If you're new to the gym you might be asking yourself “What Supplements Should I Take” and thats perfectly normal. We all want to get results fast. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain muscle you want to get as much help as you possibly can. After training clients for multiple years, the GYMCADDY Team has found the best workout supplements for beginners are usually just Whey Protein and Creatine Monohydrate. But not all workout supplements are created equally. In order to pick out the best supplements you need to have a trained eye. But don’t worry, This is GYMCADDY’s list of Best Supplements For Beginners. Links will be provided for each product for easy pick up from Amazon.
First off lets get something perfectly clear, no matter what the label says protein powder is not a magical elixir that will make you pack on 15 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks or less. Protein powder is a supplement to help you reach your daily protein goals. And just like any other source of calories, if you take too much protein powder and go into a caloric surplus you will gain weight and not the good kind. Since the supplement industry isn't regulated by the FDA, companies can put just about anything on their labels. We’re here to help you make a good buying decision.
In order to identify a good protein powder you want to look at the ingredients, nutritional contents, and price. Under the ingredients list the first ingredient you want to see listed “Whey Isolate”. Concerning nutritional content, you want to look for a protein powder thats High in protein (duh), low in fat, and low in carbs. Lastly, a quality 5 pound tub of protein should cost between $60 to $65 dollars. Any more expensive and you’re simply being ripped off and any less you’re usually getting a subpar product thats made mostly from concentrate.
We’ve tried multiple brands of whey protein and we've found the best tasting whey protein powders are produced by Optimum Nutrition and MTS Nutrition. They have a high quality product that dissolves well, taste great, and bubbles very little. We advise you stick to chocolate in most cases, but MTS really outshines the competition when it comes to more complex flavors.
Next up is Creatine Monohydrate. Creatine Monohydrate is the most studied supplement on the market and has been proven to work. Creatine Monohydrate helps you recover from your workouts and helps keep away muscle soreness. Its also perfectly safe to take. Creatine will also help with your strength and endurance. Creatine is also naturally found in proteins like red meats and poultry, but since it's found in such small quantities its hard to get a good dosage from just eating meat.
In order to receive the benefits of creatine, you just need to take 5 grams on a daily basis with a meal. In order to identify a quality creatine mono hydrate you have to look at the listed ingredients and solubility. A good creatine mono hydrate will only have creatine mono hydrate listed as an ingredient. Also, a good creatine will dissolve completely when 5 grams are placed in 1 cup of water. Optimum Nutrition and Dymatize have some great creatine options. Although ON’s option is a little more expensive, it dissolves much better than Dymatize. Making it a great option to mix into your protein shake.
If you’re looking for a quality pre workout we’ve also got you covered. Just keep in mind you shouldn't take a pre workout before every workout because you will build up a tolerance. In order to identify a quality pre workout you want to look at the caffeine content under the nutritional contents. BSN N.O.-XPLODE is a tried and tested pre workout that always delivers. Muscle Pharm Assault Pre-Workout System is another great option that packs a little more of a punch than BSN’s offering.
And thats pretty much all you need, protein powered to help you meet your protein goals, creatine to help you with recovery and endurance, and a solid pre workout to help you get through a workout on those grueling days you just don't want to go to the gym. If you're new to the gym you really don't need to spend your money on BCAA's, Glutamine, or vitamin supplements unless you're deficient or on a very strict diet. Keeping it plain is simple always works best for long term results. And your wallet will thank you!