Looking for experienced input and advice. I'm a relatively fresh pair of feet on this beat, and I don't want to go out and waste my money and time buying and trading supplements that I don't understand or that have simply been shoved down my throat through advertising and other bull. Anyone who can help?

I've been taking ON Gold Standard 100% Whey along with Centrum Performance multi-vitamin for about a year and a half now. Initially I was exercising to gain lean mass and simply achieve a fit look, but now I'm starting to dive into the world of MMA and I'm looking to kick it up a notch. My training routine is mostly self guided, though I was with a trainer for about eight months back in '07. What I am mostly interested in is informed suggestions regarding additional supplements that can help me become stronger and continue to gain some hard muscle. From what I've experienced and been told I fall into the Hard-Gainer arch type. I worked my ass off for the better part of two years and though I felt and looked stronger, I couldn't honestly tell you if I had gained any real muscle weight.



-Currently-
5'10"
140 lbs

-Goals-
Lean muscle gain / strength training
150 lbs within a year, 155-160 within 2 years



I have a few specific questions for anyone willing to help.

Firstly,
My trainer said I was an ectormophic body type. Does this have any affect on the sort of supplements that I should be taking?

Second,
A friend of a friend advised Cod Liver Oil as a supplement to increase the absorption of various nutrients that I am already or should begin taking. He described it to me like this "you have a fat man in your stomach eating  90% of everything you eat, this will help more of the nutrients that you take do the job you want them to." What's your experience with this stuff? Does it do anything else for you? Will it help me?

Third,
This same friend advised I start taking GNC Megamen Sport as my multivitamin, and something called an "NO2 Stack", which means nothing to me. Can someone explain what an NO is to me and why I should be interested in it?

Fourth,
I have been reading up, even in the forums here, about something called B-12 that seems to be a pre-exercise energy booster. Anyone had good experiences with this? I would be very interested in a solid boost without needing to pound down caffiene drinks and other garbage.



And last, the important part, I'm open to any and all suggestions put forth on what I need to start taking in order to help myself make the most of my efforts. Glutamine? Betacarotein? Creatine? With anything you suggest, please include a brief explanation of why I should take it, where I can find it, and about how much it would cost.

Thanks very much for the read and the help.

Get off of Centrum Performance. I used to use it and you feel slightly better when you are on a quality multi. 

ORIGINAL: poisondart90

Get off of Centrum Performance.

 
What's wrong with centrum? Are you saying all of their products or just the proformance?

ORIGINAL: DZL

ORIGINAL: poisondart90

Get off of Centrum Performance.

What's wrong with centrum? Are you saying all of their products or just the proformance?

They're crappy vitamins. All centrum. Aim to get one that's specifically created for people with an active lifestyle but not made by one of those brands that you often see in grocery stores. They use synthetic vitamins that a lot of times don't even help your body. The vitamin E in Centrum products is 50% potent from the start. This means that 50% of the listed vitamin E is a dud, or just filler vitamin E. That is only one example but I am sure there are many more...

Any other suggestions about what other supplements I should add into my cycle?

ORIGINAL: poisondart90
They're crappy vitamins. All centrum. Aim to get one that's specifically created for people with an active lifestyle but not made by one of those brands that you often see in grocery stores. They use synthetic vitamins that a lot of times don't even help your body. The vitamin E in Centrum products is 50% potent from the start. This means that 50% of the listed vitamin E is a dud, or just filler vitamin E. That is only one example but I am sure there are many more...

 
Wow. That is interesting, because Centrum Performance is what I've been using too. I guess I'll have to get something else from ye olde Vitamin Shoppe.