The 2023 Mr. Olympia feels great about his road ahead for the 2024 bodybuilding season.
Many bodybuilders strive for the coveted X-frame physique with a small waist, broad shoulders, and well-developed quadriceps. Achieving this aesthetic not only showcases the fruits of their labor but also has the potential to secure titles. One movement that will be looking at today that helps build broad shoulders is the Smith machine press, which Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford uses in his shoulder training.
When building an X-frame physique, focusing on the shoulders is a fantastic starting point. However, with numerous workout routines available, selecting the right one to incorporate can take time and effort. Whichever routine you choose, make sure it provides a substantial pump. Recent research conducted in 2022 has established a direct correlation between pumps and muscle growth, highlighting that the greater the pump you experience after training, the more muscle growth you can expect to achieve (1).
In this post, we explore a variety of shoulder exercises from Mr. Olympia himself, Derek Lunsford. Lunsford gets a massive pump from these shoulder movements to develop that X frame physique.
Full Name: Derek Lunsford
Weight
Height
Date of Birth
225 – 240lbs
5’6”
05/14/1993
Division
Era
Nationality
Men’s 212, Men’s Open
2010s – Till Date
American
Derek Lunsford is already in training for the 2024 and is pumped about the new season.
“Let’s go 2024, new level baby next level 2024 starts now. I got DMX up in my head right now. The best is yet to come; I’m telling you, bro. I’m telling you, I’m feeling it dude another year training, another year committed, another year of discipline. I’m telling you something different is coming this year. Higher heights, new level, it’s not going to be the same.”
The champion recently shared a powerful five-move combo on his YouTube channel designed to target and develop his deltoids specifically. Let’s explore these exercises and his training routine for achieving impressive shoulder pumps.
Derek Lunsford’s Smith Machine Press & Shoulder Training
You can watch Derek Lunsford’s full shoulder workout below:
The 2023 Mr. Olympia starts with dynamic stretches and specific warmups for his training. His warmups included arm circles, shoulder stretches, bilateral machine lateral raises, and cable tricep pushdowns. Research on ten athletes shows a correlation between increased muscle performance after warming up (2). Here are the exercises that Derek Lunsford uses to build massive shoulder muscles.
Machine lateral raises target your medial delt. Using a machine keeps constant tension on your muscles, unlike with dumbbells, where the intensity changes through the degree of the movement. Doing this routine unilaterally can also help find and fix any muscle imbalances.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The following exercise in Lunsford’s workout was the dumbbell shoulder press. For this exercise, he put on elbow sleeves and worked with a spotter at some point. Lunsford did three sets of this exercise and stopped his movements before lockout to keep the tension in his muscles constant.
The main focus of dumbbell shoulder presses is your anterior delts. However, this movement also hits your other delts, triceps, and chest muscles.The dumbbell shoulder press is a compound exercise that can strengthen and build your upper body and physique when incorporated into your routine.
Smith Machine Shoulder Press
The Smith machine shoulder press was Lunsford’s next routine, and he did three sets. He increased the weight for each set and eventually needed some light spotting to finish his reps. Shoulder presses are a great compound exercise for building your shoulders. Doing this exercise on the Smith machine offers more stability than using dumbbells or barbells. This allows you to focus on your contractions and improve your mind-muscle connection, which could lead to more muscle growth.
After shoulder presses, Mr. Olympia went for the dumbbell rear delt fly. He did three sets of this routine but increased his rep range to 10-15. Lunsford also did two sets seated and one set in the standing position.
Dumbbell rear delt flyes work on your rear and lateral delts with support from your rhomboid and traps. The standing variation of this routine also engages leg muscles like your glutes and hamstrings for stability due to the hip hinge position. Doing dumbbell rear delt flyes also increases the strength of your shoulders and is an effective way to improve your posture.
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise
As his final shoulder movement, Derek Lunsford did standing dumbbell lateral raises. He did a drop set of this to burnout as a big finisher. This study on 16 men showed that compared to regular sets, a single drop set leads to more muscle hypertrophy(4).
The standing dumbbell lateral raise he rounded up with works on your lateral, front, and upper traps. However, gripping the dumbbells in your hands also recruits your wrist flexors. This exercise is a bodybuilding stable for crafting wide and well-rounded shoulders.
After this routine, Derek Lunsford states that everything is feeling pumped.
“It’s a good day today. Did some good pressing movements, hit the rear delts, hit the side delts. Everything feels pumped.”
Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
Andrade, D. C., Henriquez-Olguín, C., Beltrán, A. R., Ramírez, M. A., Labarca, C., Cornejo, M., Álvarez, C., & Ramírez-Campillo, R. (2015). Effects of general, specific and combined warm-up on explosive muscular performance. Biology of sport, 32(2), 123–128. https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1140426
Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021). Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 9(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020032
Fink, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Kikuchi, N., & Nakazato, K. (2018). Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 58(5), 597–605. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06838-4
The athletes who’ve built the best physiques without using PEDs.
Natural bodybuilding is about maximizing one’s genetic potential through dedicated training and nutrition protocols. In the pursuit of achieving a remarkable physique, a significant number of athletes have resorted to using steroids(1). These substances enable athletes to push their bodies to extreme limits and produce muscle growth faster. Leagues like the IFBB Pro League don’t test for steroids. On the contrary, natural bodybuilding leagues put their athletes through rigorous drug testing protocols. Let’s dive into the top 10 natural bodybuilders of all time and the ins and outs of natural bodybuilding.
Disclaimer: Generation Iron does not condone or endorse the use of illegal drugs. This article is to help educate on the basic information of what these drugs actually do and in no way is a recommendation or instruction guide on how to use the steroids mentioned within this article.
10 of the Best Natural Bodybuilders
Due to the lower popularity of natural bodybuilding, you might only know a few bodybuilders on this list. Plus, many bodybuilders who claim to be natty aren’t. Our list includes bodybuilders who have never failed a drug test and compete in the natural federation competitions. However, you may never entirely know if an athlete is 100% natty. Below is a list of the top 10 natural bodybuilders (in no particular order).
Eugen Sandow
We’re starting our list with the father of modern bodybuilding, Eugen Sandow. This is the athlete whose figure is awarded the coveted Mr. Olympia trophy. Since Sandow was born in 1867 and steroids gained traction in the 1950s, we can confidently say this legend was natty.
Ron Williams
Ron Williams is the most decorated natural bodybuilder and has won over 250 competitions, making him an easy entry for the list of best natural bodybuilders. This superstar was inducted into the International Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2008. He has 7 Mr. Natural Oympia titles, 7 Mr. Natural Universe Titles, and 7 Mr. Natural World Titles.
Jeff Seid is someone that many people would not expect to see on the list of best natural bodybuilders, as many say he is not natural. Seid is famous for his impressive physique and his feat of being the youngest IFBB Pro when he started at 19. Seid was an All-American wrestler before bodybuilding and stood at 6 feet tall.
Ulisses Williams Jr. is another decorated natural bodybuilding title holder, boasting wins in over 24 competitions, how could we not put him on the list of best natural bodybuilders? Williams Jr. is also known for his eight-pack, a deviation from the coveted 6-pack.
Rob Terry won the Natural Olympia in 2017 and 2018, making him a great candidate for the list of best natural bodybuilders. He stood 6’5” and was in the WWE and Impact before joining natural bodybuilding.
Derek Joe competed in his first-ever amateur bodybuilding competition in 2020. He went from that to winning the Natural Olympia Men’s Classic Physique Open in 2021, a tough battle, and the reason he made the list of best natural bodybuilders.
John Hansen is 5’5” and weighed over 200 pounds in his competing days. He won the first Natural Olympia and the Mr. Natural Universe title three times, which makes it almost inevitable that he makes the list of best natural bodybuilders.
Paul Krueger is a force to reckon with in natural bodybuilding. He shocked everyone by winning the 2021 Natural Olympia weeks after getting his pro card! However, you should know he was an amateur bodybuilder for 25 years before becoming a professional natural bodybuilder.
Meshack Ochieng is called the “Natural Ronnie Coleman” because you could easily mistake him for a non-natty athlete. However, Ochieng competes in the INBA and NANBF, which are very strict about their drug testing, and has won multiple natty competitions.
We left the most controversial for the last with Mike O’Hearn. As a four-time INBA Mr. Natural Universe who has never flunked a drug test, O’Hearn’s natty status can never quite be contested. However, you’ll find many articles and podcasts debating this, but Mike O’Hearn is still the best natural bodybuilder to us.
What Is Natural Bodybuilding
As the name suggests, natural bodybuilding is simply bodybuilding that is done without drug use. Natural bodybuilders, like bodybuilders in the IFBB Pro League, strive to obtain a shredded physique, except without the support of performance enhancers. As a result, they tend to be smaller than their juiced-up counterparts.
That said, not all bodybuilders admit to the use of steroids. Many claim to be natty, as many people consider steroid use as cheating. To set their athletes apart, natural bodybuilding leagues such as the INBA PNBA do multiple drug tests throughout the year and have a list of prohibited substances.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Natural Bodybuilding
Most people start building their muscles naturally before choosing to take performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). However, many bodybuilders, especially those who compete in natural bodybuilding leagues, decide to stay natty. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of natural bodybuilding to help you determine if it fits your goals.
Advantages
Safer
Performance-enhancing drugs come with side effects that can be negatively life-altering. Some include hair loss, hormonal issues, depression, and heart failure.As a natural bodybuilder, you don’t have to unduly worry about these side effects as those drugs won’t be in your system.
Better for Longevity
Another advantage of not worrying about the above side effects is longevity. Lifting weights naturally is excellent for your health and well-being. Without the extra damage from drugs, you stand a good chance of living a long and healthy life.
More Pocket Friendly
Bodybuilding can be very expensive. You must eat a healthy diet, pay for a gym membership, and take quality supplements in addition to all the costs of preparing for a show, like travel costs. Adding steroids to that cost can add up, as the quality options are costly. Natural bodybuilding relieves you of that extra financial stress.
The Best for Your Pride & Self-Image
The satisfaction comes with knowing that you worked hard and pushed yourself to your limits to get your muscles. Bodybuilders who take steroids and lie about it end up living a double life, which can be stressful mentally. Natty bodybuilders have the peace of mind from knowing they are credible and made this happen themselves without any help from drugs.
Disadvantages
Lots of Testing
Being a natural bodybuilder comes with year-round and consistent testing. Most natural bodybuilders also bear the costs of these tests, which can be expensive in the long run. There’s also the stress of false positives and the cumbersome appeal process to rectify this mistake.
Smaller Recognition
Natural bodybuilders get a small fraction of the massive fan love that other bodybuilders get. This can be a tough pill to swallow, leading many to give up. Media coverage for natural bodybuilding is also not as impressive as many prefer the mass monster look that athletes in the IFBB Pro League have.
Limitations
While you can be a pro-natural bodybuilder, your body will not be able to outperform other bodybuilders since there’s no way a natty can keep up with PED users in the bodybuilding sphere.
Lower Compensation
Due to lower fan and media involvement, natural bodybuilding pays less. Prize money from competitions is less, and the sponsored deals have a smaller payout. This is why many people approach bodybuilding as a hobby and have other jobs to fund their lifestyle.
Slower Progress
Watching your steroid-using counterparts make it far faster can be discouraging. Building muscle and strength is hard and can take a while. This could lead to frustration for the natty bodybuilder.
Differences Between Natural Bodybuilding & Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is about lifting weights to achieve muscle hypertrophy and growth. The goal is to look as big and shredded as proportionally possible. Bodybuilders who use performance-enhancing drugs have a higher strength threshold and can lift more for longer, leading to more muscle growth. This study confirms the relationship between weight, volume, and muscle growth (2). In addition, anabolic steroids cause an anabolic chain in the body that yields more muscle growth as well.
To differentiate between categories, natural bodybuilding competitions have an extensive list of what is forbidden for natural bodybuilding. Taking any of the following affects your natty status:
Some competitions also include CBD and natural test boosters
Competitions for Natural Bodybuilders
The most prominent natural bodybuilding regulating organizations are the International Natural Bodybuilding Association and Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA/PNBA), the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF), and the American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (ANBF). They all work with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and their banned substance list.
Pursuing natural bodybuilding is a captivating journey that many embark on but few complete. Despite its relatively modest financial and fame rewards compared to its counterpart, it offers a healthier approach and arguably commands greater respect to achieve their physiques without the helping hand of PEDs. Explore the profiles of some remarkable natty bodybuilders we have curated, and delve further into the world of natural bodybuilding below:
Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897
Pre-workout is a great supplement, but can be difficult for women to find a good one
Pre-workout is a popular supplement amongst gym-goers and athletes of all experience levels. As a great source of fuel for that pre-workout boost, it is no wonder why people gravitate to this supplement in droves. While many pre-workout supplements are geared towards men, there are certain things to look for in a pre-workout for female bodybuilders and athletes that will really improve gains.
Whether it is certain ingredients or the way the formula is designed in terms of dosing, companies have begun expanding their product lines to include pre-workouts geared towards women in efforts to really maximize their overall training and performance from a pre-workout supplement. That being said, when choosing a pre-workout supplement, or any supplement for that matter, it is important to know the source of the ingredients. While companies work hard to produce the highest quality supplements with clean and effective ingredients, be aware of labels and the true transparency of them all that may hide things like proprietary blends and artificial flavors that can hurt your nutrition goals.
Supplements like pre-workout are safe for use and can really work to your advantage, as long as the honesty and transparency shows through. With many pre-workouts containing high amounts of a stimulant, that energy boost you seek is not far away. But thankfully for those sensitive to stimulants, companies have begun to create stimulant-free options so you can get the same benefits but with no caffeine, and you don’t have to worry about jitters or crashing.
For female bodybuilders, knowing what pre-workout can do for you is important to you training and performance, but also your health and wellness. Staying healthy is key and that should reflect in your supplements as well. Let’s take a look at the benefits, ingredients, and top things to look for in a pre-workout so you can truly be stage ready when that big competition rolls around.
Benefits Of Pre-Workout For Women For Huge Growth & Gains
The benefits of pre-workout for women go far beyond what could happen without using pre-workout for exercise performance. Such benefits include:
Increased energy: That much desired energy boost will work to get you going so your workouts can go for longer with more intensity.
Promote blood flow & muscle pumps: With increased blood flow to your muscles, you will give them the chance to grow so you see worthwhile muscle growth along with a protein product for a good muscle pump (1).
Raise heart rate: By increasing your heart, you build that endurance capacity as well as start to burn fat and get your metabolism going for changes in body composition.
Enhance focus: Be alert and focused for whatever workout comes your way no matter the intensity.
Important Ingredients To Look For In Pre-Workout For Women
Caffeine For Energy Boosts
A natural stimulant, caffeine is an essential ingredient in most pre-workout products. It will enhance focus and start to raise alertness, as well as increase your heart rate for your desired amount of energy levels for high intensity with the right amount of caffeine while being transparent for the intended effect without the crash (2).
Creatine For Strength & Power
Known to increase mass and power, creatine is a great ingredient in pre-workout, or as a stand alone supplement. As an important part of energy production in your cells, creatine is safe, well researched, and highly effective supplement per serving to increase muscle mass and muscle strength enhancing exercise (3).
Beta Alanine To Fight Fatigue
An amino acid, this works to improve performance and increase energy as well for high quality workouts. The best benefit is that it will fight muscle fatigue to keep you pushing harder for longer, more intense workouts from dietary supplements for boosting and motivation which is what you want.
Nitrosigine For Optimal Delivery
Increasing blood flow by stimulating nitric oxide and allowing for greater oxygen and nutrient delivery during exercise for the best gains in strength, recovery, and essential nutrition.
Teacrine For Mental Clarity
Works to increase mental clarity, boost energy, and increase mood and motivation. This will give you a sense of purpose in the gym so your workouts are structured and your mission for gains is clear (4).
Adaptogens To Help With Stress
Plant based compounds, they will help adapt your body to stress so you don’t feel fatigue or the strain of your workouts. Working to improve cognition as well, your focus and energy will be there to support any workout slump.
Who Should Use Pre-Workout & When Should You Use It
Pre-workout can be used by anyone and should be used by those looking to enhance their muscle pumps and energy levels before workouts. Anyone from beginners to more advanced athletes can benefit from this. Regarding female bodybuilders, pre-workout is perfect as you look to lean out and put on lean muscle so that shredded physique really becomes reality. For those with busy schedules, pre-workout is great for it will give you that boost to actually get you to the gym and get grinding with help from natural workout supplements for women to aid with their muscles and growth.
It is important to look at the labels of each product for they will tell you how to most effectively use these supplements per serving. Typically pre-workout should be consumed 20-30 minutes before your workout. This allows your body to take in the ingredients and nutrients and start working for your benefit so by the time you hit the gym, you are fired up and ready to go. The label should tell you how much to take and how to use most effectively for optimal gains, especially if it is a high quality nutrition product.
Best Pre-Workout for Female Bodybuilders
Now, with all of that being said, what is our favorite pre-workout for female bodybuilders?
Nutricost’s Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout is designed to be an effective product that can help enhance energy, focus, and endurance during exercise, while not draining your funds. Pre-X Extreme is available in several flavors, such as fruit punch, blue raspberry, grape, and peach mango. Nutricost’s Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout aims to provide a delicious and effective solution for those looking to elevate their workout sessions with better focus, more energy, and some quality muscle pumps.
It includes some quality beta alanine, caffeine, and l-citrulline, amongst other ingredients. At a price of $34.16 for a container of 60 servings, you cannot beat it.
While pre-workout grows in popularity, companies are forced to adapt to the needs of athletes and the market. Many companies are now being more honest with their supplements because they know athletes only want the best for their body and training. For female bodybuilders, pre-workout has the ability to really enhance your workout so you see nothing but great gains. The benefits, ingredients, and safety of using it are all important when it comes to your bodybuilding goals and should never be overlooked. Check out some great pre-workouts and see what this supplement can do for you. With the right workout supplements for women, these can be extremely beneficial for active women and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Kedia, A.; Hofheins, Jennifer; Habowski, Scott; Ferrando, Arny (2014). “Effects of a Pre-workout Supplement on Lean Mass, Muscular Performance, Subjective Workout Experience and Biomarkers of Safety”. (source)
McLellan, Tom; Caldwell, John; Lieberman, Harris (2016). “A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance”. (source)
Kreider, Richard B. (2003). “Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations”. (source)
Bello, Marissa; Walker, Alan; McFadden, Bridget; Sanders, David; et al. (2019). “The effects of TeaCrine and caffeine on endurance and cognitive performance during a simulated match in high-level soccer players”. (source)
Matt McLaughlin was victorious during the 1992 NPC Teen National Championships.
Former NPC champion Matt McLaughlin has passed away. The news was shared by longtime friend Kevin Mcgaunn, on Facebook.
Mcgaunn, along with many other friends and fans, shared tributes to McLaughlin on social media:
“My heart is heavy as I share the news that my dear friend Matt McLaughlin has passed away today. It is with deep sadness that I write this to let our friends know of his passing. Matt was a generous, and caring person who touched the lives of many. He will be greatly missed and remembered with love and respect. Please keep his family in your thoughts during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Matt.”
Matt McLaughlin enjoyed a brief but successful career on the bodybuilding stage. This started at a young age as he was able to build an impressive physique during his teen years and turn it into victories on stage.
Matt McLaughlin’s Competition History
Matt McLaughlin’s biggest victory of his career came in 1992 when he was crowned NPC Teen National Champion. This would be the first of multiple championships at the NPC level.
In 1993, McLaughlin competed in the Light-Heavyweight division and won first place at the NPC North American Championships. He eventually made his way up to the Heavyweight division before he stopped competing in 2001.
1991
New England Championships – NPC, Teen LightWeight, 1st
Teen Nationals – NPC, MiddleWeight, 3rd
1992
Teen Nationals – NPC, Overall Winner
Teen Nationals – NPC, MiddleWeight, 1st
1993
North American Championships – IFBB, Light-HeavyWeight, 1st
Generation Iron sends condolences to family and friends during this time. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Jay Cutler looks to maintain muscle growth in his arms now that he’s in his 50s.
Besides being a four-time Mr. Olympia champion, Jay Cutler also holds the most runner-up titles, coming in second six times. Notably, he stands alone as the sole Mr. Olympia to reclaim his title after relinquishing it. At over 50, Cutler continues to train rigorously and maintain his physical fitness through challenges like the renowned “Fit for 50.” Jay Cutler frequently shares his training routines, and during this off-season, we were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of his arm workout, including rope cable extensions.
Full Name: Jason Isaac Cutler (Jay Cutler)
Weight
Height
Date of Birth
265 – 275 lbs
5’9”
08/03/1973
Division
Era
Nationality
Men’s Open
1990s-20120s
American
Cutler’s video on his YouTube channel also revealed his pre-training breakfast, including eggs, Ezekiel bread, cottage cheese, and a refreshing cup of coffee. Let’s dive into the remarkable arm workout routines and invaluable tips he shared without further ado.
Jay Cutler Off-Season Arm Workout
Below is the arm workout video Jay Cutler uploaded to his YouTube channel:
Cutler takes a pre-workout to get started and shares that he aims to train with a little lower volume than usual to avoid overtraining, as he doesn’t take off days during the week. Jay Cutler also says that he doesn’t train to failure for the same reasons and that training for him at this point is mostly about maintaining muscle.
Cutler says he gets the most growth out of his arms when he trains triceps and biceps on the same day. On a typical arm day, he starts with the triceps and then does the biceps, aiming to hit nine sets per body part by doing three movements for the tris and three for the bis. However, Cutler adds one extra exercise for each part during the training. Here are the exercises he does.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Rope Cable Extensions
3
12-15
Machine Triceps Dips
3
12-15
Incline Bench Overhead Triceps Extensions
3
12-15
Cable Pushdowns
2
12-15
Machine Biceps Curls
3
12-15
Alternating J Bell Curls
3
8-12
Machine Preacher Curls
4
12-15
Barbell Curls
1
12
Rope Cable Extensions
Jay Cutler started his arm day workout with cable rope extensions on the cable machine. He first did a warmup set and then hit three working sets. While doing this, Cutler also talked about taking 45-60 seconds of rest between sets. This falls well within the range research shows is beneficial for muscle hypertrophy(1). Cable rope extensions isolate and focus on your triceps while recruiting stabilizing muscles like the lats, abs, glutes, pecs, and traps.
Machine Triceps Dips
Next, Jay Cutler moved to the next triceps exercise, machine triceps dips. He did one warmup set and then increased the weight a bit before hitting three sets of 12-15 reps. Cutler grips the handle in the middle and shares that he does this routine facing away from the machine to focus on the contractions. Triceps dips primarily work your triceps while building your shoulders and chest muscles(2).
Incline Bench Overhead Triceps Extensions
Next, Jay Cutler did an overhead triceps extension with a dumbbell on an incline bench. He started this routine with a 70-pound dumbbell and then used 80-pound dumbbells. Cutler increased the bench incline’s angle after the first set. Overhead triceps extensions target all three heads of the triceps (3).
After the third exercise for his triceps, Jay Cutler decided to throw in one last triceps movement by doing the cable pushdown. This time, he used the lat pulldown attachment rather than a rope. Cutler did two sets of this exercise before moving to the first biceps training for this video. The cable pushdown is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps and forearm flexors.
Machine Bicep Curls
For his first biceps exercise, Jay Cutler did machine bicep curls. He started with a warmup set of 20 reps before doing three working sets of 12-15 reps. Machine biceps curls work on your biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis extensors while recruiting your delts to stabilize the exercise.
Alternating J Bell Curls
Jay Cutler did alternating curls with J bells as his second biceps routine. Using J bells for this exercise helps to give maximum stability and control due to the design. Cutler did three sets of 8-12 reps before moving to the next exercise. Alternating J bell curls work on your biceps, triceps, and shoulders. They also help to improve your grip strength.
Machine Preacher Curls
Jay Cutler jumped on another machine to train his biceps; this time, he did machine preacher curls. This exercise is effective because of the way that the preacher bench isolates and builds your biceps. Due to the machine, Jay Cutler applied a narrow grip, which hits your muscles differently. After doing his initial three sets, Jay Cutler added an extra set because the exercise felt good to him.
Barbell Curls
Finally, Jay Cutler did barbell curls to round up his biceps routine and arm training for the video. He hit a single set of 12 reps before calling it a day and heading out. The barbell curl is an isolation exercise that builds your biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis.
More Bodybuilding Workouts
For more bodybuilding workouts, check out some of our other athlete workouts below:
de Salles, B. F., Simão, R., Miranda, F., Novaes, J.daS., Lemos, A., & Willardson, J. M. (2009). Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 39(9), 765–777. https://doi.org/10.2165/11315230-000000000-00000
McKenzie, A., Crowley-McHattan, Z., Meir, R., Whitting, J., & Volschenk, W. (2022). Bench, Bar, and Ring Dips: Do Kinematics and Muscle Activity Differ?. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(20), 13211. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013211
Alves, D., Matta, T., & Oliveira, L. (2018). Effect of shoulder position on triceps brachii heads activity in dumbbell elbow extension exercises. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 58(9), 1247–1252. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06849-9
Seth Feroce spoke on two of the young up-and-comers in the sport of bodybuilding.
There are always eyes on the next group of up-and-comers in the sport of bodybuilding. This has included Sam Sulekand Anton Ratushnyiover the last year. The question is, has one proved better than the other? Seth Feroce recently spoke on both bodybuilders.
Ratushnyibecame the youngest competitor to earn his Pro Card after winning the division title during the NPC Nationals over the weekend. The NPC National Championships was held in January and this is where Ratushnyi impressed in Classic Physique. This is one of the biggest amateur competitions of the year and Ratushnyi impressed with his aesthetically-pleasing physique.
Sam Sulek has made waves on social media, gaining millions of followers in a short amount of time. At just 21 years old, he has created a massive physique and many have taken notice around the world. One major difference is that Sulek has not competed to this point.
“Whenever you say who is the better bodybuilder, obviously Anton is the better competitive bodybuilder because Sam has never competed.”
Feroce went into more detail about these two bodybuilders on his YouTube page.
Anton_swl Instagram
Seth Feroce Talks Sam Sulek vs. Anton Ratushnyi
Anton Ratushnyi has impressed at the incredible age of 19. Seth Feroce highlighted that not only has he competed, but he has won at every level. Now, he can become a star in Classic Physique.
“The only, the .01 percent is people like f*cking Anton.
The dude is on a status, Anton personally, I think he’s going to be tp five at Mr. Olympia in the next two or three years. I think with his mentality and the people he’s surrounding himself with. Dude is a freak. Youngest Classic Pro ever. One of the youngest bodybuilders ever.”
Ratushnyi has had the luxury of competing at such a young age and earning his Pro Card. Sulek has not competed but Feroce knows how big his star is at the moment.
“Anton has been everywhere since he won his Pro Card but Sam is everywhere…You can’t not be a Sam Sulek fan because he seems like a great kid.”
Sam Sulek has received harsh criticism at times because of his diet plan and methods of training. Seth Feroce does not believe this is an issue because of what bodybuilding is.
“Him [Sulek] being on a ton of sh*t and not telling anybody what he’s on, the kid is 21 years old. I’ll start there but at the end of the day, this is bodybuilding.
All those things about Sam being like ‘oh, his diet is horrible. He’s taking so much gear. He trains like a moron.’ Who gives a f*ck? This is bodybuilding so whenever you’re on stage, nobody knows how much you f*cking bench pressed.”
The major issues are within a person’s physique and not the training. That is their business behind closed doors and it is about what is brought to stage. This is what Feroce focused on.
“His flaws from a bodybuilding standpoint, his lower body doesn’t match his upper body. His legs are lacking in comparison from the front and from behind.
I think his legs can be better but he’s 21. Your legs are not developed fully at that age.”
Both Anton Ratushnyi and Sam Sulek have gained plenty of attention at a very young age and that is not going to change moving forward.
Get the most out of your health and wellness with a great multivitamin.
Bodybuilders often find it difficult to consume the optimum levels of vitamins and minerals that they need to be in peak shape from their diet alone. This becomes even harder to do in times where you are cutting to lose fat or lowering your caloric intake in order to prep for a competition, or just get shredded for summer. Thankfully, the best way to handle this problem is with a multivitamin supplement, a great tool to pump you with those valuable vitamins and minerals so you only see the best gains.
While it is always better to get your nutrients from whole food meals, giving yourself a fighting chance by taking a multivitamin supplement will help you meet your daily needs and is a great way to ensure you don’t become deficient in anything. It can be easy to miss a meal or simply skip one because you think you are fine. But you aren’t just missing a meal. You are missing the opportunity for all those nutrients that you need most to stay healthy inside and out of the gym.
We’ve put together a bodybuilders buying guide to multivitamin supplements so you can better tackle all of those nutrient needs. Knowing what to look for and how best to find it can be a great way to see all those gains you need most. Plus, it alleviates the headache for you trying to figure out exactly what you need.
Benefits Of Taking Multivitamins As A Bodybuilder
By taking a multivitamin as a bodybuilder, you will work to provide yourself with numerous benefits. Everything from maximizing training and performance, to enhance energy levels, to staying healthier overall will all be improved as you pump your body with those valuable nutrients. Benefits of taking a multivitamin as a bodybuilder include:
Maintain muscle: Work to keep on that hard earned muscle to improve training, performance, and your shredded aesthetic.
Assist with a healthy diet: Get those essential nutrients into your body that you may miss with whole foods.
Boost energy: Allow yourself the proper energy to reduce fatigue without the need for stimulants.
What Should I Look For In A Bodybuilding Multivitamin?
So now you have a good idea of some of the most important vitamins that you should look for inside your multivitamin, what else should you be considering when deciding on a product?
Well, the first thing you should look for is the range of micronutrients in the products. Ideally, you will find one that covers all 25+ of the essentials that your body needs. This means that you will be meeting every nutrient need that your body has. A lot of those vitamins actually work really well together, and in synergy, they prove even more useful than they do on their own.
Next, you should look if there are any interesting additional ingredients not found in other products. Other supplements like creatine or Omega-3s could be a nice addition and could help sway your decision. Plus, you want to make sure the essentials are included or else it just wouldn’t be worth it.
Finally, consider the brand and its reputation. You want to be sure the people you are buying from are looking out for your best interest. Price and price per serving can affect this greatly and knowing you aren’t spending a fortune on a worthless product is important.
Key Vitamins & Minerals You Want
There is a range of different nutrients that your body needs. Here are the most useful ones that you should not miss out on if you want to really give yourself a solid baseline to perform from. The best multivitamins for bodybuilding should include:
B-Vitamins
There are eight different vitamins inside the B-Complex:
B1 – thiamin
B2 – riboflavin
B3 – niacin
B5 – pantothenic acid
B6 – pyridoxine
B5 – pantothenic acid
B6 – pyridoxine
B7 – biotin
B9 – folic acid
B12 – cobalamin
These vitamins are vital for aiding tissue repairs and for turning your carbohydrates into energy. They also help deliver oxygen to the muscles in use throughout your body and protect your central nervous system (1). B-Vitamins are perhaps the most important out of all of the vitamins for these reasons.
If you are a vegan, you are particularly at risk of having low levels of B12 and B6 due to the fact that these vitamins are normally found inside dairy and meat products. This means it is more important for vegans to ensure that they are getting the right levels of B-vitamins. A multivitamin is a great way to do this.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a very strong antioxidant and can massively bolster your immune system (2). If you are working out hard and causing stress to your muscles, vitamin c is extremely important as it helps keep your tissue and joints in good condition.
Vitamin D
Most people obtain the majority of their Vitamin-D from the sun. It increases your energy levels, reduces inflammation of the muscles (3), and is key to keeping the calcium levels of your bones at a high level in order to keep them strong.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another vitamin that protects your immune system. This is due to its high antioxidant properties. It also ensures that your arteries and skin stay healthy.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays an extremely crucial role in delivering oxygenated blood to muscles. Without adequate levels of magnesium, you will be susceptible to cramps and low endurance levels. It also aids your brain in regulating metabolism and hormone levels (4).
Calcium
Calcium helps your body keep its bones strong and healthy. It also boosts metabolism and promotes a healthy hormone balance.
Zinc
Zinc boosts muscle repair, boosts your immune system, and keeps testosterone levels and production where they should be (5).
Electrolytes
You lose huge amounts of electrolytes through your sweat when you work out hard. This makes replenishing them very important. Sodium, potassium, and chloride all regulate blood pressure and pH levels and will stop you from cramping.
Of course, there are others, but these are some key ones to look for as they will greatly assist with all areas of you training, health, and performance.
When Is Best to Take Multivitamins
We often get asked when the best time to take a multivitamin is. There isn’t a real answer here, either. There are arguments for and against taking your vitamins on an empty stomach, for example. Yes, they may absorb faster, but for some people, they may cause discomfort, and for those people, it is better to take your multivitamin with a meal. If you really struggle with pills, you might want to look at getting a chewable gummy vitamin or a powder that you can mix into water.
Recommended Daily Allowance
Another thing you should look at is how high the individual ingredients score is compared to the RDA. Sometimes products can be really expensive as they contain 300–500 percent of your RDA for a certain mineral. Obviously, this is pointless and is a waste of your money.
The same could be true if the product contains ingredients that are very low compared to your RDA; there is no point if all of the ingredients are under 20-30% of your RDA after all.
Multivitamins Effectiveness & Overall Worth
Your body requires nearly 30 different vitamins and minerals in order to run at optimum levels. Every single one has a role in your body’s functions. If you stick to a routine and take your multivitamin every single day, you will see a massive improvement if you are normally deficient in certain vitamins.
Remember, however, that taking multivitamins is a way to enhance your diet, not replace it. Don’t think that just because you are taking a multivitamin, that you can eat unhealthily. Multivitamins are especially useful for those with joint and muscle pains as they include huge levels of antioxidants that can lower inflammation in those problem areas.
Multivitamins Side Effects & Risks
For the majority of people, multivitamins are perfectly safe to take. There are those out there that have a particularly sensitive stomach, however, and for these, there may be some discomfort or nausea, especially if taken without food.
The only time when vitamins can become dangerous is if they are taken in a dosage way higher than the recommended one. Always take the recommended dosage on the bottle to avoid this. You should also be wary of mixing multivitamins with medication such as Ad-cal or other concentrated vitamin medications.
If you take any prescription medicines, ask your doctor if it’s safe to take a multivitamin.
Best Multivitamin For Bodybuilding
There are more multivitamins on the market then you can count and finding one that is worth the money and that comes highly recommended is hard. But they are out there and we have a great choice for you. The best bodybuilding multivitamin will provide for all the above benefits and then some as you seek the best for your gains.
Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Multivitamin is an ultra-potent supplement for those looking to optimize their health. With 22 active ingredients, this will pump you with vital nutrients with easy absorption.
Take two capsules twice per day with or without food.
Transparent Labs WellnessSeries Multivitamin is an ultra-potent multivitamin supplement for both men and women with an advanced formula to ensure your body gets all of the essential micronutrients. Created from bioavailable forms of key vitamins and minerals, it also ensures easy absorption of these key nutrients. From top to bottom, WellnessSeries Multivitamin will support your overall wellness and is iron-free for ease on the stomach.
Ingredients and Key Benefits
Transparent Labs Multivitamin has a load of great ingredients in it, such as vitamin A, B, D, C, and E, amongst others. The key benefits include:
No excreting vitamins, no yellow urine – Transparent Labs Multivitamin provides natural-identical vitamins and minerals your body actually uses.
Fuel your body for performance – Specifically delivers the nutritional needs for men, so you can perform at your best.
Optimal dosages of vitamins and minerals – Contains over 20 essential daily vitamins + minerals with whole-food cofactors in scientifically-proven dosages.
Pros
Contains a diverse group of vitamins to cover your overall health
When it comes to your bodybuilding goals, it can be challenging to optimize all that hard work, but the help of other supplements can be a game changer for all your needs. For those looking to optimize growth and recovery, definitely consider a protein powder for this will pump you with that valuable protein for only the best gains.
Creatine can increase strength and size while also improving blood flow so you only get the best out of every workout. And for those looking to increase their energy levels and provide for muscle pumps, a pre-workoutis exactly what you need for that pre-workout success.
Wrap Up
Hopefully, this complete bodybuilders buying guide to multivitamins answered any questions you have about multivitamins. Multivitamins are the perfect tool to help you bridge the gap that you cannot quite reach by diet alone. If you are struggling to eat a balanced and varied diet that contains all of the minerals and vitamins that you need, then a good multivitamin could be the answer to your problems.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Baltrusch, S. (2021). “The Role of Neurotropic B Vitamins in Nerve Regeneration”. (source)
Carr, A.; et al. (2017). “Vitamin C and Immune Function”. (source)
Mousa, A.; et al. (2016). “Effect of vitamin D supplementation on inflammation: protocol for a systematic review”. (source)
Vormann, J. (2003). “Magnesium: nutrition and metabolism”. (source)
Prasad, A.; et al. (1996). “Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults”. (source)
Tinggi, U. (2008). “Selenium: its role as antioxidant in human health”. (source)
Big Ramy could be working his way back and making improvements needed.
Big Ramyhas been one of the top bodybuilders in the world over the last three years but it has certainly been a roller coaster. The former two-time Olympia champion has not competed since Arnold Classic and there is no plan to return as of now. As he continues to improve his physique, Ramy’s coach shared a big-time back update.
Ramy is a two-time Olympia champion (2020, 2021) who was thought to be a threat at the title once again in 2022. Instead, Ramy regressed and finished fifth. He made a quick return to the stage and competed at the Arnold Classic but did not impress once again, finishing fourth. Ramy ultimately decided that he was going to take some time off and opted out of the Olympia.
Following his performance in Columbus back in March, Ramy expressed that he was not interested in taking time off. This tune certainly changed and the former champ has focused on making the necessary improvements to his physique. Now, he has clearly done that and it will be interesting to see when he returns.
Big Ramy’s Massive Back Update
Big Ramy’s coach shared a post to Instagram on Sunday showing off an insane back shot of the former champion. This photo has caused a buzz around bodybuilding and makes fans wonder when Ramy could be returning to the stage.
Siddique Farooqui of RXMuscle caught up with Big Ramy during the 2023 Dubai Pro on Saturday where the two were also able to have a conversation about the near future of the bodybuilder.
““I HAVE TO BE SMART TO KNOW THE BEST TIME FOR ME TO BE ON STAGE AND THE BEST TIME FOR ME TO STOP A LITTLE BIT, THINK THIS YEAR, I HAVE TO GET A BREAK FROM THE SHOW AND IF I HAVE THE CHANCE TO BRING A BETTER VERSION OF MYSELF AND I CAN BRING SOMETHING DIFFEREnt.”
Ramy’s plan is to improve and get back to his winning ways on stage. It is clear that the has been doing just that and has made great strides.
Let’s break down why Transparent Labs LEAN is one of our favorite pre-workouts.
About Transparent Labs
Transparent Labs prides themselves on transparency and their firm commitment to honest labels and accurate results. With no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, LEAN contains clean ingredients at clinically effective doses. This means no hidden formulas and inferior ingredients.
Each and every Transparent Labs product is manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility in Utah that is certified current good manufacturing processes (CGMP) and registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Each product batch is third-party tested to ensure safe, high quality products to make your buying experience as easy as possible. Making the smart choice can be difficult, but knowing where the product comes from and what’s inside will ensure you make the best decision for your health and fitness.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is perfect for those looking to target stubborn belly fat while still maintaining that hard-earned lean muscle. For those looking to slim down and lose weight, look no further than this great pre-workout with quality ingredients at effective dosages.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN Pre-Workout has 21 active ingredients designed to provide a high-intensity pre-workout experience, while at the same time working to ensure fat loss without draining your energy. With no added colored dyes, fillers, or harmful additives, you can be sure that great taste is coming from natural flavors with help from stevia giving you a sugar-free, vegan friendly pre-workout.
While Transparent Labs’ other pre-workout BULK is designed for bodybuilders and gym-goers to help pack on muscle, enhance blood flow and muscle pumps, and increase strength, LEAN is for those seeking to lose stubborn fat while focusing on the production of lean muscle mass. With their potent Fat Burning and Thyroid Support complex, this pre-workout will show progress in fat loss without destroying those gains in the gym.
Ingredients
Citrulline Malate: Citrulline Malate is the most active ingredient in LEAN and is a staple in pre-workout supplements. It has a great effect on improving strength and muscle endurance (1). Chosen over L-arginine for being more effective, it can enhance the use of leucine (2), a branch chain amino acid, during exercise allowing for a more positive workout. It also has the ability to aid in fatigue and performance during high-interval training, thus improving an athlete’s performance overall (3).
Betaine: Betaine can trigger muscle growth without the presence of testosterone resulting in increased power, as well as reducing fatigue so as to not disrupt an athlete’s endurance during a workout (4). As a result of this increase in power and reduced fatigue, the total number of reps, as well as weight lifted, increases providing a very advantageous supplement for muscle growth (5).
BCAA 2:1:1: Branch chain amino acids help trigger muscle protein synthesis and the ratio refers to the amount of each amino acid. In LEAN, every 1,000mg of leucine is matched by 500mg of both isoleucine and valine. Leucine is known to be a strong activator of mTOR, the gene responsible for protein synthesis, and has been found to increase strength and performance (6), as well as prevent the deterioration of lean muscle. Isoleucine and valine work to also promote muscle growth and gives the metabolism a boost to assist with energy.
Beta-Alanine: Often overlooked in other pre-workouts, LEAN incorporates Beta-Alanine for a variety of reasons. It has been shown to increase carnosine levels which can quickly become depleted in workouts (7). During high-intensity training, carnosine helps you to reach peak performance. Beta-alanine will also reduce fatigue and aid in lean muscle mass (8).
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine: L-tyrosine will focus more on your energy and awareness to ensure a good quality workout the entire time. It can reduce the effects of stress and offer greater mental focus (9), as well as improve memory and performance giving you much needed mental assistance.
Other Ingredients
While the ingredients listed above are a large bulk of what LEAN consists of, other ingredients are present, including: choline bitartrate, L-theanine, caffeine anhydrous, mucuna pruriens, L-norvaline, synephrine, hordenine, BioPerine, chromium, zinc, and guggulsterones. Controlled for quality, all are beneficial to aid in muscle growth, metabolic boosts, energy, and cognitive function.
Many of these additional ingredients aid in your physical growth like choline bitartrate, mucuna pruriens, synephrine, hordenine, and chromium. They all work to promote healthy testosterone levels, increase metabolic rate and energy, and suppress hunger cravings to avoid snacking and keep you full longer in order keep you working out longer and more efficiently (10, 11).
Providing cognitive function and increasing performance, ingredients like L-theanine and caffeine can boost reaction time and attention and boost effort to get more reps and a better, longer-lasting workout (12).
Price and Flavors
LEAN offers many clean ingredients with a boat-load of benefits, but matches it all with a variety of flavors at a fairly decent price point. Flavors include:
Strawberry Lemonade
Orange
Blue Raspberry
Sour Grape
Green Apple
Tropical Punch
With 30 servings per container with each 1 lbs. tub, LEAN costs $49 making this a reasonably affordable and healthy pre-workout to add to your exercise and dietary regiment.
Overall Value
Transparent Labs LEAN pre-workout is a great choice to add to your shelf for a number of reasons. The transparent label from a company that prides themselves on transparency offers excellent ingredients with no added sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives. What you are really buying is a product that will give you a high-intensity workout for those focusing on fat loss while also seeking to keep on that lean muscle. With great flavors at an affordable price, LEAN is exactly what you need to bring your workouts to the next level.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Transparent Labs and Hafthor Bjornsson
Resources
Perez-Guisado, Joaquin; Jakeman, Philip M. (2010). “Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness”. (source)
Sureda, Antoni; Cordova, Alfredo; Ferrer, Miguel D.; Perez, Gerardo; Tur, Josep A.; Pons, Antoni (2010). “L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise”. (source)
Takeda, Kohei; Machida, Masanao; Kohara, Akiko; Omi, Naomi; Takemasa, Tohru (2011). “Effects of citrulline supplementation on fatigue and exercise performance in mice”. (source)
Cholewa, Jason M.; Wyszczelska-Rokiel, Monika; Glowacki, Rafal; Jakubowski, Hieronim; Matthews, Tracey; Wood, Richard; Craig, Stuart AS.; Paolone, Vincent (2013). “Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone”. (source)
Trepanowski, John F.; Farney, Tyler M.; McCarthy, Cameron G.; Schilling, Brian K.; Craig, Stuart A.; Bloomer, Richard J. (2011). “The effects of chronic betaine supplementation on exercise performance, skeletal muscle oxygen saturation and associated biochemical parameters in resistance trained men”. (source)
Mero, A. (1999). “Leucine supplementation and intensive training”. (source)
Culbertson, Julie Y.; Kreider, Richard B.; Greenwood, Mike; Cooke, Matthew (2010). “Effects of Beta-Alanine on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance Performance: A Review of the Current Literature”. (source)
Smith, Abbie E.; Walter, Ashley A.; Graef, Jennifer L.; Kendall, Kristina L.; Moon, Jordan R.; Lockwood, Christopher M.; Fukuda, David H.; Beck, Travis W.; Cramer, Joel T.; Stout, Jeffrey R. (2009). “Effects of beta-alanine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on endurance performance and body composition in men; a double-blind trial”. (source)
Neri, D.F.; Wiegmann, D.; Stanny, R. R.; Shappell, S. A., McCardie, A.; McKay, D. L. (1995). “The effects of tyrosine on cognitive performance during extended wakefulness”. (source)
Shukla, Kamla Kant; Mahdi, Abbas Ali; Ahmad, Mohammad Kaleem; Jaiswar, Shyam Pyari; Shankwar, Satya Narain; Tiwari, Sarvada Chandra (2010). “Mucuna pruriens Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Semen in Infertile Men”. (source)
Gutierrez-Hellin, Jorge; Del Coso, Juan (2018). Effects of p-Synephrine and Caffeine Ingestion on Substrate Oxidation during Exercise”. (source)
Hidese, Shinsuke; Ogawa, Shintaro; Ota, Miho; Ishida, Ikki; Yasukawa, Zenta; Ozeki, Makoto; Kunugi, Hiroshi (2019). “Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial”. (source)
These pre-workouts will work to boost feminine energy, focus, vitality, and weight loss during high-intensity training.
Pre-workout is an incredibly popular workout supplement for women to boost feminine vitality, focus, energy, and weight loss while increasing blood flow to provide for some serious muscle pumps during high-intensity training. While we all work out and seek a great physique, having supplements to assist us can prove to be worth our while in the long run. As a great source of fuel for all your pre-workout needs, it is no wonder why so many female athletes and gym-goers have gravitated towards high-quality pre-workout supplements.
For high level female athletes and bodybuilders, it is important to find the right supplement to enhance all gains to burn fat and allow for an awesome workout to boost both training and performance, as well as feminine vitality and muscle growth for the best pumps. It is equally important to have a safe, natural product that can support term training programs.
We’ve put together a list of the Best Women’s Pre-Workout Supplements so active females, athletes, bodybuilders, and gym folks can all benefit from these great products. Once you start using one of these, you won’t be disappointed by the results.
When looking for the best pre-workout for women, it is possible to get the best out of your supplement. With great ingredients, a powerful formula, and a team dedicated to the specific needs of women, your pre-workout goals have arrived.
Fruit punch, blue raspberry, grape, and peach mango
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 16-24 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
Nutricost’s Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout is a pre-workout that is designed to enhance energy, focus, and endurance during exercise, without draining your bank account. It is available in several flavors, such as fruit punch, blue raspberry, grape, and peach mango, and mixes well in your shaker cup. Nutricost’s Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout aims to provide a delicious and effective solution for those looking to elevate their workout sessions with better focus, more energy, and some quality muscle pumps.
Pros
Clean and effective pre-workout made with natural flavors
Great benefits to strength, speed, stamina, endurance, and recovery
Great price
From a reputable and honest company
Cons
Is cheaper in price, so people automatically assume it is cheaper in ingredients, so they ignore it
You want your pre-workout to promote as much strength as possible. With key ingredients properly dosed to fuel your muscles, your strength goals can greatly improve.
Pre Lab Pro is the all-around pre-workout for strength, speed, stamina, endurance, and recovery. Nootropic-enhanced caffeine for energy, focus, and calm intensity ensures fast and healthy progress.
Mix 1 scoop with 12 oz. water and drink 30 minutes before exercise.
Pre Lab Pro is the next-gen pre-workout formula designed for all-around strength, speed, stamina, endurance, and recovery. Using nootropic-enhanced caffeine, this provides for smart stimulation for energy, focus, and calm intensity. This revolutionary design targets three key pathways that work in synergy to supercharge workout performance, promote health balance, and accelerate your overall progress. Using premium ingredients, Pre Lab Pro works to optimize the safety and effectiveness of this product so you only see those gains you want most. Promoting a wide range of benefits towards your fitness goals, you can work towards fast and healthy progress with Pre Lab Pro.
Pros
Clean and effective pre-workout made with natural flavors
Great benefits to strength, speed, stamina, endurance, and recovery
Stimulants can cause unwanted jitters that you just don’t want or need. By working with a stim-free pre-workout, you still get all the benefits without the need for stimulants.
Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
The Nutricost Stim-Free Pre-Workout is our top choice of stim-free pre-workout, as it comes in a convenient 30-serving container, designed for users who want to avoid the stimulating effects of caffeine or other stimulants, all for a very fair price. Aimed at providing a balanced and jitter-free boost, the formula focuses on key ingredients to enhance energy, endurance, and mental clarity during workouts.
Pre-workout can aid in weight loss as well by giving you great energy to really attack any workout. Even as you put on muscle, it possible to see those weight loss goals become reality.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is perfect for those looking to target stubborn belly fat while still maintaining that hard-earned lean muscle. For those looking to slim down and lose weight, look no further than this great pre-workout with quality ingredients at effective dosages.
Sour Grape, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
The perfect supplement for cutting and providing some of the best pumps, Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is great for those looking to target stubborn fat while keeping on that lean muscle with a focus on feminine vitality. LEAN contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 2,500 mg of betaine, 2,000 mg of BCAAs, 1,500 mg of beta-alanine, and 600 mg of L-tyrosine to improve strength and muscle endurance, increase blood flow and nitric oxide levels, reduce fatigue, and improve memory. LEAN is great for those looking to burn fat and encourage weight loss without losing that hard work done in the gym through your exercise performance from a great pre-workout powder with ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine to boost muscle growth.
Pros
Well-dosed and third party tested
All-natural ingredients
Good for cutting and increasing strength and power
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available directly from their site
Does not have the greatest ingredients for fat loss
Creatine can aid in strength building and endurance boosting goals. But even a pre-workout without it can be effective and greatly influence all areas of your growth.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged SPORT is a great pre-workout for those looking to boost energy, endurance, focus, and hydration. With clean ingredients and no artificial flavors, this pre-workout is great for hard training athletes.
Mix 1 scoop with 8-12 ounces of water, 20-30 minutes before your workout.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged Sport is that perfect pre-workout for anyone looking to enhance athletic performance with the perfect balance of feminine energy, endurance, focus, and hydration for feminine vitality and the best pumps. This stellar pre-workout delivers sooth, clean energy to provide for a host of great benefits to your high-intensity training and muscle growth while still being free of creatine. With no artificial flavors or colors, this is a clean pre-workout to still offer amazing results. This finely tuned blend of ingredients is the perfect ratio for hard-training athletes and high-intensity lifters to power performance and muscle growth to the next level.
Pros
No creatine for those looking for none
Clean, smooth energy
Great for high-intensity training
Good flavors
Cons
No creatine for those looking for it
Does contain sucralose
Price: $19.99
Use code GENIRON10 to save 10%!
Best Clean Ingredients
Clean ingredients are essential because you deserve to put only the best into your body. By working with a pre-workout that only uses the best, your gains are sure to increase greatly.
Fruit punch, blue raspberry, grape, and peach mango
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 16-24 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
Nutricost’s Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout makes the list again, as it is designed to enhance energy, focus, and endurance during exercise. It is available in several flavors, such as fruit punch, blue raspberry, grape, and peach mango. Nutricost’s Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout aims to provide a delicious and effective solution for those looking to elevate their workout sessions with better focus, more energy, and some quality muscle pumps, all without breaking the bank.
Pros
Clean and effective pre-workout made with natural flavors
Great benefits to strength, speed, stamina, endurance, and recovery
Great price
From a reputable and honest company
Cons
Is cheaper in price, so people automatically assume it is cheaper in ingredients, so they ignore it
Those looking for those vital energy boosts need the best around. With top tier ingredients, a pre-workout designed for energy can give you everything you want and then some.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged is great for those looking to increase performance and intensity with a high-quality pre-workout. Great ingredients and a quality blend make this unstoppable for your pre-workouts needs.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged is unmatched in terms of ingredient quality and synthesis of the blend of proteins for high-intensity training and feminine vitality with some of the best pumps. Kaged Muscle lab tests every batch to make sure each is fully loaded as advertised — 274 mg pure caffeine, 2 g taurine, 6.5 g fermented BCAAs, 6.5 g pure l-citrulline, and 2 g of their patented betapower blend. It’s an unbeatable combination that is guaranteed to supercharge any workout with great pre-workout ingredients from supplements to increase muscle and promote weight loss and burn fat.
Pros
Contains BCAAs and has well-dosed ingredients
No artificial colors or flavors
Great taste
Cons
A bit expensive
Does contains sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener
Caffeine content may be high for those sensitive
Price: $39.99
Use code GENIRON10 to save 10%! Check out our individual review for Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged here!
Best For Cutting & Toning
We all want that desired physique to unfold and cutting and toning is essential. Using a pre-workout that can help with this will prove most effective as we seek that shredded aesthetic.
Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is perfect for those looking to target stubborn belly fat while still maintaining that hard-earned lean muscle. For those looking to slim down and lose weight, look no further than this great pre-workout with quality ingredients at effective dosages.
Sour Grape, Orange, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Strawberry Lemonade
Best Way To Take
Mix 1 scoop with 12-16 fl. oz. of water 20-30 minutes before your workout.
The perfect supplement for cutting, Transparent Labs PreSeries LEAN is great for those looking to burn fat while keeping on that lean muscle growth, as well as enhancing feminine vitality. LEAN contains 6,000 mg of citrulline malate, 2,500 mg of betaine, 2,000 mg of BCAA, 1,500 mg of beta-alanine, and 600 mg of L-tyrosine to improve strength and muscle endurance, increase blood flow and nitric oxide levels, reduce fatigue, and improve memory. LEAN is great for those looking to slim down and encourage weight loss without losing that hard work done in the gym through your exercise performance from a great pre-workout powder with ingredients like citrulline malate and betaine.
Pros
Well-dosed and third party tested
All-natural ingredients
Good for cutting and increasing strength and power
Cons
Premium priced option
Only available directly from their site
Does not have the greatest ingredients for fat loss
The benefits of pre-workout go far beyond what could happen without using it for exercise performance and feminine vitality, but also for things like avoiding water weight. For female bodybuilders and athletes, having a great pre-workout can be a game-changer when it comes to boosting all your goals like feminine energy and strength. Such benefits include:
Increased energy: That much desired energy boost will work to get you going so your workouts can go for longer with more intensity and you won’t feel drained half-way through (1).
Promote blood flow & muscle pumps: With increased flow to your muscles, you will give them the chance to grow so you see worthwhile muscle growth along with a protein product for the best pumps. This will certainly unveil the results you want most (2).
Raise heart rate: By increasing your heart, you build that endurance capacity as well as start to burn fat and get your metabolism going for changes in body composition and muscle growth, something we all want.
Enhance focus: Be alert and focused for whatever workout comes your way no matter the intensity and work to stay locked in to every exercise.
Important Ingredients To Look For In Pre-Workout For Women
Caffeine: Energy Boosts
One of the natural ingredients and stimulants, caffeine is an essential ingredient in most pre-workout products. It will enhance focus and start to raise alertness so you are always locked in. Caffeine will also increase your heart rate for your desired amount of energy levels to aid in high intensity workouts (3).
Creatine: Strength & Power
Known to increase mass and power, creatine is a great ingredient in pre-workout, or as a stand alone supplement. As an important part of energy production in your cells, creatine is safe, well researched, and a highly effective supplement per serving to increase muscle mass and muscle growth enhancing exercise to boost all areas of your fitness goals and provide for the best pumps (4).
Beta Alanine: Fight Fatigue
An amino acid, this works to improve performance and increase energy while pushing off any fatigue. It will keep you pushing harder for longer, more intense workouts, and allow for better motivation and increased feminine vitality (5).
Nitrosigine: Optimal Delivery
Increasing blood flow by stimulating nitric oxide and allowing for greater oxygen and nutrient delivery during exercise for the best gains in strength, recovery, and essential nutrition while also promoting the best pumps. Making sure all of the ingredients and nutrients get to your body fully is important for that desired growth.
Teacrine: Mental Clarity
Works to increase mental clarity, boost energy, and increase mood and motivation. This will give you a sense of purpose in the gym so your workouts are structured and your mission for gains is clear, thus boosting your confidence (6).
Adaptogens: Help With Stress
Plant based compounds, they will help adapt your body to stress so you don’t feel fatigue or the strain of your workouts. Working to improve cognition as well, your focus and energy will be there to support any workout slump and that unwanted fatigue and soreness will be kicked to the curb.
Who Should Use Pre-Workout?
Pre-workout is great for any female bodybuilder, athlete, for gym-goer looking to take their workouts to the next level and improve feminine vitality. From beginners to those more advanced, this supplement can provide energy, increase muscle pumps, eliminate fatigue, and work for that shredded aesthetic others will envy. Pre-workout is perfect for those with busy schedules who just need that extra boost when working hard in the gym and who want the best pumps for serious growth while avoiding water weight.
When Should You Take Pre-Workout?
It is best to always read the label of each product before diving right into pre-workout. Ideally, you will consume this 20-30 minutes before a workout to give you all the ingredients time to hit your body effectively. The label will tell you how much to take and when to take it so definitely check that out!
How We Choose
When it comes to making this list, we look at many factors because you deserve to have the best pre-workout supplement on your shelf to boost feminine vitality, focus, high-intensity training, and weight loss. Looking at the brand and the reputation of the company is very important because you deserve to have a company working for you. Top tier companies will be honest and transparent with their labels so you know exactly what you are putting in your body, especially those with natural ingredients. We look at the effectiveness because a pre-workout should work with your body, not against it, as well as taste because you should also enjoy this supplement for what it can do. We know that supplements can get expensive and we work to find the best products that are still at an affordable price so you don’t break the bank but still get a high-quality supplement.
Nutricost Pre-X Extreme Pre-Workout. This option for pre-workout will give you more energy to perform harder, better, and faster while promoting feminine vitality. With great ingredients to increase energy, endurance, focus, weight loss, and muscle growth, this pre-workout has you covered with whatever your needs may be for high-intensity training.
Do stimulant-free pre-workouts exist?
Stimulant-free pre-workouts do exist and they can offer the same benefits as those with stimulants for high-intensity training and muscle growth. For those sensitive to caffeine, or for those who just don’t want it, companies have started making stim-free products so you never have to worry and the best part is, they still contain natural ingredients.
How safe is pre-workout for women?
Although pre-workout supplements are not monitored by the FDA, they are safe to use and do contain natural ingredients. It is important to read the label of each respective pre-workout so you know exactly what you are putting in your body to enhance the benefits like feminine energy. Some potential side effects include dizziness, nausea, dehydration, and high blood pressure and some of this comes from the stimulants included.
What are the differences between pre-workouts for women and men?
The main differences between those for women and those for men are the ingredients and dosing. Since men and women have different respective needs, those supplements reflect that. Many pre-workouts can be used by both men and women but always read the label to make sure you’re comfortable with your pre-workout and that they contain natural ingredients.
A high-quality and effective pre-workout for women can be a game changer for training and performance as you seek the best for your goals with enhanced muscle growth and feminine energy. Having a well-rounded supplementation routine is important and pre-workout can fit nicely for any pre-workout needs while providing for the best pumps. From feminine vitality, focus, energy, muscle pumps, reduced fatigue, and weight loss, a good pre-workout can boost your gains to new heights and enhance high-intensity training.
Check out this list of the Best Pre-Workouts for Women and work to boost all of your strength and high-intensity training goals today!
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References
Ellerbroek, Anya C.; Antonio, Jose (2019). “Effects of Pre-Workout Supplements on Strength, Endurance, and Mood”. (source)
Kedia, A. W.; Hofheins, Jennifer E.; Habowski, Scott M.; Ferrando, Arny A.; et al. (2014). “Effects of a Pre-workout Supplement on Lean Mass, Muscular Performance, Subjective Workout Experience and Biomarkers of Safety”. (source)
McLellan, Tom M.; Caldwell, John A.; Lieberman, Harris R. (2016). “A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance”. (source)
Kreider, Richard B. (2003). “Effects of creatine supplementation on performance and training adaptations”. (source)
Artioli, Guilherme G.; Gualano, Bruno; Smith, Abbie; Stout, Jeffrey; et al. (2010). “Role of beta-alanine supplementation on muscle carnosine and exercise performance”. (source)
Bello, Marissa L.; Walker, Alan J.; McFadden, Bridget A.; Sanders, David J.; et al. (2019). “The effects of TeaCrine and caffeine on endurance and cognitive performance during a simulated match in high-level soccer players”. (source)
