{"title":"Limited Time Hard Offer","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"hard-limited-time-offer","title":"Hard (Limited Time Offer)","description":"\u003cp\u003eBenefits of Core HARD may include the following:  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ticks\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKSM-66®\u003c\/strong\u003e - Reduction in cortisol levels\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDIM\u003c\/strong\u003e - Regulate healthy estrogen production\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eL-Theanine\u003c\/strong\u003e - Increased measures of well being\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esplit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour diet is impeccable and couldn’t be any more in check – macros, micros, you have it all down. Your workouts? Get out of here! You have slaved, grinded, and grunted your way through leg workouts so intense the gym staff cried – and those were on your worst days. And yet, something is missing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s that “extra” level of shred, “that look.” You know exactly what we mean. That type of leanness and density that makes an arm look twice as big, a stomach look twice as lean, and a forearm look like a roadmap for the Italian countryside. It’s that kind of elusive hardness that’s so rare, most of us simply chalk it up to genetics, or luck, or steroids, or whatever excuse we have handy – and yet we all still want it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reality is that it isn’t all that unattainable. Getting “that” look, “that” hardness, is about hormonal balance, optimization and body recomposition. It’s a matter of adding in that final piece of the puzzle that makes the entire picture come out perfectly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo be hard, you need to get HARD. It’s that simple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCore HARD is another product in the Core Nutritionals’ lineup to follow the basic, but indispensable principles that Core Nutritionals is slowly making an industry standard: create products with effective ingredients, in effective doses, in a non-proprietary formula. This time around, we have applied those principles to the problem of softness that we all despise and have developed the most advanced ultra-hardening and recomposition agent on the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking advantage of both the old and the new, Core Nutritionals has employed both modern, cutting-edge compounds and traditional herbs to create a balanced approach to delivering hardness. Key ingredients in Core HARD affect some of the body’s critical physiological pathways, combining sexiness and science in a single, non-proprietary formula. We have included five powerful ingredients into a full month's worth of stimulant free, recomposition goodness. The result? Reduced cortisol levels, healthy estrogen and hormone regulation, weight loss and lean muscle growth, increased measures of well-being, improved athletic performance, stamina and power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCore HARD can be used alone, or in a stack with other Core Nutritionals’ products. The BURN HARD stack (Core HARD plus \u003ca title=\"Core BURN - Stimulant Thermogenic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.corenutritionals.com\/products\/core-burn-powder\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCore BURN\u003c\/a\u003e) will be the ultimate fat blasting and hardening stack. Men can try the HARD A.B.s stack (Core HARD plus \u003ca title=\"Core ALPHA - All Ultra Potent Natural Hormone Optimizer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.corenutritionals.com\/products\/core-alpha\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCore ALPHA\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca title=\"Core BURN - Stimulant Thermogenic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.corenutritionals.com\/products\/core-burn-powder\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCore BURN\u003c\/a\u003e) to help create that chiseled look that all men want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esplit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhysiological Properties and Effects:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhosphatidylserine (50%)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhosphatidylserine, colloquially known as PS, is a nearly ubiquitous phospholipid found in various membranous tissues throughout the body. PS’s ubiquity coincides with its necessity for crucial physiological functions, as the phospholipid is implicated in several components of cell communication, as well as the mediation of catecholamine synthesis and transmission in the brain (along with other neuroendocrine functions). In a fitness-related context, a nascent but growing body of methodologically-sound research suggests that PS may play a role in increasing exercise capacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStudies administering the compound in both acute and chronic fashion suggest that PS has a measurable effect on exercise capacity. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial involving 16 trained athletes, phosphatidylserine was administered for 10 days prior to an acute exercise challenge. Exercise markers such as exercise time to exhaustion, sprint performance, and ratings of perceived exertion, were measured post-exercise. The authors found that exercise time to exhaustion was significantly altered. Related studies using similar serving sizes have found that chronic PS administration increased shot accuracy in golfers, increased exercise time to exhaustion by 28% in cyclists, and reduced subjective feelings of stress and soreness in others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall, phosphatidylserine appears to play a valuable role in the increase in exercise capacity. PS may therefore play a critical role in the continued exercise success of bodybuilders in a, “cutting” or recomposition stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKSM-66® Full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract (5% Withanolides)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWithania somnifera Dunal\u003c\/em\u003e, colloquially known as Winter Cherry or Indian Ginseng, is an herb that features prominently in the traditional Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda. Known as Ashwagandha in Ayurveda, \u003cem\u003eWithania somnifera\u003c\/em\u003e is a critical ingredient in various Ayurvedic tonics and tinctures prepared as a traditional remedy for the treatment of various ailments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecently identified as a potent adaptogenic and target for therapeutic applications, Ashwaghanda has been the subject of numerous animal, pre-clinical, and clinical trials designed to examine its potential effects as an antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anxiolytic, antibacterial, antifungal, and immonumodulating compound. Ashwaghanda’s broad therapeutic potential is hypothesized to be the result of its robust phytochemical profile, including a wide swath of alkaloids, sitoindosides, and the highly biologically active withanolide group. As the principally biologically active compounds within Ashwaghanda, withanolides such as withanone, withaferine A, withanolides A, D, and G have been identified, isolated, and extensively studied in the various applications noted above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn recognition of the potential physiological benefits of withanolides, Core Nutritionals selected KSM-66® to include in its HARD formula. KSM-66® is a full-spectrum Ashwaghanda extract, standardized for 5% withanolides – meaning that KSM-66® not only includes the full range of biologically active compounds within Ashwaghanda, but also that it contains the highest currently available concentration of the principally active withanolides (5%).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe high concentrations of withanolides within KSM-66® has resulted in encouraging results in a number of human, clinical trials – particularly considering many of these trials were conducted using the methodological gold standard of randomization, double-blind delivery, and placebo control. Amongst the most impressive results contained in these trials:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ticks\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA 27.9% reduction in serum cortisol levels, measured over 60 days in a trial featuring 64 chronically stressed adults.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStatistically significant increases to endurance and stamina, as measured by VO2 max, in a clinical trial featuring 50 healthy, exercise-trained adults.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncreased measures of well-being as reported by self-assessment scales, included in both the clinical trials mentioned above.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStatistically significant increases in serum testosterone levels in a clinical trial featuring 68 infertile men.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough each of these results is impressive, perhaps the most significant is the 27.9% reduction in cortisol seen in the 60 day trial. As detailed above, cortisol possesses a multitude of potentially degradative physiological effects, including: inhibiting glucose uptake, causing a constriction of the vasculature (vasoconstriction), the breakdown of glycogen, and inarguably the result most would desire to avoid, proteolysis (the breakdown of muscle tissue).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo put it the simplest way possible, cortisol’s chief functions involve either turning on, or shutting off, the very things we as fitness enthusiasts want to avoid or turn on, respectively!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eColeus forskohlii\u003c\/em\u003e (std. to 20% forskolin)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eColeus forskohlii\u003c\/i\u003e standardized to 20% forskolin is included for its direct role in body recomposition—the ability to reduce body fat while preserving lean mass. Forskolin activates a compound called adenylate cyclase, which can increase intracellular cAMP, a key regulator of fat mobilization and metabolic activity. Several studies have shown its power when it comes to fat mass reduction while also maintaining lean mass. One 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled study showed that subjects supplementing with forskolin lost an average of \u003cstrong data-end=\"546\" data-start=\"515\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; font-weight: normal;\"\u003e10 lb of fat mass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e while\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"583\" data-start=\"553\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; font-weight: normal;\"\u003emaintaining lean body mass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, whereas the placebo group lost only 2lb and experienced a decline in lean mass. Another human trial showed a \u003cstrong data-end=\"764\" data-start=\"708\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; font-weight: normal;\"\u003esignificant reduction in body fat percentage (−1.2%)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e and a \u003cstrong data-end=\"815\" data-start=\"771\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; font-weight: normal;\"\u003etrend toward increased free testosterone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, supporting muscle preservation during caloric deficit. By improving nutrient partitioning, shifting calories toward muscle recovery and performance rather than fat storage, \u003ci\u003eColeus forskohlii\u003c\/i\u003e can support a harder, leaner physique without stimulant reliance, making it a clinically supported tool for sustainable recomposition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat we typically refer to as “Estrogen,” is in fact a group of three biologically distinct hormones – estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and estriol (E3), each possessing different activities in different cell, tissue, and receptor types. When experts refer to either the benefits or downfalls of “estrogen,\" they really mean to (but probably cannot) identify \u003cem\u003ea specific\u003c\/em\u003e estrogen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese \u003cem\u003especific estrogens\u003c\/em\u003e, in turn, metabolize into even more specific estrogen sub-compounds, such as the 2-hydroxyestrogens (2-OHE’s), 2-methoxyestrogens, 16a-hydroxyestrone (16-OHE1), and 4-hydroxyestrogens (4-OHE’s). As their parent estrogens, these estrogen metabolites exert different effects depending upon the tissue and cell one is examining. In fact, two estrogen metabolites in particular, 16-OHE1 and 2-OHE, have such contrasting cellular activities that 2-OHE is an \u003cem\u003eestrogen antagonist\u003c\/em\u003e. Yes, that is correct: there is an anti-estrogen, estrogen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn recent years, so-called “phytonutrients” have become the focus of clinical research, as these natural compounds have shown the ability to increase the ratio of good, estrogen decreasing estrogens (such as 2-OHE), to bad, estrogen increasing estrogens (such as 16-OHE1). One of these phytonutrients, a dietary indole known as indole-3-carbinol (I3C), is the bioactive phytochemical and a presumed modulator of reduced cancer risk in areas with high cruciferous vegetable consumption. Unfortunately, despite its potent antiestrogenic activity, I3C is highly molecularly unstable, and therefore unsuitable for use as a therapeutic agent or dietary supplement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuckily, however, I3C readily metabolizes into the secondary indole 3,3’ diindolylmethane, or DIM for short. When used in a supplemental fashion in clinical trials, DIM appears to possess all the positive effects of its parent compound with respect to antiestrogenic action – promoting the metabolism of beneficial estrogens that themselves reduce estrogenic activity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAside from its healthy-estrogen promoting abilities, DIM also exerts its own direct physiological effects, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ticks\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePromoting pathways of internal estrogen metabolism that favour the production of anti-estrogen estrogens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdjusting the activity of certain cytochrome enzymes, reducing the activity at the estrogen receptor site.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimit the cell division and growth of certain estrogens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the bodybuilding community’s single-minded crusade to eliminate estrogen wherever it lie in wait, compounds such as DIM show us that estrogen is a very diverse set of compounds – and that we should actively pursue increasing certain estrogens that have beneficial, and ironically, anti-estrogenic effects\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eL-Theanine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough the literature surrounding L-theanine is still emerging, the amino acid is slowly building a reputation as one of the most interesting and exciting compounds being targeted for therapeutic use. L-theanine is an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea, constituting approximately 1-2% of the dry weight of tea – resulting in a 25–60 mg theanine load per 200 ml serving of liquid tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst identified in green tea and in the mushroom \u003cem\u003eXerocomus badius\u003c\/em\u003e, L-theanine readily crosses the blood-brain barrier in a dose-dependent manner, and it is thought to influence the central nervous system (CNS) through a variety of mechanisms, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ticks\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncreasing the release and concentration of dopamine.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInhibiting glutamate reuptake and blockade of glutamate receptors in the hippocampus.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncreasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA – a neurotransmitter associated with the regulation of responses) concentrations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncreasing levels of serotonin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to these more well-demonstrated effects, emerging electroencephalography trials on theanine suggest that the amino acid may exert a positive effect on alpha waves – a type of brain wave implicated in restful relaxation. Alpha activity has also been associated with increased creativity, increased performance under stress, and improved learning and concentration, as well as decreased anxiety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esplit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2440\/0931\/files\/HARD_NEW.png?v=1753093928\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esplit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ticks\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2440\/0931\/files\/HARD_LABEL_1.png?v=1753093978\"\u003eCore HARD Label\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esplit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ticks\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2440\/0931\/files\/Core_HARD_2025_References.docx?v=1753096766\"\u003eDownload References\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Core Nutritionals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44979543802032,"sku":"850757001641","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2440\/0931\/files\/HARD_FRONT_cbbbf7d3-ea1f-4330-b44a-babe58fbc1a2.png?v=1768407986"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.corenutritionals.com\/collections\/limited-time-hard-offer.oembed","provider":"Core Nutritionals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}