|
|
|
SUPPLEMENTS: Okay, as I've said before, I've had it up to my eyeballs with scams in the supplement-sports nutrition field through the years. The truth of the matter is, NO supplement will miraculously put ten-fifteen-thirty pounds of muscle on you over the next 6 months, let alone overnight. And, unfortunately, most of the time steroids don't work that well for most people, so how could a nutritional supplement (which is a food derivative) accomplish even better results? Having said that, supplements will make the job easier, along with a few prerequisites, the first being a complete whole food program. Nutritionally, this is 90% of the battle. Eat McDonalds, pizza, hotdogs and diet Coke, and supplementation will amount to a complete waste of time and money. Get your eating under control! Second, a sound training program, being real careful to avoid overtraining. I can imagine most people reading this will be thinking "yeah, yeah, I do that...lets get to the good stuff.." But reread this paragraph, and think how often you really think critically and logically about what you are eating and how smart you are training. I'm not going to go into specifics here, just pick up any fitness or bodybuilding mag and instead of just looking at the pictures actually read and digest what is written. (While on the subject, when reading about the training and nutrition programs of top bodybuilders, the key isn't to look for what is different in each routine but what is the same. What do they all have in common?) A lot of you have asked about what supplements I recommend, or that I take. As some of you know, I work with Universal Nutrition as a sponsored athlete. I use all their supplements, and have toured their large tech production facility in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I am COMPLETELY confident about the quality of the supplements and the integrity of the company. Otherwise, not only would I not endorse their products, I would not use their products because the quality of the supplements has a direct correlation with the results I get in the gym and ultimately how I end up looking on stage, or performing in a strength meet. The most important supplement for anyone is a multivitamin mineral complex. The way foods are grown, shipped, cooked all devitalize the nutrients. Exercise, pollution, stress, low calorie diets, improper dietary habits, and lack of sleep all increase a persons nutritional needs. Anyone who says you don't need vitamin mineral supplements ("My doctor says you get everything you need from food....") is a complete idiot. Run screaming from that person if necessary. My favorite vitamin/mineral pak from Universal is the 'Animal Pak', which also contains energy optimizers, antioxidants, lipotropics, digestive enzymes, amino acids and popular anabolic nutrients you've heard of through the years which have proved to be efficacious (that means they work). I take two paks per day, one with breakfast and one with dinner. This supplement is an excellent starting point! Happy Training! |