Save money, get better results and increase your knowledge on supplementation by making your own pre workout supplement at home, it’s extremely easy… allow me to share with you how I’ve been making my own pre workout supplements that have assisted me in overcoming strength plateaus.
Simply purchase the essential ingredients listed below and mix them together in water. Consume 20 – 30 minutes before your workout.
Caffeine
200 – 350mg
Caffeine is a stimulant that increases muscle endurance & improves mental focus.
Beta Alanine
5g
Beta Alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid that reduces fatigue and induces a ‘tinging’ feeling.
Creatine
5g
Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most well researched and documented supplements on the planet, creatine is an amino acid that can assist us in increasing lean muscle mass and gaining strength.
Citrulline Malate
8g
Citrulline is an amino acid used to stimulate the production of Nitric Oxide which increases blood flow to the muscles resulting in that full, pumped feeling when lifting. Citrulline also has been proven to relieve muscular soreness and increase endurance.
2 - When It Comes to Protein Powder WPC Is Sufficient
If you want to pack on some lean muscle mass you're going to need protein - how you get this is up to you, as I lead a busy lifestyle getting in 200+ grams of protein from whole foods such as chicken breast, steak, eggs etc. is quite a struggle. Whey protein powder (WPC - whey protein concentrate) allows me to reach my daily macronutrient goals while I'm out and about kicking ass. At the end of the day your body, in terms of body composition - is only concerned regarding the macronutrients you're in taking. 100 grams of protein from whey protein powder will be absorbed and utilized in the same manner as 100 grams of protein derived from a boiled chicken breast.
When purchasing protein the key is to examine the macronutrient profile e.g.
How big is 1 scoop?
What percentage of this scoop is protein (80%, 90%?)
How many grams of protein are there per scoop?
How many grams of carbohydrates are there per scoop?
How many grams of fat are there per scoop?
Proprietary matrixes, whey protein isolate and blends of different forms of protein are all going to cost you more and will provide you with no additional (noticeable) benefits.
Stick with the basics (WPC) and don't allow yourself to get sucked in to the big advertising campaigns of the supplement giants.
3 - Oats, So Many Oats
My staple carbohydrate source on a budget.
A great complex carbohydrate that can be purchased in raw form (in which case you'll need to blend it) or already ground - if you're unable to access a blender or want a quick, convenient way to get some carbs in while you're on the go all you'll need is some whey protein concentrate powder and some ground oats!
Not only are they great for blending, you can also cook them up on the stove or in the microwave... adds some honey and cinnamon and you've got yourself a delicious porridge.
4 - The Blender Is A Great Way To Get In High Protein/High Calorie Meals
It's easy and inexpensive to get anywhere from 800 to 1500 calories in a blended meal.
Below you'll find a number of my go-to shake recipes, all of which contain affordable ingredients.
Bulking Shake Variation 1
2 scoops whey protein
1 cup oats
1 banana
1 tsp. peanut butter
Bulking Shake Variation 2
2 scoops whey
1 cup oats
Handful mixed berries
Bulking Shake Variation 3
2 scoops whey protein
Handful almonds
½ cup oatmeal
Skim milk
Honey
Bulking Shake Variation 4
1 scoop whey protein
1 cup oats
1 cup blueberries
Bulking Shake Variation 5
1 scoop whey protein
1 handful of almonds
1 tbsp. organic honey
Bulking Shake Variation 6
2 scoops whey protein
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup raspberries
1 handful almonds
1 tbsp. honey
Bulking Shake Variation 7
1 scoop whey protein
1 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
Bulking Shake Variation 8
2 scoops protein
2 tbsp. instant coffee
1/2 coat oats
1 banana
5 - Buy In Bulk
When it comes to key ingredients such as whey protein concentrate, oats, chicken breast etc. I highly recommend buying in bulk.
These aren't seasonal ingredients in your bodybuilding regime, these are your daily essentials. You're always going to need them so you may as well buy in bulk to get the best price possible.
If possible I recommend getting a chest style freezer for storing the meats you purchase in bulk as well as for storing your prepared meals.
6 - Meal Prep In Advance To Ensure You're Always Prepared (And You Don't Splurge On Cheat Meals!)
Prepare your meals in advance so you're never caught without a protein and carbohydrate source ready to eat.
When you've got your meals prepared you're going to be far less likely to splurge and buy a cheat meal (or a pre-packaged bodybuilding meal) while you're out and about.
While we're on this subject another tip is to ensure you never go to the grocery store to do your weekly food shopping while hungry.
Down a meal beforehand or drink one of the shake recipes I've listed above to ensure your hunger does not get the better of you and ruin your budget bodybuilding! I've made this mistake many times myself.
7 - If A Gym Membership Is Out Of Reach Bodyweight Will Do
I recommend prioritizing your gym membership ahead of the pre-workout supplement ingredients and whey protein concentrate listed above, but if for some reason you're unable to afford a gym membership whether it be permanently or for a short period of time you 100% can transform your physique using bodyweight exercises.
Hell, I personally think the wide grip pull-up is the #1 upper body exercise, and you don't need a gym membership or any fancy equipment to perform it.
Check out a program like Convict Conditioning if the gym is a no go, you'll be surprised at the results you can get using your bodyweight.
8 - Use A Food Scale
By weighing your food you're going to be ensuring you're not using more than you need.
A lot of guys just estimate how much chicken/fish/steak etc. that they have ready to prepare for each meal.
Quite often they estimate wrong.
If you only need 200 grams of chicken per meal and you're actually using 280 grams not only is your daily caloric intake going to be wrong you're also going to be spending more and using more ingredients than necessary.
Eliminate the guesswork and pick yourself up an inexpensive food scale, it'll pay dividends.
9 - Take A Multivitamin As An 'Insurance Policy'
I've always considered a multivitamin to be a great insurance policy against any shortcomings in our diet.
Particularly when bodybuilding on a budget the range of foods we're consuming is going to be fairly limited.
Sure, we're throwing berries, bananas and a few other things in our smoothies but there are without a doubt going to be vitamins and minerals that we are not getting enough of via diet alone.
This is where our insurancy policy comes in.
A basic multivitamin can assist in filling these gaps in our nutrition.
10 - When It Comes To Meat Buy What Is On Sale
Chicken, fish, steak, kangaroo, turkey... these are all fantastic lean sources of animal protein for our diet.
As such, I recommend interchanging based upon the meats you find that're on sale when doing your weekly food shopping.
This is a particularly important point if you do not have a chest freezer to store bulk frozen meat in.
Opt for what is on sale and alter the amount eaten per meal to hit your protein macronutrient target per day.