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At CrossFit Be Someone, we do not sell supplements.
That does not mean I am anti-supplement. I am not. I take fish oil every day, and I have taken protein and creatine in the past. Supplements can absolutely be beneficial, and there are situations where they can serve a legitimate purpose. But there is an important distinction that often gets lost in the fitness industry: supplements are supposed to supplement a healthy lifestyle, not replace one.
For the 9 1/2 years of owning CrossFit Be Someone, I have made a conscious decision not to sell supplements because I believe our responsibility is to help people become healthier and more capable for life, not to sell them another product.
For most people, the basics have not been mastered yet.
CrossFit's nutritional prescription is simple: eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no added sugar. Build meals around quality, whole foods. Eat enough protein. Make reasonable choices consistently. You do not need to make nutrition complicated.
The problem is that many people are not consistently doing these things.
If you are struggling to eat real, whole foods consistently, adding a $60, $80, or $100 supplement to your daily routine probably is not the answer. If you are skipping meals, eating highly processed foods regularly, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or sugary beverages, and rarely eating vegetables, a supplement is not going to fix the foundation.
The same principle applies to exercise.
If you are not consistently showing up for your CrossFit workouts, improving your fitness through regular training should probably come before worrying about which supplement you should take. And the same goes for sleep. If you are staying up late every night scrolling through your phone, getting inadequate sleep, and waking up exhausted, buying a supplement marketed as an energy booster is probably not where I would start.
Nutrition, exercise, and sleep are the foundation.
Master those first.
Then we can talk about supplements.
The supplement industry is also a business. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but we need to recognize what we are being sold. Companies make money when you buy their products, so naturally their marketing is going to tell you why you need them. You may see an advertisement on Instagram claiming that a particular powder, pill, or drink will transform your energy, recovery, metabolism, hormones, or performance.
Maybe it will help. Maybe it will not.
You also might feel a noticeable jolt the first time you take something, particularly if it contains stimulants or caffeine. But that does not mean you have suddenly discovered the missing piece to your health and fitness. The effect may be temporary, while the fundamentals remain unchanged.
Taking supplements without mastering the basics can be like paying for expensive pee. Your body may not need what you are putting into it, and much of what you consume can simply pass through you.
There is another question I want athletes to ask themselves: How do you know it is actually working for you?
Are you measuring anything?
If you start taking a supplement, pay attention to your energy, recovery, sleep, performance in the gym, body composition, and relevant health markers. Establish a baseline. Track the changes. Give it enough time to evaluate whether it is actually providing a meaningful benefit.
Do not simply take something because another athlete takes it.
Do not take something because an Instagram ad told you that you need it.
And do not take something simply because the person selling it promises that it will make you better.
Start with the basics.
Eat quality food consistently. Show up for your CrossFit workouts. Get enough sleep. Put your phone down at night. Build habits that you can maintain for years, not just a few weeks.
You may discover that you do not need much supplementation at all.
Now, there are exceptions. If your doctor recommends a specific supplement because of a medical or personal need, listen to your doctor. That is different from taking something because you saw an advertisement or because another athlete is using it. If you are considering a supplement for performance or general health, talk with your CrossFit coaches first so we can help you think through whether it actually makes sense for your situation.
At CrossFit Be Someone, our mission is to build healthy and happy individuals. That means helping people establish sustainable lifestyles that they can maintain for the rest of their lives.
Could selling supplements create additional revenue for the gym?
Absolutely.
But that is not our mission.
My responsibility is to be honest with our athletes about what they actually need, even when the answer is not something they can buy from us.
For the majority of people, the goal is simple: become healthier, stronger, fitter, and more capable in everyday life. You probably do not need a cabinet full of supplements to accomplish that. You need to consistently do the things that work.
If you are an athlete competing at a high level or pursuing significant performance goals, the conversation can be different. Supplements may have a place in a well-developed training and nutrition strategy. But even then, the basics come first.
Master the foundation.
Then determine whether supplementation can actually add value.
If you live in Greater Heights, the Heights, Garden Oaks, River Oaks, or Memorial and you are looking for a CrossFit gym that prioritizes coaching, sustainable habits, and long-term health over selling you more products, we would love to help.
You do not need another product.
You may simply need a better plan, better coaching, and the accountability to consistently execute the basics.
Schedule a free consultation with CrossFit Be Someone and let’s talk about where you are, where you want to go, and how we can help you get there.
