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"Ahhhhhhh!
I need to build muscle quick, but there's 50 million
freakin' different products out there and I don't
know where to start!" If this sounds vaguely
familiar to something you've heard yourself mutter,
you're not alone! We get e-mails and phone calls
from customers all the time asking for our advice in
choosing the right products to help them gain muscle
quickly and effectively.
First of all, you don't
necessarily need supplements to gain muscle.
However, they will definitely help you build muscle
a lot quicker. Supplements are simply tools to
increase your muscle building potential. Read Big
Cat's
articles
on nutrition and supplementation for more in-depth
information. Most people start out with a
multi-vitamin, protein, and creatine.
First
off, there are several types of supplements that
make muscle grow, recover, and rebuild faster.
Here's a list of the top supplement types people use
to produce the best results:
With
all these different types to choose from, what
should you take to most effectively aid in the
muscle building process? Let's start by explaining
each one of these types so you have a better
understanding of what to expect from each of them.
NOTE:
To sort product by price, servings and more, simply
click the VIEW ALL links in each category.
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Protein Products
 Protein
is made of amino acids. Amino acids are the basic
building blocks of muscle. Therefore, protein is an
essential ingredient for muscle building. You can't
build muscle without it! You will want to take in
about 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight
throughout the day. So an average person who weighs
150 lbs would want to consume between 150 and 300
grams of protein in a day. Protein
shakes
and
bars
are convenient and provide high quality protein.
There are several forms of
protein including: Whey, Soy, Egg, and Casein. So
which kind is best? Well that depends on how and
when you want to use them. View our
in-depth articles
on this subject
Whey - Basically, whey
protein is awesome for post-workout supplementation
because that's the time when your body needs protein
the most, and whey is digested very quickly (about
30 minutes). View all
Whey
products.
Casein - Casein, on the
other hand, is digested very slowly (over 2 - 7
hours). This means it's great to use a protein
supplement with casein before bed because the
longest time your body goes without protein is
during the night while you are sleeping. View all
Micellar Casein
products.
Egg - Egg protein
(albumen) digests at a medium pace (1.5-3 hours) so
it's a good anytime protein to provide a good
sustained release of aminos to the body. View all
Egg Protein
products.
Soy - Soy protein is
the vegetarian's friend because it's one of the only
complete protein sources derived from plants. Soy is
a good overall protein, although it's not as
effective in terms of absorption as whey or egg
albumen. Additionally, soy has many recognized
health benefits for women. View all
Soy
products.
Blends - Either protein
supplements are straight whey, soy, egg, or casein;
or they are a combination of any or all of these
kinds of proteins. What can a blend of proteins
offer that a straight protein cannot? Basically,
different rates of digestion. This means you can
take a blended protein any time to get quick,
medium, and prolonged absorption of protein.
ProM3
is one of the best in the blended proteins category.
Low
Carb - Of the many protein supplements, the two
other main categories are weight gainers and low
carb protein shakes and bars. These two are on
opposite spectrums of each other. Yep, you guessed
it low carb protein shakes are good for those
dieting or trying to lose or maintain weight. View
all
Low Carb
products.
Weight Gainer - Weight gainers are high calorie
protein products that are great for people who are
looking to bulk up. If you are having trouble
gaining weight, taking in extra high quality
calories will usually do the trick. View all
Gainer
products.
Creatine
 Creatine
works very well for increasing muscle mass. It is
naturally occurring in the body. It's safe and very
effective for anybody, especially if you've never
used it before. We have tons of great
articles on creatine,
so you can become an overnight expert on it! The
basics behind it are this: it increases ATP (the
main energy source muscles use for explosive power)
availability so that you can perform more reps and
sets and lift more weight, consequently growing more
muscle tissue. Creatine should be cycled. Many have
found great results taking it for four weeks,
followed by one to two weeks off. There are quite a
few different types of creatine which you can
view by top sellers.
For example, there is pure creatine monohydrate,
liquid creatine, micronized creatine and many more.
Okay, so now your head's
spinning with different creatine products and types.
What's best? The creatine supplements with
built in dextrose,
aminos and other goodies are probably the best, but
cost-effectively a good
micronized creatine
taken with grape juice wouldn't be a bad choice.
Take creatine post-workout.
Glutamine
 L-Glutamine
is the most abundant amino acid found in muscle
tissue. It helps prevent muscle wasting and improves
recovery. The better and quicker you recovery, the
sooner and harder you can hit it in the gym!
Glutamine is safe to take year-round. Some of our
favorites are listed below.
Glutamine should not be taken at the same time as
creatine because they compete for receptors to be
absorbed. Take glutamine pre-workout and creatine
post-workout.
Multi-Vitamins
 You
can't forget about this! It seems so basic and
simple, but it's very important! If you are
deficient in even one vitamin or mineral, your gains
can really be hampered. A good multi-vitamin is a
must for the best gains in muscle mass, not to
mention good health.
People who are working out need more vitamins than
the average couch potato, so your supermarket brands
won't cut it.
Some
of the best ones for bodybuilders and athletes are
below.
Natural
testosterone Boosters
 Raising
your testosterone helps you to gain muscle, enhance
your mood, maintain a healthy libido, and more!
Steroids do a great job of raising test levels, but
they are not legal for use. These all-natural
products would be perfect for you!
You
can also use these natural products when you are off
of your prohormone cycle.
This
category includes popular products with ZMA,
Tribulus, and much more.
Anabolic Flavones
(Methoxy, Ecdy)
 Methoxyisoflavone
and Ecdysterone are the latest advancements in
supplementation for anabolic gains. They are non
hormonal flavones that naturally increase protein
synthesis, nitrogen retention, and muscle growth.
They work very well taken in conjunction with
protein because they increase the absorption of
protein. Some companies even combine the Methoxy
into the protein for you.
The
most popular supplements with these ingredients are
below.
Amino Acids And
BCAAs
Amino
acids are the building blocks of protein.
Bodybuilders can especially benefit from
supplementing amino acids because they aid in
repair, growth, and development of muscle tissue.
Among the most beneficial and effective supplements
in any sports nutrition program are branched chain
amino acids. These are the essential aminos leucine,
isoleucine, and valine. If you are looking for
better results, make sure you are taking your amino
acids! You'll be surprised at how well they work.
The
most popular amino supplements are below.
NO (Nitric Oxide)
Nitric
Oxide is a free form gas that is produced in the
body and is used by the body to communicate with
other cells in the body. The fact that nitric oxide
increases blood flow should make it of interest to
bodybuilders, as increased blood flow will serve to
deliver more nutrients to muscles, thus helping
muscles become larger when subject to stress. People
are noticing huge increases in muscle pumps while
using this product!
The
most popular NO (Nitric Oxide) supplements are
below.
ZMA
 ZMA
is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral
formula. It contains Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate
plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, and is an
all-natural product that has been clinically proven
to significantly increase anabolic hormone levels
and muscle strength in trained athletes. It is all
natural! Studies have shown that supplementing with
30mg of Zinc and 450mg of Magnesium per day can
elevate testosterone levels up to 30%! In a recent
study, the strength of a group using ZMA increased
by 11.6% compared to only a 4.6% increase in the
placebo group.
This
is a great choice for people wanting to avoid
prohormones. The most popular ZMA supplements are
below.
HGH - Growth
Hormone
 Growth
Hormone, a polypeptide hormone secreted by the
anterior pituitary gland, is the latest advance in
bodybuilding supplementation! Human Growth Hormone
levels decline rapidly after age 30.
The
most popular HGH supplements are below.
HMB
 It
is a new and exciting supplement that is one of the
most popular body building supplements today. HMB is
a metabolite of leucine, one of the body's essential
amino acids. Many of the world's champions and
athletes are using HMB and receiving dramatic
results. Specifically, HMB plays a role in the
synthesis of muscle tissue. It has the ability to
burn fat and build muscle consistently in response
to exercise. A seven week long study showed a much
greater gain in muscle when a group of 28
participated in a regular weight-training program.
The
most popular HMB supplements are below.
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Muscle Builders
