NLA for Her arrived in 2013 to meet a pressing need among fit-minded women. It has rapidly become a favorite for both noncompetitive lifting ladies and top-notch figure, fitness, and bikini pros!
You'd think every corner and market had been uncovered in the supplement industry already. But the truth is that half of the population—the female half— has historically been under-represented on the shelf, when they were represented at all. NLA for Her was created just two years ago to give a new choice to women embracing the challenge of getting stronger and taking control of their physiques.
The company's vision was compelling enough to attract the attention of top female fitness icons, including IFBB figure pro Jessie Hilgenberg and fitness model Lais DeLeon, who between them have dedicated online followings numbering in the hundreds of thousands. With these recognizable faces and physiques in its corner, the company has quickly skyrocketed to success.
Bodybuilding.com spoke with co-founder Justin Matoesian as well as their superstar athlete and Team Bodybuilding.com member, Jessie Hilgenberg, about the company's road to success and where they hope it takes them.
Tell our readers how your company started.
NLA for Her started in January 2013 with a mission that still remains at the heart of our company today: to provide high-quality sports supplements for women of all fitness levels at an affordable price. We noticed back then that there were no dedicated women's sports-supplement lines. Women were often either forced to use weaker plant and vegan-based supplements, or use men's supplements that were often over-dosed and hard to digest.
We partnered up with Jessie Hilgenberg, and together, we took the time to truly listen to every complaint women had about the current supplements available to them. We created NLA for Her after listening to what women really wanted in their supplements.
What is your role, and can you tell us about your background in the fitness industry?
I am the co-founder of NLA for Her. Myself and my best friend and business partner, Kevin Gundersen, started NLA immediately upon graduating from the University of Southern California. I was a collegiate track and field athlete, and I have always been obsessed with fitness and nutrition. I haven't missed more than one day of working out since I was a 13-year-old prepping for high school football.
But besides being longtime sports-supplement consumers, Kevin and I are students of the industry. We are constantly studying what ingredients are most beneficial for performance and results. I love all things fitness and am honored that I get to wake up each day, collaborate with some of the top female fitness icons, and create quality supplements for women! Kevin and I share the same vision and work ethic, and it has helped grow NLA for Her into the largest women's sports-supplement company in the world.
Our first athlete and the face of NLA for Her, Jessie Hilgenberg, has been a true godsend to our company. Jessie's intelligence about fitness and nutrition is unrivaled! She has helped us develop all of our supplements, and without her, we would not be the brand we are today.
What are your top products that our readers should know about?
NLA for Her has a complete line of sports supplements for women, ranging from fat burners to gluten-free proteins to multivitamins to performance chews. Our bestselling supplement hands-down is our Shred Her fat burner, the top fat burner formulated for women on Bodybuilding.com.
Her Aminos BCAAs is an amazing supplement and one of our best sellers as well. Her Aminos has also been nominated for women's supplement of the year in the Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards the past two years.
Our other top-selling supplement on Bodybuilding.com is our gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free whey isolate protein, Her Whey, which was also nominated for women's supplement of the year by Bodybuilding.com this past year.
Uplift, our pre-workout, is a top seller as well because it comes in three delicious flavors, it is creatine-free and sugar-free, and contains just enough stimulants to give you a wonderful sustained energy without that dreaded crash or jittery feeling.
Any new products in the works you'd like to tell us about?
This is actually a very exciting time for NLA for Her. We just launched a slew of new supplements, including our Performance Chews series, which is now available on Bodybuilding.com. Our Performance Chews are 20 calories per chew, sugar-free, and gluten-free. They are an amazing alternative to women who are tired of pills and powders or have problems taking those types of supplements. We now have three chews available:
- Her Superfoods: 26 real fruits and vegetables in a delicious cranberry cherry chewable
- Her Multi: 16 essential vitamins and minerals loaded into a delicious strawberry watermelon chew
- Her Appetite Control: A naturally sweetened rich chocolate-flavored chewable that contains potent ingredients such as Super Citrimax Garcinia cambogia, glucomannan, and Chocamine to help regulate your appetite and satisfy cravings.
Besides our chews, we have extended our sports-supplement line by five supplements. We just released two new flavors of our Her Aminos BCAAs on Bodybuilding.com: Dragon Punch and Orange Creamsicle. Our other new supplements now available on Bodybuilding.com are:
- Her Cleanse: complete 14-day detoxifying cleanse
- Her Probiotics: 14-strand probiotic blend
- Her Carnitine: premium l-carnitine/ALCAR for stimulant-free overall energy and fat loss
What do you feel are the best and worst parts of being in the supplement industry?
Hands down, the best part about being in the supplement industry is the satisfaction you feel when you hear your customers are experiencing wonderful results from your supplements. From our products helping beginners lose weight to our supplements fueling experienced NPC and IFBB athletes during their preps and competitions, it is truly rewarding to know you are producing a product that helps people change their lives for the better.
Another wonderful thing about the fitness industry is waking up each day knowing your whole life revolves around health and fitness. To me, a life without health and fitness is not worth living. I am also blessed to be able to work with such amazing athletes such as Jessie Hilgenberg, Lais DeLeon, Amy Updike, and our other Team NLA athletes.
As for the worse part, without a doubt it is disassembling stinky drink dispensers caked in protein after fitness expos!
Why should new customers give your products a shot?
NLA for Her supplements speak for themselves. All of our supplements are sugar-free, gluten-free, creatine-free, and were created with a woman's true supplement needs taken into account. We were the first exclusive women's sports-supplement company and have been consistently producing quality supplements since January 2013.
Our manufacturing process is under strict quality-control regulations to ensure every NLA supplement is created to the highest quality standards. For the past two years, NLA for Her has received multiple nominations at the Bodybuilding.com Awards, showing that customers agree NLA for Her is the best supplement choice for women.
If a customer can only afford one product, which one would you recommend?
If I had to recommend one to start out with, it would be our Uplift pre-workout. Uplift is great for giving you that energy and focus to make the most of your workouts. If you are tired and making excuses not to work out, try it and you'll leave the gym in shock over how amazing your workout was! If you're looking to lose weight and jump-start your metabolism, then definitely start with our Shred Her fat burner.
Overall Rating
Go Now!Final question. Do you want to give some shoutouts?
I want to give a shoutout to Kevin and my family for the constant support. I want to thank all of our Team NLA athletes for being awesome and representing our brand with such integrity. And lastly, I want to thank Bodybuilding.com for believing in NLA for Her when no other retail outlets did.
Athlete Interview Jessie Hilgenberg, NLA Athlete
Tell us about your athletic background and role at NLA.
I grew up watching my father lift weights, run races, and play sports, so being athletic and active was always a part of my family and life. I played softball, ran track, became a certified yoga instructor, and earned my black belt in taekwondo.
When I discovered the figure division of bodybuilding, my husband, Alex, urged me to begin training to compete. I did my first figure competition in 2010 and placed second. I was hooked! I continued to compete on the national circuit until earning my IFBB professional status at the NPC USAs in 2012. I continued to compete as a top-10 IFBB figure pro until starting my family in 2013.
I'm a sponsored athlete with the responsibility of upholding the incredible reputation of the NLA for Her product line. I travel year-round with the team, meeting customers and fans face to face, introducing and educating them on the entire line of supplements.
What made you want to be a part of this company?
They are a supplement company with honest ingredients and integrity, and they stand behind and support women. Being the very first athlete to join their team back when they first started in 2012 simply went in line with everything I stand for as a woman and as a leader in women's fitness and health.
What supplements do you currently use and why?
I currently use Her Whey (the Chocolate Eclair flavor is my favorite), Her Aminos, Uplift, Shred Her, Her Carnitine, Her CLA, Her Omegas, Her Multi, and my current favorite is the brand-new Superfood Performance Chew. It helps me get in extra vitamins and nutrients from fruit and veggies during the day!
This daily stack of supplements has helped me get back into shape after my pregnancy last year and continues to power my workouts.
Why should Bodybuilding.com customers choose NLA as their supplement company?
NLA for Her supplements are dosed for a woman's body, so you get the appropriate amount of effective ingredients for our body size. I love that so much of the line is sugar-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free, making it appealing for women with sensitivities.
The protein powder, Her Whey, tastes incredible, bakes well, and will always be a staple in my kitchen. Not to mention it has aminos, including over 9 grams of glutamine, in every serving. This means I don't have to stock up on additional products.
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