Like some of you out there I needed my memory to be sparked to recognise the name Louie Simmons, but as soon as I heard the words “Westside Barbell Club” I knew exactly the man, or it could be argued the technique and religion it has so famously become.

Whilst at a very hastily prepared and short notice trip to the Arnold classic in Columbus Ohio we had the pleasure of meeting the man himself, Louie Simmons.

The idea to meet Louie was from Predators MD, Reggie, a man who knows a lot about the West side brand and ethos.Whilst terribly jet lagged and rushing to gain ideas on the first day we were there, it was mentioned that if we got a meeting with Louie it would be amazing, but good luck getting one as he is not known to be that accepting to outsiders, and they don’t come more outside than an Australian in skinny jeans!

It didn’t take more than a quick google to find the phone number, and after a quick chat to the receptionist who just happened to be Louie’s wife, I was told to expect a call back to arrange a time. 

After a short 15 minutes the hotel phone rang, I answered with the expectation of hearing the receptionists voice, only to be shocked by the deep American accent of Louie himself! 

“You wanted an interview?” ” after a stuttered response of yes he quickly agreed a time of 2pm that day.

When you think of West side Barbell you imagine a hardcore scene, that is for sure, but I was not prepared for how hardcore it would actually be! 

Arriving at an aged industrial park situated in a rather seedy part of Columbus we had reached our destination. Upon being treated in the main office by Louie’s wife we were told we could go and wait in the gym, which was about 100 metres away in another shed.

The sign which greeted us left a lump in my throat, and walking through those doors was like stepping into another world. Raw, dirty, punishing, an overwhelming feeling of intimidation and fear, these were just some of the thoughts that came to mind, but I am sure I could list many more superlatives in describing this dungeon of an environment.

A quick walk around revealed a space that depending on who you are could be viewed as a nightmare, or in others eyes a training heaven! Louie has over the years built up a large collection of machines designed by him that support his theories and science around training. 

Of course we were also there to interview the man himself, and after a short wait we were finally in the presence of Louie Simmons. 

You would expect a hulk of a man to stroll threw the door, eyes cold and aggressive, but this is far from the truth, Louie is an ageing man and has some terrible injuries, but when he opens his mouth an air of confidence and strength is clearly felt! 

The interview questions where asked by Reg, as he has a wealth of knowledge around the the style of training, science and background of WestsideBarbell.

It was very refreshing to hear a man so well known publicly answer all questions with honesty and brutally, no area or topic of discussion was skipped or frowned upon, from the history of the science, current and past breed of Westside athletes, and of course the drug use so openly known about this minority.

A good 30 minutes had passed whilst filming the interview, I actually could have sat there for hours listening to his stories and knowledge! 

When wrapping up an interview you would normally expect to be asked to leave or have the interviewee taken away, this was not the case with Louie as he seemed to feel comfortable enough to invite us for a personal tour of his beloved gym.

Louie pointed out specific machines he had designed himself, the stories behind them and most importantly encouraging, actually no, telling us to try them! 

I used an amazing reverse hyper as well as two other machines that are hard to describe, and Reg was on a rather interesting contraption which he will need to describe.

My experience took an unexpected turn when I was personally shown some movements by the most powerful, symmetrical woman I have ever seen! She was a pupil of Louie’s and another example of success that comes out of this gym!

After an hour or so of chatting and trying out different machines (much to the pain of my hamstrings, especially during the following days), we left the dark yet welcoming world of WestSide barbell Club in a typical yellow cab and headed back towards the general society of the Arnold Classic crowds.

The experience I had there and the sheer dedication I witnessed was a huge motivator for myself, as I am a very passionate and particular individual and it was good to know that there are others out there striving and grinding it out everyday of their lives too.

Check out the full photo gallery on Facebook.

© 2013, Daniel Hoare. All rights reserved.

Having just represented Driven Sports at the world’s leading fitness expo, FIBO in Cologne, Germany, we saw a number of points of confusion in the minds of consumers which have arisen over the last few months. We were surprised at first but when we saw the same questions originating from multiple expo visitors we decided it makes sense to address some of their questions.

Q. How many versions of Craze is there?

A. We were staggered by the number of questions asking whether we stocked a particular version of Craze with many people believing the product contained ingredients that have NEVER been included in the formula such as DMAA. There is and has been only ONE authentic version of Craze and the formula now is IDENTICAL to what it was when it came out, last year, last month or last week!

Q. Why did my version not work?

A. We fielded a few such questions of this ilk. Our standard question is where did they buy it from and inevitably they bought it from a retailer who we do not supply. As such the likelihood is high that the product sold was a counterfeit. We have previously discussed the proliferation of widescale counterfeiting of dietary supplements, especially in the EU and we will be updating our position on this once the current legal process with various retailers and distributors is at an end. We field daily complaints about versions being purchased not working the same.  All we can say to this is that we never get complaints ourselves at Predator Nutrition about the product which underlines the need for consumers to buy from either Predator Nutrition or a retailer which can authenticate its purchases back to us. We have systems to identify all genuine products now so anyone unsure can send a tub to us to analyse at Predator Nutrition, Unit 1 Triangle Business Park, Oakwell Way, Birstall, WF17 9LU, United Kingdom. This applies to all purchases made in Europe.

Q. Is there any plans for more flavours?

A. Yes. Driven Sports are currently discussing with us some more exclusive flavours which will be distributed only in Europe. The success of the Strawberry Swirl and Furious Melons versions of Craze only makes us more excited to hear your ideas for future flavours.

Q. Is the product safe?

A. Yes. Craze was extensively researched, tested and Driven Sports have completed four safety studies on Craze that we are having written up at this very moment in time due to be published in a peer-reviewed journal in the near future. The results of these safety studies have been exceptional, with no negative health concerns from acute dosing, and improvements in multiple health parameters as well as improved body composition in the chronic dosing. Currently, a fifth safety study is in progress. We are hoping to have the results of this before the end of this month. 

Q. Will Craze make me fail a drugs test?

A. Craze has been formulated to be perfectly safe for people to use. It has been used by literally thousands of people who have had to submit to drug testing and there has NEVER been a single test for any banned substance. Driven Sports has dozens of 3rd party independent lab reports documenting every single batch of Craze ever manufactured. All reports clearly show that there are no amphetamines, nor any other banned or controlled substances in Craze. We believe allegations stating otherwise are fuelled by a combination of a lack of understanding of science and by malicious intent among certain individuals.

Q. Is Craze okay for athletes to use?

A. There is nothing in Craze that is listed as being specifically prohibited by WADA. Craze does not contain any banned or controlled substances, but due to the variance between brands of drug screens, testing sensitivity and everybody’s differing regimes and biochemistries there is no way for us to specifically know or guarantee what each individual’s testing result would be. This is why it is the responsibility of the user to discuss with their testing organization prior to using this, or any other dietary supplement.

If you are routinely tested as part of your employment, or in order to play a sport, or maintain a scholarship etc, then we are of the belief that you should not take any dietary supplement unless specifically cleared by your testing organisation.

Q. I would like me gym or store to stock the product. Who should I contact?

A. Please email trade@predatornutrition.com

Q. Can you tell me more about the products from Driven Sports and how they work?

A. We are in the process of providing improved product education services for all our exclusive brands to both retailers and customers. We believe the brands we distribute, including Driven Sports, set new standards for excellence providing demonstrable benefits to anyone engaged in the quest for greater fitness and health. We have a write up for the science behind Triazole here and we shall the full range of products profiled in due course.

If you have any more questions concerning either Predator Nutrition or the brands we distribute be sure to contact us via our knowledge base.

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.

This time tomorrow the Predator Nutrition team will be on their way to Cologne, Germany for the FIBO trade show 2013.

FIBO bills itself as The Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health and hosts over 650 companies from over 38 countries around the world. Everything from health and fitness centres, to sports nutrition and health products suppliers will be there to show off their latest and greatest products to over 80,000 fitness enthusiasts that will pass through the halls of the Koelnmesse Exhibition Centre over the course of the four day event. 

Along with the product filled exhibition halls, a live stage show program will keep visitors entertained with martial arts demonstrations, zumba showcases and bodybuilding competitions.

This will be the third year at FIBO for Predator, and 2013 sees us stronger than ever. We’ve teamed up with some of our exclusive brands to ensure visitors to the Predator stand will be kept entertained.

Internet sensation Furious Pete will be coming over to promote his new Furious Melons flavour craze. For those of you who havent heard about Furious Pete (check him out on YouTube, you won’t be dissapointed!), he found his fame through consuming copious amounts of food in record times, all for the entertainment of his viewers. Some of his greatest freats include the Michael Phelps challenge (consuming 16,000 calories in one sitting) and a 10,000 calorie cake.

We’ll also have iForce Nutrition’s Dusty Hanshaw on hand to give his thoughts on training and iForce Nutririon’s latest products. Dusty is an amazing guy who is always happy to help fellow weight training enthusiasts.

Along with that the Predator team will be on hand to help you out and we look forward to meeting customers of the past and present to hear your feedback and let you know whats going on in the world of Predator Nutrition.

We’ll be uploading photos and stores over the weekend, so keep an eye on our social media channels and here on the blog for the latest info.

If you happen to be visiting the show, or if you have some free time and fancy a trip over to Cologne, make sure you come by and say hello. We’ll be in the FIBO Power hall on stand D/81.

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.

This year, we have chosen to support Bipolar UK. Bipolar UK is a national charity focussed on helping individuals, families and carers to overcome this devastating ond often misunderstood condition. Each year they help over 65,000 individuals with the advice and support they need to live with bipolar, using a network of self-help groups, mentoring schemes and even an online e-community.

With less than 10% of their costs coming from government funding, Bipolar UK depend on donations from both individuals and companies in order to continue to offer the amazing services that they carry out on a daily basis.

We are still in the planning stages, but keep an eye on our blog to find out what we will be doing in support of Bipolar UK and to see how you can get involved.

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.

P90X:

One of the most popular new workout systems created and founded by Tony Horton, P90X uses a wide variety of principles from; full body workouts, isolated muscle group workouts, plyometrics, yoga, core workouts, flexibility training and even Kenpo (a group of Japanese martial arts), there are 12 different workouts making it a fun and dynamic choice. The system is designed to last 90 days, decidedly longer than your typical 4-6 week routine you find online and is a great length that is more likely to instil a lasting lifestyle change in the individual making it a great choice for the ‘New Years Resolutioner’s’ or the ‘Summer Beach Bod’. The system is designed to be flexible and appropriate for beginners but also dynamic and intensive enough to challenge individuals with high levels of fitness. Equipment is minimal and affordable and there is no need for a gym so can be done in the comfort your own home making it financially economic as well as time-saving. This system workouts the entire body improving muscular strength, flexibility and decreasing body-fat in all areas where one can expect to burn around 450-800kCal per hour long session.

Barry’s Bootcamp:

Another workout system founded by Barry Jay back in 1998, this system focuses on a ‘Back-2-Basics’ approach to working out using simple equipment such as a stability ball, dumbbells, bodybars, resistance bands, kettlebells, boxes and treadmills making it easy for any participant to grasp and reducing the risk of injury from complicated machinery. The workout consists of 30 minutes of high intensity cardio performed on a treadmill followed by 30 minutes of resistance work and is designed to strengthen and shape the entire body while shifting 1000kCal per session. Based in America the bootcamp now has a studio based in London starting from £20 per session with block booking options reducing the costs and one can expect an upbeat American vibe with plenty of motivational shouting from one of the instructors aimed to push you mentally and physically.

Piloxing:

Designed and founded by Swedish dancer & celebrity trainer Viveca Jensen to ‘’mentally empower women through fitness’’, this new workout is a fusion of Pilates, Boxing and Dance. Classes are performed at high pace and intensity and are designed to work the whole body in an upbeat environment. Not only is this a great workout for fat loss but also for strengthening and shaping the shoulders and arms, strengthening and improving mobility around the core, improve balance, power, speed and agility and give you a strong right hook! Estimated calories burned per 1 hour session are between 400-900kCal.

Soul Cycling:

Co-founded and created be Elizabeth Cutler Soul Cycling is a spinning-inspired workout combined with whole-body resistance training with a zen-like twist. Classes are generally done by candlelight and have pleasant aromatics designed to engage the body and the mind. The workout itself is performed to upbeat, high energy music a combination of spinning and lightweight resistance exercise where participants can burn as much as 650-900kCal per 45 minute session which is great exercise economy for those on a tight time-frame. As a spinning instructor myself I find spinning as one of the most affordable, fun and motivating workouts to help lose body-fat as well as improving leg strength, endurance and shape.

Suspension Training:

Focused on using high tensile bands with handles using your own body as the weight to perform resistance based workouts, suspension training is cheap (TRX: ranging from £90-200, Crosscore 180: £180 and many other alternatives), portable, has exercises for the entire body and can be a great choice for someone who struggles to find the time to go to gym or finds a gym-based environment intimidating. The bands are fully adjustable so are appropriate for individuals at any level of fitness/strength and most gyms offer TRX-inspired classes. One can expect to burn between 350-550kCal/hour depending on the class or workout routine.

Sh’bam:

Another fun and exciting Les Mills innovation, Sh’bam brings a dance-inspired workout that is both fun, motivating, low impact/low risk of injury and a great way to burn body-fat while leaving you with a smile on your face. Simple dance moves begin a 10 minute warm up moving into progressively more intensive moves as the tempo increases. Classes are performed to charts classics and latin-inspired remixes, are great for beginners, great to go to with a friend, improves self-confidence and learns you some killer floor moves. One can expect to burn an average of 503kCal per 45 minute session.

Bar Method:

A combination of Yoga, Ballet and Pilates aimed to strengthen and coordinate the entire body and improve flexibility. The principles behind this class are to perform an isometric contraction of maximum intensity immediately followed by a maximal stretch of the muscle, this is designed not only to shape and tone the muscle but also turn them into lengthy and flexible units. This class is great for core and glute (bum) training and is popular choice for women where you can expect to burn around 400kCal per hour long session.

Antigravity Yoga:

Created by Christopher Harrison, Antigravity Yoga is designed as an easier, gentler and safer form of yoga in comparison to traditional methods, the reason behind this is the ‘hammock’s used in the class are designed to evenly distribute weight between the floor and the hammock. Classes are brilliant for improving flexibility and mobility, improve bodily awareness, strengthen the core and even the entire upper and lower body. This class is great for people suffering from lower pain as movements elongate the vertebrae, alleviating pressure which may help with compressive disc issues. One can expect to burn around 600kCal and upwards per hour long session.

Belly Dancing:

Fun, low intensity exercise suitable for all levels of fitness that will improve core strengthening, mobility and awareness and serve as a mild form of shifting body-fat. There is no equipment required so can be performed in the comfort of your own home with a wide variety of instructional DVDs available or there are plenty of classes nationally and internationally. One can expect to burn 250-320kCal/hour for lighter intensity sessions or 300-400kCal for more intensive sessions.

© 2013, WMD. All rights reserved.

We are here because the Arnold Classic is America’s biggest fitness festival where everyone who matters attends. Being our first trip we were surprised at how much bigger a deal this is than the Olympia. What have we been doing you might well ask?

Here are some of the highlights from the trip.

• We are going to be working on a new brand which redefines the art of what is possible. New ingredients never used before from guys whose track record for innovation is incomparable.

• We will be bringing in several new brands, some of which you will know and others which will be unique to us, adding yet another level of exclusivity in your supplement choice.

• We have reached agreement to confirm Predator Nutrition as the official UK distributor of Quest Bars. We will have the brand new Banana Nut Muffin flavour in a couple of weeks. The taste on this is phenomenal. Watch out for a lot more from Quest in future (these guys have huge ambition).

• We spent an amazing two hours with Louie Simmons. Probably the most nervous we have ever been to talk to anyone, we learnt a lot from a guy who couldn’t have been more helpful. We will be looking to provide Predator customers some great content and products via a collaboration with Louie. Look out for our exclusive feature on our time at Westside Barbell Club.

• We met a few of the existing brands who we are exclusive distributors of – Driven Sports, E-Pharm, Iforce Nutrition, and Omega Sports. Expect to see some new concepts and deals from these. We can’t discuss too much but some of the ideas and products in their pipelines will be available within 1-2 months.

• We trained alongside fitness great Monica Brant as she completed a photoshoot!

• We saw Cain Velasquez politely obliging every single person who requested a photo even as he got ready to grab some food. A real gentleman as well as a fighter and a great signing for BSN, one of the leading supplement companies at the show.

• We saw the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger as we walked around the show while he checked some of the paintings produced by local artists from Ohio.

• Ronnie Coleman sold every single one of his supplements out. This brand looks set to grow and grow.

• Jay Cutler looked big and in shape. He could be a serious threat to the Mr O champion Phil Heath.

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.

Imagine a bodybuilding show that attracts the true blue collar fans of the industry, the fans that are interested in the products, the bodybuilders and not just the fancy marketing peddled by undisclosed brands that are trying to make up for the innovation and effectiveness behind their formulas.

This has been an eye opening show for these two weary eyed and jet lagged Predator staff! The disparity in the type of spectator is a refreshing feel whilst stuffed into a cramped expo! 
There are fans here to support the many sports and competitions, whether that be bodybuilding, strong man, powerlifting, fencing or even skipping! Yes skipping! 

Apart from the event itself, this has proven to be a very productive trip in terms of the growth and expansion of the Predator brand. 
We are meeting with the unique and niche brands which are wanted by you, the end consumer and ultimately the most important decision makers! We have met with our current brands and are excited for what the near future brings! 

It is now 6am, I’m in the hotel gym sitting on a stationary bike wondering what day it is and what the hell time I should feel it is! Another day of exploration into the weird and wonderful world of bodybuilding awaits these two Predators.

© 2013, Daniel Hoare. All rights reserved.

Our team is constantly looking at ways to deliver an enhanced shopping experience, ensuring that no stone is left unturned to provide the best possible customer service; from the moment you click on to our website right up until you excitedly unwrap your goods when they arrive. We are already immensely proud of our customer service, but we are even more driven to continue to push forward. While some may regard this as unnecessary tinkering and expense, we do this precisely because we are perfectionists.

Here in the UK, we take great pride in being an industry leader in terms of shipping speeds and our late afternoon cut-off for next day delivery. However, in line with our company ethics we believe that there is always room to improve. And now in our quest to continually improve and truly push our customer service forward, we are now expanding this service into Europe.

So today, we are delighted to announce that we have now upgraded our shipping services to provide 2 day delivery to the following European countries: Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

2013 is a big year for Predator and this is simply the latest service upgrade designed to further streamline our customer service. Keep an eye out for continual improvements to our service coming your way in 2013.

Enjoy your training and your supplements!

Predator Nutrition

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.

We only work with the best suppliers, ones whose products, ownership and ethics mirror ours. Our business model means we require partners with vision, creativity and the foresight to understand that yesterday’s market will not the tomorrow’s future. One company who have consistently impressed us with their communication, product excellence, level of care and interaction with consumers as well as absolute commitment to upholding the highest standards in how they conduct business is Purus Labs. 

“Purus Labs is one company we have been chasing for years. The shared passion for raising the level of awareness and fitness in our audience is something which stands out as unique. This is a brand that shares our customer focused ethos and it’s their devotion to their craft that makes them a natural fit for Predator Nutrition.” – Reggie Johal, MD of Predator Nutrition.

Purus Labs CEO, Brandon Smith commented, “With Predator Nutrition’s help, we truly feel Purus Labs will explode onto the 2013 European supplement-scene as two great companies cannot get it wrong!”

Purus and Predator Nutrition will be co-operating closely to revolutionise both the products available in Europe and, just as importantly, the way they are presented. Watch this space.

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.

1. Bad Odour

Problem

The gym is full of guys who would get rejected from work at a sewage plant for smelling too bad.

Solution

Get your body fat down and use some deodorant damn it!

2. Old guys in changing rooms with their tackle hanging out

Problem

The old guys in my gym seem to have an addiction to testosterone boosters that forces them to display their crown jewels right in front of your face.

Solution

Ever seen the film Saw? You get the idea.

3. Curling in the Squat Rack

Problem

Monday is squat day. You have taken two scoops of Craze and are ready for war. In the squat rack is a stamp collector working on his biceps who thinks he is Arnold…

Solution

Grab the guy by the scruff of the neck and drop kick him out of the gym just like “Coach Hardass” told you in school. If you fail, your punishment is to join the aerobics and spinning class for the year.

4. Performing Cross-fit

Problem:

Crossfit is where you take up every piece of equipment in the gym while you perform a vast array of supposedly functional exericses, despite the fact no real athlete ever trains this way.

Solution:

Ask if you can ‘jump in’ using one of their barbells for some deadlifting and apply as many plates as possible to the bar (16+ preferably) to perform your set, leaving the bar as described as you go for a water break.

5. Fat people in lycra

Problem:

You’re halfway through the workout of your life, you’re killing it, smashing PB’s left, right and centre, concentrating on your form as strict as possible, a large mass appears in front of you.

Solution:

Leave a large pile of doughnuts in the reception area while you train and this problem disappears.

6. Blocking view of the mirror

Problem

Every gym seems to feature this wiseass whose idea of fun is to stand directly in front of the mirror as you train.

Solution

When he trains sit on his lap. Note, this may not work in all instances and we take no responsibility for anyone who ends up in court, jail or hospital.

7. Abusing the leg press

Problem:

Ever seen someone trying to hold too many dishes and seeing them all fall down? The clown in the leg press seems to think it’s a good idea to put a ton of weight plates on the leg press machine before performing a 1/10 rep while seeing if he can prevent himself being crushed.

Solution:

Since you now have no damn plates left in the gym to train sit on the machine to help add a little more overload for Mr Bean.

8.Leaving dumbbells in the racks

Problem:

Last few sets of your leg workout, barely able to walk you stumble into the squat rack for a last set or two… But before you can do this, there’s a bench to move, a set of dumbbells and a stability ball.

Solution:

Upon sighting the future offender, pick up said equipment, surround current piece of equipment he/she is using with equipment he left behind with the phrase ‘wasn’t sure if you still needed these’.

9.Walking at speed 1 on the treadmill

Problem:

Who ever heard of warming up for a warm-up? Why the heck would anyone walk at what looks like 1mph for ten minutes before they start their workout which ends up being walking at 2mph.

Solution:

Dump some Maximize Intense in their drink and watch these babies run.

10.Drinking Soft Drinks

Problem:

Everybody who trains either wants to get fitter or leaner it seems so why is it that 99% of the gym population think drinking high sugar soft drinks is going to get them there?

Solution:

Join us on our forum to get the inside scoop on what is the best drink to power training and recovery for gym goers.

© 2013, predatornutrition. All rights reserved.