How to Stack Supplements

Step 1

Building a successful supplement stack is simply as easy as knowing your ultimate physical goal. So, If your ultimate goal is weight-gain, or a surge of new rock hard muscle mass; you need to understand that calories, and more importantly protein are your new best friends. Moreover, you need to tailor your muscle building stack to suit these requirements!

Step 2

First off, everyone knows that protein after a workout is a key. But what kind? How much? Most people think that's all they need. When the reality is you need protein and carbohydrates to fuel your body long after your workout is complete, and more importantly, before your workout even begins! Lets take some of the supplements that I listed above, "Real Gains" is a protein supplement that contains 53 grams of protein and 84 grams of carbohydrates. I typically take this either in the morning as soon as I wake up, or 45 minutes prior to my workout because the carbs will give me the energy I need, the energy that will give me the ultimate pump in the gym, and the whey protein that will feed my muscles thought my workout. The goal here is to not let my body go onto what's called a catabolic state. This is where the body is breaking down the nutrients it has stored up to fuel your muscles. The goal of taking this supplement pre workout is to have this abundance of protein and carbs at the ready, this way your muscles have a constant supply of nutrients, which allows for more work to be done when its time to rampage on the squat rack.

Step 3

The next supplement I listed is a BCAA blend. BCAA stands for branched chain amino acid; which translates into the building blocks of protein. By taking these after, or especially during your workout, you aid in your body's recovery time and speed up protein and other nutrient transport. Adding these into your workout dramatically increases the body's response to the protein you took prior and the post workout supplement you will take once you have completed your workout. In other words, you are now supplying your body with missing puzzle pieces that it needs to form long chain protein molecules.

Step 4

So now you've finished your workout routine, your muscles are screaming "FEDD ME"! Where many people fail here is when they assume any protein will do. The best kind of protein to take post workout is called whey protein hydrolyzed. This differs from standard whey protein in the sense that it is already per digested with an enzyme allowing for a much more rapid absorption. It is nearly immediate. Think about it, when you are done working out, your body is primed more than any other time to take in nutrients. If you wait till your conventional whey protein is digested, you have already lost nearly 30 minutes. Your muscles have taken nutrients from other cells which just leads your body to essentially lose the weight you are so desperately trying to gain. The other aspect of post workout drink musts, are incorporating a large quantity of carbs for your body to raise your insulin levels up. After a workout, your body takes the protein and decides whether to repair damaged muscles, or fuel the rest of your organs. If you have something else; i.e. carbs, your body will repair the muscles with protein and take the carbs to raise your blood sugar and fuel everything else. The supplement I personally recommend, is something called Aftermass, made by Prosource. This supplement has not only the predigested protein matrix I spoke of earlier, but also a predigested carbohydrate compound. In other terms, with 25 grams of hydrolysate and 48 grams of carbs, your body will now have everything it needs quite literally IMMEDIATELY after your workout.

Step 5

So now that you've had your post workout/recovery drink, are you finished? Absolutely not. This next and final step may be equally as important as a post workout drink. Approximately 30-45 minutes after that initial insulin spike from your recovery drink, your body begins to go back into the catabolic state, where the body still needs nutrients to support normal body functions. Here is where the supplement "UP YOUR MASS" comes in handy. By again ingesting a large quantity of protein and carbohydrates, it keeps the body away from this dreaded state that all body builders fear. Here is where the protein type matter once more. It is crucial to incorporate a supplement that contains slower digesting protein molecules than immediately after your workout. Up your mass contains a blend of 62 grams of protein. In this whopping 62 grams, there is a blend of whey protein, (which as I said takes nearly 30-45 minutes to digest), and also this protein known as Casein. Casein protein is typically derived from milk and will disgust slowly, over a period of hours rather than minutes. Remember, a CONSTANT supply of protein and other nutrients is key for ultimate muscle growth. Not only that, but up your mass also contains 82 grams of carbs!

Step 6

Now you may not wish to buy the supplements that I recommended, but by following the same requirements I discussed and making sure that you have the adequate amount of protein, carbs, and fat everyday will ensure that you make the gains that you deserve. (Of note, someone on a 2000 calorie diet should be consuming 200 grams of protein, 200 grams of carbs and 40 grams of fat to make significant gains. You may need to tailor that a bit depending on your current diet. Also remember you need to take in more calories than you are burning off, that is and always will be the determining factor between someone who is toned and someone who is ripped!)