Can you spend less on your supplements?

While it is possible to achieve the body of your dreams without the use of supplements, there is little doubt that it can help you get there faster. However, buying supplements every month can create a huge dent in your wallet. You could spend R1000 or more just on the essentials – fat burners, body toners as well as slow and fast releasing protein powder. This leaves many of us looking for ways to use supplements without breaking the bank.

Here are five tips to help you spend less.

1. Know your needs

It’s not necessary to buy all the supplements on the shelf. It’s important to evaluate your aims beforehand. For instance; are you training to lose weight, tone or build muscle. Do you prefer to use natural products? How often are you training? Take this information to your supplement store or aisle. Most stores have someone to assist you and recommend the correct course of supplements based on your goals and needs.

2. Buy in bulk

For those on a budget, Kieron Phillips (CEO and founder of Xtreme Nutrition), suggests buying your supplements in bulk.

“Certain of my brands make bulk options on some products,” says Kieron, “for example, Pro Supps makes a 90 serving BCAA formula called Hydro BCAA, which if used once a day can last 3 months. The same goes for the Pro Supps 10lb whey protein, which gives well over 120 servings in a 4.5kg bulk bag, so by buying in bulk you really do save.”

3. Add your own flavour

Rather than buy different flavours, (because who likes to have the same flavour every day, right?) opt for vanilla. That way, you can add your own flavouring later. You can try cocoa or natural nut butters. Better yet, make a delicious and creamy smoothie at home with different fruits such as; berries, banana, and pineapple. Just keep in mind that you will be changing the caloric value of your protein powder when you add milk, yoghurt, and fruit.

4. Participate in competitions

Let’s say you’ve been training for a while and are ready to take your body to the next level with supplements. Why not compete in fitness competitions such as the bikini sections or CrossFit games? It’s a great way to get noticed by supplement manufacturing companies. The fitness competitions sometimes have supplements that you can win. Alternatively you can use your results and apply for sponsorships.

“We also have coupon codes for our sponsored athletes,” adds Kieron, “which are used when checking out on our online store and gives the customer a certain percent off their purchase.”

5. Look out for specials

Keep your ear to the ground. Many shops have specials occasionally- even supplement weekends!

“We have weekly specials which apply online and in stores – all of which are posted on Twitter,” says Kieron.

You can also follow @fitnessmag on Twitter, we’ll make sure to keep you up to date on supplement specials.