by Jon Cardozo
Often one of the first things a person thinks about when initiating a bodybuilding program is buying supplements. Many people begin to consider buying a host of supplements before they have even settled on their exact weight training program or a diet plan.
This may be due to an unfortunate tendency in North American society to look for shortcuts and quick fixes in accomplishing any new goal, or it may in part be due to the daily bombardment of advertisements that we face on TV, radio, and yes, even the Internet. These ads often promise incredible results in improving our physique in various ways without any discipline or effort needed on our part. Could this possibly be a healthy way to achieve weight gain or any other important goal for that matter?
I would even go as far as say that no supplements are necessary to accomplish your goals. Now that’s a pretty bold statement!
When I say that supplements are not necessary for your weight training program, I’m not talking about a multivitamin or anything like that. I think it’s smart to take basic nutrients on a daily basis, but some supplements are definitely over the top. When it comes to building muscle, most supplements are all about the marketing and not about results.
We won’t even talk about steroids because most people know how harmful they can be. Even so, many people spend much of their hard earned money on steroid alternatives in the hopes that they will have quick and easy muscle growth.
The bottom line is that everyone can achieve massive muscle growth by adhering to the basic principles of progressive resistance training and increasing caloric intake. In other words, lift more, and eat more. Repeat until you achieve the desired results.
If your friends at the gym are insisting that you need the latest supplement fad, don’t listen. Don’t even think about buying these kinds of products until you have reached an advanced level. Even then, there are really only a few supplements that you should consider for a little bit of a boost. However, if your fundamentals are not right, then the supplements will be completely worthless.
I know this isn’t the most exciting message you have heard, because it actually means you’ll have to put in some effort to get the job done. In the long run, however, you’ll be thanking me. You’ll get the results you want without having to fork over your precious earnings on some worthless supplements.
