Just type ‘Beginner Supplement Stack’ on Google, and look at the results shown in the first few of the pages. You will find a list of supplements which are not just needed, but are must for a beginner.
Here are a few names:
- Whey Protein
- Casein protein
- Fish oil
- BCAA
- Glutamine
- Creatine
- Arginine
- HMB
- Multivitamin
- Fibre supplement
- Caffeine
- Beta-alanine
- Citrulline
- Pre-workout
- CLA
- L-carnitine
- Mass gainers
Before we discuss the above list, let’s understand the meaning of a beginner. I have been asked a lot of times, as to how do we define a beginner. Now, this is another topic of discussion, but generally, when we compare with time, then someone who has been lifting for less than 6 months consistently, can be termed as a beginner. So, someone, who lifted years back, but was quite inconsistent, and then starts again after a long gap, is also a beginner. The keyword is ‘consistency’.
But even the beginner lifters can’t be categorised purely on this basis. For e.g. an absolute beginner, someone who has just spent his first few weeks in the weight room, would be quite different from a person lifting from last 3-6 months.
Now, let me ask one question, how do you really define a beginner? Where over 99% of the people in the world are not sportsmen, out of which less than 1% may be competitive bodybuilders, who told you that a beginner is a person who has less than 6 months of experience in lifting?
What if they are from various other sports like, basketballer, swimmer, track & field athlete, soccer player, badminton/tennis/squash player etc.
The aim of such sportsmen is not hypertrophy and weight training forms a base of their overall training. They don’t spend majority of their days in the gym, as they have many other components of fitness to be taken care of, along with their sports specific training.
Now, what about the other >99% people who are not sportsmen? Who may not be able to progress as fast as a person who is a regular lifter, and for whom hypertrophy is not the main aim. For them its targeting various components of fitness which include strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, balance etc. is more important.
So, now tell me which beginner we are talking about when we recommend or sell beginner supplement stacks. Ok, let me make things easy. Let me take all conditions under one umbrella.
So,let’s consider a person, who is new to exercising as such, not just strength training. It’s been couple of weeks, and he is now getting a hang of things like developing basic muscular and cardiovascular endurance, his flexibility and mobility is improving, and he is getting stronger in the gym, and able to lift progressively heavier tonnage in the gym. I guess, this type of beginner is someone we can consider as an example.
Now, let’s move on to the next set of doubts before I actually recommend you the world’s best supplement stack for beginners:
- Is a supplement recommended to an individual on the basis of level or needs?
- Can you name one supplement which any person, including competitive sportsmen, bodybuilders, normal individuals, pregnant women, elderly, children etc. need on the basis of level?
- A supplement doesn’t come cheap. And many do work with proven research too, though most are absolutely worthless for any level. So, if over half of the Indian population, cannot afford a supplement or a supplement stack, then they simply can’t progress in the gym or can get fit?
- A large number of individuals in various sports, both competitive or recreational, still don’t use a supplement, and have one of the fittest and strongest physiques out there. How come that’s possible, when the title of your blog/article says ‘Must Have Supplements for Beginners’.
- Oh, forgot to ask you the fundamental question, what do you really mean by the term supplement?
Let me clarify all this point wise:
- There is nothing called a ‘supplement stack’ for any level. Supplements are given on the basis of requirement of an individual. There is no one supplement which is common for all, or is to be recommended to all.
- There is no ‘beginner/intermediate/advance supplement stack’. Supplement is given on need basis even in different sports.
- Most of the supplements are proven to be absolutely worthless and useless for the purpose they are being sold in the market. The research is clearly out, and these supplement companies now have no place to run, as their billion dollar scam is being exposed.
- Supplements work only on one single basis, i.e. research. There is nothing else which can prove the efficacy of supplements. If research proves it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. What most people get is simply placebo effect.
- Out of the entire supplement list above, the ones which work, are not needed by everyone. The ones which are needed are based on case to case basis.
- The word ‘supplement’ means additional to diet. That’s why for a so called beginner, whichever way you define them, there is no stack. For them the first aim is optimization of diet and their other lifestyle issues. They need consistency and motivation, more than they do supplements.
- Over half of Indian population cannot afford supplements. So, they can’t build a fit and strong body, because they don’t have stack? Your body and muscles are blind, and it doesn’t matter whether you take supplements or whole foods. The body needs optimal nutrition, be it through food, or food & supplements.
There are many supplements which really work and are quite helpful in lot of cases. But that doesn’t mean that to earn profits, I recommend everything to everyone.
That’s why there is no stack for any level. Supplements are based on individual needs. You have all the right to doubt the person who recommends you stacks, even before you really know how to stack up plates in a gym.
