The supplement industry makes its money from people who haven't fixed the basics yet. If your food, sleep and training are off, no pill fixes that. But once those are dialed in, a few supplements make it easier to hit your numbers and recover. Here's which ones, and which ones to skip.
Every supplement, ranked
| Tier | Supplements |
|---|---|
| S | Whey protein, multivitamin, creatine |
| A | Electrolytes, pre-workout |
| B | Fish oil, vitamin D |
| F | BCAAs, fat burners, testosterone boosters |
Buy these first
Whey protein. It's food, not magic. Most people struggle to hit their protein from meals alone, and a shake is the cheapest, fastest way to close the gap. Aim for around 0.8–1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight a day, mostly from real food, with whey filling in what's left.
Creatine monohydrate. The most researched supplement in the gym. It helps you get an extra rep or two, and those reps add up to more muscle over time. Take 3–5 g a day, every day, any time. No loading phase needed, no cycling. Plain monohydrate is all you need; the fancy versions cost more and don't do more.
Multivitamin. Insurance, not a replacement for food. If you're cutting, eating the same meals on repeat, or skipping fruit and vegetables on busy weeks, a multivitamin covers the gaps. One a day with a meal.
Useful, not essential
Electrolytes. If you sweat a lot, train in the heat, or feel flat and crampy on a cut, electrolytes help. Especially useful in Charleston summers. Add them to your water on training days.
Pre-workout. Most of what works in a pre-workout is caffeine. It helps you train harder on the days you're tired. Don't take it late in the day: bad sleep costs you more than a good pump gives you. Check the caffeine on the label and count it with your coffee.
Fine if the basics are covered
Fish oil. Good for general health, especially if you don't eat fish a couple of times a week. It won't change your physique.
Vitamin D. Worth it if you're actually low, and many people are, especially in winter or if you're mostly indoors. Get your levels checked by a doctor before guessing a dose.
Skip these
BCAAs. If you hit your protein, you already get all the BCAAs you need. You're paying for flavored water.
Fat burners. Mostly expensive caffeine with a scary label. Your calorie deficit burns the fat. The pill doesn't.
Testosterone boosters. Over-the-counter "test boosters" don't meaningfully raise testosterone in healthy guys. Sleep, enough food and lifting do more than anything in that bottle.
The rest of my stack
These aren't muscle builders on their own. I take them to keep sleep, recovery and focus where they need to be, because that's what lets the training and food actually work.
Vitamin D3 + K2. I take my vitamin D as D3 with K2 instead of D on its own. Same advice as above: get your levels checked before picking a dose.
Magnesium glycinate. Most people who sweat a lot run low on magnesium. The glycinate form is easy on the stomach, and I take it at night because it helps me wind down before bed.
Zinc. You lose zinc through sweat, so people who train hard can run low. Don't megadose it: more isn't better, and too much zinc for too long causes its own problems. Stick to what the label says.
L-theanine. It takes the edge off caffeine. If pre-workout or coffee makes you jittery, L-theanine smooths it out so you get the focus without the crash.
What I actually take
| Supplement | How I take it |
|---|---|
| Whey protein | Whenever I'm short on protein for the day |
| Creatine monohydrate | 3–5 g a day, every day |
| Multivitamin | Once a day with a meal |
| Fish oil | Daily with a meal |
| Vitamin D3 + K2 | Daily with a meal (dose based on my levels) |
| Magnesium glycinate | At night before bed |
| Zinc | Daily with a meal, at the label dose |
| L-theanine | With caffeine on training days |
If you're on a budget, start with whey, creatine and a multivitamin. Add the rest once your food, sleep and training are already consistent.
Talk to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication, have a health condition, or are under 18. Supplements aren't regulated like medicine, so buy brands with third-party testing (look for NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport on the label).
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