Supplements To Aid Muscle Development

Supplements To Aid Muscle Development

Author
Discussion

AB

Original Poster:

17,397 posts

202 months

Thursday 25th February 2010
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Well, I'm down to a nice weight now having lost around 5 stone in total. Just dipped below 'overweight' (having been 'obese') according to BMI chart.

Seems to be a fair bit of 'loose skin' (flab!!) that I would like to tone up and this will be using free weights and sit ups/press ups. Someone in the office has suggested protein shakes, he uses loads of it for muscle growth but tells me if I use less of it then it should promote toning.

Is this right? Any other thoughts?

Cheers

Animal

5,336 posts

275 months

Thursday 25th February 2010
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Supplements are largely unnecessary, you'll do better to supplement a very good diet with plenty of water - cheaper too!

Well done on losing 5st - that's some serious weight loss!

okgo

39,293 posts

205 months

Thursday 25th February 2010
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Protein is all well and good, but I think just a general cicuit traing routine on top of your cardio with a decent diet would do you fine.

Protein doesn't tone muscles it makes them bigger. But for someone with little muscle mass, using the muscles will tone them very quickly anyway.

Ginger goblin

368 posts

179 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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I was first introduced to protein when I was 17. I was 10st 7 and 6ft 2. A work colleague suggested, as I wanted to bulk up a bit for rugby, that I have a look at protein shakes. So I (skeptically) started taking whey protein.

In two months (of admittedly solid weights bunny action) I weighed in at 12st 4 and looked noticeably more muscled. I’ve used protein shakes sporadically ever since and have definitely reaped noticeable benefits.

Don’t buy into the high street name shakes though e.g Maximuscle, LA fitness etc. I get all my supplements from myprotein and not only are they cheaper I think they’re also a better product.

Supplements are a personal decision but in my experience they certainly helped me towards my rugby goals. Whether this was because they actually worked or because they focused my mind more on my training is open to debate.

okgo

39,293 posts

205 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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Protein shakes work. but you need to be consistent.

TristanGardner

189 posts

186 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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The best supplement out there to aid muscle development is exercise. Without this being truly effective everything else you do will be substandard.

You have lost 5st. This is an excellent achievement and obviously shows that you are working sufficiently hard. Ignore all of the marketing material that the supplements brands put out there. Get to the gym and work your way through the big compound exercises which will allow you to develop your base strength. I wouldn't even bother with isolation exercises at this stage.

When you have built up a good base strength then you can work on the areas which you may want more muscle showing through the skin.

The only time I would ever suggest or even discuss supplements with one of my clients is if they have got the exercise sorted and there is absolutely no other way they can get a sufficient protein intake through diet alone (this has only been once).

Get good quality protein into your diet, along side all the other vitamins and minerals you get from oily fish, coloured veg etc. It is much cheaper also.

I am guessing that as you have been losing weight you have reduced your calorific intake. Be careful that when you add the protein you are still eating the same calories.

Tris

ChrisMCoupe

927 posts

219 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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okgo said:
Protein shakes work. but you need to be consistent.
Completely agree with this. They work, they aid recovery times and help you put on noticably more muscle bulk. However you can't just take the odd shake whenever you train, that wont be enough to notice differences.

If you are bulking a rough rule is 2 grams of protien for every kilo of bodyweight (or 1 gram per pound). So taking a 2 or 3 shakes a day, including your off days should see nice gains.

ETA: Superb effort on the weight loss, well done.

Edited by ChrisMCoupe on Friday 26th February 12:38

cheadle hulme

2,471 posts

189 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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Superb result on the weight loss - you obviously have motivation, which is half the battle.

You can't "tone" the body. You have muscles, and a layer of fat over them. The ratio between the two will determine how "toned" or athletic you look.

If you want to build more muscle, then its one third stimulation (exercise), one third diet, and one third sleep. Eat like a horse, sleep like a baby and grow like a weed.

As mentioned above, don't fall into the trap that a protein shake and a few bicep curls will sort you out.

Search for Stronglifts 5x5 for a good beginner routines based on compound exercises, keep your diet clean, and only supplement where necessary.

nick s

1,371 posts

224 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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What about some Dianabol, if you eat and train properly you can put on around 20lbs in a 4 week oral cycle, of about 30-40mg's a day. some is water though, and you will keep about 8-12lbs in lean muscle gains. bang for buck! My mate just finsihed a cycle and the results are unreal! Or are you talking protein shakes only etc? biggrin

Ginger goblin

368 posts

179 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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Dianabol is a steroid right??

Not sure the OP will need them just to return to a bit of light karting biggrin

doodles19

2,201 posts

180 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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depends what you want to do, bulk up, or tone up?

nick s

1,371 posts

224 months

Friday 26th February 2010
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Ginger goblin said:
Dianabol is a steroid right??

Not sure the OP will need them just to return to a bit of light karting biggrin
yea, an oral though, not an injectible. I should have read his whole post properly, ha ha!

nick s

1,371 posts

224 months

Friday 26th February 2010
quotequote all
okgo said:
Protein is all well and good, but I think just a general cicuit traing routine on top of your cardio with a decent diet would do you fine.

Protein doesn't tone muscles it makes them bigger. But for someone with little muscle mass, using the muscles will tone them very quickly anyway.
i do circuits twice a week, and cardio and weights 3 days a week and have sorted my diet out, very pleased with the results i've had in the last 3 months, although progress is slow!

Rags

3,644 posts

243 months

Friday 26th February 2010
quotequote all
nick s said:
What about some Dianabol, if you eat and train properly you can put on around 20lbs in a 4 week oral cycle, of about 30-40mg's a day. some is water though, and you will keep about 8-12lbs in lean muscle gains. bang for buck! My mate just finsihed a cycle and the results are unreal! Or are you talking protein shakes only etc? biggrin
Why would you suggest this?

ChrisMCoupe

927 posts

219 months

Friday 26th February 2010
quotequote all
Rags said:
nick s said:
What about some Dianabol, if you eat and train properly you can put on around 20lbs in a 4 week oral cycle, of about 30-40mg's a day. some is water though, and you will keep about 8-12lbs in lean muscle gains. bang for buck! My mate just finsihed a cycle and the results are unreal! Or are you talking protein shakes only etc? biggrin
Why would you suggest this?
I know, ludicrous suggestion, you would at least have to stack it with deca or whinstrol etc for maximum effects. Amateur biggrin

AB

Original Poster:

17,397 posts

202 months

Friday 26th February 2010
quotequote all
I definitely don't want to bulk up - I've just lost a load of weight!

It's not muscle I need to build, but tone - so I guess what I can take from this is that I need to further reduce the level of fat between muscles and the outside world.

I play top level badminton, I am physically fit and can feel some decent muscles under the surface - I was under the impression that some targetted muscle work would help the muscles pull the areas in and therefore give me a more defined look.

I am probably speaking ste as I am not expert!


Ginger goblin

368 posts

179 months

Friday 26th February 2010
quotequote all
You can't really tone muscle per say. You either build it or you don't.

If you want to get the effect of toning up then I'd do low weight, high repetition and concentrate more on the cardio side of things. This will continue to burn fat whilst build a moderate amount of muscle, which will create the toned look I think you're going for.

As for your initial questions re supplements I wouldn't recommend any in your case. If you really want to go down that road then maybe have a look at 'fat strippers' such as Thermobol.

Animal

5,336 posts

275 months

Saturday 27th February 2010
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AB said:
I definitely don't want to bulk up - I've just lost a load of weight!

It's not muscle I need to build, but tone - so I guess what I can take from this is that I need to further reduce the level of fat between muscles and the outside world.

I play top level badminton, I am physically fit and can feel some decent muscles under the surface - I was under the impression that some targetted muscle work would help the muscles pull the areas in and therefore give me a more defined look.

I am probably speaking ste as I am not expert!
Instead of thinking of 'toning' your muscle think of it as toning your body by strengthening your muscles. Your muscles will develop (become bigger) through exercise, provided you exercise with enough intensity, and will result in you looking more 'toned'.

Don't be afraid of weight training, you're not going to become Hulk Hogan just by looking at a dumbbell! A lot of professional athletes want to be stronger without being bigger (think Tiger Woods or Rafael Nadal).

Ed

691 posts

282 months

Friday 26th March 2010
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Weight training will increase your metabolically active tissue mass which in turn will make the exercise you do more effective in shifting the calories (and in turn lard...congrats by the way 5st loss is a quality result.

My brother does next to no cardio but hammers the weights 5 times a week and there isn't a stitch of fat on him...git!!!


Halb

53,012 posts

190 months

Friday 26th March 2010
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AB said:
It's not muscle I need to build, but tone -
Muscles get bigger or smaller, you lose fat or you gain fat.
If you don't wish to gain too much mass after losing so much, concentrate on burning that fat. HIIT\fartlek and compound exercises are best.