Just thought i would get some input in the situation i am in now. I am a 17 year old high school senior, been training seriously for a little over a year, and am now looking into getting some basics supps (creatine, bcaa, etc) but my mother says it is bad for my health and all of that and how i should train the “natural” way. What i find idiotic is that she allows both of my older but underage siblings to drink alcohol, which i see as much more harmful. I’d just like to get some feedback on this as it is very frustrating to me.
Explain to her the benefits of proper workout nutrition, starting with the requirement of protein so you can build more muscle. Also explain that it is a SUPPLEMENT to your diet, because the rest of the food she buys you is not high enough in protein. Also direct her to this article: Catching Up On Creatine
One of the main reasons she’s likely saying it’s bad is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding.
fuck it. just…fuck it
Maybe just listen to your mommy. Start eating and training seriously and stop looking at supplements as the difference between failure and success. Is your nutrition even close to where it should be at and are you weight training intensely, intelligently, consistently, and relatively frequently?
To answer josh rider, yeah it is. I eat about 3000 calories a day coming from 4-5 meals, chicken,eggs,beef etc. I use a slightly modified 5/3/1 and my lifts are squat- 345,bench-260, dead lift-460, overhead press 180. Not record breaking numbers but i am making steady progress and don’t consider myself an idiot when it comes to lifting. I obviously don’t plan on listening to my “mommy” but thanks man. And in defense to my mother she is an extremely supportive person in all other aspects of my health and fitness, buying me the foods i want, paying for the gym etc.
Great to hear that you’re training hard/keeping in check what you’re eating. What are your goals, BF%, Weight, and height? How much protein are consuming daily?
My goals, get into the local bodybuilding/powerlifting scene before long. Bf… i have never tested i have visible abs and am vascular. I weigh about 197 pounds at 6 feet. I would say im consuming about 200 grams of protein daily. As for carbs and fats i dont keep track but i keep carbs fairly low, 1-3 cups of rice or oats a day. Fats i get from eggs, meat and nuts, not sure about the exact amount gramwise.
Find some positive articles on supplements written from reputable sources and e-mail/show them to her. Some people need to see this information from a TV show, magazine, medical article to believe it unfortunately. Most women, will see crap on Dr. Oz or Oprah, and then come up to me and say “Did you know that fish oil can enhance your brain function?” and I’m like, no effing shit-- that is why I’ve been taking it for the past 4 years.
As far as supplements though, you only need a multi-vitamin, fish oil, and a good whey protein. If you’re eating correctly, those are the ones that will benefit you the most. Also, you should be consuming more than 200g of protein. Best of luck.
Ask her if she even knows what creatine does or what BCAAs do. When she says no, tell her.
“As far as supplements though, you only need a multi-vitamin, fish oil, and a good whey protein. If you’re eating correctly, those are the ones that will benefit you the most. Also, you should be consuming more than 200g of protein. Best of luck.”
I agree with this sentiment on only truly needing those three supplements; creatine is a bonus and gets placed number four on my list.
Although unless your dieting is there a reason you need more than 1g/lb of bodyweight? I’ll go up to 1.5/lb of lean body mass when I’m preparing for a contest. Otherwise, I believe you can make sufficient strength gains on 1g/lb. of bodyweight, and put most of your emphasis on getting in plenty of complex carbs – I use around 2g/lb for bulking purposes.
Go to Tony Gentilcores blog and print out some of his articles for your mom. He writes a ton of awesome stuf for guys here on T-Nation but also tons of stuff for ladies that ‘de bunk’ the fitness myths that (mainly women) hear, read and see.
It should help.