The Supplements You Should (and Should NOT) Be Taking

New people come into the gym all the time, and they all have a lot of questions. Whether their goals are weight loss, muscle building, general fitness, whatever, most of them start off trying to figure out all the ”tricks.” They want to know the best exercise, the best workout schedule, the best food, and today, I’m going to talk about a big one: The Best Supplements

My response to this in person usually ends up over-complicated and wrapped up in me over-explaining, because I’m a big geek about this stuff, but I’ll boil it down to the essential concentrated essence for you VIPs reading this blog: “none.”

You read that right, I recommend you take zero supplements.

Here’s where I geek out and over-explain:

The reasons for this answer can be broken down to two main elements, the biggest one being that I don’t believe supplements are really worth the time and money you spend on them, and the second reason being that I feel it’s irresponsible to encourage the typical mindset that this question is coming from: the mindset of looking for quick/easy/magic solutions.

A concept that I will definitely return to over and over again here at Trick9 Fitness is Return on Investment, or ROI. ROI is a way of referring to the amount of “bang for your buck” you get out of anything. It’s how we usually make decisions, if you break things down far enough, on almost everything in our lives.

And my firm belief is that the average person asking me about supplements will not see enough of a difference from supplements to make it worth their time and money.

“But Patrick,” they say, “doesn’t every little bit help? Why wouldn’t I take the supplements even if they only make a 1% difference?”

Because everything is a trade-off. Your time, money, and energy are invaluable resources. Invest them accordingly, in the things which show the greatest ROI. Some examples:

• Proper nutrition

• More sleep

• A gym membership

• A physical hobby you enjoy

• Personal training

“Aha!” they’ll say, “I’ve seen right through you. You don’t sell supplements, but you are a personal trainer! That’s why you recommend one over the other!”

You’re partially correct, but not in the way you think. I don’t recommend personal training because I’m a trainer. I am a trainer because I recommend personal training.

I believe in what I do. I believe it is the right thing to do. That’s why I do it. I would recommend exercise over supplements regardless of how I made a living, and personal training is a great resource when it comes to incorporating exercise into your life.

The other reason I don’t recommend supplements is because it would be irresponsible. It would feel dishonest. The average person asking me about supplements is usually: a beginner; a little to a lot overweight; relatively deconditioned; and looking for all the hot tips, secrets, and tricks we in the fitness world know. They would go out and buy the latest superfood extract if I told them it would help, but they’ll look at me like I’m messing with them if I suggest eating more vegetables. The truth about fitness doesn’t really sell. It’s a dilemma. A dilemma that countless fitness professionals try to solve (and cash in on) by offering what the people want: a special trick or product; while also linking that trick or product to a course of action that actually works: proper nutrition, proper rest, and exercise. Have you ever looked at the fine print under the before/after pictures on supplement ads? They all say something to the effect of “you won’t get anything close to these results by taking this supplement unless you also follow the diet and exercise regimen this person did.”

Now, do I take zero supplements? No.

I stick with the basics. I take the kinds of things your great aunt who’s never been in a gym might also take: a simple multivitamin, some fish oil, and some vitamin D because I don’t get enough sun. I use protein powder but I don’t really think of that as a supplement the same way I think of the others.

It’s not that I think supplements don’t work. Supplements have their place. They’re just not usually the best choice for the average beginner. Even for myself, if I truly wanted to maximize my results, I know I could do a lot of other things in my life first; things that would do a whole lot more and cost a lot less. The average person, even the average ‘fit’ person, doesn’t need to worry about shaving hundredths of a second off their record. They just need to eat and sleep better and move more often. When you’ve dialed everything else in and there’s nothing else to improve, when you’re an elite athlete with an elite athlete’s income, when you need every iota of performance, then perhaps some of the more specialized supplements will be worth looking into. Until then, eat more vegetables and get more sleep.

Talk to your doctor. Get bloodwork done to look for deficiencies. Most people can handle a basic multivitamin, but talk to your doctor. Even if it seems basic, different health conditions can make a huge difference for how your body handles “basic” supplementation. Whole food sources are generally better, and safer.

That’s it. There are no real shortcuts. Sure, there are always some “tricks” you can use, like learning the exercises that give you more ”bang for your buck” toward the results you want, so you’re not doing a million crunches trying to lose belly fat. It doesn’t have to be particularly difficult, though. I got to where I am through slow and steady incremental change, and it’s the process I most highly recommend. You don’t have to start doing grueling HIIT workouts and eating only celery. The real solution is the one that, deep in your heart of hearts, you already know: you just gotta make some changes, put some time and effort in, and stick with it.

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