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.

Time to get back to the basics.  In order to build strength and muscle one must first understand what weightlifting is actually doing to the body to produce growth.  With this knowledge making the right choice in supplementation is easy.  When we lift weights and push ourselves pass our limits we are actually inducing microscopic tears in the muscle fiber.  That’s why after a good work out we are sore.  The human body evolved in such a way that we adapt to caused trauma (microscopic muscle tears, broken bones, etc.) by recovering the affected area stronger than its original state.  This is called progressive overload when having to do with weightlifting and muscle growth.  The idea is that the harder we train, the more trauma we cause to the muscle fiber, the bigger and stronger the muscle will grow.  This is where supplementation can come in handy.  Certain supplements allow us to train harder and longer and ultimately cause more trauma to the muscle fiber which translates to greater muscle growth.  Creatines are great for this.  ANS Diesel Fuel is a customer favorite.  MSI CXS Revolution is also excellent for those trying to keep water retention to a minimum.  Pre-workout powders are also another good choice for increasing workout overload.  BioRhythm’s SSIN Juice is one of the craziest pre-workout powders I’ve ever tried.  Another aspect of muscle growth is recovery from those intense training sessions.  If the muscle is not completely recovered by the time you work it out again it will not grow and performance will be diminished.  The faster you recover the sooner you can get back in the gym to stimulate more muscle growth.  Supplements that promote a faster, fuller recovery include but are not limited to protein, glutamine and BCAAs.  Intek makes an excellent protein and BCAA powder.  BioRhythm makes a product called AfterGlow to be consumed right after a workout; this is the best stuff Performance Nutrition sells for recovery.  Stress the muscle, recover the muscle and rule the gym!

Geranium oil extract, or 1, 3-dimethylamylamine, is the hot new ingredient in many pre-workout powders and fat burners.  Geranium extract mimics the body’s own chemical messanger, epinephrine (adrenaline).  If you couldn’t guess it has a strong central nervous system stmulating effect, i.e. incrased energy, mental clarity and physical performance.  This stuff is ultra potent and is even great for fat loss.  Geranium works through a similar pathway as ephedrine causing an increase in cAMP, the chemical messanger that triggers fat release, appetite suppression and thermogenisis.  I personally think geranium extract will eventually replace ephedrine.  I feel its a better alternative with less of a crashing effect and no jitters.  If you haven’t tried any products containing this wonder herb you are in for a treat.  Supplements containing geranium extract include Intek’s Thermogenic Revolution (strongest fat burner post ephedrine ban), USP Lab’s Jack3d, BioRhythm’s SSIN Juice, MSI’s Lean PreWorkout Revolution.

What is Creatine CXS?
MuscleSport Creatine CXS is a blend of several types of creatine, including creatine gluconate, which is comprised of creatine bonded to glucose. This combination improves creatines intestinal absorption because it’s absorbed in a manner similar to regular glucose, a fast-digesting carb. The glucose also allows the creatine to dissolve well when mixed in water and helps it enter muscle cells by increasing insulin release.

Creatine MagnaPower provides more active creatine to the bloodstream for subsequent incorporation into the cells of the muscle. Chelate provides magnesium, which is involved in more energy producing systems than creatine, plus creatine requires magnesium for its energy producing cycle. High doses of creatine are not required, since the chelate is not susceptible to acidic cyclization. Gastric disturbances are eliminated since only doses approximately 20% of what would be needed with creatine monohydrate are required.

Kre-Alkalyn is a buffered form of creatine that has been PH balanced.  It offers improved absorption, requires lower dosing and leads to less water retention in users.

Creatinol-O-Phosphate is actually not creatine although it is similar in molecular structure.  It acts more as an intracellular buffer somewhat similar to carnosine.  This is important for hard training athletes as it increases anaerobic glycolysis in the presence of lactic acid.  Basically it will allow an athlete to train longer and harder by delaying fatigue and allowing for more muscle fiber recruitment.

Creatine CXS Product Benefits

1)  Creatine helps muscle cells grow by increasing the amount of insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) a hormone crucial for muscle growth. New research has found that when subjects boost their muscle creatine levels via supplementation, they also increase genetic expression of IGF-1. So it appears that creatine may enhance muscle growth by influencing critical genes in cells that regulate this growth.

2)  Another way creatine affects muscle gains is through cell volumization. When creatine enters muscle cells, it pulls water into the cell with it. When a muscle is fully loaded with creatine, such as when you supplement with it, its cells fill with water like a balloon. This increases their size immediately and leads to long-term expansion in muscle size due to the stretch placed on the cells. The stretch also turns on growth processes that boost the amount of muscle protein produced.

3)  ATP is the energy currency of every cell. This energy is used to fuel countless processes in the human body, including muscle contractions. When CP donates its phosphate to form ATP, it’s done rapidly to supply immediate energy during periods of intense exercise, like weightlifting. In other words, creatine increases strength because more creatine equals more CP in the muscle and, in turn, more ATP available for muscle contractions. Therefore, you have more energy at the end of a set, allowing you to perform more reps or lift a heavier weight.

MuscleSport’s Lean Revolution shakes up the pre-workout category by introducing the novel ingredient GPLC.  Short-term supplementation of GPLC was shown in research studies to produce significant enhancement of anaerobic power during repeated cycle sprints in resistance trained men. The increase in peak power output was accompanied by a significantly lower accumulation of lactate.

GPLC amplifies the mobilization of fatty acids (stored energy) into working tissue for cellular metabolism, which creates energy in the ATP or Krebs’s Cycle via the beta oxidation process. When supplemented into the diet for a period of over eight weeks, GPLC has been shown to increase this fat burning process in subjects when combined with aerobic activity.

For intense energy and focus Lean Revolution turned to1,3-dimethylamylamine or 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. 

Lean Revolution boasts a significant dose of Carnosyn Beta Alanine which is synthesized from Beta Alanine and Histidine and is known to buffer hydrogen ions resulting in a positive impact on exercise performance. Research has shown that supplementing with 3.2 grams per day of Beta Alanine can increase muscle carnosine stores by as much as 66%. This elevation in carnosine has been shown to improve athletic performance. Studies have shown oral supplementation of Beta Alanine for 2-4 weeks has improved a range of athletic tests from sprint cycling to leg extensions by 8-12%.

Lean Revolution also introduces Agmatine Sulfate another new ingredient to the sports supplement market.  As a metabolic byproduct of Arginine, Agmatine goes beyond Arginine and works  by stimulating the release of pituitary hormones such as Leutinizing Hormone (LH) and Growth Hormone (GH). Agmatine also demonstrates insulin like properties.

For raw strength and power Lean Revolution turned to Creatine MagnaPower® also known as magnesium creatine chelate, a fully-reacted magnesium and creatine chelate. Magnesium is needed to drive the conversion of creatine into ATP. Creatine MagnaPower® will deliver 12% more free creatine to the body than a 5 gram serving of creatine monohydrate. It is a stable molecule and will not convert to creatinine in stomach acid.

Creatine plays a vital role in energy production by recycling ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is the source of energy for all muscle cells and is required for all cellular functions including muscle contraction, DNA synthesis and protein synthesis. The ATP recycling function of creatine does not occur without magnesium because magnesium is the mineral cofactor required for the enzyme which converts creatine into ATP. In fact, magnesium actually stabilizes ATP (energy) in the body. By combining magnesium and creatine into the same molecule, both of these nutrients are provided to the cell to work in the energy producing pathways.

Magnesium creatine chelate has been shown through research to be more effective then creatine monohydrate in enhancing lean muscle mass, increasing strength and power, and supporting energy levels.

Creatine MagnaPower provides more active creatine to the bloodstream for subsequent incorporation into the cells of the muscle. Chelate provides magnesium, which is involved in more energy producing systems than creatine, plus creatine requires magnesium for its energy producing cycle. High doses of creatine are not required, since the chelate is not susceptible to acidic cyclization. Gastric disturbances are eliminated since only doses approximately 20% of what would be needed with creatine monohydrate are required.

While stimulants can definitely help fuel workout intensity it is just as important to facilitiate the mind muscle connection.  That’s whey MuscleSport added Pikatropin-a nootropic compound that increases blood flow to the brain and lessens mental fatigue. Pikatropin also improves hand -eye coordination and reaction time.

CDP Choline was also added for brain and mood support.  CDP Choline results in a noticeable level of alertness and motivation.  In addition, colors seem brighter and sharper and libido is enhanced.

ANS Diesel Fuel creatine builds muscle through several different pathways but for the purpose of this article we will touch on its effect on producing a natural insulin response. 

This product has developed its own cult following by producing consistent positive results.  It has also generated a lot of questions on why it works so much better than competing products.  Read on to learn more about how Diesel Fuel creatine works.

ANS Diesel Fuel forces an insulin response in order to drive creatine and amino acids into the muscle for enhanced muscle growth.  This concept involves using the body’s natural insulin response to drive increased levels of amino acids, creatine, and glucose into muscle during extremely intense training sessions. The net effect equals more rapid gains in strength and muscle.

Insulin is the chemical trigger that drives nutrients into muscle cells. The larger the insulin response the greater the anabolic response. It’s that simple.

Insulin up regulates and activates all the transport mechanisms responsible for pumping amino acids, creatine, and glucose (all of which are critical for building maximum muscle and strength) directly into the muscle tissue.

So in effect, going into a workout with insulin spiked, and the bloodstream loaded with an abundance of these nutrients, will produce the necessary anabolic environment for gains in mass and strength.

ANS has taken this strategy to an entirely new level with the advent of Diesel Fuel, by utilizing the body’s own insulin production to drive increased levels of anabolic nutrients into working muscle — effectively turning the body into an anabolic machine.

Diesel Fuel sets off a near skin-splitting pump. It should be noted that even though the pump feels very pronounced and is definitely addictive, it’s not the feel that’s anabolic. It’s what’s being pumped into the engorged muscle tissue that’s making the difference.

Diesel Fuel can be taken pre or post workout but if you are looking for the pre-workout insulin response make sure to dose it before your workout.  If you really want to maximize results from this product mix it into a pre-workout product like SSL Rush or BioRhythm’s Juice.

The key ingredients in Intek’s Fat Burner Evolution have been shown to increase energy and stimulate the metabolism.  By increasing nor epinephrine this product creates a thermogenic effect which allows the body to become energy inefficient.  This causes the body to burn excess calories and waste them as heat, allowing an individual to use more calories throughout the day even while at rest.  Fat Burner Evolution not only increases metabolic output but also forces your body to tap into fat as a fuel source by allowing the body to release stored energy (body fat) into the blood stream so it can be used as fuel.  A patented appetite suppressant keeps cravings in check so you don’t have to fight hunger while moderating calories.

Try this product with Intek CLA Evolution as it enhances the fat mobilization effect.