6 supplements to get you lean and shredded
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Whilst bulking can be enjoyable for a while, eventually it does take its toll on you, and you will eagerly await the date that your summer shred can finally begin. Whilst bulking, the idea is to gain as much muscle mass and size as possible, and with any bulk, we have to accept the fact that we will gain weight, in the form of water and body fat. After a few months, a bulk can leave you feeling sluggish, lethargic, and bloated, and you will crave the ripped aesthetic bod you were rocking a few months back. Once you’re happy you’ve gained enough muscle mass, it’s now time to strip away the body fat covering it so you can reveal it to the world. If you’re looking to get lean and shredded, providing your diet is on point, and that you’re busting your butt in the gym, it will be time to look into creating the ultimate cutting supplement stack, and we’ve got just the things. Here we’ll look at 6 of the best supplements designed to get you lean and shredded.
Whey protein
Whey protein is the most popular supplement in the entire world, and it’s not surprising why. Whey protein is essential for the maintenance, growth, and repair of muscle tissue in the body. Without it, we would struggle to build muscle and our muscles would struggle to repair themselves after we finish working out. Whey protein is a fast absorbing, fast digesting protein that is absolutely ideal for consuming as soon as you have finished training, when your muscles are crying out for nutrients. What’s more, protein is thermogenic so it will ramp up your metabolism and help you to burn off more calories. Combine this with the fact that protein also helps build muscle, and as muscle requires more calories for maintenance than body fat alone, you have the perfect recipe for a supercharged metabolism.
Glutamine
L-Glutamine is an amino acid, in fact, it is one of the most popular amino acid supplements currently on the market, and it is a staple ingredient in many cutting stacks. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid within your skeletal muscles, but that does not mean you cannot benefit from higher amounts. Glutamine has been found to help regulate hormones and assist with human growth hormone production, it boosts the immune system helping to keep you healthier, plus it assists with protein synthesis and speeds up post-workout muscle recovery. Glutamine helps the muscles to repair themselves quicker after you train, plus it can prevent post-workout muscle soreness and fatigue. What’s more, during exercise, glutamine has been found to slow down the breakdown of muscle tissue, which is why people often use glutamine as an intra-workout supplement.
A multivitamin
Vitamins are essential for the human body yet many people are deficient in at least one vitamin. A good multivitamin should always be included in any cutting supplement stack because it is so beneficial for the human body. Multivitamins are made up of a variety of different vitamins, and often minerals, which are designed to provide countless benefits to your body. Whilst a multivitamin will probably not directly assist with muscle growth, it will help keep you fit and healthy, and the fitter and healthier you are, the more effective your training sessions will be, and the better your body will function, so everything is linked, albeit not directly. Simply start your day off with a good quality multivitamin with your breakfast and you’re well on your way to a healthier you.
CLA
CLA, or Conjugated Linoleic Acid, is a fat, and to some of you this may seem odd, you know, as the aim of your cutting stack is to burn fat. Don’t worry however, CLA is a healthy fat that is packed full of omega fatty acids that provide countless benefits for the body. These healthy fats boost brain health, they lower unhealthy LDL cholesterol, they improve organ health and function, they’re great for strengthening the heart and cardiovascular system, plus they speed up the metabolism. Yes, these fats actually enhance your metabolism and allow you to burn more body fat and enjoy more energy in the process. CLA has also been found to help preserve lean muscle tissue whilst promoting fat loss, so CLA during a cut is an absolute must!
Creatine
Creatine is the second most popular bodybuilding supplement in the world, and whether bulking or cutting, 90% of the time you will find athletes and bodybuilders including creatine in with their stacks. Found within our skeletal muscle tissue, creatine is a naturally occurring compound that our bodies can synthesize naturally. The problem is that the dosages we can produce are not sufficient enough to provide athletic benefits. Supplementing with 5g of creatine per day however, has been found to assist with your training sessions. Creatine helps to body to create more ATP, which is what the muscles use for energy. The more ATP the muscles have access to, the harder they will work, so the more you will get done in the gym. Creatine can also boost strength levels, speed up recovery rates, boost testosterone and growth hormone production rates, and help to preserve lean muscle tissue.
BCAAs
BCAAs, or Branch Chain Amino Acids, are made up of: leucine, valine, and isoleucine, all of which are essential as the body cannot produce them naturally. BCAA supplements are perfect for cutting because they help to preserve muscle tissue, they reduce fatigue whilst enhancing the metabolism, and they can reduce the amount of damage that your muscles sustain whilst you lift and train. What’s more, they also enhance protein synthesis rates, so you can recover much quicker after a workout. Ideally BCAAs should be sipped on during your workout, with the remnants being finished off at the end of your workout to help stimulate protein synthesis.
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