Taking the right lifting supplements can be a difficult selection process. You want to pack on some muscle, but lifting weights and eating right isn't giving you the results you want. So you decide to walk into your local supplement store. You are greeted by some ripped meat head at the counter who starts rambling off terms you have never heard of. You just want to get some basic supplements but this guy is listing off every chemical compound known to man. If you are just starting to use lifting supplements, there are a few essentials you need to start out on.

• Protein – You need to make sure that you are getting enough protein; after all, protein is the building blocks of muscle tissue. A good rule of thumb is to be getting one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. So, for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be aiming for taking in 150 grams of protein a day. This is often very difficult to do on a daily basis through everyday foods. It is possible, but it can be expensive and time consuming, and most people just don't have the resources to do this. Also, a lot of high protein sources also have some other stuff you might not want, such as the cholesterol and fat. One example is red meat. A great source of protein and iron, but also high in cholesterol and fat. Once you have your protein requirements fulfilled each day, you might want to think about stepping it up a touch.
  
  
• Creatine – If you are looking to build muscle faster than lifting weights and supplementing with protein alone, creatine is the oldest trick in the book. Creatine helps increase muscle volume and strength. There are a million different types of creatine out there, and everybody has a different method. Your best bet is to start out by getting a cheap source of creatine. Go to your local grocery store and see if there are any cheap tubs of creatine. You should be able to get something for under 20 bucks. Read the directions on the label and try it out for a month or two. If you like the results, take a little break from using creatine (cycle off for a little bit), then go back and try a different type. Some creatines are more effective than others, but you will have to pay for the extra boost and it is often not worth it.
  
  
• Weight Gainers – If you are really a hard gainer (meaning you are a skinny shrimp that cannot gain weight no matter what you do), supplementing with some sort of weight gainer mix might not be a bad idea. These shakes contain hundreds of extra calories to help you put on a few extra pounds. Just make sure that you are lifting consistently and lifting very intensely. There is a good chance you will put on some unwanted fat if you take a weight gainer without working enough.
  
  Bulking up with lifting supplements is not rocket science. Just make sure that you are lifting weights very intensely and getting enough food each day. You might not see results overnight, but keep at it and eventually your body will start transforming.
  
  
  
  Author, Tom Noonan has been involved in the health and fitness industry for many years. He is the owner of a Supplement Reviews website, http://www.TheSupplementRating.com. Tom loves getting people motivated to exercise and live healthy.
  
  Tags: Lifting supplements, weight lifting supplements, bodybuilding supplements, gaining weight, building muscle