I’ve been training now for roughly 18 years. In that time I have experimented with quite possibly every exercise that exists, every diet that has come to fruition and countless supplement products in my quest to achieve physique perfection (at least my version of it).
I’ve spent many hours with others who have the same passion as I do and often our conversations revolve around training and what the latest and best supplements are out there and available to us. We all have our personal goals, and make no mistake, for the hardcore trainers the goals rarely differ from individual to individual. The only real difference depends on the time of year we are in.
Being bigger and stronger is a mainstay with the only real change being what body fat percentage we are carrying around. Without a doubt, nutrition supplementation is a key ingredient and something that should be as calculated as the number of calories you consume daily. What I’m going to do in this article is outline what products I recommend as a good place to start for different times of the year in your pursuit of creating a better version of you.
Off-Season
The term off-season is an oxymoron because there is nothing “off” about this time in your training. The goals are simple: get bigger, get stronger and improve on the areas of your physique in which you believe need to be brought up. You’ll carry a little more body fat only for the cushion it provides your body when lifting heavier weights and also because you are now aiming to be in caloric surplus versus a caloric deficit. Bearing this in mind, there are appropriate supplements you should be using in synergy with your diet and training to support this process and eliminate any doubt that when finished this phase, you’ll be huge and strong as an ox. Try incorporating the following products into your program:
Raptor-HP – Raptor-HP is a potent muscle-building protein formula designed for solid lean muscle growth without fat gain.
GL3 L-Glutamine – GL3 makes utilizing glutamine a realistic, effective endeavor and provides a critical link in muscle metabolism not shared by any other single amino acid.
Micronized Creatine – A very powerful muscle-building supplement of the highest quality.
MultiPro 32X – MultiPro 32X is designed to support the metabolic demands of a hard training athlete.
DHEA 100 – With its ability to influence many muscle-building hormones in the body, DHEA is a must for attaining new muscle growth and strength.
Competition Season
Now that you have your off-season supplementation down, it’s now time to turn to the competitive season and shed some of the additional fat you carried and focus in on displaying all that new muscle by working towards thin, shrink-wrapped skin over bulging, perfectly defined muscles.
Whether you are competing or simply getting beach ready, the goals are the same. Maintain all that hard-earned muscle and lose the fat. It’s not easy, and hopefully, you didn’t allow yourself to add too much excess fat in the off-season, so by utilizing the following products along with your Max-OT training and Max-OT Cardio, you should be able to reach your goals of having a lean, or ripped physique.
VP2 – VP2 Whey Isolate is an isolated and hydrolyzed whey protein scientifically proven over 600% more effective for supporting muscle growth than other proteins.
MultiPro 32X – MultiPro 32X is designed to support the metabolic demands of a hard training athlete.
Dymetadrine Xtreme – Even though you’ll be busting your ass with the weights and cardio, you will still want some help amping up your metabolism and fat burning abilities. Dymetadrine Xtreme is seriously potent and packed with instantly effective energizing substrates for all-day energy and mind-blowing workouts.
Urso-X – Urso-X is a new, natural anabolic compound that triggers muscle growth, enhances muscle strength, stops muscle catabolism and speeds body-fat loss.
BCAA 4500 – As you’ll be in a state of caloric deficit, the added benefits of supplementing with BCAA 4500 will allow rapid muscle recovery and help maintain the muscle you put on in the offseason.
Rest Phase
Alright, you are finished competing for the season, have collected your trophies or you have simply put away the sunscreen for the year. You believe you owe yourself some rest, but you don’t want to stop working out entirely. That’s a great idea.
My suggestion is to train still, just lower the intensity level at which you train and go in for a good pump. This will allow you to give yourself a mental break, give your body a chance to heal up and also this is a time when you can enjoy yourself socially and take part in many things you had to put on the back-burner while you were fiercely training towards your goals.
Using the following supplements will help you with this process and when you are ready to get back in the game, your body will be primed and ready for the onslaught you will be delivering it.
GABA – This product will enhance your sleep patterns and give you a deeper sleep in which more growth hormone can be produced allowing for recovery, fat loss and supporting muscle.
MultiPro 32X – Since you are taking a short break from the bodybuilding lifestyle, you may not be eating all the proper foods. Using this product will ensure you have all you need to maintain your health.
So there you have it. A breakdown of which supplements you may want to consider using at each stage of the year. Of course, there are other great AST Sports Science products you should check out as well, and what I have detailed above is only a good place to start. One thing is for sure; supplements were created for a reason, and that reason is that they work. Take advantage of the products AST has created and included them in your supplement arsenal. The Pros do. So should you!
