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Product Review: Dr. Scott Connelly's Progenex "Recovery"
This review is about a product that I believe holds the key to greater gains for people not using drugs - intraworkout nutraceuticals designed to radically accelerate muscle repair, regeneration and strength. Why? Because the more productive workouts you can squeeze into a given unit of time (week/month/year etc) the faster you will make gains.
BACKGROUND
In early September, Vince Andrich ordered a copy of The Blueprint and reached out to me to discuss. I had been zeroing in on Progenex for The BP 3.0 but gave up due to recent events, which complicated the picture considerably. Vince put me in touch with Dr. Scott Connelly, whom I've been corresponding with over the past several weeks. Since then, I've been the fortunate recipient of a bottle of Dr. Connelly's original Progenex Recovery product. Since the product is designed to support recovery following high intensity eccentric exercise, I devised a series of H.I.T. workouts to put it to the test. Given I worked with Mike Mentzer prior to his death, I'm familiar with high intensity training techniques, including his/Arthur Jones' theory re: incorporation of eccentrics/negatives into such a H.I.T. protocol.
PUTTING IT TO THE TEST
Last weekend, I executed a set of dips (bodyweight +150lbs) to absolute muscular failure, failing on the 9th rep to lock it out. I tried for a good 5-6 seconds but could raise the weight no further. I then performed 7 slow negatives until I could no longer control the downward motion of the movement. I also attempted a static hold in the strongest range just below lockout but frankly, that didn't last very long. I did the same on weighted chins and finished off with hip belt squats. Since I couldn't perform negatives on those I elected to perform top range lockouts (very top of the movement) with 800lbs on the loading pin. I managed a total of 28 reps until I could no longer raise the weight off the floor.
RESULTS
I felt as if I had been in a train wreck. Post workout I slammed one scoop of Dr. Connelly's Progenex Recovery and tried to walk up the stairs. I am not kidding when I say it took 2 attempts.
4 hours later, I felt fully recovered.
There was very little, if any DOMS in the ensuing days - only a slight feeling of tightness/fullness to the muscle. I did not workout the next day to see if I could duplicate/better my previous effort - but that test is coming.
This particular workout when I last performed it left me extremely sore and unable to replicate the same effort for exactly 12 days. In fact, significant DOMS persisted despite recovery aids such as an intra workout drink (100g of Pure Karbolyn/25g of a highly refined whey inclusive of di-tri peptides/10g of Leucine and 15g of BCAA's coupled with high dose anti-oxidants prior to and immediately after the workout). I am nearly 41 years of age.
SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS/KEY FINDINGS
A few days later, I spoke with Dr. Connelly for over 2 hours. He explained in general terms (the general terms I could understand) what it was, his theory as to how it works and where it stands today. To listen to his dissertations on protein/amino acid metabolism is like reading from a medical journal. Unfortunately, his product is no longer commercially available. That doesn't mean it will never be available, but I was not left with the impression it would be available anytime soon. And no, I have nothing to gain by promoting it - nor profiting from it.
I offer this solely as evidence that our future supplement focus should be in this direction - intraworkout nutraceuticals. I am convinced now, that this is a big (very big) part of the next step for the drug free athlete. A cursory read of the book "Nutrient Timing" by John Ivy Ph.D., and Robert Portman, Ph.D. available at many bookstores should tell you why. Published in 2004, this should be on everyone's bookshelf.
WHAT'S NEXT
Tomorrow, I have an even more extreme experiment lined up where I will execute a very heavy (for me) set of pullovers on a slight incline bench to accentuate the stretch position on the muscle. This will be performed with an EZ curl bar to absolute muscular failure. Once I can no longer raise the weight I will perform as many partial repetitions as I can until I can no longer continue. This will be followed immediately by DB pullovers with a doubled up mini band attached to the DB (other end to a power rack) in order to reverse the strength curve. Those too, will be executed until absolute muscular failure is achieved. Provided I have any strength left, I will then execute pullovers (negatives) with a pre-loaded barbell until my strength is entirely exhausted. The last time I attempted this, I was out of commission for 3 weeks with (I suspect) a partially torn tricep. For this experiment then, I will begin sipping Dr. Connelly's Progenex 10 min. prior to, during and finish up immediately after the workout. I theorize that this may be of benefit.
IMPORTANT
One final word: This is in no way meant to disparage the current Progenex product recently being discussed here. Indeed, I have at least one Blueprint customer running that product now and he likes/reports favorable things thus far. In the interest of fairness, I have also been in touch with the new Progenex people and reached out to their Dr./formulator to discuss. I am awaiting his response. I have not tried the new Progenex so I have no comparison as of yet to share.
Provided Dr. Connelly's product is made available at some point, you will see that what I speak is the truth. I certainly hope it comes to pass, because I will state this now;
*IN MY OPINION* - This is the biggest breakthrough in the history of nutraceuticals that I have ever come across.
Attached is a relevant study pertaining to key components of the product in question provided to me by Dr. Connelly.
Remember, I am a study of N=1. I have been training since 1985 - building myself up from 143lbs to 252. I have yet to use any nutritional supplement (not a drug like ephedrine) that delivers results like this after just 1 serving.
Take that for what it's worth.
