26 ADD ARGININE
Try adding arginine to your supplement mix. Arginine, a conditionally essential amino acid, seems promising in the muscle-building department. Arginine improves blood flow and enhances the growth of muscles lengthwise (new contractile units are built onto muscle at a faster rate when arginine is given to developing rats). Arginine may also enhance immune function in athletes, especially when combined with glutamine. Try 3-5 g before and immediately after training. If you train at night, make sure your post-workout does doesn't contain stimulants, lest you jeopardize your sleep.
27 MAXIMIZE YOUR MINERALS
Take extra calcium and magnesium. If you look at the label of any once-daily multivitamin, you'll notice a "mineral gap" - a place where certain minerals should be listed. Even if they're included, most multis contain only a small percentage of the Daily Value (% DV) of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Calcium is important for fat-burning metabolism, magnesium for training performance and potassium for muscle cell volume. A once-daily multivitamin simply doesn't cut it. Correct the situation by taking 1,000 mg per day of supplement-source calcium (or two to three cups of fat-free dairy products), 450 mg of magnesium, and five or six servings of fruits and vegetables per day (for potassium as well as other micronutrients).
28 TRY TYROSINE
Give the amino acid tyrosine a try to prevent burnout caused by lack of sleep, stress and/or use of thermogenic supplements. Taking 1-4 g of it early in the day is recommended. In studies using military personnel as subjects, tyrosine was shown to increase performance under stress. It is a precursor to fat-burning hormones that stimulate norepinephrine.
29 DON'T OMIT OMEGA-3s
Take a high-potency omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as flaxseed or fish oil. The omega-3s in fish oil capsules (EPA and DHA) are more potent than the one in flaxseed oil at stimulating fat metabolism, reducing muscle catabolism, reducing wear and tear on the joints and improving mood and cognitive performance, but both are acceptable. Take 6 g per day of 30% omega-3 fish oil extract (or 2 g per day of the newer 90% omega-3 fish oil extract) for best results, or 40 g of flaxseed oil per day added to shakes, salads or other food items.
30 TAKE ZMA
ZMA is a specifically formulated combination of zinc and magnesium. The benefits of ZMA supplementation include improved recovery due to enhanced sleep efficiency and increased anabolic hormone levels, as well as greater gains in muscle strength and power. For best results, take ZMA on an empty stomach before bedtime. Follow label recommendations for dosage.
31 REPAIR WITH GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN
Glucosamine is the major building block of the solid parts of cartilage. Chondroitin is a major component of connective tissue, especially cartilage. Often, these two ingredients are combined in one supplement. Bodybuilders should use glucosamine and chondroitin for joint injuries, and for injury prevention. Take 1,500 to 2,000 mg of glucosamine and 800 to 1,200 mg of chondroitin each day. Split that amount into a morning and evening dose.
32 BCAAs
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are essential aminos: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They're important for bodybuilders because they can help with energy production, fat burning, muscle growth and recovery. Those who take BCAAs may note increased bodyfat loss and improved maintenance of muscle mass. Take 3-6 g per day.
33 VITAMIN C CAN REVITALIZE YOU
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps in the synthesis of hormones, amino acids and collagen. It also protects immune-system cells from damage and allows them to work more efficiently. The body cannot store vitamin C, so it must be frequently supplemented. Multivitamins contain C, but additional supplementation will ensure that you don't have a deficit. Take 500-1,000 mg per day.
34 VITAMIN E IS EXCELLENT
This antioxidant is especially Vitamin protective of body tissues. Vitamin E acts as a preservative that prevents many substances from destructive breakdown in the body. Vitamin E also prolongs the life of red blood cells and is necessary for the proper use of oxygen by the muscles. Bodybuilders should supplement with 400-800 IU per day.
35 GO FOR GREEN TEA
You can drink green tea or take it as a supplement in place of a formal thermogenic. To minimize production of estrogenlike compounds, look for a brand that contains at least 50% polyphenols and/or 30% epigallocatechin gallate.
36 EAT A LARGE BREAKFAST
FLEX bodybuilding diets always recommend a substantial breakfast loaded with protein and complex carbs. Whether you're cutting bodyfat or building muscle mass, a large breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, providing you with the calories and nutrients you need to get your day started and keep you going. Of course, if you train in the morning, you should eat the bulk of your calories after your workout (or at least an hour and a half before). In that case, a small preworkout meal is fine and may even be beneficial.
37 EAT SEVERAL MEALS EACH DAY
All bodybuilders should eat as many meals as possible, striving for a minimum of five a day. Eating multiple meals serves many functions. It provides your body with a constant stream of micro-and macronutrients to facilitate the muscle-building process. A constant supply of calories helps keep your metabolic rate revved up so that you are more likely to use that energy instead of storing it as bodyfat.
38 TAKE IN PROTEIN AT EACH MEAL
In addition to eating several times a day, it's a good idea to stay focused on your protein consumption at each meal. By making certain that you take in a minimum of 20 g of protein at each meal, 20-40 g preworkout and 40-60 g postworkout, it will be easier to get your daily total of at least 1 g per pound of bodyweight. As an additional benefit, the constant stream of aminos this provides will help prevent your body from burning muscle tissue.
39 ADD A SMALL PREWORKOUT MEAL
The word used to be that should train on an empty stomach. Research has shown that a small meal, preferably liquid, taken 15 to 20 minutes, or right before training, may aid postworkout recovery. Providing your body with simple carbs and whey protein is an ideal way to kick-start recovery before these nutrients are even needed. Keep the calorie count on your preworkout meal low -- 200 calories or less, equal to about 20 g of protein and 25 g of carbs -- so digestion doesn't interfere with your workout.
40 TAKE IN SIMPLE CARBS AND PROTEIN POSTTRAINING
Postworkout is one of the most crucial nutritional windows. At that point, your body needs simple, fast-digesting carbs - 50-100 g, depending on your size, diet and workout -- to rapidly replenish glycogen stores depleted by weight training and to increase water uptake and protein synthesis. By adding 20-50 g of protein immediately after a workout, you provide your body with the raw building materials for repairing and constructing new muscle mass. A protein shake with simple carbs is ideal at this time because it's easily digested.
41 TAKE CREATINE POSTWORKOUT
Take 3-5 g of creatine immediately after your workout -- the muscles you trained will absorb creatine at a faster-than-normal rate. Boost creatine retention in muscle (and get more out of this powerful supplement) by taking it with your postworkout shake. Take the rest of your daily creatine allotment (3-5 g) at another time of the day. This strategy may help speed the rate at which your muscles refuel with phosphocreatine.
42 TAKE GLUTAMINE POSTWORKOUT
Add a heaping teaspoon (5 g) of glutamine powder to your postworkout shake and take another 5 g before bed, especially if dieting. If you take more than 40 g daily, spread it out in 4-8, 5-10 g doses over the day. Glutamine has a muscle cell-volumizing effect that shuts down protein-destroying enzymes that become active when you're dieting, reducing muscle catabolism and helping you retain a pump even on a strict eating plan. Glutamine also nourishes muscle, gut and immune cells directly, reducing protein loss.
43 EAT A LARGE SOLID-FOOD MEAL IMMEDIATELY POSTWORKOUT
At FLEX, we think of the posttraining meal as two-tiered. First comes the liquid recovery drink (mentioned previously); second, an hour later, comes a large solid-food meal high in protein. If you're in a mass-building phase, you can consume a significant quantity of complex carbs at this meal (100 g or more) from such foods as rice, potatoes and pasta. If you're in a cutting phase, you're better off sticking to vegetables and smaller portions of slower-burning carbs such as brown rice or yams (25 to 50 g). In addition to breakfast, this is one of the most important meals of the day because it further recovery and enhances growth.
44 REDUCE CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMPTION AT LATER MEALS
Just as FLEX recommends that you take in most of your carbohydrates early in the day and around your workout, we also recommend that you taper off on carbohydrate consumption as the day progresses. Later in the day, especially after your postworkout meals, you have less need for energy-producing calories.
45 BOOST PROTEIN BEFORE BEDTIME
One of the best ways to prevent your body from tapping into muscle stores for energy is to take in a moderate amount of protein shortly before going to bed at night. Thirty to 50 grams of protein, consumed before going to sleep, will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to repair and build muscles. A protein shake is ideal before bedtime, ideally one that is casein based since it will digest more slowly. Lean meats, nuts and seeds are reasonable alternatives.
46 TIME MINERAL SUPPLEMENT INTAKE
It's important to consider the timing of some mineral supplements. Calcium can interfere with the absorption of zinc, magnesium and other minerals. To avoid this, take ZMA (zinc and magnesium) before going to bed, preferably on an empty stomach. Take calcium with a solid-food meal earlier in the day -- breakfast is ideal.
47 FORCE-FEED DURING MASS-BUILDING CYCLES
If you want to add size, you have to eat. Of course, you need to emphasize quality bodybuilding foods such as chicken, lean red meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, rice and potatoes, but you can also use foods and supplements that are easier to get down. This is an excellent time to consume mass-gaining beverages such as protein shakes (with or without carbs). You can even add an occasional quart of nonfat milk to your diet. Liquids make it easier for you to take in the calories you need for adding bodyweight.
48 KEEP CALORIES MODERATE WHILE STRIPPING BODYFAT
Often, bodybuilders make the mistake of reducing calories too drastically when they try to cut bodyfat. With too few calories, the body turns to available energy sources, and one of those is muscle mass, which is broken down to use for energy. Bodybuilders should avoid this. If you normally eat 3,000 calories for bodyweight maintenance, you should only reduce calories to 2,700 or 2,500 for bodyfat reduction. Going lower can reduce muscle mass in addition to bodyfat.
49 KEEP FOOD VOLUME UP WHILE DIETING DOWN
While maintaining moderate caloric intake, you should also eat bulky foods. Foods such as vegetables are high in volume but low in calories. (They're also dense in nutrients.) Bulky foods help keep you full and help your body process the high-protein meals associated with body fat cutting phases. Eating plenty of protein and avoiding feelings of hunger are important aspects of maintaining muscle mass while stripping bodyfat.
50 NEVER GO HUNGRY
Bodybuilders, even those on bodyfat reduction diets, should learn to use the feeling of hunger as a warning sign of the need for food energy. Hunger means that your body is tapping into your muscle stores and burning them as energy. If you're in a bodyfat-stripping phase, eat basic bodybuilding foods high in protein and complex carbs when you feel hungry. If you're in a mass-gaining phase, you have a little more latitude -- take in the foods that serve your current needs, keeping your protein requirements in mind.
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