Maintaining Mass And Strength Without Supplements

by stefan
(osc, mo, USA)

Question: Maintaining mass and strength without supplements.

I have been taking pre workout 1MR along with a creatine pill before my workout in order to build bulk and lean muscle.

I have gained 20 lbs of muscle in 4 months after a strict lifting routine. However, I have recently had problems sleeping at night and being jittery from taking my pre work out so I have stopped consuming all supplements.

Is it possible to keep this mass, and or even increase muscle mass without the help of these supplements?

Also, what is a good pre workout meal to eat in order to maintain energy to last through a high intensity workout like a pre workout supplement gives? Thanks for any help

Answer: Congratulations on your progress! 20 lbs is a lot of muscle.

For your first question, yes, it is totally possible to maintain muscle. Supplements are only there to help...

As for a meal, the trick is to pick something that will give you sustainable energy. Something like oatmeal can help, along with a protein shake. It's pretty simple, but it works.

This won't give you the same kind of energy you get from your supplements, but it will give you enough energy to get through your workouts.

Green Tea can help give you energy too, and it won't cause that jittery feeling you would typically get with most supplements. It's a nice calm energy, with an added bonus of lowering lactic acid in the muscles. When lactic acid is lowered, you speed up muscle recovery both during your workouts, and during post workout recovery.