Using
Bodybuilding Supplements To Build Muscle Mass!
OK, first
let's get something straight here...
If you think that buying a shake or taking a few pills will
all of a sudden make you huge, then you are mistaken.
No supplement will help you if you are not training and
dieting correctly -- they will just give you very expensive
urine. All aspects of your program have to be in order for
you to get the maximum benefit from sports nutrition
supplements. From my experience, supplements enhance your
program by:
1. Adding an element of convenience: Using food supplements
like Meal Replacement Powders and whey protein help to
eliminate the common problem of 'not enough time', by
providing you with an quick efficient way to get your
required nutrients each day.
2. Increasing strength and decreasing recovery time: Using
vitamin and amino acid supplements help to minimize the
negative side effects of weight training and speed your
recovery.
The Benefit of Convenience
There are many 'old school' trainers and bodybuilders who
profess the uselessness of supplements. They are constantly
preaching that they don't work, and that you don't need
them. Well, to tell you the truth they are correct,
somewhat. Remember that not too long ago there were no
supplements. Bodybuilders built huge physiques without meal
replacement powders, creatine or prohormones.
There was no such thing as exercise 'machines'. They used
multi-jointed, compound free weight exercises that not only
increased their muscular size, but also make them incredibly
strong. So, if you look at that way it can be done and you
don't need any supplements. However, the decision whether or
not to use supplements should involve the consideration of
other factors that may come into play when speaking of
dieting today. The first of which is time.
Many people today just do not have the time to live, eat and
breathe food. Very few people like to cook, and even fewer
cook on a regular basis. When was the last time that you
actually had six meals that you actually cooked yourself?
Many of those who are against dietary supplements continue
to preach that you should get all the nutrients that you
need from your diet. 'Eat a balanced diet and you will get
all the nutrition you need'. Well, 100 years ago that may
have been true, but today this type of advice is
questionable.
The fact is, most people's idea of a good meal is restaurant
or (even worse) fast food. To ask someone to eat specific
amounts of protein, fat and carbs seems like an impossible
request considering that most people can't even get their
minimum requirements of good fat or fiber. Experts will
continue to spout 'eat a balanced diet,' while Americans
feast on nutritionless fast food and sugar. Not only do our
bodies have to deal with the ever-increasing external
stresses of everyday life, they also have to combat
nutrient-depleting, tissue damaging exercise.
If I did not have the option to supplement my diet with whey
protein, I probably would not have gained as much weight as
I have. Now, I'm not saying that the whey protein is why I
gained weight, but it did help me a great deal.
I am usually very busy and I just don't have the time, nor
the desire to eat six, planned whole food meals per day.
Supplements like meal replacement powders and whey protein
fill in this gap for me.
I typically have three real food meals and three protein
supplement meals -- that makes up my required six meals each
day. When I'm away from home, or not able to get an adequate
meal, my MRP is always right there when I need it. It gives
me a quantifiable amount of protein so that I can keep track
of my nutrient intake. In my opinion, this is much better
than just grabbing something and then trying to guess at how
much protein, fat or carbs you just ate. Getting in all of
your required meals and nutrient amounts is crucial to your
success.
My mass diet requires a very high daily protein intake --
Over 300g per day. Just to give you example of how much that
is, here are some examples of what 300g of protein is equal
to:
Tuna -- 50 oz of canned tuna (the average can is 6-8oz.),
which is 1,750 calories and 25g of fat
Chicken -- 38 oz of chx breast (equals about seven 6oz
breasts), which is 1,313 calories and 38g of saturated fat
Beef -- 43 oz of lean ground beef (about 2.7 pounds of
meat), which is 3,214 calories and 215g of saturated fat
Eggs -- 50 large whole eggs, equals 3,750 calories and 250g
of saturated fat
Egg whites -- 100 egg whites, equals 1,600 calories and
almost no fat
Pure whey protein -- 15 scoops of EAS Precision Protein,
equals 1,500 calories 7.5g of saturated fat
It is very possible to get this amount from eating whole
foods only -- But it will take work. Also, as you can see
from the above numbers, getting all of your protein from
regular food will also bring a lot of unnecessary elements
like extra saturated fat. Yes, our goal to gain mass is to
eat a lot of calories (including fat), but your main fat
intake should consist of unsaturated fats that are liquid at
room temperature like olive oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil
and safflower oil. Whey protein supplements will help to
give you the extra protein without the fat.
Increased Strength and Decreased Recovery
In addition to a whey protein supplement, I recommend that
everyone should be taking a multi-vitamin, plenty of vitamin
C, and glutamine. Creatine can also be added if you are over
18.
Multi-Vitamin
Weight training increases the body's need for many minerals
like magnesium and selenium. The multi-vitamin ensures that
I am not deficient in any major essential vitamin or
mineral. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness and
suppression of the immune system, muscle cramping and
fatigue.
I always take a multi-vitamin without iron, because grown
men do not need additional iron. We get enough from our
food. Men and postmenopausal women should never take iron
supplements unless they have iron-deficiency anemia, which
is only diagnosed by blood tests. The body has no way to
eliminate excess iron except through blood loss. Women who
menstruate are protected from iron overload, obviously. Iron
is also an oxidizing agent that can cause damage to the
heart and arteries, and is a major risk factor in
arteriosclerosis.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C essential to prevent free radical damage, which is
accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. It is
also essential is helping to repair connective tissue which
helps decrease the amount of time you are sore. I train very
heavy and extremely hard. When I train my legs, I am usually
sore for about 5-6 days afterwards.
If I do not supplement my diet with vitamin C, I would
normally be sore for almost 10 days! So, it really helps me
to recover and get back to training. I typically take around
3,000mg in divided doses. That would equal quite a few
oranges!
Glutamine
Glutamine is an amino acid that is produced by our bodies,
but most of the time our bodies demand so much, that it
can't create enough. I supplement my diet with glutamine to
increase my levels of glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful
antioxidant, which helps to combat the stresses of exercise
trauma, and prevent muscle protein breakdown.
I especially believe that it helps prevent my body from
breaking down my new muscle while I am asleep, so I never go
to bed without taking it. I take about 15g per day (in
divided doses), which would be impossible to get naturally.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine's purpose is to supply our muscle with energy. It
is also found in red meat, but you would have to eat an
enormous amount of meat to get the same benefits as taking
pure creatine powder. Everyone knows about creatine so I
will not go into it here, but I do want to say that the
major benefit from taking creatine is that it will increase
your strength.
This will enable you to lift heavier weights, which will
stimulate more muscle growth. Many people make a big fuss
over the muscle volumizing effects of creatine, because if
you stop taking it, you lose that extra fluid that creatine
brings into your cells. So what! You certainly DO NOT lose
the extra muscle creatine helped you to gain.
I can honestly say that I could not have built the body I
have today without the convenience and enhancements
supplements provide. I simply don't have the time or desire
to do it any other way. This is a choice that you must
decide for yourself. You will be spending your money on
these products, so make sure that you know their place in
your program.
Don't get caught up in product hype. Supplements will help,
but they will NOT do the work for you.
About the author:
Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining
Mass. The most widely used weight gain program in the world.
This unique program contains the complete diet, supplements
and weight training program he used to gain 32lbs of mass.
You can learn more about how to build more muscle by going
to
http://www.fastmusclegain.com
Your email
is always kept private and you can exit the tour at any
time!
© 2007 by Juicinjoe.com!
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