Before I begin, I’d like to premise this article by saying that everyone’s health is different and that you should thoroughly research any supplement before using it. This is an honest review of my experience with athletic supplements which could be completely different than your experience.
When I began my quest for muscle gains about a year ago, I suffered from soreness, fatigue, and an overall lack of power. I also struggled to gain weight due to a lack of protein and calories, which are often hard to obtain on a college dorm room diet. I started to look into athletic supplements, which can range from creatine and pre-workout to protein shakes.
I was completely overwhelmed at first. Have you ever tried to Google “pre-workout”? About 70 different sites came up, and they all fluctuated greatly in price and reviews. I then turned to my dad, who is a personal trainer, who then suggested I try STEEL Supplements.
I was wary. Wasn’t this stuff bad for your heart? Horror stories from the news flashed through my head of people fainting or worse from using too much of one supplement. But honestly, it was never like that.
As long as you drink plenty of water, and follow the supplement’s directions, you should be perfectly fine. On a regimen of ADABolic for intra workout (stuff you drink during your workout) and Whey-PRO mixed with creatine for post, I managed to gain 22 pounds in 4 months.
For me, the supplements created a very easy to notice change, especially at first. I noticed an increase in stamina, muscle pump (the veins that pop out of your body during exercise) and a large increase in reps for various lifts. For example, instead of curling 25 pound weights for six reps, I was able to get 10-12 reps every time.
Recently, I’ve dabbled in a product from STEEL called Rested-AF. It’s used as a sleep aid for those who want a deeper sleep. After a month of use, I can say it’s worked wonders for me. I sleep deeper, which promotes REM-sleep, letting my body recover.
In my year of taking athletic supplements, I’ve heard much more negativity about them than positivity. Supplements are largely seen as “bad for you” and are met with comments like “Well isn’t that just like steroids?”
It’s not just like steroids. Steroids are synthetic drugs that closely resemble cortisol, a hormone that your body produces naturally. That’s very far from what most supplements are. As long as you do the necessary research for your supplements, and take them in moderation, they can provide a much needed boost for your workouts.
I think the stigma around supplements is fear based, as you only really hear about the bad side of supplements from the media. Often times a headline will read, “Man dies from using too much preworkout.” But shouldn’t he have not used too much?
Overall, supplements have become a daily part of my life. I take them on a strict schedule that best supports me and my goals, and they are an helpful aid in getting a better workout in and putting me in the best position to recover. Again, results may vary for everyone and supplements should always be researched.
But if you’re looking for that extra boost to your gains, then I encourage you to look into taking athletic supplements.
