Supplement guidance

Yoel Bromero

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Hey guys, I usually stay in the mayberry and this is my first time on this board.

I'm 36 and have started working out for the first time in my life this year (lot of wasted time)

When covid hit I cleaned up my diet and cut out all bread, stopped drinking pop, no more beer (moved on to whiskey and ice) and started walking every night.

By mid September I had lost a tad over 50 lbs and felt great. Myself and a couple buddies pooled money and built a gym in a garage. Power rack, chin up bat, dip station, benches, lots of bands, lots of both plates and dumb bells. It's great.

Its changed my life and has become one my favourite things to do. I feel bad for not starting sooner. I think my diet is decent and I'm throwing weight around regularly, I'd like to add a new level to my game.

I know nothing about supplements, the only thing I do is try and eat lots of eggs on lift days.

Clueless about what I should be doing and when I start to look into it I get overwhelmed. Theres a ton of info about everything and everything is good and bad.

Posting this hoping to get some tips so i can start researching g something specific instead of just bombarding myself with info.

Should I be buying protein powder? Whey? Is there a non prescription testosterone worth checking out?

In looking to add a bit of size but nothing crazy, not aiming to be a big bulky dude.

6'3 and currently 207, ideally probably 220-225. Dropped from 261 and like the feeling of being lighter, I dont want to gain a lot of weight but I do want to grow a bit.

Thanks for taking the time to read fellas, looking forward to any and all advice.
 
That's awesome to hear! Sounds like you're making good progress and you've already made major changes necessary.

I'm not a supplement expert but here's what I do:

Creatine Mono. 5g a day every day
Vitamind D
Fish oils
Magnesium before bed

That's really it. Sometimes I add Glucosamine if any joints are banged up.
Whey protein is a good addition but it's more of a food replacement. I take a scoop with gatorade and creatine after each work out.
Never tried any test boosters so can't help you there. I would recommend trying creatine first by itself to see the results. It's difficult to know what's effective when you add everything at once. Although most supplements won't have any noticeable results anyways.

I've also never heard of lots of eggs on lift days but it's a good source of nutrition so probably has some merit.
 
Good job, man. I don't know shit about supplements. I take a few things, don't really know if they do anything. I would always have some whey protein available to make sure you get all your daily protein. It's fast and convenient.
 
Sounds like you're on the right track and congrats on the positive lifestyle change. It's great you have access to a power rack and on the off chance you're not already doing them, I highly recommend squats and deadlifts to gain muscle, athleticism and naturally boost testosterone. I got great results doing Stronglifts 5x5 from age 40, after 25 years of bro splits + running + combat sports. Have also heard good things about Starting Strength 3x5 but I think any squat and DL based program would be the fastest way to achieve your linear noob gains and build a strength base.

Re. supplements I tried the majority of OTC stuff over the years and I think creatine monohydrate is the only one that actually helps - when I used it I did 5 g/day. Whey protein is fine too but that's something you can also get from a clean diet. When I was trying to gain muscle my base meal was a big pot of boiled beef soup (leftovers would keep for 2 or 3 days), fresh veggies and fruits, and bought a rice cooker (get a zojirushi) and had some brown rice on there at all times. Pasta when you get sick of brown rice. Also whole milk. Eggs are great too.

And I'm no PED expert but I used to train with guys stacking gear - I did a cycle of oral Dbol back in the 90's but it wasn't my thing and have been natty since. But even if gear is your thing, I'd strongly suggest starting out natty to build and reinforce training discipline and clean eating habits. One of my buddies started stacking gear from untrained, and he never learned how to train properly or eat clean and looked like complete shit when he came off. No amount of supplements or gear are going to make you look and feel good if you don't have your training discipline and diet reasonably dialed in.
 
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That's awesome to hear! Sounds like you're making good progress and you've already made major changes necessary.

I'm not a supplement expert but here's what I do:

Creatine Mono. 5g a day every day
Vitamind D
Fish oils
Magnesium before bed

That's really it. Sometimes I add Glucosamine if any joints are banged up.
Whey protein is a good addition but it's more of a food replacement. I take a scoop with gatorade and creatine after each work out.
Never tried any test boosters so can't help you there. I would recommend trying creatine first by itself to see the results. It's difficult to know what's effective when you add everything at once. Although most supplements won't have any noticeable results anyways.

I've also never heard of lots of eggs on lift days but it's a good source of nutrition so probably has some merit.

Thank you!

Why 5g of creatine mono each day?

I sporadically take magnesium and fish oil, should be more diligent.

Eggs are a big part for me just bc my friend has chickens and they're super cheap.
 
Sounds like you're on the right track and congrats on the positive lifestyle change. It's great you have access to a power rack and on the off chance you're not already doing them, I highly recommend squats and deadlifts to gain muscle, athleticism and naturally boost testosterone. I got great results doing Stronglifts 5x5 from age 40, after 25 years of bro splits + running + combat sports. Have also heard great things about Starting Strength 3x5 but I think any squat and DL based program would be the fastest way to achieve your linear noob gains and build a strength base.

Re. supplements I tried the majority of OTC stuff over the years and I think creatine monohydrate is the only one that actually helps - when I used it I did 5 g/day. Whey protein is fine too but that's something you can also get from a clean diet. When I was trying to gain muscle my base meal was a big pot of boiled beef soup (leftovers would keep for 2 or 3 days), fresh veggies and fruits, and bought a rice cooker (get a zojirushi) and had some brown rice on there at all times. Pasta when you get sick of brown rice. Also whole milk. Eggs are great too.

And I'm no expert but I did a cycle of oral Dbol back in the 90's and trained around guys who used gear (they were on a lot of other stuff as well). Wasn't my thing and have been natty since. But even if gear is your thing, I'd strongly suggest starting out natty to build and reinforce training discipline and clean eating habits. One of my buddies started stacking gear from untrained, and he never learned how to train properly or eat clean and looked like complete shit when he came off. No amount of supplements or gear are going to make you look and feel good if you don't have your training discipline and diet reasonably dialed in.

Squats are my favourite! I was sketchy at first bc my brain kept telling me to get the bar lower so I'd cheat and bend at the waist. Lucky I didnt hurt my back or face plant..Once I got it in my head to drop my ass instead of my shoulders the world changed. Absolutely love leg days, favourite workouts.

Thanks for the diet tips!

Not looking to get into gear and blow up just really enjoying my new hobby and want to maximize my efforts.

We try and focus on form and more reps, none of us had done it before so not injuring ourselves was top priority. Definitely not looking to skip ahead like your friend, just want a little boost.
Thanks!
 
Good job, man. I don't know shit about supplements. I take a few things, don't really know if they do anything. I would always have some whey protein available to make sure you get all your daily protein. It's fast and convenient.

Do you use it everyday or just in a pinch?
 
Caffeine,
Whey protein,
Casein protein,
Creatin,
Carb formulations,
Multi vitamin and mineral supplements,
Omega 3 fat supps.


Protein at 1g/lb bw per day.
 
You honestly don’t really need any supplements. Most people are vitamin D deficient, so actually maybe take that.

Work on getting what you need through your diet.

Having a whey powder on hand if you need something in a pinch can be helpful, but it’s definitely not necessary.
 
Your biggest driver of success right now would be a structured lifting program that you can follow and progress on for months to come.
 
You honestly don’t really need any supplements. Most people are vitamin D deficient, so actually maybe take that.

Work on getting what you need through your diet.

Having a whey powder on hand if you need something in a pinch can be helpful, but it’s definitely not necessary.

To add to this logging your daily diet for a week or so on MyFitnessPal or Cronometer is a great way to see where your deficiencies lie. Like Jim said there's no reason to supplement if you don't really need to.

I guess the only thing I supplement with is a collagen powder if I don't have any bone broth ready. Sometimes vitamin D if I go long stretches without sunlight or salmon in my diet.
 
Thank you!

Why 5g of creatine mono each day?

I sporadically take magnesium and fish oil, should be more diligent.

Eggs are a big part for me just bc my friend has chickens and they're super cheap.
That’s just the way I learned and it works. I think there are studies that show a loading phase in unnecessary but don’t quote me on that.
 
That’s just the way I learned and it works. I think there are studies that show a loading phase in unnecessary but don’t quote me on that.

It is unnecessary. Creatine monohydrate is cheap and supplement companies suggest "loading" because you burn through the product faster.

Taking 5-10g per day will get you to the same destination, albeit in a slightly longer timeframe.
 
To add to this logging your daily diet for a week or so on MyFitnessPal or Cronometer is a great way to see where your deficiencies lie. Like Jim said there's no reason to supplement if you don't really need to.

I guess the only thing I supplement with is a collagen powder if I don't have any bone broth ready. Sometimes vitamin D if I go long stretches without sunlight or salmon in my diet.

I think vitamin D is probably a good idea for people year round. You can check your levels via blood work to see exactly how much you need.
 
I keep things pretty simple and just take whey protein, creatine and a multivitamin. I'll drink coffee or a Monster prior to working out if I'm feeling a bit sluggish. As others have mentioned, supplements aren't needed if your diet has it covered, and as the name suggests, they are there to supplement it, not be the main focus.
 
I wouldnt take any supplements especially not as a beginner. Just have fun and eat clean! I know, it's kinda stupid but try to reach your own limits without any help of creatin, pre workout boosters or something like that. Listen to your body and your good.
 
You honestly don’t really need any supplements. Most people are vitamin D deficient, so actually maybe take that.

Work on getting what you need through your diet.

Having a whey powder on hand if you need something in a pinch can be helpful, but it’s definitely not necessary.
Agree...get it from your food. A good balanced macro-based approach will provide the benefits you need when training. Caffiene is the pre-workout of choice for me.
 
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