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 ConvenienceThere 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 fatChicken -- 38 oz of chx breast (equals
about seven 6oz breasts), which is 1,313 calories
and 38g of saturated fatBeef -- 43 oz of lean
ground beef (about 2.7 pounds of meat), which
is 3,214 calories and 215g of saturated fatEggs
-- 50 large whole eggs, equals 3,750 calories
and 250g of saturated fatEgg whites -- 100 egg
whites, equals 1,600 calories and almost no fatPure
whey protein -- 15 scoops of EAS Precision Protein,
equals 1,500 calories 7.5g of saturated fatIt
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-VitaminWeight
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.
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