MuscleBits

I received an email yesterday ask me what are the most important sports supplements for gaining lean muscle here is what I would choose..

1.  In my opinion this is the most important one of the lot, you guessed it its whey protein,  whey protein is important for muscle growth as it repairs and protects you muscle after your workout, it is important to take whey protein not only after the gym but througout the day following as this is the time your body is resting and needs to repair.

2.  Casein protein is another of my favourites, this is a slow digesting protein that gets relesed over time which makes it perfect to take before bed to stop muscle breakdown & promote muscle growth.

3.  Creatine is my third choice.   Creatine is a combination of amino acids thats helps to increase not only size but stregtn aswel.

4  BCAA's or branched chain amino acids contain the three most important aminos for building lean muscles they are leucine, isoleucine and valine.

5.  My next choice is CLA or conjugated linoleic acid this supplement helps to lower body fat and retain lean muscle mass.

6.  Nitric oxide taken pre-workout ensures all the right nutrients your body needs are getting delivered to the working muscle groups giving you the pump this product helps to increase strength and promotes weight loss.

7.  Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid forund in the body, it is used to help gain muscle by increasing the amount ofthe amino acid leucine and slows down muscle breakdown.

8.  Zma is my next choice, which is a combination of zinc and magnesium, many gym goers are deficent in this.  ZMA assists in maintaining correct hormone levels and helps with restfull sleep.

9.  L-Carnitine is used to help lower body fat, by using fat stores up as energy and is know to increase testosterone levels to accelerate muscle growth.

10.  Carbohydrates post workout.  This could be in the form of mass gainer taken only after exercise taking in carbs at this time slows down cortisol levels, raises blood sugar levels and promoting muscle growth and restoring glycogen levels in the muscle.

If you fail to plan then you plan to fail, with anything in life you must always get together an action plan of how you are going to acheive you ultimate goal whether you want to lose weight, bulk up, increase muscle whatever it is, you need to plan.

1.  Set a desired weight you wish to lose ie "I want to lose 10lbs" then look at this number and be realistic… how long is it going to take for this to happen.  Then break it down, i want to lose 1lb a week (which is a realistic achievment) so over the next 10 weeks this is your Goal.

2.  Plan your meals, this takes time but you will reap the rewards.  Every night before bed prepare your breakfast, luch, snacks and what you will be eating for your dinner.

3.  Eat smaller meals for often this keeps your metabolism high and you feeling full.

4.  Drink plenty of water, it is recommended to drink 2 litres per day this will keep you hydrated, flush out any toxins, and again make you 'feel' full.

5.  Take regular exercise hit the gym, pavement pound (run/jog), take yoga, do a fitness class, spinning whatever you fancy mix it up so its fun.

6.  Walk instead of taking the car, use the stairs instead of the lift, offer to help people do things.

7.  Lift weights and tone muscle, many women are scared to pick up weight as they dont want to 'get BIg' this is very hard to do as you dont have testosterone, you will get toned, and the more toned muscle you have the more fat you burn.

8.  Tell people what you are trying to achieve and get their support, your work colleagues etc they will help you out by not doing the Maccy D runs and Starbuck etc.

9.  Do it together, ask a friend to get involved and you have a support network for those difficult days.

10.  Finally measure, weigh, and take photos so you have a record of your achievements on a weekly basis and can compare.

Sports supplements help but there is no miracle weight loss tablet its all down to you, your diet and the exercise you take.