This post could save you a ton of money…and maximize your muscle gains!

If you seen my recent article in which I created a workout from just 6 exercises, I thought I would apply the same logic to supplements.

I had asked myself the question, “If I had just 6 exercises for use for the best gains possible, what would they be?”.

So today I am asking myself…“If I had to choose the minimum number of supplements to maximize my gains, what would they be, and how many would I use?” 

ANSWER: There are 4 minimum supplements. Here’s what they are and how they work…

 

(1) WHEY PROTEIN

 

It’s just protein. While there’s nothing magical about it, and you can get all your protein from food, whey is the highest “bio-available” protein source, and it’s extremely convenient for meeting your daily protein needs (about 1g protein per pound of body weight). It’s also perfect for your post-workout protein fix when the last thing you want to do is eat a couple of chicken fillets (you can make some delicious bars, cookies and more with whey – see my recipes here).

Where To Get It:  (1) USA – Optimum Nutrition Whey (2) Europe – Impact Whey from MyProtein

How To Take It: Simply take when needed to hit your daily protein target. Ideally, take 40g in your post-workout shake after finishing a powerful THT workout!

 

(2) BETA-ALANINE

 

There is solid research regarding the efficacy of Beta-Alanine and it SHOULD play a regular role in your supplementation -especially if you are natural. Us natural lifters need all the help we can get to maximize gains without resorting to injecting hormones. When something comes along that actually works – that’s a rare thing! Take advantage of it.

For example, this study [1] showed beta alanine supplementers gained an extra 1lb of muscle over 8 weeks as compared to the placebo group.

WHERE TO GET IT: USA: Beta-Alanine     UK/EUROPE Beta-Alanine

HOW TO TAKE IT: Take 2-5g split into 2 servings. Take 1 serving before training.

 

NOTE: By the way, beta-alanine is 1 ingredient of my powerful HOMEMADE PRE-WORKOUT supplement. I can give you my easy recipe for a KILLER pre-workout for pennies on the dollar (as compared with store-bought brands). It’s completely free and I highly recommend it. Popular brands are laden with filler ingredients that do nothing and “proprietary blends” to hide the fact that they are under-dosed. My version is POTENT and ridiculously cheap. Just enter your details below to get it immediately – don’t worry, I operate a completely zero-spam policy.

 

(3) CREATINE

 

Creatine works [2] [3]. And yes, it’s safe [3]. Forget the hype surrounding other forms of creatine. The real research shows that monohydrate is the superior form [4] [5]. Creatine allows you to do more reps and use heavier loads thereby creating more growth stimulation. Importantly, it also helps preserve your hard-earned muscle when you are shredding fat to get a six-pack.

Where To Get It: In the US, you can get a high-quality, cheap Creatine here. If you’re in Europe, you can get a fantastic (and cheap) Creatine here.

How To Take It: Take 5g in your post-workout shake – yes AFTER your THT training sessions – just add it to your whey. I do recommend “loading” with creatine first before this maintenance phase (get details on how to load here).

 

If you haven’t already done so, download my totally free 3-day and 5-day/wk THT training routines; just enter your details below for immediate download. It will tell you the best exercises to use, the best rep ranges, the right number of sets to do, the best training frequency – everything you need for the best gains ever in the shortest amount of time! Don’t worry, there’s no spam, no BS, no weirdness. You’re about to get the best gains of your life…

(4) CAFFEINE

 

It’s so common that people don’t think about it. But caffeine is one of the most powerful bodybuilding supplements/drugs when taken before training. Yes it’s a drug – a psychoactive drug.

Caffeine can reduce perceived effort, pain, and increase muscle contractility. Simply, it works to increase workout performance.

Where To Get It:

USA: Cheap Caffeine here

UK/Europe: Cheap Quality Caffeine

 

That’s about it! Anyone wanting that extra edge on a shoe-string budget should grab these 4 supplements above all others. Enjoy your gains ~ Mark McManus 🙂  Add me on facebook here for my latest tips.

P.S. I know that putting together a diet for mass gains or getting shredded abs can be a pain in the butt, especially if you are new to this – that’s why I offer a service where I will do all the tough ground work for you.
You probably don’t know how many calories you need, or how many grams of protein, carbs or fat you need (based on your personal stats)…BUT I DO. Then I can take these numbers and create an exact meal plan for you to hit those numbers spot on! You’ll know what foods to eat and even when to eat them. All you have to do…is do it. No thinking involved. If you’d like me to take care of this for you, see the Get Me Shredded option on my Coaching Page here.

References

[1] Effects of β-alanine supplementation on performance and body composition in collegiate wrestlers and football players. Kern BD, Robinson TL. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Jul;25(7):1804-15.

 

[2] Creatine: a possible stimulus skeletal cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Recent Adv Stud Cardiac Struct Metab. 1975;8:467-81.[2] International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise.

 

[3]“Creatine monohydrate is the most effective ergogenic nutritional supplement currently available to athletes in terms of increasing high-intensity exercise capacity and lean body mass during training.”

 

[4] Kre-alkalyn® supplementation has no beneficial effect on creatine-to-creatinine conversion rates. Tallon MJ and Child R

 

[5] Creatine ethyl ester rapidly degrades to creatinine in stomach acid. Child R, Tallon M: Abstract presented at 4th annual conference of the ISSN 2007.

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