Let me first start off by warning people about something. The fitness community is VERY good at turning people into consumers before they turn them into people who are in it for the fitness. I can't tell you how many countless times people ask me what the best supplements are for growth, and how after a week or two of working out, they feel the need to go on some kind of new supplement that they think is going to put them over the edge. Look guys, you need literally no supplements to achieve the goals you want. Just get into the gym and train and eat the right foods within your macros and you'll be good. People will always be trying to sell you on the idea that supplements provide some magical properties that will for whatever reason make you see unbelievable gains that you never thought possible. And that's ridiculous.
In fact, supplements don't even NEED to work. The FDA doesn't regulate them and, so long as someone cannot prove that they are harmful, they can be sold. That means I could go into my backyard right now and pull up some dirt and mix it with baking soda and prune juice and call it MASSIVE JACKED XL-3D-HARDCORE SHRED MATRIX X-TREME!!! And sell it to you for $50......and it doesn't even have to work. So just stick with good foods and a solid routine that you COMMIT to. Don't change it up all the time and stay consistent.
With all of that in mind, here are the few supplments I recommend to people if they really feel that it is necessary.
OPTIMUM NUTRITION GOLD STANDARD WHEY PROTEIN (CHOCOLATE)
I guess they call it the "gold standard" for a reason. This is the go-to whey protein source for many peoples' fitness journeys. Whey has one of the best protein profiles of other comparable sources of protein.
One scoop = 24g of protein and 120 calories. Throw it in a shaker cup with water, milk, or almond milk and shake it up for a very convenient source of quick protein. At roughly $0.77 a scoop (from what I've been told) for the big jugs, this makes it a very cost-effective source of quality protein. Buy at your local GNC or purchase online here.
OPTIMUM NUTRITION CREATINE MONOHYDRATE
You've probably heard a lot of negative things about creatine. However, most negative claims on creatine have been disproved or are total myths. In fact, creatine is one of the most studied supplements around and, unlike a lot of supplements, it actually works. Creatine is found in a wide array of meat products that you normally eat and is produced by the body naturally (mainly by the liver) and drives muscle.
But how does it work you ask? It drives muscle contractions by fueling adenosine Triphosphate (an enzyme that produces your body's energy), or ATP for short.
How does it do this? When one of the three phosphates of an ATP molecule breaks apart, energy is released for the body to use. Creatine holds a phosphate group that it can give to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to turn it into ATP, and therefore causes the same kind of action to produce energy again. The addition of supplemental creatine provides your muscle cells with an environment of more readily available phosphate than would normally be available for use.
At under $20 for 600g, creatine is one of the best and most researched supplements you can buy in terms of bang for your buck. My favorite brand is Optimum Nutrition's creatine monohydrate, which is creapure certified, which means it is of extremely high quality and not tampered with or "watered down" by shady market practices.
You should be able to find a bottle at your local GNC, or you can purchase online here.
P.S......no.....you do not need to cycle creatine. Just take the recommended 5g a day and drink plenty of water with it.
BLACK COFFEE
Do me a favor....and do not buy those fancy-shmancy (technical term) pre-workouts that you're so hyped about trying. A lot of them are just a bunch of artificial chemicals that contain INSANE amounts of caffeine for a jacked up and ridiculous price. You know what else contains a lot of caffeine and is SUPER cheap? Yep....a good 'ol cup of joe. I actually love taking some black coffee before my workouts. It might not be sexy (and to be honest, I kinda like that), but it gets the job done and you can admit yourself into an elite class of people who can drink it black like it was nothing (and it will take some time). You have to enjoy how much it sucks kind of. And it's weird, but after a while, you definitely start to enjoy drinking it. Go to your local grocer and give it a try. I promise you'll feel the same kind of energy if you're doing it right (i.e. you don't buy decaf.....).
Also, as with most stimulants, you don't want to drink it all the time or the effect will wear down. Maybe drink it every other day on big lifting days, or every other week to get a good effect.
Source: precisionnutrition.com
SLEEP
Why did I save sleep for last? Why, to pay homage to how overlooked it is of course! Seriously though, sleep IS the most underrated workout supplement. I mean, did you even consider it as a supplement?
Sleep is important for SO many reasons in not just your fitness lifestyle, but your LIFE as well. It is the time your body is building muscle, it is the time you're healing your wounds and sores, and it is the time where it is loading you with energy to take on the day. I mean compared to sleep, coffee has nothing on sleep when it comes to energy. Sleep is important for almost every aspect of your life. Your health, your looks, your mood, etc. Everything. So do me a favor and get 6-10 hours a night. Your body deserves it.
Source: predatornutrition.com
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