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Bodybuilding supplements

Bodybuilding supplements generally fall under the classification of dietary supplements, therefore they are not regulated by the FDA. There is absolutely nothing guaranteeing the purity of body building supplements, or the safety of using them. In addition, the manufacturer can claim benefits of the product that have not been tested or proven.

Another question surrounding bodybuilding supplements is whether or not they are even necessary to achieve the desired results. Many people are actually overtraining, spending hours at the gym too many days per week. When they find that they aren’t putting on any size, or making any progress at all for that matter, they turn to bodybuilding supplements to add the muscle. Instead they should focus on shorter, high intensity sessions less frequently. Chances are, by allowing your body enough time to recover and the muscles to grow, you won’t even need bodybuilding supplements.

If you have tried modifications to your routine and to your diet and nothing seems to work, you will find yourself faced with the decision of whether to use a supplement. Keep in mind that there can be side effects and you should be aware of all of the ingredients and their specific purpose. It can’t be a bad idea to check with your doctor about the kind of supplement you are considering. This could help you avoid a lot of problems right off the bat. Choosing your bodybuilding supplements wisely by educating yourself on all aspects of it will be a great benefit to your overall health in the long run.

Before wasting your money on a pile of bodybuilding supplements you really need to work out what you are hoping to achieve. Don't lose sight of the fact that sound nutrition forms the basis of any muscle building program and no amount of supplementation with the latest and greatest products will make up for bad eating habits. The bottom line is, bodybuilding supplements should be used IN ADDITION to regular food, not INSTEAD OF it.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's go on to think about what supplements could be of use and this is something that can only be determined by your physical and performance goals. Don't make the mistake of copying your training partners or believing all the garbage spouted in magazine ads. Decide first what you want to achieve and then choose the supplements that will help you reach your goals.

To help you make an informed choice, the most popular and useful bodybuilding supplements available today are listed below, broadly divided into two goal-related categories. Determined to build muscle? This cannot be achieved without dedication, sheer hard work and sound nutrition. With a solid foundation in place you can help the process along with supplements like creatine, whey protein, prohormones, testosterone boosters and amino acids.

Need to lose fat? There is no point in building awesome muscles if they're covered by layers of fat. Once again, the key to success is hard work but you can boost fat loss by using products from supplement categories that include fat burners, stimulant-free products, appetite suppressants and carb blockers. Many more supplements are available to support your bodybuilding endeavors. These include energy boosters and products aimed at enhancing the condition of your mind and body. As we progress through this series of articles we'll look at each of these in turn.

By James Watts,  Richard Mitchell