The salesman partially did his job by telling them that there’s no such supplement that can get you where you want to be without lifting weights. Moreover, he told them that they don’t sell steroids at GNC. The bad part, he told them to buy weight gainers, how kre-alcalyn creatine would only help them to gain muscle endurance and strength, and that the dosage (3g per capsule) isn’t sufficient to elicit gains and that you should aim for 10g/day. Where I want to go with all this is that you can’t ask the guy at GNC for information about weight training. Sure, there might be some guys that know how to train, but mostly, their job is to sell you products, whether they fit your needs or sometimes not. We, kinesiologist, among other professionals in the fitness industry, have an educational backgroung to help these kinds of individuals, still new to weight training who want to look, perform, and feel better.
What are the first steps to take if I want to look, perform, and look better? First, you gotta find yourself a gym. There are a few different types of gym: the commercial gym, the performance gym and the underground gym. Find the one that suits you best and get someone to build your training program. Someone that knows his stuff (program design, functional anatomy, exercise physiology, etc.) and that can help you achieve your goals without making you injured on the way. Finally, try to find a group with whom you can lift. Lifting partners can push you where you couldn’t or wouldn’t go and can also create a great training atmosphere.
Once you got your training and diet fixed, you can think about supplements. Make sure you get the basic supplements; the ones that really work. You can’t go wrong with simplicity. Simplicity means whey protein, fish oils, creatine for strength and power athletes, beta-alanine to buffer H+ ions, multivitamin or greens powders, and vitamin D if you have to get through the long months of winter. You don’t have to buy all these, but at least, you know what to look for. So forget about fat burners, testosterone boosters, and all those highly marketed products unless you want to use them at your own risk. Your wallet will also thank you for it.
To conclude, there is no secret way to achieve your fitness goals. You’ve got to work hard and smart, and to be consistent with the sacrifices you are willing to make. There are no shortcuts. Sometimes you think you can cheat your way out but eventually, your choices will catch up to you. Remember that you’re doing what you’re doing for only one person, and that is yourself.
Become and Stay strong!
Sources
Fallon, S. and Enig, M.G. (2002). The Great Con-ola. Retrieved October 25th, 2010 from the website http://www.a4t.org/Health/con-ola.html.
Bowden, J. (2007). The 150 healthiest foods on Earth. Fair Winds Press, Beverly, MA. 360 p.
Good job Xavier.
Juste pour pointer quelques petit détails, j'ai trouver que l'huile de canola extra-vierge pressé a froid est un aliment très bon pour la santé (sans joke). C'est la catégorie ordinaire qui pose problème.
Et aussi, au sujet de la beta-alanine, selon ce que j'ai lu dernièrement il s'agirait d'un supplément très overrater. A part l'effet placebo de flushing, elle n'aurait que pu d'effet. La seule facon de la faire foncitonner serait de consommer de tres petite dose mais de facon tres fréquente (i.e 1-3 gr plusieurs fois par jour).
Cela fait quelques temps que j'entends parler de l'huile de canola pressée à froid. Cela peut s'avérer une excellente alternative si elle est de bonne qualité, mais je doute que la quantité important que l'on retrouve dans les aliments soit de cette qualité. La population en générale serait mieux, si elle ne se procure pas de l'huile de canola que haute qualité, d'opter pour l'huile de lin, l'huile d'olive, l'huile de coco et autres huiles (amande, macadame, etc.) en plus du beurre.
Pour la beta-alanine,tu apportes un bon point. Je vais faire davantage de recherche à ce sujet. Merci Nic.