The Best Supplements for Bodybuilding

What are the Best Supplements For Bodybuilding? If you pay attention to the supplement ads, they all have the “magic formula” you didn’t know you needed. Many of these products are all hype with little if any results. But does that mean you should avoid all supplements? No way! You just have to know what to look for, and in this article you will learn what works. Ready? Then let’s go!

Choosing The Right Supplements

Once you have your nutritional program in place (high protein, moderate carbs, low fat, all clean sources), you should then add a supplement program. It’s important to remember that supplements are simply that, a “supplement” to your training and nutritional program. They will help, but they are not miracle workers, despite the hype to the contrary. 

Read The Label!

As noted but it bears repeating, the key to using supplements is to ignore the hype. You just have to read the “Supplement Facts” panel. You should be looking for full disclosure labeling, effective dosing, and ingredients that have solid research backing their effectiveness. I personally like to see branded ingredients. I also try to avoid any product with “proprietary blends” because you do not know how much you are really getting of any of the ingredients in the blend. In addition, I avoid any product with absurdly low dosages. 

Example

For example, Product A might have a “prop” blend totaling 5 grams and containing 8 ingredients. OK, what if citrulline and betaine are on the list, we’ll say first and second? The problem with the 5 gram dose is, you should have a minimum of 5 grams of citrulline by itself, never mind the other ingredients in the blend. Plus, betaine is usually dosed at 2,500 mg. That’s now 7.5 grams, and we still have 6 more ingredients!

On the other hand, let’s say you have an open label featuring 10 grams of citrulline and 2.5 grams of betaine. Which of the two products do you think will be more effective? 

Also, you might find products with one reasonably dosed ingredient, and several laughably dosed ingredients. For example, I have seen pump products with 4 grams of citrulline, which is about as low as you can go, then have 4-5 ingredients dosed at, say, 1 gram when they should be 3-5 times that amount. Don’t waste your time!

The Following Supplements Are The Ones You Should Focus On

Protein Powder

Protein is the most important macronutrient for the bodybuilder. Your nutritional program should include no less than 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day. That can be a lot of protein. If you want to be sure you reach your daily protein goals, adding a protein powder to your arsenal is not an option, it’s a must! 

It should come as no surprise that protein is critically important – it is the building block of several body structures, including skeletal muscle. It is also involved in thousands of daily functions that are essential to life. But no doubt the most interesting fact to the bodybuilder is that 60-70% of all protein in the body is located in the skeletal muscles.

I suggest the following product: Hi-Tech Precision Protein, which is tied into maximizing protein synthesis, a trigger of muscle growth.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine monohydrate first exploded onto the market in 1993 and transformed the supplement industry forever. Since then, it has become one of the most popular and most studied sports nutrition supplements in history. In fact, many studies have shown creatine to be very effective at boosting endurance, power and strength. 

It is also the original cell volumizer, which means it promotes water-based pumps. Since then, it has been shown to have many additional benefits, and the list seems to just keep growing. Despite a number of supposedly superior forms of creatine, I suggest micronized creatine monohydrate, such as AllMax Nutrition Creatine.

Pre-Workout

A good pre-workout should be exceptionally well dosed using effective ingredients that directly target all the workout performance pathways. If you haven’t used one, or think all you need is coffee, try a good one, such as Panda Supplements First Blood or Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode. Sorry, coffee, as great as it is, won’t get the job done as a pre-workout. 

Stim-Free Pump Pre-Workout

For those bodybuilders that want a stim-free option, many pump-based pre workouts also provide focus support. Good choices here are Gorilla Mode Stim-Free for a pure pump product, and Axe & Sledge Hydraulic V2 for one that provides both pump and focus ingredients. Besides being stim-free, this is a product you can use whenever you work out – even at night. 

Glycerol

Glycerol is a very impressive newer ingredient that will do a number of things. To begin with, it’s an osmolyte. That means it pulls water into your muscles for massive water-based pumps. In fact, you can expect unreal pumps, especially if you stack it with a good pre-workout (and drink a lot of water with it). The products I suggested in this article have other osmolytes and nitric oxide boosters, so expect mind-melting pumps. It will also improve hydration and noticeably extend your endurance. You’ll find an impressive 4 grams in Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode and their Gorilla Mode Stim-Free pre-workouts.

Vitamin – Mineral Formula 

Basic, yes, and also critically important. Why? Because you will not make gains if your basic health is compromised. The last you need are nutritional deficiencies, so think of a multi as good health insurance.Vitamins and minerals are known as micronutrients, and many of them directly impact various aspects of working out (things such as muscle contraction, for example). Therefore, grab a container of AllMax Nutrition VITASTACK and you’ll be all set. 

Prohormones

Yes, this is completely optional. Why? Because not everyone wants to get this hardcore. That said, are they effective? You betcha! But, you need to thoroughly research the topic, and the concept of a follow-up Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) program. Do not, I repeat, do not just buy a bottle or two and start using them. It doesn’t work that way. Read this article, go to this page to shop, then go to this page to shop PCT’s. 

The Best Supplements For Fat Loss

Remember that you must do some form of cardio to lose fat. You also have to burn more calories than you eat in order to experience the best results. In fact, if you’re going on a fat loss program, keep your protein intake high. Never cut protein! Start instead with sugary carbs. For the best results, you should cut 250 calories per day. After 2 weeks, if progress is slow, go up to 500 calories a day. Your suits should always be the sugary stuff first, then complex carbs and fat. 

With that in mind,regarding a supplement, I suggest Hi-Tech Lipodrene. This is the most effective thermogenic fat burner we carry. Yep, it’s stim-based. If you don’t want to use a stim-based fat burner, I would suggest Rule 1 Lean. This product has non-stim metabolism boosters as well as Grains of Paradise, which helps burn belly fat, and L-Carnitine, which helps convert fat into energy. 

Summary

In this article I have presented the best supplements for bodybuilding. Let me be clear, however, there may be other products I did not mention that could work well for many users. Not to mention, the industry is always coming out with impressive new products. Therefore, when you check out a supplement, remember to look past the hype, read the label and make sure it’s using an open label, effective ingredients, and effective dosages. In fact, look for branded ingredients, and take the time to read the research. With that in mind, don’t forget to stop by illpumpyouup.com and stock up!