How To Use Creatine To Build Muscle Size
In order to build muscle size, you need to follow a few key fundamentals.
One is obviously training and the other is nutrition and who can forget progressive overload.
But is there something else? The answer is yes. In fact, there is something that will help you build muscle size very quickly and it is common to be able to gain anywhere from 2-5lbs over the course of the first week.
Now you should know that the majority of that weight gain will be water, but the benefits of this weight gain will be far greater than just water in the long run because this supplement helps you gain lean muscle tissue and get bigger and stronger.
So what supplement am I talking about? The answer is Creatine!
Creatine has been used for many years amongst bodybuilding and fitness athletes to improve performance, increase lean muscle tissue and muscle glycogen storage.
Here is what you need to know about why Creatine works so well and how to use it properly.
How Creatine Works:
The supplement Creatine is a powdery substance that can actually be produced in the body through the use of amino acids primarily from the kidney and the liver. Then, it is transported in the blood for use in our workouts by our muscles.
Since Creatine is produced within in our bodies, it is not an essential nutrient but it is required by athletes for reasons I will explain shortly.
Creatine is made up of these amino acids:
- L-Arginine
- Glycine
- L-Methionine
Creatine supplementation is often used by bodybuilders and athletes alike as well as others who are interested in gaining muscle. To build muscle size, people have been known to ingest 2-3 times the normal amount that could be produced through our bodies or even diet alone.
By increasing our Creatine consumption and saturating our muscles with it, we open the door to allow more muscle to be built because Creatine plays a vital role in muscle contractions.
Tabulated, the more Creatine we have stocked in our muscles, the longer we can last in a set. That means you can more than likely go for a few extra reps and that will result in a good way to build muscle size.
Additionally from the aid of making us stronger, it also helps in boosting muscle size by pulling water into the muscle cell and enlarging the muscle size.
How To Use Creatine:
Creatine cycling is safe and it is natural despite what some might say. There is a right way of doing it though. First, make sure to use a pure Creatine monohydrate powder. It’s inexpensive and it is a more quality product.
The first part of the cycle is the loading phase. In this phase we want to quickly saturate the muscle cells by taking 5 grams of Creatine 4 times a day for a total of about 20 grams. Of course, this can vary depending on your weight. Do this for 7 days. Try to take the Creatine in the morning and before and after training.
Then after that, you will follow the maintenance stage. Since you loaded the first week, you will only need a small amount during the maintenance phase. I recommend about 5-8 grams split between before and after training. Follow the maintenance for about 7 weeks.
So in total, it would be an 8 week cycle. Then take 4 weeks off completely from Creatine before starting another cycle.
It should also be noted that Creatine should be consumed with a sugary drink such as fruit juice and/or Gatorade as they help to shuttle the Creatine into the muscle cells. Take about 10-20 grams of carbohydrates with each dosage.
Also be sure to consume plenty of water while on Creatine as it will help with hydration since Creatine has been shown to slightly dehydrate the body.
