We’re currently living in a day and age where seemingly everything is catered towards the lazy. You can now order items using your phones without even having to barely lift a finger. If you want food, you can cook entire meals in a microwave in less than 10 minutes, and if you want to lose weight and get in shape, companies claim that you can do so by strapping an electronic belt to your abdomen, and/or swallowing a so-called “weight loss miracle” supplement that they claim will help burn fat whilst you sleep. None of these examples are particularly healthy or beneficial and truthfully if you want results, you will have to earn them. If you are fed up of being unfit, unhealthy, and out of shape and wish to improve your physique, you will need to hit the gym and follow a healthy and balanced diet. More and more people are currently weight and resistance training and following bodybuilding based routines in order to build muscle and lose fat, and the results for many of them are very impressive. If you are looking to increase lean muscle mass, you simply cannot underestimate the importance of post-workout recovery and nutrition, which is why we’ll be looking at the ultimate recovery supplement stack right now.
First off, why is post-workout recovery so vital?
Many people seem to think that we build muscle in the gym by lifting weights, when in reality we’re doing quite the opposite. When we lift weights and push ourselves in the gym, we don’t build muscle at all, we actually destroy muscle. After an intense workout, (especially on leg day!) we often feel extremely sore and achy, this is known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS for short, and we ache because we have literally destroyed muscle tissue within our bodies. We build muscle when we rest and recover, especially when we sleep. The body re-builds the muscle fibres even bigger and stronger than they once were, in a bid to help protect the muscles. Think of a wall that gets blown down in strong winds. People re-build the wall, and to help protect it from getting blown over again, they re-build it even bigger and stronger. Well, the same principle applies to your body, but in order for it to do so, it needs the necessary nutrients, which is why post-workout supplementation is so important. The following three supplements are absolutely perfect for post-workout recovery, and here’s a little more info about why:
Creatine – Creatine is naturally generated within the body but in order for it to become effective for muscle growth and recovery purposes, it has to be consumed in supplement form. Creatine boosts energy supplies for the muscles, which makes them more efficient. This means you can exercise more in the gym, you’re stronger, and you can begin to recover much quicker, following each workout.
Glutamine – This non-essential amino acid has been found to be incredibly beneficial when it comes to post-workout recovery. The reason for this is that it helps to replenish energy supplies, it increases protein synthesis, which is a vital component of new muscle growth, and it prevents muscle wastage and break down.
BCAA’s – BCAA’s are essential amino acids which means we can’t produce them naturally. They consist of leucine, valine, and isoleucine and play key roles in the metabolism of fat, in protein synthesis, in muscle growth and repair, and in the production of muscle building hormones such as testosterone or growth hormone.
Combine the three supplements together, along with a good quality whey protein supplement and an effective diet and training program, and you have the key ingredients for maximum muscle building capabilities, guaranteed to yield extremely impressive results that become noticeable within a matter of weeks.
