Some thoughts and advice for adding supplements into your daily routine. Please feel free to add your thoughts, comments, and/or additions!
Along with a proper diet, supplements can be very beneficial for your body. Contrary to what some believe, supplements are not a waste of money, nor are they useless. There are legitimate uses for many of today's bodybuilding supplements, though by no means should they be considered "the answer" to getting big or getting healthy. They are exactly what they are called - supplements - meant to supplement your body with the recommended dosage of a nutrient that your body may not typically get enough of through normal diet. Please don't fall into the hype that just because you saw Ronnie Coleman wearing a
NO Xplode shirt that it means he takes NO Xplode and if you take NO Xplode you'll be big and muscular like Ronnie Coleman. Supplements don't work that way. Here are some tips for properly including supplements into your daily routine:
- Narrow down the supplement(s) that you feel you are not getting enough of on a daily basis. Ask yourself the question, what am I not eating enough of? If you are taking a multivitamin, check the label to see how much of the daily RDA it is giving you. You might be surprised that you need extra Calcium, etc.
- Start with the basics. Look into Omega-3's, multivitamins, antioxidants, etc. Leave the more complex things for later, after you've gotten your base started.
- Take supplements throughout the course of the day and adjust your timing according to what feels best for your body. For example, taking some supplements in the evening may give your body a slight boost of energy which may cause you to have trouble sleeping. Move those to the morning to give yourself that little extra boost of energy that you may have been looking for.
- If you aren't currently taking any supplements, start out with a good multivitamin and work up from there. Don't introduce 5 new supplements to your body all at the same time. Ease into it.
- Buy supplements from a source that you know and trust. Do your research as well. There are many companies selling the same product with a large range in prices. What costs $29.95 from one store may cost $24.95 from another. Compare and shop around! Just because "x.com" is the only store you've heard everyone talking about doesn't make it the best store. If you're buying 5 different supplements and you can save $5 on each by switching stores, that's quite a large percentage of savings considering that most of us buy supplements on a fairly regular basis.
- ALWAYS check with your doctor before taking a new supplement if you have any medical conditions. I can't emphasize this enough. No matter what you read on the Internet, I'd always recommend taking the advice of your doctor over the advice of someone you don't know just because they posted a message on a bodybuilding forum.
A fairly short list, but please feel free to add your comments. I thought this may be a good starting point for some of our BBD members who are trying to figure out what to take, if it will help, how quickly it will help, etc.
And please remember, again, that supplements are NOT the answer to getting bigger! Getting bigger and healthier requires HARD WORK, DEDICATION, and A STRICT DIET before EVERYTHING else! There is no "get big quick" scheme! Best of luck in your quest for a bigger body!
