Don't Believe All You Read In The Magazines

Hello All,

This week’s newsletter has been inspired by a couple of recent events.

The first is the disappearance of a number of my books. Please will those of you who have borrowed books let me know when you intend to return them. Many thanks.

The second is the recurring theme of supplements. More specifically, the increasing incidence of clients reading the latest magazine article promoting some new fangled diet or supplement that they want to try.

Notwithstanding my firm belief that reading is extremely important I wish to give a word of caution. Well, a newsletter of caution actually.

I remember a while back a friend approached me for help. He had been training for several months (at least six months, I think) with little to no gains. He was particularly trying to gain some muscle but was also looking to lose some body fat. I gave him a good routine on which he would definitely make good gains quickly. He was surprised to see how infrequently he would be going to the gym while on this program.

He commented about all the things he will be able to do with all the extra free time now that he would not be going to the gym 5 to 6 times a week for an hour or two a session. He also expressed some concern that he wouldn't be doing enough sets to stimulate muscle growth.

I reassured him that it was plenty, but I still sensed that he wasn't totally convinced.

I wrote everything down for him and even took him through several workouts to show him the proper way to perform the exercises (sets, reps, tempo, etc.). He began to make good progress.

It was several weeks later that I realized I had forgotten to tell him a crucial piece of information.

Now, my friend is relatively new to this whole bodybuilding and fitness scene. For example, he just found out about Creatine a few weeks ago. He is almost a total neophyte. His head hasn't been filled with all the rubbish that many of us have been fooled into believing over the years.

So what is the most important thing that I forgot to tell my friend...

Don't Read The Muscle, Fitness and Diet Magazines!

I should have told him that they will fill his head with all kinds of garbage and will only keep him confused. He's on the right track. He just needs to stay on it!

When I saw him again, I knew immediately that the muscle mags had already infected his mind. He hadn't been following my routine. He read somewhere that Mr. Milky Way does 20 sets per body part and trains 5 to 6 days a week. He figured that this must be the magical formula to big muscles and he started adding exercises, sets, training days, etc.

Guess what? He wasn't making gains again. This does not surprise me one little bit.

He started telling me about "so and so" in the latest edition of Muscle Comics and how they do this and that and take only supplements from "XYZ Nitro Blast Muscle Supplements" and that's how he got so huge. He said, "And Mr. 25" Biceps recommended in the latest issue of blah blah blah blah...". My eyes just glazed over as I tuned out and mentally went to the Bahamas while still smiling and nodding, hopefully in the right places.

It was too late. The influence peddlers had gotten a grip on his naive mind. It didn't matter what I said at that point. My advice was the exact opposite of what the Muscle Comics were saying...and why should he believe me over the current reigning Mr. Milky Way.

The only title I hold is "Mr. Genetically Average Joe"!

Not being one to be overly pushy, I just shut my mouth and thought to myself that here's another guy that will have to learn the hard way. Let's at least hope that it doesn't take as many years of wasted effort, that many of us endured, for him to learn the truth.

For those of you who cannot relate to that story I have some further news for you. Most magazine publishers own supplement companies and use their magazines as the primary means for promoting their products. Certain well known magazines have been doing this for decades. One day, it dawned on the rest of them that more money could be made selling supplements than selling advertising or subscriptions. Before long, every publisher jumped on the bandwagon and started supplement companies.

You see, magazines have mega-credibility. After all, they can’t print a lie right there on paper, can they? If it’s in print, it must be true, right? They’d get in some kind of trouble if it wasn’t true wouldn’t they? Maybe. Maybe not.

Editorials are more believable than advertising (that’s why they try to make adverts look so much like articles these days). Most people will believe almost anything if it’s printed in a "reputable" medium such as a nationally circulated magazine. That's why magazines are the perfect vehicles for promoting supplements.

Did you ever notice how many magazine articles are about the latest, greatest "breakthroughs" in supplements? These "articles" aren't really articles at all; they’re nothing more than advertisements in disguise! (with a free telephone hot line number for easy ordering at the end… how convenient!).

Even if a magazine doesn't have a vested interest in a supplement line, you still can't count on them to reveal the whole truth to you because they don't want to offend the deep-pocketed companies that are spending big money to advertise. A full-page ad in a high circulation national magazine can cost tens of thousands of pounds. With this kind of money at stake, do you think any magazine will print an article saying “supplements don't work” and on the next page, run an ad for the same supplements they are criticizing? Not likely is it?

It’s in the magazine’s best interest to promote supplements like crazy, regardless of whether they work or not, because the more supplements that are sold, the more the supplement companies will advertise. The more they advertise, the more supplements they sell, and on and on the cycle goes.

By all means read, read and read. In fact, I recommend it. (Please do not forget my books!)

But don't believe everything you read. Particularly in the magazines.

Question everything. Use your head. Use common sense and your own good judgment.

Beware of hidden motives.

Just because it's right there in black and white doesn't mean it's the truth. If it sounds too good to be true…it probably is.

Yours in Health and Fitness

Adrian Lowther