Mind and Muscle and the Supplement Placebo Effect Back during World War II, the medics and hospitals would often run out of painkillers and would give their patients the latest and greatest painkiller, peace of mind.
Sometimes they would inject the soldiers with what they were told to be morphine, but was actually a healthy dose of saline solution, or saltwater. The good news is that, when injected with the "morphine," most of the soldiers' pain would vanish, at least temporarily.
Why Does It Work? The medics weren't being deceiving, they were doing what they had to do, and it worked. They were taking advantage of the Placebo Effect. The Placebo Effect works because it activates the brain, changing it's psychological or physiological functioning. The soldiers thought they were receiving a pain killer, which they knew killed pain on contact, but they were actually shot with saltwater. The effect was the same, it killed the pain, at least on a short term basis. The basic reason this works is because your brain controls your body, and your mind and thoughts can control your brain.
Building Muscle With The Placebo Effect The placebo effect is used generously in the supplement industry. The fact is, most supplements don't really have any real active ingredients, or don't have very much, that would help you build muscle. Some supplements are like the soldiers' "morphine," it's just a shot of something else that gets carried straight out of the body. Some supplements actually contain some active ingredient, but not enough to really take credit for your muscle growth.
Most muscle gaining hopefuls don't simply walk into a store and purchase any flashy tub of powder they see. They usually make "informed" decisions based upon what they've read in magazines or heard from others. In most cases, when someone starts taking a dietary supplement for the first time, it's a leap of faith. They are using the supplement for one simple reason, because they believe it will work.
The belief that it will work is the main factor here. When someone really believes in something, with no doubt, amazing things can occur, even in the body. By thinking and believing that a supplement will build muscle, it just might. The brain takes your thoughts as instructions and because of your strong belief, it goes about making what you believe happen. It has to.
The belief that the supplement will build muscle, with all else staying the same, is enough to spark muscle growth, but the thing is, how many people get on a supplement and do the same things? Stay with me here, the answer is, not very many. Most folks drink "Miracle 2000" and kick their training up a clicks. Most people will improve their training and their nutrition and recovery.
Time To Take Credit Think about this, if you didn't take the supplement, but ramped up the training, would you gain muscle? Yes you would, so supplements aren't necessary for building muscle. Too many people give all of the credit to the supplement, its time to take the credit. The supplement didn't lift the weight, you did. The chances are high that the supplement didn't really do anything, except for the placebo effect. Some supplements are worth taking, but if you don't have the proper foundation, they won't do you any good.
These are a few examples of what you can do to start easing off of the supplements:
1. Slowly stop using whatever you want to quit and see your results not slip, but actually believe that they will improve. Use the placebo effect for your advantage.
2. Remember that you are lifting the weight and doing the work, not the supplement. You need to take the credit.
3. Believe in yourself and your muscle building abilities. A belief in your supplements to build muscle does it, believing in yourself will work even better.
Now you can use the placebo effect to your advantage and use your mind and muscle connection to build muscle. - 31525
Sometimes they would inject the soldiers with what they were told to be morphine, but was actually a healthy dose of saline solution, or saltwater. The good news is that, when injected with the "morphine," most of the soldiers' pain would vanish, at least temporarily.
Why Does It Work? The medics weren't being deceiving, they were doing what they had to do, and it worked. They were taking advantage of the Placebo Effect. The Placebo Effect works because it activates the brain, changing it's psychological or physiological functioning. The soldiers thought they were receiving a pain killer, which they knew killed pain on contact, but they were actually shot with saltwater. The effect was the same, it killed the pain, at least on a short term basis. The basic reason this works is because your brain controls your body, and your mind and thoughts can control your brain.
Building Muscle With The Placebo Effect The placebo effect is used generously in the supplement industry. The fact is, most supplements don't really have any real active ingredients, or don't have very much, that would help you build muscle. Some supplements are like the soldiers' "morphine," it's just a shot of something else that gets carried straight out of the body. Some supplements actually contain some active ingredient, but not enough to really take credit for your muscle growth.
Most muscle gaining hopefuls don't simply walk into a store and purchase any flashy tub of powder they see. They usually make "informed" decisions based upon what they've read in magazines or heard from others. In most cases, when someone starts taking a dietary supplement for the first time, it's a leap of faith. They are using the supplement for one simple reason, because they believe it will work.
The belief that it will work is the main factor here. When someone really believes in something, with no doubt, amazing things can occur, even in the body. By thinking and believing that a supplement will build muscle, it just might. The brain takes your thoughts as instructions and because of your strong belief, it goes about making what you believe happen. It has to.
The belief that the supplement will build muscle, with all else staying the same, is enough to spark muscle growth, but the thing is, how many people get on a supplement and do the same things? Stay with me here, the answer is, not very many. Most folks drink "Miracle 2000" and kick their training up a clicks. Most people will improve their training and their nutrition and recovery.
Time To Take Credit Think about this, if you didn't take the supplement, but ramped up the training, would you gain muscle? Yes you would, so supplements aren't necessary for building muscle. Too many people give all of the credit to the supplement, its time to take the credit. The supplement didn't lift the weight, you did. The chances are high that the supplement didn't really do anything, except for the placebo effect. Some supplements are worth taking, but if you don't have the proper foundation, they won't do you any good.
These are a few examples of what you can do to start easing off of the supplements:
1. Slowly stop using whatever you want to quit and see your results not slip, but actually believe that they will improve. Use the placebo effect for your advantage.
2. Remember that you are lifting the weight and doing the work, not the supplement. You need to take the credit.
3. Believe in yourself and your muscle building abilities. A belief in your supplements to build muscle does it, believing in yourself will work even better.
Now you can use the placebo effect to your advantage and use your mind and muscle connection to build muscle. - 31525
About the Author:
It's time to use your head, learn how to build muscle with your mind. Check out Mental Edge Muscle Building and get your free copy of the 7 Part Muscle Building Guide
