My Top Five Work Out Essentials

Good morning! Yesterday was Valentine's Day, another excuse to eat more chocolate with a side of feelings. Today is a new day. Although I will probably do individual posts on the following items, I wanted to create a basic "top five" go-to supplements I use daily. Feel free to ask questions on any product. Like I mentioned in my first post, I am a GNC employee, so most of the products I list will be available at any local GNC, and some can be found elsewhere as well. These are just the products I have done the most research on, use personally, and trust.

1. MULTIVITAMIN!

• I can't accurately express the importance of taking a multi-vitamin regularly. It may seem fairly obvious to some people, but I am constantly surprised by the amount of people that do not take one regularly. My favorite was "No, but I drink a vitamin water daily." Most claim that they get enough nutrients from their diet alone, and that is just simply not true. Most foods bought today are so over processed they don't even begin to reach the recommended daily intake. The multi is especially important when active, because the body gets depleted of nutrients through sweat. 

2. CLA 

• There are a lot of natural supplements that come in and out of this industry, most recently through Dr. Oz. CLA is one I fully endorse. CLA stands for conjugated linoleic acid, something that is found in grass fed red meat. However, you'd have to chow down on some serious cow to get the quantity needed. In combination with diet and exercise, CLA promotes and helps maintain lean muscle mass. Stick with it, this is not a quick fix, CLA takes at least a month to start working. 

3.  PRE-WORKOUT

• The pre-workout is one that I have only recently started hanging with. Part of me still believes if you have the endurance and motivation already then why add the stimulants..... but then I tried it. Most pre-workouts contain a combination of b-vitamins, about as much caffeine as three cups of coffee, beta-alanine, and some (like c4) contain creatine nitrates. There are some disadvantages to this including irregular heart beat and skin irritation from the beta-alanine. However, they are great for endurance and maintaining your target heart rate. The ones in the photo are the pre-workouts I personally find work best through product reviews and being a guinea pig.

4. POST WORKOUT PROTEIN: 

• Like, the multi, I can't stress the importance of post work out protein enough. I'll break down the different types of protein in a future post, but the Amp Wheybolic Extreme is one I back hard. Protein is essential for recovery. A lot of females tend to steer away from it because of the extra calorie intake, but your body needs the protein for both recovery and muscle growth. It is important to pick the right brand. Stay away from Muscle Milk, you're better off eating a Snickers bar. I chose Wheybolic because it's low calorie (90 per scoop) and has both amino acids and leucine, as well as a fast absorption rate. If you don't like the taste with just water, cut with half skim or almond milk. Try to aim for 30 minutes after your work out.

5. L-Carnitine

• L-Carnitine is considered to be in the amino acid family, however unlike other amino acids it's primary function is to transport long-chain fatty acids to provide energy. So, it helps boost that metabolism and increases the use of fat as energy. A natural supplement that helps burn fat? Can't get much better than that. It also helps with recovery and reduces certain health risks associated with the heart. 

I'm warning you, this lifestyle isn't cheap. A good protein alone can run you anywhere from 40-75$, but remember, it's for your health. It's much easier to justify when you know you're doing good for yourself. The pair of shoes can wait another week.