If you pick up any fitness magazine giving advice on how to build muscle fast one of the first things you will notice is the frequency of adverts for pre-workout supplements. Today we are going to look at how necessary these products actually are, to help you to determine whether they are worth your money.
Just like any other business, it's all about money. The sales talk and marketing pitches are what make the supplement industry go around and that's why you will often see claims of ridiculous results with every new product on the market.
The fitness industry has come a long way since the days of classic bodybuilding, of course. However, the basic principles of getting bigger have remained exactly the same.
There is a big risk of getting lost when it comes to supplements. Every product claims to yield life changing results, or to be the best in it's class. This often leads most people down a path of trying every product and hoping for the best.
When you take a look at the actual job of a pre-workout supplement, some of that hype clears instantly.
A pre-workout supplement usually has one job and one job only. It is designed to help you get pumped up for your forthcoming workout. That's it, despite all of the big claims it might make on the packaging.
How are you supposed to know which one is the best with all of the choices available to you?
The basic rule of marketing is that every company believes in their own product. As a result, every company is going to hype up their latest product by labeling it as the best in it's niche. As a consumer this can lead to confusion. The ingredients will tell you just how effective it actually is.
Pre-workout supplements usually contain a big serving of N.O. boosters or caffeine, designed to ramp up your energy levels immediately before you hit the gym. The products often claim that they will increase your ability to experience muscular hypertrophy but in reality they do this indirectly. By increasing your energy, they are hoping you will be able to lift heavier weights or train with more intensity than usual, therefore increasing hypertrophy as a result. You're still doing the work, it is not a miracle pill.
One area where this particular niche of products are not so great is science. There isn't a whole lot of scientific data to back up the need for a fitness enthusiast to take this kind of supplement, with a lot of exercisers using them purely through personal choice.
Ever since the discovery of creatine supplements back in the very early nineties, the bodybuilding world has seen thousands of new supplements hit the market with bigger and bolder claims. If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle in the gym and were considering using a pre-workout stimulant you will now be able to see past the hype.
Just like any other business, it's all about money. The sales talk and marketing pitches are what make the supplement industry go around and that's why you will often see claims of ridiculous results with every new product on the market.
The fitness industry has come a long way since the days of classic bodybuilding, of course. However, the basic principles of getting bigger have remained exactly the same.
There is a big risk of getting lost when it comes to supplements. Every product claims to yield life changing results, or to be the best in it's class. This often leads most people down a path of trying every product and hoping for the best.
When you take a look at the actual job of a pre-workout supplement, some of that hype clears instantly.
A pre-workout supplement usually has one job and one job only. It is designed to help you get pumped up for your forthcoming workout. That's it, despite all of the big claims it might make on the packaging.
How are you supposed to know which one is the best with all of the choices available to you?
The basic rule of marketing is that every company believes in their own product. As a result, every company is going to hype up their latest product by labeling it as the best in it's niche. As a consumer this can lead to confusion. The ingredients will tell you just how effective it actually is.
Pre-workout supplements usually contain a big serving of N.O. boosters or caffeine, designed to ramp up your energy levels immediately before you hit the gym. The products often claim that they will increase your ability to experience muscular hypertrophy but in reality they do this indirectly. By increasing your energy, they are hoping you will be able to lift heavier weights or train with more intensity than usual, therefore increasing hypertrophy as a result. You're still doing the work, it is not a miracle pill.
One area where this particular niche of products are not so great is science. There isn't a whole lot of scientific data to back up the need for a fitness enthusiast to take this kind of supplement, with a lot of exercisers using them purely through personal choice.
Ever since the discovery of creatine supplements back in the very early nineties, the bodybuilding world has seen thousands of new supplements hit the market with bigger and bolder claims. If you are trying to figure out how to build muscle in the gym and were considering using a pre-workout stimulant you will now be able to see past the hype.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe PTI is a trusted personal trainer. See how to build muscle with our new video guide giving the 5 principles to a more powerful physique and creatine.