Scope: First creatine tub · plain mono.
TL;DR
- Buy creatine monohydrate. Micronised is fine. Skip HCL/buffered theatre for tub one.
- Dose 3–5 g daily. Loading optional — most beginners don’t need it.
- Budget win = AUD per 5 g after AU shipping, not flavour collabs.
- Default path: /go/creatine-bulk · /go/creatine-true · backup /go/creatine-amz.
Full method: Best creatine Australia · Dose: How to dose · Stack: Beginner stack · Hub: /start-here
What beginners actually need
| Need | Answer |
|---|---|
| Form | Creatine monohydrate |
| Dose | 3–5 g/day, rest days included |
| Timing | Whenever you’ll remember |
| Tub size | Big enough that AUD / 5 g looks sane |
| Stack mates | Protein if food undershoots; caffeine optional |
You don’t need a “beginner creatine complex.” That’s usually a blend tax.
Not medical advice. Clinical concerns (e.g. kidney) → talk to a qualified professional first.
Simple AUD budget (illustrative)
| Item | Ballpark |
|---|---|
| Mono ~150 g/month (5 g × 30) from a 1 kg tub | Often under ~$15/mo |
| Fancy small tub / HCL | Often much higher per effective gram |
Run the maths on the live sticker. Creapure premium: Creapure vs generic. Forms: Mono vs HCL.
Beginner mistakes to skip
- Loading 20 g once and quitting because of gut noise — split or skip load
- Blaming “bloat fat” in week one — Does creatine cause bloating?
- Buying pre scoops instead of a daily mono tub
- Waiting for the perfect brand instead of starting 3–5 g
- Anything AAS/SARM/cycle-adjacent — hard ban
What to buy (canonical /go/ only)
Optional -mono / stack-true variants are not in the phase-1 seed — use these rows:
| Role | Slug |
|---|---|
| Default / value mono | /go/creatine-bulk |
| True Protein mono | /go/creatine-true |
| Amazon AU backup | /go/creatine-amz |
| Whole beginner cart | /go/stack-beginner-sm |
Soft CTA: First tub = plain mono — /go/creatine-bulk. Then sort protein — Best protein powder Australia.
14-day beginner checklist
- Buy mono; weigh or trust a ~5 g scoop once
- Take it daily for two weeks
- Keep training progressive
- Ignore day-3 scale drama
- Re-order on AUD / 5 g, not hype
FAQ
Women beginners?
Same mono + 3–5 g conversation — Creatine for women.
Do I need pills?
Powder is usually cheaper per gram. Pills are fine if you’ll actually take them — still count total grams/day.
Can I mix it in coffee?
Yes. Habit > perfection. See also Caffeine dose for training.