Last post I posted the perfect diet to help you lose weight and gain muscle weight. Now I got you all the best supplement packing to add to your perfect diet and making the best of your workout to make huge gains! This is thanks to David Robson. I read this a few years back and made great gains back in 2007 and I have now added to my diet to make even better gains this year again! So here you go, i'm happy to share this with you all.
1. Whey Protein
As a foundation for muscle gains, quality protein supplementation is without equal. And the best absorbed form often used specifically post-workout, and with meals to round out one's protein balance is whey protein. Whey protein has a high biological value and is extremely convenient to take. While protein obtained from food sources can provide more sustained protein levels (especially prior to bed to offset the fasting period that usually occurs during sleep), whey is rapidly shuttled into the muscles where it can exert its powerful anabolic effects.
I usually use whey protein twice a day - directly after training and first thing in the morning upon rising before breakfast to ensure a rapid uptake of protein to restore the drop in nitrogen levels from the previous night's sleeping/fasting state. It is worth noting here that to fully preclude this 8-10 hour fast one would need to wake once or twice throughout the night to consume protein. Thus, taking protein immediately upon waking is essential, and whey is, in my experience, the best form to take at this time.
2. Branch Chain Amino Acids
Since taking Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) regularly I have witnessed a noticeable improvement in muscle density and my recovery rate has also increased exponentially. As essential aminos, the BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine) must be taken through the foods we eat. As the only three aminos metabolized directly by muscle tissue they are especially important for the immediate recovery of muscle tissue. They are used to build new proteins after hard training. As a primary muscle-building insurance policy, BCAAs should be on the top of anyone's supplement list.
3. L-Glutamine
Considered a conditionally essential amino acid, L-glutamine comprises up to 60 percent of free-from amino acids circulating in muscle tissue and is critical for muscle recovery. When other tissues need L-glutamine (for immune purposes, for example, of which L-glutamine is essential) they will often leach this amino from muscle stores, so supplementing it makes sense. If the muscles and the rest of the bodily systems have an abundant supply of L-glutamine, muscle tissue will be less likely depleted under conditions of stress. After a hard training session L-glutamine levels will be reduced throughout the body by as much as 50 percent. I have found the best way to supplement L-glutamine is to take 5 grams 3-4 times per day so the body has a constant supply. Adding it to protein shakes is an excellent way to include it in one's diet.
4. Creatine
When creatine hit the shelves in the early '90s, it quickly became the supplement of choice for athletes the world over. A supplement that can support increases in size and strength - as attested to by countless scientific studies - creatine (monohydrate, the version that, despite many new revolutionary forms, still seems to work best in the long run) will, for most, boost lean muscle mass and amplify strength gains.
I have personally found that when I'm not taking it my muscles become much flatter and energy levels tend to plummet. Creatine's major benefits - among many - are twofold. It increases muscle energy, allowing one to train harder and to reap the results. And secondly, it hydrates muscle tissue, which, over time, causes them to become bigger and stronger.
Naturally produced in the kidneys, pancreas and liver, creatine is transported to muscle tissue where it is transformed into creatine phosphate, from which the energy molecule ATP is produced to regenerate the muscles' ability to contract and generate power during short-burst (anaerobic) activity. This translates to more productive workouts and faster muscle growth. Though produced in the body, these levels are sufficient only for ongoing cellular function, not massive muscle growth, which in itself is not at all conducive for survival purposes. And relying on nutrition to significantly boost creatine is futile in that many pounds of raw meat would need to be eaten to extract five grams of creatine, the quantity provided in one teaspoon of creatine monohydrate powder. So supplementation is necessary to realize creatine's full benefits.
5. Omega-3 Fish Oil
The many health benefits to be derived from eating fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel are well documented. However, due to various contaminants, purity and quantity of essential fatty acids supplied, availability and price, gaining valuable Omega-3 fatty acids from these sources is often not ideal. Fish oil in supplemental form, on the other hand, provides the perfect ratio of these Omega-3's in the purest and most concentrated way possible.
To improve performance and build muscle a healthy physical state must first be attained as muscle can only grow when the right conditions are in place to do so. Omega-3 fatty acids may support blood circulation to allow nutrients such as protein and carbohydrates to reach muscle and exert their effects.
Omega-3s may also assist fat loss through maximizing metabolic rate and helping to form a foundation from which thermogenesis can occur. Joint lubrication and cardiovascular health are also major benefits to be derived from Omega-3 supplementation.
6. Vitamin/Mineral Supplement
A multivitamin and mineral supplement is not purely a bodybuilding supplement in terms of directly targeting muscle growth the way creatine and L-glutamine do. Taking a high potency and high quality vitamin/mineral product is a fundamental way in which to support the cellular conditions under which performance and muscle growth can occur. Though certain compounds like vitamin-C (comprising, along with A and E, the so called antioxidants) are thought to be of greater importance for immune function, it is the synergistic effect of all key vitamins and minerals taken in a specific ratio that will support the best results in health and subsequent tissue growth and function.
So-called doctors and nutritionists might tell us that the perfect ratio of vitamins and minerals can be achieved through eating a diet rich in certain fruits and vegetables. However, today's soil conditions, various pollutants, and the over processing of foods make it all but impossible to achieve such a perfect ratio. Even those who eat strictly "organic" do not get what they should as far as nutritional potency and quality is concerned.
Now that you know the what and the why. Here is how the supplements should go along with your diet:
Upon Rising (First Thing In The Morning):
30g Serving of Whey Protein
5g of Creatine
1 Serving of BCAAs
With Breakfast:
1 Multivitamin Tablet
5g Serving of L-Glutamine
1 tsp (or Serving) of Fish Oil
With Lunch:
1 tsp (or Serving) of Fish Oil
Before Training:
5g of Creatine or 1 scoop of a pre-workout drink
5g of L-Glutamine
Directly After Training:
5g of L-Glutamine
30g of Whey Protein
Before Bed:
30g of Whey Protein
5g of Glutamine
1 Serving of BCAAs
So to put it simply, with correct supplementation the process of building muscle, losing fat and amplifying performance is made significantly easier. And as opposed to less than natural means, the results are lasting.
Try this little exercise some time: follow the supplement plan provided above for at least three months. Then quit all supplement use for a further three months and watch what happens. Sure, most supplement marketing involves hype and some companies make laughably outrageous claims, but there is no secret as to why the supplement industry is booming. Supplements work.
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