N U S

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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.

Published by Strength Sensei © 2016

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There are three main ways supplements can help you gain muscle mass faster:

1. brain building supplements

2. muscle recovery supplements.

3. Sleep enhancing supplements

Solving the pre-workout puzzle

Everybody wants more energy for their workouts. What are the best choices?

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.

When it comes to performance, in addition to physical ability, an athlete’s psychological stability

during training and competition must also be considered, including their nervous system and
their ability to perform under stressful conditions. Mental performance and physical performance
are interconnected, whether it be reaction time, mood or focus.

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.

Brain building supplements help by:

1. Increasing focus. Living in the now improves lifting technique, thus

improves overload on the muscles.

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

IGF from ATP-lab

A pre-workout/neuro-cognitive support designed to enhance the production of neurotransmitters

• single dose amino acid tyrosine as a direct

precursor to the formation of dopamine

• alpha GPC which is the best know cholinergic

supplement for increased acetylcholine
synthesis

• acetyl carnitine which helps to optimize brain

mitochondrial function and as a result,
energy production

I like to 5 caps upon arising on an empty stomach to set

up the neurotransmitters for the whole day. It is a favorite of
my athletes. I actually designed that one to help off-set jet
lag besides increasing training drive.

Kik from ATP-lab

This a pre-workout supplement that I designed to enhance nervous system performance and
cognitive function. The advantages of Kik are the following

1. Kik provides a longer and more stable energy drive.

2. The addition of Naringenin to caffeine will slow the

processing and increase the half-life of caffeine.

3. The specific combination in the Kik formula will also

enhances focus and drive

4. No Crash with the addition of DLPA

5. The specific combination of DLPA and Hordenine will

increase caffeine’s effectiveness and uplifting effects.

These are the specific ingredients of Kik :

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

• DLPA is a 50/50 blend of L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine. The L-form serves

as a base material for the production of important neurotransmitters like dopamine,
norepinephrine and epinephrine. The D-form also has beneficial effects on the brain
and its neurotransmission. Its conversion to phenylethylamine (PEA), a potent
neuromodulator/neurotransmitter in the brain, will induce the release of acetylcholine,
dopamine and norepinephrine. This specific blend of phenylethylamines increases
cognition and elevates mood. A low level of PEA has been associated with ADHD.

Hordenine

• This natural phenylethylamine-containing alkaloid has many of the properties of PEA.

It can optimize the efficiency of phenylethylamine by interacting with the enzyme that
deactivates it.

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.

I recommend 1-2 capsules with the KIK from ATP, 45 minutes

before training.

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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.

Acetylcholine is a cognitive neurotransmitter as well as

a neuromodulator of muscular functions which also
improves muscle control and balance. Not only does it
help with learning and memory processes, but also with
muscle movement, coordination and balance. Higher
levels of acetylcholine will also lead to increased focus, which is essential during training. GPC
has also demonstrated to increase growth hormone levels and increase peak bench press force.

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.

Adenosine-5’-triphosphate (as Peak ATP®) is an important compound in this formula, as it

helps to increase strength, power, and recovery as well as reduce fatigue, enabling a greater
amount of reps and sets.

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

• a combination of agmatine and citrulline to

enhance the vasodilation of skin & muscle tissue

• beta alanine to buffer excessive acidity that builds

up in muscle as a result of energy metabolism

• anti-oxidants to promote aerobic energy

metabolism which aids recovery from an intense
set of exercise

This one cannot be taken with caffeine or KIK as it will

interfere with the product. It is best used to prepare for high
reps workout, helping you do more reps. I recommend 6
reps 45 minutes before high-rep training

I like varying brain supplements to maximize results and to forbid habituation.

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

IBCAA: Is made by ATP-Lab, it is composed of instantized ultra-

pure branch chain amino acids designed to easily mix with water

• BCAA are free form amino acids that help regulate the
metabolic switch to protein synthesis

• they are anti-catabolic agents that help prevent muscle

breakdown as a result of muscle trauma
• 98.1% purity as independently tested

What you should take after workouts

Post workout it is important to ingest carbs and proteins together to optimize recovery. Here is a
sample shake for a 90kg/198 lbs man:

• 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

• 5-10 grams of iBCAA

Pentacarb
I developed Pentacarb for ATP-Lab. It is a 5-source
carbohydrate powder to help sustain blood sugar levels and
promote glycogen synthesis

• multi-source carb powder modulates the speed of

blood sugar elevation

• provides less sharp insulin release which is more

optimal to blood sugar metabolism/control

• combined with electrolytes and magnesium to help

optimize muscle function and carbohydrate energy
metabolism

I use usually 1 g per pound of bodyweight of it, minus the

carbs provided by the juice.

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NZW
True grass-fed New Zealand whey protein from ATP-Lab

• made from the milk of cows that are pasture-raised

without synthetic hormones

• optimal amino acid profile to help stimulate the

immune system and support glutathione production

• high in muscle building branch-chain amino acids

and digests quickly to help increase blood amino
acid levels

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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.

I recommend 5 caps at the last meal before bedtime

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.

The combination of these ingredients would knock an adult gorilla on PCP…

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