My personal take on supplements

    I have met alot of people of whom their takes on supplements are divided into two. At the right corner, they feel that they cannot make it without supplements. At the other corner they feel that supplements suck, all of them! So are supplements bad? Or is it just people taking them are stupid?In my previous posts i have mentioned the danger of being on either polar opposites or being in a position at risk to be streotyped as hardcore. S

    If you ask me, i love supplements! they are easy, convenient, some do taste good, very portable, no need to worry about freshness and they require less chewing. For example, with one scoop of protein you can get roughly 20-25 grams of protein. Add a cup of milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, frozen spinach (you can barely taste them), and a piece of fruit you are getting a delicious, high protein, a decent amount of good fat and also high fibre protein shake. Personally, i do not like to chew my post workout snack. And also due to time constraints and uncertainty of availability for gym time, i do not wish to worry about preparing solid meals and carrying them around to class. Furhtermore they taste funny after being confined in a tupperware for a long time.

                                                              Match made in heaven

    And there are some supplements that just cannot be replaced by food. For example, you would have to eat a ton of salmon to get the same amount of omega 3 in just a few fish oil capsules. Not to mention that salmon is freakingly expensive. And in alot of situations, supplements can be alot cheaper than whole foods. A 10 lb 100% whey from Optimum nutrition is around rm290 on average, with 150 servings. One scoop has 24 grams of protein. Simple math equates one serving costs around rm1.95 per serving. For me to get an equal amount of protein with that price is nearly impossible. Even if i can the preparation required in making sure it is edible is just not worth it.

                                               Freakingly good, but freakingly expensive


    Different coaches have different takes on supplements and what do they consider necessary. But generally, a basic protein powder, fish oil, creatine monohydrate, greens supplements, and a workout drink are the ones agreed upon. None of that N.O or  fancy creatine bullcrap.

                                              He looks better than most of us, even unshaved


    All that being said, i am not here to say that supplements can replace food. Proper nutrition is the foundation. You will get nowhere without having a decent base. Supplements are what they are, they are...just supplements! But they can be pretty helpful. However, you can do it without them. If you happen to love chicnken breast and rice for post workout, then what is stoping you? And if you love the taste of leavy greens so much that you do not feel like a chore chewing them endlessly then please, help yourself! Hey, we do not live in a perfect world. So if you are missing out on supplements, do not make it as if it is the end of the world and you have to stop training. Oldtimers like Vince Gironda, John Grimek, Reg Park, and Steve Reeves could do it. And in fact, they look much better than the suplement bitches. You just gotta know how will they help you instead of following some tagline with lots of exclamation marks on some bodybuilding supplement ad.