The Supplement Solution Pt. 1
I have cracked the code - here's what supplements we should all be taking.
I’m a believer in supplements.
Of course there is no magic pill, or anything else you can take, that is going to make up for a lack of consistent training or poor nutritional choices.
Supplement is not the same as replacement.
Supplements should be added to a smart training plan and diet, not used as a substitute for one or the other.
With that said, there are a lot of essential vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants that are lacking in adequate amounts even when one is adhering to a balanced nutrition plan.
And once a man commits himself to serious training, his nutritional needs increase.
Intense exercise depletes the body of essential minerals like magnesium, chromium, and zinc.1
Resistance training also requires more protein. Without adequate protein, lifting weights can even lead to a loss of muscle tissue.2
My dilemma has always been how to take the supplements I need to optimize my health and results in the gym without breaking the bank.
Also, I don’t really like taking a bunch of different capsules each day, or remembering which ones I only need to take every other day, or some at night, some in the morning, with food, or on an empty stomach.
For a while I was taking protein powder, a daily greens supplement, vitamin D3, zinc, magnesium, copper, and rotating a few anti-inflammatory supplements like fish oil, turmeric, and collagen peptides.
Being incentivized to simplify my own supplementation, in addition to needing a way to encourage clients to add supplements to their daily action plan without overwhelming them, my quest for years has been to find the minimum amount of quality daily supplements.
I won’t declare that what I’ve come up with is the be-all and end-all of supplements.
There are always certain vitamins or nutrients that one person may require more or less of than another.
But these are the ‘Big 3’ that I’ve come up with and that I feel confident recommending to 99% of people in 99% of situations.
We’ll call this the Trifecta Supplement Stack. In part two, we’ll go over what I’ll call the “helpful but not always necessary” stack for anyone who wants to go beyond the following foundational requirements.
Keep in mind that when it comes to supplements, I am a quality first guy. I will pay a few bucks more for the right dose and for supplements that are 3rd party tested for accuracy in their ingredient listings.
The Trifecta Supplement Stack
In the last year Athletic Greens has become my favorite supplement. This is the foundation of the stack and probably the most important. I have experimented with many other multi-vitamins but they have always fallen short of the adequate amounts of certain vitamins or they are lacking a mineral complex.
With Athletic Greens you are covered on:
All the essential daily vitamins (except D3, but they give you a free 3 to 6 month supply of D3/K2 if you buy the greens here)
Minerals like zinc and magnesium in the right forms and perfect daily amounts
Your daily pre-biotic and pro-biotic
Your daily antioxidant
75 superfoods
After a couple weeks of starting Athletic Greens I noticed big improvements in my gut health and sustained energy throughout the day.
They are also NSF certified for sport which is usually necessary for use by competitive athletes.
I first learned of Athletic Greens from either Joe Rogan or Tim Ferris.
You can check out the complete ingredient listing and benefits here but make sure you use my referral link here to order so that you get your free D3 and five free servings of greens. At this time they don’t offer a brick and mortar wholesale program or I would definitely supply directly to members.
2. Granite Supplements Protein Powder
I think that over 90% of guys should take a protein supplement. Primarily because 90% of guys are not getting enough protein, especially when it comes to supporting intense training, from whole foods alone.
However, follow the 80/20 rule. Unless really in a bind, try not to allow protein from supplementation to exceed 20% of your total daily protein intake.
The best source is always whole foods. And drinking calories is always inferior to eating them when it comes to satiety. The one exception to this is post-workout which is a good time to get some protein in your system fast and drinking a shake is the easiest and most convenient way. With the Granite powder you get a full spectrum blend of five different protein sources thus a greater amino acid profile.
The hip thing used to be pure whey protein because it is the fastest digesting protein. While whey is a good post-workout source and should be included, it is not the best outside the workout window because of its insulin spiking properties.
The Granite blend of whey (concentrate and isolate), egg, casein, and beef protein makes what in my opinion is the best protein supplement for both post-workout and at any other time during the day.
Buy this directly from the gym to support our association and save a few bucks in shipping. Also, I am able to offer some of the other Granite supplements at a discounted rate (which I’ll discuss in part two of this newsletter). They are also owned by John Meadows, a great bodybuilder and swell guy.
Vitamin D has had a great impact on my overall health. I’ve turned many members on to vitamin D supplementation in the past decade and have always received positive feedback, with the greatest benefit being a strengthened immune system.
For many, including myself, it was common to catch multiple cold viruses throughout the year until optimizing vitamin D levels. Now it is much more common for me to get no more than one mild cold per year. Vitamin D deficiency is of epidemic proportions, especially in those with darker skin, so it’s safe for almost anyone to supplement. To be sure, have your blood levels checked to determine an optimal dose to take.
Order through Thorne which is NSF certified and 3rd party tested, or to save some money, get a bottle of D3/K2 for free by ordering Athletic Greens here.
If you begin supplementing without checking levels first, I would not recommend taking over 5000IU’s per day until you can be sure you need more. For better absorption it is advised to take in the right ratio with vitamin k2. Thorne and Athletic Greens provide a D/K2 product in the correct ratio.
Supplementing with vitamin D has been shown to provide the following benefits:
Supports healthy teeth and bones
Promotes lean muscle mass and helps maintain muscle strength
Enhances the absorption and retention of calcium
Supports healthy brain function
Promotes cardiovascular health and immune function
Check with your doctor for more information.
You can meet at least 90% of your supplement needs by taking the SBS approved Trifecta Supplement Stack.
In part two, I’ll go over some optional supplement recommendations that may be useful at certain times.
Hope this answered some questions and that you found this information helpful.
Train Hard!
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research; Marriott BM, editor. Nutritional Needs in Hot Environments: Applications for Military Personnel in Field Operations. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1993. 7, The Effect of Exercise and Heat on Mineral Metabolism and Requirements. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236242/
Morton, R.W., Murphy, K.T., McKellar, S.R., Schoenfeld, B.J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A.A., Devries, M.C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J.W., and Phillips, S.M. (2018). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 52(6), 376-84. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/6/376