What are the benefits of using supplements?
This question regarding supplement efficacy comes across my desk quite often these days. On the other hand, my response to this question has always been the same. Should I use supplements?
Do they work?
Sure.
Are they going to upgrade you from a decent or below average build, to a “wow you look freaking amazing”?
Probably not.
With that being said, do I think you should still be using supplements?
Abso-freaking-lutely.
For every supplement that is effective, there are probably 50 ineffective supplements that claim to do the same thing. There are a lot of snake oil salesmen on the internet claiming that their products work. However, the truth is that you really don’t need all these different vitamins with names we can’t even pronounce. Rather, the only supplements we need are some of the most basic and cost effective items on the market.
I will underline what I believe are the only supplements worth spending money on:
Protein Powder
Click here for my list of recommended protein powders
Protein is obviously one of the supplements that would make this list and is practically mandatory unless you somehow enjoy eating pounds and pounds of meat. I say it is mandatory because it is such an easy way to get your protein in that it would be counterproductive to skip out on.
Don’t waste time trying to figure out if you should use an isolate, or if plant based is better than soy. The only thing that matters here is how well YOU personally digest the product, and eating a minimum daily amount of protein.
I go into much more detail on what protein powder is best in another post here.
Multivitamins
Click here for my list of recommended multivitamins
There is a lot of discussion surrounding the idea that multivitamins don’t work. Many people have somehow been led to believe that these vitamins are different than the ones we eat in our food.
Well I am here to tell you that this sentiment is absolutely not true. Multivitamins are extremely effective and are proven to have high absorption rates in our digestive system.
At such a low price point per dose, skipping out on multivitamins is a pretty irresponsible thing to do if you are spending money elsewhere. I might even argue that this list of supplements stops here and anything past a multivitamin and protein powder is extra and unnecessary. However, there are just a couple items I still need to go over because of the small role they play in strength and recovery.
Pre-Workout supplements
Click here for my list of recommended pre-workouts.
I see two perfectly valid reasons for including a pre-workout supplement in your regimen:
1.) You are tired and need a small boost of energy to motivate your workout.
2.) You want to make the workout more fun.
My whole philosophy behind training and getting in shape all relies on the policy of having fun. This is one of the only supplements that you can actually ‘feel’ immediately when you take it. While I wouldn’t take a pre-workout for every single workout and every day, it definitely has its time and place in certain workouts. My strategy consists of using a pre-workout on my lagging body parts or when I am so tired that I might skip my workout entirely.
Creatine
Click here for my recommended list of creatines
Creatine might be the cheapest effective supplement ever created. You can get several years supply worth of this product for a fraction of the price of most others. With that being said, I consider this one to be another no brainer for someone who is already spending money and looking for ways to enhance their workouts.
This product is minor enough that you won’t need to worry about any side effects so long as you are drinking ample amounts of water. While the positive effects of this substance are minor, it is so easy to use and cheap that you might as well add it into the arsenal. One might expect a small strength increase, as well as 2-10 pounds of water into the muscles.
BCAAs
Click here for my list of recommended BCAAs
Branch Chain Amino Acids are essentially the components of protein that serve as a building block for the muscle. Imagine getting 90% of the muscle building and preserving benefits from your protein, but without any of the actual calories.
I recommend this product only to people who are in a calorie deficit otherwise it is a waste of money. This is a product for those who want to essentially preserve their muscles or recover from their workout better while being on a diet. For some people who are unable to consume any more protein or perhaps aren’t receiving enough because of a calorie restriction, BCAAs can be used to supplement this lack of nutrition. End of story.
The only other reason why you would purchase this item is because you need to drink more fluids and use this as a way to slightly flavor water. However, if you are preparing for a show or an event this can help you stick to your diet by providing both sustenance and flavor.
What supplements do I take?
I have tried so many different supplements and shady snake oil brands throughout my years that I have almost come to despise them. However, there are still a few of them that I hold dearly and those are all of the ones listed above. If you had to choose one, or two, I would definitely boil those down to protein powder and then multivitamins in that order.
Make sure you check out the supplements section on the website where I list all of these recommendations as well as the best price and place to purchase them. These are the supplements that I recommend to all Coached by Clark clients.
