Jeff Cavaliere has years of experience helping individuals reach their fitness goals. In a recent YouTube video shared on May 15, 2025, he dispelled the biggest misconceptions around abs and discussed his top two ranked supplements for building muscle.
Cavaliere implements science-based strategies inside the gym, having devised intricate plans for building muscle, endurance, and aesthetics. He formerly served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the New York Mets and has quickly grown his massive YouTube channel of over 14 million subscribers.
We’ve all heard the saying that abs are created in the kitchen, and Cavaliere believes there’s some truth to that, though he does have an effective workout routine for sculpting a more defined midsection. Between training, diet, and a few supplements, he explains below how to build muscle sustainably.
Jeff Cavaliere Clears Up Biggest Misconceptions About Abs, Reveals Top 2 Supplements For Building Muscle
In the YouTube video, Cavaliere spoke on the biggest ab misconceptions. He argued that one or two ab exercises alone won’t build an impressive midsection.
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“To get rid of the body fat by doing those crunches and stuff, that doesn’t work. That’s probably the biggest misconception,” he shared.
“There’s still that belief that there’s just an exercise or two that you need to do for that. That’s not how it is. Abs are not going to be gotten through just the exercise. It’s always about nutrition.
According to Cavaliere, nutrition is the most significant determining factor for visible abs.
“Nutrition determines body fat levels above everything else. Now, when you get lean enough, if you’re not doing any type of ab training, you’ll probably have less defined abs because you won’t have the development of that muscle.”
His Supplements:
- Creatine (monohydrate or hydrochloride)
- Protein Powder
Cavaliere highlighted that creatine and protein powder are his top two supplements for building muscle.
“For building muscle, the two that rank at the very, very top of the list are going to be creatine, any form of creatine,” he shared. “Creatine and a protein powder.”
He admits some individuals don’t see protein powder as necessary since they can ensure their intake with food. However, he pointed to how expensive protein sources have become, making protein powder a more affordable and convenient option.
“Some people want to argue the necessity of a protein powder, and I guess if you’re getting enough through your diet, you don’t have to take it. It’s not a necessity. You’re not getting anything magical from the protein powder that you’re not getting through your food, it’s just that you’re doing it at a much more economic cost.”
“If you look at the price of protein these days, it’s certainly becoming a little bit unrealistic to think you’re going to meet your daily goals. For me, my daily goal is around at minimum, a gram per pound of body weight and upwards of 1.2 grams of body weight, if you’re active.”
In addition to creatine helping with building muscle, Cavaliere can’t ignore its neurological benefits either.
“It’s [creatine] has been around forever, and the benefits have been known forever. The neurological benefits that creatine is showing in terms of depression, degenerative neurological diseases, and its improvement and ability to slow and prevent things like MS and Parkinson’s, by basically keeping the brain in a more favorable bioenergetic state,” he said.
Longevity, strength, and a better quality of life are also top priorities for Jeff Cavaliere. He recently broke down five key exercises for mobility and power, which were all executed without the use of equipment. He explained, “They are big indicators that you still need to be able to do, no matter what age you are to maximize that quality of life.”
Cavaliere continues to break down complex topics in the fitness space to provide his fans with insights. He believes creatine and protein powder are the most important supplements to build muscle and stressed that abs aren’t made purely through training.
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