Do Bodybuilders Really Need Supplements?
Sean Nalewanyj
To supplement or not to supplement? That is the question, and an
important one at that.
Do bodybuilders really need supplements? Let’s examine that question.
The first thing to look at when trying to answer the million-dollar
question about supplements (with the ever-increasing revenues of the
supplement industry I should more accurately call it a “billion-dollar
question”) is what do we define as “need”?
The question seems to be, “do we really need supplements”? But the
answer to that completely depends upon what it is that we do or do not
need them for. Let’s examine a couple of different definitions.
“Do bodybuilders need supplements to become bigger and stronger?”
The answer to this question? No!
Regardless of what the million-dollar supplement companies would have
you believe, supplementation is not mandatory in the pursuit of
increased muscle mass and strength. Anyone who trains hard and focuses
on consuming adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats from
whole foods can and will see a significant increase in muscle size and
strength. Do you think that serious lifters back in the 1940’s were
pounding back “Ultra-Cell-Volumizing Fruit Punch Creatine Cocktails”
after their workouts? No, they were eating steak and potatoes and
washing it down with a glass of milk.
If you want to become bigger and stronger, supplements are not
mandatory. Period.
So given this fact, bodybuilders shouldn’t use any supplements, right?
Wrong.
Let’s examine the second definition.
“Do bodybuilders need supplements to become as big and strong as they
possibly can?”
The answer to this question? Yes!
Although supplements are not mandatory to become bigger and stronger,
they ARE mandatory if your goal is to become as big and strong as you
possibly can. By investing in the right products and using the proper
amounts, you can definitely gain an extra edge and see superior gains
than a person who has chosen not to go the supplement route.
With the endless hours of hard work and dedication that you put in at
the gym and at home on your quest to achieving the physique you desire,
it only seems logical that a few extra bucks should be spent each month
on a few reputable products in order to maximize your gains.
The question you simply have to ask yourself is, “how much are my
muscle gains worth to me?” If an extra boost in strength at the gym and
lean muscle tissue is worth the price of that bottle of creatine, then
it makes sense to purchase it. If a minimization of muscle breakdown
and increased immune system strength is worth the price of that bottle
of glutamine, then it makes sense to purchase it.
“Do bodybuilders really need supplements?”
If you’re serious about achieving the most significant muscle size and
strength gains that you possibly can, then I definitely would recommend
a basic and straightforward supplement plan to maximize your results.
Here are the 5 most basic supplements that I would recommend:
1) Whey Protein
2) Creatine
3) Glutamine
4) High-Potency Multivitamin
5) Essential Fatty Acids
This is a great place to start and will go a long way in increasing
your lean muscle mass, strength and fat burning capabilities. There are
definitely a lot of worthless, ineffective supplements out there, but
these 5 basic products have been shown time and time again to be both
effective and worth the cost. If you’re looking to gain an extra edge
and are serious about reaching your muscle-building goals, they are
definitely worth looking into.
Sean Nalewanyj is a bodybuilding expert, fitness author and writer of
top-selling Internet Bodybuilding E-Book: The Truth About Building
Muscle. You can learn more by visiting his website:
http://www.MuscleGainTruth.com/
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