Workout Supplement Routine

[Grippster]

I was thinking of doing this for a month to see how much muscle and strength I could gain. I will explain why I am using these supplements and the time they are being consumed. Feedback much appreciated. Will it work? Am I smart, crazy, overly optimistic,.. stupid? Speak your mind.

Length of experiment: 35 days

Current weight: 165lbs

Projected muscle mass gain: 10lbs

Duration of exercise: 2 hours per day, highly intense

Frequency of workouts: 6/7 days/week

Neurotransmitter support: 500mg of Tyrosine twice weekly to assist focus

1: Morning (pre-breakfast)

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 4g glutamine, 1g creatine

The body has been without nutrients all night and will readily absorb them now. Dextrose causes big insulin spike.

Begin loading muscles with B-A and creatine.

2: Pre-workout

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 1g creatine

Dextrose spikes insulin and fuels muscle cells with glucose, more creatine, and beta-alanine for the upcoming workout.

3: After the first hour of exercise

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 4g glutamine, 1g creatine

The body is tired and the receptors are wide open to receiving nutrients and energy at this time.

4: 15 minutes after the full 2 hour workout is finished

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 4g glutamine, 1g creatine

The last optimal time of day to take supplements, post workout. During the 2-3 hour period of mid and post-workout is the time at which the body's potential for growth is highest. Using large amounts of dextrose SHOULD be safe in theory as long as it's at a time when the body is under physical stress and the insulin receptors are wide open. I use very little creatine at a time but accumulates to a total of 4 grams by the day's end. Is this dangerous, did I post incorrect information? Please advise.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Grippster

[Grippster]

Here is my workout routine as well, you can criticize me on this as well.

Day 1: Cardio, Chest

Day 2: Cardio, Traps, lats, lower back

Day 3: Cardio, Grippers, pinch (This is technically my off day as forearms are small muscles)

Day 4: Cardio, Legs, core

Day 5: Cardio, Biceps, Triceps, thick bar, wrist and forearms

Day 6: Cardio, Shoulders

Day 7: Cardio, Hamstrings, calves, Core

[climber511]

How many calories a day do you usually eat and how many will you be eating and on what schedule during this time?

Two hours a day 7 days a week working out might be a little detrimental to your goals.

I think you are over complicating this whole process and using supplements way more than necessary. Gaining weight isn't always as simple as calories in versus calories out but it really is that simple in a way.

Do just enough exercise to promote growth - then eat, and eat, and eat some more - real food. Limit your cardio - you won't get fat in a month no matter what you do. Now rest - A LOT! You do not grow while you're working out, your body grows when given a chance to overcompensate from the demands placed on it.

Best advice I can give you is every time you even think about, read about, or walk by a supplement - make yourself drink a big glass of milk and eat a couple peanut butter sandwiches. 12,000 calories of real food a day, 3 one hour workouts, and ten hours of sleep will solve your problem.

[IROC-Z]

I think your supplement plan is pretty well thought out, but I also feel that you're going to end up being disappointed with the results you get. I will readily admit that I am in the "anti-supplement" camp, due to my experiences with trying many different supplements over the past twenty years or so. I do still use protein powder on a daily basis, but other than Cissus Rx, I have yet to ever find a supplement that does what it says it will do. With the exception of Tyrosine, I've tried all the supplements you listed there, and I didn't find any of them to be of any value at all. I'll probably get blasted by others for saying this, but I also feel that creatine is by far the most overrated supplement on the market. This is all just my opinion of course, and I hope things go well for you. Best wishes.

[Grippster]

@ climber511

I eat 3 meals a day with 2 snacks in between. I like peanut butter and milk so I eat that for a snack sometimes and I also snack on chicken fingers if I have time to make them. Agreed, there's nothing like real food. I'm really not sure of the calories I consume by the days' end, all I know is that I feel pretty full and satisfied. I'll try to find a day in between all my workout days to have some rest.

@ IROC-Z

I agree creatine is overrated but I can tell you from experience that I push about 15-20% more reps with it and that it actually does work to an extent. I included a small amount in my 35 day supplement plan just to make sure my muscles have sufficient energy to work out as hard and often as I'd like. The downside is that if you stop using it you feel weak in the gym until your body has had enough time to compensate. Also I'm curious to know more about Cissus RX. I'm just reading now that it's a joint and tendon supplement. How would you be able to tell if it works, perhaps you've noticed you don't get injured as often?

EDIT: Sorry for the long post, but one more thing I'm mainly concerned about is the amount of dextrose. I know the safety of it varies according to the individual but how would you guys rate the amount I've proposed to use in my supplement plan?

Edited July 5, 2010 by Grippster

[knyaz]

your plan seem s to be well tought out but i gotta say at this point in my lifting routine im anti supplemts especially creatine, but good luck and hope you get the results your seeking

[IROC-Z]

Also I'm curious to know more about Cissus RX. I'm just reading now that it's a joint and tendon supplement. How would you be able to tell if it works, perhaps you've noticed you don't get injured as often?

This past winter I had tendonitis in both elbows. It started out being mildly painful, but continued to get worse. A member of these forums recommended Cissus Rx to me, so I decided to give it a try. Within about 10 days of taking the product, 90% of my elbow pain was gone. I continued to take Cissus for 3 months, and had very little elbow pain during that time. The downside is that within a week or two after I stopped taking the product, my elbow pain returned.

[JohanB]

I was thinking of doing this for a month to see how much muscle and strength I could gain. I will explain why I am using these supplements and the time they are being consumed. Feedback much appreciated. Will it work? Am I smart, crazy, overly optimistic,.. stupid? Speak your mind.

Length of experiment: 35 days

Current weight: 165lbs

Projected muscle mass gain: 10lbs

Duration of exercise: 2 hours per day, highly intense

Frequency of workouts: 6/7 days/week

Neurotransmitter support: 500mg of Tyrosine twice weekly to assist focus

1: Morning (pre-breakfast)

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 4g glutamine, 1g creatine

The body has been without nutrients all night and will readily absorb them now. Dextrose causes big insulin spike.

Begin loading muscles with B-A and creatine.

You don´t need the dextrose here. Whey does a nice job raising insulin on it´s own. Focus an better sources for carbs such as oatmeal. The glutamine will do nothing for you. Skip it, and that goes for the entire day.

2: Pre-workout

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 1g creatine

Dextrose spikes insulin and fuels muscle cells with glucose, more creatine, and beta-alanine for the upcoming workout.

It takes time for the body to store the glucose as muscleglycogen. So, focus on a bigger intake of carbs in the morning and healthy snacks and meals before the workout and you should have all the energy needed. There is also noo need for a high insulinspike in order for the musclecells to store the creatine as creatine phosphate. Also, if you eat decently you have no need for uch a large dose of whey. Only so much can be used to repair and build new muscle. The body will absorb all of it but only a small amount will be used for MPS (muscle protein sythesis), the rest will go through a few enzymatic steps and convert into glucose or keton bodies.

3: After the first hour of exercise

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 4g glutamine, 1g creatine

The body is tired and the receptors are wide open to receiving nutrients and energy at this time.

No, go for real food here instead

4: 15 minutes after the full 2 hour workout is finished

2g beta-alanine

10 tbsp of dextrose, 50g whey protein, 4g glutamine, 1g creatine

This is better but I would move those 2g of BA to earlier in the day instead of directly after the training. It will be more usefull that way.

The last optimal time of day to take supplements, post workout. During the 2-3 hour period of mid and post-workout is the time at which the body's potential for growth is highest. Using large amounts of dextrose SHOULD be safe in theory as long as it's at a time when the body is under physical stress and the insulin receptors are wide open. I use very little creatine at a time but accumulates to a total of 4 grams by the day's end. Is this dangerous, did I post incorrect information? Please advise.

There are zero risks with creatine on otherwise healthy individuals. There are hundreds of studies proving this. It´s a safe, proven and effective supplement. If you want faster results with your creatine, do a 5 day loading fase. Go for 20-25g a day split into 4-5 doses and you will have stored as much creatine your musclecells can hold within a week. After this you only need abot 2-3g a day to stay at that level.