The Basics of Supplements for Building Muscle

May 1st, 2013

PhitZone

Phit Chick with Muscles

If you’ve been hitting the gym and eating to grow, but haven’t been gaining the muscle mass you intended, you should think about taking supplements.

There are a lot of things to choose from, hundreds of types offering to blast away the fat and build up your muscle. Do they work? Lots of them do, but some of them are trash.

There are some basic things that your body needs to get into shape and then there are supplements, which boost your potential to the max. Some of the best are Whey Protein, Glutamine, Creatine, and L-Arginine. These supplements will boost your muscle growth, block fat gain, and resist fatigue.

These are the good guys, but watch out for some of the rest. What you need is an Ultimate Guide to Muscle Building Supplements that will tell you the truth.

Here is just a brief guide detailing what you can trust and what you can’t.

Some Aren’t Worth It

The bodybuilding supplement industry is a huge one and that’s given a lot of scum opportunities to get in on making cash. Watch out for supplements that propose to do the impossible. Supplements won’t change your DNA and aren’t legal substitutes for anabolic steroids. If someone tells you otherwise, steer clear. If a company is make a broad range of claims, selling a wonder pill that can do everything, chances are it’ll only be good at taking your money.

Anything in the hormonal or chemical arena is either untested or banned. As soon as the FDA catches up with this stuff, they yank it from the shelves. These types of products usually give you quick gains while you use them, that all but disappear when you stop using, and often set you back due to their side effects. They often cause potential organ damage as well, typically in the liver and kidneys.

Most fat burners are also not all they are hyped up to be. Ephedrine and similar compounds are effective energy supplements and appetite suppressants. They won’t MAKE you lose fat, but they might help you eat less and move more. There have been severeral reports of bad interactions to these products as well, forcing them to be pulled off the shelf for a period of time.

Spotting The Difference

Be skeptical, but don’t write off everything that has more than one word in the name, or more than one claim. The most effective approach to selecting supplements is to take samples. Before you commit to a bottle or a lifetime supply, try it out for a bit. You may be surprised by what works and what doesn’t. For some people common supplements, such as those listed above, have little to no effect, while they make a big difference for other people.

Bodybuilders and other athletes can usually count on protein powder, amino acids, and creatine as sure-fire useful supplements. Some athletes can also tolerate Nitric Oxide (N.O.) supplements pretty well, but for others N.O. makes them feel sick, especially after an intense workout.

Shop Around

Shop around before you settle down. Try several different types of the same supplement, or many different types of the same one until you start to see the results you’re hoping for. Don’t forget to take a basic multivitamin along with whatever you eventually choose, just to balance everything out. Once you’ve found a sample you like, hit the bottle and then hit the gym.