Why Taking Creatine May Help You Reach Your Goals

When I used to hear about my friends taking creatine, it was always dudes. I can think back to the guys who took creatine in high school and they all looked puffy, swollen, and silly. So creatine was never something I was interested in. I thought it was for guys who were trying to put on tons of mass, not for a person like me just trying to get in better shape. So when I was talking to my friend Michaela (follow her at @hungryfitness on IG) and telling her that I struggle with putting on muscle, she recommend creatine. Obviously I was immediately intimidated, thinking I would have to deal with water weight at the start of taking creatine for the first time. Hell, even my guy friends were joking that I would experience that. But she put me at ease telling me that you would have to take a huge amount of creatine to experience that. So I said hell with it, what do I have to lose, and I started taking 5g per day, every day. And guess what? I had no bloating and no puffiness, but you know what I did get out of it? More strength. And you know what more strength means when it’s paired with an adequate, protein-filled diet? More physical results!

Now let’s get into some benefits of creatine. If you have no idea where to start, I was right there with you a couple months ago. There are all kinds of different creatine supplements out there, but what you’ll want to look for is creatine monohydrate. It’s affordable and reliable. So many different supplements these days are overpriced and so many overpromise, but creatine monohydrate has been studied for a long ass time and is quite safe for long term use. When you’re taking creatine monohydrate on a regular basis, you’ll likely experience improvement in performance in the gym. Oh fuck yeah! That means you’ll likely be able to increase your power, strength, and even recovery. You know what all this leads to? Increase in muscle in the body. And you know what means? You’ll be able to “tone” your muscles and see a physical change. As women, we’ve been programmed to believe that “toning” comes from specific kinds of workouts, but all toning is, is simply increasing muscle mass while reducing body fat. This means that creatine monohydrate may actually help you reach those “toning” goals when paired with a strength program and nutrient dense diet. How cool is that!

If you don’t even know what creatine is and wonder if it’s similar to steroids, let me stop you right there. It’s not. Straight up. Creatine is non-hormonal so no need to worry about your hormones getting jacked up. No no. Creatine is naturally found in the body, in muscle cells, and is made from amino acids. So simply put, you’re giving your body more amino acids so it can increase your workload in the gym, increase cell hydration, and increase muscle growth and repair. All this leads to you getting stronger, performing better, and getting more results. FUCK YES. And get this, creatine may even have other health benefits like improving brain function (even with conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, etc.) and lowering blood sugar levels.

Now if you don’t know how much to take or what brand to start with, let’s first start with the amount. I take 5g per day, but anywhere between 2-5g will do. You’ll want to take that every day, even on rest days, to ensure that it gets into your bloodstream. I think it’s great to take after a workout, in my post-workout shake, but really any time will do. You can add it to your shake or simply add it to water. You can also take it in pill form, if you prefer, just make sure it’s creatine monohydrate. As for brands, that’s up to you and your budget. I like Now Sports Creatine Monohydrate since I just tend to like their products, but I’ll link a few other options below. This container costs $20 and you get 120 servings out of it, which means it’s only $0.16/day. That’s hella good for a supplement!

Check Out More Creatine Supplements Below

And if you think a loading stage is necessary to get results from creatine, it’s not! No need to load your body up with creatine from the start to get results. Simply start adding in 2-5g per day and watch the benefits unfold! Ever since I started adding in creatine into my own daily routine, I’ve seen improvements in the gym as well as muscle development! My legs, which are very stubborn when it comes to gaining muscle, have finally began physically changing, all thanks to the help of creatine! No puffiness, no water weight, just GAINS!!

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