In general, the common signs you need a deload week are feeling constant muscle soreness, seeing your performance starts to decline in the gym, your joints start to ache, feeling unmotivated to go to the gym, and catching colds or getting sick more frequently.

Always having a high training intensity can cause your body to build up strain and fatigue.

If you want to progress further into your fitness journey, sometimes the best thing to do is to take a deload week and give your body, mind, and central nervous system some time for recovery.

Below, I’ll go over what exactly is a deload week, the signs you should be looking for, and how to implement deload weeks into your training plan.

What Is A Deload Week

A dead load week is where you take a week off from your normal training routine and reduce your training stimulus.

This can be done by completely not going to the gym, lifting any weight, or doing any intense physical activity for the entire deload period.

Or you can still have your regular training session with changes and adjustments to weight, sets, and reps. You’ll generally want to reduce training volume by reducing your weights, sets, and reps.

You can think of it as an active rest day. You can still practice your lifting technique, but you shouldn’t use the same weight. Your reps and sets should be reduced as well.

This is so you can catch up on adequate rest, promote recovery, and reduce fatigue that has accumulated throughout your training program.

7 Signs You Need A Deload Week

These seven signs are not listed in any particular order. There can be other subtle signs you may need a deload week, but these are the most significant signs you should be looking out for.

1. You Have A Build Up Of Muscle Soreness And Fatigue

One of the biggest signs that you need to take a break from hard training is if you continue to suffer from onset muscle soreness and fatigue week by week. (1)

Typically, you should have your muscles recovered by the next time you try to work out the same muscle group.

If you continue to train through soreness, your body can slowly accumulate fatigue and never get a chance to fully recover.

And doing this can lead to poor performance in the gym.

Which brings me to the next sign you should look for…

2. Your Performance Starts To Regress

Don’t get me wrong. It’s common to have off days and times where you just don’t perform the same in the gym.

But if you’ve noticed that there has been a decline in your performance week by week, then this may be a sign of overtraining, and you may benefit from taking a deload week to focus on recovery.

This is assuming nutrition and sleep quality have been optimal. (Keep in mind improper diet/nutrition and subpar sleep can have the same effects on your resistance training program)

But if you are getting proper sleep and eating right, then it most likely means you should take a few deload periods.

3. Still Feeling Tired After Plenty Of Sleep And Rest

As I’ve mentioned previously if you have been getting a good night’s sleep and eating properly and you still feel fatigued throughout the day.

This is most likely a sign of built-up fatigue within your body from high-intensity and high-volume exercise.

You’ll most likely benefit from taking a deload week.

4. Starting To Feel Aches And Pains Around Your Joints

Having sore muscles and slight fatigue is completely normal. You should be able to recover from a normal amount of training volume.

But if you are really pushing yourself, then your sore muscles and fatigue can slowly turn into aches and pains around your joints.

If you are starting to feel your joints aching, then this is a big indicator that you should reduce fatigue and take a deload week. You would probably benefit from completely taking a week or even two off of your training plan.

You may also consider restructuring your program design and trying a more effective training plan in order to avoid overtraining and getting to this point.

5. Feeling Unmotivated To Be At The Gym And Train

Sometimes, the signs of built-up fatigue and stress from training aren’t just physical issues.

Pushing your body and its central nervous system to its limits from high-intensity training can start to take a toll on the mind as well.

If you start to feel unmotivated to be at the gym, then it may be time to take some time off just to relax and reduce any built-up stress.

(Just make sure you are not just being lazy and using overtraining as an excuse)

6. Your Performance Plateaus And The Weight Feels Heavier

Another sign to look for is hitting a training plateau. Now, keep in mind not all plateaus mean you need a deload.

But if you’ve been on a plateau for several weeks and the same weight you used to lift starts to feel heavier and heavier.

Then this may be a sign that you should take a deload week or would benefit from one greatly.

7. Weaker Immune System And Getting Colds Frequently

Last but not least, if you’ve noticed, you are more susceptible to getting sick. This may be a sign your body is overworked and could use some rest and recovery.

I was hesitant to add this to my list because you could just be catching a bug going around, and it could have nothing to do with needing to take a deload.

However, an overworked body built up with stress and fatigue can lower your immune system and make you more susceptible to catching colds.

Benefits Of Deload Weeks

The obvious benefit of deload weeks is giving your body a break from the high-intensity training and allowing it to recover from built-up stress and fatigue.

This can allow muscles to recover and perform better during your next mesocycle.

How To Implement Deload Weeks Into Your Training Programs

In general you want to be scheduling regular deload weeks within your training program.

I personally like to do a 5-week training block following a 1-week deload period.

This training schedule allows me to maintain progressive overload every month while giving my body time for recovery.

This week allows any built-up fatigue to go away and also gives me a little mental recovery!

Now let’s talk about how to actually perform a deload week…

Lower Your Training Volume

The main idea is to lower training intensity as well as volume to give your body a break and some time to catch up on recovery.

You can achieve this by either no training at all for an entire week.

Another method is to reduce your weights and cut back on the amount of reps and sets you do during your workouts.

Final Thoughts On Deloads And Signs You Should Look For

This concludes my post on the signs you should keep an eye on to know whether or not you should be doing a deload week.

I believe an effective training plan will have regular deload weeks programmed into its schedule already.

But if, for some reason, you haven’t started incorporating a deload week into your training schedule, then you should really reconsider.

This is especially true if you have noticed any of the signs I listed above, which might mean your body is due for some recovery time.

I hope I was able to answer any questions you had about this, and I wish you the best in your fitness journey!

The post When To Start Deloading: Signs You Need A Deload Week first appeared on RFKN Fit.

In general, bodybuilders make the majority of their money through multiple income streams. They can earn competition prize money, get sponsorships from supplement companies or other brands, and sell personal training, but the most lucrative is building a brand and selling products.

There are other ways a bodybuilder makes money, and down below I’ll discuss the 7 most popular ways to make money with bodybuilding.

Most people will think entering and winning competitions against professional bodybuilders is the only way to make it in this field…

But, you’ll be surprised to know that even an average bodybuilder or even someone just sharing their passion for the fitness industry can make money within this industry. (especially if you are using the 6th or 7th method from the list below)

7 Different Ways To Make Money As A Bodybuilder

According to Zippia, the earning potential of a bodybuilder can be anywhere between $19,000 to over 7 figures a year. And the median salary is around $32,000. (1)

You can see that there’s a huge difference between what the best bodybuilders make and what other bodybuilders are making…

And you’ll be surprised that the “best bodybuilders” who are making the “big bucks” aren’t doing so with traditional monetizing methods like winning competitions.

Instead, they focus on building their own brand and following within the fitness industry…

We’ll talk more about this later on in this post, but that’s the secret if you really want to earn money through bodybuilding.

Now, let’s talk about the 7 ways you can earn money through bodybuilding…

1. Winning Fitness Competition Prize Money

Going into the fitness industry and trying to compete in bodybuilding shows and competitions is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about how to make money as a bodybuilder.

This is completely valid. But, the prize money you earn is honestly not enough money to make a living usually…

First off, you won’t make money doing small amateur shows. You usually do these shows to earn your pro card, build a name for yourself, and possibly pick up endorsement deals or sponsorships.

It’s typical for prize money to be given out only to professional shows.

The real prize money earned is through big shows like the Mr. Olympia competition, where winners can receive anywhere from $20,000 to 6-figure checks.

And you need to be the best in the world or the top of your class in order to get one of those prizes.

2. Getting Sponsorships Within The Fitness Industry

Getting endorsements, brand deals, or sponsorships is like the holy grail for most bodybuilders.

But there are different types of sponsorships within the fitness industry, and usually, how much a bodybuilder makes from a sponsorship comes down to how much of a social media presence they have…

There are different business models when it comes to brand deals, sponsorships, etc.

Here are just a few examples…

Some companies will give you a unique code, and you just make a percentage of the sales you generate. This is low risk for them since they aren’t paying you unless you are able to generate sales.

Or if you have an established social media presence, then you may get sponsorships where they’ll pay you to post on your profiles, do shoutouts, talk about their products, etc.

Lastly, you can have a full-on sponsorship where they pay you a salary and possibly get free products, but you have certain quotas you need to hit.

These can be quotas on how many products you push for their company, how often you post about their products, appearing at events, or a combination of everything.

Each company has its own way of doing sponsorships and brand deals, so you will never know the terms until you talk with one another.

3. Selling Your Services As A Personal Trainer

Another way to make money with your passion for bodybuilding is to do personal training.

I know a few bodybuilders at my local gym that do this as their full-time job while they continue to build some of the other streams of income I’ve listed in this post.

Now, you can go out and become one of the personal trainers at your gym. But in the world of the internet, online personal training has become all the rage, and lots of bodybuilding professionals tend to go with the online personal training method.

4. Start Selling Your Own Merchandise And Supplements

This is where lots of bodybuilders can start to make money that changes the trajectory of their lives.

And it’s common to see this being done…

Lots of bodybuilders will make a big following or get recognized worldwide and then create physical products like clothing and supplements to start selling.

And you don’t have to be Mr. Olympia to do this.

You just need to be able to build a following on social media or other platforms to start selling your own merchandise.

5. Create And Sell Digital Products

If you don’t want to be trading time for money like you would with personal training. Another option is to make and sell your own digital products.

People buy digital guides all the time on topics like muscle growth, eating the right food, proper nutrition, the best diet for weight loss, etc.

You can easily put your knowledge of bodybuilding into different digital info products and sell them online.

6. Creating A Following On Social Media As An Influencer

If you’ve noticed, many doors open when you are an “influencer”…

In my opinion, building your following online is where the real money is if you really want to turn your passion for body building into a career…

Having a following opens up opportunities for sponsorship deals, making and selling your own products, and even online coaching opportunities.

Even if you didn’t want to sell anything, you could just share free information online and get paid through ad revenue like plenty of YouTubers do…

You can use these platforms to build the following:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• X
• And any other social media site really

7. Building Your Own Brand With A Bodybuilding Blog

Last but not least is building your very own website or blog…

I think if you are focused on building a brand for yourself, you definitely need one.

A blog is something you own…

Unlike social media, where they can ban you if you don’t play by their rules, a blog is your own digital property that you control.

You can build helpful resources to share with others, have people find you through Google, have a place to cross-promote all your social media channels, and have a hub to sell different services or products.

You can even sell advertising space on your blog to be able to make money passively if you want to.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg…

So many different options open up, and it can be possible if you have your own website!

Final Thoughts On How To Make Money As A Bodybuilder

This wraps up my post on how bodybuilders can make money.

But remember, everything revolves around being able to build a following and get the attention of people within the fitness industry.

This is the true asset and what you really get paid for…

If you can get attention, lots of different businesses will want to work with you, and you have the option to build and sell your own products, too!

I’m sure there are other unconventional methods to make money through bodybuilding, but these are the 7 most popular ways.

And building your blog and social media presence is what can really start bringing in the bacon.

I hope you enjoyed this post and it was able to answer your questions!

The post Monetizing Bodybuilding: How Do Bodybuilders Make Money first appeared on RFKN Fit.

In general, there are no negative effects if you choose to take creatine before bed. Creatine before bed will not disrupt your sleep, and you will still receive muscle-building benefits, muscle recovery, and a boost in exercise performance from consuming creatine.

Unlike pre-workout or other supplements where timing is crucial, you benefit most from taking creatine consistently over time.

It’s more important to consume creatine on a daily basis in order to restore and saturate your muscle cells’ stores of creatine.

Below, I’ll go over tips on taking creatine before bed, the benefits of taking a creatine supplement, how much creatine monohydrate you should be consuming daily, and more…

Is It Bad To Take Creatine Before Bed

Now, you should understand that taking creatine before bed is completely safe. It’s not going to disrupt your sleep or cause sleep deprivation. You’ll also still be able to take advantage of all the creatine benefits this supplement offers.

But there are some arguments that it’s better to take creatine around 30 minutes before physical activity to ensure the creatine reserves in your muscles are completely topped off.

Personally, I think that consuming creatine consistently over a long period of time is what matters more than optimizing the timing of your creatine intake.

If you want to take creatine before workouts, I recommend you look at pre-workouts that already contain a 5g dose of creatine monohydrate.

This is the pre-workout I recommend, which also contains creatine supplementation. Check the price on Amazon Here.

Now, let’s talk about the benefits of taking creatine before bed or just taking creatine in general…

Benefits Of Taking Creatine Supplements Before Bed

Creatine supplements are one of the most studied supplements on the market. The most studied and recommended form of creatine supplementation is creatine monohydrate.

This form of creatine has been linked to studies where research suggests gains in lean muscle mass, better muscle recovery, better endurance, fewer muscle cramps, better muscle hydration, and so much more. (1)

This is great news for fitness enthusiasts or anyone looking to increase their athletic performance.

Now, let’s talk about each of these benefits in greater detail…

Helps Reduce Fatigue

One of the benefits of taking creatine before bed is it can help reduce the muscle fatigue you feel in the gym. And can actually help improve recovery from your intense workouts.

Gives You An Energy Boost In The Gym

Another benefit you may start to feel when you start taking creatine is more energy in the gym.

If you are doing very intense exercise or an intense workout routine, then taking creatine before bed can help you with endurance and boost performance in the gym.

Can Help With Building Lean Muscle Mass

Some people have reported that taking creatine can help with muscle growth and the building of muscle mass when used with a proper diet, training, and recovery routine.

Just remember taking creatine by itself will not give you these benefits. Most studies are done on individuals who are athletes sticking to proper nutrition and training programs.

Helps Your Muscles Stay Hydrated

You might hear that when you start the loading phase and increase your creatine uptake, you might start to put on some water weight gain.

This is completely true, and saturating your muscle tissue with creatine will pull and retain more water within your muscles.

This can lead to “potential weight gain” on the scale, but you’ll actually benefit from having hydrated muscles since they will be less prone to cramping and can perform better.

Helps Your Muscle Cells Recover From Workouts

There are also some reports that creatine supplements have been shown to improve recovery after intense workouts.

Can Help Improve Cognitive Function

Last but not least, some research suggests creatine helps with brain function and even memory.

Now, these are all the benefits that athletes have reported, I have experienced, and what research suggests from the National Library of Medicine.

But I do want to emphasize that this is all done in conjunction with a proper diet, taking creatine at a proper dosage, and getting enough sleep.

So, let’s talk about how to take creatine before bed in the right amounts if you truly want to take advantage of its benefits…

How Much Creatine Should You Take Before Bed

There are two trains of thought when it comes to taking creatine supplements…

One way is to do a loading phase for the first week in order to help with creatine absorption and completely saturate your muscles. After going through the loading phase, it’s recommended to take creatine daily in a smaller dose.

Most will recommend taking 20g of creatine daily for the first seven days. This 20g is usually broken into 4 different 5g servings taken throughout the day. Then, after the seventh day, you can just take 5gs of creatine daily as a maintenance dosage.

Another way is to skip the loading phase altogether and just start taking creatine daily at 5g.

The thought process is over time; you’ll be building the creatine stores in your muscles, but it may just take a longer time compared to using the method with a loading phase.

I say don’t overcomplicate this process. Just ensure you take your creatine supplement consistently.

Can You Take Creatine Before Bed On An Empty Stomach

Creatine is a form of amino acids. I personally take creatine on an empty stomach all the time. Some people even take creatine while intermittent fasting.

And if you are wondering, “Does creatine break a fast.” You can learn more about that topic in the post I’ve just linked to.

But if you do have a sensitive stomach and find yourself feeling nauseous or dealing with an upset stomach when taking creatine without any food. I suggest having something to eat when you are thinking about taking your creatine monohydrate.

This can help those with sensitive stomachs. You can try taking your creatine supplement with something with carbs or even mix it together with your protein shake to see if that does the trick.

Final Thoughts On Taking Creatine Supplements Before Bedtime

This concludes my post on taking creatine before bed.

Now, you should know that taking this supplement before going to bed is perfectly fine.

And it can actually help you turn it into a habit and routine, which is great because if you pay attention to this post…

Then you’ll know that the most important thing to gain all the benefits from creatine is to take it consistently.

This is more important than trying to optimize the timing of this supplement.

I hope this post was able to answer any question you had about taking creatine before bed.

I hope you take advantage of this supplement and its benefits, and I wish you the best on your fitness journey!

The post Bedtime Supplementation: Can You Take Creatine Before Bed first appeared on RFKN Fit.

Creatine supplementation will not break a fast and is perfectly fine to take during a fasting window. Flavorless creatine monohydrate does not contain any calories and does not create an insulin response.

This is great news for those who want to enjoy the benefits of fasting while being able to take creatine supplementation…

Below, I’ll dive deeper into having creatine while on a fast, how these supplements and fasting work together, some tips on using creatine, benefits, and more!

Can I Have Creatine While Fasting

As you already know, you can absolutely enjoy the benefits of creatine and intermittent fasting together.

And here’s why…

Taking creatine will not break a fast since there are no calories in this supplement, and it will not cause an insulin spike within your body.

Here’s my recommended creatine supplementation. Check prices on Amazon Here.

Generally, your body goes into a state of ketosis after not eating for 12 hours. (1) During this state of ketosis, your body will rely on burning stored fat as fuel.

This is one of the reasons why intermittent fasting and having a fasting window are so popular! Many people want to try and take advantage of this benefit in order to burn fat and lose weight.

Also…

Using an intermittent fasting period can also help individuals restrict their calorie intake.

These two benefits can result in positive body composition changes if this diet is maintained consistently and coupled with a good training routine, diet, and recovery.

Does Creatine Cause An Insulin Spike

In general, you’ll break a fast whenever you consume anything with calories. You’ll also get kicked out of ketosis once you raise your blood sugar and insulin levels.

That’s why creatine supplements can be taken during your fast since it has no calories and will not invoke an insulin response from your body.

You can take creatine monohydrate during intermittent fasting or during your eating window. As long as you are not combining creatine supplementation with any drink that has calories

Below, I’ll go over how creatine supplementation and intermittent fasting can work together…

How Do Creatine Supplements And Fasting Periods Work Together

Now, let’s talk about how you can benefit from creatine supplementation when’s the best time to take creatine monohydrate, how it’s stored, and more…

What Is The Benefit Of Taking Creatine During Fasting Periods

Creatine is a naturally created compound your body produces. It’s stored in your muscle cells and can help with muscle contraction and endurance.

When you start taking creatine supplements, it’ll help saturate your muscle cells more and help produce more ATP.

ATP is an energy source that your body uses. It helps your body with high-intensity exercise.

Also, some studies have shown that taking creatine supplementation has been found to help enhance muscle growth, endurance, and performance and sometimes even increase muscle mass, especially during weight lifting. (2)

When some people fast, they may see a decrease in endurance and performance in the gym, especially if they decide to train in a fasted state.

If you are training in a fasted state, then taking creatine supplementation, and even pre-workout supplements, may help you see benefits like improving exercise performance and a boost of energy or endurance in the gym.

This is why using creatine while fasting is popular among many fitness enthusiasts.

When’s The Best Time To Take Creatine Supplements While Fasting

When I used to incorporate intermittent fasting into my routine, I personally liked to consume creatine powder before my training sessions.

This is a personal preference, but you can take your creatine supplementation whenever it is most convenient for you and your schedule.

What’s important to remember with many creatine supplements is there is usually a loading phase you’ll have to go through for the first week, and then you’ll have to take creatine supplementation on a daily basis.

This is so you can maintain the saturation of this supplement within your muscle cells in order to get all the benefits you can.

The recommended dose is 5g of creatine a day

Can You Take A Creatine Supplement On An Empty Stomach

This is a great question and one that I’ve seen being asked around a lot on the forums and within the fitness community.

Creatine can be taken on an empty stomach, but most people prefer to take creatine with food or mix it with their protein shakes or other drinks. But, if you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to consider consuming creatine with some food.

The most common way to consume creatine is by mixing it with your protein shake.

And if you have questions like, should I mix my creatine with protein, then read that article I just linked to.

It will answer any questions you may have on that topic, the benefits of doing so, and the one thing you need to remember when mixing those two supplements together.

Benefits Of Taking Creatine While Intermittent Fasting

The main benefit of taking creatine while fasting is the boost in performance you get in the gym and during weight lifting.

This can be helpful if you choose to train in a fasted state since you will usually be low on glycogen reserves in your muscles after a prolonged fast.

You may see better performance and feel better while in the gym while supplementing creatine in a fasted state.

Final Thoughts On Does Creatine Break A Fast

Does creatine break a fast? Well, now you should know the answer to that question if you read the post above…

But if you are a rebel and sneaked all the way down here without reading, then you’ll be happy to hear that creatine will not break your fast and that it can actually help you perform better in the gym.

Just make sure you are taking creatine on a regular basis if you want to see all the benefits this supplement can offer you.

I recommend taking it before your training session. And I personally love to train after eating. I feel like I get better workouts and perform way better in the gym than I would if I was in a fasted state.

But it’s completely up to you if you and your schedule if you want to train fasted or not.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best on your fitness journey!

The post Taking Creatine While Fasting: Does Creatine Break A Fast first appeared on RFKN Fit.

In general, creatine supplementation does not directly affect your appetite and hunger. However, you can experience increased appetite from the change in diet, workout efforts, physical activity, and muscle growth while taking creatine supplementation.

There are various reasons why your body may start to have increased hunger. Creatine monohydrate is a great supplement to increase performance in the gym.

But this increase in performance can lead to the reasons why your body may feel hungry. Most tend to blame creatine for the increased appetite. They fail to realize that it can be caused by other changes and factors they are making within their lifestyle.

Below, I’ll discuss why it may feel like creatine increases appetite, what are the other reasons you may be feeling hungry, what you can expect from taking creatine and more…

Does Creatine Make You Hungry

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found within our body. Our body creates creatine as a source of fuel for our muscles.

As a whole, creatine does not increase hunger. The results from creatine supplementation, like changes in workout intensity, changes in lifestyle or diet, dehydration, and increased energy expenditure from taking creatine are the main causes of increased appetite.

When many people start taking creatine supplementation, they start to change their entire lifestyle…

They may start to limit food intake to try and lose fat. They start to feel the benefits of creatine monohydrate and have more intense training sessions.

And they may even start to increase muscle mass!

These are the main reasons people may feel increased hunger or appetite…

And if you’re interested in the best deal on creatine monohydrate. Check the prices on Amazon here.

Now let’s dive into each of these reasons below…

Reasons Why Creatine Supplementation May Make You Feel Hungry

These are the most common reasons why you may feel hungry or have an increased appetite while consuming creatine.

More Energy Expenditure

Creatine can give you better performance in the gym. This leads to expending more calories. When you burn more calories, you’ll feel more hunger pangs and want to increase your food intake.

Increased Muscle Mass

Obviously, plenty of people would love to build muscle mass. This is the type of weight gain most bodybuilders and athletes want to achieve.

But it comes at a cost…

The more muscle mass you have. The more you’ll need to consume to feed those muscles. This can lead to increased hunger levels.

Dehydration

This reason is often overlooked. However, one of the side effects of creatine is dehydration. (1)

This can lead to being thirsty, and most people confuse hunger with thirst. That’s the reason why most nutrition coaches recommend drinking water first when you’re “feeling hungry.”

Changes In Workout Intensity

increase physical activity and athletic performance can be seen when using creatine. This can lead to more energy expenditure with intense workouts.

This can be the reason you’ll notice your hunger levels increase.

Change In Diet And Nutritional Status

Last but not least…

Most people start a huge change in diet and lifestyle all at once. They go on a diet, start exercising, and start supplementing with creatine.

If you go on a diet and start doing regular exercise (especially when you’ve been living a sedentary lifestyle for a while), then this change alone will start to make you hungry.

So, now you know the main causes of why you may start to feel hungry. Now, let’s go over what you can expect from supplementing with creatine…

What To Expect When Taking Creatine

Creatine is very popular with many bodybuilders and athletes. Mainly because of all the benefits creatine can give you…

And if you’ve ever wondered, “Do natural bodybuilders take creatine,” then be sure to check out that post.

Below are the benefits you can expect when using creatine on a daily basis…

More Endurance

You’ll notice a slight increase in muscle endurance while lifting at the gym, especially during workouts that require short bursts of high-intensity exercise performance.

Boost In Physical Performance

Creatine will not only help with endurance but also with performance.

Some people may claim to see a slight increase in strength while supplementing with creatine.

Studies have also shown that creatine helps with the contraction of your muscles. (2) This is the reason some people may notice a gain or increase in their strength.

Possible Gain In Muscle Mass

The reason why I say “possible” is that muscle building depends on your diet.

If you are trying to gain weight and your eating habits support that weight gain in muscle mass, then creatine can help you achieve these goals.

But if your balanced diet is designed to lose weight, then your goal should be muscle retention while in your cutting phase.

Weight Gain

Finally, you can expect to gain weight while consuming creatine. This can come in the form of lean body mass and weight gain from water retention.

Creatine is known to hold onto water, and you can see a slight increase on the scale because of this “water weight.”

Final Thoughts On Does Creatine Make You Hungry

Now you should have an answer to the question: does creatine make you hungry?

While creatine alone will not influence your appetite or hunger, the results from using this supplement can influence your hunger.

When you take this supplement, you can see an increase in endurance and physical performance in the gym. This might make you push harder and exert more energy while working out.

And this is the true reason why you may start to feel hungrier while supplementing with creatine.

Also, there are changes in diet and lifestyle that people tend to make when they start taking supplements. These changes can also be responsible for why you start to feel like you have an increased appetite.

Lastly, if you start to put on more muscle mass, it can lead to you needing to consume more food and increase your food intake to help support this gain in muscle cells.

I hope I was able to answer your questions about this subject. And thank you again for being here and checking out my blog post. I hope to catch you in the next one!

The post Fact Or Fiction: Does Creatine Make You Hungry first appeared on RFKN Fit.

You can definitely mix creatine with your protein shake. These two supplements won’t interfere with your body’s ability to digest, absorb, and use these ingredients when taken together, and you’ll have the added benefit of convenience.

So you can rest assured that you’ll be able to get all the benefits these two supplements can give you and your body.

Below, I’ll go over each of the benefits protein, and creatine can give you, how much creatine you should be taking with your protein shake, and some things you should keep in mind when mixing creatine and protein with different liquids.

So be sure to read the post below for a deeper dive into the topic of mixing creatine and protein powders.

Should You Mix Your Creatine With Protein

You should absolutely mix your creatine with your protein powders. And I personally do this every day. Especially when using unflavored creatine monohydrate powder…

It would be best to mix creatine with protein to save you time and convenience. It’s a great way to get down unflavored creatine monohydrate powder and is an excellent fuel source to power your workouts in the gym.

One of the most popular creatine’s on the market is unflavored creatine monohydrate. This type of creatine is the most widely studied version of creatine. (1) And the unflavored version of this product is the most affordable type of creatine.

You can view my recommended creatine monohydrate here on Amazon.

Why pay more for flavored creatine when you can simply buy the unflavored powdered version and take it with your morning protein shake…

You get the benefits of both protein powder and creatine simultaneously, which can help you stay on track with your fitness goals.

Now, let’s talk about what those benefits are…

Benefits Of Mixing Protein Powder And Creatine

These two supplements do two separate things in the body. You can think of protein powder as the building block to fuel muscle retention, growth, repair, and recovery within your body.

Yes, you can get all your protein intake from whole foods like chicken, steak, pork, fish, etc.

But protein powders really make hitting those macros convenient and a bit easier.

On the other hand, creatine can boost your performance in the gym. It’s widely known for its ability to give you a boost in muscle strength and endurance during your workouts.

Better workouts paired with a good diet and recovery are a recipe for progress.

That’s why these two supplements go hand in hand and complement each other very well…

Protein Powder Benefits

Protein is the building block of anything fitness. In order for your muscles to grow, recover, and get stronger, you will need to fuel that process in the body.

And the only way to fuel that is by consuming enough protein so your body is able to perform those tasks…

That’s why the biggest benefits you’ll enjoy when consuming protein powder are:

• Muscle Growth
• Muscle Retention
• Muscle Recovery

These are the three major benefits consuming protein powder will give you and your body. But to be able to enjoy these benefits, you will need to take protein powder while training properly, alongside a healthy diet and proper rest.

Creatine Benefits

Creatine is already found naturally in many different meats, and your body produces this naturally as well. When you take creatine, it aids your body’s process of creating ATP. This is a fuel source your body uses when contracting your muscles.

This form of energy is mainly used during short, high-intensity exercises…

Creatine allows your body to produce more ATP at a faster pace, resulting in better performance in the gym. You can notice a slight increase in endurance and possibly strength thanks to this process.

Just keep in mind that the bulk of creatine is stored within the cells of your muscles…

You’ll need to go through a loading phase for a few days and keep taking creatine daily to take advantage of this supplement to its fullest effect.

Why Mix Your Creatine And Protein Powder Together

There are several reasons why you may want to mix creatine with protein powder…

But the main reasons are going to be for taste, convenience, and consistency.

Below, I’ll talk about each of these reasons in greater detail…

Save Time And Convenience

Simply put, it’s just convenient to be able to take two supplements all at the same time. Since creatine and protein do not interfere with each other, they are great supplements to take together.

This makes it more convenient for you and can save you time from having to mix together a whole different drink.

Taste

Another reason is that it just tastes better. This is especially true if you’ve ordered unflavored creatine monohydrate powder. This powder is tasteless and can be hard to get down if you don’t mix it with something else.

You can obviously purchase creatine in a capsule form or a flavored version. But those supplements tend to cost more…

I’d suggest getting the unflavored version to get more for your money, and you can always just mix it with your protein to solve the taste issue.

Consistency

Last but not least, taking these two supplements together can help with consistency.

It’s great to build a habit, especially when it comes to creatine. You’ll need to take it daily to make use of its full effects. A great way to stay on top of this is by creating a habit of mixing it with your protein shake.

I recommend having a pre-workout meal and using your creatine mixed with protein at that time. It’ll help build a great habit and also a good way to fuel your upcoming workout.

Can You Put Creatine In Milk

If you want to learn more about this topic, then I suggest reading the post below:

Can you put creatine in milk with protein powder?

This post will teach you everything about that and a tip on how to deal with the mixability of this drink.

But the short answer is yes, you can absolutely mix the two together and get the benefit of both of the ingredients.

Final Thoughts On Mixing Creatine With Protein

And this wraps up my blog post about creatine and mixing it with your protein powder.

Now, you should understand that you can safely mix these two ingredients together. Your body will be able to utilize both, and they will not interfere with each other.

You should also understand that many people actually prefer mixing these two ingredients for the convenience, taste, and consistency it can provide them with.

I hope I was able to answer your question and that you found value in this post. If you have, all I asked you to do is please share this with someone else that you think may benefit from it as well!

Hopefully, I see you in another post!

The post Optimizing Gains: Should I Mix My Creatine With Protein? first appeared on RFKN Fit.

Natural bodybuilders take creatine for the performance benefits it gives them in the gym. Creatine is a natural substance found in many meats and produced naturally in the body. It can help improve high-intensity, short-burst-of-energy styles of training.

This is the reason why this supplement is so popular with not just bodybuilders but many other athletes all over the industry.

Below, I’ll cover why bodybuilders and other athletes would want to take creatine, what other supplements are great for bodybuilding, and whether or not you will still be considered a natural bodybuilder after taking creatine.

Why Natural Bodybuilders Would Want To Take Creatine

As I’ve said earlier, bodybuilders and athletes alike can benefit from taking creatine because it helps increase your performance in the gym and can help with strength and muscle gains. And here’s how…

Creatine helps increase your body’s ability to produce ATP. ATP is your body’s preferred energy source whenever doing short bursts of high-intensity exercise. This allows you to have an increase in endurance and performance during your training sessions.

Simply put…

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is used For muscle contraction…

And it is used whenever you need an intense amount of power or strength in a short amount of time. But it gets used up very quickly and your body needs time in order to create more of it.

Think of sprinting as fast as you can. You can sprint for a good 6-10 seconds, but eventually, you’ll slow down…

After a short rest, you’ll be able to sprint for another short burst. This is how ATP is used in your body.

So, when you take creatine, it helps increase and improve this process…

That’s why people claim creatine will help you perform better in the gym, and it helps improve your endurance in the gym. This is also why it’s so popular with bodybuilders, powerlifers, weightlifters, etc…

Their entire workout in the gym is about focusing on muscle contraction and short bursts of intense energy.

And if you can improve performance in the gym while improving your nutrition and recovery. Then that is the recipe for better fitness gains overall…

But creatine isn’t the only supplement bodybuilders like to use. So, let’s talk about the top supplements for natural bodybuilding…

Top Supplements Besides Creatine That’s Great For Natural Bodybuilding

In my opinion, there are 3 things you need to focus on as a natural bodybuilder in order to make the most progress in the gym. And those 3 things are training, nutrition, and recovery.

If any one of those aspects is out of whack, you can find yourself in a plateau and not making any progress at all…

You already know creatine can help you with training. It can help improve your workouts, help you with better endurance, and reduce fatigue in the gym.

But there are other supplements that can help with training, recovery, and nutrition as well. Below are my top 3 picks for the other supplements that can help you with your training, recovery, and nutrition.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is probably the building block of any supplement stack…

This supplement can help you hit your protein intake easily, which helps you with your muscle-building, recovery, and retention needs. I always recommend you get your protein sources from whole foods like chicken, steak, pork, etc.

But I understand this can be hard to do, which is why taking a protein supplement can be so convenient. And it’s so important to hit your protein goals while being on a cut or bulk in order to get results you can be proud of…

So make sure you use a good quality protein, and it doesn’t hurt to choose a product that tastes great, too!

My favorite protein has to be Gorilla Mind’s protein line. You can check the price on Amazon here.

You can’t go wrong with 25g of protein per serving and 30 servings per tub…

Pre-Workout

Pre-workout is not a necessary supplement. But it can help give you a boost of energy, focus, better pumps, and endurance in the gym.

I personally love taking pre-workouts with stimulants. But you want to be careful about this, especially if you have evening workouts. And if you’ve never taken pre workout before, then be sure to read this post on: what does pre-workout feel like.

You’ll learn what to expect and different types of pre-workouts you can use for different situations…

Also, there are pre-workouts on the market that already contain creatine monohydrate in them.

This saves you money from having to buy an additional supplement.

My favorite pre-workout with creatine is this one on Amazon.

ZMA

Last but not least is ZMA.

ZMA is great for bodybuilding because it helps with your sleep and recovery. The fastest way to plateau in the gym is by not having the right nutrition and not having proper sleep and recovery from your training sessions.

This is why I recommend ZMA to help you get a better night’s sleep.

And this concludes my list of other supplements that natural bodybuilders can use. All of these supplements are desinged to help with either your nutrition, training in the gym, or recovery.

Which are the most important things to optimize in your fitness journey to make the most of the work you are putting in!

Now let’s talk about a big question I always see being asked about supplements like creatine…

Can You Be Natural If You Take Creatine

Another common question I’ve seen being asked around a lot in forums and on social media is, “Are you still natural if you take creatine?”…

You are still considered a natural when taking creatine. It is an approved substance by the NSCA, the Olympics, and WADA (World Anti-doping Association) and is safe to use for all athletes in all types of sports.

That means you can still proudly wear your natty card. And if you want a deep dive into this subject, you can check out this blog post on: if you take creatine are you still natural?

Keep in mind there are always going to be those types of people who claim any type of supplement is not natural because they are not naturally found in nature.

Final Thoughts On Do Natural Bodybuilders Take Creatine

Now, you should understand the reasons why natural bodybuilders take creatine. It’s a great natural supplement that can improve endurance and performance during your training in the gym.

Not only is it a great supplement, but you don’t have to worry about losing your natty card when taking creatine…

Also, you’ve learned about the other 3 supplements natural bodybuilders can take to help with their nutrition, training, and recovery.

I hope I was able to answer all your questions in this post and provide you with some valuable information about creatine and natural bodybuilding.

Thanks for reading, and I wish you the best on your fitness journey!

The post Gains As A Natty: Do Natural Bodybuilders Take Creatine first appeared on RFKN Fit.

Mixing your creatine with milk and protein powder is a fast and convenient way to get your creatine in for the day. Mixing these ingredients together doesn’t affect your body’s ability to digest and absorb these ingredients.

There are many different types of creatine you can take. The most common and widely researched is creatine monohydrate. Most fitness enthusiast chooses to get an unflavored creatine monohydrate because they’re able to mix it with their other day-to-day drinks like protein shakes.

But there are a few things you should keep in mind when mixing creatine with milk and other ingredients…

And I’ll cover each of those things you should keep in mind down below.

Mixing Creatine With Milk

Creatine can be mixed with a wide variety of different liquids like water, juice, and, of course, milk. This is why unflavored creatine is a popular choice to purchase.

Mixing your creatine with milk will not affect the way your body digests and utilizes creatine. You will even get the added benefit of the additional protein in your milk, which can help with muscle growth and repair.

And creatine is such a versatile ingredient that many different products have started including creatine in them. You can find pre-workouts containing creatine, and you can even find energy drinks that include creatine in their list of ingredients.

But there is something you should keep in mind. Creatine monohydrate usually has a hard time fully dissolving in most liquids. So if you notice a grainy consistency at the bottom of your milk, chances are that it’s undissolved creatine.

So, you’ll want to make sure you shake your drink thoroughly before taking a sip to suspend the creatine within the liquid.

You may notice it less when you mix creatine in milk with your protein powder…

Is It OK To Put Creatine In Milk With Your Protein Powder

As you are probably already aware, it is perfectly fine to put creatine with your milk and protein shake. And from my personal experience, this actually the best way to drink.

As I’ve mentioned above. Creatine can have a hard time dissolving in any liquid. If you don’t believe me…

Try to mix creatine monohydrate with just water.

You’ll quickly realize that the creatine will start to accumulate and sit at the bottom of your cup. And the same thing happens whenever you mix creatine with other liquids.

But when you mix creatine with some protein powder, creatine tends to stay suspended in the drink a little longer. Which can help you get all the creatine in your system in one go…

And if you still have a bit of creatine at the bottom of your drink, you can always add a little more liquid, give it a nice shake, and then down it right after.

Will Creatine Dissolve In Milk

Now that you know that creatine monohydrate doesn’t dissolve well in milk and most other liquids. Let’s talk about how to make sure you’re getting all of it in when you do decide to mix it with your shakes and other liquids.

The best way I’ve found from personal experience is to give whatever drink you’ve mixed with your creatine a vigorous shake right before drinking. This will stir up any undissolved particles and suspend them in the liquid, which will allow you to consume them more easily.

And the worst case if you notice there is still a bunch of undissolved creatine at the bottom of your drink. You can add some more liquid, give it a quick shake, and drink the rest of it.

What’s The Preferred Way To Take Creatine

This is going to be all personal preference. But my preferred way to take creatine monohydrate is to purchase unflavored powdered creatine and just mix it with either my protein shake or pre-workout.

Some people like to purchase a flavored creatine product and sip on that instead…

There are also other forms of creatine you can choose, like capsules, that can make taking it a lot easier, and you don’t have to worry about leaving any undissolved powder in the bottom of your drink.

But honestly, it’s all up to you. I suggest choosing whatever method that is most convenient and easy for you to do.

Other Things You Can Mix With Protein Powder

Creatine isn’t the only supplement you can mix with other things and enjoy…

Protein powder is actually another supplement that can be mixed with a bunch of different things. This is great if you are tired of just drinking your plain old protein shake and want to mix things up a little bit.

Check out this post on what to mix with protein powder to spice up your gains.

You’ll learn about all the different ways that protein powder can be enjoyed in that post!

Final Thoughts On Putting Creatine In Milk With Protein Powder

This concludes my post about if you can add creatine to your milk and protein shake.

By now, you should understand that you can absolutely add creatine to your protein shake and enjoy all the benefits of creatine and protein powder at the same time.

Mixing these ingredients together will not affect your body’s ability to digest and use any of these ingredients…

And it’s a great idea to do so, too. You can make it a habit to take a morning protein shake with a scoop of creatine added to it. This ensures you start your day off right with a boost in your protein intake and lets you get your creatine in for the day.

Just keep in mind what I said about the issue creatine can have when trying to mix it with different liquids. It’s natural for there to be a little bit of undissolved creatine left in your shake.

Just be sure to shake your drink a bit before taking a sip to suspend the undissolved particles in your drink so you can easily consume it all.

And if there is still a lot left at the bottom of your drink, just fill it up with a little bit of liquid, give it a good shake, and drink the rest of it.

I hope that helps you out and I wish you all the best on your fitness journey!

The post Can You Put Creatine In Milk With Protein Powder first appeared on RFKN Fit.

You are still considered a natural lifter even if you are taking creatine as a supplement. Creatine is a widely used supplement within the fitness industry. And many fitness enthusiasts, from bodybuilders to professional athletes, make use of this supplement.

Creatine is a great supplement, and I personally use it every day. It’s one of the most widely studied supplements on the market and provides a lot of benefits for lifters and athletes alike.

Below, I’ll talk about a little more in detail about what is considered a natural lifter, what makes you natty, the benefits of creatine as a supplement, and how people still debate whether you are natural or not when you take this supplement.

Are You Still A Natural If You Take Creatine

Yes, you are still considered natural if you take creatine in the world of fitness. But there is still a debate that taking creatine as a supplement makes you not natural. (We’ll talk more about that debate down below.)

Creatine is a natural substance that is found in many different types of meat and produced by the body. Most people use creatine to help with short, high-intensity exercise like weightlifting and other sports.

You can safely take creatine and hold on to your natty card. Most, if not everyone, in the fitness industry will consider you a natural lifter and not enhanced.

But your maybe your mom and other people who are not really into fitness may consider you “not natural” since you are talking about a supplement. This is why some people argue if you are natural or not when taking supplements.

So what makes you a “natural lifter”…

What Makes You Natty

Natty is just slang for natural…

Within the world of bodybuilding and other athletic sports, there is always going to be a debate if someone is natty or not.

And fitness enthusiasts understand that supplementation like protein, pre-workout, creatine, vitamins, etc. are all still natural products. They help supplement a great diet, but they do not affect your hormones.

And that’s usually what people usually refer to as natural or not. Natural means you rely on your body’s natural production of hormones and are not taking any external hormones to give you a boost.

People in the fitness industry consider someone “not natural” or “enhanced” when they start to play around with taking products that increase or replace natural hormone production. Think of things like taking Testosterone and HGH.

Now that you know creatine won’t revoke access to your natty card, let’s talk about its benefits!

Creatine As A Supplement

Creatine is naturally occurring in the world. You can find it in all different types of meats. Foods with high protein like meats, seafood, animal milk, etc. And it is also produced naturally in your body.

It’s also one of the most widely and longest-studied supplements in the world. (1)

You can take it in powder, tablet, and capsule form. It’s commonly taken as a powder in the form of creatine monohydrate. There are other forms of creatine, but creatine monohydrate is the most studied and widely taken form in the industry.

Now let’s talk a little bit about what it does…

What Does It Do

And creatine is just another source of energy for your body to utilize during its workout. It really shines when you are doing something that requires a short burst of high-intensity energy.

How To Take It

It’s common to take around 5 grams of creatine a day to load and fill your cells with enough creatine that your body can benefit from. And you will want to make sure you take this supplement consistently every day whether you are training or have a rest day.

It’s pretty hard to get enough creatine that you will benefit from through food alone…

And this is the cause for so much debate among people outside of the fitness industry.

The Debate About Creatine: Natty or Not

Earlier in this post, you’ve learned that almost anyone in the fitness industry will consider you a natural when you take creatine…

But you may not get that same response from people outside of the fitness industry. People outside of the industry tend to consider any supplement “not natural” since you are not getting it through your diet alone.

Things like protein powders, creatine, and pre-workout can be seen as not natural. And they are “technically” right…

Protein powders and creatine are not natural products that are found in nature. But so is Capt. n Crunch and many other processed foods…

This is why there is still debate among people about whether creatine and other supplements make you natural or not.

As a fitness enthusiast myself, I consider these products to be natural, and anything that influences your natural hormone levels to be “not natural.”

Final Thoughts On Is Taking Creating Consider Natural

And this concludes my post on whether taking creatine makes you natural or not. I hope you found it educational and answered all your questions regarding whether taking creatine is still considered a natural lifter.

But remember…

Creatine is a great supplement that is well-researched and has many health benefits. And you will still be a natural even if you are using creatine as a supplement.

When you start to tread the waters of taking external hormones like testosterone, you will be considered not natural or “enhanced.

But if you’re just taking some protein, creatine, and some vitamins, you have nothing to worry about. You are still natural. Rest assured…

You can still hold on to that natty card.

The post Natty Dilemma: If You Take Creatine Are You Still Natural first appeared on RFKN Fit.

There are a few alternatives you can use instead of drinking traditional pre-workout. The most commonly used are coffee, tea, energy drinks, or nootropic supplements. Another good option is to fuel yourself with foods that give your body a boost of energy.

Whether you’ve just run out of pre-workout and are trying to find a quick alternative until you get your next batch in, or you’re looking for a natural alternative, I’ve got you covered.

Below, I’ll discuss what the are the different options you have when it comes to a pre-workout alternative and how they can benefit you in the gym.

What Can You Drink As A Pre Workout Alternative

There aren’t many things that will completely substitute a pre-workout supplement. Pre-workouts have ingredients designed to give you energy, focus, endurance, and pumps in the gym.

But there are a few drinks you can use to give you the same energy and focus, and you can pair that with some smart food choices to help with endurance and pumps in the gym.

And if you are trying to stay away from high stimulant pre-workouts for health reasons. You can always substitute a non-stim pre-workout instead. This will allow you to have the benefits of pre-workout while giving your body a break from the high stimulants.

But if you’re not staying away from stimulants and maybe you just ran out of pre-workout, then down below are a few drinks you can use as an alternative.

Coffee

The bulk of the energy and focus you feel from pre-workout is from caffeine.

And… a popular drink everyone loves that contains caffeine naturally is coffee.

This is why coffee is one of the most recommended and best alternatives out there for pre-workout.

One thing you want to keep in mind about drinking coffee as a pre-workout is you can easily start to add extra calories to your diet if you want a zero-calorie solution. Your best bet is to drink your coffee black.

This will ensure you are not adding any additional calories to your diet. Which is critical if you are cutting or have certain nutritional goals you are trying to hit.

Green Tea

Green tea is another great energy source. Tea contains some caffeine. Not as much as coffee does, and it is great for those looking for a calmer energy source. Or for those who are sensitive to caffeine and would rather have a drink with less caffeine content than coffee.

My favorite tea would be matcha. The bold, rich taste and smooth, calm energy do the trick. But you can always experiment with different types and flavors of tea.

And if you wanted to. You could make a mathca green tea protein shake to get the benefit of caffeine and protein at the same time!

Here’s a link to a vanilla match protein shake recipe.

Energy Drinks

Another option is to use energy drinks. Some pre-workout companies have actually started making energy drinks with similar ingredients to their pre-workouts.

This is a good option if you’ve just run out of pre-workout and are looking for a quick and easy fix until you get your next tub of pre-workout.

Nootropic Supplements

The top 3 drinks I’ve mentioned above revolve around caffeine powering through your workout. And some say this is great for energy, but it lacks the focus and mental clarity some seek.

If you find yourself in a similar boat. Then, you might want to try a nootropic supplement.

These are great to get your mind focused and dialed in. I personally use them when studying or while I’m writing these blog posts, and they definitely help my mind focus and stay sharp.

And there are all different types available. You can find some that contain caffeine as well and get the best of both worlds.

Non-Stim Pre Workout

Last but not least…

Is the option of a non-stimulant pre-workout? I’ve put this on the list because I don’t know if you are looking for a pre-workout alternative because you’ve run out or you just want to stay away from stimulants.

If staying away from stimulants is your goal, then you’re best alternative is going to be using a stim-free pre-workout. These are designed to help boost your performance in the gym without using stimulants to do so.

Now, let’s talk about energizing your body with food for your workouts!

Great Pre Workout Food Sources

Pre-workout is great to use here and there, but you should never have to feel like you need it in order to work. And I actually always recommend going on a 1-2 week detox of pre-workout after going through a tub.

I usually have deload weeks in my training, and I find this is the best time to stop taking pre-workout and any other stimulants, for that matter.

Your main focus should be getting proper rest, recovery, and fueling your body with food that gives you the energy you need to get through your tough workouts.

Below are good sources of carbs that can be eaten 1-2 hours before your workout to help fuel you through your workouts.

Honey

Honey can be eaten closer to your workout. It’s a great source of fast-digesting carbs and can give you a boost of energy. And if you are working out for extended periods of time in the gym. You can even use honey as fuel during your workouts.

You might see others doing the same thing with candy, like Sour Patch Kids, but it’s the same concept. (Eat fast-digesting carbs to give your body fuel.)

And here’s a post on can honey be used as your pre-workout if you want to learn more about this.

Oats

Oats are another good source of carbs. This is a popular breakfast option for those of you who like to work out first thing in the morning. Just be sure to give yourself and your body some time to digest before heading to the gym.

Also, it’s popular to make overnight oats with protein so you can have enough carbs and protein to help you fuel your workout.

Here’s a guide on adding protein powder to overnight oats if you want a more detailed explanation.

Fruit

Fruits are a great source of carbs. And if you are making overnight oats or oatmeal, it’s popular to add berries, bananas, or other fruits to it as well.

It’s a good blend of different types of carbs that can help fuel your entire workout and have you feeling on top of the world and ready to go.

Potatoes

Another great staple to pre-workout food is potatoes. Not only do they provide you with a good source of carbs, but they are also very filling and can help you stay satiated longer.

Lots of people like to go with sweet potatoes, but regular potatoes are great as well. Remember that you won’t want to eat this 10-20 minutes before your workout.

You’ll want to give your body some time to digest it and break it down to be used as fuel.

Conclusion To Pre-Workout Alternatives You Can Use

And that concludes my post on pre-workout alternatives. I hope I was able to answer your question and help you make a better decision.

And if you are in a pinch and just ran out of pre-workout. Then, a good alternative is coffee, tea, or an energy drink. You can also try taking a nootropic supplement if you are looking more for mental focus and clarity.

But if you want to stay away from stimulants altogether, your best bet is to either use non-stim pre-workouts… Or the best option is to get plenty of rest and recovery and eat good food that will give you the energy to fuel your workouts.

The post Pre-Workout Alternatives: What Can I Drink Instead Of Pre first appeared on RFKN Fit.