How do proven to be ineffective supplements, actually work?

Has this ever happened to you: buy the newest supplement, use it for a month, see some results and end up
pleased, but after some time you read somewhere that it's been proved that this exact supplement doesn't work? How come you got positive results from it, if it doesn't work?

The fitness industry nowadays is flooded with thousands of different products, there is so much variety to choose from. We can roughly categorize most of them -  protein powders, weight-gainers, fat burners, pre-workout supplements, recovery supps and a few more.

Some supplements are sold as standalone products, while others are a mix of certain ingredients with a labeled or hidden profile of the mixture. In both cases many users err what is effective and what is not. Sometimes though, supplements that are proven to be ineffective...are actually effective.In this article we will talk about why that happens.

What could be the reasons?

Always, as it is with most things in life, even sports, a result is a mix of different reasons. In training rarely only one thing is responsible for a certain result. Sometimes the reasons overlap with one another, sometimes some of them "synergies" with others. Here are a few situations that often lead to delusions.

Spending money leads to more effort

Almost everyone had this happen at some point : You buy a certain product, or several at once. Consciously (at least partly) you decide that since you've actually spend money, this time you must get serious. It is past time for me to clean up my diet. This time I will train hard, no more skipping workouts, I'll train at 100% . No pain no gain right? Is this familiar to you? There is no need for further explanation, I'm sure you get already get it. Naturally if you're more serious, you will train harder and actually keep your diet in check and the result will of course be better. This doesn't necessarily mean that the new supplements are responsible, right?

Starting to use a new supplement is often accompanied by a change in your routine

This situation is almost the same as the one above, but it's completely intentional. You start to use a new product/stack and with it you also want another change. You change your workout routine, add a few new exercises, change some other parameters. Naturally, the new exercises will stimulate your muscles in a different way, which will cause growth and nervous adaptation. Increasing volume will also contribute to a new result. Separate exercises which haven't been done in a long time, allow for a very quick strength progress(at first) because of the nervous adaptation.

Placebo

This is one of the most important factors. It should always be taken into account. It can create a completely new effect and it can also enhance/worsen an already existing one. The way you think of something can actually impact it's actual effectiveness, just by thinking you can cause certain physiological reactions.
Simply put: If you really believe that a supplement will give you more energy, you will feel more energetic after taking it.

I've seen how a person with no knowledge of supplements, takes a multivitamin and begins to jump and run around like crazy, because it gave him a huge amount of energy. I'm sure everyone has experienced/seen a similar thing. This effect can persist in the long run, if you genuinely believe that something will help your muscles grow faster, it has a real chance to actually help you grow muscles faster.

Stacks with effective and ineffective supplements

In this group, except stacks we can include individual products with several ingredients and blends with hidden profiles. Some of the things inside those supps are effective, other aren't. Especially when the quantity of certain ingredients isn't listed on the label, the consumers are often mislead that some(or all) of the ingredients will have an effect, when in reality, just one or two of the them are responsible for 100% of the results.

Natural strength progression

This most often occurs with people that try to justify their poor choice of creatine. Sometimes perseverance pays off. Each of us (perhaps excluding the complete beginners) has had a plateau on an exercise or even on general progress. Sometimes all you need is a little perseverance and things start to work again. But... if this point in time coincides with the addition of a new supplement, it doesn't necessarily mean that one is a consequence of the other. Even without a plateau, especially in people that have less than a year or two of experience in the gym, it is completely normal to progress every month. With or without supplements.

Caffeine and fat-burners

Fat burners (or at least the legal ones) are the group of supplements with the most questionable effectiveness on the market. How to convince users that they actually work? It's simple, make them feel something right after usage. This is the main reason that fat burners are filled with caffeine, 1-3 dimetilamilamin and others. Even with a poor diet, if the fat burner gives a lot of energy, then all the reviews on it will be positive.

Effective only in a deficit

This is a weird group of supplements. In most cases they aren't effective and are useless to most people. But at a certain deficit of something in the organism, they become effective. We aren't talking about a placebo effect, there's actually a real result. For example if you're not getting enough L-glutamine in your diet, such a supplement would be conditionally effective.

Conclusion

Ultimately, a certain supplement, which you've taken and think that it has contributed to your results, might actually have been useless. Of course the opposite can also be true. You can buy something that is proven to
work, and still not get a positive result.

I'm in no way denying the effectiveness of supplements in general. They have their place in our workout routines, health and sports and can certainly help.

Always read the label before purchasing a product and do not believe/dispute automatically what you read about a particular product. Collect information, focusing on scientific sources and don't ignore the users reviews, they too can help out.

Good luck!

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Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

The Dumbbell Incline Bench Press is a compound, pushing movement, that engages the muscles of the chest and shoulder girdle.Often used to bring up the upper chest.The exercise is among the best movements to include in a split routine focused on strength endurance and muscle mass in the chest and shoulders. Kinesiologic analysis shows that this movement is very close to the barbell incline bench press, with some significant differences.

The Incline Dumbbell Press has the following features:

• allows for a longer (deeper) range of motion
• allows for a dynamic change of grip and arm span
• further engages the stabilizing muscles
• has a lower power threshold ,i.e. doesn't allow a very high maximum performance compared to barbell incline

Contraindications:

The exercise is not recommended for people who have suffered injuries in the shoulder joints.
The exercise should be performed with a spotter to help with the initial dumbbell position, spot you through the movement and monitor the position of the shoulders.

Muscles

Target

• Pectoralis Major, Clavicular

Synergists

• Deltoid, Anterior
• Triceps Brachii

Dynamic Stabilizers

• Biceps Brachii, Short Head

Variations

Depending on the inclination of the bench

• Small incline (10 to 20 degrees) - the big heads are still used in a major way
• Medium incline (20 to 30 degrees ) - the most commonly used variation, this is the best slope to focus on the upper chest muscles. Here the assistance from the shoulders is weak to intermediate.
• Big incline (30 to 45 degrees) - Assistance shifts to the front shoulder and triceps. Lower pectoral heads only stabilize the position of the upper arm.

According to grip and wrist position

• Pronated grip (dumbbell axes coincide):strong emphasis on shoulder and triceps. Traditional bodybuilding grip for this particular movement.
• Pronated grip with the arms and shoulders in line in the lower end point: This further increases the role of the shoulders and triceps in the movement and often unnecessarily involves the small pectoral muscles.
• Semi-pronated (dumbbell axes form a 90 degree angle): Preferred by fans of power-conditioning methods, it involves a larger number of synergists in the movement.
• Dynamic from half pronated to pronated: Variation used in high intensity sets, where the emphasis is given briefly with pronation and holding only in the uppermost point of the range of motion.

Shoulder position

• Shoulder width: suitable for developing strength endurance and stability.
• Narrow: bodybuilding option, accompanied by chest flexion in the uppermost point.
• Wide: The emphasis is on stability.Advanced method that should be done with a spotter and very light weight. The modern fitness industry offers equally effective and much safer options with the same benefits. It would be best to take advantage of those.

According to the range of motion

• Full ROM: full range of motion.
• 3/4 ROM : the same range of motion one would have with a barbell. Wrists stop at chest level.
• 1/2 ROM (upper) : Elbows stop at a 90 degree angle. It's a very bad idea to do partial reps on the incline dumbbell chest press, especially when paired with a wide finish and over pronation.Don't do it in high intensity sets! The barbell variation here is preffered.
• 1/2 ROM (lower) : This variation aims for a good stretch at the bottom. a bodybuilding option, which carries a lot of risk.

Method of execution

1. Sit down on incline bench with dumbbells resting on lower thigh. 
2. Kick weights to shoulders and lean back.
3. Position dumbbells to sides of chest with upper arm under each dumbbell.

Execution

1. Press dumbbells up with elbows to sides until arms are extended. 
2. Lower weight to sides of upper chest until slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder. 
3. Repeat.

Recommendations:

• If you're aiming for a deep stretch and a full range of motion, you shouldn't be using a weight higher than 60% of your 1RM, the pace should be slow with a slight hold at the bottom.
• The most difficult part of this exercise is getting the dumbbells to the starting position, if you don't have a spotter that is.Place the dumbbells on your legs, get ready and use your legs to push the dumbbells upward towards your upper body to get to the starting position easier.
• Don't perform this exercise if you do not have sufficient stability in the wrists and elbows. A small error in the lower section of the movement will lead to a big error on the top.
• At the lowest point your wrists should be at roughly at shoulder level and over your elbows.
• Do not pull your shoulders diagonally to your ears/chin. The small pectoral and trapezius muscles will actually only disrupt your shoulder girdle stability instead of helping you out with the movement.
• This exercise is not made to be a show of strength, the main benefits of this exercise come from the extra range of motion and its ability to provide a good stretch at the bottom. You won't be able to utilise neither of those if you're using too much weight, there is no point in performing the Dumbbell Incline Bench Press with a 1/2 range of motion, that basically makes it a less effective version of the Barbell Incline Press. So make sure you set your ego aside before performing this exercise.

Applications

The Incline Dumbbell Press has applicability in fitness, bodybuilding and strength-conditioning routines. Its main application, however, lies exactly in the workout routines of bodybuilding enthusiasts and professionals who know its advantages and disadvantages compared to its machine and barbell variations.

The exercise is best performed as the third or fourth exercise in a chest workout. In workouts prioritising the upper chest, it can be placed second.

If you decide to include the Dumbbell Incline Bench Press in your routine, try to find a training partner to monitor your form and provide assistance when needed.

Feel free to ask any question you might have about this exercise in the comment section bellow.
(sources:exrx.net)
(picture:musclemag.com)

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Effective Hypertrophy Workout Routine

Are you looking for a new routine to challenge your muscles, and want to be in the gym every day?
Give this one a try.
It's a hypertrophy five day split consisting of intense back to back workouts that will tear muscle fibers and force your muscles into growth! And of course there is a two day rest period.

• Day 1 - chest, abs
• Day 2 - back
• Day 3 - legs
• Day 4 - shoulders, traps, abs
• Day 5 - arms
• Day 6 - rest
• Day 7 - rest

Day One Workout

1. Incline Bench Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
2. Flat Barbell Bench Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
3. Incline Dumbbell Press - 4 sets of 8
4. Pec-deck - 4 sets of 10 reps
5. Crunches - 3 sets of 30 reps
6. Leg Raise - 3 sets of 30 reps

Day Two Workout

1. Barbell Row - 4 sets of 8 reps
2. Pull ups - 4 sets of 10 reps
3. Dead lift - 4 sets of 8 reps
4. Seated Cable Rows - 3 sets of 8 reps
5. Hyper extension - 3 sets of 20 reps

Day Three Workout

1. Squats - 4 sets of 10 reps
2. Dumbbell Lunges - 4 sets of 10 reps
3. Leg Extensions - 4 sets of 10 reps
4. Hamstring Curls - 4 sets of 10 reps
5. Calf Raises - 4 sets of 12-15 reps

Day Four Workout

1. Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 4 sets of 8 reps
2. Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 8 reps
3. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 8 reps
4. Shrugs - 4 sets of 10 reps
5. Crunches - 3 sets of 30 reps
6. Leg Raises - 3 sets of 30 reps

Day Five Workout

1. Close Grip Bench Press - 3 sets of 8 reps
2. Skull Crushers - 3 sets of 8 reps
3. Cable Push downs - 3 sets of 8 reps
4. Barbell Curls - 3 sets of 8 reps
5. Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets of 8 reps
6. Concentration Curls - 3 sets of 8 reps

Contraindications:

• This workout routine is not for beginners, this is a routine for intermediate and advanced lifters.You will make much faster progress on a full body beginner routine if you're indeed a beginner, this routine is suited for more experienced individuals.
• This routines aim is hypertrophy, it will not build as much strength as for example a 5x5 routine.

Abs are trained twice a week, since they are a weaker muscle group in most people.Try to increase the weight every week.Rest two minutes in between sets and three minutes in between exercises.
Ask any questions you might have in the comment section bellow.

Good luck!

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Joe Weider. The Father Of Bodybuilding

Due to his height of 167cm(5'6'') and a weight of 52kg(114lbs) in his teens Joe was often robbed and bullied by his peers, which lead him to the though of wrestling.The wrestling coach that he asked for training, refused, because he believed the young man couldn't handle it.Then the future fitness guru got himself one axle and two wheels from a tram depot and made himself a barbell.
He started from where everyone else started at the time.
From their backyard or basement.

Joe Weider was born on November 29, 1920 in Montreal, Canada. This is the widely accepted version, since the archive burned in a fire and the exact date of his birth wasn't stored, but according to various sources, it ranges to 1922.

Wishing to share his experience with the world, Joe began by creating his publishing empire.When he was only seventeen years old, he printed out and placed on the market his first magazine "Your Physique" with a very small circulation, which quickly sold out because of the desire to workout and the hunger of the market for such literature.The magazine was renamed several times and ends up being the most successful edition in his career. The last name is "Muscle & Fitness"

His publishing doesn't end there, Joe has a number of other magazines on the topic, like:"Living healthy", "A Healthy pregnancy'', "Flex", "Muscular Strength", "Mr. America" and many others.He is an absolute pioneer in the editions of bodybuilding and fitness, able to meet the many and various niches.

Apart from magazines, Joe has published several books. The first and most famous of these is "Bodybuilding, the Weider approach", published in 1981, and the latter was co-authored with his brother , Ben, "Brothers of Iron" 2006, Joe Weider has also created his own line of sportswear and home wear, he is also a big manufacturer of nutritional supplements.

Sport Vision

He is often characterized by a holistic approach.He was the first to look at bodybuilding as a combination of
training, nutrition and rest, he is the first to link results with not only training, but mental engagement and mental workload as well. He coached many of the greatest bodybuilders and, of course, the foundation of the iconic competitions like Mr. and Ms.Olympia and the competition for veterans - Masters Olympia.

The time of Weider will forever remain as an era of bodybuilding. Many of his methods are questionable, he has been suspected of incorrect nutrition and supplement advertising, misrepresentation and false promises, but the fact that one way or another he turned bodybuilding from a basement exercise to a world wide competition and arguably a sport.

Training principles

Joe's training principals are ultra popular and used even today. He created the foundations of the science of bodybuilding. The first principle of the Weider approach is to isolate. Isolation and training of selected individual muscle groups and concentrating on them is the also first current principle of bodybuilding.Weider 's ideas do not end here, he recommends that lagging muscle groups should be emphasized during training. This principle is now known as a priority training.

As another form of isolation the author has developed the principle of pre-fatigue. In other words, in compound exercises like the deadlift and bench press, it's possible for small muscle group to "fail" before the big ones - such as the pecs or the dorsal extensor and therefore those bigger muscles are trained in advance, to ensure that during the compound exercise afterwards those muscles will be trained effectively and fatigued.

The Pyramid set principal is known to every builder. He suggests increasing the weight at the expense of reducing repetitions, thus the muscle group is warmed up and well prepared for the increased load without overloading. The principle is suitable for a variety of training, most often it's used in strength or muscle building workouts.

Training sets are not principals, but a philosophy made ​​by Weider in detail like his combination of sets.He first introduced the super sets, giant sets, and the combination of antagonist and protagonist muscle groups in the same set. He also mentions the drop sets, as well as the monitoring the intensity of ones workout : shortening the breaks between sets and increase the latter. Sets and the policy towards them and their variety are the center of the Weider principals.

Weider introduced the so-called . "instinctive training", self monitoring and adjusting ones workout to ones overall physical and mental condition. But the fact is that Weider isn't the inventor of most of these principles, he is the first publisher, he is the one that popularized them. Most of them are parts of the older and already used training systems.

Nutrition and rest

Weider promoted the idea of ​​healthy eating as a scientific rather than a fitness approach, he applies sports science and proven methodologies. And most importantly he strives to keep nutrition healthy, not a way to improve your results by sacrificing health. He tries to promote that through his whole life. Unfortunately in his time food science was just getting started and his principles were "marked " by the popular thing through those years, the "hate" of dietary fats. His balanced diet includes mainly carbohydrates and protein, vitamins, micro elements and supplements from natural sources. We can later see that vibe persist in his fitness supplement products.

In his time people also started to understand that rest is a very important part of training, they realised that the muscle actually grows while it's resting.Weider applies this principle to his workout splits, with most of them having 3-5 work days per week. His methods, routines and systems provide everything bodybuilding needs for decades. His practice is actually the most popular fitness and bodybuilding approach among amateurs and professionals for many years.

Coaching

Many famous and successful bodybuilders were trained by Joe Weider.The first among them of course is the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, once an foreigner admitted to the United States thanks to Weider.
Also Mike Katz, Jack Delinger, Ray Schaefer and many others.

And further more many bodybuilders have done Weider's workout routines without being trained directly by him.But the most important steps of his bodybuilding coaching career are the competitions. He is the founder of the most popular disciplines and organizations in modern bodybuilding.
Some important dates:

• In 1946, Joe founded International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB). Currently 176 member countries.
• In the same year the first bodybuilding show was organized - Mr. Canada.
• In 1965 the brothers organized the first Mr.Olympia contest, which is now the worlds leading bodybuilding contest.
• Much later, in 1980 Joe facilitates the holding of the first Ms.Olympia contest.

Death

On May 23, 2013 at the age of 93, following a heart failure at a hospital in Los Angeles, the man who created an entire fitness industry, quietly left our world.

Today, the name Weider is a brand and an icon. Regardless of how we look at his work, this is a man who left huge mark in bodybuilding and one of the founders of the process that brought the sport out from basements and garages and showed it to the world as a source of pride.

Like it or not, Weider died as someone who has achieved most of his goals and created a whole fitness empire by himself. Without this man, bodybuilding today wouldn't be the same.

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