Thursday, May 16, 2013

Which Supplements Do You Need To Take To Build More Lean Muscle?

By Russ Howe


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.

Despite all of the forward strides we have made in nutrition and science over the years, it is perhaps foolish to assume that people have all of the information they need to build whatever body they want. This is because there's a case of information overload in the fitness industry which tends to hold most people back.

Thirty years ago, the science behind growing muscle mass was still fairly basic and while those basics were great, the information was sometimes difficult to come by due to the lack of books and studies available. Compare that to nowadays and you'll notice the completely opposite situation, yet neither is good. People often can't commit to a routine or long-term plan because they are being told contradicting information everywhere they turn, so they quit.

It doesn't have to be like that. In fact, it's not supposed to be like that.

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.

The first thing you will notice when you begin to learn what to look for in a product is that things are not as complicated as they seem. There are a few basic rules with each product to look for.

* Whey is a highly effective protein source

* Creatine monohydrate

* Casein

* Carbohydrates

* BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) are the building blocks of hypertrophy

* 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.

However, the massive difference in prices between these three formulas doesn't reflect the fact that there isn't too much difference in terms of the quality of the protein itself. While a hydrolized product would return optimal results, you will certainly still be able to achieve success using either of the other blends if money is tight.

Creatine is a great strength building product which has been on the market for two decades already. It is designed to increase your ability to perform short bursts of explosive action, which is why it's popular among 100 meter sprinters and power athletes. By using creatine you'll increase your performance in the gym, which in turn will help you reap more rewards from your hard efforts.

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.

Casein is an underrated protein product which can yield great results if used correctly. This product is a great example of how the world of supplements operates. Despite being on the market for many years now, it actually had no scientific evidence to back up it's claims until just 4 months ago. This shows you why it's easy to get lost in hype if you're not careful. However, this particular product does now hold sufficient proof to back up it's claims and is a very good way to keep the muscle building process switched on while you 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.

If you have ever tried losing fat you will probably have encountered the myth that carbohydrates are the enemy. Of course, this is nonsense and carb avoidance has been shown to result in short-term losses but long-term weight 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.

There are three major benefits to the final product on today's list, which is glutamine. This is designed to help your body to release more natural growth hormone, enhance your body's immune system and help your muscles to recover faster from workouts. Combine those three facts and you have a product which is designed to help you hit the gym at maximum ability more often than you could without it.

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.




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