ARMA products for the win?

For anyone who has ever listened to the Pulp MX show or watched AMA supercross/motocross over the past year or two; chances are you will have seen or heard ARMA being spoken about. This is because people like Jeremy McGrath, Adam Cianciarulo, Chad Reed and Nick Way are all part owners of the business. With people like that backing it, it was always going to make some noise, but it is not just all noise. I’ve had the opportunity to try out all four of their products (FIRE, BLITZ, RELOAD and the newest edition HYDR8) over the last few weeks through Even Strokes.

So I thought I would give you my honest perspective on one of the fastest growing brands out there.

ARMA Fire

ARMA say that the morning is the best time to take FIRE, one scoop in 8-10 ounces of water. ARMA offer two flavours at the moment, orange crush and strawberry lemonade, I had the strawberry lemonade, which to me tasted a little bit like a bag of skittles. Using it for the first time I stuck to the manual and tried it first thing on the day I was riding, but found by the time I actually got down to riding I had used a lot of that fire energy up. So the next time I rode i used it when I got to the track, as I was queuing at signing on, walking the track etc. For me this was the best time to take it as it was just kicking in as I was getting my helmet on for practice. I would imagine the time it takes to kick in closely reflects the size of the person. For example if you are 7ft and 16 stone you may not notice it as quickly as someone who is 5’5 and 11stone.

ARMA Blitz

This is more of a supplement designed to be used before, during and after your workout. ARMA have the one flavour at this time which is berry blast, a nice fruity blend with a few little kicks. This product is suitable at any point during the day and from listening to the main ARMA guys I've learned that a lot of them choose to mix the FIRE and BLITZ in the morning to make sure they stay hydrated as well as focused, so that's pretty cool. Learning this was big game changer, where as before I was drinking the 10 ounces of fire then trying to drink a litre or two of water before riding to make sure I was hydrated. When combining both I was then able to mix the BLITZ and FIRE and not have to worry about trying to drink so much water.

The heads behind ARMA have made sure that there are no banned substances in BLITZ so you do not have to worry about a knock on the door from WADA.

ARMA Reload

Now for me this is the one that I had the most benefit from. If like me you suffer with a few aches and stiff muscles the next day after riding, this is the product for you. ARMA suggest you use it before a weight work out, cardio work out and post work out, but for me post riding was the best. First go around I mixed it with water, and I have to be honest it was a tough one to get down. I had a deep chocolate flavour instead of the very vanilla which is their other flavour, so in my mind that needed to be more of a milkshake. ARMA say you can have it with water, milk, on your yogurt, porridge, pretty much with anything. Milk was the best for me and made a nice chocolate milkshake flavour drink. I found that if I drank it with in 30mins of my last race I had no issues with aches and pains the following day. Those aches and pains are a thing of the past for me now, so I really recommend this one to anyone who would like to feel brand new again after a hard day at the track.

ARMA Hydr8

This is ARMAs newest edition to their line up of supplements, HYDR8 has a mixture of specific sugars, bio availability enhancers and electrolytes to keep you performing at an elite level. There are two different flavours of HYDR8; watermelon and lemon & lime. I started using the watermelon flavour, which tastes like a watermelon flavoured squash you would get in a supermarket, but has all the extras on top. HYDR8 is a great one to just stick in a water bottle and just sip at throughout the day. Personally during the summer I filled up a 2 litre bottle with it and froze it the night before riding, it was great way to stay cool and keep hydrated throughout the day, especially if you are someone that struggles to drink water. The HYDR8 can also be added to BLITZ and FIRE to give you that bit extra on a hot day or on a day where you just feel you need that little bit extra.

The thing I like about the ARMA line is that unlike generic supplements on the market, it is made by racers for racers. The guys behind have been there and done it and know what it takes to succeed at any level. Its also good to know that everything listed on the packaging is in there, no hidden items and I can use it knowing I'm putting the correct ingredients back into my body!

So overall I think ARMA products all have their own benefits and I feel its certainly worth the investment if you are fed up of feeling tired and lethargic at the track as well as stiff and sore the next day. They offer different types of packages but I recommend the ARMA pro kit. This consists of:

1 x ARMA Blitz
1 x ARMA Fire
2 x ARMA Reload

All packaged up in a cool ARMA box for easy storage.
In my opinion if its good enough for the king of supercross then its plenty good enough for me.

Brad Wheeler