Irrespective of whether your train in the evening or the morning, there are certain measures one can take so as to ‘gear up’ for the trials ahead in the workout session!
Tip #1: Ingest a Combination of Whey Protein and Creatine
A study conducted at the Victoria University (in Australia) revealed that individuals consuming a supplement containing both whey protein and creatine immediately before and after a workout over the course of a ten-week period had augmented muscle mass by a staggering 87%. Moreover, a 27% increase in strength of the barbell squat, a 36% increase in strength of the barbell bench press, and a 25% in strength of the barbell deadlift occurred over this period. This is not counting the fact that there was a 3% decrease in body fat, a much better development as opposed to the group taking the supplement before breakfast, and before going to bed.
Tip #2: Change Your Repetition Speed
In a study also conducted in Australia, individuals executing repetitions at an extremely fast pace (one second on the concentric portion and an additional second on the eccentric portion) obtained more strength than individuals performing repetitions at a slower pace (three seconds on both segments of the repetition). On the other hand, the individuals executing repetitions at a slower pace attained a greater degree of muscle mass than the other group. Altering the time under tension from time to time can provide the best benefits from both worlds.
Tip #3: Make Use of Your Music-Playing Device
The Weider Research Group revealed a study that illustrated that individuals performing a shoulder training session were able to complete an average of one to two additional repetitions per set on all exercises while listening to their preferred music on a personal music-playing device. For an additional source of motivation, your favourite songs will serve this purpose extremely well!
Bibliography
- Baechle, Thomas R., and Roger W. Earle. NSCA Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 2nd Edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2008.
- Benardot, Dan. Advanced Sports Nutrition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006.
