I am going to keep a log of my fatloss using ALRI's new line of fatloss products. It is my intention to have detailed diet, excercise, and supplement breakdowns. What I will add is I think people often expect products to work even though the rest of their plans are flawed. I have been eating correctly for fat loss with muscle preservation. I have been doing a reduced carb cycling plan.
My fat loss stack from ALRI will consist of the NEW Venom, Thyrogen-X, and Lean Dreams.
7:00 AM I eat the most on leg day. I start with fruit and whey in the morning. On non-leg days I start with whey and a low sugar, high fiber bran/ cereal. 400 cals
9:30 AM I have a follow up meal of muscle milk in a soy milk base. 400 cals
12:00 PM This tides me over to lunch when I am home and eat from better variety of foods, grains, veggies, fish, chicken, etc. I usually overeat a little at lunch because I am back at work and have fewer healthy options later. 600 cals
2:30 PM Depending on whether can get away from work or not, I end up eating rice/ chx or a protein bar. I would choose to go with a whole food when possible, but sometimes I just run out of time. 500 cals
5:25 PM Pre work out, I usally go either with a scoop of whey and fruit or a serving of Xtend and a cereal bar. What can I say, I am a little crazy; hehe. ( Best imitation of Ben Stiller from Dodgeball.) 350 cals
7-7:30 PM I get my post work out meal of whey and fruit. If I feel I didn't work out hard enough I may just get whey with a splash of silk. I often like whey in water with a piece of whole wheat bread with honey on top. 400 cals
8:15-30 PM Final meal of the day usually of a protien and fat, chx salad with avacodoes, something like that. Maybe pork and a little low fat cheese of some sort. Whatever I feel like but low carb. 430 cals
That come close to 3100 cals per day, give or take. I am a bit of a freak in the gym, so I may not hit the lowest numbers in cals, but I love my performance. If I am not losing fast enough, I will cut out the fat portion of the last meal, and do a low cal slow release prtotien. That would cut out another 240-90 cals per day.
I am not perfect with any of this, if you any advice I am def open to it. I am 6'3 , 220 lbs, right under 14.8 bf I GUESS. I look like a large MMA type ( With an unsightly belly right now) . I train for performance again, faster, harder, strength, endurance. I know I border overtraining, so I always train with Xtend on board. I drink it with NO CARBS. It may not be a perfect solution but it is the protocol I am following for losing this gut. I got stronger and fatter this winter than I have ever been, so that is why I am giving ARLI's new line a shot.
Venom 3.0
Venom Hyperdrive 3.0
[90 caps] $29.99
Click to enlarge
Is the ultimate high energy, appetite suppressant for those who want serious hard core fat loss.
Okay, before anyone panics and sends us nasty e-mails, ALRI Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™ has all of the same ingredients and amounts as the original Venom™…we just added two compounds. Of course it is a better product, but the other big plus is that, due to our ability to produce much larger volume, we have been able to make it more cost effective and pass the savings on to our customers. In short, thanks for loving the product.
Increases stamina and energy
Suppress appetite
Increase calorie expenditure
Improve long term performance
Improve mental focus
So What Sets Venom™ Apart From the Rest?
Anyone can mix a bunch of compounds or herbs together and shove it into a capsule. All too often this is followed by ads that promise the world but deliver next to nothing. This is not to say that all products in this category are bad, just that “some” create doubt upon those that perform as intended. So let’s look at the research supporting the value of the synergistic ingredients formulated for Venom™.
Cocoamine™ (Only From ALRI)
Cocoamine™ is trademarked and patent pending proprietary unique cocoa extract that provides the health benefits of chocolate without any of the unhealthy ingredients (you know, like sugar and fat).
Please do not confuse Cocoamine™ with the patented ingredient Chocomine™. Our Cocoamine™ is a unique matrix standardized for nearly 98% actives. Try it before you judge it!
Cocoamine™ contains several natural occurring substrates, including methylxanthines (theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline), biogenic-amines (phenylethylamine, tyramine, octopamine and synephrines), amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, others), minerals (with a high content of magnesium) and several beneficial antioxidants.
*You may think you have used a product similar to this, but one dose of Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™ will show you how wrong you are. (Please start with only one capsule!)
Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a naturally occurring endogenous neuroamine that increases attention and activity in animals as well as humans and has been studied for its ability to relieve depression in 60% of depressed patients. It has been proposed that PEA deficit may be the cause of a common form of depression. It is also your body’s most powerful natural stimulant. Interesting is that PEA improves mood as rapidly as amphetamine but does not produce tolerance. Okay, natural PEA good and amphetamine is bad. Though they share many common positive affects, the latter is not a good option due its own negative affects. Got it?
Another interesting reality found in PEA research is its unique ability to stimulate striatal acetylcholine release. Big deal? Well, this neurotransmitter positively affects everything from libido to the sense of hunger with benefits to mood, focus and stress. Okay, and a positive effect upon erectile function has been noted in other studies. Big deal? You call it.
Caffeine is an interesting and well know compound, certainly nothing new to the supplement industry. But there is some valuable research that shows a lot of potential benefits. Yes, everyone already knows that it is noted as a compound that increases energy significantly.
In one rat study and several human studies, caffeine has show to have appetite suppressive value. Naturally most dieters cheat and can use all the will power they can get.
Another study has shown caffeine to decrease fat redeposit and aid thermogenesis through fat oxidation. In part this appears to result in suppressed leptin (you know, the fat regulating hormone)
Tyramine, Octopamine and Synephrines all have a positive effect upon beta-3 receptors thus increasing the rate of thermogenesis and metabolic rate. Many have compared the affects to those of ephedra mostly in a positive sense. Let me explain that a little better.
Several studies have found that patients who achieve only a small weight loss during dietary therapy, and have a tendency for weight regain, are characterized by lower energy expenditure, lower sympathetic activity, and a reduced ability to mobilize fat stores, compared with patients who are more successful at losing weight. (gee, really?)
It is reasonable to improve or normalize these traits by supporting the dietary approach with pharmacological/nutracuetical manipulation of central and peripheral pathways. Agents that stimulate adrenergic neurons are particularly suitable because they offer mechanisms for temporarily inhibiting hunger and for stimulating energy expenditure, lipolysis and fat oxidation. Interesting enough is that our bodies and diet can do this in a minimal way already…which means minimal results for your efforts. Supplementing these pathways with Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™ has the obvious affect…super charged results.
How (Science Geek Answer)?
Sympathomimetic compounds can reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure. Energy expenditure can be increased by 5-10% via stimulation of a combination of beta-adrenoceptors; beta3-adrenoceptors may predominate during chronic use. This increased energy expenditure increases the relative proportion of fat oxidation; as this is not fully compensated by increased energy intake, a negative energy balance occurs. This mechanism may be responsible for the long-term weight loss efficiency of agents like, ephedra, octopamine, tyramine and synephrines.
Noteworthy, the elevated plasma insulin of obese rats was lowered by octopamine. One study showed that octopamine can reduce body weight gain in obese rats, without apparent adverse effects, but with less efficacy than beta3-AR agonists.
Both individually and combined the combination of these multiple ingredients produces a unique effect. Research has substantiated the many positive user feed-back factoids about Cocoamine™, including increased energy, appetite suppression, lipolysis (fat burning), improved mood, improved concentration, increased alertness, improved physical performance, aphrodisiac properties, and health benefits. When correctly processed, all of these benefits become a reality. Naturally this discussion is based upon the research sites listed at the end. (When I am done babbling)
So What Else Is In It?
The need for extreme appetite suppression seems to be a large factor in the out come of any diet intended to help lose body fat. So we added hoodia. One study appears to have explained why people report long term hunger suppression with the use of hoodia. It seems likely that increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety.
Next we included 5-HTP which acts as a precursor for serotonin (mood enhancement), R- ALA (R-Alpha Lipoic Acid) to aid in insulin mediation, guggul sterone extracts to support thyroid activity, Rhodiola to increase support for ATP and cAMP production, B vitamins to support energy pathways and capsiate for thermogenesis, lypolysis and anti-oxidant value.
Okay, Capsiate is kind of cool so I want to say a little more about it. Everyone in hard core bodybuilding has heard of the fat loss compound DNP. Well, it works by making the mitochondria burn more calories in effort to make ATP by uncoupling the process with a compound called UCP-1 and UPC -2 thus dramatically increasing calorie expenditure…and it is very dangerous. Better options?
It’s All About Synergy
A single dose of capsiate temporarily raised both UCP1 mRNA in brown adipose tissue and UCP3 mRNA in skeletal muscle. These results suggest that UCP1 and UCP2 may contribute to the promotion of energy metabolism by capsiate, but that thyroid hormones do not. In short, a smarter and naturally occurring option. Yes, both human and rat studies.
What Did We Add To The Original Intense Formula?
Propionyl-L-Carnitine Ethyl Ester: Regular L-carnitine is a wonderful amino acid that positively affects mitochondrial function and supports fat oxidation via carnitine shuttle. However, propionyl-l-carnitine ( PLC ) is a completely new animal with much more far reaching potential for ergogenic benefits than its more basic cousin. Used medically to treat heart problems and improve blood flow in the body, PLC has been shown to increase mental function, enhance overall energy, hasten oxidation of both glucose and lactate, push more glycogen into muscles, and lengthen the time to muscular fatigue. These effects mean just one thing to the hard training bodybuilder or athlete and dieting world…you can train harder, longer, and will recover better from each gut-busting workout! Ok, so that’s a few things…but even better! Oh yeah, did I mention Ethyl Ester technology? Duh. Esters can increase oral bioavailability by as much as 400% and propionyl-l-carnitine needed to be far more oral friendly…so we created Propionyl-L-Carnitine Ethyl Ester and added it to our energy oriented goodies.
Tyrosine Ethyl Ester: This is an obvious one. Tyrosine is an amino acid your body uses as a substrate to make active fat burning, metabolic rate governing thyroid hormones. When you diet your thyroid hormone production decreases which means it is harder to lose fat but you have muscle wastes away. Tyrosine for thyroid hormone function support is a no-brainer. Unfortunately oral tyrosine administration has poor bioavailability…did I mention esters having up to 400% better oral bioavailability?
Sum It Up?
Sometimes all of the right ingredients can be in a product but the correct amounts and standardization can blow the whole out come. It is all about the correct amounts of each substrate and that each acts in synergy with one another…without counteracting another…that makes the product gold or a rip-off.
Why Do Almost All Fat Loss Systems Fail?
Pretty simple really…Come on now. Everyone wants to see what’s under that extra fat layer, but when we first start dieting (restricting our calorie intake) and augment the amount of calories we burn (by increasing exercise), everything goes great…for about the first week. Then, like most human’s on the planet, we start getting hungry (like eating a whole wedding cake at 3 AM type hungry) and run out of energy. So, in short, you crave food and have no interest in doing anything that requires any energy unless it somehow involves that wedding cake and a gallon of milk. (ya, I know, no fat people jokes)
So What Do We Need To Succeed?
First, we need to clean up our diets by dropping sugars, alcohol, and excessive fatty foods (Okay, at least consume them only in moderation). Second, we need to put together a training program that increases the number of calories we burn per day. Last, we need to do something about that “Commit felonies for a wedding cake but too lazy to do so” feeling that always hits us like a ton of lard after the first week of lower calories! And a dramatic increase in metabolic rate (increased calorie expenditure) certainly would make the whole deal more worth while, huh?
Get what you pay for and try ALRI’s Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™…but please follow directions. We do things right.
Thyrogen-X In Stock!
[60 caps] $29.99
Click to enlarge
The new weapon in the war against fat from ALRI
Lipolytic: This term is usually used to describe something with fat-burning effects. It literally means “to disintegrate fat.” Think about that as you read on.
Thyrogen-X™ is an anti-catabolic thyroidal lipolytic matrix designed to promote a physiological repartitioning affect that supports increased protein synthesis while utilizing fat stores as a primary energy supply. The key is a unique synergy between ALRI compounds to promote optimal natural thyroid function, while augmenting thyroid hormone levels with our 2 highly active naturally occurring thyroid hormone analogs. The result is obvious: More lean mass, way less fat for the same effort…and better over-all thyroid health.
Consider the positive healthy benefits of optimal circulating levels of thyroid hormones:
*Increased protein synthesis rate.
*Increased rate of fat oxidation.
*Increased receptor activity for androgens, Insulin, GH, IGF-1, PGE-1, PGF-2, creatine, (and other performance lean mass goodies your body makes)
*Increased metabolization of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients.
*Increased metabolic rate and calories expenditure.
*Enhanced oxygen consumption by most body tissues
*Improved recovery time.
*Stimulation of HPTA
In short, we feel and look healthier and leaner because our bodies are able to recover at an accelerated rate while promoting lean tissue regeneration and fat utilization. Why? (I was really hoping you would ask…)
THYROID HORMONES
Thyroid hormones govern the body's metabolic rate. This means that the metabolism of nutrients, and subsequent cellular utilization or storage rate, is dependent upon active blood circulatory thyroid hormone levels. Optimized levels result in elevated over-all metabolic rates.
THYROID HORMONES AND CALORIE EXPENDITURE
Those of you who stayed awake during High School Human Biology are aware of the term "oxidative phosphorylation"….which is the process of regeneration of cellular energy. This is a process by which our cells/mitochondria convert ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) into ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). Basically this means adding another phosphate molecule to ADP so that it can be converted back into the body's energy /ATP. But the term keeps kids flunking biology anyway. As a rule the extra phosphate comes from creatine phosphate…but that is another biology lesson. Basically this process must occur to maintain cellular energy and that requires calories.
Normally our body’s are pretty conservative (okay, lazy) and do not waste much energy when doing this process…which is why fat can accumulate due to fewer calories being burned. Optimized thyroid hormone levels and activity make cells waste calories and burn way-more fat by "uncoupling" the oxidative phosphorylation process and making it less efficient, even when at rest. So more calories are used as either energy to build lean tissue (anabolism) or burned off as heat (thermogenesis) Basically, you burn more calories and fat in a shorter period of time but recover and grow faster.
THYROID HORMONES AND FAT OXIDATION
Fat oxidation (thermogenesis) involves the conversion of fat calories into heat. In the case of thermogenesis caused by thyroid hormones, it is due to "special uncoupling proteins" found in fat, muscle, and organs called UCP-3. Two things before we continue here. First UCP-3 stands for uncoupling protein -3 (big deal) and "special" refers to "specific", not "special" like the weirdo we all dated once and tried to explain later. When UCP-3 is increased, the calorie expenditure through thermogenesis increases. But decreases will result in an increase in fat stores.
As example some studies have shown that supraphysiological thyroid hormone T-3 levels can increase UCP-3 600 %, and below normal levels results in a 300 % decrease. This is why calorie restricted diets significantly decrease in results after 2-4 weeks. The body down-regulates thyroid hormone production to save calories and reduce calorie expenditure as heat. The result is less UCP-3 and slower metabolism…and your diet results suck while you lose muscle.
THYROID HORMONES ARE HYPERTROPHIC
Thyroid hormones trigger the release of fat stores so other cells can convert the long chain triglycerides (fat) into heat, energy, ATP. By increasing ATP, muscle cells are better able to regenerate, and do so at an increased rate due to increased rate of protein synthesis. Many are not aware of the fact that thyroid hormones are hypertrophic (anabolic) in nature.
THYROID HORMONES STIMULATE HPTA FUNCTION
Another important factor of thyroid hormone activity is their ability to stimulate the testes. So? Thyroid hormones have been shown to acutely stimulate testosterone production by the Leydig cells in vitro via stimulating the production of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and StAR mRNA in Leydig cells; StAR is associated with intracellular trafficking of cholesterol into the mitochondria during steroid hormone synthesis.
Bottom line? Optimal thyroid activity results in stimulation of testosterone production by males, and better hormonal modulation in females.
Thyrogen-X™ contains two exciting naturally occurring thyroid hormone analogs called Diprop and Triprop. What makes them special?
Everyone has heard of the powerful thyroid hormone T-3. And of course many have reported the benefits from the T-3 analog Triac. Triprop is a naturally occurring thyroid analog of T-3 similar to Triac in some positive regards. Well, according to animal studies, Triprop has a higher affinity for the thyroid hormone receptor-beta 1 (TR beta 1) than does T-3 by 1.8-fold. This means that it does not take much to do a lot.
Diprop is similar to T-2 in that it has been attributed to have brown fat promoting properties. When you are first born, your body does not have much white fat to help insulate and retain body heat; although there are white fat cells, there is not much fat stored in them. A newborn baby produces heat (thermogenesis) primarily by breaking down fat molecules into fatty acids in brown fat cells. Instead of those fatty acids leaving the brown fat cell, as happens in white fat cells, they get further broken down in the mitochondria and their energy is released directly as heat. This same process occurs in hibernating animals, which have more brown fat than humans. Once the newborn baby starts eating more, developing layers of white fat, the brown fat goes away. Adult humans have little or no brown fat. More brown fat means way less white fat, a leaner body and better over-all body composition control.
Diprop has also been shown to increase cellular metabolic rate in a synergistic manner with all other thyroid hormones and analogs.
Yeah, I know, it would seem like all would be perfect if we simply mega dosed on thyroid hormone analogs and train. Unfortunately, there is always a reaction to every action and this is no different. Doing that would men thyroid gland shut-down in a very short period of time. Why?
NATURAL THYROID HORMONE PRODUCTION IN HUMANS
(Warning: Science Geek Stuff)
The thyroid is a part of the endocrine system. The endocrine system monitors and manufactures/synthesizes many hormones and hormone-like substances. For this reason, the endocrine system and its sub-systems have many built in "checks and balances" to assure proper hormonal ratios and activity levels.
1) Endogenous thyroid hormone production begins when neuro-input tells the hypothalamus to synthesize and release Thyroptropin -Releasing -Hormone. (TRH)
2) TRH stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release Thyroid-Stimulating-Hormone (TSH) (also referred to as Thyrotropin on some lab chem. Panels)
3) When TSH contacts its receptor-sites located throughout the thyroid gland, a series of enzymic reactions occur using tyrosine and iodine as raw materials to produce and/or release L-Thyroxine (T-4). T-4 is then released into the vascular system so it can circulate.
4) The active T-4 circulating in the vascular system merges with receptors and triggers metabolic “some” activity, but when it reaches the liver it is changed into the more active thyroid hormone L-Triiodothyronine (T-3) by an enzyme called 5-deiodinase. T-3 is about 5 times more active than T-4. The newly formed T-3 is released into the vascular system where it may contact and merge with cellular receptors which initiates all the metabolic activity discussed earlier. Simple so far?
THYROID FEED-BACK MECHANISMS and FEED-BACK LOOPS
Of course the thyroid does not simply mass produce thyroid hormones continuously. Actually it tries pretty hard to produce as little as possible. This is due to the "checks and balances" nature included in the action/reaction factors for the endocrine system called "feedback-mechanisms". In the case of thyroid function, the feedback-mechanism or loop involves the hypothalamus (secretes TRH), pituitary gland (secretes TSH), thyroid gland (secretes T-4), and the liver (converts T-4 into T-3).
A feedback-mechanism or loop can trigger the release of another hormone (positive feed-back), or inhibit its release (negative feed-back) thus maintaining that balance. This means high levels of T-4 or T-3 initiate a negative feed-back loop that tells the hypothalamus to produce less TRH, and low levels of T-4 or T-3 initiate a positive feed-back loop that tells the hypothalamus to produce more TRH.
So, simply supplementing with higher than normal levels of thyroid hormone analogs will result in a negative feed-back loop that tells the pituitary to stop producing TRH and the hypothalamus to get greedy with TSH…and natural thyroid hormone production goes in the toilet with you metabolism. Hmmm, picture what happens when you stop taking the extra thyroid analogs.
The obvious effective goal therefore becomes to maximize total circulating thyroid hormone levels both supplementally…and provide synergistic support to natural thyroid hormone production by our bodies. One or the other simply is inefficient. So now that we have the powerful ALRI analogs Triprop and Diprop to add to total circulating levels, we need to inhibit the negative feed back-loop.
Natural Thyroid Function Support
Thyroid hormone production in the body begins with the amino acid tyrosine. Unfortunately free-form tyrosine really does not pass well into the circulatory system at a very high rate orally. Like most amino acids (but not all) a lipophylic carrier or such as an ethyl ester has the potential to increase oral bioavailability up to 400%...so yes, we created tyrosine ethyl ester for Thyrogen-X™.
Now that we have the raw material for natural thyroid hormone production, we need to maintain or even increase the natural production signals by triggering TRH and TSH release from the pituitary and hypothalamus.
In rat studies freeze dried extract of Olea europaea (olive leaf extract) was shown to have a maintained stimulatory affect upon the pituitary-thyroid axis that resulted in increased thyroid gland activity. The study shows that this is not a result of pituitary stimulation but of hypothalamic stimulation thus supporting TSH activity. Which is pretty cool, huh?
Clary sage is a rather interesting herbal goodie that can be standardized for many of its active compounds. In one study it was shown that, as an aroma therapy, it aids in improving stress scores significantly.
Okay, but the really cool effect it has is due to its cAMP stimulating value. There is a significant similarity between compounds in this interesting herb and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). As most are aware, increased TSH means more fat burning anabolism promoting T-3 production (yes, it acts synergistically with the next goodie in this regard…but through different pathways).
The connection here is that the TSH-like effect triggers an enzyme called adenylate cyclase in the thyroid that results in an increase in cAMP activity and subsequently lots of extra T-3 production…naturally. Since there is an increase in cAMP, there is an accompanying increase in nitrogen retention.
There appears to be some research that supports the belief that increased cAMP results in greater LH release as well (you know, that stuff that tells “The Boy’s” to make more testosterone? Okay, the LH part affects only the guys, women don’t have testes…or shouldn’t). Think about the HPTA stimulating synergy between Clary sage extract and thyroid hormones explained prior. Hmmmm?
Beta AET ECPE (beta-androstenetriol ECPE)? We have all heard, and in many cases experienced, the positive effects of DHEA and its even better metabolites. As example are the patented and effective products 7-OXO-DHEA and of course 7-Hydroxy-DHEA analogs. They are noted for their unique ability to avoid conversion into androgenic metabolites or affect androgen receptors while promoting fat loss, lean mass retention and even maximizing thyroid gland activity. Of course oral bio-availability is pretty poor with most of these analogs thus requiring higher dosages. Did I mention that bAET (b-androstenetriol) is between 100 and 100,000 times more active than its DHEA precursor metabolites? Okay, how about that bAET ECPE is nearly 100% orally bioavailable? Yup. It’s why we formulated it.
Okay, let me explain a little about the fat loss and lean muscle side of things in regard to bAET ECPE…
Glucocorticoids in humans are in two forms: Inactive cortisone and very active for eating muscle cortisol. There are two enzymes that are able to make each of these convert into the other.
11b-HSD-1: Converts inactive cortisone into cannibalistic cortisol. Studies have implicated this event in fat tissue as a pathway for increased fat storage. Part of the reason GH has a positive affect upon body composition is through its ability to inhibit 11b-HDS-1
11b-HSD-2: Converts nasty cortisol into cortisone. 11betaHSD2 debunks intracellular cortisol by 90%. (Let the 11b-HSD-2 rule the house)
Hmmm, more 11b-HSD-1 means more cortisol which eats more muscle. And less means…Duh!
Beta-AET ECPE inhibits the 11b-HSD-1 enzyme both locally and systemically. This means that there is less conversion of cortisone to cortisol in muscle as a result of training and everywhere else due to stress like dieting. Based upon the studies, it appears that in mediating this pathway, bAET ECPE increases immune function and recovery of cells as well. Add this to its stimulatory affect upon the thyroid gland to support natural thyroid hormone production? Yup, less cortisol, higher metabolic rate, inhibition of that nasty negative thyroid hormone production feed-back loop…less fat, more lean muscle and positive support to health. Not bad!
Thyrogen-X™ is the first multi-structured thyroid analog product that provides superior thyroid function support in an anti-catabolic environment to support your quest for the perfect physique. Thyrogen-X™, the cutting edge you have been waiting for!
Thyrogen-X™
Venom Lean Dreams
[60 tabs] $35.99
Click to enlarge
Because fat loss is an around the clock job ALRI has developed VENOM LEAN DREAMS. The ultimate body modulation matrix.
To help provide better sleep, fat oxidation, growth hormone optimization, cortisol inhibition and faster recovery.
My fat loss stack from ALRI will consist of the NEW Venom, Thyrogen-X, and Lean Dreams.
7:00 AM I eat the most on leg day. I start with fruit and whey in the morning. On non-leg days I start with whey and a low sugar, high fiber bran/ cereal. 400 cals
9:30 AM I have a follow up meal of muscle milk in a soy milk base. 400 cals
12:00 PM This tides me over to lunch when I am home and eat from better variety of foods, grains, veggies, fish, chicken, etc. I usually overeat a little at lunch because I am back at work and have fewer healthy options later. 600 cals
2:30 PM Depending on whether can get away from work or not, I end up eating rice/ chx or a protein bar. I would choose to go with a whole food when possible, but sometimes I just run out of time. 500 cals
5:25 PM Pre work out, I usally go either with a scoop of whey and fruit or a serving of Xtend and a cereal bar. What can I say, I am a little crazy; hehe. ( Best imitation of Ben Stiller from Dodgeball.) 350 cals
7-7:30 PM I get my post work out meal of whey and fruit. If I feel I didn't work out hard enough I may just get whey with a splash of silk. I often like whey in water with a piece of whole wheat bread with honey on top. 400 cals
8:15-30 PM Final meal of the day usually of a protien and fat, chx salad with avacodoes, something like that. Maybe pork and a little low fat cheese of some sort. Whatever I feel like but low carb. 430 cals
That come close to 3100 cals per day, give or take. I am a bit of a freak in the gym, so I may not hit the lowest numbers in cals, but I love my performance. If I am not losing fast enough, I will cut out the fat portion of the last meal, and do a low cal slow release prtotien. That would cut out another 240-90 cals per day.
I am not perfect with any of this, if you any advice I am def open to it. I am 6'3 , 220 lbs, right under 14.8 bf I GUESS. I look like a large MMA type ( With an unsightly belly right now) . I train for performance again, faster, harder, strength, endurance. I know I border overtraining, so I always train with Xtend on board. I drink it with NO CARBS. It may not be a perfect solution but it is the protocol I am following for losing this gut. I got stronger and fatter this winter than I have ever been, so that is why I am giving ARLI's new line a shot.
Venom 3.0
Venom Hyperdrive 3.0
[90 caps] $29.99
Click to enlarge
Is the ultimate high energy, appetite suppressant for those who want serious hard core fat loss.
Okay, before anyone panics and sends us nasty e-mails, ALRI Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™ has all of the same ingredients and amounts as the original Venom™…we just added two compounds. Of course it is a better product, but the other big plus is that, due to our ability to produce much larger volume, we have been able to make it more cost effective and pass the savings on to our customers. In short, thanks for loving the product.
Increases stamina and energy
Suppress appetite
Increase calorie expenditure
Improve long term performance
Improve mental focus
So What Sets Venom™ Apart From the Rest?
Anyone can mix a bunch of compounds or herbs together and shove it into a capsule. All too often this is followed by ads that promise the world but deliver next to nothing. This is not to say that all products in this category are bad, just that “some” create doubt upon those that perform as intended. So let’s look at the research supporting the value of the synergistic ingredients formulated for Venom™.
Cocoamine™ (Only From ALRI)
Cocoamine™ is trademarked and patent pending proprietary unique cocoa extract that provides the health benefits of chocolate without any of the unhealthy ingredients (you know, like sugar and fat).
Please do not confuse Cocoamine™ with the patented ingredient Chocomine™. Our Cocoamine™ is a unique matrix standardized for nearly 98% actives. Try it before you judge it!
Cocoamine™ contains several natural occurring substrates, including methylxanthines (theobromine, caffeine, and theophylline), biogenic-amines (phenylethylamine, tyramine, octopamine and synephrines), amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, others), minerals (with a high content of magnesium) and several beneficial antioxidants.
*You may think you have used a product similar to this, but one dose of Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™ will show you how wrong you are. (Please start with only one capsule!)
Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a naturally occurring endogenous neuroamine that increases attention and activity in animals as well as humans and has been studied for its ability to relieve depression in 60% of depressed patients. It has been proposed that PEA deficit may be the cause of a common form of depression. It is also your body’s most powerful natural stimulant. Interesting is that PEA improves mood as rapidly as amphetamine but does not produce tolerance. Okay, natural PEA good and amphetamine is bad. Though they share many common positive affects, the latter is not a good option due its own negative affects. Got it?
Another interesting reality found in PEA research is its unique ability to stimulate striatal acetylcholine release. Big deal? Well, this neurotransmitter positively affects everything from libido to the sense of hunger with benefits to mood, focus and stress. Okay, and a positive effect upon erectile function has been noted in other studies. Big deal? You call it.
Caffeine is an interesting and well know compound, certainly nothing new to the supplement industry. But there is some valuable research that shows a lot of potential benefits. Yes, everyone already knows that it is noted as a compound that increases energy significantly.
In one rat study and several human studies, caffeine has show to have appetite suppressive value. Naturally most dieters cheat and can use all the will power they can get.
Another study has shown caffeine to decrease fat redeposit and aid thermogenesis through fat oxidation. In part this appears to result in suppressed leptin (you know, the fat regulating hormone)
Tyramine, Octopamine and Synephrines all have a positive effect upon beta-3 receptors thus increasing the rate of thermogenesis and metabolic rate. Many have compared the affects to those of ephedra mostly in a positive sense. Let me explain that a little better.
Several studies have found that patients who achieve only a small weight loss during dietary therapy, and have a tendency for weight regain, are characterized by lower energy expenditure, lower sympathetic activity, and a reduced ability to mobilize fat stores, compared with patients who are more successful at losing weight. (gee, really?)
It is reasonable to improve or normalize these traits by supporting the dietary approach with pharmacological/nutracuetical manipulation of central and peripheral pathways. Agents that stimulate adrenergic neurons are particularly suitable because they offer mechanisms for temporarily inhibiting hunger and for stimulating energy expenditure, lipolysis and fat oxidation. Interesting enough is that our bodies and diet can do this in a minimal way already…which means minimal results for your efforts. Supplementing these pathways with Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™ has the obvious affect…super charged results.
How (Science Geek Answer)?
Sympathomimetic compounds can reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure. Energy expenditure can be increased by 5-10% via stimulation of a combination of beta-adrenoceptors; beta3-adrenoceptors may predominate during chronic use. This increased energy expenditure increases the relative proportion of fat oxidation; as this is not fully compensated by increased energy intake, a negative energy balance occurs. This mechanism may be responsible for the long-term weight loss efficiency of agents like, ephedra, octopamine, tyramine and synephrines.
Noteworthy, the elevated plasma insulin of obese rats was lowered by octopamine. One study showed that octopamine can reduce body weight gain in obese rats, without apparent adverse effects, but with less efficacy than beta3-AR agonists.
Both individually and combined the combination of these multiple ingredients produces a unique effect. Research has substantiated the many positive user feed-back factoids about Cocoamine™, including increased energy, appetite suppression, lipolysis (fat burning), improved mood, improved concentration, increased alertness, improved physical performance, aphrodisiac properties, and health benefits. When correctly processed, all of these benefits become a reality. Naturally this discussion is based upon the research sites listed at the end. (When I am done babbling)
So What Else Is In It?
The need for extreme appetite suppression seems to be a large factor in the out come of any diet intended to help lose body fat. So we added hoodia. One study appears to have explained why people report long term hunger suppression with the use of hoodia. It seems likely that increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety.
Next we included 5-HTP which acts as a precursor for serotonin (mood enhancement), R- ALA (R-Alpha Lipoic Acid) to aid in insulin mediation, guggul sterone extracts to support thyroid activity, Rhodiola to increase support for ATP and cAMP production, B vitamins to support energy pathways and capsiate for thermogenesis, lypolysis and anti-oxidant value.
Okay, Capsiate is kind of cool so I want to say a little more about it. Everyone in hard core bodybuilding has heard of the fat loss compound DNP. Well, it works by making the mitochondria burn more calories in effort to make ATP by uncoupling the process with a compound called UCP-1 and UPC -2 thus dramatically increasing calorie expenditure…and it is very dangerous. Better options?
It’s All About Synergy
A single dose of capsiate temporarily raised both UCP1 mRNA in brown adipose tissue and UCP3 mRNA in skeletal muscle. These results suggest that UCP1 and UCP2 may contribute to the promotion of energy metabolism by capsiate, but that thyroid hormones do not. In short, a smarter and naturally occurring option. Yes, both human and rat studies.
What Did We Add To The Original Intense Formula?
Propionyl-L-Carnitine Ethyl Ester: Regular L-carnitine is a wonderful amino acid that positively affects mitochondrial function and supports fat oxidation via carnitine shuttle. However, propionyl-l-carnitine ( PLC ) is a completely new animal with much more far reaching potential for ergogenic benefits than its more basic cousin. Used medically to treat heart problems and improve blood flow in the body, PLC has been shown to increase mental function, enhance overall energy, hasten oxidation of both glucose and lactate, push more glycogen into muscles, and lengthen the time to muscular fatigue. These effects mean just one thing to the hard training bodybuilder or athlete and dieting world…you can train harder, longer, and will recover better from each gut-busting workout! Ok, so that’s a few things…but even better! Oh yeah, did I mention Ethyl Ester technology? Duh. Esters can increase oral bioavailability by as much as 400% and propionyl-l-carnitine needed to be far more oral friendly…so we created Propionyl-L-Carnitine Ethyl Ester and added it to our energy oriented goodies.
Tyrosine Ethyl Ester: This is an obvious one. Tyrosine is an amino acid your body uses as a substrate to make active fat burning, metabolic rate governing thyroid hormones. When you diet your thyroid hormone production decreases which means it is harder to lose fat but you have muscle wastes away. Tyrosine for thyroid hormone function support is a no-brainer. Unfortunately oral tyrosine administration has poor bioavailability…did I mention esters having up to 400% better oral bioavailability?
Sum It Up?
Sometimes all of the right ingredients can be in a product but the correct amounts and standardization can blow the whole out come. It is all about the correct amounts of each substrate and that each acts in synergy with one another…without counteracting another…that makes the product gold or a rip-off.
Why Do Almost All Fat Loss Systems Fail?
Pretty simple really…Come on now. Everyone wants to see what’s under that extra fat layer, but when we first start dieting (restricting our calorie intake) and augment the amount of calories we burn (by increasing exercise), everything goes great…for about the first week. Then, like most human’s on the planet, we start getting hungry (like eating a whole wedding cake at 3 AM type hungry) and run out of energy. So, in short, you crave food and have no interest in doing anything that requires any energy unless it somehow involves that wedding cake and a gallon of milk. (ya, I know, no fat people jokes)
So What Do We Need To Succeed?
First, we need to clean up our diets by dropping sugars, alcohol, and excessive fatty foods (Okay, at least consume them only in moderation). Second, we need to put together a training program that increases the number of calories we burn per day. Last, we need to do something about that “Commit felonies for a wedding cake but too lazy to do so” feeling that always hits us like a ton of lard after the first week of lower calories! And a dramatic increase in metabolic rate (increased calorie expenditure) certainly would make the whole deal more worth while, huh?
Get what you pay for and try ALRI’s Venom Hyperdrive 3.0™…but please follow directions. We do things right.
Thyrogen-X In Stock!
[60 caps] $29.99
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The new weapon in the war against fat from ALRI
Lipolytic: This term is usually used to describe something with fat-burning effects. It literally means “to disintegrate fat.” Think about that as you read on.
Thyrogen-X™ is an anti-catabolic thyroidal lipolytic matrix designed to promote a physiological repartitioning affect that supports increased protein synthesis while utilizing fat stores as a primary energy supply. The key is a unique synergy between ALRI compounds to promote optimal natural thyroid function, while augmenting thyroid hormone levels with our 2 highly active naturally occurring thyroid hormone analogs. The result is obvious: More lean mass, way less fat for the same effort…and better over-all thyroid health.
Consider the positive healthy benefits of optimal circulating levels of thyroid hormones:
*Increased protein synthesis rate.
*Increased rate of fat oxidation.
*Increased receptor activity for androgens, Insulin, GH, IGF-1, PGE-1, PGF-2, creatine, (and other performance lean mass goodies your body makes)
*Increased metabolization of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients.
*Increased metabolic rate and calories expenditure.
*Enhanced oxygen consumption by most body tissues
*Improved recovery time.
*Stimulation of HPTA
In short, we feel and look healthier and leaner because our bodies are able to recover at an accelerated rate while promoting lean tissue regeneration and fat utilization. Why? (I was really hoping you would ask…)
THYROID HORMONES
Thyroid hormones govern the body's metabolic rate. This means that the metabolism of nutrients, and subsequent cellular utilization or storage rate, is dependent upon active blood circulatory thyroid hormone levels. Optimized levels result in elevated over-all metabolic rates.
THYROID HORMONES AND CALORIE EXPENDITURE
Those of you who stayed awake during High School Human Biology are aware of the term "oxidative phosphorylation"….which is the process of regeneration of cellular energy. This is a process by which our cells/mitochondria convert ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) into ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). Basically this means adding another phosphate molecule to ADP so that it can be converted back into the body's energy /ATP. But the term keeps kids flunking biology anyway. As a rule the extra phosphate comes from creatine phosphate…but that is another biology lesson. Basically this process must occur to maintain cellular energy and that requires calories.
Normally our body’s are pretty conservative (okay, lazy) and do not waste much energy when doing this process…which is why fat can accumulate due to fewer calories being burned. Optimized thyroid hormone levels and activity make cells waste calories and burn way-more fat by "uncoupling" the oxidative phosphorylation process and making it less efficient, even when at rest. So more calories are used as either energy to build lean tissue (anabolism) or burned off as heat (thermogenesis) Basically, you burn more calories and fat in a shorter period of time but recover and grow faster.
THYROID HORMONES AND FAT OXIDATION
Fat oxidation (thermogenesis) involves the conversion of fat calories into heat. In the case of thermogenesis caused by thyroid hormones, it is due to "special uncoupling proteins" found in fat, muscle, and organs called UCP-3. Two things before we continue here. First UCP-3 stands for uncoupling protein -3 (big deal) and "special" refers to "specific", not "special" like the weirdo we all dated once and tried to explain later. When UCP-3 is increased, the calorie expenditure through thermogenesis increases. But decreases will result in an increase in fat stores.
As example some studies have shown that supraphysiological thyroid hormone T-3 levels can increase UCP-3 600 %, and below normal levels results in a 300 % decrease. This is why calorie restricted diets significantly decrease in results after 2-4 weeks. The body down-regulates thyroid hormone production to save calories and reduce calorie expenditure as heat. The result is less UCP-3 and slower metabolism…and your diet results suck while you lose muscle.
THYROID HORMONES ARE HYPERTROPHIC
Thyroid hormones trigger the release of fat stores so other cells can convert the long chain triglycerides (fat) into heat, energy, ATP. By increasing ATP, muscle cells are better able to regenerate, and do so at an increased rate due to increased rate of protein synthesis. Many are not aware of the fact that thyroid hormones are hypertrophic (anabolic) in nature.
THYROID HORMONES STIMULATE HPTA FUNCTION
Another important factor of thyroid hormone activity is their ability to stimulate the testes. So? Thyroid hormones have been shown to acutely stimulate testosterone production by the Leydig cells in vitro via stimulating the production of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and StAR mRNA in Leydig cells; StAR is associated with intracellular trafficking of cholesterol into the mitochondria during steroid hormone synthesis.
Bottom line? Optimal thyroid activity results in stimulation of testosterone production by males, and better hormonal modulation in females.
Thyrogen-X™ contains two exciting naturally occurring thyroid hormone analogs called Diprop and Triprop. What makes them special?
Everyone has heard of the powerful thyroid hormone T-3. And of course many have reported the benefits from the T-3 analog Triac. Triprop is a naturally occurring thyroid analog of T-3 similar to Triac in some positive regards. Well, according to animal studies, Triprop has a higher affinity for the thyroid hormone receptor-beta 1 (TR beta 1) than does T-3 by 1.8-fold. This means that it does not take much to do a lot.
Diprop is similar to T-2 in that it has been attributed to have brown fat promoting properties. When you are first born, your body does not have much white fat to help insulate and retain body heat; although there are white fat cells, there is not much fat stored in them. A newborn baby produces heat (thermogenesis) primarily by breaking down fat molecules into fatty acids in brown fat cells. Instead of those fatty acids leaving the brown fat cell, as happens in white fat cells, they get further broken down in the mitochondria and their energy is released directly as heat. This same process occurs in hibernating animals, which have more brown fat than humans. Once the newborn baby starts eating more, developing layers of white fat, the brown fat goes away. Adult humans have little or no brown fat. More brown fat means way less white fat, a leaner body and better over-all body composition control.
Diprop has also been shown to increase cellular metabolic rate in a synergistic manner with all other thyroid hormones and analogs.
Yeah, I know, it would seem like all would be perfect if we simply mega dosed on thyroid hormone analogs and train. Unfortunately, there is always a reaction to every action and this is no different. Doing that would men thyroid gland shut-down in a very short period of time. Why?
NATURAL THYROID HORMONE PRODUCTION IN HUMANS
(Warning: Science Geek Stuff)
The thyroid is a part of the endocrine system. The endocrine system monitors and manufactures/synthesizes many hormones and hormone-like substances. For this reason, the endocrine system and its sub-systems have many built in "checks and balances" to assure proper hormonal ratios and activity levels.
1) Endogenous thyroid hormone production begins when neuro-input tells the hypothalamus to synthesize and release Thyroptropin -Releasing -Hormone. (TRH)
2) TRH stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release Thyroid-Stimulating-Hormone (TSH) (also referred to as Thyrotropin on some lab chem. Panels)
3) When TSH contacts its receptor-sites located throughout the thyroid gland, a series of enzymic reactions occur using tyrosine and iodine as raw materials to produce and/or release L-Thyroxine (T-4). T-4 is then released into the vascular system so it can circulate.
4) The active T-4 circulating in the vascular system merges with receptors and triggers metabolic “some” activity, but when it reaches the liver it is changed into the more active thyroid hormone L-Triiodothyronine (T-3) by an enzyme called 5-deiodinase. T-3 is about 5 times more active than T-4. The newly formed T-3 is released into the vascular system where it may contact and merge with cellular receptors which initiates all the metabolic activity discussed earlier. Simple so far?
THYROID FEED-BACK MECHANISMS and FEED-BACK LOOPS
Of course the thyroid does not simply mass produce thyroid hormones continuously. Actually it tries pretty hard to produce as little as possible. This is due to the "checks and balances" nature included in the action/reaction factors for the endocrine system called "feedback-mechanisms". In the case of thyroid function, the feedback-mechanism or loop involves the hypothalamus (secretes TRH), pituitary gland (secretes TSH), thyroid gland (secretes T-4), and the liver (converts T-4 into T-3).
A feedback-mechanism or loop can trigger the release of another hormone (positive feed-back), or inhibit its release (negative feed-back) thus maintaining that balance. This means high levels of T-4 or T-3 initiate a negative feed-back loop that tells the hypothalamus to produce less TRH, and low levels of T-4 or T-3 initiate a positive feed-back loop that tells the hypothalamus to produce more TRH.
So, simply supplementing with higher than normal levels of thyroid hormone analogs will result in a negative feed-back loop that tells the pituitary to stop producing TRH and the hypothalamus to get greedy with TSH…and natural thyroid hormone production goes in the toilet with you metabolism. Hmmm, picture what happens when you stop taking the extra thyroid analogs.
The obvious effective goal therefore becomes to maximize total circulating thyroid hormone levels both supplementally…and provide synergistic support to natural thyroid hormone production by our bodies. One or the other simply is inefficient. So now that we have the powerful ALRI analogs Triprop and Diprop to add to total circulating levels, we need to inhibit the negative feed back-loop.
Natural Thyroid Function Support
Thyroid hormone production in the body begins with the amino acid tyrosine. Unfortunately free-form tyrosine really does not pass well into the circulatory system at a very high rate orally. Like most amino acids (but not all) a lipophylic carrier or such as an ethyl ester has the potential to increase oral bioavailability up to 400%...so yes, we created tyrosine ethyl ester for Thyrogen-X™.
Now that we have the raw material for natural thyroid hormone production, we need to maintain or even increase the natural production signals by triggering TRH and TSH release from the pituitary and hypothalamus.
In rat studies freeze dried extract of Olea europaea (olive leaf extract) was shown to have a maintained stimulatory affect upon the pituitary-thyroid axis that resulted in increased thyroid gland activity. The study shows that this is not a result of pituitary stimulation but of hypothalamic stimulation thus supporting TSH activity. Which is pretty cool, huh?
Clary sage is a rather interesting herbal goodie that can be standardized for many of its active compounds. In one study it was shown that, as an aroma therapy, it aids in improving stress scores significantly.
Okay, but the really cool effect it has is due to its cAMP stimulating value. There is a significant similarity between compounds in this interesting herb and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). As most are aware, increased TSH means more fat burning anabolism promoting T-3 production (yes, it acts synergistically with the next goodie in this regard…but through different pathways).
The connection here is that the TSH-like effect triggers an enzyme called adenylate cyclase in the thyroid that results in an increase in cAMP activity and subsequently lots of extra T-3 production…naturally. Since there is an increase in cAMP, there is an accompanying increase in nitrogen retention.
There appears to be some research that supports the belief that increased cAMP results in greater LH release as well (you know, that stuff that tells “The Boy’s” to make more testosterone? Okay, the LH part affects only the guys, women don’t have testes…or shouldn’t). Think about the HPTA stimulating synergy between Clary sage extract and thyroid hormones explained prior. Hmmmm?
Beta AET ECPE (beta-androstenetriol ECPE)? We have all heard, and in many cases experienced, the positive effects of DHEA and its even better metabolites. As example are the patented and effective products 7-OXO-DHEA and of course 7-Hydroxy-DHEA analogs. They are noted for their unique ability to avoid conversion into androgenic metabolites or affect androgen receptors while promoting fat loss, lean mass retention and even maximizing thyroid gland activity. Of course oral bio-availability is pretty poor with most of these analogs thus requiring higher dosages. Did I mention that bAET (b-androstenetriol) is between 100 and 100,000 times more active than its DHEA precursor metabolites? Okay, how about that bAET ECPE is nearly 100% orally bioavailable? Yup. It’s why we formulated it.
Okay, let me explain a little about the fat loss and lean muscle side of things in regard to bAET ECPE…
Glucocorticoids in humans are in two forms: Inactive cortisone and very active for eating muscle cortisol. There are two enzymes that are able to make each of these convert into the other.
11b-HSD-1: Converts inactive cortisone into cannibalistic cortisol. Studies have implicated this event in fat tissue as a pathway for increased fat storage. Part of the reason GH has a positive affect upon body composition is through its ability to inhibit 11b-HDS-1
11b-HSD-2: Converts nasty cortisol into cortisone. 11betaHSD2 debunks intracellular cortisol by 90%. (Let the 11b-HSD-2 rule the house)
Hmmm, more 11b-HSD-1 means more cortisol which eats more muscle. And less means…Duh!
Beta-AET ECPE inhibits the 11b-HSD-1 enzyme both locally and systemically. This means that there is less conversion of cortisone to cortisol in muscle as a result of training and everywhere else due to stress like dieting. Based upon the studies, it appears that in mediating this pathway, bAET ECPE increases immune function and recovery of cells as well. Add this to its stimulatory affect upon the thyroid gland to support natural thyroid hormone production? Yup, less cortisol, higher metabolic rate, inhibition of that nasty negative thyroid hormone production feed-back loop…less fat, more lean muscle and positive support to health. Not bad!
Thyrogen-X™ is the first multi-structured thyroid analog product that provides superior thyroid function support in an anti-catabolic environment to support your quest for the perfect physique. Thyrogen-X™, the cutting edge you have been waiting for!
Thyrogen-X™
Venom Lean Dreams
[60 tabs] $35.99
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Because fat loss is an around the clock job ALRI has developed VENOM LEAN DREAMS. The ultimate body modulation matrix.
To help provide better sleep, fat oxidation, growth hormone optimization, cortisol inhibition and faster recovery.