Whenever I bring up the topic of bodybuilding supplements either at the gym, on the internet, or with friends and family members, a heated conversation always follows. Half of the people who I’ve talked to are for supplements, and the other half are against, but no one has ever given me a specific reasoning for their stance on the topic. I’ve heard everything from “supplements are dangerous” to “supplements are necessary”, but no one has ever given me their reasonings for WHY they think they’re dangerous or WHY they think they’re necessary.
I’m still learning a lot about supplements from my trainer, trusted, legitimate websites, and nutrition books, but my stance on the topic is that there’s no harm in taking supplements as long as they supplement your diet instead of replacing certain foods. For example, you shouldn’t rely 100% on protein powder for your daily protein intake because you should be getting the main bulk of your protein from meat, fish, tofu, eggs, beans, etc.
At the moment I’m only taking 2 supplements to help me reach my current health and fitness goals. In this post I’ve decided to share the products that I’m taking and in a follow up post I’ll explain more about why I take them. When my goals change there’s a possibility that my supplements will change as well, so if they do, I’ll write an updated post or update this one.
* Please keep in mind that I’m not a dietitian, nutritionist, certified trainer or coach. I have talked to my doctor, personal trainer, and nutrition coach about this topic and they all have all ok’d my diet and dietary supplements. I’m also not advising you to take supplements, I’m merely sharing what I take and how they help me out.
Cellucor C4 – Icy Blue Razz
I don’t take pre-workout before every single workout, but I do take a scoop of Cellular C4 if I’m feeling extremely tired or if I’m doing a workout after a long day of work/school. I know some people prefer drinking coffee or energy drinks, but I prefer to consume my caffeine in the form of 1 scoop (1 serving) of Cellular C4 in the flavor Icy Blue Razz 20 minutes before I start my workout (unless it’s a night time workout). Cellular C4 is a fast acting supplement that gives me powerful energy and a muscle pump without the tingly, uncomfortable feeling when it’s absorbed into my bloodstream.
Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Protein Isolate – Cafe Mocha
I find it the most challenging to hit my daily protein macros, so the easiest and fastest way for me to consume protein would be to drink a protein shake. Protein aids in muscle building, which is one of my current fitness goals. I consume Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Protein Isolate, which is lactose free and the best tasting protein powder that I have ever taken. I take 1 scoop of protein powder blended with a scoop of ice and lactose free skim milk after my workout and 1 scoop after dinner. The best part of this Dymatize Nutrition flavor is that it has replaced my coffee craving (it does contain caffeine) and it has 5.5g of BCAAs per scoop.
So there you have it, those are the two supplements that I’m currently taking. It you have any questions about the supplements that I’m taking, please leave them in the comments down below or on Twitter @pandamoniumpink. Bodybuilding.com is a great resource for information about supplements and they are also the biggest and cheapest online supplement retailer in North America.
Keep smiling,
Kels
