Bodybuilding supplements... is there any point?

Author: 
Amjad Parkar, [email protected]
Publication Date: 
Wed, 2011-04-06 19:14

However, pay a visit to one of the increasing number of gyms springing up all over major cities in Saudi Arabia, and the sheer presence of young men grunting with exertion as they squeeze out that extra rep with a dumbbell tells a different story.
Although there are no statistics on how much exercise Saudis perform every day, there is definitely a hardcore group of youngsters wanting to achieve the holy grail of a washboard stomach and a lean pumped body.
However, this obviously begs the question to what lengths these kids are going to in achieving their goals. What supplements are they taking to increase their performance in the gym and more importantly, how safe are they?
Take young Mohammed Kamel as an example. The 17-year-old Saudi says he has been training since last Ramadan and is already reaping the benefits of his training regimen, boasting the physique of someone at least five years his senior.
He told Arab News he was inspired to hit the weights by his uncle who is a bodybuilder.
“Saudi teenagers generally want to get bigger these days, and I think it is because they are watching a lot of movies on television,” he told Arab News.
“My aim’s to be in better shape, improve my health, and be able to be better when playing football.”
When it was suggested to him that he might want to get bigger to attract women, he smiles shyly.
“It’s definitely not the main point. The main point is to boost my confidence in all aspects of my life,” he said.
“At my local gym, a lot of kids my age are training hard, for different goals. They either want to get bigger, or lose weight.”
He says he spends around SR400 a month on supplements to help him achieve his goals.
However, burly Saudi businessman and part-time trainer Mohammed Kassim, 30, says teenagers should be careful when taking supplements.
“You have to wait. There are many guys that are not waiting. They want to get big and want to get in shape within two months or three months,” he told Arab News. “Because they are watching someone bigger than them. They are not taking into account how long this person has been training in this gym, or what he’s using.”
He added that most nutrition companies do not recommend that teenagers under 18 take their products, as this is the time when their bodies are still developing. He said in addition to patience, those working out have to train hard, eat well and ensure they are getting enough sleep.
“I can get through seven to 10 egg whites, 3 or four chicken breasts and a couple of steaks in one day, in addition to my supplements, but your goals and workout will dictate how much you should work out, otherwise you’ll just gain fat,” he said.
Thirty-five-year-old Eric Garcia has been a personal trainer in the Kingdom for almost six years and has been a professional bodybuilder for 14. The Filipino said he was inspired to get into bodybuilding because he’s always had a love of sports.
“I loved sports as a youngster. I was doing martial arts for a while, and from there I shifted into bodybuilding and never looked back,” he told Arab News. He agrees with Kassim that Saudi youngsters want an easy way to build muscles.
“In a matter of six months, they want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s impossible. It takes at least a year and you should consider hiring a personal trainer to guide you and attain your desired physique.”
He, like Kassim, emphasized the most important element of any bodybuilding program is a strict diet.
“For three months, don’t break your diet. Just focus and focus and focus. And once you reach your fitness goal, then do whatever you want.”
He said to develop muscle, a high-protein, medium-carbohydrate and low fat diet is the way to go. If it is about losing weight and gaining muscle at the same time, carbohydrates also need to be low.
According to the market research company Euromonitor International, retail sales of sports nutrition products was fairly low, at less than SR11 million in 2009, with athletes engaged in bodybuilding and weight lifting accounting for the bulk of demand. Demand from customers focused on weight loss was very low.
The industry in the Kingdom is expected to grow by 5 percent year on year, says Euromonitor.
 

There are so many theories about what is the best way to build muscle and this, coupled with the expansive range of sports nutrition products on the market, can make writing “correct” advice difficult. In addition, it may be the case that your aim is to lose weight, in which case your diet will be vastly different.
However, by following common sense methods, it is never impossible to achieve your goals. Here is a simple step-by-step Arab News guide to getting the physique you want.
. If you lead a particularly sedentary lifestyle, then multiply your weight in pounds by 16 to get a pretty good idea of your daily calorie intake. If you are particularly active, then calculate your weight by 18. Remember, one kilogram equals 2.2 pounds.
Once you have worked out your daily calorie intake, then it is time to work out what your goals are. If it is to gain lean muscle and get bigger, then you are likely to need to eat more than your body currently burns a day in order to fuel development of mass. On the other hand, if it is to lose weight and become toned, then you’ll need to reduce your calorie intake. Makes sense once you think about it, right?
This is the one thing that nutritionists and so-called fitness experts disagree over the most. But again, all you need to do is apply common logic and listen to your body. If your aim is to build muscle, then it is important to eat plenty of carbohydrates. This does not mean shoveling down a packet of crisps. It means sticking to healthy foods such as brown rice, brown pasta, oatmeal, potatoes and so forth. A good starting point is to aim for two grams of carbs per pound of body weight if your aim is to gain weight. If it is to lose weight, then you’ll need to cut down substantially, but do not dop so completely as you still need energy. And then you can increase or reduce based on your results after the first few weeks of your program.
A high intake of protein is important whether you want to lose weight or gain lean mass. But again, experts are unable to reach a consensus when it comes to how much you should take. Some argue that you should always aim for as much as possible, as your body does not store protein as fat if you eat too much of it. Others say completely the opposite. We say aim for a sensible intake based on your goals and then increase or reduce based on your first few weeks of results. One gram of protein per pound of body weight is a good starting point. High protein foods include fish, chicken and egg whites. Do not neglect red meat, but eat it in moderation and ensure the fat is completely stripped off.
It’s advisable to eat five to six times a day. This does NOT mean eating full meals, otherwise you will gain fat. It simply means eating smaller meals frequently throughout the day to boost your metabolism and make burning fat easier.
It is extremely important to ensure you time your meals around your workouts. You should not eat your main meal several hours after you have finished a grueling workout, otherwise you will lose the benefits completely. It is sensible to eat an hour or so before a workout to give you the energy to push yourself hard and then straight afterwards in order to fuel your muscle development.
The wide array of products on the market claiming to help you get ripped fast boggles the mind. Yes, they can help, but again you have to be sensible. Choose a product that can help you achieve your goals. If your aim is to gain muscle, then choose a product that has a reasonable carbohydrate content in addition to high levels of protein. If your aim is to lose weight, then choose a product that has little or no carbohydrates. Remember, there is no substitute for a good diet, but they can be useful aids in order to help you meet your goals.
Your workout is going to help you achieve your goals, which is why it must be tailored accordingly. If you are aiming to build muscle, you will want a workout that focuses on lifting heavy weights. If you are aiming to tone and lose weight, you will want to combine cardio activity with a weight program that focuses on lighter weights and frequent lifting repetitions. However, it is advisable to give your body time to rest as well. The frequency and length of rest depends on your goals yet again. This is why it is worth sitting down with your instructor and working out a exercise program tailored to your needs.
And finally, have patience. It can take as long as six months before you start to achieve the results you want. Rome was not built in a day, and your body is the same. And it is always worth consulting a doctor before putting your body through an intensive weight gain or loss program.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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