So maybe you overheard someone talking about a killer new supplement they are taking, or maybe you once took Creatine and wonder what it even did for you. Well have no fear; here is a list of the best supplements to take if you are looking for a little extra advantage during your workouts. Now I’m not saying these supplements are the magic combination to get you ripped and jacked in no time. but taken the correct way and supplements can help you reach your goals quicker, bust out 2 more reps, and ultimately push yourself just a little harder than you normally can.

**Keep in mind** Most supplements are not approved by the FDA. Extensive research does goes into each supplement to determine the positive and negative side effects. Check with your doctor if you have any heart conditions or a history of illness before you start taking some supplements. Better safe than sorry!

6 Best Supplements 

1.Whey Protein

This supplement should be on top of every one’s fridge. If you are serious about wanting to build lean muscle and lose fat Whey is your friend. Protein is an important factor for lean muscle growth. Using a protein shake as a quick meal or snack can save you from making a bad choice at Whataburger.

Suggested Serving: 20g-30g

Some Whey proteins are packed with sugar which makes them tasty but adds extra carbs you don’t really need. Look for whey proteins that have less than 15g of carbs per serving.

Best Whey Protein Supplements:

1.  
   • Syntha-6
   • Optimum Nutrition Whey

2. Casein Protein

This supp is similar to whey except casein protein is digested slower. Use this mixed with a 1/2 serving of whey for a great protein shakes snack or meal replacement. Casein can be taken before you go to sleep that way you are still feeding your body while resting. Just b/c you are asleep doesn’t mean your body stops working. Taking in a bit of extra protein give your body something to consume and help repair your muscles resulting in better gains and faster recovery.

Suggested Serving: 25g-35g

Best Whey Protein Supplements:

1.  
   • Optimum Nutrition Casein

3. Creatine

Creatine is naturally made in the body and by supplementing more you increase the absorption of it. Creatine helps your body by allowing adequate water absorption and also increases the amount of energy our muscles have to use. Extensive research has been done on Creatine for years ultimately determining Creatine is a safe supplement to use. There are various different types of Creatine, from Creatine Phosphate, Creatine Monohydrate, to Creatine Ethyl Ester. Each is absorbed into the muscles in a different way. Through my own use I have found Ethyl Ester Creatine works the best. Since Creatine helps you muscles hold water often times people will feel like their muscles are “bloated”. I find the Ethyl Ester Creatine does not have the same “bloating” side effects yet still gives me a great pump. Most Creatine suggests a “loading phase”. This I feel is totally bogus, by taking the daily recommended amount you will build an adequate storage of Creatine for your muscles to use.

Suggested Serving: 3g-5g per day

Best Creatine Supplements:

1.  
   • Axis Labs Creatine Ethyl Ester
   • BSN Cell Mass

4. Glutamine

Glutamine is a naturally occurring amino acid in muscles. During hard workouts glutamine is released to aid in recovery and prevents catabolism. Catabolism is the muscle breaking itself down and using itself for energy. By supplementing glutamine there is more available for use to prevent muscle breakdown and aids in faster recovery. When starting glutamine start off with a small serving and slowly build your way up.

Suggested Serving: 3g-5g per day. Max 3 servings.

5. Multi Vitamin

A good multivitamin provides your body with any vitamins you may not be getting through a regular diet. Not getting the proper amount of daily vitamins can have a number of adverse affects, ranging from increased stress, low energy, inability to concentrate, poor immunity from disease and common viruses, and a number of other things. By taking a good multi vitamin you greatly enhance your health by allowing your body to use the vitamins it needs. When looking for a good multivitamin be sure to look for the most natural form of each vitamin possible. Also, a good multivitamin should have 100% of your daily needs of at least 10 vitamins.

6. Fish Oil

The benefits from fish oil could be an article all by themselves. By taking fish oil, or an omega-3 fatty acid you provide your body with a much needed healthy resource. Good fat. Healthy fats are necessary for your brain to function properly and also aid in hormone production. Your joints and lubricated and inflammation is less when you get the correct amount of omega-3 fatty acids. When looking for a fish oil make sure it contains more DHA than EPA fat. These are two types of fat your body uses. DHA can be converted to EPA but not vice versa. Make sure more than 25% comes from DHA. Here is a link to the best fish oil I’ve found. There are various other brands just make sure you are getting the purest form available.

There you go, 6 supplements you can add to a workout regime and a healthy diet. Keep in mind there is no magic supplement or pill, but by combining healthy eating habits with working out and by providing your body with the necessary things it needs you can increase your overall health and live a longer happier life.

Getting in shape has a ton of health benefits. You become stronger, have more endurance, boost your energy, increase your metabolism, tone your muscles, lose weight, and feel better overall just to name a few.

Sometimes though what we expect to happen doesn’t happen as quick as we like. Getting frustrated for not seeing the results you want immediately is a normal reaction. Keep in mind, the weight you are tyring to lose wasn’t put on over night so losing weight won’t happen in the blink of an eye. Now I’m not saying losing the weight you want is going to take years, but it does take time.

“I’m looking at the scale and I’m not losing a single pound.” Your weight on a scale is just one of the many measurements to judge your overall fitness level.

Instead of looking at the scale and using that as your only determining factor to getting in shape, look at some of the other key factors when it comes to assessing your overall health and fitness level.

Other Ways To Measure Your Fitness Level

• Take a picture, look at it compared to one you took before you started working out. Notice a difference?
• Gauge yourself on how many push-ups, sprints, or crunches you can do. Looking at the areas you’ve become stronger in helps you realize all your efforts are not just towards weight loss.
• Inches. How many inches from your waste, legs, arms, hips, or chest have you lost? Do you notice clothes fitting a little different. This is good, your body is changing, becoming more lean.
• More energy? Is it easier to chase the kids around the house?
• Less Stress? Working out releases endorphins into the blood stream which put you in a better mood!
• Body Fat %, muscle weighs more than fat, so adding lean muscle to your frame while removing fat won’t show on the scale. By checking your b/f % you’ll be able to calculate how much fat you’ve lost and muscle you’ve gained.
• Don’t even use a scale. Avoid the scale and only look at it once every 2 weeks, or even less than that. Just like water won’t boil when you are watching it you aren’t going to lose the weight by weighing yourself constantly.

MOST IMPORTANTLY – Stick to it. The hard work WILL pay off, no doubt about it. You’ll have your ups and downs so stay consistent with your deit and your workout and never hesitate to ask me any questions you may have.

Awesome, this sounds great and all Kevin but what are some reasons why I may not be losing “scale weight”?

Possible Reasons For Not Losing Weight

• Stress. Stress can be a huge determining factor in weight loss. Be it stress from work, stress at home, or pressure you may be putting on yourself to lose weight. When you are stressed your body releases cortisol into your blood stream which actually prevents weight loss.
• Diet. I may sounds like a broken record, but eating smaller meals more often is the best way to lose weight. If you are only eating 2-3 big meals a day your body stores calories from the meals you eat as fat instead of using them for energy.
• Not eating enough fat. Yeah, sounds crazy, but not consuming enough healthy fat can have adverse effects on weight loss. It’s best to eat foods that have the healthy fats you want such as nuts, fish, olives, olive oil, avocados. Look for unsaturated fat and ALWAYS avoid Trans Fat.
• Inconsistency with workouts and diet. So you may be busting your butt during the week but once Friday rolls around you lay on the couch and eat 2 bags of chips, a pizza, and a 12 pack of beer…well, I’m sad to say..but this is going to definitely have an adverse effect on your weight loss goals!

What is comes down to is hard work, dedication and consistency. Put in the hard work during your workouts. Stay dedicated to achieving your goals no matter how many obstacles you may come across, and stay consistent with your diet and workout regime. You do those 3 things and nothing stands in your way. Sure it may take a little time, but losing weight the right way is much more beneficial than doing a miracle fad diet.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email!

As much of a reward as it may be, I still like to get over the soreness as quick as possible, or at least make it where I can walk! So what are a few ways to relieve those tight legs, stiff arms, and sore back?

5 Tips To Help Sore Muscles

#1 – Drink lots of water. You want to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day. Water helps carry nutrients to your muscles and aids in flushing toxins out of the body.

#2 - Active Recovery. Stay active, keep moving, sure sitting on the couch may feel better, but by moving around you increase the blood flow to those sore muscles which helps you recover quicker. So go for a walk around the block to get the blood flowing in your legs!

#3 – Stretch. Stretching helps loosen those tight muscles and helps you increase your range of motion. Stretching is similar to active recovery and increases the blood flow to your muscles, providing nutrients aiding in recovery.

#4 – Eat More Protein. Make sure your postworkout meal has about 20g-30g of protein. Protein is the building block of muscles and helps you build lean muscle which is what we want!

#5 - Vitamin C and Fish Oil  – Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties and Fish Oil helps reduce free radicals in your body and reduce inflamation in your muscles, reducing soreness.

After that tought workout try a few of the above things, or try them all..they will speed your recovery and get you back in business for another killer workout!

In Calories, the Right Way To Count ‘em, a calculator is provided for you to download. It calculates how many calories a day you need and also give you a guidline for creating a diet based on how many grams of each macronutrient you need.

So now that you’ve learned why you eat and how much you eat, it’s time to learn what to eat! Grocery shopping can be a pain in the butt, especially if you are starting a new diet…but don’t think of this as just another diet you are starting..it’s a lifestyle change. The foods you’ll be buying won’t be pre packaged, full of sodium, loaded with excess carbs, and definelty won’t be bad for you!

So, what to buy at the grocery store. Here’s a simple list to stick to..and you can add of a few things as you learn what’s healty and what’s not!

Healthy Grocery List

Fresh Veggies:
Lettuce          Asparagus          Green Beans          Cauliflower
Potatoes       Zuchini                Spinach                    Brocolli
Carrots          Tomatoes           Peppers                   Celery
Onions           Squash                

Fresh Fruits:
Bananas        Apples                 Oranges                    Peaches
Berries          Nectarine           Grapefruit                Pears

Meats:
Lean Hamburger                    Pork Chops              Non Fried Fish
Steak                                            Turkey                      Lean Ham
Chicken                                      Shell Fish 

Grains and Cereal:
Whole Grain Bread               Whole Grain Pasta
Whole Grain Cereal              Oatmeal
Whole Grain Pita Bread      

Dairy:
Low Fat Milk            Low Fat Sour Cream         Low Fat Cream Cheese
Butter                         Yogurt                                    Cheddar Cheese                

Canned Foods:
Black Beans              Green Beans               Peas
Carrots                       Pinto Beans                

Frozen Foods:
Green Beans            Mixed Veggies          Peas
Carrots                      Corn                              Shrimp
Chicken Breast       Fish Fillets                  Blueberries  

Other Stuff:
Eggs                 Herbs and Spices          Olive Oil          Mustard
Honey            Low Fat Mayo                 Garlic               Almonds
Walnuts        Peanuts                              Peanut Butter
Flax Seed     Low Fat Dressings         Vinegar

I know it’s a long list but these are the best option for you in a grocery store. Keep in mind this list isn’t all inclusive.
Some good rules of thumb to go by:

• green is good
• fried is bad
• whole grain is good
• natural is better than artificial
• fresh is good
• avoid pre packaged frozen foods

So there you have it..if you have any questions shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thanks for reading!