I've heard that products like whey protein, creatine, and and nitric oxide (heck, even the entire supplement industry) is just one big scam; an industry appealing to people who want an easy way to get big faster. Look at Arnold and all the other body builders in the 70's — I don't think they took all the junk people take today. Can someone with experience please comment on whether or not supplements really do make a difference or are just a waste of $?

1. supplements are just what the name suggests, they are there to supplement a healthy diet. none of these products are miracle powders/tablets. they just help fill in the gaps. any excess will just be excreted.

   since bodybuilding is a high intensity activity, it is recommended you take a multivitamin/mineral supplement.
   for extra calories and macronutrients, include a protein shake or two in your day. best time for protein shake is within 30 mins of workout. stick with good quality supplements, not just cheap stuff.

   don't forget, you need a well designed training program to deliver the muscle size and strength you desire.

2. It is always a better bet to get the protein you need from your existing diet.

   The suppliments can help, sure. They can help you bulk up and put on weight and offer extra protein and minerals for those who might not have the best diet.

   But no one needs them. As you said, body builders got along just fine without them when they weren't on the market.

3. It's not a waste of money, you need protein to build muscle. I see people who use creatine get great results, but I wouldn't use it, only because if you stop using it and stop working out, your muscle will turn to fat.
4. I use whey protein, creatine, and BCAAs. I'll probably drop the creatine, but I'll never get rid of the protein and BCAAs.
5. Well Arnold admitted he took steriods and I'm pretty sure if he did, other body building greats at the time did also. I've used whey protein in the past and it does help. Whey protein helps when you cant manage to consume enough high protein food. I have a couple of friends who use creatine and they've seen results. The advantage to creatine is that it helps muscles draw more liquid and testosterone to its cells, so it ups your muscle mass up to 10%. It also allows muscles to have a more strenous work out with less recovery time. Personally I stay away from creatine, since if you stop using it, you will quickly lose some mass and studies have shown it may cause kidney damage on a long term basis. Not all supplements are bad and many do work, you just have to do your research on them before you start using them. Best way to need less of them is to maintain a high protein diet by eating the right foods.
6. Muscle cannot turn to fat. But Whey protein is the most essential thing for working out and getting bigger. If you are already a bigger person than Creatine will do you no good. Some things are a scam but you have to do the research. I can tell you that Whey Protein is not a scam you can find it in other products that contain protein. Its just a really easy way to get a good source of protein. I find supplements make a big difference in how big you want to get. Diet(With Whey Protein) and excersise is your best bet.
7. Probably only really necessary for the serious body builder. You can get enough protein in your diet by eating lots of lean chicken, low fat cheese, high protein bread (4 slices of soy and linseed will give you 20 grams of protein!), egg whites and high protein milk.

   3 Typical meals in your day (just the protein components)

   Breakfast
   1/2 litre of high protein milk
   4 wheatbix
   (30 - 35 grams of protein)

   Lunch
   6 slices of high protein bread
   3 slices of lean meat luncheon
   3 slices of low fat cheese
   (50 - 55 grams of protein)

   Dinner
   250 grams of lean chicken
   2 - 4 eggs
   (60 - 75 grams of protein)

   As you can see you can quite comfortably get around 150 grams of protein in your diet without having to resort to protein shakes.

8. Truth is, you can get very similar results without any supplements. Some help such as whey protein, but you can do without if you have a piece of meat after your workout. Some people do this, but almost all bodybuilders have protein shakes. Creatine is a supplement that does work, theres a lot of research backing it up, it does make your muscles slightly bigger. As for NO, many people claim its BS, some people say it works. I've used NO explode, and it gives users a ton of energy, which does help in the gym so you can workout harder. As for Arnold, what made him big was anabolic steroids and hard workouts.
9. Personal Trainer
   http://www.activeappointments.com.au…

Tags: arnold schwarzenegger body building, female body building gallery, andy and female body building