New to Lifting - Supplement Questions

jennt_22
jennt_22 Posts: 155 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey All :)

I am going to start lifting in a few days and I am going to do Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer (bodybuilding.com). She recommends taking these supplements:

- Optimum Opti-Women
- Optimum BCAA 1000 Caps
- MRM Smart Blend
- MRM All Natural Whey

I have a few questions… (Probably will seem dumb but please be nice, I’m new to this!)

First, the Opti-Women… would another generic brand work for this or is the Opti better? I ask because right now I have a bottle of generic ShopRite Women’s Multi-Vitamin… I am a poor college student lol and I’d rather not spend the money on the Opti if the ones I already have are super similar and will do the same thing. It says the Opti is ‘more than just a multi’ so I wasn’t sure if it is worth it to get it or that’s just them marketing their product?

Second, the BCAA and the Whey… could this be any (maybe a cheaper?) brand of these products or are Optimum and MRM the very best?
Also for the BCAAs…. what is the difference (is there one?) for pill form vs. powder form?

Lastly the MRM Smart Blend… would a Fish Oil pill do the trick here or is the Smart Blend a lot more?

Any help/tips/advice/suggestions on what supplements I should be taking while lifting (or are supplements are a waste of money/don’t help?) would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Replies

  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    I'm no pro, but most times when someone suggests supplements, it's because they endorse them or are getting a kickback in some way. As long as you're taking a multi and your fish oil and getting enough protein, you should be fine without them. If you have joint problems, you can also take a glucosamine/chondroitin, some people say it works wonders, others say it doesn't do much. I was recommended it by a chiropractor once after a back injury.

    Best of luck.
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    The Jamie Eason Live Fit supplement stack! (I use them all).

    In terms of quality I'd say you can look for different BCAA's and a different smart blend or fish oil.
    The Opti-Women one was approved by my DR. I heard in a Jillian Michaels podcast that a $10 bottle of vitamins is junk, its not absorbable and typically contains HFCS, polypropocal glycol, and sometimes even trans fast as well as unnecessary artificail dyes.
    MRM All Natural Whey is actually a pretty good price for 2lbs but you can probably save on they shipping by purchasing something else. I like Bodylogix from Meijer (the info on the Bodylogix website does not contain the stuff I see at Meijer).

    I do believe the BCAA's greatly reduce DOMS for me.

    I'm happy to answer any other questions too.

    I do believe the BCAA's greatly reduce DOMS for me.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    I heard in a Jillian Michaels podcast that a $10 bottle of vitamins is junk, its not absorbable and typically contains HFCS, polypropocal glycol, and sometimes even trans fast as well as unnecessary artificail dyes.

    Jillian Michaels has also been sued at least three times for releasing bogus diet supplements... she may have said that the $10 vitamins were bogus right before she went on a sales pitch about her own supplements.

    I like her workout videos, sad that she pushes things that aren't actually healthy for profit, though. :ohwell:
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    I heard in a Jillian Michaels podcast that a $10 bottle of vitamins is junk, its not absorbable and typically contains HFCS, polypropocal glycol, and sometimes even trans fast as well as unnecessary artificail dyes.

    Jillian Michaels has also been sued at least three times for releasing bogus diet supplements... she may have said that the $10 vitamins were bogus right before she went on a sales pitch about her own supplements.

    I like her workout videos, sad that she pushes things that aren't actually healthy for profit, though. :ohwell:

    She actually recommend some organic ones. I can't argue with the idea of avoiding HFCS, and artificial dyes. I suppose we can all do our own research and not listen to the hype.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    The only thing you need is sufficient protien. Eat it from food sources or supplement with a whey supplement. The rest is all marketing.
  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
    Quick recommendation based upon personal experience.

    Recommended Supps:
    Decent multi-vitamin
    High quality Fish Oil (you want 1.5-2 grams of the good fats, so buy something like Ultra Omega 3 from NOW)

    Optional Supps:
    Whey protein
    Casein/Blend Protein
    BCAA (highly recommend Scivation Xtend, pricey but good)
    Beta-Alanine (reduced soreness)
    Pre-workout supp (Nxplode, Craze, etc.)

    Less Needed But Helpful:
    Super greens extract
    PAGG stack from 4HB
    COq10
    Glucosamine
    Vitamin D
    Potassium
    Chromium Picolante

    I used to take every supplement listed above, my dining room looked like a GNC. Now I don't even use protein powders anymore, I get all my nutrients from whole foods as much as possible.

    Diet looks like this:
    Constantly rotating blends of veggies - spinach, kale, chard, onions, carrots, peas, green beans, asparagus, etc.
    Low GI carbs - properly prepared legumes (black beans, garbanzo), seeds (quinoa), and tubers (sweet potatoes)
    Fruit - Only after training, vibrant colored fruits like berries, etc.
    Protein - chicken, turkey, grass fed ground beef, eggs. Highest quality you can afford. Shoot for ~1g protein per lean pound.

    If you eat like the above, you will not need more than a daily multi and some fish oil.

    I am running a large caloric deficit right now (shooting for 4k deficit a week), so I am taking more supps to counter-balance the reduced food intake.

    For the average person, the supps just give you expensive urine. Try to get as much nutrients as possible from whole foods and you will be making great strides towards an overall healthier lifestyle.
  • yvonnej1
    yvonnej1 Posts: 904 Member
    I agree that it is just marketing, if you go to some other fitness sites they are also pushing their own products as part of strength programs. I take a multivitamin, an own brand fish oil and have figured out which is the best value/best quality whey protein for my money and stick with it. I've been happy with my progress, this is just my opinion but I don't think the 'average' person looking to get a bit stronger needs to take lots of supplements to get the results they want, the quality of your diet is more important, obviously if you are looking at competing then nutrition and supplements need to be spot on, in which case the extra expense is worth it.

    edited to acknowledge that I was slow pressing the send button and a lot of what I said has now been said better by the guy above!
  • beertrollruss
    beertrollruss Posts: 276 Member
    I've been a poor college student myself, so I sympathize with you. The first thing I learned when I took nutrition in college is that a vitamin is a vitamin. An inexpensive multi-vitamin is a fine insurance policy if you're not sure if you're getting all the proper nutrients from your diet. If you have the means and the time to eat healthy, you may not need any supplements. Another challenge for college students is getting enough sleep. A good diet and proper rest will do much more for you than any supplements. Your diet doesn't have to be perfect, but try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein. Avoid processed foods and refined sugar. If you have money left over, I would recommend whey protein next. Whey protein is good before and after workouts because the body absorbs it quickly. That's good if you're looking to build muscle, but may not be necessary if you're looking to get toned. Avoid shopping at GNC. Trader Joe's, Walmart, Costco and Target are all fine places to purchase inexpensive supplements. If none of those places are available, Bodybuilding.com has great prices and excellent service. If you're a beginner, it's best to start off with the exercise and improve your eating and sleeping before adding any supplements.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Honestly you don't need any of the listed supps for results. A protein powder, multi and fish oil can be beneficial if you are lacking sufficient protein in your diet, various micros and omega 3's, but not necessary by any means.

    And Opti-Women stinks as far as multi vitamins go. If I had to recommend one, I'd look at Source Naturals Life Force Multiples for Women or EVE by NOW Foods
  • SocWkrBee
    SocWkrBee Posts: 374
    this is good info. i'd been wondering about this as well.
  • eatcleanNtraindirty
    eatcleanNtraindirty Posts: 444 Member
    Hey All :)

    I am going to start lifting in a few days and I am going to do Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer (bodybuilding.com). She recommends taking these supplements:

    - Optimum Opti-Women
    - Optimum BCAA 1000 Caps
    - MRM Smart Blend
    - MRM All Natural Whey

    I have a few questions… (Probably will seem dumb but please be nice, I’m new to this!)

    First, the Opti-Women… would another generic brand work for this or is the Opti better? I ask because right now I have a bottle of generic ShopRite Women’s Multi-Vitamin… I am a poor college student lol and I’d rather not spend the money on the Opti if the ones I already have are super similar and will do the same thing. It says the Opti is ‘more than just a multi’ so I wasn’t sure if it is worth it to get it or that’s just them marketing their product?

    Second, the BCAA and the Whey… could this be any (maybe a cheaper?) brand of these products or are Optimum and MRM the very best?
    Also for the BCAAs…. what is the difference (is there one?) for pill form vs. powder form?

    Lastly the MRM Smart Blend… would a Fish Oil pill do the trick here or is the Smart Blend a lot more?

    Any help/tips/advice/suggestions on what supplements I should be taking while lifting (or are supplements are a waste of money/don’t help?) would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks!

    Stay away from any Tablet, chewable, or gummy multi vitamins! These are garbage and you only absorb ~10% of them and pee the other 90% out. Further, they've been heated to get them in the compressed tablet form. When you heat nutrients like proteins or vitamins (just like vegetables) you denature and degrade or "cook out" the nutrients.

    Get a powdered form multi vitamin like Alkalinity Fuel by Nutracore nutrition
    Get some sort of whey protein isolate like isolate evolution by Intek nutrition. This is a cold filtered/cold processed protein and it is very lean, I believe 30g protein, 0 carbs, 1g fat.
    Get krill oil not just generic fish oil.

    And for the "cheaper" part.... nutrition products are just like food. The higher the quality the higher the price! You get what you pay for. I always try to go with small-medium sized companies for supplements because they are usually cold filtered and processed and aren't too expensive compared to the large name brand companies on bodybuilding.com. <<overly marketed, overly priced, and brands like Optimum nutrition have tens of thousands of people buying their products everyday... do you know how much manufacturing that is? It's alot. They simply can't use the same high quality filtering that smaller companies who don't have such high demand can.

    Hope this helps!
  • jennt_22
    jennt_22 Posts: 155 Member
    THANK YOU everyone for your feedback!!!!

    I am gonna start looking into some of the things you suggested and I REALLY am going to try improve my diet more. I am so excited to finally start lifting and can't wait to see how I can change my body over the course of the next 3-4 months!
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Honestly you don't need any of the listed supps for results. A protein powder, multi and fish oil can be beneficial if you are lacking sufficient protein in your diet, various micros and omega 3's, but not necessary by any means.

    ^ This right here.
  • nickmast78
    nickmast78 Posts: 65
    Too much information.

    Simplify.

    Multivitamin (high in iron)
    Fish oil (omega 3)
    Whey protein (over 20g protein per serving)
    BCAA & Glutamine mix (powder)
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    Quick FYI, as much as I idolize Jamie Eason she does get paid quite a bit to endorse ON. Their products aren't bad, I've tried them, but everyone has different preferences. I like Isopure protein shakes because they have 50% of most daily vitamins per serving and run 50g of protein per 220 calories. You could look at the ingredients on the multi-vitamin to find a comparable one really.

    In all seriousness though, you will get results without this stack. It's a good program for beginners, there is no questioning that. She also provides a meal plan, which you don't necessarily have to follow perfectly but it gives you a good idea of how you should be eating to fuel the workout plan. If you are lacking protein in your diet or looking to up your intake, a shake would be very beneficial. Other than that, you can get most vitamins and minerals from eating well.
    I will suggest to make sure any multivitamin you choose has magnesium and a fairly high iron content. Also, if you are new to high intensity muscle work, try eating a banana or potassium supplement everyday. It will help avoid muscle cramps from fatigue-they suck to wake up to!

    Finally, just like with everything else in life, if you feel you are taking on too much, lower your weight or take a rest day. One day off for rest is always better than hurting yourself and being forced to take more time off. Good luck with your new plan!
  • marines0923
    marines0923 Posts: 3
    There are loads of supplements out there to take.... and it really depends on what you wish to accomplish.

    My goals are to lean down but also gain muscle..

    First and foremost - a good multivitamin
    Fish oil
    whey protein - multiple times per day and often used as meal replacement (for convenience only)

    Casien protein is really good for better absorbtion but is slow to process and is best taken at night before bedtime.
  • stepharega
    stepharega Posts: 211 Member
    Honestly you don't need any of the listed supps for results. A protein powder, multi and fish oil can be beneficial if you are lacking sufficient protein in your diet, various micros and omega 3's, but not necessary by any means.

    And Opti-Women stinks as far as multi vitamins go. If I had to recommend one, I'd look at Source Naturals Life Force Multiples for Women or EVE by NOW Foods

    bumping!
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    bump
  • dhaven13onmsn
    dhaven13onmsn Posts: 3
    I agree with the above statments that you need a vitamin, fish oil, and protein...but I use a vegan protein that is a balance of all the essential amino acids...but vegetarian. Important for me, because i try to stay vegetarian...but he has the benefit of being lo calorie, lo fat, and easy to digest. If you live in a northern climate...like most of the US other than the far southern states...you probably need to take a vit d supplement as well.
  • El_guapo22
    El_guapo22 Posts: 902 Member
    Supplements are just that, they supplement your diet.

    It's more of a convince thing. If you're just starting out I'd focus on lifting and getting a good program going first and foremost. Focus on diet end then look at supplements.

    The bcaa question between chewables would most likely come down to ease of use. I get an unflavored powder and mix it in my post work out shake. But the chewables would be to get them throughout the day if you can't make a shake. I also buy flavored bcaa and mix it with water because it gets boring drinking a gallon of unflavored water.

    I think i said some of what was already said but if you feel you want to enter into supplements starting out I'd say whey protein isolate, bcaa, krill or fish oil, and good multi. Supps are like anything else you get what you pay for. Eat clean and train hard and everything will fall into place supps or not.
  • jjefferies7
    jjefferies7 Posts: 120
    just take a multi from the grocery store or something.. its cheaper and just as effective... also dont waste your money on BCAA's they are ineffective. you get a sufficient amount of amino acids from the protein you eat.
  • winf
    winf Posts: 764 Member
    Quick recommendation based upon personal experience.

    Recommended Supps:
    Decent multi-vitamin
    High quality Fish Oil (you want 1.5-2 grams of the good fats, so buy something like Ultra Omega 3 from NOW)

    Optional Supps:
    Whey protein
    Casein/Blend Protein
    BCAA (highly recommend Scivation Xtend, pricey but good)
    Beta-Alanine (reduced soreness)
    Pre-workout supp (Nxplode, Craze, etc.)

    Less Needed But Helpful:
    Super greens extract
    PAGG stack from 4HB
    COq10
    Glucosamine
    Vitamin D
    Potassium
    Chromium Picolante

    I used to take every supplement listed above, my dining room looked like a GNC. Now I don't even use protein powders anymore, I get all my nutrients from whole foods as much as possible.

    Diet looks like this:
    Constantly rotating blends of veggies - spinach, kale, chard, onions, carrots, peas, green beans, asparagus, etc.
    Low GI carbs - properly prepared legumes (black beans, garbanzo), seeds (quinoa), and tubers (sweet potatoes)
    Fruit - Only after training, vibrant colored fruits like berries, etc.
    Protein - chicken, turkey, grass fed ground beef, eggs. Highest quality you can afford. Shoot for ~1g protein per lean pound.

    If you eat like the above, you will not need more than a daily multi and some fish oil.

    I am running a large caloric deficit right now (shooting for 4k deficit a week), so I am taking more supps to counter-balance the reduced food intake.

    For the average person, the supps just give you expensive urine. Try to get as much nutrients as possible from whole foods and you will be making great strides towards an overall healthier lifestyle.

    This.

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