A question that often comes up is what supplements should I be using? My first answer is that it depends on what your individual goals are. I thought I would list here what supplements I'm taking and why I use them. I'll explain my rationale for each one to help you decide if it's a supplement that you should be considering. Before I go any further, let me first say that you cannot out supplement and out train a bad diet. Good, solid nutrition is vital to achieve any results and has to be addressed before spending your hard earned money on supplements. A general rule of thumb is that supplements will help boost your results 5 - 10% as long as your nutrition is good and you're working hard at your workouts. Here is what I'm currently taking and why:
Shakeology - This is the #1 supplement I take and don't go a day without it. I listed it first because there is no doubt in my mind that it's the most important. Shakeology has helped me tremendously in busting thru a weight loss plateau, increased my energy, and floods my body on a daily basis with vital nutrients. Shakeology is very beneficial for anyone irregardless if you're doing an intense program like P90x or Insanity as it's very beneficial to anyone's health. It's a nutrient dense meal replacement shake that is made up of "super foods" from around the world. It would take $41.13 worth of whole foods to equal 1 serving of Shakeology. Very cost effective at $4 a serving huh?! I do offer samples of Shakeology to individuals who have officially signed up for me as his or her coach and are serious about incorporating this great product into his or her nutrition. Let me know if you're thinking about incorporating it into your diet and we can discuss it further including a free sample. You can learn more about Shakeology here.
Pre-Workout - I typically take some type of pre-workout supplement before my resistance training workouts. I do not take one before a cardio or yoga workout. Pre-workout supplements are not absolutely crucial but do help in giving a boost to really go after your workout. I prefer using one before resistance workouts simply because the very large majority of the time I'm doing the workout at 4:30 in the morning before work. I'm currently trying C4 Extreme by Cellucore and will offer a review once I have enough experience with it. You can read my review of other pre-workout supplements here.
Recovery Drink - I personally take the P90x Results & Recovery Formula and you can learn more about it here. I like taking it because I know exactly what is in it and very convenient to mix up. A recovery drink with a carbs to protein ratio of 4:1 is vital immediately following strenuous exercise to help restore glycogen to the muscles. There are other home made options for a recovery drink that are cheaper but I personally don't like to use as much. I will discuss these options in depth in the future.
BCAA's and L-Glutamine - I use Branch Chain Amino Acids and l-glutamine because they are dirt cheap and can't hurt. Opinion can vary on how much they help but I figure it can't hurt anything. BCAA's and glutamine help with muscle repair and with preserving muscle as you try and trim down. I use Optimum Nutrition and 1 teaspoon of each product is equal to 5 grams each. I typically put 5 grams each of BCAA and l-glutamine in my recovery drink, protein shake, and Shakeology to get at least 15 grams of each everyday. Often times the protein shake that I'm using has additional grams of each as well. These supplements are not absolutely necessary but as I said very cost effective at a minimal price.
Creatine - In my opinion creatine is a no brainer to use when it comes to trying to build muscle. It assists with muscle repair in helping you recover quicker and thus make gains faster. Creatine comes in different forms and I'll discuss this more in depth at a later date. I'm currently taking the newest form of creatine called Kre-Alkalyn that comes in a pill form, causes less bloating, does not require cycling on and off, and does not require a loading phase.
ZMA - This supplement is designed to take right before bed. It's purpose is to help your body relax and have a better sleep. The end result is a better night's rest with the purpose being preserving muscle as a result.
Fish Oil - I take 3 grams of fish oil per day. I take a 1 gram pill at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fish oil is very cheap and helps with muscle development as well.
Protein Shakes - Protein shakes are not absolutely necessary if you want to get adequate protein levels from natural food sources. I simply use them as I need to maintain around a 3,000 calorie diet on a daily basis to adequately fuel my body and maintain my current muscle mass. It's hard for me to get to that level on clean food sources alone. I take a standard protein shake during the course of the day and then take a scoop of casein protein right before bed. Casein protein is a slow releasing protein and it helps repair muscle tissue while you sleep if you take it at that time.
This is what I typically take on a daily basis. It's not terribly expensive if you shop around and find the best deals online. I typically get my non-Beachbody supplements from bestpricenutrition.com. You can save a lot of money by going to a site like this and get the same product for a lot less money than you would at a retail store like GNC.
