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BEST BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS
Attaining a great body that’s lean, strong
and healthy is no easy task but is definitely achievable. Living a fit lifestyle is the key to achieving
your dream of having a lean physique.
When you are in control of your body you
are in control of your life. Living a
fit lifestyle will not only improve your physique but your mind and spirit as
well, enabling you to strive for bigger goals to create the life & body of
your dreams.
Having a fit body is a combination of genetics,
good nutrition and regular strength training and cardio. There is no question about it, if you want a
fabulous body then you have to live a fit lifestyle it faithfully!
There are no easy short cuts to achieving a learn physique; however, taking essential bodybuilding supplements will assist your efforts dramatically. Supplements are highly important to add to your arsenal of burning fat and building muscle. Using supplementation will assist in sculpting your body faster than going without.
I take supplements daily to keep me going
strong and aid in keeping my physique in top shape. There are tons of supplements to choose from but
only a few are a staple in most bodybuilder’s supplementation plan.
Below are the top supplements that can take you to the
next level if you are working out
regularly and eating clean. If you don’t train regularly and eat a clean diet
you will just be throwing money away buying supplements because you will not
see the benefits of using them.
In order to achieve your fitness goals you need to make
working out a top priority each morning. Working out 4 to 6 days a week is a
must in order to sculpt your physique.
Taking supplements daily will increase muscle growth and
fat loss which will make your time in the gym that much more rewarding.
TOP BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS
·
Amino Acids aka BCAA’s:
Amino Acids are essential to living a fit
lifestyle. BCAA’s also referred to as the Critical Five amino acids—L-Glutamine,
L-Arginine and BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine)—are most important
nutritional to take before, during and after exercise. They are the foundation of building lean
muscle mass.
Amino
Acids are the
building blocks of muscle protein, which builds and maintains lean muscle
tissue. Getting adequate amounts of
Amino Acids is difficult for those who exercise hard daily.
Intense exercise burns amino acids rapidly
in the body; failure to replenish the body with proper amino acids can cause
little to no progress, making living a fit life frustrating and unrewarding.
Amino acids are best used as free form
taken in powders and pill form. These
types of BCAA’s do not require digestion and go straight into the blood stream
for immediate use by muscle cells.
BCAA’s also provides 70% of the body's Nitrogen
requirement, which keep the body in an anabolic (muscle preserving) state.
·
L-Arginine:
L-Arginine is one
of my all-time my favorite bodybuilding supplement. When I began drinking Liv International’s GO Nitrimax
I had amazing muscle tone and fat loss without changing my diet or exercise
routine, I have to admit I was shocked at my results.
Go Nitrimax is
now a staple in my daily supplementation. Drinking BCAA’s during your workout is not only
energizing but it aids in muscle repair and maintains the body from going into
a catabolic state (muscle loss).
Many fitness
enthusiast, sports fanatics, and bodybuilders like to take 3 to 5 grams of
L-Arginine as part of a pre-workout supplement. During strength training there
is increased blood flow to the muscle. L-Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide (NO) which will
lead to quicker repair of muscles damaged during a heavy workout and speed up
muscle growth and fat loss.
Many
bodybuilders take it as a post-workout supplement as well, to further stimulate
blood flow and allow better delivery of nutrients to the muscles. Taking it
before bed also maximize HGH production while you sleep as well as aid in
muscle growth, so wake up feeling somewhat younger, stronger and healthier!
·
L-Glutamine:
L-Glutamine is
another must have supplement in your fitness, fat burning arsenal. L-Glutamine
supplementation can minimize breakdown of muscle, increase protein metabolism,
improve immunity and increase growth hormones, to name a few.
L-Glutamine also
aids in weight loss in addition to taking glutamine can improve your fitness
level, a sculpted physique and good health.
L-Glutamine has powerful benefits strengthening the immune system,
muscles, digestive tract, liver and brain functions. In fact, it is the single
most abundant amino acid in your body.
L-Glutamine that
is synthesized in the body or ingested from food might not be enough for
individuals who train frequently, endure chronic stress or have weakened immune
system, that’s where supplementation comes in, taking L-Glutamine directly
after exercise is best for optimal results.
·
Omega 3 Fatty
Acids:
Fish oil, Flaxseed and Omega 3 supplements
aren't just popular taking them regularly increases longevity, fat loss and
good health. Research has discovered that
increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids help maintain optimal health,
including fat loss, cardiovascular health, joint health, mood/cognitive health
and bone health.
Omega-3 fatty acids include alpha linolenic acid (ALA),
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids
are important because they serve as chemical building blocks for your
body production of prostaglandins which are biologically active compounds that
are involved in a host of functions from blood vessel dilation to hormone balance,
mental clarity and energy.
·
Protein:
Protein
is a powerful nutrient for transforming the body; it’s needed to recover the muscles
for the next workout. In an effort to
maintain and sculpt your body, have better health and more energy than
nutrition must be a high priority.
If
you are training hard, eating properly and using the right nutritional you will
reach your fitness goals. Whey protein
powder and complex carbs are the fuel needed to blast through intense workouts.
Protein intake is the most important
aspect of any fitness enthusiast’s diet. It is the very foundation of muscle
development.
Protein
shuttles into your muscles to get bigger gains. So, after every hard-training
exercise, make sure you consume a whey protein powder (Isolate is the best) of
the highest quality such as Whey Isolate, Hydrolysate and
concentrate.
·
Cal/Mag & Multi Vitamins
Taking a
Calcium/Magnesium supplement will also aid in weight loss along with taking a
daily Multi vitamin such as ALIVE for women.
Your body will require optimal nutrition when training hard. By adding
supplements into your daily fitness routine will enable you to have better
results faster.
Proper Nutrition
At any level of fitness it is important to
make sure you are eating correctly. If you
are training to sculpt your body then eating clean and taking supplements is essential.
It’s important to nourish the body with
adequate calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and micronutrients, so that
the muscle damage you’re causing during intense training can be repaired
quickly and with less lactic acid buildup creating soar, stiff muscles.
Timing is Everything
Getting adequate nutrients into your body
within 30 to 45 minutes directly after a tough training session is critical for
proper recovery and muscle growth.
If nothing is consumed after exercise, protein
balance is compromised in the body. Drinking whey protein shakes with a
carbohydrate such as eating a banana is quick meal that you can have on the way
home from the gym.
Be sure to have a carbohydrate after you
train. Increasing amino acids found in
protein along isn’t very anabolic (muscle building) without the aid of insulin;
therefore, carbohydrates is a must.
Carbohydrates drive the amino acids in the
protein and glucose from the blood into the muscle to stimulate protein
synthesis and glycogen into the worked muscles.
If you incorporate these supplements into
your diet daily you will soon reap the awesome health and physical benefits for
doing so. Living a fit life is just that
a lifestyle, it’s not a diet but a way to live.
Embrace living a fit lifestyle it’s an incredibly empowering way to live!
~Carol
Whitaker
Lifestyle Fitness Coach
Author of the forthcoming book
"Ridiculously Happy! The Secret to
Manifesting the Life & Body of Your Dreams"
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