Supplements and small advantages

[Carl1174]

Ill take any help where i can, if it is financially viable to do so. I use protein as its easier to get in my protein levels that way and i use BCAA's as i have read up a lot on them and although there isnt really a noticeable difference in recovery, they are (supposed to be) muscle sparing when trying to lose fat and retain muscle. If they help me keep even an extra 5% muscle over not taking them then they are worth it in my head. Luckily i get plain BCAA's from my mate who owns a supp shop and they cost me just £25 for a kilo of them, which for even 5% extra muscle retention, for me, is a cert. They taste like sh*t though

Carl.

[MC]

Originally Posted by Carl1174

... and i use BCAA's as i have read up a lot on them and although there isnt really a noticeable difference in recovery, they are (supposed to be) muscle sparing when trying to lose fat and retain muscle. ...

Carl,
This is exactly the point to which I was referring earlier. You are taking something where you don't feel anything, but you BELIEVE works. I wonder just how many of the supplements (besides protein, creatine and gear) really do much of anything. I wonder if the whole industry is just riding a huge wave of our collective placebo effects.

[MAiNeIAC]

IMHO food trumps supps everytime... the only real STAPLE I have is a good multi; like animal pak... as far as anything, I could do without. I like a good test booster, but not really for the gym, hehe..

[therealmarcogalindo]

Zma can be a great product from time to time..

[Rich Knapp]

I have a large sup regiment but its due to my physical nature. For people that can walk and burn the calories Food is king.

They call them supplements for a reason.

Tweaking sups or sups to help aging people function like a 18 year old or help preserve hard earned muscle are fine I think (natty test boosters or HMB's) , but the world has gotten to magic pill happy.

Unpractical things like food in the gym - BCAA.

A jar of Pickled Herring a day will keep the Creatine levels topped off but I hate Herring and would never burn the calories.


But yes, Food is king.

[Rich Knapp]

Originally Posted by Carl1174

Ill take any help where i can, if it is financially viable to do so. I use protein as its easier to get in my protein levels that way and i use BCAA's as i have read up a lot on them and although there isn't really a noticeable difference in recovery, they are (supposed to be) muscle sparing when trying to lose fat and retain muscle. If they help me keep even an extra 5% muscle over not taking them then they are worth it in my head. Luckily i get plain BCAA's from my mate who owns a supp shop and they cost me just £25 for a kilo of them, which for even 5% extra muscle retention, for me, is a cert. They taste like sh*t though

Carl.

BCAA mostly are a base to trigger Protein synthesis/muscle sparing. Thus sparing muscle tissue when you work out and burn stored fat and carbs as fuel. Its not intended to be a jump in your face I feel better sup even though some products lead you to believe it.

Some sups have a underline use, like Glutamine. Heck I take it for my nerve health but it is promoted for other things.

This is were people need to do research on things in non body building sites were you get results non bodybuilding related and have a sup company add on the next page for there version.

[BigFiveFive]

Food is definitely king Rich.

But for those lurking and wondering. Here's my opinion and experience with supps.
Ive pretty well taken all the basics and the most popular routinely used supplements.

Test boosters for the most part are garbage, of course its easy for me to say that because I'm so young, but regardless, small increases in strength while on them, takes a long time to get active in the body, dont waste time/money IMO.

I PERSONALLY haven't had luck with any types/brands of creatine, doesn't matter the form it's in, it just doesn't do me any good. Little fuller looking, doesn't seem to help with recovery that much, and is usually expensive, if it's not expensive it tastes terrible.

BCAAs, One supplement I would ABSOLUTELY recommend, I see the most results from this supp both on and off. While using BCAAs I always feel better in the gym, less fatigue, great for recovery, and also muscle hardness. Another good plus is it helps fight hunger when dieting, start getting hungry and its meal time... sip some BCAAs. Ive actually noticed when I run out for a extended amount of time (2+ weeks) That my muscle hardness actually seems to fade a bit and I fatigue more in the gym and my workouts. Good product to incorporate.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/sto...mortar-cf.html

EFAs/Joint support/Multi-Vitamins -All of these are a must IMO, try to look for a quality brand with good/many reviews and supplement them every day as directed, never skip out. They really do help your body/health and will in the long run.

Protein/Isolate/Whey/Casein -Good to use in a high protein diet, again find a good quality/brand with good/many reviews and be sure to watch the macro breakdowns and read the labels, many protein manufacturers will add creatine monohydrate to their whey, which is usually great, unless you're already supplementing it. Then you wind up running to the bathroom with the squirts...yep. Pay close attention to labels when using these.

Pre-Workout(In general) The most popular, talked about, reviewed, supplements. Everyone is always looking for the edge when it comes to PreWorkout and there are TONS of PWO products, its a good idea to try things out yourself (samples) and again, read labels and reviews. Personally, I cant take anything with NO in it, monster headaches, sure it gives me one of the best pumps, but no focus and a huge migraine. So I stick to products without NO in them. Find what you like. I would recommend trying a pre-workout, but honestly feel they arent necessary, you should ALWAYS be pumped about smashing weights!
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/pump-fixx.html

Stimulants/Fat Burners -Well, I can't really say I believe in the term "fat burner" when talking about stimulants, I feel like it's saying something its not. However, stims can be used to increase energy and resting heart rate and exercise heart rate, to thus induce more of a "fat burning" effect. There are some good ones out there, Im not really a big fan of them, but will implement them into my prep when it gets close to show time and I need to dig deep.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/vapor-xt.html

Sleep Aiding agents- Never was a true believer in them, had tried some ZMA a few times and melotonin. No drastic changes in sleep or mood really. BUT, and im not just saying this because I represent and am sponsored by the company, Advanced Muscle Sciences Nocturnabol has worked for me these last couple weeks, the first few days 3-5 i couldnt really tell a difference and I thought it was another dud, but my sleep has really improved as my carbs are being reduced. Missed a dose the other night and slept like complete crap and delt with some lucid dreaming, which if youve done it before you know SUCKS!
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/store/nocturnabol.html

There are many products and supplements to give you an "edge" but remember, they're available to everyone else too, so really, there isnt any edge when it come to supplements, they've been around forever and always will be. The real edge is knowing your own body and how it reacts to the ULTIMATE supplement... FOOD!

[big_swede]

Well said 55.

[BigFiveFive]

That's why they pay me brother.

[MMA Max]

Pre work out -adren.O.lyn cuts , it has zero creatine but has some fat burners in,it, good amount of caffine
Then its over to animal on whey 10lbs for 70.00 bucks , along with joint support, fish oils and thats it

Test boosters are junk along with the rest of magic potions. Every now and then i dabble in a ph like t13 and tri stack, thoae are off the chain and,work,like ninjas but in,the end eating a steak, potato and greens will do more for you