Something i want to accomplish with this blog is to show and explain the no bull shit ways and methods to reaching your fitness/strength goals. One thing in this industry that is overhyped like crazy is supplements. I remember when i first started my fitness journey i knew nothing about what was legit and what was just scams. The supplement company's sadly drained my wallet many times because i thought they were needed and i fell into all the overhyped crap. Thank goodness to sites like Examine.com you can now do a lot of research yourself and see what actually works and has science backing it up. Today we are going to be diving into the most researched supplement out in the market and this one actually is not crap and it actually has many studies backing up its positives effects, plus its super cheap! that ingredients is Caffeine. Today we are going to discuss 4 proven by science methods to increase the effects of caffeine and maximize your training performance.
The Full Abstract can be found and read here
It's The Number One Researched Ingredient
Caffeine is the leader in the amount of studies done on any one supplement. Thats for a good reason as well. We all love our morning coffee and many of us can't even get by without it. Caffeine is the main reason behind that. Most Supplement company's out there are way overhyped tho even if they have a pre workout with lots of caffeine. Caffeine is super cheap, along with creatine it is the cheapest supplement to purchase by mg. Many supplement company's will put a lot of caffeine in a pre workout since its cheap and then they will only supply minimal dosages of other ingredients that in their minimal doses actually provide you no benefit. Your pretty much paying for way over priced caffeine. Now their are a few good supplement company's out there like Layne Norton's Carbon that actually used scientific proper dosing but sadly not very many people know about it because its not being hyped up like a lot of other crap out in the market and weird slogans being whispered trying to make it sound like this new ground breaking thing. (Yes that was a blow on a recent supplement company thats been overhyping the shit out of things)
You Doing Your Own Research Will Save You A Ton Of Time and Money
I used to fall into all the over hyped crap in the market. Seriously if it said anything like "take one a day for 30 days and you will double your muscle mass" or "formulation so powerful you will grow out of your shirts in 30 days". I would end up buying it. I was so gullible in the beginning of my journey and i lost a lot of money because of it. It was not until i started reading a ton of research and sites like Examine that i started to finally understand what works and stuff that i actually recommend like i had discussed in my Quick Start Guide. One positive about losing so much money in the beginning to these gimmick company's is that i learned a lot about this particular market and now i can pay it forward and hopefully help as many young lifters out there actually start out right and only buy what has science backing it up. But enough about these gimmick companies. Caffeine is actually a very powerful supplement worth the little price tag, let me explain how to get the most out of it and reap its benefits in your training.
4 Methods To Increase The Effects of Caffeine
1. Occasionally Eliminate It or At Least Reduce It
You might be thinking WHA WHA WHAT! "Shawn you just explained why its so great, now you say to eliminate it?"
Stick with me here and let me explain. While caffeine is a very effective supplement it also can lose it's effects over time with to much use and to often. Caffeine is one of those things that you have to take more of the longer you take it to get the same effects you originally did. For example remember back to a time you tried a new pre workout and for the first couple weeks it worked amazing and your workouts were off the chart. A month later though you started to notice you had to have even bigger scoops of the pre workout to get that same effect. Thats due to your personal caffeine tolerance level. This is why many people recommend cycling supplements with caffeine. So when you start to loose this tolerance you need to take a step back and get off it for a while. For me i have my morning coffee daily because i would die without it but then the rest of the day my caffeine level is all determined by if I'm training that day and what my training consists of. For example my typical week of caffeine use looks like this while currently in a powerlifting style of training (Layne Norton's PH3)
Monday - Squat, Bench, Deadlift (light day) = Carbon Prep, 1 Monster Energy (160mg of caffeine)
Tuesday - Upper Hypertrophy = Carbon Prep, 1/2 scoop of De Novo Utopian (100mg of caffeine)
Wednesday - Squat, Bench, Lower Accessory (medium day) = Carbon Prep, 1 Monster Energy (160mg of caffeine)
Thursday - Rest day
Friday - Deadlift, Bench Upper Hypertrophy = Carbon Prep, 1 Monster Energy (160mg of caffeine)
Saturday - Squat, Lower, Upper Hypertrophy = Carbon Prep, 1 Monster Energy (160mg of caffeine)
AMRAP days and Test Days i occasionally use De Novo Nutrition Utopian as well (additional 200mg of caffeine)
So as you see surprisingly for me i don't train with that much caffeine at all. Carbon Prep has really none beside trace from coca extract. and a Monster energy only contains 160mg per can. and occasionally when i need it i add utopian with is 200mg so at the most i train with would be 360mg and thats only for the hardest days which is at most 2-4 days a month. For me i found that i like training with not a lot of caffeine as i can lift in more of a calm state which i recommend for a lot of reasons that we will further discuss in a different blog. The main thing i want to get across here is don't take the same amount of caffeine every day, base it around your training and what you actually need this will maximize the effects of caffeine for when you really need it.
For when it comes to powerlifting this is a trick i use in the week prior to testing my maxes.
For a week out i only use my morning coffee and then the rest of the day is no caffiene then on test day i take my full power dose (360mg) and i feel like i can fly and lift anything. for instance;
1 week out
Monday - carbon prep
Tuesday - carbon prep
Wednesday - carbon prep
Thursday - rest day
Friday - rest day or minimal hypertrophy day
Saturday- test day carbon prep, monster, and utopian (POWER HOUSE 360mg of caffeine) SUPER FOCUSED= MAXIMAL STRENGTH AND NEW PRS! (Thats how i achieved my new Squat PR this last cycle!)
Just like for nutrition how you don't always need the same amount of fuel to power though a training session the same goes for caffeine.
2. Clinically Dose It
The second big thing to remember when using caffeine for performance reasons is to make sure when you do want the best performance as possible to make sure and actually dose it properly. While it depends on the study you read to determine the amount best for your needs typically speaking when it comes to overall fitness performance like strength training you wan to shoot from anywhere from 200mg to 400mg depending on how much you weigh and depending on how hard the training day is. anything more than 400mg can start to cause too much jitters and you actually find it will be harder to focus during your sets. Experiment a little to see what works for you but for example I'm 150lbs and i mainly just take 160mg most days and that usually is plenty. You want to find an amount that you can feel but you don't want so much that you can't focus. Also taking to much will result in nervousness you can't control which is exactly the opposite effect you want on heavy squats.
3. Pair It With Cognitive Enhancers
Otherwise known as Nootropics these are supplements to take to improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation. Carbon Prep uses a ton of these as does Utopian and thats why i love taking those and thats also one of the reason Carbon Prep has no caffeine. With that said tho when you combine Nootropics and caffeine thats when the magic will happen. My favorite Nootropics to train with are;
ALPHA-GLYCEROLPHOSPHORYL CHOLINE
RHODIOLA ROSEAEXTRACT
HUPERZINE A
COFNIZIN CITICOLINE
MUCUNA PRURIENS
Guess what? they are all included in a combination of Carbon Prep and De Novo Utopian :D
another bonus? you never need to cycle cognitive enhancers as they do not lose their effect over time.
ALSO I GET PAID NOTHING TO TELL YOU ABOUT CARBON AND UTOPIAN I JUST REALLY LIKE THEM AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM :D
While Caffeine is great along parring it with some Nootropics will take things to the next level and not only increase overall stamina and energy but your focus will also be magnified as well. Another cool thing about Nootropics? You don't have to cycle them as they do not lose there effect overtime. Thats why Carbon Prep can be take year round and you always get the same effects from the same dosage. Nootropics are perfect for when you need something but don't want to take caffeine. Specially for when you have a test day or meet that you want to build your caffeine tolerance back up for.
4. Take It On A Close To Empty Stomach
You ever notice if you train fasted in the morning and take your pre workout on an empty stomach how much more strong the pre workout will hit you? Thats because taking caffeine on an empty stomach allows your body to get hit with a dosage of caffeine while your body is not breaking down any food so it has its main attention is on the caffeine absorption. Now me personally when i used to train fasted in the morning i would get a ton out of taking it on an empty stomach So much that sometimes it would just hit too hard. Now im not telling you to take caffiene on an empty stomach if you don't prefer to train fasted. (i don't) Im just explaining that it can hit a lot harder in a fasted state. Why is this important you ask? Knowing this you can still reap the benefits of that by having food in your stomach as well. It all comes down to when you eat your last meal before you train. For me i found if i eat a large meal 2-3 hours pre workout then i take my pre workout about an hour out from training i have found that even tho im not fasted i still get a stronger effect than if i would have had a small pre workout meal before training. It all comes down to a personal preference and what you personally like but i recommend at least trying different methods to see how your body responds. Training fasted is fine if thats what your prefer but i always found to be a lot more stronger with a meal. So try this method out if you like to train with food but also want some of the benefits of taking caffeine on a more empty stomach.
5. BONUS TIP Actually Allow Enough Time For It To Kick In
The last thing i want to talk about is the TIME it takes for your pre workout or caffeine to actually kick in. Way to often i see people drinking there pre workout while warming up on their first exercise. You want to have that pre workout be in your system 45 min to an hour before you even start your training. "But Shawn If i take it too early then i lose the effects of it!" If you take your pre workout and you stop feeling it 30 min after it kicks in you need to look at what your using and actually switch to something that is clinically dosed like Carbon. Listen to this. I take carbon at 5pm and i will still feel those effects all night till i go to bed and i won't crash. Your pre workout supplement should last with no problem with steady energy and there should be no sudden crash following it. If you are crashing look at what your using and really consider switching. A simple rule to follow is have your pre workout of choice all the way in your system about 45 min out from your first working sets. That way you know you are getting its benefits if it is clinically dosed and has no proprietary blends.
Looking for a new training program to utilize your new caffine knowledge on? Check out SHDUPA
Now Go Train!
So today i know we rotated topics from pre workouts to nootropics to caffeine but i hope i provided you with some new tools to add in your arsenal to create better training sessions.
To some this up;
- Understand it is the most researched and backed up supplement out there.
- Do your own research before you start supplementing
- Occasionally don't use caffeine or minimize it so when you do use it it works 10x better
- If you have a powerlifting meet or test day take out extra sources of caffeine at about a week out to reset tolerance
- Don't take the same amount of caffeine every training day
- When you do take it take a proper dose (200-400mg)
- Separate your caffeine from food
- Pair it with cognitive Enhancers Like Carbon Prep to get the most out of it
- Take it plenty of time before you start training (45 min out)
Have anything to offer? let me know down below in the comments! If you got something out of this article and also would like to continue to see these Thursday blogs every week then make sure and click those share buttons below to let me know you appreciate my work and i will continue to provide useful info ;) Also guys i have a podcast on iTunes and Podbean, make sure and check that out as i talk about various topics, this last week i gave my review of the squat everyday program. till next time guys
Stay Strong, and caffeinated ;)
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- Shawn Fausey is the Founder and CEO of Fausey's Fitness. With Over 6 years experience in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Nutrition. Shawn offers services of online fitness coaching, programing and consulting. Shawn is also a Graphic Designer and can be reached for graphic services on www.rev-graphics.com
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