My goal after you read this article is that you become smarter and hopefully cut your supplement expense to less than half.
In the beginning, I would believe everything I read and saw from social media.I fell into to a trap that I want people to avoid. There is something wrong with the fitness industry, and it’s the amount of lies we are told. The reason we are being lied to is because supplements are a huge business – a $122 billion industry!
First and foremost, supplements are supposed to fill in holes in your diet; they are meant to “supplement” your diet.
I get ask all the time, “what protein powder do you drink, bro?”, “what supplement do I need to build muscle fast?”, “is creatine a steroid?”, “what fat burner should I take?” Supplements are not the magic pill, in fact you can be in great shape without them.
I want to talk about some of the most popular supplements out there, and tell you if they work or not.
1. Fat Burners
Most of the time Fat Burners are very under dosed, most of the ingredients they include have no conclusive research, and you’re probably getting useless fillers, too. The reason most of the fat burners don’t work is because many people believe that by just taking a couple of pills and feeling jittery, you’re magically making fat disappear. Wouldn’t it be nice?
Raspberry ketones don’t work. Carnitine is trash unless you’re deficient. Apple cider vinegar tastes like dirty feet and it doesn’t burn fat.
Fat loss happens when you’re in a caloric deficit; in other words, eating less and/or exercising more. That's it.
2. Amino Acids (BCAAs)
This supplement is overrated. Unnecessary if you’re eating properly.
Unless you’re protein deficient you don’t need them. Period. Stop wasting your money in colored water; just eat proper amount of protein (nothing crazy) and you’ll be fine.
However, it might help vegans because most of their protein sources are incomplete, meaning they lack some amino acids.
3. Pre-Workouts
Huge debate here.
I used to be an avid believer of pre-workouts, I mean who doesn’t like to feel like they have ants crawling under their skin, and the mental toughness of a gladiator. They feel good, do they work? Not really. You have to be very careful with the pre-workout you choose.
Like fat burners, pre-workouts come under dosed and unless you are getting the right ingredients at the right doses, you are only paying for a couple of minutes of “feel good.”
On top of that, pre-workouts create dependency, and continually require more and more each workout to get the same effects than before.
4. Caffeine
Also known as “unicorn blood.”
Probably the cheapest and fastest way to get way more out of your workout, and on top of that it helps with endurance, strength and fat burning (by helping you maintain a caloric deficit).
In fact, studies show that the pill form of pure caffeine is more effective than drinking coffee. Honestly, if you like your cup of Joe, go for it, I prefer to take the pill.
5. Creatine
The most studied, and proven supplement out there. Long story short, it works.
It helps the body build muscle, improve endurance, and reduce soreness; on top of that, it has no serious long-term or short-term side effects.
Don’t over complicate yourself with the many types of creatine out there, and please don’t waste your money in “special forms” of creatine. Simply put, just go with creatine monohydrate, and drink lots of water.
6. Protein
Contrary to popular belief, protein doesn’t “make you ripped, bro.” Again, this is just a supplement, and it is incredibly helpful for people trying to bulk, or with tight schedules, and incredibly helpful for women too.
It is definitely not necessary by any means, since you can get all your protein from food. Be warned, this is the most sold supplement out there, and for a good reason: people truly believe that by drinking protein shakes, or “lean” protein shakes, they’ll build muscle or burn fat.
If you think you need a protein supplement, I advise you don’t pay for a powder with a bunch of fillers and empty promises!
When it comes to supplements I keep it basic, and you should too. There is no need to buy stacks of supplements and not even knowing what you’re taking. Like multivitamins that have you peeing fluorescent yellow. Don’t waste your money on things you don’t even know what they are.
In the end, you can get all you need from food!
