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Making Your Pre-Workout Supplements Synergistic

One of the biggest challenges bodybuilders and other strength training athletes face is how to make their workouts more productive. Many times, this issue is not related to the actual training. Instead, it is centered on their nutritional and supplementation routine. While a large number of athletes will certainly agree that good pre workout nutrition is necessary, not many take the time to consider ways to make those supplements produce a synergistic effect.

What is Synergy?

supplement synergy for improved performance in the gymSynergy is a scientific concept that basically means combining two or more things in such a way that both become more effective than they would otherwise. In other words, two plus two is not four, it becomes five (or even six) when synergy is present.

In order to make your pre-workout supplements (and your workout itself) more effective, it is important to be eating a healthy diet. This means getting your carbs, proteins, and fats in the proper amounts and percentages. Being under-nourished is just as bad as eating too much.

Testosterone Boosters

One of the easiest ways to help you in your fitness goals is by taking a testosterone booster. This is a longer term solution, since these types of supplements are slow-acting and require consistent use. However, when the effects take place, it will be that much easier to gain muscle and even lose fat. Thus, they will help you to achieve your goals faster. You can buy testosterone supplements from this site.

Creatine Monohydrate Powder

Creatine is one of the most effective and thoroughly researched bodybuilding supplements on the planet. This supplement can be very effective at improving strength and for building additional muscle mass. When added to your routine, creatine monohydrate powder will help to make your workouts much more productive and effective.

Glutamine Supplement

The main effect of this amino acid is to help improve nitrogen balance, which is essential for synthesizing proteins and building muscle. Not only will glutamine have a synergistic effect on your pre-workout supplements, but it will also last long after the workout is over. It will also help to improve your recovery and healing time.

Citrulline Malate Powder

This supplement might be the best at inducing a synergistic effect. If your pre-workout supplements include something designed to help you maintain more energy and an enhanced focus, then this will multiply the effects. Not only will it serve to provide more energy, but it may also lead to more endurance. Citrulline malate enhances ATP production, delaying the onset of muscular fatigue.

If you are interested in being more effective in the gym and helping your pre-workout supplements to have an increased effect, then consider some of the above products. They are all backed by tons of research and the actual results of real users!

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Good Pre-Workout Supplements to Enhance Results in the Gym

preworkout520Most athletes or weight training individuals instinctively know that they should take a good pre-workout supplement. But beyond this necessity lies many different questions. For example, many people want to know what are the best supplements to take before a workout are. Other common questions are whether these supplements should be stacked and if it helps to cycle on and off, rotating different types of supplements into your routine. Weight training is something which requires a lot of effort and care in order to achieve your goals.

Planning Your Goals

The answers to anything relating to weight training should start with examining your goals. If you are training to gain size, this will demand a different supplement routine than someone who is looking to get “ripped” or cut.

Despite this, I think that most people would agree on basic ideas about what they are looking to get out of their workout. For example:

• To increase strength and power
• Improve endurance
• Decrease muscular breakdown during training
• Increase energy levels (to allow for more intense training)
• Increase protein synthesis
• Enhance metabolic rate (also improves fat burning)

Best Pre-Workout Supplements

For someone looking to simply to increase size and strength, there is nothing better than some Creatine Monohydrate and Taurine. Both of these are some of the most popular supplements on the market.

With the goal of improving muscle growth and eliminating muscular breakdown, there are some great options. Branched chain amino acids are excellent, since muscle tissue metabolizes them instead of the liver. This leads to a much quicker delivery (which also helps with endurance). Whey protein is also another interesting choice.

There are tons of products on the market that help to increase energy. Even something as simple as caffeine could work. One of the main benefits of Tyrosine supplement is it is a nice option for energy, since it is believed to be a precursor to dopamine and other key neurotransmitters.

As for endurance, the top two supplements are Beta Alanine and Citrulline Malate. These both can help to reduce fatigue and even increase ATP production.

Using These Pre-Workout Supplements

You could simply mix and match any of the supplements listed above. However, stacking is probably the best idea to get consistent results. One possible suggestion would be to pick an item from each category.

It is also very helpful to consider cycling your pre-workout supplements. For example, if you have been taking the same supplement regime for 2 months and start noticing your results stagnating, then take a short one- to two-week break from the supplementation regime. Or, consider switching out some of the supplements for others.

If you follow these tips, you can look forward to a long history of strength and muscle gains as well as improved results. Good luck!

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Using Agmatine as a Pre-workout Supplement

Man boobsAgmatine sulphate is an amino acid neurotransmitter; it is produced naturally in the human body by the breakdown of arginine. Agmatine inhibits the release of some peptide hormones which are a type of protein. Even though both arginine and Agmatine do many similar things, Agmatine supplement proves to be much more effective as it’s more powerful.

Even though the majority of the Agmatine supplement market consists of body builders and professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts and average people who want to lead a healthy life style as they become older can also gain from this supplement.

The Many Benefits of Agmatine Supplementation

  • Better nutrition partitioning, this will lead to more muscle glycogen. (This means that more of your calories are moved to muscle tissue rather than fat cells.)
  • Greater production of growth hormones.
  • Improved insulin response. (Agmatine triggers an increase in bodily insulin production.)
  • Enhanced muscle pumps. (You will notice this take effect almost instantly. It has been reported that pumps will last up to a whole day)
  • Stimulation of LH & GH Levels. (The stimulation of the LH & GH will lead to a healthier life style as we age.)
  • Better mood, as well as sleep and potentially sleeping habits.
  • Nootropic effect. (Has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant properties.)
  • Enhanced endurance in some athletes.
  • May also in some cases lead to weight loss.
  • Stress reduction, and in some cases it acts as a slight anti-depressant.

Agmatine promotes the release of insulin and increases the uptake of calcium in pancreatic cells. This supports healthy insulin levels. Besides the release of insulin Agmatine also releases catecholamines, which directly correlate to stress reduction.

You can also use Agmatine supplement daily, instead of strictly as a “Pre-Workout” supplement, as this will increase the intensity of the effects. Even though these benefits can be achieved by only using them on your workout days, taking the Agmatine daily with speed up the process. Agmatine sells in powdered form and the price varies by the reseller or the manufacturer. Its shelf life, if sealed and stored properly, is 2 years since the manufactured date.  The powder has a very strong smell to it (comes from the sulfate), but most people do not notice any taste when thoroughly mixed with 4oz of water. Those people who may notice a slight taste have reported it to be negligible.

Source:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jrod17.htm

https://www.primaforce.com/products/agmatine.htm

https://www.mrsupplement.com.au/agmatine

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Why Non Lifters Can Benefit from Pre-Workout Supplements

Pre-workout supplements are most known for being used by bodybuilders and gym enthusiasts. This however does not mean that this is all pre-workout supplements can be used for. You don’t have to be a regular gym-goer to benefit from the positive effects of pre-workout supplements.

There are all sorts of great supplements that can be used to enhance performance of all types of athletes. Basketball, football, volleyball players, runners, gymnasts and others can benefit from pre-workout supplements, even if they do not plan to hit the gym and lift weights.  Besides athletes, every day people can also benefit from these supplements.

Below you can see a short list that will emphasize and outline how some of the most popular pre-workout supplements can benefit athletes, and regular consumers alike.

Magnesium Creatine Chelate:

You don’t have to go to the gym to feel the effects of this supplement. This however will be more beneficial to athletes rather than average people. Magnesium Creatine Chelate will increase energy and stamina for endurance sports that include running, swimming and many team sports.  Also when participating in highly demanding physical activities, Creatine will help decrease muscle fatigue, thus helping you feel better next morning.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is another supplement that most people have heard off. It is one of the most researched, and safest commercially available supplements. Whey protein can be used by both athletes and just average, everyday people. Whey can repair previously damaged muscle tissue, and even out blood sugar levels. Besides fixing small problems your body might be having, whey also increases the feeling of fullness. By feeling fuller than you actually are, you can cut down on your meal size without feeling hungry. This may eventually lead to weight loss in some consumers.

Glutamine Supplement

L-glutamine is one of the 20 amino acids encoded in the genetic code. The majority of your body’s glutamine is produced in the muscle mass. L-glutamine helps decrease muscle break down, and increase muscle recovery time. Besides helping you keep your muscle in tip-top shape, glutamine benefits the immune system, protein synthesis, as well as nitrogen retention; making it a perfect natural supplement for everyone, including your average person. You can buy glutamine online in bulk.

Vitamin C Supplements

Everyone reading this has definitely heard about the importance of Vitamin C, so I will not go too in depth on it. There are all sorts of supplements that include large concentrations of Vitamin C. Such supplements are used to repair tissue cells, help relieve stress from compromised immune systems. Vitamin C also has some cosmetic benefits, certain supplements will help make your skin look healthier.

Beta Ecdysterone

Beta Ecdysterone is found more than 150 plants. It is extracted from herbs like Cyanotis vaga and Leuzeae.  The Beta-Ecdysterone supplements works by increasing nitrogen retention as well as protein synthesis. Ecdysterone helps with weight loss, improves your nerve function, and lovers you LDL cholesterol.

Above are only some of the more popular supplements that are mostly directed at as “pre-workout” for body-builders and gym-goers, however and average person can also benefit from these supplements. Remember that this article only covers a few, there are a ton more that will help you stay in shape and maintain your body healthy.

Sources:

https://circlepad.com/Hooptrition/Non_Weightlifters_Guide_to_Supplementation
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ctgblue2.htm

https://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-choose-the-best-anabolic-supplements.htm

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Testosterone Boosters and Pre-Workout Supplements

Many weight lifters, bodybuilders and other athletes (and even just curious “regular” guys) have said that they are interested in learning more about the relationship between testosterone boosters and pre-workout supplements. Of course, most people do understand that these are two different categories and areas of supplements, with different purposes. But many people often wonder if they can be taken together.

Testosterone Boosters:

lift more with testosterone boosters
Stuggling to use the same weights as you normally do? Losing your gains? You may need to invest in a testosterone booster.

But why would someone turn to a testosterone booster in the first place? Many men choose to take testosterone boosters for a number of purposes. Some want to promote lean muscle growth, others want to support their hormone levels. Plus, many testosterone boosters come with the added bonus of being libido enhancers.

There are also numerous negative side effects of decreased testosterone levels in men. For instance, it’ very hard to gain muscle mass and strength declines dramatically. Along with decreased strength is low energy levels.

So who is at risk for decreased testosterone? Assuming you are a healthy man and have no medical issues to take into account, your environment is the number one factor that can throw off your testosterone. Do you have a sedentary job? Eat a lot of processed food? Sitting all day and filling your body with junk can play a big role in low testosterone levels.

If you are noticing a dip in your performance in the gym and your body composition, you may want to look into taking a testosterone enhancer like D-Aspartic Acid supplement. If you are looking for a boost in your bedroom perfomance, you may want to consider longjack. This supplement will give you a kick in the gym, but Longjack powder is well documented for its libido enhancing prowess as well.

Bear in mind, testosterone boosters are not an overnight solution and are meant to be taken on a consistent basis. That being said, individuals taking testosterone boosters should also cycle off from time to time to give their body a break.

Pre-Workout Supplements:

The idea behind pre-workout supplements is to give your system an initial jolt. An increased energy level is the primary goal and as such almost every pre workout blend contains caffeine. If you are looking to avoid caffeine, check out my suggestions for caffeine alternatives here.

More advanced supplements also may include ingredients like Creatine powder to help improve your muscle “pumps” as well as your energy level. Creatine is an extremely popular pre workout supplement for this reason. It boosts ATP production to deliver energy to your muscles quickly without caffeine jitters.

Creatine monohydrate is the oldest and most well known creatine variant on the market, but newer versions are gaining more attention. Creatine HCL supplement is one such variant that promises the same results as monohydrate, but with a significantly smaller dosage.

All pre-workout supplements are fast acting. This is why they are taken 30 minutes or so before your workout. It is also why they need to be taken before every workout, since the effects wear off very quickly. Most users mix their pre workout supplements into a drink or shake.

Testosterone + Pre workout Supplement Benefits

The good news is that it is absolutely beneficial to take both of these types of supplements. Since they each have different ingredients, they do not interact with each other negatively. In fact, they may even have a synergistic effect, helping each other to be even more effective!

The obvious connection between the two is to improve your fitness levels. Pre workout supplements are taken as a quick solution to boost energy as well as improve short-term muscle strength and recovery. This allows you to do more work for longer without demolishing your muscles beyond repair.

Testosterone boosters are a long-term solution. Pre workout supplements will give you quick energy, but if your testosterone levels are flagging, you may notice yourself needing more and more pre workout to do the same routines. With testosterone boosters you can slowly bring your testosterone levels back up to where they should be to get the most out of your pre workout supplement.

The best way to combine both of these would be to stagger the doses. The best idea might be to start off your day with the testosterone booster(s). Then, have your pre-workout supplements immediately before heading off to the gym. If you do this right, you will be hyped up enough to have an incredible workout and then, over the long term, your natural testosterone levels will increase. This will help to enhance and speed up your goal of gaining lean muscle mass and improving your body composition.

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Pre-Workout Versus Post-Workout Supplementation

Many weight training athletes have questions about their pre and post workout supplementation programs should accomplish. In fact, many athletes simply do not have a solid understand of supplementation, or are confused about the purpose of each phase. Make no mistake, a large portion of your success as a weight trainer will be determined by your diet, nutrition and supplementation programs.

Pre-Workout Supplementation:

Many people suffer from the misconception that your pre-workout supplementation routine should consist of muscle building nutrients and products. Actually, the whole idea of everything that you do before hitting the gym is to ensure that you have the proper fuel and energy level in order to have a successful workout.

In order for this to happen, you must be eating a healthy and well-balanced diet. There should be a meal anywhere from one to three hours before your workout. It should have a good mix between carbohydrate, protein and even a small amount of fat.

Fifteen to thirty minutes before hitting the gym, you want to be taking your supplements. Once again, remember that the purpose here is to give you the energy needed for an intense training session. Even something as simple as caffeine can be good for this, depending on your body chemistry. Alpha Lipoic Acid, Citrulline Malate, Creatine Monohydrate and Taurine are all excellent choices.

Post-Workout Supplementation:

The premise behind post-workout supplementation is that training is hard work! Afterwards, your body is likely depleted of some key nutritional factors, including protein, glycogen, amino acids and other important vitamins and minerals. These must be replenished asap!

There is also an interesting phenomenon that occur post workout. This is an increase potential for nutrient uptake that follows for about an hour or so after your workout. This means that anything you consume will have an enhanced effect and may even be absorbed faster.

After your workout is finished, there are certain supplements that you should take as soon as possible. The first of these is a good whey protein powder, mix or shake. This is the absolute fastest digestion protein source. While you are making your shake, why not add in 5 grams or so of Creatine supplement and glutamine supplement to enhance the healing and recovery process? Also consider adding in some dextrose and waxy maize starch (fast-digesting carbohydrates).

As a final thought, you can even consume some branched chain amino acids during your post-workout supplement routine. In fact, taking these during your workout is a great idea as well, since they are so fast acting. Find out more about pre- and post-workout supplementation.

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Cissus Quadrangularis Extract Saved My Shoulders

My whole life, my shoulders have been the weakest link in my body. There’s a lot of shoulder activation in baseball and dodgeball and these are the two sports I did when I was younger and failed miserably at. No doubt some of it was due to my athletic incompetence and lack of coordination, but part of it was due to my weak body. When I started exercising, shoulder exercises in the gym often scared me because it wasn’t uncommon for me to mess up my shoulders via dislocation or joint pain. It was because of this that my shoulders lacked the attention they deserved and I avoided the free-weight section of my gym because of this.

To be fair, my shoulders are genetically weak. Both my father and my father’s mother have gotten shoulder surgery on both shoulders at some point in their lives. When I was younger, my father was playing with me and my sister in a parking lot while we waited for my mother, and he slipped on a small patch of ice and needed shoulder surgery and has permanent shoulder pain. This is one of my primary motivators: I don’t want to be fragile and weak as I progress into old age.

Cissus Quadrangularis Supplementation Saved My Joints

I’ve finally started focusing more on my shoulders, progressing slowly but surely. To aid with the joint pain, I started taking fish oil and curcumin (acting as an anti-inflammatory agent), but then I found out about Cissus Quadrangularis Extract. I asked my friend about it, showed him a few studies about how much potential it could have, and he revealed to me that he had an unopened bottle of it, which he then gave to me.

Ever since I’ve started taking it regularly, my joints have been amazing. I used to be tall and frail, but now I don’t need to worry. There’s no pain my shoulders, knees, elbows, or anywhere else I may have felt discomfort before. I’ve been able to venture back to the dumbbell section of the gym and have seen great progress in shoulder mobility and strength. To me, shoulders are one of the most important body parts but are also extremely complicated joints. I’m glad that I’ve finally been blessed with a tool that will allow me to strengthen these links.

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D-Aspartic Acid Review

Awhile back, I was trying to find a healthy way to increase my performance in the gym. I’ve been exercising on almost a daily basis for 3 years, and wanted to push myself to the next level. I learned about this stuff called D-Aspartic Acid (people usually just write DAA for short), and decided to try some.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take it for long because it caused breakouts like none other, but while I was on it, I felt good and felt strong. Some people may say that DAA supplement doesn’t actually boost testosterone, but it does. There are studies (well, one to be exact) that show it boosts testosterone up to 40%. This may sound amazing, but it’s important to step back and look at the overall picture.

A 40% boost in testosterone doesn’t mean you will be 40% stronger/faster/bigger. In fact, 40% is a very small number compared to what bodybuilders inject – so don’t expect to become The Hulk on DAA supplements. Also, testosterone levels fluctuate widely, even within a single day. It would be normal for a person’s testosterone to increase/decrease by 40% within a day. There are even various studies that show how people are able to boost testosterone more than 40% just by sexual abstinence.

Always Consult a Doctor Before Supplementing with Testosterone Boosters

It’s also important to consult a doctor before messing around with your natural testosterone levels. If, for some reason, you feel like you might be naturally low on testosterone, then a simple blood test will provide you with the information you seek. Also, if you are naturally low on testosterone, then a doctor can prescribe you something much more effective than DAA.

I ended up giving the rest of my DAA powder to my cousin, who said he loved the effects from it. He said he had a better overall feeling subjectively and also felt stronger at the gym. Unfortunately he also stopped taking it because of some cystic breakouts (we’re both naturally prone).

DAA  supplement could be a great tool for someone looking for a boost in the gym, but just educate yourself and start at low doses before you indulge yourself in testosterone.

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Importance of Pre-Workout Nutrition and Supplementation

The importance of nutrition isn’t foreign to anyone in the health and fitness community. You, like many athletes, surely know the right meals and supplements are essential to maximizing strength and power.  Lack of proper supplement timing, however, may be holding you back from your goals. For a long time there was an understanding that the most important time to take supplements was post-workout. There is now a new school of thought that says taking supplements before you work can be even more effective.

Why Pre-Workout Supplements?

Priming your body and your muscles properly is akin to making sure your car has enough gas in it before a long car trip. Pre-workout supplements can help you in multiple ways by fueling you with the nutrients you need at the very moment you need them, not just after you’re depleted.

Benefits of good pre-workout supplements include[1]:

  • More strength and performance. Lift more weight, work out for a longer period of time and reduce muscle fatigue.
  • Improved energy and reaction time. Do you work out early in the morning or after a long day’s work? You probably need an energy boost to perform at your best.
  • Better focus. Give yourself a mental edge for overcoming barriers. Having a focused, determined attitude is essential to success in the gym. Focus on your plan and execute.
  • Increased protein synthesis. Build muscle more efficiently and recover faster by getting nutrients to muscles immediately.
  • Improved fat burning. Get full advantage of your workout and maximize your body composition.

As you can see, these are very wide in scope so they can benefit athletes at any level. It’s not just anecdotal evidence either – clinical studies have shown that the proper pre-workout supplements can provide significant results. In one study, subjects performed 50% more bench press repetitions and had a 40% reduction in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) when they used citrulline malate powder pre-workout[2].

What to supplement with?

There are a wide variety of pre-workout supplements available, so it’s essential to do research and read up on some of the options to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time in the gym and getting the right supplements to meet your goals. Below are some options and good places to start with pre-workout supplements:

Strength and performance: Citrulline Malate powder, Creatine supplement (or the faster absorbed derivative, creatine ethyl ester), Beta Alanine supplement, L-Arginine supplement, Beta-Ecdysterone supplements

Energy and focus: Caffeine supplements, DS Craze pre workout supplement, C-vitamins

Increased protein synthesis: Whey Protein, Branched Chain Amino Acids

Improved fat burning: Caffeine supplements

Keep in mind that with certain supplements you may want to stagger the dosage. For example, users should take arginine powder should be taken about an hour before exercise, but branched chain amino acids are digested quickly, so those should be consumed just before your workout.

Now that you know the benefits of  pre-workout nutrition and what to use, go pick up some new pre-workout supplements to add to your routine and see your gains skyrocket!

Sources

[1] https://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/9/1/28

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386132

 

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Vitamin C as an Effective Pre-Workout Supplement

Wherever health and nutrition tips are given out, whether in elementary schools or doctor’s offices, vitamin C is a recurring topic. When winter comes around and noses start to drip, the push for vitamin C gets even stronger. “Eat your oranges and take your vitamins,” they say “because vitamin C is great for your immune system and can keep you healthy.” Then over the past decade or so, as discussion of antioxidants became more popular, vitamin C was discussed as a tool to combat free radicals in the body. The beauty of naturally abundant vitamins like vitamin C supplements is that they perform many amazing functions within the human body. What many people don’t know (and what they don’t tell you in school) is that using vitamin C supplements as part of your pre-workout nutrition can help you get bigger, stronger and recover faster by preventing damage from free radicals, reducing cortisol and reducing post-workout soreness.

Vitamin C as an Antioxidant

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C are the first step in helping you recover. When exercising, there is an increase in oxidative stress put on the body and muscles, especially in intense exercise. This results in an increase in free radicals, which can damage cells and ultimately lead to some very undesirable conditions within the body[1]. Since vitamin C is a natural antioxidant, it helps mitigate the damage of the free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. The absence of free radicals in the body will provide a more optimal environment for post-workout recovery.

Vitamin C and Cortisol Reduction

An equally significant benefit of supplementing with Vitamin C is reducing cortisol levels. Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone and is elevated during exercise. While cortisol is an essential hormone that performs many important functions in the body, it can also reverse a lot of the work done during intense exercise. High and prolonged levels of cortisol in the body can cause muscle tissue loss, increased abdominal fat, decreased bone density and higher blood pressure. [2] And in regards to muscle gain in general, cortisol is catabolic, meaning instead of building muscle, cortisol destroys muscle. Studies have shown that supplementing with vitamin C can reduce cortisol post-workout cortisol levels and help clear cortisol from the body faster[3]. So adding cortisol to your nutrition routine can help shift hormones into a more optimal state more quickly and improve your recovery time. Vitamin C has also been shown to reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)[3]. Learn more about the benefits of Vitamin C from these guys.

Timing and Vitamin C Dosage

There is evidence that taking vitamin C multiple times throughout the day can be beneficial as well, but if you are committed to taking it once, make it pre-workout. This will give your body time to process the vitamin and have it ready to go when you need it the most. Dosages in studies range from 200mg to 1000mg, but experienced coaches recommend the higher end of that for maximum benefit, and even more if you smoke or are pregnant.

Sources

[1] https://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/antiox.html

[2] https://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm

[3] https://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1562/Tip-435-Take-Vitamin-C-Post-Workout-To-Lower-Cortisol-Recover-Faster.aspx