Young Lifters

[Guest guest]

Larsen, you are correct: young lifters (and I'm talking about the

teenage crowd) don't need supplements, although MRP's and protein

powder won't hurt them. Of course, these are really just food

rather than what I would consider a supplement. On the other hand,

it probably wouldn't hurt most of them to take a good multi-vitamin.

Most of the teenagers I hear from privately off WeightsNet have real

problems with the kinds of foods served at school (fast food

franchises have the contracts), the time provided to them to

actually eat, and the fact that they don't have control over the

family kitchen or the money to go out and buy their own food. I

encourage them to eat as nutritiously as possible and to try to eat

more than they think they may need (if they are not over fat)

because in addition to trying to build mass, they are also still

growing. And the latter is a big consideration. I usually point

out to them that the old timers such as Bill Pearl, Steve Reeves and

Grimick, didn't have any supplements available and drank lots

of milk and just generally ate good, unprocessed foods.

So supplements are not necessary to create a great physique. Jeff

Everson made this same statement in the latest issue of Planet

Muscle; he said that when Corey won the two or three first Ms.

Olympia titles, she was not using any supplements!

There was a fabulous article written by Ron in the October,

2000 Iron Man (unfortunately not up on IM's site as yet) that

answered this question beautifully. I have scanned it and offered

to send it to anyone who wanted it. I have had quite a few young

takers at this point. I would be happy to send it to anyone on this

list as well.

Ron tells these young people (although the answer was

directed toward a man), that this is the one chance they have in

their lives to really pack on the mass because of puberty. They

should take the next several years and forget all the supplements

and especially fat burners. Eat a lot and eat well. Use the basic

compound exercises and really go for it. Then, once you hit your

early 20's and have developed a really good physique, you can start

fussing around with it. But you've got to have something to work

with beforehand. Of course, this was talking about a bodybulding

physique, but it really holds true for anything. Not that a person

can't develop a beautiful physique or tremendous strength if they

begin training after that, but Ron saw this as a wonderful window of

opportunity for those young people who had seen the light.

Rosemary