Supplementation can be one of the most confusing parts of entering the fitness world. Which ones should you take? When should you take them? How will they make you feel? And the list goes on. I have tried many different supplement programs over the last few years, and have found certain supplements for each goal that I love. This is a supplement guide for women who have all different types of goals. Fat loss, muscle gain, general health, you name it and this guide will have something for you.
General Use
The supplements in this category of the supplement guide for women are the ones that I use year round! No matter what my goal is, I use these supplements as my base and then build from there depending on my goals.
Whey Protein
Whey protein is a dairy based protein that is fast-digesting and loaded with amino-acids. Since amino-acids are the building blocks of muscle, having them as part of your post-workout nutrition is definitely a good thing. The fast-digesting nature of the whey protein allows those amino-acids to hit your bloodstream quickly after your workout. The fast-digesting protein will help decrease muscle soreness as well. You may be asking why I included this in the fat loss supplement section when it seems to be a muscle building supplement. A typical whey protein has about 130 calories with 24 grams of protein. The low calorie/high protein nature of whey protein is perfect for fat loss. Not to mention, the more lean muscle you gain the more fat you burn at rest. My favorite brand of whey protein is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey, which can be found here.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Many of us get plenty omega-6 fatty acids, the fatty acid we need only sparingly. However, many of us do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids, which can naturally be found in foods like salmon and olive oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are called “essential” fatty acids because your body cannot make it by itself and it is essential to the rebuilding of cells. Fish oil is an excellent all around health supplement that won’t break the bank! My favorite brand is Optimum Nutrition fish oil, which can be found here.
BCAAs
Branched Chain Amino Acids are truly the building blocks of muscle building. Branched Chain Amino Acids consist of L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine. The Pro BCAA that I recommend also contains L-Glutamine, which will help with muscle soreness. After endurance training, BCAAs can help prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue, and it can help repair muscle tissue after strength training. I sip on my BCAAs all day long to keep my muscles ready to rock. I use PRO BCAAs by Optimum Nutrition, which can be found here.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that I use as a pre-workout. I personally cannot take pre-workouts due to the fact that they make me feel like I want to rip my skin off. The beta-alanine in many pre-workouts just does not agree with me. Therefore, I take caffeine as a way to increase my energy so that I can train with the intensity I need to melt away that stubborn fat. I will sometimes take a caffeine tablet from Kaged Muscle here, but many time I will just drink a cup of regular coffee before I hit the iron.
Multi-Vitamin
A multivitamin is not a “fat loss” supplement, but is an excellent supplement to take year round, just like fish oil. The multi-vitamin will contribute to your overall health and help fill the gaps that our diet sometimes leaves. I use Opti-Women by Optimum Nutrition, found here.
Fat-Loss Goal
If you are looking to cut fat, I would recommend adding these supplements to the general supplements listed above! 🙂
CLA
CLA, or Conjugated Linoleic Acid, is a fatty acid that is naturally found in products like beef and dairy. I have included it in this supplement guide for women because I have used CLA and noticed accelerated fat loss. I took one tablet before breakfast, one before lunch, and one before dinner. The idea behind the CLA is that it may increase metabolic activity at a cellular level. Studies have shown that some people have used CLA to successfully to decrease body fat and increase muscle definition. I use the Optimum Nutrition CLA, which can be found here.
L-Carnitine
L-Carnitine is an amino acid that is useful for transporting fat into muscles to be burned as energy. I included L-Carnitine in the fat loss section of the supplement guide for women because it allows your body to utilize fat stores as energy more efficiently. I took 1 tablet twice daily and felt very good about the way my body was responding not only in aesthetics but I felt as though I had more energy during my workouts. L-Carnitine is definitely one of my favorite fat loss supplements. I use the Optimum Nutrition brand, which can be found here.
Muscle-Building Goal
Casein Protein
Casein protein is basically whey’s slow twin. It is a dairy protein that is low-calorie/high protein, like whey, but it is a slow digesting protein that is typically taken before bed. This slow digesting protein helps you muscles grow and recover as you sleep, so that you are ready to keep hammering the weights the next day! I usually use the chocolate casein from Optimum Nutrition to make a pre-bedtime snack with almond milk and ice to make a frosty. 🙂
I hope that you gleaned some new information from this supplement guide for women! Do you have any favorite supplements that you use? A favorite brand, maybe a different product? Drop them in the comments so that I can check them out!
Comments are closed.