If you’ve been lifting weights for some time, you’ve no doubt heard of a product called Animal Pak, the bodybuilder’s best friend.
Founded in 1977, Animal Pak has gone on to create a series of products, all geared towards amateur gym-goers and bodybuilders alike.
Today, I’ll be giving my Animal Pak review, focusing on their bodybuilding multivitamin.
I’ve been taking this supplement on and off for about 5-6 years now, and with that in mind, here are my thoughts.
Why Animal Pak?
First off, let’s talk about some of the scammers in this industry. Like I’ve said before on this blog, I’ve seen lots of supplement scams in my day.
You used to have to rely on word of mouth to figure out what was legit or not. Back in the day, you just trusted what your “jacked friend” told you to do, and had to hope that it worked.
Not today, though. Thanks to the internet, we can easily research bodybuilding supplements and find out if they’re scams or not.
With that in mind, here’s three reasons why I love Animal Pak:
- Great Brand Credibility
- Good Nutrient Profile
- Very Cost-Effective Multivitamin
The Animal Pak multivitamin has been around since 1977, and because of that, they’ve built up quite a good reputation among bodybuilders.
Most companies in the supplement industry come and go within a matter of 5 years, so anything that’s lasted over a decade is usually a good brand.
Animal Pak is also specifically formulated for bodybuilders, which means it’s packed with nutrients to help your muscles grow.
“But Jon, won’t that be expensive?” I can hear someone ask. Thankfully not! Animal Pak is actually quite cost-effective, compared to a lot of other multi-vitamins which often boast prices of up to $100 per month.
With that in mind, let’s talk a little bit more about Animal Pak, and why I like their multivitamin more than any other on the market.
My Animal Pak Review
Like I said, I’ve been taking Animal Pak on and off for about 5-6 years now, so this isn’t some bullshit review by someone who’s never taken it.
I’ve been lifting for over a decade, and I’ve tried damn near every supplement on the market, so this is all from my own experience.
With that in mind, my personal opinion is that Animal Pak is by far one of the best bodybuilding multivitamins on the market.
The only other one that even comes CLOSE would be Orange Triad, but even then, Animal Pak has better ingredients and nutrition.
Animal Pak comes in a tin container, and is filled with little plastic pouches of vitamins. You take 1-2 pouches per day, depending on training.
If you’re not lifting that hard, it’s recommended you take one each day. For serious weightlifters though, trying to bulk up and put on tons of muscle, it’s recommended that you take two packs per day.
Personally, I think that one pack each day is enough, but sometimes if I’m feeling extra stressed or sore from weightlifting, I’ll take two.
Overall, I give Animal Pak a 10/10. It could literally not get a better review, and I can’t think of a single thing wrong with it.
It’s got an incredible nutrient profile (which I’ll cover later), it’s conveniently packaged, and best of all, it makes a noticeable difference in my recovery when I take it.
Animal Pak Product Ingredients
As with any multivitamin, you’ll want to know what you’re taking. Here’s a nutrition fact that not many people know, however.
Most vitamins aren’t inspected by the FDA. So, what a lot of these companies will do, is they’ll put all sorts of fancy ingredients on the label, claiming they’ve got top of the line quality control.
Then, to save money, they’ll put a bunch of corn starch or bullshit fillers in their product, and most consumers will never know the difference.
Animal Pak, however, has a strong brand reputation, and several third party laboratories have verified the purity of their ingredients.
One thing that impresses me about Animal Pak, as well, is that they don’t have any “proprietary blends.” This is often how supplement companies lie about the ingredients in their products.
They’ll say they’ve got 5,000mg of a “proprietary blend,” but really what that means, is you don’t know how much of each ingredient they have.
So, they could say their “proprietary blend” has 7 different ingredients, and just make 99% of it the cheapest ingredient, and have sub-par doses for all the others. This means lackluster results for you.
This is especially notorious with pre-workouts such as C4, which will often use a “proprietary blend” that’s really just 99% caffeine and bullshit.
Not Animal Pak, though. They tell you exactly how much of each ingredient they’ve got in their multivitamin, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Ingredients Analysis
There’s a few things I like about their ingredient lineup, the main thing being that it’s specifically made for bodybuilders.
They’ve got four main complexes of ingredients:
- Amino Acid Complex
- Performance Complex
- Antioxidant Complex
- Digestive Enzyme Complex
Each of these blends works synergistically together, so not only do you get the essential vitamins you need, but an extra boost, as well.
Their amino acid complex has all the necessary amino acids for muscle growth and recovery. From L-Arginine, which gives you better pumps, to Glutamine which helps with recovery, you’ve got all you need.
Their performance complex is also impressive, sporting ingredients such as Uni-Liver for strength, Carnitine for energy, and milk thistle seed extract for liver health.
Their antioxidant complex has got a bunch of great ingredients, too. From Alpha Lipoic Acid (for endurance) to CoQ10 (one of the best nootropics for brain health), everything about this blend screams: “EFFECTIVE!”
Lastly is their digestive complex, which is often overlooked. In my experience however, digestive enzymes are the hallmark of a good supplement company.
Why? It’s simple. Without the right enzymes, you won’t even digest the damn nutrients you’re taking in! Every single high quality supplement brand out there has a digestive enzyme complex, period.
…and Animal Pak doesn’t disappoint. They’ve got all the right enzymes to not only help you absorb nutrients, but to also help you digest and absorb protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Overall, the ingredients in Animal Pak get a 10/10. Sure, you can always have more ingredients, but for the cost you’re paying, this is one hell of a great workout multivitamin.
Animal Pak Multivitamin Effects
Now, just how effective is Animal Pak, you might ask?
Really. Fucking. Effective.
Whenever I take “The Pak,” as it’s called, I notice a huge increase in my gym performance. It’s like night and day.
Could this be from the Uni-Liver in Animal Pak, that’s known to increase strength and boost testosterone? Maybe.
Could it be from the Oriental Ginseng Root, that’s known for enhancing heart health, and improving blood pressure? It sure could be.
Whatever it’s from, all I know is that when I take Animal Pak, my lifts increase by at least 10-15%, and I feel WAY fucking better.
This probably isn’t due to just one or two ingredients in Animal Pak, but all of them combined. Either way, I feel great when I’m on Animal Pak.
In fact, the whole reason I decided to write this article, was because I got back on The Pak again after a muscle building hiatus I took.
After traveling all over the place for three months, I finally got back into my regimen, and remembered how much I love Animal Pak.
So, whether you’re just trying to increase your strength, or want to compete in a world-class bodybuilding competition, Animal Pak is a great choice.
Benefits of Using Animal Pak
No Animal Pak review would be complete without covering the benefits of this multivitamin product, filled with muscle building ingredients.
The biggest benefit of Animal Pak, is that it will help improve your performance in the gym. It boosts testosterone, increases strength, and drastically improves your energy levels.
In fact, if you’re looking for some good ways to break your personal records, look no further than taking Animal Pak every day.
This product has a plethora of benefits, ranging from an increase in testosterone, to better focus, and even more strength.
Several of the vitamins and muscle building ingredients in Animal Pak have been linked to higher testosterone, such as:
- Vitamin D
- Zinc
- Uni-Liver
- Selenium
- Oriental Ginseng
- …and more
So, not only does Animal Pak give you all the essential nutrients you need, but many of it’s ingredients also boost testosterone.
It doesn’t stop there, though. Another benefit of taking Animal Pak by Universal Nutrition is the increase in focus and energy you’ll get.
Many of the ingredients in Animal Pak have even been linked to brain health, focus, and higher energy levels, such as:
- Carnitine
- Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
- Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
- Pyridoxine AKG (Vitamin B6)
- …and more
In fact, when I’m on Animal Pak, I notice an increase in my energy levels within just a few days of taking it. I cannot recommend it enough.
Product FAQ’s
Now, I know that this is probably a bit overwhelming. If you’re new to supplements, it can be a lot of information to take in.
So, I’ve compiled a nice, convenient little list of common questions relating to the Animal Pak product and universal nutrition for you.
If you think I left anything out, just let me know in the comments section below, or shoot me an email, and I’ll update this list for you.
With that in mind, here we go!
What is Animal Pak?
Animal Pak, created by Universal Nutrition, is a multivitamin that’s specifically formulated for bodybuilders and weightlifters.
It’s got tons of beneficial ingredients that are linked to boosting testosterone, improving strength, and increasing energy levels.
Anyone can take it, but it’s made specifically to help improve gym performance, so it’s best for avid weightlifters to take.
What Does Animal Pak Do?
What doesn’t it do? Animal Pak has a shit ton of benefits, ranging from increased testosterone, higher energy levels, and more.
The biggest benefit of Animal Pak, in my opinion, is simply the way that I feel when I’m on it. After just a few days, I notice a big difference.
My lifts go way up in the gym, I can recover faster, I sleep better, and hell, I even have more energy when I come home after the gym to do work!
Dosage & Timing
The best time to take Animal Pak, and any bodybuilding multivitamin for that matter, is with a large meal, especially after training.
Personally, because I follow intermittent fasting, I have my first meal after the gym, and I take my Animal Pak vitamins with it.
One “Pak” is 11 pills, so I usually start by taking them in the middle of the meal. This way, I’ve got a bit of food in my belly by the time the nutrients hit, and a nice layer of more food on top of them, for maximum digestion.
What Are The Pills in Animal Pak?
That’s a great question. Let’s go through each of the different pills, and describe the vitamins in each, and what they do for the body.
The orange pill is the B-Complex. This is for energy, which will improve training, help with muscle building, and improve overall health.
The dark brown pill, is the Uni-Liver tab. This helps with testosterone, muscle strength, and has a ton of micronutrients & vitamins.
The yellow tab is Vitamin E (for skin, nails, and hair), and the white, long pill is the C-Complex (for immune system and antioxidant health).
The dark beige tab is the B-Complex (for energy), the light brown tab is for testosterone-boosting ingredients, and the sand-colored tab is minerals.
The brown-reddish tab and sand-colored circular pill are for digestion, the white, circular tab is ginseng, and the beige-colored circular tab is vitamins A and D (for overall health and testosterone).
Overall, when taken together with a meal, these tablets provide you with a powerful set of nutrients, meant to help you build muscle, shred fat, boost testosterone, and improve your overall health as best as humanly possible.
The Bottom Line
All in all, Animal Pak by Universal Nutrition is the best bodybuilding multivitamin on the market…and I do not say those words lightly!
I’ve tried dozens of multivitamins alone, and hundreds of different supplements out there, and Animal Pak is by far the best multivitamin I’ve encountered.
The benefits of Animal Pak are too many to count. From an increase in testosterone, to more strength and higher energy levels, it’s every bodybuilder’s best friend.
…and at the measly little cost of $30 for a full 44 packs, you can’t beat the price, either. Seriously—some multivitamins out there with half the nutritional value are charging twice as much as this.
If you do decide to purchase Animal Pak, I recommend you get it from Amazon. It’s cheapest there, and will get to you within 2 days if you’re a prime member.
All in all, I hope you guys enjoyed the article. Be sure to let me know if you feel like I left anything out, and as always, I’ll see you next time!
❓ Is Animal Pak A Good Multi-Vitamin?
Overall, yes. Universal Nutrition's Animal Pak multivitamin is made with bodybuilders in mind, so it's specifically formulated to help increase strength, improve recovery, and give your body the nutrients it needs to hit the gym hard, and recover even faster.
❓ Does Animal Pak Have Any Side Effects?
There's always a possibility of having side effects from taking a supplement, but most health experts agree that Animal Pak does not have any side effects. It's a bodybuilding multivitamin meant to help your body recover faster and work better in the gym.
❓ What Are The Benefits of Taking Animal Pak?
Taking Animal Pak daily has a ton of benefits, from increased strength, to better energy levels, to faster recovery after the gym. The Zinc and Uni-Liver help with testosterone levels, the Ginseng helps with heart health, and the Vitamin D helps with overall bodily function.
Is it right to take my Animal Pak in the morning with my breakfast around 6o’clock and go to the gym in the evening 18h00?
Or what advice can you give me?
Very good description and testimony!
CongratulatioNs ….
HI there! I was wondering what you thought of the “New Improved Formula”? I’m also concerned because it now contains caffeine…….but I can’t find out anywhere how much
It doesn’t contain caffeine.
I need to increase my testosterone.
Is animal pak enough or should I add tribulis to the mix?
100% Love Animal Pak…I tend to buy the powdered form ’cause I’m at school all day…so pretty convenient! Not a fan of the flavored coloring…but…meh!
Haha, never tried the flavored stuff. I just take the pills.
Nice work. Should you cycle it at all? Like take it 5 days on then 2 days off so it stays effective?
Thanks, my dude. Personally I don’t think it’s necessary, only for Animal Stak, Animal Test, and the other more “hardcore” supplements they have.