Pump & Burn

For years, bodybuilding was a cyclical act with aspiring Mr. Olympias and gym rats alike going back and forth between mass phases and leaning-out phases because we all thought we couldn’t grow lean muscle and drop bodyfat simultaneously.

The result was off-season gorging that left many bodybuilders looking more like circa-1995 Oprah than circa-1975 Arnold heading into a contest. Unfortunately, this approach led to drastic dieting before hitting the stage, leading many competitors to miss their peak by coming in too heavy and flabby or too light and depleted. Today’s smarter bodybuilders know they can stay fairly lean year-round and still add muscle. With a lot of science and little trial and error, the fitness world has found more efficient ways to look your Sandow best.

You can choose from among several approaches to stay lean and large in any season. A diet lower in carbs and high in protein is one reliable method for staying trim, but stacking the right supplements can also help fill out your muscle bellies and bring out your six-pack. Combining nitric oxide (NO)-boosters with fat-burners provides all the muscle-building effects of NO supplements with fat-melting effects. And if the muscle-pumping effects of NO weren’t enough, research now shows that it plays a critical role in fat-burning. So it’s time to contemporize. Getting big and lean can now be a 365-days-a-year endeavor.

L-ARGININE

NO is a gas produced in the body from the amino acid arginine, which is why almost every NO-booster on the market contains some form of arginine. L-arginine happens to be the simplest and cheapest form of the amino acid, but that doesn’t mean it’s less effective. NO is responsible for countless processes in the body, including the dilation of blood vessels to allow more blood flow to tissues such as muscle. This allows more oxygen, nutrients, anabolic hormones and supplements that have been taken to reach the muscle fibers, leading to more growth. Taking fat-burners with arginine can help deliver more of the ingredients to your muscles and other tissues for a greater effect. In addition, NO appears to have its own effects on fat-burning. French scientists report that NO enhances lipolysis (the breakdown and release of fat) in the fat cells. This means more bodyfat is available to burn.

DOSE: 1–5 grams of L-arginine 2–3 times daily, with one dose 30–60 minutes before workouts.

METAFOLIN
This is a patented form of the B vitamin folate technically known as L-methylfolate. Folate is a vitamin necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. Since bodybuilding involves the building of new muscle cells, this is crucial for muscle growth. Folate is also needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Since muscles also grow through this mechanism, folate is essential for lifters wanting to add some beef to their frames. But folate is no one-dimensional nutrient — it also plays a role in the production of NO from arginine by regulating the co-factors that directly influence the amount of arginine that can be converted to NO. The more arginine converted, the greater the resulting NO production. When regular dietary folate, or folic acid, is absorbed by the body, it has to get converted to the active form, L-methylfolate. Taking folate that’s already in the active form, such as Metafolin, means no conversion is required, which allows more of it to be used by the body.

DOSE: 400–800 mcg of Metafolin with arginine at the same times throughout the day.

CITRUS AURANTIUM

Commonly referred to as bitter orange, this plant contains the active ingredient synephrine, which is chemically similar to ephedrine but doesn’t have any of the negatives, such as elevated heart rate or blood pressure. Synephrine works by stimulating receptors on fat cells that increase lipolysis, decrease appetite and raise metabolic rate — all massive contributors to overall bodyfat reduction.

DOSE: 200–600 mg citrus aurantium (standardized for synephrine, for a total dose of 5–20 mg of synephrine) 2–3 times daily.

HOPS EXTRACT

This extract is from the same hops flowers (humulus lupulus) used to brew beer. Hops has anti-inflammatory properties, making it good for joint health. It’s often used for its calming effects as a sleep aid at higher doses, but that doesn’t mean you should down a twelver to soothe your ailing knees. Hops contains the active ingredients isohumulones, which contribute to the bitter taste of beer and help burn fat. Research shows that isohumulones may help decrease bodyfat in several ways — by reducing the amount of fat the intestines absorb, activating genes that increase fat oxidation (fat-burning) and lessening the activity of genes involved in the storage of bodyfat, which means less fat gets stored.

DOSE: 100–400 mg of hops extract 2–3 times daily.

M&F

LARGE & LEAN STACK

>> Take these four supplements together three times per day, with one dose about 30–60 minutes before workouts. Take the other two doses in the morning and early afternoon. You can buy each supplement individually or purchase a product that contains all four.