It's all depending on your goals.
Everyone has different thoughts about supplements and many people already had good or sometimes bad experiences with them.
That’s why it’s important to know exactly with what you are dealing with and what to expect when you actually take it.
One of the biggest problems that happens is that people will take it wrong only because they haven’t gotten any correct information about it. Which gives them a bad view about the product itself.
Another important note is that not all supplements fit for everybody, every body is different and maybe your body will be okay without any as well.
Overall if you find the right type of supplements that you like it could be a very good help with weight loss (if that’s your goal) and to gain muscle mass at the gym.
Let me tell you my personal preferences and what could be a match for you to support you in your fitness progress.
Here are the most common gym supplements that woman use:
Whey protein powder
The most known and mostly used one on the market.
It's the quickest and easiest way to reach your protein goal with a little help from a protein shake.
Also perfectly fine as long as you find one that you like, some of them could be harder to digest for some people so it's better to go for a known brand first. This is one that I have liked the most until now.
L- Glutamine
It's an amino acids that are used in the biosynthesis of proteins so it makes it fine to use. Personally I enjoy drinking this right after a tough workout to reduce the soreness afterwards. For many people it has helped with gut problems as well.
Creatine
Creatine has always been seen as a scary supplement that only men use but it actually isn't bad for woman to use. It consists of the vitamins that you find in red meat and helps you maintain a continuous energy supply to your muscles during a lifting or exercise. It's one of the most tested supplement what makes it safe for woman to use as well. But most woman do this wrong.
Pre-workout
A very easy way to get yourself to the gym even when you're super tired. One common mistake is that people don't know how much caffeine is in the pre-workout that they are taking. It's very crucial to check how strong that exact brand is and how much you should be taking of it.
Start off with smaller portions and build your way up.
Let’s split them down better now and see what the most common mistakes are
- About whey protein
This is a very good thing to add to your diet if you are losing weight and need some extra volume with a protein source in it as well.
I would never rely on it fully and still consume mostly real protein rich foods, especially whole foods (chicken ,beef, fish,…).
But it’s a convenient way to cover your sweet tooth with a protein bar or to add a protein shake after your workout. It will not only keep you full longer but also make it easier to reach your protein goal! - About creatine
A lot of people have seen great results with this, so it’s seen as a convenient supplement since it is a very well tested and safe to use.
But the most common mistake that almost everybody makes is they underestimate the amount of water you need to consume while taking creatine. What it does is put extra water weight in your muscle while training what makes it easier to gain muscle over time. So in order to not feel bloated you need to drink at least 4L of water per day.
Another thing that people have wrong is that it’s a supplement that you need to consume daily in order to see progress.
Yes even on rest days.
So if you really want to see any difference you have to stick to it and keep drinking one scoop a day.
Personally it didn’t work out for me since my stomach simply couldn’t digest it that well, it could have been the brands that I had maybe. I could’ve looked for different brands because I am sure there should be one that works for me but I noticed that I could get to my goals without it. But I have seen great results on friends of mine so this should not stop you from trying it yourself!
So it’s really not for everybody.
- About L-Glutamine
There are many myths that this could possibly help with weight loss and it might not be proven that it actually is yet.
But out of experience I do have to say that it does help you with your gut. That’s why I can see why it has helped people to cause them to lose weight.
You do have to combine it with staying active and working out though.
But it is an excellent way to reduce your soreness after a tough workout! Definitely one of my favorite picks. - About pre-workout
It might sound amazing to get an easy source of energy is less than 10min but it’s very easy to turn this into a bad habit.
Many people don’t actually know how much caffeine is in one small scoop of pre-workout.
Imagine that one scoop typically has 150-300mg and a coffee has 80-100mg which means it contains around 2-3 shots of espresso in once.
I see a lot of people on the internet double-scooping but thinking that they could be consuming almost 5 coffee’s in once is insane.
Ofcourse not all pre-workouts are bad, there are some good ones who aren’t as strong as the others. That why you should be choosing your supplements mind fully because I’ve had friends who almost passed out from taking too much pre.
Once you’ve found the right one that fits you well and know to not make it a habit to take it every time when you go to the gym then there will be no harm. I have found that using it only on days that I REALLY needed it helped the best to not become independent from it.
Adding protein shakes with natural ingredients added to them has been one of the best ways to lose weight. You could put any type of fruit even frozen fruits work well.
If you’re not a fan of protein powder you could add nuts chia seeds or peanut butter for extra protein.
If you want to make it more filling you can add oats and dates give it some extra sweetness as well.
A good blender with portable cups is a need for this!
Especially if you are like me and you’re always short on time.
A lot of woman also lack magnesium & iron.
Personally I struggled with this al lot, but I still didn’t want to be independent on medication.
So I still do my best to get these vitamins out of real food and if I notice that I do need it, I will take the right medication for it.
There are many iron packed foods like:
-Red meat, Poultry & Fish
-Spinach & Beets
– Egg’s & Beans
The same goes for magnesium packed foods:
-Dark chocolate
-Avocado
-Nuts, Whole grains & Beans
-Fish & Spinach
You do need to listen to your body and give it the right support when needed.
