There’s a reason they are called supplements.
Often times, when I have a conversation with someone new at the gym, the conversation seems to flow the same way each and every time. The first questions asked are typically, “How much do you bench?” followed with, “What supplements do you take?” Still to this day, I cannot seem to grasp why the bench press is the ultimate testament of a man’s strength. The squat and deadlift are by far, the greater lifts, and take far more strength to achieve than the bench press. Secondly, I am going to let you in on a little secret; supplements play a very minor role in achieving any strength, endurance, or gains in terms of overall fitness.
With this being said, it is not outlandish for the general public to buy into the newest, hottest supplement that is advertised on the market. Walk into any supplement store, pick up any fitness magazine, and what one will find is the epitome of a man or woman that is insanely in shape advertising and promoting a particular supplement. The desire for the advertiser to the consumer is of course, take this supplement and look like this fitness model.
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If the consumer or reader takes it a step further to actually read the labels, one would find slogans and phrases that read, “Add 10lbs of lean mass in 8 weeks,” followed with some flawed study claiming that there is proven science to support this falsehood.
In this world of instant gratification, the consumer pays ridiculous amounts of money for some magical, flavored powder that guarantees that the consumer will stay anabolic all day and that testosterone will be elevated to super human levels, achieving never-ending gains!
Truthfully, when I was younger and aspiring to put on muscle, get bigger, stronger, and shredded, I bought into the supplement hype, too. After taking various, legal supplements, promising to get me the results I desired, I realized that it was not the supplements that were getting me results. The supplements were not delivering their claims; the consistency, hard-work, and dedication were what actually worked for me.
Getting results in the gym comes down to two basic principles. The first is training consistency. That means, day in and day out, regardless of how you feel, you are training. It means that you are walking into the gym and executing a plan designed to reach your goals. The plan may focus on strength, hypertrophy, or both, depending on what your body responds best to.
Finding the right plan, and mix of training styles, takes time. There is trial and error that goes into finding what works best for each unique, individual.
The next principle that results are going to rely on is nutrition. This means knowing your caloric intake every day and tracking your micro and macro nutrients. Doing this will allow a person to make changes to the consumption of protein, fats, and carbs based on the body is responding. In the end, this will make bulks or cuts much more successful.
Once you have a better grasp of those two concepts, then you can begin to think about supplementation. Do remember, however, they are called supplements because they should be used to supplement what you are currently doing. Supplements are not going to replace your nutrition, or your lack of training knowledge. Taking a new pre-workout will not help you set more PR’s. Searching the aisles of Vitamin Shoppe, GNC or surfing online retailers will not get you results faster, no matter which company’s whey protein, BCAA, or creatine you use. It always will come down to the basics… Training & Nutrition.
Greg Robinson is 33 years old and a natural pro bodybuilder. This year he has placed first in his Men’s Open Bodybuilding Class at the OCB Battle for the Belt in Burlington, NJ and took 2nd in his pro debut on Sept 27th, 2014 at the ANBF Jersey Shore Natural VIII. He currently is the bodybuilding representative for the American Natural Bodybuilding Federation and maintains a full time job as an Index Manager
You can find Greg Robinson on his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page. He also has aYouTube channel where you can find exciting and informative videos about natural bodybuilding.
