An Illuminating Observation from the Arnold Sports Expo

The Arnold Sports Expo was just like any other expo you may have ever been to: Lots of vendors trying to get you to part with your hard-earned cash in return for what they hope you will believe is the best product this side of the Mississippi.

The overwhelming majority (I'd say at least 70 percent) of vendors at the Arnold were supplement manufacturers or companies who sell mostly supplements (GNC, Bodybuilding.com, and the Vitamin Shoppe).

If a superstar bodybuilder like current Mr Olympia Jay Cutler (MuscleTech) couldn't lure you to the booth, then the supplement companies threw scantily-clad "fitness models" at the mostly-male crowd.

So there's obviously a lot riding on getting you to buy their stuff. If the product's benefits don't sell it, then surely a superstar bodybuilder who presumably uses it will; and if that doesn't work, throw some tits and ass your way, and you'll soon lose all of your judgment!

(I'm not kidding about this – there was one booth where the women were wearing pants – very tight, or course – that had small rectangular cut-outs strategically placed such that it made showing butt crack inevitable. I kid you not. Or maybe that was my imagination.)

I've talked about this before: Supplements help. A lot. But you have to take the right ones. All the others are junk at best. And seriously dangerous at worst.

There are some supplements that I will take the rest of my life because I know they work. I've tried a literal TON of supplements over the years (30+) and I know what works. I also have a good idea what doesn't. And I know which ones I'd never take.

You can read all about my take on supplements elsewhere here on the blog and also at the main Muscle-Build.com site. I just wanted to share with you something that really caught my attention.

It's not just the bodybuilding magazines hawking supplements (pick up any popular muscle magazine and I challenge you to find any editorial content within the first 30 pages) – it's Arnold and every other strength-sport competition and event.

Buyer beware. Again, I'm not saying supplements are bad. They're very important. Just know what you're buying before you shove it down your gullet. Otherwise, you're wasting your money and maybe jeopardizing your health.