The 10 best supplements to bulk up: What's worth taking?

The end of summer is inexorably approaching and many people will gradually start to move into volume, i.e. into the phasephase, in which we try to gain quality muscle mass, which again will improve our figure even more. But the transition into volume is not as easy as it seems at first glance and we need to prepare for this transition thoroughly. We cannot immediately increase our food intake to double or triple our current intake. Everything takes time and it is best to plan and stagger your entire bulking phase carefully.
I could go on and on about diet or training, but today's article will focus on on dietary supplements, which in my opinion are indispensable to successful volume. I have to say that when I was browsing for inspiration the recommended supplements for bulking on foreign sites, I was absolutely horrified to see that mostthe supplements they recommend have no or minimal effect on building muscle and other things are recommended just for marketing reasons.
Since I have been bodybuilding for almost 10 years and have been through several volume training programs, I canu can objectively tell you here what I think are the best volume supplements that actually make sense. However, please note that everyone is an individual and everyone has their own opinions. This is what works for me, and I couldn't imagine any more training without it.
Enough with the introductory words, let's get down to the article itself.

Protein

Let's start with the most predictable supplement that probably comes to everyone's mind. This is protein, which can be either whey or any other. The most important thing with protein is that it is as digestible as possible for you and you don't have any digestive problems afterwards.I put it here for one simple reason. It's not because I think protein is a so-called must have for building muscle, no way. A solid quality diet will always be many times better than any protein, however the bulking phase is famously thosethat we consume extreme amounts of both food and protein and most people have trouble eating this amount of food. In this case, it is desirable to use a protein that does not put any strain on digestion and our body will benefit from itand we will be able to consume another solid meal in another two hours.

Creatine

Let's stay with one more supplement that is advertised on perhaps every website I've looked at. This time, the popularity is fortunately justified. Creatine is one of the most studied dietary supplements, and its functionality has been proven countless times. Whatever you may have read, the truth is that no saturation phase is needed. Taking 5-10g of creatine every day (at any time of day) is plenty sufficient. It has been shown that taking creatine regularly increases strength. Muscles can look bigger too, but this is due to the fact that a little more water is drawn into the muscles and they are much better blooded (so more nutrients get to them). Last but not least, creatine should delay muscle fatigue and exhaustion, which means you can do a few extra reps in the gym. Again, our ranking of the best creatines can help you choose .

ZMA

This strange name is actually a nickname for the two well-known minerals zinc and magnesium. This combination is extremely important to the human body for hundreds of reasons, however I will mention it herenished for one specific reason, and that is the ability to optimize hormone levels in the body, specifically optimizing testosterone levels. When taking ZMA you will experience much better muscle recovery, your sleep will deepen and stressful situations will not be as challenging for you. It's even possible that you won't experience as much fatigue. It all depends on whether or not you are deficient in these minerals, but zinc and magnesium supplementation is essential for everyone in my opinion.

Boron

Boron is a lesser known mineral, but one that I personally don't give a damn about. In my opinion, everyone should take it all year round because boron has one unique property. This is that it can demonstrably increase free testosterone in the body (no other legal dietary supplement can do this). All the other so called. testosterone boosters are mostly wasted money or have a short negligible effect, whereas boron halfalways works the same and can actually improve your quality of life and your muscle gains. Definitely give it a try!

Vitamin D3

A very well-known vitamin that should not be missing from any volume training or diet. Again, it can be said to have a myriad of functions in the body, but for thiss most interesting function is its effect on immunity and its effect on optimizing hormones and increasing testosterone. Vitamin D3 will make you less sick (more workouts) and make you feel better, you will have moremore energy, better recovery, you will sleep better and your overall standard of living will be many times greater. You can read more in our comparison of the best vitamin D supplements.

Probiotics

The most important part of successful volume training is consuming a large of food and using as much of it as possible for muscle growth. Adding good quality probiotics, for example, will help with this, and these should be combined with prebiotics to create what are known as synbiotics. It can be a big problem to find good quality functional probiotics on the Czech market, but after a long time of tryingI have found my favourite, which I use every day and I can't praise it enough. Specifically, it is probiotics from the brand Brainmax. If the probiotics work as they are supposed to (optimizing digestion and regular bowel movements), you will definitely feel it on your body. You won't feel bloated after eating, you'll be hungrier and you'll be able to eat a lot more food. At the same time, your bowel movements will be much more regular and your stomach will thank you. Our comparison of the best probiotics can help you choose the right supplement .

Digestive enzymes

The next step to optimising your digestion is to add good quality digestive enzymes. Enzymes will relieve our bodies and make it easier to digest excessive amounts of food. You don't have to worry about these enzymes making our body stop making its own, it doesn't work that way. Our body will always and constantly make its own enzymes, but since we consume excessive amounts of food in volume, it is definitely a good idea to help the body in this way.
I recommend taking digestive enzymes such as those from Extrifit, which contain a complex of seven digestive enzymes in totalenzymes in a relatively high dose to help digest proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibre and other components. It is also worth noting that taking digestive enzymes can help not only with digestion but also, for example, with wound healing or joint pain. Digestive enzymes are taken immediately before eating or even during a meal and knowyou can read more about them in our ranking of the best digestive enzymes.

Greens product + fiber

The so-called Greens supplement is, from my point of view, the most underrated supplement that has countless positive effects on the body. Again, this supplement falls into the category of improving digestion and cleansing the body, which is crucial for successful bulking (many people don't realize).I myself have only recently started using this type of supplement, but currently I never give it a miss and there isn't a single day I skip it. Greens have literally changed my life because the effect they have on digestion is indescribable. No bloating after meals, no increased flatulence, maximum...maximum utilization of food from meals, regular bowel movements and my stomach just thanks me. I add it regularly to my morning rehydration drink along with added fiber and a few otherthat together form a load of micronutrients and ingredients that nourish the gut flora. This combination is simply a must try. The best Greens product in the country is probably Supergreens Pro from Czech Virus, which I would recommend you start with.

Berberine

It is a supplement that not everyone will know, but in my daily arsenal it is definitely not to be missed. It is gradually gaining a lot of popularity and I can already see that even in my country the product is easily available. Its main effect lies in controlling blood sugar levels and improving insulin response after a high carbohydrate meal. In layman's terms, Berberine gets more nutrients to the muscles and less nutrients to the fats. Our body will use carbohydrates much more efficiently, which is much desired in volume training. This is an all-natural supplement, which is offered in the Czech Republic by the brand Prom-in in their product Glucose Control.
Personally, I dose Berberine with every carbohydrate meal and I recommend sticking to a dosage of at least 1500 mg per day. It is desirable to take the product with every carbohydrate meal, every day and all year round. This will ensure the best possible effect of berberine on muscle growth or even fat loss (depending on the preparation phase).

Chromium

Is the last key supplement that I believe should not be missing in any volume training. This is chromium, which must be in chelated form (picolinate, polynicotinate). Again, its main effect we want is to improve insulin sensitivity and control blood sugar levels. This means that, like Berberine, it will help us with more and more effectivem consumption of carbohydrates, which we then use for hard training and for muscle growth. The dosage of chromium is completely individual. I would also take it with a carbohydrate meal to avoid extremely large blood sugar spikes.

Conclusion

As you can see, my recommendations for bulking supplements vary a lot from what you'll find on popular foreign and Czech websites. The difference is that I am aware of what is really needed during volume and how such volume actually takes place.
Our goal during volume is to consume as much quality healthy food as possible, thus optimizing and improving digestion. Then train as hard as possible and recover as efficiently as possible. Therefore, you have to determine for yourself which supplements will really help you in these aspects and feel free to add some extra supplements yourself, that's fine.Something fits everyone differently and everyone is original, these are the things that work for me and I think they can help others as well.