🏋️ Coop tried the Titan Fitness KNURLED TwistLock Collars

Welcome to Home Gym Club! All the attention on cold plunging lately has us thinking about polar bears. Did you know that polar bears don’t hibernate? This means in addition to being the largest and longest bear species, they’re always staying active. Polar bears are #GOALS.

What’s in today’s newsletter:

• Coop reviews the Knurled TwistLock Barbell Collars by Titan Fitness.

• We found the six best meal replacement shakes.

• Here’s a first look at the new Plunge Evolve Series.

• Our expert testers tried Transparent Labs Intra.

Watch Party

Titan Fitness Knurled TwistLock Barbell Collars

If you’ve followed Coop for a while, you know how he feels about knurling—he’s the Knurl Knight of Castle Power Rack. So you can imagine his excitement when he got his hands on the KNURLED TwistLock Barbell Collars from Titan Fitness. Game-changer?

Coop breaks it down from the essential, “How do these collars work?” to the nitty-gritty details like build quality and materials, how they stack up to the competition, and pricing/value.

He also answers the pressing question, “How many 45-lb weight plates can these collars hold?” No spoilers: Watch the video to find out the answer! 

What’s Supp?

Best Meal Replacement Shakes

Sometimes, you don’t have time to prepare a full high-protein meal. And while we don’t recommend drinking your meals instead of eating them, the best meal replacement shakes—aka meal replacement proteins (MRP)—can be complete, balanced meals all on their own.

However, as a category, meal replacement shakes are difficult to navigate. Manufacturers make many health claims…and the ingredients in the shakes don’t always live up to the hype. To find the best meal replacement shakes, our GGR team—made up of certified personal trainers, certified nutrition coaches, and professional athletes—talked to registered dietitian Perry Nix, RD, LD, to get her take on shakes.

Recovery Recs

First Look: Plunge Evolve Series

We love a good cold plunge for recovery. What was once used exclusively by elite athletes is now accessible to fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals. That said, the barrier to entry is often the considerable investment required to purchase a cold plunge tub. Recognizing this gap, Plunge has unveiled its lineup of new products.

We asked former collegiate athlete, now certified nutrition coach and personal trainer, Pete Natasi—who can attest to the powerful benefits of using a recovery protocol to help maximize your performance—for his first impressions on the new Plunge Evolve series.

In this Plunge Evolve Series review, Pete looks at the range of options tailored to diverse needs and budgets: the compact and portable Plunge Pop-Up, the inflatable Plunge Air, and the premium Plunge Evolve XL. Additionaly, Plunge is selling its innovative chiller and filtration system as a standalone product for the first time.

Training Fuel

Transparent Labs Intra Review

Specifically formulated for use while working out, Transparent Labs Intra goes beyond your standard EAA supplement. It contains 6.7 grams of EAAs, and electrolytes, tyrosine, betaine anhydrous, and other patented blends designed to increase muscle mass, boost energy, enhance hydration, and improve blood flow, helping you operate at peak performance.

That’s a lot of claims for a single supplement, so we put it to the test to see if it’s worth the hype. Our expert tester, Amanda Capritto, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, used Intra for several weeks during all of her workouts.

Allow us to Intra-duce you to this product by sharing all the information you need about Transparent Labs Intra.

Quick Hits

Searching For a New Pair of Training Shoes?

• If you need new gym shoes that are easier on your feet, the KURU ATOM shoes are designed to reduce foot—specifically heel—pain, but do they hold up to our scrutiny? Check out our full review.

• We asked an Olympic weightlifter to compile the 10 best lower lat exercises. Your back day is about to get good as gold.

• Cage match: front squat vs. back squat. Which is the superior quad-builder?