For beginner bodybuilders, what you do in the gym is all that matters. If you train hard enough, you make gains. The food you eat doesn’t matter, because you can grow off of Pepsi and cookies at this point. When you become an intermediate bodybuilder after a few years of training, things change. Suddenly, you need better nutrition in terms of protein (300+ grams per day) and carbohydrates (clean, slow burning sources such as past, rice and beans). Fats also play a key role in organ health and muscle gains. You adjust your diet as an intermediate, and you see growth once again. All is good.

You’re now ready to graduate from intermediate status. Gains are taking longer to arrive, and they are quite dependent upon your getting your training and nutritional factors perfect. Suddenly you’re ready for that third dimension of bodybuilding success – supplementation. It’s not the toughest aspect to nail down. Here are a couple of bodybuilding supplementation mainstays that no bodybuilder should be without.

Whey protein

One to three servings per day will provide you with complete profile proteins, and very convenient meals. Use it!

Creatine

It’s the most popular supplement in the history of supplement sales, and for very good reason. Creatine actually works. It helps your body to retain more water, which makes you stronger in the weight room and looking bigger all over. Drink plenty of water with it to avoid dehydration and cramping.

Glutamine

Bodybuilding is a rough sport which certainly does have a negative effect upon your immune system. The nonstop training, cardio, and occasional dieting leave your central nervous system dragging, and your body ripe for infection. Glutamine helps to prevent this by boosting your immune system to a point where you are practically bulletproof against illness, no matter how many bodybuilding protocols you factor in.

Caffeine

Looking for a boost for your energy levels and fat-burning processes? Caffeine will do just the trick. A small cup of green tea in the morning or afternoon will help you kick things into gear. Be sure to skip it once or twice per week in order to avoid becoming addicted to the caffeine, which will nullify its effects completely!

Fish oil

Your Omega-3s’ are wildly important not just for muscle-building processes in your body, but also for the growth of new muscle tissue. Plus, you reduce your chance of death from sudden heart attack by half with thrice-daily use of Omaga-3’s. Use them!

Mystery guest

In addition to these tried-and-true stalwarts of bodybuilding supplementation listed above, you should consider the use of one new compound every few months. Remember that glutamine, whey, and creatine all started at one time as a wild and crazy idea in the pages of a muscle magazine. The belief that “supplements don’t work” is only right some of the time. Other times, they do work, and very well at that. Devote two months of use to each supplement you choose to use, and record your results with great detail. If it works for you, add it to the regular rotation and try something else. If it doesn’t, then take a break then try something else.

If you like this article, click here to share: