Some fitness dude once said to me, “summer bodies are made in the winter”. I then asked him, “Then are winter bodies are made in the summer?” He responded, “ What the hell is a winter body?” I said, “What the hell is a summer body?” His leer of pure discontent still haunts me to this day.  Semantics aside my muscle bound friend was right, being healthy and fit is a year round gig. Some calls that a lifestyle.  It may be hard to find the motivation for this transformation but lucky things like protein, pre-workouts, and some of my personal tips for motivation could help get you through it. 

PROTEIN

First things first, for the readers who do not know protein powders are not just for the juice heads anymore and they are not all created equal. I do suggest getting some protein powder if you are looking to do anything other than fast until you can see your cheekbones. WARNING: do not fast your body in an attempt to see cheekbones.

But getting back on track, protein is an essential macro nutrient to helping your muscles grow. For most looking to get in shape repetition exercises will be in our future. These exercise tear down the muscle tissue and so that it may rebuild better than before. Protein helps with this because your body needs protein to rebuild the muscle.

But be careful with which protein you buy. Some of the leading proteins are less than 60% protein despite leading consumers to believe it is 100%. Look for a protein that offers upwards of 75%+ with a simple ingredient list. So just because it is a big name does not mean it is also the best. Beware of spiking and fillers. Look for certifications right on the bottle. 

Lastly, try not to use protein powder as your predominant protein source. It is good to supplement to your protein needs, but not to be your only source of nutrition. Plus, eating whole protein packed foods, like chicken, your body will have to burn more calories processing the whole food then it will the protein shake.

TL;DR take protein for muscle building and recovery after doing exercise of any type. Don't skimp on price, do your research, and keep eating clean quality foods. Uprise Nutrition’s protein products are a great solution for your protein supplement needs. 

PRE-WORKOUTS

This little dynamo is meant to (among other things) ramp you up before a work out. Lack of motivation generally stems from a lack of energy. With the usual workday being right in the middle of the day, we are generally pushed to exercise prior to work in the early morning or to work out after work when we are already tired. Either way any one person is likely to be feeling drained before they even start strenuous exercise.  Thus, having this pick-me-up can be just the kick start you need to get rolling with your workout.

Look for a pre-workout that fits your desired outcome. Make sure they are using ingredients that make sense for you and your activity. The nutrition facts panel should not have hidden proprietary ingredient lists. Look for quality ingredents like 

L-Citruline-Malate
Agmatine Sulfate

As opposed to the cheaper less effective ingredients like

L-Arginine
Beta Alanine

Yes, Caffeine and Creatine are staples but a good pre-workout should know to include L-Theanine in the mix to really get the desired cognitive affects like the one in our RISE Pump.

TL;DR Need some motivation in a bottle? Look for a safe reliable pre-workout. No proprietary blends. Look at ingredients list and doses. 

MOTIVATIONAL TIPS

Most of us would like to be in better shape but have trouble staying focused and motivated. I have compiled a few tips that I use and work for me and I hope they can work for you.  

• Set a clear goal and measure it along the way. One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated is to see the gains in an objective sense. Weighing yourself is a great way to do this. Many say if you are weight lifting while dieting you will gain muscle while you lose fat but no one will gain muscle at the same rate you lose fat because building muscle is a much, much, much, slower process. So get on the scale once a day and weight yourself while keeping track of it over time. It will hold you accountable and let you see your results as you go. Fall off the wagon and you’ll see it, stay strict and you’ll see it as well.
  
  
• Plan your work and work your plan. Set out a clear schedule for yourself on when you can work out and when you can’t. In the beginning, lifting heavy everyday is ill advised. It will make you incredibly sore and give a feeling of being overwhelmed. So it is only natural to want to stop. But if you set up a 4 (maybe 5) day a week workout schedule and keep to it like it is a standing Monday morning meeting then you will be likely to keep going in your pursuit of fitness.
  
  
• Watch pump up videos from those you aspire to look like. Just about every athlete now-a-days has an inspiration video. Sometimes something as simple as watching one of these is enough to get you off the couch. I know it has worked for me on a couple of occasions.
  
  
• Most of all, keep in mind that you will inevitably improve with the right diet plan and exercise routine. It takes time and work to become great at something. If you are those among us who is just starting out, there will be people in the gym who are in way better shape than you. But you are still lapping those suckers on the couch.

That’s all I have for this go around. I will be sure to post again soon. If there is a topic you’d like to see covered feel free to let us know here.