Supplements can be used to micro-optimize your nutrition and help you gain the best physique possible.
But it’s important to choose supplements carefully.
That’s because they’re unregulated, and the FDA has no authority over supplement manufacturers.
This means bad manufacturers can get away with selling products with fewer ingredient amounts than they advertise.
And the very bad manufacturers may even only include just trace amounts of an advertised ingredient and promise a false claim.
For example, a tablet could contain just 0.0001% vitamin A, and still be marketed as “the best vitamin A tablet for your eyes”.
There’s no way to tell what’s actually in a supplement or in what amounts. Or indeed if they are beneficial.
So the best bet is to go with the most reputable manufacturer possible.
Supplements I Recommend For Beginners.
Having spent years looking through the scientific research and case studies, there are only 4 supplements I feel that beginners should buy.
These are whey protein, creatine, cod-liver oil, and multivitamins.
| Supplement | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Protein powder | Find out my protein powder recommendation here. |
| Creatine | Find out my creatine recommendation here. |
| Cod-liver oil | Amazing-Omega Cod Liver Oil (link for the cheapest Amazon price) |
| Multivitamins & minterals | Bayer Multivitamin & Mineral 1-a-day (link for the cheapest Amazon price) |
These are the only supplements I use currently and in the past.
And I’ve been able to successfully gain almost 40-lbs of lean muscle (without testosterone, L-carnitine, etc).
Why They Are The Only 4 Supplements I Take.
Here’s why I take each supplement:
- Whey protein powder. Helps you reach daily protein intake targets for muscle growth.
- Creatine. Helps your muscles produce and utilise energy for more intense workouts.
- Cod-liver oil tablets. Supplements your omega-3 intake for hormone production and joint health.
- Complete multivitamin and minerals. Supplements your vitamin and mineral intake for general health and optimal muscle function.
In my opinion, the other popular supplements not mentioned above (such as testosterone, BCAAs, L-carnitine, etc) are ineffective and a waste of money.
“What you’re buying here are the ingredients for very expensive urine.”
Dr Sheldon Cooper
They may be beneficial for elite bodybuilders and powerlifters to micro-tune their regime, but the rest of us mere mortals will notice very little (if any) benefits to our training and results.
Why I Take The Bayer Daily Multivitamin & Mineral Tablets.
It’s more of an expensive habit more than a necessity these days.
In the past, they served a function for me as a skinny beginner.
Because my diet was so poor, I knew that my body wasn’t getting all the vitamins and nutrients it needs.
But my diet is significantly better now.
If you’re already eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet containing all the macro foods (meat, fish, veg, fruit, and whole grains), then you’re vitamin/mineral intake is likely sufficient already.
Otherwise, you should consider using multivits (and begin improving your diet at the same time).
“Supplements are never a replacement for a balanced diet!”
Kal
In general, vitamins and minerals will benefit your energy, mood, joints, and general health.
But here are the training-specific benefits of each vitamin/mineral:
- Vitamin A. Required for protein synthesis and muscl growth. Also contributes to immune function to minimise risk of illness.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine). Helps muscles to utilise energy from carbs. Also helps nerve contraction and muscle activation.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Helps muscles utilise energy from carbs. Also helps in red blood cell production and therefore oxygen delivery to your muscles.
- Vitamin B3 (niacin). Helps in digesting carbs into glucose (used to fuel muscle activity). Also helps in muscle repair and regeneration after an intense workout.
- Vitamin C. Helps your body make carnitine (used for energy production) and collagen (structural component in muscle cells). Also contributes to immune function to minimise risk of illness.
- Vitamn D. Helps with muscle cell regeneration, nerve function, energy production, and joint health. Also contributes to immune function.
- Vitamin E. Contributes to the immune system and acts an as anti-inflammatory in muscles during intense exercise.
- Vitamin K. Helps to keep your bones and joints healthy. Also contributes to strength production and muscle development.
- Calcium. Contributes to bone health. Also essntial for nerve activation and muscle contraction.
- Manganese. Facillitates energy production from carbohydrates and required for nerve function.
- Folic Acid. Required for healthy red blood cell and oxygen delivery to muscles.
- Beta-carotene. Contributes to muscle growth
- Zinc. Facillitates the protein synthesis process to build muscle.
All of these are found in the Bayer Multivit.
Why I Take The Amazing Omega Cod Liver Oil.
Again, my diet is enough to provide all of my Omega-3 needs, and I recommend you to do the same too.
But if you rarely eat oily fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, or nuts and seeds (main sources for omega-3), then cod liver oil supplements will be a good idea.
Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that’s essential for general health.
Some functions it contributes to include:
- Mood and energy.
- Joint health.
- Hormone production (e.g. testosterone).
All these are important for weight training and building the best physique possible.
The Amazing Omega capsules are also lemon flavored.
This is great for people who can’t stand the fishy smell of capsules.
Conclusion
Protein powder and creatine are the two supplements I highly recommend.
They will help you to train harder and reach the protein intake levels required for maximum muscle growth.
This makes them great value supplements.
Vitamin, mineral, and omega-3 supplements are not necessary if you already have a balanced diet.
But if you’re a skinny beginner, and you know you’re not getting a complete profile of vitamins/minerals/omega-3, then supplements can be worth the money.
Ideally, you should try to reach a point where your diet covers all your vitamin, mineral, and omega-3 requirements.
Peace out!
Kal