Current bulking supplements

[MJR]

Multivitamin/multimineral
Protein powder (natural whey-stevia, not sucralose)
EFAs (Udos)
Vit C
creatine monohydrate (cycled)
glutamine

Want to add:

Dextrose/maltodextrin

Hey, is chromium picolinate beneficial at all on a bulk? Thanks.

[Venom]

Hey, bro! Great to see you around. /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Looks like a solid supplement regiment.

You may want to check out my fat efficiency thread in the research forum. It may make you switch from udos to fish oil. /forum/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Concerning chromium, assuming you are not having foods high in it, chromium is actually needed to a greater extent on a bulk. Results indicate that chromium losses increase on a high carb diet. So yes, that would be a good idea.

I know you can't add everything, probably due to budget, but how many supplements are you willing to add this go around? Just the malto/dex, or do you want to add more.

[MJR]

I would add more if it was worth it. What did you have in mind? Thanks!

[Venom]

1. fish oil
2. I would add the amino acid shooter.
3. Green tea.
4. HMB
5. A joint support formula like proflex
6. I would definitely get some calcium. You should have 1-1.5 grams per day. You don't want to mess with your bone growth! You should be able to get some real cheap at a local store.


Besides that, consider adding some more vitamins and minerals. In particular: ZMA and b-complex. Again, these are real cheap and last a while.

I also am a big believer in a mult-anti-oxidant formula.

[GMUnit]

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Concerning chromium, assuming you are not having foods high in it,

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What foods are high in chromium?

[klosey]

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I would add more if it was worth it. What did you have in mind? Thanks!

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during bulking i like to add a kicker you know to up the intensity a bit

[Down 2 Die]

[ QUOTE ]
1. fish oil
2. I would add the amino acid shooter.
3. Green tea.
4. HMB
5. A joint support formula like proflex
6. I would definitely get some calcium. You should have 1-1.5 grams per day. You don't want to mess with your bone growth! You should be able to get some real cheap at a local store.


Besides that, consider adding some more vitamins and minerals. In particular: ZMA and b-complex. Again, these are real cheap and last a while.

I also am a big believer in a mult-anti-oxidant formula.

[/ QUOTE ]
Venom, are you recommending green tea extract and HMB over ZMA?

[Adam Knowlden]

I'm not sure if Venom meant those to be in any particular order.

I would really advise the malto and dex. A proper post workout forumula is going to be essential to get the most out of your bulk.

The amino acid shooter is another one I'd really recommend.

But most importantly is food. I always budget in my food over my supplements. I'm blessed enought now where I can do both, but in my undergrad days, I'd rather fork out money for steak, ground turkey and chicken over supplements.

Especially on bulk. Getting multiple sources of high protein foods is more anabolic than any supplement in the world!

[awatson]

i have a question on the green tea recommendation...with the EGCG's in that, wouldnt it have a negative effect on weight gain? also, im not sure if this was addressed somewhere else, but ecdysterone...effective? I've taken it once with not too great results. did i not do enough?

[GMUnit]

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i have a question on the green tea recommendation...with the EGCG's in that, wouldnt it have a negative effect on weight gain?

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I think it will have a negative effect on "weight gain" but a positive effect on fat metabolisation which would yield a better muscle to fat ratio at the completion of the bulking cycle, allowing for a lesser amount of fat to be gained... of course I could be off-base.

[Venom]

D2D,

I thought of saying "in order this is what I recommend" but I think that it really depends on your goals, since those supplements can have different effects, you know?

Concerning ZMA, I get it so cheap from my local stores, I would not really put it in competition with other sups anyway. But If I had to choose between those supplements...first, I would analyze my diet. I may be able to get enough zinc, magnesium, and b6 through whole foods, so that I am not deficient. This would not be optimal; but still beneficial. If I could do this, then I would opt for HMB and Green tea over ZMA. If I could not, then I would have ZMA, because you absolutely cannot afford to be deficient in any vitamin or mineral.

[Venom]

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I'm blessed enought now where I can do both, but in my undergrad days, I'd rather fork out money for steak, ground turkey and chicken over supplements.

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LOL, Sound advice. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

GMUnit

I agree with you. Anyway, it is not weight we are concerned with--its body comp. We want to lose fat, or minimize fat gain, while gaining as much musle as possible. Green tea will help metabolize fat; but it is also a potent anti-oxidant, which makes it very useful for health purposes. I don't see how it would hurt muscle gains, though.

[Down 2 Die]

Alright, I was interested because I am about to get some HMB and have been gettin' real excited after seeing all the positive responses on these forums.

I understand what you're saying about goals and their different effects. That has been coming into play a lot recently on these boards.

How much fish oil do you recommend daily? I am currently taking between 2-4 grams, which I know really isn't much. Or is it? I'm confused.

[Venom]

I am discussing this right now in the research forum. See fat efficiency in the diet part 2.

Unfortunately, they have not established the optimal dosage for fish oil. :/

But currently, I take at least 9 grams per day. Upwards of 18.

[MJR]

Yeah, right now I don't have any dextrose or maltodextrin (I just moved into a new apartment, so it's all kind of hectic right now), but I've been using rice cakes and raisins, etc along with whey protein for my post workout protocol. I actually tried natural popcorn today which I thought worked pretty well.