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Posted on December 29, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

What are the best Supplements for Body Re-Composition?

Written by: Michelle G. Thibault
Edited by: Ryan McTeigue

Body re-composition is the ability to burn fat and develop muscle simultaneously. You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose excess fat whilst also maintaining the right conditions for lean muscle development. This is a recent technique that is gaining popularity among fitness enthusiasts and gym goers and requires consistency and great attention for achieving results.

Nutrition and training are the most essential factors of a body re-composition protocol, with those foundations taken care of, supplements undoubtedly have a large role to play in your Body recomposition journey. By integrating certain supplements into your re-composition program, you also increase the chances of stripping stubborn body fat, and generating lean muscle growth.

Strategized supplementation can be a powerful tool to your fat loss journey in a variety of ways. Using the right supplements will give your body a push in the right direction during those final stages of fat loss for your body to shred as much as possible without losing muscle mass. This is the ultimate goal when it comes to re-composition.

Achieve a total body makeover with these tried and tested – body re-composition supplements to get lean and shredded at the same time.

Protein

A vital supplement to use during this process is protein. This is the most essential macronutrient to build muscle and strength. Pair your regular Strength training with an adequate consumption of protein to maximize muscle repair and development. It is important to stress that not having the right amount of protein in your diet will lead to muscle depletion and you won’t pull off the desired results despite your overall efforts to build muscle.

The best sources of protein for the body will always be from food. You cannot consume powders only to meet your protein requirements – even if you are vegetarian or vegan. Food will always be the most natural way for the body to process protein. When protein is eaten in the form of food the body has to get to work on breaking that food down and this creates a greater energy expenditure from the body – which results in an increased metabolism.

However if your body needs a bulk amount of protein daily to meet your muscle requirements then supplementing with protein powder is the second best option to food. There are lots of high-quality protein supplements in the market right now that will complement individual needs and preferences. The most common variation is whey protein sold in a variety of forms and flavours. If you are lactose intolerant or your body does not process lactose efficiently – which will be identified with bloating after each protein shake, there are certain formulas called isolates where more lactose is removed and the protein content is more concentrated.

One of the best sources of lactose-free protein powders is in the form of collagen. Collagen protein is abundant in connective tissue as well as muscle and won’t create a large spike in insulin. This makes collagen a great choice for those looking to lean down while preserving or building muscle.

For vegetarians and vegans looking for a plant-based source, you have now more options such as pea protein, rice protein, soy protein, hemp protein and if you look really hard you can even find plant-based collagen protein.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25757896/

Fat Burners and Appetite Suppressants

If protein is used to increase muscle mass, you also need to include a fat burner supplement into your regime to facilitate fat loss as a component of your total re-composition program. Most fat burners use key ingredients that increase the metabolism which increases your capacity to burn more calories at a quicker rate. It goes without saying that you should be using fat burners in combination with proper nutrition and high-intensity training.

Green Tea & Caffeine

One of the most popular ingredients in most body re-composition and fat burning supplements is caffeine. Green tea has traditionally been known to boost metabolism because of thermogenic-inducing catechins particularly EGCG, hence it is often found in fat burning products. On top of this, caffeine acts as a stimulant and therefore increases your energy and improves focus so that you can maximize your training efforts.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17201629/

Chromium Picolinate

This is a unique ingredient that is especially beneficial when you’re enduring a fat loss phase. During studies, Chromium Picolinate was demonstrated to fight hunger cravings, which in turn, effectively reduces calorie intake. This is because it enhances insulin’s effects in the body and also reduces blood sugar levels.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4169208/

Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil

CBD oil is an ideal supplement for gym regulars, bodybuilders and sports people alike looking to increase the potential of their physique and aid in their weight loss goals. The secret is in CBD’s ability to regulate the Endocannabinoid System by modulating the CB receptors. Cannabinoid receptors are also responsible for transforming white adipose tissue to brown adipose tissue. Brown adipocytes are involved in thermogenesis and caloric expenditure, therefore the modulation of the CB receptors are considered potential anti-obesity supplements.

A region of the brain called the hypothalamus controls appetite which then regulates the secretion of two different hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin stimulates hunger and appetite.

Leptin creates the sensation of satiety or feeling full. Research shows that by blocking CB1 receptors, appetite suppression can be effected. And CBD oil, happens to be an incredibly effective CB1 blocker. Animal studies showed that rats given CBD ate much less food than the control, and CBD has been shown to increase leptin levels – making one feel full after receiving sufficient nutrient intake.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14770190/

https://www.blissformula.com/collections/home-page/products/ritual-cbd-oil?variant=16600982159426

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22543671/

https://www.blissformula.com/collections/home-page/products/sample-pack?variant=28501209481282

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163475/

The Takeaway

Maintaining a diet with a calorie deficit combined with a consistent training regime are essential ingredients for Body Re-composition. That being said, it is the supplements that fine tune your body and optimize the potential to cut fat and gain lean muscle at the same time to create this coveted end goal of body re-composition.

Posted on December 22, 2020September 22, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

Body Re-composition CHALLENGES and how to OVERCOME them.

By Michelle Gabata-Thibault and Ryan McTeigue

Recomposition. Incase you are new to the term Re-comp or body re-composition – this is one of the hardest feats to create in the human body – building muscle while simultaneously loosing body fat. The below article aims to point out the intense challenges that one will face when attempting this coveted goal and the potential solutions you can practically apply in order to overcome these challenges to WIN the body of your dreams.

Let’s dive in….

Challenge 1 – Mental Fatigue

So, you have a goal in mind and you’ve motivated yourself to hit the gym and push hard at every workout, but once mental fatigue sets in, it makes you feel that you need to work harder physically in order to achieve your Recomposition target, you feel a bit discouraged which decreases your performance in the gym and punches holes in your training consistency.

The mind and body are so interconnected that thinking or more precisely over-thinking can greatly impact the body’s physical performance including power, muscular endurance, speed and reaction time. The motivation to train is definitely governed by mental energy.

For instance, when the perception of fatigue sets in – muscles burning and the feeling like they’re about to cramp—is amplified, your brain tells you “STOP,” and exhaustion sets in. You‘re probably physiologically good and your body may be capable of performing much more, the problem is you are mentally incapable of going any further – which has a very physical effect on the body.

The Solution

It’s a no brainer to some, but many are still unaware that training intensity is king – not duration. Shorter, higher-intensity workouts do not require as much mental energy as longer workouts. Just like anything you want to get better at, start small and increase over time. In the gym this will translate to shorter, more intense workouts and with each training session you gradually increase your workout duration over time while keeping the intensity high.

You can prevent mental fatigue from setting in too early in your workouts by the type of training you do also. Integrating High-intensity interval training sessions (HIIT), which are high-intensity, low-duration workouts into your Body Recomp protocol is a highly effective way of cutting fat and building muscle.

Supplements like coffee and nootropics can also improve physical performance by giving you the extra push to fight mental fatigue and support your willpower. Another powerful supplement is CBD or Cannabidiol, which regulates the Endocannabinoid System to relieve mental exhaustion, provide focus, and enhance your concentration for longer periods of time. Elite Sarms Tight® (RAD 140) is another nootropic proven to not only boost your focus, but also help you gain lean muscle mass while shredding fat simultaneously.

For a mindset reprogramming towards peak performance, check out our article: OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE: 7 Ways To Build A Mindset Geared For Results.

Intel Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29985969/

https://www.blissformula.com/collections/home-page/products/focus-cbd-oil?variant=16592054419522

https://www.elitesarms.com/products/tight-rad-140?_pos=1&_sid=d389ec49c&_ss=r

Challenge 2 – Underestimating the Importance of Sleep

Do you realize that lack of sleep will make you gain fat and even leads to muscle loss?

Yesssss sir and the culprit is – Cortisol.

Our body increases the secretion of cortisol when we lack sleep. If cortisol is chronically elevated it means this hormone will constantly increase blood sugar levels, which in turn will lead to more frequent releases of insulin. This will lead to body fat gain and can also lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can impede your fat shredding goals because constantly elevated insulin levels make it harder to mobilize stored fat.

When it comes to cortisol’s effects on muscle mass, this bad boy directly increases muscle breakdown – the opposite of what we are going for. It does this by; firstly, decreasing nutrient uptake by the muscles, thereby making it more problematic to transport amino acids to the muscles to build new tissue and restore muscle glycogen stores. Secondly, cortisol stimulates myostatin – a protein that inhibits muscle cell growth and differentiation. By increasing myostatin through chronic cortisol elevation your potential for muscle development becomes limited.

The Solution

Take your sleep as serious as you take your training. Help the mind and body to relax at night by establishing a proper sleep routine and making sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and relaxing at bedtime. Also, make a habit of removing electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and computers from the bedroom and switch off the TV. These electronic devices interfere with the bodies natural energy patterns and most definitely effects sleep. Also when it’s dark, your body releases more melatonin which switches your circadian rhythm into sleep mode.

Studies show that supplements like ZMA and Melatonin facilitate relaxation at night and help improve the quality of sleep. CBD Oil works wonders to reset the Central Nervous System (CNS) into a deeper level of relaxation to allow maximum muscle recovery. CBD Oil’s multiple effects through the ECS (endocannabinoid system) also regulate pain and inflammation in the body while releasing stress to help you fall into deeper sleep and stay there.

Intel sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21226679/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31202198/

Challenge 3 – Tracking what you Eat

It’s easy to over or underestimate your calorie needs if you don’t take your Re-comp nutrition serious. One of the biggest hitches with dieters is they underestimate the significance of having portions and macros correctly dialled-in. How can you tell if you’re reaching the necessary amount of calories and nutrients ideal for cutting fat and gaining muscle if you are not measuring?

It’s useless to start a diet program if you’re not going to put the effort of weighing and measuring your food. Especially when your goal is to lose fat. Ie if you make the mistake of under-eating for days only to end up caving in and pigging out on fast absorbing sugars when you cave – then perhaps its best to re-group on your nutrition strategy.

The Solution

Teach yourself to track calories and macros and make it a habit. At the beginning of your Re-comp protocol, spend extra time weighing and measuring your food to see the proper portion size that will give you the right number of calories and macros. You’ll be amazed at the difference in how fast your body transforms once you start tracking your calorie and macro intake rather than – just winging it.

If you are feeling particularly challenged when it comes to suppressing your appetite, CBD oil can also help in controlling hunger pangs due to its ability to block CB1 receptors. Research demonstrates that by blocking CB1 receptors, appetite suppression is affected. One lab study even showed that rats given CBD ate much less food than the control, through increasing leptin sensitivity – a hormone that creates communication between the brain and stomach and signals to your brain when you are actually full.

Intel sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14770190/

https://www.blissformula.com/collections/home-page/products/ritual-cbd-oil?variant=16600982159426

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22543671/

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Body re-composition is not challenge free, but if it were easy everyone would have an amazing body. But the truth is, it has to be earn’t, over time and with discipline. By relating to these challenges you face on a daily basis and by taking our grounded approach in the solution to these challenges, you have a plan in place to create a body re-comp protocol that works for you.

With determination, willpower and time you can can achieve your most athletic and fulfilled physique. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or a Pro – be sure to take advantage of high quality supplementation – as exactly that – to supplement the strong foundations you are setting in your body re-composition journey, never forgetting the true foundations to your best physique are and always will be, through highly-focused nutrition, training and rest.

Peace and gains team,

– Elite Sarms

Posted on December 15, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

How to not get fat over Christmas Holidays!!! A Re-Composition Holiday Special

Written by: Michelle G. Thibault
Edited by: Ryan McTeigue

You know the drill. It’s holiday season and attending Christmas parties left and right are to be expected. These social gatherings are of course, centered around food, and mostly holiday foods like cakes, pastries, and processed foods loaded with heaps of fat and sugar. This is where your gains will get hit hard. Eating too much of these ‘holiday’ foods is guaranteed to pack on extra pounds of body fat that you worked so hard in the year to lose.

Compounding the hurt, with all the holiday stuff to be done, it’s easy to skip the gym or stop working out completely because let’s face it, the Holidays are a time of fun and celebration. Many peeps fall off their training routine and if you’re leaning towards doing that, let me point out that it will only lead to more hard work to undo just a couple of days of shitty eating.
That warm fuzzy feeling that the Holidays usually bring will instantly turn into a low vibe when we comatose ourselves to the couch with cookie crumbs spread all over our pyjamas😝

But it’s not all bad news. In this Elite Sarms article we are going to give you some Practical Hot Tips on how to survive smashing your aunties baked goods at the Christmas party and still stay shred💪🏼

If you want to be proactive and survive the Christmas and New Year with little fat gain and maintained or increased muscle mass, this is the blog for you!

Tip #1: Prioritize your workouts and schedule them first thing in the morning.

With the Holiday rush, family, work and social commitments, your schedule could be hectic over the holidays. However, if you get your training done before the chaos starts, you’ll move energy through your body and elevate your dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain and that sense of satisfaction from having the discipline to wake up early and go to the gym, sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. If this is not possible during weekdays, schedule your workout at lunchtime. Either way, the earlier in the day the better.

To get you into a focused mindset and help you with your Recomposition targets, Elite Sarms – Tight RAD 140 is one of the best supplements to take before training. RAD-140 is reputed to achieve muscle strength through increases in muscle mass and decreases in fat tissue, which improves stamina and endurance during high-intensity training. Research studies showed that RAD140 protects brain nerves from amyloid beta proteins resulting in brain cell growth and synaptic plasticity. 🤯 Mind blown.

https://www.elitesarms.com/products/tight-rad-140?_pos=1&_sid=080391726&_ss=r

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959610/

Tip #2 Increase Your Fiber Intake.

Fiber enhances your body’s ability to lose fat while facilitating intestinal function to keep you ‘regular’. A dietary plan high in fiber allows you to feel full, making it easier to eat fewer calories. Moreover, more calories are burned from digesting high fiber foods. Do you know that by increasing your fiber consumption to just 35 grams a day you can burn up to an additional 250 calories? No jokes peoples, this is a fat burning hack you have to try. To get this amount in naturally, consume fruits and nuts for snacks or even incorporate them into your holiday recipes! Or for complete ease, take a Fiber supplement of your choice and incorporate that daily in the am and pm before food.

Tip #3 Organize your Workout schedule One week in Advance.

Let’s be real, the amount of get-together’s combined with gym closures during the holidays can take a steamy dump on your training routine💩 – if you let it. However, if you plan a week ahead, the days and times you will be hitting the gym, this will eliminate this potential obstacle altogether.

Tip #4 Strategize your Cheat days and Cheat Meals

Basically you know Christmas and New Year’s Eve and other holiday parties are going to be cheat days with cheat meals. Therefore just factor those parties/days as your cheat meal days and try and have at least 3-4 days either side of them so the calories don’t pile up. You can actually use those days for carbohydrate re-feeding (learn more about using cheat meals to build muscle and burn fat here: https://www.elitesarms.com/blogs/news/how-to-body-re-comp-through-eating-food).

Now, moving on to your cheat meals – start with your vegetables first if any are present☺️, to ingest some healthy fibre which will help with digestion. Secondly; the proteins and fats as this will give you the feeling of satiety. And finally; save the carbs and crazy-ass sugar loaded foods to the end of the meal. The trick is to not stuff yourself, stop when you are comfortably full but not bloated. For some, allotting 3-4 hours of cheat meals per cheat day, which includes around 2-3 meals, allows a certain degree of control and prevents your insulin from going through the roof and beginning to create fat storage.

Make your cheat days a ‘Mini Bulking Phase’ of your recomposition regimen by adding Physique 400 (LGD 4033) for supplementation. It is one powerful muscle builder, which also creates heavy-duty increases in strength and power during demanding workouts.

Check out Physique 400® (LGD4033) here: https://www.elitesarms.com/products/physique-400-lgd4033?_pos=3&_sid=88508ba10&_ss=r

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6039107/

Tip #5 Tough it out in the gym before your cheat meal to maximize muscle gains.

The body is conditioned to absorb nutrients particularly some proteins and a fair amount of carbs after a gruelling workout – the amounts, all dependant on your muscle mass. Therefore, it makes sense that having a cheat meal after a big workout will guarantee that a large majority of nutrients are used for recovery and muscle production/protein synthesis.

Wanting to get arms with incredible size and definition? Plan those super-pump arm workouts before your cheat meals to ensure an increase in volume and definition on your biceps and triceps – for example. 💪🏼

The Short On Chromium
Integrating Chromium into your supplementation stack especially helps during cheat days to facilitate your body’s response to insulin, efficiently assimilating those extra carbohydrates for muscle growth. Hyper Lean (SR9009) is a Rev-erb agonist that also gives you a metabolic boost to accelerate fat loss by improving glucose and fatty acid oxidation while supporting skeletal muscle development.

Check out Hyper Lean® (SR9009) here: https://www.elitesarms.com/collections/re-comp/products/hyper-lean-sr9009?_pos=1&_sid=210c6a8bc&_ss=r

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4656904/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3343186/

Finale

In conclusion team, it’s been one hell of a year. We all deserve some down-time with our loved ones, friends and family, and we all deserve to let our hair down. But why not do this with some intelligence by adding some or all of the Practical hot tips listed above. This will ensure you keep moving forward over the Holidays and don’t regret a single piece of pizza, cake, cookie or beverage.

From the whole team here at Elite Sarms, we wish you the best of holidays, a Merry Christmas and a fire New Years Eve 🔥🔥 Go get the body you deserve and fall in love with the process of earning it.

Best,

Elite Sarms.

Posted on November 24, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

Normal Fat Burners Vs Elite Sarms Fat Burners

I remember the days when the newest fat burner to come out used to fly off the supplement store shelves. However in the last couple years it seems that science has caught up to the fitness trend and we are starting to see people becoming aware that most of what is sold as a fat burner at your local supplement shop is nothing more than artificial caffeine and other Central Nervous System jacking ingredients, unfortunately.

We are however, becoming more intelligent and looking at the ingredients and reading about these ingredients and their effects before we go and buy the next latest trending fat burner on the market. Having information at our fingertips has made us all more informed and more choosey with our supplements.

To help fast track your fat burning supp knowledge, in this blog we reveal what is in MOST fat burners on the markets and how they stack up compared to the Scientific-Founded Fat Burning products in the Elite Sarms® range. Let’s dive in….

NORMAL FAT BURNERS

Go into any supplement store and look at any fat burner on the shelves. The fat burning ingredients that create any effect will most likely include:

1. Caffeine Anhydrous (CNS stimulant)
2. Green Tea Extract (CNS stimulant)
3. Cayenne Pepper extract (Thermogenesis/body heat)
4. Other herbal and chemical CNS stimulants

As you can see, the main active ingredients in almost ALL normal fat burners on the market rely on cheap stimulants in the form of caffeine, green tea and other stimulants both from chemical and herbal origin to CRANK-UP the CNS (central nervous system). The ‘science’ behind this is that once the CNS is overstimulated and cranked-up the heart rate increases and body temperature goes up. This increased heart rate is then supposed to lead to an increased metabolism which then burns extra calories.

The problem with Normal Fat Burners

The problem with using CNS stimulants in ALMOST ALL fat burning products and cranking up the CNS to levels beyond normal to increase the heart rate and therefore attempt to increase the metabolism is this – CNS stimulants put your body into the “fight or flight” state. When the body is kept in this ‘fight or flight; state for long periods of time the body WILL drop weight. The problem though is that a little of the weight will come from actual body fat and most of the weight that is lost comes from:

1. Water (the body is 90% water at cellular level)
2. Muscle tissue
3. Bone mineral
4. A little bit of fat

So by using traditional Fat Burners on the market, the end result in most cases is; a little bit of fat is lost but majority of the weight that is lost comes from; water, muscle and bone and these 3 elements are all things we want to build and increase in the body and not tear down as they are responsible for our healthy: movement and function, strength, metabolism, cell hydration, bone strength and posture.

Elite Sarms – Along came science…

Luckily our awareness, knowledge and accessibility of excellent scientific products has expanded since the times of – all fat burners pretty much being CNS JACKING-UP products. Science and common sense has evolved when it comes to New fat burners. And we now know that for a Fat Burning product to actually be effective it needs to address the biological functions of the body that actually create or prevent fat loss. These include:

1. Insulin (Body Sugar levels)
2. The bodies ability to uptake glycogen (body sugar) into muscle
3. Mitochondria (the cells that are directly linked to our metabolism)
4. Cardiovascular exercise improvement (faster recovery & greater endurance)

As you can see from above, the Normal Fat Burners in the market do not even begin to address the real-life biological areas associated with fat burning and weight loss.

Below we take a look at how the Elite Sarm fat burners (Cardio Shred® and Hyper Lean®) in the range change and improve the areas in the body that are responsible for fat loss:

1. Insulin (Blood Sugar levels)

Insulin is the most anabolic and the most Lipogenic hormone in the body. This means that when the insulin system is functioning properly, it is able to help create muscle tissue in the body however, when insulin is abused and kept at high levels for a long time, it WILL eventually lead to fat gain and can also create other more serious health problems. Basically, the lower ones insulin levels the more one burns fat for energy over Sugar. And when insulin levels are kept high from consistently consuming refined carbohydrates (sugar, donuts, lollies etc) the more the body will rely on sugar for fuel and the more fat the body will store.

Insulin drives fat into fat cells and excess insulin not used by the muscle, liver or brain converts into body fat also.

Elite Sarms product – Cardio Shred® (GW0742) and other PPARδ agonists in the GW family have proven in scientific studies now to lower insulin levels – even those who had insulin resistance, which is the early stages of diabetes, in the studies displayed improvements in insulin sensitivity.

2. The bodies ability to uptake glycogen (body sugar) into skeletal muscle

The body can burn 2 types of fuel which is then converted into our energy, they are:

1. Fat (from body fat) or
2. Sugar (from the sugars we eat, after that is all used, it is then taken from inside the muscles in the form of glycogen, resulting in muscle loss).

Both Cardio Shred®(GW0742) and Hyper Lean®(SR9009) influence lipid (fat) and glucose (sugar) metabolism in the liver, resulting in more sugar being taken up into skeletal muscle instead of being stored as fat. This means the body will drive more of the sugars that are eaten into muscle to contribute to muscle growth which will result in less sugar being stored as body fat.

3. Mitochondria numbers in body and the health of those mitochondria (the cells that deal with energy production)

Mitochondria cells produce most of the ATP in the cell which is a chemical energy used by the body to perform all activities. Mitochondria cells are also termed as ‘powerhouse’ cells. The number and health of these cells determines the speed and health or your metabolism – metabolism being the bodies speed and effectiveness of processing (food to energy) and eliminating (removal) of energy.

Elite Sarms – Hyper Lean® is compound SR9009.
SR9009 works by increasing the number of mitochondria in muscle, therefore increasing the body’s metabolism. It also carries the duel role of eliminating damaged mitochondria and replacing them with new ones for an overall improved metabolism 🔥

4. Cardiovascular exercise improvement (faster recovery & greater endurance)

Obviously the better a supplement works for Cardio performance the greater one can take their training intensity and the more comfortable one is to move and stay in high intensities during training – the better ones fat burning results will be.

Caffeine sourced from coffee has been proven to help with greater endurance times for athletic performance. As far as normal fat burners go, that is really the only athletic performance enhancement you are going to find. And that exercise improvement is miniscuel in comparison to something like what products Elite Sarms – Cardio Shred® and Elite Sarms – Hyper Lean® produce for athletic performance.

The increased number and quality of mitochondrion that Hyper Lean® creates when combined with HIIT (high intensity interval training) leads to a drastic increase in metabolism and metabolic conditioning – creating an increase in exercise capacity by increasing mitochondria counts in skeletal muscle.

Cardio Shred® is an activator of the receptor – PPARδ in skeletal muscle. This special receptor in the body regulates muscle metabolism and reprograms muscle fibre types to enhance running endurance. Cardio Shred® helps to create and develop TYPE I muscle fibres in skeletal muscle. This is the Muscle Type that an advanced endurance athlete will train many, many hours to develop and condition.

Cardio Shred® does not complete the kilometres of endurance training it takes to develop excellent cardiovascular fitness for you, however any and all work you do put into cardiovascular training while supplementing with Cardio Shred® will be reflected via greater cardiovascular performance and all the associated health and aesthetic benefits that come from this increase in cardio performance.

Happy cardio training everyone 🚴🏻

Posted on November 9, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

Cardio Shred® (GW0742) – The Most Potent Fat Burner Online. Period.

Welcome to another Elite Sarms Blog. In this short snippet of information we are going to look into the most POTENT Fat Burner that can currently be purchased online: Elite Sarms – Cardio Shred® (GW0742).

The fact is, almost every single fat burning product sold online relies on thermogenesis to create an effect. This thermogenic effect is caused by jacking up the Central Nervous System to levels beyond normal – all in an effort to raise body temperature and burn some fat. But this method does not deal with the actual science of real fat burning.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the actual science behind the most potent fat burner online which is in the Elite Sarms product range as: Cardio Shred® (GW0742).

GW0742 is a PPARδ Receptor Agonist – meaning, it creates a physiological response once it binds to the PPARδ Receptor.

The physiological response created by GW0742 is – it MIMICS the effects of INTENSE CARDIO VASCULAR EXERCISE within the body – even in a rested state and here’s the crazy part – WITH ZERO Central Nervous System Stimulation. Cardio Shred® truly is a one-of-a-kind product.

Okay so let’s break down PPARδ Receptor and what happens when Cardio Shred® activates this:

PPARδ stands for: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor – Delta. Just like the Androgren Receptor (AR) which our other Elite Sarms modulate, Cardio Shred® modulates the PPARδ receptor which creates a state in the body as though one is doing INTENSE CARDIO EXERCISE CONSISTENTLY.

To see how GW0742 works to create the effects of Intense Cardio Exercise inside the body, lets see what the PPARδ Receptor is responsible for inside the body:

When the PPARδ Receptor is working below maintenance level, this can eventually lead to:

1. Diabetes
2. Obesity
3. Atherosclerosis (heart disease) and;
4. Cancers

Therefore, when the PPARδ Receptor is working at maintenance level and above it will express in the body as:

1. Healthy insulin levels
2. Healthy weight
3. Healthy heart and
4. Strong immune system

In skeletal muscle (the muscles you workout) PPARδ’s expression or effect is increased by exercise – particularly Cardio Vascular Exercise resulting in OVERALL INCREASED fat burning capacity and an increase in Type I (endurance) Muscle Fibres.

Cardio Shred® activates the PPARδ Receptor just as intense Cardio Vascular and Metabolic Training does. However, the synergistic powerhouse effects come into play when one Conducts Intense Cardio Vascular training in conjunction with supplementing Cardio Shred®.

The double activation of the PPARδ Receptor by Intense Exercise (exercise done with intensity) along with Cardio Shred® resulted in test subjects running 31.8% further after 3 weeks of continued supplementation.

The other amazing characteristic about Cardio Shred® is its fat burning abilities. Cardio Shred® changes fat metabolism within the body, so more stored fat is used for energy requirements instead of burning sugars in the body – which will protect the muscle, while burning stored fat!

This creates an overall powerful fat burning effect due to an increase in metabolism with a simultaneous increase in insulin sensitivity. This is why Cardio Shred® (GW0742) is – The Most Potent Fat Burner online.

Posted on October 26, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

Recovery and Sports Performance – What Tools are the most Effective?

Written by: Michelle G. Thibault
Edited by: Ryan McTeigue

The Recovery Principle

Scheduling recovery practices into any training and exercise program is essential to high-level performance across the board. For athletes and recreational fitness lovers alike, building in a recovery program into one’s weekly fitness routine allows the body to replenish energy stores, optimise muscle synthesis, and repair damaged tissues.

Below we will discuss some of the most effective Body Recovery methods the Elite Sarms team have found to be most effective along the way in their fitness and wellness journey’s. Let’s dive in;

Your Post-Workout Regimen – The most important recovery window

Stretching. It is vital to include stretching as a gentle calming routine for the body to counterbalance high-intensity workouts. Full-body stretches helps ease tension and tightness which relieves pain and expedites recovery from any type of physical activity.

Stretching also increases blood flow and aids in the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to sore muscles, preventing injury during and after workouts, while increasing joint mobility and range of motion for better performance.

Foam rolling. Foam rolling is a type of self-massage that allows you to alleviate tightness or trigger points —which are dense muscle knots in the fascia — by leaning into a foam roller and ‘rolling out’ tight muscles and joints.

Foam rolling helps injury prevention by retaining muscle length and alleviating tension and tightness before it can build into an overuse injury. This simple routine also increases blood flow and elasticity in the body’s connective tissues namely the muscles, joints, and fascia – which facilitates mobility, relaxation, and athletic output.

Cryotherapy. Stands for cold-therapy. By incorporating cryotherapy into your post-workout routine, you can provide immediate and longer-term results that will help you feel less pain, have tighter skin, and reduce the inflammatory process – speeding up the recovery process.

The practice of using very cold temperatures to treat pain and feel energized can be traced back to ancient times with practices carried out like ice-pool plunging, which were part of a holistic treatment program to stimulate the immune system, build stamina and avoid disease.

This ancient technology has since been greatly rediscovered in todays society as to the powerful health benefits of exposing the body to extreme temperatures for short periods of time to active the CNS (central nervous system) and immune system as well as move stagnant energy throughout the entire body – including blood, minerals and nutrients.

As inflammation is a major issue for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, many will turn to ice baths and cryotherapy creams to diminish muscle soreness and accelerate tissue recovery as this is an effective recovery method proven since ancient times.

Beneficial Supplements and Sarms for Recovery

Whey Protein Isolates. WPIs are concentrated, fast-absorbing proteins that supply the muscles after a workout with amino acids, particularly BCAAs needed to repair and grow muscles. Studies have proven, the sooner you can consume whey protein following your workout, the better, given its a clean WPI source.

Healthy Fats. Consuming Omega-3s – EPA and DHA, found in fish oil supplements or fatty fish like salmon, algae and krill can help offset free radical damage produced during strenuous training. They act as anti-inflammatory agents, while keeping the arteries clear and maintaining efficient blood flow to the muscles, and even the brain.

Curcumin and CBD. Cannabidiol works by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system and regulating receptor activity, resulting in significant reduction of inflammation and pain. Curcumin, the active component of Turmeric, have many scientifically proven recovery and health benefits due to its potent ant-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Blending the two may help the fitness person to reap numerous benefits from this synergistic pair including pain and stress relief and faster muscle recovery.

Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators or SARMs. These novel compounds are simply one of the greatest milestones in the Health and Fitness industry.

The key feature of SARMS is their high selectivity, allowing them to target muscles, bones and connective tissues specifically resulting in accelerated recovery and optimal muscle and fitness improvements. Below we take a closer look at Elite Sarms and their specific recovery qualities:

Decavar® (MK-2866) – Research studies on Decavar® have repeatedly proven its impressive rapid repair and recovery boosting abilities on connective tissues and skeletal muscle.Decavar® – works great in restoring sore muscles and even exceeds expectations in repairing torn rotator cuffs, stretched ligaments and even fractures!
Decavar®’s – restorative properties repair damaged tissues and re-establish functionality at a much faster rate.

Physique 400® (LGD 4033) – Clinical trials show LGD 4033’s ability to increase strength levels, improve lean muscle mass, and enhance vascularity which improves the restoration of muscle after physical activity.Physique 400® (LGD 4033) had also shown to prevent muscle and bone wasting on test volunteers with functional limitations due to injury, illness or aging.

Stanazine® (S4) – A number of studies on SARMs, support Stanazine®’s restorative effects on lean muscle mass. Moreover, results suggest an increase in muscle strength, therefore ensuring its protection when cutting down calorie intake and/or intensive physical training.

Tight® (Rad 140) – More popularly known as the ‘nootropic’ among the SARMs range, Tight® (Rad 140) is a reliable post-workout supplement thanks to its muscle strengthening and bulking prowess. Tight® (Rad 140) immensely improves stamina and endurance during high-intensity training allowing for naturally faster recovery.

Intel Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4111291/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7528560/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22459616/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4018048/

Posted on September 14, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

Elite Sarms paired with TRAINING!

What type of training will work best with the Elite Sarm Athletic Performance products? We get this question a lot from you guys! Therefore in this Blog we will investigate the Athletic Performance Sarms and dive into what type of training will best activate each Sarm to give you the best performance results.

To investigate this topic we are going to be reviewing the Elite Sarms Athletic Performance products range, which includes:

– Cardio Shred®
– Hyper Lean®
– Decavar®
– Tight®
– GH Pep®

Our athletic performance products work to promote two main areas:

1. Cardiovascular Improvement with sarms

– Cardio Shred® and;
– Hyper Lean®

and;

2. Muscle/Connective Tissue Repair and Strengthening with sarms

– Decavar®
– Tight® and;
– GH Pep®

Different training styles will work better than others in conjunction with the 5 athletic performance Sarms. For example Cardio Shred® activates receptor sites inside muscle that induces the formation of Type I muscle fibres – the type of muscle fibres that are normally developed only after countless hours of rigorous cardio-endurance training. Whereas, GH Pep® amplifies your bodies natural growth hormone pulsations, inducing rapid growth and repair of collagen – the main component in connective tissue. Athletic performance is dependant on performing during every training session and during live events and therefore injury prevention is key to every single athlete. Developing strong connective tissue is necessary for improved; strength, power, agility and speed, meanwhile building muscle mass takes a back seat when it comes to athletic performance.

Partaking in any of the training styles or sports listed below either in training or competition, will activate the Elite Sarm and allow one to experience the product working at is full potential – due to the sarms design and what specific effect is has on the body.

Let’s dive a little deeper into each Athletic Performance Sarm and the training styles or sports that are best suited to the product and why….

CARDIO SHRED® (GW0742)

Key Feature: O2 (Cardiovascular) Endurance. Cardio Shred’s active compound GW0742 is a PPARδ receptor agonist. By activating the PPARδ receptor, Cardio Shred® begins to elicit physical changes in the body as though one has been carrying out consistent cardiovascular training. Of course this effect is drastically amplified when one applies actual consistent cardio training into their workout regime.

Research revealed that GW0742 combined with cardiovascular exercise created a synergistic increase in oxidative myofibers and running endurance. Oxidative myofibers are muscle fibres that are slow-twitch fibers, which are characterised as muscles with long contraction duration, associated with endurance. It is through this improvement in the bodies muscle fibre makeup by enhancing the growth and number of endurance fibres, one is able to perform aerobic activities at greater intensities and for a longer duration!

– Marathon/Long distance running
– Triathalon
– Cycling
– Iron man
– Rowing (long distances)
– MMA (cardio endurance)
– Boxing (cardio endurance)
– Football (soccer)
– AFL

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18674809/ (increased oxidative myofibers)
Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fitness/chapter/types-of-skeletal-muscle-fibers/(aerobic respiration to fuel muscle contractions)

HYPER LEAN® (SR9000)

Key Feature: Metabolic Conditioning. Hyper Lean®s active compound SR9009 has the incredible feature of increasing skeletal muscle mitochondria cells while at the same time repairing damaged mitochondria cells and detoxing dead ones. This results in the bodies ability to move high intensity work (exercise) through the body at a faster rate. In sports physiology terms this is referred to as; metabolic conditioning and is the core ingredient behind programs such as Crossfit, which combines Olympic lifting and Power Lifts with high intensity cardiovascular activities.

By improving the amount of energy producing cells (mitochondria) in muscles, Hyper Lean® is able to allow one to perform at higher intensities while at the same time requiring shorter rest due to the overall increase in the bodies metabolic activity. This makes the SR9009 compound perfect for those partaking in sports that have high intensity intervals of work followed by short rest periods such as: Boxing, MMA, Rugby League/Union or Crossfit.

– All Styles of HIIT (high intensity interval training)
– Crossfit
– Sprinting
– Rowing (shorter distances)
– MMA (metabolic conditioning)
– Boxing (metabolic conditioning)
– Rugby League/Union
– NFL
– Netball
– Basketball
– Indoor Cricket

DECAVAR® (MK2866)

Key Feature: Active Muscular Recovery. Decavar® has amazing repairing capabilities. The active compound MK2866 has Androgen Receptor (AR) activity that results in a drastic increase in blood and nutrients being transported to the working muscles. This results in fast active recovery and increased muscular endurance, making it perfect for sports like Rock Climbing or Ninja Warrior style training, where the body and muscles need to be actively recovering fast in order to perform better in the sport.

– Rock Climbing
– Ninja Warrior
– Crossfit
– MMA

TIGHT® (RAD140)

Key Feature: Testosterone-like Environment. The use of testosterone in sports has long been documented. But why would having high levels of testosterone be an advantage to an athlete in a sport where having big muscles doesn’t benefit them? The answer, is in the modulation of the Androgen Receptor (AR). Testosterone works by synthetically increasing testosterone levels in the body – which then leads to activation of the bodies AR sites increasing the rate of muscle, bone and connective tissue repair.

Sarms are special compounds that bypass the hormonal system altogether and instead work directly on modulating the Androgen Receptor sites. In the case of RAD140, the AR modulation caused by this compound is virtually identical to the modulation on the AR caused by testosterone mg for mg with RAD140. This means that one can receive the exact same physiological athletic benefits of a normal-range dosage of testosterone by supplementing RAD140 while carrying out strength and power based activities.

– Bodybuilding
– Power Lifting
– Olympic Lifting
– MMA
– Boxing
– NFL
– Shot Put, Discus, Javelin

GH PEP® (MK677)

Key Feature: Increased Growth Hormone levels. MK677 is a growth hormone secretagogue. This means the compound increases the amount of natural growth hormone that pulses into the blood – leading to higher levels of the hormone throughout the body.

Growth hormone regulates the rate of repair of muscle and connective tissue including; cartilage, bone, tendons, ligaments and skin. These connective tissues are responsible for athletic strength, power, speed and agility. As MK677 works directly on these sites, athletes involved in sports that require high levels of strength, power, speed and agility will greatly benefit from the connective tissue fortifying effects of MK677.

– Bodybuilding
– Powerlifting
– Olympic Lifting
– MMA (power)
– Boxing (power)
– NFL
– Shot Put, Discus, Javelin
– Ninja Warrior

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657499/#:~:text=Athletes%20and%20bodybuilders%20claim%20that,part%20in%20major%20sports%20events. (athletes and HGH)

THE WRAP

As you can see from the information above, Elite Sarms can be of huge benefit to the beginner up to the advanced athlete. Getting better at any sport requires the ability to be able to perform at your best in each training session, remain injury free and to repair effectively after each training session or live competition. Thankfully, there are 5 Elite Sarm Athletic Performance SuperStars that exist for athletes like you out there, to take your cardio endurance, speed, power, strength and agility to new levels. We exist to help you push the limits of your own potential to manifest your best athletic version to come!

Other INTEL Sources:

– https://nectac.org/cardarine-gw501516/

– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen#:~:text=As%20the%20main%20component%20of,known%20as%20a%20collagen%20helix. (Collagen)

– https://www.livescience.com/32601-does-human-growth-hormone-really-help-athletes.html#:~:text=Now%2C%20a%20new%20study%20has,reproduction%20and%20promotes%20physical%20growth.(HGH and improved athletic performance)

– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657499/#:~:text=Athletes%20and%20bodybuilders%20claim%20that,part%20in%20major%20sports%20events.

Posted on September 7, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

How Sarms effect Athletic Performance

In this ES INTEL Blog we are exploring how Sarms effect Athletic Performance and their role in helping the body reach higher levels of athleticism – in speed, strength, explosive power, aerobic and anaerobic endurance.

In Elite Sarms we break down Athletic Performance into 3 main categories. They include:

1. Strength & Power

2. Muscular Endurance

3. Cardio Endurance

We believe that when an athlete reaches a high level of all 3 categories listed above, they become a fully rounded athlete. Fortunately the athletic performance Sarms in our range target and activate the areas of the body responsible for muscular strength and power, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance.

STRENGTH AND POWER – ELITE SARMS

The Elite Sarms products that activate the androgen receptor sites in the body responsible for the amplification of strength and power are:

Decavar® (MK2866) is one of our best products for both males and females increasing total strength. This is due to the powerful action of Decavar® on muscle, bone and supporting tissues including the myofascial sheath Androgen Receptor (AR) sites.

Physique 400® (LGD4033) is the next contender in the Strength and Power category. This comes from its rapid muscle building properties. Combining this product along with the major lifts; deadlift, squat, bench press and shoulder press will result in fast muscle growth and connective tissue adaption, leading to great strength and power gains.

Finally, our product Tight® (RAD140) is a Sarm that completes both tasks of increasing strength and building muscle, having a major effect on power and strength

Of course, these Elite Sarms will amplify your strength and power – when the correct stimulus of weight, repetition and repetition tempo (time of eccentric and concentric portions of a movement) and rest are applied to the body via quality training and recovery – both of which Elite Sarms assist.

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE – ELITE SARMS

If Muscular Endurance is your main focus the following Elite Sarms products that are best suited for this Athletic Performance task include:

Stanazine® (S4) has been compared to the compound Winstrol in its athletic enhancement abilities. Due to its powerful activation of muscle and bone Androgen Receptor (AR). This product provides blood flow and nutrients to the muscles to assist in increasing muscular endurance.

Decavar® (MK2866) is best known for is rapid muscle repairing properties. It is this factor that makes Decavar® a powerful muscular endurance enhancer.

Finally, Hyper Lean® (SR9009) has proven in studies to increase the mitochondria in skeletal muscle. This means more energy and waste products caused by fatiguing muscles can be shuttled through the body quicker resulting in greater muscular endurance over time.

CARDIO ENDURANCE – ELITE SARMS

If Cardio Endurance is your main Athletic Performance focus the best Elite Sarms products for this include:

Cardio Shred® (Cardarine) is dubbed exercise in a bottle because it mimics the effects of cardiovascular exercise creating the environment inside the body compared to someone training cardio at high intensities. When Cardio training is combined with this product, then cardio endurance is even greater enhanced.

Hyper Lean® (SR9009) works by increasing mitochondria counts in skeletal muscle. Mitochondria are termed the powerhouse of the cell and provide most of the cells energy. They are directly linked to our metabolism and therefore in exercise, this increase in mitochondria leads to an increase in metabolism meaning recovery times between intense exercise sets drastically reduces and cardio endurance increases.

ELITE SARMS & ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE PHYSIOLOGY

When you get down to the core foundations of what athletic performance is – I mean, all the way down, it basically occurs through 2 core events:

1. Physical stimulus is applied to the body

2. Adaption to physical stimulus occurs

As we all know, athletes aren’t just born athletes. Athletes may be born with a passion for a specific sport and may also possess faster adaption to certain physical stimulus which makes them ‘more talented’ in a certain sport. However as we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives, as we train for something, we get better at it. We have to apply new physical stimulus to our body and then our body adapts to that stimulus and then we repeat this process over and over.

Now enter Elite Sarms. Elite Sarms make the COMMUNICATION between the androgen receptor (AR) and the tissues of the body ‘clearer’, ‘louder’ and ‘faster’. What this means is when we apply physical stimulus to the body in the form of cardiovascular training, muscular endurance, agility, strength, power and/or explosive power then the body is able to adapt drastically faster as well as repair drastically faster because the Signals from the AR to the tissues being stimulated is faster, stronger and clearer.

Sarms allow one to progress in any chosen athletic endeavour at a faster pace with a significantly lower chance of injury or overtraining – which leads to even faster athletic progress. As you can see Elite Sarms don’t do the work for you, however they create the perfect environment for the work you do to be expressed at its full potential inside and outside your body.

Posted on August 18, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

How to Body Re-Comp Through Eating Food

Note: Carbohydrate sometimes referred to as carb throughout

When your target is to achieve a very lean and defined physique, your workout routine should be geared towards building strength and muscle mass, and at the same time dieting at either maintenance level or at a calorie deficit to burn fat. This is a vital component that’s commonly overlooked by many people who will instead, not track nutrition and intensify cardio sessions and/or double up the lifting volume to attempt to lean up and get ripped.

What this actually does, overtime is over-train your body which eventually leads to muscle loss due to excess stress and excess cortisol building up in the muscles – cortisol being a muscle destroying hormone produced when the body is under prolonged stress.

When performing numerous workouts and exercises on a regular basis, your body becomes depleted of muscle glycogen from high intensity training. Muscle glycogen is derived from the carbohydrates we eat daily, however, not all carbohydrates are driven into muscle and converted into glycogen. For example, foods such as sweet potato are excellent for topping up muscle glycogen levels because sweet potato is a starchy carbohydrate and when eaten a much larger portion is stored inside muscle compared to other carb sources. If something is eaten that is high in refined sugar, in general, there are 2 things that occur:

1. A tiny portion of the refined sugar is driven into muscle and stored as glycogen

2. Most of the refined sugar is driven into fat cells

Muscle glycogen is the fuel that the body uses when we hit a high intensity in training and if the intensity is high enough, the body will also use lactate. The other fuel the body will use when exercising is fat, but the body will only begin using body fat as a fuel source during aerobic exercise and this occurs when it is performed consecutively for several minutes.

Source: Donovan, C, & Pagliassotti, M. (1998). Quantitative assessment of pathways for lactate disposal in skeletal muscle fiber types. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

What is tricky about body re-comping (burning fat while building muscle) is when one subjects themselves to a restricted diet – restricted meaning the amount of food consumed is tracked and kept below the maintenance amount of calories per day (a deficit). When on a restricted diet, the body has a harder time recovering from workouts. This is the hardest part about body re-composition – finding the perfect balance for your own biology where your body is in a fat burning state while you are maintaining strength and conditioning.

At this point we have two choices:

1. Maintain your current diet. Introduce advanced scientific supplementation into your current program. These supplements need to cover 2 objectives to actually be effective (to which 99% of all fat burning supplements do not achieve) these are:

a. Create insulin sensitivity so more carbohydrate consumed can be driven into muscle instead of being stored as fat and;

b. Increase metabolism so the body expends more calories

2. The second option is to do what is called Carb Cycling. Now let’s explore this Carb Cycling option a little more:

HOW TO USE YOUR CHEAT MEALS TO BURN FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE!!!

Yes, it is exactly as awesome as it sounds ^^^ Believe it or not, but scientifically you can use cheat meals in a strategic way to burn fat and build muscle. And it goes a little something like this…………..

The Science

By restricting weekly calorie intake below maintenance level while continuing to train at a high level with heavyweight and at a high intensity, the body begins to use up the glycogen that is stored in your muscles. This is called glycogen depletion. You will have experienced the feeling of carbohydrate depletion many times. Basically, if your immune system is not low, you are not getting sick however you have lost energy and motivation to train, then you are most likely overtrained and this will mean that your glycogen stores are depleted, this is the feeling of your entire body being drained. And the solution to this problem is a big ol cheat meal and some rest…. how perfect 😉

You see, in this glycogen depleted state, if you are then to have a cheat meal that is:

1. High in calories
2. High in simple and complex sugars

The sugars in the meal, both simple and complex will be taken up by the carb depleted muscles, the amount depends on the amount of muscle mass the individual has and the person’s biology, however, this process will occur no matter what level of training experience the person is.

This uptake of sugar from the cheat meal and into the muscles nourishes the muscles and creates an anabolic (muscle building) environment in the body. The higher the intensity of the training one carries out will determine the level of carb depletion one experiences and subsequently, the amount of carbohydrate that is re-loaded into the muscle, which will be higher than an untrained person.

Just like any skill though, practice makes perfect and each time you conduct a carb cycle your body gets better and better at it, and that will lead to better results each time you do one.

The Method: This takes place over 3 days…

Part I Choose either basmati rice or sweet potato for your starchy carbohydrate. This will be the main fuel source for your muscles during the 3 day period so you can keep the full-body sessions at a high intensity.

For your diet slightly increase your protein and healthy fats intake however for your carbohydrates with each meal conduct an 80/20 split of 80% vegetables to 20% starchy carbs (sweet potato or rice). It can be any vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower are excellent vegetable choices to include. I call this the: 2 type carbohydrate protocol

Part II Over the next 3 days, train every muscle group in your entire body in each training session. With each movement, you carry out, keep the weight moderate-heavy around the 8 – 12 repetitions range and do not rest for a set time. Rest only long enough to carry out the next set successfully with intensity. An example training session could include:

*Each movement includes 1-2 light warm-up sets. The number before the word sets is the number of working sets to be completed*

8 – 12 Back Squats x 3 sets
8 – 12 Front Squats x 3 sets
8 – 12 Box Jumps x 3 sets
8 – 12 Deadlifts x 3 sets
8 – 12 Pullups x 3 sets
8 – 12 Chinups x 3 sets
8 – 12 Bench Press x 3 sets
8 – 12 Barbell Shoulder Press x 3 sets
8 – 12 Dumbbell Biceps Curls x 3 sets
8 – 12 Triceps Pulldowns x 3 sets
8 – 12 Dips x 3 sets

Part III This combination of the full-body workout each day, at high set volume with short rest periods combined while being fueled by a small amount of starchy carbs and heaps of vegetables creates physiological magic when it comes to depleting glycogen in the muscles. And remember, this is the end goal – to deplete as much of the glycogen in the muscles in the 3 days. Normally we are consuming more refined carbohydrates in our diet so the muscles never get a chance to fully deplete properly or re-load properly. By trying this for yourself and carrying out the 3 day full-body intensive training and following the 2 type carbohydrate protocol for the 3 days also you will achieve the goal of glycogen depletion.

The Finale On the evening of the 3rd day, you pick your favourite cheat meal and you have a cheat meal – yayyyyyyyyy. The goal here is to have a high-calorie meal that contains some protein, fats and mostly carbohydrates. It could be a burger place, it could be a pizza place it could be Thai food, you pick one that lights you up, that brings out your inner child and that brings you a little bit of excitement each week, so you stay on track and focused the rest of the week. That’s the meal we want to choose for our Carb Re-Feed.

The Carb Re-Feed results in lean muscle tissue creation (glycogen fills the muscle bells), a natural testosterone boost, nourishment and fuel for the muscles and its also a great mood lifter – from neurochemical activation also. It is also excellent for fat burning helping to release stored sugars in fat when one enters the carb depletion phase. Also, by having this cheat meal planned once per week it makes it easier to focus on a good nutrition routine the other 6 days of the week and this goes a very, very long way to successful long-term fat loss results.

Anyhow, when you do have this weekly cheat meal, really enjoy this meal! Don’t feel guilty one minute because if you have completed the Carb Depletion properly, then physiologically your muscles actually NEED the sugar, and to deprive them of that sugar would leave your entire body low on energy, weaker and if it continued for some time eventually muscle loss.

And there you have it folks, this is the science explained of how to body re-comp through eating food. We will go deeper on this subject but for now, this is the ES INTEL investigators signing off. Stay tuned to ES sources for more bio-hacking adventures.

Intel Sources

Donovan, C, & Pagliassotti, M. (1998). Quantitative assessment of pathways for lactate disposal in skeletal muscle fiber types. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Gualano, A., Bozza, T., Lopes, D., Roschel, H., Costa, D., Marquezi, L., Benatti, F., & Herbert, J. (2011). Branched-chain amino acids supplementation enhances exercise capacity and lipid oxidation during exercise after muscle glycogen depletion. Journal of Sports Medicine Physical Fitness, 51(1), 82 – 88.

Posted on July 24, 2020September 26, 2023 by Jordan Pearce — Leave a comment

Growth Hormone – Is your training program optimised for HGH?

There are specific ways that we can train that signal the body to release high doses of Growth Hormone. This specific training can come in the form of movements, patterns and intensities that can be included into training each week to ensure we are priming our bodies to yield higher Growth Hormone output each week leading to greater health, physique, performance, mood and recovery.

Before we dive into the science of GH Positive training, let’s back up a second, as in case you missed out on the last ES INTEL Blog, you may be wondering, what is the advantage of training in ways that release the most amount of Growth Hormone over other training methods that don’t take hormonal output into account?

The answer is, Growth Hormone, otherwise known as Human Growth Hormone or by its peptide name; somatropin, is one of, if not the most important hormone inside our body. Its main responsibilities include but are not limited to:

– Cellular repair of all the body
– Metabolism management
– Body fat management
– Insulin management
– Signals the body to use stored fat for energy
– Drives glycogen (sugar) into skeletal muscle
– Muscle, protein and collagen growth and regeneration
– Bone mineral fortifying

As you can see from this list, Growth Hormone produced inside our bodies is responsible for the growth, repair and metabolism of the cells inside the body. The higher ones output of Growth Hormone the better that body is at regenerating and the younger the bio-age of that person – with Growth Hormone levels being the major marker when calculating the biological age.

Now let’s get back to The Training that will produce the greatest natural GH output.

3 training styles that have been proven in studies to produce High Growth Hormone output include:

1. HIIT Training

2. 1-3 Reps Compound Lift in the barbell squat, deadlift, barbell bench press and barbell shoulder press

3. Sub 1 minute rest between sets of circuit training (30-35 mins of intense work maximum duration)

So what is the science behind these training technique’s and what causes the physiological response of larger Growth Hormone secretions compare to other styles of training?

1. HIIT – This stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This is where an absolute all-out effort is carried out for a certain movement followed by a rest period – to fully recover – then the all-out effort is repeated again, for sets.

Studies have revealed there is a linear response to growth hormone (GH) secretion and exercise intensity. HIIT training is perfect for high Growth Hormone secretions as it is the Intensity of output that the body is undergoing during an all-out effort that triggers the pineal gland to release GH into the blood. By taking the body into a high intensity and then letting the body fully recover before repeating again creates the trigger to amplify growth hormone output. The higher the intensity we reach within each HIIT interval, the higher the GH secretion we create inside our body and the more the positive effects are felt and seen in the body post exercise.

The Method (How to apply HIIT to your weekly training schedule): We are going to choose Sprinting as our movement of choice for this HIIT Session because it is an activity that includes the activation of all the muscles in the entire body when done at full intensity and also Sprinting it is a great movement to reach an all-out effort with practice, over time.

The Training
1. Warm up sufficiently ensuring the entire lower and upper body is warm and mobile.
2. Create a starting line. Begin about 10m behind your starting line
3. Begin running, then when you hit the starting line go into an all-out sprint for about 7 seconds or 100m. If you have a partner with you, have them time your 7 seconds then mark the distance you reached in the 7 seconds, otherwise carry a marker and drop it around the 7 second mark.
Note: this is an all-out effort and therefore unless we are an Olympic sprinter, majority of humans can only sprint for an all-out effort of around 7 seconds. Beyond this time we will have to slow down and this then defeats the entire purpose of HIIT training
4. After the sprint you time your rest. Rest until you are ready to hit the same intensity for the next sprint. This is usually between 2-3.5 minutes. This is repeated for 4-5 rounds at first. Slowly each week increase your sprint repetitions to up to 8 sprints over a period of around 3-4 weeks. In my experience, no more than 8 all-out sprints need to be carried out to obtain the greatest benefit from HIIT training for the sprint and for the greatest GH release post training it. This will take around 20 minutes and can even be placed before or after a training session.
***Note: This is completely opposite to long-distance running where you preserve your energy to last the distance. When completing an all-out sprint the fast twitch muscle fibres become highly engaged and over time these athletic fibres will develop and strengthen adding more high quality Type II muscle fibres to your lean-muscular physique.

Reference: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.2000.89.3.937

2. 1-3 Reps All-Out Effort in the barbell squat, deadlift, barbell bench press or barbell shoulder press

Studies have revealed that it is not only all-out cardio sprints that create high GH output but also all out compound weighted movements performed at maximum effort. Studies concluded that compound weighted movements such as the squat, deadlift, bench press and barbell shoulder press at 90 – 100% of our 1 rep maximum lift in the 1 – 3 repetition range favours the greatest output of Growth Hormone, compared to higher repetition ranges. Basically, as the weight of the lift increases and the effort on the central nervous system, muscles, bones and connective tissue also increases the body responds to this intensity by secreting large amounts of Growth Hormone. You could say it’s the bodies way of rewarding you for making a great effort 🙂

The Method

For this exercise pattern, we are going to choose the Barbell Back Squat. The barbell back squat is a compound movement that activates the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, ankles and feet (if completed without shoes). It is an excellent movement for growth hormone activation because we are applying a strong load to the glutes, hamstrings and quads and these are the largest muscle groups in the body. The more muscle fibres that are activated within the movement the higher the stress on the nervous system, the greater the GH output. In this exercise pattern we will complete a pyramid set where we begin at a light weight and high repetition range and then increase the weight each set and decrease the repetitions until we reach a 1 rep maximum lift (with a lil surprise at the end).

The Training

1. Warm up completing 30 body weighted squats. Then, starting with the barbell only complete another 20 repetitions in full range of motion with full control.
2. Complete the Barbell Back Squat with a light weight and do 15 repetitions rest as required. Next increase the weight and move to 12 reps. Rest, then increase the weight and go to 10 repetitions carry this out all the way through, 8, 6, 4 repetitions. Resting as long as required to complete the next set but not exceeding 3 minutes.
***Note: Once you are at 3 repetitions we are going to add another movement as a super set just for the final 3 sets. Its is this extra intensity and activation of the muscle fibres that will ensure a strong GH release once the sets are completed.
4. Complete 3 reps of Barbell Back Squat then super set straight into 20 x Kettle Bell Weighted Squat Jumps (holding a kettlebell squat all the way down past 90 degrees then explode into a jump as high as possible before landing and going straight into the jump again. Repeat for 20 repetitions).
5. Rest for 3 minutes. Then complete the same super set for 2 and then 1 repetitions
6. Try not to spew 😉

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4562558/

3. Short Rest Period – Sub 1 minute rest between sets of circuit training (30-35 mins of intense work maximum duration)

You may be picking up a theme here with GH focused training. It is the short periods of really high intensity that yield the greatest GH output in the body and allow for more muscle growth and better fat metabolism. It is no surprise then that having rest periods that are just short of your body fully recovering is another training tool that creates high GH output. Again it is this period of intensity, not of initial effort, but of sustained effort while the body has to continue work while not being fully rested that pulls the trigger on high Growth Hormone output during and after the session is completed. In contrast to the mechanical stress created in the 1 – 3 rep compound lift, this training pattern creates metabolic stress which is a high GH output activator.

The Method and Training
1. Carry out a 30 – 35 minute training session where you combine weighted and body weighted movements focusing on 2 muscle groups throughout the entire training session
2. Work in the 60-80% weight range of your 1 rep maximum for each exercise. Carry out 8-10 repetitions for each movement and set. Ensure you are reaching maximum effort by rep 10
3. Conduct intervals where you work for 2 minutes then using a stopwatch rest for just under 1 minute before completing the next work interval
4. Complete 15 – 20 intervals in total or when 35 minutes is completed

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4562558/

This medium-high intensity circuit training with sub 1 minute rest can be completed up to 3 x per week. Just ensure only 2 or 3 muscle groups maximum are worked during the entire circuit and each muscle group stress only 1 or 2 in one week to ensure cortisol levels remain low and all positive hormones remain elevated and the body is able to regenerate and strengthen effectively.

Whatever your training regime is right now, if you are overlooking any of these high GH Output training staples in your weekly program, then now is the time to add them back in and with consistency. You do not want to miss out the full activation of the most important hormone inside your body on a weekly basis! Growth Hormone is our literal, fountain of youth with its rise and fall determining our bio-age on a daily basis.

Including some or all of these GH Training Elements outlined above into your weekly program, adapted to your current fitness levels with the intention of improvement every week, will have a major positive effect on your overall health, fitness, strength, muscle mass, body fat levels, mood and recovery.

author: Ryan McTeigue
References:
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.2000.89.3.937
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4562558/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4562558/