By Russ Howe
If you are reading any magazine which claims to teach you how to build muscle, you could be forgiven for groaning every time you turn the page to be met with an advert for a pre-workout supplement claiming to be the difference between success and failure in the gym. In today's article we are going to show you how effective, or ineffective, these products can actually be.
Just like any other business, it's all about money. The sales talk and marketing pitches are what make the supplement industry go around and that's why you will often see claims of ridiculous results with every new product on the market.
The fitness industry has come a long way since the days of classic bodybuilding, of course. However, the basic principles of getting bigger have remained exactly the same.
It is very, very easy to get lost in the world of bodybuilding supplements and so many fitness enthusiasts get caught up in the craze of buying the latest powders and shakes to enhance their results, but so few see returns to warrant the massive expenditure they are making.
The first step to understanding a particular supplement is to look at the main job it has.
A pre-workout supplement usually has one job and one job only. It is designed to help you get pumped up for your forthcoming workout. That's it, despite all of the big claims it might make on the packaging.
How are you supposed to know which one is the best with all of the choices available to you?
If you just go off the marketing claims and slogans you'll literally waste a ton of money trying every product on the market. The first thing you should check if you want any factual information is the nutritional information for the product in question.
Pre-workout supplements usually contain a big serving of N.O. boosters or caffeine, designed to ramp up your energy levels immediately before you hit the gym. The products often claim that they will increase your ability to experience muscular hypertrophy but in reality they do this indirectly. By increasing your energy, they are hoping you will be able to lift heavier weights or train with more intensity than usual, therefore increasing hypertrophy as a result. You're still doing the work, it is not a miracle pill.
One area where this particular niche of products are not so great is science. There isn't a whole lot of scientific data to back up the need for a fitness enthusiast to take this kind of supplement, with a lot of exercisers using them purely through personal choice.
Ever since the discovery of creatine supplements back in the very early nineties, the bodybuilding world has seen thousands of new supplements hit the market with bigger and bolder claims. If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle in the gym and were considering using a pre-workout stimulant you will now be able to see past the hype.
Just like any other business, it's all about money. The sales talk and marketing pitches are what make the supplement industry go around and that's why you will often see claims of ridiculous results with every new product on the market.
The fitness industry has come a long way since the days of classic bodybuilding, of course. However, the basic principles of getting bigger have remained exactly the same.
It is very, very easy to get lost in the world of bodybuilding supplements and so many fitness enthusiasts get caught up in the craze of buying the latest powders and shakes to enhance their results, but so few see returns to warrant the massive expenditure they are making.
The first step to understanding a particular supplement is to look at the main job it has.
A pre-workout supplement usually has one job and one job only. It is designed to help you get pumped up for your forthcoming workout. That's it, despite all of the big claims it might make on the packaging.
How are you supposed to know which one is the best with all of the choices available to you?
If you just go off the marketing claims and slogans you'll literally waste a ton of money trying every product on the market. The first thing you should check if you want any factual information is the nutritional information for the product in question.
Pre-workout supplements usually contain a big serving of N.O. boosters or caffeine, designed to ramp up your energy levels immediately before you hit the gym. The products often claim that they will increase your ability to experience muscular hypertrophy but in reality they do this indirectly. By increasing your energy, they are hoping you will be able to lift heavier weights or train with more intensity than usual, therefore increasing hypertrophy as a result. You're still doing the work, it is not a miracle pill.
One area where this particular niche of products are not so great is science. There isn't a whole lot of scientific data to back up the need for a fitness enthusiast to take this kind of supplement, with a lot of exercisers using them purely through personal choice.
Ever since the discovery of creatine supplements back in the very early nineties, the bodybuilding world has seen thousands of new supplements hit the market with bigger and bolder claims. If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle in the gym and were considering using a pre-workout stimulant you will now be able to see past the hype.
About the Author:
Coach: Russ Howe PTI is a popular fitness coach. See how to build muscle with our new video guide giving the 5 principles to a more powerful physique and creatine.
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