The bodybuilding supplements used by professional athletes can also help average people increase muscle mass. But bodybuilding requires dedication to a strict routine both in and Sarms canada out of the gym.
Taking the right pre-workout supplement is just as important as eating healthy and staying hydrated. For the best results, a pre-workout should be taken about 30-60 minutes before your workout.
How to Choose the Right Supplements
When it comes to supplements, there are a lot of options out there. Fitness gurus often tout workout supplements as crucial for peak performance and explosive muscle growth, and their slick packaging and complicated scientific-sounding names might make you think they’re necessary to effectively exercise. But how do you choose the right supplements for the job?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand the purpose of each type of supplement. For example, a pre-workout supplement is designed to help you push harder during your workout, while post-workout supplements are intended to promote effective muscle recovery. Other dietary supplements can provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals that might be lacking in your diet.
Many people also use supplements as a sort of “insurance policy” to make sure they’re getting all the nutrients they need. But if you have a well-rounded diet that includes lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats, chances are you’ll be able to meet your nutritional needs without any supplements.
When choosing the right supplements, it’s also important to check the ingredients label and avoid any products with unrecognizable ingredients. Instead, look for high-quality supplements that are made in a GMP-certified facility and have gone through third-party supplement testing.
What to Look for in a Pre-Workout
A pre-workout is a supplement that you take before you hit the gym to help boost energy levels and exercise performance. They are typically a powder drink mix and work in different ways depending on the kind you buy. The type of pre-workout you choose will be dictated by what your goals are, whether that’s a big energy pump, better endurance, more focus or maximizing fat loss. Each brand will have their own formula blend that they use to make the product unique, so when looking at a pre-workout you need to read the ingredients list carefully.
Generally, you want to avoid any pre workout that has a proprietary blend on the label because this means that the company doesn’t disclose how much of each ingredient is in there. This can be a problem because it could mean that you’re getting too little of an ingredient that you need or that you’re getting too much of an ingredient that you don’t need.
When reading the ingredients list you will also want to look out for any fillers or unnecessary additives that can be bad for your health. These include soy lecithin, carrageenan, maltodextrin and refined sugars. You should also try to find a pre-workout that doesn’t contain a lot of potassium and magnesium as these are essential minerals that you can get from your diet.
One of the most important ingredients that you should be looking for in a good pre-workout is L-citrulline. This is an amino acid that our bodies can convert to arginine, which in turn produces nitric oxide. This helps to increase blood flow and create the “pump” you need when lifting weights.
Other helpful ingredients that you should be on the lookout for in a pre-workout are beta-alanine and creatine. Both of these are pH buffers that can help you push through your workout for longer and they can also aid in muscle building if you’re using them in combination with a protein shake. Creatine has been shown to have an effect on protein synthesis and you can usually find this in a pre-workout in doses of around 3 grams.
What to Look for in a Post-Workout
When your last rep is finished and you've hit the gym shower, it's time to refuel. After your workout, a post-workout supplement will help speed recovery and replenish the electrolytes you've used up during the sweat session (especially sodium and magnesium). Some of these supplements contain natural energy boosters such as tart cherry and branched chain amino acids. They can also have a blend of muscle repair ingredients including creatine, which is scientifically proven to reduce exercise-induced fatigue and increase the number of reps you can do before you become too sore to continue training.
A good post-workout should also have vitamin B12, which helps the body make red blood cells and get energy from food. It's important to get adequate amounts of this nutrient, which is usually available in fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and dairy products.
In addition to these essential nutrients, it's important to have protein after your workout, which helps build and repair the muscle fibers that were broken down during your workout. You should also consume carbohydrates, which can give your muscles the energy they need to recover. Finally, it's a good idea to have some healthy fats as well.
Some of the best post-workout supplements contain beta-alanine, which has been shown to reduce muscle acidity and increase the amount of work your muscles can do before they become too fatigued. This makes it easier to train harder and longer, which is especially important if you want to build muscle.
However, you should always be careful with long ingredient lists and avoid products that contain too much caffeine. While caffeine is a powerful performance enhancer, too much of it can cause jitters and other negative side effects. Lastly, it's important to consult with a nutritionist if you aren't sure which supplements are right for you or to find the right balance of ingredients that will work best together. The goal should be to achieve your fitness goals in a safe and effective way. Ultimately, the best way to reach those goals is through consistent, hard work at the gym and by following a sound nutritional plan.
What to Look for in a Recovery Supplement
You cannot build muscle without a proper recovery strategy. In order to maximize your results, you must have an effective plan for consuming the right nutrients after each workout. This includes rest, hydration, healthy nutrition, foam rolling and other stretching exercises, and supplementation with the right ingredients to aid in faster, more efficient recovery.
Carbohydrates are a crucial ingredient for inter-session recovery. They help to replenish glycogen levels and ensure protein synthesis rates are maximized after each workout. They also help to fuel your muscles and give you the energy you need to train harder during future workouts. When choosing a carbohydrate supplement, opt for one that is made with real whole food complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, yams, and oats rather than dextrose or maltodextrin (a genetically modified cornstarch). NG NUTRA’s Swolverine is a great option that contains a blend of these ingredients as well as beta-alanine, taurine, and L-Citrulline to promote protein synthesis.
Another essential ingredient to look for is a good quality protein powder. Ensure you choose a product that is either transparent or proprietary-blend free and tells you exactly how much of each ingredient you are getting. This is important as many pre and post-workout supplements contain a variety of different ingredients but only disclose a few key ingredients on the label.
Amino Acids are also essential for effective recovery. Branch chain amino acids are the best option as they promote protein synthesis and support muscle tissue repair and growth. The amino acid L-leucine is particularly important for muscle development as it can be found in large quantities in whey protein and has been shown to promote greater muscle protein synthesis than other amino acids.
Antioxidants can also be beneficial for recovery as they reduce the amount of oxidative stress caused by intense exercise. You can find a variety of antioxidants available as a supplement, including green tea extract, grape seed extract, and resveratrol.
Nitric oxide (NO) is another popular supplement but it’s important to know what you’re looking for before spending money on it. Many NO products make false promises of massive gains, a ‘cut’ appearance, and increased GH but there is very little scientific evidence to support these claims.