10 tips to help keep your gains up & your costs down

Are you paying over the odds for your gains? Delivered meals, protein-packed snacks and fancy gym memberships may be tempting, but they’ll soon send your fitness costs soaring through the roof.

If you’re after ways of keeping your gains up but costs down, check out these tips from Stephanie at Magic Freebies UK.

1. Buy in bulk & watch costs shrink

Buying in bulk may cost you more in the short-term, but in the long-run it’ll slash costs. Buy 3 LA Whey Gold 2.2kg at LA Muscle and you’ll save a massive £41 – that’s no small feat!

The same goes for food, especially if you’re buying on-line - up the quantity, and you’re likely to see savings across the board.

Meat-providing websites often offer discounts the more you buy, so it’s worth spending big in one go and getting rewarded, than spending little but often at full-cost.

2. Check out free gym passes when out of town

There’s nothing that hikes up your fitness costs like a few PAYG gym memberships when you’re travelling with work or visiting friends.

Don’t pay for a few hours sweating in a gym out of town - check out the Magic Freebies UK list of free gym membership and you’ll be able to work out for free at loads of gyms across the country.

It’s also worth checking out the site of the gym you’re going to beforehand, as they often offer trial days or even weeks that you can take advantage of.

Free gains? Who can argue with that.

3. Meal prep your way to low-cost muscles

We all know how important meal prep is for keeping on track diet-wise, but it’ll also do wonders for keeping costs low.Doing a big shop at the start of the week and always having prepped food available will erase the need for paying over the odds. They’ll be no need for shop-bought lunches, going out for there’s-nothing-in-the-fridge mid-week dinners, or calling on Deliveroo to come to the rescue.

4. Don't pay for knowledge - educate yourself

Personal trainers and nutritionists may be a valuable tool, but they’re not exactly budget-friendly.

If you’re not already, start following some fitness professionals on social media. They’ll have handy tips, workout routines and even recipes that’ll help keep you moving forward with your gains, without the hefty price tag.

Reading up on all things fitness should be something you do on the regular if you want to keep improving -there’s so much advice on new workouts to try, insights into the right macro balance for you and #transformationtuesday pictures.

The internet really can motivate you as well as any trainer, and what’s more, it’s completely free!

5. Switch up your supermarket

We all know that protein = gains. Getting as much of the good stuff in your diet as you need to grow, however, can be mighty expensive, especially where meat is concerned.

A simple switch of supermarkets can seriously help keep the cost of your protein down. Aldi and Lidl will shave unbelievable amounts off your food bill, especially when it’s meat-heavy.

People are often dubious about cheaper meat, but give it a chance and it may just surprise you - and if it doesn’t, the figure at the bottom of your receipt certainly will.

6. Invest in a Juicer

£7 for a bit of liquefied leaves? You’ve got to be kidding me.

Those bright green juices that taste surprisingly good don’t take a genius to whizz up.

Invest in a reasonable compact juicer for your house, and you’ll have healthy, nutritious liquid at the touch of a button for less than half the price of a take out.

There’ll no longer be any need to spend lots of cash on juices to-go or spend less on gain-destroying, cheap sugary snacks to keep you going: pop prepared juices in your fridge, and they’ll be on hand for a healthy appetite suppressant or vitamin and mineral booster as and when.

7. Keep an eye out for offers

Cutting costs, whether than be fitness or anything else, is easy to do if you learn to keep a keen eye out for offers.

There are always a few membership discounts, money-off coupons or buy-one-get-one-frees flying around these days, and they’re worth making the most of.

In the supermarket, keep your eyes peeled for those friendly, bright-coloured, discount signs.

Don’t stray away from things in the reduced section either: things that are going out of date soon can easily be chucked into the freezer for later - the end of the day is often the best time to shop for the best goodies.

Apps such as CheckoutSmart, Shopmium & GreenJinn have amazing discounts on some great new food products, sometimes even offering them for free! GreenJinn hosts loads of healthy options so I’d recommend downloading it.

8. Make your own protein bars

Protein bars can be extremely delicious, but there’s a price to pay for their convenience.

They’re not only a costly habit - especially if you’re having one a day - but also contain lots of additives which could hamper those gains if they become a regular thing.

The best solution? Use your LA Muscle protein power and get making your own. They’re really easy to do, will save you so much money, and you won’t have to worry about the presence of any nasty ingredients either.

Check out this Cocoa & Peanut Butter Protein Balls recipe from fitness expert Sean Dunne.

9. Stay loyal and get rewarded

Loyalty is usually rewarded, and there’s no better example of that than LA Rewards.

Every penny you spend with LA Muscle will see you gaining rewards points. When you’ve accumulated enough points, you’ll be able to use them like normal cash in the rewards shop and get some goodies free.

While loyalty won’t instantly save you money, in the long-term sticking with the same protein provider will pay off – just one more reason to shop with LA Muscle!

10. Get your gym gear in the sale

Gym gear don’t come cheap – especially if you’re after a cool pair of kicks to workout in.

The best advice? Shop the sales. Do two big shops in the year – one after Christmas and one in Summer – and you’ll be able to get double for your money.

That way, even if you have expensive tastes – and who can blame you, got to show off the gains, right? – you’ll be able afford to kit yourself out nicely without blowing the budget.