i have to be brutally honest for this, i have never given a &#^# about trying to look big or strong, and that seems to be the goal of most of the guys at the gym. i hate hearing "i just wanna look trimmer and get a little bulk for when i go to the beach".

almost all the supplements that are out there are crap! i know i am gonna get in trouble for saying this but it is true. even if they do work they kill your kidneys and liver and usually once you stop taking them it all reverses. the only thing that i ever take or recommend is a good quality protein that has no preservatives or artificial sweeteners or artificial colouring. and there are very few people who need more then 22g of protein in one shake, as long as it is good quality protein. creatine isn't bad if you get a good quality product but it is another one that once your stop using it your size goes down, though it will help in muscle recovery.

Ultimate protein by Brad King is the best stuff i have found so far, though Genuine Health Proteins Plus is pretty good to because Brad King actually developed it for them. i haven't had a person yet tell me they don't notice an immediate difference with this protein and these were guys and girls from the full spectrum of weight lifters to just normal people.

as far as the actual weight lifting goes i always find free weights to be better for strength as it premotes balance and support muscle growth. i like that someone already mentioned that simpler is better. a great product that i really like and have found the best strength gains with is the Universal Strength Apparatus. very simple and much harder then most people think.

if anyone has a chance, read Pavel Tsatsoulines book the Naked Warrior. it is amazing. he also has some great books on Kettle Bell workouts that i can't wait to try, but i have to save up to buy the Kettle Bells.

PS. for those avid weight lifters (and anyone for that matter) it made a big difference for me when i started doing one arm at a time for everything, again it is for the support muscles, and i was really surprised how much of a change it made.