Simple reasons:
- Not essential. You can make massive gains just eating a shitload of meat.
- Expensive. Instead of buying a $50 bag of protein powder or supplements, why not just use that to buy more meat? I can buy chicken leg quarters (the delicious fatty leg/thigh pieces) for only .99 cent a pound. I can buy pork shoulder roast for only .79 cents a pound to .99 cents a pound. I can buy ground beef for 2.99 a pound. I can buy steak for 5.99 a pound. Isn’t it more effective to eat more meat to gain muscle mass than to consume more protein powders?
- Strange additives: All you need to gain muscle mass is meat. And all you need to pump yourself up is black coffee (no sugar, no cream). Or tea (green tea, black tea). Who knows if 50 years from now, we will start seeing strange side-effects from energy drinks or these supplements or “pre-workout” pump-creative stuff.
- You can deadlift 455 pounds while intermittent fasting: I have powerlifted for 5 years with intermittent fasting. This means I never eat any food or anything before lifting (very heavy weights) for “one rep max” attempts. All I do is drink water and black coffee before lifting. Even when I deadlifted 455 pounds at around a height of 5 foot 10 inches, 170 pounds, I didn’t use a strap, I didn’t use cocaine, I didn’t eat anything — I didn’t even listen to music. Just hyping myself up with “lightweight baby!” from Ronnie Coleman. My powerlifting philosophy.
- You become paranoid: In my teenage days, I definitely got suckered with protein powder. I thought I had to always consume protein powder before and after a workout (immediately). Now, I realized I got suckered by fear-marketing. Now even after deadlifting over 400 pounds (around noon), I will wait until 10pm to break my fast then eat. And I still get the gains!
Potential downsides of protein powder?
My hypothesis:
Eating protein powder might actually lead to fat gain.
Consider– much of protein powder is derived from milk-proteins. And milk-proteins are lactose (sugar) from cows. Lactose/sugar spikes your insulin levels, which leads to adipose tissue (fat) gain.
This might be a very practical downside to consuming protein powders.
Just don’t get suckered.
Honestly the only reason I write this is because I was once a skinny-fat kid who wanted to get muscular and strong. I had low self-esteem in the past. Now I have insanely high self esteem, and did it with very little money. Just time and effort.
And I also feel it is my duty to debunk B.S. And to dispel fear.
You got this. Genetics don’t exist.
ERIC
My Muscle Philosophy:
Treat your body as sculpture.
This is not my body
The first thing:
I don’t see my body as belonging to me. I look at my body like it belongs to someone else.
When I look at the Lamborghini of someone else, I admire it. When I see the muscles and physiques of anyone else, I admire it. Then I had the epiphany:
Why not transform my own body into a Lambo, and admire my own body instead?
The logic
The great logic:
- It is far cheaper to get buff than to buy a Lambo.
- The human body is the apex beauty. This means your personal goal in life should be to beautify your own personal body to the maximum (without plastic surgery, steroids, etc).
- Ultimate democratic approach: Genetics doesn’t matter. Sex doesn’t matter. Racial ethnicity doesn’t matter. Anyone can both add muscle mass and subtract fat.
- It doesn’t cost much to get ripped. Just intermittent fast [no breakfast, no lunch], one big ass meal a day, and mostly a ‘ketogenic’ diet.
- Your body is always with you. Why not beautify your body to inspire yourself?
The joy of sculpting your own body
To sculpt your own body is insanely fun. Why? You can see the change over time!
Once again, the goal is simple:
Never stop adding muscle mass, and never stop reducing body fat, or keeping it low (around 10%).
Muscle and your body is highly practical.
The more muscle you have, the more energy you got. The more power you got to make art-work, and live with gratitude, joy, and hyper-vigor.
Strengthen on, and flex on!
ERIC