How to make your muscles bigger: four sure-fire dietary strategies for enhancing muscle-cell volume

Flex, March, 2003 by Brian Rowley

Of course, the exact amount of carbs to eat will depend on how your physique is shaping up as the event approaches. Check yourself regularly in a mirror and adjust your diet accordingly, as even moderate sodium intake can cause water retention during a high-carb phase.

To get an idea of how much glycogen you're putting on, go by weight gain. For example, because 1 g of glycogen is stored with 3 g of water, a bodybuilder who puts on 1,600 g or 3 1/2 pounds of bodyweight is likely to have gained an extra 400 g of glycogen during a carb-load phase.

FLEX QUICK-FIX GUIDE: CELL VOLUMZING

WHAT IS IT? Cell volumizing is simply increasing and maintaining muscle-cell size to enlarge muscles and enhance enzymatic actions within the cell.

WHAT INCREASES CELL VOLUME? For bodybuilders1 the best cell volumizers are creatine, glycogen, plasma expanders (specifically glycerol) and water.

HOW DO I INCREASE EACH OF THESE?

* Creatine: Use 3-5 grams (g) of creatine per day for a maintenance dose (and try adding 250-500 milligrams of alpha-lipoic acid daily).

* Glycogen: Increase endogenaus glycogen by loading with the equivalent of 40 g of carbs per hour, downing the bulk of your carbs postworkout.

* Plasma expanders: Take 10 g of glycerol with 30 g of water. Important: Use only sparingly, such as immediately precontest to increase vascularity.

* Water: Drink eight or more eight-ounce glasses of water (two quarts total) per day, plus four ounces for every 15 minutes of exercise.

ANY SPECIAL SECRET BLENDS FOR CELL VOLUMIZING? Try taking 3 g of creatine, 50 g of carbs, 10 g of glutamine, 20 g of protein and a liter or two of water after a workout for a week or two. You'll volumize big time.