I would like some advice on what is really a staple. I have been considering costs etc. recently, and while it is worth it to me to buy a supp that I really feel works, there are a few that I am not positive of the benefits given my current goals, which are lean mass gain.
My staples already:
-Surge
-Flameout
-protein powder (whey for morning+workout, casein before bed)
Now, I have also been using ~10g. added BCAAS during workouts and have been trying Se7en. However, I am not sure if these are worth the cost.
Since I am eating surplus cals (slightly) are the BCAAS necessary? What about Se7en? Will they promote MORE gains? Will they promote LEANER gains?
Also, for the price of Se7en I could be taking an extra 15g. of BCAAS in per workout - would that be more beneficial?
Hey Sarah, not knowing you, other then your log, I can only give ya what I believe to be the basics for me:
My absolute basic staples are:
-Flameout
-creatine
-bcaa’s
-zma
When I have an excess of cash I buy protein, of these creatine & Flameout are the ones that I actually notice working. Zma hooks up my dreams, & bcaa’s are just like insurance. Have nothing to say about Se7en no experience.
No one can tell you which products will work best for you. You simply need to experiment and find this out for yourself.
Creatine monohydrate is a good example. Most people notice a significant cell volumizing effect from it, but there are a small percentage on non-responders. This is likely the case with many supplements.
For what it’s worth, I’m a big fan of Se7en, and Methoxy-7 before it. I’ll probably start using again soon now that I want to lean up.
Looks like you got the basics. Haven’t tried BCAAs, although I believe they give you amino acids that you miss while dieting…hence they’re a dieting supplement, not a bulking one. They might not be necessary if you’re adding lean muscle.
The first base when it comes to our goals is optimum health. Flameout, Superfood, ZMA, and REZ-V, are supplements that build this foundation of good health. They are products I would recommend for training or non training individuals. You need to stay healthy to continue to train hard and recover in the first place and these products help to ensure that.
The next layer would be for a hard weight training person and I would consider Surge, Metabolic Drive or Grow! Whey, and BCAA’s, around training to be staple supplements for those in this category.
Other supplements can then be narrowed down to specific desires or goals such as boosting Testosterone levels for guys or fat loss for both guys and gals.
I think the three you’re taking are the staples. I would take Surge after workouts and Flameout regardless. Protein powder I use because it’s convenient, but I try to get more of it from actual food.
If you’re not that muscular, not on a calorie deficit, and you’re eating on a regular basis (every 3-4 hours), then the BCAA’s are not necessary. It may help a little, but won’t help as much as it does others. Some like to take a small dose at night for insurance. I usually take a bit of Surge during my workout (instead of the entire thing after) instead of BCAA’s separately, and for me it’s been about the same, so experiment.
In a more long term perspective, you could consider Superfood and REZ-V staples. However, yeah I agree, they’re expensive.