Are you concerned about taking care of your body before and after strenuous activities or workouts? Do you try to avoid supplements that contain additives and possible side effects? I am very particular about what I am putting into my body at all times. I hate the idea of eating or taking something that I am not sure about what it is suppose to do or what side effects may be caused.
If you are interested in better health and improved physical fitness you have surely heard that bodybuilders and other athletes are turning to a simple, natural supplement called whey protein. Whey is the only supplement I take besides my daily multivitamin that I feel safe taking. So lets cover a few questions or concerns many women have about taking protein.
WHY DO ATHLETES USE WHEY PROTEIN?
Protein levels are depleted through exercise. Muscles require amino acids to prevent deterioration, give endurance and build mass. Proteins supply these amino acids to the muscles which is why athletes use whey protein. If you want to gain muscle you have to make sure you have the building blocks for it. Women need protein the same ways that men do so do not be afraid of it.
WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN?
Commercial whey protein comes from cow’s milk. Whey is the by-product of making cheese and was usually thrown away as a waste product. Now researchers know that whey protein is high quality, natural protein that is rich with amino acids essential for good health and muscle building. It is naturally found in mother’s milk and also used in baby formula. It is being considered for use as a fortifier of grain products because of its considerable health benefits and bland flavor.
Although protein is also found in other foods such as meat, soy and vegetables, whey protein is proven to have the highest absorption (digestion) levels in comparison to all others.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER USING WHEY PROTEIN?
Whey protein has many health benefits including immune support, bone health, sports health, weight management and overall well being. And as women, we need all the help we can get to keep out bones strong and supportive. Plus overall health is not a bad thing either. The better nutrition you have in your life the less likely that the flu or other bugs will come knocking on your door.
Because amino acids are ‘building blocks’ for the human body it is sometimes used by patients to speed up the healing of wounds or burns.
The high quality protein that comes from whey makes it a recommended choice for those who need optimal benefits from restricted diets including diabetics, those on weight management diets and even ill patients not able to consume enough protein in their diet to assist with healing.
CAN WHEY PROTEIN BE DANGEROUS?
Whey protein is a food and so it does not have have the risks associated with other supplements. That said, too much of anything carries risks. Extremely high use of whey protein can overload the liver which can cause serious problems. Moderation is always recommended.
If you are lactose intolerant you might try whey protein isolate which has less than 1% lactose and should be tolerable for most users.
Whey protein is a natural and healthy way to bring protein into your diet and increase well being.
WILL WHEY BULK ME UP?
No, women lack the hormones that men have that allow them to get those large bulky muscles. Women will get an overall toned appearance without looking like the Hulk. Those women you see in body building competitions more often than not achieve their unusual frame by injecting additional hormones or supplements into their body. But no, with the use of whey you will not look like these women.
SOME TRICKS WITH WHEY
If you buy the powder you will be able to do a lot more than just simple shakes. But for shakes be create.
Mix the whey with milk and maybe add some strawberries or blueberries to make the best shakes around!
When you bake cookies scoop some whey in for a power cookie
If you drink coffee but some chocolate whey in to make a great mocha
The possibilities are endless, get your creative juices going!
Archive
Posts Tagged ‘Muscle Building’
Exercise and Fitness: Building Muscle Mass
Building muscle mass does not happen overnight and consistent training is the key. Training heavy is important, but you must make sure you are performing enough exercises for each body area and enough sets per exercise. An example of a muscle building program is to perform on average four exercises per body part and four sets of each exercise. That is about 16 sets per body part per workout. Many people pyramid the weights up while other people pyramid the weight down. I would suggest a combination, one week go up and the next pyramid down. You should not pyramid down until you know what your sub-max weight is for each exercise. It is a good idea to hire an experienced fitness trainer to help you with this type of training. With strength/muscle building training you should train each body part one time per week. It is very hard training, but this is one way to add substantial muscle mass. Make sure you vary the exercises and workouts so that your body does not adapt to the training. Once your body adapts to the training you will plateau. You must constantly challenge the muscles in order to build muscle mass. Core gets trained more often than once per week and ,make sure you keep up with your flexibility training.
In other words, if you want to look like a bodybuilder you must train like a body builder. If you cannot hire a trainer to get you started try to find a workout partner who has been successful with muscle building training for a number of years. You should be performing squats, bench press, overhead press, and many other exercises with free weights as well as use the machines for some exercises. Training for muscle mass is very intense. You must be injury free and very healthy to train for muscle mass. Please make sure you discuss your exercise plan with your doctor before you begin.
To add muscle mass you must also take a look at your diet. Nutrition is extremely important for any type of training. You may be eating healthy, but there is a chance you should make a few changes to help with your goals. You must look at the number of calories you are eating vs. the number of calories you are burning. You should be eating some protein and carbohydrate at the end of each workout, within 20 minutes. I would not recommend you start drinking protein shakes because you can get all of the nutrients you need through good food. The quality of the food you eat will play an important role in your success. You may not be eating enough calories. Go to WWW.MYPYRAMID.GOV for safe and accurate nutrition information. There are nutrition tools on that website to help you design the best eating plan for you. Another healthy eating website is WWW.EATHEALTHY.ORG . You must also remain well hydrated. Drink Gatorade before, during, and after your workout. For information on Gatorade and sports nutrition you should go to WWW.GSSIWEB.COM . There are many useful articles on that website.
Be sure to take a close look at the cardiovascular training and your other calorie burning activities. Many people training for muscle mass limit their cardiovascular training to a few days per week. Building muscle mass is not easy if you are burning too many calories. Many people training for mass use stationary bikes rather than elliptical machines and stair climbers. Riding a stationary bike does not burn as many calories as the weight bearing cardiovascular machines. It is a good idea to alternate your cardiovascular training.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you would like me to help you more with your training. Let me know how your training is going in a few months. You should see my “Legs Plus” workout! It’s a favorite!
You can download the FREE workouts from my website. They are general conditioning workouts. If you decide to use swing set fitness as part of your summer training you should perform the more challenging workouts near the end of the book.
By Karen M. Goeller
How can you define which body building supplement is the best? After all, there are so many different brands and types that you can use to enhance your body building workouts that finding the best one can be quite confusing. When we say the word “best”, we should be talking about which body building supplement will give you the best results.
Most expert body builders agree that the most effective body building supplement that you can put into your body is protein. Protein helps bring all the necessary muscle building enzymes to where they need to be. Protein can also boost your energy level and allow for more intense workouts.
Whey protein could be one of the best protein supplements you can implement into your workout program. It’s all natural and can give the best results when it’s taken in the right doses and the right amounts.
You could also choose creatine for a body building supplement. Creatine also helps combat fatigue and allows for better workouts. Creatine is naturally produced in your body, so taking a creatine supplement in your body building routine can bring about the best results.
When you are lifting weights in your body building workout, your muscles are under a certain amount of stress. The body produces nitric oxide to combat this stress. If you have a particularly stressful workout, you’ll need to replenish that enzyme with a body building supplement. nitric oxide can also have some great side effects with sexual health, so if you think this is the best body building supplement for you, by all means, choose it.
Glutamine is another body building supplement that is considered one of the best for the maximum results. Glutamine works to bring muscle building nutrients to the muscles so that they can grow bigger and become more toned.
Choosing the best body building supplement has to be a personal decision. Keep in mind your goals and then pick the supplement that will help you achieve those goals. Each specific supplement provides for certain results, so picking the right one will make the difference between having an effective workout as opposed to an ineffective workout.
Research different brands and pick a company that has proven results. There are many companies who claim to have effective products when they are really just providing supplements that don’t do anything at all. Read different reviews of specific products and then make the right choice for you. Picking the best body building supplement can truly enhance your workout regimen and contribute to a beautiful body as an end result.
If you are serious about body building, you will want to consider adding a body building supplement to your nutritional program. Supplements are sort of like vitamins. They add to what you are already doing when eating right for body building and provide you with more of what your body needs to grow muscle.
You have many choices when it comes to body building supplements. There are hundreds of brands on the market, and the choice is up to you which one you want to use. They are all essentially the same, but some companies are more trustworthy than others. Pick a company that is well known and well-respected who has proven results.
As for what types of supplements you should use, there are basically four different ones that can help you in your workout program. These include:
* Protein powders
* Creatine
* Glutamine
* Nitric Oxide
Each has its own distinct advantages depending on what you are trying to achieve in your body building program. Protein helps build strong muscle, creatine combats fatigue allowing for longer, more effective workouts, glutamine helps combat the stress you are putting your body under during a workout, and nitric oxide increases the flow of muscle building agents to skeletal muscle.
Another supplement many body builders use should be avoided. In order to grow quickly, some body builders will resort to the use of synthetic steroids and growth hormones. However, these body building supplements can have damaging side effects. Many of these substances are illegal, and if you are competing in body building competitions, you will be disqualified if they are found in your system.
Body building supplements are generally considered safe to use for most people. If you are considering using a supplement, you should check with a doctor first. If you have any underlying conditions, the doctor will be able to tell you if using a specific supplement can help or ultimately hurt you.
Supplements in a body building program are just part of the sports. You probably won’t find a serious body builder who doesn’t use them. But be sure to use those that are legal and safe to use. If they aren’t, you may find you are hurting yourself rather than helping.
Body building supplements can be great tools to help you grow muscles and enhance your workouts. It’s possible to get by without them, but they can really add to your workouts and help you achieve your body building goals. Choose your supplements wisely, and use them regularly. Then keep up with your body building routine and realize great results!
With so many ; in the market; it is of no surprise that the avid health and fitness conscious trainee can be faced with a daunting task to root out the good from the bad! Looking through today’s leading bodybuilding and health and fitness magazines you could be easily influenced in thinking that if you consume
Whey Protein Concentrate you WILL turn in to a muscle bound beach body! Well, time for a reality check! YOU WILL NOT! Contrary to what the mainstream magazines and over-hyped branded products would like you to beleive, there is only three things that will get your results and progress through your hard efforts in the Gym. Training, Diet and Consistency. With those three addressed; you can literally turn your body into a far more efficient muscle building machine.
However, it’s not just Muscle Tissue that is at stake here. It’s your entire health and body – in particular your cardiovascular system – address and train this and it will prove useful to you throughout the rest of your life! So back to PROTEIN and PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS!
Whey Protein Concentrate – A popular choice [albeit also cheaper] to top up your Protein levels. Extraced from Cheese, Whey Protein Concentrate provides for a good complete source of amino acids and fats. Do you need the fats? Well, contrary to what industry figures tell you – YES you do as they also provide key health benefits which will aid and assist in protein sythnesis and recovery – something we all want to encourage!
Whey Protein Isolate – The more expensive version of Whey Protein. Key difference? Well it is very low on lactose [thus good for lactose intolerance people] and also very low on Fat. Is this good? Well in all honesty it depends on how you see your body and what you want to achieve. Fat is not an enemy it can be your friend if taken right – but Carbohydrates on the other hand can be a nasty enemy! Every wondered why over the past 30 years we have all, as a human race, got fatter? Carbohydrate consumption! So anyway, back to the Proteins. As you can see from the above – each Protein has it’s merits. If you take the steer from the magazines – Whey protein Isolates are THE best. But for who? Your body or the Company that sells it? Let’s leave that with you to think about.
Bulk Supplements Direct are a leading online Sports Nutrition and Health Nutrition company; providing supplements across UK and Europe. With a range encompassing Whey Proteins,Milk Proteins, Creatine, Carbohydrates, Weight Gainers, All-in-Ones- they are one of the leading providers of quality supplements with no gimmicks or phoney promises!