Team Evogen Elite IFBB Pro Derek Lunsford dials up the intensity just 7 weeks out from the 2021 Olympia. The Olympia 212 contender has teamed up with 19X Olympia winning coach Hany Rambod this year and has the full arsenal of Evogen Nutrition supplements at his disposal. The two talk every day, as The Pro Creator makes adjustments on his nutrition and training to bring Derek in his best condition ever. Go behind the scenes as Lunsford smashes this FST-7 back workout.

SUPPLEMENTATION

• EVP 3D Sour Gummy, 1 scoop
• EVP Xtreme N.O. Tropic Thunder , 1 scoop
• EVP AQ, 1 cap

THE WORKOUT

CABLE Standing Lat Extensions 

• 15-20 reps
• 3 warm sets
• 12-15 reps 
• 3 working Sets

WIDE GRIP Lat Pull Downs 

• 8-12 Reps
• 4 Sets

Bent over Barbell Rows

• 8-12 Reps
• 4 sets

Hammer Strength Low Rows

• 12-15
• 4 sets 

Wide Grip Cable Rows
FST-7 SEATED Cable Rows

• 10-15 Reps 
• 7 sets 30-60 Sec Rest

Evogen Elite catches up with IFBB Pro Derek Lunsford eight weeks out from the 2021 Olympia Weekend. This year, Lunsford has teamed up with 19X Olympia Winning Coach Hany Rambod. The Pro Creator has been working with Derek every day, fine tuning his training, cardio, nutrition and supplementation as he learns how his body reacts. 

There is little doubt Lunsford will improve upon his placing in the 212 Olympia. Is this Derek’s year to take home the gold under Rambod’s coaching? In less than two months everyone will see the results of their labor. Go behind the scenes with Derek as he explains what it is like to work so closely with Rambod. Everything is different.

Protein powder for post-workout recovery is always the whey to go! See what I did there?

But all jokes aside, are you tired of adding whey protein to your morning or post-workout protein shake? Protein powder is way more versatile than just whey protein shakes. You can add it to pancake batters, coffee, desserts, and other non-shake varieties to jack up the protein content to help build and preserve your hard-earned lean muscle mass.

It’s time to take your kitchen game up a few notches to impress not only yourself but also your friends and family! 

Below are four ways you can utilize Evogen Nutrition Isoject protein powder other than shaking it up in your standard shaker bottle or mixing it up in your blender to make a typical protein shake or smoothie.

Why Evogen Nutrition Isoject, you may ask? It’s simple. Isoject sets the bar for what a whey protein isolate should look and taste like. With 25g of whey isolate per serving, 12g of essential amino acids (EAAs), 5.6g of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and nearly zero grams of fat, carbohydrates, and sugar make this the perfect option for the recipes listed below. 

My mouth is already salivating. Let’s get started!

1. WHEY PROTEIN COFFEE CREAMER 

As intriguing as it sounds, mixing hot water with vanilla whey protein powder and then adding your favorite type of brewed coffee to it can be an amazing treat first thing in the morning, especially if you are a coffee lover. 

With protein coffee, you will get the best of both worlds. Enjoy your coffee, along with some whey protein in it to boost up your protein intake. You can even pair this up with some Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for a wholesome breakfast meal.

Note: While Evogen Nutrition Isoject vanilla bean is mentioned below, if you prefer cold brew, go ahead and make your favorite batch of cold brew, pour yourself a cup, and then add some delicious Evogen Nutrition Isoject vanilla cold brew coffee flavor. You’ll thank me later.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons of Evogen Nutrition Isoject vanilla bean protein powder
• 8 oz of brewed coffee of your choice
• 2 tablespoons of hot water
• Sweetener of your choice (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

• At first, take the protein powder and hot water and whisk them together until it creates a smooth and creamy texture.
• Then, mix the protein mixture with your favorite brewed coffee, and voila!
• Ensure you do not add whey protein powder to the hot coffee as it may not dissolve properly.

2. ISOJECT STRAWBERRY PROTEIN PANCAKES 

This fast, easy, and super tasty whey protein pancake recipe is one of the best breakfast meals you can have and is slam-packed with quality protein.

Anyone can make this, and it will take you around 15-16 minutes to prepare. So, if you are in a hurry to go to work in the morning, or post-workout, you can make this delicious and high-protein whey meal. 

These pancakes are so good, you may even want to make extra to keep in the refrigerator to have for later as a snack or to warm up for another day’s breakfast. 

Note: Depending on your preference, you can use either Evogen Nutrition Isoject vanilla bean flavor, or if you prefer your pancakes to be extra strawberry-y (I’m just making up that word), you can go with the strawberry smoothie flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ½ ripe bananas
• 1 scoop of Isoject protein powder
• 1 large egg
• 4 large strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

• First, mash up the banana and the strawberries together and then mix all the ingredients in a bowl. If you want a thin pancake, then you can blend the ingredients.
• Pour the mixture on a greased pan or skillet and cook on medium-high heat for around 2-3 minutes on both sides. Be very careful when you flip the pancakes, as they will be quite delicate if you blended them.
• Lastly, add your favorite toppings such as maple syrup, sliced strawberries, pineapples, honey, butter, etc.

3. WHEY-TO-GO CHOCOLATE OATMEAL

We all know that oatmeal is a great meal to start your morning, but if you add some quality protein to it, you will get an extra boost with your first meal of the day. Chocolate whey protein oatmeal is a breakfast that is so incredibly delicious that you won’t be able to get enough of it. In fact, you make wake up extra early just to make sure you have time to make a few batches. It’s up to you if you want to share with others or not.

But let’s be real for a minute here. Who doesn’t want chocolate first thing in the morning? Add in the fact that it’s packed with protein? Yes, please! With this recipe, you’ll have a mouth-watering reason to get out of bed in the morning.

INGREDIENTS: 

• For this, you would need one scoop of Evogen Nutrition chocolate-flavored protein powder
• Milk (unsweetened vanilla almond milk, dairy milk, or oat milk)
• Sweetener of your choice (optional)
• Cinnamon
• Rolled oats
• Basically, you can add simple pantry items such as sliced bananas, chia seeds, berries, etc., if you wish

DIRECTIONS: 

• This oatmeal is super easy to make. First, mix your milk, protein powder, sweetener, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Put it on medium-high heat and whisk for around 3 minutes.
• Add the rolled oats and cook for 3-4 minutes until they reach a light boil point.
• Pour the oatmeal into a bowl, add some chocolate chips, and Bon Appétit!

4. NO-BAKE MINT PROTEIN BALLS 

Keep ballin’ with these cute, lip-smacking, and protein-packed whey protein balls. You’re going to want to make a lot of these protein balls because you won’t be able to stop devouring them. 

These protein balls are all naturally sweetened with dates, and the thin mint flavor takes it to new heights with the perfect combination of unsweetened cocoa powder along with peppermint extract. There is no need to bake these protein balls, so it makes the recipe much more effortless and less time-consuming. 

The skill level for these protein balls is beginner, so anybody can make it. It will take you around 15 minutes to make these quick and tasty mint protein balls.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of cashews
• 8 dates (pitted)
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• ¼ cup of cocoa powder
• 2 servings of Evogen Nutrition Isoject chocolate protein powder
• ½ teaspoon of pure peppermint extract
• 2 tablespoons of almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

• Put all of the ingredients into the mixer and blend them till they become smooth and creamy.
• Then, form them into (12) individual 1.5” balls.
• That’s it! You’re done! You can start eating them immediately. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator (assuming you don’t eat them all) as the struggle is real to put these tasty protein balls down.

Bloating and estrogen… two words that, when used, resemble a four-letter word that starts with “F.” We’ll keep things PG here, but you get the picture. Luckily, a three-letter word, DIM (diindolylmethane), can come to the rescue and help you better optimize your hormone levels.

Nothing can ruin a physique more than bloating and estrogen levels that are seemingly out of control. Unfortunately, estrogen isn’t exactly something you can measure without medical intervention (such as a blood test to show hormone levels), whereas bloating is something you can physically see in the mirror. That said, many assume their bloating is due to “too much salt” in their diet or consuming too much food at a single meal. 

In this article, we will break down how bloating and estrogen can go hand-in-hand and how a supplement that includes DIM can help reduce such issues while allowing you to optimize your testosterone and estrogen levels.

HOW DOES BLOATING AND ESTROGEN WORK TOGETHER?

While your body needs some estrogen (such as for sexual function), elevated levels can negatively affect a man’s physique. There are many reasons why estrogen levels can be elevated, such as the use of certain medications and antibiotics, a result of aging where testosterone levels decline and estrogen levels rise, the food you eat, high stress levels, and even obesity. 

Adult males should have the following estrogen levels to be considered “normal”:

• Estrone – 10-60 pg/ml
• Estradiol – 10-40 pg/ml

When suffering from increased levels of estrogen, your body may retain water – causing a bloated appearance. Estrogen itself is considered a “fluid retaining hormone.” If you notice bloating that subsides, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an estrogen issue. In that case, it could merely be something you at that was high in sodium or simply a large meal that caused a bit of distension.

The tell-tale sign of elevated levels of estrogen in men is when their hands and feet tend to be swollen all of the time. Men may also find their sexual performance is off, and they aren’t able to get and stay hard, which may be a sign of erectile dysfunction (ED). Another side effect of heightened levels of estrogen in men is the presence and formation of gynecomastia (gyno). Gyno is a condition where men start to form breast tissue (like women) which causes them to form what looks like female breasts. Their nipples may get puffy, and the area surrounding the nipples may become enlarged. Should you suffer from either gyno or erectile dysfunction, it would be a good idea to schedule a consultation with your doctor to understand what options you have for reversing such issues.

Men with high estrogen levels may find they are accumulating body fat quite quickly and easily. In addition, their hardness may shift to a softer and puffier appearance – hiding your hard work and musculature that you’ve achieved in the gym. 

In the case of elevated estrogen levels that can bring upon bloating, you have some natural options such as the use of over-the-counter supplements (or you can see a doctor for their medical opinion on the issue). One such supplement to consider that can help return estrogen levels to their normalized range is DIM.

WHAT IS DIM AND HOW CAN IT HELP YOUR BLOATING AND ESTROGEN ISSUE? 

While DIM is a commonly available supplement on the market, it is also found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, to name a few. In the stomach, these cruciferous vegetables get broken down and produce DIM, which may be utilized to help manage estrogen levels. 

That said, to get in a dosage that would be efficacious and truly affect estrogen, you’d need to eat extremely high amounts (around two pounds, which isn’t exactly an ideal situation) – therefore, it’s generally recommended that a supplement be introduced into your regimen (but you may still consume cruciferous vegetables as well and you should have them in your daily nutrition anyway).

The role of DIM is to help promote estrogen metabolism, which can naturally help restore and drop estrogen levels back down into their normal range. Additionally, DIM can help inhibit aromatase, an enzyme that’s function is to take testosterone and convert it into estrogen.

As mentioned earlier, men who suffer from high levels of estrogen can gain weight fairly easily. By supplementing with DIM, men may find they are able to better manage their weight through DIM’s ability to aid in stimulating the breakdown of fat and prevent fat cell formation from taking place. 

Regardless of whether an increase in estrogen is due to a decrease in testosterone which can raise estrogen levels (such as with age), stress, obesity, or any other reason, DIM could be a solution to your bloating and estrogen woes by not only helping to metabolize estrogen but also aid in increasing your production of natural testosterone. The increase in testosterone could help correct erectile dysfunction issues along with helping to increase lean muscle mass.

DIM-INISH ESTROGEN AND MAXIMIZE TESTOSTERONE!

As you age, your testosterone will naturally decline. This can cause an increase in estrogen levels – not to mention all of the other factors that may cause estrogen to rise.

It’s time to take control of your hormones and help diminish the common side effects that arise from high levels of estrogen flowing through your body. With the help of Evogen Nutrition Evoboost-T, you can return estrogen levels back into a healthy range while also maximizing free and total testosterone, and increasing strength and muscle recovery.

Evogen Nutrition Evoboost-T utilizes a precise mixture of key ingredients such as vitamin D3, patented KSM-66^® and Tesnor^®, Eurycoma longifolia extract, DIM, lactobacillus reuteri, and the patented ingredient that helps you absorb all of these crucial ingredients, Bioperine^®.

This elite testosterone booster is everything you need to better manage your testosterone and estrogen levels to put you in a position to effectively burn body fat while increasing lean muscle mass. 

Don’t let elevated levels of estrogen ruin your physique and health. Grab a bottle of Evogen Nutrition Evoboost-T and experience for yourself why so many people swear by this powerful hormone optimizer.