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HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE MASS

If after a long time of regular training (at least 2 years), in which you went through beginner and intermediate training routines, you see that you are not making progress, even though adhering to the basic rules (proper nutrition and recovery), you probably should consider going to the next advancement level. Let us call it a beginner advanced routine.

 As representatives of intermediate level, you worked out 4 times a week, training each muscle group twice a week. After some time your muscles adapted to the stimulation and did not show traces of further growth. This means that the time has come to go to the next level,  that is, to increase the intensity of workouts by increasing the number of exercises for each group of muscles. What you need to do is add one exercise for each muscle group. In this way you will “attack” your muscles comprehensively, and stimulate them better.  Remember that as you increase the number of exercises for each muscle group and, consequently, the number of series, your workouts will take more time, which may lead to fatigue or overtraining. You surely want to avoid this!

In such case, you have no option but to increase the number of workouts. A three-day split will be the best solution here.

How to elaborate an effective 3-day system?

All workouts should be similar in terms of content, effort and time, meaning that the duration of all sessions should be similar and that you should feel equally exhausted after each. Remember not to train synergistic (ancillary) muscles during the same session or on the day preceding the workout for the main muscle group. For instance, what you should avoid is working on your biceps on Monday and on your back on Tuesday, as the majority of intense back exercises involve the biceps and if you tire it out the day before, it will probably not manage to recover until the day after, as a result of which you will have to cut down on the weights when training your back, preventing the optimum growth of your muscles.

When arranging a beginner split, pay attention to the order in which you exercise individual muscle groups during each session. Always start your workout with the biggest muscle parts of the upper body: the blood is pumped easier downwards than upwards.

 

Examples of workouts:

Workout A

BACK, CHEST

 

  1. Front Lat Pull Down, 3×8-10
  2. Bent Over Dumbbell Raise, 3×8-10
  3. Seated Cable Row, 3×8-10
  4. Deadlift, 3×10-12

—

  1. Incline Bench Barbell Press, 3×8-10
  2. Incline Bench Dumbbell Press, 3×8-10
  3. Dumbbell Flys, 3×10-12

Workout B

SHOULDERS, ARMS

  1. Seated Dumbbell Press 3×8-10
  2. Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Standing, 3×10-12
  3. Bent Over Dumbbell Raise, 3×12-15

—

  1. Alternating dumbbell front raise (standing), 4×15-12
  2. EZ Bar Preacher Curl, 3×15

—

  1. Lying EZ Bar French Press, 4×12-18
  2. Standing Cable Horizontal Triceps Extension, 3×12-10
  3. 45 Degree Leg Presses, 3×10-12
  4. Deep Squats, 3×10-12
  5. Walking Lunges, 3×12-15
  6. Leg Curl, 3×10-12
  7. Stiff Leg Deadlift, 3×10-12

Workout C

THIGHS, CALVES, ABDOMEN

  1. Toe Stands (standing), 3×15-20
  2. Toe Stands (seated), 3×15-20
—
  1. Kneeling Cable Crunches, 3×20-25
  2. Parallel Bar Bent Leg Raise, 3×20-25

Depending on your recovery capability, you can perform the workout described above in one of the following systems: 2 training days with one day off, 3 days ON with one day OFF or 6 consecutive days of training and one day off.

CategoriesTraining
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BACK MUSCLES. WORKING OUT WITH BACK INJURY – PART 2

Back exercises should be performed not only when pursuing a V-shaped body. With strong back muscles, you will not slouch and will be able to perform other exercises more effectively. But what if you suffer a back injury? Should you stop working out or find a safe physical activity to keep sculpting your back muscles and restore their functionality?

Back muscles. What can go wrong?

Analogically to other muscle groups, back muscles can be divided into deep muscles (with the most important representative of the group being the spinal erector) and superficial muscles (spinohumeral muscles and spinocostal muscles).

Back injuries are usually caused by improperly performed exercises, which can be as dangerous as lack of physical activity. This is why you should always make sure that you use the proper technique when exercising. Observations show that if you perform strength exercises with additional weights improperly, you risk developing lower back injuries. The majority of lower back injuries are caused by improper body position in exercises for big muscle groups (slouching), which is particularly dangerous when lifting heavy weights.

Exercises that are good for the spine

Most exercises should be performed with the back straight, with several exceptions. Failure to adhere to the rules governing individual exercises can be dangerous. Only when you learn the proper technique can you increase the intensity of working out. The majority of  back exercises also involve abdominal muscles.

If you feel lower back pain, do not do back exercises with weights in the vertical axis of the spine, such as, for instance, standing barbell shoulder press or barbell press behind neck. What is recommended is seating barbell press with back support. Remember to set the bench support at the right angle to safely rest your spine on. If done standing, the exercise will force an unstable body position, making it impossible for you to raise the barbell along the proper track without straining the spine.

Lower back pain

If you suffer from lower back pain, do not do intense or demanding back exercises, like deep squats. Instead, choose 45 degree leg presses. In this exercise, there will be no pressure on your spine.  Another option is the narrow hack squats, which will partially reduce pressure on your back muscles. You may also want to try kneel-downs or walking lunges with dumbbells or a barbell. These exercises involve the same muscles as squats, but as the pressure is on one leg only, the force acting on the spine is much weaker.

What is also not recommended for lower back pain is bent over exercises, like bent over row or bent over dumbbell lateral raise. You can replace these with incline bench dumbbell row or one-arm dumbbell row with hands and knees supported against the bench.

Preliminary muscle fatigue method

According to the preliminary muscle fatigue method, you should start with exercises that cause fatigue of the selected muscle part. This means that you can do a series of isolated (single-joint) exercises, followed by series of compound exercises. For instance: you can start your workout with a machine exercise, to cause preliminary fatigue of the quadriceps muscles of your thighs, and then switch to a series of squats, forcing the previously trained muscles to work hard, but with bigger submissiveness. The pressure that will be exerted on your thigh muscles during squats will have a smaller impact on the spine than if you start with a series of squats, and your lower back will ache less.

Seek medical advice

Even a high dose of caution when doing spine exercises may turn out to be not enough. If need be, seek medical advice. The doctor will diagnose the problem and recommend proper rehabilitation. Your rule number one for working out should be: “safety first”.

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STRENGTH TRAINING. STRENGTH WORKOUT ROUTINE

To prepare your muscles to carry increasing weights when working to develop your muscle mass, you need to build up your strength. For the best results, consider dividing your training year into cycles.

 

1. First steps in strength training

2. What to do for strength-building?

3.Warm-up

4. Strength workout routine

 

Beginners tend to make it their main goal to develop muscle mass, which is wrong.

At some point there comes stagnation, as muscles get used to being subjected to the same stimuli all the time. Consequently, they either lose strength or are unable to get any more of it. It is impossible to use still bigger weights to stimulate muscle growth.

Additionally, your muscles lose resistance, and even though the same weight is used, the number of reps you are able to do decreases,  making it difficult to increase training intensity.

 

1. First steps in strength training

In your strength training, you should not exaggerate with the number of repetitions. 2 to 8 is enough.

Focus on some basic exercises, in which you will be able to use several muscle groups. The best ones are deep knee bends, barbell presses and dead lift.

Use mainly free weights, as they will help you develop the stabilisation muscles which you are going to need later to lift bigger weights when working on your strength.

It is very common for people to use machines in this type of training, which do not develop stabilising muscles. If you skip this training cycle, you risk losing your strength!

2.  What to do for strength-building?

Strength training is not something you do until your muscles collapse. The goal is to adapt your muscles to growing weights. This is why it is good to leave at least one repetition in reserve in each series.

In this way, your muscle will recover quicker and you will be able to reduce the pause between the same trainings. If in a classic strength training you train one muscle group once a week, with a repetition in reserve you will be able to switch to twice a week.

You should try to increase the weights, if possible, from one workout to another. But remember about the repetitions in reserve in each series. Consider keeping a training log, in which you will precisely describe each workout and note down the weights and the reserve. This will help you choose the weight for the next training and, consequently, track your progress or adjust the workout if need be.

Pauses between individual series can last up to 4 minutes.

It is best if the whole cycle lasts 8 to 12 weeks.

3. Warm – up

Remember to make 2-3 warm-up series before each workout, according to the following rule:

If your target weight is 100 kg and you are supposed to make 6 reps, do the first warm-up series with 40 kg x 6 reps. In the second series, use 60 kg weights and make 6 reps. In the second series, use 80 kg (still 6 reps).

Then, pause for a while and start the main workout. With the warm-up, you will gradually prepare your muscles, joints, ligaments and fascia to carry increasing weights and minimise the risk of injury.

4. Strength workout routine

Below you can find a recommended division of your trainings and exercises that will improve your strength in a bodybuilding workout.

DAY 1

Back

1. Bent Over Row: 3 series, 6 reps,

2. Bent Over Dumbbell Row: 3 series, 6 reps,

3. Pull up (or pull down, if you are unable to or cannot pull up):

3 series, 6 reps

4. Deadlift: 3 series, 2 reps.

 

Chest

1. Bench Barbell Press: 3 series, 2 reps,

2. Incline Bench Barbell Press: 3 series, 6 reps,

3. Chest Dip: 3 series, 6 reps.

 

DAY 2

Shoulders

1. Standing Barbell Shoulder Press 3 series, 6 reps,

2. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 series, 6 reps,

3. Wide Grip Barbell Upright Row: 3 series, 6 reps,

4. Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 series, 6 reps.

 

Biceps

1. standing barbell forearm curls, 3 series, 6 reps.

Triceps

1. Close Grip Bench Press: 3 series, 6 reps.

 

DAY 3

Legs

1. Deep Squat: 4 series, 6 reps.

2. Hack Squat: 4 series, 6 reps.

3. Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4 series, 6 reps.

It is best to work out six days in a row.

If it is too much for you to recover properly, then work out for three days and have a day off.

Those who have difficulties recovering may want to try the scheme below: 2 days of working out, 1 day off.

 

SUPPLEMENTS

Creatine Monohydrate Powder Creapure®: take for 6-8 weeks and then stop for another 6-8 weeks (monohydrate is enough);

BCAA Mega Caps®/ BCAA XPLODE Powder® – before and after working out. If your workout is long, you can also take the preparation during the training;

COLLAREGEN™. Working out with big weights can cause an extremely high pressure in the articular cartilage and tendons. This supplement will help your cartilage and tendons function properly.

CategoriesTraining
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PROBLEMS WITH JOINTS? THIS MAY HELP!

Problems with joints can be caused by an injury, excess effort or degenerative changes. Such disorders of the musculoskeletal system affect the quality of life and make it difficult to complete everyday tasks. An effective way to get rid of joint pains is through supplementation with glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and collagen. GAGs are active substances that are usually added to products recommended for enhancing the proper functioning of joints. What are the mechanisms of action of GAGs and why are they so effective in the treatment and prevention of arthritis? The answer is presented below.

 

1. When your joints fail you

Articular cartilage is mainly composed of glycosaminoglycans (including, among others, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate and hyaluronic acid). The biomechanics of cartilage is determined by the physicochemical properties of these macro-molecules. For this reason, disturbed biosynthesis and homeostasis of the glycosaminoglycan environment weakens the structure of articular cartilage, which may lead to arthritis.

Arthritis is a popular ailment of developed countries, which involves joint inflammation with the accompanying pain, swelling and stiffness. There are two types of arthritis:

  • osteoarthritis, caused by degeneration of overly strained articular cartilage,
  • rheumatoid arthritis, the most common consequence of joint damage or fracture.

2. Arthritis. Treatment methods.

Currently, arthritis treatment focuses on alleviating the ailments through palliative procedures encompassing pharmacology and surgeries. The medicines used in the ailment have a pain-killing and anti-inflammatory effect (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs). In osteoarthritis, the treatment is supplemented by slow-acting medicines (SYSADOA). The active ingredients of this group of medications produce a delayed effect and relieve ailments caused by osteoarthritis after c.a. one month of use, with the effect persisting for up to several weeks after withdrawal. Such active ingredients include, among others, chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate, which proved to be highly effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis, additionally producing an anti-inflammatory effect. Let us now have a closer look at the efficiency of the most popular compounds recommended for problems with joints.

3. Chondroitin sulfate (CS)

Chondroitin Sulfate (Bovine) is one of the best clinically tested compounds when it comes to its bioavailability after oral administration. Research (Volpi, 2002 and 2003) shows that blood concentration of chondroitin sulfate grows significantly within 1 to 6 hours after administered, with peak concentration in the second hour after taking the supplement. Serum concentration of this macromolecular compound remains significantly high (over 200% of base concentration) for up to 4 hours, and drops afterwards. Supplementation with bovine and shark cartilage chondroitin sulfate has been confirmed to effectively raise the blood concentration of the compounds. Thus, it has been proved that macro-molecules with high-density loads can be transported by the mucosa of the small intestine.

 

The positive effects of oral administration of chondroitin sulfate in osteoarthritis treatment have been broadly confirmed in clinical trials. Chondroitin sulfate obtained from several different sources (bovine, shark, bird) and used in different doses (500 to 1,200 mg/day) and for different periods (3-24 months) was tested. The manner of administration differed, too (every day throughout the test period or twice, in 3-month cycles). Nevertheless, all tests showed that long-term oral administration of chondroitin sulfate is safe, well tolerated and highly effective in alleviating osteoarthritis-related pain and in enhancing the mobility of the affected knee joint.

4. Glucosamine sulfate (GS)

Glucosamine sulfate belongs to the most popular supplements used in osteoarthritis prevention and alleviation of symptoms of the disease. The effectiveness of glucosamine has stirred controversies for years, being the subject of numerous disputes and experiments. The negative opinions on the effects of glucosamine on the joints were based mainly on observations of a single chemical form of the substance (glucosamine hydrochloride), the absorbability of which is restricted to dozen or so percent only. Another problem was the lack of knowledge on the substance’s pharmacokinetics when administered orally or injected. The methods used were not sensitive enough to allow exact evaluation of the concentration of the ingredient in biological fluids. Plus, the quality of the glucosamine sulfate used left a lot to be desired, which significantly reduced its efficiency in the experiments. The situation is different now. Long-term clinical research on patients suffering from arthritis of the knee shows that glucosamine sulfate is effective in reducing the negative symptoms of the disease.

 

Glucosamine sulfate is characterised by a very high bioavailability. When administered orally, the substance is quickly absorbed from the alimentary tract and is available in the circulatory system. After 3 to 4 hours after administration, the blood concentration of glucosamine sulfate slowly drops, but remains above the average base level for the next 48 hours, irrespective of the dose. Another characteristic feature of glucosamine is that after a sudden growth of its blood level as a result of absorption of the substance from intestines, the concentration of the substance drops multi-exponentially. This shows that glucosamine is distributed in considerable amounts to non-vascular organs of the human body (joints and articular cartilages). It has also been observed that the maximum average concentration of glucosamine sulfate after its administration depends on the dose, with the half-life of c.a. 15 hours. The differences in pharmacokinetic distribution of the compound are sex-specific.

Dosage – the recommended daily dose is 1,500 mg per day. Higher doses disturb the absorption and distribution of glucosamine sulfate, while lower doses proportionally lower the glucosamine blood concentration and, thus, produce weaker physiological and therapeutic effect.

5. Hyaluronic acid (HA)

Hyaluronic acid is the main ingredient of the synovial fluid, which helps maintain its proper biomechanics. Hyaluronic acid is frequently added to supplements for problems with joints or to supplements aimed to keep the skin healthy. The most popular and the best source of hyaluronic acid is rooster combs and bacterial fermentation processes. However, some producers use powdered or hydrolysed cartilage, which is not a source of high-quality cartilage. Products like this should be avoided.

Hyaluronic acid is broadly used in medicine, to heal degenerative changes in joints (injections) and alleviate the symptoms of cartilage damage (oral administration). Both forms of supplementation have been proved effective.

How hyaluronic acid gets to the joints

How come a compound with such a high molecular weight is transported from the alimentary tract to the body’s connective tissues, all the more that it is effectively decomposed in the liver? The answer is that hyaluronic acid is transported through the lymphatic system and not by the blood. What is more, owing to its strong adhesive properties, the substance penetrates through the peritoneal mucosa to the blood (the same mechanism is used for its uptake from the alimentary tract). Nevertheless, high molecular weight and low fat solubility make the effectiveness of absorption of high molecular hyaluronic acid from the alimentary tract range from 5 to 20%. The effectiveness of hyaluronic acid absorption from the intestines can be increased (by more than 20%) by simultaneous administration of phospholipids, which naturally occur in cell membranes.

Dosage. The most effective molecular mass of hyaluronic acid used in joint ailment prevention equals c.a. 1 MDa.

6. Collagen

Next to glucosamine sulfate, collagen remains among the most popular and most frequently used supplements to treat ailments in the musculoskeletal system including, in particular, joint problems. Collagen is the main protein occurring in the connective tissue of mammals. It is used in dietary supplements as hydrolysate obtained through enzymatic digestion of animal-derived gelatine. A number of studies carried out have shown that collagen hydrolysates are absorbed by the body from the alimentary tract and transported with blood to the articular cartilage, where they stimulate the activity of chondrocytes (cells of the cartilage) and enhance the synthesis of new collagen molecules. All this makes the joints, and the entire musculoskeletal system, function better.

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HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUR FIGURE. DOES ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION REDUCE TESTOSTERONE?

The most popular of all recreational substances consumed on a number of different occasions, with a vast variety of flavours to choose from. Drunk during meetings with friends and family and accompanying humans since time immemorial, but not without significance for the body and health. Alcohol. Does it also affect your performance?

Going back to the basics, it can be concluded that moderate drinking can be healthy (within reasonable limits and on condition that you choose the right alcohol), but excess alcohol consumption causes damage to internal organs, serious diseases and accumulation of unwanted fat.

Calorific value of alcohol

The front runner, when it comes to the number of calories, is whisky (250kcal in 100g), with clear vodka being the first runner-up (220 kcal). Subsequent positions in the list are taken by beer (67 kcal) and wines: white (66 kcal) and red (60 kcal). It is worth noting, however, that wine and beer contain vitamins and minerals.

The circumstances in which you drink alcohol are of paramount importance. These include the amount of alcohol consumed, the food eaten together with the alcohol (or lack thereof), the high-calorie drinks drunk, etc. Since alcohol is rarely drunk alone, as a solitary glass of vodka, the analysis should be comprehensive, encompassing the background and other calories consumed together with the alcohol.

How alcohol affects your training capacity

Detailed tests were performed on the effects of alcohol consumed after intense training and before working out. In the former case, the dose was high and equalled 1.5g per 1 kg of body mass, while in the latter, two variants were considered, i.e. training under the influence of alcohol and working out 13 hours after consumption (hangover).

The results showed bigger alcohol impact on testosterone in men than on production of the hormone in women.

Therefore, it can be concluded that when combined with training, the effects of alcohol differ depending on the sex. Men are definitely advised to separate these two pleasures in time. Nonetheless, it must be noted that occasional consumption of alcohol is not strictly contraindicated when in a workout routine.

Alcohol and muscle mass

Unfortunately, studies on protein synthesis after alcohol consumption are sparse. Still, however, experiments on rats clearly show that muscle protein anabolism is reduced when in contact with the alcohol consumed. Simply speaking, alcohol slows down the pace of muscle growth.

As the study was performed on rats, and not on humans, the scale of the phenomenon is difficult to assess and the results are difficult to differentiate based on weight, sex, age or the amounts consumed, and cannot be translated directly into the loss or hindered growth of muscles. Nevertheless, the existence of such a relationship is unquestionable.

Alcohol and testosterone

Having analysed the muscle mass, we can now move to the endocrine system, which has been proved to be alcohol-dependent as well. Studies performed on humans showed that alcohol did not significantly lower the levels of testosterone in women, with some of the subjects reporting growth of the hormone. The results concerning men, however, are quite different.

Men who consumed 40g of alcohol within 24h (which is not a high dose), had low testosterone concentration (ca. 6.8%). Increase of the dose to 1.5 g per 1 kg of the body mass (i.e. app. 128 g for a man weighing 85 kg) caused testosterone reduction by 23%. The scale, if large amounts of alcohol are drunk regularly, is huge.

The effects of alcohol on other hormones, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, have been tested, too. The studies encompassed post-workout levels of these hormones in physically active men.  Analyses showed lack of differences between men who consumed alcohol and those who worked out sober.

This shows that occasional consumption of insignificant amounts of alcohol does not produce any problems and does not change the level of hormones, including testosterone, while regular drinking reduces testosterone secretion.

Alcohol and electrolytes

This is yet another aspect to be considered. It is no secret that drinking alcohol produces a diuretic effect, leading to dehydration and a considerable loss of electrolytes. As the above is true for working out both “under the influence” and before the body returns to form, training right after partying is not recommended.

Alcohol and fat tissue

Once oxidised to acetic acid, alcohol gets into the blood. Excreted in trace amounts only in sweat, while breathing and in urine, it circulates in the body. This is how alcohol digestion begins, with the substance becoming the major food ingredient used by the body to produce energy. In the digestion process, other energy sources (proteins, fat)  are marginalised. Most of the product is metabolised, while the rest (5%) is stored as fat. As can be seen, although considered to be rich in calories, alcohol tends to be demonised.

Enough of the numbers. What you should remember is that when drinking alcohol, we tend to eat more, first, because we usually drink during parties, sitting at tables laden with food and, second, because alcohol does not really inhibit the appetite.

Here, again, the results proved to be sex-dependent. Small, occasional portions of alcohol protect women against obesity, while excess consumption produces an opposite effect. At the same time, women who overuse alcohol are at risk of myopathy, a degenerative muscle disease.

When it comes to men, it was noted that those who drank more than 1 beer a day were more prone to developing abdominal obesity.

What we eat together with alcohol is not insignificant for fat reserve increase. This tendency was observed in alcoholics, in whose menus alcohol supplanted a number of high-calorie products, leading to weight and fat loss. Obviously, given the benefits and costs associated with alcohol, it should by no means be treated as a diet.

Alcohol vs. diet in a training plan

According to logic, occasional consumption of insignificant amounts of alcohol has basically no impact on diet as a whole. Nonetheless, you should never combine it with improper nutrients: with alcohol, the supply of proteins, fat and carbohydrates is lower, and your body receives fewer building blocks to use.

Furthermore, as body weight stabilisation depends on the appetite, you should not disregard alcohol in this respect. The research conducted showed that those who drank alcohol before meals ate bigger portions than those who only drank soft drinks. Plus, the first group felt satiated much later than the other group.

This seems insignificant for occasional drinking, but if you drink alcohol frequently, you will probably not avoid additional kilograms and nutrient deficiency.

Know where to stop

Basically, alcohol should not be demonised or brought down to the role of number one enemy of workouts. But only if used moderately and reasonably. Putting aside the numbers and statistics, it must be remembered that even if you have slept well at night, your general state after carousing will not help you do a good workout.

CategoriesNutrition
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DIET VS. SUPPLEMENTS. HOW TO SUPPLEMENT THE DIET

Wouldn’t it be great for you to be able to say that you are eating well? Wisely chosen supplements and nutrients make it easier to correct dietary mistakes and are a perfect way to diversify your diet. Plus, they are indispensable as a specific and directional support of  physical activity. 

Table of Content:

1. Diet vs. Supplements

2. A Good Diet. How to Choose the Nutrients?

3. How to Properly Build Up Muscles?

4. Can Supplements Replace a Good Diet?

5. Diet Rich in Omega Acids

 

1.  Diet vs. Supplements

In our society, we tend to say that “chemicals” are harmful. Potentially harmful and banned chemical products are lumped together with legally sold, professional supplements , produced in pharmaceutical plants. This often causes misunderstandings.

Plant protection products, farm animals fed with synthetic foods, antibiotics, environment pollution, crossbreeds, genetically modified foods, etc. tend to make our diet far from being wholesome, healthy and nutritious. What is even worse, with such products we introduce into our bodies a number of potentially harmful ingredients, and never really know what we eat.

Supplements and nutrients by renowned companies are subjected to much stricter control (both at the stage of raw material selection and on the entire processing line) than the foods sold, for instance, at the market.

You can be sure that the ingredients listed on the packaging by a renowned producer are exactly what you will find inside (the Polish legal provisions define the issue exhaustively).

2. A Good Diet. How to Choose the Nutrients?

Our ancestors’ diet, in the dim and distant past, was mainly composed on meat and fish, eggs, edible roots, seeds, nuts, fruit and vegetables. This is where ancient people took vitamins and minerals from.

Modern man’s diet, in turn, mostly contains cereals, vegetables, milk and milk products, as well as fruit, meat and fish. Although eating fruit and vegetables is highly encouraged, cereals remain on top of the list [more about cereals, see “Perfect Body” issue 2 – editorial note].

But theory is one thing, and real life is another. If you compare the dietary recommendation with the diet of an average John Smith, you will not find the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables.

So, no wonder so many people have deficiencies of microelements.
Supplementation with plant extracts or dedicated combinations of minerals and vitamins is often the best and most convenient way to eliminate such deficiencies.

Nonetheless, you need to remember that natural products contain many microelements that cannot be found in supplements or nutrients. This makes supplements an addition to, and not a replacement of, a reasonable diet.

3. How to Properly Build Up Muscles?

Many people find it difficult to build up muscles. To make the work effective, you need to eat more than you burn. And this is where supplements enter, to help you achieve your objective.

With high-protein nutrients you will easily and tastily supplement your diet, without force-eating subsequent food portions, up to the level when you will effectively increase your weight. Yet, you must be careful not to overdo, as then you will start to accumulate unnecessary fat. Remember that insignificant increase of fat mass is permitted.

 

Chicken breast or 1 portion of high-protein nutrient?

This is my favourite comparison, which I always use whenever asked about what a high-protein nutrient really is.

Let us have a look at the list of macroelements:

100 g of raw chicken breast, without bones and skin, contains (on average):

  • 21 g of protein
  • 3 g of fat
  • 0 g carbohydrates

100 g of System Protein 80, a popular high-protein nutrient by Olimp, contains:

  • 77 g of protein
  • 5.7 g carbohydrates
  • 3.8 g of fat

If you compare doses with the same protein content (27 g of System Protein 80), the results are as follows:

  • 21 g of protein
  • 1.6 g carbohydrates
  • 1 g of fat

Assuming that an average physically active person should eat 2.2 to 2.5 g of protein per each kilogram of body mass every day, the daily dose for a person weighing 80 kg equals 176-200 g,

i.e. almost 1 kg of chicken breast, the bodybuilders’ favourite source of protein, every single day. Or 228 to 259g of the protein powder.

 

Rice or a portion of gainer?

Let us have a look at another important element of bodybuilders’ diet, i.e. rice, and a popular flavoured supplement for those who have problems building up muscles.

According to information on the packaging, 100 g of dry rice contains:

  • 7 g of protein
  • 1 g of fat
  • 75 g carbohydrates

A very similar proportion is represented by Gainbolic by Olimp Laboratories: 100 g of the powder contains:

  • 15 g of protein
  • 1 g of fat
  • 80 g carbohydrates

 

The main difference is considerably higher protein content in the supplement, with similar other values.

For this reason, we recommend breaking the dietary monotony from time to time and replacing rice with a portion of gainer.

4. Can Supplements Replace a Good Diet?

No, but they can make it more complex or fill the gaps.

The diet of our distant relatives (those from the first days of humanity) is often used as the diet of reference.

Our ancestors used to eat much more Omega-3 fatty acids, while cutting down on Omega-6. The proportion between these two varied, depending on the location of the early human settlements, from 1-3 to 1-6. Analyses show that in an average diet of today’s man the numbers equal 1-25 to 1-50. Some scientists explain many civilizational problems with these disturbed proportions.

Therefore, out of concern for our health, we should consider correcting the share of both in our diet.

5. Diet Rich in Omega Acids

Obviously, this can be done by eating more fish found in the deep sea, but not everyone likes their taste. Plus, there is also the issue of high content of heavy elements, including lead, in their meat.

Therefore, supplementation with Omega-3 capsules should be considered.