If you’re thinking of bulking up those biceps by hitting the gym, then congratulations! You’re off to a great start. Regular exercise is essential for building bigger, better, and stronger muscles, and you won’t burn those calories by sitting around on the couch all day watching your favorite sitcom.

However, sculpting that sexy body takes more than a bench press and a punching bag. It takes a healthy diet to feed those muscles the nutrients they need to be rock hard. After all, your engine won’t run if you don’t fill it up.

These top 5 foods are protein powerhouses that can pump up your plate and your workout when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Top Foods to Help Build Muscle

Quinoa: Rice and whole-grains are a great way to build a better body and feel fuller for longer periods of time without packing on the extra calories. Every cup of Quinoa provides you with 8 g of protein, making it a great way to cut carbs without cutting flavor.

Cottage Cheese: Whey products such as cottage cheese have the highest concentrations of leucine, an amino acid that is essential for stimulating muscle growth. A single cup of cottage cheese can contain 2.8 grams of leucine and 28 g of protein.

Eggs: If you’ve ever seen Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, then you may have noticed that Gaston eats large quantities of eggs in order to stay large. Although the song is a little exaggerated, the incredible edible egg is packed with protein that can feed your muscles without packing on the fat. You can easily consume up to 6 grams of protein and 330 mg of leucine per egg, making it the ideal low-calorie snack.

Chicken: No need to chicken-out on this lean meat, for every 3 oz. of chicken breast, you can consume a walloping 3 g of leucine and 20 grams of protein – for under 100 calories.

Tuna: Tuna, salmon, and other fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (don’t confuse fatty acids with fat) that can power your brain and your muscles at the same time. A recent study in Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrated that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish may reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, allowing to get off the couch and back into the gym faster with smaller risk of injury.

The Importance of Protein

When included in a healthy diet balanced with fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains, the above foods can help increase your protein intake and consequently increase your muscle-building capabilities safely and naturally.

Keep in mind, however, that a diet rich in proteins shouldn’t be a diet entirely of protein. Although protein is essential for muscle growth, your body needs a good mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and strong. Don’t make the mistake of opting for a meat-only regimen or fall for the trap that a low-carb high protein diet is the best way to lose weight. Be smart and keep it balanced.

You see body builders online or on TV and you wonder how they got to be so big. The truth is, many of them are probably juicing and are risking their safety in order to look bigger. On the other hand, you see numerous multivitamins and other diet pills that claim to have safe results but don’t actually work to increase muscle size.

There are supplements you should look for and some you should avoid. We are going to break down the types of muscle building supplements and tell you which ones are effective and safe and which ones you should avoid like the plague.

What to Look For

Supplements that utilize natural ingredients are typically safe and are more effective than most people give them credit for. Here are some muscle building supplements that can help you get bigger naturally:

Testosterone Boosters
Test boosters use a variety of natural ingredients, like tribulus terrestris and eurycoma longifolia, that are designed to naturally stimulate the pituitary gland to produce testosterone. Men benefit from testosterone more than women because they function more on testosterone than women. Testosterone production decreases with age making test boosters more beneficial the older you get.

HGH Releasers
HGH is similar to testosterone because it also decreases with age and is produced in the pituitary gland. Amino acids are typically what stimulate HGH production. HGH supplements are beneficial for both men and women and can help build muscle, boost energy, and improve overall health.

Protein Shakes
Protein shakes are some of the leading muscle building products out there because they work directly at the source. Protein shakes supply large amounts of protein to the muscle helping it to grow and repair quicker. When you hit the gym, a protein shake is always good to have.

What to Avoid

If a product contains manmade ingredients, it’s best to stay away from it. Also, anything that has to pass through the liver before being absorbed can pose some serious health issues. Natural supplementation may not appear to be as fast or effective as injecting a synthetic blend into your body and in most cases it’s probably not, but why risk the possibility of having to endure serious and life threatening side effects? Some muscle building supplements to avoid include:

Prohormones
A prohormone is different than a testosterone booster or steroid because it is a precursor to testosterone, not a stimulator or mimicker. Prohormones have to pass through the liver before metabolizing into testosterone. Once it converts to testosterone, it essentially acts like a testosterone booster, but the transportation through the liver is what makes prohormones dangerous. Many users report liver and kidney problems after taking prohormones.

Steroids
Steroids act to mimic and strengthen the effects of testosterone. Though steroids produce powerful anabolic results, they are manmade and have been shown to cause harmful effects like high blood pressure, liver damage, and heart problems. Many steroids are illegal and almost all steroid products have been banned by numerous sporting agencies.

HGH Injections
Like steroids, HGH injections are manmade and are designed to synthetically increase HGH levels in the body. Not to be confused with natural HGH releasers, injections do NOT work naturally with the pituitary gland in the brain to secrete HGH. Instead, it injects a chemical in the body that mimics the effects of HGH. One injection of HGH can cost up to $3000, not to mention the risk of liver damage and even carpal tunnel syndrome.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s your decision. You can choose to risk your health and safety by taking synthetic products, or you can take the safe route and go natural. If you choose natural supplementation, make sure you do your homework and find ingredients that are proven and included in the proven dosage.

Combining supplements can be beneficial. In fact, HGH releasers have been shown to work better when used in combination with whey protein. However, a word of caution: always contact your healthcare provider before taking and combining any supplements.

Building muscle takes time and effort. Make sure you maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise along with taking muscle builders. Hopefully this information will help you determine what will work best for you.

If you’re looking for a more convenient and cheaper alternative to protein powders, you may want to consider the ever-increasingly popular, energy bar.

You’ve probably already heard of ClIF Bars, PowerBars, and the like, but what about Power Crunch by BNRG?

In this review, we’ll go over the basics of Power Crunch and let you know whether or not it makes the cut.

Power Crunch by BNRG Ingredients

BNRG tries to sell Power Crunch on several points, with one of the most important being the fact that Power Crunch contains one of the most potent whey proteins in Proto Whey 100%.

Supposedly, because of its structure and makeup, Proto Whey 100% has the ability to be absorbed at a higher and more efficient rate by the body, ensuring that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

That beings aid, BNRG claims that you can eat Power Crunch right before any workout, because its effects kick in right away.

Not only that, but Power Crunch is also very low in carbs and sugar as well. This obviously makes it a healthier treat to give to your kids, and makes it a safe option to consider even for diabetics and those of us with high blood sugar levels.

Of course, low sugar often means that a product may not taste quite as good as well…

Consumer Reviews

Continuing our last train of thought, BNRG promises customers that its healthy makeup doesn’t jeopardize its taste. In fact, BNRG says that this is one of the best energy bars you’ll ever try due to its succulent crème filling and crunchy wafers.

In fact, the user reviews and testimonials tend to agree that Power Crunch is a pretty tasty treat. If this is truly the case, then users of Power Crunch are basically getting the best of two worlds – a tasty treat that is also healthy as well.

And if you’re looking for variety, you can also get it with Power Crunch as it comes in six different flavors including the likes of Wild Berry Crème, Triple Chocolate, and Cookies & Crème.

Lastly, several users have also combined Power Crunch in some of their favorite dessert recipes in order to change things up as well.

What Else Should I Know About Power Crunch by BNRG?

If you’re wondering how much Power Crunch costs, you can normally find it at around a retail price of $25 per box. If that’s still too expensive for your budget, great deals can be found online as well, starting at just over $13 a box.

Along those lines, we tried to look for the amount of bars placed in each box, but were unable to do so.

Conclusion

In closing, we couldn’t really find anything to complain about with Power Crunch. It’s affordable, tastes good, and seems to be capable of giving users those extra boosts of energy that they need.

That being said, you can’t expect too much from an energy bar. If you’re looking to add lean muscle and pushing for massive energy gains, then you’ll probably be best suited to consider a protein powder.

But for moderate purposes, Power Crunch is a wonderful option to consider if you want our honest opinion.

Protein shakes have been picking up popularity in the last few years all around the country.

Apparently they are gaining momentum outside of the U.S. as well. Diet Protein comes from the UK and claims to have the most advanced ingredients currently on the market.

Diet Protein is a protein shake made by Reflex Nutrition and is designed to help you “achieve a healthy, well defined and toned body,” according to the official website. We decided to do our own research and compare what we found with what the makers claim.

About Diet Protein

Reflex Nutrition put together a nice official website to rave about Diet Protein and even include a short video on the top. On their site they claim that Diet Protein can “help curb appetite, boost antioxidant levels, promote healthy intestinal flora and provide essential amino acids.”

The makers of Diet Protein focus on the use of Clarinol CLA as a “safe, natural, research proven diet and weight loss aid.” CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) comes from meat and dairy products and has been shown to decrease excess body fat and increase lean muscle.

Clarinol CLA claims to be a natural source of CLA. The makers of Clarinol even go so far as to say it is the highest quality CLA available.

Finally, the makers of Diet Protein claim it has a amazing taste and “mouthwatering flavors.” They say that these flavors have been put to the test by a panel of taste testers. The best part is, they claim there is very little sugar in each serving.

Diet Protein Ingredients

Here is a list of active ingredients we found on the label of Diet Protein.

• Milk Protein Concentrate
• Whey Protein Concentrate and Isolate
• Clarinol CLA Powder
• Flavorings
• L-Carnitine
• L-Tartrate
• Green Tea Extract

It obvious, since it is a protein shake, for Diet Protein to contain protein concentrate. Most protein shakes contain at least whey protein concentrate. Protein isolate is just a different form of protein but essentially serves the same purpose, which is to provide the body with the protein synthesizing amino acids.

We talked a little bit already about Clarinol CLA as a weight loss and lean muscle gain ingredient. Clarinol CLA also contains vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant, cleaning out the system and improving the metabolism.

L-Carnitine and L-Tartrate have been suggested as weight loss and muscle building agents. However, there isn’t sufficient evidence to prove this is the case. More research needs to be done.

After looking through the ingredient list, we found little source of sugar. Most of the flavoring ingredients are sugar substitute, making Diet protein low in sugar, which is good for those trying to watch their carbohydrate intake.

Conclusion

Diet Protein looks to be an effective and safe product. However, since it comes from the UK, you may be forking over quite a bit of money to get it shipped to the states. If you live anywhere near the UK, we recommend trying Diet Protein out, otherwise find something a little closer to home.

As human beings, we’re often inclined to believe that we can do things, and do them well, on our own. Call it a bad case of self-sufficiency if you will.

It’s why we hate asking for directions when we’re lost, why we hate calling our mothers when we’ve ruined a recipe in the kitchen, and why we’re embarrassed to hire a tutor for a tough class at school or an assistant at work.

Getting in shape can be a tough uphill battle, which is why it’s always wonderful to enlist the help of protein supplements such as Prolein. Created by the company, German American Technologies (GAT), Prolein promises to give you the edge you’ll need to build lean muscle mass in an efficient and effective manner.

In this review, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of Prolein, as we help you decide whether or not this product can truly assist you in winning that battle at the gym.

Prolein Ingredients

First of all, Prolein boasts of a proven formula that includes proven ingredients found in proven amounts. Speaking of proven amounts, Prolein contains 45 grams of “goodies” in each serving. As for its proven ingredients, you can find a number of quality amino acids, peptides, and proteins in Prolein.

Breaking this down further, there are 18 amino acids found in Prolein’s amino acid profile. A few of these “essential building blocks” include the likes of big names such as L-Arginine, L-Leucine, and more.

As for the proteins and peptides contained in this product, you’ll find them in a sub-blend which GAT has named “Prolein 16-Action Lean Muscle Formula.” In this blend, the likes of Whey Protein Concentrate, and Whey Protein Hydrolysate, and other proven muscle builders are found.

Back to the topic of potent amounts, this blend alone contains a dosage level of 24,060mg per serving size!

On top of all that, Prolein also contains a protein-digesting enzyme and an antioxidant to complement the ingredients we’ve already mentioned. Lastly, Prolein is high in protein, but low in fat, carbs, and sugar, and has absolutely no trans-fats to speak of.

About Prolein

Now then, we’re not done quite yet. On top of an impeccable formula, Prolein has also been designed so that it can be “stacked” with any other protein or dietary supplement.

This means that you can combine Prolein with another effective helpmeet in order to boost your physical performance and muscle growth.

We didn’t find a whole lot in terms of user reviews and ratings associated with Prolein. As such, we don’t know if current or previous users have encountered bad side effects after using this product as well.

Users are warned to consult medical advice before deciding to use and purchase Prolein. But because its contents are made up of natural ingredients such as protein and amino acids, we’re not too worried about the safety of this supplement.

Price and Taste

As for that affordable price, we found Prolein discounted at a price of just $29.99 online per tub. You can also choose between three different flavors when you purchase Prolein, including:

•Vanilla,
•Chocolate,
•and Strawberries & Cream.

GAT also claims to make the tastiest products as well, and promises that Prolein will be the best-tasting protein shake you’ve tried yet!

Conclusion

In ending, although we won’t promise that Prolein is the greatest-tasting protein shake known to man, we can assure you that it’s a healthy and smart option to consider if you’re trying to gain lean muscle mass.

In other words, this product CAN help you to win that battle at the gym as you turn your body into a lean, green, fighting machine!

Creatine supplements are not something you simply go to the grocery store and stock up on.

If you are a serious body builder looking to get into the best shape possible, you better be doing your research and finding the right creatine supplement that is not only effective, but safe.

Myoswell is a creatine supplement that is designed to strip body fat and give you the power necessary for those intense workouts. The makers of Myoswell focus on quality, key ingredients. They claim that their highest quality formula is scientifically proven to absorb better and faster.

We’re going to help you determine the effectiveness and safety of Myoswell by breaking down the active ingredients.

Myoswell Ingredients

Myoswell contains 6 major, active ingredients that are designed to give you the best possible results.

Kre-Alkalyn Creatine
Kre-Alkalyn Creatine is a patented ingredient that is used in a few creatine supplements including Myoswell. It is a higher quality than your average creatine and eliminates the need for loading and the risk of bloating.

Arginine Ethyl Ester
Unlike your average Arginine that aids in the production of nitric oxide, Arginine Ethyl Ester has been shown to help with absorption. So you are not only getting an ingredient that has been shown to facilitate blood flow, but can also get nutrients to the muscle cells quicker and more effectively.

R-ALA
R-ALA is a relatively stronger form of alpha-lipoic acid, an antioxidant that is essential for cell function. It aids in the synthesis of energy from glucose and channels that energy to muscle cells rather than fat cells.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon has been shown to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle gain. It can also speed up the metabolism and suppress appetite.

Arginine AKG
Similar to Arginine Ethyl Ester, this chemical helps to produce nitric oxide which widens blood vessels and increases blood flow, getting essential nutrients to the muscles quicker.

Chromium
Chromium is an essential mineral that regulates the use of insulin in the body. It has been shown to help with fat reduction and increase lean muscle.

Pros

-The use of proven and quality ingredients is a huge plus when it comes to Myoswell as a creatine supplement. The official website of Myoswell shows results that prove these high quality ingredients are safe and effective.

-One container of Myoswell can last up to one month when taken as directed. The cost of one bottle is $49.95 which is a pretty average price when talking about creatine supplements.

-The best part about Myoswell is the 100% money-back guarantee. If you don’t like the product within 60 days, you can return it for a full refund. We don’t think you’ll be returning Myoswell, but the fact that the makers stand behind their product is a good sign.

Cons

-Because Myoswell uses the highest quality ingredients like Kre-Alkalyn Creatine, there is little to no risk of any major side effects. Some common reported side effects are minor and include cramping and nausea.

Conclusion

If you are looking for one of the safest and most effective creatine supplements that utilizes the highest quality, proven ingredients then look no further. We recommend MyoSwell over any current creatine supplement on the market today, hands down.

In a day and age when companies and manufactures are trying to cut back on costs in a weak economy, it almost goes without saying that there are more and more low-quality protein supplements popping up on the shelves than ever before.

Xtreme Pharmaceutical Innovations, a company who makes health and dietary supplements, claims to manufacture high-quality products. Unlike its competition, which likes to cut corners in order to save money, XPI promises to only use the best ingredients available in their products including the protein supplement known as Myotein.

Packed with a time-released formula, an amino acid shuttling system, and premium proteins, XPI promises its users that they’ll see mega gains in lean muscle mass and strength gains if they’ll put their trust in Myotein.

In this review, we’ll talk about the ins and outs of Myotein and let you know whether or not it measures up to its own hype.

Myotein Ingredients

To begin, XPI has tried to include several perks in Myotein’s blend in order to give this supplement a few more selling points. Those perks include its time-released formula and amino-shuttling system as we noted above, as well as a “Muscle Ripping Complex” and a “Muscle Recovery Compound”.

As for the time-released formula, Myotein has been engineered to give users not only an instant supply of energy, but also an intermediate, and long-term supply as well, which prevents the crash that many other products give you.

This is made possible because of the varying proteins found in Myotein’s formula, with some possessing the ability to be absorbed speedily, and others possessing the ability to be digested more slowly.

Moving on, the amino acid shuttling system found in Myotein is none other than Aminogen. Aminogen is actually a lab-produced enzyme placed in Myotein that is designed to thoroughly break down the proteins found in this product’s blend.

By doing so, this amino acid shuttling system increases the amount of amino acids absorbed into the body’s bloodstream, ensuring that none go to waste.

Lastly, the benefits provided by both the Muscle Ripping Complex and the Muscle Recovery Compound can easily be inferred from their names. The Complex functions to improve muscle tone and definition, while the Compound is used to repair and rebuild muscles in an effective and efficient manner.

Both the Complex and the Compound include several key ingredients which allow them to accomplish their designs.

As for the individual proteins themselves which are found in Myotein, they are some of the best
around and include the likes of Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein isolate, and
Micellar Casein.

Each of the proteins found in Myotein have been placed in its blend for a specific purpose. And more importantly, they are all designed to work in cohesion in order to give a user’s muscles all the fuel they need in order to grow and become stronger.

Will Myotein Really Work?

We should also emphasize the point that Myotein is not a prohormone or a steroid. Rather, and like we mentioned previously, the ingredients found in this product are all-natural and only function to naturally increase lean muscle mass and gain.

Also, users of Myotein are instructed to live a healthy lifestyle by eating right and exercising regularly in order to increase this product’s effectiveness. After all, all those amino acids and proteins that are being injected into a user’s system can’t be used properly unless a user is putting in his or her time at the gym to rip and rebuild muscle.

Lastly, Myotein is sold at the retail price of $65.99, but can be found online for just under $50 for those who are looking to save a bit of money. One bottle of Myotein contains 30 servings, and can last anywhere between one week and one month depending on a user’s consumption rate.

That being said, the choice is totally left up to the user to decide in terms of how many scoops of protein powder they plan on consuming per day, based on their tolerance, work-out level, and other factors.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for mega gains in lean muscle mass, then we would definitely recommend trying Myotein. It has muscle-building, fat-burning ingredients that are capable of finally giving you the chiseled body you seek. Click here for the lowest Myotein price we’ve found online!

Nanostim is a pre-workout supplement that is supposed to increase the levels of arginine in your blood so that you can work out longer and harder.

Since there are so many products that promise to be able to increase the quality of your workouts, we decided to see what Nanostim really had to offer.

About Nanostim

Nanostim is manufactured and marketed by the supplement company, MuscleTech, who promises that Nanostim is a supplement that delivers everything you need to enhance your workout with absolutely no fillers.

Because most pre-workout supplements are found in powder form and have to be mixed into a beverage, it is hard not to include ingredients that don’t necessarily promote your workout.

You have to have some ingredients that carry the powerhouse ingredients through your body, or that make a palatable drink.

However, Nanostim has been formulated into an easy caplet that doesn’t require any mixing or adding to any sort of food or drink.

This makes it much easier for MuscleTech to refrain from using any ingredients that might not directly enhance your performance.

Nanostim Ingredients

After looking at Nanostim’s ingredients, we can definitely attest that they don’t use any ingredients that they haven’t specifically identified as something that will increase your ability to work your body at its fullest potential.

Another thing about Nanostim’s ingredient list that we like was the fact that they include all of their ingredients in a place that customers can clearly see before they purchase the product.

This suggests that MuscleTech feels like they don’t have anything to hide about what they have put into Nanostim. This also allows the customer to get a good idea of what Nanostim is really about, rather than having to believe inflated advertisement.

Conclusion

Nanostim has not gotten raving reviews from those who have used this pre-workout supplement in the past. Most people say that the product was convenient and easy to use, but it gave them no extra workout prowess.

Do you remember how easy it was to lose weight and have energized work-outs when you were in high school?

With HGH, you might be able to see those benefits again. An HGH releaser functions by helping the body to naturally produce a hormone proven to reduce fat, build muscle, and give you energy.

What is HGH?

A natural substance that is excreted by the pituitary glands in the human body, HGH is something that the body produces. As a person ages, however, the amount of HGH that their body produces decreases. However, a natural human growth hormone (HGH) releaser helps to raise a person’s levels of HGH back to a youth-like level, thereby aiding in weight loss.

How Does it Work?

Human growth hormones increase the amount of IGF-1 that a person’s liver excretes. IGF-1 stops insulin from transporting glucose to cells. Normally, after you eat, your pancreas releases the amount of insulin necessary to transform carbohydrates into glucose.

This glucose is then stored in fat cells and used it for energy by the body. HGH induced IGF-1 prevents insulin from storing this glucose in the cells, therefore forcing your body to burn fat for energy.

A person’s body will typically use all of their glucose for energy before seeking the energy from their fat reserves. Human growth hormone will force your body to seek energy from the fat reserves first, which means significant weight loss.

Because of this phenomenon, you will lose weight even in your inactive periods because HGH can force your body to burn fat. It also allows you to eat the food you want without gaining excess unwanted weight.

Other Benefits of HGH

HGH has the ability to force your body to grow new muscle cells. Typically, a person stops growing muscle cells after puberty and they have to do intensive weight training in order to increase the size of their muscle cells.

Human growth hormone helps to increase not only the size of the muscle cells, but also the the number of muscle cells in the body, which means that you have to do much less weight training in order to develop muscle density. HGH can help you increase muscle density and develop definition.

Another beneficial element of HGH is heightened energy levels and metabolism. Naturally produced HGH is responsible for energy effects in children, and, by using human growth hormone drugs as an adult, you can feel the same energy as you did in your youth. An increased metabolism means increased fat loss. In fact, HGH can cause weight loss even without exercise.

Conclusion

Human growth hormone increases strength, promotes healthy weight gain, and promotes fat loss. The side effects of using HGH as a weight loss drug are minimal and rare.

If you are interested in seeing and feeling these benefits for yourself, the best HGH supplement we have found is called Secratatropin HGH. It is powerful, affordable, and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Unless you’ve been living on a different planet for the past few decades, everyone is aware that lean muscle mass is good for you.

Whether you’re interested in the boost of metabolism it gives you, or you’re interested in toning your body, increasing your amount of muscle tissue can have a variety of health benefits?

But where do you start?

Even if you have a gym membership, it can be difficult to know what kinds of exercises to do, not to mention how often and at what intensity level.

To make this process easier, we’ve compiled some tips to help you build lean muscle mass so that you can start enjoying the benefits of a leaner, more toned body.

Eat Lots of Protein and Low Fat

By centering your meals on sources of lean protein, you will be able to provide your body with the essentials that it needs to build more muscle tissue.

Make sure to vary your protein sources. Rather than incorporating chicken or ground beef into every meal, try beans, legumes and dairy for a wider selection of protein.

This will give your body more of the essential amino acids that are the building blocks for forming protein, or muscle, within the body.

Don’t Be Afraid of Weights

If you’ve ever been shy around the machines at the gym, or hesitant towards investing in your own set of dumbbells, it’s time to embrace the weights.

Although aerobic activity can help you burn calories, it is not quite as good at helping you build muscle. Because of this, it is important to vary your workout routine with some strength exercises.

If you usually go for a run to workout, stop at a park somewhere and use their jungle gyms to do some chin-ups, or do some pushups on the grass somewhere.

Try a Supplement

A common misconception is that the diet industry is only interested in helping you burn fat. However, there are many effective weight loss pills that also help you build more lean muscle mass.

In fact, Apidextra, has been designed to help stimulate your metabolism, allowing your body to become more efficient and better at building its own muscle mass.

The bottom line is that lean muscle mass not only makes you look better, burning more fat and looking more toned, but it can help promote your overall sense of health and wellbeing.