Great supplement plan

BASIC SUPPLEMENT STACKING

Regardless of the goal there are a group of supplements considered basic supplements that anyone involved in weight training should be taking at all times. These supplements are:

1. A Multivitamin And Mineral Formula: are essential to ensure that your body will operate at maximum efficiency.

2. Protein Supplements: Because of hectic schedules it is impossible for most people to eat the six perfectly balanced meals that are required to get in shape every day.

~ For calorie restricted diets, or if you are on a budget, a whey protein powder works best as a scoop typically yields 20-25 grams of protein with no more than 5 grams of carbs on the average. This powder can be mixed with milk, water or even oatmeal in order to create a meal.

~ Meal replacement powders typically come in packets and provide more protein (around 40 grams on the average) along with carbs (between 25-40 grams) and some good fats (3-8 grams).

~ Weight gainers are great products for the naturally skinny who want to pack on some muscle. The main difference is that the caloric content is higher due to the increased carbohydrate content. The most cost effective weight gainer on the market, in my opinion, is MRM All Natural Gainer.

3. Essential Fatty Acids: Essential fatty acids, Alpha Linoleic Acid (Omega-3s) and Linoleic Acid (Omega-6s), are fats that need to be consumed through one's diet as the body cannot manufacture them. They are most important as they are involved in several key body functions such as energy production, fat burning, brain and nerve tissue development, mood regulation, insulin metabolism, hemoglobin production, etc.

4. Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that improves your immune system and helps you recover faster from your workouts by suppressing the amount of cortisol (hormone that kills muscle and aids in the accumulation of fat) that is released by your body during a workout.

5. Chromium Picolinate: Chromium picolinate is a mineral that may enhance the effects of insulin, the hormone that pushes amino acids (protein) and carbohydrates into the muscle cell.

~ Insulin is one of the most anabolic hormones in the body; it determines if the food that you eat is going to be used for muscle production, energy production or fat production.

~ When insulin is secreted in moderate levels, it aids in muscle and energy production. In excessive levels it only promotes fat storage. Chromium picolinate may upgrade insulin's capability to produce muscle and energy by making the cells in the body more prone towards accepting this hormone (in other words, enhancing insulin sensitivity). In doing so, it may help you to gain muscle and lose fat faster as insulin will now be able to deliver the desired nutrients to the muscle cell.

~ Chromium may also keep blood sugar levels stable, thereby preventing insulin levels from going high enough to begin promoting fat storage. Again, chromium only works if we follow a proper diet.