By Russ Howe-Pti
As a trainer I'm often asked about creatine. It's the most popular bodybuilding supplement of the last two decades and despite countless studies and unlimited products on sale there are a lot of people using this supplement who are a little unsure as to what exactly it is meant to do for them.
The majority of the bodybuilding supplement industry is based upon sales hype. Each product claiming to be better than the last, and so on. This often leads to a state of complete customer confusion, nobody knows what to buy or who to believe.
When you cut to the chase, however, this supplement is very easy to understand.
Make no mistake here, this is a naturally occurring substance not a scientific monster. Your body generates this substance already, it's responsible for your explosive strength. So dismiss any worries you may have about illegal or steroid-like effects.
So what does it actually do to you and why should you use it?
This is the point where most people get completely lost, with supplement companies trying to out science each other to make you think you need to buy their product over the others on offer. None of that right here.
The next time you go for a run I want you to sprint as hard as you can and watch, or father feel, what happens in your legs. For the first 15 seconds you'll be at full speed but then suddenly a burning sensation will hit your legs and your body will literally force you to slow down. That burn is called Lactic Acid and is your body's way of telling you to stop.
Your body's natural resources of this supplement have ran out. You will be able to carry on running, albeit at a greatly reduced speed, while it builds back up in the background. After a few minutes you will probably be able to blast out another high intensity sprint when your levels of explosive strength have regenerated.
By taking this supplement you are able to increase your levels of explosive strength.
Now think about a boxer. Often when somebody looks to have run out of gas they will suddenly get a second wind from somewhere.
So now you know what this does underneath the surface of your skin, let's put it into a gym context. In effect, by having more of this supplement within your muscles you are able to go slightly harder for slightly longer. That can make all the difference to building muscle.
Whether it's a heavier bench press or forcing out another rep on your weakest exercise, you will notice great gains here. Once you cut out all of the hype and sales talk, that's as simple as creatine is.
The majority of the bodybuilding supplement industry is based upon sales hype. Each product claiming to be better than the last, and so on. This often leads to a state of complete customer confusion, nobody knows what to buy or who to believe.
When you cut to the chase, however, this supplement is very easy to understand.
Make no mistake here, this is a naturally occurring substance not a scientific monster. Your body generates this substance already, it's responsible for your explosive strength. So dismiss any worries you may have about illegal or steroid-like effects.
So what does it actually do to you and why should you use it?
This is the point where most people get completely lost, with supplement companies trying to out science each other to make you think you need to buy their product over the others on offer. None of that right here.
The next time you go for a run I want you to sprint as hard as you can and watch, or father feel, what happens in your legs. For the first 15 seconds you'll be at full speed but then suddenly a burning sensation will hit your legs and your body will literally force you to slow down. That burn is called Lactic Acid and is your body's way of telling you to stop.
Your body's natural resources of this supplement have ran out. You will be able to carry on running, albeit at a greatly reduced speed, while it builds back up in the background. After a few minutes you will probably be able to blast out another high intensity sprint when your levels of explosive strength have regenerated.
By taking this supplement you are able to increase your levels of explosive strength.
Now think about a boxer. Often when somebody looks to have run out of gas they will suddenly get a second wind from somewhere.
So now you know what this does underneath the surface of your skin, let's put it into a gym context. In effect, by having more of this supplement within your muscles you are able to go slightly harder for slightly longer. That can make all the difference to building muscle.
Whether it's a heavier bench press or forcing out another rep on your weakest exercise, you will notice great gains here. Once you cut out all of the hype and sales talk, that's as simple as creatine is.
About the Author:
About the author: Russ Howe is a respected Personal Trainer. See our free guide to get the most from creatine immediately.