Supplements

Tinder

Hi folks,

Looking for some advice and thought the vast knowledge base here would be the best place to ask.

I am looking to 'bulk up a little' I do a few tri's and participate in all 3 disciplines well enough but am struggling to gain more muscle which I think I need. I eat well but no matter how hard I train (4 times per week) I am not progressing.

So from peoples experience what supplement can I take to help me gain some muscle bulk and improve my performance.

Thanks in advance.
T

TFBubendorfer

Tinder wrote: »

I am looking to 'bulk up a little' I do a few tri's and participate in all 3 disciplines well enough but am struggling to gain more muscle which I think I need.

Muscle bulk will most likely slow you down rather than speed you up

Ceepo

Tinder wrote: »

Hi folks,

Looking for some advice and thought the vast knowledge base here would be the best place to ask.

I am looking to 'bulk up a little' I do a few tri's and participate in all 3 disciplines well enough but am struggling to gain more muscle which I think I need. I eat well but no matter how hard I train (4 times per week) I am not progressing.

So from peoples experience what supplement can I take to help me gain some muscle bulk and improve my performance.

Thanks in advance.
T

Me thinks more training needed not weight
"weight bad" "training good"

Tinder

I know what you mean by more training but I am only 10st (none of it thanks to beer) and 5'3" and feel I do enough training and can't commit to any more otherwise it's the divorce court!

kennyb3

Tinder wrote: »

no matter how hard I train (4 times per week) I am not progressing.

4 times a week for each discipline or 4 times a week in total? if the latter its no wonder your not progressing.

how is more muscle going to help your running or cycling? (i know sweet Fa about swimming tho)

Tinder

The 4 times per week total. That's roughly swim once per week, I am a good swimmer so don't concentrate on that too much, twice running and once cycling and about 3 gym sessions of about 45 mins, mostly weights. I think the muscle might help my chicken like legs!

TFBubendorfer

Sorry to be blunt, but that's not "training as hard as I can" by any stretch of imagination. Supplements won't speed you up, but adding more running and especially cycling will.

There's no such thing as a "go-faster" pill.

Ceepo

Don't know if you do any of your run's hard ?,
If non, try doing some quality work thats where the strength comes from if your only doing 3 runs make one of them a long run at slow steady pace and the other two at a harder pace maybe do mile rep's always good for building strength, if time goes against you maybe do 4 miles with the middle two hard should take less than half hour instead of one of the gym sessions
Might even keep divorce court in the distance as well

menoscemo

At 5 foot 3 and 10st, your BMI is 24.8 which is at the very upper limit of normal. I doubt you need to Bulk up in any way. There wouldn't be too many triathletes with a BMI over 25.

kennyb3

cut the gym completely and concentrate on the disciplines you are actually doing (weight lifting not being one of them). by doing the activities you ll build specific muscles required for the disciplines not nice biceps which are no use to you on a bike or in a run.

how many hours running, cycling and swimming do you spend? id imagine your aerobic capacity is holding you back not the thickness of your legs or arms

Tinder

Fair enough, maybe suppliments are the wrong way to go and more spasific training required, the weights I am going is mostly for my legs, in fact all for my legs I do no upper body strength work as I am already quite well built up top due to a lot of swimming over many years and don't want to get any bigger there.

I just thought a bit more muscle on my legs would help with the bike and running. I am not fat by any stretch of the imagination.

Thanks TFB but I was not looking for a go faster pill just something to help with adding strength, I don't intend on entering the olympics!

kennyb3

Tinder wrote: »

Fair enough, maybe suppliments are the wrong way to go and more spasific training required, the weights I am going is mostly for my legs, in fact all for my legs I do no upper body strength work as I am already quite well built up top due to a lot of swimming over many years and don't want to get any bigger there.

I just thought a bit more muscle on my legs would help with the bike and running. I am not fat by any stretch of the imagination.

Thanks TFB but I was not looking for a go faster pill just something to help with adding strength, I don't intend on entering the olympics!

just get rid of the gym time and spend it running or cycling. look at others training logs on what you should be doing if you are only running 2/3 times a week. also the key to cycling is time on the bike - can you not commute? you could do with at least 2 long cycles a week if not

Tinder

Thanks for the advise folks, I guess I'll dump the gym and forget about supps, although how far can you go in a 45 min session at lunch time, commuting is what I would love to do but my 2 year old won't go for it :rolleyes: he just does not like the wind. Time to get my arse on the bike, it's just so hard balancing everything.

kennyb3

use the 45 mins at lunch to get 3-4 runs in a week - leaves you with more time at the weekend for a long cycle or two and maybe even a long run

BrokenMan

Tinder wrote: »

how far can you go in a 45 min session at lunch time

I do most of my running at lunch time apart from the long run. Can vary from 4 to 6 miles depending on what I am doing and I am by no means fast. Its just a matter of getting out there. Although if you don't have access to a shower afterwards it's probably not a good idea.