Supplements I take

So, I have been asked a few times about which supplements I take. For a while, I thought I could do an in-depth review of supplements I am currently using or have used in the past, and I might still do that at some point, but for now I am just going to list them and talk briefly about each one. If you want more information or details, just click on the picture of the item you want to see.

Please do keep in mind that each one of us is different. None of this is meant as medical advice. You should consult with your doctor prior to taking any supplement, as they will best know your specific needs, as well as possible dangers or side effects. This list is meant only to be a list of things that I use.

Here are a couple things to remember though.

1. Not all companies are honest. (I know, you're shocked right?) So, make sure to get supplements that are guaranteed to be free of banned substances. Just by glancing at most reputable brands' packaging, you can see the seal of guarantee, as well as see which ones are GMP certified (GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice.)

Look for seals like these:

2. The next thing to remember is that not all "good deals" are good. I am by  no means advocating buying the most expensive brands. However, if you do any supplement shopping online, be sure that the seller is reputable. With today's technology it isn't very difficult to replicate a plastic container and fill it with something that looks like protein and then sell it. So if you see a seller on Amazon, or elsewhere, offering an unbelievable deal on a particular brand... I would encourage you to compare the price for the same product through other sellers. This isn't to say you can't find good deals with legitimate sellers who offer the genuine item... I'm just saying not to rush into an unknown source.

In any case, here is a list of the supplements I use.

Protein Powders:






Six Star makes a solid protein. Good quality, decent taste, and fairly easy to mix. Another thing is that it does have creatine already in the mix. This makes it a nice post-workout shake, just remember to calculate your total creatine if you are using additional sources of creatine. Muscle Milk is one of my favorite brands. It has a higher fat content, which put me off at first, but I find that if I rotate it through and use it once or twice during a day, it doesn't add up to be too much fat. It's great for a morning or mid-day shake. Optimum Nutrition is one brand that I have always depended on for protein. They also have an NSF GMP seal, but it is smaller and on the bottom of the label. Good quality protein, no gimmicks.

I use protein throughout the day. I usually have a shake mid-morning or post-workout, depending on whether it's a lifting day. I'll have another 1-2 throughout the day with the last one being around 9-9:30 pm. For the "night-time" shake I choose one of the brands that are lower in fat, and deliver protein without a creatine mixture. Also... let's face it, a lot of these things don't taste so great, regardless of what the bottle claims. Being a "top tasting protein" is a bit like saying you are the least-painful bee to get a sting from... not really a high bar to set. But, do not despair! Buy fresh or frozen cranberries, blueberries, cherries, or other fruits for taste. The bonus is that beyond the taste improvement, you can add anti-oxidants, fiber, and good carbs to help fuel your muscles. Bananas are a common fruit to add, but you can be a bit creative to avoid monotony!

Protein Bars
I love bars. (No, not those kind, I don't drink. I mean protein bars!) Particularly, I like to use Quest bars. They have a wide variety of flavors and some of them are actually good. I won't say their brownie has the same taste as a brownie, but they have flavors that are actually palatable, which is a huge plus. Better than that, they are high in fiber, about 14-15 grams per bar to be exact. I'm working on upping my overall fiber intake, but these bars go a long way to helping me reach my fiber goals. Plus, no bloating or intestinal upset as can happen with some other fiber supplements on the market. It's a win win.



Creatine
I don't always use creatine. I tend to cycle through it. I don't use a loading phase like they used to prescribe either. I just use it when I feel like it. But, since I do use it, here are the brands I go to:





Muscle Tech has a simple, pure creatine option. 5 grams per serving and nothing else included. It's a good, clean option. Body Fortress has a product that includes some amino acids as well as Betaine Anhydrous. I probably use creatine half of the time while training. I usually stick with 4-5 grams per day. When I do increase that amount, I almost always take 4-5 grams from a creatine supplement, and then use the Six Star Whey Protein that has a bit of Creatine mixed in with it. I find if I use more than one serving from a "straight" creatine supplement, it has a tendency to give me tummy troubles.

Amino Acids
First, let me just say that I love BCAA supplements. Period. I know there are people out there that hate them, but I am firmly on the other side. I think they are vital when lifting heavy. Now, having said that, BCAAs are mistakenly used by some people for energy, and that is not what they are for. BCAAs are for quick, bio-available reparations. On lifting days, I take 1 serving in the morning when I first wake up. This allows my muscles to grab any BCAAs they might need after a night of sleeping and not eating. I then take 1 more serving immediately post-workout to send the building blocks to my muscles. On non-lifting days, I take 2 servings in the morning before breakfast. I am a creature of habit, so for this I only use one brand (though sometimes I do change the flavors...)



Glutamine
This is a must. I take glutamine every day. I use powders instead of pills so I can mix it into any drink. Depending on how well you mix it, it does sometimes have a gritty consistency to it though. If this bothers you, try adding it to a warm beverage, or mix it in with a thicker shake of some sort.







Pre-workout
I know a lot of people swear by pre-workout supplements. I use them sparingly. I am on my third bottle right now, and each bottle has 40 servings, so that would equate to roughly 120 workouts by the time I finish this bottle. When I do use it, I only use 1 scoop. It's just a personal thing, but I don't really want to ingest more caffeine than that, and I spend more workouts without it because I don't ever want to feel "dependent" upon a pre-workout. Good music and clear goals help me focus in the gym, so a pre-workout supplement is really nothing more to me than a slight edge over what I would otherwise be doing already. When I use it, I use this type below, and I stick with 1 scoop. However, to illustrate my point that it shouldn't be depended on... many lifters at the state championship were scooping pre-workout into their mouths between lifts. I didn't use a pre-workout that day at all. Just got into the right frame of mind and made sure to bring or buy enough real food to keep my energy up through the day.




Fish Oil
The health benefits of Omega 3s are many. There are several good brands out there for this, so don't feel like you have to stick with mine. Each day I take between 2-6 capsules of this.




Vitamins
There are a ton of these on the market. I prefer this kind simply because they are gummies instead of pills. I could do without all the extra sugar coating them... but oh well.



I also take an additional Vitamin D3 supplement


ZMA (Zinc and Magnesium supplement)
Lately there has been a lot of research that shows ZMA is not effective at building strength. However, that isn't the primary reason I take this supplement. As it turns out, I don't eat enough leafy green vegetables and other sources of Magnesium. Magnesium plays a vital role in many functions that contribute to better health overall... the problem is I am not a rabbit. I don't really like most leafy green vegetables. So, I use this to ensure I have enough Magnesium in my diet.



Probiotic
Arguably, one could get all the probiotics they need from eating yogurt. However, I only eat yogurt every once in a while. (Now, if we had the yogurt brands they have in say, Latvia, I would eat yogurt ALL THE TIME! That stuff is amazing!) So, I use a probiotic. In addition to colon health, there is some new research that indicates probiotics may assist in fat loss/weight management.