Once in a while (Read: Constantly), I go into a supplement store . . . I usually know exactly what I’m getting based on exhaustive amounts of research, or simply because I ran out of something.
Not pictured: The other cabinet and the Colostrum in the fridge.
. . . Once in a while, I go into a supplement store and run into an over eager employee that wants to sell me on an $80 bag of protein. The title of this post is “Consider the Source,” and that’s because you must, at all times. We’ll begin where it makes the most sense, and we’ll come back to the $80 bag of protein.
When I first became interested in bodybuilding, I read a beginner’s guide that had two very important tips: 1) Don’t listen to the really cut guy at the gym, and 2) Don’t listen to supplement companies.
Why would I not want to listen to the guy at the gym with the body I want? Well, the article went on to say that 9 times out of 10, that guy is a Mesomorph (A post about body types will come!), who is just naturally very muscular, tan and lean. . . And natural mesomorphs typically did not have to work very hard, if at all, to get the body they want. Case in point, the guy who was telling a lady that bench press would cause her breasts to go away (You may remember him from a previous post); Whom also said that you shouldn’t eat any fat. (If you’re looking to gain muscle, a third of your diet should be fat to maintain testosterone production) The reason people ask him questions, though? He’s cut, and looks great, while doing exercises that don’t do anything. . . So automatically, people see him as credible.
Now, this one may seem kind of straight forward, but let’s just get this out of the way: Supplement companies are. . . Companies. They’re looking to make a profit, so of course they’re going to tell you that everything they sell is amazing, and they’re going to tell you how much you need all of it.
Well, this goes along with my trip to the supplement store. I had run out of L-Glutamine, a supplement that I’m a big fan of (Which does have naysayers), and went to the store to get some. I had no idea where this particular place kept it, so when I was approached at the door, I asked for it. The salesperson began asking me questions: “Are you taking any other supplements?” “What kind of protein do you take?” “Are you looking to gain weight, or gain muscle?” Who would want to just gain “weight.” I digress. . . After answering her questions as we slowly meandered to the section, I spotted the L-Glutamine; Unfortunately, it was behind her, and I had to listen to her sales pitch on an $80 bag of protein. “This one is high protein, but low calorie, so it’s perfect for muscle building.”
Excuse me? Muscle building is all about a caloric surplus! I could go on about the other strange things this lady was trying to tell me, and sell me, but that’s not the point. She was trying to make a sale.
Consider the source: Should you listen to someone who’s just trying to make a sale? Or someone who has not had to deal with trying to gain muscle and / or lose fat? If someone knows nothing about nutrition. . . Should they be the one giving you advice?
Consider the source before shopping, or asking people for help.