Which Supplements To Take To Build Muscle

By Russ Howe


Nowadays, it would be impossible to teach somebody how to build muscle more effectively without touching upon the subject of supplements. Learning how to decipher which supplements to take to suit your goals can be a valuable asset in helping you to achieve your fitness goals.

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.

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

It is very easy to see why so many gym users get lost in the world of bodybuilding supplements. It's a billion dollar business, so you are going to find that competition for your money is very strong indeed. This often results in companies trying to out-do each other with bold statements on why you need their product to get a good gym session.

However, once you get past all that hype and learn the most important products to use you will begin to realize that bodybuilding supplements are not very difficult to master. That's what we'll be teaching you here today.

* Whey Protein

* Creatine monohydrate

* Casein

* Carbohydrates

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

* Glutamine

The six products listed above are by far the most important when it comes to achieving more muscular development in a short space of time. They're listed in order of importance, too, making it easier to prioritize them to suit your goals. We'll now run through a brief explanation of what you can expect from each one.

Most people today have had a brief look into whey protein shakes and what they are designed to do. However, quite a lot of people are falsely advised that whey is designed to help you gain weight. This isn't true, it can be and should used by those looking to get leaner, too. Of the three main types of whey available, hydrolized formulas will hit your muscles faster and this is why they tend to cost more. Isolate and concentrate are slightly slower.

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.

Creatine first hit the market twenty years ago during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was primarily used by sprinters as it helps you to increase your ability to perform short bursts of explosive activity. It's a perfectly safe and natural substance which is actually produced by the human body, too. It made the transition into bodybuilding due to the fact that it helps you to increase your short-term explosive strength, meaning it can lead to more reps in the gym.

Despite the many new formulas available today and expensive prices, the formula with the most scientific backing is still the original. Despite being twenty years old, creatine monohydrate remains the king in this category. The fact that it is easily the most widely available and cheapest blend is also an added bonus.

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.

Studies recently reveals that individuals who combined they regular whey product with casein were able to experience greater hypertrophy, due to the ability of casein to keep protein synthesis going overnight.

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.

While the majority of your daily carb intake should arrive from complex sources, the post-workout period is very important and you should look to hit your body with some fast absorbing carbs here. While not strictly a supplement, carbohydrates can be easily obtained from food and there is no need to buy a pill or powder to perform this task.

BCAA supplements are growing in reputation as one of the key choices for size and strength. There are over 20 amino acids, some essential and others non-essential. While you will get a good spread of these from any whey protein product, you can enhance your results even further by supplementing it with an all-out BCAA product as well.

The final item on our guide is glutamine. Glutamine is mainly used by people who are trying to boost their immune system and it can have good results on your progress throughout a long-term fitness routine. This is because it helps you to recover quickly from workouts and keeps your bodily functions able to fend off minor illnesses such as colds, which you will be susceptible to if you are regularly pushing your body hard in the gym.

The most important rule to remember, however, is that the key word in each of the products we have explained today is supplement. While every product on the market will lead you to believe that you won't be able to achieve your goals without it, the truth is you can go a long way to learning how to build muscle by simply taking care of your diet and training routine. With those two things in place, you will be able to decide which supplements to take to suit your goals and you'll notice great results from any of the items covered today.




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