How Important???

How important would you say supplements are when it comes to building a good body. I am not trying to get huge (I am 5’10" and want to hit 175 to 180). I do use protein powder but wondered how important you think other sups are.

[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
I am not trying to get huge[/quote]

Then don’t worry, you never will be.

Ha… Don’t get me wrong, I AM trying to get big. What I meant is that I have a vision of what I want my body to look like, and that vision doesn’t look like Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman. I want to look like the cover of Mens Fitness or something like that. I am trying to pack on a good 15 - 20 pounds of Lean Body Mass and want to know if you guys think that supplements make it worth the hundreds of dollars they cost. I don’t want to buy them if they give me a 5% boost.

Don’t reply if you are just going to be negative, I’m trying to receive good information on how to spend the money I bust my ass for. I don’t need people making jokes out of it.

malonetd’s reply was funny, harsh, and right on the mark all at once

Lonnie123, only you can answer that question. Is it worth it to spend hundreds of dollars to pack on 15-20 lbs. of LBM and get a body like a magazine cover? Well, no one here would say that supplements don’t at least HELP you get there–if used wisely and with proper nutrition and exercise. But you could also get there without. Are you ready to do that? If you’ve got a nutrition and exercise plan that you know will work, are you willing to do whatever it takes to get where you want to be? If so, then perhaps you don’t need to spend $$ on anything more than the right food. Lift hard, eat right, and get there.

Keep in mind, however, that once you’ve achieved your goal, you cannot slack. You’ll have to maintain the lifestyle you’ve created (of exercise and nutrition) to keep the look that you’ve achieved. If you have a hard time maintaining that discipline, then maybe some supplements can help. But discipline is better.

But if you are considering pro-hormones to get to your goal, act fast and get some 4-AD-EC immediately. You don’t have to spend hundreds to get a couple bottles, and you can keep it in reserve for putting the “finishing touches” on your physique.

Good luck with your decision and your plan.

Lonnie123,
I think there’s no question that a well designed supplement program can make a BIG difference in your results–AS LONG AS YOU DON"T RELY ON THEM TO REPLACE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES such as:
discipline
hard work
proper workout program design
proper nutrition

For example, high quality protein powders are generally better at maintaining nitrogen retention than whole food sources of protein.

Crowbar

Like crowbar524 said, don’t rely on them. Use them as SUPPLEMENTS to your whole foods, hard work, discipline 'n all that good stuff. But yeah, I think they are worth the money. Really, I don’t think they are that expensive if used correctly. For example, Surge costs me $2.10 every time I drink it. Most whole food meals cost more than that.

Theoretically, if you have a good plan and stick to it, supplements probably are not necessary. But they sure do help and I will continue using Surge, Low-Carb Grow! etc. for life.

Danny

Typically one doesn’t really need supplements. Following a smart training and diet plans are what’s responsible for 90% of your progress. The best supplements can boost your progress maybe 10% max. So if you’re starting out it makes no sense to use anything other than a protein powder because you’ll just end up blaming any plateau on the wrong supplement while in reality that’s never the case. There’s no magic bullets here.