TheDeadlifter's hot and spicy Muscle Marinade

[TheDeadlifter]

I was chosen to run a log for Purus Labs' Muscle Marinade. Here's a quick run-down of the product:

Purus Labs Muscle Marinade
"The pre-workout dietary supplement Muscle Marinade was specifically engineered to meet the performance and recovery needs of hard-training men and women. Using a detailed, systematic, and scientifically-sound approach to product development, Muscle Marinade utilizes only research-supported ingredients at the precise dosages used in the clinical research studies. The ingredient matrix comprising Muscle Marinade addresses all components related to both exercise performance and exercise recovery. Performance-related factors include mind/ muscle stimulation and energy production, hydrogen ion buffering, electrolyte balancing and hydration, and enhancement of muscle power and endurance. Recovery-related factors include insulin release and nutrient shuttling, cortisol reduction, protein anabolism, enhancement of cellular immunity, and improved health and antioxidant defense. Collectively, the ingredients provided within Muscle Marinade serve the dual purpose of improving acute exercise performance and supporting post-exercise recovery. Muscle Marinade is clearly an avant-garde product at the pinnacle of its class and should be considered for inclusion within any athlete's arsenal."

 

[TheDeadlifter]

I received my Purus Punch-flavored Muscle Marinade on Friday. I came home to see a large box sitting on the front doorstep. I picked it up and noticed that it was not heavy at all. I opened the box to find a huge piece of packing paper shoved inside. Once I removed that I saw the black tub in the bottom along with a packing list. Being like a kid on Christmas morning, I immediately opened the container to check it out. I unscrewed the lid and thought I had been jipped out of product: the tub is only about half full. That's a big tub for so little product. Interesting. The scoop inside has an extra long handle to reach to the bottom of the container - definitely a plus. Of course I had to taste it so I licked my finger and stuck it down into the powder. I was impressed with the initial flavor. The Purus Punch tasts like actual fruit punch and doesn't have a medicinal aftertaste. Nice.

Stay tuned for the next episode when TheDeadlifter tries his first full dose...

 

[luelinks]

sub'd! Good luck bro!

 

[TheDarkHalf]

subbed! Us winners gotta stick together!

 

[TheDeadlifter]

sub'd! Good luck bro!

subbed! Us winners gotta stick together!

Thanks, gentlemen. :cool2:

 

[Grambo]

Well good initial start!!

On the size of the jug thing........... One it makes it more pronounced on the shelf versus being too small. But the big reason is that sometime in the future (not any type of ETA at all for now) we are going to use the same containers for a post workout formula. So we killed two birds with one stone getting one size for both especially beign custom color and design.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Well good initial start!!

On the size of the jug thing........... One it makes it more pronounced on the shelf versus being too small. But the big reason is that sometime in the future (not any type of ETA at all for now) we are going to use the same containers for a post workout formula. So we killed two birds with one stone getting one size for both especially beign custom color and design.

So you're saying size does matter... hmmmm... onder:

Really, though, the container size doesn't make a bit of difference to me. It was just an observation. It's the effectiveness of the product inside that counts...

 

[Grambo]

So you're saying size does matter... hmmmm... onder:

Really, though, the container size doesn't make a bit of difference to me. It was just an observation. It's the effectiveness of the product inside that counts...

Sorry to disappoint ya, there is no santa either while Im popping dreams :ntome:

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Sorry to disappoint ya, there is no santa either while Im popping dreams :ntome:

I'm shattered... I want my mommy..... :17:

 

[TheDeadlifter]

In addition to Muscle Marinade, here's my current supplement stack:

Fish oil
Animal Pak
Animal Flex
whey
Vit D
Universal Uniliver
Universal Torrent

Prior to Muscle Marinade, my pre-training mixture consisted of one 200mg caffeine pill that I washed down with 10-12oz 100% Welch's grape juice with 5g creatine mono and 2.5g beta alanine. It seemed to work well for me if taken 30-40 minutes prior to hitting the gym and it's super cheap. We'll see how Muscle Marinade stacks up...

 

[Grambo]

Hows Animal Flex.......my shoulders have been retardedly bad lately.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Hows Animal Flex.......my shoulders have been retardedly bad lately.

Powerlifting is synonymous with joint soreness so I don't think I could get out of bed in the morning if I didn't take Flex. I notice a big difference with vs. without it. It's become a staple in my supplement regimen.

 

[Grambo]

Hmmmm may pick some up (I'm broke so not the best to give in to my supp addiction lol

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Hmmmm may pick some up (I'm broke so not the best to give in to my supp addiction lol

I get it for less than $19 a can - not bad for a 44-day supply.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

My first experience with Muscle Marinade:

The actual Muscle Marinade powder is kind of an off-white color in the container. As I poured some in my water bottle, the 16oz of water started tuening a yellowy-orange color. After shaking vigorously, it becomes more orange. There are some small white things floating around which I assume are bits of slow-to-dissolve aminos - I've seen it before in other pre-training products. The taste of the Purus Punch was actually very good. Honestly, it's the best tasting PWO I've ever tried. But does it work as intended...?

I began feeling the beta alanine 'tingles' within minutes. I've tried products claiming they have BA in them but have never felt it like this. I began making my way down to the gym and by the time I got dressed and ready to go, the stims had kicked in a bit (which I really needed - it was a long day). Since I coach high school football and practice began in a little over an hour, I had to condense my training a bit but that was no big deal. It was bench day and I wasn't going too heavy. After a solid warm-up and a few rep sets with 315, I ended up going to 365 and pushed out a couple sets of doubles. I only did sets of 2 because I didn't have a spotter. I moved on to shoulders (military) and only went to 185. After some dips, I did two quick supersets of cable pressdowns and lateral raises and headed to football practice.

All in all, I felt great lifting and even at practice. I noticed that after practice I was more tired than usual, though. Not sure if that was just because I was coming down off the stims or what. I was kind of pissed at the way the defense practiced so that could've been it, too.

Deadlifts are next on the menu...

 

[TheDarkHalf]

My first experience with Muscle Marinade:

The actual Muscle Marinade powder is kind of an off-white color in the container. As I poured some in my water bottle, the 16oz of water started tuening a yellowy-orange color. After shaking vigorously, it becomes more orange. There are some small white things floating around which I assume are bits of slow-to-dissolve aminos - I've seen it before in other pre-training products. The taste of the Purus Punch was actually very good. Honestly, it's the best tasting PWO I've ever tried. But does it work as intended...?

I began feeling the beta alanine 'tingles' within minutes. I've tried products claiming they have BA in them but have never felt it like this. I began making my way down to the gym and by the time I got dressed and ready to go, the stims had kicked in a bit (which I really needed - it was a long day). Since I coach high school football and practice began in a little over an hour, I had to condense my training a bit but that was no big deal. It was bench day and I wasn't going too heavy. After a solid warm-up and a few rep sets with 315, I ended up going to 365 and pushed out a couple sets of doubles. I only did sets of 2 because I didn't have a spotter. I moved on to shoulders (military) and only went to 185. After some dips, I did two quick supersets of cable pressdowns and lateral raises and headed to football practice.

All in all, I felt great lifting and even at practice. I noticed that after practice I was more tired than usual, though. Not sure if that was just because I was coming down off the stims or what. I was kind of pissed at the way the defense practiced so that could've been it, too.

Deadlifts are next on the menu...

:goodpost:

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Dead day today... always a fun time.

I mixed my Muscle Marinade and chugged it down about 25 minutes before I picked up my first weight of the day. I did some dynamic stretching and some warm-ups before getting to it. My focus today was on technique. I watched video from my last meet and I relied on my back waaaay too much on the pull. I've moved my feet in a couple inches and dropped my butt a little to create more hip drive instead of killing my lower back. It feels a little different but that's the way I'll be training from now until my next meet in October. I began with 135 and kept adding plates on each set until I hit 405. I pulled that for an easy 8 reps then went to 455. I did 2 sets of 455x6 with a focus on form. I then dropped down to 315 and did a set of speed pulls just for fun (not sure how many reps). I did not do max reps or effort today; I'll do speed pulls and heavy stuff next week. After deads, I did some reverse hypers and cable pull-throughs.

I felt good start to finish. So far Muscle Marinade seems decent. The only real negative was a slight soreness in both of my knees today. It was not severe enough to impact my training, though. We've had some crappy weather here in FL so that may have something to do with it.

Up-coming chef's special: Heavy upper on Saturday...

 

[TheDeadlifter]

In case you may be interested:

The new DISTURBED song - "Never Again"

It's not bad. They've released better, but the more I listen, the more I like...

 

[Conrad415]

I have seen this product before but have not heard too much about it. I will keep up on this log.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Recuperation day today. Time to eat!!!



Now, a word from our sponsors:

 

[capnsavem]

Prior to Muscle Marinade, my pre-training mixture consisted of one 200mg caffeine pill that I washed down with 10-12oz 100% Welch's grape juice with 5g creatine mono and 2.5g beta alanine. It seemed to work well for me if taken 30-40 minutes prior to hitting the gym and it's super cheap. We'll see how Muscle Marinade stacks up...

now that's classic old-school style, i love that!... but the upgrade to MM will have you forgetting that old school stack :32:

 

[capnsavem]

btw try the grape juice flavor if you get a chance... tastes just like grape juice, not some grape-ish artificial kool-aid stuff.

 

[TheDarkHalf]

btw try the grape juice flavor if you get a chance... tastes just like grape juice, not some grape-ish artificial kool-aid stuff.

the grape stuff is pretty good...the flavor has def grown on me

 

[capnsavem]

the grape stuff is pretty good...the flavor has def grown on me

thats how real grape juice was for me back in the day... toss my creatine mono in it and mix... at 1st it was tough to get down because grape juice is definitely strong and an acquired taste... but then after a while i was downing it no prob, even with the grainy old school creatine powders :sombrero:

 

[Grambo]

Mmmmmm grape drank

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Today's entre: Heavy upper with a side of chains...

Today I headed to one of the few real hardcore gyms left in this country. All American Gym in Lakeland, FL is truly old school: no a/c, heavy punching bags upstairs for cardio, rusty bars, and train tracks right outside the back doors. No smoothie bar, neon lights, or state of the art cardio equipment that will show you a movie and jerk you off while you're moving too slowly for it to be called cardio in the first place. (Just in case you couldn't tell, I absolutely despise corporate gyms.) I drank my Muscle Marinade about 35 minutes before I actually began lifting. I got up to 315 on bench and then jumped to 365. As I was about to lift, the gym dog jumped on my bench and laid down for a nap. I found it humorous so one of the guys I was training with took a picture (see below). Without even touching 365 I made the decision to skip it and go directly to 405. I hadn't gone over 400 is a while so I thought I'd give it shot. I got it up, but I felt as if my elbows were turned out too much. So, I had to try it again. After a few minutes' rest I attempted it again. I had a guy take a video of the lift to see what I was doing wrong, but it felt good and looked decent on the vid. In fact, my 2nd single of 405 went up faster and felt better than the first. Next, I went over to the bench specifically built for the use of chains. The point of this bar is to load it with chains and chains only, no plates. It's one of the most brutal training setups for the anterior delts and triceps. With all the chains added on the bar weighs in the high 200s at the bottom and low 300s at the top. I only did 2 sets and that's all I needed. I got 9 reps on my first and 7 on my second. After that I did some light shoulder movements. I always finish my ME upper day with a set of bench, 135x40. Yes I can do a few more reps, but 40 is a good number.

I felt very energized and confident in my lifts today. No heavy crash from the stims and no headache. Overall, a very good day.


The dog...

405 bench (yeah, I know it's touch-and-go but I'm not a big bench kinda guy):

 

[TheDarkHalf]

Mmmmmm grape drank

 

[TheDarkHalf]

Today's entre: Heavy upper with a side of chains...

Today I headed to one of the few real hardcore gyms left in this country. All American Gym in Lakeland, FL is truly old school: no a/c, heavy punching bags upstairs for cardio, rusty bars, and train tracks right outside the back doors. No smoothie bar, neon lights, or state of the art cardio equipment that will show you a movie and jerk you off while you're moving too slowly for it to be called cardio in the first place. (Just in case you couldn't tell, I absolutely despise corporate gyms.) I drank my Muscle Marinade about 35 minutes before I actually began lifting. I got up to 315 on bench and then jumped to 365. As I was about to lift, the gym dog jumped on my bench and laid down for a nap. I found it humorous so one of the guys I was training with took a picture (see below). Without even touching 365 I made the decision to skip it and go directly to 405. I hadn't gone over 400 is a while so I thought I'd give it shot. I got it up, but I felt as if my elbows were turned out too much. So, I had to try it again. After a few minutes' rest I attempted it again. I had a guy take a video of the lift to see what I was doing wrong, but it felt good and looked decent on the vid. In fact, my 2nd single of 405 went up faster and felt better than the first. Next, I went over to the bench specifically built for the use of chains. The point of this bar is to load it with chains and chains only, no plates. It's one of the most brutal training setups for the anterior delts and triceps. With all the chains added on the bar weighs in the high 200s at the bottom and low 300s at the top. I only did 2 sets and that's all I needed. I got 9 reps on my first and 7 on my second. After that I did some light shoulder movements. I always finish my ME upper day with a set of bench, 135x40. Yes I can do a few more reps, but 40 is a good number.

I felt very energized and confident in my lifts today. No heavy crash from the stims and no headache. Overall, a very good day.


The dog...

405 bench (yeah, I know it's touch-and-go but I'm not a big bench kinda guy):

Nice man great lift!

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Keeping it short and sweet today...

Squats today. Nothing heavy. I went up to 315 and stayed there. 5x5 with 315 was actually too easy - way too easy. I was pressed for time and cheated myself. That won't happen again. After squats I hit the glute-ham raises. I hate those things but damn they work.

I took my Muscle Marinade 35 minutes prior to training and had energy throughout my session and at football practice. No headaches or crashing feeling the last 2x I've taken it.

I'll be hitting DE upper on Wednesday...

 

[TheDarkHalf]

Keeping it short and sweet today...

Squats today. Nothing heavy. I went up to 315 and stayed there. 5x5 with 315 was actually too easy - way too easy. I was pressed for time and cheated myself. That won't happen again. After squats I hit the glute-ham raises. I hate those things but damn they work.

I took my Muscle Marinade 35 minutes prior to training and had energy throughout my session and at football practice. No headaches or crashing feeling the last 2x I've taken it.

I'll be hitting DE upper on Wednesday...

Glad to see your headaches have ceased...mine have as well

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Yesterday's training was kind of weird. I did bench for reps but it felt different. I took Muscle Marinade beforehand as I usually do. However, I kept yawning throughout my entire session like I ready to fall asleep. It's almost as if the stims in MM were replaced with melatonin. I went up to 315 and only hit 8 reps, which is not good for me. I did some dips and skullcrushers as well. I was in the gym for about an hour and fifteen minutes and felt nothing from the MM. Hopefully this afternoon will be different...

 

[TheDarkHalf]

Yesterday's training was kind of weird. I did bench for reps but it felt different. I took Muscle Marinade beforehand as I usually do. However, I kept yawning throughout my entire session like I ready to fall asleep. It's almost as if the stims in MM were replaced with melatonin. I went up to 315 and only hit 8 reps, which is not good for me. I did some dips and skullcrushers as well. I was in the gym for about an hour and fifteen minutes and felt nothing from the MM. Hopefully this afternoon will be different...

Don't worry about it man we all have our off days!

 

[TheDeadlifter]

I love dead day...

Yesterday I pulled heavy deads. It was the first time I wore my Metal King Deadlifter suit in about 4 months. I just wanted to get back in the groove again, so to speak. I pulled a few warm-up sets and put the suit on at 405 (straps down). I pulled another set of 405 with straps up, and then jumped up to 495. That went up way too easy. I had planned on going up to 565 but when I got it (suit only), it, too, was easier than expected. I jumped to 585 but put my belt on. I hit it, but my head was about to explode. My belt (an Inzer Forever lever) needs to be loosened a notch.

I had a headache when I woke up in the morning. My 19-month-old is 'sick' for the first time (just clear runny snot - I call her a snot faucet; it hasn't stopped for 3 days) and she kept fussing throughout the night. Needless to say, my sleep patterns were all screwed up. After deads, aside from exhaustion, I felt a lot better, but the headache returned a couple hours after. Got a good night's sleep last night and feel great today.

A quick note about the suit... It does not assist in the lift. Bench shirts can have an insane carry-over. Same goes for some squat suits. Some DL suits can provide an initial pop off the ground, but that is not my weak point nor is it why I wear the suit. DL suits are for support purposes only.

I'll be heading to the Gulf of Mexico for some fishing today and tomorrow. Gonna try to catch my next post-training meal...

 

[TheDeadlifter]

I went fishing in the Gulf on Sunday and Monday. We slept on the deck of a 22-footer 35 miles offshore and I did not sleep well with the 2-4ft swells rocking the boat all night. The fishing wasn't good at all, but we all still had fun. I'm still a bit worn out from the trip, but managed to hit the weights today anyway.

I trained shoulders and triceps today - nothing fancy. After a thorough warm-up, I went up to 185 on military press. I did a few sets for 6-8 reps. I went to the cable pressdown machine to do some sets of tricep ext. I did a quick couple supersets of lateral and front raises with some lighter weight to work out the soreness from sleeping on the boat deck.

I had some more energy today. I've learned to chug about two-thirds of the Muscle Marinade about 30 minutes prior to training. The last third I drink about 10-15 minutes later. Since I've been doing that, I feel the stims more and the effects last longer without the crash. No crash = no headaches.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Yesterday...

Another day without much energy. Water and nutrient intake was fine. I slept a decent amount at night. Work went well. Why am I still dragging in the gym? Honestly, I felt consistantly better when I was taking beta-alanine and creatine mono with grape juice and taking a 200mg caffeine pill. Are there too many stims in Muscle Marinade? It would seem like I could tolerate quite a bit due to my weight, but I guess everyone is different. I'm sticking with MM for the time being...

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Monday's training went well. I had the energy to work hard and push through some tough sets.

Military presses - essential for upper body strength. After warming up, I went up to 245, then to 255 for a strict single on my 6th set. I dropped back down to 225 for 3 more sets of 2-3 reps each. I finished up with some light accessory work.

I felt great while I was training but came down kind of hard off the stims about an hour and a half later while I was out coaching at football practice. The heat probably played a factor in that, too. I did drink more water than usual to remain hydrated.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Did some box squats on Wednesday but forgot to post. Football has me busy...

 

[TheDeadlifter]

It was a decent Friday at work so I was in a good mood in the gym. I mixed my Muscle Marinade as usual but I didn't feel the jolt from the stims today at all. I was in the gym alone for bench reps. I only went as high as 225 and did a set of 23 reps (which sucks because I wanted at least 25). I dropped back down to 135x30. I also did some tricep work and hit my shoulders with front and lateral raises. Nothing spectacular.

I'm honestly getting concerned about MM not coming through for me. I thought I might be just habituating to the increased stims but I tried my old pre-training mix of 200mg caffeine, beta alanine and creatine mono in 10oz of 100% grape juice on Wednesday and my training was great. Strange....

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Saturday's Dead Day was great. I just received some bands from EliteFTS and had a chance to try them out. If those don't help my lockout then I don't know what will. I did a few warm-up sets of regular deads. Then, I got the box to do some deads from a deficit. After a couple sets I applied the bands. Two of the average bands (both doubled) with only 225 on the bar made lockout tough. I did a few sets of 5-7 reps each.

I did not take Muscle Marinade before training. I went with what I know works best for me. MM hasn't lived up to my expectations. I will take it for heavy upper day on Monday, though...

 

[capnsavem]

Sorry to hear that MM isn't hitting on all cylinders for you, Dead.

I personally have ran 3 tubs of it (not consecutively) and it worked well for me. I never had the crash issues, and the energy and focus was hitting.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Sorry to hear that MM isn't hitting on all cylinders for you, Dead.

I personally have ran 3 tubs of it (not consecutively) and it worked well for me. I never had the crash issues, and the energy and focus was hitting.

It happens. Every supplement affects everyone differently. MM isn't all bad; I've had some good days with it. Glad you like it.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Yesterday I had DE lower. I decided on doing some power cleans because I haven't done them in a few weeks. I went through my usual progression (as recommended by USAW). I only got up to 225 because it was dynamic day - speed is key, not amount of weight. I did a 5x3, concentrating on the explosion off the floor. I dropped back to 135 and did a set of hang cleans just for fun. I called it quits after a few sets of accessory movements and stretching.

I took Muscle Marinade as usual. I felt good throughout the training session, but started to crash about an hour afterwards. I caught a second wind later in the evening for some reason while I was playing with the kids. All in all, it was a good day.

 

[capnsavem]

It happens. Every supplement affects everyone differently. MM isn't all bad; I've had some good days with it. Glad you like it.

Right on. Yeah I hear ya on the effectiveness for each individual. The big love/hate on this board seems to be geranimine.. Some can't train without it, and some loath it's existence.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Right on. Yeah I hear ya on the effectiveness for each individual. The big love/hate on this board seems to be geranimine.. Some can't train without it, and some loath it's existence.

I've noticed the same with geranimine. I first tried it a few months ago in Annabolic Innovations' Motivate. I was impressed with it then. I like the 1,3dimeth in MM, but think the caffeine dosage is a bit high. I think that's what's causing me to crash.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Today's main course - Speed bench

I warmed up as usual and went to just over 52% for optimal speed. I did 10x3 with 215 and it felt really light on every rep. Paused on every rep and exploded to the top. I did skullcrushers afterwards. I started with 2 sets of 115x10, then 135x10, and I decided to jump to a set of 165x6. I finished with a few sets of dips. Three exercises - simple. Heavy dead day tomorrow; looking to go above 95%...

 

[capnsavem]

I've noticed the same with geranimine. I first tried it a few months ago in Annabolic Innovations' Motivate. I was impressed with it then. I like the 1,3dimeth in MM, but think the caffeine dosage is a bit high. I think that's what's causing me to crash.

For sure.

 

[TheDeadlifter]

Yesterday's dead day was intense. I ws in the gym for nearly two and a half hours. I did a competiton-style warm-up and rested a long time between sets of deadlifts. I ended up pulling 605 for a single. Since I was feeling great, I decided to do some barbell rows (135x12, 185x10, 225x10, 275x7) and some reverse-grip pulldowns. I was also helping spot a guy going for a PR on bench. Very productive day...

 

[TheDeadlifter]

ME Bench day was not all that great, but it was a great day for Muscle Marinade. I took my MM 30 mins per-training, but only used 3/4 scoop. By the time I began lifting, I had a good amount of energy. My time in the gym wasn't that spectacular: I worked my way up to 365 on bench and only push out 2 reps - that reeeeeealllly sucks for me. Accessory work was ok. The high point was that I had lasting energy throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening with NO CRASH! I think I may have found the correct dosage for me...

 

[TheDeadlifter]

DE lower today...

I did some deeeeep squats today for speed. I warmed-up and went to a 5x5 of 225 for some explosive reps. My quads were shaking after that. I fisnished with some light accessory work and left. I was in the gym for less than an hour.

I, again, took 3/4 of a scoop of Muscle Marinade and it worked as it should. I'm not feeling the beta alanine tingles, but I'm not crashing from the the stims.

 

[capnsavem]

nice... you found your sweet spot, and that'll make the tub last longer too