Don't believe everything you read

One of the places that a beginner bodybuilder might go to learn about the fundamentals might be the local bookstore, and one of the first stops in the bookstore would probably be the magazine rack. Looking to bodybuilding magazines can inspire a new bodybuilder by demonstrating what others have accomplished before. Though the pictures can be intimidating sometimes, many novice bodybuilders find the magazines exciting and take much of the information to heart. This can cause a major problem when it comes to choosing supplements to help build muscle. Did you know that many magazines actually own or are owned by supplement companies? Even when there is no direct affiliation between the magazine and the companies advertising their supplement products, there still seems to be a conflict of interest since the magazines rely on these advertisers. Advertisements, along with subscription fees, are how magazine companies make their money after all. This wouldn’t be such a problem if most readers realized this and had a healthy dose of skepticism when reading such ads. It also doesn’t help that many of the claims made by the supplement industry are questionable at best.

This brings us back to a critical concept of bodybuilding which tells us that supplements should not be the basis for a muscle building program. A few supplements can be useful for the advanced trainer who is trying to maximize his gains and has already developed a solid weightlifting and diet program. Most supplements, however, are either useless or are simply not necessary. The essential components of any bodybuilding workouts 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.