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This year one of my main goals is to finally gain those bloody abs that I’ve been chasing for years. I’m always let down by my diet. Workouts are fine, but my ability to prepare the right foods in order for me to hit my macros is almost non-existent.
This is why I supplement my diet where possible in order to get those all important calories and protein from. Not only is it easier for me, but it can often be cheaper too.
I thought it would be good to share the supplements that I’m going to be using this year in order to help me meet my intake goals.
Whey Protein
If you’ve heard of anyone going to the gym you’ll no doubt know all about protein or see everyone shaking their bottles as soon as they finish their workout.
Proteins are the building block of muscles and the main resource used in building and repair of body tissues.
You don’t actually need protein shakes, they are most definitely a nice to have. You should be able to get your protein requirements from dietary intake. The only reason that I use protein powders are because it’s more convenient for me on the move and it’s cheaper.
Considering that you get 22g of protein per serving and you can get them in flavours like Peanut cookie, I’m all about protein shakes.
That’s it. I don’t really need it, but it does really help me reach my goals.
Protein Bars
Protein bars are such an easy snack to have and can really satisfy sweet cravings when they hit. Rather than reaching for a Mars bar, I can reach for one of these and know that I’m getting benefit from them.
Now the majority of protein bars are disgusting. Seriously, if you’ve ever tried one then you’ll know exactly what I mean. Chewy and really not enjoyable to eat in the slightest.
But wait….
There are a few that actually beat this stereotype. The Multipower bars are amazing.
I’ve reviewed some of their range before and was so impressed with just how good they tasted. None of the chewy dryness that I’m used to.
Multipower kindly sent me a new set of bars to try from their 40% range and these are exactly as I expected! The textures of these are the same as the previous bars, but are available in different flavours.
Peach Yoghurt, Almond & Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla are the three choices and I think my favourite has to be the Peach Yoghurt one, it is to die for.
I highly recommend you check these out if you’re looking for a high protein snack.
Multivitamins
My diet lacks in a number of areas especially in Omega 3’s because I’m not a big fish fan. This is where I plan to supplement with a number of different Multivitamins.
I’m getting on a bit now that I’ve hit 30, so taking care of areas that I maybe neglected to take care of before because you can’t see them is becoming more important. God I never thought I would get to that stage. It makes me sound so old.
Swisse kindly sent over a number of their different vitamins and these will be one of the biggest impacts on my fitness journey this year.
I cannot wait to give these a go and will definitely keep you updated on the effects these have on me. I’m really looking forward to seeing just how the mental focus and tiredness supplements impact my day to day life. Perhaps I’ll finally be able to get my coffee intake back down to a reasonable number of cups per day.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is another major part of my supplement intake. It’s such a cheap product that I honestly believe everyone who works out should use it.
Basically your body already makes creatine and it is used in the transfer of energy into your cells. This just allows you to stockpile more in your body which can really have an impact on your muscle energy levels.
Creatine will allow your muscles to have that extra energy to crank out a couple of extra reps where your muscles will normally fail. This allows progressive overload which is exactly what you need in order for your muscles to break down and regrow.
As I said Creatine Monohydrate is incredibly cheap and costs around £5 for 50 servings.
Creatine can also cause you to store more water, so don’t be surprised if you end up looking a bit bigger than you normally do when not supplementing it.
So there you have it.
These are the products that I will be using throughout 2017 and I can’t wait to see how they will help me on my journey to my end goals.
What products are you using to help you reach your fitness goals this year? Let me know in the comments below.
One of my more recent posts adds in how I’ll be testing out the Sixpad Abs trainer to see if it has any impact on my core strength.
*Some of the items featured in this post were gifted to me, but as always any opinions included are completely my own.