this is the grand daddy of all rules for noobs - THERE IS NO (legal) MIRACLE/MAGIC/WONDER PILL/POWDER/LIQUID/PRODUCT. You could spend $5,000 and buy every supplement that is available, use them religiously, and see very little discernible difference between what would see without them. There is no (legal) product that "builds muscle" or "burns fat", despite what every page in BBing comics tell you. It simply does not work that way. Supplements are used to slightly increase the effectiveness of your diet and training, which in the long run, can lead to better results. Supplements should be given very little thought, most thought should be focused on diet and training.
That being said, i do love my supplements, but im realistic about what i expect from them. I only take supplements pre and post workout. I vary my pre-workout from time to time, incorporating new powders here and there, but the bulk of my "cocktail" involves CEE, l-tyrosine, taurine, and caffeine. These help give me a better workout, and thats all a supplement if really going to do. I also use protein powder post-workout, and sometimes when I cant get a real food meal in...but (to clear up another common misconception) there is nothing special about protein powders. They do nothing for you that real food doesnt do. The only real advantage is that protein powder is portable and you can down a serving of protein as fast as you can chug a few ounces of water. Thats it. Technically yes wheys are digested faster than real food, certain proteins have different amino acid profiles, blah blah whateverthefuck, but for simplicities sake, at the end of the day it really just comes down to calories.
