Tag Archives: cellucor

What is Cellucor C4 Ripped?

Cellucor C4 Ripped is a popular upgrade to the traditional C4 formula that focuses more on leaning out and getting shredded than its predecessor. Packed with a thermogenic punch for metabolic boosting, C4 Ripped is effective as an all-around pre-workout with a fat burning boost. However, when it comes to all-out energy, C4 Ripped can't compare with C4 50X.

Highlights:

• C4 Ripped can be broken down into two categories: energy boosting and fat burning. Its energy blend provides nearly 400 mg of the following: Caffeine Anhydrous, Velvet Bean, and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine. These ingredients are an excellent line-up for when you need a big boost in your energy levels. (1-3).

• Despite the energy boosting line-up, C4 50X is going to be the better pick for energy. It provides you with 200 mg of caffeine per serving from THREE different caffeine types including Anhydrous, XCelicor, and TeaCor. Compare that to the 150 mg of caffeine found in C4 Ripped. (1-4)

• C4 Ripped also contains a thermogenic (fat burning) blend that features scientifically proven ingredients including L-Carnitine, Green Tea Extract, and Capsicum. This is where C4 Ripped shines as the thermogenic compounds help to promote weight loss and fat burning. C4 50X contains no thermogenic compounds as it is strictly an energy-focused blend. (1-2, 5-6)

Why You Should Use Cellucor C4 Ripped

While not as powerful of a pre-workout as C4 50X, C4 Ripped is going to be the ideal choice for when your focus is a boost in energy AND you also want to support lean gains or begin a cutting phase. It packs an industry standard blend of energy boosting ingredients but the real strength of C4 Ripped is in the thermogenic compounds that trigger a higher level of fat burning.

Things to Watch Out for With Cellucor C4 Ripped

C4 Ripped is definitely an improvement over the traditional C4 formula; however, using C4 Ripped is going to depend heavily on what your personal fitness goals are AND your tolerance to thermogenic compounds.

If your primary goal is to skyrocket energy levels and you need a higher dose of caffeine to do that, then C4 Ripped may not be your best option. Instead, you'd want to choose C4 50X.

If, however, you want to focus on fat loss, then C4 Ripped has your back. It provides an excellent fat burning blend WHILE boosting energy levels to a level that is considered normal when compared to products across the industry.

What is Cellucor C4 50X?

Another upgrade to the C4 series, Cellucor C4 50X is every bit as powerful as the name suggests. It still holds the foundation of the original formula; however, what sets it apart is the increase in energy boosting ingredients across the board.

Highlights:

• C4 50X is solely focused on your energy levels and it makes this abundantly clear by offering you 200 mg of caffeine per serving from THREE different caffeine types including Anhydrous, XCelicor, and TeaCor. These three forms of caffeine have been shown to be effective at amplifying energy levels for an extended period of time. Best of all, there is no crash.

• C4 50X also contains a variety of proven pre-workout ingredients including Beta Alanine, Creatine, and Arginine. All of these ingredients may be able to promote performance and results. What's more, they are dosed appropriately, according to previous studies and research. In other words, you are getting the dosages that are most likely to provide the best results. (1-4)

Why You Should Use Cellucor C4 50X

Cellucor C4 50X is made exclusively to ensure you have an incredible workout. If you are someone who has built up a tolerance to caffeine or you just want to ensure you can crush your workout after a long day then C4 50X is for you.

50X doesn't feature the weight loss compounds like C4 Ripped; however, it isn't marketed as a weight loss supplement. If you want a boost in your fat loss and you're not too worried about energy levels, then C4 Ripped is the better pick.

Things to Watch Out for With Cellucor C4 50x

Celucor C4 50x contains 200mg of caffeine per serving along with several other pre-workout ingredients. If you have a caffeine sensitivity, then C4 50X may be too much to handle. We'd recommend trying a less aggressive pre-workout such as C4 Ripped or you can simply halve the dose.

References

1. Spradley BD, Crowley KR, Tai C-Y, et al. Ingesting a pre-workout supplement containing caffeine, B-vitamins, amino acids, creatine, and beta-alanine before exercise delays fatigue while improving reaction time and muscular endurance. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2012;9:28. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-9-28.

2. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM. Body weight loss and weight maintenance in relation to habitual caffeine intake and green tea supplementation. Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1195-204.

3. F. L. Dodd, D. O. Kennedy, L. M. Riby, and C. F. Haskell-Ramsay. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of caffeine and L-theanine both alone and in combination on cerebral blood flow, cognition and mood. Psychopharmacology. 2015; 232(14): 2563–2576. Published online 2015 Mar 13.

4. Kuhman, Daniel J., Keanan J. Joyner, and Richard J. Bloomer. 'Cognitive Performance and Mood Following Ingestion of a Theacrine-Containing Dietary Supplement, Caffeine, or Placebo by Young Men and Women.' Nutrients 7.11 (2015): 9618–9632. PMC. Web. 2 Aug. 2017.

5. Brandsch C, Eder K. Effect of L-carnitine on weight loss and body composition of rats fed a hypocaloric diet. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46(5):205-10.

6. Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Effect of capsaicin on substrate oxidation and weight maintenance after modest body-weight loss in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2003 Sep;90(3):651-59.

Pre-workouts are the staple of the fitness world, right alongside protein, and the best companies understand that means more than just throwing some caffeine in a brightly coloured powder. Let's take a look at two of the biggest names in the pre-workout world, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout and Cellucor C4, to see which one should be sitting on your shelf.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout

Where can I buy it?

• Click here to buy Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout.

Pros of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout

Optimum Nutrition rarely disappoints and their Gold Standard Pre-Workout is no exception. Gold Standard is a perfect blend of energy boosters and nootropics to help get you in the zone before a workout.

Sure, it contains caffeine but it doesn't overdo it like some of those over-the-top pre-workouts. At 175 mg per serving, that's a nice and steady kick that's backed up by a number of other ingredients including Beta Alanine, Gingseng, and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine. Gold Standard is free of controversial stimulants like Yohimbe and instead focuses on a level-headed way to boost your energy levels. (1)

Cons of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout

Gold Standard's pros may be its cons, depending on who you are. For the supplement newbie or those sensitive to energy boosters, Gold Standard is going to be the perfect pre-workout. For those who have taxed and maxed out their adrenal systems, Gold Standard may not even get you to baseline.

Cellucor C4

Where can I buy it?

• Click here to buy Cellucor C4.

Pros of Cellucor C4

Cellucor C4: Is there anyone who doesn't know the name of this pre-workout? C4 has been around the block time and again. In fact, Cellucor has released a series of C4 spin-off products including C4 Ripped and C4 Extreme. Today, let's focus on the classic formula.

As far as energy goes, C4 can't be beat. We love the combination of Velvet Bean with Caffeine and Theacrine. Studies show that when you mix Caffeine with Theacrine, you can avoid the classic jitters and instead focus on the energy boosting. What's a workout without a pump? C4 has long been one of the best nitric oxide blends featuring Creatine Nitrate and AAK (Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate), which are two of the most used N.O. boosters on the market. (1-3)

Cons of Cellucor C4

We love C4; however, what we don't like is mystery. That's what you get with C4's proprietary blend, which makes it impossible to know exactly how much of each ingredient you are getting in the energy blend. With that said, seeing as how C4 is still a fan favourite, it's a safe bet that you are getting a high enough dose of the energy boosting formula to crush your workout.

Conclusion

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout and Cellucor C4 are both amazing products and they are giants in the industry for a reason. Both offers formulas that kickstart energy levels, support performance, and enhance any workout. The deal breaker is going to be how much of a caffeine tolerance you have. If you need several cups of coffee just to get you started in the morning, we would recommend C4. If you've never experimented with pre-workouts before, go with Gold Standard.

References

1. Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Lejeune MP, Kovacs EM. Body weight loss and weight maintenance in relation to habitual caffeine intake and green tea supplementation. Obes Res. 2005 Jul;13(7):1195-204.

2. Daniel J. Kuhman, Keanan J. Joyner, and Richard J. Bloomer. Cognitive Performance and Mood Following Ingestion of a Theacrine-Containing Dietary Supplement, Caffeine, or Placebo by Young Men and Women. Nutrients. 2015 Nov; 7(11): 9618–9632.

3. Elfego Galvan, Dillon K. Walker, Sunday Y. Smbo, Ryan Dalton, Kyle Levers, Abigail O'Connor, Chelsea Goodenough, Nicholas D. Barringer, Mike Greenwood, Christopher Rasmussen, Stephen B. Smith, Steven E. Riechman, James D. Fluckey, Peter S. Murano, Conrad P. Earnest and Richard B. Kreider. Acute and chronic safety and efficacy of dose dependent creatine nitrate supplementation and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition201613:12. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-016-0124-0.

Nothing says muscle building quite like a tough workout and the follow-up protein shake. Protein has become synonymous with the gym and muscle building and with good reason: the amino acids within protein are the very building blocks of muscle tissue. Let's review two of the biggest names in protein, Cellucor COR Performance Whey and Muscle Pharm Combat Powder, to see which one can help you achieve your fitness goals.

Cellucor COR Performance Whey

Where can I buy it?

• Here's where you can buy Cellucor COR Performance Whey.

Pros of Cellucor COR Performance Whey

The great thing about Cellucor COR Performance Whey is that it is a straight forward protein supplement. It contains 25 grams of a unique blend of isolate and concentrate, allowing for an immediate and extended release of amino acids. It doesn't have an unnecessary vitamin blend like you'll find in most other protein supplements but it does have helpful digestive enzymes. This will be a big help for those who have digestive issues with whey.

When used as a part of a healthy diet and training program, Cellucor COR Performance Whey may be able to boost protein synthesis, support muscle building, and provide a convenient meal replacement solution.

Cons of Cellucor COR Performance Whey

The only thing that there is to complain about would be the use of artificial sweeteners in the whey protein blend. The thing is, these artificial sweeteners are commonly used and you'd be hard pressed to not find them in supplements. The only concern would be if you have a digestive issue with these particular sweeteners: Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) and Sucralose. So long as you aren't chasing after a completely natural lifestyle or have a digestive problem, these sweeteners shouldn't be an issue.

Muscle Pharm Combat Powder

Where can I buy it?

• Here's where you can buy Muscle Pharm Combat Powder.

Pros of Muscle Pharm Combat Powder

Just like with Cellucor COR Performance, Muscle Pharm Combat Powder gives you a high-quality protein that is free of unnecessary additives like synthetic vitamins and minerals. In fact, it's an eerily similar formula to the Cellucor brand with concentrate and isolate at 25 grams per serving. Again, just like its rival, Combat Powder is best used as a part of a well-planned training program as it may be able to support muscle building and fat loss. (1-6)

Cons of Muscle Pharm Combat Powder

Also, just like its rival, Combat Powder contains artificial sweeteners, which would be the only negative thing that we can spot in this bare essential formula.

Which One Should You Buy?

These two protein giants are the top brands for a reason: they are elite quality products with a huge fan following. Supplying you with equal amounts of isolate and concentrate whey protein, this supplement battle ends with a draw. We'd recommend buying both and seeing which one you favor. You could also just wait for each one to go on sale. Either way, they will both help you reach your fitness goals.

References

1. Tsutsumi R, Tsutsumi YM. Peptides and proteins in whey and their benefits for human health. Austin J Nutri Food Sci 2014;1(1): 1002

2. Blomstrand E, Eliasson J, Karlsson HK, Köhnke R. Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1 Suppl):269S-73S.

3. Norton, Layne, Layman, Donald. Leucine Regulates Translation Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle after Exercise. J. Nutr. February 2006 vol. 136 no. 2 533S-537S.

4. Negro M, Giardina S, Marzani B, Marzatico F. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2008 Sep;48(3):347-51.

5. Mourier A, Bigard AX, de Kerviler E, Roger B, Legrand H, Guezennec CY. Combined effects of caloric restriction and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on body composition and exercise performance in elite wrestlers. Int J Sports Med. 1997 Jan;18(1):47-55.

6. De Lorenzo A, Petroni ML, Masala S, Melchiorri G, Pietrantuono M, Perriello G, Andreoli A. Effect of acute and chronic branched-chain amino acids on energy metabolism and muscle performance. Diabetes Nutr Metab. 2003 Oct-Dec;16(5-6):291-7.