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Supplementation Guide
Supplementation Guide
B O
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A BONUS TO:
HOW TO GAIN
MUSCLE MASS
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
By Charles R. Poliquin
The Strength Sensei
www.strengthsensei.com
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Special Thanks to:
Carlos Castro
Kelly Martinovich
Juan Carlos Simo Velasquez
Patrick Gagnon
Louis Gagné
Disclaimer
Before beginning any exercise program or diet/supplementation plan,
please consult with your physician to make sure you are in good health.
This ebook is not meant to replace proper medical advice by a qualified
health practitioner. No liability is assumed by Charles R. Poliquin for any
of the information contained in this document.
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There are three main ways supplements can help you gain muscle mass faster:
Nutrients for supporting focus, energy, and endurance in athletes are essential.
Choosing the right nutrition supplements can have a significant impact on what can
be achieved during training.
All of these cognitive processes should be optimal if one wants to perform their best.
Therefore, carefully selected brain nutrients taken pre-workout can significantly help to increase
performance in the gym. These nutrients stimulate the brain and not the adrenal glands. As a
result, they provide energy, drive, and mental focus without negative side effects, while also
offering long term benefits to overall health.
2. Increasing recruitment of high threshold motor units. The more you can
recruit those hard to recruit muscle fibers, the more you will grow both in
size and strength.
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My favorite brain stimulating supplements
Caffeine
• Caffeine is naturally present in many foods that we consume on a daily basis like coffee,
tea and chocolate (cocoa). The use of caffeine by humans goes back a long time;
consuming Kola nut or Coffee beans would increase vitality and help reduce hunger
sensations. Now, with the help of science we know that caffeine can be beneficial for
humans. It can increase motor performance, cognition, short-term memory, and caloric
expenditure, and most importantly for us, it reduces exercise fatigue.
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DL-Phenylalanine
Hordenine
Naringenin
• This naturally occurring compound commonly found in grapefruit has some really
interesting properties. It has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
and its antihyperglycemic action can help blood sugar control. Naringenin can also
potentiate the effect of caffeine by slowing its hepatic metabolization and evacuation
This one, I recommend to start with one capsule with one or two Dopaboost 45 minutes before
the workout. The maximum dose you can take is three. Most people report excellent gains
with just one cap. My strength & conditioning students often have reported NFL players, rugby
players, and MMA fighters LOVE that product pre-event, as besides increasing drive, it augments
focus.
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Dopaboost by Designs for Health
DopaBoost is designed to increase the body’s natural production
of dopamine. This is one of the primary catecholamines that is
essential for normal function of the central nervous system and
is associated with attention, learning, movement, and balance.
In addition, dopamine is involved in transmitting signals of
motivation and muscle coordination.
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Brain Power Sours by Designs for Health
Each chew provides tyrosine, glycerophosphocholine
(GPC), and carnitine. Tyrosine is a precursor to
dopamine, which is the brain messenger that supports
optimal alertness and motivation. GPC is a natural
component of all cell membranes and supports optimal
brain cell communication by providing the building block
for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Carnitine has been studied in many areas including metabolism, cardiovascular disease, and
sports enhancement. L-Carnitine has been shown to improve exercise performance by enhancing
the delivery of fat fuel to the muscles. It was also shown to increase the anaerobic threshold,
delaying the event where the muscles feel a “burn” from lactic acid.
I love to take these about 45 minutes before workouts, as they improve focus and mood. It is
also a favorite of combat athletes such as Olympic wrestlers, as it sets their brain in the right
frame to maximize performance
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PreTrain NRG by Designs for Health
PreTrain NRG is a specific pre-workout formula
providing safe, beneficial nutrients to help support
focus, power, and mental energy in athletes. There
is no question that intense, prolonged training puts
a significant stress on the central nervous system;
therefore, providing nutrients which optimize brain
function is essential to the performance of an athlete.
PreTrain NRG features n-acetyl-l-tyrosine, acetyl
L-carnitine and caffeine to help increase focus and
energy, while creatine and ATP are included to
improve strength.
N-acetyl-L-tyrosine helps support optimal sports performance for the body and the brain by
alleviating stress and stimulating the brain, as well improving workout intensity while preventing
overtraining. This is essential for competitive athletes who have to perform at a high level.
Acetyl L-carnitine is also very effective when used pre-workout for increasing mental focus,
energy, and plays an important role in modulating muscle energy during muscle contraction
as well as decreasing muscle fatigue and reducing exercise intolerance. It increases dopamine
which enhances focus and motivation and is a nutrient in which an increase in focus and energy
is quickly felt, within approximately 15 – 20 minutes after ingesting.
The combination of L-theanine and caffeine in a 2:1 ratio stimulates and boosts mental
alertness. Together they provide a clean and calm focus without any jitters or hard crashes that
are often seen after consuming products containing caffeine.
I find that 1 teaspoon of it, 45 minutes before workouts gives out the best results.
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Other pre-workout supplement
E-Nos by ATP-lab
A non-stimulant pre workout designed to enhance blood
flow and nutrient delivery while supporting metabolism
Putting It Together
Here are the stacks I like. Please note: I always take every morning 5 caps of the IGF, as it sets
the drive and focus neurotransmitters for the whole day.
Stack 1 Stack 2
3 Kik and 2 Dopaboost 45 3 Kik and 2 Brain Sours 45
minutes training minutes training. Particularly
good for low rep phases
Stack 3 Stack 4
5 grams of PreTrain NRG and 5 grams of PreTrain NRG
2 Brain Sours 45 minutes and 2 Dopaboost 45 minutes
training. training
Note: DO NOT mix KIK with PreNRG, unless you want to spend the night climbing telephone
poles…too potent.
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What you should take during workouts
I like using a mixture of iBCCA and Complete Essentials essential
amino acids
I use 0.25 grams a kilo of the BCAA, and 0.25 grams a kilo of
the Complete Essentials
• BCAA are free form amino acids that help regulate the
metabolic switch to protein synthesis
• 90 grams of Pentacarb
• 90 grams of carbs from high anti-oxidant juice i.e. cherry , pomegranate, red grape
• 50 grams NZWhey
• 5 grams of creatine
Pentacarb
I developed Pentacarb for ATP-Lab. It is a 5-source
carbohydrate powder to help sustain blood sugar levels and
promote glycogen synthesis
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NZW
True grass-fed New Zealand whey protein from ATP-Lab
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Supplements for sleep
Sleep is THE natural agent to increase testosterone. Hence, I value extremely the supplements
given below:
NeuroMag
NeuroMag is a unique, patented form of magnesium chelated
to threonic acid (magnesium L-threonate). This form of
magnesium is superior to other forms of magnesium as it
crosses the blood brain barrier and as a result increases
cognitive function and improves nerve conduction.
Magnesium plays an important role in activating muscles
and nerves, producing ATP, heart function, and a catalyst for
neurotransmitters. If one does not have enough magnesium, the
body cannot function properly.
L-Theanine
You can buy this amino acid in bulk on many sites on the Internet. I like to use this one at a
dose of 2 grams along with the NeuroMag about 45 minutes before.
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