In the beginning, there was man and he had to be strong. But now, he can sit on the couch. He can survive, sort of, without the effort that once went into living.
Competitive strongmen, on the other hand, can gobble couch potatoes. These are the strongest men alive and they have to eat like it. The difference? Strongmen work it off!
But even they sometimes need something extra, because no one can eat that much food. So they supplement. But just as with the food he eats, Colton Leonard exercises restraint. He supplements smartly and simply.
Supplement plans are seldom set in stone. You react to what you need, fill in the necessary gaps, and blast through your workouts with one of the best buddies a strongman has—his stack.
"Supplements are necessary," Leonard says. "Some people say you can get all your vitamins and minerals, your micro- and macro-needs from your daily food intake. I think that's difficult for the average person. Even eating on a bodybuilder's diet during contest prep, I don't think that person is eating enough food to get the right vitamins and minerals. I'm a big believer in the basics. I like to use protein, multivitamin, fish oils, joint support, and a pre-workout."
Strong man is a great way to change up your program. Colton, and every sensible strongman on this rock, recommend that everyone (yes, you!) take some time and try to fit in a carry or something into a workout.
"It will change the way you can train," Leonard says. "It's amazing for functional strength."
Colton sticks to the basics in life and in supps. He takes a multivitamin, a legit requirement for anyone who trains hard. "The multi helps fill in all the little gaps to fill in the holes in your diet," Leonard says.
"Protein is essential," he adds. "Sometimes eating chicken or regular meat sources of protein can get boring. By having that extra protein supplement, I get the extra grams of protein quickly and with less hassle."
The caffeine slug from pre-workouts empowers Colton to haul heavy objects and move stacked bars in Olympic lifts.
"The extra boost of caffeine is wonderful," Leonard says. "The additional creatine makes a difference. The pre-workout is essential to take without a meal in your stomach. That way the caffeine gets into your system quicker."
As helpful as he feels his supplements are, Colton still takes time off from them every once in a while.
"When I take time off I notice a change in my performance," Leonard says. "Maybe that's a little psychological, maybe it's not, but it's something I notice, especially with pre-workouts."
"I have worked in supplements since I was young and have seen them aid individuals in making drastic changes in their lifestyle," Leonard says. "They helped me obtain results over my time training. I look for quality supplements."
Leonard is sponsored by Cellucor, where he also happens to work as a director of customer service. "I have had the opportunity to be with them for some time, both through bodybuilding and strongman," Leonard says. "I believe their supplementation has improved my training and performance to where I am today. My favorite product of theirs is C4 Extreme."
Animal Pak and Animal Omega: with breakfast or lunch
"I like to consume these with a meal. They can be absorbed and digested better over time."
BCAAs and Creatine: Throughout the day prior to afternoon workout
"I use 2 scoops of Cellucor's COR-Creatine for maintenance after a loading cycle. These aid in muscle growth and are important factors for building muscle mass and strength. Cellucor's Creatine also has a nice phosphate blend that I have noticed gives me a little more endurance while I cycle on it. On strongman workout days, I make sure to have a few scoops of BCAAs in my water. My training sessions can last up to 3-plus hours on those days, and the added BCAAs help assure prompt recovery. Also, COR Beta BCAA has added beta-alanine for a boost in endurance."
C4 Extreme: About 15-20 minutes prior to a workout
"This stuff is the slap in the face I need before an intense workout. I notice a huge difference training on pre-workouts and training without them. Pre-workouts are definitely a staple for me. However, I have to be careful to cycle them properly. Too many supplement users don't cycle caffeinated supplements and become dependent upon them. Before a bodybuilding workout, I'll toss in a few caps of NO3 Chrome too, to give me a larger pump."
Super Cissus: With a meal 2 times per day
"I rotate in Labrada's Elasti Joint as well. Again, I go back to the basics. Take preventative measures to prevent joint deterioration and you will have a long lifting career. I feel this way about medical conditions that may run in your family as well. Supplement early, not after you develop a problem."
COR Whey: Several times every day
"I usually consume one shake with 2 scoops post-workout and one additional shake with 2 scoops throughout the day as part of a small meal. Sometimes I toss a shake in before bed as well. This ensures I get adequate amounts of aminos to sustain muscle mass."
ZMA: In the evening about an hour before bed time
"This helps me get a good restful sleep and it has a bit of testosterone boosting effects. I really enjoy the COR ZMA from Cellucor, because of the added Melatonin, Tribulus and GABA. It's a solid formula."
If you want to learn more about Colton Leonard, or more about strongman, please feel free to contact him. You can find him here on Bodybuilding.com on BodySpace or you can hit him up on Facebook or Twitter. If you want more great articles or videos and content like this, make sure to keep coming back to Bodybuilding.com.
