Are there any supplements worth using?

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Hi there, I've been working out for around a year now (3-6 days a week for an hour) and while I have seen decent results, a little extra help wouldn't go a miss. We've all seen these adverts everywhere suggesting the products they sell will get you hench in a month or whatever, but they all seem really expensive and get mixed reviews all over the internet. I was wondering if there are any out there that are actually worth the money, or are they all one big scam?

At the moment I don't take any supplements as such (a bit of diet shake here and there), and my diet isn't anything special. Should I simply work hard on getting the perfect diet or shall I spend a bit of money on these things.

Cheers for any responses.

By Robert Forrester – 3 months ago

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Hi Robert,

I need to know your goal - fat loss, muscle gain?

And you have to have a plan. Do you need to put on muscle to build your physique or do you just need to shift fat? Is there a date upon which you'd like to look fit?

If your diet is good and you are doing smart, hard, regular, solid workout sessions, then you can do quite well without supplements. However, most people get better results from adding protein (both as an easy way to hit your protein needs and because these supplements have better quality protein than you can get from food, etc).

Also creatine monohydrate is proven (and I don't use the word "proven" lightly) to increase muscle mass and strength significantly.

These would be the initial supplements I would suggest for most people trying to gain muscle or trying to lose fat and maintain muscle. Although if you have a fast metabolism and trouble gaining weight, go for a weight gainer instead of, or in addition to a protein product.

There are of course several other supplements that are useful and dozens of ingredients, which are appropriate for different purposes but you probably need to get your diet and training right as a first priority, so if you get back to me with your training and diet, I could have a look at it and give you some tips.

Mark Gilbert
Nutritionist and Supplement Specialist

3 months ago

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my goals at the moment are a bit of both. I'd like to lose some excess fat around the mid-section and also put on some muscle everywhere. I don't really have a time in which I'd like it done as such, just ASAP.
I'll post up my diet and workout routine tomorrow as I've just got back off a flight and need some sleep.

By Robert Forrester – 3 months ago