Over the last week or two I’ve been asked more than a few times about what protein and pre-workout supplements I take.
So I figured I’d give an in depth look to everybody about what I take, what it does and why I take it.
Whey Protein
Brand – Gold Standard
Favorite Flavors – Mocha Cappuccino, Graham Cracker Cinnamon
Why I take it – Protein is key to building and maintaining lean mass while melting away fat. I aim to take in 1 gram per pound of body weight every day to maintain my current weight and body fat percentage. Whey protein is absorbed by the body quickly and is extremely effective post-workout to provide instant nourishment after a high intensity workout. It’s also a great option for those days where breakfast is hard to come by, time is short, or your stomach just isn’t quite ready for breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You need to eat something to prevent your body from eating your valuable
muscle after fasting through your sleep (hence break-fast. Break the fast!) If you don’t have time for a proper meal, a quick shake provides the hydration and shot of protein you need. However, I can’t stress this enough… make a point to have a proper meal for breakfast and make it a habit. The fuller you feel from the get-go, the more likely you’ll feel fuller longer and stay on
track throughout the day.
I like the brands Gold Standard and Iso-Pure because they’re no nonsense, clean proteins. I prefer to pair it with fruit on the side for a carb source and when adding mass (weight), chocolate milk.
Pre-Workout – ABB Speed Stack: N.O. Pumped
Favorite Flavors – Fruit Punch, Grape
Why I take it – No sugars. The true kick comes from a little caffeine and the key ingredient and amino acid, arginine. Arginine
dilates the blood vessels to get our blood pumping to the working muscles to supply them with maximum energy for maximum output. I’ve been taking this for a couple years and it’s my old faithful. Every now and then I’ll switch to C4 and try something a little different, but they all seem to lose their effect after using it for some time. Speed Stack: N.O. Pumped never fails me to this very day. If you don’t like Speed Stack, anything arginine and alanine based is a solid bet, provided it’s not loaded with filler content and sugars.
Intra-workout – BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids)
Brand – Scivation Xtend
Favorite Flavors – Lemon Lime, Grape, Green Apple (all flavors are pretty solid, but orange is only good if you like fake orange
taste.)
Why I take it – Aminos are the building blocks of protein. They’re also great within a workout because unlike protein, no digestion is required and they go straight to the muscles for replenishment and energy (not to be confused with an energy kick
you’d feel like arginine. It’s not like that). It’s also calorie free. So your next question is probably something like this: If
it’s calorie free, why don’t I just live off of this instead of protein shakes and other high protein foods? BCAAs are simply to keep your muscles replenished and to keep your body going to your carb and fat stores for energy and NOT your muscles.
You still need whole food protein for a timed release as well as a feeling of satiety to curb your appetite to avoid feeling super hungry, which often brings on bingeing. These aminos are also a great way to make water a little more interesting while
hydrating throughout the day. There are plenty of other good brands out there, but to me Scivation
offers the best in flavors. If you stray from Scivation, make sure it’s calorie free and has a short ingredient
list.
Pre and Post-Workout: L-Glutamine
Brand: Optimum Nutrition Flavorless Powder (to mix in shakes or other drinks) or GNC Glutamine Chews
Why I take it: Glutamine is an amino acid already produced by our bodies and also the most abundantly produced. But
while exerting ourselves in a workout, it’s also the most rapidly depleted. Glutamine does two things. It helps keep our muscles hydrated properly and it also supports our immune system. Without proper nutrition and depleted glutamine stores, our immune system becomes vulnerable, making this even more important for those with a low body fat percentage. What’s more is our muscles are about 75% water. If they’re not hydrated properly (drink that water all day every day!), their volume and functionality
will inevitably decrease.
So I figured I’d give an in depth look to everybody about what I take, what it does and why I take it.
Whey Protein
Brand – Gold Standard
Favorite Flavors – Mocha Cappuccino, Graham Cracker Cinnamon
Why I take it – Protein is key to building and maintaining lean mass while melting away fat. I aim to take in 1 gram per pound of body weight every day to maintain my current weight and body fat percentage. Whey protein is absorbed by the body quickly and is extremely effective post-workout to provide instant nourishment after a high intensity workout. It’s also a great option for those days where breakfast is hard to come by, time is short, or your stomach just isn’t quite ready for breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You need to eat something to prevent your body from eating your valuable
muscle after fasting through your sleep (hence break-fast. Break the fast!) If you don’t have time for a proper meal, a quick shake provides the hydration and shot of protein you need. However, I can’t stress this enough… make a point to have a proper meal for breakfast and make it a habit. The fuller you feel from the get-go, the more likely you’ll feel fuller longer and stay on
track throughout the day.
I like the brands Gold Standard and Iso-Pure because they’re no nonsense, clean proteins. I prefer to pair it with fruit on the side for a carb source and when adding mass (weight), chocolate milk.
Pre-Workout – ABB Speed Stack: N.O. Pumped
Favorite Flavors – Fruit Punch, Grape
Why I take it – No sugars. The true kick comes from a little caffeine and the key ingredient and amino acid, arginine. Arginine
dilates the blood vessels to get our blood pumping to the working muscles to supply them with maximum energy for maximum output. I’ve been taking this for a couple years and it’s my old faithful. Every now and then I’ll switch to C4 and try something a little different, but they all seem to lose their effect after using it for some time. Speed Stack: N.O. Pumped never fails me to this very day. If you don’t like Speed Stack, anything arginine and alanine based is a solid bet, provided it’s not loaded with filler content and sugars.
Intra-workout – BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids)
Brand – Scivation Xtend
Favorite Flavors – Lemon Lime, Grape, Green Apple (all flavors are pretty solid, but orange is only good if you like fake orange
taste.)
Why I take it – Aminos are the building blocks of protein. They’re also great within a workout because unlike protein, no digestion is required and they go straight to the muscles for replenishment and energy (not to be confused with an energy kick
you’d feel like arginine. It’s not like that). It’s also calorie free. So your next question is probably something like this: If
it’s calorie free, why don’t I just live off of this instead of protein shakes and other high protein foods? BCAAs are simply to keep your muscles replenished and to keep your body going to your carb and fat stores for energy and NOT your muscles.
You still need whole food protein for a timed release as well as a feeling of satiety to curb your appetite to avoid feeling super hungry, which often brings on bingeing. These aminos are also a great way to make water a little more interesting while
hydrating throughout the day. There are plenty of other good brands out there, but to me Scivation
offers the best in flavors. If you stray from Scivation, make sure it’s calorie free and has a short ingredient
list.
Pre and Post-Workout: L-Glutamine
Brand: Optimum Nutrition Flavorless Powder (to mix in shakes or other drinks) or GNC Glutamine Chews
Why I take it: Glutamine is an amino acid already produced by our bodies and also the most abundantly produced. But
while exerting ourselves in a workout, it’s also the most rapidly depleted. Glutamine does two things. It helps keep our muscles hydrated properly and it also supports our immune system. Without proper nutrition and depleted glutamine stores, our immune system becomes vulnerable, making this even more important for those with a low body fat percentage. What’s more is our muscles are about 75% water. If they’re not hydrated properly (drink that water all day every day!), their volume and functionality
will inevitably decrease.
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