Supplements Unlocked: A Guide to Training Without Limits

What supplements should I take? What do you take? What works, what doesn’t? How can I supplement without spending a lot of money? I’m constantly asked these questions, and here are the answers.

Originally, these were going to be sorted by goal, but since most of the athletes I talk to are trying to get bigger, stronger, and faster; I am writing this for them. At the bottom, I will list two supplements that are important for cutting fat.

The list is assembled in order of importance and effectiveness. All of the supplements on this list have results proven in peer-reviewed scientific journals, the highest standard. Simply put, if a supplement hasn’t made this list than it’s not worth your time or money. After I describe the supplement, I then make a recommendation and tell you the place you can find it locally at the lowest price.

1. Multi-vitamin

Boring…not at all. You were looking for some exciting cutting edge supplement that would give you steroid like results and #1 is a multi-vitamin? Yep! If you’re not getting the right doses of essential vitamins, you’re not going to get the powerful results of the other supplements.

70% of sedentary America is deficient in vitamins, that means they can’t heal as fast, they can’t recover from a long day, they are more stressed, their hormones are out of balance and a long list of more major problems. Well guess what? Athletes demand more from their bodies because of their workouts, so they need more of the same vitamins, almost all athletes are deficient. Supplement with a good multi-vitamin and your training results are going to JUMP!

I recommend Beverly International’s SuperPak. It is the best out there, and far better than the beloved Animal Pak. You can pick this up locally at Fitness Mania for $25. If you’re training without an MV now, then be prepared for big gains!



2. Protein/Carbohydrate Sports Drink

If you’re serious about building muscle then this better be in your arsenal. Here are the facts. When taken immediately after exercise (within 30 minutes) you recover 60% faster than if you just took protein after your workout and about 110% better when compared to water. This means your muscles heal with new growth 60-110% faster just by taking this supplement.

Why does this happen? It sparks a chain reaction of hormones and recovery mechanisms. Most importantly it refuels your glycogen levels and increases your insulin levels, which directly leads to muscle growth. Even though the process is complicated, you just need to know, it works! The best ratio is 4:1, carbs to protein, but 2:1 is sufficient.

Even though it looks disgusting, the taste isn’t bad, when you combine instant oatmeal with whey protein. Instant oatmeal has the right combination of simple carbs and complex carbs. Take 1 scoop of protein and 2 packets of instant oatmeal and mix well.

Or if you prefer to just buy it, the best one is Endurox R4, though it can get pricey. You can pick this up at Vitamin World in Vanity Fair for $31. I really recommend the whey protein/oatmeal combo because it is much cheaper.

3. Creatine Monohydrate

The most talked about supplement in the world. It is by far one of the best supplements for athletes because it extends endurance and increases lean body mass. Many people think that creatine is a steroid, but that’s a myth. Creatine is an amino acid, a building block of protein, found in the red meats of our diets. However, those doses are too small to get the effects we want, so supplementing is necessary.

It is safe. Creatine, as the most researched supplement on the market, has been more closely examined than even caffeine.

The key to its effectiveness is taking it the correct way. Getting results from creatine requires that you take it in the following way:

1. Loading Phase: When first starting on creatine your muscles have an insufficient supply so it’s necessary load them up to the right level. Do this by taking 20gms a day for 5 days. Take 4, 5gm doses throughout the day.

2. Continued Use: After the first 5 days, take 5gms per day to maintain that effective level.

3. Take your creatine with carbs. By mixing it into orange juice or Gatorade, your body absorbs the creatine more quickly and it gets into your muscles faster.


What about all the other types of creatine? They are a waste of time and money, none of them have been found more effective, but the marketing of supplement manufactures allows them to raise the price. Stick with the monohydrate version, it’s still the best.

Wal-mart carries a brand of supplements called BodyFortress. They sell a powder version of CM for around $8. Follow the rules and unlock some impressive results.


4. Whey Protein

Whey protein is the best form of protein because of its combination of amino acids and its ease of digestion. Any athlete looking to put on muscle needs to be consuming approximately 1gm of protein for every pound of body weight, which for many of us can become a challenge.

If you were to consume that much protein from food, you’d be eating a lot of meat and with that a lot of fat. It’s much easier on your entire body to supplement with a protein.

Optimum Whey is the best out there and it’s not expensive either. You can pick up a 5lb tub for $40 at Vitamin Shoppe. And remember that this also goes toward the carbohydrate/protein sports drink if you follow the oatmeal recipe.



There are other supplements out there that have been proven to be effective but for the goals of getting bigger and stronger while staying lean, these are all the supplements you need. If you can’t afford all of them, don’t worry about it but purchase them from the top down. If you can only afford one, pick number one. If you can afford two, pick number one and number two, and so on.

Cutting Fat

There are two important supplements for cutting fat:

1. Chromium

This mineral aids your body in the use of fat molecules. In the presence of additional chromium your body burns fat more quickly. Around 120mcg per day does the trick and it is contained in most multi-vitamins.

2. L-Carnitine

This substance is used to transport fat molecules into your cells to be burned for energy. Studies have found that by taking around 2g per day your body uses a higher percentage of fat for energy.

The cheapest way to use L-Carnitine is to buy it online from PureBulk.com. If you walk into VitaminShoppe and see how much it would cost you to supplement with this, you’d think I was crazy.



If cutting fat is your focus, these two supplements are a must.

Enjoy your new body!

ASK QUESTIONS:

With this post, I am sure there will be questions. Always feel free to ask and if parents have any concerns, again ask the question, I'll be happy to answer.

Make today your masterpiece,

NB