Do You Really Know What You're
Getting When You Buy Supplements?
Jim Bell, PhDc
Some of you know it; others
just sense it. You have been reading issue after issue of the popular and
numerous magazines on Bodybuilding, Fitness and Physique Development and
something is not quite right. You look at the pictures of the huge bodybuilders
with more muscularity than seems humanly possible. All the articles and
advertisements claim these inhuman physiques are a result of some miraculous new
supplement that guarantees you will increase energy, muscle size, and strength
or decrease fat. You too can look just like your favorite model or bodybuilder
if you take the advertised magic pill, potion or elixir.
After
numerous attempts and many different supplements that nagging sense begins to
crystallize and you come to the realization that all these magazines youve been
buying should all have the same name Muscle & Fiction! You come to the
realization that the mountains of muscle that used to be human beings use
supplements that arent sold in stores (not in the USA at least). You realize
that it is not their knowledge of exercise and nutrition science that has
manufactured their gargantuan physiques, but their knowledge of pharmaceutical
science. You realize that it is not their knowledge of nutritional
supplementation that has built their bodies, but their knowledge of illegal
bodybuilding drugs.
If you are
like most of the rest of us you are going to experience much of the same
disappointment we all felt when we found out there is no Santa Claus (Well, to
be totally honest, I still believe in Santa Clause; you can go ahead and laugh
at me, but if Jennifer Lopez shows up under my tree this year well see who does
the laughing). You cant believe that all those men and women that you admire do
drugs. You cant believe that all those physiques you have aspired for do drugs.
You cant believe that all those physiques you have fantasized about do drugs.
Once you get
over the disappointment you now have a decision to make. To paraphrase
Shakespeare: to drug or not to drug, that is the question. Whether tis nobler
to stay true to the health and fitness lifestyle and settle for a smaller and
much more aesthetically pleasing physique that will be admired and appreciated
by the majority of our society (plus much sexier to members of the opposite sex
if youre into that, and at 48 Im proud to say that Im still into it) or to
give up your ethics, principles and scruples to begin illegal drug use that
damages your body, your health, your relationships, your career, your finances
and eventually your soul (not to mention that time in prison is not fun, unless
your one of those guys that wants to get in touch with their feminine side) and
give up on what the bodybuilding lifestyle really means: health, fitness and
longevity.
If it sounds
like Im trying to scare you I am. I have already lost many friends to
bodybuilding drugs, young friends, good friends and I dont want to lose
anymore.
But I am
going to give you a ray of hope. I am going to tell you about some positive
changes that are occurring among a few supplement manufacturers and therefore
among some supplements available to you today that are both safe and effective.
There is now
evolving a new generation of supplement manufacturers that are bringing strong,
ethical and professional business practices to an industry that has been lacking
for far too long. These manufacturers believe as we at the IFPA have always
believed, that if you focus on doing the very best you can do for everyone you
come in contact with, business success will follow.
Recent
studies show that the majority of supplement manufacturers are selling inferior
products to unsuspecting consumers. Recent studies show that over 90% of the
products being sold today are ineffective because of 1) use of inferior
ingredients, 2) false labeling - listed ingredients not included in the
supplement (unbelievably the bottle of Ginseng you just purchased may have no
Ginseng in it) 3) Inferior manufacturing processes that denature the
ingredients in the supplement making them completely worthless and unusable by
the human body, 4) hyped up marketing claims that a product can do something
that it can not, 5) improper use of a supplement.
Now for the
good news. The IFPA has been conducting its own investigation of the supplement
industry. Our investigation continues, but we are thrilled to report that we
have found supplement manufacturers that have fixed those 5 problems. We are
overjoyed to discover supplements that really work and actually deliver on what
they claim. Do they promise to help you win the Mr. Olympia contest, NO, (but
why would you want to, with the exception of the small cult that follows
professional bodybuilding, the majority of the human race doesnt see hard work
and dedication when looking at those physiques, they see freaks), but this new
generation of supplements can help you achieve natural bodybuilding goals
quicker, more safely and effectively while actually improving your overall
health in the process.
The
manufacturers that you can trust are: MRM, Natures Way, Solaray, Pure
Solutions, Source Naturals and Natures Splendor. Most of these manufacturers
products are currently available in our online FitShop and more will be added
soon.
It is also
essential for you to realize that the solution to problem #5 (improper use of
supplements) is going to make the greatest overall impact in attaining your
specific desired effect from supplementation. One thing you must learn is that
supplements work best when taken synergistically with other supplements, a
healthy nutrition program and a healthy exercise regimen, in other words: a
healthy lifestyle. In future issues of FitNews I will discuss the proper use of
supplements to achieve your and/or your clients individual goals.
The IFPA has
become the world leader in practical fitness, health, nutrition, sports
conditioning and certification education. We will continue to do all things
possible to make sure that all our certified instructors have the knowledge and
tools available to ensure not only their success, but the success of the clients
they train, consult nutritionally and advise on weight loss. You can be the
worlds best personal trainer or sports conditioning specialist and still not
have your clients make their best gains if you dont advise them on nutrition,
weight management and supplementation.
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