Muscle shakes to build bulk?
I often get frustrated when I see muscle building shakes or drinks advertised as a quick fix way to build muscle and strength. Therefore, I decided to write this small post in the hope it may shed some truth to anyone who is interested in the subject of gaining muscle and staying or getting fit.
Now, I can't say I have never tried muscle building shakes before because when I was in my fitness prime (early to mid-20's) I did get sucked into buying and using these shakes for a small period of time. I was in the military and many of us "gym junkies" were looking for a edge to get bigger and stronger without the use of drugs so protein shakes seemed like a supplement worth trying.
Without turning this into a very long article, after nearly three decades of working out, trying different supplements and ways to get fitter, there's no doubt in my mind that muscle building shakes are a con and a total waste of money. I wouldn't go as far to say they are bad for your health but I guess too much of these drinks can't be good for anyone. I know in my case all they did for my body was make me fart and if you've ever worked out in the gym you'd know that farting in that enclosed environment is not the best option unless you like to work out alone or gain access to an equipment which was heavily used…
Seriously, the average person who uses weights to exercise for building or maintaining body mass (muscles) does NOT need to take any supplements. All the required fuel and nutrients can be attained through eating a healthy balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, and lean protein such as: fish, poultry, pork, and beef. If you work out heavily you may need to eat more of these foods and of course have a few nice shakes like a banana smoothie but you certainly should never require an expensive, highly overrated, commercial muscle building protein shake which claims to either gain muscle or lose weight they are both scams.
I'm mid-40's now and I still workout and keep pretty fit plus my body is still pretty toned with a good amount of muscle mass (better than most men my age if I do say so). These days, I look back on my younger years of exercise and fitness and feel glad I didn't go crazy wasting my money on supplements or worse still drugs to "improve" my body because I believe I wouldn't be as healthy as I am now if I did.
For any younger people reading this you can be pretty impressionable in your teens and throughout your 20's and clever fitness supplement companies specifically target your age group for this reason. Don't fall into the supplement trap of thinking that drinking an expensive shake or popping pills will make you fitter because the only thing that will make you look good and stay healthy is hard training and healthy, natural food.
I'm very passionate about this subject so if you like to know more or talking about fitness shakes, muscle building, or exercise in general go to our fitness section on our forum and strike up a conversation there – I'd love to chat.
