Supplements became popular in the 1970’s and only grew from there. The idea that we – as humans – are missing key elements of our diet seemed to resonate with people – and still does. However, like with everything – there are some people who go overboard and miss the whole point. That was me… and this is my confession of a former supplement addict. Let’s get into this…
I’ve been training most of my life…
I started when I was 14-years-old – in an effort to get bigger and stronger for football.
That was 36 years ago…
And over those three and a half decades – I’ve seen and tried a lot of s**t that’s come down the pike in the fitness industry.
From workouts to supplements to equipment…
If it came out over the past 35 plus years – odds are – your boy has given it a go.
That experimentation has given me a LOT of anecdotal knowledge…
Knowledge I’ve taken into every new venture I’ve entered…
From my days as a Division 1 football player at UCF, to my time in the pro wrestling ring and now as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor.
Throughout this journey – I’ve seen things come and go in the supplement industry – and let me tell you…
I’ve been down that rabbit hole as a supplement addict.
I’d try anything that promised gains…
I was looking for the non-anabolic shortcut.
I want the gains FAST – but honestly didn’t want to put the work in for it.
So, I tried it all…
And I’ve learned some hard lessons along the way.
Confessions of a Former Supplement Addict
First things first – let me make it crystal clear…
Supplements aren’t magic pills.
No matter how flashy the marketing or how ripped the models on the labels are…
NOTHING replaces hard work, dedication and a solid training and nutrition plan.
If you’re thinking about diving into the world of supplements – heed my advice:
Save yourself from the mistakes I made.
Over my three and half decades – I’ve learned a few things…
First, not everything works like it’s advertised.
Marketing is used to get you to buy…
However, most of the stuff you get – is bottom-of-the-barrel crap.
Do yourself a favor: Don’t fall for the marketing!
Do research before buying…
You’ll save yourself time, money and a little heartache.
The second thing I learned?
Quality matters.
As I just mentioned – most of what you can get from these companies is bottom-of-the-barrel bullsh*t.
There are VERY few companies that use QUALITY ingredients – which is why, again – I urge you to do your research.
Now, that being said – let’s look at some of the supplements that I’ve tried…
And see if they measure up.
Protein Powder
Protein is the holy grail of supplements – and for good reason…
As an athlete – you need protein to build and repair muscle.
But here’s the deal – not all protein powders are built the same.
When I first started drinking protein – it tasted like absolute chalky garbage.
It wasn’t until Designer Whey came out that the flavor seemed to improve.
Since then, protein powders have gotten exponentially better and more delicious…
Which is why it’s so important you don’t sacrifice taste for the quality of the protein powder you subscribe to.
Not to toot our own horn, but Nutrex’s ISOFIT Protein is some of the highest quality and most delicious protein I’ve ever tasted.
My favorite is Bananas Foster – but to be honest – you can’t go wrong with any of the flavors we’ve got out there.
There are other companies that do “collabs” with other companies for marketing appeal – and the truth is – some of it tastes pretty good…
But I don’t trust their quality.
What good is drinking a protein shake that tastes like Fruity Pebbles if the protein is low quality?
Give me quality first…
Taste second.
Luckily, Nutrex has found a way to balance that.
Creatine
Not only is creatine a classic in the supplement world…
But it’s also the most researched supplement on the planet.
There have been more clinical studies on creatine than any other supplement – and the research shows – this stuff is legit.
When it first burst on the scene – the brand du jour was MuscleTech’s Cell-Tech…
And this stuff tasted like Kool-aid.
The belief back then was – you needed a sugar to “transport” the creatine to your muscles.
That was bullsh*t – but because creatine is legit – people snapped it up like it was going out of style, and for good reason…
Creatine can help with explosive power and strength gains like no other supplement out there.
But you don’t need sugar to transport it…
5g of pure creatine monohydrate a day is enough to turn you from a zero to a hero – it just won’t happen overnight.
Give it time – and find a quality (there’s that word again) pure creatine monohydrate (like we have here at Nutrex – see it here) and you’ll be fine.
You still have to lift though!
Pre Workouts
To be honest…
I’ve taken pre-workouts that felt like I could run through a brick wall – sort of like Mr. Kool-Aid Man up there…
That being said, the crash that comes after with some of these brands just isn’t worth it.
The nutrients that go into a quality pre should all be transparent and properly dosed…
And a quality pre will have that stated firmly on the packaging.
There are a few “must have” ingredients in a quality pre…
L-Citrulline, Beta-alanine and a non-crash stimulant like dicaffeine malate.
Before I got hooked on Nutrex’s OUTLIFT products – I was taking Alpha Lion’s Super Human pre.
This stuff was good – but the jitters and the crash were rough.
It was for that alone – that I was happy to switch to OUTLIFT.
I go with the OG version, OUTLIFT CLINICAL – and my favorite flavor is Gummy Bear.
I don’t know how they did it – but this stuff tastes JUST like a gummy bear – making it easy to drink, without much bite.
Confessions of a Former Supplement Addict
There you have it…
My journey so far.
As you can tell…
I’ve been there, done that and spent a small fortune on supplements that promised the world – but delivered little.
My advice to you, fitness fam, is simple:
Supplements can be part of your regime – but they’re not a substitute for the basics: proper nutrition, consistent training and rest.
They exist to SUPPLEMENT – not take center stage.
Don’t be a supplement addict like I once was…
Build your foundation first – and if you choose to include supplements – do so wisely.
The gains WILL come – but only if you put in the real work.
Supplements won’t get you there alone…
But they’ll help you get there fast.
“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.” – Aristotle
Editor’s Note: As Shawn said, the fact is, supplements are there to help. They’re a tool – not a crutch. Even more – quality DOES matter. The quality of the ingredients we use here at Nutrex are second to none – and we stand behind it with a 90 day guarantee. If you’re looking for QUALITY supplements – we have your back. Start shopping for your favorite supplement now.
