Putting On Muscle During Puberty

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Hello Endu Stars, today’s post will start with a bit of an introduction. I have decided to announce to my faithful readers a project I am working on. If you look to the left of the screen you can see a few boxes with different program links in them. One of the boxes says Subscribe Via Email, you should put your email into that. I only say this because I am PR’ing as a writer by making an E-book which will be primarily available to subscribers only, and will be for FREE. This book will contain many details on my current diet, the science behind it, and its practicality. It will be crammed full of advice surrounding 3 different dieting techniques, which could cost you a pretty penny elsewhere. So if this has peaked your interest, or you’re my grandma who loves me no matter what, please subscribe via email.

To stay on the topic of nutrition I will talk about a subject familiar to many of my male readers. I was asked quite some time ago about teen dieting. Many teenage boys are cursed with an ectomorphic body style; they’re so skinny they might blow away on a windy day. To compensate most teens spend roughly 5 hours doing curls and then eat a box of pop tarts when they get home. Even worse is that some teens’ parents are afraid to let them take creatine or whey, but have no problem with allowing them to put sweet ‘n low in their tea which contains aspartame, a known influencer of cancer. Many teenagers struggle with gaining weight, and they all use the same excuses: I eat so much and don’t gain weight; I lift weights but can’t get big; I want to take supplements but my parents are afraid.

 No more excuses guys; the truth has arrived in a flaming chariot to carry away your tragic tale. I want to start by stating that as a Freshman in High School I weighed 126 pounds, but as a sophomore I weighed 175 pounds. I grew one inch that year so don’t credit my mass to bone growth; I did my research and applied it.

For starters I need everyone to start eating breakfast, but not what you probably have pictured. I want your breakfast to have the potential for life. What I mean is that if it lived or could have lived you need to eat it. Bacon, eggs, potatoes, fruits, and veggies are all viable for this category. No matter how hard you try a PopTart or bowl of cereal will never give rise to life. If you don’t want to follow a PALEO diet then oatmeal qualifies also. Real food becomes real muscle, that’s a fact. And don’t forget to eat till you want to throw up at meals; you need enough calories to induce a hormonal response. As a teenage male you will have more testosterone than you can process; more proteins, fats, and micronutrients will result in greater T-bonding potential.

that's a manly breakfast right there

The same parameters follow eating at lunch and dinner: real food becomes real muscle. And by all means please eat red meat as often as possible. Many families are afraid of the dangers of red meat (I actually laughed when I typed that). All that red meat provides is a little more fat and amino acid concentration. This is only dangerous when you shotgun twinkies (which are coming back) and burgers at the same time.

When it comes to lifting weights sometimes less is more. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve watched freshman waste because they assume that any lifting will make you big. I can even recall one kid running 3 miles, lifting for 3 hours, and then only eating a sandwich. To his shock, not mine, he was losing weight. Rookie mistake, don’t be that guy. For training to gain mass you want to do compound lifts like a powerlifter (squat, bench, deadlift for 3-5 reps) and accessories like a body builder (curls, shoulder press, ect for 8-12 reps). Finishing a workout with energy does not mean it didn’t work. Work smarter, not harder.

As for supplementation you won’t have to take out a student loan to see success. My first tip is to avoid mass gainers. As a former assistant manager at a supplement store I can honestly say that I’ve seen so many allowances wasted on those things. A mass gainer is ideal for someone who has more money than time and needs a hefty calorie replacing meal. As a teenager I doubt this is you. If you eat till you feel sick every meal you won’t even be able to handle a mass gainer anyway.

My primary recommendation for young athletes is whey protein. Whey is the liquid protein found in milk, so you can tell your mom it’s okay. Whey protein has been broken down into a faster digesting powder form. When you take it post workout you’re telling your body that it has the resources to build muscle. Protein is necessary to carry out the building process after training a muscle. To amplify protein's effects consume sugars post workout. Eat something like 4 bananas (which only cost 50 cents a pound) or if you aren’t PALEO drink a Gatorade. Sugar stimulates a hormone called insulin which is essentially a delivery truck. It will take the protein to the muscle faster.

My secondary recommendation for young athletes is creatine. The media has corrupted the Nations understanding of this amino acid, making it into an evil villain when it's actually here to save the day. Have you ever eaten red meat or shrimp? If your answer is yes then you have already consumed creatine. There are many animal meats that are naturally loaded with creatine. So unless your mom is a vegan she should understand. Creatine should only be taken during a workout, and should not exceed 5-10 grams. Creatine is a fuel source used in anaerobic training (like lifting weights) and can help you gain weight and get stronger.

If you have convinced your mom to let you take at least these two supplements I would say that you’re successful. There are many more out there, but a proper diet supplemented with creatine and whey protein should yield results. Remember, don’t overdo it in the gym. If you, or your mom, have any questions or concerns feel free to email me at endunamoox[at]gmail.com. Also don’t forget to subscribe via email above!