My Guide to Supplements

Hi loves! Let’s talk supplements. Supplements can be extremely overwhelming, there are so many companies, types, ingredients and so on. It’s confusing! On top of that, you have the myths that “girls will get bulky or manly” or “supplements are for guys”. But once you see past those silly myths, supplements can actually help you take your physique to the next level!

Here is my go-to supplement guide for the ladies!

Whey Protein:  is a mixture of proteins isolated from whey, a milk based protein that is naturally low in calories. Whey helps build and maintain lean muscle. More muscle=faster metabolism! Whey is fast and easy to digest and when consumed it quickly breaks down in the body and sends aminos to the muscle tissue. I usually consume 30-60 minutes before or after a workout.

My favorite from Cellucor: COR-Performance™ Whey (I am loving the mint chocolate chip flavor!)

Casein: Unlike whey, casein is a slow-digestive protein. Casein provides the body with a dose of amino over a long period of time. However, it also helps with building and maintaining lean muscle. Casein protein powder has a higher calcium intake as well as boosting your protein intake, allowing you to maximize your fat loss benefits. In my experience casein is best consumed right before bed, allowing you to digest over night.

Multi-Vitamin: Pretty straight forward! Multi vitamins are the most popular supplement among men and women of all ages. They supply all of the vitamins and minerals we need that our diet may or may not be providing. Being deficient can effect you in ways that decrease energy, or can keep us from loosing fat and gaining muscle, so this one little vitamin can prevent all of those things! I take daily with food.

Fish Oil: Fish oil supplements provide a wide variety of health benefits. Fish oil contains two essential omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are termed “essential” because we need them for proper function, but our bodies cannot produce them. Thus, we must obtain them through food or supplements. Among the many benefits, fish oil can stimulate fat loss, as well as prevent a wide variety of illness.

Pre-workout: simply provides more energy for your workout, which can in turn improve strength and endurance. NO3 is Nitrate, an advanced compound found in pre-workouts that promotes energy and muscle pumps.

My favorite from Cellucor: C4 Extreme (I love the pink lemonade flavor)

BCAA:  stands for branched chain amino acid. BCAA’s make up approximately 1/3 of muscle protein. The benefits include reduced muscle fatigue, speedy recovery, decrease the loss of other amino acids from muscle during exercise and help the body absorb protein. A deficiency in any one of these aminos will cause muscle loss. I love taking my BCAA’s in a post workout shake.

My favorite from Cellucor: Alpha Amino Sports Drink OR B-BCAA

CLA: (stands for conjugated linoleic acid) is a naturally occurring fatty acid (a good fat found in meat, cheese and dairy) which promotes fat loss. A number of studies have demonstrated that CLA reduces fat mass, while increasing lean body mass.

My favorite from Cellucor: CLK or Super HD

My routine: I take whey, a multi-vitamin and fish oil daily and the others just depend on my goals at the moment! I am usually on and off with pre-workouts, same with BCAA’s. Casein is also a great way to fill you up after dinner if you’re still hungry or need something to cure that sweet tooth.

Overwhelmed yet? Don’t worry, if your just starting out we all start somewhere! There’s a ton to know about supplements, but my biggest piece of advice is to do your research! My most useful reference is bodybuilding.com, but there is so much out there on the internet, or talk to a trainer or nutritionist for advice. (I am not a trainer or nutritionist, just someone who has done my research and sharing from my experience.) Hopefully this helps you with a general understanding of a few supplements. And let me know if I can help in any other way!!

Cellucor is offering all Fitness & the City readers 25% off with the code CELLUCORFIT. The code is good for supplements on http://cellucor.com.

Enjoy!

This post was brought to you by Cellucor.