5 Essential Supplements For Your Home Workouts
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/customer/www/whichhomeworkout.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/flavor/functions/reviews.php on line 376
Most people agree that supplements are essential accessories to any training program. Whilst a small number of people justifiably believe that goals can be reached without supplements, almost everyone agrees that using supplements to boost your intake of much needed protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals can assist you in reaching, and even surpassing, your goals faster than you might without using them.
It’s important to be aware of what supplements you should consider to be essential but it’s just as important to be aware of the supplements to avoid. Many supplement manufacturers will tell you that you need all of their products. This simply isn’t true.
A lot of products were developed with the right intention, but are simply unnecessary because you probably get enough of whatever nutrients are in that product from your diet anyway. Take, for example, green tea extract: it’s a wildly popular supplement as green tea itself is known to contain many antioxidants and can increase your metabolism, however, is it really worth shelling out $10 to $15 (or more!) for a product in capsule form when you can get some actual green tea for a couple bucks and actually enjoy consuming it, rather than necking more capsules?
Another example of a supplement to avoid is weight-gain shakes. Sure, they contain the 1,000 calories per serving you might need if you’re a skinny guy (or girl) looking to put on weight, but the simple fact is those 1,000 calories aren’t from good quality nutrients: weight-gainers are typically developed using cheap filler ingredients such as dextrose or other sugars.
Below I have listed what I believe to be the most essential types of supplements. I have also stated my recommended product for that category of supplement. In some cases, I have stated an secondary product as an alternative.
Read on or jump to a particular category using these links:
 |
Whey ProteinRecommended Product: Shakeology by BeachBodyWhy is Whey Protein essential and why this particular product? I avoided Shakeology for quite a while at first for two reasons: firstly, because I thought it was just another gimmick that was being sold as an add-on to a workout program and would have no real nutritional advantage over other products; and secondly, because of the high price tag. Now, I’m a firm believer in using high-quality supplements: I only want to put good stuff into my body, so I stay away from nasty supplements that appear to be ‘great value’ but are secretly filled with extra sugar or other cheap alternative ingredients. The brands I used previously were still ‘premium’, i.e. high-quality with a price tag that reflected it, so I wasn’t averse to paying a bit more for my supplements. In addition, I discovered that BeachBody (the creators of Shakeology, in case you didn’t know) offer their usual 30-day money back guarantee if you aren’t happy with Shakeology, which meant there wasn’t any real risk involved if I did regret taking the plunge and buying it. After taking everything into consideration, a little over a year ago I decided to bite the bullet and get Shakeology. I’ve used it ever since and I highly recommend it.
|
 |
Whey ProteinAlternative Product: Gold Standard 100% Whey by Optimum NutritionWhy this particular product? Another great feature of this brand is the extensive range of traditional and unusual flavours. They include:
And many others! And,surprisingly, these unusual flavours actually do taste how you’d expect them to taste. Currently, Amazon have a subscription model available called Subscribe & Save, which includes Optimum Nutrition’s products. The way it works is you commit to buying X number of products each month and, depending on the number of products, you get a discount. Right now, Amazon give you 15% off if you subscribe to a minimum of 5 products per month! Amazon then ship the product(s) to you each month and bill you without you having to place any further orders. Products such as protein powders fit this model perfectly because it’s something you always need! Click here to read more about this subscription offer from Amazon. Ultimately, if you can’t afford the higher price of Shakeology, or you want a ‘traditional’ protein powder, then go for this one. It’s a fantastic alternative and one I’d happily use again.
|
 |
MultivitaminRecommended Product: Opti-Men by Optimum NutritionWhy is a Multivitamin essential? Why this particular product?
You may have heard of arginine, glutamine and BCAAs (Branch-Chained Amino Acids) before. They’re common types amino acids, used extensively within body-building and other performance sports, and you will see massive benefits by including them in your diet. You can purchase cheaper multivitamins – they are plenty to choose from – but they typically only include your basic vitamins and minerals, which means if you want to include the above amino acids, you will need to purchase them separately.
|
|
|
|
 |
MultivitaminAlternative Product: Animal Pak by Universal NutritionWhy this particular product? Animal Pak contains all of the basic vitamins and minerals you’d expect, plus the amino acids included in Opti-Men and a whole host more such as performance optimizers and additional antioxidants. The main reason that Animal Pak isn’t my primary recommendation is convenience: each serving consists of 9 separate capsules! The dosage directions on the tub recommend one serving per day, but suggest consuming 2 servings per day if you train with higher intensity. This could quickly become expensive! Ultimately, if you don’t mind the inconvenience of necking nine capsules once a day or the expense involved if you’re going to be consuming two servings per day, then I can confidently recommend Animal Pak. I have used it in the past and saw great benefits but, due to the above reasons, my number one choice is Opti-Men.
|
 |
Pre-Workout FormulaRecommended Product: C4 by CellucorWhy is a Pre-Workout Formula essential? Why this particular product? C4 comes in a range of fruity flavours, such as berry bomb, watermelon and fruit punch (the latter being my personal favourite). I have tried many pre-workout supplements in the past. Whilst I believe I have a high tolerance to them I can honestly say there have only been two that have had the desired effect on me: C4 and Jack3d. As a result of the potential dangers, Jack3d isn’t a product I recommend but you can check it out on Amazon here.
|
 |
Omega 3 Fish OilRecommended Product: Ultra Omega 3 by Now FoodsWhy is Omega 3 Fish Oil essential? I have a small number of joint-related problems in both my shoulder and my knee. It’s not arthritis (not yet!) but, since I started using Omega 3 fish oils I no longer suffer from the aches and pains in my joints that I used to. The benefits of omega 3 are so significant that, just like a multivitamin, even people who aren’t in training will almost certainly see benefits. Why this particular product? The softgel capsules themselves are a little large, but I’ve found that to be the case with most fish oil supplements but, personally, I’d prefer to just take the one capsule than several smaller ones. Jack Ryan, an Amazon customer who purchased this product, left a short, interesting review and included a comparison of the cost per gram of multiple high-quality Omega 3 products. As you can probably guess, this product was the cheapest and still maintained the same quality as the others.
|
 |
Casein ProteinRecommended Product: Gold Standard 100% Casein by Optimum NutritionWhy is Casein Protein essential? It’s important to both keep your muscles fed and avoid letting yourself go hungry at all times, so casein is the perfect supplement to consume if you know you’re going to be unable to eat for a long period of time. Casein is most commonly consumed before going to bed since you’re not going to be feeding your muscles for around 8 hours. Why this particular product?
|
Did you enjoy this article? If so, why not share it with your friends? They might like it, too!
