Welcome back everyone!
I wanted to take this post to talk about supplements. We've already gotten into nutrition, losing fat, and building muscle, so this seems like the logical next step. I've decided to make my first post about supplements one that highlights the different products that I take and why I take them so you guys can get an idea of where to start. We'll start with the basics here...
1. Whey protein powder
When most people think about supplements this is usually a go to. I use whey protein for the convenience of not have to eat a chicken breast during my workout as well as to get the fast digesting benefits that are specific to whey once I'm done lifting. Compared to other types of protein, whey digests very quickly, making it beneficially for an intraworkout or postworkout option. It can even be used as a meal replacement when mixed into a smoothie or blended with peanut butter. Personally, I take Building Blocks Protein by Supplement RX mostly because that's the brand that we sell at Xperience Fitness. I've been taking it for just over a year now and it works great for me so I don't want you to think that the only reason I take it is because I also sell it. It has definitely been an important part of me getting to wear I am physically. Especially when I got all the way up to 257 pounds while maintaining around 10% body fat (drug free of course). Long story short, whey should be a go-to when starting to build your supplement stack.
2. Gatorade powder
Tasty, tasty sugar. I know what some of you are thinking and yes, the sugar content in Gatorade is super high, especially in the concentrated powder form. But guess what; that's the point! I don't want to get to sciencey but here's the basics, Your body runs on sugar (specifically glucose) and it is the power for most movements you do on a daily basis. Glucose is actually the #2 most preferred fuel source for the human body right behind (interestingly) lactate. Anyway, when you consume sugar your body releases the hormone insulin. This insulin takes the sugar from where it is being digested and it pulls it into the muscle cells so it can refill the energy stores you used when working out. But here's the kicker. It also takes with it any other substance that is present, in this case protein. Insulin will grab the sugar and protein and take it directly to the muscle cells way, way faster than relying solely on digestion. This means faster and better recovery for you so you can get those gains ever quicker.
Bottom line, carbs + protein > just carbs or just protein.
3. Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is the single most studied and tested supplement ever. It got a really bad reputation years ago when two high school wrestlers who also happened to be taking it (correlation is not causation right?). It has now been proven to be extremely safe and extremely effective. Again, I don't want to get too deep into the science in this post but creatine is an amazing supplement in my opinion. Essentially, what it does is it helps keep muscle cells hydrated and allows them to contract more efficiently. It also help your body produce quick busts of energy a little bit better. It is extremely beneficial to any person or athlete who wants to become stronger and more powerful. Also, even though is typically thought of as a supplement used to gain weight, I would still recommend it to people trying to cut as well. There will be a small increase in body weight in the beginning but that is a result of the hydration of the muscle cells. Obviously your body fat has not increased. You don't need to take anything super fancy. Basic monohydrate is perfectly fine. I use Optimum Nutrition's Micronized Unflavored Monohydrate myself.
4. Fish Oil
I'm going to be honest here; I basically live off of this stuff. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen stories of me taking literal shots of fish oil regularly. Compared to most people, I'm a relatively big guy at 6'3" 250lbs and after 12 years of volleyball and 3 years of competing in CrossFit and Weightlifting my joins have definitely felt better. And I can definitely tell when I have been slacking on taking my fish oil. My left knee is usually the first place that starts to swell up but sometimes I start to feel it in my fingers too. As far as anti-inflammatories go, fish oil is one of the tops. It doesn't take long of me being consistent with it for my body to start to feel a lot better. It also has powerful brain benefits and can be good for skin. I recommend fish oil to pretty much everyone but just eating a lot of fatty fish can get the job done as well. Right now I take Carson Lemon Flavored Liquid Fish Oil that I found at GNC. Most fish oil will comes in pill form but I got so sick of having to take them so I switched just to liquid. Surprisingly, it tastes great!
5. Greens Drink
This is one that has been rising in popularity as the popularity of multivitamins have dropped off a bit. Greens drinks are basically powdered fruits and vegetables that are loaded with a lot of good stuff. The basic ones are anti-inflamatories and antioxidants like you get with normal fruits and veggies as well as most of what you'll find in a basic multivitamin. Now , some of the more potent ones add probiotics, prebiotics, EPA and DHA (the compounds in fish oil), a full multivitamin, multi-mineral, and all kinds of good stuff. I typically take RX Greens from Supplement RX but they are in the process of changing their formula so in the mean time in considering trying something else like Athletic Greens or My Body Blend to see how those work. Again, this is a supplement that you can mostly replicate just with your diet (you should be eating a lot of fruits and vegetables already) but it is convenient and you can get some extra benefit form some of the top brands.
Bonus: Pre-workout
I needed to give a quick shout out to my good friend pre-workout since we really have spent a lot of time together in the past few years. Some people love it and some people hate it but there's nothing quite like the feeling of when your pre-workout kicks in and you feel like you can take over the world. I have taken a few different ones in the past but I usually cycle through a few. C4, Thermo Ignite by SRX, and Ion by Performix are usually in the mix but recently I've tried a few heavy hitters to see what goes on. Mr. Hyde and Mesomorph are two of the most potent pre-workouts out there right now and they definitely live up to the reputation. I get an absolute killer workout every time I take one of those (which is not often).
So there you have it, my top 5 go-to supplements plus one close friend as a bonus. It may seem like a lot to some people but to others 5-6 different products is next to nothing. I definitely like to stick as close to the basics as I can and try my best to spend my time around the things that are actually proven to work. Going overboard on supps can get expensive very quickly and chances are it's probably not worth your money to get that cleanse or testosterone booster. Don't forget, if you want to be the first to hear about new posts, new programs, and get discounts on paid services, make sure to leave your email in the space above and join my Newsletter list! The list is growing rapidly so don't miss out!
See you tomorrow!
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