Top 5 Reasons To Use Creatine: Get The Results You're Looking For Faster Than Ever!

Here's how creatine, one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements on the market, can help you build more muscle and perform to your full potential.

Creatine is one of the least expensive muscle-building and sports performance supplements available, and also one of the most effective for bodybuilding. It can give you more energy, bigger muscle pumps, and can help you work out harder and more often so you can get better results from your training.

WHAT DOES CREATINE DO?

Creatine helps increase your ATP stores, or adrenaline triphosphate. ATP is the chemical form of energy that your body uses when you move. So basically, creatine helps you have more energy, especially for quick, intense movements.

Layne Norton explains more about the science in his article, "Creatine: Fact and Fiction."

IS CREATINE GOOD FOR YOU?

Creatine works by raising the levels of the chemicals that are present naturally in your body that help you create energy. As such, it has a number of potential benefits and has been shown through extensive clinical research to be safe, without adverse health risks.1

WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER TAKING CREATINE?

1. WORK OUT HARDER AND BUILD MORE MUSCLE MASS

Taking creatine will help to increase your overall workout intensity, which means you will achieve a higher level of muscle mass.2

The creatine will allow you to keep pushing hard in the gym at a time when you would usually have to decrease the load or stop entirely, so this helps in terms of building muscle faster.

Keep in mind that you will still need to push yourself with each and every session, and feed your body enough calories for the muscle mass to be built, but supplementing with creatine makes this very possible.

Individuals who struggle to maintain enough volume in their workout program will be the ones to really benefit from using creatine, so if that's you, don't overlook the impact this supplement can give you.

2. IMPROVE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

While you might not think of going to the gym as a sport, the fast, intense movements—especially if you're into powerlifting, CrossFit, or boot camp—work your body in ways similar to other athletes.

These types of activities will rely primarily on the CP-ATP system, so by ensuring your supply of creatine phosphate is fully stocked, you ensure you don't sputter out after a few sprints.3

To put this into perspective, a player in a game of hockey taking creatine would not only be able to go harder with each shift they're on the ice, but they'll be able to last through more shifts total throughout the game.

3. RECOVER BETTER SO YOU CAN TRAIN MORE OFTEN

Creatine allows you to train at a higher frequency, which means quicker and more significant muscular gains.

The more frequently you are able to stimulate a muscle, the faster it will grow—provided that it has had the opportunity to fully grow back after the first stress load that was placed upon it.

Since creatine helps increase the recovery rate of the muscle cells, you may not require as much total rest time in between workouts.4

So if you're someone who commonly takes a few days off between each full-body workout, using creatine may allow you to cut this down to just a single day between workouts. Over time, this will translate to more workouts and will make a difference on your results from month to month.

4. GET CRAZY HUGE MUSCLE PUMPS

While muscle pumps don't necessarily help you out physiologically in terms of building muscle mass, they will help with motivation levels.

What creatine does is increase the water volume in your body, since glycogen binds to water when it is stored, so you get a bigger pump.5 There's nothing like seeing a muscle grow at the end of a workout to motivate you to get back into the gym and do it again a day or two later. And this consistency in your training will further maximize your gains.

Usually you will see the highest muscle pumps when you initially begin taking creatine and are doing the loading phase (a small amount of bloating may be present as well), then it will level off as your body gets used to having creatine in the system.

5. INCREASE METABOLIC RATES WITH FASTER SPRINT PERFORMANCES

Creatine can help you increase your metabolic rate.6 This is good news if you're currently looking for fat-loss solutions, since how many calories you burn on a daily basis will have a significant impact on how quickly you see progress.

Since sprint cardio training is one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate, and sprinting relies strictly on ATP as a fuel source, supplementing with creatine allows you to have a better sprint performance during your weight-loss phase.

Additionally, lowering your carbohydrates while aiming for weight loss often results in lower levels of energy, making it harder to get through your typical interval sessions.

By adding creatine to your day you can help offset this fatigue so, at the very least, you can maintain what you would normally do while not on a fat-loss diet.

REFERENCES

1. Kreider, R. B., Kalman, D. S., Antonio, J., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Wildman, R., Collins, R., ... & Lopez, H. L. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 18.
2. Hoffman, J., Ratamess, N., Kang, J., Mangine, G., Faigenbaum, A., & Stout, J. (2006). Effect of creatine and beta-alanine supplementation on performance and endocrine responses in strength/power athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 16(4), 430-446.
3. Grindstaff, P. D., Kreider, R., Bishop, R., Wilson, M., Wood, L., Alexander, C., & Almada, A. (1997). Effects of creatine supplementation on repetitive sprint performance and body composition in competitive swimmers. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 7(4), 330-346.
4. Cooke, M. B., Rybalka, E., Williams, A. D., Cribb, P. J., & Hayes, A. (2009). Creatine supplementation enhances muscle force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 6(1), 13.
5. Ziegenfuss, T. N., Lowery, L. M., & Lemon, P. W. (1998). Acute fluid volume changes in men during three days of creatine supplementation. Journal of Exercise Physiology, 1(3), 1-9.
6. Whyte, L. J., Gill, J. M., & Cathcart, A. J. (2010). Effect of 2 weeks of sprint interval training on health-related outcomes in sedentary overweight/obese men. Metabolism, 59(10), 1421-1428.

Larissa Reis Diet Plan Workout Routine

Equipped with jaw dropping figure, Larissa Reis is a fitness model, fitness expert, nutritionist, certified PROPTA IFBB instructor, and owner of a healthy restaurant. Needless to say, we are totally stunned to see how one single woman can handle so many qualifications at the same time. Well, the athletic beauty with impeccable panache is actually multitasking. Larissa dishes out the secrets of her fitness and amazingly poised attitude, let’s have a look.

High Values

The Brazilian beauty shares that in her childhood itself, her parents inculcated in her the right and high values such as respect for hard work, inner strength, and loyalty. She bestows the entire credit of her ripped figure and positive outlook to her parents who had her focus on fitness and optimum health more than anything else. She contends that the manifestation of our ingrained desires and dreams lie in the efforts we put in them to have them come true. She states that her sculpted figure is totally the outcome of the persistent and relentless endeavors she put in her routine life. While being very disciplined and resolved, Larissa embraced balanced diet and regular workouts. She always kept a strong and watchful eye on her goals and with her patience and perseverance, she attained the most sought after athletic status.

Source of Motivation

Larissa refers to her fans and followers who always look up to her as an idol, as her biggest source of motivation. She adores photography and simply loves being photographed in the sultriest way. Besides that, she doesn’t step back from imparting the credit for her success in life to her sponsors namely Nutrex Research, Suits by Amy, and Better Bodies for they provided her the platform to prove herself. Apart from that, the love and support of her friends and family members constantly strengthen her. She deems it extremely important to be surrounded by positive people because when you are blissful, you reach one step closer to your objective. She recommends her fans, no matter what, never ever give up on your dreams because no obstacle, no opposition or whatsoever is bigger than your spark to win.

Five to Six Small Meals

To speed up the formation of lean muscles and to render right fuel to her worked out body; she eats five to six small meals in a day. She incorporates all the three macro nutrients namely complex carbs, lean protein, and healthy fats in proportionate amount in her meals.

Complex Carbs – Asparagus, green beans, broccoli etc.

Lean Protein – Chicken breast, lean turkey, tilapia etc.

Healthy Fats – Almonds, walnuts, fish oil etc.

Watchful Diet

Larissa steers clear from salty and sugary foods. She has nurtured some of the very wholesome habits such as she never adds extra salt in her meals. Also, she keeps her diet clean and renounces the consumption of carb containing foods especially in the evening hours. As for her cravings, she contends that if you make your meals delicious by mixing healthy ingredients, you are unlikely to be tempted by the desire to eat unwholesome foods.

Pre and Post Workout Snacks

Since pre and post workout snacks play imperative role in helping you suit the objective of sleek and curvy figure, Larissa consumes wholesome and nutrient dense snacks. Like every fitness enthusiast, Larissa too is prudent about the intake of supplements. She takes BCAA Drive and Defy as her pre workout supplements which foster muscle recovery process in her body. And supplements namely Hemo Rage Ultra Concentrate / Turbo Shots are used by her to boost her energy to perform workouts. When preparing for tough contests, she eats Lipo 6 UC, which keeps her in good mood and energized for the grueling workout sessions.

Thanks to these pre and post workout snacks such as half cup of roasted almonds, two scoops of muscle infusion, one serving of Creatine Drive with antioxidant Acai etc. that she gets needed boost in her strength, energy, and endurance. In addition to that, she ensures adding right ingredients in her snacks to make them even denser in taste and nutrients.

Involvement in Adventurous Activities

Larissa loves involving her in adventurous and exhilarating activities such as traveling, modeling, photography, surfing etc. These activities keep the spark up to do something great for herself alive in her. Besides that, they are conduit to her through which she strikes balance between her body and mind. It’s her inclination to sports since childhood that had her become brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In addition to that, she practices workouts while playing loud music. Music being equipped with incredible power to invigorate your mind boosts the flow of adrenaline in your body and speeds up the benefits of exercises.

Variety of Workouts

From the cut and high definition muscular figure of Larissa, it’s apparent that she executes plentiful of strength training workouts. She begins her exercises with running, jogging etc. which is followed by medium and low intensity workouts. That said, instead of solely relying on strength training, she also executes cardio workouts such as running on elliptical, treadmill, stair master, boxing etc. Cardio workouts rev up the activity of her heart and thus keep it in good health. Among sweaty and detoxifying workouts, the stunner is immensely influenced by hot yoga. The fitness icon indeed performs bountiful of workouts but still squats, glute kickbacks, tricep pushdowns etc. are her most beloved workouts. She works out using varied kinds of gym equipment and before her body reaches into comfort zone with any workout, she turns to higher weight, or advanced level workouts.

Allocated Workout Routine

Larissa works out six days in a week and devotes one complete day to rest. She has allocated her workout routine on the basis of muscle groups. She personally favors low intensity weights with elevated number of reps. That said, she reckons that we all have different bodies, so the outcomes too are likely to differ. You surely need to try and figure out what works out best for you.

ULISSES JR discover your routine of workouts, diet, supplements and more ...

Transformation story:

As a teenager I was very active playing sports but I never really paid much attention to my diet. I relied on my athleticism to keep me lean and ripped but in comparison to other teenagers in my age group I was always one of the smallest. My lack of size and strength is what made it hard for me to make any of the teams and this was a wake up call for me.

Age: 35
Height: 5’10” – 178 cm
Weight: 210 lbs – 95 kg

Were there any unique challenges or circumstances that made your transformation particularly difficult?

Yes, as a hardgainer my gains came slow. It was frustrating in the beginning but then I started reading about nutrition and supplementation to acquire the gains! I started to respect my nutrition and dedicated myself to be the best! Why do something if you’re not gonna be the best? What’s the point?

''I consider myself a natural born leader so I strive to be the best!''

What motivates you to keep going and push harder?

My motivation comes from many different sources. From within to be the best! From my family and friends who believe in what I do. Old school bodybuilders from the golden era and my fans who stay motivated by following my fitness journey.

What is your next goal? Where do you see yourself this time next year?

I’ve achieved everything I want in the bodybuilding/fitness industry. I’ve won over 10 bodybuilding shows, been in over 50 publications, trained countless of celebrities and I’m the PT Director of Reebok Sports Club. The best gym in Europe!

''My next goal is to motivate people on a mainstream commercial level. Most likely a TV show or acting in the near future.''

What is your current training philosophy?

My training is based around compound movements as my body responds best to these. I also add in super sets and drop sets to raise the heart rate and build endurance. Finally I always throw in a finisher to exhaust the muscle groups I’m training.

Full Routine:

Monday: Legs

• Barbell Squats 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Leg Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Calf Raises 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Leg Extensions 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Lying Leg Curls 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Stiff Leg Deadlifts 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Seated Calf Raises 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Finisher = Barbell Lunges 100 Reps

Tuesday: Back

• Barbell Deadlifts 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Weighted Pull-ups 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• One Arm DB Row 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Cable Rows 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Lat Pulldowns 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Back Hyper Extension 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Finisher = DB Pullover 100 Reps

Wednesday: Chest

• Incline Barbell Bench Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Bench Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Fly’s 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Decline Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Close Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Finisher = Cable Crossover 100 Reps

Thursday: Shoulders

• Military Shoulder Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Lateral Raise 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Arnold DB Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Front Raise 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Posterior Raise 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Shrugs 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Finisher = Upright Rows 100 Reps

Friday: Arms

• Barbell Curls 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Reverse Barbell Curls 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Close Grip Barbell Press 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• DB Hammer Curls 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Cable Tricep Extensions 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Preacher Ez Bar Curl 5 sets of 12-15 reps
• Body Weight Dips 5 sets
• Finisher = Lying Supinated DB Curls

Saturday: Wild Card Day!

• Pick a lagging body part and smash it again!

Sunday: Off Day

• I usually go to church with my protein shake in my hand

Favorite form of cardio?

I respond well to HIIT Cardio. I do 15 mins of it after my workouts. I did a DNAFit test recently and it showed that my body responded well from short bursts of explosive training.

List your cardio routine:

''15 mins HIIT Cardio session on the Treadmill or Stair Master. 1 min run & 1 min walk split. To increase intensity I reduce my rest time to 45 sec or 30 sec based on how I’m feeling.''

What is your approach to nutrition?

Nutrition is key! You cannot have a shredded aesthetic physique at this level without proper nutrition. For me “nature is nutrition” so I try to eat a lot of organic foods. I’m big on micro-nutrients, natural herbs and supplements. I stay lean year round. It’s better for me as I have appearances, photo shoots and tours every other month. I usually have a weight buffer zone that I stay within so I can diet down in a week or two if needed for an appearance.

Daily Diet:

• Meal 1: 40g Whey Isolate Protein and a cup of Green Tea
• Meal 2: 6 boiled Egg Whites, ½ a cup of Oatmeal, 1/2 a Grapefruit and 1 serving of BCAA’s
• Meal 3: 40g Whey Isolate Protein
• Meal 4: 6 oz. Chicken Breast and 1/2 a cup of Brown Rice
• Meal 5: 6 oz. Tuna, 2 cups of Spinach, 1 small Banana & Flaxseed Oil
• Meal 6: Post workout shake: 50g Whey Isolate, A serving of Vitargo, a serving of L-Glutamine, BCAA’s, Multi Vitamin & Vitamin C
• Meal 7: 6 oz. Tilapia, 2 Sweet Potatoes & 1 cup of spinach
• Meal 8: 2 scoops of Casein Protein, 1 serving of Fish Oil & a serving of Glutamine

What has been your biggest accomplishment in the fitness field?

I have so many to choose from but If can be sincerely honest, I’d have to say my fans & clients. The most satisfying feeling is to know that you can impact or change someone’s life by inspiring them to live a healthy lifestyle.

''o see the happiness in my clients face when they see progress with my diet and training plans is priceless.''

What are your best 3 tips for someone looking to reach their goal physique?

1. Visualization – Visualize the physique you want and set goals. Setting goals is the 1st step towards success!
2. Stay driven – Give 110% every time you walk into the gym. Consistency is vital so never give up!
3. Nutrition – Don’t disrespect your workout by eating junk! Stay true to your nutrition and maintain a balanced diet!

Favorite quote?

“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.” — Douglas Everett

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Jay Cutler’s Diet Chart, Workout Routine, and Bodybuilding Tips

Jay Cutler, born on 3 August 1973, is a legendary IFBB professional bodybuilder who has won four Mr. Olympia titles (2006-2007 and 2009-2010). The 42-year-old has dedicated his entire adulthood to bodybuilding, finding success as a professional competitor, an entrepreneur, as well as a proponent for the sport. He has built a lasting legacy on sacrifice, dedication, daily struggle, and hard work. Here is a great chance for all the fitness freaks to live, eat, and gain mass like a legend as we share Jay’s complete bodybuilding chart, diet, and supplement schedule.

Jay Cutler Diet Plan

Being a competitive bodybuilder, Jay has to eat a lot in order to get the adequate amount of calories. He backs up his regular hard training programs and workout schedules with several meals throughout the day. He consumes food on a consistent basis, and his daily calorie intake is around 4,700 calories. His regular diet consists of 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein, and the remaining 20 percent comprises fat. Jay Cutler’s diet is based on the following principles:

• Nutrition is crucial: Even if you train hard in the gym, the right measure of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats should be taken
• Add supplements to your diet: Protein powders, multivitamins, fat burners, and BCAAs help in achieving fitness goals fast
• Scheduling time for the meals: Building serious muscle requires ample calories. A professional bodybuilder or an athlete will have to devote 7-8 hours a day in preparing and taking meals
• Right macronutrient ratio: To grow or build muscle you need to maintain the right balance of macronutrients. Do not simply expect a protein-rich or a carb-rich diet to do the trick

Jay Cutler Diet Chart

• Meal 1: 2 whole eggs, 1 scoop of whey protein powder, 2 cups of egg whites, 2 slices of Ezekiel bread, 2 packs of oatmeal, 1 testosterone capsule
• Meal 2: 12 ounces chicken, 2 cups brown rice
• Pre-workout: 1 scoop of pre-training muscle building powder, 1 scoop of amino acid powder
• Intra-workout: 1 scoop of muscle enhancing powder
• Post-workout: 1 scoop of post-workout muscle building powder, 2 scoops of BCAA for workout recovery
• Meal 3: 3 scoops of whey protein powder, 60 ounces of Gatorade
• Meal 4: 14 ounces chicken, 12 ounces sweet potato
• Meal 5: 12 ounces chicken, 2 cups brown rice
• Meal 6: 6 ounces beef filet, 2 cups broccoli

Jay Cutler Workout Routine

Jay’s ripped body was not built on one fine day. It took over two decades of strenuous training and heavy lifting. Every time he trains at the gym, he does it with intensity, consistency, and attitude. He does not look to drop a weight until all the muscles are evenly exercised. There is no strict rule or restriction about the number of reps or sets. He concentrates more on the muscle groups that are not as dense or full, training his arms a little lightly while his legs and back are trained really hard.

Jay Cutler Body Statistics

• Height: 1.79 m (5’9”)
• Weight: 274 lbs (124 kg) in contests; 310 lbs (141 kg) offseason
• Chest: 58”
• Waist: 34”
• Thighs: 33”
• Biceps: 22”
• Calves: 20”

Jay Cutler Workout Schedule

• Monday (Chest Workouts; each workout with 3 sets, 10 reps, and 1 min rest): Leverage Incline Chest Press, Flat Bench Press, Dumbbell Flyes, Dips, Dumbbell Straight-Arm Pull-Over, Standing Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise
• Tuesday (Arm, Biceps, and Triceps Workouts; each with 3 sets, 10 reps, and 1 min rest): Rope Push-Down, Dips, French Press, Close-Grip Bench Press, Straight-Bar Push-Down, Barbell Curl, Preacher Curl, Dumbbell Curl, Hammer Curl, Reverse Curl
• Wednesday (Take rest)
• Thursday (Back Workouts): Reverse-Grip Pull-Down (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), One-Arm Dumbbell Row (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), T-Bar Row (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Bent-Over Barbell Row (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Seated Cable Row (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Deadlift (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Back Extensions (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min)
• Friday (Shoulder Workouts): Seated Side Dumbbell Lateral (sets: 6, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Dumbbell Press (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Barbell Front Raise (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Cable Lateral Raise (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Rear Dumbbell Lateral (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Rear Cable Lateral (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Dumbbell Shrug (sets: 6, reps: 10, rest: 1 min)
• Saturday (Leg Workouts): Lying Leg Curl (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Seated Leg Curl (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Single-Leg Curl (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Stiff-Legged Deadlift (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Leg Extension (sets: 2, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Leg Press (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Hack Squat (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Front Squat (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Lunge (sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 1 min), Leg Extension (sets: 4, reps: 10, rest: 1 min)
• Sunday (Rest Day)

When it comes to exercising, Jay does not always follow a set schedule. Like Jay, if you know what works the best, you can personalize your training sessions and exercise depending upon how your body feels.

Jay Cutler Bodybuilding Tips

• Scheduling adequate rest between workouts is important for boosting your volume
• If the muscle group is complex, it will require a diverse set of exercises
• You can add a variety of exercises and reduce the sets to have an impact on larger areas