The Double Surge Challenge
The Most Powerful Nutritional Protocol Ever?
by Chris Shugart

Warning: I'm going to talk about the power of nutrition for a second. Yes, nutrition. You know, like food and food-type supplements.

Try not to panic. Try to keep yourself from clicking off this article. Trust me, this nutrition stuff can be just as sexy and exciting as the latest super-secret, chest-blitzing, German specialization program.

All the fancy training in the world isn't going to do a darn thing if you don't pay attention to nutrition. In fact, I'd say that if you're at all dissatisfied with your body right now, whether you're too fat or too skinny or under-performing, your number one problem is nutrition related. Bank on it.

In this article I'm going to talk about a new nutritional "discovery" of mine that's lead to some powerful fast-forwarding of my progress in the gym. It can do the same for you, if you choose to utilize it. Are you ready?

Fun With Auto-Experimentation

It started as an experiment on myself. For years now I've heard well-respected trainers and nutrition experts say that while a post-workout drink (fast-acting carbs, tons of extra aminos, and rapidly absorbing protein) does the body a whole lot of good, a pre-workout drink may be even better. Some even suggested a mid-workout drink on top of this.

Well, I knew how powerful a post-workout drink could be. It's been a staple for me for years now. But a pre-workout drink too? And maybe sipping a similar drink during training? Could a slightly carb-phobic, former fat boy like me keep his abs while slamming back 660 calories — which includes 110 grams of carbs — in about a 90 minute time period? When my main goal is leanness, sometimes I don't even get 110 grams of carbs per day!

Well, the experts say it's basically impossible to store these "quick" carbs as fat during this critical time period surrounding resistance training. (Remember, the hormonal surge — primarily insulin — caused by workout drinks is there to drive the nutrients provided by the drink deep into the muscle cells.) The anabolic and anti-catabolic benefits are simply enormous, and the carbs, fast-acting protein, and BCAAs are put straight to work repairing and rebuilding your muscles (in grossly simplified terms).

Were the smarty-pants experts right? I decided to find out.

Basically, I mixed up a full serving of Surge Recovery and drank half of it after my warm-up and just before my first working set. I sipped the other half during my workout. After training, I'd drive home (five minutes) and slam another full serving. That's two full servings, doubling my previous intake.

The result?

Zero fat gain. Not an ounce. The experiment had been a success.

In short, the period of time surrounding your weight training workout is the ideal time to take in a lot of muscle-building nutrients. This could very well be the "secret" of adding muscle mass without excessive fat gain: get in all those carefully chosen calories around your workout time. All mass, no fat ass!

Even those who are pretty carb intolerant can take advantage of this window of opportunity and maximize their muscle-building potential with no worries of gaining fat from those "evil" (but very beneficial) carbs found in good workout drinks.

But I also discovered something else: double-dosing Surge in the manner outlined above boosted my ability to recover faster than steroids did. (Yes, I visited the dark side several years ago for a short period of time.) I actually tried to overtrain and get myself painful-to-the-touch sore. It was almost impossible to do while double-dosing Surge. I was able to train more frequently and more effectively.

My workouts went from 50 minutes to 80-90 minutes with no negative effects. I could just keep going. And the pumps were out of this world, as was the new vascularity.

Physically, I added some muscle and strength while keeping my body fat percentage in the single digits. I knew I was really onto something when my massage therapist folded back the sheet one day and said, "Holy shit! What are you on?!"

The Experiment Broadens

So, was I an anomaly? The pro's said it would make a big difference, and it did, but would it work for just anybody? Again, I decided to find out. I asked for volunteers on the T-Nation forum and Biotest sent them each a couple bottles of Surge. They were asked to use it before and after weight training (and during too if they wanted) for about 16 weight training workouts.

Well, the results are in! Here's what our double-dosed lab rabbits had to say:

Monty (El Conquistador): "Overall, my results far exceeded any expectations I had for this experiment. I was very impressed with the fact that I gained 7 pounds in such a short amount of time, with only a slight increase in body fat (mostly due to caloric surplus in overall intake).

What I was particularly impressed with was the faster recovery time. Despite the fact that I was doing anywhere from 3-4 intense weight training sessions a week combined with 2-3 days of sprints/soccer, I had no recovery issues whatsoever.

Some highlights regarding my lift increases:

Squat increase: 245x10x3 up to 265x10x3

Bench increase: 175x10x3 up to 190x10x3

Deadlift increase: 205x10x3 up to 240x10x3

On-field performance for soccer has been improved as well. Despite being twice the age of the kids I coach (I coach varsity and JV high school soccer), I went from finishing middle of the pack in 100 meter sprints to leading. Not bad for an ol' geezer!

I had virtually no muscle soreness throughout with the notable exception of the first week of practice. I can't say enough good things about the double dosing protocol! I'm sold!"

Crystal (wogrl): "Since partaking in the double dose experiment, I've been able to perform much more intense workouts. My recovery is phenomenal and I can hit the weights hard multiple times per week.

This past week I've even talked a bodybuilder (who just got 6th out of 16 in his class at the Arnold amateur) to train with me. We hit one workout his way and one my style. Guess who wasn't sore? Me.

Guess who was bouncing around like a crazy woman when they were done with legs ('cause they had so much energy)? Me!

Guess whose legs were shaking and could barely walk? Him! (I love it when I can kick a big guy's ass!)

I had massive pumps in my upper body, all the while dropping fat nicely, clothes fitting differently, belly getting tighterÉ all this while taking Surge!

High energy, superb recovery, and progressively getting leanerÉ what more could you ask for? I love it and will continue with it into the future.

My capability to lift heavy hasn't lagged (as it has a tendency to do when dieting). My energy hasn't dropped and my workouts have been more intense then ever, even while dieting. All in all, I'd have to say Biotest supplements are pretty damn amazing."

John A. Sifferman NSCA-CPT: "These past few weeks have been awesome. I've been really, really happy with the results of this experiment. I've gained around four pounds since I began. My body fat level has remained the same at 11%.

My strength increases have been consistently growing over the past month, and at a faster rate than usual. No doubt this is due to the much faster recovery rate. Almost every session set a new PR in at least one of my main lifts. I've never seen progress like that before!

My soreness wasn't as bad as it usually is. I only had DOMS after two deadlift sessions (one of which my non-Surge PWO nutrition was very poor). This definitely had a huge impact on my training since I was fresher and had much more energy due to faster recovery. All in all, I'm very happy with my results.

I'm sold on the idea of pre and post-workout Surge. I've seen incredible results thus far. This is something that I'll keep up during my following training cycles!"

Randy (randman): "The double dose Surge protocol was definitely a success for me. I've gained between 2 and 3 pounds of weight since I started this protocol. I'd say that this is definitely significant since I felt I was on the tail-end of making the best gains in my life when starting this experiment.

This protocol allowed me to extend and increase my gains where I felt a normal plateau occurring. My strength went up week to week and my soreness was almost non-existent.

I'm definitely a big believer in busting ass in the gym as a prerequisite to eating big. I'd say this also goes for double dosing Surge. Will I do this protocol year round? No. But I will add in double doses of Surge any time I really bring it to the gym for a single workout or when I have a focused multi-week effort of gains I want to make. This is a great way to increase your calorie intake without gaining any fat since you're strategically placing the calories around your workout.

I'm continuing to set new PRs in my squats, benching, and rowing with regards to more weight, more reps with the same weight, and less rest between sets with the same weight. Coupled with the fact that I've experienced less soreness and I've recovered faster between lifting sessions, double dosing with Surge is definitely a protocol I'll continue to implement!"

Brandon (nephorm): "My recovery has been awesome on this protocol, especially considering I've been dieting the whole time. I've been able to do more volume, and I find myself with energy to burn at the end of my workouts rather than being completely exhausted. There's a huge difference for me over taking just a half-dose before working out. The weight I'm able to move has gone up every week.

My DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) resolves itself much faster, with the exception of my hamstrings; they stay sore longer than any other muscle, though I have no idea why.

I can definitely see some positive body composition changes. While my weight isn't going down as rapidly as before the experiment, my muscles seem to be fuller, and I'm still dropping fat.

My cravings for simple carbs have diminished substantially since starting this regime. For some reason, after taking the Surge, my cravings go away. Perhaps it's because it's so sweet that a double-dose satisfies whatever cravings I have; perhaps there's a physiological explanation. But whatever it is, I love it!

Overall, I'm extremely happy with this. I'm going to be sticking with this protocol for awhile."

Matthew (lizard king): "I could not beat it. I could not kill it. The double dose Surge protocol overcame everything I could throw at it.

There was always a marked decrease of post-workout soreness, I always had great pumps, my strength went up (rep wise at least), and I didn't notice any fat increases due to the increased carbs. Fat loss, bulking, strength gain: it doesn't matter. A double dose of Surge fits every scenario. Anyone from a professional athlete, recreational lifter, or health enthusiast can benefit from the peri, mid, and post-feedings of Surge.

For me, this has gone from theory to fact: double-dosed Surge does the body good. I'm hooked on double-dose Surge and its benefits!"

Matt (Aragorn): Double Surge is by far the best addition I've made to my supplements. Seriously, this is an amazing recovery tool.

I'm very in touch with exactly how I regulate my pre-workout routine, supplement timing, eating, etc. I'm also very in touch with exactly how much physical impairment I'm likely to endure as a result of my training sessions. I can say with 100% certainty that this completely changed my recovery capacity.

I felt zero soreness after jacking my volume through the roof. I had more energy during workouts and I had some very intense pumps where I'd typically experience none at all. I'm confident this isn't a placebo effect based for the following reasons:

1) My familiarity with recovery capability before undergoing this trial

2) My general skepticism regarding supplement claims (which Biotest has no doubt taken every joy in destroying)

3) The percent volume increase. In some cases I approached near 2.5 times the volume I normally do on upper body days, simply because I didn't feel exhausted or tired. Like the Energizer bunny I just kept going, and going, and going....and had no serious soreness in any part of my upper body. Volume is normally not very well tolerated by me in terms of reps per set. That's just not something you can amp yourself to get from a placebo.

This Surge experiment is the real deal. I'm totally sold. Big, big thumbs up from me!"

Dexter (dlong62969): "My recovery has been better than ever. I have virtually no muscle soreness. Because of my ability to recover I'm able to hit my body parts twice a week. My energy levels during my workouts are great!"

Dan Thompson: "After six weeks of following this protocol I must say I've seen some very positive results. I consumed a half serving immediately before and during workouts followed by a full serving immediately after lifting four times per week (upper/lower split) and took a single serving post-workout after my GPP/ab/HIIT sessions twice per week.

Alternating between double dosing and single dosing (depending on the workload) I definitely noticed a difference in energy levels both during and after workouts. I had a couple of days over spring break where I got to lift in Florida, but I think I've become so accustomed to the constant flow of Surge through me while working out that I felt really sluggish without it and it resulted in some below par workouts.

On the performance note, all of my core lifts during this program went up at least 20 pounds for reps. That alone is awesome to me. I also managed to set a PR when I deadlifted 408 for a single after 6 sets of squats and 5 sets of deads. It felt good and now I can concentrate on some bigger numbers. So good news in the strength department.

Body comp wise I saw some pretty impressive results. I went from 178 at 7.45% body fat to 185 at 5.25% body fat, while keeping the same waist measurements, maybe even a little less! All other areas grew. I'll definitely keep with this protocol as it has yielded some impressive results for me.

Lastly, vascularity is up and the pumps have been great, not quite Arnold Pumping Iron great, but pretty damn close. I've also noticed that I maintain a 'pumped' look and feel longer than usual. I love going into work after lifting, just feeling huge and vascular. It's great! Long live double Surge!"

Zak (Ramo): "My recovery is definitely faster and I'm able to handle a higher volume of heavy work. It's easier to keep cranking out the sets because of frontloading the Surge. Its value is really clear during tough training sessions.

I'm going to stay with the extra Surge indefinitely. It's definitely helping with muscle mass and tolerating extra volume!"

(To read our lab rabbits' full reports, see this THREAD.)

Okay, But Is It Worth the Extra Cost?

There's really no excuse here. An extra serving of Surge will cost you $1.87 per lifting day. For the cost of one bottle of Super Pump Nitro Fuel 5000 or whatever the kiddies are buying these days, you can buy enough Surge for a month or more.

Two servings of Surge on weight training day will cost you around $3.74. You can't have lunch at McDonalds for that. And if anyone whines about $1.87 per serving for a potent workout drink while spending $4 for a useless, sissy-ass coffee drink every morning, I'll banish you permanently to Weenie Hut Jr's.

Note: You Gotta Earn It!

I think the experimenters would agree with me here: if you're training like a wus, don't try the double-dose Surge protocol.

I don't want to hear from anyone performing effort-free wimp workouts who "didn't get results" from this strategy. You gotta earn your double Surge! If you can't bring it in the gym, then stick to your Gatorade and ghetto whey.

The 8 Workout Challenge

So, what do you think? Ready to try it? Still skeptical?

If you're dedicated and you train hard enough to "deserve" Surge both before and after training, then here's your challenge: try it for eight weight training workouts. (That's about one tub of Surge.) Here's the strategy I used, but you're free to tweak it as needed:

1) Half a serving of Surge immediately pre-lifting, but after general warm-up.

2) Half a serving of Surge sipped during workout.

3) Full serving of Surge immediately post-workout.

To make it easy, I mixed my pre and during-drink in one stainless container, then just drank half before lifting and sipped the other half during. I mixed the full serving up in a cup and placed it in the fridge before I left. About five to ten minutes after my lifting session (short drive home), I'd slam it.

If you want to try it, you can order your Surge HERE. Be sure to report back to T-Nation with your results.

Have fun with it. Learn by doing. Remember, your body is your laboratory. Go experiment with it!

© 1998 — 2007 Testosterone, LLC. All Rights Reserved.