Soooo I get home from work yesterday and what do I find waiting for me???
Ok, so I went a little crazy with the workout supplements. 12lbs of protein powder might have been excessive. Trust me, it won’t go to waste. I decided to use these supplements after a lot of research into who uses them and why. My main goals: Lose Fat. Gain Muscle. Die Slower.
I highly recommend consulting a professional when taking any sort of supplement – or you can avoid the co pay and consult WebMD to make sure you won’t die. That’s logical, right?
So here are supplements that I may/may not take on any given day.
I highly recommend consulting a professional when taking any sort of supplement – or you can avoid the co pay and consult WebMD to make sure you won’t die. That’s logical, right?
So here are supplements that I may/may not take on any given day.
Every Day
Daily Multi-Vitamin – I find it really hard to eat a perfectly balanced diet. Yes, in an ideal world I’d have ¼ c of every veggie in every color of the rainbow every day – but that’s really really unlikely. So, I take a multi-vitamin. Can I tell the difference in my body when I don’t take it? No. But psychologically, I feel like it’s the right thing to do. Also I buy gummy vitamins sometime. It’s an excuse to eat a fruit snack. No judgment.
B-12 – Vegetarians are typically deficient in this vitamin, so I take it as a supplement to my diet. It’s a great natural source of energy too!
B-12 – Vegetarians are typically deficient in this vitamin, so I take it as a supplement to my diet. It’s a great natural source of energy too!
Workout Days
Protein Powder – Because I am a pescetarian (and most days, just vegetarian) I don’t get a ton of protein in my diet. I try – but it’s hard to consume enough protein to meet the daily “requirements” for a female of my age/size, especially when trying to gain muscle. Even eating a lot of legumes, nuts/seeds, leafy greens etc. It helps to get some extra protein in there. If you’re new to protein powder, let me introduce you to your new favorite ingredient. It’s great mixed with water –but I rarely drink it that way. My favorite thing to do with protein powder is mix it in with smoothie ingredients (Vanilla protein powder, banana, berries, peanut butter, kale). When I’m doing evening cardio, this is usually what I have for a meal 1-2 hours before my work out. It digests easily and has a great carb/protein/fat ratio. I also love making Protein Pancakes, Cookies, and Brownies – or you can just toss a scoop in your oatmeal in the morning.
What does it do? Aids in muscle building.
When do I take it? Always 30-60 minutes after any sort of weight lifting. Sometimes for breakfast in a smoothie/oatmeal – sometimes for pre-workout meal in a smoothie.
CoQ10 –
What does it do? Boost energy/ speed muscle recovery. Also known to be antioxidant-like (rids the body of free-radicals that could cause cancer).
When do I take it? Ideally, 30 min. before my workout.
7-Keto – Popularized by Dr.Oz supposedly - although I learned about it from reading a lot of blogs written by bikini competitors who were trying to lower their body fat %.
What does it do? Burns Fat by speeding up your metabolism without losing muscle.
When do I take it? First thing in the morning
BCAAs – Not gunna lie, I’m a newbie here - but I'm loving my BCAAs so far. I bought Amino X after high reccomendations. I think of it as my pre/post workout kool-aid.
What does it do? The “technical” description: as been shown to augment protein synthesis, improve intra-workout anabolism, prevent muscle breakdown and workout catabolism, enhance muscular endurance and improve glycogen replenishment. The understandable description: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
When do I take it? Whenever I remember – you can really take it any time during the day, but a great time is 30 minutes pre and post workout.
Glutamine – I’m new here too. Glutamine naturally occurs in your body as a building block of protein. As I understand it, supplementing with Glutamine will help you not lose muscle while you’re trying to cut fat.
What does it do? Aaaaaaand I copy/pasted this from bodybuilding.com: It plays key roles in protein metabolism, cell volumizing, and anti-catabolism. Glutamine also increases your ability to secrete Human Growth Hormone, which helps metabolize body fat and support new muscle growth. Glutamine's anti-catabolism ability prevents the breakdown of your muscles.
When do I take it? Before bed.
So there you have it. I officially sound like a meat head. Ironic - because I DON'T EAT MEAT << boom.
What does it do? Aids in muscle building.
When do I take it? Always 30-60 minutes after any sort of weight lifting. Sometimes for breakfast in a smoothie/oatmeal – sometimes for pre-workout meal in a smoothie.
CoQ10 –
What does it do? Boost energy/ speed muscle recovery. Also known to be antioxidant-like (rids the body of free-radicals that could cause cancer).
When do I take it? Ideally, 30 min. before my workout.
7-Keto – Popularized by Dr.Oz supposedly - although I learned about it from reading a lot of blogs written by bikini competitors who were trying to lower their body fat %.
What does it do? Burns Fat by speeding up your metabolism without losing muscle.
When do I take it? First thing in the morning
BCAAs – Not gunna lie, I’m a newbie here - but I'm loving my BCAAs so far. I bought Amino X after high reccomendations. I think of it as my pre/post workout kool-aid.
What does it do? The “technical” description: as been shown to augment protein synthesis, improve intra-workout anabolism, prevent muscle breakdown and workout catabolism, enhance muscular endurance and improve glycogen replenishment. The understandable description: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
When do I take it? Whenever I remember – you can really take it any time during the day, but a great time is 30 minutes pre and post workout.
Glutamine – I’m new here too. Glutamine naturally occurs in your body as a building block of protein. As I understand it, supplementing with Glutamine will help you not lose muscle while you’re trying to cut fat.
What does it do? Aaaaaaand I copy/pasted this from bodybuilding.com: It plays key roles in protein metabolism, cell volumizing, and anti-catabolism. Glutamine also increases your ability to secrete Human Growth Hormone, which helps metabolize body fat and support new muscle growth. Glutamine's anti-catabolism ability prevents the breakdown of your muscles.
When do I take it? Before bed.
So there you have it. I officially sound like a meat head. Ironic - because I DON'T EAT MEAT << boom.