While most guys want to learn how to build more muscle, very few of them truly understand which supplements to take in order to help them reach the physical goals they have set out to achieve. Today we are going to teach you how to do this for yourself.
While the huge advancements we have made in nutrition and sports science are a great advantage for our generation to have on our side in our quest to build better bodies, the sad fact of the matter is most people find this to be a disadvantage. They find this because it presents them with a situation where there is simply too much information.
Rather than being stuck back in the old days where the science behind fitness and nutrition was still fairly basic and more difficult to come by, they now find themselves in the opposite situation. They can't move without being told that they need to purchase a particular product or buy a workout program which will deliver better results than any others. This often leads to people simply quitting to avoid all the confusion which comes with getting fit.
The bottom line is that fitness is not rocket science.
One of the main reasons that people get lost in the world of supplements is that it's designed to get you lost. It's a billion dollar business each year, with a lot of that money being made at the expense of people picking up products they aren't sure if they really need. Plus, with so many companies competing against each other you tend to get tons of hype on every new item which is released.
While you could spend hours comparing the statements on different tubs of protein or creatine, the truth is you can learn how to pick the best product for you by simply teaching yourself what to look for, rather than which one claims to be the best.
* Whey is a highly effective protein source
* Creatine
* Like whey, casein protein also has it's uses
* Simple carbs are great for your post-workout period
* BCAA's
* Glutamine for recovery
We will now take a moment to run you through what you should expect from each item on today's list so you know why they made the cut. Despite the many products out there which survive purely on hype and word of mouth advertising, the items recommended today have a good base of scientific evidence to back them up. Here's a guide to each one.
The most widely recognized bodybuilding product available today is whey protein. It's one of the few things which has successfully made the transition from hardcore gyms to everyday life and is now considered to be a mainstream product. Our body can digest only around 25 grams of protein per serving, so there is no need to opt for a shake which guarantees you 50 or more grams. This will tend to encourage fat gains. Hydrolized whey is slightly faster digesting than the other two formulas, isolate and concentrate, which is why it is the most expensive.
Most products contain a mixture of all three formulas, but if you look for the first item on the ingredients list this will tell you the main formula which was used. While hydrolized blends will return greater results, the truth is the difference between hydolized, isolate and concentrate isn't great enough to justify the massive price differences. So if you can't afford to go with hydrolized whey, don't worry because the other formulas are definitely effective as well.
The facts on creatine are needlessly murky. This product has been around for 20 years and it's effectiveness is proven. It is designed to increase your explosive strength, which can lead to greater muscle gain if you are training regularly and watching your diet. Creatine was first used by sprinters looking to improve their times over short distances, then adopted by bodybuilders looking to push out a few more repetitions in their workouts.
With countless different formulas and blends of creatine, it seems every trainer and gym user has a different opinion on which one you should use. However, if you want to base your decision on scientific evidence then you won't have too much difficulty finding the solution. Creatine monohydate is light years ahead of any other formula on the market, despite being the oldest and most easily available of all.
Until recently, the theories behind why casein products are important seemed to stack up but there was no actual research to prove it. That all changed in late 2012 when studies revealed it did indeed do the job it claimed to do. While whey is designed to hit your starving post-workout muscles as quickly as possible, casein does the opposite. This means it is great for consumption before you go to sleep.
Casein was recently shown to increase muscular hypertrophy thanks to it's ability to help the body stay in a state of protein synthesis while the individual was asleep.
Immediately following a workout your body desires nutrition. While your protein can be covered with some quick digesting whey, carbohydrates can also be useful during this period. Don't buy into the nonsense philosophies that carbohydrates should be avoided at all costs, because these approaches have been proven to lead to long-term fat gain.
The overall majority of your carbohydrates should be coming from slow digesting complex sources such as oats, however the period following an intense gym session is ideal for the other type of carbohydrates. During this brief time, quick-release simple carbs will provide your body with the instant hit of nutrition it needs. This can be obtained through food so there is no need to grab a powder or pill, although they are available.
Branched chain amino acids are a very underrated product in gyms around the world. While most people are desperately trying to pack on some lean muscle, the majority of them have never heard of this type of product despite it's proven hypertrophy results. You will get a good dosage of these in your whey protein product anyway, but if you can afford to add in a specific BCAA product as well you will notice greatly enhanced gains.
Glutamine rounds out the list today. Designed primarily for muscle recovery, glutamine is also great for improving your body's immune system and encouraging the release of more natural growth hormone, too. This all adds up to a supplement which will allow you to get more out of your gym sessions, so it is a useful addition to a diet.
Learning how to build muscle can become an experience which is thoroughly enjoyable if you are able to see past the huge amount of nonsense and sales pitches which populate many of the products you will see on store shelves. Rather than having to use an expensive trial and error approach, you now have the knowledge to determine which supplements to take to achieve a leaner, muscular body this year.
While the huge advancements we have made in nutrition and sports science are a great advantage for our generation to have on our side in our quest to build better bodies, the sad fact of the matter is most people find this to be a disadvantage. They find this because it presents them with a situation where there is simply too much information.
Rather than being stuck back in the old days where the science behind fitness and nutrition was still fairly basic and more difficult to come by, they now find themselves in the opposite situation. They can't move without being told that they need to purchase a particular product or buy a workout program which will deliver better results than any others. This often leads to people simply quitting to avoid all the confusion which comes with getting fit.
The bottom line is that fitness is not rocket science.
One of the main reasons that people get lost in the world of supplements is that it's designed to get you lost. It's a billion dollar business each year, with a lot of that money being made at the expense of people picking up products they aren't sure if they really need. Plus, with so many companies competing against each other you tend to get tons of hype on every new item which is released.
While you could spend hours comparing the statements on different tubs of protein or creatine, the truth is you can learn how to pick the best product for you by simply teaching yourself what to look for, rather than which one claims to be the best.
* Whey is a highly effective protein source
* Creatine
* Like whey, casein protein also has it's uses
* Simple carbs are great for your post-workout period
* BCAA's
* Glutamine for recovery
We will now take a moment to run you through what you should expect from each item on today's list so you know why they made the cut. Despite the many products out there which survive purely on hype and word of mouth advertising, the items recommended today have a good base of scientific evidence to back them up. Here's a guide to each one.
The most widely recognized bodybuilding product available today is whey protein. It's one of the few things which has successfully made the transition from hardcore gyms to everyday life and is now considered to be a mainstream product. Our body can digest only around 25 grams of protein per serving, so there is no need to opt for a shake which guarantees you 50 or more grams. This will tend to encourage fat gains. Hydrolized whey is slightly faster digesting than the other two formulas, isolate and concentrate, which is why it is the most expensive.
Most products contain a mixture of all three formulas, but if you look for the first item on the ingredients list this will tell you the main formula which was used. While hydrolized blends will return greater results, the truth is the difference between hydolized, isolate and concentrate isn't great enough to justify the massive price differences. So if you can't afford to go with hydrolized whey, don't worry because the other formulas are definitely effective as well.
The facts on creatine are needlessly murky. This product has been around for 20 years and it's effectiveness is proven. It is designed to increase your explosive strength, which can lead to greater muscle gain if you are training regularly and watching your diet. Creatine was first used by sprinters looking to improve their times over short distances, then adopted by bodybuilders looking to push out a few more repetitions in their workouts.
With countless different formulas and blends of creatine, it seems every trainer and gym user has a different opinion on which one you should use. However, if you want to base your decision on scientific evidence then you won't have too much difficulty finding the solution. Creatine monohydate is light years ahead of any other formula on the market, despite being the oldest and most easily available of all.
Until recently, the theories behind why casein products are important seemed to stack up but there was no actual research to prove it. That all changed in late 2012 when studies revealed it did indeed do the job it claimed to do. While whey is designed to hit your starving post-workout muscles as quickly as possible, casein does the opposite. This means it is great for consumption before you go to sleep.
Casein was recently shown to increase muscular hypertrophy thanks to it's ability to help the body stay in a state of protein synthesis while the individual was asleep.
Immediately following a workout your body desires nutrition. While your protein can be covered with some quick digesting whey, carbohydrates can also be useful during this period. Don't buy into the nonsense philosophies that carbohydrates should be avoided at all costs, because these approaches have been proven to lead to long-term fat gain.
The overall majority of your carbohydrates should be coming from slow digesting complex sources such as oats, however the period following an intense gym session is ideal for the other type of carbohydrates. During this brief time, quick-release simple carbs will provide your body with the instant hit of nutrition it needs. This can be obtained through food so there is no need to grab a powder or pill, although they are available.
Branched chain amino acids are a very underrated product in gyms around the world. While most people are desperately trying to pack on some lean muscle, the majority of them have never heard of this type of product despite it's proven hypertrophy results. You will get a good dosage of these in your whey protein product anyway, but if you can afford to add in a specific BCAA product as well you will notice greatly enhanced gains.
Glutamine rounds out the list today. Designed primarily for muscle recovery, glutamine is also great for improving your body's immune system and encouraging the release of more natural growth hormone, too. This all adds up to a supplement which will allow you to get more out of your gym sessions, so it is a useful addition to a diet.
Learning how to build muscle can become an experience which is thoroughly enjoyable if you are able to see past the huge amount of nonsense and sales pitches which populate many of the products you will see on store shelves. Rather than having to use an expensive trial and error approach, you now have the knowledge to determine which supplements to take to achieve a leaner, muscular body this year.
About the Author:
Next move: Learn which supplements to take to build a ripped frame with the UK's most followed personal trainer, Russ Howe PTI. Learning how to build muscle doesn't need to be rocket science, as you have seen today.
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