GNC + I never lifted weights in my life + I want to look jacked…

You’ve read well.  First article in English for XR Performance.  I had to take advantage of the fact that I studied at an English Cegep for three years.  Moreover, guys like Mike, Pat and Ameet won’t have any excuses for not reading my stuff.  Just kidding of course.  Well, the title of this whole new article pretty much summarizes my latest visit at the local GNC store.  I walked in to get one bottle of vitamin D and some melatonin and my ears fell to the floor and ran out of the store as I heard two young customers asking the salesman how to get jacked without lifting weights, increase their testosterone and how creatine works.
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.
Then, make sure you get your diet fixed.  A lot of the information we get from the media promotes specific products as healthy but they are quite the opposite.  For example, in Quebec, canola oil is widely promoted as an healthy oil that is rich in omega-3’s.  However, it doesn’t appear in Jonny Bowden’s list of the 150 healthiest foods on earth (2007) and certainly is not recommended by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD (2002).  Indeed, their publication demonstrates the negative effects of canola oil consumption.  On the opposite side, saturated fats get a bad rap from a lot of professional in the field of nutrition.  But some sources of saturated fat like organic butter and coconut oil are really good for you.  As for the rest of your diet, it would be better to see a qualified nutritionist; one that is aware of the latest findings and research.  But you cannot be wrong if you increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and quality sources of protein.

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.

2 réflexions au sujet de “GNC + I never lifted weights in my life + I want to look jacked…”

  1. Iron-Nic

    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).

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  2. Xavier Roy

    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.

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