Fitness
Is Pre-Workout Essential For Bodybuilding?
As a fitness trainer, I always get the same question from newbies at the gym – is pre-workout necessary? Over the past few years of being a trainer, I have seen the ups and downs of most newbie bodybuilders. Not everyone is successful and many of them simply quit even before achieving their goals. There are usually two primary reasons that newbies point out when they quit – (1) they are no longer motivated and (2) they feel pain.
Giving motivation and pep talk are among the many things trainers do in order to keep our trainees interested and excited to go to the gym on a regular basis. But independently, they are expected to their part in the process. Going to the gym three to five times a week isn’t enough to keep the muscles growing and the physique strong and energetic. There are other healthy practices that newbie bodybuilders should do on their own in order to sustain stamina and support their muscle development.
Going back to the issue of pre-workout, I always tell my trainees to keep pushing themselves to greater heights. What does that mean? It is simply adding aerobic and/or cardiovascular-friendly activities specifically at the start of the day to keep their energy levels flowing steadily. Having energy just for the sake of lifting weights at the gym is not a good sign. Energy should be produced at the start of the day to prevent sluggishness and that ‘lazy’ feeling throughout the day.
These are the specific responses I give to newbies whenever I’m asked about pre-workout:
Pre-workout, as a form of exercise can do more than just provide energy. If you want to awaken your senses and tight muscles, you can do brisk walking, stretching, jogging, boxing, and other non-lifting workouts in the morning. It can be as simple as walking your dog for fifteen to thirty minutes around your village. It can also be as energizing as doing laps in an Olympic-sized pool. Choosing simple exercises or other activities such as dancing, jumping rope, hula hooping, or climbing steps have their own aerobic and energy-boosting effects.
Pre-workout helps prevent muscle stiffness, spasms, and severe pain in the joints and other parts of the body as a result of lifting weights. Pre-workout exercises and activities loosen tight muscles after rest and sleep, enabling you to perform smoothly, without severe pains, and with much ease.
Supporting factors are proper diet and supplementation. Eating the right food, not skipping meals, eating breakfast before pre-workout exercise, and not starving on purpose are important to remember. There’s no room for starvation when you want to build muscles. The right way to furnish your body with nutrients is to eat nutritious food and stay away from junk.
The same goes for supplementation. Since food alone cannot provide every nutrient you need to build muscle, improve energy levels, and strengthen your body. The amounts of micro and macronutrients vary on every food item – may it be a vegetable, lean meat, or fruit. Supplements that are specifically made for bodybuilding also have nutrients specifically for pre-workouts. These elements usually have energy and stamina boosting properties to help you perform well at the gym. Muscle repair, recovery, and growth can also be achieved with the right pre-workout supplement.
So, as a bodybuilder I and a fitness trainer, I can assert to the truth that pre-workout activities and supplementation are vital to a bodybuilder’s fitness regimen. No matter how young or old you are, there’s always a reason to include pre-workouts in your daily activities. Some newbies and old-timers in my gym talk about supplements such as Jack3d. So, they buy Jack3d supplement to give it a try. I’ve given it a try and it works for me.