Bodybuilding Supplements: What to take, How much and when

You squat, you bench, you curl your way to a better body each and every day you set foot in the gym. Your goals are set, you drive up more weight for more reps.

You are a disciplined hard worker who accepts nothing less than the best from your workouts and nutrition strategies. Sets and reps are counted and documented as well as grams of protein and carbs.

Unfortunately you sometimes find that your gains have slowed or stopped or perhaps even regressed! You need that extra boost. You need a good supplement strategy to get you on the road to gains once again. But how much and when do you take them?

You Need A Good Supplement Strategy to Get You On The Road To Gains.

This guide will lay the foundation for a solid supplement program; one that is detailed and tactfully assembled for maximum benefit. It will be perfectly timed for the greatest results and even spelled out for the beginner to the advanced bodybuilder. So if it is mass that you seek, grow on this!

First let us list and describe the supplements used in this schedule. A thorough explanation is a must regarding timing and dosages. As with all workout and supplement programs, please consult your doctor before beginning.

Whey Protein:
As the "Big Man on Campus" of supplements whey is a staple of any supplement program. Easily digested, portable and effective, whey is a must for anyone seeking gains in lean muscle mass. It will serve as a foundation to this supplement program.

Protein powders in general are great for when you have no time to fix a meal or need extra protein without downing another chicken breast or steak. Whey is a convenient way to feed the muscle and boost gains especially when you need it most.

Regarding timing and dose whey is most effective when taken as follows (note: most dosages in this article will be for a bodybuilder weighing around 200 pounds):

20 Grams Upon Waking In The Morning:
Your body has fasted for up to eight hours or more, so it is imperative that you down a shake first thing when you wake up. This will shut down the catabolic state you may be in and get you on that road to growth once again.

Now, you want the protein to get in rather quickly so no complex carbs or fats, just protein, some simple carbs and a few other things (which we will get to in a moment). Your body will thank you for the surge of amino acids!

20 Grams Pre-Workout:
It is time to get the levels of aminos in the bloodstream up once again. Taking whey prior to your workout will ensure that your muscles will have a steady stream of protein during your workout so that it can actually begin the rebuilding process early.

40 Grams Post-Workout:
This is prime-time to get a quickly digested protein in the body along with about twice the simple carbs (80 grams). No later than 30 minutes after a workout down this cocktail along with a few other ingredients to boost insulin levels which will stimulate protein synthesis by driving glucose and amino acids into the muscle.

Creatine:
Another well known and effective supplement is creatine. As it gets converted into creatine phosphate in the muscles, which produces energy for contractions during training, supplementing with creatine can ensure that levels of it are topped off. Plus, creatine will force more water into the muscle cells creating an anabolic environment increasing protein synthesis. For strength and size it can't be beat!

3-5 Grams Pre-Workout:
Taken with a moderate amount of complex carbs and 20 grams of whey protein taking creatine at this time will guarantee your levels are filled up.

3-5 Grams Post-Workout:
Within 30 minutes after training combine creatine with 40grams of whey protein and 80 grams of simple carbs to get a potent growth producing shake. After training your muscles are screaming for nutrients so why not give it to them? The insulin response from the simple carbs will also shuttle that creatine right into the muscle.

Casein Protein:
Another convenient protein source, casein is slow digesting so it will be digested and released into the bloodstream at a steady rate feeding the muscles over a longer period of time. Whereas whey is used for rapid absorption, casein is used when you need protein to "stick around" a little longer, maybe between meals or for when you know you will not get in another meal for awhile.

20 Grams Post-Workout:
Take in 20 grams of casein along with your other post-workout supplements. Whey is used to get instant nourishment to the muscles while casein is taken for when the whey is digested and the muscles still need aminos for recovery. This will also help you stay satiated until you eat your post-workout meal.

20 Grams In The Middle Of The Night:
Since it is slow digesting, you can also benefit drinking a shake in the middle of your sleep to ensure your body is getting the protein it needs. During sleep the body is basically fasting and this may cause your body to dip into a catabolic state.

Ingesting a shake at around three or four hours after going to bed will guarantee your quest for mass is still on track. Now, you may have to set your alarm, but hey, it is all for a good cause.

Glutamine:
Glutamine is considered a long-term commitment. Though not as noticeably effective as creatine, glutamine has many unseen benefits. As one of the most plentiful amino acids in the body, glutamine assists in recovery by helping muscle cells take up glycogen after a workout, thus supporting growth-hormone already in normal healthy ranges and maintaining immune function so you can stay healthy.

It can also help delay fatigue during a workout so you can turn up the intensity for a longer period of time. The digestive system requires so much glutamine to function that it will take it from muscle tissue so supplementing is a no brainer.

7-10 Grams Upon Waking In The Morning:
This will be taken with your small whey shake mentioned above. Again, this will be absorbed quickly to help get your body out of a catabolic state it may have slipped into overnight.

7-10 Grams Pre-Workout:
This will help you workout longer and keep up your intensity.

7-10 Grams Post-Workout:
Again, taking glutamine after a workout will help with glycogen uptake to quickly start the recovery process and get you in that anabolic state.

7-10 Grams 30 To 60 Minutes Before Sleep:
This is another great opportunity to protect your hard earned muscle right before you go to bed. This taken with the small casein shake will help fend off the nightmare of catabolism.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids:
BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine are used for fuel during intense workouts thus preventing your body from scavenging hard-earned muscle for energy. At other times of day BCAAs help stimulate protein synthesis and ward off catabolic hormones.

5-10 Grams Upon Waking In The Morning:
BCAAs first thing in the morning is just another weapon in your arsenal to ward off the catabolic effects of fasting most of the night. Your body can readily utilize BCAAs as fuel while whey and glutamine quickly get to muscle tissue.

5-10 Grams Pre-Workout:
Again, taking BCAAs before a workout can fuel the body with energy so you can spare muscle tissue and it will also keep you in an anabolic state for growth.

5-10 Grams Post-Workout:
This will enhance protein synthesis for greater muscle growth.

Arginine:
Readily converted to Nitric Oxide (NO) in the body arginine is a powerful supplement with a host of benefits. It allows more blood flow to muscle by dilating vessels to allow more nutrients in such as amino acids, glucose as well as a host of hormones. Also, having a greater water delivery into the muscle cells means an increase in protein synthesis, which, in turn, spells more muscle growth.

2-3 Grams Upon Waking In The Morning:
At this time arginine will dilate blood vessels to shuttle in the nutrients of other supplements.

2-3 Grams Pre-Workout:
This will enhance the natural increase of growth hormone before a workout.

2-3 Grams 30-60 Minutes Before Sleep:
This is another time to take advantage of the burst of growth hormone as arginine will only enhance this effect.

Tribulus Terrestris:
Tribulus Terrestris promotes healthy hormone function. It also has the ability to enhance the firing of nerves in muscle for increased strength during workouts. If you need that extra boost in power before a workout Tribulus delivers.

250-500 Mg Pre-Workout:
Get that extra surge of testosterone before heading to the gym.

ZMA:
ZMA (the combination of zinc magnesium plus vitamin B6) has been shown to support IGF-1 and testosterone levels. Zinc has very powerful recovery benefits and magnesium will actually calm the nervous system down so the body has an easier time resting. The better you sleep the more opportunity your body has to grow.

30-60 Minutes Before Sleep:
30 mg of zinc, 450 mg of magnesium, and 11 mg of B6.

Antioxidants:
Antioxidants have the ability to rid the body of free radicals which are produced from periods of severe stress such as from an intense workout. It is wise to supplement with vitamins C and E to combat this damage and keep your body in an anabolic state.

500 Mg Of Vitamin C At Your Post-Workout Whole Meal:
Vitamin C will support normal joint health and immune function.

200-400 UI Of Vitamin E At Your Post-Workout Whole Meal:
Vitamin E supports muscle cell recovery. This antioxidant is also important for skin, nail and hair health.

The Schedule For Growth

Upon Waking In The Morning
20 g whey protein
2-3 g arginine
7-10 g glutamine
5-10 g BCAAs

Mid-Day
20 g Casein
20 g Whey Protein Shake

Pre-Workout
20 g whey protein
2-3 g arginine
7-10 g glutamine
3-5 g creatine
5-10 g BCAAs
250-500 mg Tribulus Terrestris

Post-Workout
40-80 g simple carbs
20 g whey protein
20 g casein protein
7-10 g glutamine
3-5 g creatine
5-10 g BCAAs

Dinner
500 mg vitamin C
200-400 IU vitamin E

30-60 Minutes Before Sleep
20 g casein protein
2-3 g arginine
7-10 g glutamine
ZMA (30 mg zinc, 450 mg magnesium, 11 mg B6)

Middle Of The Night
20-30 g casein protein


Conclusion

So there you have it. All of your supplement questions answered from timing to dosages, now you can get on the road to growth. This may seem like a lot to "digest" right now, but if you are new to supplements start by taking some whey protein at the specified times of day and then experiment with the others to see what will work for you.

Everyone is different so some supplements may be a better choice for you than others. Just make sure you are eating a bodybuilding friendly whole food diet because without it supplements will not save the day. Eat plenty of complex carbs such as potatoes, wheat pasta, rice, wheat bread, and oatmeal along with lean proteins such as lean beef, turkey, chicken, eggs and fish. In no time you will be on your way to a bigger self.

By: Brad Borland

20 minute biceps hammer

A friend of mine showed me this at the gym last week. The day after I tried it my biceps were so sore and tight you probably could have played “duelling banjos” on them. This isn’t for those who are scared of a bit of pain or hard work. This routine is a full out biceps blaster to shock you out of your stale old routine.

The routine is relatively simple. You need an incline bench, 3 sets of dumbbells and a clock. For me I chose weights of 30, 20 and 15. My normal dumbbell curls is 55 or 60, so approximately 50% for the heaviest pair, and then a 10 pound drop, then 5.

The routine

1. Take note of the time
2. Sit on the incline bench with the heaviest pair of dumbbells. Perform 6 repetitions of hammer curls (thumbs facing the ceiling).
3. Switch to the next weight and perform 6 reps of hammer curls
4. Perform 8 reps of hammer curls with the final (lightest) weight

Repeat this routine of 20 reps every 60 seconds for 20 minutes. Note that this is not 60 seconds of rest, but 60 seconds from the first rep of one set until the first rep of the next set.

I also found this routine to be pretty hard on my rear deltoids. You might want to try and time it so that you do it on a day following lower-body so that you are well rested.

For other high intensity training (H.I.T.) tips, see Mega Sets ...

Foods to help boost your Testosterone

If you are suffering from depression, lack of sexual appetite, or trouble with sexual functions, you may be experiencing low testosterone levels. If this is indeed the case, one way to address the issue is to try eating high testosterone food.

A testosterone diet is easy to maintain, as long as you are aware of what constitutes good foods to increase your testosterone levels. High testosterone foods contain good qualities of zinc. For this reason, some foods have been called aphrodisiacs.

The reality is, including these foods in your diet may help alleviate the symptoms of testosterone deficiency. In one trial, 22 men with low testosterone levels and sperm counts were given zinc every day for 45 to 50 days. Both testosterone levels and sperm counts rose.

It should not be surprising that one of the best high testosterone foods are oysters. Oysters have long been lauded as a powerful aphrodisiac, and recent studies are showing that the reason may be because they contain high levels of zinc. Oysters are a perfect testosterone enhancing food to add to your diet.

If you are a red meat lover, then you already are enjoying a version of high testosterone food. Red meat is also high in zinc, so keep enjoying those steaks, as they are a very good part of a testosterone diet.

Other suggestions for red meat lovers include wild game, ribs, roast, lamp and pork chops. All of these foods are convenient to purchase, and all are considered good testosterone food.

Poultry also pack a good wallop of zinc, and is an ideal inclusion in a testosterone diet. Chicken breasts, wings and thighs are all high in zinc, and in fact, combined with red meats, poultry makes up most of the zinc intake of the average American.

Goose, turkey, and duck are also poultry that are considered high testosterone food, and are a good part of the testosterone boosting diet. Wild poultry is also a a great choice, and you shouldn’t be shy about trying some quail or pheasant either.

There are also high testosterone food items that are not considered meats. Beans are an ideal part of the testosterone increasing diet with their high zinc content. Nuts are also high in zinc and are a good dietary inclusion. In the grains family, whole grains and fortified cereals are very high in zinc and therefore are good choices.

Finally, many dairy products are testosterone enhancing foods. Milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese are all high in zinc and ideal if you're looking for so called testosterone food.

In conclusion, if you are suffering from low levels of testosterone, one of the best things you can do is include high testosterone foods in your day to day life. Focusing on ensuring that you have a good testosterone diet is a simple way to avoid problems related to low testosterone.

By Dan Ho

To gain muscle and lose fat, drink milk!!

Part of an ongoing study into the impact of drinking milk after heavy weightlifting has found that milk helps exercisers burn more fat.

The study by researchers at McMaster University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by the Department of Kinesiology’s Exercise Metabolism Research Group, lead by Stuart Phillips.

The researchers took three groups of young men 18 to 30 years of age – 56 in total – and put them through a rigorous, five-day-per-week weightlifting program over a 12-week period. Following their workouts, study participants drank either two cups of skim milk, a soy beverage with equivalent amounts of protein and energy, or a carbohydrate beverage with an equivalent amount of energy, which was roughly the same as drinking 600 to 700 milliliters of a typical sports drink.

Upon the study’s conclusion, researchers found that the milk drinking group had lost nearly twice as much fat - two pounds - while the carbohydrate beverage group lost one pound of fat. Those drinking soy lost no fat. At the same time, the gain in muscle was much greater among the milk drinkers than either the soy or carbohydrate beverage study participants.

“The loss of fat mass, while expected, was much larger than we thought it would be,” says Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster. “I think the practical implications of these results are obvious: if you want to gain muscle and lose fat as a result of working out, drink milk.”

As reported in the first phase of the study, the milk drinking group came out on top in terms of muscle gain with an estimated 40 per cent or 2.5 pounds more muscle mass than the soy beverage drinkers. In addition, this group gained 63 per cent or 3.3 pounds, more muscle mass than the carbohydrate beverage drinkers.

“I think the evidence is beginning to mount,” says Phillips. “Milk may be best known for its calcium content in supporting bone health, but our research, and that of others, continually supports milk’s ability to aid in muscle growth and also promote body fat loss. To my mind – with milk being a source of nine essential nutrients – it’s a no brainer: milk is the ideal post-workout drink for recreational exercisers and athletes alike.”

Source: McMaster University