The answer is yes and no, lets dig into this further to see why.  Post workout is probably the most important time for protein intake and getting some to the muscles quickly has been shown to speed recovery.  Quality and absorption rate are definitely important, see our previous article on protein quality for more info on this topic.  The rate of protein absorption is basically the rate at which the body will break down a given protein and turn it into amino acids which are utilized by the muscles.  Whey protein has been shown to be the most effective and the fastest absorbing of the protein options available.  It is pretty safe to say that whey protein is universally accepted as a good option for post workout nutrition.  What many people get confused about are the varying grades of whey protein; whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, whey hydroslate, whey peptides, etc.  There are also different protein percentages that are found within each protein grade.  For instance you can get a whey protein concentrate that is between 34% and 80%, the 80% being much higher quality than the 34%.  Whey protein that is a concentrate and is 80% protein or a whey isolate are sufficient for post workout recovery purposes or for protein intake at other times of the day.  As the marketers look for new products to push you see variations of whey isolates, and hydroslates being touted as “faster” than regular protein which would supposedly provide benefits to the end user.  Most have interesting stories but before you open your wallet and jump on board understand that you will often pay more and there is not research to support that these proteins actually do absorb more quickly and if they did that you would receive any benefit in performance or body composition.

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In my store in Nashua, NH I get people every day asking how to build size and strength.  Teenagers to, lets say, “pre-seniors” are somewhat baffled at how some people can just add globs of muscle with relative ease.  First let me just say that these so called easy gainers are working their butts off to gain every ounce of muscle they get.  Second these easy gainers are utilizing age old training techniques that have recently fallen out off the mainstream.  Do these guys know something you don’t?  Are these guys using some super secret supplement that allow them to adorn that Herculean physique?  The answer is no.  Every bodybuilding magazine and weightlifting publication agree; the key to gaining dense slabs of muscle is old school powerlifting and olympic lifting.  These multi-joint exercises increase overall hormone output (testosterone and growth hormone) and increase androgen receptor sensitivity (gives testosterone a place to go and do its job).  The best piece of lifting advice i’ve ever got when i was first starting out was this: “If you want to make your arms grow, squat, and if you want a stronger bench press, power clean.”  This type of lifting will increase overall size and strength.  Its amazing how many guys come into my store and are frustrated that they are not making any size or strength gains.  When I ask them what they are doing for their work outs I get the same answer; “I mainly concentrate on benches and curls.”  Although these are good exercises, they will not give you the hormone output of other powerlifting and olympic lifting type movements.  These movements include but are not limited to squats, deadlifts, rack pulls, power cleans, hanging cleans, clean and jerk, bench presses, and standing presses.  I recommend for all lifters looking to gain size and strength to read more about the subject.  There is a ton of literature out there and in the words of G.I. Joe, knowing is half the battle.

            Currently I am preparing for a strongman competition and am using these particular training techniques.  My weight class is 200lb-231lb.  Natrually I weigh about 220lbs at about 9 or 10% bodyfat.  I decided it would be in my best interest to gain weight and come in right at the top of the weight class where I would be at my strongest.  Some guys in this weight class are about 245lbs and are cutting down to get under 230lbs.  This made me decide to get as heavy as possible before the contest and then cut back down to 231lbs.  Power and olympic lifting has primed my body for the weight and strength gain.  Now its all about getting the right amount of calories and using the right supplements for growth and recovery.  For the first time in my life I am using a weight gainer, Optimum Health’s Mass 600 chocolate.  This stuff is providing me with the extra calories for growth and intense training sessions, not to mention its tastey as hell.  I also add extra fiber in the form of Now Foods Brand Psyllium Husk to each mass shake just to prevent getting bound up.  I’m also using BioRhythm’s O2 Positive for a pre-workout powder.  This stuff gives me incredible strength and endurance gains.  It is caffiene-free which is perfect for me seeing that I want to save my adrenal sensitivity for the day of the contest (load up on the stimulants then).  I always follow up my workout with BioRhythm’s AfterGlow.  This recovery drink is the best on the market bar-none.  It allows me to fully recover in time for my next intense training session.  Lastly I am using MSI’s Test Revolution.  This is a potent natural testosterone booster and I think we all know what testosterone does for strength and size.  I started this size and strength gain routine about 3 weeks ago at 220lbs.  I have gained about 8lbs and am three weeks out from the compitition.  Using the same training and supplementation techniques I have outlined here you too can gain the size and strength of Hercules himself.  

Minimizing the post cycle rebound effect and maximizing muscle retention is always a battle for steroid/prohormone users.  Taking synthetic forms of testosterone will shut off natural testosterone production and raise estrogen levels and can be menacing if not kept in check post cycle.  At the end of a cycle people will usually supplement with anti-estrogens and natural testosterone boosters to combat the post cycle hormone rebound effect.  Most prohormone/steroid users will lose much of the muscle gained during the cycle even if these precautions are made. 

            One thing that you must take into account is that while on a prohormone/steroid your body down regulates the androgen receptor sensitivity due to the copious amount of androgen circulating the blood stream.  This is done in an effort to keep homeostasis, or a balance in hormone activity.  When a prohormone/steroid is discontinued the body is making little to no testosterone and even if it did the androgens would not be able to bind to the receptors resulting in fatigue and muscle atrophy.  This is why smart prohormone/steroid users utilize the bridging method.  This is done after a heavier prohormone/steroid is used and before the post cycle therapy.  The idea is that if a milder anabolic that has less of an effect on the HPTA axis is taken the last week of the heavier anabolic and then run for two weeks by itself, the body’s natural hormone systems and androgen receptor sensitivity will have more of a chance to recover before the anti-estrogens and test boosters are intoduced.  This will allow maximal muscle retention post cycle.  SSL Win-E is perfect for bridging.

SAMPLE CYCLES:

Beginner:

Week1           Week2            Week3          Week4            Week5          Week6

SSL 1T2             “                       ”                     “                   Win-E            Win-E

2 per day      3 per day        3 per day       2 per day       4 per day      4 per day

                                                                     SSL Win-E

                                                                      3 per day                            start post———————-Week10

Intermediate:

Week1            Week2            Week3            Week4            Week5            Week6

SSL Super-D      “                     “                       “                   Win-E              Win-E

1 per day       2 per day        2 per day        1 per day      4 per day         4 per day

                                                                      SSL Win-E

                                                                        3 per day                           start post———————Week10

Advanced:

Week1            Week2            Week3            Week4            Week5            Week6

SSL Inc Bulk      “                       “                        “                  Win-E              Win-E

2 per day      3 per day        3 per day         2 per day       4 per day         4 per day

                                                                       SSL Win-E

                                                                        3 per day                           start post———————Week10

To get bigger muscles, you need bigger muscle cells, and that means increasing muscle-cell “volume.” That’s why cell-volumizing supplements are so popular these days among athletes.

Muscle-cell volume is naturally sustained by creatine, muscle glycogen and water. Studies tell us that by packing more water into muscles, test subjects have been able to gain several pounds of muscle water within days, which sound like only a short-term benefit since it’s not muscle protein. But scientists believe that boosting muscle-cell volume can switch on anabolic pocesses for longer-lasting gains in muscle mass. In other words, these temporary gains can lead to long-term gains, which are the goal of every athlete.

How do you increase the volume of your muscle cells? Below are four cell-volumizing strategies that will help you make some of the fastest possible gains in lean body mass.

1)  Creatine has the ability to enlarge and stretch muscle cell membranes; scientists suspect that if creatine is taken consistently, that it also results in improvements in the rate at which you gain muscle-protein mass itself. Apparently, the stretching effect of cell-volumizing ingredients in general leads to faster synthesis and slower destruction of muscle protein–which should produce a net anabolic effect over time.

2)  Inside muscles is a fluid syrup called glycogen. Although glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrates, it is mostly water (the alternative to having dry starch or gritty sugar in your body). The fact that glycogen is only one part carbohydrate to a whopping three parts water makes it useful to bodybuilders as a major contributor to muscle size. In fact, next to water and muscle protein itself, muscle glycogen is one of the largest contributors to muscle mass in the body.

Adding to the value of glycogen in increasing cell volume is the fact that the water inside muscle cells doesn’t mix much with glycogen, as if each were stored in separate compartments. This means that the cell-volumizing effect of glycogen is additional to that of creatine, in the same way that carbs and creatine have their own effects on muscle-cell volumization (another reason for taking them together).

The best time to consume carbs is postworkout. After exercise, the sugar you eat is whisked into your muscles at a faster clip and converted to glycogen at a higher than normal rate, reducing the likelihood that those carbs will be stored in less desirable places.

3)  Another supplement that can rapidly increase lean body mass is called glycerol. Unlike creatine and glycogen, glycerol does not contribute to muscle, but goes to a third lean body compartment of blood vessels called plasma. Although bodybuilders are most interested in increasing muscle mass (rather than plasma mass), glycerol increases vascularization for super freaky veins. For instance, judicious supplementation with glycerol at least 90 minutes before a contest can increase vascular appearance.

4)  Water needs no introduction, of course, but its importance to athletes bears repeating. Most athletes refer to water in the pejorative, fingering it as the cause for water retention or a puffy and bloated appearance. “I’m holding water” is the usual refrain, but the reason is often misunderstood.

Too little water in your diet–not too much–will blur what ripples beneath. That’s because “holding water” is the body’s way of resisting dehydration; it just happens to store the extra reservoir under the skin, where it looks like fat. If you’re tired of camouflaged muscles, it is necessary to lose your fear of water. All other cell-volumizing nutrients need water in order to work.

Combining the right supplements is an easy way to speed up your progress in the gym whether you are looking to lose body fat or add some muscle.  The idea behind grouping supplements together is to create a synergy between the products to produce results greater than would be achieved by taking the products individually. 

We have put together a few combinations below which have been used successfully by numerous customers.  It is important to pick products from companies that are doing real research and to make sure the products you are stacking together will work well with each other.

Stacks for Building Muscle:

Nexx Genn TNT

Labrada Humanafort

BioRhythm Kre-Alkalyn

SSL Tren2 Xtreme

BioRhythm Regenerate

BioRhythm After Glow

SSL Rush

Muscle Sport Beta Revolution

BioRhythm Kre-Alkalyn

Optimum Health Mass 600

Creatine Monohydrate

ECS Natural Test

Optimum Health Mass 600

SSL Incredible Bulk

SSL Estro Xtreme

Big Blue

Muscle Sport Beta Revolution

Labrada Humanafort

BioRhythm AfterGlow

Labrada Super Charge

Labrada Humanafort

Muscle Sport Beta Revolution

Nexx Genn TNT

Muscle Sport Beta Revolution

Labrada Humanafort

Stacks for Getting Leaner:

Pro Complete 40

BioRhythm Olio

BioRhythm Synthrolean

Rocket Fuel

BioRhythm Olio

BioRhythm Synthrolean

Optimum Health Detox and Cleanse

BioRhythm Olio

BioRhythm Synthrolean

The following post is a collection of pro-hormones listed by their chemical names which includes information on their possible effects in the body.  If you have thought about using a pro-hormone or have used one this information should help give you a better understanding of what to expect.

Nomenclature: 17b-methoxytrienosterone
Pill size: 2mg
Dosages: The label recommends 2-6mg daily, but many users report only noticing effects when dosed at 8-12mg.
Side effects: Low liver toxicity. Some users say this is a libido killer, yet others say the exact opposite. Other users report sides of thinning hair/hair loss.
Reputation: Seemingly under dosed, methoxy-TST could be considered an underrated designer, as many users have reported some substantial gains with higher dosages.

Nomenclature: 2a-3a-epithio-17a-methyl-5a-androstan-17b-ol
Pill Size: 10mg or 12.5mg depending on what brand you use
Dosages: 20-50mg
Side Effects: Milder on liver and lipid levels than other methyl’s. Known to cause lower back and calf pumps.
Reputation: There has been some spectroscopy and compound identification issues with these products, but from personal experience with it, is still a solid product. Many users have taken this compound as a solo run for gynecomastia reduction due to its SERM-like and anti-aromatase properties. It is also a popular compound for use with the ‘pulse method’ of taking orals. Users can expect to see significant gains in both strength and mass.

Nomenclature: 17a-Methyl-etioallocholan-2-ene-17b-ol
Pill Size: 10mg
Dosages: 10-40mg
Side Effects: liver toxicity, bad lipid profile, lower back and calf pumps, some users report aggravation of gynecomastia with this compound.
Reputation: Solid product for bulking. Wet gains. It is a sometimes used to jumpstart an injectable cycle. This is the less androgenic isomer in the Ergomax LMG matrix.

Nomenclature: 17-methyl-delta-2-etioallocholane & 17-methyl-delta-3-etioallocholane
Pill Size: 10mg
Dosages: 10-40mg
Side effects: liver toxicity, bad lipid profiles, lower back and calf pumps, may aggravate gynecomastia.
Reputation: Again pretty solid for bulking. Users can expect similar gains as with pheraplex.

Nomenclature: 2a, 17a-dimethyl-17ß-hydroxy-5a-etiocholan -3-one
Pill size: 10mg
Dosages: 10-30mg
Side Effects: liver toxicity, bad lipid profiles, hypoglycemia lower back and calf pumps, some users report aggravation of gynecomastia with this compound. From personal experience, it gives me a wicked rebound that causes some flare-up.
Reputation: Side effects vary from mild to extremely harsh, so use caution if planning your first run. Excellent dry gains. Great for bulking or cutting. Explosive strength gains.
This is a methylated form of Drostanolone (Masteron)

Nomenclature: 17b-Methoxy-Trienbolone
Pill size: 1.5mg
Dosages: 1.5-6mg
Side effects: Affects libido (some positively some negatively), can aggravate gynecomastia. May cause thinning hair/ hair loss. Also another progestin.
Reputation: This guy is a real hit or miss. Some users loved the stuff, while others did not notice anything from it. From personal experience, I’ve noticed increases in strength as well as decreases in body fat.

Nomenclature: 4-chloro-17a-methyl-1,4-diene-3,17 diol
Pill Size: 50mg
Dosages: 25-75mg
Side effects: Heptatoxicity, lower back/calf pumps
Reputation: Milder than superdrol or pheraplex. Modest gains in mass and strength. Most users take this as part of a cutting cycle.
This is a prosteroid of Turinabol.

Nomenclature: [3,2-c]pyrazole-5alpha-etioallocholane-17beta-tetrahydropyranol
Pill size: 25mg
Dosages: 50-150mg (Although it is not uncommon to go much higher than this)
Side effects: very few sides. Some users report thinning hair/hair loss.
Reputation: Possibly the mildest of the designers, this compound is rarely run standalone. It is often stacked with a methyl compound for a lean bulk or cut. Very mild, yet easily maintained gains.
This is a de-alkylated derivative of Stanozol (winstrol).

Nomenclature: Estra-4, 9-diene-3, 17-dione
Dosages: 50-75mg
Side effects: aggravation of gynecomastia. This is a progestin. Expect tren-like sides.
Reputation: This is a prohormone to dienolone (similar to M-diene). Decent for recomp and increases in strength.

Nomenclures: 12-ethyl-3-methoxy-gona-diene &
6-17 dihydroxyetiocholone-3-ol proponate
Dosages: 1-2 caps daily
Side effects: low side effects
Reputation: User’s who’ve taken it have reported great decreases in body fat, while increasing muscle mass and strength. Not much data is present on this compound within this forum. NOTE: this is does not contain the same compound as Max LMG. They are close, but no cigar.

Nomenclature: 13-ethyl-3methoxygona-2, 5(10)-dien-17-one
Pill size: 25mg
Dosages: 25-135mg daily
Side effects: Can easily aggravate gynecomastia. May be a libido killer. This is another progestin.
Reputation: A bulking compound through and through. Users can expect great recovery, and soaking WET gains.

Nomenclature: 17a-methyl-1,4-Androstadiene-3,17diol
Dosages: 30-90mg daily
Side effects: heptatoxicity, slight possibility to aggravate gyno
Reputation: Great for a bulk. Somewhat wet gains, and decent strength gains. This is a prohormone of Dianabol. However, since dianabol and Boldenone are so very similar, it is believed that the actions of this prohormone are more similar to boldenone than to dianabol (methylboldenone).

Nomenclature: 1,4-Androstadiene-3,17-dione
Side effects: Mild
Reputation: Very weak and not very cost-efficient at the moment. This compound is often stacked with a methyl to potentiate and accelerate gains. Cycles are usually run at a MINIMUM of 4 weeks as this one takes a few weeks to ‘kick in’. Slow, steady, and easily maintainable gains. This is a prohormone of Boldenone.

Dosages: 25-75mg
Nomenclature:4-chloro-17a-methyl-andro-4-ene-3,17b-diol
Side effects: The usual sides associated with methylated compounds (heptatoxicity, lower back/calf pumps)
Reputation: Very similar to that of Halodrol-50, although people who’ve tried both seem to prefer Halodrol. For a while a lot of people were convinced that these two products were one in the same. Rest assured, they are not. This is a methyl derivative of clostebol.

Nomenclature: 4-chloro-17 -methyl- etioallochol-4-ene- 17 -ol-3,11-dione
Pill Size: 7.5mg
Dosages: 7.5-22.5mg daily
Side effects: Heptatoxicity from 17a-methylation. Very low androgenic sides.
Reputation: This is a derivative of the fish androgen, 11-keto-testosterone. 17 alkylation improves oral bioavailability; however, the addition of a 4-chloro group greatly lowers the anabolic/androgenic potential of an already weak androgen. What we’re left with is a steroid with an incredibly low Q factor (anabolic divided by androgenic). I would expect this to be a great addition for cutting or possibly recomp, but a poor choice for bulking or looking to gain strength.

Pill Size: 150mg
Dosages: 450mg
Nomenclature: andrenosterone, 11-oxo-androstenedione, or 4-androstene-3,11,17-trione (all mean the same thing)
Side effects: Mild
Reputation: This prohormone has a great affinity for blocking conversion to cortisol. User’s report great changes in body composition, namely significant fat loss. If you’re looking for some mass gains, you might opt for something else.

To really select supplements that work you need to understand what is in them and how those ingredients work.  Most consumers do one of two things; they either read magazine ads or articles (ads in disguise) or they look to a website for reviews on the product they are considering.  This is what most consumers call doing “research” or “doing their homework”.  Unfortunately this gives the consumer no clue as to what is actually in the product or any understanding as to whether the ingredients in the product work for their intended purpose.  Magazine ads are obviously paid advertisements with the supplement company’s best interests in mind and not the consumers.  What gets a little confusing is that most companies are now using what are called advertorials which are advertisements disguised as editorials or magazine content.  Basically they use an article format for an ad so that what you are looking at reads as if it is an article.  Even the articles in the magazine can be compromised by the manufacturer’s biases.  All magazines are ad sponsored meaning they are paid for by advertisers.  Don’t think for a second that these magazines will publish anything negative about their advertisers, after all without the ads the magazines would not exist.  In fact most magazines help out their advertisers by publishing content that promotes the products the advertisers want to sell, so even the “unbiased” articles you are reading are likely influenced in some way, shape or form by supplement manufacturer advertising dollars.  Make sure you are careful and critical of what you read. 

So if we can’t trust the magazines surely we can trust unbiased product reviews from real life consumers.  Maybe and maybe not, keep in mind you have no idea who is writing the review you read.  Does this person have any experience with supplements?  How long have they been working out?  Are their goals the same as yours?  On what basis are they reviewing the product?  Did the product cause them any side effects (they may not be aware of them)?  Does this individual have any affiliation with a supplement manufacturer or website?  To take this a step further lets assume you are reading a review for BSN’s NO Xplode.  Let’s say the reviewer says something like the following: 

“I have been using NO Xplode for about three weeks and really love the product.  It gives me awesome pumps.  The workouts are great, lots of intensity.  I have definitely gotten stronger and added a couple pounds.  This product is a must.”

If we break down this review you will see just how hard it is to determine whether this product actually did anything for the user.  First off the reviewer mentioned size and strength gains but did not tell you whether they where using any other products, they also did not mention whether they increased their calories or if they are new to lifting weights.  Any of these could account for size and strength gains.  The reviewer also mentioned the “pump”, this seems like a no brainer but if you talk to guys who are younger many associate pump with being pumped up as in energy.  Most serious lifters associate pump with muscle pump or blood flow to the muscle however from the statement above we have no way of knowing what pump means.  Hopefully you get the picture.  You will have no way of determing any of these questions and many more which are all important in determining whether the review has any validity.  Again be critical of what you read.

So if magazines and the web can’t be trusted how is a supplement user able to find good information?  That’s a good question and there are no good answers to it.  The best way is to really understand the ingredients in the products and what they are capable of.  Try doing some searches in databases like pub med for information on individual ingredients.  Also try spending some time in your local library reading books on supplements and nutrition.  You will be surprised at what you can find once you start looking for quality information.

You wouldn’t do the same workout day in and day out and expect to make continual progress.  The same concept applies to most supplements as well.  Some supplements like multi vitamins, protein, and EFA’s (fish oil, flax) should be considered food and can be used all the time.  Most of the other supplements that you use should be cycled on and off.  If you make changes in your supplement routine usually every 30 to 90 days you will find that you make more consistent progress.  The other way to maximize supplement results is by stacking products together that have a complimentary effect.  You should be carefully choosing products that will help you achieve your desired fitness or performance goals.  For example if you are looking for strength gains try pairing creatine, beta-alanine and branched chain amino acids.  A combination like this will allow your muscles to handle a greater workload leading to strength gains.  This product combination should be run for about 90 days at which point you will probably notice that your strength will plateau.  Once you find your progress stalling out you should start looking to put together another product combination that will jump start your progress.

When introducing a customer to a small lesser known brand we often hear the comment “I haven’t heard of this company”.  People like to buy products from brands they have heard of.  Most people feel they can trust a larger brand based on quality and reputation.

Consider the following before you pick up your next big brand name product.  If you where to enter a grocery store and look around for brands you recognize you would find several including Kellogs, General Mills, Kraft, and Pillsbury.  Now stop and think about the foods they make and compare them to the organic produce, organic meats, and other farm raised products.  You would be hard pressed to name even one farm from which the healthier organic farm raised products come from.  Keep this in mind before placing too much faith in a large company who is often more interested in profits than they are the end consumer.