I am a late adopter of adding supplements into my regimen for a few reasons (err excuses...). I couldn't quite justify the additional cost, I wasn't sure where to start, and I was a bit skeptical of certain supplements and their claims. Now that I'm feeling the effects of putting hours in everyday at the gym I decided it was time to do the research and invest in myself. I've researched every supplement here, as I do pretty much anything that goes into my body and found that this stack is pretty typical for those lifting weights and it works with my budget. The stack below cost me $90 plus the cost of protein. Now these are not magic pills to burn fat or pack on massive muscle mass.
Supplements support my active and demanding weightlifting and cardio regimen to keep my body replenished and healthy to avoid overtraining.
The benefits of supplements are usually only looked into for a cure or quick fix, when they should be used daily. Whether its green tea, coconut oil, flax seed, glutamine, spirulina, calcium, or primrose oil (I'll soon add this to my arsenal).
Don't wait for symptoms, aches, and pains to creep in before starting some form of supplementation.
These are the supplements in my daily regimen:
- Protein
- BCAAs
- Glutamine and L-Carnitine
- Magnesium
- ACG3
Protein
Currently in my supplement arsenal, I have Protein, of course. I usually use a pea protein or vegan protein. They cost $5-20 more than your typical whey protein, but it is worth it. Think about it, this is what your body is using to rebuild itself. I feel that using a high quality plant based organic protein, like hemp, spirulina, pea, and rice is the better choice when I can afford it, but I do opt for other proteins to try a new flavor, (all those added chemicals and coloring really do taste yummy!) or mix up my protein bar recipes.
BCAAs
Also in the mix, is Cellucor's Performance Aminos, their BCAA blend in watermelon. Yum! Cellucor's blend has your standard BCAA's--essential for building protein, amino acids, and electrolytes from coconut water to stay hydrated.
Glutamine
I also have GNC's brand of glutamine and L-Carnitine in the blue container which I drink throughout the day to keep my glutamine levels up. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and is used to regulate acid and ammonia levels in the body, replenish cells in the lining of the gut, and supports the liver and kidneys. With so much glutamine going to detox and renew the body, its important to supplement with it so your muscles don't hog all of the immune supporting glutamine. It also helps with muscle soreness and recovery. Yeah, its pretty awesome and it comes in fruit punch.
L-Carnitine
This blend also has L-Carnitine, a cool little amino acid that escorts long chain fatty acids right into the mitochondria to be burned for fuel, rather than say, your body using your hard earned muscles as fuel when your tank is low. Pretty neat right?
Then there's Natural Calm--a magnesium supplement with loads of benefits.
It turns out, magnesium is responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues — but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax. A supplement that saves me from possible debilitating leg cramps (yes, I had a foot cramp that left me paralyzed on the floor last week for 10 minutes.....not fun!) and helps me sleep, um, yes, and yes, sign me up.
ACG-3
Aaaand of course, I use ACG3 pre workout with watermelon. It gives me an extra boost of energy and focus during my workouts without any of the jitters I've found in other pre workout mixes.
Aaaand of course, I use ACG3 pre workout with watermelon. It gives me an extra boost of energy and focus during my workouts without any of the jitters I've found in other pre workout mixes.
What are your favorite supplements? Let me know in the comments below. :)
