Vincent Russo Fitness 360: Coach Against The Couch - Supplements

Premium bodies require premium supplementation products, but don't forget to use your brains! A good coach knows his opponent and his team, and he does the research to make sure every piece of equipment helps his team win.

Vincent Russo Fitness 360

Watch The Video - 10:49

Vincent Russo has done his homework. He knows exactly what goes into his body. This Beast Sports Nutrition-sponsored athlete takes a lot of supplements, so he better be doing it correctly!

Vincent's Supplement Philosophy

"Supplements are a vital part of your success in the weight room, on the field, or in living the healthy fit lifestyle! Without supplements your body wouldn't receive the right amounts of nutrients/vitamins it needs to recover properly and further advance your gains. I love supplements! With a science background, I love to understand why they work and why you need to incorporate them into your daily regimen."

"Here is some science behind creatine to give you an understanding of how it works in your body. Creatine is manufactured in your body from the amino acids arginine and glycine. These amino acids react to form a compound called guanidinoacetate. Your liver produces creatine, which eventually enters the bloodstream and is delivered through the body.

"The body only makes about 1-to-3 grams of creatine per day, which is not optimal for muscle gain. Integration of a daily creatine supplement increases the chance for muscle growth.

"You obtain a minimal amount of creatine through meat and fish you eat, but you can get more creatine by eating more meat and fish.

"Strength athletes have been noted to consume ample amounts of meat, which shows a positive relationship with the amount of weight that can be pushed.

"Greater amounts of creatine result in greater amounts of phosphocreatine stored in muscle tissues. Phosphocreatine (PCr) is stored through the combination of creatine and phosphates. PCr is stored in muscle tissues alongside ATP. Together, PCr and ATP store the chemical energy of the body; the more energy they store, the greater output of maximal muscle performance is possible.

"Take a creatine supplements to maintain a higher-than-normal creatine level. Adding creatine helps maintain increased levels of creatine phosphate in muscle tissue. So-called creatine 'loading' eventually enables muscle tissue to increase creatine phosphate storage. Increased creatine causes muscle fibers to grow larger. Supplementation enhances the amount of creatine phosphate used to replenish ATP. In a nut shell, creatine supplements load muscle fibers with PCr. This gives muscles the ability to work harder and store more power in the form of PCr.

"Creatine has a false reputation of only flooding cells with water, causing a bloated look, which eventually fades after use is discontinued. Creatine does more than just cell-volumizing.

"Creatine research found it to be crucial for unlocking true physique potential. I am a huge fan of creatine, especially micronized creatine monohydrate. It has the best absorption rate and represents the highest quality of creatine to be ingested.

"Creatine promotes greater gains in lean body mass and increases the body's muscle hypertrophy. Research shows it improves performance in endurance and strength as well as overall maximum effort output. With the use of creatine monohydrate, athletes experience an increase in levels of mRNA for IGF-1 and IGF-2. Creatine fuels fast gains in strength and muscle mass."

"Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. The majority of glutamine is found in skeletal muscle and plasma.

"Glutamine possesses anabolic as well as immune-stimulatory effects. Glutamine stimulates an increase in cell volume and muscle protein synthesis and decreases muscle soreness through improved muscle repair and glycogen repletion.

"Glutamine supports growth hormone levels (when taken on an empty stomach before exercise or bedtime). Athletes use it to improve exercise endurance. Glutamine can transform itself into carbohydrates when an athlete is carb depleted.

"During intense exercise, glutamine levels decrease. Since the body is in need and cannot produce enough, it is necessary to supplement glutamine to meet the body's demands.

"I use glutamine for its repair purposes and the increased rate of protein synthesis. When training with high intensity, make sure you have enough glutamine in your body to get its full benefits.

"I usually dose 5 grams before and after workouts, and if needed (after a hard day of legs) I dose 5 grams more before bed."

"Arginine's training contribution is its ability to increase nitric oxide production. This increases overall power output and muscle growth.

"This occurs due to increased blood flow, which supplies more nutrients to muscles, which increases their size. You feel fuller and thicker and experience larger "pumps" and vascularity when supplementing with arginine."

"Essential fats play a fundamental part in a healthy diet for every man, woman, child and elder. They support brain function, help promote healthy joints, cardiovascular health, and have immune-stimulatory effects. EFAs also improve energy levels, stamina, recovery, and assist in fat loss.

"Omega 3-6-9 EFAs serve many positive functions. They provide slow and steady releases of energy. Opposed to carbohydrates, EFAs do not spike insulin, and the energy is sustained longer.

"The body uses fat offered by omegas as energy first, which increases carb storage as glycogen. Omegas can increase the activity of the genes involved in glycogen production.

"Omegas have the privilege of turning on and off genes. They can turn on fat-burning genes while turning off fat-production genes. Turning genes on and off ultimately lowers triglyceride levels by increasing the amount being burned, and decreasing the amount being produced."

"Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is an unsaturated fatty acid found in meats such as beef, lamb, and in dairy products. CLA has a positive association with weight loss. Its main contribution to fat loss is its ability to affect appetite suppression."

"The second-most abundant amino acids found in muscle tissue are leucine, isoleucine and valine. They make up approximately 33% of all muscle. During exercise, BCAAs are broken down and used for energy. Since your body cannot make its own BCAAs, supplementation is seriously needed to sustain sufficient amounts.

If BCAAs are depleted and not available during exercise, your body turns to muscle tissue for fuel. By maintaining optimal levels of BCAAs through supplementation, you can protect muscle, thus maximizing muscle growth. I use a powder form and take this supplement with my first meal, pre-workout, as well as in my post-workout shake and before bed. I try to reap the benefits they provide; I keep my body saturated with them."

"ZMA is one of the most-unappreciated supplements on the market today. ZMA consists of zinc monomethionine aspartate, magnesium aspartate, and pyridoxine. The zinc and magnesium must be in the aspartate form, not the chelate, sulfate, or citrate forms. Each mineral aids in the positive effect of the other when taken in the correct ratio. Taking these supplements separate is not advised.

"When using ZMA products, one can see an increase in testosterone production, IGF-1 levels, and immunity. Zinc is said to increase testosterone production and helps support healthy immune system function. Magnesium is important for normal heart functions as well as regulating sodium and potassium levels in cells.

"It is advised to take ZMA before bed on an empty stomach. This supplement should never be taken with calcium, because calcium blocks its absorption. I increased lean mass when taking this supplement nightly.

I am currently a sponsored Bodybuilding.com Team Athlete and Beast Sports Nutrition Team Athlete/Writer!

Products Lines

"Right now I use Beast Sport Nutrition's whole product line. I've seen great results for the last 6 weeks that I've been on it and will not change my supplementation. They provide a clean, healthy version of each supplement with the proper ingredients to ensure success.

From the use of Super Test (anabolic activator), CarnoSyn (Beta-Alanine) and Creapure (Creatine Monohydrate), Creature (for absorption), and their use of natural herbs like Mucuna Pruriens and Ginkgo Biloba, Beast Sports seems to have an edge on the competition with advanced scientific knowledge. Plus I haven't tasted any supplements that have tasted better than Beast Sports Nutrition's Products!"

Vincent's Supplement Stack

Key: (x1 = 1 capsule) (x1 scoop = 1 scoop of product)