Scope: Starter stack · phase-1 legal sports nutrition only.
TL;DR
AU beginner stack under a sane budget:
- Creatine monohydrate — 3–5 g/day
- Protein powder — only if food alone misses your target (WPC default; WPI if lactose wrecks you)
- Caffeine — coffee or a labelled dose; fancy pre is optional
Everything else can wait. No 12-tub “advanced” carts. No “on-cycle stack” shop framing.
Hub + checklist signup: /start-here
Order of operations (before you buy powder)
| Priority | Do this first |
|---|---|
| 1 | A simple progressive program you can show up for |
| 2 | Enough daily protein from food (powder fills gaps) |
| 3 | Sleep and steps that aren’t a disaster |
| 4 | Then creatine → protein tub → caffeine as needed |
Supplements don’t replace the first three. Yeh Bro sells honesty, not miracle carts.
The stack (what, why, dose)
1. Creatine monohydrate
| Why | Best-supported, cheap, repeat buy |
| Dose | 3–5 g/day — loading optional |
| Guide | Creatine for beginners · Best creatine Australia · How to dose |
| Buy | /go/creatine-bulk · /go/creatine-true |
Form FOMO? Mono vs HCL.
Scale panic? → Does creatine cause bloating?
2. Protein powder (conditional)
| Why | Convenience when whole food undershoots |
| Pick | WPC for value; WPI for lactose; plant if dairy-free (no plant /go/ yet) |
| Guide | Best protein powder Australia · WPC vs WPI |
| Budget maths | Cheapest protein powder Australia |
| Buy | Value WPC /go/protein-bulk · flagship/isolate /go/protein-true |
3. Caffeine (optional, controlled)
| Why | Alertness for training — you probably already use it |
| How | Coffee / tea / labelled caffeine; know your total mg |
| Pre? | Only if you want extras with open doses — stim-free pre for evening sessions · /go/pre-mn / /go/pre-sm |
Illustrative monthly AUD (check live prices)
| Item | Ballpark AUD / month* | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine mono (~150 g) | ~$7–15 | 5 g × 30 days from a bulk tub |
| Whey (if used daily) | ~$35–70 | Depends on AUD / 25 g protein |
| Coffee / caffeine | $0–20 | Often already in the budget |
| Core total | Often ~$40–90 | Before fancy pre/intra |
*Illustrative only — re-run scoop maths on current AU stickers.
Soft CTA: Start mono + value whey — /go/creatine-bulk · /go/protein-bulk. One-cart retailer list: /go/stack-beginner-sm.
What beginners should skip (for now)
- Proprietary-blend pre-workouts with mystery doses
- “Fat burner” stacks with medical-sounding claims
- Ten amino products that duplicate whey
- Anything pitching AAS, SARMs, peptides, or cycle/PCT funnels — hard ban
- Paying 3× AUD/dose for creatine theatre without a real reason
30-day beginner checklist
- Buy plain monohydrate; take 3–5 g daily
- Hit protein from food; add powder only for gaps
- Pick a caffeine rule (e.g. none after 2 pm if sleep tanks)
- Train 3–4× / week on a written plan
- Re-order on AUD / effective dose, not hype
- Grab the stack path on /start-here
Placeholder /go/ (canonical phase-1)
| Role | Slug |
|---|---|
| Creatine default / value | /go/creatine-bulk |
| Creatine True Protein | /go/creatine-true |
| Protein value WPC | /go/protein-bulk |
| Protein flagship / isolate | /go/protein-true |
| Beginner stack retailer list | /go/stack-beginner-sm |
| Pre (optional) | /go/pre-mn · /go/pre-sm |
| Backups | /go/creatine-amz · /go/protein-sm |
FAQ
Do I need all three on day one?
Creatine alone is a fine start. Add protein powder when food maths fails. Caffeine only if it helps training without wrecking sleep.
Women?
Same stack logic. Same creatine dose range for most. Ignore pink-tax bundles.
Can I use a mass gainer instead of whey?
Different tool (more carbs/calories). Not the default beginner protein pick.