Listen closely, hardgainers. I'm just like you so you're not alone. In fact, the majority of bodybuilders are in the "sucky-genetics" category - which is exactly why you got involved in bodybuilding in the first place.
You're tired of being scrawny and getting blank stares from people when you tell them you workout. You don't blame them because you find it hard to believe that you bust your butt in the gym 5 days a week and have little to show.
Our bodies are more suited to be one of those lean, mean, running machines than looking jacked like Hugh Jackman from Wolverine.
Our bodies are not suited to looking like Hugh Jackman from Wolverine.
Supplement companies exploit and take advantage of your desires by over promising huge gains, "better than steroids" promises and dramatic feats of strength—but you're starting to believe it's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.
Or Is It?
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Yes and no. Supplements are not the key to winning your first bodybuilding show or shocking your friends when you rip your shirt off but they can make a 10% difference assuming you have your diet, training and lifestyle dialed to the right station.
The secret is that there is no best bodybuilding supplement for everyone. You have to analyze why you're a hardgainer and then use the bodybuilding supplements that solve your hardgainer problems, rather than using every glitzy supplement in the yard.
But before we address which bodybuilding supplements you need, let me be brutally blunt:
- Don't ask me what the best protein supplement is if you're not eating protein every three hours.
- Don't even think of asking me about pre-workout and post-workout protein drinks to buy if you're not even eating enough calories.
- Don't you dare ask me what NO2 product to take if you're not sleeping 8 hours a night.
- Don't even think about asking me what test booster to take if you're boozing until four in the morning on weekends.
- Don't embarrass yourself and ask what multivitamin to take if you're not eating at least 10 serving of fruits and veggies a day.
Take home message before buying any supplements: Always ask yourself, "What am I trying to get this supplement to do that my diet cannot do?"
Bodybuilders knew this before supplements were even invented and relied on the most anabolic hormone available—whole food. Let that sink in for a moment.
I understand that it's impractical to get bodybuilding amino acids and nutrition into your system in three hour intervals from solid meals every time.
I know that you may in fact be at a 90% threshold in your training, diet and lifestyle which means you're maximizing every element that you can control naturally.
Now it's time to bring on board the best bodybuilding supplements that will appeal to the majority. Remember, you need to create your supplement program based on your individual needs but for 90% of the hardgainers reading this, 90% of the time, the bodybuilding supplements below will be a solid foundation to invest in. Here they are:
1. Creatine
Many guys think that if they take creatine, they're going to grow. These individuals are extremely misled so it's vital that you get a better understanding of what creatine will and will not do for you.
What creatine essentially will help you with is putting in the hard work at the gym. It does this by replenishing the high energy compound called creatine phosphate, which the muscles need if they are going to keep contracting with intensity - and you're going to keep lifting weight.
Once your creatine stores run out, you're going to feel like you've hit a wall with your workout - no matter how much you will yourself to push more weight, it isn't going to happen.
Some guys will have diets naturally high in creatine (those who eat a high amount of red meat for instance), but on average, most people who are involved with heavy lifting fall short.
Creatine bridges this gap and makes sure that lack of creatine phosphate in your system doesn't become a problem.
When used properly, it can help you work harder so you can see better results - but it is not going to do the work for you.
2. Protein Powder
Another supplement that I do recommend to most people is protein powder. When you're working hard in the gym, your protein needs are going to go up and if you struggle to get enough with food, you could risk not seeing maximum muscle gains.
Protein powder is convenient, it's cost effective, and it's great for before, during, and after your workouts.
Just don't go start replacing all your should-be solid food meals with protein powder. That I would not recommend.
Don't ask me what the best protein supplement is if you're not eating protein every three hours.
3. Glutamine
The third supplement you could consider adding to your muscle-building program for skinny guys is glutamine. Each and every time you do a squat, biceps curl, row, or even just walk up the stairs to get into the gym, you are placing a stress on your body.
Over time, all this stress will add up and when it becomes too much for the body to handle, you're going to stop showing progress.
Glutamine is a natural substance in the body that comes from the diet and helps deal with all the daily stress you experience. Because of the fact that you're lifting very heavy in the gym a number of times a week though, the normal amount of glutamine you have circulating in the body may not be enough.
That's where supplementation comes in handy. If you add an outside source of glutamine to your daily intake, you're going to be able to handle these stressors that much better, meaning you recover from each workout session faster.
Since you cannot go back into the gym for a second workout before you've recovered from the first, it's quite easy to see why glutamine is a smart supplement to use.
Over time, all this stress will add up and when it becomes too much for the body to handle, you're going to stop showing progress.
4. A Greens Product
Finally, the last skinny guy supplement that you should be taking is some form of greens product. When you're shooting to gain the types of muscle mass you're looking to do, you're going to be eating a very high volume of food—so much that at times you're going to really struggle to get it in.
This means that you must focus on as calorie dense foods as possible. Unfortunately, that means most whole vegetables are not going to have much of a place in your diet. They will simply fill you up too fast and prevent you from getting the calories in.
But vegetables are extremely important for a healthy body from a vitamin and micronutrient standpoint, and this is where the greens product comes in.
When you take this, you'll get the nutritional assurance you need while freeing yourself up to focus on those calorie dense food sources that will help you build the lean muscle mass.
Conclusion
So stop questioning supplements. Get your diet together and then use the above smart supplements and focus on doing this consistently. The more distraction you have going on, the farther away you're going to get from realizing success.