Many beginners ask themselves a question whether they should reach for any supplements already at the beginning of their adventure with strength training. When they finally make a decision, they have doubts, which supplement to choose, what will be appropriate for them and what will be a redundant additive, which will not contribute in any way to the appearance of their silhouette. Supplementation companies flood the market with newer and newer “specifics”, which are supposed to contribute to amazing muscle mass gain or fatty tissue burn in a very short time. More advanced gym members certainly know that this is not possible, however such plain words and the way these preparations are presented very often appeal to beginners, who blindly believe it. When we already decide on any supplements, which should be chosen in order to achieve the best effects at the lowest cost?
Protein supplements for beginner
The supplements that are definitely worth using at the very beginning are protein supplements. They are used as diet supplementation in full proteins, which, as widely known, are one of the three essential macronutrients in the diet of each human being. In bodybuilding, the organism has increased needs for protein and it is hard to provide its proper amount only with food. Then, a great alternative are protein supplements. The most classic and the most often chosen is whey protein concentrate (WPC). It contains the full amino acid profile and assimilability on high level. Many people positively react to the protein of such origin and usually there are no problems related to its application and digestion. We often hear the question: “Which protein to gain mass and which to reduce weight?”. As I mentioned earlier, the task of protein supplements is only supplementing protein deficits in our diet and we don’t differentiate between protein supplements used only when building muscle mass or only when reducing fat. A beginner should start from WPC regardless of the cycle he or is currently in.
Carbohydrate supplements for beginner
Carbohydrate supplements (carbo) should be taken into account in the first place in the supplementation of each person who trains. It is worth taking one portion of the product, individually adjusted, immediately after strength training. In such a way, we will supplement the level of sugar in blood, thanks to which, we will create convenient conditions for our organism, that will be able to start regeneration processes. Certainly, the size of the portion should be adjusted individually. Our training goal and training intensity should also be taken into consideration, as obviously there are some people that should not use carbo.
Gainers for beginner
Gainers are protein-carbohydrate supplements, which usually contain 20-30% of protein, while the rest is constituted mainly by carbohydrates and small amount of fats. They are a great alternative for people, who have problems with providing large and appropriate amounts of calories from food and need supplementing it in the liquid form. They work very well as the complement of macronutrients after strength training, however, in this case, only carbo will be more appropriate. Gainer is not a “magical preparation” that builds muscle mass, as many people claim. We often hear the opinions that after regular use of gainers, their weight increased very fast and that they are very satisfied with this, but they don’t realize why it happens. It is the effect of positive caloric balance and as a result the gains in the form of additional kilograms. By their unconsciousness, they very often gain not only muscle mass, but mainly fat, as they drink one shake after another seeing higher and higher numbers on the scales. It is therefore worth taking into consideration the caloricity of the portion of the gainer during the day when we plan our diet.
Creatine for beginners
Many people ask themselves a question if it is worth reaching for creatine at the very beginning. Its activity has been scientifically proven and there is no doubt that it has a positive influence on the growth of muscle mass and strength regardless of our training experience – a week, month or year. I always highlight and try to make the beginners aware that properly customized dietary and training plan is the key to training effects. We will not build muscle mass and strength if we don’t make our caloric balance positive and it is not important here if we use creatine or not. If we have our menu under control ale we follow the diet, creatine is worth using after 2-3 months of regular trainings, in my opinion. After this time, our muscles are already accustomed to different training stimuli and an additive of creatine will be a beneficial solution.
Branch chained amino acids - BCAA for beginners
There are more and more controversies regarding the use and effect of branched-chain amino acids BCAA. However, in my opinion and on the basis of my own experience I can tell that this is the product that has a really good influence on the regeneration of our organism after hard strength training (certainly if it is used in proper amounts). Additionally, it protects our muscles against catabolism, i.e. deriving energy from muscle proteins, thanks to which we secure our muscle mass that we worked for from unwanted losses. This product usually is not the cheapest, but its use will definitely positively influence the effects of our training sessions.
NO Boosters and pre-workouts for beginners
I wouldn’t classify pomp boosters to the most important products that we should reach for at the very beginning of supplementation plan, however, it is worth paying attention to the benefits that they bring. The feeling of muscle pump during training with every subsequent repetition is nothing else like providing our muscles with a lot of blood. Along with blood, we provide them with macronutrients, which are the fuel for the organism and which contribute to building our musculature. The best combination of such boosters will be applying two, basic products at the same time: AAKG and citrulline malate. Such a set will cause the feeling of muscle pomp that you have never experienced before!
Vitamins and minerals for beginners
It is rarely the case that training people, especially beginners regularly carry out basic medical tests. They never really know if they lack certain vitamins or/and minerals, which during training are rinsed from the organism and we may easily lead to their deficits and, as a result, general weakness during the day or various temporary diseases. The best solution is supplementing them with a daily dose of vitamin-mineral stack, thanks to which we will not be worried about their proper and constant level.
One Comment