Supplemental Journey

Bodybuilding supplements always had a bad rep, especially with all the advertisements strewn across the typical muscle magazine with big roid-heads promoting it. People assume that these supplements are equivalent to steroids, or give excuses that it isn't natural or will make you look like Arnold! I don't blame them, with the way bodybuilding and the gym was previously portrayed, people will tend to err on the cautious side.

Well supplements aren't as bad as it seems, and when you actually get down to the science behind it, it actually is incredibly beneficial to your training and recovery efforts. Yeah its true that a lot of the research done to prove the efficacy of these supplements are performed by the same companies whom produce them, but of course you would personally want to perform your own due diligence and ensure its legitimacy. Personal advice is to avoid all the products with bullshit advertising, and to just look out for hard facts and legitimate brands with a proven track record.

Here are some of the typical supplements I use regularly and have yet to disappoint me:

1. Creatine. Use of it is widespread and proven to increase your workout volume. Naturally found in beef, and used by the body in the form of Creatine Phosphate to generate energy for ATP formation.


2. Omega 3 (Fish) and Flaxseed Oil. Classified as essential fats that increase your HDL count, and sufficient fat in diet is required to maintain a healthy testosterone level. Also known to help reduce post workout inflammation for quicker recovery.


3. Beta-Alanine. Research has proven it to be useful for increasing training volume by reducing effect of lactic acid buildup in the body. Literature has looked into combination of Creatine + Beta Alanine, and initial results has shown greater workout volume, increased muscle mass and fat loss in research participants.


4. ZMA. Combination of Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6. Healthy Zinc levels in body help maintain testosterone and IGF-1 levels for anabolic muscle growth. Magnesium helps give people a deeper sleep at night.


5. BCAA. Branched Chain Amino Acids contain amino acids like Leucine which are building blocks for muscle fibers in the body.


6. Multi-Vitamins. Ensures that all nutrient and vitamin daily requirements are satisfied.


7. Whey Protein (Isolate). Perfect for post- or pre-workout consumption when high protein meal isn't easily available. Easy absorption into body and prevents body from breaking own muscles for energy. Preferably coupled with fast acting carbs like dextrose/maltodextrin which spike insulin levels and increase amino acid uptake by the body.

Quirks and Conundrums

One of the colleagues I once worked out with had a pretty well defined physique, a body that most gals would drool over and guys would dream of having. To say the least, I was definitely interested to find out the master workout plan that churned out this jacked body. I was half expecting some elaborate regimen that involved hypertrophy or strength elements, but to my surprise....ALL he did for every S-I-N-G-L-E workout was Chest and Biceps! Well refraining from being too judgmental, I decided to work out with him and have a first hand look at his training style.

From what I can see, my colleague favours doing bench presses, seated machine bicep curls, and swiss ball crunches most of the time. I tried incorporating some different movements to his regimen e.g. dips, side bridges, plyometric push-ups, and shoulder presses to shake things up a bit and work other muscles. And again, I was shocked that despite not really doing these exercises before, he basically killed them!! Perhaps I should have amped it up a bit more with some Olympic lifts, but regardless I was still pretty impressed.

As much as it might defy conventional logic or lack scientific backing, there is a reason why people would unwaveringly follow time tested methods...because it works! You might not be able to quantify it, but yeah after 5-6 years of chest and biceps and you can produce a body like that....well people might just say "why not!?" Don't get me wrong, I'm still a staunch believer of functional training and maximizing your body's flexibility and strength. I would still recommend training the right way without creating any muscular imbalances.

But yeah it got me to think, being a neophyte fitness enthusiast, there are still many things that confound me and perhaps will make more sense when I gain more field experience deep in the gym training with the experts. There is only so much we can yield from theory, but it can never replace or precede practical experience.