Are you counting on weightlifting supplements to make up for a poor diet or inadequate training? You would do better to save your money and focus on the fundamentals instead of looking for a shortcut. So many people have found out the hard way that taking muscle building supplements (or weightlifting supplements) is not a shortcut to gaining lean muscle mass.
Muscle building supplements are not necessary and are often completely useless. Even protein shakes, although helpful and convenient, are not mandatory. You really can get all of your calories and protein from your diet. Protein drinks are convenient, but there’s nothing really magical about them.
If you’ve spent any time shopping for supplements, you have probably been amazed at some of the prices. You’ll see stacks of protein bars and tubs of who knows what selling at a premium. The supplements look so convincing, with their pictures of huge bodybuilders guaranteeing your success.
I once heard a well known trainer explain that supplements are mostly useless for building muscle.
He explained that the core of your results will come from your weightlifting exercises, your nutrition, and your recovery methods. Only when all of these fundamentals are in place should you even consider spending money on supplements. Even then, you may only see a slight boost in your performance. Chances are you’ll notice anything at all.
Forget what bodybuilding magazines try to tell you. You’ll do far better by improving your training and diet (or even just getting more sleep) than you would by listening to the advertisements from supplement companies.
The basic principles of muscle growth are pretty simple. I’m not saying they’re easy to achieve, because they require quite a bit of discipline. However, the core principles have not changed. They remain progressive resistance training, proper recovery methods, and nutrition. Looking for a quick fix simply won’t do it for you.
The truth is that building muscle, like many things in life, is actually fairly straightforward. It requires effort, but the fundamental principles are not that complex. What is needed is a self discipline and persistence, which requires much more effort (and is much more rewarding) than popping a few pills or drinking some special powder. Only when you’ve mastered the basics and truly disciplined yourself should you even consider adding supplements.