Healthy muscle growth and recovery is important for everyone, irrespective of whether you are associated with sports or not. But of course, it is most important for bodybuilders and athletes. You should note here that protein, which is one of the three macro-nutrients of your body (the two other being fats and carbohydrates), plays a significant role in muscle growth.

How Protein helps in Muscle Growth & Recovery?

Scientifically, protein is a series of amino acids, combined together as a chain. The links, holding these acids together, are known as peptide links. Amino acids are the primary source of nitrogen in your body. Having a proper nitrogen balance is mandatory for proper muscle repair and growth.

However, increasing the intake of protein, while being on a resistance training program, helps to make the lean muscle mass stronger. Since muscle tissues are continuously in a process of being replaced and repaired, you should take adequate amount of protein to speed up this process of muscle recovery.

Natural Sources of Protein

The usual sources of protein include cheese, egg, milk, chicken, fish, seafood, poultry, pork, beef, lamb, nuts, soy etc. Since nominal amounts of protein are found in starchy and fatty foods, these are usually not included as much, in the diets of bodybuilders (for protein), especially when they are undergoing bodybuilding training.

What are Protein Supplements?

Though there are a number of natural sources of protein, usually bodybuilders and athletes prefer to supplement their diet with protein supplements for optimum results. These bodybuilding supplements are full of protein and nutrients, and are especially designed to assist athletes and bodybuilders achieve their daily protein requirement. Different types of bodybuilding supplements exist, that help in muscle recovery as well as muscle growth and they include protein bars, protein powders, meal replacements, weight gainers etc.

These bodybuilding supplements usually contain 20 to 30 grams of protein per serving more than those typical sources of protein, and are full of minerals and vitamins as well. They are available in different flavors like fruit, peanut butter, or cookies and cream, to name just a few.

How do they work for Muscle Recovery?

Most protein supplements provide your body with the required nutrients to generate amino acids that are essential to build muscle tissue. Though you can use the right foods to get the results, protein supplements, in addition to a well balanced diet, offer effective results more efficiently and quickly.

Most bodybuilders and athletes undergo rigorous physical activities that require protein levels higher than what a normal person would have. So, they benefit from the intake of protein supplements as these products increase their protein intake, and give their muscles more time to recover, in addition to helping them grow faster as well.

Why use Protein Supplements?

• Most of the hardcore athletes make it a point to consume at least 5 to 8 meals of protein daily. Cooking or preparing the food containing this much amount of protein will take a huge amount of time.
• These bodybuilding supplements are really convenient and easy to use as they hardly require any refrigeration or maintenance, and you can carry them on the move as they are absolutely portable.
• While helping in muscle recovery to a great extent, these supplements are quite cost-effective too.  In fact, when compared to popular protein sources like beef or salmon, protein powders are comparatively less costly.
• Most importantly, protein supplements help you to maintain proper protein timing, which is absolutely essential to maximize muscle recovery and muscle growth. They enable you to have a slow digesting or a fast digesting protein meal, as per your requirement.

Some popular types of Protein supplements for Muscle Recovery:

Though there are plenty of these supplements available in the market, some of the ones with clinically proven records include:

• Test Freak. This happens to be one of the popular supplements for muscle growth as it contains ingredients like Trigotest, which is an excellent Fenugreek extract, in addition to zinc, anti-aromatase compounds, Testofen etc. The testosterone boosting ingredients in this product encourage testosterone to bind to androgen receptors on muscle tissue, thus stimulating the body’s muscle-building mechanisms. The intake of this product also encourages an increased rate of protein synthesis and formation of new muscle fibers.
• Amino Freak. This is an effective supplement for muscle growth with a unique amino acid formula. This contains clinically-proven dosage of amino acid and L-Carnitine, and speeds up the process of muscle recovery. It also helps reduce muscle tissue damage after exercises by up to 10%. Moreover, it uses a special technology which prevents amino acid degradation in your stomach. Its patented element, Astragin, helps increase amino acid absorption by 62%.
• Anabolic Freak. Though it is a testosterone booster like Test Freak, it has a completely different formula. This product provides your body with clinically-proven dose of D-Aspartic Acid (DAA), which supports natural testosterone production. This supplement also provides estrogen and cortisol support ingredients. In order to achieve maximized results, it is advisable to have both Anabolic Freak and Test Freak alternatively, in a cycle of 30 days.

To get the best possible results, you need to be careful about the usage of these supplements. It’s best to consult your an expert such as a personal trainer or doctor before using such bodybuilding and protein supplements.

Bio: This post was written by James Hundson fitness expert. I research & write reviews on health, fitness, muscle recovery , healthy supplements, exercise, weight loss, massage, yoga, diet, alternative medicine, sports, and much more.

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Quick Stats

Name: Ninos Sarkis
Age: 24
Height: 5’5
Competition weight: 79 Kg
Current weight: 82 Kg
Current city: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:  Teacher

How long have you been training consistently for and how did you get into this lifestyle?

My childhood was an active one. I enjoyed riding my bike and playing neighbourhood games such as nikki nine door and chase. I started playing hockey at the age of 5, soccer at 8, wrestling at 16 and developed quite a physique for myself during those years. This physique was the foundation for my bodybuilding career.

In high school i played soccer and wrestled. I had a vast group of friends and was pretty popular with everyone. I did the usual high school party routine and really enjoyed my time in Brebeuf.

It was in grade 12 when I joined my first fitness class. I never took it serious until i started to see results and getting a few compliments from friends and family. After grade 12 i had no money to get a gym membership so I started training in a basement with an old friend of mine, Loudon Ehler. This is when i discovered bodybuilding. Every day i would cycle to his house to get a few hours of training with him and feel that pump i would always be craving for.

“Before every workout we would sit and watch videos of all the bodybuilders like Arnold, Jay and Ronnie and it was then where i said i wanted to be just like them.”

At the beginning of 2011, I said to myself that this would be the year that I would compete and make a name for myself in bodybuilding.

What do you love about it and what keeps you motivated?

What gets me motivated and focused to keep training is the feeling I had at my very first show. After all those months training for it and stepping onto that stage for the very first time was just ….speechless.

“I am addicted to the lights on the stage and the crowds cheering.”

Also let’s not forget every athletes favorite source of motivation, YouTube!

What competitions have you competed in and your placing?

2011 Season

• Henderson Thorne classic, lightweight,  2^nd
• Provincials,  welterweight, 3^rd

Tell us a bit about your journey leading up to your first competition.  What was the best part of doing it and the worst?

It was May 2011 where I said I would stop wasting my time and money partying every weekend. The morning after my hockey season was over I decided to start training for a show. Every morning I would wake up at 6am to do cardio with a mid afternoon workout, for 4 months straight. I felt so healthy and amazed of how much I was capable of doing with the dedication and focus I had. My parents were not the most supportive people about this path I was heading towards especially when I dropped out of college to pursue my dream to be on stage. But then again I wouldn’t be doing what I love now if it wasn’t for that hard decision I made. This dream made me fall in love with cooking and led me into a new direction of education in the culinary arts world which compliments my everyday life.

What are your future plans?

My goal is to get on stage at the April shows and compete as a middleweight. I want to dominate that category and it can be a huge advantage with my height being at only 5’5. As for other future plans, I am educating myself to be a culinary teacher and hope to teach high school students the proper way to cook, eat and live on a healthy plan.

Take us through an average day of yours:

Well it’s hard to say what my average day is because it’s always changing. Depending on the time of year I’m either in school or working.
Either way…

• 8am – Wake up( I have 2 meals before gym)
• 10am – Gym
• 11:30 – Home, Ice shower and then a post workout shake
• 12:30 – Post workout meal
• 1:00 – I will take a couple of hours on working with my trainees, replying to emails and researching.

The rest of the day is just a lot of resting, watching cooking shows and allowing my body to recover for the next day! Also either working or in school.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet, pre contest and during the off season.

My Off season diet usually weights in at about 4500- 5000 calories.

Off season daily meals:

1. 8 eggs(2 whole), steak, oats, fruits
2. Tuna, greens, Orange juice
3. Pre workout shake
4. Post workout shake
5. Pasta, 2 whole wheat bread slices
6. Chicken, rice, greens
7. Chicken, rice, greens
8. Anything I want! (cheat meal)
9. 4 Eggs, almond butter, shake

My Pre Contest diet usually weights in at about 3500-4000 calories.

Pre contest daily meals:

1. 8 egg whites, steak, oats, fruits
2. Tuna, greens
3. Pre workout shake
4. Post workout shake
5. Chicken, rice, greens
6. Chicken, rice, greens
7. 8 egg whites, almond butter

Both off season and pre contest diets are pretty much similar to one another which I like. My off season I don’t mind how much I am putting on my plate where as my pre contest diet I will have everything weighed up to the exact number I need! And as you can see on my off season I have a cheat meal every day since I am in growing stage where on my pre contest diet I will only have a cheat meal once every week usually the night before a big workout like my legs!

Being a qualified chef, with the ability to create amazingly rich dishes and desserts, how do you avoid giving in to any cravings that you get and whipping up a great treat?

I was never really into cooking/baking and my mother couldn’t keep up with making my meals separate than the rest of my family during my shows. So my mother taught me how to cook and I started to love it and as time went by I started to teach myself amazing dishes to keep my everyday dieting so tasty! Honestly it is hard to keep away from all those deserts I make in the kitchen at work but you get use to it when it’s an everyday thing. A lot of people ask me to create a dish they eat and then enhance the flavor in it to make it much more delicious. So in the near future I will start to give back to people by creating videos on YouTube how to cook healthy delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, pre/post workout, dinner and late night snacks.

What supplements do you use if any?  And do you have a favorite brand?

Vitamins- A,B6-12,C,D,E, Fish Oil, Multi

Other than that I am all about the Herbalife 24. I use all 7 products and it’s by far the best supplements I have taken and it keeps me going strong!

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training and on average how long do you workout for?

My philosophy is very much so like Arnold’s, that bodybuilding is not a single-event endeavor.

“If you really want to see success, you must focus on all three components which include your training program, your nutritional intake and your mental approach.”

Usually my workouts will last 1 to 2 hours depending on what I am training that day.

My training split looks like this:

• Monday – Chest/arms/abs/calves
• Tuesday – Back/hams/calves
• Wednesday – Rest
• Thursday – Shoulder/arms/abs
• Friday – Legs/calves/chest
• Saturday & Sunday – Rest

This programme allows me to get a lot of rest. It might not work for many people but it has worked great for me.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Off Season – Morning shinny from 9am-11am of pick up hockey at a local rink.
Pre season- Stairs for 20 minutes after every workout

What would you say are the three best exercises you can do to build rock solid abs?  And your tips to achieving great abs?

• Hanging knee-ins
• Cable Crunches
• Cable side crunches (oblique’s)

These three exercises really brought my abs out to perfection. In order to get those solid abs everybody wants, you need to first understand that working them out is only 40 percent of the work!

“I tell people this all the time that eating properly will give you that extra 60 percent you need in order to have those rock solid abs. Dieting is everything and plays a huge part in the fitness world.”

Always train abs to failure and make sure you’re in massive cramping pain when finished and always squeeze and hold every rep.

Favorite bodybuilders:

Arnold Schwarzenegger and myself haha

Which do you prefer and why.  Today’s bodybuilders like Jay Cutler and Phil Heath, or the smaller more aesthetic physiques like Frank Zane.

No disrespect to jay and Phil but I’m more of a fan of Franks body. It’s a lot healthier looking than the guys today. People like Zane and Arnold had amazing bodies with such huge chests and tiny waists whereas now the Olympians’ chests are the same size as their waists making them look like a bunch of gorillas.

Favorite Quotes:

You’re only as good as your last rep.

“The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I’d hate that.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

One piece of advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

Stay dedicated, stay hungry, stay focused and become the animal that lays beneath your skin!! Here is a quote that I love that goes good with this question you’re asking me.

“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training… what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable” — Socrates

It’s never too late to change!

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