Please Help! First AWA I've written and my Gmat is Saturday.

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The following appeared in a print advertisement for a dietary supplement:

"According to a recent study, professional bodybuilders who used Train & Gain, a new protein supplement, over the course of three months experienced an increase in measured strength of up to 20%. Since Train & Gain is now available without prescription at all major pharmacies, superior results are no longer limited to professional athletes. Try Train & Gain today and you too can boost your strength and achieve professional-level performance in just a few months."

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument's logic and analyze the argument's underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument's conclusion. You may also discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the argument more logically sound.

The argument claims that over the course of three months, bodybuilders who used Train and Gain experienced an increase in measured strength up to 20%. Hence, due to the availability on the open market of the product, everyone who uses this product will boost their strength and achieve professional level performance in just a few months. Stated this way, the argument fails to consider several key factors on the basis for which it could be evaluated. In addition, the author manipulates facts and conveys a distorted view of the situation. The conclusion heavily relies on assumptions for which there are no clear evidence. Therefore, the argument is rather weak, unconvincing, and has several flaws.

First, the argument readily assumes that single-handedly using this product will produce the results experienced by the professional bodybuilders. This statement is a stretch in that is clearly fails to consider all of the factors that go into achieving professional level performance. The supplement may aid in muscle growth, however if one does not have a good workout regime in place, the supplement will not provide up to par results. For example, a person who were to take this supplement everyday and not workout would not experience the increases in strength that this argument suggests. Clearly, the word supplement is used to show that this is an aid in providing better results. Not that this is the only method available to increases strength. The author claims that this is the only reason that the professional bodybuilders experienced growth and does not provide and supporting facts or evidence for the other factors that could be involved. The argument would be more convincing if the author stated that the supplement was used in accordance with a strict workout regime. The wording of the argument makes it seem as if the protein supplement single-handedly provides results.

Second, the author claims because professional bodybuilders experienced an increase of strength of up to 20% that even the common man will. This is an unsupported claim and tries to make a correlation between the usage of a bodybuilder and that of a normal individual. The author does not take into account that professional bodybuilders take many other supplements on top of the protein. Furthermore, the author does not account for the strict diet plans that these professionals follow on a day to day basis. To illustrate, the bodybuilder who wins the professional bodybuilding contest trains over a year for the event. During this preparation, he/she sticks to a strict dietary plan, devotes his/her life to working out, and has a whole list of supplements they take. So while taking the protein may effectively help build muscle, it again is not the only contributing factor in doing so. Applying these same results to a common individual without taking notice of all of the other conditions is an unreasonable and unsubstantiated claim. The author could strengthen the argument by including all of the preparation that goes in day and day out for a professional bodybuilder. By doing so, the individuals reading the statement would be aware that the new protein supplement is not the only cause for this increased strength.

Furthermore, the author fails to consider the different types of people taking the supplement. He readily assumes that everyone who takes the supplement will achieve professional level-performance in just a few months. However, he does not account for how the supplement can have different effects on each individual. For example, someone who has been working out religiously for years will not see as much improvement as someone who just starts training. The ladder has so much more room for growth. Working out consists of reaching plateaus, and it they are hard to overcome for some people who have been working out their entire lives. While the protein supplement may aid in conquering this plateau, it will definitely have more of an effect on the individual who drastically changes the eating habits and begins to workout for the first time.

In summary, the argument is flawed for the above-mentioned reasons and therefore is unconvincing. The argument could be considerably strengthened if the author provided information on all the relevant facts of the supposed increase in strength. In order to assess the merits of a situation, it is essential to have full knowledge of all contributing factors. Without this information, the argument remains unsubstantiated and open for debate.

It would mean a lot if someone could just evaluate this for me