P90x and supplement for muscles. Any advice?

[posterpicture]

Here is some not so gay question but I hope some of you in here can help:


So recently I heard about the P90x which is a program that can help you gain muscle and abs magically in 90 days. Have anyone ever tried it? does it work? how do I start?

Also, I need a personal advice on supplement. I apparently I am under weight, I am around 5'7''+ and my weight is only 115 lbs or so. I have been like this since few years (last year I was 110 ). I started working out regularly since 3 months ago. 2-4 days a week, normally 2 on F,S,Sun. and 1 on a week day. Also, I am a good swimmer and normally swim from 1000-1500 yards a week. (but some weeks, I skip ). I also bike at least 5 miles.

I also took whey protein powder and have a healthy diet with vegetable and juice. I try to keep my calorie intake from 2000-2500/ day. I have been like that for more than 3 months but my weight barely change. I notice that I am a little bit stronger and my muscles are very lean. However, the muscles mass does not significantly change, or at least not as much as I expect for the amount of work I spend on it. So does anyone has any advice on diet to gain muscles or any kind of supplement that I should take?

[FreddyFriedSmithy]

Hi, I have tried the insanity workout by Shuan T... its a 6o days program... from your exercise routine you shouldnt have any problem handling this insane workout.... this workout program did wonders for me, I lost about 10kg and realized that my body got pretty tone.... maybe you should try this first... oh ya no equipment required...

[cry0s]

You need to eat more than you are currently. Quite a bit more.

When are you trying to gain LBM, you want to keep your primary meal focus on lean proteins coupled with clean carbs, more so than the increased fats associated with cutter diets. Obviously you still need to consume good fats (EFAs, etc) as they play an integral role in your overall plan.

A lot of folks out there assume that they are going to get big and bulky when they start any type of workout routine but that's simply not the case. Your diet is the driving force and equates to about 70% of the overall goal. The easiest way to look at it is as follows:

Proteins - Building blocks for muscle
Carbs - Help to shuttle those proteins to myocytes
Fats - slow digestion, reduce catabolism, aid in joint health, etc

P90 is pretty solid but it primary used for those who are looking to to get lean and ripped out. Keep in mind that abs only appear when your body fat is low enough to make them visible. People will lose weight when they don't eat enough, but often times they never see the definition in their abs due to the fact that they lose both fat and muscle. This leaves them looking the same as before, only smaller.

Personally, I'm a big fan of macronutrient partitioning. My meals typically consist of either protein and a fat source or protein and a carb source and I adjust my diet based on my goals at the time. Timing also plays a role as carb intake is most useful post workout because that is when your body needs it the most. When I'm looking to gain LBM my diet looks something like:

Workout Days:
Meal 1 - Protein/Fat
Meal 2 - Protein/Carb
Meal 3 - Protein/Carb
Meal 4 - Protein/Fat
***WORKOUT**
Meal 5 - Post Workout Meal 1 (Protein/High GI Carb source)
Meal 6 - Post Workout Meal 2 (Protein/Carb)

Non Workout Days:
**MORNING CARDIO**
Meal 1 - Protein/Fat
Meal 2 - Protein/Carb
Meal 3 - Protein/Fat
Meal 4 - Protein/Fat
Meal 5 - Protein/Carb
Meal 6 - Protein/Fat

The amounts are based on my current stats at the time and adjustments are made as the program progresses. I would refrain from any supplementation for a while. A lot of people use creatine but all that really does is make you retain water. This is somewhat beneficial, but the water weight goes away when you cycle it out. If your diet is spot on, nothing is necessary for a while. Glutamine isn't a bad idea though as it does help reduce catabolism.