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If I had a dollar for every supplement question I was asked, I'd be a millionaire.
And that's unfortunate, because supplements are just that -they're supposed to go with your good training and nutrition, not take the place of them. No supplement takes the place of good hard work in the gym-- none.
But out of all the emails I get from people, most of them ask me which supplements they should use to build muscle, lose fat, or increase strength.
They don't ask me how they should train or what they should eat. They want to know which supplements to shell out their hard-earned money on.
And I blame this on the slick marketing done by supplement companies. They lead you to believe that by taking their protein powder or fat loss pills, they will pack on muscle, shed fat, and get the physique they always wanted.
With that said, there are some supplements that I feel are definitely worth taking. They will help you get the most from your weight training and nutrition. Again, they won't take the place of them. But they will maximize results.
So here is my short list of the best supplements to use to build muscle, lose fat, and improve your levels of fitness.
Protein powders
Protein builds muscle. The harder you train, the more protein your body needs to repair, rebuild, and nourish muscle tissue.
Protein is supplement #1 if you want to ensure muscle gains. The best protein sources are egg, milk, and whey.
Creatine
Creatine is a tested and proven strength and muscle-building supplement. Nothing else I've tried gives you the quick and noticeable gains as creatine does.
Creatine increases creatine phosphate storage in muscle tissue and attracts more water into each muscle cell, resulting in cell volumizing (swells up bigger). The bigger your muscle cells, the bigger your muscles!
Meal replacement powders
I'll repeat the necessities of gaining mu
scle --- eat often and train heavy.
In fact, it's best to be eating every 3 hours or right around there. Meal replacements make eating every 3 hours a snap. Not only that, it makes eating healthy a snap.
Meal replacements allow you to get the nutrient benefits of whole food meals without the simple sugars and fats you'd normally get.
Meal replacements are a no-brainer---use them often for gaining muscle and losing fat.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue.
It helps shuttle muscle-building nitrogen into muscle cells where it is used for muscle growth.
Glutamine also plays a major role in elevating growth hormone. Studies have shown that a 2-gram oral dose of glutamine elevated circulating growth hormone levels by over 400%.
Keeping a high level of circulating growth hormone helps keep the body in an anabolic, muscle building state more often.
Another huge benefit of glutamine supplementation is the positive effects it has on the immune system.
When your body requires L-glutamine to fight off infections or viruses, it will get it from muscle tissue, resulting in potential muscle loss.
When you supplement with glutamine, it can help protect the glutamine stores within the muscle tissue.
Protein Bars
These are great for when you're on the go and cannot make a whole food meal and cannot get a regular meal replacement. Keep a bunch of high quality meal replacement/protein bars with you somewhere at all times.
This way, if you can't make a meal, you can rip open a bar and get your much needed calorie boost.
Honestly, if you are going to shell out your hard earned money for supplements, you're best off choosing a couple from the list above.
I've put them in my order of importance, but they are all pretty important.
These are the cream of the crop, the ones that will bring you the best results possible.
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