Focus Food passes rigorous testing to become NSF Certified for Sport!

Nutrition/ Supplementation

"You sure this thing is legal??"

"What the hell is in that bar? I ate one before studying yesterday and I actually felt like studying all day!" 

"I eat one of your bars before every game; you promise I won't fail a drug test if I get tested after the game!?" 

"Dude, I'm addicted to eating your bar before training; you sure they're not illegal??" 

The above statements are actual statements that I've been asked (on a regular basis) since the re-birth of the DeFranco Energy Bar, aka, the new and improved FOCUS FOOD EnerGI Bar!

Anyone who has eaten a Focus Food bar can relate to the statements listed above. Simply put, the taste and feeling you get after eating a Focus Food bar is almost too good to be true! So I totally understand everyone's concern. And let's be honest, the supplement industry isn't exactly the most credible industry in the world!

Hopefully everyone is now aware that it is (very) possible to fail a drug test from taking a legal, "natural" supplement that can be purchased at any local health food store. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA, so there are unethical companies that "take advantage" of this by making false label claims -- or they just blatantly spike their products with prescription pharmaceuticals without listing them on the label! This is why athletes are constantly failing drug tests, even though they haven't taken anything "illegal". This is also why I've found myself recommending fewer supplements to my athletes over the years. I now stick with "foundational supplements" only -- and I stick with the 2 or 3 companies in the industry that I know I can trust. 

HELP HAS ARRIVED!

FOCUS FOOD's ability to boost strength, energy, mental clarity and overall feeling of well-being made some people skeptical as to whether or not this great-tasting snack contained any banned substances -- even my own athletes would look at me funny after eating a bar and then PR'ing in the gym that same day!

This type of response dates all the way back to early 2006 when the first-ever sample batch of DeFranco Energy Bars [currently, Focus Food EnerGI Bars] arrived at my gym in plain silver wrappers. That morning, I asked the 7 guys that I was training for the NFL Combine to try my new product before our speed workout. Their first reaction was, "Damn, this candy bar is good!! But why are you having us eat a candy bar before training?!" Long story short; when I tested their 20-yard sprint times, all 7 athletes PR'd! I'll never forget that day; it was unreal. The first athlete to PR that day was a little-known wide receiver from Monmouth University named Miles Austin. After PR'ing by .07 seconds in his 20-yard sprint and having a great workout, he looked at me and said, "You sure that candy bar is legal? I felt great today, but that shady silver wrapper scares me a little!" The rest - as they say - is history! 

In order to put everyone's mind at ease and separate Focus Food from all the other products out there, GI Nutrition has invested a ton of time & money to put Focus Food through the most rigorous testing in the industry! I am now very proud to announce that Focus Food is officially NSF Certified for Sport! 

NSF International is an independent, not-for-profit organization that certifies products and writes standards for dietary supplements. NSF’s International Athletic Banned Substances Certification Program, also known as NSF Certified for Sport, helps athletes, coaches, and trainers make more informed decisions when choosing nutritional products. The program has been recommended by key athletic organizations, including: MLB, MLBPA, NFL, NFLPA, NCAA, WADA and CCES.

To meet the requirements of NSF, Focus Food has undergone the following testing protocols: review of toxicological formulation and marketing materials, facility inspection/GMP audit, annual label claim, laboratory testing/analysis, banned substance screening of over 130 analytes, & product certification.

FYI, there is only 1 other protein bar on the market that has met NSF Certification requirements, yet it does NOT contain the amount of protein, or the one-of-a-kind energy blend, that's found in Focus Food! Simply put, there is NO COMPETITION...

Focus Food is - hands down - the #1 Protein-Energy Bar in the World! 

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***Focus Food is also the official pre-workout supplement/snack of this years NFL Combine/Pro Day class.

You can check out some members of this year's class in action in the video clip below...

***SPECIAL OFFER: In honor of receiving our NSF Certification, we are giving everyone who reads this blog a discount on Focus Food! To order your discounted Focus Food, click the link below and type in the promo code "DEFRANCO" (all caps) when you place your order! 

Order the #1 Protein-Energy Bar in the World by clicking HERE!

***ATTENTION COACHES***

If you are a high school, college or professional strength & conditioning coach looking to provide/recommend safe supplements to your athletes; contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to get more info on supplying Focus Food and other NSF Certified products to your athletes. Tell him Joe D. sent ya! 

2 Comments

Joe D's "HIGH FIVE"!

Nutrition/ Supplementation

5 Superfoods & Food Alternatives for HIGH-Level Performance

A couple months ago, I revealed my "Supplement Pyramid". Since then, emails regarding supplements have flooded my inbox. Because of this, I've decided to get real FOOD back on everyone's mind! After all, FOOD is the true foundation with regards to fueling an athlete's body. Just like you would fill an expensive sports car with the highest quality gasoline; you must fill your body with the highest quality nutrients!

Although there are tons of healthy food choices, I've decided to provide my readers with 5 "Superfoods" that I feel should make up the foundation of everyone's diet. Here you go...

Blueberries did not make this list just because they are New Jersey's state fruit :) They are a true 'superfood' in that they are chock full of antioxidants and phytoflavinoids that can help lower LDL cholesterol and boost your immune system. They are also high in potassium, vitamins A & C, and fiber. They have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties which is super-important for preventing disease, as well as recovering from strenuous activities.

*If you are going to buy frozen blueberries to add to your protein shake, make sure you only buy the brands in which "blueberries" are the only ingredient listed. DON'T buy the frozen blueberries that contain added sugars and/or syrup!

SWEET POTATOS

Sweet potatos are a nutritional all-star; they are literally one of the best vegetables you can eat...and they taste great (without having to "mask" them with sugar-filled condiments or fatty dips). Sweet potatos are loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium and fiber. I also notice that my muscles feel "fuller", without the bloat, when I eat a lot of potatos. This is far superior to the water retention and "bloat" I feel when I eat too much wheats, grains, etc. Make sweet potatos a staple in your diet! Period.

Salmon

When it comes to protein -- chicken breast, steak, tuna and protein powders are the most common choices amongst athletes and bodybuilders. But the true "super-protein" is salmon! I know it's a little more "pricey" than most protein sources, but in my opinion, you can't put a price on your health and/or performance! Eating this Omega 3-rich fish just 2-3X per week will help lower your cholesterol, decrease your risk of heart disease and even improve brain function/mood! Salmon is also anti-inflammatory (as opposed to the inflammatory properties of red meat) and can help with arthritis pain, as well as help prevent disease.

Broccoli

I know, I know - who the hell wants to eat friggin' broccoli?! Well, if you're serious about your health and performing at a high level, you have to increase your intake of greens! Broccoli, along with other greens, makes your blood more alkaline; this is of utmost importance for decreasing inflammation in your body, as well as improving your cardiovascular health. (This is why guys like Randy Cotoure and other smart, high-level MMA fighters incorporate so many greens in their diets. It is almost impossible to reach peak physical condition for a sport like MMA if your blood is too acidic from eating too much red meat, dairy, processed sugars, etc.)

Besides being "alkaline" and "anti-inflammatory", broccoli contains a solid dose of vitamin C, carotenoids, folic acid and calcium! Personally, I always hated eating broccoli, but I started drizzling a little olive oil on it, along with a dash of sea salt and red pepper and now I actually enjoy it! I've also noticed a huge difference in my "cardio" since I've increased my daily intake of greens. Give it a try and feel the difference!

Dark Chocolate

I felt bad about making you eat your broccoli, so I decided to give you a treat! But rest assurred, this isn't just a "sympathy" choice - dark chocolate is a legitimate superfood! Did you know that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower your blood pressure?! Next time you have a "sweet tooth" - don't feel guilty - grab some dark chocolate...it's actually beneficial! Look for dark chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content...and the darker the chocolate, the better! (The darker the chocolate, the lower the fat and sugar content.)

BONUS INFO!

Eat this, NOT that!

To conclude this blog post, I wanted to provide my readers with 5 'SUPER ALTERNATIVES' to common foods. Making these small changes will end up making a BIG difference in how you look and feel over the long run!

Replace your milk with Rice Milk or Almond Milk!

We've been brain-washed into thinking "milk does a body good". Well, it's 2010 and we now know that milk doesn't do a body that good! Milk increases estrogen and inflammation in the body...and over 90% of my athletes that have been tested for food allergies were allergic to milk! Personally, I cut out milk a year ago and ironically this was the first year I didn't get bronchitis in my entire lifetime! Switching over to rice and almond milk has had a major impact on my health - and to be honest - I now enjoy both beverages...especially when added to protein shakes! Make this switch and reap the benefits!

Replace your peanut butter with Almond Butter!

Everyone talks about peanut butter being a "good" fat and overall healthy food. Well, they are partially right; although there isn't a lot of saturated fat in most peanut butters, the problem is the added sugar! Most peanut butters are loaded with sugar and other "filler" ingredients to make it taste good. The "low fat" peanut butters are usually worse for you because they add even more sugar to replace the fat that was removed! So what's a "peanut butter lover" to do...buy all-natural Almond Butter! Truth be told, I used to hate "all-natural" peanut butter's because they were a mess! The oil would separate and spill all over the place when you opened the jar. Well now many all-natural brands have "no stir" alternatives which make eating this healthy peanut butter much more enjoyable!

I prefer almond butter because almonds contain more calcium than any other nut (which makes it a great choice for people who cut dairy out of their diets, as well as vegetarians.) Almonds are also a great source of monounsaturated fat (which is great for your heart), vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron and fiber!

Replace your eggs with organic Omega-3 Eggs!

Eggs, in general, have gotten an (unfair) bad rap...mainly from studies conducted by General Mills - a cereal company - (Hmmm, I wonder if they had an agenda when conducting their "studies"?? Scare people away from eggs so they eat more cereal for breakfast?? Just sayin'...) Anyway, back to eggs...

One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids! But, to be honest, I don't trust what many farmers feed their chickens so I switched to eating organic eggs exclusively at this point in my life. And to add some "insurance" to my organic eggs, I now buy Omega-3 eggs. Because eggs do contain some cholesterol, I feel better eating eggs that are rich in Omega-3 fats because these types of fats reduce cholesterol, while still providing me with the quality protein and amino acid profile. They also taste exactly the same, if not better, than "regular" eggs. Make the switch and improve your health today!

Replace your "Low Calorie" cooking spray with Organic Coconut Oil!

First of all, "low calorie" or "0 calorie" cooking spray is BULLSHIT!!! It's friggin' OIL...and oil contains calories! So how do they get away with these claims, you ask? Next time you goto the supermarket, look at the 'serving size' of your favorite cooking spray...it's usually 1/4 of a second spray per serving! Who the hell sprays their pan for 1/4 of a second?! The answer is, "No one!" Thinking that the cooking spray is "low calorie", most people spray the hell out of the spray until their frying pan is nice and lathered up! Well, if you're going to lather up your pan with oil, you may as well use one of the most unique, healthiest oils on the planet - cocunut oil!

Coconut oil is great for "greasing" your pan because it's very "fatty" so your food will never stick...and it tastes great! But don't let this oil, which is high in saturated fat, fool you; although coconut oil is primarily saturated fat, most of the fatty acids are from Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT's). MCT oil is easily digested and absorbed by the body and results in many physical and health benefits including: increased energy, decreased inflammation, balances out blood sugar levels, increased immunity, aids in proper digestion & metabolism, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol...and it's even great for your hair and skin! As you can see, the health benefits of coconut oil are endless...not to mention, you will never burn an omelet when you cook with it :) There's no reason not to make the switch!

Replace your candy bar with Focus Food!

Ok, Ok, I know this looks like a cheap plug for Focus Food, but hear me out...

I initially created my "DeFranco Energy Bar" to fill a void in the supplement industry for athletes. The bar was created as a pre-workout snack to improve mental focus, strength and performance. Then, I teamed up with GI Nutrition and upgraded the bar...it's now All-Natural and "healthier" than my original version, yet it tastes better! This thing literally tastes like a candy bar! Over the past couple of weeks, something very interesting started happening -- non-athletes, "average Joe's", housewives and businessmen, all started emailing us and telling us how much they love the taste of the bar, as well as the energy it gives them! Students have told us they ate the bar before taking their SAT's; housewives eat the bar to make cleaning and doing the laundry more "enjoyable"; businessmen eat the bar before big meetings, etc. I can go on and on with different examples, but my point is that "regular" people have replaced their mid-day snacks, candy bars and sugar-filled coffees with Focus Food. This hasn't only helped them be more productive; they are all healthier because of the switch!

Replace your candy bar with Focus Food and satisfy your "sweet tooth" with this great-teasting, all-natural alternative! It's a no-brainer!

Don't use the Holiday season as an excuse to be fat and ugly...start incorporating these foods and ideas into your daily routine NOW!

-Joe D.

Let me know what you thought of this blog post by dropping a comment below!

21 Comments

Block vs. Conjugate Periodization, Joe D's "Supplement Pyramid" and more Badass feedback!

Nutrition/ Supplementation

Q: Joe D – After purchasing your Super Strength dvd (great video!) its obvious your a huge advocate of conjugate periodisation, aka, the Westside method. But im assuming your aware of the philosophy behind block periodisation and its many benefits. My question is, is there ever a time where you would use a block periodisation model for your athletes? I’m always looking to expand my knowledge base so I figured who better to ask then THE MAN himself. If you don’t get around to answering this question I understand coach. Have a great holiday!

A.J.

Boulder, CO

A: Good question, A.J. This is a question that seems to be coming up a lot lately. Instead of creating an "argument" as to which peridization model is "better"; I will give you my personal opinion on the benefits of both. You can then decide which model is better for your personal situation.

The reason I favor the Russian Conjugate Method - aka, the "Westside Method" - most of the time is because it produces quicker results and it's a more realistic approach for most of the athletes that hire me. Although I'd love to be able to work with athletes - uninterrupted - for years at a time; that's just not how the private training business usually works.

For example: Every summer, athletes from all over the world travel to my gym to train with me in preparation of their football, rugby or soccer seasons. These athletes will be with us for anywhere between 6 weeks to 3 months. Likewise, every January, college football players from across the country come to New Jersey to prepare for the NFL Combine or their NFL Pro Day. On average, we have 6-12 weeks to get these guys stronger, faster, better conditioned and improve their technical skill at the various Combine tests. In both cases, I am always able to make drastic changes in this timeframe because I have our athletes training multiple qualities at once (conjugate periodization) from the day they arrive until the day they leave.

These "quick" results just wouldn't be possible if I separated the training into different "blocks". There just wouldn't be enough time to get everything in and get the job done!

On the other hand, if you have 6 months or longer with an athlete - uninterrupted - it is a logical approach to break up the training into "blocks". For example, although all of my NFL clients love to lift, many of them don't feel like maxing out on bench or squats the day after the season ends! These guys need a couple weeks off at the end of the season to relax and recuperate. After that, I'll ease them back into training by performing more "rehab" type movements to help overcome imbalances and injuries that occurred during the season. (For example: Single leg squats and step-ups are favored over barbell squats; dumbell benching is favored over heavy barbell pressing, etc.) Once they start feeling "normal" again, you can incorporate a "hypertrophy" block (if they need to regain muscle mass). After that block, you can move into a strength block (with just enough hypertrophy to get a residual effect from the previous block), then focus on a block that develops power/speed (with residual strength effects...), then focus on specific conditioning/energy system/technical training, etc. Hopefully you get the point.

Basically, here's the short version of my answer: If you have 6 months or less with an athlete, I'm a huge advocate of Conjugate Periodization. If you have an athlete training with you long-term (uninterrupted), the "slow & steady" Block Periodization model (or other "Linear-based" models) are a logical approach to get the job done.

-Joe D.

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Q: This question is for Joe Defranco. Joe I would love to hear more from you regarding supplements!! I know this is a very broad topic so I’ll try to narrow down my question: Do you have a list of “foundational” supplements that you pretty much feel all athletes should be taking? I know every athlete is different but surely you have an “A list” that you find yourself prescribing to most of your athletes?? ANY advice or input from you regarding supplements would be golden!! Thanx Joe D!!

Andy

A: Andy,

As the years have gone by and I've gotten older and wiser, I've found myself taking - and recommending - less and less supplements. The funny thing is that our athletes' size, strength and overal performance haven't suffered at all... In fact, our results have never been better!

Personally, I now organize supplements in 3 different categories. I like to think of this as my own personal "Supplement Pyramid". (Unfortunately, I'm not a computer nerd so I don't know how to make a cool pyramid graphic for my supplement pyramid...so you'll just have to use your damn imagination!)

***I'm also running very low on time right now, so I won't be going into detail in this post as to why I chose each individual supplement. If you have any specific questions regarding why I recommend certain supplements, please drop your questions/comments/concerns below in the "comments" section and I'll do my best to follow up on this post. Here we go...

The base of my pyramid would be my Foundational Supplements. These are the supplements that I feel everyone should take year-round, forever! Basically, this is my "all-star" list of things that are difficult to injest in adequate amounts through food alone; so I feel you should make it a priority to "supplement" more of each into your diet. (Hence the term "supplements".) These aren't supplements that will add 50 pounds to your bench in 2 weeks, 10 inches to your verical jump in 2 minutes, or any other outrageous claim. The purpose of these Foundational Supplements are to fill in the "holes" in your diet and keep you healthy! Somehow, somewhere, athletes have lost sight of the fact that playing sports and working out are supposed to be part of a healthy lifestyle! Before anyone thinks about "quick fixes" and "performance enhancers", they should think about being healthy! My top three choices for this category are a quality GREENS supplement, FISH OIL supplement and PROTEIN/MEAL REPLACEMENT shake. Now I know you're all probably wondering what happened to the good 'ol multivitamin? Well, through personal experience, I've found I don't need one when I'm taking a quality greens drink, fish oil and meal replacement shake!

Here are my personal favorites in each category:

GREENS SuperFood by Amazing Grass

Ultimate Omega by Nordic Naturals

Ideal Whey by GI Nutrition

Raw Vegan Protein by Sun Warrior

The middle of my supplement pyramid is reserved for Performance/Hydration Supplements. You'll notice that many of the most "popular" supplements on the market don't make my list. This is because, during the past few years, I have really started weighing the risk:reward of the "performance" supplements that I recommend to my athletes. You see, many of the supplements that give you a "monster pump" or "insane intensity" are also the same supplements that make you cramp, pull muscles or gas out in the 2nd Round or at Halftime, etc.

Some may say my performance supplement recommendations have become somewhat "conservative". That's fine. Since we deal with serious, high-level athletes at my facility; we must always make sure the risk of a supplement doesn't out-weigh the reward. Because of this, I find myself constantly recommending things that aid in hydration, as opposed to things that give you a "monster pump" (yet increase the probability of muscle pulls and cramps)! For muscle-building and repair, I'm a huge advocate of good 'ol fashion Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) over "testosterone boosters" and popular "NO" products. When taken in adequate amounts, BCAA's have been - and always will be - one of THE best ways to recover from workouts and build muscle. Simply put, when taken properly, THEY WORK! And now it's easier than ever to get adequate amounts of aminos in without having to choke down a million horse pills!! High school, college and professional athletes can also sleep at night knowing that BCAA's aren't banned by any organization - unlike many of the "performance enhancing" supplements on the market!

Speaking of sleep; let's not forget how important sleep is with regards to your recovery and performance! In fact, getting a solid 8 hours each night just may be better than any supplement on the market! Ironically, many of the best athletes in the world are also some of the most intense people you will ever meet! Because of their intense personalities, many of them have trouble "shutting their brain and body off" at the end of each day. On a personal note, I have an extremely difficult time "shutting my brain off" each night as well. Thankfully, I recently discovered an incredible sleep aid that not only helps me sleep; it has actually decreased some of my soreness from training and it does not make you groggy in the morning at all!

Here are some of my top supplement choices in this category...

Endura by Metagenics

Coconut Water by Vita Coco

Ideal Recovery by GI Nutrition

Monster Amino by CytoSport

Power to Sleep PM by Irwin Naturals

The "peak" of my supplement pyramid would be reserved for Specific Application supplements. These are supplements that can be used periodically for specific goals or situations.

For example, if an athlete hits a plateau and can't seem to put on any more weight, he can try one of the many creatine products. On the other hand, if an athlete needs to drop a couple extra pounds and he/she needs some help, they may try a fat burner.

Another example may be a day where you didn't get much sleep, you had a tough day at work, etc., and you need an extra "kick" to make it through your workout. This can be a case where you take a pre-workout supplement like NO-Xplode to add some intensity to your workout after a lackluster day.

I can go on and on with examples, but hopefully you get my point. I'm not going to get into all the different "specific" supplements I recommend for this category because there are just way too many depending on the situation. Plus, I can't give away all of our secrets

I would like to end this question by saying way too many people start taking the Specific Application supplements way too early (and often) in their lifting careers! If more people focused on TRAINING HARD, EATING RIGHT and supplementing with my "Foundational Supplement" recommendations; they would make steady progress throughout their lifetime! Unfortunately, most kids start taking Specific Application supplements the very first day they start lifting and then their body is immune to them by the time they really "need" them down the road! My suggestion is to get as much out of your TRAINING and your Foundational Supplements for as long as possible and "save" the Specific Application supplements for when you really "need" them! Trust me, you don't want to "throw the kitchen sink" in your body when you're 15 years old, then have nothing to turn to when you hit a plateau during your college career!

Hopefully, some young athletes will see this post before it's too late...

-Joe D.

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‘BUILT LIKE A BADASS’ FEEDBACK CONTINUES TO POUR IN…

“No questions, just gratitude. I am a 40 yr old Baptist preacher in Mobile, AL and I am 2 weeks deep into your ‘Built Like A Bad - - -’ workout.  It beats anything I have ever done in over 25 years of lifting. You're the Doctor and it was worth every dime. When the 12 weeks are up, I won't have any trouble from malcontented deacons. Thanks Joe.”
-Clint Pressley
Mobile, AL

-Joe D.

13 Comments

Maybe he's not such an Asshole, after all!?

Nutrition/ Supplementation

Anyone who reads this website, or who saw our STRONG documentary, knows about the "love-hate" relationship that I - along with everyone else in the gym - have with Mike "The Asshole" Guadango. You see, Mike is a hard-working, great kid...and he's also one of the most loyal people you will ever meet. BUT, he can also be a royal pain in the ass! You see, six years ago Mike signed up for 24 sessions...and...well...he NEVER left! He LITERALLY never left! Whether you come by our gym in the morning, afternoon, evening, weekends or holidays; it doesn't matter...Guadango will be there! And he doesn't just "mind his own business" and "blend" with the crowd, either. When he's there, he's there. For the past six years, he's been in my ear asking question, after question, after question...after question. He has asked me every training, nutrition and supplementation question known to mankind. Besides asking me, he'll ask every other trainer in the gym the same question...then he'll ask my dad...then he'll ask our nutritionist...over and over and over. You get my point.

You see, Guadango isn't just an athlete who comes to our gym to improve his performance. He is also studying Exercise Science and Nutrition in college; that is why he has always been so interested in the "why's" and "how's" of what we do. Because of his interest in the "why's" and "how's" of our program, we have made him our gym "lab rat" on many occasions. From box jumps to dextrose supplementation, Guadango has about as much "real world" experience as you can get for someone his age. The "human experiment" has definetly worked. Mike went from getting cut from the baseball team his freshman year to becoming an All-American a few short years later. This is even more impressive when you consider the fact that Mike has below-average genetics! And I'm not calling his genetics "below average" just to bust his balls, either. At my gym, we tell it like it is; and the fact of the matter is that Mike's genetics kinda suck (athletically speaking). In fact, our brutally-honest nutritionist, Tom Bilella, once asked Mike if his "ancestors were pygmies" LOL! (True story.)

Not bad for a decendant of pygmies!

Ok, you're now probably wondering what's the point to this blog post, aren't you? Well here's the deal...

The point of giving everyone a little background on Guadango was because I'm proud to announce that all of the countless hours that Mike has spent at our gym may now benefit YOU!

I kind of feel like a "proud dad" when I tell you that Mike has taken all of his nutrition/supplementation knowledge & experimentation and he partnered with two business-savy guys to form "Grecian Ideal Nutrition" - a supplement company dedicated to providing athletes (and "regular" people) with supplements that WORK, without the addition of fillers or any of the other fake crap that lines the shelves of most "Health Food" stores. The reason why I'm "endorsing" their supplement line is because I have tried their products - they work - and I was extremely impressed with their business model and professionalism; especially for a start-up company. After "dabbling" in the supplement industry myself; I know how hard it is and I know how much time, effort and money must be spent in order to make it work. This was one of my concerns when Mike told me that his friends were starting a supplement company; I wanted to make sure he knew that a supplement company isn't something that you can "do on the side". This was a mistake that I made and I didn't want them to make the same mistake. But, Mike's partners are in this thing FULL-TIME, they have solid business backgrounds and money behind them for research and development. This enables Mike to continue to be a "lab rat" at our gym and focus 100% of his attention on providing his partners with information on how athletes are responding to their products, as well as what we are looking for in future products. To me, this is a perfect combination for a business partnership; let the "business guys" focus on the "business" side of things and let the "technician" continue to test and research the products. As a reader of our website, YOU benefit because you will be able to purchase supplements from a company that has been influenced by our gym and is "DeFranco-approved", without having to spend endless hours talking to "The Asshole"!

GI Nutrition unveiled their product line at our 'World's Strongest Athlete' Contest

Some people may be thinking that I'm endorsing these guys because I am a partner or I have some kind of stake in this company. The fact of the matter is that I am in no way, shape, or form a partner in this company. I'm endorsing these guys because, as I stated above, I believe in the quality of their products because I'm able to see (first-hand) what's going into them. It's also a "win-win" relationship for my company if I can provide first-hand feedback to these guys and "have a say" in what I feel needs to be improved with their existing products; or what I would like to see in future products. To me, this is almost like having our own supplement company, without having to deal with all the BS! Who knows, if GI Nutrition continues to grow, maybe they can bring the "DeFranco Energy Bar" back to life??

As of right now, the GI Nutrition product line consists of 3 products - Ideal Whey, Ideal Pump and Ideal Recovery. You can learn all about the specifics of these products at www.GINutrition.net, so I won't repeat the info here. What I will do is provide you with a quick story of my very first "experience" with each of the three products...

Ideal Pump Pre-workout supplement

If you follow this website, as well as the athletes that train here, you may know the name, Adam Triglia. Adam is a long-time client of ours and he was the winner of our Strongman Contest two years ago with his epic prowler push in overtime! His strongman performance was so gutsy, we had a banner made of him that still hangs in our gym to this day.

The one thing that Adam hasn't been able to accomplish is the elusive 405 bench! The 405 bench has been Adam's nemesis for a year now. Then, Adam tried Ideal Pump before a max-effort upper body workout and this is what happened...

I don't know if that was a coincidence or not, but it was impressive!

Ideal Recovery Post-workout drink

Anyone who trains at our gym knows that Brian Markowski loves to bust Mike Guadango's balls! Anyway, I was talking with Markowski in the office a couple days after he broke our bench press record in the 'Washed-Up Meathead Division' with this 475-pound press...

Here's how the conversation went:

Markowski: "Have you tried that recovery shit Guadango is giving to everyone?"

Joe D.: "Yeah. It's actually really good, man. Although I know you'll never take it because it's Guadango's LOL!"

Markowski: "That's the thing...I DID take it...it's awesome! I took it after my max-effort workout the day I benched 475. I wasn't sore at all the next day."

Joe D.: "See, I'm telling you...it's legit."

Markowski: "Man, I wanted it to suck so bad because I hate giving Guadango credit for anything! But I'm definetly getting more of that stuff."

Ideal Whey Protein Powder

The day that Ideal Whey came out, Guadango brought a container to the gym and asked me to give it to my dad. I stopped by my dad's condo after work and gave him the protein. Before he even looked at the container he said, "Why the hell would you let him waste a container on me? You know I don't drink any of this shit anymore! Bring this back to him."

You see, my dad will not eat or drink anything with any artificial colors or flavors anymore. The only protein powders he has used over the past couple of years have been Jay Robb's products and Sun Warrior Protein. My dad knows that 99% of the protein powders out there add artificial colors and flavors to them so he just assumed this product was no different.

You don't look like this at 62 by putting just anything in your body

Before my dad handed the container back to me, I asked him to read the ingredients: Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate), Cocoa, Dextrose, Natural Chocolate Cream Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Stevia, Natural Vanilla Flavor. He read the ingredients and then looked at me and said, "DAMN! They did good!" That brief statement is a HUGE compliment coming from my dad...he is the toughest critic there is. He now drinks it every day.

So there you have it; a new supplement company is born. In a very sleazy, deceptive business; it's refreshing to see some young talent take the stage!

Please note that the point of this blog post wasn't to "sell" you supplements. The point was to inform everyone of a new company with a quality line of products that now provides you with another option when you do your supplement shopping. If you do decide to shop at www.GINutrition.net, the boys at GI Nutrition have been kind enough to give 10% off to all of our readers. All you have to do is write DEFRANCO (all caps) in the promo code section of the checkout process to receive your discount.

And to think it all started by jumping on a box...

P.S. If you have any specific questions that you would like to ask Guadango regarding the GI NUTRITION product line, leave your questions/comments below and I will tell him to check and respond here daily.

-Joe D.

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