3 Supplements For A Solid Training Session

Pokemon last week and this week Dragon Ball Z! Yea i'm a nerd i know and I'm proud :D I want to say thanks for the great response from last weeks blog over Pokemon Go. I really did not expect that blog to get as many hits as it did so thanks for that! If you guys want me to cover other things like that in the future let me know. Speaking of that real quick what if they created a Dragon Ball Z GO GAME!!!! Oh man that would be epic...... Anyway tho we are back to strength and muscle science topics for this week, and this week we dive a little into supplements.

When it comes to supplements i usually like to not wright that many posts about them. Other than my quick start guide I don’t like discussing supplements too much because i don’t want to make it sound like you need them But since i have had several emails lately about what i think should be used in a pre workout i thought i would go into some info on sups that i use myself and that i recommend to clients to help them push through the hardest training sessions. This weeks blog is going to be a shorter one but I'm hoping i can at least provide you with some solid info. This week we will be discussing 3 supplements that are at the top of my list for a pre workout.

Think As If Your Going Into Battle

Pre workout should be the time where you look to achieve;

- Maximum Focus/Concentration

- Peak Performance

- Energy and Pump

Those 3 things should be the first things you look at building up while designing your own pre workout. If you can achieve those 3 chances are you will have a real high performance training session.

I'm Not going To Mention Caffeine But That Should Be Obvious

Before we get into the 3 sups that i recommend for pre workout i want you to all realize that some caffeine should be in there as well. Caffeine is one of the most studied supplements for performance and energy output and there is no reason one should not use a source of caffeine in there pre workout as well. If you want to know how to maximize the effects of caffeine then check out this post.

1. L-Carnitine

So when you think of L-Carnitine you probably think of recovery, and possibly some fat burning benefits because of Hype in the supplement industry. Well while those sound great they are not exactly true.  The Definition of L-Carnitine coming from Examine.com 

https://examine.com/supplements/L-Carnitine/

“L-Carnitine is involved in energy metabolism and mitochondrial protection. It is made in the body, but can also be consumed through food. Supplementation of L-carnitine, it does not burn fat unless the individual is deficient in L-carnitine.”

So L-Carnitine can come from food as well as a supplement. But taking a dose in your pre workout can have some benefits. L-Carnitine is known as well as a Nootropic which we have discussed before on the blog here. But to sum it up simply Nootropics  can increase cognition and focus in the brain. Having Focus in a training session is one of the things we want to maximize so for this reason we include L-Carnitine into the list. There has also been a study done that showed L-Carnitine allowed nitric oxide increases meaning that it can help in valscularity and pump as well!

How Should I Dose It?

I reccomend keeping it simple by taking a gram pre workout and gram post workout.

Of course L-Carnitine Offers the body much more but to keep this post simple and to the point were going to cap it there. 

2. Citrulline Malate

Otherwise known as the fatigue fighter. This supplement is all the rage right now and for good reasons.

Janeira, M. A., Maia, J. R., & Santos, P. J. (1998). Citrulline malate effects on the aerobic-anaerobic threshold and in post-exercise blood lactate recovery. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 30(5), Supplement abstract 880.

 Increases NO Production

- Nitric oxide is the cell-signaling molecule that has a part in regulating blood flow, oxygen delivery, glucose uptake, muscle firepower, and muscle growth. You want a good pump? then use a solid NO booster like Citrilline Malate

Reduces Lactic Acid and Ammonia

- Ammonia is vey toxic to all cells and excessive levels may even be even be fatal. It also inhibits the energy cycle and this is what us as strength athletes really want no part of! Citrilline Malate comes to the rescue and reduces all this  and the build up of Ammonia. This in short means that you will be able to train longer, harder, faster, stronger!

Increases ATP

ATP otherwise know as energy is what we want to increase as much as possible for a solid training session. Well Citrilline Malate does just that.

What About Dosing?

For Citrilline Malate the minimum effective dose is 6 grams so to get the best effects and actually get the benefits from this supplement make sure and get at least 6 but shoot more for 7-8 grams.

3. Huperzine A

As i talked about before in this blog Huperzine A is a Nootropic- these are supplements to take to improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation.

Right from Examine.com “Huperzine-A is a cognitive enhancer that inhibits an enzyme that degrades the learning neurotransmitter, acetylcholine; due to this, a relative increase occurs. It belongs to the Cholinergic class of molecules, and may be useful in fighting cognitive decline in the elderly.”

Dosing?

Huperzine A i recommend to take in one dose with your pre workout 50-200mcg daily. You can play with the amount that seems to work the best for you. When you find that your focus in incredibly strong and you seem to really be able to concentrate then thats a sign you are around the right dosage. Paring this with L-Carnitine really produces an amazing effect.

Now Take Your New Knowledge and Go Super saiyan :D

So today i know we discussed this pretty quick but i hope i got across the main point and reasons why you should consider adding these 3 into your pre workout. To sum this up

- Add L-Carnitine for the focus, energy, and it's NO properties

- Add Citrilline Malate to increase Strength, Stamina, Energy, and get the best performance and recovery as possible.

- Add Huperzine A to achieve the maximum focus and concentration

I don’t get paid a penny to say this but if your looking for the ultimate pre workout check out Carbon by Layne Norton. It has everything already dosed in the proper amounts for you and it does not contain caffeine so you can choose to add your own source. This is great if your like me and enjoy having a Monster Energy pre workout.

Thanks for reading guys and if you enjoyed this blog then all i ask is you click those share buttons. Do you guys have any supplements that you really enjoy taking pre workout? If so then let me know in the comments below. Till next week guys.....

Stay Strong,

Shawn Fausey

• 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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