If you’re trying to bulk up and build some serious muscle mass this year, you must first resign yourself to the fact that it isn’t going to be an easy ride, and it certainly isn’t going to happen overnight. Building muscle is a constant work in progress that requires vast amounts of hard work, knowledge, dedication, motivation, and self discipline. Once you have all of the necessary tools in place however (literally and metaphorically) the progress you notice will become much more prominent and impressive. In order to build good quality muscle mass you will need to ensure that you follow a sensible and proven training program, and perhaps more importantly, that you also follow an effective diet and nutrition plan also. Once you have these two factors in place you can next begin thinking about supplementation. Sport and bodybuilding supplements are vastly popular and vastly beneficial, providing you know which ones to use, and when. Here we’ll be taking a look at the ultimate mass building stack.
Whey protein
As protein is vital for the growth and repair of muscle tissue, naturally you’re going to need plenty in your diet. Whey protein powders are ideal as they allow you to mix up a high protein beverage, packed full of vitamins and minerals, in a matter of seconds. Choose a good quality whey protein powder, but make sure you don’t rely on it as your sole protein source. Remember, they’re called supplements because you supplement your diet with them. A whey protein shake upon waking, and one immediately following your workout, mixed with water for fast absorption, should be plenty if you’re eating the right foods at the right time.
A pre-workout supplement
Some days you simply cannot be bothered to hit the gym and train, no matter how much you may want to. Your energy, mental focus, and motivational levels will be near zero, and as a result you will either skip gym sessions when you can’t be bothered, or you’ll simply go through the motions and won’t truly benefit. Pre-workout supplements are ideal for when you experience spells like this. They often contain stimulants such as caffeine and taurine to help increase energy levels, mental focus, and motivation levels too. They also help make workouts more efficient as they often contain Nitric Oxide, which dilates the blood vessels and increases blood oxygen and nutrient flow.
Creatine
We actually naturally synthesize this amino acid in our own bodies, the problem is that the amounts we create are simply not high enough to be of benefit to us. Creatine increases ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate) production and delivery within the body. ATP is a primary source of energy for cells within our muscles. The more ATP they have, the harder they work and by default the harder our muscles will work. This means we can work out for longer before we begin to experience muscle cramp and fatigue. The longer we train, the more we get done, and the more effective our workouts become.
Casein protein
In order to grow, our bodies require nutrients and energy to help promote muscle growth and repair. Without these nutrients, our bodies actually fall into a catabolic (muscle wasting) state, in which they actually eat away at existing muscle tissue to help provide energy. As we go for a number of hours without food whilst we sleep, this is when our muscles are most vulnerable to catabolism. To help combat this, and provide the body with what it needs to promote muscle growth and repair, casein protein is ideal. Casein protein is much slower digesting than whey protein, meaning that a shake before bed will gradually release a steady stream of proteins, amino acids, and other nutrients into the body to help speed up muscle growth and repair.
