Coffee before workouts, get that extra kick

At a gym session recently, I met a friend that told me about having coffee before a workout. Apparently he said it gives him the extra kick and boosts his concentration, more like the focus that the boost of a scoop of pre workout would do to you.

And so yesterday i decided to give this tip a try, in hope that i can focus more and get the best out of my workout. I went to McDonalds to get my coffee and drank it 40 minutes before hitting the gym. Oh and i did legs yesterday :) But im more of a back day person. I did these for my legs usually, and recently im putting in more effort in strengthening my gluteus. Here's  what i did for my legs:

• Barbell squats 45kg 8 reps for 4 sets
• Lunges 10kg dumbbell 10 reps for 3 sets
• Glute kickback increasing form 65 to 100kg 8reps for 4 sets
• single legged squat 4 reps for 3 sets
• bulgarian split squats 35kg 8 reps for 4 sets

My favourite leg workout is the bulgarian split squat and glute kickback, and i have a good reason for that. The primary muscle targeted is the glute and you use most of your glute muscle, depending on the position of your front leg for the bulgariansplit squat. I will go in depth on my leg day workouts soon!

 My verdict? I definitely felt the extra kick in my workout as it pushes you to properly finish up your last rep of your workout. I felt more focused, where I have a better control of my breathing and the contractions of my muscle. In my case, my gluteus maximus. Maybe its just a placebo effect, but I definitely felt focused enough to get the burn out of the different workouts i did. It delivered the extra kick for each set.

Why is this so?

Well you know those energy drinks that contains caffeine? Its the glucose that gives you the energy and caffeine that makes you more focused and alert. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and it decreases the rate of muscle and mental fatigue.

Among the benefits it has been shown to provide are:

• Endurance athletes improved performance by an average of 3.3 percent (some reported up to 17 percent increases).
• Strength and power sports performance improved up to 20 percent.
• Sprinters improved performance on average by 6.5 percent.
• Weightlifters improved performance on average by 9.5 percent.
• Rate of perceived exertion (fatigue) is decreased by 6 percent on average.

Source:Robert Wildman, PhD, RD, FISSN 2015 from  http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/boost-your-workout-with-caffeine.html

So coffee lovers! Reap the best out of your triple shot caramel macchiato by hitting the gym after you have got your coffee fixing!