Top 5 supplements everyone should take

1. Whey protein powder:

I personally recommend protein powders because they are one of the most effective ways to intake the minimum amount of protein required if you workout. When you are actively training with weights and striving to maintain or build lean muscle you must be consuming 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. Many people especially women who can’t afford to consume a lot of calories have trouble getting in that amount. There is no easier and effective way to get those calories in than with whey protein powder.

2. Protein bars:

In a similar explanation as to whey protein powders, protein bars make it easier to consume the minimum amount of protein required to hit your macro goal. The one thing you must be careful with when taking protein bars is that they have a higher amount of calories per serving since they also have fat and carbs in their makeup. They are convenient and most nowadays are delicious.

3. Pre-workouts:

I love pre-workouts because they contain all the necessary elements I need to improve my performance. A good preworkout has caffeine, creatine, citrulline malate, and betaine at the very least in the right dosage in order to be effective. Believe it or not a good pre-workout can significantly enhance your performance. If you require a stimulant free pre-workout it should have everything I aforementioned with the exception of caffeine or any other stimulant. 

4. Fat burners:

I recommend fat burners in the event that money is of no importance to you. I stopped taking fat burners personally about a year ago because I have achieved my goal body fat. When it comes to fat burners the most they help on a daily basis is burning about 40-60 calories extra due to their thermogenic effect on your body. If you do the math that equals about one pound of body fat every 2-3 months. For me at the point where I am at it’s not worth it. However, for someone who has a long way to go to reach their ideal body fat it may make sense. With that said, on a bodybuilder one pound of body fat can be significant over a 12 week period. In conclusion, they are helpful but not necessary.

5. Omega Fish Oil:

I recommend Omega Fish oils for heart health and their anti inflammatory effects. Like protein powders and bars you have to be careful as they do have calories. Many people do not know that 1 gram of fat carries 9 calories and this can be significant in a nutrition program. Just an extra 10-30 calories a day can make all the difference in the world as to whether you gain or lose body fat over an extended period of time.

Honorable Mention: Multivitamins and ZMA

Many people out there don’t believe in vitamins because they believe that we can get everything we need from food sources. I’m not going to say this is false because it’s absolutely possible. You just need to eat a substantial amount of food especially with the poor quality of food we have today. There are so many vitamins and minerals that you need in specific quantities that it’s virtually impossible to get everything! This is where multivitamins come in. 

I highly suggest you compliment your nutrition program with multivitamins. You do not lose anything by taking them, they are relatively inexpensive, and can provide you with significant benefits. I even like to compare multivitamins to fat burners. When your body has all of it’s vitamins and microminerals in check your body will feel better, you’ll have more energy, more focus, which all in all will help you perform, burn more calories, and lose more weight.

I also suggest you take ZMA if you take a multivitamin. A multivitamin should not have ZMA included in their formula. You must take them separately.