What supplements are best AFTER doing cardio and calisthenics

[Beach Head]

I don't want to lose any weight but do want to gain muscle mass without fat. Right now I'm doing a lot of cardio and calisthenics. Will protein shakes help me even though I'm doing a lot of cardio and calisthenics?

 

[Madmick]

I don't want to lose any weight but do want to gain muscle mass without fat. Right now I'm doing a lot of cardio and calisthenics. Will protein shakes help me even though I'm doing a lot of cardio and calisthenics?

Are you lifting too? Are you lifting and doing cardio in the same sessions?

 

[Beach Head]

Are you lifting too? Are you lifting and doing cardio in the same sessions?

I'm doing cardio and calistheincs 5 days a week only. I'm thinking about lifting some of those days also or on the weekends. What do you think?

 

[Beach Head]

Anyone?

 

[Madmick]

Patience, bro. I think Kabuki is on vacation.

The most important supplement for you to take you should actually take during the workout, and that's a glucose-electrolyte drink. My favorite is Accelerade, but Gatorade is also great, and substantially cheaper.

Mix in 1 part Gatorade or Accelerade, 2-3 parts water. Drink that throughout your workout.

For weight loss, take caffeine and green tea extract. Take this before your workout. You may add ephedrine, but also add aspirin if you do.

Aside from that, you can take some Glutamine Peptides to keep your muscles from breaking down.

Of course, always take a multivitamin and a fish oil pill regimen.

You only have to lift 2 days a week to maintain mass (that's if you've lifted to gain beyond your natural weight), so I'd lift light 2-3 days a week-- in the morning, if possible.

 

[Beach Head]

Patience, bro. I think Kabuki is on vacation.

The most important supplement for you to take you should actually take during the workout, and that's a glucose-electrolyte drink. My favorite is Accelerade, but Gatorade is also great, and substantially cheaper.

Mix in 1 part Gatorade or Accelerade, 2-3 parts water. Drink that throughout your workout.

For weight loss, take caffeine and green tea extract. Take this before your workout. You may add ephedrine, but also add aspirin if you do.

Aside from that, you can take some Glutamine Peptides to keep your muscles from breaking down.

Of course, always take a multivitamin and a fish oil pill regimen.

You only have to lift 2 days a week to maintain mass (that's if you've lifted to gain beyond your natural weight), so I'd lift light 2-3 days a week-- in the morning, if possible.

I really don't want to lose weight. Just get more toned and build more muscle BUT not lose weight. Thats why I'm confused as to which supplements could help me do that.

 

[slayer36]

i thought taking glucose-based stuff during your workout is bad? doesnt that cause blood to go to your stomach to digest it, but you want it to go your muscles?

 

[Madmick]

I really don't want to lose weight. Just get more toned and build more muscle BUT not lose weight. Thats why I'm confused as to which supplements could help me do that.

Yeah, you want a lean gain: maintaining your weight while converting your current fat to muscle. Everything I recommended I recommended for that.

The caffeine and green tea extract are great for you. In essence, they target the fat for energy consumption, not your muscle (ultimately, weight loss or lean gain depends on caloric intake and macronutrient profile). You might also consider Synephrine if you aren't willing to take Ephedrine:


Caffeine:
Caffeine can serve as a stimulant in a number of ways. As a general central nervous system stimulant, caffeine increases mental arousal and stimulates the release of epinephrine (adrenaline). Caffeine also is known to stimulate mobilization of fatty acids which may have effects on fat oxidation for weight loss or endurance performance. Caffeine also encourages the release of calcium into muscle cells, where it can stimulate more powerful muscle contractions.


Green Tea Extract (this just concerning the weight loss aspect):
Aside from the clear benefits of green tea as an antioxidant, recent studies have suggested a role catechins in promoting weight loss. In one animal study, the anti-obesity effect of green tea was evaluated by feeding different levels of green tea (1-4% in their diets) to female mice for 4 months. The study found that the mice receiving the green tea in their diets had a significant suppression of food intake, body weight gain and fat tissue accumulation. In addition, levels of cholesterol and triglycerides were lower in mice receiving the green tea diet. Perhaps the most interesting finding from this study was that Leptin levels in serum showed a decrease with green tea treatments

 

[Madmick]

i thought taking glucose-based stuff during your workout is bad? doesnt that cause blood to go to your stomach to digest it, but you want it to go your muscles?

No. Solutions like Gatorade are liquid: the amount of blood required to aid in digestion is negligible. At some point, the blood must become a part of the digestion cycle or the nutrients from the food/drink you're consuming won't reach the muscles at all. If you're blood is deficient these nutrients, whether it reaches the muscles or not is moot, because it won't be carrying what you need to them.

 

[Boondocksaint]

Hey Madmick, I bought some of that Accelerade. It is nasty and mixes badly. What flavor did you get?

 

[Madmick]

Hey Madmick, I bought some of that Accelerade. It is nasty and mixes badly. What flavor did you get?

Blue Raspberry. Yeah, it ain't that great. The mixing problem is due to the higher protein content. But I like the flavor, it isn't unpleasant for me.

But I take it for the science, not the taste. Gatorade is great too, and cheaper, so if the taste is that big a deal, you can just switch back; but I like the Accelerade since it's more geared towards strength-power athletes, not endurance athletes.