The Pre-Workout Fuel

I can relate to the aggravating struggle to get off your bed or office desk and making your way to the gym. Even worse, the struggle to keep up with your workout routines while at the gym (this is even even harder when you don't have a personal trainer to motivate you. It's frustrating.

So how do you keep up? The answer: A pre-workout fuel - Caffeine.

Although I am not a huge fan of coffee (Why would I be? It stains your teeth and gives you the jitters...), I do believe that caffeine is a helpful stimulant that enhances your mental and physical performance. Caffeine enters the body and forces the working muscles to utilize as much fat as possible. When you're doing strength and endurance training, it's a challenging effort to keep your mind focused as every rep gets harder. Having caffeine in your system is a pre-workout fuel that provides you with the extra boost you require to complete your sets and push your body to the limits, thus ensuring a more satisfying after-work out feeling.

Most 'fat-burning' diet pills contains caffeine and this was what I took in replacement of a regular cup of coffee to stay awake at the office and still have some energy for Muay Thai.

Lipo-6 is my better alternative to drinking coffee as it does not stain my teeth, it does not give me the jitters either. Results may vary with every individual but so far, both Charles and I agree that it's our essential Starbucks in a capsule.

It is important to know that I don't recommend consuming a pill each day as this allows for the tolerance levels of caffeine to decrease, thus making the body susceptible to caffeine when consumed. It is important for you to understand their caffeine limits.  If you have never used caffeine for sporting enhancement, then you are unfamiliar with caffeine's affects on your body.  Make sure that you have used caffeine in a variety of training conditions to understand your limitations.

Basic Rules of Thumb That Follows:

FOOD and REST

- Eat a meal within 3 hours before your workout, with at least 15g of protein.
- Eat a meal within 1.5 hours after your workout, with at least 20g of protein. If you can't eat a meal until later, make sure to eat a protein bar / protein shake within 45 minutes of your workout's end, and eat a full meal as soon as you can, no later than 3 hours later.
-  Get plenty of complex carbs and veggies.
- Never be hungry, never be full. Ideally you are eating 4 small-medium, balanced meals a day.
- Get 7-9 hours sleep a night.
- Drink 2 litres of water a day, don't be afraid of bloating!

(This article is not intended for any advertising, sale or marketing purposes of the brand(s) mentioned.)