As a Fitness Instructor one of the most popular questions I am asked is about the effects of creatine when using the gym. Over the last 20 years or so, it has become the most researched and purchased bodybuilding supplement of all time. But not so many people actually know what it is supposed to do.
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.
First thing first, it's a perfectly safe supplement to use. In fact your body creates this product by itself already, it's the substance it calls upon when you perform an explosive strength movement of any kind. So feel free to rid yourself of any worries you might have held about it being steroid-like or illegal, it's perfectly safe and used by all top athletes.
So what does it actually do to you and why should you use it?
This is the point where most of us get a little bit lost. Companies will often try to over complicate matters with needless science in a bid to confuse you into thinking you must buy their miracle product over anybody else's. None of that talk here please.
Next time you hit the treadmill try sprinting hard and see what happens. For the first fifteen to twenty seconds you'll be flying by at a great pace but then suddenly you will notice an overwhelming burning feeling creeping up on you through your legs. This is called lactic acid, and it's a sensation designed by your body to tell you you have to slow down temporarily.
Your body has ran out of this natural explosive strength resource. You can still run, just nowhere near the same high intensity you could before. If you were to carry on jogging you'd notice after a few minutes you had built up sufficient strength to sprint briefly again.
By using this product you are able to increase your explosive strength briefly.
Watch any Rocky movie and you'll notice just when a fighter appears to be completely done they manage to draw strength from somewhere within for another short blast. This also happens in real boxing and is down to the exact same thing discussed above.
Now put this into a gym situation. Having that little bit extra explosive strength to call upon can allow you to go a little bit harder for a little bit longer, and make literally all the difference when it comes to increasing your strength and building lean muscle mass.
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.
First thing first, it's a perfectly safe supplement to use. In fact your body creates this product by itself already, it's the substance it calls upon when you perform an explosive strength movement of any kind. So feel free to rid yourself of any worries you might have held about it being steroid-like or illegal, it's perfectly safe and used by all top athletes.
So what does it actually do to you and why should you use it?
This is the point where most of us get a little bit lost. Companies will often try to over complicate matters with needless science in a bid to confuse you into thinking you must buy their miracle product over anybody else's. None of that talk here please.
Next time you hit the treadmill try sprinting hard and see what happens. For the first fifteen to twenty seconds you'll be flying by at a great pace but then suddenly you will notice an overwhelming burning feeling creeping up on you through your legs. This is called lactic acid, and it's a sensation designed by your body to tell you you have to slow down temporarily.
Your body has ran out of this natural explosive strength resource. You can still run, just nowhere near the same high intensity you could before. If you were to carry on jogging you'd notice after a few minutes you had built up sufficient strength to sprint briefly again.
By using this product you are able to increase your explosive strength briefly.
Watch any Rocky movie and you'll notice just when a fighter appears to be completely done they manage to draw strength from somewhere within for another short blast. This also happens in real boxing and is down to the exact same thing discussed above.
Now put this into a gym situation. Having that little bit extra explosive strength to call upon can allow you to go a little bit harder for a little bit longer, and make literally all the difference when it comes to increasing your strength and building lean muscle mass.
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:
Writer: Russ Howe is an established Personal Trainer. See our free video to get the most from creatine immediately.
