I have been testing and trying a TON of different products over the last year. And thought it was about time to share what some of my favorites are. Please note, these are not anything that everyone should be taking, or that are even necessary for some people. I train hard 5-6 days a week and have specific muscle gaining goals–so a lot of these are geared towards that.
I purchase the majority (if not, all) of my supplements using eBates (you can sign up here for free) so I receive cash back on my purchases. I just log in to my eBates account and then choose the store I’m going to purchase from to activate my cash back–my favorites are Drugstore, GNC and VitaCost
Quest Bars. Give in, right? Anyone trying to increase their protein and fiber intake can benefit from these super tasty bars. With 20g of protein and 17g of fiber per bar, they’re outstanding for keeping things “regular”. My favorite flavors are Cookie Dough and Cookies and Cream, an excellent on the go snack.
AboutTime Protein Powder I love this brand. The minimal ingredient list, flavor choices and their easy to mix powder make them stand out to me. One scoop of their protein powder contains 25g of protein, with zero carbs or fat. And there is no chalky aftertaste. I also appreciate that they offer trial packs of their product so that you are able to test out a few flavors before you commit to a large tub of powder. Use promo code “spellfitness” at checkout on their website for 25% off.
New Chapter Calm Multivitamin While I eat nutrient dense food often, I like to fill in the gaps with a daily multivitamin and this one comes with a few “extras”. Some soothing herbs, probiotics, etc and it has a great multivitamin profile. I definitely could feel the “calm” effect while taking it, mellows out some anxious energy 😉
MuscleTech CLA Powder I wasn’t terrible impressed with this product. I had it in my mind that a powder CLA would be nicer than the capsules I had tried in the past, and the price was decent. CLA has been thought to increase lean mass and help with metabolism. I did not notice any changes with the product other than I had a major acne breakout shortly after starting it (not sure if they’re related or not). I’ve heard great things about MuscleTech’s products, but this one didn’t make the top of my list.
GAT Nutrition Muscle Martini this is new to my supplement stack, and so far I’m still up in the air about it. I love that is has BCAA’s for recovery along with the excellent antioxidant profile to help with free radicals damage prevention related to weight training, exposure to elements/pollution, etc. The flavors are good (I’ve tried the Peach Mango candy and Watermelon candy) and it helps make getting adequate water a little easier with the flavor enhancement. I’ve just started taking it, so I can’t attest to it’s benefits just yet, but so far I enjoy the product.
Protein2o is a new addition to my fridge. I love that it has collagen and whey protein blend and the Wild Cherry flavor is really good (of the 3 flavors I’ve tried Lemon is my least favorite, it had a bite to it that threw me off). This was a great post run choice for me, I didn’t want to eat anything and a thick protein shake didn’t sound great–so some Protein2o water over ice was excellent. 15g protein 2g carbs and 0g fat per bottle is excellent.
MusclePharm Carnitine Core and BCAA I really liked the flavors for both of these, the BCAA powder is like Kool Aide in my water! And I also appreciated the BCAA ratio for their powder related to muscle recovery. I have tried other Carnitine’s in the past and felt like this one didn’t offer as much in regards to physical changes or energy levels as others I’ve tried, but I also didn’t give it as fair of a shake as I could have. BCAA’s are great for recovery and catabolism post workout, and to help with energy intra workout, I will often sip on it all day long to prevent any muscle breakdown. L-Carnitine is an amino acid that can help with energy metabolism and converting fat to energy–it’s a little overrate as far as supplements go but I enjoyed the other MusclePharm product so I thought I would give this one a try too, not sure I would purchase it again.
There you have it! A few of my favorite (and not so favorite) supplements. What are some of yours?