At one stage or another, most gym users want to learn how to build muscle more effectively. One of the areas people tend to get a little lost is supplements. Today we will be teaching you which supplements to take if your goal is to build a more muscular physique.
In the fitness industry, your worst enemy isn't something physical. It's information. With all of the various products being released and studies being performed each day, it is hard to find a piece of information which isn't contradicted elsewhere. This leads many people into the bizarre situation of having more information available to them than any previous generation, yet being unable to achieve their fitness goals because they simply don't know who to believe or where to get started.
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.
Yet despite the great strides forward we've made in science and training, the basic principles remain almost exactly the same as they were 20-30 years ago.
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.
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
* Like whey, casein protein also has it's uses
* Simple carbs are great for your post-workout period
* BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) are the building blocks of hypertrophy
* Glutamine
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.
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.
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.
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 revealed that using casein prior to sleep kept the body's muscle building process activated for far longer and resulted in superior gains in lean tissue to those using whey alone.
Over the last ten years or so, carbohydrates have got a bad rap from those in the fitness industry. This is mainly due to the celebrity diet trends which tell people to cut carbs from their diets if they want to lose weight. That approach is, of course, nonsense and results in the individual piling all of their weight back on and more when they finish their diet. Carbohydrates are very, very useful even if your goal is losing weight.
Complex, slow-release carbohydrates are your main sources of energy but in the 45 minute window which follows any gym workout you should look to find the opposite. Remember, during this time your body wants nutrition it can use immediately. So eating some oats which take hours to digest isn't going to cut it for you. Quick-release sources of carbohydrates, such as dextrose and maltodextrin, are very useful during this short period of time.
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.
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.
If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle, one to the toughest areas is nutrition. A lot of gym users struggle on for years without truly knowing which supplements to take to help them reach their goals. This can be an expensive mistake to make, so be sure to take your time and learn the information in today's post before you write down your preferred stack.
In the fitness industry, your worst enemy isn't something physical. It's information. With all of the various products being released and studies being performed each day, it is hard to find a piece of information which isn't contradicted elsewhere. This leads many people into the bizarre situation of having more information available to them than any previous generation, yet being unable to achieve their fitness goals because they simply don't know who to believe or where to get started.
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.
Yet despite the great strides forward we've made in science and training, the basic principles remain almost exactly the same as they were 20-30 years ago.
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.
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
* Like whey, casein protein also has it's uses
* Simple carbs are great for your post-workout period
* BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) are the building blocks of hypertrophy
* Glutamine
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.
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.
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.
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 revealed that using casein prior to sleep kept the body's muscle building process activated for far longer and resulted in superior gains in lean tissue to those using whey alone.
Over the last ten years or so, carbohydrates have got a bad rap from those in the fitness industry. This is mainly due to the celebrity diet trends which tell people to cut carbs from their diets if they want to lose weight. That approach is, of course, nonsense and results in the individual piling all of their weight back on and more when they finish their diet. Carbohydrates are very, very useful even if your goal is losing weight.
Complex, slow-release carbohydrates are your main sources of energy but in the 45 minute window which follows any gym workout you should look to find the opposite. Remember, during this time your body wants nutrition it can use immediately. So eating some oats which take hours to digest isn't going to cut it for you. Quick-release sources of carbohydrates, such as dextrose and maltodextrin, are very useful during this short period of time.
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.
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.
If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle, one to the toughest areas is nutrition. A lot of gym users struggle on for years without truly knowing which supplements to take to help them reach their goals. This can be an expensive mistake to make, so be sure to take your time and learn the information in today's post before you write down your preferred stack.
About the Author:
More info: Learn which supplements to take to achieve a ripped physique with the UK's most followed fitness instructor, Russ Howe PTI. Learning how to build muscle doesn't need to be hard, as you have seen today.
