About the author: Paul Smith is a freelance writer. His rich life experience is the main base of his writings at custom paper writing service and his guest posts. Feel free to contact Paul at Google+.

The secret to figuring out how much protein you need is not by just taking some number you found like 30g and apply it to yourself. If everybody had the same needs we would all be the same. And we both know that just isn?t true. Each person is slightly different.

Let me explain. We?ve all heard that a person can only digest 25-30g of protein in one sitting. B.S.!

Just think about it. Does an IFBB professional bodybuilder intake the same amount of protein as the guy who?s 135 lbs just starting out? Even if there is a 200 lb weight difference?

The answer might shock you. NO

Needless to say, so many people just take some number, multiply that by their body weight and that?s what they think they need a day. Tell me, if a person is 35% body fat, should they use their weight or their lean weight to figure out how much protein they need?

Simple. Lean weight. Your daily protein requirements are based on your lean body weight. And how do you figure out your lean body weight?

Use the skin fold caliper home test. Go back to Question #2.

Step 1:
Take your body weight in pounds
Example: 194 lbs

Step 2:
Find your body fat % using one of the methods in Question #2
Example: 15.7% (which is .157 for the step below)

Step 3:
Take your body weight in pounds and subtract the % body fat
Example: 194 lbs – (194 x .157 = 30.45 lbs of fat) = 163.54 lbs of lean body weight

Step 4:
Take your lean body weight and multiply by 1.14
Example: 163.54 lbs x 1.14 = 186.4g of protein a day

Step 5:
Divide your daily protein requirements by 5-6 meals and that is what your protein target is for each meal.
Example: 186.4/6 meals = 31.07g of protein per meal
As you will see, a person who is 286 lbs of lean body weight will require a lot more protein. And a person who is 286 lbs should not be consuming the same amount of protein if their percentage of body fat is 35%.
But why use 1.14 for protein requirements?

The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) is 0.8g of protein. But that?s been shown to be too low for active athletes.

Some sites will recommend 2.0g of protein. But that seems a bit high and your body will have trouble absorbing that not to mention you will probably have a lot of excess calories which can lead to fat gains.

1.14-1.5 is the most efficient range for most active, healthy adults. This range will help build muscle but not lead you into a high protein diet. Feel free to adjust within that range if you feel you need more protein.

To supplement or not to supplement – that is the question on more bodybuilder’s lips than ever before. Are they safe? What works and what doesn't?

Lets have a look at the basics.

There are various reasons why athletes may be interested in supplementation.

- Concern about getting adequate nutrients from our food supply.

- Suspicion of pharmaceuticals.

- Belief that diet alone will not achieve optimal nutrition

Supplements include the following:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Amino Acids
• Herbs

The concerning thing about supplements is that anything classified as a dietary supplement is not required to meet any FDA or other standards! Think about that! there are no regulations in place that guarantee the safety or purity of something sold as a supplement.

They are also not made to meet the similar safety requirements as prescription drugs or any other manufacturing standards. They are not required to meet product potency or purity ratings and are not required to prove the effectiveness of any health claim that is made.

Studies suggest that a number of supplements may deliver on advertising claims. However, trainees are spending large sums of money on products that have little or no proven usefulness.

Personally I find the use of supplements over rated and as with strength training, supplementation asks the same question  “if a little is good then maybe more has to be better”

Supplementation and steroids started to proliferate when volume strength training became the training system of the day. Young strength trainees slaving in the gym for five to six days a week was seen as normal. All this without making any progress or putting on any size whatsoever.

They then turned to the latest supplement or steroid thinking that this is the magic bullet to put on that added muscle when all the time they were just plain "overtraining"

The cold hard facts are that the majority of the regular trainees in your gym are overtraining. The sad reality is that the type of training that you find in bodybuilding books and magazines (and used by the stars) are irrelevant to the majority of
the population and has a high failure rate.

If more bodybuilders started using more infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger…

MOST OF THE WEIGHT GAIN SUPPLEMENTS AND STERIODS AVAILABLE TODAY WOULD NOT BE NEEDED.


The bottom line on weight gain supplements

 Before taking a supplement try to make modifications to your diet that might achieve the same goals.

 Only choose products that show the amount of active ingredients on the label that are required.

 Be aware that “natural” does not mean ‘safe’

 Some herbal supplements may have unpleasant side effects.


Listed below are some popular bodybuilding supplements available on the market today:


Creatine monohydrate

Creatine was first introduced to the market place some eight years ago and has since become the most popular bodybuilding supplement of all time.

Creatine is said to significantly increase lean muscle mass,
improve performance, increase energy levels and speed
up recovery rates. Creatine also stimulates the uptake
of amino acids in the proteins, which means that the
more that it's used the more muscle that may be grown.

Dosage: A loading phase of 20grams a day for the first five days then a
maintenance phase of 5grams a day from then on.


Whey Protein isolate

The highest yield of protein currently available
and is extracted from milk. This is another popular supplement
for athletes and bodybuilders because of its high proportion of
amino acids. It is supposed to be high in potassium, which is essential
for muscle growth and is an antioxidant and a good
immune system builder.

Dosage:  20gms - 100gms a day.

 
Tibulus Terrestris

Tribulus terrestris is a plant that grows in many
tropical and moderate areas of the world and is
very rich in chemical compounds such as saponins,
flavonoids and alkaloids.

Tribulus terrestris is supposedly a testosterone enhancer.
and increases sex drives in both men and women.

Dosage as per bottle.


Glutamine

Is a non-essential amino acid, which makes up to 60% of the amino acids in the bodies muscles. Glutamine containing products are protein
shakes and good quality protein powders; it can also
be added to protein shakes for added potency.

Dosage:  5grams to 15 grams per day.


So please remember a supplement is something added to the diet to make up for a nutritional deficiency or imbalance they are not intended to substitute for eating a balanced diet.  If they are to be taken at all they should only be used to supplement the diet and not replace it.

Wondering how to gain muscle? There are many fads, gimmicks and "quick fixes" to be found, but there is really only one healthy way to gain muscle mass. You don't need to be gifted with great genetics or use potentially dangerous illegal hormones or steroids.

The "how to gain muscle" question has a relatively simple two-step process:

1) increase your caloric intake, and
2) workout. This combination will provide the desired results.

Don't be embarrassed to look in the mirror! You CAN have the body that you strive to achieve. When you first begin thinking about how to gain muscle, the first instinct may be "But I don't want to gain fat". Losing fat and gaining muscle mass are two different objectives, and are tackled in two different ways. At this point you have to realize that dieting and exercising to lose weight is different than dieting and exercising to gain muscle.

In gaining muscle mass, the caloric intake must be increased. You have to take in more calories that your body is used to: take in more proteins and fats-your body has no choice but to gain weight. While nutritional supplements may be utilized, this should NOT be used as a substitute for a healthy diet. The increased calories are then offset by working out with weights in order to achieve the increased muscle mass you desire. This workout will stimulate growth by "overloading" the muscles. The combination of caloric building blocks (which help rebuild and repair muscle tissue) along with the increase workout.

If you are among the millions who constantly try to gain weight and build muscle mass, remember that a firm commitment, the proper diet, and a good weight-training regimen are the best ways to succeed in reaching your goal.  A muscle mass building diet includes plenty of protein and enough calories to promote weight gain.
A good place to start is to multiply your current weight by 18. This number will give you a rough idea of how many calories your body needs in a day to bulk up. If you are extremely active, play sports, or have a faster than average metabolism, you may need to increase your caloric intake even more. A muscle building diet requires a lot of effort on your part. It's not easy to consume enough calories in three meals per day. A good suggestion would be to eat several small meals each day rather than three large ones.

Protein is a critical element in any mass building diet. Ideally, you should eat one and a half grams of protein per pound of body weight. While this seems like a lot of protein, spread over several small meals each day it will be a lot easier to meet this goal. Fish, poultry, eggs, and lean red meat are excellent sources of protein. Lots of fresh vegetables and simple carbohydrates combined with plenty of protein should allow you to meet your calorie quota each day. The best muscle building diet is a combination of consuming adequate calories and the proper types of foods.

Every man loves to have some well enhanced muscles especially because they enable them to look handsome and strong. Muscles are also important in enhancing masculinity in men. They also make clothes look more fitting. The good thing is that there are various bodybuilding methods that men can use to enhance their muscles. However, not all these methods are reliable. In fact, some of them are really unhealthy and they can cause serious harm to the individual. That is why it is always advisable that you seek doctor's advice before you embark on any muscle enhancement mission.

Fortunately, medical and wellness experts have discovered a simpler way of enhancing muscles without making a lot of sacrifices. This technique has helped a lot of people to gain muscles without putting their lives at risk. With the use of bodybuilding supplements, it becomes easier for you to get the muscles you want. But before you decide to use these supplements to enhance your masculinity, there are some important aspects of them that you need to understand. For instance, you have to know how they work, their effectiveness, side effects and so on. Above all, you should understand some of the important reasons why you should consider supplements over other muscle enhancement methods.

Importance of Bodybuilding Supplements

• Little exercises: Due to the accelerated pace with which life is moving, it is very hard for people to maintain a viable workout plan. Most of the working class citizens arrive home in the evening while they are totally exhausted and it is almost impossible for them to make time to exercise. They will therefore want another simpler way of enhancing their muscles without disrupting their busy schedules. With the use of enhancement appendages, it will be easier for you to gain the muscles that you want without putting too much effort. However, this does not imply that you do away with exercises and concentrate on the supplements. On the contrary, exercises and appendages go hand in hand. You can only realize the effectiveness of the supplements when you exercise regularly.



Bodybuilding (Photo credit: RyanKemmers)

• Quick and better results: Most of these add-ons are known to boost body muscles very quickly and effectively. They provide your body with the additional nutrients it requires to grow and enhance its muscles properly. That is why these enhancements are preferred by people who want to have a rapid increase in muscle mass.

The important thing to note about these muscle enhancements is that they can be used by everybody including ladies who would love to enhance their muscles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dmitry_Fedosev