Muscle gain supplements is an industry in itself, and the sheer number of muscle gain supplement products out there may be overwhelming for the new bodybuilder. Picking out the right muscle gain supplement for you is simple once you know what you’re looking for, and this means knowing what these supplements really do.

The first and most common muscle gain supplement is Protein. Asides from being the secondary energy source next to carbohydrates, protein is quite essential for muscle activity as well. Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks of your muscles. Protein also aids in the replenishment of tissue damage due to overexertion during the course of activity. Since some bodybuilders can’t meet the “one gram of protein per pound of body weight daily” requirement, they may choose to take protein supplements.

Creatine is a another well known supplement in bodybuilding. Creatine functions in three ways:

• It gives more muscle mass
• It releases more energy, prolonging workouts
• It maintains stamina

Glutamine is also derived from protein rich products. It is an amino acid that helps improve the immune system. When you work out, you tend to be susceptible to illnesses since your body will “burn out” along the way. Glutamine helps build white blood cells which composes your immune system. Glutamine is usually paired with Creatine for optimum results.

There are also Meal Replacement Powders (MRP’s) that help you reach and maintain your ideal body weight. MRP’s are as good as standard meals. They have all the nutrients needed by your body to oxidize during workouts. It contains the three major food components needed for building muscle: carbohydrates, protein and fats. Some MRP’s throw in vitamins and minerals into the mix. Despite its convenience, MRP’s are very low in fiber. This means that when you get too dependent on MRP’s, your digestive enzymes dwindle, and you suffer from abdominal discomfort. In other words, it’s still important that you keep having regular meals and not depend solely on MRP’s.

Another important supplement is Nitric Oxide or commonly known as NO. This compound aids in the circulation of blood in the body, making the most out of the nutrients you take in. In addition, this protects the blood vessels from accumulating plaque in the heart. Intense workouts also tend to tear the muscles, which might lead to inflammation. NO restores the muscles just like the amino acids. However, there are some common side effects that come with taking this supplement – it may cause gastro-intestinal discomfort for some individuals and may cause headaches when taken in high doses.

Whatever combination of supplements you take, remember that they’re only supplements – that is, something that you add on to your diet and exercise regimen. Muscle gain supplements will work best when you also keep a balanced diet and regular exercise.

Bodybuilding is best done in a gym complete with free weights and exercise equipment. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford going to the gym. This includes students, teenagers, and individuals still working out their bills and debt payments. Does this mean that bodybuilding is a luxury only afforded by those with good credit scores?

Thankfully not – there are many ways to build muscle without having to go to a gym. You may not have the benefit of free weights, but your own body weight may be all you’ll ever need.

Pushups:

Pushups are a good simple exercise that works out the chest, triceps, and shoulder muscles. The position of your hands relative to your shoulders dictates which parts of your pectoral muscles are being worked out. If they’re in line with your shoulders, then they’ll work out the center areas of your chest muscles. If they’re slightly further in, pushups will work on the inner pectorals, and if they’re slightly further out, they’ll work out the outer pectorals. It’s a good idea to work out the entire muscle group by alternating hand positions in a pushup routine.

It’s important to do enough repetitions to cause muscle failure (when you can’t push yourself up anymore) to encourage muscle growth. For starters, muscle failure may occur after 8-12 repetitions. As you get stronger, you may want to increase resistance by placing your feet up on a box or table while doing this exercise.

Pull-ups:

Pull-ups are a great exercise for the biceps and back muscles. Find a smooth bar sturdy enough to support your weight – this is easy to find in a park playground. Grasp the bar with your palms facing in and slowly pull yourself up, breathing out as you go, until your chin passes the bar’s level, then ease yourself down. Make sure you don’t bounce when you go down, and keep your feet off the ground. Do as many repetitions as you can until you can’t pull yourself up anymore. Rest for a few minutes, and then do another set. 3-4 sets per workout should be enough.

Sit-ups:

Sit-ups are still a great exercise for the abdominal muscles. There are two areas of the abs that can be worked out with sit-ups: (1) the upper abs, and (2) the middle and lower abs.

To work out the upper abs, lie down with your back on the ground, your hands at your sides, and your legs bent at 45 degrees with the floor. Slowly lift your head and upper back while keeping your lower back on the ground. Then hold the position, squeeze your abdominal muscles for three seconds, then return to starting position. Repeat until it hurts, then rest for two minutes.

To work out the middle and lower abs, assume the same position as above, but with your hands on your thighs. As you go up, slide your hands up until they touch your knees. Hold, squeeze for three seconds, then go back down.

Squats

Squats can work out your legs even without the use of free weights. To squat, stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your knees and bring your butt down until your legs are at 90 degrees, keeping your back straight all the time. Hold the position for three seconds, then come back up. For starters, 2 sets of 10 squats per set should be enough. Slowly increase the number of sets and repetitions as you get stronger.

Make sure to start each workout with some cardio and stretching exercises. Also make sure to take at least 24 hours of rest between workouts, and it’s also advisable to do only two of the exercises above in one given day (e.g. pushups and sit-ups on one day, pull-ups and squats on the next).

It has been said that exercise and diet go together, and if the two don’t complement each other, the muscle building regimen won’t work as well as it’s supposed to. In this article, we will discuss the diets and the types of food that fits in best with a good muscle building regimen.

Many people make the mistake of eating less when undergoing rigorous muscle building regimens. Think about it: You’re trying to gain muscle. If you skimp on food, you will miss out on important nutrients necessary for muscle growth. The best muscle building diets involve as many as six small meals a day, since this setup burns more of the bad stuff away while keeping more of the good stuff in.

Regarding caloric ratio, a well-balanced muscle building diet involves a 40-40-20 ratio (40% of your daily caloric intake from carbohydrates, 40% from protein, and 20% from fat). Individuals more interested in fat burn than muscle growth may opt for a 50-30-20 ratio instead. Whichever the ratio, it’s a rule to remember that what you eat is just as important as how much.

Carbohydrates are your main source of energy, and they are burned much more easily and efficiently than calories from fat. Good sources of carbohydrates include rice, pasta, whole wheat bread, and grains.

Protein builds muscle, and a diet with healthy servings of lean meat, poultry (without the skin), fish, non-fat milk, eggs, and nuts allows you to maximize muscle growth from your workouts. As a rule, bodybuilders must take in one gram of protein for every pound of body weight per day.

A fun way of reaching your recommended protein intake is to substitute the occasional bag of chips or cookies with nuts, such as peanuts and cashews. These are great at-work snacks, and they maintain energy levels better than junk food.

Fat is a great source of reserve energy, and helps keep the body warm and body weight steady. It is important to remember that there are good and bad types of fat. Avoid trans fats and other saturated fats, and take in more of the ‘good’ fats through avocados (guacamole), tuna oil, olive oil, and other vegetable oils. Stay away from coconut oil, though.

Other important parts of your diet include water, fruit, vegetables, and multivitamin supplements. It is important to replenish your body’s supply of water every 2 hours, especially when working out. 8-10 glasses should be enough to keep yourself hydrated each day. Multivitamins help keep sickness at bay, fight stress, and make the body expend energy and absorb nutrients more efficiently.

Your dietitian and gym instructor can give you tips on good muscle building diets. Don’t be shy to ask questions you might be pleasantly surprised at what you hear.

The pace of life is getting faster for most of us. This is one of the reasons why fast food restaurants are popping up like mushrooms wherever you go. It’s easy to opt for quicker food stops since no one really has time to cook and fix healthy meals. It may be a quick fix, but done everyday, all the bad stuff in fast food is going to creep up on you and manifest in health problems such as obesity, hypertension, and heart ailments.

In addition, stress levels get so high that many people think that exercising only constitutes additional stress. So they skimp on working out and going to the gym.

I can’t say I blame them – it’s a little known fact that exercise actually helps decrease stress levels and increase resistance to burnouts and sickness. And with a proper health and fitness regimen woven into the daily grind, it’s possible to lose fat and gain muscle while getting things done at work at the same time.

The thing to remember is that diet or exercise won’t work on their own. Remember that they’re two sides to a coin.

Improving your diet is important, as obesity is on the rise around the world. If you compare your daily intake with the new food guide pyramid, chances are you’ll find you’re taking in too much sugar and meat, and too little fruit, vegetables, milk and grains. Once you start making gradual adjustments towards a more balanced diet, you’ll find you’ll begin to feel better and more energetic.

Exercise is also very important, since diets are only good for a few pounds. Cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging, biking, swimming, and ball sports, cause the metabolism to run faster and burn more calories. The increased intake of oxygen also improves circulation and maximizes fat burn.

Aside from cardiovascular exercises, flexibility exercises may also be worth a try. Practices such as Tai Chi, Yoga, and the Pilates method are all great flexibility exercises, and have been found to be great stress relievers, as well.

Once you’ve gotten into the habit of doing regular cardiovascular and flexibility exercises, then it’s time to start some strength training. Weight lifting is the best way for muscle growth, and gym instructors can help suggest specific exercises to help you gain muscle in specific parts of your body. It’s important to go the extra mile in your exercises, since working out without overtraining won’t help much in muscle growth.

When starting out on a new health regimen, another important thing to have is discipline. Some individuals start dieting in exercising with a mean streak that tapers off after a while, and ultimately return to the same sedentary lifestyle they used to have. Visualize yourself enjoying the rest of your life with the best of health, and have fun while working towards that goal.

The keys to gaining muscle mass include eating a balanced diet, a healthy lifestyle, enough sleep, and regular and proper weight training exercise.

Diet

You need enough protein for your muscles to develop. The more protein, the better. Lean red meat should always be a part of your diet. Lean meats contain just about the right amount of nutrients to help muscles grow. As a rule, you should take in at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. This can be easily done by properly spacing your meals into six small servings a day. The proper combination of high protein diet and the proper kind of workout will help you gain the right amount of mass for your muscles.  However, as a word of caution, you must integrate all the food groups into your diet daily since a protein-only diet cannot sustain a healthy body.

lifestyle

Avoid smoking and excessive drinking. Smoking can cause cancer, as well as a host of other medical conditions. Taking in too much alcohol can also have a bad effect on the health. The key here is moderation.

It is also a good idea to keep the mind sharp. Activities like reading or a hobby can promote good mental health. While the brain technically isn’t a muscle, it still needs to be exercised as an integral part of your body.

Sleep

Your body grows and heals itself when you are asleep. You must get enough sleep all the time to promote optimum muscle development. You shouldn’t sleep too late or wake up too late either. 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night is just about right to maximize your growth potential. Also, rest at least 24 hours between trips to the gym.

Proper Weight Training

It is wiser to use free weights when bulking up. Dumbbells and barbells are more effective than machines in building muscle mass. Free weights tend to make your ancillary muscles work as well, since you need to balance the dumbbells when you lift them. The greater range of motion afforded by free weights simply increases the number of muscles utilized in the training and so results are better.

Here are a few additional tips in gaining muscle mass:

• When lifting free weights, it’s advisable to do 12-16 sets per exercise. Find a weight that causes muscle failure (when the muscles can’t handle any more repetitions) within 8-12 repetitions per set. You may need to pace yourself when only starting out, then gradually work your way up to this setup.
• Pay attention to muscles that are less developed and work on them more to achieve a balanced physique.
• Exercise only two or three muscle groups in a day. It’s advisable to work out your shoulders, triceps, and chest on the same day, and your biceps and back on the next gym session.