/Tye Abell (Eagle)

Woke up at 4:45 again to get an early start on the two hour drive to the TN farm. Got 8 hours of sleep last night which was needed and felt fine this morning. Drank the Yeti about 8 o'clock before we started working on clearing a couple new areas for food plots (cut down several tree's and raked the areas clear of leaves of debris). After that we scouted for turkeys for the next few hours walking the ridges and draws looking for fresh sign with the season set to open in two weeks. Never felt drained, and the two hour drive back wasn't an issue when I'm generally nodding off while my buddy drives. Good productive day on the farm.

 

[jrnorton4]

Day 5 Yeti - Norton

Day Five Yeti
On about 5 hours sleep, we went hunting again. Drank the Yeti when I got up, walked around 2 miles hunting, then had a fairly uneventful day as far as physical exertion. I drove about 20 miles out of town to a crawfish boil, and noticed myself feeling sleepy on the drive over. This was mid-afternoon, and would be typical of how I was feeling before the Yeti. After arriving at my destination and staying a while, I didn't feel sleepy at all on the drive home. I haven't since I got home either.
I am going to attribute this sleepiness to the fact that I have averaged about 5.75 hours of sleep per night this week, which is less than normal because of turkey season beginning. I plan to sleep longer tonight to prepare for the week ahead, and definitely believe I have the Yeti to thank for keeping me going this long.

 

[Jacob_Outdoors]

....

 

[Elkfitness]

Day 5/6 Yeti trial - Elkfitness

Crazy few days with work, school and kids!

Friday was day 5 for me. I was up at 6am. I had cup of coffee while doing some work and then got the kids off to school. My plan was do a little test for me. We got some snow, so my plan to trail run was shot today. Instead, I took the yeti at 9am and then hopped on my indoor bike. I road at a good endurance pace and road for about 2 hours. When at home, I do this to get some cardio work, and then answer emails on my phone/ipad. I only took in water during the ride and felt nice even energy throughout the ride. Unlike other days, I didn't have any thirst issues. The rest of the day I felt great and didn't need any other coffee. Im not sure about others, but yeti for me is a sort of appetite suppressant as well. I am prone to snackage at home, but with yeti on board I can plow throw the day.

Saturday was day 6 for me. My wife worked this Saturday, so I was up at 6am and did my home gym circuit. I took the yeti right when woke up and then did 15 min of elliptical follow by a circuit of squats, pull ups, shoulder presses, lunges, standing row, and standing chest press (on the functional trainer). With yeti on board, I continue to have good late workout energy. I completed 5 rounds and then hit the elliptical for 15 minutes. I had a busy day with the kids, playing in the snow and pulling them around the back yard. I had to do some work late, and still had good energy up until midnight.

Overall I am really impressed with the yeti. I have some hikes planned for next week (will be in salt lake city area) and can't wait to try it out. I've not been one to take coffee when hunting (even though I love it the rest of the year). I usually just have a cliff bar protein bar when rolling out the sleeping bag. Yeti will definitely be coming with me on future outings.

 

[Jacob_Outdoors]

Redacted.

 

[Eagle]

Yeti Conclusion/Tye Abell (Eagle)

I wanted to wait to provide a final word on the yeti until this morning so that I could do my Monday morning workout without it to compare to last week with it. I woke up as usual at 4:45 after 6:40 of sleep and did not take any yeti this morning. As I was packing my lunch and making my coffee for the day I noticed that I felt a little more lethargic than I had last week, but nothing major. I made it to the gym and did the same workout as last Monday, aside from increasing my 4x10 front squat weight to 165, kept my warm up and cool down the same as well as my deadlift weight. Numbers and strength wise, this week didn't feel any different than last week, heart rate wise, my heart rate was lower this week compared to last week (106 avg vs 109avg and 156 peak vs 169 peak). After completing the workout and heading to work, I noticed again that I felt a little more drained than I did last Monday.

Overall, I feel like the yeti did provide a small benefit in the form of added energy for me. I had no side effects and no issues with taking it on an empty stomach. It's not a miracle powder, but I do believe it would be very helpful during a grueling backcountry hunt. I'll stop taking the yeti as a pre workout and save it for my hunting trips, as for me, I think it will be much more beneficial there than it is in the gym. My supplement use prior to this trial consisted of straight creatine monohydrate, which I feel no question makes a difference in strength, and for me, has never caused any water weight gain. I did use some of the wilderness athlete products 8 years ago for a few day period, but had a very odd reaction to the energy and focus they produced at the time (it made me incredibly jittery due from what I could find to the large amount of b vitamins in the supplement).

I have a week long turkey hunting trip coming up in the second half of April in which I'll be hunting Kentucky, Iowa, Tennessee, and if I'm successful early on in Iowa, Nebraska as well. The yeti will get another trial on that trip, and I'll report back on how it worked for me in that type of setting.

Lastly, thanks to Rokslide and Mountain Ops for the product and platform to provide the review.

 

[jrnorton4]

Days 6 and 7 Yeti Trial Conclusion

Days 6 and 7 Yeti Trial Conclusion - Norton

On Sunday, I drank the Yeti as a substitute for coffee. It was not a physical day for me, except for chopping wood for about an hour in the afternoon. I felt fine and had energy all day, noticeably more so than I had prior.

On Monday, I drank the Yeti, went to the gym, did my 5x5 Stronglifts workout, then did a harder program on the elliptical. It was kind of grueling, I have to say. I am sore and my knees hurt today. I burned 870 calories in 30 minutes; I don't know if that is a decent indicator, but for me it was alot. We then left and went turkey hunting, walking another mile or so. I then set out working in 2 other counties, making a 120 mile loop and doing title searches. During what can sometimes feel monotonous, I kept pretty good focus and energy throughout the day. I also had an after work meeting, prepared to teach a class this morning, and cleaned the house before bed. So, from about 4:45 a.m. until about 10 pm, I went non-stop and only stopped for a drink and crackers at a convenience store. I feel like I definitely had help to have maintained energy through the whole day.

Day 8 - I drank the Blue Raspberry Yeti this morning I got from jwatts. Having tried both flavors, I think I prefer the blue raspberry. I like the Strawberry Banana alot, but the raspberry is a good bit sweeter, and I like sweet stuff. On my diet, it was to the point that I was enjoying my toothpaste because it was sweet, and this has made a good, healthier component for my addiction. Truth be told, I have kind of fallen off the wagon in that regard, but I do like raspberry slightly better.

Overall, there is definitely a difference in my workouts and in my energy levels throughout the day. I don't think I could have done all that I have been doing and maintained endurance through the week without it. The week before I couldn't, and turkey hunting wasn't in the picture then. I could see using this product daily as a substitute for coffee and for energy.

A sincerest thanks to the guys at Mtn Ops for the chance to participate in this. I do intend to continue using it even after the trial tub is gone.
Send me a cap! I need one to wear to the gym!
Thanks to Robby Denning too for the site and for letting me participate.

 

[elkyinzer]

Day 1/J.R. (elk_yinzer)

As Robby wrote above, I am late to the party due to an order mix-up, the Yeti finally arrived yesterday. I posted up above introducing myself and my routines. Really enjoyed everyone else’s thoughts and excited to see what this stuff does for me.

I received it around 5 PM yesterday and was not too keen on downing caffeine at that hour, so I waited until this morning. Woke up at 4:30 and got some work done before mixing the strawberry-banana Yeti at 6 AM. Went with a full scoop and 10 oz of water. The powder mixed more easily than I expected. Tasted pretty bad if you ask me, not that I was expecting great things in that department. Diet cool-aid with a slight chemical aftertaste is how I would describe it. I detest the taste of artificial sugars, however, and I believe that could have been what I was picking up. I downed it in one chug, ate a banana, and got caught up working for another 45 minutes waiting for it to kick in.

Typically, I work out in the evening sometime between 6 and 9 PM. I’ll squeeze in a morning workout once in awhile if the schedule dictates, but with the uppers in this Yeti I wasn’t going to risk my sleep schedule, so I chose to workout this morning. Within 10 minutes of drinking it I felt absolutely wired, like I needed to go release some major steam, in a good way. After some stretching I started with a 3 minute max pushup then pullup test. I’ll share the results of all the tests after I am done with the week. I am a spreadsheet dork and I already have one going.

Next, I spent 20 minutes on the airdyne doing a range of intervals. Then 15 minutes of core work, and about 20 minutes of lifting, emphasis on back today and lots of plyometric work on the legs. I didn’t notice any additional power, actually felt rather weak probably due to working out in the morning. However, it did seem easier to move between circuits without rest and I must say I felt really good on the bike. I had to get ready for work at that point but I didn’t feel a bit fatigued and was wishing I could go do something outside to burn off some more energy. Not the way I usually feel at 7:30 AM on a Tuesday at all.

Struggled to eat my usual breakfast of mini wheats and greek yogurt, and headed off to work. Not sure if the lack of appetite was Yeti-induced or something else, but it’s not the norm for me by any means. Skipped the morning coffee as I was still feeling the Yeti and my stomach was now a little rumbly. I am usually a 2-3 cup/day coffee drinker. My stomach recovered pretty quickly and I felt decent throughout the work day.

After lunch I didn’t really feel the effects of the Yeti anymore. Definitely felt more thirsty throughout the day. I typically drink around 48-64 oz of water/day in addition to coffee and a beer or two, and today I definitely exceeded that water intake. Thought my appetite seemed a little suppressed all day, but not too bad once I recovered from breakfast. No afternoon crash today, which I am prone to on occasion.

Left work at 4 PM and headed out for a quick hike/shed hunt/scouting trip to take advantage of the beautiful weather. No pack, and only one moderate 400-500 foot ridge climb was all I got into. My energy level was not all that high, but it wasn’t super low either.

Appetite improved slightly at dinner, and I felt normal throughout the evening. Tomorrow is going to be a wildcard day, I may or may not workout or drink Yeti.

 

[robby denning]

Elkyinzer, can't wait to see that spreadsheet. I don't know how to make them but love to read them.

 

[elkyinzer]

Day 3/J.R. (elk_yinzer)

Skipped the Yeti yesterday. Life stuff got in the way of a workout and ended up just taking the dog for a walk to get the legs moving.

Woke up at 5 AM today, decided I was not going to work out in the morning so held off on the Yeti. Had my usual morning coffee but was dragging by noon. Sleep schedule is out of whack. Worked (from home today) until 3 PM and downed the Yeti with some lunch. Cut it with 12 oz water this time, didn’t find the taste any more enjoyable. Dilution was not the solution.

Worked another half hour or so until about 3:30 and the Yeti was fully kicked in and then some. I could not sit in front of that computer another second. I haven’t had the kayak out at all this year, so I decided it was time to head out and get on the water. I headed to a small reservoir up the road and paddled back and forth and up the headwaters as far as I could get. I paddled hard for about an hour. With proper form, paddling is a great full body workout. Hits everything from the core, quads, calfs, shoulders and back really well. I highly recommend it for those ADHD people like me that get bored quickly in the gym.

I went really hard and felt great, the Yeti was definitely giving me a bit of an extra push. Basically kept it at a solid aerobic level with a lot of anaerobic intervals mixed in timing myself on courses on landmarks and trying to beat my times. Sometimes when doing aerobic cardio like that, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to get into the “zone” where I am really feeling it. On this Yeti, I am in that zone from the start. I don’t what the mechanisms are that make these chemicals work, but when it peaks, I really feel like I can kick some ass. What I do know, is that a few of those minor muscles you don’t realize you have until you go hard doing a real activity, are going to be sore as hell tomorrow.

Came home, ate dinner, carried on with evening business as usual. Enjoyed the nice weather and shot my bow. Drank a few beers. Is it ok to do that on this stuff?

I am noticing peak effect from this stuff about a half hour after taking it, and that feeling slowly wearing off over the course of 2-3 hours. None of the stomach issues today, I think taking it first thing in the morning was not the best for me. Same deal with the water though, thirsty again no matter how much I drink.

Tomorrow I am going to go search for some PA elk sheds on the periphery of their range (my chances of finding any not really knowing where the herds are at are virtually nil, but I don’t do the crowds that gather where the tourist herds congregate. And it doubles as deer and turkey scouting for me). I’ll easily cover 10-15 miles plus, a few steep draws, and brutal mountain laurel patches. This is going to be a good Yeti test.

 

[robby denning]

Just pour the Yeti in your beer

Let us know if your sleep was interrupted when taking Yeti that late. Mine was until I cut the dose back.

 

[elkyinzer]

Day 3/J.R. (elk_yinzer)

No problem sleeping, Robby, I went to bed right around normal time 10 PM and fell right asleep. Like I said though, I was catching up from my sleep schedule getting jacked up earlier in the week.

Slept in until 7, got up and ate breakfast and chugged the Yeti a few minutes after I ate while I grabbed some gear. Drove an hour North, found out the elk had been hanging out where I suspected by the dozen cars there, and kept on going, not in the mood to deal with the crowd. Checked out another new area I’ve been eyeing up and found some good deer and turkey spots. Turkey season is still another month away but I’ve got five more mountain gobblers located after today.

I didn’t have the GPS on the first half but I suspect I covered about 10-12 miles over 5 hours and a lot of up and down. About 75% on logging trails and the rest bushwhacking. My energy level seemed pretty normal, I would say I didn’t notice the Yeti much today. I was really hitting the wall about a mile from the end. That place where you could keep going but the hiking is no fun anymore.


Some birds


Hiking buddy

 

[elkyinzer]

Saturday Day 5 – woke up at 6:30 AM and downed a glass of Yeti with breakfast. Was in hurry to get some stuff knocked out so I just did a quick workout, all legs and core, about 40 minutes. The rest of the day I was very active doing yardwork and stuff, enjoying the weather and running some errands around town. Energy level felt good, and no stomach or appetite issues noted. It seems to me my body kind of adjusted to this stuff after a few days. Not noting the appetite or stomach issues at this point, but the initial “rush” doesn’t feel as strong as the first couple times I took it either.

Sunday Day 6 – skipped the Yeti and working out on Easter. Did end up taking the kayak out for about an hour of paddling.

I am going to take the Yeti around 4 today, the last day of my test, and work out after. We will see if pushing it that late affects my sleep at all. I’ll weigh in with my final thoughts tomorrow.

 

[elkyinzer]

Day 7/J.R. (elk_yinzer)

Final day, here we are.

Took the Yeti at 4 PM today and waited until 5 to workout.

Started with broad jumps, another measure to try to compare Yeti. Then onto interval sprints day. A workout I truly love to hate. Absolute hell when done right, but in my opinion one of the best there is for mountain hunting.

Started with a 300 yard shuttle, 25 x 12 x 2, timed for comparison. That’s sprinting 25 yards between cones, 12 times with a 5 minute break then done again. Today (on Yeti) was comparable to my times without Yeti. Subjectively, didn't really feel any boost pushing through the sprints or recover any faster on the Yeti.

After that I did 25 x 4 intervals with a 60 second break in between. Did 7 of those.

Took a 30 minute break and hit the basement, stretched and did some core work for about 15 minutes. Then a max 3 minute pushup and pullup test to round out my quantitative tests. Then a heavy chest/arm/shoulder workout. Didn’t push the pace after doing the intervals but I feel that I recovered more quickly between sets and sustained strength better into the later sets, especially after having done the intervals and max pushups already.

As opposed to increased power I am seeing sustained strength into later sets with Yeti besides the initial energy kick. I guess that is technically endurance, but when I think of endurance I think of getting a physical boost on the 15th mile of a grueling 15 mile hike, not an extra rep or two in the gym.

I purposely took it as late as I wanted to push it today to see if it would affect my sleep. Will post results of that in the morning and some final subjective thoughts.

 

[elkyinzer]

Fitness test comparison/J.R. (elk_yinzer)

Here is the aforementioned spreadsheet with my fitness tests comparing Yeti to control.

This is far from scientific or statistically valid. Just thought some benefits of the Yeti may show themselves in the results. Not saying Yeti isn't effective, but the test results are what they are. Again I'll post some subjective notes I have been keeping tomorrow to wrap up.

The pushup and pullup tests (Y2) were done Thursday right after I had kayaked hard for an hour. Clearly that skewered those results as you can see. Everything else from a consistency standpoint was pretty solid. Also my pullups are on an I-beam right now because we are temporarily living with my in-laws and I am making do with what I can. So those aren't my real pullup maxes on a bar, my grip strength was what was giving out.

 

[elkyinzer]

Final thoughts/J.R. (elkyinzer)

I slept fine last night having taken the Yeti at 4 PM and gone to bed at 10:30.

Well there it is, my Yeti week is over. I'm sure few are still following along at this point but I will see it through and write some of my subjective thoughts on the overall experience:

It mixes well. It tastes horrible. It is powerful from an energy standpoint. When it kicks in, it kicks in fast and I feel like I can lift a car. The noticeable effects peak about a half hour in and wear off over the course of 2-3 hours. Did it help me feel better in the gym, yes it did. So I would say that Yeti does in a large way do what it is marketed to do.

Personally, I am not looking for a big gym boost, what I do au-natural accomplishes my goals, to be in ‘good enough’ overall shape for elk hunting. So I will not continue using a pre-workout boost routinely, and that was really predetermined before I even started, to be fair. Part of that is due to the expense of this stuff, and it is priced in line with other similar supplements on the market (strolling through GNC and comparing labels, there were a whole lot of similar supplements, this one just happens to be marketed towards hunters). The other reason is I just don't trust putting chemicals I don't really need into my body long-term.

The biggest answer I personally wanted from this test was “will it help me perform better hunting in the mountains”. As far as I know, Yeti is not directly marketed toward that application, but I felt it a question worth asking.

My answer to that is, possibly, but with great care and in limited applications. I guess what I am saying is, don’t think you’re going to skip the summer workouts and Yeti will compensate for your laziness. Most significantly, my thirst, and I assume my body’s real water needs increased significantly. I knew with creatine and caffeine at a minimum this would happen, and it was confirmed.

I am not going to roll out of my sleeping bag and substitute this for my coffee. I already find it a pain to find/carry enough water, and the boost is too short in duration to benefit me while hunting sunup to sundown every day for weeks. I would, however, absolutely take it when I need a boost of “superman” strength for a few hours. For instance, a brutal meat pack up out of a steep canyon. Dragging a deer a mile or so. Chopping up a big tree that falls down in the yard.

No doubt this stuff works pretty well. Some of the other reviewers were more conventional testers in doing more structured workouts daily. I'm just not looking for that big boost in the gym and was interested in testing some of the off-label applications.

Thanks to Mtn Ops and Robby again for the Yeti and the forum to test it.