Building Muscle 12/8-12/14

One of the fighters I am working with at the gym asked a great question the other day.

he asked,

"Is there anything supplement wise I can take to help with muscle gains besides protein?"

I get asked this question a lot. It seems to be the pursuit of every guy who has ever worked out! Below was my answer to him, but I will preface it by saying that it is a simplified answer for the sake of answering an email and it is directed solely at the person asking the question, so this is not a blanket or generic answer.

"Great question! Building muscle is mostly dependent on adequate overall calorie intake, especially CARBS, and training that stretches the muscle fiber. Eating protein is necessary for muscle repair, but it does not provide bulk. Most people do not really understand this very important point. High intakes of protein can actually cause fat gain. You gotta be careful. The menus I set up for you are 15-25% protein and around 3200 kcals. This is the right amount for your age and activity level to train hard and gain lean body mass. You just gotta trust me. Now, that being said....creatine is probably one of the most promising supplements out there for improving strength through explosive movement----like weight training or wrestling. Little to no side effects for most people. BUT not everyone is a creatine responder, meaning it doesn't have positive results for everyone. It's kind of trial and error. I can get you more info on that if you are interested. Other than that, I don't think any other supplements are necessary. Seriously. You don't need to take anything."

The time and effort you put into your training and performance is important. To maximize this you HAVE to be certain that your diet is fueling your training. A little education can go a long way. Learn to eat like a RUDOG.

If you have other questions or want more information related to this post, email Mary Bell, registered dietitian, at barkandbite@rudog.net.

www.rudog.net