If you’ve heard the saying, “You’re only as good as the effort you put into your workout,” and follow it – you’re halfway to weight loss and/or fitness success. But, in order to truly, and quickly maximize your effort at the gym, you have to properly fuel your body before and after. Take notes because when you follow our advice, your pre-workout and post-workout supplements will allow you to transform your body (from your calves to your biceps, and everything in between!) in no time at all!
Pre-Workout Supplements
There are three types of supplements you need to repair muscles, boost your strength and altogether transform your body. The first important type of supplement to integrate into your workout routine is the pre-workout supplement. Pre-workout supplements offer many benefits, and depending on the supplement you take, can cause any of the following:
• Mental clarity, drive and focus
• Increased strength
• Increased endurance
• Increased stamina
• Decreases muscular fatigue
Be aware that some pre-workout formulas are low carb but high in sugar; while others are low in sugar but higher in fat. When purchasing a pre-workout supplement, consider your needs (do you want to lose weight, or gain muscle mass?) in order to purchase the right one.
BCAA’s Will Do Your Muscles Good!
The second supplement to incorporate into your daily routine are BCAA’s, otherwise known as Branched Chain Amino Acids. What that really means is that BCAA’s are an essential component to protect your muscle mass (that can altogether begin to deteriorate with restrictive calorie counting, or yo-yo dieting.) When you’re working out to the max, keep in mind how your body works: the harder you work, the more your body loses muscle mass; the more muscle mass you lose, the harder it becomes to achieve that sculpted, tight boy you’re working so hard to attain! That’s where BCAA supplements come into play—they help you to solve the muscle loss problem! While some of them may be a bit pricey, they offer an added benefit that is worth your while: other than helping to restore and build muscle mass, they are a great source of energy to make your workouts more effective than ever!
Protein Powders
If you’ve ever taken a look online or at the supermarket for protein powder, you may have felt overwhelmed at the amount of flavors and brands available. To break it down, here’s what you need to know: find a protein powder with (ideally) 20 grams of protein, and 5 grams (or less) of sugar per serving. Read the reviews (if buying online) so you can get an idea of which ones are more flavorful, less chalky, etc. than others. Here’s three reasons to consider implementing a protein supplement into your diet:
• It will help you burn fat. Protein supplements can do more than help with muscle recovery, easy soreness or fill you up. They also can assist with fat loss by boosting the metabolism.
• It will keep you on check with your daily calorie intake. Don’t give in to fatty foods, when all you need is a protein supplement to satisfy you!
• It will keep you satisfied. If you’re pushing yourself physically during your workouts, a high protein diet is required for muscle recovery and your energy. Even if you’re incorporating protein-rich foods into your diet, it may not be enough. Are you still hungry shortly after a healthy meal? A protein shake will solve your hunger problem and keep you on track.
Now that you have a go-to guide for supplements, you can have all the confidence that what you put ito your body before and after a workout is boosting your progress—not hindering it. Feel the burn with knowledge, and now the motivation to push harder than ever to reach your goals, with supplements that will rise you to a whole new level of success.
