It’s been said that the beginning is the hardest part; this is applicable to the pursuit of anything of merit, including fitness. One reason fitness origins in particular are so challenging is that, with all the various paths we can follow, how do you know which one’s right for you?
No, I’m not referring to some sort of profound fitness-related “what’s my purpose” thing. I’m referring to something far more important: discovering what supplements you really need as a beginner.
The problem most beginners have with supplementation is feeling like they need every supplement ever manufactured if they’re ever going to achieve their goals. Or they fall to the opposite side of the spectrum and don’t take anything.
Neither of these approaches are wrong, per se, but they are suboptimal.
In this article, I’ll provide you with the staple supplements every person should have in their gym bag (or if you’re anything like me, laying around in the backseat of your car). You’ll probably be surprised by what did — and did not — make the cut.
Begin Your Fitness Journey
First thing’s first, congratulations on embarking on your fitness quest. Making the decision to improve your quality of life can be difficult in itself, especially if your goals seem out of reach. I assure you that they are well within that reach, though. It all boils down to what supplements you have in your inventory. That’s not true, it all actually depends on you, your discipline, perseverance, etc. The supplements, however, can make a massive difference in how quickly you level up on this journey.
With all the (mis)information out there surrounding supplements, it’s often challenging to know how to budget accordingly. One fitness guru might tell you that you need a single specific esoteric supplement, another might claim this other one is vital for goal-achievement.
And there are, of course, some people who claim supplements aren’t necessary at all. They preach that supplements are the last piece of the puzzle, and that such investments don’t make any difference unless your diet and workout routine are already “on point.”
Those people are (to put it kindly) silly.
I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Returning to the adventure and roleplay fantasy theme (not that kind, sheesh) of this article…When you begin an adventure in an RPG, whether it’s video game or tabletop, you typically create a character and choose what type/class of character you’ll be. Translated to fitness, it’s like deciding whether to go for powerlifting, overall athleticism, packing on sheer size, cutting down to abdominal muscle revealing body fat percentages, and the list goes on.
Although in an RPG, the starter gear might vary between types of armor, and types of weapons, certain things remain the same across the classes. Fitness is the same way, so long as you have a little imagination. Since this is a supplement-based article, I’ll leave out the obvious stuff like diet and exercise. What you need for a starter pack is simple:
- Weapons: Pre-workouts
- Armor: Full Spectrum Multivitamin
- Health Potions: Grass-Fed Whey Protein
- Stamina Potions: Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
Pre-Workouts For Growth, Fat Loss, and Health (XP)
In RPGs, the primary method for leveling up (i.e. getting better in desired areas) is by gaining experience points, which is often done by defeating monsters, overcoming challenges, completing quests. And in order to do any of those three things, you’re gonna need to do some work; killing trolls and skeletons and all that jazz. Which means you’ll need a weapon that can help you inflict damage.
When climbing your levels of fitness, it’s much the same. No matter what your goals, you’ll always be overcoming obstacles. And in the realm of muscle building, you actually want to be able to inflict damage via tearing muscle fibers then intaking the proper nutrients to repair and grow back stronger.
The weapons category of your supplement starter pack is here to make sure you’re able to overcome and defeat workouts so that you can continuously gain XP and achieve your goals. It’s really a rather simple one.
Pre-Workouts. The below ingredients are what to look for should you want optimal leveling-up potential.
- Blood Flow: Healthy blood flow is critical for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and brain when your body needs them most — during workouts. All Bucked Up pre-workouts come with the clinical dose of the powerhouse blood flow ingredient known as Citrulline, to ensure you get the most out of every training session.*
- Endurance: Beta-Alanine has been shown time and time again to be pivotal for increasing power output and endurance.* It also causes a tingling sensation, which is wonderful. All our pre-workouts have at least 2.5grams of Beta-Alanine, with our higher stim ones containing 3.2g.
- Energy: You can’t expect to have killer workouts without some energy!* Our non-stimulant pre-workout comes loaded with a powerful dose of Vitamin B12 to help your body produce its own energy without feeling overly stim’d.* For the rest of our pre-workouts, we kept that same dose of B12, then added the world’s favorite drug, caffeine. They range in dosage from 200-333mg of caffeine.
- Focus: Naturally, you need focus if you want to reach your goals. Our pre-workouts are all formulated with AlphaSize GPC, an ingredient shown to sharpen mental focus.*
Bucked Up (200mg caffeine, 2.5g beta-alanine):
The one that started it all. Everything you need for a great workout, without feeling jittery. Non-proprietary blend so you know what you’re getting. Quality ingredients at their clinically studied doses.
If you’re wary of trying something extreme, but know you need a powerful pre-workout in your utility belt, Bucked Up is the weapon for you.
BAMF (333mg caffeine, 3.2g beta-alanine):
This is the ideal pre-workout for all you magic lovers. No, I’m not saying it will let you cast spells, but since Intelligence is typically the stat most associated with spellcasting, BAMF is definitely the best option here.
It’s formulated with nootropics, which are supplements geared towards improving mental focus,* brain capacity,* and all that good stuff. In addition to the AlphaSize GPC (mentioned above), BAMF delivers two brain-powering gems in Huperzine A and Dynamine.*
WOKE AF (333mg caffeine, 3.2g beta-alanine)
The barbarian is a class I’d imagine everyone knows by now. If not, you’ve likely heard of legendary warriors going into berserk mode, Raging with intense fury and terrifying their enemies.
WOKE AF is for you barbarians out there. It’s the pre-workout that only the truly relentless dare take. It’s got everything needed to improve stamina,* blood flow,* endurance,* and focus.* Already boasting 333mg of caffeine, where this stim-heavy pre-workout truly excels is in its additional ingredients for seriously insane energy.*
Combining this trifecta of stimulants is the equivalent of turning off the outside world, and telling your inner human brain to shut the hell up. WOKE AF pretty much flips that switch off and replaces it with primal savagery. While WOKE AF is active, only one thing matters: conquering your goals.
BLACK Series:
The BLACK Series is for those who want to truly optimize their health and wellness, from the inside out. What makes this series so beneficial is that we added in a powerful mineral blend of Humic and Fulvic acid, which promotes healthy nutrient absorption and encourages smooth detoxification,* stripping the body of heavy metals — without stripping it of vital nutrients like activated charcoal does.
You can find our BLACK Series in Bucked Up, BAMF, and WOKE AF.
Multivitamins: Armor of Health & Wellbeing
There are so many vitamins and minerals in existence that it can be tough to decide where to begin with this category. You could go full on defensive mode, stocking up on Immune Support specific ones, or niche down in improving overall Strength with stuff like Phosphatidic Acid, or increase Charisma by going with supplements specifically tailored for fat loss and aesthetics.
All those are add-ons and they’ll vary depending on your goals. One type of armor that fits everyone, however, is a full spectrum multivitamin, designed specifically to ensure you get all the defense needed to thrive on your journey.
Here is where you’ll select either STAG, a multivitamin for men, or DOE, for females. Both equip you with clinically studied ingredients at their clinical doses for foundational health.
The main difference between the two is that DOE is, as you’d expect, formulated specifically for women’s needs, whereas STAG is for the guys.
DOE Multivitamin Key Ingredients:
- Cranberry: shown to be effective for boosting urinary tract health*
- D-Mannose: Coupled with Cranberry, D-Mannose promotes urinary tract health*
- B-Vitamin Complex + Vitamin E: For healthy hair, skin, and nails*
- Vitamin C: Powerful antioxidant to bolster immune function — the body’s defense*
- Vitamin D3: One of many hormone support ingredients to keep your hormones balanced*
STAG Multivitamin Key Ingredients:
- Iron: Oxygen transportation and energy production*
- Vitamin D3: healthy cholesterol management, mood assistance, immune function*
- Vitamin A: Immune function, bone strength, and vision health*
- Vitamin E: Toxin protection (which can aid in immune health), healthy skin*
- Magnesium: Sleep quality, muscle recovery, and healthy free testosterone levels*
Grass-Fed Whey Protein: Replenish and Build
At some point, you’ll need to take a rest from the day’s “grinding.” Conquering goals can be tough, and no doubt, if you’re working as hard as you need to, those workouts will take something out of you.
The ultimate supplement starter pack supplies you with the necessary potions for health and stamina regeneration.
Buck Feed Grass-Fed Whey Protein
There are those out there that treat their protein powders like a way to feel like a kid again, drinking shakes loaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners, cheaply sourced protein, all because the labels did a good job of letting them feel like they were being naughty by referencing old cereals. That’s fine. Those who follow that path will reap the subpar benefits.
You’re dedicated to your goals though. So, naturally, you want a protein powder that tastes delicious, but not at the sacrifice of quality. Buck Feed boasts the following properties:
- 25g of GRASS FED Whey Protein
- 100% ALL NATURAL
- ZERO ARTIFICIAL Sweeteners
- No Hormones No Additives
The Original BCAAs: Repair and Recover
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are a chain of amino acids, consisting of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Together, they wield some serious benefits when it comes to helping you achieve your next level (and the levels beyond) in fitness.
- May delay muscle fatigue*
- Can improve protein synthesis*
- Encourage the acceleration of muscle recovery*
They can accomplish this in a pretty simple way. It should come as no surprise that protein plays a critical role in muscle recovery. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, allowing for greater recovery. As a result, the Original BCAAs can help you come back to your workouts stronger and less fatigued,* so you can keep up the momentum. If you’re interested in learning more about how BCAAs work, check out this article.
Embark On Your Fitness Journey, But First…Your Supplement Starter Pack Awaits
The road to gainz can be tough, but the rewards are well worth it. Along the way, you’ll level up, likely meet encouraging friends, and continuously find new ways to challenge yourself (we have a surplus of training articles to help if you need some ideas).
And as you do, you might need to reevaluate your equipment (supplements). That’s part of the fun, though, like a puzzle of discovering which supplement helps most in specific realms. When you do need to tweak something, we’ll be here, as always, to supply you with the tools you need to succeed.
For now, the most important part is simply setting out and putting in the steps, racking up XP at the gym, and eating well. Don’t worry about niche stuff, trust in yourself, and even if you haven’t gained the confidence to trust in yourself yet, trust in us. We’ve got more than enough confidence (in you as well as in our products) that, with our supplement starter pack, your journey will be rewarding. And epic. Always epic. Read about our supplement stack for beginners.
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the black on black tone was perfect.
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