Brad Murphy

L-Carnitine – What Is It, When To Take It, How To Take it and More

Updated on January 1, 2022 by Brad Murphy

Supplement companies have become L-Carnitine pushers.

It’s gotten to the point where I’m rolling my eyes reading something like, “our product contains a full clinical dose to melt fat and send your energy levels through the roof”.

When that starts to happen, I feel the need to write an article on the subject to help you wade through the industry’s swamp of exaggerated claims and twisted scientific interpretation.

So, here it is: everything you need to know about L-Carnitine (and its variations). What it can and cannot do for you, how much you should take, what products to look out for, and what to avoid.

There are several forms of L-Carnitine supplement (or supplements containing L-carnitine) , depending on how the compound is paired with another, to maximize different biological effects.

They include:

L-Carnitine
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)
L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT)
Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC)

You may also see it written as:

Acetylcarnitine
Levocarnitine
L-3-hydroxy trimethyl aminobutanoate (I mean, obviously, right)

L-Carnitine, in its various forms is promoted by supplement companies for the following benefits:

Fat burning
Physical/exercise performance
Muscle growth
Energy
Cognitive function
Anti-depressant
Insulin sensitivity
Cardio vascular health

It can be found in liquid and powder form, in fat-burners, diet pills and pre-workout powders.

I’ll cover all of that, but for now, let’s start with the basics.

What Is L-Carnitine?

L-Carnitine is most like a B vitamin, but it also acts a lot like an amino acid.

In fact, it’s formed from two amino acids: Lysine and Methionine within the liver and kidneys.

So, it looks, sounds and behaves like an amino acid, and for the sake of simplicity most people will refer to it as such.

Others label it a “vitamin-like” or even “amino-acid-like” compound.

Having been studied for nearly seven decades now, we know quite a lot about l-carnitine, but some of its effects still remain to be fully explained.

Being able to synthesize it endogenously, and obtain it from animal tissue, the omnivores amongst us are rarely deficient in L-Carnitine. However, because it is mostly found in meats (with a little absorbed from milk) vegans and vegetarians have less.

Vitamin C dependent enzymes, Vitamin B6, niacin and iron play a role in the synthesis of l-carnitine. Therefore, deficiencies in any of those can also be problematic for endogenous l-carnitine levels.

Biosynthesis of l-carnitine only accounts for about 25% of your daily requirement. The rest must come from food and milk.

NOTE: Vegetarians and vegans should probably supplement l-carnitine, but there is a distinct lack of research involving human subjects, leaving many people unaware of the likely benefits.

There is also some debate as to how vegetarians who do not supplement l-carnitine seem to avoid a deficient state. Modern research suggests it could be a regulatory feedback mechanism that enhances bioavailability, increases biosynthesis and reduces urinary waste to mitigate the otherwise low intake.

One study showed that supplementation increased muscle and plasma l-carnitine concentration but did not improve/affect muscle performance/function or energy metabolism.

Our bodies can store about 20 grams of l-carnitine on average. Ninety-five percent of that is in our muscle tissue and heart, while the remainder is in circulation through our blood and post-production in the liver and kidneys.

Its absorption ratio is much higher from food (~70%) than it is from supplements (~16%), which might be because the lower doses in food are more readily absorbed than supplemental doses, which can be upwards of 1500mg per day.

Due to the massive difference in total dosage, however, you’ll still absorb a lot more from supplements than you will from food. This also means vegans, vegetarians, meat and dairy eaters are pretty much on a level playing field after supplementation.

It’s one of those ingredients that truly cannot be ingested from your diet in the quantities you can get in supplement form.

What Does L-Carnitine Do?

In layman’s terms: L-Carnitine transports fat through the otherwise impermeable inner mitochondrial membrane, where it can be burned (oxidized) for use as energy [source].

During Low-Intensity exercise, l-carnitine acts as the platform for an enzyme called CPT1 to transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells. The mitochondria – essentially our cellular power stations – can use these fatty acids as fuel for metabolic processes.

This movement through the membrane to the mitochondrial compartment of the cell is known as mitochondrial flux.

During High-Intensity exercise l-carnitine forms acetylcarnitine which maintains a pool of Coenzyme-A, essential for mitochondrial flux to continue.

Given the depletion of the free carnitine pool for the formation of acetylcarnitine, an increase in muscle carnitine content (from supplementation) would provide additional substrate for the fatty acid translocation to continue even longer.

This process allows for mitochondrial ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production and delays glycolysis/hydrolysis (carbs) driven ATP production.

In basic terms, l-carnitine provides a buffer which prolongs the use of fat as fuel rather than switching to carbohydrates.

Additionally, this would delay the production of lactic acid and thus reduce muscle acidosis and the fatiguing effect to performance.

The result is a lowered perception of effort/fatigue combined with additional fat-burning activity.

Increasing the provision of l-carnitine through muscle carnitine storage is therefore one of the main reasons for supplementation.

To sum up: L-Carnitine supplementation is primarily used for:

increased fat burning during exercise
reduced body fat mass accrual
reduced fatigue during intense exercise
enhanced fitness and physique parameters (due to increased exercise ability)

How Important Is L-Carnitine?

It’s essential.

Within populations that don’t get enough, people can enter a deficient state. Symptomatic of that deficiency, are few potential health risks:

Early onset dementia
Muscle atrophy/weakness
Hepatic (liver) dysfunction
Cardiomyopathy (diseased heart/cardiac tissue stiffening, scar tissue etc.)
Skeletal muscle myopathy

The vast majority of people will never need to consider such health issue because so little is required and it is prevalent in a rounded diet. There is also that potential for a safety switch that alters absorption ratios to fix low intake.

As for the importance of l-carnitine supplementation – it depends on your dietary intake. If you live in a developed country and eat a diet that incorporates meat, you shouldn’t have a deficiency.

Like I said, first world vegetarians and vegans should think about supplementing, despite modern research showing that other mysterious regulators are at work to raise endogenous levels.

Some congenital defects or acquired damage to organic cation transporter mechanisms can lead to carnitine deficiencies and the aforementioned cardiomyopathy and skeletal muscle myopathy.

Regardless of the problems a deficiency can cause, it is still not classified as a vitamin or mineral because it can be biosynthesized to some degree from methionine and lysine.

It’s best described as “conditionally essential”, where under certain conditions it can cause a state of deficiency and disease and.

Aside from all of that, commercial supplements are, generally speaking, intended for the benefits I listed in the introduction, rather than for avoidance of a diseased state. This is because it has been found in some research to provide benefits at dosages far above those possible from dietary intake.

L-Carnitine for Muscle Growth and Fat Loss

I’d say that the heavily marketed claims of enhanced muscle growth and/or fat loss are the reasons most people have landed upon this article. If you’re one of them, then thanks for reading this far.

There are a lot more reported benefits of l-carnitine supplementation, and some of them feed into the muscle gain and weight loss effects. In which case, they will also be discussed here.

I’ll get to the other unrelated benefits later, but if you’re itching to know whether the money you put down on your pre-workout or fat-burner was well spent, then this section is for you.

The following studies highlight some very important information with respect to how l-carnitine works when you supplement it, what dosages are effective and under what conditions it is effective.

1989 Study on Elite Athletes

One of the larger studies on L-Carnitine was conducted back in 1989.

The scientists took 110 elite level athletes, including those that competed in rowing, kayak, canoe, swimming, weightlifting and long-distance running.

Subjects were given 1000 mg (1 gram) of l-carnitine per day for 3 weeks. They observed differences in athletic performances after a single dose and following the 3 week course.

Single doss increased the following parameters:

Physical output
Lipid metabolism
Muscular function (as contraction force)
Lactate accumulation (i.e. a reduction)

The full three week course improved the following parameters:

Lipid metabolism
Muscular potential
VO2 max
Behaviour
Biological output

The scientists attributed the improvements to the increased transportation of fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells to be used as a fuel.

Basically, l-carnitine assists the process of fatty acid transport into the mitochondria (your cellular power engines) to be burned as fuel.

This has two major effects:

It increases the energy in muscle cells, thus allowing for greater power. Greater power output leads to enhanced overcompensation and muscular potential grows over time.
Fatty acids being taken from adipose tissue to be burned as fuel in mitochondrial cells reduces the fat which is stored and so reduces total body fat over time.

Drawback: The 1989 study was only 3 weeks in length. This is short by any supplement study’s standards if only because some of them only begin to have an effect after a few weeks of consistent use.

This didn’t appear to be a problem here as the scientists recorded some extremely positive results. As you will see, however, later studies were up to 24 weeks in total and involved more accurate measurement techniques.

Comparing Pre and Post Millennium L-Carnitine Studies

Those are some good results, but not all l-carnitine studies tell the same story. Some show little to know improvement in performance, while others still appear to find different benefits.

The latter could be due to the design of the study and of course what the scientists are measuring, but how can we explain the differences in studies that are essentially measuring the same thing?

In fact, the results from studies involving trained athletes, including resistance trained men, are pretty unreliable.

This might be in part due to unreliable testing and old methodologies. Perhaps comparing a 30 year old study to one conducted in the last few years is not fair because the quality of the two are probably not equal.

Continuing with that logic, studies conducted after the year 2000 do show, on the whole, that l-carnitine supplementation does have a positive impact on physical performance, fat metabolism, muscle recovery, fatigue and cognitive function.

One important, and likely correct, theory is to do with how l-carnitine is consumed. The studies you are going to learn about below are true game-changers in this respect.

In the case of the 2011 and 2013 studies below, the L-Carnitine was ingested along with a carbohydrate drink. This was thought, and thus proven to be, a reliable means of increasing muscle carnitine content via an insulin-mediated pathway.

Previous studies had not applied this methodology consistently, hence why the results had been inconsistent to that point. If l-carnitine was supplemented, it may not have gotten into the muscle tissue sufficiently to exert its benefits.

Groundbreaking Study with Humans – 2011

Chronic oral ingestion of l‐carnitine and carbohydrate increases muscle carnitine content and alters muscle fuel metabolism during exercise in humans. Benjamin T. Wall et al. 2011. The Journal of Physiology.

Up until the 2011 study, everyone was still confused about l-carnitine. Results of previous studies had been inconsistent, and the study designs themselves weren’t always up to par.

The 2011 study aimed to enhance the study design and build upon findings from the past, which highlighted the effects l-carnitine supplementation can have on muscle and exercise performance.

From the work that came before their study, the scientists felt it was reasonable/logical to conclude that by increasing the muscle carnitine reservoir (storage) via supplementation, a person could positively affect their muscle fuel metabolism in a couple of ways.

The largest dynamic would be largely determined by the intensity level of exercise.

Together, there was a study objective, followed by three hypotheses:

Objective: Determine whether chronic L-Carnitine plus carbohydrate feeding (in healthy men) increased muscle carnitine content to the same degree as their previous lab studies.

Hypothesis 1: Increased muscle carnitine content would decrease glycogen usage and increase/sustain fatty acid usage as fuel during low intensity exercise.

Hypothesis 2: When carnitine switches to acetylcarnitine during high intensity exercise, increased muscle carnitine content would increase mitochondrial flux, and therefore ATP production, thus reducing anaerobic ATP production and the concomitant lactic acid/lactic acidosis.

Hypothesis 3: Those positive effects of increased muscle carnitine content would improve high intensity exercise performance.

The study lasted 24 weeks, and involved 14 healthy, male recreational athletes in their mid-twenties who engaged in triathlon training (run, bike, swim) 3 to 5 times per week.

Volunteers were tested before commencing the study’s experimental visits to determine their VO2max (maximum amount of oxygen an individual can use during a maximal output exercise session).

Their VO2max was tested again after the study to ensure no significant improvement in aerobic capacity had been made (meaning the supplemental protocol would be the cause of any significant change in performance).

The Experiment

Subjects visited the lab 3 times over the 24 weeks with 12 weeks between each. They exercised on a cycle ergometer for:

30 minutes at 50% max output, followed by
30 minutes at 80% max output, followed by
30 minutes of a work output performance test

The third 30 minute spell there is an “all out” performance test but where the cycling cadence is under the subject’s own control rather than a pre-determined percentage of VO2max to exhaustion.

The scientists had determined from previous studies that “volitional cycling cadence” for a fixed time was a better measure of endurance exercise performance.

The Study Supplementation Protocol

The fourteen men were split into two groups.

Important: Insulin stimulates the transport and uptake of carnitine into muscle, which is why a carbohydrate drink was used as the delivery method in this study.

Group 1: Consumed 80 grams of an orange flavoured carbohydrate drink (~600 calorie) twice per day for 168 days.*
Group 2: Consumed the same drink PLUS 2 grams (2000mg) of l-carnitine twice per day for 168 days.

*the first drink was taken at breakfast time and the second 4 hours later. Again, this was based on previous research which showed this to be a viable way to increase carnitine retention.

Samples and Analysis

At each of the three visits, several samples were taken from the subjects for analysis.

Blood samples for blood glucose, insulin and of course carnitine levels.
Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis (largest quad) at rest and within 5 seconds of finishing exercise, both at 50% and 80% VO2max (while they were still sat on ergometer) for free carnitine, acetylcarnitine, and long-chain acylcarnitine as well as ATP, phosphocreatine, creatine, lactate and glycogen

Let’s just talk about those muscle biopsies for a second.

Study write-ups discuss muscle biopsies with the usual detached/objective scientific voice, but they are an intense procedure for the subject.

A biopsy is the surgical removal of muscle tissue. In this instance, the researchers used the Bergstrom percutaneous needle method. Despite sounding rather mild, it still removes a chunk of muscle a few millimetres in cross section, and has to be taken deep enough to ensure 100% muscle tissue extraction.

With that in mind, remember that these med were subjected to 3 of these biopsies per visit, and two of them within 5 seconds of peddling on an ergometer. What’s more the second and third bioposies were done on the bike immediately before cycling for 30 minutes at 80% VO2max and 30 minutes at volitional max respectively.

It’s safe to say that these dudes are pretty incredible, and to do this for the advancement of sports science is honourable.

What I’m saying here is: if you ever meet anyone who’s been subjected to a muscle biopsy, or 9, then buy them a drink. We all benefit from the data that comes out of these studies, but not all of us get sliced up while doing an intense workout in the process.

Study Results

The results of the 2011 l-carnitine study can be summarized as follows:

The Carnitine group has no change in body mass over the 24 weeks, where the control group gained over 5 lbs.
Blood total carnitine concentrations were greater in Carnitine group after 12 and 24 weeks of supplementation.
Perceived exertion after the 24 week visit was lower in the Carnitine group compared to the control group
Muscle total carnitine content was 30% greater in the Carnitine group after 24 weeks compared to control.
Resting Free Carnitine trended to 30% greater in Carnitine group over control

The next sub-section is a continuation of the results, but merits some additional focus…

Significant Differences in Metabolic Response to Exercise Intensity

Following the low intensity exercise (50% VO2max) muscle glycogen content was 35% greater in the Carnitine group compared to control. This equated to 55% less glycogen being used during the exercise.

Also, free carnitine was 78% greater in the Carnitine group compared to control.

After high intensity exercise (80% VO2max) muscle glycogen was 71% greater in the Carnitine group over control. This was due to the reduction in glycogen usage during the low intensity exercise and so there was no difference in glycogen usage between groups after high intensity exercise.

However, muscle lactate content was 44% lower in the Carnitine group over control following the 80% VO2max cycling. This means of course that less lactic acid was produced during exercise, which in-turn means less anaerobic ATP production was required.

There was also a trend towards greater acetylcarnitine and free carnitine in the Carnitine group.

Work output performance exercise – the 3rd/last 30 minute exercise spell of “all out” volitional cycling – was found to be no different between groups until the 24 week visit.

At 24 weeks, the Carnitine group acheived 35% greater output compared to the control group. This was an 11% increase compared to the carnitine group’s baseline measured at the start of the study before the visits.

Takeaways from the 2011 Study

This was the first study that demonstrated a reliable method to increase muscle carnitine content, with the co-ingestion of a carbohydrate drink.

The increase of 21% is not small either.

Neither is the 55% less glycogen usage during low intensity exercise. To any endurance sport athletes out there, that result should get you pretty excited because it leaves more glycogen for the more intense efforts.

Also, for anyone who exercises in the low intensity range for fat loss, it should be even more exciting. The energy required to exercise must come from somewhere, and if more than half the glycogen is being used then it is coming from fat stores.

Another blinding result is the large difference in lactate production at high intensity exercise that l-carnitine supplementation appeared to facilitate compared to control.

While the control groups’ lactate production increased at both 12 and 24 weeks compared to baseline, the Carnitine groups increased initially at 12 weeks but then returned to baseline levels at 24 weeks.

Matching baseline might not sound amazing but bear in mind that the men’s glycogen stores were increasing. That increase caused the control group to use more glycogen and thus anaerobic respiration, which produced more lactate.

The Carnitine group at 24 weeks even reduced their lactate production from 12 weeks and saw a zero increase compared to week 0, despite a concomitant rise in glycogen storage.

This again means that more ATP is produced via mitochondrial membrane flux rather than through anaerobic respiration.

All of these advantages set the athletes up for a 35% greater output during the “all out” work output exercise.

What remained to be studied after this was the finding that body mass remained the same in the Carnitine group compared to a >5 lb increase in the control group, despite both groups taking on a calorie surplus from the drink.

There is a hint in the discussion of the 2011 study that it could again be down to the Carnitine supplementation and the upregulated fat metabolism it clearly causes, but they quite rightly don’t stray from the study’s findings.

L-Carnitine Prevents Body Fat Accumulation in Humans – 2013 Study

The follow up study that came in 2013 dealt with that body mass observation during the 2011 study, where the Control group added over 5 lbs on average, and the Carnitine group added no body mass despite all subjects consuming a calorie surplus.

Skeletal muscle carnitine loading increases energy expenditure, modulates fuel metabolism gene networks and prevents body fat accumulation in humans. Francis B. Stevens; Benjamin T. Wall et al. 2013. The Journal of Physiology.

So, while the 2011 study was exciting with respect to muscle carnitine content; physical performance and energy metabolism, the 2013 study took a closer look at the energy metabolism aspect.

Perhaps most importantly for a lot of people, the emphasis on body fat mass could tell them with more certainty as to whether l-carnitine was a viable weight loss supplement.

Let’s recap that 2011 body mass observation:

– L-Carnitine (at 2.7g/day) plus carbohydrates (at 160g/day) supplementation by the carnitine group prevented them gaining a 5 lb increase in body mass, that the control group (carbs only) experienced, after the first 12 weeks of study.

That observation is almost worthy of the following assumptions:

The 5 lbs body mass was fat mass in the control group
The L-Carnitine supplementation prevented the accumulation of that fat mass in the carnitine group

In the 2013 study, the scientists wanted to follow a carnitine + carbohydrate feeding program again, similar to the 2011 study.

Additionally, they decided to measure the expression of nearly 200 genes associated with carnitine and energy (fuel) metabolism in the subjects.

Gene expression would bolster the insight gained from the invasive scientific analysis alongside, plus that of the 2011 study.

Hypothesis: that any change of energy metabolism as a result of increased muscle carnitine content would occur alongside adaptations in expression of genes related to fuel use, mitochondrial function and insulin signalling.

Given the similarity of the study procedure, we should skip on ahead to the results.

Study (2013) Results

Again, just like the 2011 study, the control group put on weight after 12 weeks. The carnitine group did not.

The weight increase was entirely due to an accrual of body fat mass.

Control group gained 4.2 lbs +/- 1.5 lbs of fat
Carnitine group gained ZERO

Energy expenditure also increased over the 12 weeks in the Carnitine group, but not in the control group.

Control group did not increase energy expenditure
Carnitine group increased energy expenditure by 6% compared

Perhaps as important as this finding is that:

Control group – the control group experienced a negative change in energy metabolism compared to their baseline readings at the start of the study
Carnitine group – every member of the carnitine group experienced a positive change in energy expenditure compared to their baseline

This result is almost certainly down to the carnitine group’s increased metabolism of fat which trended to 10% compared to their baseline.

Control group – no significant change in fat oxidation compared with baseline
Carnitine group – trending to 10% increased in fat oxidation compared to baseline

Remember the enzyme CPT1 that I mentioned in the What Does L-Carnitine Do section?

Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) is the enzyme derived from its substrate l-carnitine, and is responsible for the transfer of long-chain fatty acids through the mitochondrial membrane for oxidation.

These long-chain fatty acids arrive at the mitochondrial membrane attached to Coenzyme A (CoA), where CPT1 transfers the acyl group (including the fatty acid) to l-carnitine. This combination can then travel through the membrane to be oxidized.

The 2013 study showed the following:

No change in maximal muscle CPT1 activity after 12 weeks in either group;
however: Muscle total long chain acyl-CoA content at rest increased fourfold in the carnitine group compared to baseline AND the control group (who’s remained at baseline)

This 4 x carnitine content in the muscles is similar to when fuel metabolism switches to fat oxidation during rest periods from exercise where muscle carnitine stores are high.

However, the fact that CPT1 activity did not change counters the other findings of this study. The scientists themselves could not explain this, and determine that further research is required.

A possible explanation would be that CPT1 maximal activity is not solely determined by quantity of CPT1 protein but rather its capacity when dealing with a greater concentration of Acyl-CoA (which Carnitine content causes in the muscle).

Gene Expression

The most “enriched” functional pathways from the genetic testing were:

Fatty Acid metabolism
Insulin signalling
PPAR signalling

All three of which are heavily involved in the processes of fat oxidation/metabolism, carbohydrate transport and triglyceride (more fat) metabolism respectively.

It certainly appears as though increased carnitine content can mitigate the negative effects of carbohydrate caloric surplus on insulin signalling.
Takeaways from the 2013 Study

Once again the advantages of increasing muscle carnitine content were shown with this study.

1. Over 4 lbs of body fat accrual experienced by the control group (just carbs) was completely avoided by the carnitine group after 12 weeks of supplementation and 20% increase in muscle carnitine content, all during carbohydrate caloric surplus.

2. Low intensity exercise energy expenditure increased by 6% in the carnitine group compared to zero in control, most likely due to additional fat oxidatiom.

3. Low intensity exercise fat oxidation increased in every subject of carnitine group, trending to 10% compared to baseline and markedly more than control.

4. Resting muscle long-chain acyl-CoA increased by 200% in carnitine group compared to baseline AND control. This is indicative of a switch to fat metabolism during rest periods. Additional carnitine content in muscles extends process.

5. Seventy three out of 187 genes measured increased expression in carnitine group.

The three genes that changed the most are critical for (a) insulin signalling; (b) PPAR signalling; and (c) fatty acid metabolism – all supported the hypothesis that chronic (long-term and consistent) muscle carnitine loading can improve energy metabolism.

In basic terms, increased muscle carnitine content can increase fat metabolism during low intensity exercise and prevent fat mass storage during carbohydrate caloric surplus.

The potential for increased/improved insulin sensitivity can also be inferred.

What Are the Additional Benefits of L-Carnitine Supplementation?

The above studies focused on physical performance at both high and low intensity, energy metabolism (inc. a genetic context), fat loss and insulin health.

Perhaps the 3 most exciting benefits from those studies are that L-Carnitine supplementation:

1. Triggers significantly increased fat burning as fuel over muscle glycogen

2. Prevents fat mass accrual even in carbohydrate calorie surplus

3. Reduces perception of fatigue significantly during intense exercise

…but that’s not where the reported benefits of l-carnitine supplementation end.

Other benefits you’ll be interested in are as follows:

4. Increased Blood Flow and Muscle Pumps via Nitric Oxide production and protection (Atalay Guzel N et al)[https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/25289711]

5. Increased Testosterone by increasing androgen receptor density – and upregulating them in muscle – tissue (Kraemer, William J. et al)
6. Decreased Muscle Soreness/Damage
7. Improved Recovery
8. Improved Sexual Health
9. Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) improves Cognitive Function

How To Take L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine, irrespective of the specific form, should be consumed with carbohydrates. It’s advantageous to consume protein alongside your l-carnitine and carbs as well.

Without a relatively high insulin spike your l-carnitine supplement is much less effective.

You shouldn’t worry about this though because, as the researchers have shown, it improves your insulin function anyway, favours fat burning and prevents carbohydrate driven weight gain.

Furthermore, it’s wise to split your total daily amount of l-carnitine into two separate servings.

1st serving at breakfast
2nd serving with post-workout meal/shake OR with lunch on non-workout days

Next, I’ll talk specific numbers on dosage and carbohydrate/protein feeding.

Recommended Dosages of Various L-Carnitine Supplements

The following are the average recommended doses of the different forms of l-carnitine supplements:

L-Carnitine

Take 3 grams (3000mg) of straight L-Carnitine a day, following the feeding guidelines

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)

Acetyl-l-Carnitine has a higher absorption ratio from the intestines compared to the other forms and thus can be found in capsule supplements and taken at lower doses.

Up to 1500mg of ALCAR split into a couple of doses over the course of the day should be enough.

L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT)

This form of l-carnitine is typically used as a performance enhancer and for improving overall power output during a workout. You’ll find it in pre-workout supplements, but it’s still best taken with a source of carbohydrates.

Daily doses of 1-4 grams (1000 to 4000mg) are common but I’d aim for the upper end of that as with straight l-carnitine and take 3000mg of LCLT.

Glycine Propionyl L-Carnitine (GPLC)

Similar to l-carnitine and LCLT you should take about 3000mg in total over the course of the day. This form is best for enhancing blood flow and getting a decent muscle pump.

For muscle pumps, it works in combination with other ingredients that boost NO like L-Citrulline.

Protein and Carbohydrate Requirements with L-Carnitine

As previously discussed, l-carnitine enters the muscle tissue via insulin-mediated transport and so consuming carbohydrates with your l-carnitine supplement is recommended.

The research subjects discussed in previous sections of this article took 80 grams of carbohydrates twice a day with the l-carnitine.

I defintiely recommend splitting your daily total of l-carnitine into two separate servings.

Carbs: I would suggest around 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates would be enough to spike insulin sufficiently for the process to take effect. Do this for both the morning dose and early afternoon/post-workout dose of l-carnitine

Protein: At the same time, a portion of protein should be eaten. Lean protein at about 30 grams should be sufficient (20-40g range is fine). Post workout protein scoops sizes are usually about this much

Your carbs and proteins can be in the form of food at breakfast and lunch or as a well-formulated carbohydrate supplement designed for post-workout use.

Personally I eat a breakfast that includes both of those macros at those rough quantities for my first serving of l-carnitine. For my second serving I either take a combined protein/carb post-workout shake with it, or eat lunch on my non-workout days.

Acetylcarnitine may be taken in between meals as it has a better absorption ratio in the absence of carbohydrate.

Does L-Carnitine Cause Side Effects?

The recommended doses above should cause no side effects. I suggest splitting the daily total into two servings because large single servings can cause a bit of an upset stomach.

With larger than recommended doses, a person might experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain…similar abdominal and intestinal issues that can occur with high doses of BCAAs, Creatine or Beta Alanine etc.

Some people are Carnitine non-responders according to evidence but this isn’t a side effect as much as it is a lack of benefit.

In rare cases of people with seizure disorders using l-carnitine, supplementation can trigger a seizure. Also people suffering with uremia (urea in blood from abnormal protein metabolism) might experience muscle weakness. Obviously, those people should avoid l-carnitine supplements.

Closing Remarks on L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine is a trending ingredient in the supplement industry, and it appears from reviewing some key research that the excitement is valid.

One thing to remember is that L-Carnitine does not appear to have acute effects. In fact, regardless of the 1989 study observations that single doses improved performance across the board, later studies have reliably shown that it requires chronic supplementation to work.

What do they mean by chronic supplementation? – I believe indefinite would be the appropriate term.

The 2011 study that I believe blazed the trail for the present day hype over l-carnitine followed a 24 week daily dosing protocol.

Given that’s as good as six months, it’s safe to say you won’t benefit from cycling l-carnitine on and off.

Some bodybuilders tend to only use it on a cut cycle, which makes sense considering the prevention of carbohydrate driven mass gain is not conducive to adding bulk.

If you work within basic linear progression cycles and enjoy the bulk/strength/cut routine then by all means, stop using l-carnitine when you are aiming for maximum hypertrophy.

Many of you however are probably looking for a supplement that can consistently help you lose weight in the form of fat mass, boost your energy levels, increase your power output and improve your physique.

If that describes you fairly well then l-carnitine looks like a winner. The prevention of fat storage during carb-caloric surplus should be enough for a lot of people to jump on this supplement. The improvements in energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity almost feel like bonuses in comparison.

On the rare occasion that a supplement appears to work for healthy, exercising humans, in terms of fat burning and performance enhancement, it’s a good idea to grab some and see how it works for you.

L-Carnitine is one of those supplements.

BCAA Supplements – Branch Chain Amino Acids and What they do

Updated on February 25, 2022 by Brad Murphy

So what are branch chain amino acids and what do they do. This is article will go some way to explaining what BCAA’s are why you need them.

BCAA Supplements

So, what are BCAAs and why should you care? “BCAA” stands for branched-chain amino acids. There are just three of them and, if you are serious about buildings some serious muscle, it’s a powerful trio that can help you do it.

As with other nutrients, your primary source of BCAAs is probably going to be your food. However, you can also use supplements to top-up your BCAAs.

Lots of bodybuilders use supplements that contain BCAAs. Other athletes use them too because apart from helping you to get bigger and stronger they can help you to train harder as well.

Other benefits attributed to BCAAs include:

Reduced post-workout muscle soreness
Faster healing
Lees fatigue while training
Prevent muscle wasting

Additionally, research also suggests oral treatment with BCAAs may help people with cirrhosis avoid the risk of liver cancer. [SOURCE]

However, first things first. Before we go into all the reasons BCAAs are so important, let’s take a closer look at what they are and how they fit into the bigger picture.

A Brief Introduction to Amino Acids

Food is complicated stuff. You may not realize it but it is. Food provides us with energy. It also contains vitamins, minerals, and the all-important macronutrients.

The three macronutrients are carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Although most food contains a combination of the three, one type of nutrient often comes to the fore. For instance, steak is primarily a source of protein, but it may contain quite a lot of fat as well.

The thing is, before your body can absorb nutrients and put them to work, the digestive organs have to split them down into smaller parts. The smaller parts that make up protein are called amino acids and they are the raw material your body uses to support muscle regeneration and growth.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They enter the body as part of your food, the digestive organs release them from protein and then the body re-stacks the blocks to form those slabs of protein we call muscle.

Of course, nature isn’t really that simple. The human body uses 20 amino acids, but they are split into two main groups.

Essential Vs Non-Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are so named because it’s essential that you obtain them from outside sources. Obviously, food is the primary and most natural source of essential amino acids but you can also get them from supplements.

Non-essential amino acids are another matter entirely. Although they are as essential for muscle growth as any other amino acid, it’s not essential that you get them from food. If your diet fails to provide any of the non-essential amino acids it will go ahead and make them itself.

Of the 20 amino acids your body needs, 11 are non-essential.

The 9 Essential Amino Acids

The 11 Non-Essential Amino Acids

1. Leucine

2. Isoleucine

3. Valine

4. Histidine

5. Lysine

6. Methionine

7. Threonine

8. Tryptophan

9. Phenylalanine

1.     Alanine
2.     Arginine
3.     Aspartic acid
4.     Asparagine
5.     Cysteine
6.     Glutamine
7.     Glutamic acid
8.     Glycine
9.     Proline
10. Serine
11. Tyrosine

Although it’s not strictly relevant to this article, it’s worth touching on the difference between complete and incomplete proteins.

Meat and fish and certain other foods are known as complete proteins.

They are complete because they provide all 20 of the amino acids your body requires. When you eat a sufficient quantity of complete proteins, your body probably won’t have to pick up and slack by making any amino acids itself.

Rice, almonds, and haricot beans, on the other hand, are incomplete proteins.

They do not contain all 20 amino acids. Having said that, eating a carefully planned combination is a good way to rectify this situation. For instance, a portion of beans on toast is a good vegetarian alternative to steak.

BCAAs: The 3 “Very” Essential Amino Acids

BCAAs are essential amino acids that have particular importance and the three share a common bond. “Branched-chain” relates to their unique chemical structure. On a molecular level, BCAAs have an aliphatic side-chain with a branch. Other amino acids do not, but let’s forget the science and move on.

The three BCAAs are:

Leucine
Isoleucine
Valine

Collectively, this important trio is likely to account for up to 33 percent of your muscle mass. Bearing in mind the fact that the muscles also contain a further 17 amino acids, 33 percent is a lot. However, muscle dominance is not the only reason BCAAs are important.

The Role of BCAAs In Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is the process your body uses to build muscle and Leucine is a “key” player.

Exercise breaks down muscle tissue, thereby instigating the need for repair. This breaking down of muscle cells to release energy is called catabolism.

Protein synthesis is an anabolic process and it requires energy instead of releasing it. [SOURCE]

This stacking together of amino acids to build muscle fuels the desired gains in muscle strength and size, but it could not happen without leucine. It’s the most important of the three BCAAs and not without good reason.

Why Leucine Is # 1

Leucine enters the muscle cells and, acting like a key, it activates protein synthesis by triggering the kinase enzyme mTOR. Then and only then can the other amino acids go to work. [SOURCE]

The Role of Isoleucine

Isoleucine is the second most important BCAA. Apart from being necessary for efficient protein synthesis, isoleucine is responsible for regulating energy and blood sugar levels.

Isoleucine also increases endurance and prevents muscle wastage. [SOURCE]

Last But Not Least: Valine

Although it’s not as important as leucine and isoleucine, valine is still more important than any of the other essential and non-essential amino acids. Apart from having a prominent role in protein synthesis it further supports muscle growth by improving nitrogen retention. [SOURCE]

The Value of BCAA Supplements

BCAAs are the three most important amino acids. Consuming them in supplement form gets them into the system faster than food is able to do.

Before the body can put food-provided nutrients to work, it has to break them down into their component parts. The BCAAs in supplements are already in a usable form. All the body has to do is absorb them.

Of course, the process of absorbing them is still going to take a little time, but it will be infinitely faster than extracting them from food.

Along with fat, protein is one of the slowest nutrients for the body to digest. In the case of a pill-type supplement, once the capsule/tablet has dissolved in the stomach the active ingredients should be more or less good to go.

It’s also important to remember pill-type supplements are taken with water. They mix with it in the stomach and adopt a liquid state. Protein powders and other similar supplements are mixed with water before consumption.

Liquids travel through the stomach more quickly than food. That means they reach the intestines faster and pass through the intestinal walls into the blood at an accelerated rate.

When it comes to speed, amino acid-providing supplements have an edge that even the best protein-rich food cannot match.

The fact that supplements can get BCAAs to the muscles faster gives them obvious value. However, supplements of any kind should be used alongside a balanced diet. They should never be seen as a replacement for one.

Want the bottom line? There is a lot to be said for taking BCAAs in supplement form.

Some BCAA Supplement Benefits

The thing to remember is the benefits provided by BCAA supplements are the same as the ones you get from food. Supplements are just faster-acting, that’s all. I know this has already been covered but it’s an important point so it’s worth repeating.

When it comes to hard-trained muscles and about to be hard-trained muscles speed can make a big difference. That’s why so many people experience such good results while using supplements.

Let’s take a look at some of the things BCAAs can do when taken before and after a workout or sports session.

BCAAs Reduce Fatigue and Muscle Soreness During Exercise

A number of studies show consuming BCAAs prior to a workout supports increased physical intensity. This partly due to their ability to delay the onset of fatigue. However, a pre-workout dose of BCAAs can also prevent muscle damage during training.

If you want to get the maximum benefits from a workout you need to put in the maximum amount of effort. BCAAs can help you to do this.

During exercise, the muscles are busy using BCAAs and the amount circulating in the blood drops. When this happens, tryptophan (essential amino acid) levels increase in the brain.

Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and the resulting elevations in serotonin cause fatigue. This is a well-known fact and is also the reason why so many pre-workout supplements provide extra BCAAs.

The researchers conducting one study on the energizing abilities of BCAAs actually referred to serotonin as “a central fatigue substance”.

As well as establishing the value of BCAAs in the role of fatigue prevention during exercise, the same research also shows BCAAs prevent muscle damage and boost energy. [SOURCE]

BCAAs Decrease Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

A good workout is hard on the muscles. It has to be. If it wasn’t you wouldn’t see a lot of benefit. The same can be said for most sporting activities so post-exercise muscle soreness is only to be expected.

However, some people experience post-workout muscle soreness for a number of days. It can be especially bad for those who are new to intense exercise. People who have taken a short break from exercise can have a similar problem.

Maybe they stopped during their vacation or due to injury or illness. Either way, the break can increase post-workout muscle pain.

Changing your routine often does this too. It’s great for providing muscle confusion and encouraging continued growth. There’s no denying that, but too much muscle soreness is never a good sign. It shows the muscles are still in the process of healing.

Consuming a fast-acting dose of BCAAs post-workout is a good way to accelerate the healing process and improve muscle growth. Research proves this [SOURCE]
However, there is also plenty of research that shows consuming BCAAs prior to a workout also offers good post-workout benefits. [SOURCE]

BCAAs Prevent Muscle Wastage

Research shows BCAAs also prevent muscle wastage. The thing to know is, muscle tissue is being lost and replaced all the time. The catabolic and resulting anabolic processes are normal—a part of life.

The only difference is bodybuilding and sports hit the muscle harder. Muscle wastage happens when muscle tissue breaks down faster than the body can repair it.

A combination of overtraining and bad diet is one possible cause. Certain diseases cause muscle wastage as well. Cancer is one of them.

However, the aging process can do it too. This age-related problem is called sarcopenia and it generally starts to kick in around the time you turn 30.

People who are physically inactive are hit worst. They can lose up to five percent of their muscle mass every decade after they turn 30. Worse still, the process can speed up when you reach 65-75 years of age. [SOURCE]

Obviously, the fact that you are training offers a certain amount of protection. However, we are all only human and it can be hard to make muscle gains when sarcopenia is working against us.

Fortunately, research shows supplementing with BCAAs offers protection from sarcopenia. [SOURCE]

The Bottom Line

So, what are BCAAs and why should you care? If you didn’t know the answer to the first part of that question you do now. As for the second part, that’s pretty much up to you. Do you care?

Whether you care or not, BCAAs are extremely important amino acids and although you should be able to get them from your diet, there is still a lot to be said for throwing a supplement into the mix.

Having said that, if your normal workout is pretty low-intensity you may find eating a balanced diet is enough.

However, if you are more focused on muscle growth or want to seriously improve your strength it could be a different matter. When you train your muscles especially hard you may need an especially efficient way of getting nutrients to them on time.

How serious are you and what do you want? The only person who can answer that is you.

Evlution LeanMode Review – Stimulant Free Fat Burner

Updated on January 1, 2022 by Brad Murphy

If you are susceptible to caffeine and other stimulants your choice of fat burning supplement is rather limited. LeanMode is stimulant free – and one of your choices. How do we rate it? – Read the review.

Leanmode review — Stimulant free weight loss support

PROS
Made by respectable company.
Good Ingredient profile.
Well priced.

CONS
Mixed customer reviews.
Key ingredients missing.

VERDICT – OTHERS PREFERRED
Stimulant free fat burners are never going to deliver the fat burning results their stronger counter do. Having said that LeanMode is decent supplement from a respectable company. If you are susceptible to caffeine you could do a lot worse than buy this.

If you aren’t a sensitive soul then PhenQ should be your fat burner of choice

Evlution LeanMode Review

LeanMode is a stimulant free fat burner developed and distributed by Evlution Nutrition. The company is based in Florida and all its products are manufactured in FDA registered facilities in the USA.

Evlution Nutrition was founded in 2012 by retired BMX pro, Mike Spinner. The company launched its first product the following year and presently boasts a wide range of health and fitness supplements that includes amino acids, testosterone boosters, and pump enhancers.

The thing to know about LeanMode is there are two versions. One is a powder and it comes in a tub. The other is a capsule version and Evlution Nutrition sell it by the bottle.

Although the powder and capsules bear the same name and contain exactly the same ingredients, they cannot really be considered the same product. The inclusion rates are completely different.

The powder contains double the amount of some ingredients and significantly less of others. Due to the staggering differences in inclusion rates, the potential benefits and side effects will not be the same. Each one will need to be evaluated separately.

This is a review of LeanMode capsules. The observations and inclusions presented cannot be seen as being equally applicable to LeanMode powder.

What Are the LeanMode Benefits?

According to Evlution Nutrition customers who combine use of the pills with proper diet and exercise can expect additional support in six areas:

Appetite control
Metabolism
Weight management
body composition
Energy
Antioxidant levels

So What Does All This Mean?

Any attempt to lose weight presents certain problems. As with any other diet pill on the market, LeanMode exists to help make those problems go away.

The first problem dieters face is hunger. That one is a biggie. Any dieter who allows hunger to control them is not going to get far.

Unfortunately, hunger is a very distracting sensation. Resisting the urge to appease it can be a tortuous experience. That’s why so many dieters give in, give up, and get nowhere.

If LeanMode can provide the necessary appetite control, weight loss will become easier.

Overcoming hunger is only half the battle. Sticking to an energy-restricted diet is a great way to force your body to burn fat. However, the same calorie deficit that enables this also causes fatigue.

Most diet pills combat diet-related fatigue by providing caffeine and/or other stimulants. LeanMode is a stimulant-free fat burner so it’s going to have to provide energy in another way.

Apart from (hopefully) combating these two negative aspects of dieting, LeanMode is also designed to provide additional benefits.

The main one is a faster metabolism. A faster metabolism burns more calories. That can be a big help to anyone who is trying to lose weight.

Evlution Nutrition doesn’t explain what it means by “body composition”. It may suggest the company believes the formulation may improve muscle mass.

Nor does Evlution Nutrition mention why antioxidant support is worthy of mention. In fact, the company doesn’t provide much information about LeanMode at all.

However, antioxidants boost the immune system and help protect the body from disease. So, if the capsules are providing them, at least it’s a good thing.

LeanMode Ingredient Profile and Blend Evaluation

Each (3 capsule) dose of LeanMode provides:

Garcinia Cambogia – 500 mg
Green Coffee Bean Extract – 500 mg
Green Tea Extract – 250 mg
Acetyl L-Carnitine – 500 mg
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)- 500 mg

Garcinia Cambogia

Garcinia cambogia is a tropical fruit. The rind of the fruit contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA). This is the all-important chemical that puts much of the “super” in this popular superfruit.

A lot of people believe the ingredient only has value as an appetite suppressant. This is not the case. The HCA provided by garcinia cambogia extracts also prevents and reduces abdominal fat accumulation [SOURCE]

Green Coffee Bean Extract

Green coffee beans contain chlorogenic acid. Roasted coffee beans don’t because the heat from the roasting process destroys it.

Chlorogenic acid is an antioxidant. It also regulates blood glucose levels and inhibits the absorption of dietary fats. This versatile chemical is also associated with numerous other health benefits. Furthermore, research shows it has the potential to reduce body fat. [SOURCE]

Green Tea Extract

Green tea is another ingredient that is rich in antioxidants. In fact, it has dibs at being the most healthy weight loss ingredient in the world. Green tea supports weight loss by increasing calorie expenditure and thermogenesis.

Lots of studies support the use of green tea for fat loss. One clinical trial is particularly interesting because it suggests the benefits may last for 24 hours.

Acetyl L-Carnitine

An amino acid that helps provide the body with energy. Not surprisingly, Acetyl L-Carnitine is often used as a performance booster in sports supplements and pre-workout formulations.

In addition to its other merits, Acetyl L-Carnitine also supports faster recovery after exercise. That’s one of the reasons it’s often added to bodybuilding supplements. The other one is it protects against muscle loss. [SOURCE]

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

CLA is a fatty acid that’s naturally-occurring in beef and dairy products. It’s not one of the most potent fat burners available, but researchers have ascertained it’s value as a weight loss aid.

How to Use Evlution Nutrition LeanMode

Only two doses are required per day. That’s three capsules 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast and a further three capsules 30 to 60 minutes before dinner.

LeanMode Customer Comments

Some customers say the product is a winner, but others say no go.

A few randomly-chosen customer comments read:

“This is working well for me. I’m amazed at how thin I’m looking after just 8 weeks..”
“Maybe it’s my metabolism or maybe I’ve been conned. All I know is these pills are doing zilch for me.”
“I’ve been taking this product for 9 weeks and watching what I eat. So far I’ve lost 17lbs and am content the pills are doing their job.”
“My idea was to use this in place of my usual fat burner. I thought it may work better. My gym routine is the same and my diet has not changed. I was losing weight slowly before. Since the switch, I’ve gained a few pounds back. It’s a garbage product.”
“My appetite is not much different, but I do appear to be losing a little weight. It’s a slow process but I’ve started going swimming a few times a week and I’m sure that helps too.”
“Wow! six pills a day! That’s all it takes. Just six little, pills and you can feel the disappointment too. Try it you’ll see. Better still don’t try this crap. Buy something else instead. You may have better luck. LeanMode doesn’t work.”

Reported Side Effects

No side effects have been reported but LeanMode is not intended for anyone who has pre-existing medical problems. Nor is it suitable for women who are pregnant, nursing, or hoping to become pregnant.

Evlution Nutrition says the product is unsuitable for under 18s as well.

Cutting to the chase, what the company is trying to say is, unless your health is good, LeanMode isn’t for you.

Where to Buy LeanMode

As with all Evlution Nutrition products, you can buy LeanMode via the company website. Many independent online stores have the product as well. Buying via GNC, Walmart, and Amazon is also an option.

There are three packs sizes, including a 10 serving trial size. However, the 30-serving bottle appears to be the most popular option. In fact, it’s the only size available via some suppliers.

The price for a 30 serving bottle is around $20 if you buy directly from the official site (price correct at the time of this review). It can be a little more or less when purchasing via other suppliers.

LeanMode is not one of the more expensive fat burners on the market. However, it’s not as cheap as it may appear. Most competing products are sold in bottles that provide a 30 day supply of pills.

Thirty servings of LeanMode is only a 15-day supply because two servings are required per day. Be aware of that before going all googley eyed over the price.

Guarantee

Evlution Nutrition does not provide a money back guarantee. The company makes that very clear via its returns policy which states in no uncertain terms: “ALL SALES ARE FINAL”.

It may bend the rules a little for items that have been damaged in transit, but that’s the only exception. So if you buy LeanMode and then find it doesn’t work you will have to chalk it up to experience.

Is Evlution Nutrition LeanMode Worth Buying?

The ingredient formulation looks good on paper, but LeanMode is not one of the better fat burning options available. Granted, it beats a lot of competing products on price, but it’s unlikely to beat the better ones on results.

Although plenty of customers say it works, many say that it does not. Cheap or not, that’s a problem for any product that is not backed by a guarantee.

So, how can a product that contains good ingredients possibly not work? There could be many reasons for this. The most obvious one is a failure to use it in association with a calorie-restricted diet. That’s a failing that can scupper any diet though—with or without supplementary support.

In the case of LeanMode, it could be due to a design flaw. The pills are designed to be taken with breakfast and dinner. That’s a long period between the two doses. The effects of the product are likely to be weak or non-existent during the middle of the day.

Then again, it could be the ingredient quality is not as good as it should be. LeanMode is a little cheaper than many other options. There may have been some corner cutting along the way.

It’s also worth noting the fact that, when it comes to appetite suppression, garcinia cambogia is pretty much going it alone. Hunger is a diet killer, so that could be the problem as well.

The bottom line is, LeanMode seems to work for some people, but not for others and it has no guarantee. That’s makes it a gamble. The odds of success are much better with some of the other options available.

Recommended Alternative: Our top rated fat burner is PhenQ. It is suitable for both men and women and can be used as a weight loss pill for anyone wanting to lose body weight. Or it can be used as fat burner or fat loss supplement to remove excess body fat.

SX-7 Revolution Shatter – Pre-Workout

Updated on January 1, 2022 by Brad Murphy

It’s the “ultimate pre-workout with dual-phase technology” according to MuscleTech, the manufacturer of all things HydroxyCut. How does SX-7 Shatter compare to other pre workouts?

Hydroxycut Shatter — Do the best workouts start with Shatter?

PROS
The Best HydroxyCut Pre-Workout I’ve seen to date.
Great ingredients.
Powerful stims.
Fat burning.

CONS
Not the best pre workout I’ve seen.
Usual BS marketing hype.
Two different formulas (dep. where you live).

VERDICT – OTHERS PREFERRED
Although this is the best Hydroxycut pre workout I have seen to date, the bar is not set particularly high.

It is a confusing product with 2 differing formula’s depending if you are in North America or Europe.

If you want a pre workout formula that contains exactly what you need, is trusted by the industry and tastes great then Crazy Nutrition Intensive Pre Train is for you.

HydroxyCut SX-7 Revolution Shatter Review

It’s the “ultimate pre-workout with dual-phase technology” according to MuscleTech, the manufacturer of all things HydroxyCut.

Many products have a US version and an “International” (non-US) version of their formula, and the HydroxyCut line is a prime example.

In a nutshell: The US allows some ingredients like Yohimbe to be sold, and other countries don’t. This means the international version usually has that/those ingredient/s swapped out for something else.

Muscletech have never been shy about hyping up their Hydroxycut products, and SX-7 Revolution Shatter is no different.

They make some massive claims, and pull some weird competitor-comparison table out of the hat to show you that this pre-workout is the best and others don’t even come close.

The MuscleTech brand might very well be the best selling bodybuilding supplement brand in America, but does that mean they manufacture pure bodybuilding gold, or does it mean their marketing game is strong?

Let’s see how Hydroxycut SX-7 Revolution Shatter holds up to some real scrutiny.

SX-7 Revolution Shatter – The USA Version

The American recipe is the one they want to sell you, because the ingredients it contains are the controversial ones. The ones that make people think they are taking something edgy, potent and maybe, just maybe a little dangerous.

MuscleTech have cottoned on to the fact that anyone with real sense wants to see an open label, i.e. all the ingredients and their inclusion rates laid out to bare on the back of the packaging.

If they could, these companies would put proprietary blend inside proprietary blend all day long, because it means they can put crap all in to the products, and still charge you an arm and a leg for them.

These days however, they are dealing with Customer2.0, that’s you by the way, and you are way more savvy about what you are putting in your body.

What Are the Ingredients and Dosages in the US Version?

The ingredients are presented in the MyoShock™ Performance Blend and the NeuroAMP™ Sensory Matrix

You can take 1 scoop or 2 scoops of the pre-workout, which equates to 50 or 25 servings respectively.

Here’s the ingredients in 2 scoops:

MyoShock™ Performance Blend

3200 mg – Beta-alanine (CarnoSyn®)
3000 mg – L-Citrulline (as pure form and peptide form as PepForm®)
2500 mg – Betaine anhydrous
1000 mg – Taurine

NeuroAMP™ Sensory Matrix

350 mg – Caffeine
250 mg – TeaCrine® using ActivSphere™
100 mg – Lion’s Mane
40 mg – Guayusa
40 mg – Yohimbe extract

Beta-alanine, L-Citrulline, Betaine and Taurine should come as no surprise to you if you’ve used pre-workouts.

They’re there for muscle pumps, intra-set muscle endurance, acid buffering, blood flow, tissue protection (from oxidation). And I’ll say right now that they are included at decent dosages.

However, there might be a few ingredients in the NeuroAMP Sensory Matrix that you’d like to know more about.

Lion’s Mane – aka Yamabushitake is a dietary mushroom that’s associated with cognitive benefits, such as general cognitive function, reduction of anxiety and depression.

Human studies with Lion’s Mane are thin on the ground but it’s showing some great potential. There’s evidence showing it can improve nerve-growth factors in the brain.

This could mean a couple of things: (1) it might be used to help people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. i.e. it could help attenuate the loss of neurons; and/or (b) it could improve cognitive function in healthy people.

Option (b) there is a dream scenario. New neuron growth in otherwise healthy people would essentially equate to enhanced cerebral capacity and processing speed.

The study on humans (Japanese men between 50 and 80 years old) used a 1000 mg daily dose.

HydroxyCut SX-7 Revolution Shatter only has a 100 mg dose at the 2 scoop serving. One tenth of the studied dose.

In itself, that doesn’t necessarily mean 100 mg is useless but going from the study findings of “Yamabushitake is effective in improving mild cognitive impairment” at 1000 mg to the vague “contributes to the unique sensory experience” (at a 100 mg) that MuscleTech/HydroxyCut talk about…is a bit of a stretch.

Now, let’s look at Guayusa.

Guayusa (ilex guayusa) is a tea leaf extract similar to Green Tea and a natural source of caffeine.

It contains phenolic compounds, including Chlorogenic acid (one of the bioactives in green coffee) and several carotenoids of which lutein is the most abundant.

A study has shown it to be safe, comparable to Green Tea at appropriate dosages.

Another study investigating the effects of Guayusa as a natural source of caffeine showed that it induces less of an epinephrine (adrenaline) response than green coffee.

Cutting to the chase, Guayusa doesn’t look like a very potent nervous system stimulator and therefore won’t have much fat burning effect via that pathway. At least, not compared to caffeine anhydrous and even green coffee (and probably green tea).

By the way, Ilex guayusa tea is commercially available as Runa tea. There are probably similar benefits as green tea (C. Sinensis) with respect to antioxidant activity.

I’ll wrap up Guayusa by saying that the study that found less of an adrenaline boosting effect than green coffee also used a 200 mg dose of guayusa.

HydroxyCut SX-7 Revoluton Shatter contains 40 mg at the maximum serving of 2 scoops.

It also contains Caffeine, Theacrine and Yohimbine, the latter being potent, so I’m not too bothered about the dose Guayusa as it all stacks up cumulatively.

However, with a 40 mg dose of Yohimbe extract, 350 mg of caffeine and 250 mg of Theacrine, I don’t see the Guayusa making a drop of difference.

Yohimbine is definitely worth a mention at this point

The 40 mg dose in 2 scoops is actually Yohimbe extract bark, from which the Yohimbine – the active compound – content is estimated.

Here it’s standardized at 6% which yields a 2.4 mg dose of Yohimbine. That’s considered a good starter dose of the stimulant, especially in the presence of the other stimulants in the blend.

That said, there are definitely some precautions you should take with Yohimbine.

Yohimbine can cause anxiety symptoms, even panic attacks, especially in people pre-disposed to such conditions. It’s actually often used in scientific studies: to induce such side effects in investigations of anxiety.
It’s a powerful stimulant and can raise the heart rate, sometimes uncomfortably if combined with intense exercise.
The yohimbe bark used in this product is associated with more side effects than the isolated yohimbine compound.

If you want to try Yohimbine, I would try and find a product containing isolated Yohimbine rather than the yohimbe bark.

Also start with a very low dose, particularly if it’s stacked with other stimulants. And go steady in the gym, on the track or whatever the first few times you use it.

Will The HydroxyCut SX-7 Revolution Shatter USA Version Work?

Yes.

As a pre-workout supplement for getting a muscle pump, as a cognitive booster for focus and drive, even as a fat burner…it will work.

Personally I would like to mess with the dosages a bit so that it’s not simply a case of halving every one of them if you take 1 scoop versus 2 scoops.

Basically, I’d like the option of keeping the MyoShock blend at the 2 scoop doses and the NeuroAMP blend at the 1 scoop dose.

As that’s completely impossible, I’ll say this: Please, if you are unused to stimulants, or pre-workout supplements, take the single scoop – or even half a scoop – on your first try.

Ironically if you use caffeine and other stimulants habitually/daily then you are going to get less out of the product in general.

My advice would be to cycle off stimulants, winding down your daily intake until you are basically on nothing for a week. Then start your cycle on this.

Begin with a half or single scoop on day 1 and see how you go from there.

Rant alert !!! Incoming Rant !!!

I don’t like the way MuscleTech compare their products to the unnamed “Competitor 1” and “Competitor 2”.

I don’t like the way they say it’s “Creatine Free” as if that’s a good thing – Creatine is one of the most proven and effective muscle growth/strength supplements ever.

It means nothing to say other companies “bulk up their formula with creatine” without any context.

Yeah, some companies, e.g. Nutrex and (all hail) Jim Stoppani (JYM Supplements) put Creatine in their pre-workout formula. But they also have massive 26 gram single scoops of ingredients compared to the 16 grams in 2 scoops of the HydroxyCut SX-7 featured in this review.

Winds me up. Anyway…

MuscleTech also say there’s no L-Citrulline and no Lion’s Mane in Competitor 1 and 2. Also that there is Beta-alanine and Betaine in the competition, but the amounts are hidden in proprietary blends.

Exactly who are these competitors, MuscleTech, and why do you select those as your #1 and #2 ???

It’s a crock of sh!t, plain and simple!

These days, every single company with open label products are saying “other companies hide their ingredients in proprietary blends”.

Some still do, sure, but not your main competitors. And all of these companies with open labels are only doing so now because they have been forced out of their BS ways by the trail-blazers.

Rant. Over.

Conclusion: This product will definitely get you going. There’s just no need for MuscleTech to be d-bags about it.

Additional Comments – International Recipe for HydroxyCut SX-7 Revolution Shatter

Yes, right, there is another recipe for people who don’t live in the US, because certain ingredients can’t get through customs.

MuscleTech have taken out the Yohimbe, which is due to the aforementioned side effects of the stimulant.

They’ve also taken out the Guayusa for the non-US version. I’m not sure why but perhaps it isn’t economical to source it in Europe and other countries. Either way, it’s got the boot, but I doubt it’s a safety issue.

Niacin, as nicotinic acid, is the one replacement at 10 mg or 20 mg (1 or 2 scoops). That’s basically a bit of Vitamin B3. In those quantities there’s not much point talking about it because it won’t do much. It certainly isn’t a replacement for Yohimbine in terms of stimulation.

All other doses are the same in the US and International versions. At least with the international recipe you don’t have to worry about the potential for anxiety. Some people might prefer that assurance.

Summary

HydroxyCut SX-7 Revolution Shatter is an effective pre-workout supplement, and in my opinion a vast improvement on many of the previous products in the same line.

There is a lot of quality competition out there though, so I would ignore the blatant marketing trickery of MuscleTech, and encourage you to do your own comparisons.

I understand they have to do something to stand out in a competitive market, but there must also be people like me to balance the equation.

I’m the Yin to their Yang…or something.

Recommended Pre Workout

There are hundreds of pre workout supplements on the market with a hundred different ingredient profiles.
Our recommended pre workout is – Crazy Nutrition Pre-Train, a pre-workout supplement that’s specially formulated to boost energy and focus without causing jitters or digestive issues.

You stack with D-Bal Max – a premier supplement as it contains high dosages of the ingredients to get the most from your workout.

It is suitable for men and women and for people of all levels from the beginner to the competitive trainer

Role of Genetics for Muscle, Strength, Training – Hardgainers and Extreme Responders

Updated on April 23, 2020 by Brad Murphy

Most of the time, informative health, fitness, nutrition and supplementation articles and essays that end up on our computer screens, books and magazines deal with averages and majorities.

You can’t cater to everyone due to the very nature of uniqueness. This is no more apparent than when you offer advice about strength and muscle building to an audience rather than an individual.

The bigger the group, the more generalized your advice has to be. By definition, you have to talk about averages in order to resonate with the majority.

You are, however, an individual, and for some individuals making gains in the gym is not as easy as it is for others.

The topic of genetic predetermination, giving rise to natural talents, or “gifts” as they are so often called, is a subject of unending debate.

It isn’t going to be resolved anytime soon either, and that has a lot to do with the emotional furor that can erupt when dealing with such sensitive issues.

Put two men in a room together, one a self-professed “hardgainer” and the other a professional bodybuilder. The small guy might tell the bodybuilder that he’s just lucky on a genetic level.

The bodybuilder might reply with something along the lines of, “my physique is a result of extremely hard work and determination. You are small because you don’t train like me.”

The argument could go on ad infinitum because they might both be partly correct, and partly wrong, or one might be almost 100% correct and the other almost zero.

No-one really likes the idea that you can be dealt a good genetic hand at birth, for anything, because it negates a lot of that hard work, true grit, steely determination, motivation, drive stuff and replaces it with, “meh, they just have the right genes.”

For the person with the talent, this is a pretty big blow because no matter how close to reality it is, the hard work they have actually put in has lost some meaning.

And for the person who wants the talent but can’t have it, they might have to deal with the fact that no amount of hard work will get it.

Like I said, it’s emotional.

Born With It, Or Not?

The underlying principal of success in any given skill or discipline is hard work, at least that’s what most of the free world is raised to think. “Work hard and the sky is the limit.”

It sort of craps on someone’s parade when they find out just how much of their success can be down to something they have zero control over.

People like the idea that they control their destiny, generally speaking. The notion that much of their life’s fortunes and failings are a product of genetic fate and the chance discovery of it does not sit well.

Truth be told, there’s no easy way to know the actual proportions of success in terms of “practice makes perfect” and “born talent”. At least, not with our current level of genetics science.

Even the research of innate skill/talent variations in athletes is frowned upon. Many nations’ governments are comfortable with, even built upon, the concept of the existence of a god…

…but apparently not one who, at the design stage, programs us individually with advantages or disadvantages relative to one another.

Life would be much more fair if hard-work, grit and determination were the only variables involved in skill level and success.

Alas, genes have a bigger effect than a lot of people want to accept.

Why do some people seem to make such quick progress and I can’t?

On the other hand, genetic determinists – people who think it’s all in the genes – are missing the point of practice. Practice might not make perfect, but it damn well helps.

Despite ourselves, most of us probably think our talents and skills are a combination of the genetic factor and hard-work factor.

There’s more truth in that assertion than any of the extreme points of view. Of course there’s a mix. The elite bodybuilders of the world still have to put in the work, just like the fastest marathon runners, and strongest powerlifters.

But how much impact can our genetics have on our ability to get stronger, bigger and more powerful? That is, after all, what most readers are interested in.

How much of my potential has been pre-determined for me?

What can I do to improve my strength and hypertrophy gains?

Why do some people seem to make such quick progress and I can’t?

There are so many questions. I can’t answer them all. Like I said, we just don’t know enough, and modern, western science tends to avoid the issue for fear of opening a gigantic can of worms.

Still though, some research has gotten through the cracks, and it’s overwhelmingly obvious that innate genetic variations from person to person can lead to large differences in their ability to grow massive muscles.

To the initial question: Born With it Or Not? – It’s too simplistic. For example, there isn’t a singular on/off switch for muscle growth potential in response to resistance training.

There are a bunch of genetic switches with complex variations, and yet more to be discovered, but the odds of having all the switches turned on to give you the perfect genetic propensity for muscle growth are trillions to one.

In all likelihood, there has never existed a single human being who was born with the royal flush of activated genes.

Pre-Training Variations in Body Type

The fact that there can be a large genetic influence should be obvious from the start if we’re honest with ourselves.

Even before doing a single session in the gym, muscle mass varies pretty wildly from individual to individual.

Your natural size and strength is not necessarily a factor in how strong and big you can get from training, but it’s a good indicator as to what sort of template you’ve been born with.

Obviously diet and activity level as you grow up into adulthood are major factors in your “novice” strength and size, but even if those are accounted for, genetic variations make a big difference.

Bone density, size and strength variations are – all else being accounted for – highly subject to genetic combinations.

Even the distribution of slow-twitch (type 1) and fast-twitch (type 2) muscle fibers can be genetically pre-determined to a large extent.

All in all, about half of your variability relative to others in adult pre-training muscle mass, physique dimensions and skeletal structure have been dialled in before you even start training. Before you were even born!

people can have hugely different muscle growth responses to a specific resistance training exercise.

Genetic Trainability for Muscle Size and Strength

You’d think if there was any logic to this, the people who have a genetic head start – i.e. naturally bigger frames, muscle mass and strength – would be the ones who would respond the best to resistance training.

After all, why would they be naturally big and strong if it wasn’t a sign for them to be an even greater physical specimen?

To that, and any other questions of a similar philosophical flavour, I would strongly urge you to give up asking why, because that discussion quickly descends into unresolvable debates.

What we know from studying people under controlled conditions is that people can have hugely different muscle growth responses to a specific resistance training exercise.

A study looking at the differences between the subjects response to bicep training showed that the variation in muscle size ranged from about a 60% increase down to some that got smaller!

Strength-wise there were people who didn’t increase at all, to someone who increased their one rep max (1RM) by 2.5 times their starting strength.

The average response was 19% in size and 54% in strength.

In scientific studies, people who don’t improve in response to the training (or test) stimulus are called non-responders.

Note: Non-responders are only technically non-responders for the test in which they have been studied. Their biceps size and strength might not get bigger in the specific training program of the study, but they might from a differently designed program.

Also, without full body training, no-one can know whether the non-responders are only so for that muscle group.

The same subjects are not called up time and again to test different parts of their bodies, with varying training volumes and styles, so it’s impossible to say for sure what could be, given some tinkering.

Other studies, including a better designed study which controlled the nutritional intake of the subjects, give us a better picture as to what happens.

Muscle hypertrophy – the growth in size of muscle tissue – appears to be the largest variable when it comes to the differences between non-responders or hardgainers and average/extreme responders.

Putting some numbers to that: extreme responders have been observed adding four times the lean mass of a “low-responder” during a 3 month training program, with controlled nutritional intake.

Variations in strength improvements however tend to be far smaller, to the point of statistical insignificance.

How can there be such a difference in variation between strength and size trainability?

There might be a couple of reasons that combine to cause this to happen.

Firstly, when you begin a resistance training program, you will see dramatic increases in strength during the initial 2 to 3 months.

This strength boom is largely attributed to neural adaptations taking place, which is a fancy way of saying you learn how to lift heavier weight with your existing muscle mass. The ongoing discussion between your brain and muscles is fairly efficient at this and so you improve quickly.

Even really low responders/hardgainers will experience this ramp-up of strength in the early stages because their slower rate of muscle mass growth is not necessarily holding them back.

After 6 months, the strength increases might level off. We don’t really know from a research perspective because these studies don’t go for that long.

Limitations of Scientific Studies

I started this article by saying how unique everyone was and that information which fits the majority is not necessarily useful for everyone.

That is unfortunately where scientific research leaves us much of the time. Studies that have investigated the effect of genetic differences on variability of response to resistance training mostly tell us that genetics clearly play a significant role.

What they don’t offer is much in the way of solutions for people who might be considered low-responders or non-responders.

The biggest limitation is highlighted by the uniqueness of the individual subjects.

The high responders and the low responders to a particular exercise at a specific frequency with heavy weight might not be the same low and high responders to another exercise, using another muscle group, at a different training volume with low-load-high-rep training.

What’s more, studies only last for a virtual blip on the possible timescale of a person’s training career.

Given personalized training programs and a lot more time, who’s to say a “non-responder” won’t start to make real progress?

In fact, a study conducted in 2017 demonstrated that perfectly, when individually designed training programs were given to the subjects.

Every person in the study got stronger with the personal program whereas only about two-thirds of the standard cookie-cutter program participants did.

Studies are a snapshot, and only provide a glimpse. As an individual you have many years to mess with your training program and see what produces the best results for you.

Hardgainers and Non-Responders – What Are the Implications?

There’s no avoiding the fact that some people are born with a better set of genes lit up than others when it comes to muscle and strength adaptations to resistance training.

You might be roughly aware of your own circumstances already if you’ve got a good base of comparison and solid observation skills, but even then it’s hard to take much away from observing similar people doing similar training.

You might be wondering if you are a “hardgainer” – the gym bro word for low/non-responder – and hoping for some kind of sign as to what you can do about it.

There are medical DNA tests but they are far from accurate and they only test for the genes that are known about, which aren’t fully understood and aren’t even very good predictors of training response potential.

A much more satisfactory approach would be to acknowledge the limited research that highlights the advantages of personalized training programs.

Something simple as increasing training volume can literally make the difference between success and failure for a hard gainer. However, it may be a reduction of training volume that is necessary if the problem you have is not allowing enough time for the recovery process plus the overcompensation/growth process to occur.

The occasional investigation like this one even broadens the measurement criteria to show that when people train, there will always be some positive response.

The same study actually followed a group of 65+ year olds and resulted in only one non-responder for strength gains.

That demonstrates again that there is a much lower rate of non-response for strength, and given it’s amongst a group of people 65 years of age and over, the chances of younger people experiencing non-response in strength numbers is as good as zero.

Training Volume and Intensity

I mentioned earlier that increasing or decreasing your training volume might be the key to unlocking some growth responsiveness from said training.

When we break muscle in the gym, it must be repaired before it overcompensates and grows bigger. Overtraining can interrupt the process even for moderate to high responders because the process is curtailed after the first recovery step by another training session, which damages them again.

One theory floating about with respect to hardgainers is that they have a larger than average inflammation reaction to the training/damage phase which may last well into the phase in which growth would normally occur.

With that in mind, if a hardgainer with this inflammation response problem trains alongside a moderate responder they might not be seeing gains purely because they are cutting the growth phase off every single time.

Training intensity can make a difference too, especially combined with volume alterations. There is evidence to show that different people respond differently to high-intensity-low-volume compared to low-intensity-high-volume.

Intensity here refers to how much weight is being lifted, and volume, how many reps/sets. Another way of looking at it is high-weight-low-reps versus low-weight-high-reps.

Muscle grows in different ways from both approaches and it’s entirely possible that people who don’t respond well to one will respond well to the other.

Consistently getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night is one of the best ways to ensure you are getting enough time to recover and grow.

What Can You Do as a Hardgainer or Low-Responder?

My advice to hardgainers, if you think you are indeed a low-responder for muscle mass and strength adaptations is to first and foremost optimize each of the variables that you have ultimate control over; diet and sleep being the most obvious.

You will be surprised at how many people aren’t eating the right amount and types of food to generate an efficient anabolic response. For a hardgainer, that aspect is going to be even more important.

Sleep is the time when our bodies can do the most muscle building. You break it in the gym and build it in bed. Consistently getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night is one of the best ways to ensure you are getting enough time to recover and grow.

Stress is another important factor to get under control. Hormones related to stress are notoriously bad for muscle growth and energy levels. Getting that additional sleep will help, as will improving your diet, but there are other things you can do. Explore them because they will help.

Once you’re on top of those aspects of life, you can look at training volume and tinker with it. The best thing is to increase it at first, because the results will be the most obvious if they change.

Within that increase of volume, you can adjust your intensity to suit your fatigue level. If you are having trouble growing muscle in size then it’s worth exploring high-volume-moderate-intensity (high rep sets of moderate weight) and tweaking the weight and rep-count up and down.

When you do this, you have to give it enough time to be allowed to work. The first adaptations to a change in training might not be apparent for a while so it may need a few of months to kick in.

Document all your numbers and muscle measurements, science the shit out of it, and enjoy the process.

Some ergogenic training supplements can help. Some type of Protein supplement is no-brainer for muscle and strength development.

I’ve also written an article on Creatine Monohydrate which you should take a look at if you haven’t already considered it. Eventually there will be many more articles related to supplementation.

Exercise Variations for Accelerated Muscle Mass Growth

Updated on January 5, 2022 by Brad Murphy

Mna on workout machine varying exercises

Exercise Variations for Growing your Muscle Quickly

I’ve discussed set design, rep variations and load manipulation in previous articles, all of which I encourage you to read if you are interested in maximizing muscle growth from your training.

This article will cover another element of training that you can play with to stimulate improved mass gains: the exercises themselves.

There are several changes that can be made to the exercises you do, including the order in which they are performed, your body position, the type of grip you use, unilateral versus bilateral and so on.

Again, the exercise changes trigger adaptations to be made that can improve your strength and size improvements when you return to your regular training program or move on to another variant.

Extended Sets

The extended set describes a lot of sets. The “extended” part simply refers to the set lasting longer than it otherwise would due to something you do to allow it.

A dropset is technically an extended set because in the process of reducing the weight in increments, you can keep working the muscles to failure again and again within the same set.

You can extend a set by changing your grip on a barbell. Moving from a close to wide grip on the bench press, for example, can enable you to push out a few more reps in the set.

Adjusting your stance in a squat or deadlift can similarly extend the set. Widening your stance throughout a set of leg exercises should help you squeeze more from the set.

man working out on machine vary his sets

Hardest to Easiest

Perhaps the most effective extended set variation is that in which you adjust your position through the set from the most difficult to the easiest, while using the same load from the beginning to end.

Put another way, each positional shift puts your body in a stronger position to complete the movement you are doing.

The best example of this in my opinion will always be the bench press or dumbbell bench press with an adjustable bench. For optimal results, the bench should be able to be adjusted from incline to decline.

The trick here is to use a weight which you can only complete mid single figure reps with on the incline bench press. This will be a load that sits in your strength building range of 4 to 6 repetitions.

The first portion of the set you should complete 4 reps in the incline bench position. Your only break is the quick time in which it takes to adjust the bench to its flat position.

For the second portion of the set you should attempt to complete another 4 reps but only if this does not work your muscles to failure. If you can only perform 2 reps then so be it. Once complete, adjust the bench once more to its incline position.

In the final portion of the set you should rep to muscle failure in the decline position.

When you perform a set like that, what you are doing is using a load which is normally within your strength range of a maximum or 6 reps and extending the set to a range more synonymous with hypertrophy, somewhere in the range of 8 – 12 repetitions.

Muscle Fibers

All that you change is your position, which in turn helps you recruit more muscle fibres to complete the task. By making your position stronger throughout the set you are extending the set, and thus heightening the stimulus for hypertrophy.

This has excellent carry-over to your regular strength and hypertrophy training.

There are several exercises within which you can change position to achieve similar results. The shift can range from something as simple as a grip to the kind of equipment manipulation discussed in the adjustable bench press example.

Another good example for an extended bench press set using dumbbells involves changing your grip each time.

Start with your grip reversed (palms facing you) and complete the first portion of the set like that. You can do this either on a flat bench or a slight incline.

The reverse grip may feel odd at first if you are not used to it, but you will find that pushing the dumbbells up from closer to your waist will begin to help.

This grip activates the upper pectoral muscles more than an incline bench with regular grip does.

Reverse Grip

The reverse grip is also the most difficult to perform out of the three grips in this extended set.

For the second part of the set, you should twist the dumbbells roughly 90 degrees so that you have a neutral grip (neutral grip is what you would use for dips on parallel bars).

The third part of the set should be completed with a traditional bench press grip / overhand grip (aka prone grip), i.e. knuckles towards your face.

I’ll give a third example, and that is the pull-up. If you are used to doing bodyweight pull-ups and want to get more out of them, this extended set is for you. You can obviously add weight if you need to as well.

The hardest form of a pull-up is the prone, or overhand, grip (palms facing away from you). So begin your set with those.

If your gym or home equipment has neutral grips, then move to those next (parallel, palms facing one another).

Next move to under hand/reverse grip and complete the set to failure. This last element is the easiest form of a pull-up because it recruits your biceps and allows you to tuck your core more tighter.

Unilateral Exercises – One-Sided Lifting

If you follow major fitness publications, or social media trainers, you’ll see unilateral training is becoming a big thing.

Oddly, those of us who know what we’re talking about, and don’t just follow trends, have been doing one-sided lifts from the very beginning.

A basic example is the shoulder press. Bilateral shoulder pressing involves a barbell, or two dumbbells. being pressed vertically to train both left and right deltoid groups.

Unilateral training involves lifting only with one side at a time. There are lots of benefits to this.

Bilateral Deficit

Bizarrely, our bilateral lifts are not as strong as the sum of their equivalent unilateral lifts.

The weight you can push on your one-arm dumbbell press is probably more than half of what you can bench press standard.

A number of studies have confirmed this to be true, though they can’t quite explain why. It probably has something to do with more support and stabilizer muscles being recruited for one side rather than being shared by both.

Another interesting paradox is that by training unilaterally, the bilateral deficit becomes smaller!

Cross Transfer

Perhaps even weirder than the bilateral deficit thing is that training on one side of your body improves the strength of the untrained side.

Again, there’re studies to back this up, no matter how crazy it sounds. In fact, there are instances of people training certain muscles for several days on end but only on one side of the body. When their untrained side was tested afterwards it had gained considerable strength. [source].

This phenomenon is called cross-education, or cross transfer. It also goes a long way to support the theory that initial strength gains are largely a case of neural adaptation over physical growth.

Either way, strength helps size and size helps strength, so unilateral training is good.

Core Improvements

Another benefit is to your core muscles and stabilizers. Your core’s purpose is not to flex the spine (as most people who do crunches seem to think).

The core muscles are stabilizers, there to resist other movement by bracing and acting as a counter point.

Building the core group of muscles also helps improve your overall strength and keeps you injury free.

Unilateral lifting encourages new growth and strength improvements in a novel way, by making the core activate in different ways to provide counterbalance to the one sided lifts.

The carry-over to your other training is excellent.

Adaptation

Aside from the other benefits, unilateral training is another stimulus for growth. Perhaps your weak side is weaker than your strong side by enough to make a difference to your regular training.

If that’s the case then adding some unilateral training into your program, or indeed following it as a program for a while, will help to bring your weak side up to par with your strong side. When you then return to bilateral training, you will notice the difference immediately.

Often, we don’t realize we are creating imbalance with bilateral training. Our strong side can take over and our core compensates for it.

The lift might look perfectly fine on inspection, when in fact there is an ever-growing differential being introduced between your left and rights sides. And ultimately, that can start to show in your appearance, and through injury caused by imbalance.

Unilateral training: it’s not just a gimmick. Try it out and get the benefits.