3 Best Supplements for Beginners

Okay so you started taking the first steps. You started working out regularly, making better food choices, drinking more water, taking your rest days seriously, stretching regularly, etc.

What's the next step to help you in your fitness journey?

Well, below I'll explain some of the benefits of the three best supplements I find to be most useful for beginners on their fitness journey. Now, before any fitness gurus go off on me. Let me explain a few things.

• Supplements are not USDA approved. We are believing the companies that these supplements are what they say they are on the label.
• Supplements are just that...supplements. They should be to add to your diet with any vitamins or minerals it may not be getting every day.
• Remember that with supplements- more is not always better. Yes these may be some beginners supps but honestly you may never need too much more depending on your goals.
• More is not always better when it comes to pricing/quality. Name brand Supplement companies may be the way to go but sometimes they aren't. It's important to read the labels and see what you're getting. For your convenience- I included the names of products with clickable links for some of them.
• Do not get carried away. There is no magic pill. There is no "Lose 20 lbs in two days" healthy way, no negative side effects.

Also, please let's note that these recommendations are for both men and women. Supplement companies picked up on the public being misinformed that women need different supplements than men. From there- they specifically targeted people and made supplements that are made 'just for women" or "just for men."Remember my second bullet point; Supplements just supplement your diet. Do you need different foods based on your gender? Didn't think so. Do you need different supplements/ food based on goals? Usually. These are just a few that are good for pretty much any goal. Now, obviously my recommendations may say "Men" or something on a product; Do a bit of research and look for the female alternative if you need to.

Alright, now that we got that out of the way...Here are the BIG 3!

Multivitamin

I know everyone skips this one and that's why I included it first in this list. A quality multivitamin can truly be one of the most beneficial things because it assures you that you will be getting quality, daily vitamins and minerals. If you're on a tight budget- there's plenty of easy options such as any One A Day multivitamin. However, if you're willing to spring for just a bit more- there are plenty of great options. I personally have experience with Optimen by Optimum Nutrition, Armor V by Muscle Pharm , and NOW Adam.

Fish oil

Fish Oil softgels are way more important in my opinion for beginners than anyone likes to give credit for. Why? Well, I have a few theories but to keep it short...it's not super marketable or trendy despite countless benefits. I can't even tell you the amount of people I know that take a pre/intra/post workout shakes and a weight gainer but skip a multivitamin and fish oil. It's ridiculous. Fish Oils contain Omega-3 essential fatty acids. These are deemed "essential," because your body can't produce them on its own. Some of the numerous benefits to supplementing with fish oil are Healthy heart function, healthy cholesterol levels, joint mobility, and overall health.

Some of the brands I have tried include Optimum Nutrition, Muscle Pharm, and some basic store brand ones (Costco).

Whey Protein

"But I don't want to get big/bulky- I want to lean down"

I can hear people saying it in their heads as they read this now. I can't think of a fitness professional that hasn't heard that in their career. It's almost become a right of passage.

Anyway, Whey Protein is a huge and quite possibly the most bang for your buck supplement out there! A quality whey protein supplement will help make sure you are getting enough protein through your day and because it's a convenient shake- you can choose your meal timing appropriately without having to eat a big steak at 8am.

Whey Protein is the fastest digesting protein out (everything being an off shoot- isolate, hydrosolate, etc. are all up for debate). Casein, Soy, Hemp, and more protein powders are all great and definitely have their place but again I chose to include whey in this article because I feel it should be a staple for everyone. Supplementing with whey protein will help build muscle, reduce recovery time between workouts, and other health benefits.

I can confidently say I have tried five times the amount of protein powders I am about to include but I'm trying to narrow it down to ones I truly recommend. I love and use today Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey. Quality runner ups are Pro Jym and Cellucor Cor.  EDIT*** MyProtein is my jam right now! MyProtein is a company a client of mine recommended to me. Some research online lead me to realize that not only are they of incredible quality but value as well. I like it a lot and it could become my new Go To!

There you have it

Three best supplements for beginners! I truly love writing these because if it helps any of the folks just starting out at all- it's beyond worth it. Thank you so much for reading and happy training!

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