EzyRyder

Supplements are a big part of bodybuilding. If you get caught up with going by the best ad, and the shiniest label, you might find yourself spending loads of money on just supplements alone. As a beginner it can be especially confusing, as there are many products to choose from, and a lack of knowledge in this field. According to Dictionary.com a supplement means this: “Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.” Now in context this would relate to your diet. Keep in mind supplements will virtually add up to nothing with a junk diet.

The basic supplements are all that is needed, for a beginner. Once after a time of experience you will obviously add supplements on to your basic stack. Where to start if you don’t know what the basic supplements are? Well, that is my purpose for writing this article; to give you an idea of that. Let’s get right into it, shall we?

Whey Protein: The most basic supplement around. Whey protein is favored by bodybuilders mostly for its quick absorption directly into their muscles. It feeds your muscles during a workout, and is digested, by most, easily. Whey protein is packed full of branched chained amino acids. As you may, or may not know amino acids are the building block of protein. In turn, protein is the building block of muscle. Whey protein concentrate is the cheapest type of protein, while whey protein isolate is more expensive; that is due to the “quality” of the proteins (Whey protein isolate is more of a pure whey, with more protein packed into it). Stay with me here, they are both good for you, but opt more for whey protein isolate.

Dosing for whey protein, my recommendation is to have a scoop of whey pre workout, and post workout. Don’t use whey protein as a substitute for meals, unless you absolutely have to. Food is, has, and always will be better than any supplement you can find on the market.

Multi-Vitamin: Multi-Vitamins are the most basic supplement around. A bodybuilder gets many vitamins through their veggies, and fruits, but having a multi will help also. Vitamins in your body help you stay healthy. They help everything function including your: Immune system, liver, heart, brain, eyes, skin, cells, and pretty much anything else you can think of. You might have trouble enough getting in even the recommended amount of vitamins in daily, which vitamins playing a role in pretty much everything; you can see its importance. Without having to write much more on this you can already see that this supplement is important enough to help you with your goals.

Dosing for this goes one a day. There is such thing as overdosing on vitamins, but don’t be scared of eating your veggies and taking a multi-vitamin too, you’ll be fine.

Fish Oil: As bodybuilders, of course, we lift weights. When we lift weights the cardiovascular system speeds up, along when we do our cardio. What is the main muscle in our cardiovascular system? The answer is pretty obvious, no? Yes, of course, you already know it, (I put the questions in there for dramatic affect) your heart. Fish oil is abundant in essential fatty acids. Don’t get freaked out yet bro, these fats are good for you. Fish oil is full of great fats for a healthy heart, including Omega-3, and 6. Don’t worry it doesn’t taste bad in gel capsules, if you swallow pills without them popping in your mouth.

Dosing recommendation: Studies have shown over 3 grams of fish oil can hurt you, so I usually take two grams of fish oil with my protein/fat meal; that’s what I recommend for most.

Those are the basic supplements summed up. The brand you choose to buy, well, that’s a whole other story. I hope you enjoyed this article, and stay tuned for more.




Sources:
Supplement - Definitions from Dictionary.com
Whey Protein Institute - Benefits of whey protein