Pre-Workout Powder Alternatives

Let's face it, pre-workout powders provide great pumps, energy boost, and help aid in our recovery, but almost all of them are high in stimulants (that's where we get our energy boost). So you love your pre-workout powder but know you need to take a break from the stimulants...what to do? You need to find a product that increases nitric oxide levels in the bloodstream so that your blood vessels will vasodialate (widen). If your blood vessels widen, more blood, oxygen, nutrients, etc get into the muscle. This is what gives you a good 'pump'.

Is there a product out there that works like a pre-workout, but doesn't have the stimulants that cause mind blowing energy boost? Yes! In our previous blog, we talked about how your adrenal glands become desensitized to stimulants over time. We introduced a new product called Adrenal Reset by CTD Labs that helps reset your adrenal gland back to normal. Now we're introducing you to a product that has all of the benefits of a pre-workout but without the stimulants. It's called Plasmatic EP by EST. Plasmatic does have a small amount of caffeine but it's free of all the other major stimulants such as 1,3-Dimethylamylamine.

From EST:
PLASMATIC EP™ excludes "Old School" L-Arginine and features the "patented ingredient" GlycoCarn®, which is Clinically Proven to Increase Plasma Nitrate Levels in the body. With PLASMATIC EP, you can expect an overall improvement in Strength, Power, and Endurance, while reducing Recovery Time. From PLASMATIC EP's multiple U.S. Patented Ingredients and precise formula, you will experience Mind-Blowing Pumps like never before! All of this in an effective dose of approximately 9 grams, not a 5 gram sample filled with only stimulants. Unlike it's "ultra–concentrated" counterparts available in the marketplace today, PLASMATIC EP does not contain high-amounts of caffeine or other stimulant ingredients that have no long-lasting effects on your overall physique development. 

So, the next time you need a break from the stimulants in your pre-workout powder, you may want to substitute with Plasmatic EP. Hopefully now you won't have to sacrifice performance or the progress that you've made while you take a break.

 
Directions:
As a dietary supplement, adults take 1-2 scoops of Plasmatic EP with 12-16 oz. of water or your favorite beverage 30-60 minutes prior to workout or sexual encounter. Please note: Plasmatic EP is designed to be used only on workout days. It is not necessary to take Plasmatic EP on an empty stomach. This product contains caffeine and shouldn't be taken by individuals wishing to eliminate this ingredient from their diet. If you are having difficulty sleeping, do not take after 4:00 pm. For best results, always remember to drink at least 64oz. (8 glasses) of water daily while stacking Plasmatic EP with other EST performance products such as, Ennercell, Test Drive, and others.

Click here for more info or to purchase EST's Plasmatic EP

Reset AD Replacement - Adrenal Reset by CTD Labs

Many of us take stimulants whether it's in the form of a pre-workout powder, energy drink or simply coffee. You've probably noticed that over time you need more than one scoop of pre-workout powder or more than once cup of coffee to feel that extra kick you're after. That's because our adrenal glands become desensitized to stimulants over time. Thus, the need to 'reset' them.

Reset A.D. by Palo Alto Labs was the only product of its kind at one time. This product had a small, but growing customer base as more and more people discovered its benefits. Unfortunately, Palo Alto Labs no longer exist, leaving a void in the marketplace. Now, CTD Labs has stepped up to the plate to introduce an almost exact replica called Adrenal Reset.

What is CTD Adrenal Reset:

Adrenal Replenishing Agent. Adrenal fatigue can affect anyone who experiences frequent mental, emotional or physical stress. Taking stimulants for long periods of time may also desensitize your adrenal system. This severely reduces the effectiveness of stimulants on your body. Adrenal Reset is designed to desensitize your adrenal system to stimulants. The ingredients in Adrenal Reset may also support adrenal function and alleviate fatigue caused by overstimulation of our adrenal system. Adrenal Reset works best when used with Multi-Elite by CTD Labs.

Click here to purchase or to read more info

Cheap C4 by Cellucor

We're happy to announce C4 is now available at 704Nutrition.com. Get it now for only $37.98 for the large 60 serving tub while supplies last . We've never been asked more about a product than this one. One of, if not most, powerful pre-workout supplements to ever hit the market. Search around online for reviews and see for yourself. There are even some reviews on YouTube. Click here for more details.

Anadraulic State GT Cheapest Price Gauranteed While Supplies Last

LG Sciences has recently released their new and reformulated pre-workout called Anadraulic State GT. We have this featured on our sale page while supplies last. As always, we guarantee the lowest price on all products listed on our sale page. Click here to read more and to purchase yours today.

All American EFX K-OTIC added to Sale Page

We've added EFX's K-Otic pre-workout to the sale page. This is a new pre-workout that's getting killer reviews. Most who have tried it say it works quick, the energy you get is clean and sustained (no crash like other pre-workout stimulants), plus it has Kre-Allkalyn creatine (very pure creatine).

http://www.704nutrition.com/K-Otic-p/555555.htm

Cheapest price guaranteed on K-Otic while supplies last.

Forskolin, The Flat Belly Supplement

Product Highlight: PrimaForce Forskolin 50

According to Dr. Oz and the specialist on his show, "Forskolin helps to mobilize fat right outside of the cell". "It goes into the fat cells and actually helps blow away individual fat particles out of the (fat) cell." He calls it the 'Flat Belly Supplement'.

PRIMAFORCE FORSKOLIN 50                

Forskolin is the powerful active found in the herb Coleus forskohlii. Forskolin is believed to improve body composition both through increasing lean mass and decreasing fat mass. Forskolin activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase, which in turn increases cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels. The increase in cAMP activates hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) which breaks down stored triglycerides (bodyfat) and releases fatty acids so they can be oxidized and body fat can be decreased. 

Forskolin > Activates Adenylate Cyclase > Increases cAMP > Activates HSL > Increases Fatty Acid Release

In order to lose body fat, fatty acids must be released from triglycerides stored as fat tissue. Forskolin increases the release of fatty acids from fat tissue allowing them to be burned for energy, leading to a decrease in body fat. 

Forskolin’s ability to increase cAMP is also believed to have thyroid stimulating properties. Thyroid hormones govern ones overall metabolism. Increasing thyroid output will accelerate ones metabolic rate and lead to fat loss. In addition, it is believed Forskolin may increase testosterone levels in men, but more research on this is needed. 

Forskolin doesn’t appear to have strong nervous system stimulating properties, making it a great ingredient to stack with other fat burners such as Primaforce Caffeine, Lean Green, and Yohimbine HCL. Unlike stimulants which cause vasoconstriction, Forskolin is a vasodilator. Blood flow is an important and often overlooked aspect of fat loss as blood flow to fat tissue, especially stubborn fat areas, is vital to the transportation of fatty acids to areas where they can be burned. 

Link to purchase: http://www.704nutrition.com/Forskolin-50-p/3750060.htm 

Meet Josh

Josh is your average 30 year old who let his weight get out of control after college. Realizing he didn’t want to spend the rest of life over weight and out of shape, he decided to take control and do something about it. Here’s his story:

704Nutrition.com: Tell us about your weight loss.

Josh: I started about 4 years ago when I started at the Y.  I was 253 lbs.  After about 4 months, I dropped down to 213 lbs, but I had no structure and no discipline, so I went back up to 245 lbs after a few more months.  Finally about a year ago, I made the decision to drop it all back off, and I went from 245 down to 185 in about 6 months by working out daily and following some sort of structured diet. Now I float between 195-205 from gaining muscle mass, but my measurements are all going in the right direction.

704Nutrition.com: So, it sounds like your success came this last year. What changes did you make?

Josh: Everything started when I got P90X.  I followed that program, and tried to maintain the diet structure that they had set up.  When I originally lost the weight, I ate the same, but smaller portions.  This time, I ate healthy, but not so healthy that I burnt out on it and didn’t enjoy what I was doing.  Doing P90X and eating right, I lost a bunch of weight.  Once I got down to 185, I started getting into weight training, and that’s when I gained some muscle mass and also gained a few lbs, but it was muscle.

704Nutrition.com: So, how have you kept it off?

Josh: The first part of my weight loss was maintaining a decent diet along with lots of cardio and conditioning training.  After my weight loss, I wanted to get into bulking a little bit and that’s when my measurements started to go up.  I followed a more protein heavy diet as well as supplementing before and after workouts, which proved very helpful, and also at night a casein protein drink before bedtime so that I could feed my muscles overnight.

704Nutrition.com: Give us some results.

Josh:

Before:

Waist – 40”

Biceps – 14”

Chest – 39”

After:

Waist – 36”

Biceps – 16.5”

Chest – 41”

704Nutrition.com: What are your plans, goals, etc. for a healthy 2011?

Josh: Plan and goal is to work on cutting the rest of this fat off and get to a lean muscle weight. Then after summer I plan to start bulking again. Never had a six-pack in my life and that is my ultimate goal. I also have plans of running some 5k and 10k races as well as a USMC mud run. 

 

What can you learn from Josh? 

There’s a lot you can learn from Josh’s success story, but here’s a few points worth highlighting.

• Diet combined with exercise is imperative. Rarely will you be able to succeed in your weight loss by doing one without  the other.
• Building muscle helps burn more calories, thus helping to keep the fat off.
• Successful weight loss is an evolutionary process. Start with one lifestyle/diet change that you can stick with. Then progress to another, then another. 

Josh Before:  

Josh After:

Josh's favorite products (click each name for more info):

NO Shotgun, Chef Jay's Tri-O-Plex Protein bars, Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, and Optimum Nutrition Casein.

Holiday Diets

The holiday season is in full effect and chances are you will soon be celebrating holiday traditions with your family and close friends. These traditions usually include times of socializing that will undoubtedly include lots of foods that we wouldn’t normally eat and even drinks. So what’s a health conscious fitness minded soul to do?

Whether you’re an endurance athlete, amateur bodybuilder, or regular ol’ health nut you’re always aware of what you’re putting in your body. All year long, week in and week out, you’re counting calories, carbs, or grams of protein to ensure you’re on track to meet your next fitness goal. Don’t let your holiday dinner stress you out. It only comes one time of year, so I say live a little. We all miss something, whether it’s Mom’s sweet potato casserole or Granny’s famous spiced eggnog, so enjoy it. It’s okay to cheat a little, just don’t go overboard. Here’s 10 holiday diet tips to help:

1.  Eat everything you want, just eat it in moderation by keeping your servings small, even tiny for the worst offenders. Think of it as sampling, like you are sampling all the foods you love, but never eat throughout the year.
2. If you don’t love it, don’t eat it. Let’s face it, there will be plenty of foods you love to eat sitting around the dinner table and kitchen. Don’t waste calories on foods you don’t absolutely love.
3. If you eat 5 small meals a day, continue to eat 5 small meals. Don’t skip meals to save room or even worse eat 2 small meals and 2 or 3 gut busting meals. This can get tough when you are expected to eat dinner at your house, then your parent’s house, and then his/her parent’s house, so plan ahead.
4. To shave calories, go easy when adding gravy, nuts, or cheese.
5. Exercise. Either continue with your current routine or do something out of ordinary. Take a hike, pass football with your nephew, take your mom’s overweight poodle for a jog…you get the idea.
6. Skip appetizers and finger foods. You are probably already eating several small meals a day, so don’t add unneeded calories  in between meals on your holiday.
7. Alcohol. Enjoy yourself but keep it in moderation.
8. If you know you’re going to have dessert, save room during the meal. Don’t eat until you’re full then try to force down a slice of Aunt Betty’s homemade pumpkin pie.
9. As previously mentioned, you may have 2, 3 or even 4 holiday meals you are expected to attend. Pick one in which you allow yourself to cheat. For the others, stick as close to your regular diet as you can.
10. Enjoy yourself but get back to your regular diet and exercise as soon as possible.

**If you fail miserably, don’t worry. You can jump start your post-holiday weight loss with a fat burner such as VPX’s Redline or TSN's new Rapid Weight Loss Formula.

 
Click either pic for more info.

Are you bored with your workouts or have you hit a plateau?

There are many reasons to change up your workout routine. If you’re not already, you should be making minor changes each week to keep your muscles in a state of shock. These changes could be anything from different exercises, using new machines, adding more weight, etc. For the purpose of this article, let’s focus on major changes and using new strategies to build leaner, stronger muscles. I recently completed a 6 week trial in which I went from using a 4 x 6 (4 sets x 6 rep) routine to a 20, 18, 16, 14 rep routine. So it would look like this:

Exercise 1:

• Set 1 = 20 reps
• Set 2 = 18 reps
• Set 3 = 16 reps
• Set 4 = 14 reps

Excersice 2:

• Repeat above

The results were incredible. Not only did I gain strength, but all those nagging joint pains (caused by heavy lifting) disappeared. Here’s a sample workout to use as a guide if you want to give it a shot:

Monday (Chest and Biceps):

• Incline press
• Flat dumbbell press
• Cable crossovers
• Straight bar curls
• Cable curls

Tuesday (Legs):

• Leg press
• Leg extensions
• Seated calf raises
• Cable calf machine
• 1 leg machine curls (hamstrings)
• Seated cable machine curls

Wednesday (Active Rest)

Thursday (Shoulders, Triceps):

• Seated shoulder press
• Lateral dumbbell raises
• Front cable raises
• Dumbbell kickbacks
• Skull crushers
• Cable pushdowns

Friday (Back and Traps):

• Straight leg dead lifts
• T-Bar rows
• Pull downs
• Seated cable rows
• Barbell shrugs
• Dumbbell shrugs

***Remember, each exercise is 4 sets (Reps of 20, 18, 16, 14). Also, because you’ve increased the frequency of reps you will undoubtedly feel more lactate buildup during your workouts. As such,you may want to consider a pre-workout such as VPX’s NO Shotgun or BSN’s N.O. Xplode to help you through your workout. You’ll also want to consider supplementing your diet with Glutamine to help reduce recovery time.

Gourmet Protein Shakes (or meal replacement shakes)

I find it hard to believe that some people are still holding their noses as the wolf down their protein shakes. Protein powders have come along way over the last several years and most are very tasty. I have been making gourmet protein shakes for years. I make one every day and look forward to that time of the day when I get to drink mine. (Usually right after I workout). I even use it as motivation to go to the gym. If I go, I get the protein shake. If I don't go, no shake.

In this article, I'm going to reveal one of my secret recipes.

Ingredients
1 Packet of Chocolate Ultramet made by Champion Nutrition
6 oz. of Water
4 oz. of Soy Milk
1 raw egg white
2 Organic Oranges (more juice, better tasting)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of crushed ice or 3 to 4 ice cubes

Directions
In a blender combine water, milk, egg, ice, and oranges. Blend until oranges become juice. (Usually about 5 to 7 seconds). Next add 1 packet of Ultramet and blend for another 3 to 5 seconds. Pour into a shaker cup, set in fridge for 20 minutes. You can either drink it now or pack into a cooler with ice and take it to the gym. Then you'll have a fresh, ice cold post workout shake waiting for you when you finish.

Approximately 50 grams protein, 50 grams of carbs, 480 calories.

*Notes: I use soy milk and the egg white to give me two additional types of protein. The oranges provide natural sugars to help spike insulin and move nutrients into the muscle. Options: Substitute vanilla Ultramet for Chocolate, substitute regular milk for soy, leave out egg.