Definitely make sure that you cover at least the basics of supplementation which are a Multiple Vitamin and Mineral formula, 3 grams of Vitamin C split in 3 equal servings throughout the day, 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate, and essential fatty acids coming from either fish oils, flaxseed oil or extra virgin olive oil. Also, for convenience purposes a good weight gainer or protein powder are a great way to add valuable calories and nutrients to your diet. For more information on this subject please refer to my article on Bodybuilding Supplementation Basics.
In addition to those basic supplements, I would also recommend Creatine (please refer to my Creatine Basics article) and Glutamine (please refer to my Glutamine Basics article) as these two supplements offer many of the same properties as anabolic steroids (such as increased recovery, increased strength, increased glycogen levels, enhanced immune system and higher nitrogen synthesis) without the side effects as they are not hormones.
Also, if you are training hard and are over 25 years old, assuming that your budget allows for it, I would recommend some natural testosterone boosters like the ones I talk about in my Testosterone Boosting Supplements article.
Rest and Recovery
Do not neglect the important aspect of rest and recovery. You need 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night in order for your body to run efficiently. Deprive your body of sleep and you'll have lousy fat loss. As a bonus, you also get muscle loss, which in turn lowers your metabolism. You also get deprived hormonal production, which makes it difficult (nearly impossible really) to build muscle and as an added feature you’ll have to deal with lower energy levels, something not conductive to great workouts. The articles below further elaborate on this important subject.
- The Sleep Cycle - Learn what the four phases of the sleep cycle are and how much on the average you should be sleeping each night for maximum results.
- 8 Maladies Caused By Sleep Depravation - Learn what the top 8 maladies caused by sleep depravation are.
- 4 Guidelines To Ensuring A Good Night Sleep - Learn 4 guidelines that you can follow to ensure a good night sleep.
Conclusion
You can continue to bulk up until a level of 10% body fat is exceeded. At that point, calories need to be reduced again to the neighborhood of bodyweight times 12 at a 40/40/20 ratio of carbs, proteins and fats. This is roughly 1 gram per pound of protein, 1 gram of carbs per pound of bodyweight and 1.5 tablespoons of oils for men and ¾ Tablespoon of oil for women.
Once again I cannot emphasize enough that when eating more calories than what the body burns on any given day, some of those calories will be deposited as body fat. However, if your training is right on the money, most of the calories will be used for energy and muscle production. Happy bulking!
About The Author
Hugo Rivera, About.com's Bodybuilding Guide and ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, is a nationally-known best-selling author of over 8 books on bodybuilding, weight loss and fitness, including "The Body Sculpting Bible for Men", "The Body Sculpting Bible for Women", "The Hardgainer's Bodybuilding Handbook", and his successful, self published e-book, "Body Re-Engineering". Hugo is also a national level NPC natural bodybuilding champion. Learn more about Hugo Rivera.
