Growth Hormone Bodybuilding: How to Increase HGH to Get Ripped

If you’ve been a bodybuilder for any length of time, or even if you’re just someone looking to get cut, you understand what it means to hit a wall. You’re eating all of the right foods, doing weight training five times a week, and staying well hydrated, but all of a sudden, the results stop—you’ve hit an impasse and can’t seem to break through it.

This familiar scenario is why so many bodybuilders turn to human growth hormone, also known as HGH. HGH is a naturally-occurring hormone produced by the pituitary gland responsible for growth and development. However, once you hit age 20, levels of HGH decline rapidly with each passing year.

Supplementation with HGH can reverse this trend, delivering greater strength, thicker muscle fibers, and the energy you crave to take you over that impassable brick wall and on to your next level of strength training. It also supports greater bone density to provide a solid infrastructure for your new physique.

However, HGH injections—though much talked about among bodybuilders—can be dangerous and are often illegal. To promote growth hormone levels, it’s better to take supplements and engage in practices that stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more of the hormone on its own.

To help you accomplish this, here’s a quick look at four ways you can ensure high and healthy levels of HGH that will support your training instead of jeopardizing your health.

1. Get a Good Amount of Sleep Every Night

You may not think that the time you spend in your bed is as important as the time you spend in the gym, but the truth is that your sleep schedule may be the biggest determining factor of whether or not you’re getting enough HGH to make a difference.

This is because the pituitary gland’s release of growth hormone is highest when you’re asleep. When you’re not getting enough sleep—and especially enough deep sleep—you’re restricting your ability to get more HGH.

To ensure a good night’s sleep, make sure to fall asleep in your bed instead of on your sofa. Reserve your bed exclusively for sleeping, and remove all distractions from your bedroom that may interfere with your sleep cycle.

These include distractions you may not think about, like the faint light from your television screen or even your clock radio. According to a study from Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard University, these types of blue light prevent you from entering the deepest stages of sleep where the most HGH is produced. Counteract these effects by unplugging your television and turning your clock to the wall.

2. Eat Multiple Meals at the Right Times

Your diet is another important factor in encouraging HGH production. If you’re currently eating two or three big meals every day that are high on carbs, you’re actually preventing high growth hormone levels by spiking your insulin levels and encouraging fat storage.

Instead, try eating five or six meals well-balanced in fats, protein, and carbs every two to three hours. Another good idea is to have both a pre- and a post-workout meal. Carbs and protein are best eaten before your workout, and foods or shakes rich in whey protein are a great follow up.

Remember never to eat a big meal right before bed. Spiking your insulin levels before you enter your sleep cycle will blunt the body’s production of HGH, which is highest in the first few hours you enter sleep.

3. Vary Your Exercise Routine

You can’t promote HGH production to help support your workout without working out first yourself. Exercise stimulates growth hormone release through changes in the acid-base balance, lactic and nitric oxide release, and even direct stimulation through catecholamines, which tell the brain to prepare for physical activity in answer to the “fight or flight” response.

When exercising, it’s important to vary your routine between resistance training and endurance training. Resistance training induces growth hormone release as you lift increasingly heavier loads at a greater frequency. This in turn stimulates protein synthesis, which adds to your lean muscles.

As for endurance training, intense activity above the lactate threshold for at least 10 minutes will ensure growth hormone release. This should be performed several times daily. However, working out for longer than this can actually decrease growth hormone production so be careful to push your body just hard enough. Going too far will not only cut back on HGH, it will stimulate the production of cortisol, a stress hormone that directly contributes to belly fat.

4. Use an HGH Supplement

Even your best efforts can be better supported by an HGH supplement. Supplements are preferable to injections, not only because they’re legal, but because they deliver less side effects.

HGH supplements usually work to stimulate the pituitary gland into producing more of the hormone rather than delivering quantities of the hormone itself. The best products contain ingredients like L-Dopa, glutamine, and arginine that work together to improve blood flow, nutrient absorption, and other chemicals that stimulate HGH production.

You can check out some recommended products at www.hghmeds.org, including reviews and more information on how to get the best bodybuilding results out of HGH supplementation.

Beyond that, just make sure to stay committed to your exercise routine, maintain regular gym visits, and sustain your discipline. With all of these practices combined, you’re sure to see results.