Avoid These 5 Drinks if You Want to Get Ripped
Getting ripped takes a lot of time and effort, but you can supercharge the process and help yourself get a six-pack in time for beach season if you adjust your diet correctly.
Lots of diets focus on what you should or should not eat, but what you drink can also impact your weight and muscle gain.
The below 5 beverages should be avoided at all costs if you want to get ripped ASAP:
5. Soda
It’s a no-brainer that when you cut sugar out of your diet, you’ll not only get ripped faster – you’ll also see a host of health benefits.
Soda is incredibly sugary and salty, believe it or not: two things that make it difficult for your body to absorb protein, and that increase your blood pressure and body fat. If you want to get ripped, you can’t just build muscle. You also have to get rid of as much fat as you can.
4. Sports & Electrolyte Drinks
Contrary to their advertising, sports drinks are actually not a good choice when you’re looking to lay down lean, dense muscle.
While they do have some electrolytes that assist in maintaining your body’s pH balance, these positive effects are negated by the high glucose content in the drinks.
Post-workout, if you need a boost of energy, don’t waste empty calories on cleverly-marketed sports drinks loaded with artificial junk, sugar, and chemicals. Reach for a protein shake, coconut water or green smoothie instead to regulate your blood sugar levels.
3. Coffee
Coffee? What?! Don’t panic – what we really mean is that you shouldn’t drink too much coffee. That’s because coffee (specifically the caffeine inside it) can mess with your appetite, making it harder for you to consume the requisite amount of calories you need to look totally shredded.
When you want to build muscle and get a visible six-pack, you have to eat a lot of protein so your body has the materials necessary to make that muscle in the first place. Coffee reduces your appetite and it can make you feel jittery or unfocused.
Stick to a single cup of black coffee with no sugar each day and you’ll be able to work out in the morning with plenty of energy without compromising your diet or appetite.
2. Alcohol
Booze is a big one, and not just because you want to avoid hangovers and extra calories. Alcohol is extremely aggressive to muscle tissue, contributing to protein breakdown in your body.
While you can try to up your dietary protein intake to offset the effects of alcohol, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way: Alcohol degrades muscle proteins, breaking down more muscle fibers than it builds.
In short, your body will never be able to synthesize protein effectively and lay down muscle if you’re consuming alcohol, period.
1. Low-Quality Workout Supplement Drinks
Lastly, avoid cheap protein shakes or meal replacements, and supplement drinks that don’t have your workout in mind.
While they market themselves as healthy alternatives or supplements, many formulations are packed with chemicals and other nasties that actually step on your gains. Steer clear of pre-mixes with artificial flavors and sugars like aspartame or sucralose - these chemicals spike blood sugar and insulin levels, and can cause digestive issues that prevent your absorption of key nutrients.
Go for an all-natural, high-quality blend with simple ingredients you recognize for ultimate confidence in your pre- and post-workout replenishment.
There you have it: five beverages you should either cut out of your diet entirely or significantly cut down on to stack on muscle.
Granted, avoiding these beverages won’t help you get ripped by itself. But when combined with an excellent workout routine and a good diet, you’ll be well on your way to getting ripped in no time.
In this way, you can actually make your workout results easier to achieve if you just cut out excessively sugary or unnatural beverages from your diet. Stick to water or nutrient-packed drinks and you’ll do a lot better. Plus, you’ll feel better each time you pump iron!
Thanks for reading,
Justin | MME Wellness Contributor
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Great article! Glad to be on your blog!
Thanks again!
David Zamora