Bodybuilding Supplements: How They Really Help Our Bodies

Photo Credit: Sergio Raul Abreu (commons.wikimedia.org)

Staying healthy and fit is not just an activity or passion for most of us nowadays. It is now becoming a lifestyle. Creating a balance within our body system is a necessary thing to do to live a long and healthy life. The healthier we become, the more we are equipped to face the life and all the things that are ahead of us.

With this, taking in supplements becomes a part of our daily life. It is not just a fad, or a whim or something we just decided to do; it is necessary. Our body needs to restore and these supplements will help us bring our bodies back to health.

One of the most popular dietary supplements nowadays is bodybuilding supplements. These supplements have different types and functions differently as well. They are either taken as replacement to meals or taken with them to provide the body with different needs. Some of these are as follows.

1. Source of vitamins supplements
2. Source of protein to build and repair muscles
3. Promotes safe and fast weight loss
4. Improves athletic performance
5. Enhances weight gain

Below are also a few reasons on why we need dietary supplements in our body. Healthy or not, there are really some essential nutrients and minerals that can only be taken from supplements and not from the usual food we eat.

1. Bad habits – We are social animals. We drink some, we smoke some. Fast food is part of our daily diet. We spend most of our time sitting and we can now do things at a click of a button. These and more are just some of the bad habits we have acquired through the years that have contributed in making our bodies unhealthy. Some individuals manage to go away from this lifestyle while some cannot. Thus there is a need to take in supplements to be able to help the body recover from the bad effects of the bad habits we have.
2. Poor food preparation – The food that we consumed are either raw or over-cooked. Over-cooked food loses their nutritional value. Our fast-paced lives deprive us from choosing the food we eat. We often settle for what is readily available. Taking in vitamins is indeed necessary because we are not getting the nutrients we need from the food we eat anymore.
3. Living up to the Standards of the Society – Being slim and sexy for women, or having big bulky muscles in men is the new definition of being beautiful. In a society where being beautiful requires you to eat less or to eat more is equally stressful and confusing at the same time. That is why women take in diet pills to help them lose weight without the need of depriving themselves to eat. Men on the other hand take in bodybuilding supplements to help them achieve the physique they want to have.
4. Stressful Environment – Almost each and every one of us has busy lifestyles. We tend to spend more time on our hobbies, work, passion, and careers. Staying healthy is not on top of our priority lists. To be able t have the energy that can help us sustain the needs of the demanding lives we have, taking in dietary supplements and making it part of our daily habits is really a must.

Bodybuilding supplements and other dietary supplements, nowadays, is a necessity. Everyone who wants to have a long and healthy life needs to include these vitamins in their diet. We do a lot of activities that may have contributed in deteriorating the balance in our body. Eating fruits and vegetables and other sources of vitamins and minerals will never be sufficient to bring back our bodies to its full healthy state – dietary supplements do.

Resource Link:

10 Reasons You’re Not Building Muscle (bodybuildingsupplements.uk.com)

Vitamins, Minerals and Anti-oxidants (blogbytravis.com)

Sources of Protein for Bodybuilding Needs

Photo Credit: beautyredefined (flickr.com)

Protein is something that you just can't exclude from a bodybuilding regimen. If you're just trying to cut some fat by working out, then you'll be fine as long as you maintain a healthy diet. This applies to bodybuilders too, but they need the strength to perform better in the gym. They need the energy to do more reps. They need to build more mass in the process. All this is covered by protein, hence every bodybuilder needs protein. Bodybuilders can have other supplements of their choosing included in their regimen, such as creatine, but protein seems to be universal.

Here's the thing: protein can be obtained from various sources. Different styles of bodybuilding require different sources of protein. Different types of philosophies require people to find alternative protein sources as well. That being said, here are a few sources of protein

Staying Natural

Protein is easily found in meat. Most times, when you ask someone what their main source of protein is, they'll answer something related to chicken. Specifically, it's the chicken breast and fresh eggs. Proponents of  other protein sources argue that while these are great sources of protein, it takes a while for the body to break them down into the needed amino acids that help with body building. Still, if you want to build your body the natural way through healthy diets and exercise, whole foods with protein and carbs are good for bulking up.

Vegan Option

Obviously, vegans will not have any of the whole foods mentioned above. This isn't to say they're lacking in the protein department, because they're not. There are tons of vegetarian protein foods. If you're the kind of vegan who tolerates dairy products, then milk and cheeses are good sources of protein. Combine them with bread, and you already have a sandwich. Nuts and peanut butter are also excellent sources of protein. If you want to go the Asian way, have some rice!

Supplements

If you want to focus solely on protein products or if you want to complement your diet with protein supplements, then you don't need to look that far. There are countless protein powders in the market right now that you need only pick one and go with it. If you wish to focus on protein, you can get protein powders and protein-based meal replacers. However, it is best to keep a healthy diet for such a harsh workout regimen. So whenever you can, have some fruits and veggies for snacks.

Finally, there's the protein bars. While not as effective as they're portrayed out to be, protein bars are not useless. In fact, they're quite handy if you really need a snack and there's no other way for you to have one. Besides, protein bars aren't that expensive, and they add to your protein build.

Related Links:

A Look Inside the Protein Bar (nytimes.com)

How much protein should I take post-workout? (edition.cnn.com)

Bulk Up or Tone Down, Moderation Brings Results

Photo Courtesy of: Method Fitness (flickr.com)

Building lean muscle mass is a goal of many workout programs, but there are a variety of ways to achieve this. Somehow, there are those who easily develop muscles and lose unwanted fats compared to other individuals. It is important to understand that one person's reaction to weightlifting and training will be different from another, so regularly keeping up with your training is essential.

Workout Sessions Should Be Supplemented

Hitting the gym regularly may not always yield positive results for many bodybuilders. This is one of the many reasons why it is essential to take body building supplements for developing muscles and improving physique. Supplements can help in providing additional or lacking nutrients in the food we eat. They also provide the much needed nutrients that trigger muscle build-up, improve energy, and burn unwanted fat.

Tone Muscle, Burn Fat

Some of the newbie bodybuilders would want to lose body fat while working out on their muscle tone. By taking in specific nutritional blends for muscle development, it is also essential to take a look at the ingredients specifically for fat loss. There are many supplements that provide a combination of benefits including fat burning qualities and lean muscle development that usually favored by bodybuilders.

A Supplement for Every Purpose

For athletes who want to improve performance, gain weight, build endurance, and have a bulked up body, certain supplements can help them achieve both at the same time. Lean weight is often the result for taking such nutritional supplements and these are converted into lean muscles as you workout and train for months. For women who are specific of losing weight but hot really bulking up, certain supplements that are developed especially for them are recommended. These have lesser ingredients that trigger muscle build up, but may have more thermogenics or fat burning ingredients.

Holistic Program Yields Results

Anybody can have a great looking body thanks to bodybuilding and nutritionals. By knowing what your body needs to meet your fitness goals, you will be able to find the right supplements to take regularly. And always remember that proper diet also plays an important role in keeping your body fit and healthy. In choosing the ideal body building supplements, you will need to know what your body needs based on your fitness goals. By working with a nutritionist and weight trainer, you will be able to identify what's lacking in your diet and what's needed to lose fat and bulk up on muscles. Workout supplements ensure your sessions are maximized (check out details about Jack3d Australia for starters), and you may choose to take herb-based or organic supplements if you are a bit picky on what goes into your body. However, many of these products have been tested to ensure that there are little or no health risks.

Related Resources:
Are Natural Supplements Really Good For You? (huffingtonpost.com)
Do Vitamins Really Make You a Healthier Person? (huffingtonpost.com)