Getting shredded ain’t easy. It takes months of hard workouts, extreme dieting, intense cardio, and a monotony that cannot be explained. To support you in this endeavor, many companies will suggest that you use their number one fat-burning supplement.
Do these actually help?
Well, it depends. For the most part, they don’t.
However, I think it’s time we look at True Shred by Hard Rock Supplements (cool name). It might not be as well known as some other brands, but it surely has to offer something to be in the same league.
We tried it ourselves, we looked at the science, and here’s what’s what.
About Hard Rock Supplements
As I mentioned, this is perhaps the coolest name I’ve heard in the world of supplements. As the name suggests, this brand was developed to help serious athletes and bodybuilders. This will surely increase the price but should also increase the dosage and potency of anything the company makes.
When you look at their line-up of products, you’ll begin to notice a few things:
It’s undoubtedly marketed to Americans.
Some of the supplements are made to sound similar to steroids.
There’s no protein powder, so I can only assume we’re gonna be looking at a lot of ‘boosters.’
Other than that, there really isn’t a lot to know about the brand, unfortunately.
A Closer Look at True Shred
Like all supplement reviews, we need to understand exactly what’s in True Shred, how it works, and even if it works. Well, starting at the end, it does work.
A colleague of mine tried the supplement for a week and had the following to say:
“I tried it out for a week, and it was pretty interesting. On the days I took it, I did notice a bit more energy during workouts. I could finish maybe a couple more reps than usual. And somehow I managed to lose 1.5 pounds without changing my daily calories.”
So, something worked. But what exactly caused the weight loss?
How Does It Work?
Well, the bottle itself claims it’s a ‘NATURAL MUSCLE BUILDER‘, ‘NATURAL ANABOLIC’, and a ‘METABOLISM BOOSTER.’ So there are definitely some intense and massive claims made on the marketing front.
The one peculiar ingredient in the product is Androsta-3, 5-diene-7, 17-dione. This is called ‘ARIMISTANE’ in the industry by many and is what’s known as an ‘AI.’
An aromatase inhibitor will inhibit the formation of estrogen in the body. It’ll essentially inhibit the aromatase enzyme from turning testosterone into estrogen.
So why would we want this?
Well, estrogen has been linked to fat gain (and vice versa). Estrogen has also been linked to water retention.
Managing your estrogen might help with fat loss, though it does have some side effects, like:
Decreased libido
Erectile dysfunction
Decreased bone density
Mood changes and fatigue
You also do need estrogen as a male, and actually, if you have zero, you’ll have limited muscle growth. A study conducted on bulls comparing two different steroids, one with estrogen and one without, found that the group with estrogen gained more muscle mass.
Other Ingredients in True Shred
7-Keto DHEA
Bottom line, 7-Keto DHEA is a supplement used by those looking to increase their metabolism and weight loss. 7-Keto DHEA is a metabolite of DHEA but won’t metabolize into sex hormones like DHEA. Animal studies suggest it might help with increasing metabolism, but human studies are limited.
Bulbine Natalensis
Bulbine is a natural compound that could supposedly elevate levels of testicular cholesterol. Since cholesterol is the base of sex hormones, it’d make sense that this would increase testosterone. Again, animal studies show this does work. However, limited human studies are available.
There are other ingredients in the product, though these are the most prominent ones.
How to Take True Shred
With most fat burners, you typically take them before training or with breakfast. This one doesn’t really have such an indication.
However, because of the AI compound within, there’s also a fun little note at the end:
“Not for use by anyone under 21 years of age. Do not exceed [the] suggested dosage. Discontinue use immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, vomiting, or other similar symptoms. Do not use [it] for more than 45 days without a 90-day break. Keep out of reach from children.”
If it’s not apparent already, this product is slightly more dangerous than your regular creatine.
True Shred Side Effects
Firstly, my colleague didn’t feel any sides during the week he used it. That said, there are still some side effects that you might experience, such as:
Decreased libido
Erectile dysfunction
Decreased bone density
Others have reported different side effects. For example, one person tried it for a few weeks and noticed dry, cracked lips. (They also didn’t see any changes on the scale or in vascularity.)
It’s worth noting that individual results may vary. Since we all experience hormones differently, it’s hard to predict how we’ll feel at certain levels or changes in basal hormones.
Where Can You Buy True Shred?
There are multiple sites where you can purchase it online, including the Hard Rock website, and I presume it might be present in a few supplement shops — but certainly not on Amazon.
3 Pros of True Shred
1. It Manages Estrogen
While this isn’t actually something you actively ‘want,’ it might help with water retention and lowering your body fat slightly. That said, you can have high estrogen but still be peeled, so… You still need to train, diet, and do your cardio to actually cause fat loss — no way to get around that one…
2. It Could Increase Muscle Hardness and Testosterone
Lowering estrogen and increasing testosterone could result in harder, firmer, and more ‘ripped’ muscles. If this sounds like bodybuilding stuff, that’s because it is… Arimistane is something used by bodybuilders!
3. Could Lower Cortisol
A few people (well, users) have claimed that this product actually lowered their stress levels. Arimistane has a knack for doing this at low doses. However, you need to be extremely careful about the doses unless you wanna run into the issues of low estrogen.
The Biggest Con of True Shred
1. It’s Not What People Think It Is
This is about as close to a ‘legal steroid’ as you can get. In the industry, we’d call this a soft prohormone since it has a direct influence over your sex hormones. Arimistane is incredibly strong, and those who overdo it pay the price. I think stronger marketing should be done to make people understand this is the next level.
What Other Reviews Are Saying
One user described this product as the best Arimistane product they’ve ever tried, going on to say, “There were no hints of joint pain at all with the full 75mg dose. I didn’t change my diet at all or change my workouts…I was literally just feeling out of the product. Given that, I actually bulked up a bit more or looked more full than without it, with some added vascularity.”
Another user – who made it clear they aren’t affiliated with Hard Rock — expressed surprise by how well the supplement seems to work. They also said, “I notice some leaning but the size and fullness increase is always what really shocks me.. one of my favorite products, and always runs at only 4 a day. I don’t know if I have high cortisol and respond well to the 7 keto or what, but it definitely works.”
Is True Shred Worth It?
Look, let’s not beat around the bush. True Shred is a product made for those who are committed and really want to take things to the next level. It’s a strong compound, and if you misuse it or if you take the wrong dose, you could run into some issues.
That said, it will work. It won’t magically make you lose more weight, but it might help you get a tad leaner or a tad drier. To get the full effect, you should still be dieting, training, and doing your cardio.
From our experience, the sides weren’t so bad. That said, we only took it for a week. We did lose weight in that week — the key word being weight. Since estrogen and water are best buds, we cannot specify whether it was water or fat.
If you’re going to take this, be comfortable with the fact that you’ll be running into some issues, probably. Estrogen is a bugger to manage once it goes wrong. Trust me, I know.
As far as fat burners go, it’s okay. It’s not exceptional, but it ain’t half bad.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
