Train Like an Athlete by ATHLEAN-X (Video Podcast)

Some people think that supplements are a savior and will help you to overcome other shortcomings in your training and nutrition. In this video, I’m going to tell you the truth and show you 5 things that supplements will not do for you and why you need to be aware of them as you incorporate them into your overall fitness regiment.

The first big mistake made by many is to focus too much on the supplement and not enough on the workout. In other words, if you feel as if your work is accomplished because you remembered to take your supplements you are in for a rude awakening. How do I know this? Because I made the very some novice mistake when I first began training. I thought that as long I took my protein (Hot Stuff specifically) that I would magically grow new muscles without caring much about my workouts, my form or even how I was doing each exercise.

The opposite approach should be taken. Focus on how to make your workouts more intense and how to get more out of every single second you are in the gym and the supplements as an after thought or an adjunct to that hard training. Let the supplements help translate the high intensity and effort you put into your workout into something incredible when you remain consistent with both.

Next, thinking that supplements will be a substitute or help you overcome a poor nutrition plan or bad eating habits is a major mistake. Your nutrition is where your aesthetic results start and stop. If you refuse to get your eating in check and think that you will just use supplements to help you outdo any of the bad you are doing with your poor food choices, think again. In fact, I always recommend that unless you are under 30 percent body fat, I don’t believe that you should be concentrating on supplementation.

Beyond that, you also don’t want to get in the habit of thinking about your supplements as meal replacements. There is no replacement for a good sound nutrition plan that fills your body with adequate macronutrients and micronutrients as well as healthy sources of fiber. Liquid protein shakes are great to supplement a meal but not as a meal replacement for one of your big meals of the day. When used as a replacement, I recommend that this occurs in place of a snack and that even then, you are including other foods as well to help round out the meal (like nuts, fruit, etc).

Another big mistake is to think that supplements can negate the need for other supplements. For instance, if you are taking a protein powder it doesn’t mean that you don’t need a pre workout. Now, if your goals in your training do not require an improved performance and energy or focus in your workouts then you may not need a pre workout at all. However, in either case, simply taking one does not mean that the other is unnecessary. When done right, supplements should serve a very specific purpose in the big picture and not overlap but compliment each other.

Finally, even if you have your supplement game on point and your nutrition and training are locked in, you cannot automatically consider yourself healthy. I know many a guy that thinks this way and then proceeds to drink way too much on the weekend, smoke a pack of cigarettes a day or even use recreational drugs as a form of, well, recreation! None of these things will be able to be undone simply by the fact that you take the latest protein or recovery supplement on the market!

If you are looking for supplements that put the science behind their selection and has truth behind every bottle (as far as what is in them and how much), head to http://athleanrx.com and check out the ATHLEAN-Rx supplement line. See why major le