To all the mums that are worried about their teenager’s newfound obsession with protein powders, weights and “getting big”, you can thank me later. Please grab your teen, park them in front of this article and let me work my magic.

I don’t want to seem sexist, but to make this post easier to write, I’m assuming the the reader is a teenage male with a mother forcing him to at least “hear read this girl out, she makes some candid points” However young girls, and gym/protein/exercise buffs of all ages and genders can benefit from the points made here, so be my guest, pull up a chair (or park yourself at your standing desk) and read on.

This is not a “preachy” article that attempts to stop you doing what you’re doing. It’s here to help you your gym thing for reasons other than “well it’s what my mates are doing” or “girls won’t be attracted to me if I don’t have a Magic Mike-esque six pack”.

I’m not going to lie. As a female, and I am evolutionally programmed to appreciate a hot physique. I think it’s the whole primal “he’d be a fit and capable hunter that would provide for me and our presumably attractive children” thing. I mean, let’s be honest, on a primal and instinctive level, you find your eyes drawn to a good chest and/or well-equipped booty, knowing that girl is a “fertile candidate to help you pass your undeniable good looks and charming personality down to the next generation”. 

Tat said, we aren’t living in hunter gatherer times of grunts and cave drawings – back then hot bodies were the only draw cards we had. These days, with intellect and what-not, we have come to appreciate that personality and heart counts for a hefty percentage of attractiveness (which in my flat-chested case, certainly is a relief). I mean, I could have a killer rack and an ass that never quit, but if I were a total bitch you’d lose interest pretty fast.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

If you think you have to spend hours in the gym pumping iron and guzzling protein-shakes like there’s no tomorrow to find love, think again. Any girl who chooses guys based on their muscle-tone alone (I’m not saying it won’t cross her mind) needs to re-assess her values. After a while, wholesome people want a good laugh. I’d settle for mildly attractive and funny and then Google image pics of a shirtless Zac Efron to supplement my thrills – just saying!

Also, if you feel the pressure to “tone-up” just because “all the lads” are doing it, consider finding yourself a different motivator. Don’t get me wrong, I understand peer pressure. It’s the classic example of “if so and so jumped off a cliff would you?”. By no means am I implying that jumping off a cliff is equivalent to chowing down on protein bars and dead lifting like a boss, but it all starts somewhere. Do you really want your sole reason for getting fit to be “I dunno, I want to look hotter than my mates”.

Fitness is important no doubt, but we’ve got to get past shallow incentives such as chick-magnetism and status quo!

Get clear on WHY is it so important that you get fit. If you already have a reason; heart-attack prevention, personal achievement, general fitness etc., etc. COOL BANANAS, let us move on.

If you don’t have a “why”, bookmark this page, figure it out and come back later.

Speaking of why … WHY am I writing this post? Three reasons;

• Finding your reason for doing anything is important for maintaining a sense of self and not just becoming a sheep!
• The whole go-hard-or-go-home slogan irritates the frigga-liggin-heck out of me
• There are protein sources and protein sources! 

Let’s tackle the “no pain, no gain” argument first.

Pain is your body’s way of letting you know it’s time to stop and take a break …

Yet the fitness industry, and competitive sporting world in general, seem to bang on about pushing your limits like it’s an exert from some holy text. I’m all for kicking goals and challenging yourself, but there’s a line between challenging and abusing! Let me ask you something … are you 15 (give or take a few) years young, and already nursing injuries that require weekly physiotherapist or chiropractic attention? Have you had to take weeks or months off your beloved fitness regime because the body has simply had enough? You didn’t listen to the warning signs so it SCREAMED at you instead?

Ever noticed how many retired elite athletes are left with life-long injuries (or susceptibility to injuries) because they pushed their bodies too far, too fast?

This isn’t a trendy, popular or convenient topic. I get that for most teenage guys “self-care” or (if you don’t want to call it that) just plain “looking after yourself” isn’t exactly seen as “cool”. But do you know what else isn’t cool? Back injuries, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, getting overweight and depressed in your 30’s because you can barely even finish a Pilates class!

I could go on here, but then I’d just be raving, and there’s probably already a part of you that wants to shut the screen down, except your mum is still there, supervising your reading-time, because it’s the next part that she REALLY wants you to pay attention to …

Let’s talk about the “protein industry”. In this post, we cover the basics of protein and its functions, so I won’t waste time repeating myself.

The protein “industry”, as I like to call them, have convinced you that in order to be “buff, strong, desirable, free of locker-room shame etc. etc.” you need  to consume their powders, bars and balls (so to speak) …

There are some protein powders on the market that aren’t half bad … but they cost more to make because they are made from wholesome ingredients, and thus are probably a little out of your price range. I know that it’s cool to be seen drinking shakes or chomping on protein bars as you leave the weights room, but do you know what’s in these products? SERIOUSLY … DO YOU???

Stop, go grab your protein powder shake container, turn it over and read the ingredient listing … frightened yet?

It can be super-tempting to brush the “quality” argument off and just keep using this stuff because it’s affordable, convenient and trendy, but …

Putting hydrolysed soy or whey protein isolate/extracts from genetically engineered soy beans or hormone-fed cows, with some corn syrup/artificial sweeteners, vegetable oil and several additives, flavours, colours etc. is equivalent to putting the wrong type of petrol into your car! 

You wouldn’t dream of filling your car up with the wrong fuel would you? You wouldn’t expect it to run properly on a low grade oil … it would seize the engine. So how can you expect your poor body to thrive on ingredients that are so far removed from their natural state that it’s debatable whether they still even count as “food”?

Do you know what contains protein in abundance? Meat and fish, eggs and dairy, nuts and seeds. No they don’t come with beefy slogans, “birthday cake” flavours, or manipulative packaging, and you can’t just add them to water and be done with it, but at least your body won’t be totally stressed trying to process them. Your body is already working so hard; growing, training, recovering and other activities that shall remain unnamed. Why give it the extra task of processing unrecognisable ingredients when it could be using that precious time and energy building and repairing your muscles?

Your body can only use so much protein at one time anyways … once your tissue is repaired and any extra muscle is built, excess protein just turns to glucose and gets used as regular fuel … so you may as well source your protein from whole food sources. Now, whilst we’re on the subject of WHOLE FOODS …

It’s not just protein you need for recovery and muscle growth. You need B vitamins for energy production, minerals for muscle relaxation and contraction, electrolytes for energy conduction and many other nutrients that all work in synergy to help you build and then maintain your fittest body. Think of a homemade “protein ball”; a combo of almonds, walnuts, dates, cacao, sea salt and coconut … it’s got plenty of protein from the nuts, trace minerals from the salt, iron, magnesium and potassium from the dates, more magnesium in the cacao powder and an immune-boosting, instant-energy source from the coconut. Plus you’ve got some fibre to boot (and it tastes like a chocolate brownie), so everyone’s a winner.

Your body knows what to do with real food. In the long run, it keeps your muscles happy (I am aware that for right now,  your “rep” – and thus physical form, is your focus) and the rest of your body working properly to boot

Protein powders are only cool because of marketing. Company reps talk them up to PTs who then onsell them to clients and clients recommend them to their mates. In truth they can damage your kidneys (there is nothing sexy about loin pain) and tax your liver. You can get all the protein you need from REAL FOOD and if you really must use a powder, read the ingredients and buy one without the alienating ingredient list.

Or better yet, pop a frozen banana (peel it first), a few pitted dates, a spoonful of natural peanut butter, cinnamon, LSA or chia seeds and organic full-fat milk (or an additive-free nut or coconut alternative) into a blender. Full of protein and everything else you need. All body systems are nourished in the process and you still get to look ‘normal’; sipping milky liquid from a bottle

Bottom Line? If your intent is to be strong and improve your schoolyard reputation, no worries, just ensure that you do it for your own satisfaction and look after yourself in the process. Injuries and heavily-marketed pseudo-foods are out. Common-sense approaches and wholesome nutrition are in.

Take a stand against societal pressures and get back to looking after yourself. Who wants to peak in high school anyway? You’ve got so much living to do afterwards and it’s better to be energetic, pain-free and liberated from fitness-industry-driven manipulation that has you slaving away for short-term goals.