GNC

Vitamins, pills, powders and deals galore. Get on the email list and use your GNC gold to get the hook up on several, awesome monthly specials. I recommend this GNC to people who are dedicated to building some serious muscle. As small as this GNC location is, there are enough varieties of protein powder here to pump up the entire USMC. A clerk by the name of Andrew was very helpful on my most recent visit. I could tell from the confidence in his tone that he really knew his protein powder business and he wasn’t just trying to hustle me into buying the most expensive item on the shelf.

Me: Oh hello there! Do you know anything about this product?
Salesperson: No.
Me: Ummm. Alright. Thanks.
Salesperson to other salesperson behind the counter: I’m just in a bad mood today!
Me after making a purchase: Thanks! Have a good day.
Salesperson: *blank stare*
Seriously, I don’t ask for much. Perhaps you should learn a little about your products, crack a smile and/​or just aim to be a decent human.

Not coming here again. I can’t walk into a GNC, anywhere, without dodging commissioned salespeople. I should not need to dodge anything, when buying something in your store. No, in fact, the purpose of a store is to make it easy for me to buy things that you are selling.
When I go to the grocery store, do I need my cashier to give me a hard time about buying yellow corn chips instead of blue corn? No, dude, just ring up my damn chips and let me get on with my day.
Today, the cashier hits me with an unasked-​for «trying to gain some weight?» while I was looking through the protein powders. No, actually, I’m not trying to gain or lose a single pound, I’ve been exercising since I was 24 and I am actually perfectly satisfied with what the scale tells me. «No man, I’m trying to stay right where I’m at.»
Then he proceeds to tell me that the protein powder I’ve selected is the highest-​fat one in the store, will raise my bad cholesterol levels, and the protein in there is only 50% bioavailable.
Egads! How did you discover this, Dr. Cashier? «I’m a personal trainer». Yeah, I can’t throw a subway token without hitting a personal trainer in this town, who cares.
«Why do you sell this in your store then?»
«They pay GNC to sell this stuff». Sure dude, it’s a conspiracy.

The staff here (at least on my visit) was contagiously friendly and unusually knowledgeable about every item on the shelves. I only came to cash in a coupon for a free coconut water (which wasn’t great, contrary to the proclamation of one employee), but I’d feel confident returning if I had any nutritional supplement inquiries. This GNC is conveniently located and the sign could use a revamp, and watch your step.

Give me a G, to the N, to the C. What does that spell? GNC!
I pick up protein drinks and what-​not when they are priced competitively here.

In the summer of 1998, spurred by the seemingly Herculean efforts of now-​disgraced baseball god, Mark McGwire, I attempted to stymie the rapid, outward progression of my unattractive potbelly by procuring a starter supply of the synthetic hormone, Androstenidone, from a local GNC. The nearest GNC I knew of was in Carrol Gardens, so I jumped on the train and headed down to the proverbial beanstalk for the «magic beans» that I hoped would transform my wholly unimpressive, soft physique into something worthy of an Italian sculptor.
My enthusiasm was quickly rebuffed by an attentive GNC employee who spotted me lingering near the locked glass case that housed my miracle pills. He warned me that andro was for professionals, and that improper use would result in the formation of abnormally large mammaries, better known in the world of juvenile, anatomical colloquialisms as «Man Tits». While I was not seeking to replicate the mutant, grotesque features of Mark McGwire, the media hype and revelation of the Cardinal slugger’s andro use put me in the market for some slightly bigger guns. The knowledgeable salesperson at GNC put me right in my place. And it wouldn’t be the last time…
A year and change later, I again found myself in GNC seeking a «revolutionary» new supplement that was a mere virgin on the over the counter market. I cannot recall the exact name of the product, but it was some kind of vitamin water infused with synephrine and ephedra. The salesman who recited the precautions and side effects of this drink to me did so with such efficiency, I decided to void the purchase and terminate future attempts at acquiring the fountain of youth. In this case, drinking from the fountain was only slightly less a detriment to one’s health than licking the floor of a crystal meth lab.
So, why does GNC get the 4 star rating? Because I left with the feeling that they genuinely placed my personal safety above profit… on two separate occasions, no less. It’s a rarity in the wellness industry, which often seems driven by financial gain through deceptive advertising, but that was not my experience with GNC. I enthusiastically recommend the Carrol Gardens store to anyone wishing to consult a knowledgeable workforce prior to making a nutrition supplement purchase. They may not tell you what you WANT to hear, but your body will most certainly thank you for listening.