It seems like we live in an era where everyone is either a fitness model, an Instagram model, a fitness instructor or a blogger looking to make a quick buck and a name for themselves. With that being said, the fitness world is full of gimmicks and people who claim to know the best way to make that beach body, when in reality, most of these people have no clue what they’re talking about, so they go around spreading misinformation.
The truth is, nothing can replace hard work at the gym. However, even if you become a gym rat, you might not get the results you want in the time frame you want, because the fitness lifestyle neither starts, nor ends in the gym. It begins the second you wake up and head to the kitchen to grab your breakfast. Proper nutrition combined with lifting weight is most certainly the only way you’ll reach your fitness goals.
Then, you have all these people claiming that there are these miraculous supplements that will turn you from Jonah Hill into Channing Tatum overnight. While bodybuilding workout supplements can help you reach your fitness goals, they do so by helping you reach your daily macronutrient requirements for optimal muscle recovery, growth and energy.
That being said, I’m not saying you shouldn’t use bodybuilding workout supplements, I actually encourage their use. What I’m saying is, don’t drink a protein shake in the morning, then eat a burger in the afternoon, without going to the gym. The protein shake won’t miraculously make you stronger nor more fit. For the sake of helping you out to reach your fitness goals faster, here are the top three bodybuilding workout supplements that can help you reach your macronutrient requirements.
Protein
Discussing protein powders is similar to discussing sports – everyone has a biased opinion about them. There are literally thousands of different brands, and everyone on Instagram with a few thousand followers claims their brand is the revolutionary one that will make your booty and thighs grow overnight. But the truth is, different proteins serve different purposes. Some are for people who want to stay lean, while others are for people who want to build lean muscle. There are also some that contain a lot of calories for people who want to gain some weight.
Regardless, if you’re looking to buy protein powder, just make sure it’s whey. Whey is unarguably the most tried and proven supplement, because it contains high levels of leucine (BCAA, that we’ll discuss shortly), which is 100% scientifically proven to promote muscle protein synthesis. Don’t believe me? Here.
BCAAs
BCAAs can be a great addition to your diet as they help your body during and after working out. BCAAs are a mix of three key amino acids: the aforementioned leucine, valine and isoleucine. These amino acids are essential for muscle recovery and repair, and their sole purpose is to help muscles recover faster after a strenuous workout. Additionally, they prevent the production of cortisol, which is a hormone with the opposite function of testosterone, whose sole aim is to crush your hopes and dreams. However, you’ll have to remember to take BCAAs throughout the entire day in order to get the best results out of them.
Creatine
Creatine is unarguably as close as you’re going to get to a magic pill in the world of supplements. Although many people argue against creatine, hear me out – it’s not the real enemy. Creatine is a performance enhancement “drug”, but it doesn’t magically make you stronger. It simply helps you boost your body’s production of adenosine triphosphate, which is a chemical that aids growth under stress and muscle repair. That’s it. Creatine won’t magically increase your reps by 10 or your weight by 10kg. And while the results from using it can vary from person to person, it is absolutely 100% proven it has a positive impact on most people that take it.
