You all know how much I love a flapjack, so when I was sent some PhD Chocolate Peanut Advance Mass Flapjacks I thought I’d died and gone to flapjack heaven. Flapjacks?…chocolate peanut?..and I don’t have to make them myself?…Winning on all levels!

Now, any bar labelled ‘Advanced Mass’ is gonna be a beast, right? So, I guess the big question is…

…can I handle it?

First and foremost, let’s not forget that I am by no means an athlete, yes I run, yes I do the occasional HIIT sesh and yes I walk shedloads every day, but Mrs Muscle I am not. These flapjacks are aimed at those serious gainers; we’re talking competitive athletes, triathletes, cross fitters, body builders and the like. And with 460 calories packed in each flapjack, of course they’re aimed at the fitness elite, jeez that’s a full on meal, and if those excess calories aren’t being burnt up, then your butt is gonna know about it!

There’s a whopping 28g of whey protein packed away in each 120g bar and they also contain high levels of zinc (great for helping to maintain healthy testosterone levels), magnesium (supports protein synthesis), and a whole heap of good carbohydrates in the form of rolled and malted oats. There’s no question that this bar is serious business, you only have to pick it up to feel it’s bulk and if you were to accidentally drop it on your toes, you are proper gonna know about it.

So, OK we’ve established it’s not really the snack for me in terms of it’s purpose, well not right now…you never know I might have huge ambitions to be the next Geoff Capes (man, I need to stop showing my age like that!), but I can deffo put it through the taste test.

What Does It Taste Like?

The base is covered in chocolate, then you’ve got a nice chunky oaty flapjack bar in the middle and it’s topped with what looks like caramel peanut butter and then sprinkled with chocolate chips. It looks decent, you know like a really yummo choccy bar that you’d deffo choose from a snack bar line up, but man is it chewy! Like, really chewy, to the extent that it almost feels as though I’m dropping calories just trying to get through it. The initial taste is slightly salty, I’m guessing from the peanuts, but then it develops into a strange almost burnt like taste, which I’ve got to admit I’m not overly keen on. For me personally, I would have liked to have been able to taste more of the chocolate, but hey I’m a self-confessed chocoholic so there’s no surprises there. As for the chocolate chips…sure they look pretty and everything, but I’m not entirely sure what they bring in the taste department.

Here’s where I stand…quite frankly these ain’t for me, but if you need that protein and you are fed up with slurping on those protein shakes and could just really handle something substantial, bulky and with a bit of texture then you’re gonna go flippin’ crazy for them. And no, of course these flapjacks aren’t going to turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger, and PhD aren’t claiming they will, but they will certainly help support, refuel and strengthen your body. There’s no doubt that this is the beast of all protein bars; it looks strong, it tastes strong and it’s gonna look good when you pull it out of your bag at the gym!

For me…well…I just couldn’t tame the beast!