Intek Thermogenic Evolution is much more than your typical caffeine loaded energy product that claims to be the next miracle in fat burning.  Thermogenic Evolution breaks new ground by introducing a new ingredient to the fat burning category known as Geranium Extract or 1,3-dimethylamylamine.  Geranium Extract has been shown to be extremely safe and importantly has been shown to trigger fat release while increasing calorie burning.

 

1,3-dimethylamylamine is a derivative of geranium oil which resembles the body’s own chemical messenger, epinephrine (adrenaline). Similar to adrenaline, 1,3-dimethylamylamine exhibits a powerful CNS stimulating ability, for increased energy, mental clarity, and physical performance.  This is especially valuable to athletes during calorie restriction or when a high level of focus is needed.  1,3-dimethylamylamine works through a similar pathway as ephedrine, causing an increase in cAMP (the chemical messenger that triggers fat release and provides potent appetite suppression and thermogenic action).

In most combat sports, MMA included, there is pressure from the top down to fight in lower weight classes. You have heavyweights weighing in at 270lbs, so the 230lb heavyweights will drop down to 205 to gain an advantage. But now the natural 205 pounders will be at a disadvantage, so they’ll cut to 185 and so on.

Being able to effectively cut weight without diminishing performance will give a fighter an advantage over an opponent who is less skilled at properly cutting weight.  If you are cutting weight the wrong way you will lose strength, endurance and speed, basically dooming yourself to failure.

 

Nutritionally speaking you need to maintain adequate protein in order to maintain muscle.  Muscle is made up of proteins and you need to feed your muscle with protein to maintain it.  Generally speaking you should be taking in about 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.  Protein shakes are a good way to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of protein as they give you large amounts of high quality protein without excess calories that can store as body fat.  You should be looking for protein shakes that combine both whey and casein like Intek Evolution protein, or Optimum Health Pro Complete 40.

 

Most individuals will have the best success eating small frequent meals which allow you to feed your muscle tissue, recover from training sessions and keep your metabolism moving.  While you are cutting you will want to reduce carbohydrate intake but make sure you are getting carbs pre and post workout which will allow you to maintain intense training sessions and allow you to recover from training.  Fat intake should primarily be coming from healthy fats like flax oil, fish oil and other essential fats.

 

The two most important aspects of cutting weight will be your total calories and the quality of the calories you are taking in.  In order to drop weight properly you need to create a slight calorie deficit.  This does not mean you should drastically drop calories as this will only get your body to shed muscle and hold onto fat.  Anything more than a SMALL calorie deficit will also cause your performance to take a nose dive.  The first things you will lose are water and glycogen (carbohydrate stores in the muscle and liver).  For many fighters this will be enough weight to allow them to make their weight class.

Keep in mind the quality of the calories you are taking in also makes a difference you need adequate protein to maintain muscle and performance and you need some carbs both pre and post workout.

 

Managing carbohydrate intake will make the cutting process easier.  When you reduce carbohydrate intake the body will look for an alternative fuel source.  As long as the supply of carbohydrates is adequate it is much more difficult to get your body to use fat as fuel source.  Reducing carbohydrates will also reduce calories so you can use the carbohydrate reductions to help create the slight calorie deficit you need to drop weight.

It is a common misconception that drinking less water will help you lose water weight.  The opposite is true; by drinking more water your body will actually excrete more water.  Drinking less water will dehydrate you and cause your body to become very sensitive to water intake.  Any water you do consume will be retained.  Drinking adequate amounts of water and using a potassium sparing herbal diuretic like Optimum Health Deplete is the best way to take off water weight and maintain athletic performance.  Deplete uses several herbs including dandelion and uva ursi to safely shed subcutaneous water (water just under the skins surface) from the body.

 

Supplementation can definitely give combat sport participants an edge in their everyday training as well as helping them cut weight properly leading up to a fight.  Protein shakes are invaluable as they give you an easy way to take in quality calories, especially protein, and keep your metabolism cranking. 

 

The other products which can give you an edge are pre-workout formulas like Muscle Sport Lean Revolution and BioRhythm Juice.  While cutting weight most athletes will lose strength and energy levels will decrease.  The pre-workout formulas mentioned above are excellent for increasing workout intensity and strength and helping to buffer lactic acid which allows you to train longer and more intensely.

 

Post workout nutrition is vitally important you need to take in fast absorbing carbs and protein which is easily digested and absorbed quickly.  We recommend BioRhythm After Glow as it meets these requirements and has added glutamine, BCAA’s and cortisol blockers.  Even while cutting you need to take in some carbs after training.  A good recovery drink while cutting can make all the difference in the world as it is going to allow you to train intensely and recover fully.

 

Any time you reduce calories your body will tend to slow its metabolism.  The body likes to maintain a set weight point and tends to fight changes.  A metabolism booster with 7oxo dhea like BioRhythm Synthrolean will help keep your metabolism from slowing when you start your weight cutting process.  This makes it much easier to drop weight and tends to speed the process up.  This product does not have stimulants in it.  Most fat burners on the market are nothing more than large amounts of stimulants and they do nothing more than provide energy.  People feel the energy from caffeine and other stimulants and assume the product is doing something.  Unfortunately most of these products do nothing to affect metabolism.

 

For more information on this topic or any questions on supplementation we encourage you to stop into any one of our stores.

The best way to use supplements to speed up the muscle building process is by continually rotating your supplement stacks.  For example you could start out using Diesel Fuel Creatine, BioRhythm Juice and Muscle Sport Beta Revolution for forty days and then cycle to Muscle Sport Lean Revolution, Muscle Sport Test Revolution, Mass 600 and Humano Growth.  The idea is to switch product combinations frequently enough to keep your body from adapting to what you are taking but not change too frequently which would result in less than optimal results.  The other consideration especially with any hormonal products is the possibility of setting off a negative feedback loop in the body causing it to diminish natural production of hormones.  This is primarily and issue when using products that elevate hormone levels.

 

If you break down the supplementation of the most successful athletes they typically use a process similar to what I have described above.  This helps them to continually make progress and not get stuck in a rut or plateau.  We usually recommend sticking with a product stack for between 30 and 60 days after which time you should make some changes to your supplementation.  Keep in mind that items like protein, multi vitamin and essential fats should viewed as food.  You need to take these all of the time and they don’t really need to be changed.

 

If you would like ideas on product combinations or stacks click on the tab on the right that says “Stacks/Product Solutions”. 

 

The other topic I would like to address is why product stacks or combinations are more effective than using individual products.  Sometimes it is nice when first trying a product to use it by itself for the purpose of assessing its effectiveness.  However if you are looking to get maximum results you should be putting products stacks together that are customized to your fitness goal(s).  The logic behind this is to hit multiple muscle building pathways at one time in order to maximize the possibility of strength and growth.  Getting stronger and gaining muscle is difficult and your supplementation needs to be well planned for it to provide benefit.

These product combinations are designed to get you big and lean.  They where put together courtesy of Steve Bardi of our Warwick location.

Big & Lean Stack
What to take:

1 Adrena Lean in the morning when you wake up, with 4 HMB and 2 CLA Evolution
Why it helps:

The Adrena Lean revs up the metabolism first thing in the morning and the CLA gets your body using fat as fuel.  HMB helps protect muscle by keeping your body from using it as a source of energy.

 

What to take:

Pre-workout take 3 Synthro-Lean with 2 Yohimbine, 3 TNT-2, and 1 scoop Juice mixed with 1 scoop Krush,

Why it helps:

Synthro Lean cranks up fat burning enzymes without an added stimulant effect. Yombine is an Alpha 2 antagonist which allows fat to be mobilized especially from the lower body.  TNT 2 naturally elevates test levels for added muscle growth.  The Juice and Krush Combo will fire up the most hardcore energy junky.

 

What to take:

During workout take 1 scoop BCAA Evolution and 4 Kre Alkalyn
Why it helps:

BCAA Evolution keeps the body from going into a catabolic (muscle wasting) state during your workout.  Kre Alkalyn will top off ATP stores keeping you going longer and stronger in the gym.

 

What to take:

Post workout take 2 scoops After Glow, with 1 scoop Intek Red Ice ISOLATE and 3 TNT-2
Why it helps:

Growth is all about recovery.  After Glow is the best recovery product on the market.  The added scoop of Intek Red Ice Isolate will give you extra protein if you are unable to get another meal in within a short period of time of taking the After Glow.  TNT 2 optimizes post workout hormone levels for growth and recovery.

 

What to take:

2 CLA Evolution with 3 HMB with lunch
Why it helps:

CLA keeps your body using fat as an energy source and HMB keeps you from breaking down muscle tissue for energy.

 

What to take:

2 CLA Evolution and 3 HMB with dinner
Why it helps:

See above

 

What to take:

1 rounded scoop Sleep Revolution, with 2 Natural Test and 4 Humano Growth before bed. 

Why it helps:

Sleep Revolution helps you sleep better and gets you into deeper sleep more quickly.  Humano Growth helps optimize hormone levels while you sleep.

Big & Lean Stack #2
What to take:

1 Adrena Lean cap in the morning and 1 scoop of ANS Diesel Fuel with breakfast.

Why it helps:

Adrena Lean will kick start the metabolism first thing in the morning.  Diesel Fuel volumizes the muscle cell and packs it full of glycogen.

 

What to take:

3 Kre Alkalyn with one scoop BCAA Evolution and 1-2 scoops of Arnge Krush 40 minutes before your workout

Why it helps:

Kre Alkalyn ramps up ATP production allowing you to do more work in the gym.  Intek BCAA Evolution increases blood flow to the muscles and keeps you anabolic while working out.  Arnge Krush jacks up intensity and fuels cellular energy.

 

What to take:

Take 2-3 scoops of Mass 600 in the morning and 2-3 scoops at night

Why it helps:

If you want to get big you need to eat big.  Mass 600 supplies your body with lots of high quality calories from protein, complex carbs and healthy fats.

 

What to take:

3 Muscle Sport Test Revolution before going to bed

Why it helps:

Your body produces most of its hormones at night.  Taking Test Rev at night will ensure you produce as much testosterone as is naturally possible.

 

What to take:

Take 1 cap of Intek CLA Evolution and 2-3 caps of Deplete with 3 separate meals.

Why it helps:

CLA keeps your body using fat as energy and helps keep excess calories from being stored as body fat.  Deplete helps minimize subcutaneous water retention; in essence shrink wrapping your skin to your body.

Hard Gainers Growth Recipe

If you want to break a plateau and make some sizeable gains this supplement regimen is for you.  This recipe for results includes effective supplements for the most important parts of the day.  It matters when you take your supplements so this regimen keeps your body anabolic when it matters most.

Breakfast of Champions:
Forget about Wheaties, if you want to be big and strong take the following before your breakfast.

2 Test Rev in the morning with a serving of BCAA and 1/2 scoop Diesel Fuel

Intensity Matters:
You need to have the energy and work capacity to stress the muscle properly during your workout.

Pre-workout take 2-3 scoops of Juice with 5 caps of Beta Revolution

Recovery = Results:
Give you body the raw material to grow or you are wasting your time in the gym.

Post Workout Mix Vanilla Intek Evolution with 1/2 scoop of Diesel Fuel

Vitamin “T” for maximum Muscle:
Higher hormone levels fuels greater gains in strength and muscle.  This combo will naturally optimize hormone levels.  It is effective yet safe.

Before Bed take 2 Test Rev with 4-6 caps of Labrada Humano Growth

This combination is potent and will help anyone make some quick gains.  In fact if you can’t make gains on this you might as well quit working out!!  We are so confident in this regimen that we’ll take 10% off the price if you mention this blog when purchasing the entire combination of products mentioned above.

Lipodrene by Hi Tech Pharmaceuticals Reviewed:  Lipodrene would be considered a fat burner/energy enhancer.  Lipodrene lists Ephedra Extract as one of its first ingredients but this isn’t the ephedra that users of the original ephedra products expect.  The current extract is a leaf extract which contains no ephedrine alkaloids.  Unfortunately the alkaloids where responsible for most of the energy, appetite control and thermogenic effect that users enjoyed.  To their credit they did introduce the use of Acacia Rigidula Extract which is the source for many of the compounds in Lipodrene as well as several other fat burners on the market.  Many of the components in Lipodrene including Phenyl ethylamine, and Methyl Synephrine are extracts of Acacia.  These ingredients are primarily helpful with mood and as sense of well being.  They will also provide minimal appetite control.  The main ingredient that users will feel in Lipodrene is the 100mg of caffeine per tablet.

Blender bottle is the brand name for a shaker cup with a unique mixing ball design.  It comes in a 20oz size and a larger size which holds 28oz.  The Blender Bottle uses a more rigid plastic than some other shaker cup designs.  We have found that this makes the cup more durable and allows it to be dish washed without the cup warping.  With many shaker cups you cannot dish wash them because the plastic will warp.  When this happen the cup does not seal properly and it will leak when shaken.

 

The Blender Bottle also includes a small metal whisk/mixing ball in the bottom of the cup.  The mixing ball helps the cup more thoroughly mix up protein and other thick powders.

 

Overall we find this cup to be very useful and durable.  If you are mixing protein, or other powders this cup is definitely helpful.

Muscle Building Supplements

 

We have put together some of the more effective combinations of muscle building supplements in the paragraphs below.  You can take these products individually but if you are looking for maximum results we recommend stacking them together for best results.

What to Take:  BioRhythm Juice mixed with ANS Diesel Fuel, and ECS Natural Test

How to Take It: Take 1-3 scoops of Juice about 40 minutes before your workout.  1 scoop of Diesel Fuel can be mixed in with the Juice pre-workout or it can be taken with your post workout.  Take 2 Natural Test in the morning and 2 before going to bed.

Why it Works: Juice increases workout intensity and fuels cellular energy levels helping you to work out harder and longer.  Diesel Fuel will volumize the muscle cell, increase ATP production and boost glycogen stores and protein synthesis.  Natural Test will boost testosterone levels naturally and increase the rate of protein synthesis.

 

What to Take:  ANS Diesel Fuel, BioRhythm Big Blue, Muscle Sport Test Revolution

How to Take It: Take 1 scoop of Diesel Fuel with 4-6 Big Blue about 40 minutes before training.  Take 3 Test Revolution about 1 hour before your workout, or for increased results take 3 before your workout and 3 before bed.

Why it Works: Diesel Fuel will volumize the muscle cell, increase ATP production and boost glycogen stores and protein synthesis.  Big Blue increases nitric oxide production increasing blood and oxygen flow to the muscles while reducing lactic acid and allowing the muscle to be under tension for a greater period of time.  Test Revolution naturally boosts testosterone levels which turn on the cellular machinery that builds muscle.

 

What to Take: Beta Revolution, BioRhythm Juice, Creatine CXS

How to Take It: Take 3-6 Beta Revolution 40 minutes before training with 1-3 scoops of BioRhythm Juice.  Take 2-3 caps of Creatine CXS immediately before training and 2 caps immediately after training.

Why it Works: Beta Revolution allows you to recruit more muscle fibers, while BioRhythm Juice increases workout intensity and cellular energy substrates.  Creatine CXS increases muscle pumps and boosts ATP production.

Which Protein Should You be Using?

Muscle growth is dependent on the balance between protein synthesis and protein breakdown. The goal is to increase protein synthesis and decrease protein breakdown. Casein protein is considered to be a muscle-sparing protein. Since casein protein slowly enters the blood stream, it has a moderate impact on protein synthesis, but it has a powerful effect on reducing protein breakdown.

 

Current research has shown that in terms of overall muscle tissue increases and decreases of body fat, casein reigns superior. It’s been shown to accomplish this by increasing anabolism to a moderate extent, but more importantly, decreasing catabolism to a large degree. It seems that the reason behind this is simply because of its slow digestion and consequently, absorption rates. It provides a steady, slower paced release of amino acids into the blood stream.

 

We all know that we need to take whey protein after workouts–but that doesn’t mean that whey can’t be better. Slow-digesting casein protein was once believed to have no place around workout time, but newer research suggests otherwise. In fact, a study from Baylor University (Waco, Texas) reported that men who consumed a whey/casein blend of protein after workouts for 10 weeks gained significantly more muscle than the subjects who consumed a whey protein shake without casein.  These subjects also lost more fat than the ones using only whey.

 

Current research is showing that the optimal protein for fat loss and muscle building is a mixture of whey and casein protein.  Try Intek Evolution Protein or Optimum Health Pro Complete 40 for the ideal blend of whey and casein proteins.

We get a lot of questions on ephedrine, and ephedrine hcl so here is a little more information regarding ephedrine products.  The ephedrine hcl products are still available but there are several restrictions on their sale.  Ephedrine hcl is basically a synthetic form of ephedrine.  It typically comes in a hard tablet or soft gel cap.  It is usually indicated for breathing issues like asthma but is often used for energy and weight loss.  Current restrictions limit the amount that can be purchased each month and some states also have their own regulations or a ban on the sale the ephedrine.