In this article I explain the truth about muscle mass supplements.. the way I see it. Which ones really work and why I don't use most of them. There seem to be new types of muscle mass supplements being put out on the market every day now. I remember when I started training back in 1999 the only ones we ever heard of were protein powders (100% whey isolate, 100% whey concentrate, weight gainer, meal replacements), creatine, and glutamine.
Today you've got pre-workouts, post-workouts, testosterone boosters, nitro this, nitro that, pump this, and pump that. Honestly speaking, I don't know what half of these are and I don't care to ever learn about them... because I know that they will actually limit my muscular development. You may be asking yourself how something that's supposed to help you build muscle (and may have been scientifically proven to do so) could actually slow down your progression. The answer in my mind is simple. Anything that is 'performance-enhancing', natural or not, affects you negatively by weakening your ability to listen to your body.
If you get results, are you going to attribute your success to the 'product' you took or the hard work and dedication you put into the training. I truly believe that most of the muscle mass supplements that are out there have very little positive effects on a person's body. I've known guys who have been using all kinds of supplements for years and have had little or no results in the gym. Instead of focusing on how the changes they make in their weight training, nutrition, and lifestyle affects their body... they attribute the good 'pump' they got to all the supplements their on. If you want to reach your muscle mass potential you've got to learn to (until you're able to) listen to your body... Period. You'll have a hard time doing this if your mind is clouded with 'the promises' that these muscle mass supplements offer.
If you prefer to use science as the basis for why you 'think' all of the muscle mass supplements will actually work for you, let me just say this... I'll bet that any of the natural bodybuilding supplements you take in will not work as well as the first time you use them. In fact, you've probably already tried many of them and noticed that they were less efficient at increasing 'whatever' with each consecutive cycle. The natural creatine levels that are already inside of us, for example, begin to decrease once you start taking creatine supplements. The body will produce less because you're taking excessively high dosages in from an outside source. Unfortunately for those that use creatine regularly, this means that the body will continue to be less able to build muscle.
Will I ever endorse creatine or other performance-enhancing supplements if a supplement company offers me a financially tempting contract? I'll take the contract but only if I can openly endorse only the nutritional supplements I'm currently okay with using... for example, protein. I'll continue to do my best to stay true to what I know and believe. One thing is for sure, I'll never use steroids (not even the legal ones) or growth hormones.
Why am I okay with protein powders? I don't consider them performance-enhancing. They are what they're said to be... a supplement to your muscle mass diet.
A meal replacement in my mind could never really replace a healthy, protein-packed meal, but it's a great alternative to skipping a meal altogether. Protein concentrate or isolate shakes (water mixed with 100% whey protein concentrate or isolate) are great before bed because they're lean and provide the body with enough protein to sustain your muscles during the night.
Egg whites, on the other hand, are an incredible source of natural, slow-release protein... perfect for sustaining your lean muscle mass throughout the night. Still, in terms of convenience, it's always good to have a large tub of protein hanging around just in case you're all out of egg whites.
In sum, don't waste your money on useless 'performance-enhancing' muscle mass supplements. Save it for buying quality foods like chicken breast, lean ground beef, tuna, horse meat, potatoes, eggs, egg whites, almonds, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, broccoli, spinach, carrots, bananas, oatmeal, brown rice, etc. Invest in a home gym if that's what will help you get huge, but don't get sucked into the whole supplement craze that's going on. Good marketing doesn't mean a product is good. Don't just go with what's popular or what most people are using. Most people can't improve consistently for the life of them. Learn to ask yourself questions. Listen to your body because the answers are there. Reaching your potential takes trial and error, an understanding of what 'works' for you, patience, perseverance, and belief in yourself & your ability to achieve your ultimate fitness-related goal.
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