Operation Gratias is almost here and while we wait for D-day, we thought we’d have a little Facebook fun.

RockTape and PROGENEX have put together some sweet prize packages for whomever uploads the Combat WOD photo that receives the most likes. Here’s a quick list of the general guidelines and contest rules:

1) This is a contest for our service men and women. All pictures must be original material and owned by the submitter.

2) In order to qualify for the contest, pictures must be uploaded to both the RockTape Facebook Page and the PROGENEX Facebook Page.

3) Photos may be uploaded anytime Wed., April 17th between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST. Photos uploaded after Wed., April 17th, will not be eligible for the contest and will most likely be removed.

4) “Liking” will take place beginning Wed., April 17th and continuing through Sunday, April 21st, 8 p.m. EST. PROGENEX and RockTape will total the likes from all pictures uploaded during the contest and announce winners on Monday, April 22nd.

5) There will be three prize packages awarded. A Grand Prize winner  along with 2 Runner Up Prizes. The Grand Prize winner will receive:

• 2 RockTape Rolls
• RockTape Shin Skins
• RockTape Hoodie
• RockTape Tee
• PROGENEX More Muscle
• PROGENEX Recovery
• PROGENEX Omega+
• PROGENEX Tee

Runners Up will Receive:

• 2 RockTape Rolls
• RockTape Shin Skins
• RockTape Tee
• Choice of PROGENEX product
• PROGENEX Tee

Let’s get this mission moving. Upload your best Combat WOD photo beginning Wed., April 17th!

D-Day: 4.25.13

Destination: Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan

Mission: Thank our Troops

TIME TO DELIVER

Remember back in December when we released 1,000 bags of Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Recovery? For every bag you bought, we set aside funds to provide over $5,000 in protein for our troops overseas.

Well, the time to deliver has arrived. RockTape will be joining as we send our love, support and supplies overseas to Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan. Located just outside of Kabul, Camp Phoenix is home to Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix.

According to GlobalSecurity.org, Task Force Phoenix I was launched by the U.S Army’s 10th Mountain Division following the collapse of the Taliban regime with the mission of training the new Afghan National Army. Every subsequent rotation has been comprised and lead primarily by Army National Guard commands.

As a NATO installation, Camp Phoenix is home to National Guard Soldiers, Active Duty Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel serving alongside teams from coalition allies.

PROGENEX and RockTape had planned to arrive Thursday, April 25th and spend the next two days expressing thanks, handing out goods and supplies, smashing some WODs and hosting a friendly CrossFit Competition at CrossFit Camp Phoenix. However, due to the recent bombings in Afghanistan, as well as in Boston, the General has canceled the trip.

While the news is disappointing, as we were all excited to personally meet and greet the troops, we are still delivering for our troops. The base commander has agreed to distribute our already arrived supplies and capture footage for us.

We are all super stoked to be able to express our gratitude in such a personal way and give back just a little to all those who give us so much!

God Bless Our Troops and God Bless the USA!

p.s. Our one regret is that we can’t distribute our swag and supplies to all our deployed men and women. BUT please know that our thoughts, prayers, gratitude, support and love extend to all of you!

Recover While You Rest

When it comes to maintaining peak athletic performance and consistently making speed and strength gains, recovery is key. That is why PROGENEX is proud to present the perfect companion to our post-workout Recovery supplement–PROGENEX Cocoon.

PROGENEX Cocoon represents the finest in nighttime rest and recovery and is specially formulated to promote a deep, sound, restorative and reparative sleep. Just 2 scoops mixed with 12 oz of hot water before retiring and you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and fully recovered–ready to tackle stress, rise above the daily grind and attack your most grueling workouts.*

What Do Nursery Rhymes and Nighttime Have to Do with Recovery?

A lot! PROGENEX Cocoon is all about nighttime rest and recovery so it’s only appropriate that I begin our discussion of our first key ingredient with a little bedtime nursery rhyme. “Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet; eating her curds and whey?” Wait, wait, wait . . . what in the world are curds and whey?

If you answered cheese curds, you are correct! Now that’s pretty easy to answer as an adult, but as a child I certainly hadn’t a clue. Plus, I was far more concerned about the “spider that sat down beside her” and the substance she was consuming called “whey.” Which, as you know, is exceedingly nasty and bitter. Too bad, she couldn’t sit on a tuffet, eating her curds and drinking her whey–in the form of a PROGENEX Recovery or More Muscle shake. If that were the case, she would have looked at the spider that sat down beside her . . . flexed her muscles and frightened it away!

But that is a different story for another day. For now, let’s get back to the point. You see, Miss Muffet was actually consuming two very superior sources of protein. Curds come from casein, and casein is the main protein found in cow’s milk. In fact, casein protein makes up approximately 80% of the protein found in cow’s milk, while the remaining 20% consists of whey protein. As complete proteins, both casein and whey serve as stellar sources of muscle fuel. Both possess unique amino acid profiles that when combined with their differing rates of digestion, make them remarkably suited to enhance muscle growth, repair, and recovery.

Whey is a fast-digesting or rapidly absorbed protein, making it the ideal pre- and post-workout protein supplement of choice (that is why PROGENEX Recovery consists of 100% whey protein hydrolysate). The rapid and ready absorption is just what your starving muscles need for optimum recovery after a killer workout. Casein, on the other hand, congeals in the stomach, resulting in slower metabolization. This longer digestion time provides your skeletal muscles with a sustained release of amino acids–making micellar casein the perfect protein choice for PROGENEX Cocoon: the ultimate in nighttime rest and recovery.

Micellar Casein

How does this clotting of casein in the gut actually occur? Well, it’s actually quite similar to the process of making cheese. You see, casein curdles in acidic environments. When manufacturers make cheese, they simply add a substance with a low pH to the milk causing the casein to curdle while the whey goes by the “whey” side. This is how you get your curds and whey. So what Miss Muffet was actually eating was something very similar to cottage cheese. Although today, the milky liquid found in cottage cheese is not usually whey. Most people wouldn’t find cottage cheese and whey very appetizing.

But back to your belly and the clotting of casein. The acidic nature of your stomach is what actually causes the casein to clot during digestion. This coagulation slows its digestion, enabling the casein to serve as a time-released protein supplement that peaks hours after consumption, supplying your muscles with a slow and steady drip of amino acids. Again, the best time to ingest casein protein is right before bed so that your muscles are fed a slow and steady supply of protein while you sleep.

Some Serious Science

And that is why the central ingredient in our new nighttime rest and recovery supplement–PROGENEX Cocoon–is micellar casein. Studies on micellar casein have demonstrated its remarkable ability to:

• Stimulate protein synthesis (Tipton, 2004)
• Increase lean muscle mass and strength (Demling, 2000),  (Willoughby, 2007)
• Prevent muscle wasting (Boirie Y, 1997)
• Speed recovery (Cermak, 2012)
• Improve immunity (Gregory, 2008)
• Enhance satiety (Abou-Samra, 2011), and
• Reduce blood pressure (Cadee, 2007)

Metamorphagen™

Micellar casein, however, is only one of the ingredients that make PROGENEX Cocoon the ultimate in nighttime rest and recovery. PROGENEX Cocoon also features Metamorphagen™—our proprietary tryptophan peptide that reduces sleep interruptions while fostering a deep, sound, restorative sleep so that you wake up feeling strong, rested and fully recovered.*

Furthermore, you won’t have to worry about drowsiness because the precise amount of Metamorphagen™ was specially formulated to wrap you in a cocoon of recovery at night so that come morning you are ready to hit it hard, maintaining peak performance levels all day long!

Tryptophan and Sleep

Most people associate tryptophan with Thanksgiving and turkey. Turkey does contain tryptophan and people do seem to get a little tired after eating their Thanksgiving feast. Many believe it’s from the tryptophan, others say it has more to do with overeating. All arguments aside, science has proved the positive relation between the two (tryptophan and sleep).

In fact, over 30 years ago, Dr. Hartman discovered L-tryptophan’s ability to reduce sleep latency (the amount of time it takes an individual to fall asleep), while simultaneously promoting a deep, less-interrupted sleep (Hartman, 1982). Studies demonstrating the power of tryptophan are not limited to just adults. Recently, scientists substantiated tryptophan’s capability to improve infant sleep (Aparicio, 2007). For years, tryptophan has been added to infant formula and for good reason. It works! Both parents and babies sleep more soundly because of it.

But that is not all, the tryptophan peptide has also been shown to improve and enhance sleep for individuals struggling with sleep disorders such as insomnia (Schneider-Helmet, 1986) (Hudson,2005), sleep apnea (Schmidt, 1983) and sleep phase delay (Cooke, 2010).

How Does It Work?

As an essential amino acid, L-tryptophan enters the bloodstream through the walls of the intestinal tract. L-tryptophan serves as a precursor for the production of serotonin. You see, when L-tryptophan crosses the brain-blood barrier, the brain converts it into 5-hyrdoxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, and then into serotonin. Serotonin plays an important role in regulating sleep, mood and appetite. When it comes to sleep, low serotonin levels negatively impact sleep/wake cycles (Miyamoto, 2012), as well as result in numerous sleeping disorders (Soulairac, 1977), (Wyatt, 1971). Disrupted sleep can ultimately lead to even greater problems such as chronic fatigue syndrome and/or depression. Whereas, sound and sufficient sleep not only results in happier, non-sleep deprived people, it can help you achieve your best body composition ever, as well as improve immunological function.

Sleep Your Way Lean?

Can sleep really help you achieve your best body composition ever? As you may or may not know, getting adequate sleep is essential when it comes to maximizing anabolic hormone production—both testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). Both of these hormones are regulated by our circadian rhythms—with HGH being produced in waves during deep, REM sleep (fully 70% of HGH production occurs during sleep) (Van Cauter, 1998), and testosterone production growing during sleep and peaking around dawn.

While men obviously produce more testosterone than women—and it’s contribution to protein synthesis and anabolic drive are well known—HGH is both anabolic (promotes protein synthesis) and lipolytic (promotes fat burning) (Bidlingmaier, 2010). Thus, HGH is a key hormone to staying lean. And sufficient sleep is a must for optimal HGH production. So mix yourself up a hot cup of Cocoon each night and rest assured (pun intended) that our Metamorphagen™ will be hard at work, delivering L-tryptophan to help you get a sound, restorative sleep.

Improved Immune Function

Now before we leave the topic of sleep, allow me to remind you of how important sleep is when it comes to immune system support. I will forbear from citing a litany of sources (trust me the list would be large and overwhelming), but in case you are unfamiliar with the research—or simply yearning to delve a little deeper, I highly recommend visiting one of the most recent studies conducted on sleep and improved immune function by Besedovsky and his colleagues, wherein a substantial review of the science of sleep and enhanced immunological defenses is thoroughly detailed and discussed. You’ll probably find more than you cared to know about the sleep dependent activity of T cells and regulatory T cells, but the numerous studies—fully cited in the reference section—are quite handy and helpful (Besedovsky, 2012). Basically, the better you sleep, the better you will feel, and the better equipped your body will be to fight off illness and maintain optimal immune system support.

Improved Mood

Now, let’s get back to our friend, serotonin. In addition to regulating sleep, serotonin also plays an important role in governing mood and behavior. Since L-tryptophan serves as a precursor to serotonin production, Metamorphagen™ can also help elevate your mood. Studies on depression and its treatment have consistently demonstrated L-tryptophan’s ability to increase serotonin production, thereby improving overall mood while ameliorating depressive symptoms (Thomson, 1982), (Levitan, 2000).

Appetite Control

Serotonin is also responsible for appetite regulation. Serotonin inhibits neuropeptide Y, resulting in the suppression of hunger and food intake (Halford & Blundell, 2000). Conversely, a low brain 5-HT level (translate as serotonin level) is associated with enhanced appetite (Leibowitz, 1989) and impaired impulse control (in rats) (Bizot, 1999). Since tryptophan levels directly impact the production of serotonin, PROGENEX Cocoon’s Metamorphagen™ can help you feel satiated as you soundly sleep. No more ravenous mid-night awakenings; your appetite will be regulated while your muscles continuously baste in a slow and steady supply of amino acids, stimulating growth, recovery and repair.*

Peptide Power

Now that you are fully aware of the many benefits of L-tryptophan, allow me to explain what makes Metamorphagen™ such a powerful, proprietary addition to our nighttime formula. PROGENEX Metamorphagen™ contains L-tryptophan in peptide form. Proteins in peptide form have superior absorption rates, protein efficiency ratios, and have been shown to enhance and speed recovery much more effectively than proteins in amino acid form (Boza, 2000), (Poullain, 1989). Consequently, L-tryptophan in peptide form is more potent and powerful than L-tryptophan in amino acid form (Markus, 2008). And that, coupled with our precise dosing, is what makes Metamorphagen™–our special proprietary L-tryptophan peptide—the finest L-tryptophan ingredient.

WOD Hard. Sleep Well. Recover Strong.

Nighttime Recovery is crucial for daytime performance and success. Featuring the powerful ingredients, micellar casein and Metamorphagen™, PROGENEX Cocoon provides just what your body needs to WOD hard, sleep well, and recover strong! So go ahead and hit the gym hard because PROGENEX is here to not only help you recover post-workout, but to also wrap you in a Cocoon of warm recovery come night. 

In Review

Remember, the power of PROGENEX Cocoon lies in our slow digesting micellar casein that stimulates protein synthesis through a sustained release of amino acids throughout the night—promoting muscle building while preventing muscle wasting. This slow, steady drip of amino acids is not only critical for protein synthesis, but is also crucial for immune system support (Gregory, 2008); and when coupled with our proprietary tryptophan peptide—Metamorphagen™–ensures a deep, restorative and reparative sleep so that you wake up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and fully recovered. Ready to tackle stress, rise above the daily grind, and tackle your most grueling workouts.* All of this for only $69.95. Get yours so you can WOD Hard. Sleep Well. Recover Strong!

Total Recovery

For a synergistic and supreme effect, we recommend combining the use of PROGENEX Recovery and PROGENEX Cocoon. After a rigorous workout your muscles need amino acids, fast! PROGENEX Recovery delivers just that—in a matter of minutes, not hours. Giving your fatigued and starving muscles the most pure, potent form of protein necessary for recovery, repair and growth.

Adding PROGENEX Cocoon—nighttime recovery—to your daily routine will ensure maximum recovery, enabling enormous gains in speed, strength and stamina.* Begin using PROGENEX Recovery immediately post-workout and PROGENEX Cocoon before bedtime for the ultimate 1-2 Recovery punch!

Total Recovery Plus

Take your recovery to the highest level by adding PROGENEX Omega+ to your Recovery and Cocoon routine. Famous for reducing inflammation and accelerating recovery, Omega+ combines krill oil (the most bioavailable source of Omega 3s) with the all-natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, astaxanthin. Couple these two ingredients with EPA-rich calamari oil and Vitamin D and you get the finest, most potent and powerful Omega 3 supplement specifically designed to enhance athletic performance. Learn more about Omega+ here.

Total Lean, Mean, Muscle Machine

Once you are totally covered when it comes to Recovery, it’s time to turn your focus to turning your body into one lean, mean, muscle machine. PROGENEX More Muscle will help you gain lean muscle mass and achieve your best body composition ever! Take More Muscle first thing in the morning and as a meal replacement and/or supplement throughout the day.

Feel the Power Surge!

Can a pre-workout drink help you recover? Indeed! And PROGENEX Force-the premier pre-workout product–does just that, and so much more!

PROGENEX Force is aptly named. One serving, pre-workout, and you’ll feel the power surge–enabling you to take your training and performance to the next level, and achieve incredible results both in and outside the gym.

PROGENEX Force contains a special proprietary blend of ingredients that is specifically formulated to maximize your body’s ability to train harder, longer so that you can realize superior results.

The ingredients in each serving of PROGENEX Force have been shown in studies to:

• Increase your energy, strength, stamina, clarity and mental focus.
• Maximize your ability to train harder, longer by fueling muscles and blocking fatigue pathways.
• Optimize your performance through increased blood flow, oxygen transport and the delivery of key nutrients during training.

All of the above is made possible by our proprietary Surge NOS Activator ™, our carefully calibrated nutrients (Creatine and 2:1:1 BCAA Peptides), our anti-fatigue ingredients—L-Citrulline and Beta-Alanine, and our low dose addition of caffeine

PROGENEX Force–Feel the Power Surge as you experience increased oxygen, strength, endurance, and mental clarity and focus. Read more about PROGENEX Force here: www.progenexUSA.com/Force.

Ready for your results? Get them today with our superior line of supplements! PROGENEXusa.com 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Columbus Tournament of the Teams

A Team and Individual Competition

Come join PROGENEX, Hybrid Athletics, CrossFit Legacy and Rogue at the Arnold Sports Festival from Friday, March 1- Sunday, March 3, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio.

It is going to be a blast! So mark your calendars now and get your team registered for a weekend full of live demos, activities, competitions, medleys and more.

Friday, March 1

9 a.m. -5 p.m.

Come join the Hybrid Athletics Team for a “hands on” Strongman and CrossFit extravaganza. If you’ve never tried yokes, stones, tires and logs you are in a for a real test and treat. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from the best as Rob Orlando’s team teaches beginning to advanced Strongman moves that will improve strength and power and make you even more CrossFit.

Saturday, March 2

9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Columbus Tournament of the Teams—

Individual Linda Competition–RX and Scaled (Men’s and Women’s) divisions

Team Linda Competition (Teams of 3) Video Demo Below.

**RX and Scaled divisions available**

As you probably know, Linda is one of the toughest workouts in the CrossFit program. Linda looks like this:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:

Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight
Bench press: body weight
Clean: 3/4 body weight

Set up three bars and storm through for time.

You do 10 deadlifts, then 10 bench press then 10 cleans, then 9-9-9- 8-8-8 so on and so forth. To do Linda RX is an impressive feat. Scaled is pretty tough too. Making “Linda” a team event is super gnarly rad. You’ll have a blast as the 3 of you attack your 3 bars.  Here’s how Team Linda will roll:

“Team Linda”

You can read my explanation and/or watch Rob Orlando’s awesome video below explaining how it will roll.

Teams will weigh in Saturday morning.  We will add the weights together for all 3 people and then average them.  The barbells will be set according to the average weight.  For example…Athlete A is 180 pounds.  Athlete B is 190 pounds.  Athlete C is 200 pounds.  The bars will be set up at the team’s average weight…190 pounds.  Squat Clean will be 143, Bench will be 190, Deadlift will be 285.

One athlete will start at each movement–Deadlift, Bench Press, and Squat Clean.  After they have completed a set of 10 reps at that movement they will rotate to the next station.  They cannot move until the entire team has finished 10 reps.  When they return to their original position they begin their round of 9.  Repeat this process down to the end of the wod or until time expires.

The top 10 teams (along with the Top 5 Male and Top 5 Female Individual Competitors) will earn spots to compete in Sunday’s Strongman Medley (March 3rd) for cash and killer prizes!

Only $100 per team and only $40 for an Individual Competitor. And you are gonna love the shirts!

Morning heat begins at 9 a.m. with afternoon heat beginning at noon.

Sunday, March 3

Strongman Medley Competition

9 a.m. -4 p.m.

Top 10 teams and Top 5 Male and Top 5 Female Individual Competitors from the Linda Competition on Saturday will compete in a Strongman Medley where cash and killer prizes will be awarded to the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place in both teams and individuals.

So hurry up and register because spots are filling up fast! You can sign up here.

Volunteers and Judges will be needed for both Saturday and Sunday events.  To volunteer and/or judge, please send an email to arnold@roguefitness.com

For Location and Directions to The Arnold visit http://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/

Stay Tuned for the Team Linda Online Competition Which Will Be Brought to You by Hybrid Athletics and PROGENEX this December! We will provide more details as the date draws nigh. In the meantime, get on those bars!

PROGENEX Force

You asked. We delivered. PROGENEX Force represents the finest in pre-workout supplementation. Those of you already familiar with our superior supplement line will not be disappointed. PROGENEX Force is every bit as powerful and potent as our Recovery, More Muscle, and Omega+.

The Force is in You!

PROGENEX Force is aptly named. One serving, pre-workout, and you’ll feel the power surge within you—enabling you to take your training and performance to the next level, and achieve incredible results both in and outside the gym.

PROGENEX Force contains a special proprietary blend of ingredients that is specifically formulated to maximize your body’s ability to train harder, longer so that you can realize superior results.

To create the finest pre-workout product, we consulted with scientists, athletes, and every day exercisers to find out just what they felt was needed. The ability to withstand fatigue was of pre-eminent concern, as was the rapid and ready supply and distribution of key nutrients during training.

PROGENEX Force does all that and more. The ingredients in each serving of PROGENEX Force have been shown in studies to:

• Increase your energy, strength, stamina, clarity and mental focus.
• Maximize your ability to train harder, longer by fueling muscles and blocking fatigue pathways.
• Optimize your performance through increased blood flow, oxygen transport and the delivery of key nutrients during training.

All of the above is made possible by our proprietary Surge NOS Activator ™, our carefully calibrated nutrients (Creatine and 2:1:1 BCAA Peptides), our anti-fatigue ingredients—L-Citrulline and Beta-Alanine, and our low-dose addition of caffeine.

Surge NOS Activator™

PROGENEX Force contains Surge NOS Activator™–a proprietary whey peptide that enhances nitric oxide production in endothelial cells. This process is crucial for vasorelaxation, or greater arterial dilation (Cosentino, 1995), (Bryan, 2009). Vasodilation means you’ll experience:

• Increased blood flow and oxygen transport
• Maximized and prolonged VO2 Max
• Reduction in blood pressure, and
• Rapid delivery of key nutrients during training

How does Surge NOS Activator ™ work? Surge NOS Activator™ is an isolated concentration of key whey peptides that enhance nitric oxide production in endothelial cells. Unlike some NO products, the mechanism of action in Surge NOS Activator™ is different in that we don’t simply just add more amino fuel, such as arginine, to support NO activity. Surge NOS Activator™   actually switches on the enzymatic pathway to utilize your own amino acids to start the NO response.

If you are unfamiliar with the NO response or even the “radical” molecule known as nitric oxide, allow me to explain. Known as NO, nitric oxide is an important cellular signaling molecule. It is often referred to as the endothelium-derived relaxing factor—EDRF—because the endothelium (inner lining) of blood vessels uses nitric oxide to signal the surrounding smooth muscle to relax. This relaxation is referred to as vasorelaxation, and/or vasodilation. It is this increased arterial dilation that allows for greater blood flow.

It was Ferid Murad and his colleagues who first made this important discovery back in 1973. The implications for modern day medicine were so far-reaching and profound that in 1992, nitric oxide was named “Molecule of the Year,” and six years later, Murad and his colleagues were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology.

Their landmark research spurred pharmaceutical companies to create medicines with the ability to successfully treat angina, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and/or erectile dysfunction (yes, Viagra also harnesses the power of nitric oxide).

It didn’t take long for athletes and sports nutritionists to also realize the significance of Murad’s discovery. Supplements harnessing the power of nitric oxide abound, but only PROGENEX Force contains the patent-pending technology and proprietary dosing that specifically isolates and concentrates key whey peptides responsible for activating the production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells, resulting in vasorelaxation.

Just one serving of PROGENEX Force and you will feel the power Surge, enabling you to experience increased blood flow, increased oxygen transport and extended VO2 max. You’ll also feel your muscles fuel up as two ingredients course rapidly through your expanded arterial walls, delivering strict muscle fuel before, during, and after your grueling workout.*

Surge Delivers the Force!

Increased blood flow and oxygen transport are awesome, indeed, but PROGENEX Force doesn’t stop there. Our Surge NOS Activator ™ ensures the rapid delivery of key nutrients during training. The two key nutrients included in PROGENEX Force are:  Creatine Monohydrate  and 2:1:1 BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids). Both are incredible sources of strict muscle fuel that have been scientifically proven to enhance athletic performance.

Creatine

Creatine is a substance naturally produced in your body. It can also be obtained from consuming meat and/or through supplementation. Creatine plays a vital role in providing energy to your cells (particularly your muscles) by fueling the creation of ATP.

Because of the important role creatine plays in fueling the production of ATP, individuals with higher creatine concentrations in their body tend to exhibit greater strength, bursts of speed, greater muscle mass, and increased protein synthesis (muscle building and repair).

Knowing the above, it’s easy to understand why creatine has become one of the most popular sports supplements on the market, as well as the most researched. In fact, studies on creatine have consistently demonstrated its ability to:

• Increase muscular strength, power and body mass (Okudan, 2005), (Earnest, 1995), (Volek, 1999)
• Reduce muscle fatigue in anaerobic exercise (Hoffman, 2005)
• Enhance protein synthesis (Ingwall, 1974)

There are numerous studies demonstrating the benefits of creatine supplementation. I only cited a few, but if you’d like to learn more simply Google “creatine and enhanced athletic performance.”

2:1:1 BCAA’s

Along with creatine, PROGENEX Force delivers leucine, isoleucine and valine. These branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) are crucial for muscle growth, repair and recovery. But that is not all, leucine, isoleucine and valine are the primary amino acids oxidized during intense exercise (Blomstrand, 2006). That is why it is extremely helpful to supplement with BCAA’s prior to working out. Supplementing with BCAA’s pre-workout supplies your muscles with high octane fuel during your workout, as well as increases protein synthesis, decreases catabolization (muscle breakdown) and enhances post-workout recovery (Candeloro, 1995), (Shimomura, 2004), (Matsumoto, 2007)

For this reason, you’ll find BCAA’s in pretty much any decent pre- and post-workout product. However, what really sets the PROGENEX Force formula apart from the competition is our 2:1:1 BCAA ratio.  Leucine is the most important BCAA when it comes to muscle growth and repair. That is precisely why we add more leucine. The 2:1:1 ratio is optimal for helping your muscles maintain an anabolic state  both during and after your workouts , as well as optimizing strength gains (Coburn, 2006).

Another advantage with our special BCAA formulation is its peptide form. Proteins in peptide form have superior absorption rates, protein efficiency ratios, and have been shown to enhance and speed recovery much more effectively than proteins in amino acid form (Boza, 2000), (Poullain, 1989). Consequently, BCAAs in peptide form are more potent and powerful than BCAAs in amino acid form (Markus, 2008). And that, coupled with our precise dosing, is what makes our 2:1:1 BCAAs such an incredible addition to PROGENEX Force and sets us apart from any other product.

Anti-Fatigue

Fueling your muscles is an important component to any pre-workout supplement, but strict muscle fuel without added buffering agents to fight against fatigue would make for a weak pre-workout drink. That is why PROGENEX Force contains Citrulline and Beta-Alanine.

Citrulline

Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid produced naturally in the body and also found in foods such as melons. It has gained widespread recognition in the sports nutrition field because of the role it plays in facilitating the elimination of ammonia. Because ammonia accumulation in the blood and tissues has been shown to block cellular energetic processes (Lowenstein, 1972), (Bryla, 1979), buffering against its production and facilitating its elimination through citrulline supplementation is of utmost importance for individual’s seeking to achieve optimal athletic performance.

Citrulline’s anti-fatiguing properties (Janeira, 1998)* were reason enough to include it in our list of PROGENEX Force ingredients, but impressively enough, Citrulline has also been shown to:

• Increase Nitric Oxide Production (because citrulline can increase arginine levels, which in turns produces nitric oxide)
• Increase ATP (energy) (Bendahan, 2002)
• Enhance Anaerobic Performance and Reduce Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness (Perez-Guisado, 2010)

*Citrulline malate effects on the aerobic-anaerobic threshold recovery and in post-exercise blood lactate recovery Janeira, M. A.; Maia, J. R.; Santos, P. J. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 30(5) (Supplement):155, May 1998.

Beta-Alanine

Like citrulline, beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that can increase the level of carnosine in the muscle. As a precursor to carnosine, beta-alanine joins with the amino acid histidine through a peptide bond to form carnosine in the muscle.  Muscle carnosine is the major buffering agent, or neutralizer, of hydronium ions that lead to muscle fatigue and failure.

The benefits of beta-alanine have been researched in several different studies with remarkable results. Beta-alanine can:

• Increase muscle carnosine for prolonged periods (Baguet, 2009)
• Increase muscle buffering capacity (Derave, 2007)
• Decrease acidosis (Stout, 2006)
• Improve endurance (Van Thienen, 2009)
• Delay fatigue (Derave, 2007)
• Increase strength (Hill, 2007) (Hoffman, 2006)
• Speed recovery from intense exercise (Stout, 2006)

Together, beta-alanine and citrulline will keep fatigue at bay, allowing for enhanced endurance and increased working capacity.

Low-Dose Caffeine

Some pre-workout drinks contain high doses of caffeine, but PROGENEX Force uses only 100 mg. This low dose is the optimal addition for promoting high energy levels while increasing mental clarity and focus.

Caffeine supplementation has also been shown to enhance athletic endurance and fat oxidation (Costill, 1978), as well as decrease muscle glycogenolysis—resulting in prolonged time to exhaustion (Spriet, 1992).

Get Your Results

You’ve trusted us to help you recover, now allow us to help you train harder, longer. And go faster, stronger. PROGENEX Force: Feel the Power Surge!

Post-Workout Recovery

For a synergistic and supreme effect, use PROGENEX Force pre-workout and PROGENEX Recovery post-workout. After a rigorous workout your muscles need amino acids, fast! PROGENEX Recovery delivers just that—in a matter of minutes, not hours. Giving your fatigued and starving muscles the most pure, potent form of protein necessary for recovery, repair and growth.

Adding PROGENEX Recovery to your daily routine will ensure maximum recovery, enabling enormous gains in speed, strength and stamina. Begin using PROGENEX Force pre-workout and PROGENEX Recovery immediately post-workout for the ultimate 1-2 training punch!

Peak Performance Plus

Take your performance to the highest level by adding PROGENEX Omega+ to your pre-workout and Recovery routine. Famous for reducing inflammation and accelerating recovery, Omega+ combines krill oil (the most bioavailable source of Omega 3s) with the all-natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, astaxanthin. Couple these two ingredients with EPA-rich calamari oil and Vitamin D and you get the finest, most potent and powerful Omega 3 supplement specifically designed to enhance athletic performance.

Total Lean, Mean, Muscle Machine

Adding PROGENEX More Muscle to your training routine will help you turn your body into one lean, mean, muscle machine. Each shake will help you gain lean muscle mass and achieve your best body composition ever! Take More Muscle first thing in the morning and as a meal replacement and/or supplement throughout the day.

Get your results today!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

PROGENEX

OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE CROSSFIT GAMES

CrossFit and PROGENEX have entered into a multi-year agreement for sponsorship of the CrossFit Games.

“PROGENEX has been a consistent supporter of the CrossFit Games since 2009.  They’ve grown steadily, and we’re excited to have them step up as an official Partner of the Games for the next three years,” said Justin Bergh, General Manager of the CrossFit Games. 

Ryan Page, of PROGENEX proclaimed, “We have been behind CrossFit from day one–at every level. We are looking forward to continuing our support at the highest level of CrossFit competition, while continuing to support all the local events, individual box owners, athletes and everyday exercisers.”

As a small, privately held company, PROGENEX is dedicated to producing the finest athletic performance enhancing supplements. Their pre- and post-workout products help athletes of every skill level achieve incredible results both in and outside the gym. As presenting performance nutrition sponsor, they are thrilled to help take the Games–as well as your performance–to the highest level!

Paul Gomez, of PROGENEX, summed it all up with this prounouncement, “Look for PROGENEX in full FORCE this 2013 as we continue to champion the every day members of the CrossFit community as well as the elite athletes of the Games.”

IS GONE!

$5,000 in #TheSauce is headed overseas!

Thank you for helping us say THANK YOU to our troops stationed in Afghanistan. This one truly was for them! Stay tuned for details on our trip abroad. We are in the process of gathering several other companies to join with us as we head overseas to personally deliver the goods. Rock Tape is in and will be donating tons of tape, as well as teaching the soldiers how to properly wrap with it. Several other companies have already expressed interest so we will keep you posted as we finalize the details. It’s going to be stellar and we promise to take pictures and record all of us spreading Christmas cheer by sharing #theSauce.

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!

p.s. For all who were unable to secure a bag of #TheLimitedSauce, buy a bag of Belgian Chocolate Recovery or More Muscle and then smash up some candy canes. Shake well.

and it’s oh so good!

PEPPERMINT BARK RECOVERY

Limited Edition

$64.95

Send #TheSauce and Some Love Overseas!

Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Recovery combines the best of both worlds this holiday season. You’ll find yourself WODing multiple times a day just so you can consume it.

You’ll also be supporting a super cool cause because with every bag you buy, we’ll donate $5 in protein to our troops overseas. There’s hardly a better way to say “Thank You” and spread “Christmas Cheer!”

So what are you waiting for? Get yours before it’s gone!

BUY NOW

LIMITED EDITION

Better Get Yours Before It’s Gone!

Santa Claus is coming to town and so is Jason Khalipa! That’s right, PROGENEX Athlete and CrossFit Games Champion, Jason Khalipa, will be in Hawaii, December 12-18th, and you have the chance to win lunch and a WOD with him during his stay in Maui.

Here’s how it works: all residents of the great state of Hawaii who place any purchase of $59.95 or more between Friday, December 7th and Tuesday, December 11th will be entered into a raffle to win. The drawing will take place on Tuesday, December 11th at 11:59 p.m. PST and the winner will be announced Wednesday, December 12th.

PROGENEX will help coordinate schedules and cover any travel costs (including inter-island). Jason will take you through a WOD and then PROGENEX will treat you both to lunch!

This contest is open to Hawaii residents only! WHAT? Okay, we don’t want to disappoint all our loyal continental fans so if you don’t live in Hawaii, go ahead and scroll down for your upcoming Christmas Special. But since all our Hawaii fans know that shipping #TheSauce overseas isn’t cheap, we decided to say thanks in a big way by shipping you over a Super Star!

So what are you waiting for, just click on the link below and get some goods in your cart so you can win!

Click here to purchase and enter to win!

For our Continental Friends: Christmas is coming to you! That’s right, you will have the opportunity to win a visit from PROGENEX athlete Christmas Abbott as she trains with you and your entire box! Details will be sent sometime next week. Stay tuned. . . for Christmas is almost here!