3 favourite muscle building supplements

Question: What are your three best recommendations for supplements to build muscle mass?

Adam: Having been in the industry now for roughly 5 years, my answers are probably surprisingly modest and not as extravagant as one might presume. On the contrary, I work with many supplement junkies who love to experiment; they’ve found plenty of gems along the way that they swear by. My point is: it’s likely that you will not find a definite answer to this question, as there are a multitude of different physiological mechanisms which we can manipulate for muscle growth – some with exogenous hormones and compounds, and some not. The following are my top three, natural recommendations that are suitable for any athlete should their goals side towards gaining muscle.

I should also note that I’m going to be focusing on specific products, rather than categories, that I have personally experienced success with, so there is a large degree of anecdotal experience in here and bias towards specific brands. I’d love to hear your own, so feel free to post them in the thread linking from here.

1. Applied Nutrition Critical-Mass

I hate to spin the wheels one more time, because we are undoubtedly going round in circles with this one – but it always astounds me that this is the most overlooked component of gaining muscle, yet the most essential when it comes to building it. As I’m fond of saying, “you can’t build a house without cement”, and quite frankly, without calories, you have no foundational base to build upon. Take as many exotic supplements as you like; no calories? No muscle.

2. Reflex Creapure (Creatine Monohydrate)

Creatine sales have continued to grow exponentially across the industry for several years now for the simple reason is it works. Creapure, the most efficacious version of creatine monohydrate, has relentlessly proven to be not only the best quality in terms of purity and muscle gains, but also value for money.

Creatine is a fantastic compound that is renowned as the most prestigious ergogenic aid the industry has produced. If you want a comprehensive overview of what it does, check out our Creatine FAQ article.

3. Molecular Nutrition X-Factor Advanced

I realise I’m going out on a limb here as I haven’t personally used X-Factor Advanced, but if the anecdotes we’ve experienced so far in the UK are anything to go by, combined with the overwhelming feedback it has received for countless years in the US, then arachidonic acid is the real deal. See the science behind AA here.

Quite frankly, the feedback is just too positive and the empirical and pure science behind AA is completely plausible and exciting. I’ll reiterate my original point that the anecdotal evidence and overwhelming majority of users commenting on its effectiveness is simply amazing. Arachidonic Acid is a no B/S, quality muscle builder. Its versatility has also massively impressed me.

Conclusion

I realise there’s not too much science in this article, so I linked to more comprehensive pieces discussing each nutrient / compound more in depth if you want to check them out. I’ve also covered mass building supplements comprehensively in that article and their prospective benefits to you as an individual, so be sure to check that out if you want a more thorough read.