Gym & Supplements

Do something today your future self will thank you for. Exercising contributes to improving our state of health, not only physically but psychologically too! Whether you’re a first-timer of a gym junkie, we have a great deal for you.

We’ve done all the work for you, so you can save your energy for all the working out you’re going to be doing (at bargain prices might we add!). Find deals on equipment, gear, supplements, memberships and more.

So you’ve decided to join the gym but don’t know where to start, what gear you need, what “reps” mean or what equipment to use?
Daunting as it may be, you’ve made a great first step and none of it is as scary as it seems!

There are a lot of different training supplements on the market and it can be difficult to decide which is right for you. As a general rule, you should try to avoid relying too heavily on supplements and always get your nutrients from food first.

However, if you feel like you want or need a little boost in your training, then supplements can be a great way to do this. Here are some supplements great for those just getting started:

• Creatine - Creatine is converted to creatine phosphate, which we use for energy during high-intensity, short-duration exercise, such as sprinting or heavy weight lifting. The increased energy from creatine enables users to lift more in the gym and, therefore, create more muscle mass. Creatine also gives the illusion of weight gain and larger muscles due to increased water retention, this is because water is drawn into the muscles along with creatine, causing the muscles to appear larger and creating a weight gain of anywhere up to 3lbs.
• BCAAs - BCAA stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids. The most popular usage for BCAA supplementation is to improve exercise performance and prevent going catabolic (muscle breakdown). This supplement is another way to increase your protein intake and therefore improve muscle repair and recovery.
• Whey Protein - It’s a fact our muscles need protein in order to repair and grow stronger. Whey protein is a complete protein source and contains all 9 essential amino acids. Protein is particularly useful when ingested just after a workout because it helps to stimulate protein synthesis and facilitate recovery.
• Fish Oils - When it comes to training, this supplement has been found to be particularly useful for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant purposes. Research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and speed up the recovery process. There is also evidence to show that when combined with BCAAs and carbohydrates, fish oils can increase the rate of protein synthesis, leading to greater gains in muscle mass.
• Caffeine - Supplementing your training with caffeine is thought to increase energy, decrease fatigue and lower your perception of pain. When we are training, our bodies are constantly sourcing the energy to give the exercise our all. This energy comes in the form of glycogen, your body’s stored form of carbohydrate. Caffeine slows down the speed at which we use up all our glycogen stores by promoting the use of fat as fuel. Fat is far more abundant than glycogen and what caffeine does is mobilise the body’s fat stores to encourage working muscles to save glycogen and use fat as an alternative.

Remember, training supplements should only be used in addition to a healthy and balanced diet and should not be used as a meal replacement.

• Helps you disconnect - gyming helps you evade your day to day routine. Exercising is a wonderful stress-reliever and is a natural antidepressant.
• Combats insomnia - if you suffer from insomnia, exercise is a great way to naturally tire your body. After a good workout, you’re sure to have a good night’s sleep.
• Increases your self-esteem and mood - when doing any physical activity endorphins are released, which are also known as our ‘feel-good’ hormones. So, with exercise, not only do you look good, you feel good too!
• Helps you meet people and create friendships - going to a gym opens a range of possibilities to meet new people. These new bonds become a greater motivation to go to the gym and exercise!
• Builds healthy life habits - when an exercise routine is established, both your mentality and body change, forcing you to create healthy habits to sustain your new lifestyle.

Should you choose to shop from the comfort of your home online, here are some tips and tricks to make sure you shop safely, securely and smartly:

• Shop with trusted online retailers or do thorough research before making purchases from unknown retailer sites.
• Never provide your credit card information if you do not see the ‘padlock’ on the upper left-hand side of your address bar, or if the address begins with “http://” instead of “https://”.

• Keep your information private. If the retailer asks for too much information such as your birth-date and social security numbers, do not complete the transaction.
• After shopping online, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on all your banking statements, checking them weekly rather than by the month, just in case something slipped to a hacker. Notify your cardholder service if there are any discrepancies immediately.
• Maintain good virus protection on your computer to prevent spyware and other hacks from accessing your information. Many trusted anti-virus services are available online for free so you can take advantage of convenient online shopping.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi to do your shopping, rather use secure connections.
• Be cautious of unsolicited emails and pop-up internet adverts with too-good-to-be-true offers. Use caution when a deal is drastically better than others and always double-check before clicking on ads.