So you wanna get big? And let me guess, a lot of people have told you that you can’t get big without supplements, right? Well, before you even open your wallet, you better know what you’re buying because the supplement industry is full of broken promises and fallen dreams!
The only way to avoid the bullshit is to smarten up and educate yourself about the over 8000+ supplements available. Lucky for you, all you have to read is the cliff notes because yours truly has been studying and using supplements for over 10 years. You don’t need a doctorate in pharmacy because I already have one. So get ready because you won’t find the following information anywhere else.
First rule of the supplement club, know your supplement categories! (Don’t worry, I’ll discuss each category in more detail in future articles)
PROTEIN
Protein is the building blocks of muscle. When you lift, you break your muscles down. The only way they’re going to grow is if you build them back up. And you do that by putting your body in a positive nitrogen balance, a.k.a. a fancy term for saying you must consume more protein than you use!
There are several different types of protein, which defining each type is beyond the scope of this article (but will be in a future article). Just know that a lot of the manufacturers are going to try and convince you “x” type of protein is better for you than “y” protein. Don’t get caught up in semantics. Just make sure you’re consuming more than you’re using, and that one of your shakes is immediately following your workout.
CREATINE
When you lift weights, your muscles use energy. One of the substrates used to create energy is phosphocreatine (creatine). Unfortunately, your muscles do not contain an endless amount of creatine. In fact, in most individuals, your muscles aren’t even at their storage capacity for creatine. So how do you overcome this? By taking creatine.
Creatine allows your muscles to do more work. When “more work” means more reps and sets, your muscles are going to get bigger. Remember, and do not ever forget this, progressive overload, increasing the amount of work you do from workout to workout, is the key principle to muscle growth.
Do not be fooled by these second and third generation creatines. Time and time again, studies have shown plain old micronized creatine is just as good as, if not better than, these supposed “superior” creatine derivatives.
NITRIC OXIDE PRODUCTS
The manufacturers will have you believe that these products cause vasodilation of the vessels that supply blood to your muscles, thereby bringing your muscles more oxygen, nutrients, and energy. With this increase in oxygen, nutrients, and energy, you will not only be able to work out longer, but you’ll also switch your body into a state of anabolism.
Hogwash. These products are pure vanity products. All show no grow! They’re perfect for those that spend more time looking at themselves in the mirror than lifting weights.
PROHORMONES
These products are basically legal steroid alternatives. Every time one is taken off the market by the FDA, a company puts a slightly different version back on the market. There are too many to name here. However, they all have one thing in common: they act like testosterone. Do they work? Yes, the majority of them do. Are they worth it? No. You get all of the side effects of regular steroids and only ¼ of the muscle growth.
FATBURNERS
Once again, there are too many to name. The large majority are all talk (like Hydroxycut). Is there a fatburner that’s going to make you lose 30 pounds? Absolutely not. If there was, trust me, it would be a prescription drug. In all reality, there’s probably not a fatburner that’s going to make you lose 5 lbs. The only benefit I see to using a fatburners is when someone is on a severe low caloric diet, and in desperate need of energy. If you just can’t seem to get enough energy to get out of bed and hop on the treadmill, a fatburner may help. Otherwise, stick to a good, clean diet and exercise.
MISC.
Some supplements just don’t fall into any category. Beta alanine is an example. If I had to give a brief description of each, you’d be reading this article for hours. So, instead of touching on every supplement that doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, I’ll just write future articles on the ones that are actually worth the purchase price.
So now you’ve been educated, but please don’t stop here. Future articles will get into the real “nuts and bolts” of the supplement industry. We’ll talk about the various kinds of creatine available, if nitrous products are worth the money, how much protein you really do need each day, how to save big $ on supplements without sacrificing results, and what’s the most important meal of the day, among other things…
Now get out and lift!
Written by Dr. T.J. Allan, Pharm D. and founder of Muscle-Geeks
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“If I had to give a brief description of each, you’d be reading this article for hours.” No, please do. I would love to read more about what I need to be taking, everyone knows what protein and creatine will do. I want to hear about the other stuff. Thanks for this article.
I will. Unfortunately, I only have so much space per week. However, I’ll try to delve into every product category available.
Really informative article and good fit for the Campus Throne. I too would like to hear more of this in detail, but at the same time its hard to say if I would read it all in one post.
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