[jon cross]

I've been supplementing with Branch Chain Amino Acids off and on for two seasons. I typically take them as soon after a race or super-threshold workout to speed recovery. My question is this: I'm not training for racing right now, I'm preparing myself for USMC Basic Training. This means running and upper body calisthenics and core strength workouts. All of this is stuff I've done a ton of in the past but not so much in the last 2 years. Is there a way I can modify my training and supplement schedule to allow for more rapid gains in muscle development? I've heard sleeping several times a night/day rather than just once will reset the growth cycle and up your body's production of HGH- any truth? How about the BCAAs- should I take them before sleep, before workouts, after workouts, with meals etc? My goal is to increase strength as fast as possible without hurting myself. Thanks
Cross

 

[SuspectDevice]

Eat normal food in sufficent amounts, drink lots of water, and sleep at least 7 hours a night.
No-one has ever been able to prove any ergogenic effect to supplementing with those things in any reputable peer-reviewed journal.
As far as altering your sleep cycle to mess with hormone levels.... Dude, why? If you are that into shelling out money and doing sketchy stuff it might just be worth it to bite the bullet and go to full-out doping.
Just live a healthy life

 

[jon cross]

BCAA's are in most high quality sports drinks- are you making a case against Endurox and Accelerade? I haven't really spent any money- I might spend 50 bucks a month, tops, for vitamins and supplements and am not sure how any of this could be considered sketchy training. Typically I use vitamins and supplements because I don't have the time to eat a balanced enough diet and to make sure to get lots of fresh fruits and veggies etc... I'm not trying to be overly defensive, but I have SERIOUS issues with drugs in sports and am prone to taking comments like yours personally. The sleep thing is something I have heard of for body builders and the like. It essentially does the same thing as training twice a day- restarts the growth cycle. Anything sketchy about riding in the morning and again in the afternoon- or about sleeping a few hours less at night and grabbing a nap before dinner? These aren't uncommon or uheard of things- I was just looking for some advice on how best to set up a program to make the most of my time and resources, don't EVER relate that to doping.