The Best Supplements For Building Muscle
If I had a dollar for every supplement question I was asked, I'd
be a millionaire.
And that's unfortunate, because supplements are just that
-they're supposed to go with your good training and nutrition,
not take the place of them. No supplement takes the place of
good hard work in the gym-- none.
But out of all the emails I get from people, most of them ask me
which supplements they should use to build muscle, lose fat, or
increase strength.
They don't ask me how they should train or what they should eat.
They want to know which supplements to shell out their
hard-earned money on.
And I blame this on the slick marketing done by supplement
companies. They lead you to believe that by taking their protein
powder or fat loss pills, they will pack on muscle, shed fat,
and get the physique they always wanted.
With that said, there are some supplements that I feel are
definitely worth taking. They will help you get the most from
your weight training and nutrition. Again, they won't take the
place of them. But they will maximize results.
So here is my short list of the best supplements to use to build
muscle, lose fat, and improve your levels of fitness.
Protein powders
Protein builds muscle. The harder you train, the more protein
your body needs to repair, rebuild, and nourish muscle tissue.
Protein is supplement #1 if you want to ensure muscle gains. The
best protein sources are egg, milk, and whey.
Creatine
Creatine is a tested and proven strength and muscle-building
supplement. Nothing else I've tried gives you the quick and
noticeable gains as creatine does.
Creatine increases creatine phosphate storage in muscle tissue
and attracts more water into each muscle cell, resulting in cell
volumizing (swells up bigger). The bigger your muscle cells, the
bigger your muscles!
Meal replacement powders
I'll repeat the necessities of gaining muscle --- eat often and
train heavy.
In fact, it's best to be eating every 3 hours or right around
there. Meal replacements make eating every 3 hours a snap. Not
only that, it makes eating healthy a snap.
Meal replacements allow you to get the nutrient benefits of
whole food meals without the simple sugars and fats you'd
normally get.
Meal replacements are a no-brainer---use them often for gaining
muscle and losing fat.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue. It
helps shuttle muscle-building nitrogen into muscle cells where
it is used for muscle growth.
Glutamine also plays a major role in elevating growth hormone.
Studies have shown that a 2-gram oral dose of glutamine elevated
circulating growth hormone levels by over 400%.
Keeping a high level of circulating growth hormone helps keep
the body in an anabolic, muscle building state more often.
Another huge benefit of glutamine supplementation is the
positive effects it has on the immune system.
When your body requires L-glutamine to fight off infections or
viruses, it will get it from muscle tissue, resulting in
potential muscle loss.
When you supplement with glutamine, it can help protect the
glutamine stores within the muscle tissue.
Protein Bars
These are great for when you're on the go and cannot make a
whole food meal and cannot get a regular meal replacement. Keep
a bunch of high quality meal replacement/protein bars with you
somewhere at all times.
This way, if you can't make a meal, you can rip open a bar and
get your much needed calorie boost.
Honestly, if you are going to shell out your hard earned money
for supplements, you're best off choosing a couple from the list
above.
I've put them in my order of importance, but they are all pretty
important.
These are the cream of the crop, the ones that will bring you
the best results possible.