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.
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.
The bottom line is that fitness is not rocket science.
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.
While you could spend hours comparing the statements on different tubs of protein or creatine, the truth is you can learn how to pick the best product for you by simply teaching yourself what to look for, rather than which one claims to be the best.
* A tub of whey protein
* Creatine is a very good product for size and strength
* Casein
* Quick-release carbohydrates
* BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) are the building blocks of hypertrophy
* Glutamine can return enviable results in muscular 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.
Whey protein is easily the most popular health product on the market nowadays. Despite this, many people falsely believe that you should only use it if you intend to get bigger. This often puts many people, particularly women, off the product entirely and it is simply not true. Whey is a great way to pack in more protein to your daily diet and it's such a popular product due to the speed at which your body can digest it. There are three main categories of whey, they are hydrolized, isolate and concentrate. Hydolized is the quickest digesting form and therefore tends to cost the most money. Isolate is second and concentrate is third.
Each type is highly effective and the difference between the digestion speeds doesn't warrant the often huge differences in price, so although you would get better results with a hydrolized product you don't need to go down that route if you cannot afford to.
The facts on creatine are needlessly murky. This product has been around for 20 years and it's effectiveness is proven. It is designed to increase your explosive strength, which can lead to greater muscle gain if you are training regularly and watching your diet. Creatine was first used by sprinters looking to improve their times over short distances, then adopted by bodybuilders looking to push out a few more repetitions in their workouts.
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.
The process of protein synthesis can be manipulated further if you make use of a casein product, too. This has been available for many years now but, until recently, had no concrete evidence to back up it's effectiveness and survived purely because the theory behind it made sense. It now does have evidence, and is a great addition to a nutrition plan which includes products like whey and creatine. This slow digesting protein source is great for pre-bedtime consumption as it allows your body to continue building lean tissue while you sleep, feeding your muscles with a slow release of protein over an eight hour period.
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.
The effectiveness of BCAA products has been a revelation in recent years, with many fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders choosing to add them alongside their post-workout protein and creatine. While there are over 20 amino acids, the most important is considered to be leucine, which acts as a key turning on the building process. However, it is important to consume a BCAA product to obtain a good array of all the amino acids because they all work together, as opposed to opting for a straight leucine supplement which, for most people, would be like buying a car with an engine but without brakes, a steering wheel or seat belts.
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.
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.
The bottom line is that fitness is not rocket science.
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.
While you could spend hours comparing the statements on different tubs of protein or creatine, the truth is you can learn how to pick the best product for you by simply teaching yourself what to look for, rather than which one claims to be the best.
* A tub of whey protein
* Creatine is a very good product for size and strength
* Casein
* Quick-release carbohydrates
* BCAA's (branched chain amino acids) are the building blocks of hypertrophy
* Glutamine can return enviable results in muscular 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.
Whey protein is easily the most popular health product on the market nowadays. Despite this, many people falsely believe that you should only use it if you intend to get bigger. This often puts many people, particularly women, off the product entirely and it is simply not true. Whey is a great way to pack in more protein to your daily diet and it's such a popular product due to the speed at which your body can digest it. There are three main categories of whey, they are hydrolized, isolate and concentrate. Hydolized is the quickest digesting form and therefore tends to cost the most money. Isolate is second and concentrate is third.
Each type is highly effective and the difference between the digestion speeds doesn't warrant the often huge differences in price, so although you would get better results with a hydrolized product you don't need to go down that route if you cannot afford to.
The facts on creatine are needlessly murky. This product has been around for 20 years and it's effectiveness is proven. It is designed to increase your explosive strength, which can lead to greater muscle gain if you are training regularly and watching your diet. Creatine was first used by sprinters looking to improve their times over short distances, then adopted by bodybuilders looking to push out a few more repetitions in their workouts.
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.
The process of protein synthesis can be manipulated further if you make use of a casein product, too. This has been available for many years now but, until recently, had no concrete evidence to back up it's effectiveness and survived purely because the theory behind it made sense. It now does have evidence, and is a great addition to a nutrition plan which includes products like whey and creatine. This slow digesting protein source is great for pre-bedtime consumption as it allows your body to continue building lean tissue while you sleep, feeding your muscles with a slow release of protein over an eight hour period.
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.
The effectiveness of BCAA products has been a revelation in recent years, with many fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders choosing to add them alongside their post-workout protein and creatine. While there are over 20 amino acids, the most important is considered to be leucine, which acts as a key turning on the building process. However, it is important to consume a BCAA product to obtain a good array of all the amino acids because they all work together, as opposed to opting for a straight leucine supplement which, for most people, would be like buying a car with an engine but without brakes, a steering wheel or seat belts.
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.
About the Author:
About the author: Learn which supplements to take to achieve a ripped physique with the UK's most watched personal trainer, Russ Howe PTI. Learning how to build muscle doesn't need to be hard, as you have seen today.