Bodybuilding Tips and Tricks

I thought I’d share with you guys a great stack of fat burning supplements I’ve been using with great success recently. Stacking multiple supplements together can greatly enhance their performance and thus increase your results. Here’s that fat burning stack I promised:

L-Carnitine: I’ve already discussed Carnitine in this post if you want to check that out for more details. Basically, Carnitine aids in the transport of fat into the cellular mitochondria where it can be burned for fuel. Take 1000-3000mg 3-4 times per day.

Forskolin: Forskolin comes from the herb coleus forskohli and causes an increase in cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophstphate) which in turn activates the enzyme lipase. This enzyme breaks down fat from fat cells and releases it into the bloodstream so it can be burned by the mitochondria. Take 20-50mg 2-3 times per day before meals.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): CLA is an interesting supplement. It’s a healthy fat and studies have shown that it not only enhances fat loss, it also increases size and strength gains. Can’t get much better than that, huh? One of the main ways CLA works is by increasing the activity of Carnitine (included in this stack) and increasing the amount of fat being transported to the mitochondria. Take 1000-3000mg 3 times a day

Green Tea Extract: Green Tea Extract has so many useful benefits (controls diabetes, lowers cholesterol and risk of heart disease, prevents cancer, and many more), I’d recommend taking this one regardless of its fat burning properties. But, there’s no question that Green Teat Extract is a very effective natural fat burner due to its active component EGCG which inhibits the breakdown of norepinephrine, boosts metabolism, and increases fat release from fat cells. Take 500-1000mg 2-3 times per day before meals to increase burning of fat for body heat by as much as 200-400 calories a day.

Try that stack on for size and see if you don’t get ripped.

When it comes to building muscle mass, Testosterone is, and always will be, king. High testosterone levels will help you pack on tons of muscle and burn fat, always a good combination. In addition to some natural ways to boost your T levels, we can use supplements to help us out as well. Actually, even our testosterone boosting supps can be natural…

Tribulus Terrestris is an herb that has been used in the traditional medicine of China and India for centuries. In the mid-1990s, Tribulus Terrestris became known in North America after Eastern European Olympic athletes said that taking tribulus helped their performance. Tribulus is a great way to boost your testosterone levels naturally without steroids or some of the other nasty stuff you may be tempted to try. When I’m supplementing to raise testosterone, I use Biotest Tribex Gold. I think it’s one of the best Tribulus Terrestris supplements out there. Be sure to follow the cycling instructions (given on the bottle) and get ready for some massive gains!

A multi-vitamin is one of the most important (and perhaps most underestimated) supplements a bodybuilder (or any athlete) can consume. In order to train and perform to our maximum potential, we must have a complete complement of the necessary vitamins and minerals. Taking a high potency multivitamin/mutimineral supplement will ensure that you have everything you need for hardcore training, growth, and health.

The brand I’m currently using isOptimum Opti-Men. It couples vitamins and minerals with herbs specifically designed for males. Great supplement!

I just recently started using BSN NOExplode and I love it. It’s contains a great “cocktail” of supplements including creatine and elements that increase nitric oxide (NO dilates the blood vessels to allow more oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the muscle tissue) and lots of other great stuff. In addition to the physical benefits this product provides, I’ve been noticing an increase mental focus during my training sessions which is *always* a good thing =) Check out the product info page here for more details and pick up some NOXplode today for some intense workouts and results.

The important thing to know about Arginine is that it is converted into nitric oxide (NO) in the body. Why do we care about NO as a bodybuilder? Well, because NO is involved in, among other things, the process of vasodilation, which is the process that increases blood flow to muscles. Supplementing with L-Arginine can provide you with some terrific pumps in the gym, as a large amount of blood is forced into the muscles, allowing for better delivery of nutrients and oxygen. Since I’ve started supplementing with Arginine, I feel like my muscles are about to pop they are so full and pumped during my workout. It’s great! As the icing on the cake, Arginine can also help to boost growth hormones as well.

Dosage: Take 3-5 grams in the morning, before workouts and at bedtime. Arginine works best when taken on an empty stomach so try to take it an hour before a meal or a pre-workout protein shake.

The brand I’m currently using:
NOW L-Arginine, 120 Tablets

Glutamine is one of the most plentiful amino acids in the body and great addition to your supplement “tool box”. Supplementing with L-Glutamine will:

- Aid in muscle recovery and growth
- Buffer fatigue-inducing chemicals that occur during exercise so you can workout harder and longer
- Promote normal digestion and immune function
- Insure that your muscles are not broken for fuel (catabolysis) in order to access the stored glutamine

Here’s the brand Im currently using:
NOW L-Glutamine Caps, 240 Capsules

Dose: Start out with 2-3 grams a day. Eventually, you want to work up to work up to 5 grams, taken in the morning, before and after you workout, and at bedtime.

Simply put, L-Carnitine promotes fat burning. L-Carnitine encourages the body to burn stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. It does this by forcing fat into the muscular cells. Carnitine is the only nutrient that can transport fat to the part of the cell that will burn it, the mitochondria. If you can’t get fat into the mitochondria, you can’t burn it. So without carnitine, no fat burning can occur. Optimal carnitine levels, on the other hand, allow the body to burn fat at an optimal rate.

In addition to it’s help with fat burning, benefits of supplementing L-Carnitine include:

- More energy to exercise and increases endurance and performance
- Increased energy levels
- Decreased cholesterol and triglycerides
- Reduced food cravings
- Better heart and liver health
- Promotion of healthy circulation

Dosage: In order to maximize the fat burning capabilities of L-Carnitine, take 3-5 grams before and after your workouts. Here’s the brand I’m currently using:
NOW L-Carnitine, 1000mg/100 Tablets

You’ve probably already heard of Creatine; it’s one of the most highly touted bodybuilding and athletic supplements to come around in the past decade. Studies have shown that it can significantly increase muscle size and strength. Basically, what it does is provide you with quick energy that you need for powerful muscle contractions and it also allows your muscles to hold more water…which makes them stronger and fuller…which ultimately stimulates additional muscle growth. The specific brand I use is:
IDS Muscle Volumizer, 30 Servings, Fruit Punch
(of course, you can choose whichever flavor ya like!)

I particularly recommend this brand because it’s formulated in such a way as to eliminate the gastric distress (cramping, etc.) that some people experience when taking creatine. As far as dosing, you should take 3-5 grams of creatine before and immediately after your workouts.

What you ingest before and immediately after workouts is extremely important. Here are some useful supplements I recommend taking pre- and post-workout.

Before workouts:
20 grams of whey protein
3-5 grams of creatine
5-10 grams of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs)
3-5 grams of arginine
3-5 grams of glutamine
40 grams of slow-burning carbs

Immediately after workouts:
20-40 grams of whey protein
3-5 grams of creatine
3-5 grams of glutamine
5-10 grams of branched chain amino aceds (BCAAs)
60-100 grams of fast-burning carbs

You may have noticed certain amino acid supplements with the letter “L” stuck on to the front of them (i.e. L-Glutamine, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine, etc.). What does the “L” mean? The “L” stands for Laevorotatory, and refers to the stereoisomer that rotates plane polarized light to the left. Regardless of that chemical mumbo jumbo, the bottom line with these things is still to take them regularly as part of your bodybuilding training regimen. But now you have some obscure knowledge to impress your friends with.