Training and nutrition go hand in hand. And now that you are armed with the Superman training program and diet, you are on your way to building super strength and size, as well as getting super shredded. But in addition to the whole foods that make up your main diet, supplements are a key role in helping you optimize recovery and maximize gains, as well as losses in the fat department. We’ve created the following supplement stack to provide you everything you need to reach your goals. If your goal is the get bigger and stronger, while also get leaner then start here with the following supplements.
A pre-workout supplement that will ramp you up, increase your strength and endurance, as well as mental focus is just what the doctor ordered to get through the challenging Super-Man superset workouts. MRI Black Powder Ultra delivers just that. It provides caffeine to not only pick you up, but increase muscle strength and endurance, along with tyrosine and taurine. There’s also beta-alanine for further boosting strength and endurance, as well as arginine and ActiNOS to boost nitric oxide (NO) levels for better energy and bigger muscle pumps. Plus there’s even bitter orange (Citrus aurantium), which not only boosts energy but helps to increase fat burning. Take 1 dose 30 minutes before workouts.
If you train late in the day, or are trying to stay away from stimulants for other reasons, a good alternative to Black Powder Ultra is NO2 Black Full Cycle. It delivers citrulline malate for real energy that fights fatigue to keep you going strong superset after superset. It also delivers a stack of NO-boosting ingredients. There’s arginine to provide the source material that the body will convert into NO. It also has norvaline, which prevents the breakdown of arginine by arginase. The more arginine you protect the more can be coverted into NO. There’s also ActiNOS, which increases activity of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which catalyzes the reaction of arginine to NO. Plus, there grape seed and grape skin extract, which have been shown to enhance workout performance and prevent the NO molecule from being broken down by free radicals. Take 1 dose 30 minutes before workouts.
Whey protein has two top honors – it is both the richest source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and it is the fastest-digesting protein you can get. This combination makes whey a powerhouse for building muscle, and recent research confirms this. Check the Super-Man diet for when and how much whey protein to take.
The BCAAs are composed of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These three aminos are the most critical for muscle growth, especially leucine. Leucine has been shown to turn on the process of muscle synthesis mainly by activating mTOR, which you have likely heard tossed around in muscle hypertrophy discussions. The BCAAs also get used for fuel by the muscles and help prevent fatigue during exercise. Plus, they can help you lose fat. Take about 5 grams with your pre- and post-workout shake or take 5-10 grams during workout. You can also take about 5 grams with any meal on the Super-Man program to ensure maximum muscle protein synthesis.
There’s probably not much to say about creatine that you don’t already know. So we’ll leave it at the fact that there is not a more effective supplement for boosting muscle strength and size. Hundreds of studies confirm its effectiveness with numerous studies demonstrating gains of close to 10 pounds of lean mass and strength gains of over 10%. Depending on the form you use, take anywhere from 1-5 grams with your pre- and post-workout shakes. Read the label for dosing.
This specialized amino acid combines with the amino acid histidine in muscle fibers to form carnosine. Having higher levels of carnosine inside muscle fibers enables them to contract with more force and stave off fatigue for longer. This makes you stronger in the gym, as well as provides you more endurance Take 1.5-3 grams with your pre and post-workout shake.
While you probably would rather spend your money on the creatine, whey and beta-alanine than on a multivitamin, do you self a favor and get the multi first. If you’re deficient in any vitamins or minerals, then your ability to grow muscle mass and gain strength, as well as burn fat is going to be significantly hindered. And those who train intensely in the gym, like you will be doing with the Super-Man program, tend to lose many critical vitamins and minerals, making them deficient.
Fish oil is another critical supplement that you likely would skip out on in favor of creatine and whey. Yet research shows that fish oil promotes muscle recovery and growth. Plus, it also aids fat loss and keeps you in great health. Take 2-3 grams with meals three times a day.
If your goal is to focus on getting leaner, but also increase strength and muscle size then use the above supplement stack and consider adding these to it:
The catechins in green tea, namely epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) provide green tea the majority of its benefits, such as a reduced risk of certain cancers, enhanced muscle and joint recovery and better fat burning. EGCG inhibits an enzyme that normally breaks down norepinephrine, whichi is a neurotransmitter/hormone that boosts metabolic rate and fat burning. Take 500-1000 mg of green tea extract standardized for EGCG two to three times per day between meals.
This healthy omega-6 fat appears to work to rid body fat by boosting metabolic rate and inhibiting the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL). LPL allows fat cells to take up fat from the bloodstream and store it as body fat. By inhibiting LPL, CLA encourages the body to burn fat instead of store it. Not only does this decrease body fat, but it also spares muscle mass, because if your body is burning body fat, it doesn’t need to break down muscle for fuel. In fact, numerous studies have reported that subjects taking CLA lose body fat while simultaneously gaining lean muscle mass and strength. Take 2-3 grams of CLA with breakfast, dinner, and your last meal of the day.
