Sunday, February 1, 2009

Are bodybuilding magazines full of lies?

By Jon Cardozo

It's hard for a new weightlifter or bodybuilder to sift through all the information, especially online. As you would expect, a beginner will look for advice from a trusted source.

Many times that source will be the magazine shelf at any number of bookstores. Bodybuilding magazines are quite popular and often inspire a beginner to try to reach new heights.

However, beginners should be aware about something before they believe everything they read in a bodybuilding magazine. Unfortunately, these magazines often recommend supplements because they want to make money, not necessarily because the products really are helpful.

Let's assume that there is no direct or legal partnership between the supplement companies and the magazines. Sometimes this is the case. Still, these magazines make plenty of money by allowing supplement companies to advertise their products, so there's certainly a conflict of interest if you think about it.

The real problem with this is that many beginners don't know any better and try to follow everything they read in these magazines. Sometimes they don't figure this out until after they have wasted a lot of time, effort, and money.

Most supplements are not helpful. The few that are only make a difference if you're an advanced weightlifter who has maximized his training regimens and nutrition.

Most supplements, however, are either useless or are simply not necessary. The essential components of any bodybuilding program will always be progressive resistance training and increasing one's daily calories. Looking for shortcuts when you have not even mastered the basics will simply lead to disappointment and a lot of wasted money.

The best thing you can do is concentrate on learning the fundamentals of muscle building. Finding a personal trainer is a good idea, but you may not be able to afford it (it is also difficult to know who to trust). Another option is to follow a course written by proven bodybuilder who knows what it takes to produce success. - 16004

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