Weighlifting Supplements for Beginners
By Franco Ruggiero, a student at Bergen Community College.
You have now taken on the new lifestyle and commitment of bodybuilding. You have begun lifting weights consistently and have made a diet plan to meet your current goals. Now, you want to take your progress yet another step and are looking into weightlifting supplements.
Supplements by definition are nutritional aids to help support and further your bodybuilding lifestyle. They are not to be used as a complete substitute for food. Supplements basically aid you in giving your body nutrients it is not receiving from food. For example, if you are not receiving enough vitamin C from your diet, you may want to strongly consider going to the health food store, such as a GNC or Vitamin Shop and picking up some tablets or capsules of vitamin C depending on whatever dosage your physician suggests.
Choosing Muscle Supplements Can Be Overwhelming for Beginners
Picking supplements can be a very difficult and confusing task for the new bodybuilder. The health food stores are not like they were 15 years ago. When you walk into a health food store today it is like walking into a small supermarket. Most health food stores carry an extremely large amount of supplements. If you are a young bodybuilder who doesn't know much about resistance training and how nutrition plays a huge role with it, you can easily make the wrong decision with your purchase. Even worse, be mislead. Some commission-hungry store salesman would see your lack of knowledge as a chance to have you leave the store loaded with expensive supplements you don't need but also can be harmful to you.
Three Macronutrients
The best way for a young bodybuilder whose knowledge is limited to go about proper supplementation is to keep it simple.
You have to first make sure you need supplements. If you are getting the correct amount of macro nutrients that support your current bodybuilding goals, such as protein, fat, and carbohydrates from your diet, you don't need supplements or at least nothing that deals with the three macro nutrients.
Protein
If you aren't getting the proper amount of protein (1.5 grams per pound of body weight), then it is strongly urged that you buy a whey protein supplement if you want to make gains in the gym.
Creatine
A creatine supplement is another good recommended supplement Creatine is a compound that is used to bring energy to our muscles. It is made in the pancreas, kidneys, and liver transported to the body's muscles through the bloodstream. Once it reaches the muscles, it is converted into phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate). Phosocreatine is a high-powered metabolite which is used for the regeneration of the muscles' best energy source, ATP.
It would be better to stay away from creatine-monohydrate because that will typically make you retain water. You should buy creatine malate. Products containing Creatine Alpha-Ketoglutarate are also good choices. Anavol or Cell Mass would be excellent examples of those types of sources. Many protein supplements now have a significant amount of creatine in them already so purchasing a creatine supplement may not be necessary.
NO-Xplode and NO2
Many bodybuilders find it difficult to stay energized through out the duration of a workout or even worse, to show up to a gym at all on some days. An energy booster such as an NO-Xplode would be an excellent supplement to help relieve fatigue and lazy feeling. BSN Nitrix
is a supplement that contains nitric oxide and caffeine to give you the boost you need to have a great workout. This is recommended to new and experienced bodybuilders because everyone has days where they may feel less energized.
Multivitamin: Animal Pak
A multivitamin would be another excellent supplement for a beginner to incorporate. Multivitamins make sure your body is receiving all the vitamins and minerals it needs so it can perform its best. I'd recommend
Universal Animal Pak
because it has been around for quite a number of years and very few guys say anything negative about Animal Pak. It is a high powered multivitamin specially geared towards well trained athletes and bodybuilders. Animal Pak also provides you with all the amino acids that your diet or whey protein supplement might not provide. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and if your body has the optimal level of amino acids, there is a good chance that can ultimately muscle growth.
For a new bodybuilder, I think a whey protein, creatine, energy booster, and multivitamin are the best supplements you cannot go wrong with. Those are the basic bread and butter of bodybuilding supplementation. Of course everyone has their own nutritional sensitivities and therefore those who are new using supplements should consult a physician before starting. Also check your current food diet to see what you really need because too much of any nutrient, vitamin, or mineral can be harmful towards your health. However, these supplements, if used correctly, will play immensely important roles in your training and bodybuilding career with the features they provide for your performance. ; Just keep it simple and read the labels carefully once you've made the right supplement choices, let the gains begin!
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