A Gym Recommendation Sent Me Down the RYSE Rabbit Hole

Sometimes the best recommendations do not come from an ad. They come from somebody standing next to you at the gym.

Not sponsored. I do not earn a commission from RYSE. I purchased these products because I wanted to try them and I'm documenting my experience.

How a gym conversation introduced me to RYSE

I learned about RYSE from another woman at my gym.

She had one of their products with her, let me look at it, and started telling me how much she loved it. No pitch. No script. She just genuinely liked what she was using.

Why passionate recommendations get my attention

That kind of recommendation always gets me, because it feels real.

She was not trying to sell me anything. She was just excited about something that was working for her, and that is usually enough to make me go home and start reading.

What made me research the brand

So that is exactly what I did.

What interested me from reading about the brand is that their products seem designed to support different parts of a fitness routine — preparing for a workout, support during it, protein, post-workout needs, energy, and the ordinary daily stuff.

I am not making any claims about what those products do. That is just what I noticed while looking at the lineup, and it is what made me want to try a few things myself instead of guessing.

What I bought

The Build Your Own Protein 6-Pack, which was approximately $19.99 when I purchased it, gave me a chance to try multiple protein samples and flavors without committing to full-size tubs. I also picked up the Orange Cream Pump pre-workout to test.

Product page: Build Your Own Protein 6-Pack

That was the price when I bought it, not a promise of what it costs today.

Why the stimulant-free Pump stood out

The Orange Cream Pump is stimulant-free, and that is what caught my attention.

I prefer to rely on less caffeine for workouts, so a stimulant-free option fit how I like to train. That is a personal preference, not a rule. Plenty of people love their pre-workout with a kick, and that is fine too.

My first Pink Splash experience

Before I got into the protein samples and the Pump, I tried a RYSE energy drink.

Pink Splash. I remembered it because there were strawberries on the can. 🍓

I thought the flavor was pretty good. As I normally do, I mixed it with water to dilute it a little, then headed to the gym about 45 minutes later.

For me, the workout felt like this:

• I noticed a lift, but it was not jittery
• The energy felt calm and steady
• I did not notice a hard crash afterward
• My energy stayed relatively even
• I did not notice that extra-thirsty feeling I sometimes get with other energy drinks

That is my own experience on one day, in one workout. Nothing more than that.

Grab-and-go options

I also discovered that individual ready-to-drink RYSE protein bottles are available at retailers like Walmart and Target. That caught my attention because I like having grab-and-go protein options for busy days, work, or heading to and from the gym.

I cannot promise what is on the shelf near you — that is just what I happened to notice while I was out.

What I will test next

Here is where I am headed:

• Working through the protein samples so I can compare the flavors I have
• Using the Orange Cream Pump on strength days and paying attention to how the workout actually feels
• Noticing whether any of it fits my routine well enough to keep buying

Not my final verdict

This is not a review. I have not finished testing any of it.

I am telling you about it now because I got curious after a real conversation with a real person, and that is usually how the good finds start. When I know more, I will come back and tell you what stayed in my rotation and what did not.

If you have tried RYSE, I would genuinely like to hear which products you use and how you take them.