Supplements, Supplements Everywhere
Since the beginning of June I have added a few items to my supplement routine in order to promote better dietary balance and stimulate and protect muscle growth even more.
My diet is currently running at about 2400-2600 calories a day; carbohydrate to protein ratio is around 1.6 : 1. Fat is about 10% of my calories.
I was taking in about 3,000 calories up until the beginning of June.
My weight has fluctuated since I started bulking as my body grew (of course). Adding to the fluctuation of weight was the fact that I didn’t have a scale on which I was consistently checking in. I would be at Gym A one day, Gym B another, Gym C (yes, I have a Gym C) on another day.
Last week, I decided it was time that I bought a baseline scale and dropped $29.00 on a digital model. My coach weighed me in at 155 on June 1. As of this morning I am at 156.0 lbs, and I look bigger and leaner than I have in the past.
Oh how I love muscle growth.
Maybe it’s the supplements. Maybe it’s the hard work. Who knows. Here’s what’s currently in my supplement routine (now all on top of my refrigerator because I can’t fit everything in my supplement cabinet):
1.
Mega EFA Fish Oil (3mg / day)
– Promotes healthy brain function, joint health and normal hormone function. When you’re sticking to a lean diet, these are essential to include to ensure your body is getting everything it needs to function well.
2.
Creatine Blend (4g / day taken in 2 equal doses)
– Boosts performance in the gym and recovery afterward. When you take creatine, be sure you’re drinking enough water to keep your kidneys happy. I drink about 1 gallon a day.
3.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (1200mg / day taken in 2 equal doses)
– This helps combat free radicals that are unleashed in your system after strenuous workouts – and it makes your skin look glorious!
4.
Beta Alanine (3200g / day taken in 4 equal doses)
– You should stack your creatine with beta alanine as this boosts performance even more than just using creatine alone.
5.
Vitamin C (1000mg / day taken in 2 equal doses)
– This helps keep your immune system revved up and ready to combat anything that might come its way – especially helpful when you’re training hard and constantly breaking down your body.
6. Women’s Active Multi-Vitamin (1 serving in the AM)
– Just good to take for general health and wellness
7. Calcium (1200mg / day taken in 2 equal doses)
8. BCAA’s + Glutamine (1 serving taken 2 times a day in equal doses)
Just remember that gains in your figure are not done only through supplementation. One supplement that can’t be beat is a healthy diet filled with vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and lots of water – nothing should ever be substituted for that.
Do your research, try new supplements that are linked to your goals, but most importantly listen to your body. Tune in to what it’s telling you and don’t take anything that makes you feel lousy or totally crazy.
The work you do in the gym and in the kitchen will far outweigh any benefits that supplements alone will ever give you. That’s why they’re called “supplements.”
Be safe and strong and let me know if you have any questions!
One Day I Will Grow Up and Be Big
Every once in a while, my Grandmother will laugh and remind me that as a young girl I used to say, “One day, when I grow up and my bosoms get very very big, I will wear a bra.”
While I am still waiting for that big bosom day to come, I find it quite hilarious that I am excited by the idea that one day, as a grown up, when my muscles are very very big, I will wear a sparkly bikini and have an amazingly dark spray tan.
I have been eating like nobody’s business for the past 3 months. I have put on a considerable amount of weight and am now tipping the scales at 160 (previously 143).
My jeans are tight, I can’t fit into my favorite cocktail dress any more and leggings and black drapey dresses have become my new best friends.
I am not fat. I am just stronger.
I can’t say that I hate the way that I look, but after years of being “skinny,” I’m still getting used to the bigger, better me.
“How do you think you look?” my trainer asked me the other night as I rested between a set of cleans. We were both looking at me in the mirror.
I had had a long day at work. I was sweating and felt bloated.
“I think that this is a skinny mirror and that I look a lot different than what we’re seeing. I think my legs look really puffy and bloated and big and that my arms look skinny and small. “ He looked at me like I was crazy. “I mean, I think I’m making progress though…How do you think I look?”
“I can never tell with you, Berry,” he said. “Some days you come in here and are like, ‘I am a MONSTER’ and then other days you come in and are like, ‘Meh…I feel fat.’”
More often than not, though, I’m a monster.
“You look good.”
When I was warming up, one of the other trainers at the gym who I have been chatting with quite regularly walked out of the men’s locker room and did a double take. “Lookin’ good!” he said, “Coming along nicely.”
That made me happy. Looking at my body every day I see changes here and there, but having not seen this guy for 3 weeks and then him tell me he sees progress, too, is a great thing to hear.
I just have to keep on pushing.
My legs are coming along nicely as well as my glutes. My butt has morphed from two pancakes into two dinner rolls.
Disappointingly, my shoulders are the slowest part to develop and also the most important. I train them like no body’s business but they are slow to arrive.
I was told to add creatine to my diet last week and today rounds out the 7th day. Just about 3g on average. My workouts are more powerful and I’m hoping this will help push me into the next muscular development level. We shall see.
My six pack has vanished but I swear at times I can still see it. I know this weight will come off in about 3 months when I start prep and I’m excited for it. I have a strong base that is getting stronger by the day and I know I can make this work.
Go Figure Girl! 