September 18, 2025

#181: Ryan and Jeff Gardner - Bucked Up's Billion-or-Bust Empire and the New Black Ant Pre-Workout

1 hour 19 minutes

On Episode #181 of the PricePlow Podcast, we sit down with twin brothers Ryan Gardner (CEO) and Jeff Gardner (CMO) of Bucked Up at their Salt Lake City headquarters. This conversation reveals the remarkable journey from internet marketing pioneers to building a billion dollar million supplement empire, complete with helicopter rides over Utah’s mountains and an inside look at their massive manufacturing facility.

The Gardner brothers share their incredible origin story that began with exact match domains and affiliate networks in the early 2000s, leading to a deer antler spray windfall thanks to Ray Lewis’s Super Bowl controversy in 2013. From those humble beginnings, they built Bucked Up into the #1 pre-workout at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, pioneered micro-influencer marketing before it was cool, and recently expanded into energy drinks with major partnerships including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — all in pursuit of their “billion or bust” vision.

Celebrating the Launch of Bucked Up Black Ant

This episode also features the exclusive launch details of Black Ant, their revolutionary new pre-workout Mike and Ben helped formulate, featuring industry-first ingredients like RipFACTOR and Creasol SSAT alongside traditional creatine monohydrate (Black Ant is Bucked Up’s first creatine-based pre-workout).

The conversation explores everything from their innovative protein drinks with light carbonation to their thoughts on peptides, healthspan optimization, and the future of the supplement industry.

https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/bucked-up-ryan-jeff-gardner-181

Video: Inside Bucked Up HQ with the Gardner Brothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzGuzuGtuWQ

Detailed Show Notes: From Internet Marketing to Supplement Empire

(0:00) – Introductions: Meeting the Twin CEOs in Salt Lake City

(2:15) – The Internet Marketing Origins: Early 2000s Digital Pioneers

(6:30) – The L-Arginine Domain Score: Learning the Power of Exact Match Domains

(9:45) – The Ray Lewis Windfall: Deer Antler Spray Goes Viral

(14:30) – Entering the Pre-Workout Market: Innovation Through Transparency

(20:45) – Micro-Influencer Marketing: Ahead of the Curve

(24:45) – Dominating Retail: The Path to #1 at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe

(28:00) – The Beverage Evolution: Learning Distribution Networks

(31:30) – The Brand Beyond Products: Culture and Community

(34:00) – Product Innovation Partnership: The Black Ant Story

(38:00) – Revolutionary Strength Ingredients: RipFACTOR and Clinical Research

(42:30) – Premium Positioning and Market Strategy

(45:30) – Diversified Pre-Workout Portfolio Strategy

(48:30) – Ready-to-Drink Pre-Workout Development

(54:30) – Protein Innovation: Light Carbonation Revolution

(58:45) – Protein Dosing Philosophy and Market Positioning

(1:06:30) – Celebrity Partnerships and Brand Building

(1:10:30) – Market Expansion and Penetration Strategy

(1:12:30) – Peptides and Future Health Optimization

(1:17:30) – Healthspan vs Lifespan Philosophy

Where to Follow Bucked Up and Connect

Ryan Gardner: LinkedIn&…