So your New Years resolution was to hit the gym and gain muscle. You went out and got your gym membership, new workout clothes, and the latest accessories. You are now inside a large supplement / vitamin retail chain and completely overwhelmed by all the “miracles in a bottle” that surrounds you, wondering, “What do I need? What works? What is safe to use? Everything? this cost ??? “Relax, regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, each muscle building supplement program consists of three key ingredients: protein, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) and multivitamins.

Protein is known as “The Building Blocks of Muscle”. Every cell in the human body requires a continuous supply of protein to survive. If you are trying to build new muscle mass, you should increase your protein intake, typically consuming 1g – 1½g per pound of body weight (150lbs of body weight = 150g – 225g of protein per day). Consuming large amounts of protein through a whole food diet can be complicated and expensive; Often the easiest way to do this is by adding a protein supplement to your diet. There are many different protein supplement options on the market, but in general, whey is the most effective. The average protein supplement contains approximately 20g – 25g of protein per serving, so by adding 2 to 3 servings to your daily diet, you can effectively meet your protein needs for the day.

Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, refer to three of the nine essential amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs play a vital role in both building and repairing muscles and therefore should be consumed before and after your workout. Consuming 10g of BCAAs before a training session can provide the fuel you need to complete your workout. 10g of post-workout BCAA supplements can help jump-start muscle protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown, leading to faster recovery.

Multivitamins consist of many very important daily nutrients that your body needs in general, but they are even more important when it comes to adding muscle. It can be very challenging to keep up with all the vitamins and minerals your body needs, a good multivitamin can solve this problem, serving as a safe and cost-effective platform to achieve your fitness goals. With multivitamins, I generally recommend a generic brand; they are generally less expensive and provide the same quality as high-priced brands. To ensure that you are buying a high-quality product, always look for the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) symbol on the bottle.

You are now ready to go. Eat healthy, take the right supplements, work hard, get plenty of rest, and you’ll be growing in no time!