Adding supplements to your diet and exercise routine may give you the extra edge you need. Certain supplements improve your workout intensity, boost your strength, and even help to pack on muscle. Your body requires proper hormonal balance and certain nutrients to build a strong foundation. Many new bodybuilders make the mistake of jumping on the steroid wagon without researching all the negative side effects.
Natural supplements are the way to go if you are looking to gain muscle, feel better, and not suffer the negative consequences of steroid use. So Drop the Dbol and take a look at these top supplements to start growing.
Agmatine
Getting the most out of your workout is crucial when It comes to muscle gain. Adding a vasodilator like agmatine increases nitric oxide levels to allow more nutrient delivery to the muscles. If you are striving for that extra pump, agmatine should be your pre workout addition of choice. Agmatine is more potent and faster acting than other vasodilators like arginine and citrulline. You can use agmatine with other pre workout enhancers like caffeine.
Phosphatidic Acid
Phosphatidic acid is a great supplement that does not get enough attention. If you’re after muscle gains, focus on products that are proven to activate mTOR signaling. So what exactly is mTOR? The mTOR pathway is crucial for the delivery of amino acids and growth factors. When mTOR activation is taking place, the body will remain in an anabolic state allowing for muscles to grow even after exercise.
Phosphatidic acid also protects muscle cells from the damage that occurs from overtraining. When muscle cells are damaged workouts become less efficient, your muscles lose the inability to grow, and you will feel too sore to get to the gym the next day. At that point, you are killing yourself for nothing.
Mucuna Pruriens
Is it possible to increase growth hormone (GH) naturally without pumping your body full of foreign chemicals? Yes, mucuna pruriens has the ability to do so due to its high availability of L-Dopa. Think back to when you were growing up. As a child you probably had plenty of energy to kill, you could eat whatever you wanted and burn it off, you slept like a rock, and you woke up in the morning energized without the help of coffee. All of this is experienced due to the presence of growth hormone. As we age GH levels begin to decline so supplementation is key to keeping these levels in check.
Growth hormone is in charge of…growth. No, it isn’t going to make you any taller; unfortunately, that ship has sailed. It is going to improve your strength, improve recovery time, increase the size and density of your muscles, and improve your overall energy levels. This happens to be one of my favorite supplements of all time. Sometimes I take it before going to sleep (since GH levels are highest when sleeping) and I wake up in the morning ready to take on the world.
Tongkat Ali
Tongkat ali, also known as longjack, is a natural testosterone booster. Testosterone boosters are popular in the bodybuilding community because they increase growth potential and performance. Testosterone boosters also play a role in breaking down fat mass. Tongkat ali decreases the amount of cortisol production during exercise as well. Excess cortisol leads to early fatigue which will put a damper on your gym plans. As an added bonus, tongkat ali also improves performance in the bedroom.
Creatine
Creatine still remains at the top of the list for muscle building supplements. It has been used by top bodybuilders since the beginning of bodybuilding. This is because it works! Using creatine can increase strength, muscle size, and endurance. Creatine supplements also decrease the time it takes for muscles to recover from intense training.
There are a lot of arguments about the safety of creatine because it causes the body to retain water. Most people are not aware that cells dehydrate during exercise. Having this excess water allows muscle cells to remain hydrated so they can work longer and more efficiently.
There are several types of creatine available and whichever you choose depends on your goals. The most popular type of creatine is creatine monohydrate. Creatine monohydrate retains its popularity because it is effective and easy on the wallet. Creatine monohydrate supplements increase muscle size and density quickly. For best results creatine monohydrate generally requires a loading phase of 20g for seven days followed by 5g daily.
Creatine HCL is another popular form of creatine. It offers the same benefits of creatine monohydrate but does not require a loading phase. Some people who use creatine monohydrate experience muscle cramps and diarrhea so they choose to use this form instead. I lean towards this form of creatine because I tend to not drink as much water as I should, and creatine monohydrate requires much more water intake.
D-Aspartic Acid
D-Aspartic acid (DAA) is another supplement that increases testosterone levels. I can’t stress enough about the importance of proper testosterone levels when it comes to muscle growth, body composition, and energy levels. This supplement is unique because the spike in testosterone synthesis remains for a long period of time even after discontinuing the use of the supplement.
Beta Ecdysterone
Beta Ecdysterone is a one of a kind ergogenic supplement (ergogenic is just a fancy word for performance enhancing). This supplement increases muscle mass, decreases fat mass, and improves strength without touching sex hormones; however, it functions similarly to testosterone in the body. This is why Beta Ecdysterone is different from other muscle builders. This supplement boosts the effects of DAA and tongkat ali making them even more productive.
Review
Sometimes when it is time for a bulking phase we go a little overboard on the diet causing unwanted body fat. Utilizing natural supplements will allow you to experience gains without packing on fat pounds. If you want to experience improved workouts, lean muscle gains, and increased energy with minimal side effects, consider adding some of the above supplements to your routine.