Supplements – what can you take to get (X) results?

May 12th, 2017 by

One of the questions that come up quite a bit, is about supplements. What can I take to get (X) result?

The answer is 99.99% of the time, not a dang thing. The truth is, there are very few supplements proven to show any benefit whatsoever, and the benefit is typically so small that it isn’t even worth the dime you will spend on it. If you diet isn’t on track and your training is spot on, supplements should be the furthest thing from your mind.

So what does work? Here is a list of my top 8 things that will make or break your progress.

1) Food. Either a deficit or surplus depending on your goals.
2) Training. Appropriate volume and intensity to support growth or maintain muscle mass.
3) Sleep, for recovery and hunger management, among about a million other things.
4) Water, because there are way to many benefits to list.
5) Consistency
6) Patience
7)Patience
8) Patience

If you have these things nailed day in and day out, then we can talk about supplements. Fair warning, I will still probably say that nothing is needed. People spend hundreds of dollars a year or more on supplements and diet pills, yet refuse to address the basics. Make sure you aren’t missing the forest for the trees.

Full disclosure, I do recommend protein powder, but I consider this a (convenience) food source and not a performance enhancing supplement. It isn’t necessary though, or even more beneficial in measurable benefits than that of any other source of lean protein.